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LP
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SKA 036LP
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Ten-track album with worldwide pressing of 500 copies. VHS Head's Phasia elaborates on the scenes and soundscapes of Phocus, building an even further in-depth view of the world portrayed by the central character -- is it the beginning and the end? Ten Episodes you can easily binge in one go! Enjoy. Written and produced by Ade Blacow. Sleeve design by Sophie Rogerson. Mastering by Bola.
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CD
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SKALD 030CD
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Picking up from and advancing on his well-received 2010 debut full-length offering Trademark Ribbons of Gold, VHS Head continues in his exploration of emotive sketchbook electronics, cutting up and sampling reams and reams of old school VHS tapes to create a baffling, arresting and nostalgic trip into the world of twisted, lo-fi, tape-compressed electronica. VHS Head perverts all manners of sound sources, both musical and not, in a melting pot of deranged creativity, wrangling melodies out of disparate snatches of sounds and welding the results over a variety of differing percussive beds and beats ranging from the pastoral lushness of "Angels Never Sleep" or "Do You Understand" travelling through the gamut of styles, all the way through to barbed, hyperactive, glitched-out IDM-inspired workouts such as the glitch-funk of opener "Enter the Devil." Children of the '80s will undoubtedly recognize snatches of sounds from their childhood on this record along with the comforting, fuzzy warmth of the obsolete format that is VHS tape. It contains snatches of quizshow-esque excess, sleazy softcore porn twangs and salutations, crazed kids' TV themes, liberal smatterings of video nasty nastiness and an '80s bad hair, power-rock, noirish edge that at points recalls the feel, tone and subdued menace of Twin Peaks and its ilk. It is a record for 2014, referencing the hazy days when we were all growing up -- a compendium of time and place for the MTV generation and beyond.
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2LP
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SKALD 030LP
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Double LP version. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves.
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2LP
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SKALD 025LP
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CD
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SKALD 025CD
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Skam presents a full-length album from Blackpool recording artist VHS Head. A collage of vocals, melodic splatters and stop/start rhythms grind against industrial soundscapes and atmospheric backdrops, while basslines and mutated guitar hooks grab the listener for a very enjoyable ride. The name Trademark Ribbons Of Gold was a reference to the pre-cert era of video tapes. A "pre-cert video" is any videotape issued in the UK before the introduction of the 1984 Video Recordings Act. Pre-cert videos were not required by law to be submitted to the BBFC so the era was unregulated, leading to many uncut releases of videos which would have fallen foul of the BBFC's strict guidelines. Some of the smaller independent companies decided to take advantage of this by issuing "strong uncut" versions depicting graphic violence and gore. A whole barrage of titles previously banned by the BBFC from getting a cinema release suddenly ended up uncensored on home video. This was the true golden era of home video.
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12"
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SKA 031EP
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In the run down metropolis there are places you don't go at night, places even cops avoid. On the limits of a not-so-distant, high-tech society, terror lurks down every ally and in every slum and subway. Towering above the ghetto, stands one block, taller than the rest. Trapped on the top floor the only escape is down. Nocturnal eyes scan from the darkness, barricades blink like beacons of safety as night falls. Mayhem lurks in every corner, there is no escape.
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CD
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SKALD 023CD
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Skam presents Blackpool, UK recording artist, VHS Head. VHS Head began making music in 1999. Using video tape as the primary sound source and '80s B-movies as his inspiration, this music is a collage of vocals, stuttering guitars and drum hits taken from a vast amount of ex-rental videos, teleporting the listener back to the golden era of the VHS format. Summons almost epileptic memory-recall of every single cheesy, synth-driven '80s-movie opening/ending credit sequence you've ever heard, spliced and mashed and cut together into one percussive, glitchy, retro mind-fuck. The CD is housed in a limited edition black jewel case, containing a video club membership card. Grab your bag of Doritos and get in the basement.
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