-¢‚Ǩ-ì2009 release. Part of Staalplaats ongoing Muslimgauze archive series, Sycophant of Purdah was submitted in 1994 then "replaced" by another master Bryn Jones felt more fit for release. Sycophant then languished in the vaults until its first CD release in 2009, a decade after Joness passing in 1999. Sycophant opens with a radio broadcast on the ongoing Palestinian crisis set to breakbeats and marmalade-thick bass lines; the forward to another sonic treatise on struggles of the Muslim world. Tracks that follow are more consistent with industrial stylings of the Muslimgauze oeuvre including Zealot (1994), Blue Mosque (1994), Silknoose (1995), and Izlamaphobia (1995). Industrial, in the context of Muslimgauze, is often characterized by tightly woven percussion loops with scant variance while melodies hover. Additionally, tracks like "Radif Avaz and Dastgah" and "Mossad Evil" are another facet of industrial, in the classic sense of the word, meaning "mechanical", "machine-like," with little in the way of melodic overtones. The commonality is rigorous, dogmatic structure that is nonetheless hypnotic and engaging. Because the above albums vary, despite being of the same sub-genre, Sycophant could be considered a "missing link" that ties them together -- with ethno-breaks added for variance. None of the track listings, handwritten by Jones, are repeated on any other release, hence Sycophant of Purdah is a must-have for fans and collectors. Limited edition of 500.-¢‚Ǩ¬ù - Staalplaat.
After nearly a decade of false starts, multiple game plans veering off the rails, and a handful of shattered hopes and/or dreams, the odyssey is finally complete—the new Fusetron site is here.
This is the first phase of a multipart rollout that will span the next few months: the currently browsable stock includes miscellaneous new releases from the past 8+ months (we have a lot of catching up to do), plus approximately a third of our backstock. Note that we’ve reduced/slashed prices on many titles and will continue to do so in order to make room for new stock. We’ll also be expanding / tweaking / improving / debugging the site itself (for example, we still have work to do on the automated international postage system, not to mention the inevitable inventory discrepancies that come with transferring an ancient and massive database to a new system).
Over the next few months, as we take inventory, clean house, and delve into our storage, we will be uploading thousands of additional items, gradually, on a near-daily basis. This will include the majority of the LPs, as well as many titles, in all formats, once thought long-gone. Many currently “sold out” items are likely to resurface.
Finally, once our general backstock is up (probably in the next two or three months) we’ll begin making our extensive stockpile of rarities available online for the first time: tons of random out-of-print titles, "deadstock," warehouse finds, secondhand collectibles, etc., accumulated over the past few decades.
Frequent/returning customers will be getting early access to these items. Details to follow on how this will work (a priority mailing list? a 'frequent flyer'-like program?), but it will not be based on dollars spent. We want to reward those who consistently support us, especially in the discogs marketplace era (to those who show up trying to poach five copies of a one-off rarity, and nothing else, ever… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).
So—we suggest you take some time to dig through the site—even we’ve been surprised by what’s been turning up, and there’s much more to come.
