Static and Fuzz: Nasty Wizard Take Us Back to the '80s With a VHS Release at Dada, Dec 21
As part of their ongoing mission to dig up obsolete mediums from around the world (and force music lovers to purchase yet another piece of playback equipment), the Beijing-based and self-described "international sect of occult sound practitioners" cassette label Nasty Wizard Recordings (NWR) latest release dabbles in the an analog format many of us may not have used since our childhood – the humble Video Home System, or VHS.
This new release, titled the Asian Electronic VHS Compilation (see the trailer here) demonstrates that the NWR crew are intent to conquer the span of platforms available to them, whether it be CDs, tapes, or floppy disks, and compiles the work of electronic artists and music videos from China and South Korea. To celebrate the completion of the project, they’ll hold a release show and exhibition this Thursday, Dec 21 at Dada.
This VHS marks the latest foray by the Nasty Wizard team to commit underground and avant-garde sounds, from harsh noise and electronica to punk and dream pop, to a variety of formats, including their primary vessel of choice: cassette tapes. With the intention of building a network of budding musical communities across the globe, releases tend to be splits and compilations, bridging the gap between different musicians and international scenes. Furthermore, releases are used as an opportunity to share the work of visual artists via the curated accompanying artwork, in order to "create a physical meeting of creative minds from around the globe," as described by the founders of NWR.
When asked what was the logic behind making a VHS compilation, the Nasty Wizard team stated that they "wanted to celebrate [a time] ... that harked back to early music videos from the likes of David Bowie and Devo. That was of course the era of VHS tapes, recording music videos off of MTV, and so on, and we never pass up the opportunity to kick some life into an obsolete format. We decided this would then be a really fun way to create a compilation of electronic artists who are all quite different but brilliant in their own way."
The release includes some of the "most exciting purveyors of glitchy sounds and hard-hitting beats in East Asia," like GOOOOOSE and Loads Nothing from Shanghai, Last Boss out of Zhuhai, and TENGGER and Yamagata Tweakster from South Korea, as well as Beijing's own Fløøød, Noise Arcade, and GUIGUISUISUI. The VHS sleeve design was provided by Beijing-based visual artist Nick Sanders.
Unable to find or unmotivated to care whether there are still factories in China manufacturing VHS tapes, the label decided to do things the old-fashioned way, dubbing one tape at a time over Chinese films and TV shows that the label openly admits "are mostly pretty terrible, but give a unique twist as every copy of the compilation is taped over a different substandard feature, meaning no two copies are the same." NWR sticks to this DIY ethos through and through and for those patient enough to seek out these new-old formats, it can often result in entertaining consequences, intentional or not.
Nasty Wizard's Asian Electronic VHS Compilation release show will be held this Thursday (Dec 21) at Dada and first entail an exhibition followed by live sets from Wavwave (immune), Huang Jin (drummer of Re-TROS), 4 Channels Club, Noise Arcade, and DJ sets from GUIGZ and Fancy Hobo. Free entry. Tapes will be on sale for RMB 50.
Images courtesy of Nasty Wizard Recordings
