M SQUARED BANDS

Scattered Order

(Jones, Tee) - first recordings with the help of Simon Vidale on drums.
(Jones, Tee, Gibson) - recorded "Screaming Tree".
(Jones, Tee, Gibson, Prowse) - with help from Craig Robertson (bass) and Michael Filewood (guitar) played two live performances in April 1981. Described after the event as "The Marshall Tucker Band" the band retired to the studio.
(Jones, Tee, Gibson, Prowse) - now "trim, taut and terrifying" played in Brisbane in November 1981 and then joined the "Finally Ultimately" tour in February 1982. Recorded "Prat Culture" in Brisbane and Sydney. At their withering peak this version of the band broke up before the album's release but played one last show in March 1983.
(Jones, Prowse, Fahey) - reconvened and recorded "I feel so relaxed with you" with Scott Holmes and Dru Johnson assisting at M Squared during 1983. There were only 2 other live performances that year, one for Radio 2JJJ and the other at Art Unit with Severed Heads. Craig Robertson (Prod) on bass guitar joined the adventure.

Label and studio duties slowed down the recorded output of Scattered Order to some degree during these years. The band had always moved on musically by the time the material had been released which made live promotion at times difficult.

M Squared Releases:
Bent Up; track on Growing Pains compilation 12 inch EP M2003 - October 1980
Teenage Romance, Violent 4; tracks on More songs that will never be released compilation cassette M200C2 - December 1980
Screaming Tree; 7 inch EP M2008 - May 1981
I'm not whole; track on A Selection compilation LP M2010 - November 1981
Screaming Tree, World's Longest Intro, Mass Murder; tracks on Boxed Brownies Live compilation cassette M200C5 December 1981
Prat Culture; LP M2020 - November 1982
I feel so relaxed with you; 12 inch EP M2024 - September 1983

Other Releases:
See Discography at Scattered Order's Institute of Prat Culture

Download these sonic gems:
BENT UP 3 mb  2.15
From Growing Pains comes this demented ode to equalisation, stomachs and motor accessories with Patrick Gibson vocal - 1980.
BOYS IN COAL TRUCKS - B double mix 5.8 mb  4.08
An unreleased 28 wheeled juggernaut through a reverb haze - 1982.

Systematics

Sometimes the Systematics were Patrick Gibson, at other times Michael Filewood and Patrick Gibson, and at yet other times Fiona Graham, Michael Filewood and Patrick Gibson. Spontaneously generated one afternoon in 1978, they played live sporadically over the course of a year and a day (or thereabouts) during 1981, and expired with a smile on their lips early the next morning of the new year. Cause of death - a song in the heart.

For more detail see Patrick Gibson's Systematics Notes at Phil Turnbull's always excellent Sydney Post - Punk Memoirs

M Squared Releases:
Rural; 12 inch EP M2001 - October 1980
Rural Side 3; cassette M200C1 - October 1980
Midnight on balancing day; track on Growing Pains compilation 12 inch EP M2003 - October 1980
The Israelites; track on More songs that will never be released compilation cassette M200C2 - December 1980
Die for my house; track on A Selection compilation LP M2010 - November 1981
Were you invited? And people are blowing their minds, Let it be, Boiled dinner, Flowers on the wall, You told me that you loved me; tracks on Boxed Brownies Live compilation cassette M200C5 - December 1981
My life in the field of cows; 7 inch EP M2012 - February 1982
Stall; cassette M200C6 - April 1982

Other Releases:
What we did in the afternoons; Compilation 2 LP - November 2008
Pardon me for barging in like this; Compilation 5 LP - May 2009
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010

Download this sonic gem:
MIDNIGHT ON BALANCING DAY 4.7 mb  3.19
Vocal, organ and a percussive wok combine for this introspective tale. From the Growing Pains EP - 1980.

