Mark Stewart – Exorcism Of Envy (2012)

I wonder how many people still remember a band called The Pop Group? And generally speaking, anybody remember anything lately? Anyway, just for the record:
formed in 1978 and split up in 1981, this Bristol based British act pioneered the merged of punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae, released several singles, possibly their best-known was “We Are All Prostitutes”, and two albums followed by some bootlegs after their disbanding.
While other members of the group went on to join bands including Pigbag, Maximum Joy, Head, The Slits and Rip Rig + Panic, singer Mark Stewart collaborated with the On-U Sound posse, issuing records firstly as Mark Stewart and Maffia, then as a solo artist. They reunited in 2010 and since played several gigs. But “Exorcism Of Envy” it’s the seventh solo album by Stewart, released on March 26, 2012 through Future Noise. We’ve got 47 minutes of electronic fueled, smoothly pulsing, but twisted in and out, minimalist and finest dub and rawest industrial flavored post punk trip. While everybody try to f*ck up your loudspeakers with sicker then the sickest wobbling s*it while behind most of those beautiful contortions and noises there is nothing but annoying emptiness, Stewart once again delivered a record with content.

Can grab for free “Nothing Is Sacred” from here.

Last time I had so much fun with Jah Wobble and Keith Levene’s “Yin and Yang”, and before that with Public Image Ltd’s “This is PiL”. All these bloody bastards knows the tricks that makes me click!
“The whole thing grew out of something I was trying to do with Kenneth Anger,” explains Mark. “I was living in Berlin and these mates of mine were connected to this kind of Dada art group in Portugal called Mechanosphere. First of all, I organized this week-long symposium in Portugal for some art funding about magic and art. It was such a pleasure to do that. I was then going to do some weird thing with Kenneth as some kind of avatar…It’s passing it on but also paying homage. Kenneth Anger’s spirit kind of hangs over the whole thing.”
And we’ve got all the arsenal which makes your mind blow up: filthy funk bass-lines, wicked wobbling and deadly drops; fluorescent, groovy layers and killer constructions (and deconstructions) from noises; fresh beats and some dub perfumed, pulsing guitar riffs; and finally, several guest-stars. Pure dope and dame it, it’s bloody legal (yet)!!

Mark Stewart – Official Site
Mark Stewart – Official YouTube Channel
Mark Stewart @ Facebook
Mark Stewart @ Twitter

Future Noise Records
Rough Trade

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Rc8e1vXB8&w=545&h=307]