Comments from Phynqafis

    Although several posts are necessary to further explore and explain that which is Snufmeg, a recent discussion with Phynqafis, Himself, requires some attention. His overview of all matters Snufmeg is of the most curious and mysterious of phenomena, nonetheless occasional interchanges with his are enlightening.

   Most curious has been his comments upon the general reception of Snufmeg by the public at large. This covers productions as far from the core of the Sufmeg experience as the Raw Mommies to the inner core of Snufmeg, the Cheese Mites. How these comments in conversation came about was completely by chance. Excerpts follow:

   "The Spirit of Phynafis guides the body of work of all variants of Snufmeg. Can you give any further insight as to what that encompasses?"

   "The Spirit of which you speak can't directly be addressed, but, when examined in the various forms of worshipful expression, especially over time, the ideas become apparent."

   "You do understand how cryptic and possibly distancing such a sentiment can be, don't you?"

   "Well, of course! However, the Spirit is fully appreciated by dedication to the path of understanding. It has been made clear to me from many sources that when people come in contact with the expressions of Snufmeg, for example in the musical works of the Cheese Mites, people simply pass along and do not put the attention in to completely absorb the depth of the production. This is of considerable importance at any one point, and the fullness comes into view when done across all of the material."

   "Are you saying that any one piece of the greater body is as important as the entire body?"

   "In a way, yes! There are many who come to any aspect of Snufmeg and nibble, lack understanding, even intelligence, well, especially intelligence, and move along. Not only is it highly disrespectful, it is an eternal mark of stupidity and degradation to do so."

   "That could seem as an outlandish and arrogant statement to make."

   "Not at all. We have many who come, and spend a fraction of time, dismiss it. This is of no pain to us, mind you. It does, however, indicate incredible shallowness and, dare I say stupidity on the part of those who do so."

   "If I may, does that mean you are saying that a cursory dismissal of an surface esthetic is beyond a mere judgement call?"

   "Yes, exactly. We have people who out of hand dismiss. These are individuals who tread dearly in life of being considered beyond the outer limits of minimal value. By passing along, and not committing to investigation and acceptance, they have consigned themselves to a value of less than a virus or criminal."

   "That sounds harsh."

   "Not at all. If you take the time to give attention at all, you must dedicate to full attention, Only then can the full reward of the Spirit be granted. A chance perusal and subsequent dismissal essentially is a signature upon a warrant of terminal condemnation. I'm sorry, but that is the fact of the matter."

   "Couldn't the same be said for anyone else, though?"

   "Simply, no."

.​.​. and in the constellation Cheese Mite

   The mood is set at with "Overheard Discussion at a Cocktail Party, Part 1", and that mood is Snufmeg. This collection contains all the requisite elements for a Cheese Mites experience, and if you're a fan (and who wouldn't be?) then prepare to enjoy.

   After the drinks are served, the light banter fades and the lovely acoustic "It Can't Be Helped" breezes us in. It wouldn't be Cheese Mites without some good old Snufmeg cannibalization, and it happens with "Rockin'" which first emerged credited to Top o' the Mornin', on the "Graffiti Music" release, produced by Williwill. He remains at the controls for the haunting "A Different Lime Coloured Planet (w/Vocals)" followed by the smash hit "Vaguely Beatlesque."

   "Mutual Attraction", absorbed from Alternateen, makes another appearance, enshrining itself as a bone fide Snufmeg staple, in the tradition of "Vomit Your Senses", and "Pros Jam with Pros". A switch back to Williwill with the near Snufmeg Klassikal (oftentimes referred to as Cheese Mites Classical) style "Discovering the Hideout." Snufmeg Surf returns with the beautiful "Surfer's Breakup."

   True Snufmeg avant-gardeism is showcased with "March of the Flesh-Eating Ghouls" followed by the "The Dancing Bears' Theme", fully absorbed from the DBs. Snufmeg Klassikal takes a more deliberate turn with Johnny B Dub flexing the baton with "Etude in 3/4." The back and forth between Johnny and Williwill continues with the latter's "Is Rockabilly a Form of Microaggression?" in an experimental mood. We never do seem to get an answer to that age-old question!

