Dear friends
Covid-19 is dangerously impacting the social-economic category of musicians. No concerts, poor political and social consideration, uncertain earnings. As a consequence, an ever-growing number of musicians, especially those from the experimental area, are trying to promote their music on BandCamp in digital format only. It is increasingly difficult for me to follow and review this incredible flow of music. I therefore decided to open this section on my blog Neuguitars where I propose music in digital format that I consider particularly interesting and worthy of attention. I hope you like it. Let’s support musicians. They need it.
Andrea Aguzzi
Escape by Jody Harris/Robert Quine, SORCERER RECORDS, 2020 on #neuguitars #blog
Escape | Jody Harris/Robert Quine | SORCERER RECORDS (bandcamp.com)
The album known as Escape was originally released on the New York No Wave label Infidelity in 1981, and has never been reissued in any form since. Sorcerer presents a first-time reissue of this very special recording this June.
Remastered by Mikey Young and fully authorised by Jody Harris and Robert’s brother, Van, it is to be reissued in an edition of 600 copies. Jody made his name on the NY scene mainly through his work with the legendary avant-funksters, THE CONTORTIONS, while Robert Quine, who sadly passed away in 2004, was one of the most acclaimed guitarists of his day, noted for his work with RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS, LOU REED, TOM WAITS, JOHN ZORN, MATTHEW SWEET and many more.
The two recorded Escape in Quine’s apartment with a whopping budget of $7 (that’s what it cost Quine for the tape). The album sees them both engaging in guitar duels over a primitive drum machine, a kind of skeletal minimal-synth with avant-guitar excursions overhead. Outward-bound yet wholly listenable, the five tracks represent a great lost gem of the NYC underground scene of the day.
credits
released June 15, 2020
Guitar, bass (electronic) percussion, production – Jody Harris & Robert Quine.
Recorded in NYC September 1979 – July 1980.
Originally released on the Infidelity label, with thanks to the estate of Charles Ball.
NeuGuitars 