Various - Morality, A Broken Flag Compilation

Following the reissue of the Broken Flag compilation Never Say When, Fourth Dimension now reissues Morality as a double CD edition. Curated by Gary Mundy, who invited contributors to define morality in sounds of up to six minutes in duration, Morality was originally released by Broken Flag as a tape in 1985 and advertised as a "major work". The results spanned power electronics, abrasive electronics and industrial experimentation, ranging from raw DIY approaches to more structured and sophisticated works. Contributors range from the well known to those now lost to history.

Among the better known names supplying some of the most inventive tracks are Le Syndicat, whose three pieces under the title 'Argument Total' deliver destructive electronics filled with roar, shriek, vocals and pounding tones and rhythms. The prolific Controlled Bleeding contribute two tracks under the title 'Innocence': one with a structured sound incorporating clank, chime, and the rumble of atmospheric noise; the other veering through collaged samples, dense abrasive noise, hum and percussive clatter. Un-Kommuniti (featuring Tim Gane of McCarthy and a little later Stereolab) provide three slices collected as 'Crusade', ranging from sample-ridden industrial experimentation to shrieking power electronics with vocals drenched in reverb. Ramleh who had gone on hiatus by this point are absent (well, they'd split up at this point) but Gary Mundy's short-lived post-Ramleh group Toll appear with 'Perfecting Naivety', a cold and abrasive experimental piece blending shrieks and tones.

Elsewhere, Pacific 231 appear with two tracks of noise experimentation built from buzzing and throbbing layers, rumbling tones and distorted textures, while an early version of The Grey Wolves provide 'Baptism of Fire', a dense wall of crunching, fiery, abrasive harsh noise.

Running throughout is 'Prostitution Tapes', featuring extracts from a John Duncan interview with a prostitute. This is not an easy listen and given the subject matter that is precisely the point. Provocation is key, and none more so than in some of the contributions from Croyners. Others are more ambiguous such as 'Moral Morsel to G.Z.', a piano piece from Anton Pna, which might have raised a few eyebrows for obvious musical reasons. Worth mentioning too is Paroksi-Eksta's 'Icona O La Lue', a queasy churn of chants, knocks and squeaks set over the sound of rolling shattered glass. Initially misattributed to Giancarlo Toniutti (who features in the group alongside his brother and others), its crepuscular sounds contain elements that would later reappear in both dark ambient and hauntology.

Gary Mundy considered Morality one of the best tapes the label released, and it is easy to see why. It stands as a worthy representation of the network of underground artists and groups associated with the Broken Flag label. Its contributions challenge ideas of what is normal and morally right, leaving the listener to judge for themselves. Morality is released as a double CD set packaged in a six-panel sleeve faithfully reproducing the cover of the original in an edition of 500 copies. Copies are sold out at source from Fourth Dimension but are available from many online resources.