Note: We are making this podcast available on the same day Hammemit’s new album “Nature Mystic” is released. You can also see other Emit and Hammemit titles available in the Distro.

1. Anonymous – “Procurans Odium II”
   This track comes from one of my favourite versions of the Carmina Burana, brilliantly interpreted and performed by the Clemencic Consort. It was from recordings like this that I “studied” song structure when I first wanted to make my own music. I still often refer to tracks from this collection as a basic foundation, as with “The Persistent Call” for instance.
2. Anonymous – “Doleo Super Te”
   Purely vocal music is some of the most beautifully simple and uncluttered music you’ll hear. This version is executed with calm precision by the Hilliard Ensemble.
3. John Dowland – “Flow My Tears”
   Melancholia and the lute were all the rage in Elizabethan England and by combining the two with his emotional songs of unrequited love, despair, depression and death, John Dowland was a kind of 16th Century Morrissey figure, but not quite as homosexual. He experienced a resurgence in popularity recently with the release of a best selling CD of his songs recorded by former Police frontman Sting, much to the disgust of music elitists everywhere who want to keep Dowland for themselves. But if Sting’s anaemic and pretentious recordings make people aware of timeless music like “Flow My Tears” and perhaps be intrigued enough to look more deeply into so-called “early music”, then I fail to see the problem.
   This version was performed by Steven Rickards (counter-tenor) and Dorothy Linell (lute).
4. Perunwit – “Arkona”
   This track appears out of place amongst the others at first glance, but I used to listen to this album (”W Kregu Debow”) quite naturally amongst Carmina Burana CDs and such without the transition seeming too jarring. Perunwit’s debut album was a big inspiration for Emit, it conveys a lot using a few simple elements and is played with sincerity and feeling which overcomes the slight clumsiness.
5. Richard Coeur-de-Lion – “Ja Nus Hons Pris”
   Attributed to Richard the Lionheart, this song was probably composed in conditions similar to that of Burzum’s later albums and perhaps has a similar spirit as well though the latter is less focused on his immediate surroundings than the former.
   This version is performed by the Early Music Consort of London, from their “Music of the Crusades” album.
6. Anonymous – “Hymne a la Muse”
   Ancient Greek music is something of an enigma. All we really have left of it is a few fragments here and there and so in reconstruction is patched together with gaps of silence and educated guesswork. In other words, this is the audial equivalent of those broken jars in museums that are held together with blank clay filling in the missing pieces. Incomplete it may be, but in its use of silence as an instrument is similar to that of Hammemit: the silences reveal and shape the music as much as the sounds themselves.
7. Tobias Hume – “My Hope is Decayed”
   One of music’s early experimentalists, Hume would include unorthodox instructions in his manuscripts such as for players to “hit the strings with the bow” to achieve a particular effect.
   Despite the title, this is an energetic, uplifting and even humorous piece that seems to spit in the face of adversity rather than wallow in it as Dowland might.
   Jordi Savall, who performs this piece, is one of the world’s greatest players of the viol (an instrument often passed over in favour of the lute) and perhaps the foremost “early music” musician alive. Listening to this intimate recording where you can hear each swish and breath of the bow is like having cask-strength experience of life poured direct into your ears.
8. Mohammed Saleh Abd Al-Saheb Lelo – “Taqsim 1″
   The oud is the Islamic world’s equivalent of the West’s lute, and Mohammed Saleh Abd Al-Saheb Lelo, an Iraqi expatriate, is a master player of it. Here he’s performing a Taqsim, which is a mainly improvised instrumental piece. According to the Islamic calendar this track was recorded in 1418 (1997 to us Westerners), meaning that our friend Mohammed is actually living in the 15th Century. Makes you think about the so-called certainties of progress and historical timelines doesn’t it? Empires come and go, ours included, but it’s still 2009 if you want to think so. Even if when you go backwards, the years start going back up again after 0AD. Maybe in a couple of centuries we’ll reset the calendar again?
9. Richard Edwards – “Where Grypinge Griefs”
   “Chaotic violence in my eyes
   This whole world moves backwards
   Peace, another sign that lies
   Life today is not worth the pain” (Sepultura, 1991)
   These are words not likely to have been written by Richard Edwards, as they are words conceived from observation of a civilisation in more obvious terminal decline, but he may have agreed with the sentiment. As death metal informs us: by exploring the darker side of life and not shying away from it, we can embrace existence more deeply and more fully.
10. Rytis Mazulis – “Cum Essem Parvulus”
    Someone who’d heard the Hammemit album got in touch with me and sent some material by Lithuanian sound artist Rytis Mazulis, thinking it might be of interest. I include it here for purposes of comparison with the previous tracks. He composes in a similar way to how I often used to, using overlapping layers to create a disconcerting and disturbing track out of elements which by themselves would equal something quite different (and more listenable). It’s a fitting end to this little musical journey: deconstructing what went before at the bleak apparent deadend of history we now find ourselves in.

