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LP
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RAD 8004CV-LP
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Formed in London in 1977 by Mark Perry and Alex Fergusson, then editors of the punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue, Alternative TV was a post-punk group known for incorporating reggae rhythms and pushing the boundaries of the definition of punk toward the experimental and avant-garde. Their first album, The Image Has Cracked, came out originally in 1978 and is a wholly unique piece of British post-punk. Beloved by John Peel, and close confidantes of Throbbing Gristle, Alternative TV is one of the most original and beguiling groups of the era. Printed on red color vinyl.
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LP
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FD 146LP
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On Direct Action, Alternative TV's first studio album since Opposing Forces in 2015, the listener is presented with six instrumental tracks which steadily rip apart all expectations as they shed all allusions to rock music in favor of the sonic mutilations that once helped 1979's classic Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One) (SPITTLE 110LP, 2021) stumble into weird and wonderful shapes. Direct Action marries guttural electronics to sounds most artists would consign to the bin and through Perry's long perfected mastery of pulling together disparate strands to create something entirely alchemical and invigorating delivers a unique stamp to the ATV story. With the help of longtime collaborator Dave Morgan alongside the input of Gareth Matthews, Ruth Tidmarsh, and Cos Chapman, abstract patterns of disheveled sound rub alongside occasional percussion, disembodied plasma guitar strums and even what seems like an oboe groaning in a murky corner. Similar to its distant cousin of Vibing?, everything adds up to a whole that's demanding yet completely rewarding as every listen pries open the dark scab of contemporary malaise to reveal something fresh. The front cover's homage to an incredible album by a pioneering electronic group. If you are savvy enough to get that reference, then you're on the right path to understanding where Direct Action resides.
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7"
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MR 7337EP
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First time reissue of the 1977 debut single of London's punk pioneers Alternative TV, originally released on Deptford Fun City Records. The band was founded by Mark Perry (editor of the zine Sniffin' Glue) and Alex Fergusson (member of Psychic TV years later). Early rehearsals took place at Throbbing Gristle's studio with Genesis P-Orridge on drums. The line-up of the band during the recording of this single was completed with drummer John Towe (ex-Generation X) and Tyrone Thomas on bass, sporting a straight-forward-y punk sound that eventually would evolve into a more experimental direction in the following years. "How Much Longer" is a sharp critique of punk style: "How much longer will people wear/ Nazi armbands and dye their hair?/ Talk about anarchy, fascism and boredom/ When you don't know nothing," that anticipated their own boredom towards the punk scene. An absolute must have!
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12"
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FD 127EP
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Limited edition 12" EP to help fill the void before the next Alternative TV album, here collecting Mark Perry's slightly playful cover of, or nod towards a medley of, Throbbing Gristle's "United", "Discipline", and "Persuasion", called "Alternative TG" and originally released on 1997's Punk Life CD, b/w two cuts that first appeared on 1999's Apollo CD, "Oh Shit, We Fell from Grace" and "Slap and Tickle". A one-off snapshot of some of the music that appeared from this much overlooked period of Alternative TV. Sion Orgon mastering. Edition of 300; no repress.
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LP
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STAUB 161LP
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First ever reissue of Alternative TV's Action Time Vision, compiled in 1980 and featuring the group's 7-inches from 1977 to 1979. Including bonus track "You Bastard" and new liner notes by ATV singer Mark Perry, the founding editor of punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue. What Mark Perry says: "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Punk turned my world upside down! In July 1976, after hearing and seeing the Ramones, I went from just another music fan, avid reader of the NME and Melody Maker, to become editor of punk's premier fanzine, Sniffin' Glue. It was almost an instant success and by December 1976, through our no-nonsense approach, our position as the 'punk Bible' was assured. But it was never enough for me. As I saw the initial punk explosion subside into a succession of third-rate copycats, I wanted to have a go myself. My first attempt at forming a band was in late '76. We called ourselves the 'New Beatles' and it ended after a couple of rehearsals. It wasn't until I met guitarist Alex Fergusson, a mate of Sounds writer Sandy Robertson, in early 1977, that I started putting together some more interesting ideas for a band. I worked on a bunch of lyrics and, pretty quickly, Alex had put tunes to them. Eventually calling ourselves Alternative TV, we had our first rehearsals at Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Studios in March '77. That initial line-up was just me singing and Alex on guitar, with Genesis P-Orridge helping out on some bass and drums. We did ask Gen to join fulltime, but he decided against it and stuck with Throbbing Gristle. After more rehearsals, we played our first gig at the Nottingham Punk Festival in May 1977, joined by Mick Smith on bass and John Towe (ex-Generation X) on drums. I started thinking about doing a record almost from the start because, by this time, I was running the Step Forward record label with Miles Copeland, who was also to become the band's manager. It seemed like a natural move to put out my own record, but it instead ended up on Deptford Fun City, another of Miles' labels. Before that actually happened, we made a slight detour by recording a demo for EMI. They didn't want to sign us, but we did end up with the tapes..." White vinyl; edition of 500.
