The true test of whether a record is both obscure and alternative? You should be able to pick it up and look at the cover, read the words on it, and have no idea what is the band name, and what is the record title. Equal Local (which turns out to be the band) pass this test with flying colours with their 1981 12-inch EP, Madagascar. The words tell you nothing. The cover design is interesting, but also tells you nothing.
The only thing I did recognise when I found this record, nestled next to a water-damaged copy of Barry Crocker Sings the Movies, was the label. Missing Link has an honoured place in the history of Australian music (obscure and alternative sub-branch). It was a little indy label, putting out all sorts of adventurous music in the late 1970s and 1980s. Lots of musicians passed through different groups under different names, flowering briefly and then moving on to new projects.
There is a website, www.punkjourney.com which has some information about the Equal Local, though the music is nothing like punk. The site uses the label “post punk”, whatever that might mean, but the description of the music is on the nail: “Utilizing a funky pulse-like beat as a base, the band was free to lay hypnotic textures and a rich tapestry of styles over the top.”
In this track, “The Cult Of Simplicity”, the base line sets the scene. It feels like nighttime in a dubious city. Over the top, what I think is a synth (clean, high-pitched, unvarying) and what is definitely a saxophone (sleazy, improvising, dark), engage in a call-and-response. It is stark, moody, troubling. Personally I would call it experimental jazz, but who cares about the label: it is inventive, exciting work.
- Artist: Equal Local
- EP Title: Madagascar
- Track: B1 “The Cult Of Simplicity”
- Format: 12” 45 rpm
- Label: Missing Link, MSD 519
- Manufactured in: Australia
- Year: 1981
Many of the records featured on this blog, and hundreds of others, are for sale via Discogs. Mention this code “MSD519” before 1 October 2016 to receive a free 7” disc of your choice (up to the value of $5.00) with any purchase.
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