One of the most original Hardcore bands and quite possibly Sweden’s best were HEADCLEANERS (or HUVUDTVÄTT). Don’t believe me? Here’s the split EP with PICNIC BOYS and here’s the final, monstrous EP.
Every time I put this on, I simply can’t believe how a band could be so original, so great and so damn HARDCORE. It’s Hardcore of the subtle kind (or “Gentleman’s Hardcore”), not the tornado, blizzard and thunder – type for the proles. Amazingly, not one song sticks out, they’re all equally great. This EPÂ was especially made for the outside of Sweden-markets (as was the rare untitled 9 songs EP which combined the split EP songs and the a-side of this babe here) and is thus sung in english. I happen to think the swedish versions of these songs (to be found on the split EP) rock a little harder and also have a superior sound.
Dying in Maze.mp3
Kill the Royalties.mp3
Death Threat.mp3
Where is.mp3 / Disinfect.mp3
Over the Wall.mp3
Police Perversities.mp3
26 Comments
This band shredded even as Mass media (THAT needs to be posted!). My fave track by them is “With Medication” (Rupture covered it on an OTD 7″?). Great band, no frills, no bullshit straight to the head hXc.
Oh, and FIRST! (lol)
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Essential band and in my humble opinion THIS is the best they ever did! your rips sound so far superior from any other rips I ever heard (incl. those from the great kbd blog). since I’m a recording technician: may I ask what the magic is?
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One of Swedens best HC without a doubt! My rips of the Huvudtvatt was done with my old gear
. Nice addition of the video. I also have a home made thing they did in the cellar of the Nilsson brothers I assume.
For those crawing Massmedia:
http://www.kbdrecords.com/2009/06/07/va-massmediavacumforbjudna-ljud-ep-7/
http://www.kbdrecords.com/2007/04/25/massmedia-ingen-hets-ep-7/
http://www.kbdrecords.com/2006/09/28/massmedia-das-jazz-7/
http://www.kbdrecords.com/2006/07/07/massmedia-st-ep-7/
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Trent Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 13:26
No offense but your new rips don’t sound much better than the old ones. Just compare: The rips from GBM have depth and are precisely edited (fadeins and outs). Seems like the admin is not working with typical lowtech computer loudspeakers. There seems to be a lot of highend stuff involved.
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Admin Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 13:29
I’ve been meaning to post a “tutorial” kind of thing for some time now and who knows, maybe one day or another, I will make it happen.
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 18:19
Hi hi an expert has spoken
. To be honest there´s not much difference. But that´s ok. You don´t need to agree or understand. ” are precisely edited (fadeins and outs).” LOL
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Admin Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 18:30
But my fade ins and -outs are made with love, Peter. And of course my mp3 sound better. It’d be a shame if not since there’s a bit more $$$ in the hardware on my side.
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Trent Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 19:08
I didn’t mean to sound pricky. Yes, I do make a living with sound engineering and yes, your mp3 don’t sound too good on a technical level. Why is that a problem? Your blog is great. Weird guy.
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By the way let’s do this as split post so I’ll post the first press red cover edition this weekend
.
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Martin Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 13:19
So who should post the green and the brown versions of the sleeve?
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There you go with MASSMEDIA. Killer, Peter!
As for the split post, I was thinking of splitting the split LP into two. How bout that?
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Yeah great idea
!
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I too agree that this is Sweden’s best. My favorite tracks are from the split LP with Kurt I Kuvos. A friend of mine thried to get permission to do a discography several years ago and the band were quite difficult to work with so it never happened.
Other underrated Swede bands:
DTAL
Rovsvett
Bedrovlerz
TASK
Sotlimpa
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Great! Much better and much less primitive than ANTICIMEX, SHITLICKERS and the likes.
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I have never read anything as high-brow as Kant, but I can say this is a great example of (Richard) Meltzerian aesthetics. Thanks!
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Trent Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 13:26
hahahahaha
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DLO…is your friend Renaat Van Weepingen (ALWAYS misspell his name!). Because I was going to be his partner on that release! I was even trying to talk Renaat into doing sliding scale artwork for the release, to tie into Pus’ history with the band!
But then life happened to both Renaat and I!
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Admin Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 13:28
Pardon me, Sean, but I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
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Trent, you´re making a living as a sound engineer? I have a couple of friends that work as sound engineers. Live and studio wise. One of them being one of the most hired and well renowned there is here in Sweden. I think I trust him more then you
. No offense.