The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast

"The formless entity that was not a band or a group, or even a thing, that did not have a name, but was known variously as: DTF, the Makers of..., The Dead Tra....., and other elusive allusive alliterations, did travel far. Or never went away at all. Or even existed in the first place. No one knows. All you can say with any certainty is that if you wanted to find "them" you would have to look it up under 'seasonal sophistry'. Or perhaps 'torpid corpses', 'wryly reticent ambivalences', 'hyper-conformist ambiguities', or maybe, 'Seven Irrefutable Arguments for Suicide'. Or howl at the new moon at a crossroads at a quarter past four at night. Also, if you were to press your ear against the damp earth at this time, you would perceive something stirring beneath.You may imagine you hear the dissonant rasping mutterings and grumbling of unseen creatures roused from their unspeakable dreams by a long, gnarled pale finger prodding from above..." - Peter Richardson - April 2009

More information on Shane Fahey's musical exploits since, visit his endgame records site.

M Squared Releases:
Dead Travel Fast; track on Growing Pains compilation 12 inch EP M2003 - October 1980
Secret Sleeping Birds; track on More songs that will never be released compilation cassette M200C2 - December 1980
Tael of a Saeghors / The Dumbwaiter; 7 inch single M2004 - December 1980
The Vessels; 12 inch LP M2005 - March 1981
Urchin; track on A Selection compilation LP M2010 - November 1981
Promenade Promenade, Funny timing, The Neopolitan man inhales water, Copper Hats, Dumbwaiter; tracks on Boxed Brownies Live compilation cassette M200C5 - December 1981
Why won't we wake? 7 inch EP M2012 - February 1982
Zoom < Man; 12 inch LP M2022 - April 1983

Other Releases:
G'arage D'or; Compilation CD Extreme XCD-004 - 1992
Pardon me for barging in like this; Compilation 5 LP - May 2009
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010

Download this sonic gem:
THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST 9.1 mb  6.34
Magnificent debut M Squared release from this devastating combo. From Growing Pains the track that gave the band the name - 1980.

Ya Ya Choral

YYC - 1: 1981 - 83 Fiona Graham, Patrick Gibson and Michael Tee. The tinkily bonk years. A sort of post-Systematics sound. You had to be there! Very lounge-ish. Once described in the media as the "dark side of winnie the pooh" and "unpretentious ambient disco". This band did pretty well made some quick $$$ playing to the inner city crowds and full houses for 18 months in Sydney 1982-83. Home base was the famous and long gone Sydney Trade Union Club with pals the other M Squared bands, Pel Mel, Wild West, Laughing Clowns and The Reels.

YYC - 2: 1984 - 86 Fiona Graham, Michael Tee and Michael Filewood plus a cast of thousands as the band went through 13 lineup changes... which is probably a reflection of the postmodern(ish) muse which was driving them towards fragmentations of style, a deliberate lack of conviction, parody, irony and uncertainty (or whether we even had a muse at all).

YYC - 3: 1986- 94 Graham, Tee, Filewood, Joanna Urbanik, David Kelly. Inspired by the dumb grunt of Hush, TMG and Buffalo from here on they completely lost inner-city cool, with a muse to ‘rock out’. Following rave reviews in Kerrang and Metal Hammer they went to the UK for 18 months and started to grow some more, allow an eccentric character to evolve. Despite living in Tee’s grandma's cupboard they somehow got fooled into returning to Australia in 1991 to their first ever "big time" manager, a publishing deal, a real producer.... who as it turned out wanted to make us into the next Divinyls-lite..??? Luckily (for someone) the "Baby Animals" were manufactured to do this job.

YYC - 4: was a lumbering oaf, confused by the inconsistent expectations and limitations of an amateur Australian record industry.

YYC - 5: 1995-96 Tee and Graham. was the most realised 'post-pop' work – yet full of despair with the industry. Too lazy to push the distributor when a five track EP sample was released on MDS, they missed another opportunity to self-sustain. Tee and Graham then cancelled YYC.

They are now working on a new project as he/said/she/said.

M Squared Releases:
Such a Dutchman; 7 inch EP M2018 - June 1982
What's a Quaver?; 12 inch EP M2021 - March 1983

Other Releases:
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010
and see Michael Tee's comprehensive YYC Archives

Download this sonic gem:
NO CONTROL 3.2 mb  2.15
A fantastic pop workout - unreleased - 1982.

