United/Zyklon B Zombie

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United/Zyklon B Zombie

Studio album by Throbbing Gristle

Released

1978 May

Recorded

197?

Genre

Industrial

Length

mm:ss

Label

Industrial Records

Producer

Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle chronology

United/ Zyklon B Zombie
(1978)

We Hate You (Little Girls)/ Five Knuckle Shuffle
(1979)

Additional covers

Back cover

Camouflage packaging bag

United/Zyklon B Zombie is a 7" vinyl single by industrial group Throbbing Gristle. The original pressing by Industrial Records had cream centre labels with very blurred Death Factory Logo and picture sleeve. After approximately 20,000 sales re-pressing was taken over by Rough Trade and the single was re-cut with messages scratched in the centre; 'Salon Kitty' on the "Zyklon B Zombie" side and '437 666 OTO' 'RE-CUT 4 NOV 79' and '20,000 DOWN' scratched on the "United" side. The centre section of "Zylkon B Zombie" with Cosey's guitar was cut extra loud also as an improvement upon the original version. This version still had the cream/white labels with blurred Death Factory logo. Some were sold without picture sleeves, though not many. ¨

A third pressing was in white vinyl (1000 copies) and clear vinyl (1000 copies) and features around two minutes of rain and train sounds at the end of side two.

The songs were apparently intended as parodies of two then-popular forms of rock music: new wave and punk rock, respectively. "United" featured a minimal drum loop and synthesizer pattern with uncharacteristically positive lyrics, while "Zyklon B Zombie" featured little more than growling, distorted vocals and bass guitar with a frenetic guitar solo. Both tracks were later released on the CD version of The Second Annual Report.