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Release has been delayed because we decided to reprint the artwork on a different paper stock. It will look similar to the original (below), just a little cleaner.

1. Throbbing Gristle – Hamburger Lady (D.O.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle. 1978)
   Just > Fucking > Hideous. I thought I’d start with a sour note. And what a tart little piece this is. A dirge performed about a letter from Dr. Al Ackerman of Portland, Oregon about a badly burned female. That pitched vocal sound that runs throughout the track brings bile to my throat and the nasal commentary from (now Ms?) Genesis P. Orridge ensures that you will be sitting very uncomfortably.
2. David Bowie – Warszawa (Low. 1977)
   Quite simply one of the most beautiful tunes in history, I doubt it can be beat. Bowie and Eno lost themselves in Berlin and emerged with an album of musical experimentation the likes of which the world had barely seen (and especially from a major artist). Swooping, majestic and crying itself down on the brightly lit city. I can only hope I die as content as this track makes me feel. Damn drippy hippy.
3. Iron Maiden – Déjà Vu (Somewhere In Time. 1986)
   A sadly ignored classic Maiden track as it appears on a sadly ignored classic Maiden album that a lot of people forget. Oooh, I’m going to regret this, but I’ll go out on a limb and say this is my (*deep breathe*) favourite Maiden song.
4. Magazine – Shot By Both Sides. (Real Life. 1978)
   A killer lead running through the track, a superb vintage (you can’t beat ‘77 to ‘84 fuckers) and a sentiment that I can fully identify with. “Shot By Both Sides”
5. Fugazi – Facet Squared (In On The Killtaker. 1993)
   Something a bit different for me, I kind of ‘rediscovered’ Fugazi recently. A lot of my friends when I was a teenager absolutely loved them. I didn’t really see what the big deal was…until now. I got this record for about £3 in a record shop (R.I.P almost all outlets) and it immediately struck me as how Wire would have turned out if they didn’t wimp out after ‘Pink Flag’. Love it.
6. King Crimson – The Court of the Crimson King (In the Court of the Crimson King. 1969)
   Nineteen Sixty Nine. It could have been written yesterday. Ok, if we’re stooping to ‘music’ journalist’s low standards, Prog is the enemy of Punk. Fuck it. My interest in Prog has come from Lydon in his later PiL experimentation. What does that tell you? Anyways, on to the track. I can’t describe this piece without saying woolly. Woolly and Epic.
7. The Ruts – S.U.S (The Crack. 1979)
   “Ver facking Rats you cahnt!” Listen to the riff on the chorus. LISTEN TO IT.
8. Vangelis – Rachel’s Song (Blade runner Original Soundtrack. 1982)
   Ah, Bladerunner. A film that gets better every viewing and a soundtrack that gets better every listen. Is there a better match of music and film? (No, really. I want to know. Suggestions please) Bladerunner (and K. Dick in general) is not only a massive influence on Hateful Abandon but also Swine and the rest of Salute. Sort it.
9. Kraftwerk – The Model (The Man Machine. 1978)
   Ok, there are better tracks in the world, I just love this one at the moment. It scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. So cold, uncaring, inhuman….and catchy.
10. Erik Satie – 4ieme Gnossienne :Lent.
    Thanks for this one Kaptain.
11. The Fall – Reformation (Reformation Post TLC. 2007)
    Like Lemmy and Lydon, Mark E Smith is the fucking boss. He lives hard, he’s been there, he knows music, he likes a drink and a smoke, he doesn’t care what you think and neither do I.
12. Ted Nugent – Stormtroopin’ (Ted Nugent. 1975)
    A cheeky rocker from a cheeky rocker. Ok, this track owes a little to Sabbath, but who doesn’t? I wonder how many under-age virginities went bye-bye to this soundtrack in the ’70s…
13. Napalm Death – Unchallenged Hate (From Enslavement To Obliteration. 1988)
    That guitar sound is like a HUMAN VOICE. Yag yag yag yag!