   "Umbrella Man" mellows out the vibe, only to be shaken back to the Snufmeg Klassikal edge of "Spontaneous Boredom" with Williwill's characteristic production. The blurring of lines between classic Snufmeg avant-ism and Klassikal is further illustrated in "Cartooning", but takes an overt turn to the drawing-room crowd with "Aetood."

   The abrupt tonal change of the blistering "8 Pound Maul" shakes the listener from any notion that safe listening is how the album approaches it's end. A retreat to melancholy flows in with "Lost Surf." To close out the 40+ minute excursion, "It Can't Be Helped" returns with an instrumental version, in a style befitting a Vegas show!

Nice is Nice

    In keeping with the long standing tradition of releasing archival material, one album at a time, the installment "Nice is Nice" once again shows the Cheese Mites willingness to stylistically confound and amaze. This collection reflects one of the wider expanses of time from their now apparently and obviously prolific career, 1985-2015. This encompasses the tail end of American Snufmeg and, to date, nearly the entirety of the Universal Snufmeg eras.

   Notable are the two songs "My Bag Rock" and "Snufmeg Foam", both of which were dub treated and also included, and along with "Blood Beach" keep the Snufmeg Surf tradition alive. Filling out the toe-tapping enjoyment are Williwill's "The White House is Haunted" and "I Can't Leave You Alone", which thematically borrows heavily from his composition "Del Guidiche" (from "Songs for Fighting and Marching").

   The epic length (18+ minutes!) "Rap Symphony No. One in E Major", originally included on Graffiti Music, is included, and scattered throughout are "Clarity", "Darker Days Ahead", a remake of "My Existence in the Shrubbery of Phantoms", "June Duet", "7 Qs" and "Listen, I'm Talking" (which reprises the "Del Guidiche" motif) all upholding the Cheese Mites tradition in Snufmeg for experimentation and the avant-garde, though with a more accessible flair.

Butterfly

    The Cheese Mites' album "Butterfly," released in 2016, is yet another in the ongoing list of productions which is comprised of archival material from the earliest "Universal Snufmeg" era (1989) to the very near present (2015). To date, it is one of the strongest collections in the post EIS era. Though not without experimentation and classic Snufmeg weirdness, the song craft in some instances is criminally overlooked by the public at large.

   To emphasize the song writing, however, will miss the Cheese Mites doing what they do best - confound. From the opening track to Williwill's brilliant "Color of Love" and "Mystery Girl", the Mites reveal that their compositional flair isn't merely accidental, as they were critiqued of earlier, but solidly building in deftness song by song. Willwill's production on both tunes reveals a mastery of both spatial appreciation and tasteful arrangement. "Mystery Girl"'s closing coda is reminiscent replication of the classic "Psychedelic Journey" updated but not demeaned by modern methodology.

   "A Nice Little Tea Room" and "Let's Have a Party Tonite" have been cannibalized into the Cheese Mites program, as referenced in other posts, but were originally credited to DJ Williwill on the 1986 (perhaps?) "Graffiti Music" compilation.

   Likewise, though originally attributed to the Dancing Bears, "Distinctive Sound", "Cricket" and "Anti-Shaving Protest Song" all bear unmistakable signature of classic Cheese Mites/Snufmeg fingerprints. Similarly, "Bop for the El" and "A Nice Home in the Country" were first presented as by the quickly and justifiably immolated Files Davis Quartet. Only "Que", "Black Sand Rock", "The Attic" and "Whirlwind" were penned under the flag of the Cheese Mites, with the second and last being recent additions to the Snufmeg Surf variety.

One Squirt

   Another diverse compendium from the Cheese Mites!

   One Squirt opens with a Snufmeg Surf instrumental, "The Epoxy Generation", which explores the surf mode which has been a relatively common style throughout the Cheese Mites' career. This was first explicitly explored in "Ridin' the Waves", also found in this collection. However, as any long-term fan of the 'Mites is aware, pigeonholing them as "surf" simply misses the wide extent of stylistic journeys to which they, and Snufmeg in a larger sense, are known. It is precisely that adept multiplicity of modes which signifies the spirit of Snufmeg.

   To that point, found here also are the avant-garde examinations such as the cleverly-named "Avant Garde Adventure", "Interlude" and "Carlisle", intermixed with the pop classic "Psychedelic Journey" and instrumentals like "Mist" and "Machine Eleven".
   Recorded at least two of the classic Snufmeg recording haunts, the Glen Mills House & Augsburg Central Studios from the mid-1990's through 2015.

