Bloody Fist: Aussies inviting malice from 1994 to 2004
July 10, 2016 5:18 PM Subscribe
In the 1990s, a group of Australian misfits who made anti-rave music [NSFW audio, present elsewhere, too], influenced by their local Newcastle industrial heritage and the international sounds of gabber. In 1994, they bashed out some tunes and pulled together enough money to make 102 hand-stamped records, officially starting Bloody Fist Records. The label gained recognition world-wide, but abruptly closed shop in 2004, and a decade later Bloody Fist was celebrated in Newcastle with Fistography, an exhibit to the history and legacy of the label. If you missed any of this the first time around, you can stream and buy much of the label's catalog on their Bandcamp page.
Mark Newlands is producer, DJ and turntablist who brought his scratching to some of his records, including work as part of the trio known as Nasenbluten (Wikipedia/ Discogs/ is German for "nosebleed"). Mark N founded Bloody Fist and was a key player in the local scene, which he talked about in a short TV interview, from the start of the label to their DIY aesthetic and how they fit into the international hardcore scene.
In its decade of existence, his label gained some level of renown, by musicians and beyond. Mark N., his band and label got some notable recognition (Google books preview) in Simon Reynold's retrospective of electronic dance music, Energy Flash (titled Generation Ecstasy in the United States) as the angry answer to styles like 'bouncy techno.' One track from a Bloody Fist EP was included in mixes by Matmos, including their Breezeblock mix (tracklist only, no audio), and someone at Rockstar Games got a track from another BF EP used in a commercial for the Manhunt video game.
The peak productivity period for the artists associated with the label was in the 1990s, which sustained the label through some tough times and lead to releases in the 2000s. A mere decade after bursting onto the scene, they shut down rather suddenly, going from the normal announcements on their website in August to a notice that "Bloody Fist Records ceased operations at 3pm AEST on 1st October 2004."
But the love of all things Bloody Fist didn't die with the label. Fans put together completist guides for materials by any artist who released anything on the label during the era of Bloody Fist and beyond. Original copies of the early BF materials went for major money, and were jokingly called the retirement funds for collectors. Bloody Fist, shuttered for a decade, had a cult following of sorts, so it probably wasn't too surprising that at that ten year mark, here was a label exhibition, with one copy of every release from the label displayed on three of the four walls, and the fourth wall covered in fliers, emails and other ephemera. One long-time fan who attended the opening night celebrations and the official opening the following day wrote a lengthy, engaging tale of their adventures.
If you want to take a virtual jaunt back into the audio of Bloody Fist's past, their Bandcamp page is fantastic, not only for the fact that they've digitized most of their discography, but because you can also read anecdotes and notes about the releases, very much in the cheeky tone of the original website (browse more on Archive.org).
Mark Newlands is producer, DJ and turntablist who brought his scratching to some of his records, including work as part of the trio known as Nasenbluten (Wikipedia/ Discogs/ is German for "nosebleed"). Mark N founded Bloody Fist and was a key player in the local scene, which he talked about in a short TV interview, from the start of the label to their DIY aesthetic and how they fit into the international hardcore scene.
In its decade of existence, his label gained some level of renown, by musicians and beyond. Mark N., his band and label got some notable recognition (Google books preview) in Simon Reynold's retrospective of electronic dance music, Energy Flash (titled Generation Ecstasy in the United States) as the angry answer to styles like 'bouncy techno.' One track from a Bloody Fist EP was included in mixes by Matmos, including their Breezeblock mix (tracklist only, no audio), and someone at Rockstar Games got a track from another BF EP used in a commercial for the Manhunt video game.
The peak productivity period for the artists associated with the label was in the 1990s, which sustained the label through some tough times and lead to releases in the 2000s. A mere decade after bursting onto the scene, they shut down rather suddenly, going from the normal announcements on their website in August to a notice that "Bloody Fist Records ceased operations at 3pm AEST on 1st October 2004."
But the love of all things Bloody Fist didn't die with the label. Fans put together completist guides for materials by any artist who released anything on the label during the era of Bloody Fist and beyond. Original copies of the early BF materials went for major money, and were jokingly called the retirement funds for collectors. Bloody Fist, shuttered for a decade, had a cult following of sorts, so it probably wasn't too surprising that at that ten year mark, here was a label exhibition, with one copy of every release from the label displayed on three of the four walls, and the fourth wall covered in fliers, emails and other ephemera. One long-time fan who attended the opening night celebrations and the official opening the following day wrote a lengthy, engaging tale of their adventures.
