In 1995/1996 legend ALAN VEGA (June 23, 1938 – July 16, 2016 / best known as
half of experimental duo band Suicide) but who also made several great solo
LPs, and his wife LIZ LAMERE, recorded a solo album But it never saw the day
of light.
Back in 2019 Lamere and close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered the original
tapes and decided to mix the songs into a proper album. The stunning result is MUTATOR, released this year, 23rd April.
Every time – since the day it came out – I see the album’s cover
it’s as if I see the ghost of Vega. Both awesome and scary.
Artist: ALAN VEGA
Born Alan Bermowitz on June 23, 1938.
Passed away on July 16, 2016 (78 years old) Active: 1970–2016 (with Suicide,
solo and multiple collaborations )
Album: MUTATOR Info: In 1995/1996 Vega and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded
an album called Mutator. But it never saw the day of light. Then,
back in 2019 Lamere and close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered
the original tapes and decided to mix the songs into a proper LP. Release: 23th April 2021 by Sacred Bones Records.
NME says: “The late Suicide pioneer’s wife and collaborator Liz Lamere has unlocked
the Vega Vault, spewing forth more NYC gutter rock and apocalyptic proclamations. Vega’s visions have come of age again in the post-indie deconstructions of 2021, and ‘Mutator’ might well find favour with fans of his distant descendants like Squid, Perfume Genius, Sleaford Mods and Black Midi. A quarter of a century on, this lost rumble from post-punk vaults finds new context, as a lesson in uncompromising art from an old master.”
Full review here. Score: 3/5.
Liz Lamere (Vega’s widow) remembers: “Our primary purpose for going into the studio
was to experiment with sound, not to ‘make records. I was playing the machines with Alan manipulating sounds. I played riffs while Alan morphed the sounds being channeled through the machines.’
Sacred Bones (label) says: “Vega was constantly creating. That process naturally led to a wealth of material that didn’t see the light of day immediately when it was recorded, which came to be known as the Vega Vault. ‘Mutator’ is the first in a series of archival releases from the Vault that will come out on Sacred Bones Records.”
Turn Up The Volume: Most of the lost albums that eventually came/come to the
surface one day should have stayed lost forever. If they were good enough to be
released the moment they were recorded they would have never ended up in a
smelly cellar or, worst case, in a trash can.
So what about Alan Vega’s lost one? One: it feels special to have the legend back. Two:
the album seems to come from a very dark place, from the deepest corners of Vega‘s soul, creating a nightmarish and Kafkaesque chill-out atmosphere for a 30-minute David Lynch film-noir. Yes, it’s not a lost album, it’s a lost soundtrack, a thrill-ing one where reality is disguised as surreality. A most welcome find.
In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.
But it never saw the day of light. Then, back in 2019 Lamere and
close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered the original tapes and
decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.
His widow Lamere about the track: “The anthemic zombie
atmosphere challenges the listener to find the underlying message
of hope that is always within Vega’s words and sound.”
In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.
But it never saw the day of light. Then, back in 2019 Lamere and
close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered the original tapes and
decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.
We already got a vintage Vega jam from Mutator called
Nike Soldier (see clip below). And here’s another cut. FIST echoes like a Joy Division nightmare in slow motion.
His widow Lamere: “Fist’s relentless forward movement of the music coupled with
Vega’s battle cry lyrics makes it a powerful call for action to the people to muster their
power, come together and Make One Nation. The message is timely, the impact timeless.”
In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.
In 2019 Lamere and close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered
the original tapes and decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.
“The moment Liz and I discovered the original ADAT tapes of Mutator, we
knew we had found something special and felt strongly that it needed to be
shared out in the world. It’s something we feel he would have been really
proud of, seeing this lost album released today” said Artaud.
TURN UP THE VOLUME 