 

A Cheese Mite Floats By

   The nineteen track "A Cheese Mite Floats By" compiles material recorded from 1995-2015, focusing exclusively on the Universal Snufmeg era and paradigm. Leading with "Another Day without You", the mode is set with a "throwback" lo-fi recording of haunting sparseness. Although details are sketchy, rumors indicate the song was recorded during the same session as "Is This Drum and Bass?" and "Five Dog Trail" (found on "A Snufmeg Fantasie in Broken Parts") at the Brooke Lane studios. 
   "Cyclone" is an early entry, from approximately 2012, in the Snufmeg Surf era, along with "Gorilla Me Timbers", captured at the Glen Mills House studio. "Monsta Bass" bass follows; another dance floor hit recorded at Augsburg Central, produced by DJ Williwill, wherein he deftly cuts in the signature motif of "Andalusian Holiday".
   "What Have I Done?" belies the 1995 liner notes start date. The overall style and sound are reminiscent of Lyle Studios sound. 

   "Singer", which provided the bridge for Raw Mommies "Cell Boy", "The Prevailing Mood and Tenor of Contemporary Thinkers" and "Corrugation Motif" all were from the same session at Glen Mills House studios. 

   Although Williwill's meticulous production of "Eight Arms to Hold You" and Johnny B Dub's rawer "My Girlfriend" achieved chart-topping attention, the stand-out hit is "Somewhat Like a Rolling Stone" led by Williwill's signature songwriting gift and production.

   Interspersed are Cheese Mites forays into quintessential avant-garde compositions such as "Clarinet Piano Generator" and "Etude in 6 Parts".

The Little Engine

    In the same manner that the Raw Mommies were only tangentially Snufmeg, Johnny B Dub's outside "project" (with Flip, who made an appearance with the Cheese Mites on "I Can Read About Any Book That Someone Gives Me") The Little Engine earned a place in the Snufmeg pantheon with this eponymously titled album from the late 1990's.

   Following the rise and fall of the Raw Mommies, Johnny B Dub continued with a more conventional musical approach, leading the Little Engine's songwriting credits with Snufmeg classics like "Far Away", "Pros Jam with Pros", "Smile, Baby, Smile", "Andalusian Holiday" and "Clarinet". Flip's contributions ("The Elixir" and "You've Given Up on Love") comfortably rounded out the collection. Guitar and voice were provided by the songwriters accordingly, confidently backed up on drums by the mysterious Z!

   Alas, the Little Engine enjoyed a brief career (under two years) with few performances captured. Sadder, still, whereas the Raw Mommies enjoyed a 2013 reunion, certain legal impediments have precluded Flip from enjoying a similar experience.

More on "Cultural Influences"

    By all accounts, the leveling critique that Snufmeg in general, and the Cheese Mites in particular lacked "cultural influences" would have been an arrow of existential ruination to those of lesser ability. However, the opposite proved true, as exemplified by the collection known as "The Sweet 17" by DJ Johnny B Dub.

   Operating in solo capacity from the Cheese Mites, DJ Johnny B Dub compiled original compositions and one unique interpretation of an iconic example of "classic rock" in Snufmeg style. Completed in the early 2000's, Johnny elaborated upon the stylistic adventure of the earlier compilation "Persuasion".

   The track list begins with the puzzling and curiously titled, "KDS". Often found off-putting, listeners who lack the requisite sense of adventure dismiss the entire collection based on this enigmatic compositional lead. Intended as an intentional object of deception into a world of atonal randomness, the title is code for "Kraftwerk Drum Solo", a joke lost on the casual listener. With that in mind, one is prepared for what follows in the technological foundation for the intersection of Snufmeg and the world of electronic dance music. Snufmeg triumphs in ways unimagined by the multitude of the blind wanderers of the EDM genre.

   DJ Johnny B Dub departs from the initial prank to deftly execute 15 more exquisitely crafted dance smashes, including the pounding "Down for the Day", an eight-minute orgasm of megged out butt-shaking ecstasy. The collection closes with a prank of classical Snugmegian form, the brief "Bye-ee", which ends before the ears have time to comprehend what has happened.

