Dark Entries continues to work in reverse chronological order to re-issue Dark Day’s debut single “Hands In the Dark.” Dark Day is the minimal electronics brainchild of Robin Crutchfield following his separation with no wave band DNA. For the first incarnation of Dark Day, Robin recruited Nina Canal from The Gynecologists and later UT on guitar and Nancy Arlen from Mars on drums. .
They recorded two songs for a 7″ single, released in 1979 on Charles Ball’s Lust/Unlust label. Off-kilter jerk-like guitar and energetic acrobatic tom-tom tumbling fuse with queasy lurching keyboards and “cold medicine” vocals. This single stepped away from no wave towards what was going on in the U.K. with The Normal, Robert Rental and Throbbing Gristle. After this single Dark Day would regroup with Robin on synthesizers and vocals, Phil Kline on guitar, Barry Friar on drums and guest Steven Brown of Tuxedomoon on saxophone to record the “Exterminating Angel” album. In 1981, the song “Trapped” was released as a 12″ EP backed with “The Exterminations (1 Thru 6).” For these six instrumental tracks, Robin went back into the studio with the master tapes, flipped them over and played them backwards. Altering track assignments, speed and reverb effects, he rode the faders in and out, creating short “exterminations” of the original songs. The result is Crutchfield’s favorite Dark Day release.
All songs have been remastered from the original reel to reel tapes for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in jacket featuring a self-made cartoon of Robin Crutchfield to announce the release of the 7″ in 1979. Each LP includes a double sided 11×17 fold-out poster with lyrics and photos and song notes by Robin and Nina Canal. Dark Day continue to inspire the current wave of stark, eerie, processional synthesizer music more than 30 years later.
credits
released April 6, 2017
(C) + (P) 2013 Dark Entries Records
ALL SONGS BY ROBIN CRUTCHFIELD
Robin Crutchfield - voice, keyboards
Nina Canal - guitar on A1,A2
Nancy Arlen - drums on A1,A2
Phil Kline - guitars, synthesizer on B1-B6
Barry Friar - drums on B1-B6
Tracks A1, A2 Produced by Charles Ball
Recorded at 112 Greene St. Studios, Soho, NYC 1978
Mixed by Charles Ball & R.L. Crutchfield
Tracks B1-B6 Original tracks produced by Charles Ball;
remixed tracks produced by Robin Crutchfield
Recorded at Sorcerer Sound, NYC 1979
Engineered by Greg Curry, Al Fierstein and Charles Ball
Remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios, CA 2013
Cover illustration - Robin Crutchfield
Photograph - Jack Zaloga
Design - Eloise Leigh
Dark Entries Thanks: Robin Crutchfield, Nina Canal, Alan Schneider,
George Johann, Joe Tarantino, George Horn and Eloise Leigh
This e.p. is dedicated to the memory of Jack Zaloga, Nancy Arlen, and Charles Ball
supported by 8 fans who also own “Hands In The Dark”
Amazing from start to finish. Sort of like encountering Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music for the first time, it's like stepping off a spiral staircase into the deep end of a whole 'nother universe of mysteries. "Triptik 2", the closer, is one of the most jaw-droppingly strange/hypnotic collisions of jazz, electronica, psychedelia and WTF I've ever heard - and yet it somehow works. Bought both volumes just on the strength of the first one & hoping there are many more to be issued. rocketmorton
supported by 8 fans who also own “Hands In The Dark”
I bought the 12 inch single for Bela Lugosi’s Dead at Fred’s records in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the eighties and it remained a treasured item in my collection until it was lost, left behind, stolen, loaned out, whatever. I accepted that that item was lost to time and likely irreplaceable. Hence my utter shock to see that I will once again hear this evocative masterwork on vinyl along with an extra three tracks. I recall Boys was included on the B-side of that long list single. Thank you! skritti
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