Prod

Late in 1980 the Prod duo appeared larger than life on the studio doorstep with their own unique sound. Drummer Michael Prowse and guitarist / bassist Craig (DC) Robertson started recording immediately for their debut release. These astonishing instrumentals shows their lightness of touch, full of playfulness and precision. Unfortunately Prod never got to play live.

Providing the "engine room" for Splendid Mess, Scattered Order and others was just the beginning, they would both form an integral part of the M Squared organisation.

Both became members of Scattered Order (Michael 81 - 87, Craig 81 and 83 - 09).

M Squared Releases:
Fish Hook; track on More songs that will never be released compilation cassette M200C2 - December 1980
Contents One; 7 inch EP M2007 - May 1981
Two Separate / Is the truck on fire; shared cassette with Patrick Gibson M200C9 - November 1982

Other Releases:
Pardon me for barging in like this; Compilation 5 LP - May 2009
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010

Download this sonic gem:
FISH HOOK 4.2 mb  2.59
Late 1980 track from this wonderful, instrumental duo. Originally on the cassette More songs that will never be released - 1980

A Cloakroom Assembly

Michael Tee began working solo as A Cloakroom Assembly in the late 1970s at the same time he co-founded M Squared with Mitch Jones. Michael Tee describes A Cloakroom Assembly (aka ACRA) as a variety of "sound story" projects and gentle "time stands still - machines". In the eighties he ‘shared’ for a little while and he released 2 ACRA collections on limited edition cassettes on M Squared in 1982. True to its name a third release “Retreat” was withdrawn before release in 1983 and Tee retreated behind the ‘public noise’ of Ya Ya Choral.

After 1995 Michael retreated from the public noise and touring overseas, into family and academic life, yet still he was driven to assemble hours and hours of private and unreleased sound stories. The sound stories began increasingly longer, more as "time stands still – machines". Tee would frequently break them down and recycle and re assemble and re brand. The titles are unimportant. Some of this material is now available free on the internet as torrent files. “I don’t reckon this sort of music has much of a market” says Tee. “Why waste money on producing hard copies. That’s why I give it away for free.”

M Squared Releases:
Too Seperate / Tom Tom Tom; shared cassette with Patrick Gibson M200C3 - September 1981
My antenna won't start / Trace and Rumble; shared cassette with Shane Fahey M200C4 - February 1982

Other Releases:
Pardon me for barging in like this; Compilation 5 LP - May 2009
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010
and see Michael Tee's ACRA Bio

Download this sonic gem:
FRACTURED 4.0 mb  2.50
Michael Tee (ACRA) combines delayed bass and accoustic guitar on this track from the cassette More songs that will never be released - 1980.

Patrick Gibson

When Patrick Gibson wasn't being a part of the Systematics or Ya Ya Choral or Scattered Order (although, to be sure, even when he was), he could be found late any dark and/or stormy night in one of the turrets of Castle M Squared trying to coax arcane meanings from random patternings of iron filings by aid of the electromagnetic flux produced in the aether. Didn't always work, but when it did he had two or three popular songs from the hit parades of alternate Earths that he could pass off in this one as his own. Didn't always work, though.

Patrick Gibson also released material on the M Squared label with A Volatile T Shirt and Pleasant Peasants (both with Michael Tee) and Height / Dismay (with Dru Johnson). Don't know how he found the time for the solo work detailed below.

M Squared Releases:
Too Seperate / Tom Tom Tom; shared cassette with A Cloakroom Assembly M200C3 - September 1981
Two Seperate / Is the truck on fire?; shared cassette with Prod M200C9 - November 1982

Other Releases:
Pardon me for barging in like this; Compilation 5 LP - May 2009
Terrace Industry; Compilation 4 CD - January 2010

Download this sonic gem:
CATATONIC 5.4 mb  4.45
Loop, LOOP, loop, LOOP .... From the cassette Too Seperate - 1981

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