[engl] Astaron from Vienna Austria were a music and art performance duo made up of Angie Mörth (member of viele bunte Autos) and Martina Aichhorn who existed from 1984 to 1989. Influenced by the Viennese Actionism, Einstürzende Neubauten and Kate Bush and armed with a big dose of black humour and a true love for trash culture they created an impressively unique body of work. They released two DIY tapes, One 12” and this stunning self titled album at the tail end of 1987. It was originally released by local label Ton Um Ton Records in a criminally low pressing of 500 Copies. It’s an unadjusted highly experimental and totally addictive dark wave album with hints of minimal post punk. The music ranges from dirgelike chants to ethereal pop to haunting ballads. It’s pure melancholic beauty from start to finish. Think KUKL, Cocteau Twins, Young Marble Giants for the minimal sound, Brian Eno, Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Diamanda Galas.

[engl] Formed in 1979 in new town Harlow, The Newtown Neurotics are one of the most under rated but essential punk bands. Kick Out! is a 15 track round up of their first six singles taking in the years 1979 to 1984. The first two singles Hypocrite and When The Oil Runs Out were melodic nuggets released on their own No Wonder label. Both of these singles were written prior to the election of the Thatcher monster. The horror of this event changed what was the non-political writing style of Steve's lyrics into the other extreme, and so in June 1982 Kick Out The Tories was released on CNT records. Sadly 38 years later, the lyrics are most poignant and needed than ever. The band continued releasing single after single from the painfully personal to the politically pertinent, all done with intelligence and style. Also included is Andy Is A Corporatist / Mindless Version taken from the Son of Oi! compilation. The album comes with a 32 page booklet of archive - photos, reviews, interviews and more and was conceived to be released alongside the Documentary of the same name about the band's history.

[engl] Recorded several years ago before Rudimentary Peni engaged in another mysterious hiatus, Great War has finally emerged to kiss the gas-tinged light of a mustered morn. Expanding on the skeletal sounds and subject of 2009's “Wilfred Owen” single the band has seen fit to concentrate on a more mechanized approach doing away with even more of the humanizing aspects in their music this time delivering ten painful familiar shards fraught with brittle anxiety and anguished simplicity. Great War cements new phase in the ever-crawling metamorphic madness that is Rudimentary Peni. The record comes with brand new Nick Blinko Artwork on the sleeve and Inner Sleeve. (Jensen Ward) “Belfast” was originally released in 1987 on Vocalist Roy Wallace’s Belfast Records and has been out of print for 30 years. It was a compilation of previously released tracks and newly recorded versions of old tracks with Dino and Gary from D.I.R.T doing the female vocal parts and guitars. The 12 tracks on “Belfast” are nuggets of raging pissed off DIY anarcho punk with hard hitting lyrics and dual vocals. The recordings are raw and passionate and stand the test of time. The band released an iconic split 12” with STALAG 17 on Mortarhate (1985) – the tracks are included on “Belfast” and then the following year a split LP called We will be Free with STALAG 17 and ASYLUM before calling it a day and becoming a lost piece of the anarcho punk puzzle. This reissue comes with replica sleeve and fold-out lyric insert.

[engl] TOXIC WASTE represent the hardest end of the CRASS milieu. While most anarcho-punk bands of the time sang about a war they’d only seen on TV TOXIC WASTE were being politically active in Belfast during the troubles. They played militant punk with melody and aggression. Borderline hardcore at times with a clear peace-punk message. Angry, intense and in your face. They were involved in the Warzone Collective and shared stages, experiences and activism with bands such as STALAG 17, CONFLICT , ASYLUM and ANTISECT. “Belfast” was originally released in 1987 on Vocalist Roy Wallace’s Belfast Records and has been out of print for 30 years. It was a compilation of previously released tracks and newly recorded versions of old tracks with Dino and Gary from D.I.R.T doing the female vocal parts and guitars. The 12 tracks on “Belfast” are nuggets of raging pissed off DIY anarcho punk with hard hitting lyrics and dual vocals. The recordings are raw and passionate and stand the test of time. The band released an iconic split 12” with STALAG 17 on Mortarhate (1985) – the tracks are included on “Belfast” and then the following year a split LP called We will be Free with STALAG 17 and ASYLUM before calling it a day and becoming a lost piece of the anarcho punk puzzle. This reissue comes with replica sleeve and fold-out lyric insert.

[engl] The second release on Sealed Records is a 14 Track round up of the five singles by Zounds. The debut single from 1980 Can’t Cheat Karma was released on Crass Records and 39 Years later still stands as one of the finest singles both politically and musically. For the next three singles Zounds released them on Rough Trade Records, along with their debut album The Curse of Zounds. 1981’s Demystification was a tense and stark masterpiece. It was followed by the haunting Mikey Dread-produced Dancing and then the more straight up pop of More Trouble Coming Everyday. The final single of Zounds was La Vacht Qui Rit released on Belgium label Not So Brave in 1983 and was originally supposed to be a split single with The Mob but ended up with two scratchy studio tracks and two rough and raw live tracks recorded in Holland in 1982. Every home should have these essential Zounds recordings.