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This week Hateful Abandon returned to the Compound and finished two songs for their second album, Next Question:

Spies in the Wires is a Cabaret Voltaire cover, taken from their 1984 album Micro Phonies. The song has been re-imagined, transformed with Hateful Abandon’s unique sound. Like other successful covers, HA has respectfully integrated an original and made it their own.
Copper Foundation began to take shape at the end of 2008, this latest session completed vocals and some extra guitar.

Both songs can be heard in full on the official myspace page. Both are also unmixed, unfinished and to be considered early demos for the next album, not realistically expected until 2010.

We also through a quick video together.

Here you have one view to the origins of Circle Of Ouroborus. It’s impossible to say what the other half Rauta would say for himself, but I guess he would accept at least a few of these ten bands.
When people describe our music, usually they say it’s a mix of black metal and “something else”. Well, this playlist is also a mix of black metal and “something else”, although the black metal side is already “something else” in my opinion: all these bands have their own vision and touch, and therefore the main thing isn’t the genre but the originality and the pureness of their creations. This is a collection of the old ones, the new ones and something between, and this list can change from day to day – another allusion to the never-ending destruction and creation of ouroborus, eh?

1. Joy Division: Dead Souls
   A predictable start? Maybe, but it’s impossible to hide this band’s influence on us. We made a “She’s Lost Control” cover for our “Shores” album, and we haven’t regretted that decision a bit. The hollowness of this band is unique, and this song has also been nicely covered by Nine Inch Nails.
2. Alcest: Le Secret
   I have always had a soft spot in my heart for black metal bands with a different vocal approach, and Alcest is one of those bands. This Le Secret track combines rawness and dreaminess perfectly.
3. Urfaust: Dämmert, Gelähmt Und Mit Scheinbar Erloschenem Geist
   Another unique band what comes to vocals – and for about everything else also! The split album between Urfaust and Circle Of Ouroborus was a start of a strong friendship, and I’m always hypnotically amazed and impressed when this duo makes its magic – be it opinions, live rituals or the music itself.
4. The Dears: Protest
   I don’t care much of the actual band, but this song has drilled its way to my brain. Again very hollow and laconic atmosphere and the play between just few elements works very naturally and easily. Dangerous and depressed.
5. Current 93: The Carnival Is Dead And Gone
   There can’t be a COO list without C93. David Tibet has charmed me with his apocalyptic neo-folk years before Circle Of Ouroborus, and it was interesting to see how step by step these acoustic elements took space in our music. “All the Pretty Little Horses” is maybe one of the albums in my personal top-5 with its diversity, and here you have one of those catchier and looser tracks from that album.
6. Frail: Poisoning the Seed
   I just listened to Frail’s “Brilliant Darkness” demo tape and I’m more and more satisfied that there will be a split release with them. If Circle Of Ouroborus is described as “post-punk black metal”, I can’t wonder what Frail would be named! This band can create music that is raw and mellow same time.
7. Forgotten Woods: Dimension of the Blackest Dark
   And then a black metal classic. I’m just sipping whiskey and listening to “As the Wolves Gather” and it all flows: the natural drums, these smooth riffs and melodies, the screams and growls. Another example how diverse and multileveled Norse black metal was even in the beginning of the 90ies.
8. Joose Keskitalo & Kolmas Maailmanpalo: Tule minun luokseni kulta
   And then something different. I guess nobody knows this artist outside of Finland but now is your chance. Joose Keskitalo creates very harsh ballads, dirty blues and that famous “something else”. Songs can be tender but they can tell stories about cannibalism same time like this song. A real lo-fi genius.
9. Lik: Hate to be Human
   If there’s one single song which has influenced on the birth of Circle Of Ouroborus, it’s this song. Although Lik’s debut is already sterling steel material from the start to the end, this ghastly anthem against mankind really stands up from the other songs.
10. Vesa-Matti Loiri: Lapin kesä
    And I end my journey to home. Vesa-Matti Loiri is a Finnish singer/actor who made four albums full of musical adaptions of Eino Leino’s poems in the 80ies and these songs can be heard as proto neo-folk – or just songs of sorrow, yearning and regret. Like a Finnish state of mind.

