Zoviet France
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Zoviet France (also known as Soviet France, and also written as :zoviet*france:) is a prolific ambient industrial music group from Newcastle upon Tyne in Northern England. While often dissonant and made of industrial textures, their music is also of a distinctly ambient music bent. Formed in 1981, the group has had a variety of members, presently it consists of co-founder Ben Ponton and Mark Warren. Former members included Robin Storey, who now records as Rapoon, Mark Spybey, who now records as Dead Voices on Air, Peter Jensen, Andy Eardley, Paolo Di Paolo, Lisa Hale and Neil Ramshaw
Their music, consisting often of droning textures set against tribal rhythms and fleeting dissonant melodies, was often made from neglected sound sources: obscure radio broadcasts, toy instruments, field recordings, and other odds and ends, often heavily processed or looped. Over time their sound has increasingly incorporated electronic elements but without adopting computer based composition techniques.
The packaging of their early works was extraordinary - records were released in burlap, roofing shingles, aluminium foil. Their CDs weren't as often so packaged, but were occasionally quite unusual, including felt, decorative pins, and wood veneer.
In 2005 Storey, Spybey and Eardley, announced that they were forming a new group: Reformed Faction.
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[edit] Discography
Garista
- 1982 (cassette) Soviet France
- 1985 (cassette) Singing Ringing, UK
- 1990 (CD, LP, cassette) Charrm, UK
(untitled) (generally known as 'hessian', 'the burlap album', or 'OK Boys')
- 1982 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1985 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1990 (CD, LP) Charrm, UK
Norsch
- 1983 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1990 (CD) Charrm, UK
Mohnomishe
- 1983 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1990 (CD) Charrm, UK
Eostre
- 1984 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1985 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK (re-mastered)
- 1990 (CD) Charrm, UK
Popular Soviet Songs and Youth Music
- 1985 (cassette) Singing Ringing/Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1994 (CD)Staalplaat, NE
- 1995 (CD)Staalplaat, NE
- 2004 (CD)Staalplaat, NE
Gris
- 1985 (LP) No Man's Land, West Germany
Misfits, Loony Tunes, and Squalid Criminals
- 1986 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1995 (CD) Charrm, UK
Gesture Signal Threat
- 1986 (cassette) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1995 (CD) Charrm, UK
Loh Land
- 1987 (cassette) Staaltape, Netherlands
- 1992 (CD) Staaltape, Netherlands
A Flock of Rotations
- LP in specially designed paper and card sleeve
- 1987 (LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1995 (CD) Charrm, UK
Assault and Mirage
- Cassette in specially designed fluted card box with inserts
- 1987 (cassette) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1995 (CD) Charrm, UK
Shouting at the Ground
- 1988 (CD, LP) Red Rhino Records, UK
- 1990 (CD, LP) Charrm, UK
Just an Illusion
- 1990 (CD) Staaplaat, NE
- 1995 (CD) Staaplaat, NE
Look into Me
- 1990 (CD, LP) Charrm, UK
Shadow, Thief of the Sun
- 1991 (CD) DOVentertainment, CA
Vienna 1990
- 1991 (CD) Charrm, UK
Collusion
- 1993 (CD) The Grey Area of Mute Records, UK/Soleilmoon Recordings, US
What is not True
- 1993 (CD) Charrm, UK
Digilogue
- 1996 (LP) Soleilmoon, US
- 1998 (CD) Soleilmoon, US
In.Version
- 1996 (CD) Charrm, UK
Feedback
- 1996 (CD) Staalplaat, Netherlands
The Decriminalization of Country Music
- 2000 (CD) Tramway, UK
_utdrag
- 2003 (3inch CD in 10inch clear vinyl sleeve) amino, UK
Music For A Spaghetti Western
- 2005 (CD) Klanggalerie, AU (previously unreleased recordings from 1985-6)
[edit] Compilations
Ram on 'Lands End' and subsequently released on Collusion 1985 (cassette) Touch, UK
Sprey on 'Bad Alchemy nr 4' and subsequently released on Collusion 1986 (cassette/magazine) Bad Alchemy, West Germany
Le mur mur nu on 'Fight!' (Cathexis Recordings), subsequently released on 'Absolute' (Parade Amoureuse and Soleilmoon Recordings), later released on Collusion 1986 (LP) Cathexis Recordings, UK 1989 (CD) Parade Amoureuse, West Germany 1989 (CD, cassette) Soleilmoon Recordings, USA
First Vigil on 'A Classic Guide To No Man's Land' and subsequently on Collusion 1988 (CD) No Man's Land, West Germany
White Dusk on 'A Bead To A Small Mouth' and subsequently on Collusion 1989 (LP) Barooni, Netherlands 1991 (CD) Soleilmoon Recordings, USA
Something this Beautiful on 'Mouvements' and subsequently on Collusion 1990 (CD) La Legende des Voix, France
Voice Print Identification on 'Objekt 4' 1990 (CD) Ladd-Frith, USA
Fugitive on 'Death of Vinyl' (first edition with poster insert) and subsequently (extended version) on Collusion 1990 (CD) DOVentertainment, Canada
Spike on 'Bad Alchemy nr XX 1992 (cassette/magazine) Bad Alchemy, Germany
I felt the breath of my Assassin on 'Sky Flowers & Horse Eggs' 1992 (CD) Hypnagogia, UK
Soft and Close by Me on 'Melt' (limited quantities in hand-painted hessian bags) 1993 (CD) Work In Progress, UK
False Witness on 'Total 2' 1993 (CD/book) Total, UK
Daisy Gun on 'Isolationism' 1994 (2CD) Virgin Ambient, UK
With Us Today on 'Earth' 1996 (CD) D.O.R., UK
Eleven Drops on "unentitled" 1996 These Records, UK
Untitled on 'Concept: A Compilation' 1997 (CD) Double Space, Netherlands
On the edge of a grain of sand on 'In Memoriam Gilles Deleuze' 1998 (2CD) Mille Plateaux
Untitled on 'RRR 500 - Various 500 Lock-Grooves By 500 Artists' 1998 (12") RRR Records, US
Temple Attic on 'Marconi Point' 1999 (CD) Iris Light, UK
Sifr on 'Absolute Zero' 2000 (CD) Charrm, UK
[edit] Soundtracks
Loud Visual Noises a film by Stan Brakhage (USA 1987) Including excerpt from 'Cair Camouflet' on 'Look into Me' Released on the video '4 Sounds Films by Stan Brakhage' (Joel Haertling, USA 1990)
Transients #1 a video by Mark Mushet (Suture Productions, Canada 1991) Excerpts from 'Shadow, Thief of the Sun'
(untitled) a video by :Zoviet*France: (UK 1991) Promotional video for 'Shadow, Thief of the Sun' for television broadcast only.
T-City a video by Karas (Japan 1993) excerpts from 'Shadow, Thief of the Sun'
Untitled a video by :Zoviet*France: (Nuit Et Brouillard, France, 2001) Featured on "Deadly Actions Live Retrospective 1994-1996" video compilation of all bands that performed at Deadly Actions festival in France.
