The Dead C
The Dead C are a New Zealand based music/art trio made up of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats.[1][2] Russell plays electric guitar, Morley sings and plays electric guitar or laptop, and Yeats plays drums.
The Dead C | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Genres | Experimental rock, noise rock, free rock, drone music |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Associated acts | 2 Foot Flame Gate A Handful of Dust Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos |
| Members | Bruce Russell Michael Morley Robbie Yeats |
Formed in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1986, the group is known for its lo-fi guitar soundscapes and improvisational take on rock music. Their first Auckland show was in 1989 at Russell Crowe's Venue. They became known internationally through their releases on the Philadelphia record label Siltbreeze, especially the 1992 double LP Harsh 70s Reality. Early, pre-Siltbreeze albums such as Eusa Kills and DR503 found the group still drifting between song-based work and the experimental free rock found in later albums including The White House and Tusk. Recent albums have seen the group add electronics and samples, yet still maintaining their origins in trademark hazy guitar chaos.
The group performs infrequently outside of New Zealand, although they did travel to the US in March 2002 to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival (curated by Sonic Youth), as well as a couple of gigs in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They also performed for the first time in Europe in May 2004 at Le Weekend, a new music festival in Stirling, Scotland and returned to the UK to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival again in December 2006. In 2008, they played a short tour in the United States, and returned to the UK to play All Tomorrow's Parties in December 2010. In September 2016, they played a few US dates including Cropped Out festival in Louisville, Kentucky
A compilation album covering their first 18 years entitled Vain Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987-2005 was released on the Ba Da Bing! label in 2006.
Discography
| Date of Release | Title | Label | Charted | Country | Catalog Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albums | ||||||
| 1988 | DR503 | Flying Nun Records | - | - | ||
| 1989 | Eusa Kills | Flying Nun Records | - | - | ||
| 1990 | Trapdoor Fucking Exit | Precious Metal | - | - | ||
| 1992 | Harsh 70s Reality² | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1992 | Clyma est mort³ | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1992 | Metric | Majora | - | - | ||
| 1995 | The White House | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1996 | Repent‡ | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1997 | Tusk | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 2000 | The Dead C | Language Recordings | - | - | ||
| 2001 | New Electric Music | Language Recordings | - | - | ||
| 2003 | The Damned | Starlight Furniture Company | - | - | ||
| 2007 | Future Artists | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| 2008 | Secret Earth | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| 2010 | Patience | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| 2013 | Armed Courage | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| 2016 | Trouble | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| 2019 | Rare Ravers | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| Cassettes, singles & EPs | ||||||
| 1987 | The Dead See Perform M. Harris - cassette | Diabolic Root | - | - | ||
| 1987 | 43 Sketch for a Poster - cassette | Diabolic Root | - | - | ||
| 1988 | The Live Dead See - cassette | Xpressway | - | - | ||
| 1989 | Perform DR503B - cassette | Xpressway | - | - | ||
| 1989 | The Sun Stabbed - 7" EP | Xpressway | - | - | ||
| 1990 | Runway - cassette | Precious Metal | - | - | ||
| 1990 | Helen Said This¹ - 33rpm 12" EP | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1991 | Hell Is Now Love / Bone - 7" | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1991 | Mighty / Power / Peace - 33rpm 7" EP | Forced Exposure | - | - | ||
| 1994 | The Operation of the Sonne† - 33rpm 12" EP | Siltbreeze | - | - | ||
| 1994 | Metalheart - 7" | Precious Metal | - | - | ||
| 2005 | Split Series 18 (with Konono Nº1) - 12" | Fat Cat Records | - | - | ||
| 2006 | Relax Fallujah - Hell Has Come - 7" | Ba Da Bing | - | - | ||
| 2007 | Split LP (with Hi God People) | Nervous Jerk Records | - | - | ||
| 2013 | The Dead C vs Rangda (split with Rangda) | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
| Compilations | ||||||
| 1995 | World Peace Hope et al. | Shock | - | - | ||
| 2006 | Vain, Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987-2005 | Ba Da Bing! | - | - | ||
- ²1500 copies made.
- ³450 copies made.
- ‡the covers were pasted over digipack sleeves of other Siltbreeze releases.
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Hell is Now Love/Bone" | - | ||
| 1991 | "Power/Mighty/Peace" | - | - | |
| 1994 | "The Dead C vs. Sebadoh" | - | ||
| 1994 | "Metalheart" | - | - | |
| 1995 | "Metalheart" (reissue) |
- | ||
| 2000 | "Stealth/The Factory" | - | - | |
| 2006 | "Relax Fallujah Hell Has Come" | - | ||
| 2008 | "Golden/Canine" | - | ||
References
- Raggett, Ned. "The Dead C: Harsh 70's Reality > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- Sprague, David (2007). "Dead C". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
External links
- Dead C. fansite with coverage of the fanzine era.
- Biography and Discography at allmusic.com
- Michael Morley interview on MonsterFresh.com Aug. 2010
Authority control  |
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