"No Wave" legends Liquid Liquid
Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:36 pm<img src="http://www.nycegrafx.com/images/liquid-liquid-optimo-EP.gif">
"No Wave," as the name suggests wasn't New Wave, although it happened at the same time. It was influenced by and influenced what was and would become “New Wave“. There was no unifying movement or “wave” to this New York/East Village moment. Perhaps the only unifying aesthetic was that it was decidedly anti-pop. There were no hooks, or marketing departments, it was a totally underground aesthetic, and thus remained under the radar for many years – except at New York underground spaces like the Loft. Liquid Liquid was one of the most recognized live acts of this movement, featuring nice phat basslines, intricate drumming and adlibbed/nonsensical/rubadub vocals. They were labeled “art-noise”, and punk-funk, but basically they were genre defying. They symbolize a magical time of the East Village/New York City, when it was a crazy eclectic melting pot of punk, funk, synthesizers, disco, hip hop, art, fashion and drugs, LOTS of drugs. Very different from the sterile/corporate/starbucks/gap environment of today’s cleaned-up city. The group is best known for the song “Cavern,” which features a catchy bass line, which would become the basis for Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel’s “White Lines” – the lyrical ideas “slipping in and out of phenomena” from “Cavern” becomes “something of a phenomenon,” a standard hip-hop phrase these days. “Optimo” undoubtedly was the best song on the EP, and the other songs follow along the lines of art/noise/funk/minimalism.
After the Optimo EP, they released a couple of art-noise singles as Liquid Idiot, and then the Idiot Orchestra. By 1997, they were reintroduced to mainstream American dance floors through Duran Duran’s hit cover of “White Lines.” Around the same time, the Beastie Boy’s Grand Royal reissued their three main EPs as an album, bringing these long out-of-print classics back to the underground (Grand Royale has gone belly up, and good luck finding even the repressings). Spike Lee’s 25th Hour used “Cavern” as its theme song and trailer sound track music. In 2003, they played an amazing reunion show at the Knitting Factory, and toured around the US.
Founding member Richard McGuire is a world-famous illustrator and author of children’s books, who has also done covers for the New Yorker and has pieces in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Dennis Young has an improv band named Water Torture Chamber Music. Scott Hartley still plays his drums. And vocalist Salvatore Principato promotes world music in New York City as New Africa Presents and “Sal's World Music Bistro” at Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge (Second Ave. at 5th St) which has an international vegan buffet, Yum!
These songs were never released on a CD format, except for “Cavern”, but my version is an edit which is not on any commercial CD. This EP is VERY sought after here in NYC – by collectors of a wide variety – from Hip Hop fanatics to Art Rockers to Jazzheads. I have had some very nice offers for my original pressing, as it was a small pressing – but instead I kept it and am now sharing it with you. The mp3s include the original album art if you have itunes. For fans of the Talking Heads, Bush Tetras, Gang of Four, Au Pairs, the Waitresses, Was (Not Was), A Certain Ratio, the Clash, Bow Wow Wow, Tom Tom Club, Material, and Primus you will definitely enjoy these toons!
Liquid Liquid – “Cavern”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=06PA ... F6MYF9GJUQ
Liquid Liquid – “Out”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1NLQ ... 725BIY14OI
Liquid Liquid – “Optimo”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3VXR ... MS6P6G4TZV
Liquid Liquid – “Scraper”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=26KJ ... TFPI29O52J
And an added bonus! The jam that would become “Once In A Lifetime”.
Talking Heads – “Right Start” (Unfinished Outtake)
http://s59.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1017 ... HSVHJE1VV5
Cheers! [8D]
<image src="http://www.nycegrafx.com/images/atreidesny.gif"> The Spice Must Flow!
"No Wave," as the name suggests wasn't New Wave, although it happened at the same time. It was influenced by and influenced what was and would become “New Wave“. There was no unifying movement or “wave” to this New York/East Village moment. Perhaps the only unifying aesthetic was that it was decidedly anti-pop. There were no hooks, or marketing departments, it was a totally underground aesthetic, and thus remained under the radar for many years – except at New York underground spaces like the Loft. Liquid Liquid was one of the most recognized live acts of this movement, featuring nice phat basslines, intricate drumming and adlibbed/nonsensical/rubadub vocals. They were labeled “art-noise”, and punk-funk, but basically they were genre defying. They symbolize a magical time of the East Village/New York City, when it was a crazy eclectic melting pot of punk, funk, synthesizers, disco, hip hop, art, fashion and drugs, LOTS of drugs. Very different from the sterile/corporate/starbucks/gap environment of today’s cleaned-up city. The group is best known for the song “Cavern,” which features a catchy bass line, which would become the basis for Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel’s “White Lines” – the lyrical ideas “slipping in and out of phenomena” from “Cavern” becomes “something of a phenomenon,” a standard hip-hop phrase these days. “Optimo” undoubtedly was the best song on the EP, and the other songs follow along the lines of art/noise/funk/minimalism.
After the Optimo EP, they released a couple of art-noise singles as Liquid Idiot, and then the Idiot Orchestra. By 1997, they were reintroduced to mainstream American dance floors through Duran Duran’s hit cover of “White Lines.” Around the same time, the Beastie Boy’s Grand Royal reissued their three main EPs as an album, bringing these long out-of-print classics back to the underground (Grand Royale has gone belly up, and good luck finding even the repressings). Spike Lee’s 25th Hour used “Cavern” as its theme song and trailer sound track music. In 2003, they played an amazing reunion show at the Knitting Factory, and toured around the US.
Founding member Richard McGuire is a world-famous illustrator and author of children’s books, who has also done covers for the New Yorker and has pieces in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Dennis Young has an improv band named Water Torture Chamber Music. Scott Hartley still plays his drums. And vocalist Salvatore Principato promotes world music in New York City as New Africa Presents and “Sal's World Music Bistro” at Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge (Second Ave. at 5th St) which has an international vegan buffet, Yum!
These songs were never released on a CD format, except for “Cavern”, but my version is an edit which is not on any commercial CD. This EP is VERY sought after here in NYC – by collectors of a wide variety – from Hip Hop fanatics to Art Rockers to Jazzheads. I have had some very nice offers for my original pressing, as it was a small pressing – but instead I kept it and am now sharing it with you. The mp3s include the original album art if you have itunes. For fans of the Talking Heads, Bush Tetras, Gang of Four, Au Pairs, the Waitresses, Was (Not Was), A Certain Ratio, the Clash, Bow Wow Wow, Tom Tom Club, Material, and Primus you will definitely enjoy these toons!
Liquid Liquid – “Cavern”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=06PA ... F6MYF9GJUQ
Liquid Liquid – “Out”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1NLQ ... 725BIY14OI
Liquid Liquid – “Optimo”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3VXR ... MS6P6G4TZV
Liquid Liquid – “Scraper”
http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=26KJ ... TFPI29O52J
And an added bonus! The jam that would become “Once In A Lifetime”.
Talking Heads – “Right Start” (Unfinished Outtake)
http://s59.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1017 ... HSVHJE1VV5
Cheers! [8D]
<image src="http://www.nycegrafx.com/images/atreidesny.gif"> The Spice Must Flow!