Maybe we should do a song contest? Let´s rip the exact same song and put a poll up here and at the kbd blog
.
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Admin Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 19:23
Well if you want, Peter …..
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 20th, 2010 at 21:42
Sure why not. Make generic taging so people don´t know who ripped it. Then we can show our gear so they can decide what to go for when they´ll rip themself.
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dude this peter guy really has his head up his arse.
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 15:59
now you really hurt my feelings piss… ops i mean chris.
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Haha Peter gets worse feedback on this blog than that Skrewdriver post. What’s up with these people?
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Also, a contest with just one song wouldn’t work. Different equipment and techniques may work better or worse depending on the song, no (not that I am encouraging a contest in general)?
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Admin Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 09:25
The contest thing is really silly, if you ask me. It wasn’t my idea, but since Peter’s fighting like a lion to make his point ….. Of course, you’d have to pick something with a really good sound and something rather mediocre.
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I appreciate Erich’s rips (and KBD Peter’s too) but shouldn’t “recording technicians” stick with prog-rock, heavy metal’s hi-technology “aesthetics,” the sound of commercials, and other fudgepacker-otry? The best punk rock was fairly oblivious to so-called recording values.
On my $10 Koss headphones, I can hardly distinguish Jay Thurston’s groans from those of my girlfriend, you audiophile homos.
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Admin Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 09:22
The 10$ headphone joke actually hits the nail right on its head: In order to find out whether or not the transformation of music from vinyl to mp3 sounds good, one would first need to be able to get a good sound for the primary source. On shit equipment, you wouldn’t hear that much difference between ABGAS and the new Jimi Hendrix remasters.
Apart from that, saying that hi-fi and sound issues only stick to prog-rock etc. is rather silly. It’s like saying good food is something for the rich folks only ….
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Levi Johnston Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 23:29
But punks weren’t interested in eating good food, they were interested in eating shit. At least to some extent, the idea of what was good was inverted. Of course some punk rock bands would have gladly entered a 24-track studio with some hot-shot engineer, but those who rejected all that and actually preferred bare-bones recordings on primitive equipment were generally more interesting. In my mind, anyone who records on anything more than a boombox is a careerist asshole. Ha!
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Admin Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 23:33
That’s quite a funny conception of Punk you’ve got there, Levi, haha. You sure you don’t talk about crusties or monks?
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trent(the so called sound engineer who can´t hear the difference the old and new rips… I wouldn´t want to use that guy for sure
). People, anonoymous of course, trying to make a point about what commenting here? Jealousy of course.
So what did I start? Nothing as usually. But you where asking for some proof and you don´t want it?
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Speaking on behalf of Tren: He said he can’t hear much difference, not no difference, Peter. He also didn’t start the competition thing, that was you.
I can hear the difference between your old and new gear, Peter, and I must say I don’t really understand why you’re so upset. That your mp3 aren’t too nicely edited in detail (whether or not you believe that to be necessary) is a fact. Remember we had the quality discussion before and before you upgraded your equipment, you reacted as furiously as you do now, claiming your rips were perfect etc.?
Anyway, I think Peter’s rips are quality rips and better than what you usually get to hear. No question about that.
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 16:38
He couldn´t hear much difference. Correct. Still coming from a “sound engineer” ha ha
.
Why am I upset? Cause I´m fucking tired of anonymous douche bags coming here attacking me. Is that so hard to understand? If you have something to say to me be a man or woman and contact me directly.
Of course I react when someone plays the know-it-all daddy. I always hated that attitude. And I will always take a piss on someone going that path.
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Admin Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 16:44
I didn’t see the man’s comment as attack at all. If he says he’s a sound engineer, why not listen to what he has to say? At least, that’s how I would react. I would say you were pretty harsh to him, but what me worry
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 17:29
Yepp I read his comment and NOW I finally get what he means
. Pew that was a relief. Ok I will buy new equipment. New high-end speakers coming tomorrow(glad someone could HEAR what I use). And I also stand corrected when it comes to the quality of my rips: they’re not on a high technical level(even though other people who’ve been working with music, sound engineering told me they where close to the source). I can not express my happiness at the moment. Such a WOW feeling 
!