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We are finalising the layout with the printers for Hammemit’s next release, Nature Mystic. This CD contains some of the most recent recordings by U.I/Malachi M. Intended originally as a vinyl release, the Side tracklist is preserved along with the gatefold design layout (crafted by Malachi M).

Side A – Nature Mystic was recorded between June and November of 2008.
Side B – Mysteries of the Church and Surrounding Environs was recorded between late 2006 and the middle of 2007.

Watch/Listen to a sample from the record, set to an Ipswich sunset.

Alright Kaptain
Turn it up… Louder! LOUDER! LOUDER!!! So when did the band turn up on this earth, and who is in the line up now? Did you have any bands before forming Salute?

Bands before the lute?? Yea, there was Castle Rat, We smoked! Played heavy daze! I handled the 4 string digger in that band..ough. Myself and Swine did a few various ‘projects’ i guess you could call them, but nothing that could be considered a band.

The first demo you had out was the Break Neck Speed Triumph, are you happy with the way this for a debut? Do you still promote it, as it’s somewhat blacker than the newer material? Is it still available?

why promote a demo? Its killer…hopefully it’ll see the light on an lp format or something with maybe a Salute keychain and wallet…heavy metal money keeper!! EEEEOUSEEEE!! AOOOOOOOAAWWW Its the future boys, ive seen it.

Your next output was on the Above the Law album from ‘07. As Todestrieb is only a small label, do you know how well Above the Law has been spread beyond these isles? What’s the furthest out you’ve received feedback from? Do you know how well it’s selling?

Hopefully its spreading far and wide EPIDEMIC – PANDEMIC!!, i like to think there is a girl in South Korea banging her head kamakazzii style to sweet tones of Downtown….Maniaxxx. I know yer out there baby! This one’s for you…

There wasn’t much of a break between the release of Above the Law before you started recording the next album The Underground, so what caused the rush? (speedfreaks?…no rest for the wicked) You mentioned in Birmingham about not being happy with the sound of Above the law (The Underground seems to have lost some of the lighter rock n roll feel, being much denser sounding), but what was it you were looking to improve on with the newest one?

The sound on Above is good, it fits the mood of the album. Its true, the U.G sound has a’lot more depth, more weight! We wrote a much better record than Above, more mature and rounded. Swine wrote the majority of this one where as I wrote most of Above, I tend to lean toward writing the rockers where he writes the pumpers.

The last two albums have leant heavily towards the early sounds of Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. But do you want to be banded together with Warhammer, Apokalyptic Raids, Nordic Mist or any of the other Hellhammer worshippers, as little more than a tribute (or a salute to the old guns) band? Or do you want to be judged purely on your own material rather than being continually compared to the old masters? But would this mean that you’d have to drop the Ooough! at some point?!?

Drop the Ough…haha are you kidding? Thats the whole reason the band exists!! OUUGH! We’ve barely scratched the surface…OUGH! you want another?? OUGHGHH!! OUUUUUSEE

Banded together with the other CF/Hellhammer worship bands…? No!

