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More Violence and Geography LP
This is the vinyl debut of a long-time cassette-making outfit that specialize in dense, throbbing electronic ooze littered with found voices, tape and record manipulation, loops, samples and all the usual audio debris you would expect. In other words, it's not exactly a new idea but if you tend to go for this sort of thing (as I do) when it's done well, then you ought to give this disc a try. Part of the album's strength is due to the relatively short length of the tracks, which tend to run no longer than the average pop tune. I also enjoyed the way IOS temper the rather morbid subject matter with a bit of humor. (Complacency Productions,-John Booth
ILLUSION OF SAFETY More Violence and Geography (Die Stadt) cd
With nothing to go on but my memory, I remember there being an interview with Illusion of Safety in a 1989 or 1990 Option magazine in which IOS frontman Dan Burke admitted that his fanboy infatuation with Throbbing Gristle (especially seeing them play live in 1981) was the catalyst to begin Illusion of Safety. After a number of cassette only releases, Illusion Of Safety's first LP was "More Violence and Geography" released originally on Burke's Complacency Records in 1988 in conjunction with RRRecords. While I've not heard the album until now, the references to Throbbing Gristle still hold true and may actually serve the band better due to an increasing historical awareness of the continuum of Industrial music. Considering that 'Industrial' music in 1988 meant Ministry, Front 242, and Skinny Puppy, Illusion of Safety's revisitation to TG's snarling noise, wicked humor, and predilection of morbid theme was relatively novel. With smatterings of militant drum machine stomps, dissonant dive-bomb guitar noise, scraping metal, and media cut-ups revealing disturbing narratives about political torture, mass murders, insanity, and other socially deviant themes, Illusion of Safety crafted an unnerving album firmly planted in the traditions of the Industrial pioneers (TG, SPK, Monte Cazzaza, etc.). Jim O'Rourke trainspotters should take heed, although he was a member of IOS, as he wasn't at the time of the recording of "More Violence and Geography," whose line up included Burke, Mark Klein, Mark Sorensen, Mitch Enderle, and Chris Block. -Jim Haynes
credits
released March 20, 1988
Original release on Complacency 1988. Re-released on DIe Stadt DS52 in 2002. (reissue sports new cover artwork and adds "Unknown Quantity," an 11-minute live bonus track by Dan Burke from 1991) *All music composed and performed by IOS Main Core: Dan Burke, Mitch Enderle, Mark Klein, Mark Sorensen. With Alleyn Hoyt providing violin on Hayden. L'akstrumuncio providing backing tape for Techmort. Jef Bek on we can now tell you 2 things. Eliam was composed and performed entirely by Chris Block.
Since 1983, Burke and his many conspirators under the IOS banner have over the course of 40+ releases traversed most every
facet of the avant sound plane, from early industrial pop deconstruction to blindingly minimal sound art to densely surreal found-sound collage, creating uneasy music that is dense and dystopian and yet also beautiful....more
razed abandon is what i love about this project, no holds barred all out frontal delivery of the feelings at hand, no filter, real freedom of expression. blistering and detailed Illusion of Safety
like a trip to another world somewhat opaque in nature, like a cloud surrounding your field of sound and vision, clarity is almost attainable and you float in obtuse syrupy gel Illusion of Safety
fascinating blend of who the fuck knows what! and i mean that in the best possible way. reminds a bit of one of my favorites The Hafler Trio, unknown sounds put together in a concise narrative Illusion of Safety
An experimental composer from Ireland, Stephen Roddy proves equally adept at crushing soundscapes as he does mysterious melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 13, 2022