V-Hearsal #5

COUCH - New Friends 99 7" (Insignificant, 1995)

As promised in an earlier post, I said that if anybody had a digitized copy of COUCH's New Friends 99 7", I'd post it. Well, Knox Mitchell came through like a champ, so here it is.

This was the first thing that we released with Aaron Dilloway on drums. Three short jams, released on San Francisco's INSIGNIFICANT, to coincide with COUCH's first and only 1995 West Coast tour. We broke up right after this and I moved to Chicago and started Lake Of Dracula, which I sort of view this record as a precursor to.

Get it HERE!

V-Hearsal #4

COUCH - Glass Brothers 1993-1994 (Bulb)

Here is the out-of-print CD by my first band, COUCH. This CD collects some vinyl-only tracks from our first self-titled 7" (BLB-026), the Silver Owl 12" (which was a split with Bullet In the Head) and some new tracks that fleshed out the CD. Some of the newer tracks were COUCH hits that were never recorded and some of it was shameless filler, designed to make the CD "long enough". Incidentally, the above-depicted liner notes, with the phrase "Eyes Gouged by Thumbs of Satan" (courtesy of Weasel Walter), got the CD rejected by our printer, just before departing on our first and only west coast tour.

COUCH was formed in 1992, by myself (Marlon Magas) and Pete Larson (Mr. Velocity Hopkins). We also started Bulb Records, as a vehicle for COUCH and Larson's other band, Prehensile Monkey-tailed Skink.

COUCH had a uniform look, dressing in suits, to distinguish ourselves from the rock'n'roll "grunge" look that was popular in the early '90s. Dressing in suits also gave us a serious look, to throw off people who thought our music may not have been serious, or that we didn't "practice". Never mind that our suits smelled terrible, our shirts had a serious amount of "ring-around-the-collar" and that I couldn't even tie a tie and had to slip on a pre-made noose every time we would perform. Wearing suits also made us very uncomfortable and hot, which also helped fuel our anger toward our audiences and the world at large.

COUCH weren't really "noise" per se, but we were influenced by noise and had noise in our music (same with the no wave angle), which arguably set the tone for the well-documented Ann Arbor noise explosion that would follow (Wolf Eyes, Nautical Almanac, et al). The song, "Old Man" would later be covered by ex-Ann Arborite and friend, Andrew WK, who has cited Couch as an influence in several interviews.

As stated above, this CD has long been out-of-print. Larson and I discussed reissuing it at some point, but with Bulb being defunct, it is unlikely to happen. Interestingly enough, we left one of our better songs, "Glass Brothers" off the Glass Brothers CD, thinking that adding a title track would be "too obvious".

COUCH really began to hit our stride with the addition of Aaron Dilloway on drums. With this line-up, we recorded the NEW FRIENDS 99 7", released by San Francisco's INSIGNIFICANT and currently out-of-print. When a digitized copy is obtained, it will likely be posted here.

Meanwhile, here's GLASS BROTHERS.

The Concept of V-Hearsal

V-Hearsals, which is short for "video rehearsals" is a concept that I came up with, in order to allow listeners and viewers an informal look at my creative process. For the most part, my work is usually shrouded in secrecy, except for 2 or 3 friends that I allow into my studio for a sneak peak. This time around, I decided that everybody could have a look. Why not? I'm having fun in there and I thought it might be fun for others to see songs in their infancy.

Interestingly enough, at this juncture, a quick google search of the term "V-Hearsals" only yielded my two videos posted below. I believe this makes me the official coiner of the term "V-Hearsal".

MAGAS: V-hearsal #2

MAGAS: V-hearsal #1

MAGAS - May I Meet My Accuser (2006)

"Forget what you know about MAGAS because he’s smashing the mold with this daring new fourth release, MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER. Picking up where FRIENDS FOREVER left off, MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER, showcases a harder, more rough-hewn sound. Spraying a layer of sizzling hi-hats atop the thunderous roar of an old ARP, Magas has created a defiant new style of electronic motor-punk.

MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER’s 10 excursions into sonic rudeness were produced by Magas in his Chicago studio, with further recording, tweaking and mixing taking place at Keyclub Recording in Benton Harbor, where Magas’ former Lake Of Dracula partners Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins helped give the tracks greater fidelity and power. Also pushing the needle further into the red was fellow Lake Of Dracula alumni, Weasel Walter, who provided the final mastering job. Hard-hitting and concise, MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER is MAGAS’ defining statement in electronic rock.

MAGAS has always followed his own path, since his beginnings in COUCH, LAKE OF DRACULA and the MANY MOODS of MARLON MAGAS. Since 1999 Magas has been performing solo, under his surname, recording for Detroit’s ERSATZ AUDIO and remixing such artists as BOBBY CONN, LES GEORGES LENINGRAD, ARTHUR BAKER and RA-X. Magas has toured North America and Europe, playing with SONIC YOUTH, PEACHES, ANDREW W.K., ADULT., WOLF EYES, BOBBY CONN, QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT, LES GEORGES LENINGRAD and many others along the way." --IMAGINARY CONFLICT HQ

TRACKLIST:
01. Black Door
02. Easy to Please
03. Chicagocide
04. I Need Love
05. May I Meet My Accuser
06. Transgressors
07. Walk Through the Dark
08. Highway Hat
09. Burst City
10. One Hundred Ten


Get it here

Welcome to Imaginary Conflict

This blog is ground zero for all-things MAGAS-related. This will be pretty free-form and informal. I'll share what I like and you can comment, if you want.