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LP
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SPITTLE 110LP
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Possibly one of the weirdest experiments in the post-punk realm, Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One) is the second studio album by English anti-heroes Alternative TV, originally released in March 1979 on small indie label Deptford Fun City. Forget about the influential 1978 debut -- The Image Has Cracked -- frontman Mark Perry is literally leaving the planet in this effort. "There are free jazz influences; I'd got into the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra ... I'd moved into this house with an amazing music room -- pianos, clarinets, you name it -- and we'd always be picking up stuff from junk shops." The description set the pace for a unique performance, not only the Afro-American heritage, traces of the Canterbury school are almost evident as the early experiment of the BBC Radiophonic workshop. Is it safe to consider Vibing Up The Senile Man on the same time-line as Robert Wyatt's The End Of An Ear and Throbbing Gristle's 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Genesis P-Orridge is on board on two tracks, playing assorted percussion) -- Judge by yourself and don't be scared.
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CD
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SFM 550CD
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"Alternative TV on this album are: Mark Perry, Steve Carter, and Lee McFadden. Assisted by: John Isaac, Dave Morgan, Glyn Collins, Dan Melchior, Greg Anderson, Simon Barnett and Gina Birch. Recorded live in England, France, Germany & The USA."
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CD
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WHR 006CD
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A collection of Alternative TV songs during recent years that have appeared on vinyl-only releases or compilations and suchlike. Includes "This Little Girl", "Negative Primitive", "The System", "Radiator", "Walls", and "Chinese Burn", amongst others. "Chinese Burn" will be a different version to the one which appears on the "Low Expectations" compilation 10" on Fourth Dimension. Even if you own some of the vinyl, this will be a neat way of listening to the tracks as they map out an arc in the group's more recent development that makes perfect sense hearing them all together on one release. As Mark Perry himself said, this release actually sounds more like an album in its own right than what's otherwise tantamount to a compilation gathering together various loose ends. However you choose to look at it, the CD makes for another great entry in the band's illustrious career, once again underlining that fine balance between commentary strewn songwriting that itself can sway perfectly between the melodic and more intense, plus pieces that nod to Mark's own love of electronic music drawing from the worlds of early industrial music and the avant-garde. As with only a few groups who initially came out of the cultural shift of the late '70s, Alternative TV always kept moving forward and exploring new ideas without completely abandoning everything that made them (a not so blind) force to be reckoned with at the outset.
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12"
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FD 106EP
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Mark Perry has remained the sole surviving original member and driving force. Alternative TV have been responsible for around fifteen albums since their formation, with the last one, Opposing Forces (2015), proving to be their strongest thus far, marrying of igneous rock, idiosyncratic touches, barbed commentary, and occasional seething undercurrents of dark psych. Dark Places introduces four songs cascading between full-on rock to a kind of abstract minimalist electronics approach perfectly in keeping with Alternative TV's occasional traverses to the furthest reaches. Vic Godard's guests on guitar on "Like A Tomb".
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Cassette
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RADK 7002CS
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Cassette reissue of Alternative TV's The Image Has Cracked, originally released in 1978. Formed in London in 1977 by Mark Perry and Alex Fergusson, then editors of the punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue, Alternative TV was a post-punk group known for incorporating reggae rhythms and pushing the boundaries of the definition of punk towards the experimental and avant-garde. Their first album, The Image Has Cracked, came out originally in 1978 and is a wholly unique piece of British post-punk. Beloved by John Peel, and close confidantes of Throbbing Gristle, Alternative TV is one of the most original and beguiling groups of the era. Includes two bonus tracks. Three-panel j-card; Edition of 350 cassettes (hand-numbered).
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LP
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RAD 8004LP
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Formed in London in 1977 by Mark Perry and Alex Fergusson, then editors of the punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue, Alternative TV was a post-punk group known for incorporating reggae rhythms and pushing the boundaries of the definition of punk toward the experimental and avant-garde. Their first album, The Image Has Cracked, came out originally in 1978 and is a wholly unique piece of British post-punk. Beloved by John Peel, and close confidantes of Throbbing Gristle, Alternative TV is one of the most original and beguiling groups of the era. This classic is reissued here on 180-gram vinyl with two bonus tracks and a double-sided insert.
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