   By no means the end or even definitive collection of Snufmeg's championing of "cultural influences" (one can not overlook the typical mode of Snufmeg style as found in MCST & DJWW aka Snufmeg Kru), "The Sweet 17" displays the deft and brilliance expected from the Snufmeg family.

Rights and "Free" Music

   Recently, Snufmeg revoked access to songs on the FMA. 

   "We didn't want to seem mean, heartless or uncaring to those who enjoy rights-free access to Snufmeg music, but things are simply too chaotic for us," Phynqafis said. "We are, as you say, a boutique operation. We make art for the ears, which suit primarily our own aesthetic. If others enjoy it, we certainly do not want to stand in anyone's way. Our issue comes down to aligning all of our content under one manageable mode of care."

   It should be noted, he seemed under the more extreme effects typical of a heavy binge of Snuff and Nutmeg ingestion. A new Cheese Mites release is anticipated soon.

The Cheese Mites - Table Manners

   The "Universal Snufmeg" era was, and continues to be, fraught with confusion. Although Williwill and Johnny explored musical paths on separate continents, collaboration took on different forms, depending on factors peculiar to each particular instance. As a result of the bi-continental paradigm, much work was completed often under a variety of names, some of which manifest themselves enough to warrant their own legacy. Some of those include the Raw Mommies, Bulb, the Little Engine, solo DJ Johnny B Dub & Williwill, Speed Blimp, DJ Big Pretzel, DJ Lunar Canine, Brian Fripe, the Master Cylinder, Top Ranking Officials, Jerry Vile, Top o' the Mornin', and the Vanilla Penis Explosion. Others, such as Alternateen, Scrounger, the Snufmeg Kru, and the Danicing Bears found their material cannibalized by the Cheese Mites. The reason for much of the absorbtion was the overwhelming quality of what it "meant" to be the Cheese Mites, especially in light of the fact that much of it was, ultimately Johnny & Williwill. Collaboration took on the form of material being solely created by one or the other, and in the more traditional fashion of live or long-distance technological enhancement by both parties.

   "Table Manners" reflects the multi-dimensional approach to collaboration. The collection opens with the misanthropic "Invaders Have Landed on Martian Soil," originally intended for Scrounger in the late 1990's, and then for Alternateen shortly thereafter but reworked for the Cheese Mites by 2010. "Rock DIcks Melody" was intended for the Rock Dicks, but repurposed for the Cheese Mites in 2012. "And I Think of You" was a 1984 "American Snufmeg" era production, revealing a

   "Table Manners" takes on the "establishment" pomposity of modern, academic electro-acoustic music, in a way hinted at by the early Cheese Mites audio terror experiments. Owing a great debt to mid-Twentieth Century electronic music, "Table Manners," like "Between Spaces," "Front and Back," "New Man," "Stellar," and "Teeth" express the true spirit of electro-acoustic music in a way that utterly devastates the effete pretentiousness of the dreadful and uninspired creations from the SEAMUS/ICMA affiliated "hallowed halls" of modern accredited experimental drivel. The Cheese Mites reclaim electronic music from the precipice of the affected insular intellectuals and make it a near-folk music for the ages of electricy.

Now Let's Have a Chat About "Cultural Influences"

   The marginalization of Snufmeg was, and continues to be, a worldwide conspiracy. From the onset, agents have sought to undermine and alienate the public at large from the near salvific creations under the banner of Snufmeg.
   At some point during 1983, a campaign was launched against the community in the form of psychological warfare. A concerted effort was made to destabilize and atomize the members. One such attack came in the form of casual dismissal of Snufmeg, but the Cheese Mites in particular, for failing to embrace "Cultural Influences." This became hotly debated and served to initiate severances amongst interested parties. It was eventually determined by Phynqafis Himself, after a prolonged forum of cogitation over Snuff and Nutmeg, he pronounced the best practice was to use such elements against the enemies of Snufmeg. The community soon enthusiastically accepted.
   What, however, was intended by "cultural influences"? The agents in the matter never revealed. But, by the guidance of Phynqafis a plan was concocted. What follows are examples from as early as 1983.
   This collection created and compiled by Johnny B. Dub, with the title "DJ" preceding his name, introduces the use of computers and synthesizers into musical mix. The results are generally taut and enjoyable in a way which differs from the traditional modes produced in Snufmeg.
   Of special note is the rendition of "Mutual Attraction." Like the selections included in "Themes, Motifs and Snufmeg," this song found itself covered by several Snufmeg related artists. Originally composed in (or around) 1985, the song has been found to be malleable enough to fit several stylistic interpretations.