Influences are encouraged and run strong for sure, old ways cannot be ignored but Salute has its own sound, its own vision, its own purpose. Apok Raids kill and i love them but i wouldnt personally feel satisfied if I was in a band that was that close to homage, its one away from changing your name to Thomas Fischer, speaking German and thinking its cool to be hang out with 1349.

Is it true that chanting Ooough! backwards 666 times over an open grave is enough to wake the Reaper? Only the mounds are deaf…

It is. I thought that was myth until I did it one drunken evening…REAAAPER PER PERRR!!

Aside from the Frosty influence, you’ve got a nice mixture of the grittiness of crust punk along with the bulldozing raw power of the Kilmister in his prime. But where do the main influences to create this lo-fi music come from? If it’s your lifestyle/social environment, why is it that no one else in England can play this kind of ballsy metal any longer???

Its impossible to place where it comes from, me and Swiney channel everything into the music, emotions/dreams/visions etc and this is how it sounds, if my head was attached to a loudspeaker then ‘lute would be blasting out. THRASH MAD! WISIONS OF THE GODS! PROCREATION OF THE NITE!

All of your recordings, were they recorded in your own rehearsal bunker? What prevents you from recording in a ‘professional’ studio? Finances? Or just that you enjoy your own freedom as far as recording deadlines go? What kind of equipment and guitars are you using? How does the writing process go into making a complete song?

Yea we record all our stuff in the bunker, THE COMPOUND!! we want complete control and although it can be a total ballache going through the recording process ourselves, on the whole it works out better and is ultimately rewarding. The bunker can almost be considered integral to our music, we can record as and when we want, infuse new ideas and if needed pour booze and drugs all over ourselves. It would be nice to be able to go into ‘pro’ studio and lay down tracks and whatever and let some other monkey do all the mixing etc, but I think it would be boring and frustrating, myself and Swine want to get our hands dirty. Equipment wise, nothing spectacular, but it’s getting better…I use old battered amps and crusty cabs how i get my sweet tones. Swine is a little more careful, he likes to polish his up…how he rolls

If I was to find a flaw in Salute, perhaps I could say you need a few more ripping leads. But this seems a problem with most bands these days, there aren’t too many that have managed to fully master their axe. Is this keeping in with the punk tradition of ‘it’s not what you play on the guitar, but how you play it’? How long have you been playing guitar, and how often do you spend practicing and in rehearsals?

Ripping leads?? Flaws in the ‘lute? what are you saying??? I can outrip both Tipton and Downing together brother…watch out!! I honestly cant play the guitar, never practice, cant even tune it, dangerous ways!!

Now for the inevitable ‘lyrical’ line of questioning… except the promo of The Underground doesn’t include any! So choosing two songs at random, what are Dr. Faust and Cargo of Loss about? Are the lyrics written to promote a certain ideology, or just about trying to cram in as many metalloid sounding words into a sentence as possible?

Dr Faust is about the legendary figure who made a PACT with the devil, In return for knowledge, wealth and women, he would give his soul to the devil after 25 years. In this instance Dr Faust does the deal and then hits the town to thrash mad and stove in women of the night!! YOU KNOW THAT’S RITE!!

You’ve recently penned a deal with Witches Brew to have The Underground pressed onto black wax. How will the artwork and layout differ from on the promo? Any chance of a collage? Will there be a CD version as well, or just the vinyl?

No vinyls as yet matey just cds…..

You’ve played a few shows up and down the country now, and if I’m not wrong have some Euro trips planned (or played?) with the Thor lover of OLD. But how has the reaction been in the UK? Most people here tend to waltz around with arms folded, turning their nose up at ‘drunken idiots’, so have you been given a warm welcome by the locals? What does a Salute live show involve, beyond heavy drinking?

