IBM
The Oval Recording
Mego Records

In college there was this band called "The Concrete Jello" who fancied themselves an art-punk group. Always hoping to get sued by those responsible for "Jell-O" and having to change their name to Concrete Inferior Gellatin Product. Basically they were a sludgy de-tuned rock trio with all three moaning "ahhhh..." through an echo-plex. Scared the hell out of the people in the little river town they played.

My friend Johnny played (destroyed) guitar for them and has since become "212: International Master of Noise" or, just simply, The 212.

"Music is dead-I killed your music."

He's still living in that little river town, is married and has a beautiful daughter named Caitlin. Late at night, when everybody's asleep he's down in the basement fiddling with The Boyle-O-Tron and making loops of feedback and found sounds. Surrounded by folks who just don't get it and I think he kinda likes it that way. 212 just released Sergeant Attention Deficit Disorder's Lonely Hearts Club Sandbox (Very Weird Records). It's a 10 CD set and comes in a 3-ring notebook. My favorite one so far is Part Time Cop, Full Time Nazi, No I Don't Mean You, Dave but Donny Osmond = Genius is pretty good too.

It's strange, absolutely insane, and indescribably beautiful.

A few years ago the multi-national inferior electronic product corporation Panasonic did sue Finnish noise duo Panasonic. The Finns simply took the "a" out, became "Pan sonic" and the big boys backed off. Now, joining Mika and Ilpo, is Bruce from the English art-punk group Wire. The resulting moniker is IBM, and though it does really stand for their first names, the reproduced and trademarked company logo on the front cover of their new record should have the suits knocking in no time time.

It's strange, absolutely insane, indescribably beautiful, and at $17.98 for a lovely gatefold LP w/7" it's quite a bargain.

The 212 is asking $1000...

Copyright © 2001 Alice Kenner