Themes, Motifs and Snufmeg

   Culled from a thirty-seven year span of the Snufmeg Library, the album "Themes, Motifs and Snufmeg" explores the flowering of cogent and structured expression which lurked beneath the chaotic and harsh innovations from which Snufmeg, in general, and the Cheese Mites, in particular, sprang. Absent here are the loops and feedback. Echoes remain, but, then old habits die hard. The overall thread throughout is the presentation of versions of standards and others over the span of time.
   Opening the collection is "Echo Song." This version captures the 'Mites at the crucial time where customary song forms were phasing out the riotous tone poems. The thematic phrasing of this song was dominant in the early "freak-out" performances, archived in as yet undisclosed versions. For tracks 11 and 14, these renditions, from as late as 2005 (although other sources date it in 2015), showcase the depth and deftness exclusively of Williwill's guidance, as he recreates "Echo Song" with brilliance and beauty only hinted at in the original. Track 6 is listed as "Untitled," which was the working title until "Echo Song" simply sufficed. This version is orchestrated by Johnny B. Dub. What we encounter is a comparison of the unique voices or sensibilities when juxtaposing the version by Johnny versus those by Williwill. They serve to establish how the two approaches work together, as well as the identifiable idiosyncrasies, in creating the broad methods and conceptualizations of the music of the Cheese Mites and much of the Snufmeg catalog.
   The mono and stereo versions of "The Monkey's Gonna Get You," seek to pay respect in an homage to the "swinging Sixties." With an open, spacious production, the classic sound of early 60's hits is recreated, yet with Cheese Mites absurdity in a lyrical tale of alarm fitting for "Planet of the Apes."
   Occupying tracks 3, 7, 10 & 12, "Out in the Sun" was one of the first major structured works by the Cheese Mites, and penned by Williwill. Track 3 is ambitious in its production esthetic, incorporating echoed guitars and French Horns. Conversely, track 7, is a simpler, two guitar version, with an almost rockabilly modality to it. While track 10 most likely predates the "official" recording (track 3), it nonetheless stands as a valid version, revealing a looser feel, probably due to the development of the song's themes. Williwill commands the production on track 12, featuring a tighter rhythm section, snappier up-tempo beat, and cleaner production than the lads had to endure in the old days.
   Like "Out in the Sun," Williwill led the charge in professionally crafted pop masterpieces, and "Speak" was no exception. It contributed considerably in changing the course in Snufmeg, and for the Cheese Mites. Two versions are included here; track 4 from 1982, and a Johnny B. Dub produced remake (track 8) from around 2005. Though the latter version is cleaner, it does not possess the mood of the former.
   Finally, we have two versions (tracks 5 & 9) of "Pros Jam with Pros." Intended as a mock of "musicians wanted" ads, the song experienced iterations outside of the Cheese Mites, notably by Bulb, and The Little Engine (both to be examined in upcoming posts).

Video Collaboration with Fruzsi Nemes

Below is video art, "Metrometro," created by artist/film-maker Fruzsi Nemes, which includes The Cheese Mites' "Funk You" from "I Can Read About Any Book That Someone Gives Me".

https://vimeo.com/fruzsinemes

(She's My All Night) Penis Garage

   Probably the most vexing song in the Cheese Mites catalog, "(She's My All Night) Penis Garage" (PG), this requires attention of its own.
   Recorded most likely in 1990, it first appeared in the collection "Calling Doctor Death." It belongs in that pantheon of "early" Cheese Mites songs, along side "Vomit Your Senses" and "I Want to be Happy," though clearly dating outside of the "American Snufmeg Era," which closed in 1985.
   It is as musically traditional a toe-tapping "hit from the Sixties" could be, with a light peppy beat, tuneful transitions, hummable melody all chugging away with a basic rock and roll band augmented by a chirpy Farfisa organ keyboard. The disarmingly catchy nature of the music, however, is seemingly at variance with lyrics, which continue to provoke responses of those incapable of laboring to scrutinize the underlying moral message.
   Naturally, the title and refrain are unrepentantly repellent in their provocation, which to the lazy and casual observer see it as nothing more than merely lasciviously tantalizing and offensive. However, knowing the historical use of humor and agitation (for it's own sake) as Johnny & Williwill have established throughout their career, even to this point, allows, for those with stronger intellectual prowess, one to see the song and lyrics for what it is: fun and funny. Humor, as is often held, is a chief component in the expression of higher mental functions. Insults intended.