If you want to take a virtual jaunt back into the audio of Bloody Fist's past, their Bandcamp page is fantastic, not only for the fact that they've digitized most of their discography, but because you can also read anecdotes and notes about the releases, very much in the cheeky tone of the original website (browse more on Archive.org).
Ooh! I read up a little bit about Nasenbluten/Bloody Fist last year following a YouTube rummage for the fondly-recalled "Intellectual Killer" which turned into a couple of hours trawl through related stuff. This post is great!
posted by comealongpole at 5:55 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by comealongpole at 5:55 PM on July 10, 2016
Nasenbluten made all their stuff in a tracker program on an Amiga, didn't they?
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:01 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:01 PM on July 10, 2016
(well, maybe not all their stuff...but definitely some of it)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:01 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:01 PM on July 10, 2016
Yup, looks like it. And as a bonus feature on their Bandcamp uploads, they list the software used in the tags. Seeing "ft2" in a tag was a serious throwback.
posted by filthy light thief at 6:07 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by filthy light thief at 6:07 PM on July 10, 2016
For some crazy reason, noisy producers like trackers. See: venetian snares - vache in renoise
posted by filthy light thief at 6:16 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by filthy light thief at 6:16 PM on July 10, 2016
For some crazy reason, noisy producers like trackers.
It makes sense to me. From the bit I've played with Renoise, it sort of works like these records sound, I can't explain it any better than that.
Renoise is a pretty fancy tracker too. I've was tempted to work with it more, but I like to play with timing a lot and I didn't really have the patience to figure out the hex value of my swing for everything.
posted by bongo_x at 6:27 PM on July 10, 2016
It makes sense to me. From the bit I've played with Renoise, it sort of works like these records sound, I can't explain it any better than that.
Renoise is a pretty fancy tracker too. I've was tempted to work with it more, but I like to play with timing a lot and I didn't really have the patience to figure out the hex value of my swing for everything.
posted by bongo_x at 6:27 PM on July 10, 2016
Thanks for the memories, filthy light thief!
Listening to these tracks is a throwback to high school, back when a few friends and I stumbled upon Industrial Strength Records at the local record store.
Nasenbluten appears on a great 2-volume compilation, Industrial Fucking Strength. The artists there have some wonderful stuff -- notably Delta 9 and Lenny Dee (who seems to manage ISR today).
Patric Catani also comes to mind for his digital hardcore albums (Hitler 2000 being a favorite). And then, there's the whole list of breakcore artists (Jason Forrest as Donna Summer, Shitmat, Venetian Snares)...
posted by vert canard at 6:30 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Listening to these tracks is a throwback to high school, back when a few friends and I stumbled upon Industrial Strength Records at the local record store.
Nasenbluten appears on a great 2-volume compilation, Industrial Fucking Strength. The artists there have some wonderful stuff -- notably Delta 9 and Lenny Dee (who seems to manage ISR today).
Patric Catani also comes to mind for his digital hardcore albums (Hitler 2000 being a favorite). And then, there's the whole list of breakcore artists (Jason Forrest as Donna Summer, Shitmat, Venetian Snares)...
posted by vert canard at 6:30 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Gabber and hardcore were never really my thing, but I knew some guys back then who worshipped the stuff (Nasenbluten in particular). It's all done with tongue firmly in cheek, of course – the vulgarity, the big dumb relentless plod, the comically hyperviolent samples, etc. The joke wears thin for me after about three minutes, but I'm still sitting here listening, so :)
Anyone who finds this enjoyable (or just interesting) should also check out the Industrial Strength label, which is apparently still around. Their 2-CD Industrial Fucking Strength compilation was omnipresent back then, and includes a couple of tracks credited to Bloody Fist (presumably an alias of Nasenbluten).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:31 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Anyone who finds this enjoyable (or just interesting) should also check out the Industrial Strength label, which is apparently still around. Their 2-CD Industrial Fucking Strength compilation was omnipresent back then, and includes a couple of tracks credited to Bloody Fist (presumably an alias of Nasenbluten).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:31 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hah! vert canard beat me to it by seconds.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:31 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:31 PM on July 10, 2016
And, yes, Delta 9 was another big name.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:33 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:33 PM on July 10, 2016
Hahaha sorry, escape from the potato planet! ;-) And thanks for the YT link to the full 2 hour IFS compilation. Great point about all of it being tongue in cheek, and even more enjoyable because of that (it's hard to believe that these musicians were taking themselves seriously -- still, the tracks are good and catchy!)
