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Nervous Gender’s legendary synthpunk LP Music From Hell burbles up from infernal depths to resurface on Dark Entries! Confrontational, unhinged, and unabashedly queer, Music from Hell is an unholy grail for fans of the strangest underbellies of post-punk, minimal synth, and early industrial music, and is presented here newly remastered and on expanded double LP. Nervous Gender (de)formed in LA in 1978 at the hands of Phranc, Gerardo Velaquez, Edward Stapleton, and Michael Ochoa. Phranc, the androgynous embodiment of the band’s name, left in 1980. Following her departure, a wide cast of LA freaks would find themselves drawn into the band’s orbit, including Alice Bag of the Bags, Paul Roessler of the Screamers, the Germs’ Don Bolles, and an 8-year old drummer named Sven Pfeiffer. In 1980, Nervous Gender appeared on the seminal Live at Target compilation alongside Factrix, uns, and Flipper. With the band’s notoriety cemented, Music from Hell followed in 1981 on Subterranean Records (as no LA label would touch this material). Side A, dubbed “Martyr Complex”, presents a more punk-forward sound with live drum salvos and slabs of aggressive synth. These twitchy, unsettling shockers ooze with the kind of snotty misanthropy that will endear them to fans of the Screamers or Crass. Side B, known as “Beelzebub Youth”, is a live performance the band labeled "an electronic bruto-canto dissertation on the banality of spiritual transcendence." Mutant melodies cede way to synthesized clangs, whirs, bleeps, manipulated tapes, and howls of despair. In addition to all the material from the original LP, we’re treated to a full disc of the band’s demos, the material from the Live at Target compilation, and early live recordings. Included are unrecognizable covers of Carly Simon and Lou Reed, and the Sex Pistols that are so despairingly skewed they fall into the void. This reissue of Music From Hell includes a 36 page lyric booklet, foldout poster, and gatefold sleeve with photos, flyers, and news-clippings designed by Eloise Leigh. Tackling taboo issues like sexual kinks, mental illness, drug use, and childhood molestation, Music From Hell is still surprising – even shocking - over 40 years after the album’s release. Nervous Gender stand as one of the most genuinely anti-establishment outfits in underground music, a colossal fuck you to social norms from religious strictures to gender essentialism.

One of Magic De Spell's distinctive features as a band, since their 1980's start, was the constant quest for musical transformation. Soon after the release of their second LP "Kiss The Mirror" in 1984, the band turned into a trio (George Scarlatos, Elias Aslanoglou and Theodore Vlachakis). They rejected their unique post-punk/dark/new wave sound for the sake of a more synth-oriented one. In February 1985 they made their first live appearance with this line-up at "Kyttaro" club. Two female vocalists were added in the process (Johnnee and Bessie). They moved on with their new project head on and although that transformation was something very natural from the band's perspective, their friends and fans viewed it with skepticism. They requested from their label to cancel their contract and they signed with "Enigma Records" which released the album "Cpt Blind" in December 1985. Their efforts were focused not only in creating a minimalist electronic sound, but in presenting a range of interesting sound samples and mixes, even with the addition of physical instruments. Many of the final recordings were made with the helping hand of several fellow musicians. Furthermore, the contribution of their new label "Enigma Records" in the overall remarkable production can't be overlooked. With this line up, they presented their new LP in Athens, Thessaloniki and many other cities, mainly in southern Greece. They continued performing live, especially in Athens, while re-interpreting many of their older songs to match with their new musical style. In the late 80's (around 1988-89) all members embarked on individual projects (Alice In A Nightmare - Pedia Tou Iliou e.t.c.). The English speaking/lyrics version of Magic De Spell appeared live for one last time in 1991 during the promotion of the "Best Of" LP entitled "A Story - The Best And The Rest" which included many tracks from the "Cpt Blind" LP and actually marked the end of their New Wave/Post Punk era.

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs. Cover close to VG+

Vinyl close to VG+

Stamp on front cover.

Cover close to VG+