     They call him the dark lord of the Underworld
     But, he is my pal.
     I've learned all the tricks of Anton Levay
     And they got me my gal.

     She's my all night penis garage
     She makes things so very convenient for me.

     She's my all night penis garage
     She makes things so very convenient for me.

     She used to be so shy

     Now all that has changed

     With the devil's helping hand

     Her mind's been rearranged.

     She's my all night penis garage
     She makes things so very convenient for me.

     She's my all night penis garage
     She makes things so very convenient for me.

     I am Lucifer's desciple

     She is Satan's slave

     Our love will last forever

     Way beyond the grave

     She's my all night penis garage
     She makes things so very convenient for me.

   And yet, some people take that seriously and are offended!
   For those who require hand-holding - come along. We are presented with a tale of a "Mister Lonely," an In-cel, of sorts, desperate for human contact in the manner which dates back ages, to wit: the hand of a girl. So at a disadvantage in life is he, that he will go to any lengths to catch the attention of his desire, even if it means dabbling in the "dark arts."
   At the chorus we hear that all of his wants, especially those of a carnal nature have, indeed, been satisfied. So, we press on. The girl, it seems, was of a reserved and reluctant nature. Her will to resist, however, was no match for his chosen machinations of the most diabolical sort, and she has succumbed. Perhaps, Mister Lonely doesn't deserve her affection? It was for that reason he resorted to the most underhanded of methods.
   The message thus far is, contrary to the gasping reaction of the prudes and Puritans of our age, that it is precisely the walled thinking of such prudes and Puritans, who deceive themselves with their artificial tolerances, which must be overcome. The power of love is beyond the grasp of such people, though, the substance here is presented in the manner of a fun-house mirror. We find, at the bridge, that our lovers have embraced each other, and their emotional bond transcends the coarse judgement and phony moralism of our cultural mandarins.
   This song is, in its own very peculiar and idiosyncratic manner, a protest for Love. And that just wrangles some people.

Calling Doctor Death

   This collection has the distinction of presenting material from both the "American" and "Global" Snufmeg eras, particularly for the Cheese Mites. The details of which will follow. Contained here is evidence of an increasingly varied approach to styles and arrangements, hinted at previously. From loop and feedback mayhem to tone poems and traditional songs, the Cheese Mites flex here curiously with their most standard, if you will, modes as well as ventures into new territories.
   Opening with "Rarities and Friends," we are confronted with a stilted, jagged mock of song structure, but complete with the Cheese Mites sensibilities of chaos and humor, with their signature inattention to detail and charming shoddiness. Clarinet accents add a funky flavor to the herby-jerky rhythms.
   "Calling Doctor Death" steps the 'Mites back from their traditional instrumentation. A purely vocal piece, it mixes loops with live vocals, all saturated with echos and reverb. Less a song than an audio experience in mania, it has odd musical moments.
   "Quiet Loud Song," dated from approximately 1983, is a nearly serious attempt at tone poem form. Unironically, the song starts gently and quietly, building in slightly over two minutes to a screeching, pounding climax!
   What follows is the 1990 recording of "(She's My All Night) Penis Garage." Recorded from possibly the same sessions as "Rarities and Friends" and "Calling Doctor Death," although some sources place those two pieces at an earlier time, possibly 1988. Though from such a late date, it is not to be misunderstood that they waited so long to attempt another traditionally structured song. Surely, other similar attempts were made, in fact many were, but this particular song is of special note. As it was created after 1986, when the 'Mites split up, merely geographically. Throughout the "Global Snufmeg Era," Johnny and Williwill continued to collaborate, but only via virtual and long-distance modes. These three recordings were of that limited body of in-place collaboration, as will be illustrated in later posts. Additionally, this particular song will require it's own analysis and commentary in another post.
   From 1981, "I Can't Stand My Artistic Mind" stands out as possibly the companion long-form tone poem to "Music" from "Experiment in Stupidity." These two compositions, separated by a few years, establish the attributes (loops, feedback, echos) which defined much of the Cheese Mites early body of work,

