Martyn Bates - Migraine Inducers: Dissonance/Antagonistic Music

1979 DIY noise beast reissued in full

Calling yourself Migraine Inducers might not be the best route to stardom. But then, this was released in 1979, in the early stages of the DIY movement, which was all about making a defiant two-finger salute to stardom. A new generation of ambitious musicians armed with total artistic freedom released their music on the then-popular cassette format, thus bypassing major record companies. Martyn Bates (later of Eyeless In Gaza fame) debuted under the moniker Migraine Inducers with Dissonance/Antagonistic Music, a homemade cassette full of intense, nervous fragmented soundscaping, not dissimilar to Nurse With Wound or an instrumental Throbbing Gristle. When the initial 12 copies had sold out, the tape was reissued slightly more professionally over the years and now, for the first time ever, as a complete 2-CD set. Sonic exploration is at the heart of this beautiful, stark masterpiece, which may not be easy on the ear on first take, but gradually grows and then, when you least expect it, proves itself full of harsh beauty.

Beta-lactam Ring | MT 196

Reviewed by Freek Kinkelaar
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