COUM Transmissions – “Sugarmorphoses” – [Dais]

An interesting audio document in the form of two side-long tracks. Genesis P-Orridge (Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle, etc) made these recordings in 1974 while he was working with the somewhat perverse COUM Transmissions art collective. I’m not entirely sure what the group was up to–it seems to have involved prostitution and performance art among other things. The action took place in the depths of poverty in an old leaky house without plumbing, but at least there were tape recorders and a piano hanging around. The piano was painted blue and was, one might say, tuning-challenged. Murky experimental sounds ensued, with layers of radio-transmission type voices, rambling piano playing, and tape manipulations. G.P-O gives us a detailed history of the situation on the album insert.