Your Overlords Want You to Hate the Cheese Mites

   The collection, "Your Overlords Want You to Hate the Cheese Mites," continues the development of the Cheese Mites. Recorded over the years 1982 to 1985, but probably more accurately 1983, the 'Mites maintain their basis of their sonic palette of feedback and loops, but with increasing maturity. "Oriental Mysticism" is a swirling mix of haunting vocals and rattling percussion, with muted fuzz tones randomized punctuations. In contrast, "Can I have My Slippers?" is four minutes of throbbing loops, graced with cascading arpeggios and buzzing tones.
   What follows is the absurdly brief blast of tremulousness - "The Alignment Signal" - and then, back to staccato motifs looped under the name "There is No Good Rocking This Evening." While loops are the theme in this album, "Last Words" finds Johnny & Williwill in a echo-drenched duet, where one guitar taunts the other, as two stumbling drunks would sloppily maul and berate one another.
   Repetition by way of digitized loops, however, returns in the colossally epic, 18+ minute long "The Calculus of Sentimentality." Here we find as complete a departure in sound, yet with virtually all of the same elements. Based upon a coda of gentle, lilting strings, and Johnny's echo-soaked voice seems to be disclosing closely-held secrets in a dreamy fog, yet intelligibility remains foreer cloaked, while Williwill weaves patterns of melancholy on a nakedly unprocessed guitar.
   There is growth in this collection, over the frenzied lunacy of earlier recordings. True, traditional song structure has only been dabbled in elsewhere, yet the evolving sense of "tone poems" continues to be revealed in the sophistication of execution.

I Can Read About Any Book That Someone Gives Me

   The eight song collection, probably from 1984, entitled "I Can Read About Any Book That Someone Gives Me", finds the Cheese Mites in two configurations. The first of these, Johnny B Dub & DJ Williwill, provides the four songs "The Rock Slide Rap," "Row Your Book," "Mega Funk," and "Jungle Fiasco." Building upon the frantic primitivism of "Experiment in Stupidity," the Cheese Mites recede from overt song craft, and regroup around improvisational oriented compositions. "The Rock Slide Rap" pays lyrical homage to the song "Rock Slide," originally recored by Sin, but also recorded by other forms of the 'Mites. The relentless tape looped drum beat both hypnotizes and drills into the psyche, providing an unsettling and pulsating figure over which echoes, vocals and a proto-funk bass line collude in twelve minutes of irritation, a trademark of much of the 'Mites recorded output. "Row Your Book" continues twelve more minutes of the motifs established by "The Rock Slide Rap." At this stage in their career, they were hellbent on daring the listener to stay.
   The mercy of songs half the length in time as the previous two is little detected in "Mega Funk" and "Jungle Fiasco." A study of the production technique indicates the possibility of these two songs stemming from a separate session from the former two. Feedback washes, echoes, loops and unforgiving repetition, however, the hallmark of early Cheese Mites recordings, is not discarded with these recordings.
   The second configuration in this collection is manifest in the four songs closing the tracklist. Joined by Flip (later to be in the Snufmeg related project, The Little Engine), the Cheese Mites sound more like a live band, than other, more recordings of a layered quality. For "Amen," "Are We Their Yet?" and "Ja Only Knows," Flip guests as drummer, competently providing a rhythmic foundation which Williwill tonally completes on bass. Unchecked by concern for melody or structure, Johnny's feedback and echo laden guitar provide harsh counter-balance. For "Funk You" Johnny and Flip switch roles, the result of which is the most traditional and tuneful piece in the entire collection.

