S.o.t.D. - Ascend A Fall – Zoviet France

Ascend A Fall – Zoviet France

Interesting outfit out of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Hard to pin down – dissonant, ambient, experimental, industrial, given to ethnomusicological exploration. 

I had the chance to see them live twice in Toronto in 1990 – once at the Horseshoe Tavern (not an optimal venue to experience them in), and then a few months later at the Euclid Theatre (great venue to experience them in). First show was in a bar with disinterested people drinking and talking, the second in an old theatre with great acoustics and a respectful and appreciative audience.

Their records were often noteworthy because of the unusual packaging – one was sandwiched between tar paper, another in a burlap sack, another in tinfoil. The CD this track was taken from, Just An Illusion, came in a quasi-wooden cigar box. 

I only ever managed to get a handful of recordings from them, but this track was my favourite from the ones I did get.