Compilation albums can be a bit like buffets in that there's usually a few things you really like, but a lot of stuff you just gotta pass by. But the advent of the independent label culture in the wake of the punk/industrial/new wave movements of the late 1970s energized the concept of the compilation album as a critical means of exposing new talent and artists who may have otherwise had too much niche appeal to justify their own dedicated releases to start.
During an era of abundant notable experimental music compilations, one of the most influential for me remains the 1985 release from L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords, The Fight Is On. L.A.Y.L.A.H. were a Belgian boutique indie label ran by Marc Monin from 1983 until 1989. The label was responsible for the initial promotion of a number of renowned experimental artists including Nurse With Wound, Coil, Current 93, The Hafler Trio, Organum, Robert Haigh and and others. The Fight Is On gave me some of my first exposure to several of those artists, nearly all of which subsequently became collecting obsessions.
L.A.Y.L.A.H. releases always presented themselves with extremely high production values and refined design aesthetics. Seeing that imprint on any piece of vinyl or CD was generally a guarantee that you'd be getting your hands on something unusual and distinctive for collectors with the most discerning tastes.
The Fight Is On, as a collection, has never seen a reissue of significance since its initial release, which is unfortunate as it does offer an invaluable cross section of the prime movers of the post industrial experimental music scene at that time. The intersection of "noise" music with Neo-classicism and Neo-folk's early tendrils provides an essential foundation for comprehending the roots of where these genres would develop in the ensuing decades.
During an era of abundant notable experimental music compilations, one of the most influential for me remains the 1985 release from L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords, The Fight Is On. L.A.Y.L.A.H. were a Belgian boutique indie label ran by Marc Monin from 1983 until 1989. The label was responsible for the initial promotion of a number of renowned experimental artists including Nurse With Wound, Coil, Current 93, The Hafler Trio, Organum, Robert Haigh and and others. The Fight Is On gave me some of my first exposure to several of those artists, nearly all of which subsequently became collecting obsessions.
L.A.Y.L.A.H. releases always presented themselves with extremely high production values and refined design aesthetics. Seeing that imprint on any piece of vinyl or CD was generally a guarantee that you'd be getting your hands on something unusual and distinctive for collectors with the most discerning tastes.
The Fight Is On, as a collection, has never seen a reissue of significance since its initial release, which is unfortunate as it does offer an invaluable cross section of the prime movers of the post industrial experimental music scene at that time. The intersection of "noise" music with Neo-classicism and Neo-folk's early tendrils provides an essential foundation for comprehending the roots of where these genres would develop in the ensuing decades.
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