VA - Terra Serpentes

VARIOUS ARTISTS

TERRA SERPENTES

Original Issue: 1996 World Serpent (WSDCD 016)

Margot-meter: 3,5 moons / 5

1-01 Arkkon T 2901E
1-02 Martyn Bates Bahnhofstrasse
1-03 Chris & Cosey One Minute More (Serpent Mix)
1-04 Coil Heartworms
1-05 Current 93 Frolicking
1-06 Bryin Dall May You Never Be Alone Like Me
1-07 Death In June Presents Kapo! Only Europa Knows
1-08 Roger Doyle Dark Scenery Court Games
1-09 Elijah's Mantle Wise Words Of Eve
1-10 In Gowan Ring Still Water Bonne
1-11 Lemon Kittens What The Cat Brought In
1-12 Loretta's Doll Love Is Regret
1-13 Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud, The Untitled

2-01 Nature And Organisation By A Foreign River (The Longing For Mercy And Happiness)
2-02 Neither/Neither World All's God's Dogs
2-03 Nurse With Wound Window Of Possible Organic Development
2-04 Orchis Come Unto Me
2-05 Boyd Rice Experience, The Music From The Movie Pearls Before Swine
2-06 Sand On The Corner (Alternative Version)
2-07 Death In June Presents Scorpion Wind Some Colossus
2-08 Shock Headed Peters Oblivion Extract
2-09 Sol Invictus Did You See
2-10 Somewhere In Europe Oblique Realities
2-11 Strength Through Joy Ways To Strength And Beauty
2-12 Tiny Tim The Garden Of Your Heart, Turn Back The Universe, You Can't Get Loving Where There Ain't Any Love, A Thousand Love Songs
2-13 Zone The Scavenging Soul

from Fluxeuropa:

Terra Serpentes is WSD's first compilation album. GREG BEAR writes: It seems I have been writing myself hoarse extolling the virtues of this fabulous British record label when I could merely have sat back and waited for this incredible release! 26 artists of considerable and varied talents are represented here in order to help you make your acquaintance with World Serpent.

Some names ought to be familiar: Chris and Cosey, Coil, Current 93, Nurse With Wound, Sol Invictus and even the inimitable Tiny Tim are pretty much part of the contemporary musicologist's psyche.

Other artist's whose presence is included for those who have delved a little include: Martyn Bates, Elijah's Mantle, Lemon Kittens, Boyd Rice and the inevitable Death In June/Current 93/Sol Invictus associates: Kapo!, Nature And Organisation, Scorpion Wind, Somewhere in Europe and Strength Through Joy.

Some of the remainder of the bands inhabit the arcane end of the musical spectrum, and, as such are a learning experience for this journalist: Arkkon (an exercise in drones), Bryin Dall (an acoustic piece of moribund beauty), Roger Doyle (a collage of quiet noises) et al.

As all the tracks are "previously unheard and unreleased" completists will simply have to own Coil's excellent 'Heartworms', Current 93's sublime 'Frolicking' or the Shock Headed Peters' 'Oblivion Extract', with its unrepentant boisterous rockism.