The Hair and Skin Trading Company
Encyclopedia
The Hair and Skin Trading Company is a British
drone
/ avant-noise group, formed in 1991 by ex-Loop
members Neil Mackay (vocals/bass) and John Wills (drums). Joined by guitarist Nigel Webb and Richard Johnston on samples (who left as a band member during the recording of the first album, but periodically collaborated as a live engineer adding live dub to their sound; whose samples also appear on Psychedelische Musique uncredited), they released their debut album Jo in Nine G Hell on Beggars Banquet Records
in 1992. They also played the Reading Festival that year.
With tours of Europe, U.S.A. and the U.K, following their subsequent releases.
Their first two albums bear influences of My Bloody Valentine and The Skids
, while the vocal delivery can be compared to The Fall's Mark E Smith. By third album, 1995's Faust
like Psychedelische Musique, The Hair and Skin Trading Company had dispensed with all conventional rock elements, and few of its songs bear titles; instead were denoted by letters or symbols.
Wills now records and performs as Pumajaw
.
Mackay formed a band with his then wife Kim Hannibal called Juicy Eureka & released an album for Lissy's records called "Making things up and then forgetting them "
Mackay & Webb played several gigs around London with Tony Irving ( Ascension- Shock records ) in a free noise/jazz band called "Unity Gain".
Webb continues to makes music under the name Micro/Nigel Webb, and Digital Signal Recordings.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
drone
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
/ avant-noise group, formed in 1991 by ex-Loop
Loop (band)
Loop was a South London band founded in 1986 by Robert Hampson and his wife, Bex, and active until 1991.-Career:The band was formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson , with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar...
members Neil Mackay (vocals/bass) and John Wills (drums). Joined by guitarist Nigel Webb and Richard Johnston on samples (who left as a band member during the recording of the first album, but periodically collaborated as a live engineer adding live dub to their sound; whose samples also appear on Psychedelische Musique uncredited), they released their debut album Jo in Nine G Hell on Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
in 1992. They also played the Reading Festival that year.
With tours of Europe, U.S.A. and the U.K, following their subsequent releases.
Their first two albums bear influences of My Bloody Valentine and The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
, while the vocal delivery can be compared to The Fall's Mark E Smith. By third album, 1995's Faust
Faust (band)
Faust are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, the group was originally composed of Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with record producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner.-History:Faust...
like Psychedelische Musique, The Hair and Skin Trading Company had dispensed with all conventional rock elements, and few of its songs bear titles; instead were denoted by letters or symbols.
Wills now records and performs as Pumajaw
Pumajaw
Pumajaw are a Scotland-based electronic duo from Perthshire, composed of Pinkie Maclure and John Wills ....
.
Mackay formed a band with his then wife Kim Hannibal called Juicy Eureka & released an album for Lissy's records called "Making things up and then forgetting them "
Mackay & Webb played several gigs around London with Tony Irving ( Ascension- Shock records ) in a free noise/jazz band called "Unity Gain".
Webb continues to makes music under the name Micro/Nigel Webb, and Digital Signal Recordings.
Discography
- Ground Zero [EP] – 1992
- Jo in Nine G HellJo in Nine G HellJo in Nine G Hell is the debut album by The Hair and Skin Trading Company, released in 1992. It is also the last album released by the Situation Two offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records...
[Vinyl,Cd,Cassette,Download] – 1992 - Over Valence [Vinyl, Cd,Cassette, Download] – 1993
- Psychedelische Musique [Vinyl, Cd,.] – 1995
- Loa [single, vinyl,c.d]
- Go round [EP] [vinyl,c.d]
- Brighton/highbury' [E.P 7"]
- k-funk [flexi 7" single]
- Deafening divinities [complilation]
- Monsters, Robots and Bug Men-a user's guide to the rock hinterland [compilation]