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  • Actifed

    Location: London, England
    Active: 1981-1984 (+)

    Short-lived punk band from London that had a darker sound akin to UK Decay, Killing Joke, Ritual. At the start vocals were carried out by Weasel, though Phraser from Crisis also auditioned. They performed regularly throughout London, accompanying bands like Killing Joke, The Dark, Uk Subs, Danse Society, pre-Ausgang The Solicitors, Sex Gang Children, Ritual, In Excelsis, Bone Orchard, and Brigandage to name a few.

    They released two singles, though a live recording with Erazerhead at 100 Club for it’s 2nd anniversary was released in July 1982. Weasel was replaced by David Rogers who took on vocals as well as guitar. They obtained a cover feature on Sounds magazine, before releasing either of their initial records (both produced by Tony James of Generation X) put out by Jungle. They allegedly beat a lawsuit by the company who released the Actifed cough syrup. After a long time of inactivity, the band reformed and put out their only full albums, ‘Chains No More’ (2009), ‘Rhythms Of Mass Destruction’ (2011).

    Related: UK Decay, Killing Joke, Ritual, Crisis, Killing Joke, The Dark, Uk Subs, Danse Society, pre-Ausgang The Solicitors, Sex Gang Children, In Excelsis, Bone Orchard, Brigandage, Erazerhead, David Rogers, Tony James, Generation X, Jungle Records, London, England, 1981

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/277656-Actifed

    Actifed interviewed for The Sky-Fi Music Show by Pat Sharp, 1983: http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=St-LWy8tQ1Q

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  • Asmodi Bizarr

    Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
    Active: 1980-1991 (+)

    Asmodi Bizarr, gothic rock from Düsseldorf, Germany, 1980

    One of the best offerings of the early gothic scene of Germany. After a brief duration as punk band Aspirin in 1980, with Monique Maasen on vocals, drums by Katharina Müller-Elmau, and bassist Andy Wahl reformed the band as Asmodi Bizarr. During the 1980s they supported Sex Gang Children, The Southern Death Cult, and Christian Death on tours. Sunsierra was their first album, released in 1986 on the label Ata-Tak (a sub-label of Das Büro) produced by Pyrolator (D.A.F. Der Plan, Fehlfarben), but the second album ‘Gotta Move On’ in 1991 failed to match it’s power. After they split up in 1992, they made some reformation performances after 2001.

    Related: Pyrolator, D.A.F., Der Plan, Fehlfarben, Sex Gang Children, The Southern Death Cult, and Christian Death, Xmal Deutschland, Germany, Düsseldorf, 1980

    Links

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/330088-Asmodi-Bizarr
    Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmodi_Bizarr

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  • Blood And Roses

    Location: London
    Active: 1982-1985

    Emerging from the positive punk movement in London alongside Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, influenced by the bleaker sound cultivated by UK Decay. Their songs were shrouded in the dark haze illuminated by the glow of horror films (Blood and Roses, 1960) and touching on occult writings. This was evident in not only the subject matter of I Spit on your Grave (I Spit On Your Grave, 1978) but cover versions of John Capenter soundtracks. They performed for the first time in January 1982 at the Anarchy Centre, London. There had been a few prior iterations of the band around founders Bob Short and Lisa Kirby. 

    Blood & Roses attracted the attention of radio host and producer John Peel for a session on his BBC program in 1983 and featured in the South of Watford ‘Positive Punk’ special by Michael Moorcock. They were involved with the anarcho/anti-vivisection zine collective Kill Your Pet Puppy (along with Dave Roberts of Sex Gang Children) and included on The Whip compilation.

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/353038-Blood-And-Roses
    John Peel: https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Blood_And_Roses

    Related: Brigandage, Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, UK Decay, Blood And Roses, I Spit On Your Grave, Bob Short, Lisa Kirby, John Peel, Positive Punk, Kill Your Pet Puppy, The Whip, London, 1982, Anarcho

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  • Kommunity FK

    Location: Los Angeles, CA
    Active: 1978-present

    Kommunity FK emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene as one of the more experimental and avant grade acts, incorporating a dark element that would associate them with what became known as the emerging deathrock scene. The bleak and aggressive tones of their 1983 debut LP ‘Vision and the Voice’ peers them with bands like Savage Republic (whose label, Independent Projects, released the album) and Nervous Gender.

    Kommunity FK emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene as one of the more experimental and avant garde acts, incorporating a dark element that would associate them with what became known as the emerging deathrock scene. The bleak and aggressive tones of their 1983 debut LP ‘Vision and the Voice’ peers them with bands like Savage Republic (whose label, Independent Projects, released the album) and Nervous Gender. 

    Singer Patrick Mata designed many of the flyers and the dada-esque collage of the original LP cover, often using cut and paste techniques. They were residents at the more laid back atmosphere of the Lhasa Club, often at the infamous Anti-Club and later Scream Club. They were support for acts like Killing Joke on their first US tour in 1981.

    Their second album ‘Close One Sad Eye’ incorporated more melodic structures, resulting in one of the most definitive American gothic albums of all time. This would be their final album until founder and core member Patrick Mata reformed the band in 2008, although several compilation appearances would follow such as ‘Radio Tokyo Tapes Vol. Two’ (“Poisoning”) ‘Viva Los Angeles’ with ‘(Is It Your Face’). Kommunity FK performed throughout the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s with noteworthy musicians like Cam Campbell and Dave Roberts (Sex Gang Children), Eddie Branch (UK Decay), Shane Talada and Dave Skott (STG, Element) and others.

    Patrick Mata recorded solo material, 1979’s ‘Queen of Beverly Hills’ single and for the 1985 punk/thrash/deathrock compilation ‘Let’s Die’, and a 2000 full solo album ‘Hydrocarbons From A Meteorite (Green)’. He also fronted Sativa Luvbox in the 1990s and performed under the name Texylvania on multiple occasions. in 2020s he paired up with Dave Roberts once more for a project entitled Kult Children of The Damned

    Related: Patrick Mata, Nervous Gender, Uk Decay, Killing Joke, Sex Gang Children, Texylvania, Kult Children of The Damned, STG, Element, Los Angeles, Lhasa Club, Anti-Club, Scream Club, Independent Projects Records

    Links:

    Official: http://www.kommunityfk.com/

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/285076-Kommunity-FK

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommunity_FK

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kommunity.fk/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kommunityfk/

    This profile is in development. Contributions?