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THE SEA ORG
The second re-issue in the Hafler Trio re-issue series is
Sea Org.
"..from the strangely becalmed waters of the past comes
the regurgitation of The Sea Org, now extended and both sonically
as well as visually enhanced beyond the wildest dreams of even
the most advanced Operating Thetan. revel in the now perfect
presentaton of the live removal of engrams, and feast the senses
of all kinds on the banquet set before you - unreleased material
in both audible and pictorial and written form. there is no sense
in ignoring this. obtain now before the Wog World envelops you
and makes all this impossible." — the hafler trio
Originally released in 1987 by Touch as a 10" record,
sold out since many years and once part of 'The Golden Hammer'
series, now re-issued in the most definite version. Including
four extra tracks, one video (in .mov format), 28 page booklet,
poster and postcard.
Out of print
reviews:
The Hafler Trio - Kill the King CD
The Hafler Trio - The Sea Org CD
An elaboration on the work of the Hafler Trio has become part
of many reviewers, agenda, which can be said to be due to the
vast amount of Hafler Trio releases that have recently seen the
light of day, and, if one wills, the quality these titles display.
The Hafler Trio consisted of several people, but primarily Andrew
McKenzie, who solely maintains the effort these days. Korm Plastics
has re-released two old Hafler Trio titles, so far that is, since
more seem to be on the way in the more or less immediate future.
At least that,s what their website tells us. "Kill the King"
was the first re-release to appear on this Dutch label, after
which "the Sea Org" was released. [...] "Kill
the King" starts with a voice reading a (programmatic?)
text that eloquently appropriates the atmosphere for what is
to follow. After starting quite elegantly, thick and heavy drones
bombard their way into your field of perception. There is no
alternative but to succumb to their relentless insistence. The
CD consists of 7 parts that are presented as one piece, which
is a 73 minute long track. It pretty much bounces back and forth
between relatively more quiet parts, and dense drones. A long,
disturbing, and overwhelming experience is thus presented. Occasionally,
the sound of voices emerges, voices that are like tiny meteorites
in a gigantic valley of dread. I try to avoid adjectives like
"eerie to do the most justice to the amount of constraint
this recording is able to deliver - I cannot but feel a little
claustrophobic when listening to the CD due to its blunt persistence.
The Hafler Trio continues to impress with their ability to create
atmosphere through sound on Korm Plastics´ second re-release,
"The Sea Org". Whereas "Kill the King" most
appropriate adjective perhaps was "overwhelming", "The
Sea Org" operates on a different scale, delivering a far
more fragmented narrative with a microscopic precision, through
which the seven tracks on this CD gain a far more transient and
gas-like character. This is no slumber music however, the use
of sound is very figurative, building a curious atmosphere that
emerges from the parts that are carefully pieced together. Many
things may be vaguely recognized, but the resemblance is vague
at best, we can only keep on pondering and wandering. The aforementioned
fragmented character of the recordings makes it difficult to
pin down one certain designated narrative or characterisation.
The ear for detail that is displayed in these recordings is reason
enough to repeatedly listen to this CD. Sometimes I feel like
I can continually come back to this album, that I can keep on
drawing from it. Its elusive nature is very tricky in that there,s
always something left to be discovered, which makes regurgitation
not only worthwhile, but even necessary.
(Phospor 114)
Die Reihe mit Wiederveröffentlichungen
von THE HAFLER TRIO-Klassikern setzt sich fort mit the sea org
(GOD, paragraph 5, subsection 1). Die Kryptik gipfelt dabei in
einer Orgie aus Spiegelschrift und glänzenden Schriftzügen
auf mattem Transparentpapier. Die Musik der einstigen Touch-10"-EP
von 1986, deren Motto >wash your brain think again< zum
geflügelten Wort geworden ist, wurde aufgeschwemmt auf 53
Minuten, das Essay im Booklet um eine Addenda und eine Bibliographie
erweitert, die Kunst von Edward Moolenbeek in den Blauton des
Covers getaucht und um Early Works 1943 - 46 ergänzt. Andrew
McKenzies Sound streifte bei "the sea org", nicht untypisch
für sein Irritainment Mitte der 80er, die Felder der Musique
concrète und der surrealen Klangkollage. Seine Klangwelt,
sein Name, standen geradezu synonym für einen hermetischen
Intellektualismus, der einen teils lockte, teils nötigte,
sich auf die Zehenspitzen der Ambitioniertheit und des Eingeweihtscheinenwollens
zu strecken, auf die Gefahr hin, im zu kurzen Hemd als düpierter
Nacktarsch dazustehen. Die H3O-Kunst ist bis heute nicht durchsichtiger
geworden, das eigene Hemdchen nicht länger. Die Hubbard-Connection
zur Scientology-Möchtegernelite via dessen Yacht The Sea
Org hängt im Raum mit lose baumelnden Luftwurzeln, an denen
man sich leichter als Tarzan ins Absurde hangeln könnte
als zur engrammatischen Erleuchtung. Einigermaßen sicher
ist lediglich, dass sich alles dreht um "the effect of noise"
und "the influence of sound stimulation" auf Physis
und Cerebrum, auf den auf einer Skala von schlafend über
unerweckt bis hellwach schwankenden Geist. Gnadenlose 26 Minuten
lang füttert McKenzie als Quasiendlosrillenlitanei die Zeile
"meaning us" ins Hörerhirn. Dem Stand der Dinge
nach zu urteilen, müsste die Versuchsreihe vom Marginalen
zum Massenversuch erweitert werden. Put some Hafler in the air
wie Fluor ins Trinkwasser.
(Bad Alchemy #44)
C'est donc le cas de la réédition
par le label Korm Plastics d'un autre Hafler Trio, The Sea Org
(sorti en 10"EP en 1986 sur Touch). La musique, soumise
par endroits aux codes du cut-up, retrouve rapidement les flux
el les boucles, des plus granuleuses aux plus humides en passant
par le recyclage de motifs de cuivres, d'enregistrements de foule,
servant, dans leur aveugle représentation, la vague sourde
et affligée d'un orgue profond.
(Fear Drop #11)
...There must be some more vinyl to attend
to around here, but I'll return to it later. Possibly. Instead,
let's note that The Hafler Trio have had the second in a series
of reissues released on CD, The Sea Org, (Korm Plastics, NL,
2004). Lavishly packaged once more, the same as Kill the King
(reviewed elsewhere) before it, in an oversized sleeve housing
a 28pp booklet and postcard, it gathers a selection of pieces
originally released in 1987 as a 10" by Touch. Now with
four extra tracks and a video clip, this issue prides itself
as the definitive version. As ever, the music itself is virtually
immaculate, constructed as it is from a wide number of sources
including voices, what appear to be animal generated sounds and
a tapestry of interlacing electronic wheezes. It's just a pity
they evidently cannot live up to the promise of their releases
as a live experience. I recently caught them at The Horse Hospital
and, along with the few pals who accompanied me, ended up feeling
quite cheated of the £12 it cost for the 'pleasure'. Seeing
a load of meaningless & pretentious performance artwankery
take form in the guise of several Victorian costumed people roaming
around the place with magnifying glasses, torches and bowler
hats hanging from a rod only became vaguely tolerable through
the amount of idiots following them around everywhere, although
even that lost its appeal after 30 minutes or so. A Dadaistic
joke at the expense of people's gullibility was my only conclusion.
Well, besides the fact it's obvious The Hafler Trio are best
enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. Whatever, you can find
Korm Plastics contact details elsewhere.
(Adverse Effect Volume 3, number 2)
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