Also, EC8OR (very much in the vein of Atari Teenage Riot) comes to mind.
Finally, a tiny sample of recent digital hardcore: The Teknoist (on the *excellent* Ad Noiseam label -- that Bandcamp page is loaded with great albums) and Igorrr (fusion of breakcore, death metal and baroque). Igorrr also has a heavier digital hardcore/hard metal side-project called Whourkr (Encyclopaedia Metallum categorizes it as "Experimental Death Metal/Grindcore with Electronic influences").
posted by vert canard at 6:50 PM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, EC8OR (very much in the vein of Atari Teenage Riot) comes to mind.
Finally, a tiny sample of recent digital hardcore: The Teknoist (on the *excellent* Ad Noiseam label -- that Bandcamp page is loaded with great albums) and Igorrr (fusion of breakcore, death metal and baroque). Igorrr also has a heavier digital hardcore/hard metal side-project called Whourkr (Encyclopaedia Metallum categorizes it as "Experimental Death Metal/Grindcore with Electronic influences").
posted by vert canard at 6:50 PM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Firstly, Mark N will be tearing Grumpy's in Collingwood apart next weekend. He's one of Australia's greatest DJs, and totally worth checking out.
Secondly, it's hard to overestimate the shattering impact Bloody Fist had on hardcore techno - the Nasenbluten tracks on the Industrial Fucking Strength compilation that vert canard and escape from the potato planet mention are dancefloor destroyers even to this day (as is the ludicrously profane, ugly and hilarious We've Got The Balls). The mix of political aggression, relentless speed and bogan humour essentially created breakcore as we know it (Addict Records, for example). I think, though, that in favour of the 'cooler' hip-hop/breakbeat influence of the Bloody Fist style, the unhinged Amigacore of early Rotterdam, NYC and New Jersey tends to be diminished (Rotterdam Termination Source represent!) It's pure stupid music for smart people.
posted by prismatic7 at 7:49 PM on July 10, 2016
Secondly, it's hard to overestimate the shattering impact Bloody Fist had on hardcore techno - the Nasenbluten tracks on the Industrial Fucking Strength compilation that vert canard and escape from the potato planet mention are dancefloor destroyers even to this day (as is the ludicrously profane, ugly and hilarious We've Got The Balls). The mix of political aggression, relentless speed and bogan humour essentially created breakcore as we know it (Addict Records, for example). I think, though, that in favour of the 'cooler' hip-hop/breakbeat influence of the Bloody Fist style, the unhinged Amigacore of early Rotterdam, NYC and New Jersey tends to be diminished (Rotterdam Termination Source represent!) It's pure stupid music for smart people.
posted by prismatic7 at 7:49 PM on July 10, 2016
Ah good old Nasenblaten (blood nose in German) and their friends. Some of the most interesting obnoxious noise ever.
BTW if you're interested in obscure Australian genres, I can recommend the strange Tasmanian drone metal of Striborg.
posted by maxcelcat at 11:57 PM on July 10, 2016
BTW if you're interested in obscure Australian genres, I can recommend the strange Tasmanian drone metal of Striborg.
posted by maxcelcat at 11:57 PM on July 10, 2016
Excellent post as usual. I discovered Bloody Fist via a free cover CD that came along with an issue of APC Magazine. The inclusion of this music on a cover CD for a computing magazine still confuses me a bit. Maybe it was because it's all tracker music? In any case, for a while my friends and I got plenty of entertainment from Aftermath's Foetus of Hell, because it did fascinating things in winamp's audio visualizer.
posted by vanar sena at 12:05 AM on July 11, 2016
posted by vanar sena at 12:05 AM on July 11, 2016
DISCIPLES OF ANNIHILATION
YOU WANT IT HARD, MOTHERFUCKER?
ahhh, classics of my yoof
posted by FatherDagon at 1:36 PM on July 11, 2016
YOU WANT IT HARD, MOTHERFUCKER?
ahhh, classics of my yoof
posted by FatherDagon at 1:36 PM on July 11, 2016
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I'm not devoted to the label, but I followed them on and off for some of their later years, and I picked up the shaped picturedisc version of their last vinyl release when I heard that the label was going to call it quits.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:24 PM on July 10, 2016