In 1978 they recorded Low Flying Aircraft, released by their label PULp MUSIC in 1979 as a single. They wanted to make a ‘transformative’ as opposed to a static artefact by continually changing the packaging from a completely blank record and cover, through various physical interventions, including gold sealing wax, to simply writing DISC on the record and COVER on the sleeve.
The record was released anonymously so nobody knew who the artists were.
Now, it’s not too often that the humble seven inch single gets a ride on Terrascope’s upper deck, but here’s one artefact from the depths of the avant / post-punk underground that certainly deserves the extra ink spillage. Low Flying Aircraft, released on the Pulp (or Pulp Music) imprint in 1979 apparently reached number 5 in the independent charts, but to my dismay distribution must’ve puttered out before the south coast came into view. Since then it’s been a permanent fixture on an ever-growing wants list – until now, of course, because Parisienne label Poutre Apparente have rescued this once anonymous-looking disc from ill-deserved obscurity, dressed it in new label and packaging, and thrust it back into vinyl marketplace, sounding as feral and as unique as it did back in the day. More of that in a moment. As for information about the duo, the only piece I possessed was a solitary page from the dearly departed weekly music paper Melody Maker, dated August 14th 1982, by Ian Pye – and a fairly bizarre tale it is too, making them seem far too volatile and dangerous for general ‘indie’ consumption...
A wildly unconventional disc, after all these years, with intriguing packaging combine to make this a fitting tribute to Paul Burwell who tragically died in the early months of this year. This is one fine record.
One of the most startling DIY records from this period, Pulp: Low Flying Aircraft is what happens when avant-garde meets punk on neutral ground, a wonderfully delirious disaster area. I love it.
The excellent Low Flying Aircraft – a single whose potency and raw energy gave the punks a run for their money.
Low Flying Aircraft was re-released by the Poutre Apparente label, Paris, May 2007.