The Fall- Cyber Insekt (demo), Midwatch (demo) (cassette tape, unreleased, 1999)

These two brief instrumental tracks were included on a work tape given to Mark E. Smith by Fall keyboardist Julia Nagle in late 1999. The first is a sketch for "Cyber Insekt," one of the centerpieces of "The Unutterable" LP released the following year. Furious, buzzsaw punk-guitar-and-drums with sporadic synthesizer bursts, it is the sound of the group stripped to its essence. The second would have a suitably enigmatic and sparse vocal added by Smith in its finished studio version, but here is an aphotic experimental piece, comprised of submerged sonar pulses and melancholic keyboard overlays, similar in approach to both dark wave and the later bloopbeat extravaganza "Das Boat."

(Julia Nagle has kindly permitted these demo recordings to be posted here. More of her gems can be found at http://www.invisiblegirl.co.uk/.)

(Painting by Joy Garnett)