Before there was RUDIMENTARY PENI, there was the MAGITS. Little seems to be known about them and the the two main sources I’m using here for this little text are Glasper’s “The Day the Country died” (London 2006) and Nick Blinko’s autobiographical “The primal Screamer” (London 1995), from which we seem to learn that it was mainly the later Rudimentary Peni bassist Greg who turned Nick (keyboarder in MAGITS; guitarist, singer and artist in Peni) onto Hardcore Punk, well, at least by assuming the character Nat in “Primal Screamer” is Nick’s literary alter ego. Nat, is says there, went to many Punk shows in his teen years, but “Greg is educating him with regard to recent developments, or regressions in the genre. They rarely go out for the evenig, but instead listen incessantly to Greg’s comprehensive collection of punk records. They also study “fanzines”, the literature of the subcult [p.64]“, the narrator (a psychiatrist) reports ironically. This would be the moment of birth for Rudimentary Peni in 1980.
Formed in 1978 by art school student Nick Blinko and Martin Cooper, the band was originally called the Magit Turds, before shortening the name to The Magits. The band practiced at Jon Greville’s parents house (he who later became the drummer of Peni and is probably the photographer of the MAGITS bandphoto on the sleeve). The minimalistic, amateurish “Fully coherent” 7″EP was recorded in late 1979. A second 7″, “Pawn in their Game” was recorded but never released and if my sources are reliable, this material will never see the light of day (including this first 7″) in form of a posthumous release. The Peni’s don’t seem to be interested in making this available again, the saying goes, but what are blogs like this one here for anyway. My sources report that there were only 300 copies made of this 7″ and indeed, it pops up quite rarely. Back in the old days, I have never seen it anywhere, nor had I know anybody who had heard it. I had always suspected this to be Punk but wasn’t disapointed at all when I got a tape copy from probably Rob of Amebix (if memory serves).
Most people don’t really seem to enjoy this four tracker and the attention it gets, it’s getting because of the Peni connection. Fair enough, but still I must insist. This is a great piece of minimal art! The amateurish, unfinished character of the whole production, the apparent spontaneity make these four songs very special and just like in Peni, they’re clocking in in under a minute mostly. As much pain and despair as you will find on any of the Peni releases from 1981 up to now, you will find on “Fully coherent”, although in a fragmented, embryonic state. Just listen closely and you will hear that although this is far from Rudimentary Peni at first glance, it comes already very close. Maybe these quality rips will help in revisiting THE MAGITS to those who already downloaded the crappy sounding rips that were on some blogs in the past two years.
A new Rudimentary Peni EP, tentatively entitled “No more Pain” is scheduled for release in early 2008 and after the monstrous, gigantic, overwhelming “Archaic” 10″ from a couple years ago, I can’t wait for it!
Two things before I leave you alone with the music: 1. If Jon, Nick or Greg is reading this, I would appreciate it very much if you’d drop me a line. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you a few times through Southern Studios over the past 25 years (!no kidding!), asking for an interview – with no results at all. And secondly, if Nat Blackspear (Mike) is reading this, could he please return the “Cacaphony” presskit I sent him a few years ago to make copies? I’d be chuffed.
PS: Oh yes, this came with an insert, the “Magitzine”. I’m still missing it, but should hopefully be receiving it soon. If anybody wants to provide scans in the meantime, that’d be of a rather nifty nature.Â
Fragmented.mp3
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17 Comments
Ok, I’m a big Rudimentary Peni fan but that’s not why I like it. It’s like when an old friend accused me for liking Septic Deaths first 12″ only because Pushead was in the band. HA HA HA yeah I laughed out loud too.
Kind of reminds me of Andy from XTCs experimental side but more amateurish and without drums.
This music would fit good in a cartoon movie about punk eating zombies.
Props for the length of the songs!
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You weren’t lying about the sound quality but that seems to just go with the sound quality of all yourt rips, excellent. I had posted this as an afterthought on my site but it was just off of a RP cdr I got years ago off of ebay. Nice to hear it the way it was supposed to sound. Thanx for all your hard work, dedication and that unique extra effort you put into this.
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Thanks much, Justin, for the appreciation. It’s a lot of work, really, but comments and interaction make all the efforts worthwhile!
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Wow thanks for this! Great rips!! Weird stuff-like it!
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hell yes, thanks again man…!
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damn good job on the quality rips. damn good.
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love this 7” time to delete old mp3s and replace with these
thanks,jc
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*Fighting words:
Erich…this record S-U-C-K-S! I thought it sucked a few years ago…and, well… (…)
Does it hold up against your other posted experiments in bad taste? OF COURSE! Is it “important”? FUCK NO!!!
I W-I-L-L GIVE YOU THIS: You get the “feeling” of a proto RP on this.
I haven’t heard any new RP since Cacophony (BRILLIANCE!) over 16 years ago…I’m waaaaaay out of the loop!
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Sean: You’ll have to check out the three EPs of RP after “Cacaphony” – they’re all extremely brutal, dark. You must love them (or else I give up hope for you, haha).
Did you get the damn package?
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I hadn’t heard this before. Thanks Erich! I think its primitiveness is what makes it sound so haunting…
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Holy Wendy O Williams! (I mean, WOW!) Been longing to listen to this for years, big thanks (& btw thanks for other recent posts like Void, Die Kreuzen, Dayglos…!). Not exactly what I expected but I like it, it has that “Radio Schizo” feel, yeah. Makes me think of the doodle man cover of that live Fear Of God ep
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the first time i heard this about 12 years ago it made me think of gary numan “doodling” in a notebook during highschool. i’d still like this if i wasn’t a peni fan. thanks for the great mp3 quality. if you could unearth the albini/peni rhythm section recordings i’d be indebted to you forever.
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Well, I have never heard these recordings and I somehow doubt they’re circulating. Wonder though why Albini never finished the job.
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Seeing your request about getting in touch with RP, I forwarded this post to a friend who is good friends with Jon Greville, can’t guarantee anything though!
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i remember you were suppose to send me the presskit along with the amebix monolith insert and bedboys translation but i never got them. i moved away shortly after so it probably got lost in the mail. sorry,deathrock.com has the magits zine scans i did for them forever ago still i thin k.
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I am finally going to get this record.And not because im getting it off of e-bay for like 500 bux.Nick scored a copy for me and told are art dealer Henry Boxer that he’s going to send it off to me.So i just heared this great new’s 2 day’s ago and im in California so it should be here with me in like 2 week’s or so.I just cant wait to put the “Fully Coherent” 7″ on my table and spin it like gold.So just another member getting ahold of it,just had to speak the good’s!!!
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Terrific skeletal post-punk. Thanks for making this available in such a superb-sounding rip.
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