2.09.2008

L. A. Mantra




Various L.A. Mantra cassette (Trance Port, 1983)

Though described in several online entries as the first of Trance Port's trance cassettes, this pup is less a trance release and more of an overview of Los Angeles' non-punk music underground. The only artist on L.A. Mantra that is even close to being a household name (but only if you live in a very hep house) is Savage Republic. Music freaks might recognize the name of Savage Republic side project The Tunneltones, the John & Dix Denney (of the Weirdos) experimental venture If-Then-Else, or A Produce, the founder of Trance Port, member of Afterimage, and a pioneer in the L.A. trance music scene. And then there are true obscurities such as Rich Evac (of Afterimage and Psi Com), Fat & Fucked Up, and Debt of Nature.

You've read enough of my babbling on the cassette underground. I am sure you know that something exciting was happening in the Los Angeles underground from 1975 to about the time this cassette was released. And I am too fucked for time and energy to search out more information on the artists represented on this cassette. I will, however, leave you with a handful of songs.


# posted by Scott Soriano : 21:21
Comments:
Round of applause, Scott, for preserving LA's under-appreciated weird-punk scene. LA hardcore and Top40 New Wave gets all the historical attention nowadays but this was the stuff that blew my pre-pubescent mind.

Debt of Nature were an early Brad Laner (Savage Republic, Medicine, more recently has played with Eno, & Yoko Ono) band and posted tons of their old recordings over at Mutant Sounds.
# posted by Blogger Mr Fab : 15:12
 
F&FU were a string quartet, as I recall. I regret never catching them live, particularly at Al's Bar, which would have been an ideal venue.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11:28
 
Although I know you typically only share highlights from the records you post, PLEASE post the rest of this one. Absolutely Brilliant!
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 17:20
 
Chas Smith's ambient pedal steel stuff is amazing. And quite hard to track down. I'd love to get a hold of his early ep. Cold Blue put out some of his stuff.
# posted by Anonymous Andrew : 17:57
 
the obvious: suburban
lawns, monitor, nervous gender. and the less obvious: fibbonacis, bob and bob/ all great l.a bands on the wierd side of things. i always come back to fibbonacis's slow beautifull sex and terrorvision soundtrack.

thanks a lot for the post.
Eilon
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 15:01
 
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