We did a gig in Porto a few weeks back, it was a disaster….we couldn’t of played worse if we tried…bad tunings and drunken fuel; Apologies to anyone who paid money to watch that car accident of a performance…it wont happen again haha

Its true gigs in the UK can be stale with people stood there like lemons, but there aint much you can do about that. A Salute show normally involves a few games of cards pre-show whilst we douse ourselves in the free boozes, check out the local talent, a brief sound check followed by a backstage argument as to who forgot to bring a 9 volt. Salute then play 8 of the best from our ‘ahem’ solid back catalogue, we sometimes chuck in a cover…..then its drink/drugs time. END

Your vocalist Swine also plays in the band Swine, whose demo was the closest thing I’ve heard to capturing Von’s hypnotic pulse (maybe cus he stole a few of their riffs hehe…). Was this demo a one off recording, or will there be more in the future? Are you involved in any other projects? (is there a new Hateful Abandon album out soon?)

Similar to VON? First person to mention that, i’ll let him know.. I think he’s gonna do another PRAISE SATAN PRAISE SATAN PRAISE SATAN PRAISE SATAN PRAISE SATAN PRAISE SATAN. Im not involved in anything else, as far as H.A is concerned you’d have to ask them.

Once The Underground gets pressed, do you have anymore material you’re working on?

We’ve got some new irons on the go, a track called England which is a little nasty number, and some other daggers…be warned, Album number 3 will be fierce

Alright, we might as well close the bar up here, so the final calls are whose arm is it on the cover of Above the Law? And who does the scream at the beginning of 2 bit punk? Stay drunk, and stay ugly. Cheers!

The arm on the cover? No idea.

The scream? That’s the sound of the last divkid who tried to test the ‘lute…he was wearing an Arch Enemy shirt and stepped up…Ousee!!

1. Warning – Footsteps
   The vocals and lyrics on this wrench at the heart. It’s also a fine demonstration of how to use reverb on toms! A great song and more than a decent opener I thought. From the album ‘Watching From A Distance’.
2. Negura Bunget – Tesarul De Lumini / Weaver of Lights
   This is the only Romanian band I know. We were booked to play an all-dayer with them last year in Manchester, then for some unfounded political reasons they were banned from playing, very disappointing! From the ‘Om’ album.
3. Siege – Cold War
   Recorded in 1984, Siege don’t let up on this track, later on in the ‘Drop Dead’ album they break out the sax!
4. Witchcraft – No Angel Or Demon
   Arrrrrrrach introduced me to these Swedes a few years back. This song in particular is an absolute classic to me, which of course, is what Witchcraft were aiming for. They played it live, note perfect, in my hometown last year. This is from the self-titled debut full length.
5. Taint – I Fulfil I
   Back as a teenager watching their gigs at the Coach House underground basement, when they too were teenagers, I learned to appreciate drums, previously I’d been hooked on guitar. This track reminds me of a summer spent on and around the Llangennith Beach, in the fields beyond the sand dunes listening to this on repeat. From the 2002 Taint / B.E.R split CD.
   
6. Ahab – The Sermon
   German Nautik Funeral Doom! Their album ‘The Call Of The Wretched Sea’ being inspired by Moby Dick, this track features Herman Melville’s writing as lyrics.
7. Converge – Grim Heart / Black Rose
   Jim (Taint) got me into Converge. I had a bet running with a friend that they wouldn’t play this live once when we went to see them in Newport, they didn’t play it, and I won the bet, bitter sweet! This is from their ‘no heroes’ record.
8. Fen – Bereft
   Fen’s new album ‘The Malediction Fields’ is very good! We cross paths playing around the UK underground circuit from time to time.
9. Gene Krupa – Bugle Call Rag
   My friend Ray (Yohawks, Death Of Chapman Baxter) originally turned me onto Gene Krupa. It’s porn for drummers, especially if you track down some of his drum solos. We had to rip this track from the vinyl ‘The Exciting Gene Krupa’ for this podcast.
10. Wolves In The Throne Room – I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks And Roots
    I first heard these when Arrrrrrrach showed me a live video of them playing in a barn. The relentless drums are incredible! We opened for them when they played Bristol on their recent tour. The experience of being in the room when they played pissed all over that video. This track is from the ‘Two Hunters’ record, more than a decent closer I think!

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