Greater Than One, "All the Masters Licked Me" 2xCD

Brainwashed Archives
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Greater Than One,  "All the Masters Licked Me" 2xCD
September 1, 2008
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This was Greater Than One's first "proper" LP, issued originally in
1987 by Graeme Revell (SPK) and Brian (Lustmord) Williams on their
Side Effects Records label. Here it is paired with Trust, their first
attempt at the album's recording but released in 1990 on We Never
Sleep (LP) and in 1991 by ROIR (CS).  While the popular world knows
more about Lee Newman and Michael Wells as Technohead, GTO, or Tricky
Disco, All The Masters Licked Me is their first fully realized concept
of weaving samples into a vivid aural tapestry.

From the original press release: "The music is devised from sampling
sounds which are programmed via a computer system to form strong and
powerful pieces of aural art: mixing noises from the underground
system with ethnic chanting, heavy metal & hip hop beats with military
drumming and classical orchestration. The album contains 9 tracks on
each side, with pieces referring to rioting 'The Sweet Smell of a
Supermarket On Fire' to ' The Rape of Sam the Fox,' a track that
evokes gallery slaves, masturbation and physical brutality. Each track
is carefully constructed to convey the intentions and meaning
contained within the titles."

The album was recorded and digitally mastered by Greater Than One. To
make the CD the original betamax studio master tape was baked for 72
hours at a special audio house in the UK. The DAT for Trust was
generously donated by Lucas Cooper of ROIR. Enhanced CD content
includes MP3s of the entire album, unbroken, photos, cover images, an
art book, and an extensive book with articles and press clippings and
words from Michael Wells and others.

free MP3s:
http://brainwashed.com/common/sounds/mp3/greater_than_one-exorcising_julie.mp3
http://brainwashed.com/common/sounds/mp3/greater_than_one-dick_heads.mp3


"1987 was a transitional time and in All The Masters Licked Me, I
could hear an eclectic sensibility that I shared and have cherished in
my own career. Lee and Michael cast a very wide net in collecting
sounds and wove them into an exciting mix. Industrial had become
purely dance music, hip-hop was heading off into reduced palettes and
electronica was unfocused. Already so many of the interesting artists
that had begun working in the late '70s and early '80s had imploded,
lost interest or, worse still, had shown they were one-trick ponies,
trapped in the same habits as prior groups they had hoped to
supercede. Lee and Michael were not going to go there and subsequent
releases always vindicated my faith in them. I moved away from England
so never got to know them intimately. However I enjoyed watching and
listening to their chameleon aliases that often had decent popular
success. Side Effects did not have the resources to promote the few
select groups we helped out other than a distribution deal, but I am
glad that it helped in some small way to get the word out. I am also
glad that the Greater Than One record will finally appear on CD." –
Graeme Revell

disc a

1. Exorcising Julie - [MP3]
2. The Intelligence of Natives
3. The Sweet Smell of a Supermarket On Fire
4. Trendy Afrika
5. Everything Is In a State of Flux
6. The Rape of Sam the Fox (Theme)
7. Kill That Parent
8. Lost Underground
9. We Don't Have Weekends
10. We Are the People with the Human Fist
11. Psychotherapy
12. Sweet Satellite
13. We Hate America and America Hates Us
14. We're O.K.
15. Dick Heads - [MP3]
16. Slog On (Dead Beat)
17. Straight Plague
18. Bad Love

disc b

1. Trust part one
2. Trust part two

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