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hey admin! if youre digging on krautrock these days i suggest you download these dvd’s
http://theluxordream.blogspot.com/search/label/Krautrock%20DVD
6 dvd’s worth of late sixties/seventies krautrock stuff from the WDR archives. well worth it.
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Admin Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 17:25
thanks mate, think I saw most of these on tv not too long ago. anyway, I wouldn’t download the 5498 files, but rather buy an official release. I’m more of a up- than a downloader, I guess.
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howardx Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 00:52
you prefer giving to taking, gotcha;)
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Peter: I have no idea why you’re reacting the way you do. And however many sound engineering friends you may have (or not), your rips still don’t sound as good as the ones here. That’s all I said. Story closed.
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Small is beatiful Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 19:40
Trent, with all due respect. Heard of Michael Blair(Costello, Suzanne Vega etc)? For being a sound engineer you don’t seem to have a lot of knowledge and that’s all I know too. So who to trust? And what’s your point? If you want to tell me something I’m all ears and can be reached at info at kbdrecords dot com. I’m really looking forward to your insight and good advises. Cause that was your purpose right?
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Thought the 7inchpunk rips were better. lol
PS: THAT WAS A JOKE!
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Have you seen the kbd guy now running a CONTEST (that’s what he made of it)? Hahaha couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m really sorry I shocked him that much.
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Bolibompa Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:30
You have to learn the difference between a POLL and a contest. Would be fun if all my doubts where wrong wouldn’t it
. Still waiting for your insights and suggestion.
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Admin Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:59
I read “contest” in the title, Peter. Below, it’s a “poll”. So it’s kinda both, haha.
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It says PISSING CONTEST in the headline, in case you can’t read your own words. Guess what . I took time and played the two songs. I don’t have what you call regular Joe technics and the song you chose isn’t exactly well recorded or engineered in general but I would bet that version 2 is not yours. Version 1 sounds a bit flatter and has an additional distortion (could come from worn vinyl too, but it doesn’t sound so) and like somebody else pointed out it is also a bit slower. That’s kinda strange and worrying when in short songs like this almost 1 second of time difference occurs. But it could be that version 2 plays too fast. Who knows? What kind of a turntable do you have?
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Admin Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:17
I own a Music Hall ffm 9.1 Couldn’t say at the moment what stylus I have, would have to check first.
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Bolibompa Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 13:13
You’re talking to me? I’m over at the kbd blog. Welcome.
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Now…this was a startling record to hear in the UK in ’81 (?) or was it ’82? Either way, this jumped visually out of the racks in Oxford Street’s basement Virgin singles shop. I KNEW something was going to be different from the usual UK ’82 fare of the time. This was probably the 1st HC I ever heard (and what were these guys themselves listening to to come up with th sound on this EP?) and having heard the 1st Peni EP only within the previous year it was a key to the whole new energy level about to explode…but it was Sweden and not the US. That what keyed me into the Euro scene as much as the emergent US scene. Listening to this still gives me (and I just quote Peter here) goosebumps.
Again, we have Andy ‘Shesk’ Thompson (XNT) to thank for this release in conjunction with Malign Massacre. He made a lot of effort to promote the non-UK, non-US punk/HC scenes in the early to mid 80s in the UK. Re-speck Andrew!
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Admin Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 13:15
Thanks for the input, Charlie! I’m currently in touch with Andy and will probably (if time allows) interview him for the blog and have a little XNT special.
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Charlie M Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 21:41
That would be extremely cool Erich! I’ve been in touch with Andy recently too, and sang XNTs praises in Alex Ogg’s recent book on indie labels. Andy’s a photographer these days though is still involved with music and has some other bizarre projects of his own –
http://www.3trousers.com/3trousers-blog/category/5-zarg-and-zargo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_mc2lSEhks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pUiXle_ML0&feature=related
He long ago sold his back catalogue of old XNT vinyl though (to a now defunct Dorset based distro about 10 years ago) so no luck there bargain hunters!
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someone rip their split lp w kurt i kuvös please.
my rip is so shitty
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Admin Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 20:24
Coming very soon!
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leech Reply:
May 5th, 2010 at 01:02
wow thanks, never checked back, cheers man!
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thanks for the quality rips!
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Hi guys, I am happy to hear that you love our Music from early 80′s. It was great fun to make the recordings. It sounds like you are more interested in rip technoogy than HC music. Enjoy our music! Harry Rinse/Headcleaners
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