Experiment in Stupidity (Part 2)

   As with all focal points in history, those in artistic endeavors also invite debates. The inclusion of the "back four" songs in any Cheese Mites compilation referred to as "Experiment in Stupidity" arouses vehement and heated exchange. The songs "The Bad Fish," "We Two Three," "The Big Ocean," and "A Pond of Our Own," all from a session with Edmund as special guest on percussion and vocals from 1981, have been at the center of many discussions amongst Snufmeg aficionados. Nonetheless, they have been included in, at the very least, the online version of "Experiment in Stupidity" (see link at Sources).
   Their inclusion was carefully considered on the merits of the first song (number 6, on EiS). "The Bad Fish," though instrumental, is significant for several reasons. The quasi-polyrthmic interplay of the guitar work of Johnny B Dub and Williwill eschews the noise and abandon of the "true four" ("Love", "Sex", "War" and "Music") and investigates a cerebral approach to the Mites creativity at this early stage. Likewise, Edmund's drumming performs as accent rather than traditional time-keeping. However, the choice for naming the song "The Bad Fish" invites the listener to explore the Cheese Mites in non-musical revelation.
   From this time period, Johnny and Williwill had been assembling an ensemble for limited venture called The Bad Fish. More theater than music, this group was to provide the more accessible face of Snufmeg creativity. The perilously short-lived ensemble consisted of Johnny performing as "Electric Bass," Williwill as "Timmy Sardine," and collaborators Joe L, as "Marine Boy" and Edmund as "Fish Sticks." Tensions quickly surfaced. From the mundane complaints of Joe L at having to be called "Marine Boy" (though he did finish he duties), to Edmund's inability to accept variance of creative modes - a defining characteristic of Snufmeg in general and the Cheese Mites in particular - the enterprise was doomed. Beegs provided last minute rescue to Edmund's ousting as "Fish Sticks 2," though also to great complaint. The entire episode eluded capture for posterity, and nowhere in the song "The Bad Fish" is any of this alluded to, as it preceded the above incidents, it serves as a cosmic foretelling in musical form.

Experiment in Stupidity (Part 1)

   The exact date of this debut compilation is hotly disputed amongst the faithful in Snufmeg. Ambitious chroniclers place it in 1979. Those with a more conservative view of events date it no later than 1981. Regardless of the precise date, this collection marked the beginning of the "American" era of the Cheese Mites, lasting until 1985.
  The true collection, in cassette format, consisted of the songs: "Love", "Sex", "War" and "Music". These were created all within the same session. A later, modified collection included "Hey, Saul". The collection assembled for the Bandcamp website consists of the first four songs, the first official Cheese Mites recording of "Vomit Your Senses", and the regrettably low fidelity recordings, even by Snufmeg standards, of four more songs by the Cheese Mites with special guest Edmund (aka Fish Sticks), on percussion and voice.
   It is upon the "true four," however, that Experiment in Stupidity earns it's merit. "Love" is a primal, reverb-soaked voice and drums assault with few comparatives in the Snufmeg canon. The lyrics are cloaked in effect, shrieked and croaked. Few words are comprehensible, save fleeting descriptions of decay and misery, when finally Johnny B Dub screams "And where is love?" One hardly gets the impression he is serious in his quest; not that he is mocking it, more like he has just given up. Propelling the song to it's merciful end at 1:33, Williwill pounds a jerky, untimed beat, accenting occasionally with a moan of mockery.
   The ambience continues to drip with reverb, echoes and noise. A more subdued vocal performance follows with "Sex", although no sensual sensitivity caresses the ears of the listener. Echoed guitar, spastic drumming and squeals of feedback, the apparent hallmarks of EiS, complete the arrangement. The lyrics are a juvenile stab at a psuedo-poetic stream of veiled sexual innuendos, outright offensive imagery and a childish, backwards view of intimacy. Though free of obscenity, the redeeming value found here is that it was a cathartic exercise on a topic the participants had little to no business in examining.
   Suddenly, the tone shifts. The quasi-martial introduction to "War" oozes in mockery. An apparent musical sense was adopted for this song, although shortly after establishing on one theme, another is selected. The lyrics are, again, virtually undecipherable, yet, there sounds as if there is an urgency underlying the vocalization. Then, for no apparent reason, the song ends softly, with a jazz inflection.
   The fourth song, ironically titled "Music", is an epic length (17:25) excursion with guitars, drums, feedback squeals, tape loops, echoes, and reverb. For all of the "experimentation" and dissonance, "Music" never truly repels or alienates the listener, so long as one puts aside an expectation of traditional harmony and melody - of which there is none. There is a continues sense that something is going to happen, a quarter hour of foreplay.
   Departing from the "true four" of the EiS collection, but continuing as directed by digital compilations, is the Snufmeg standard "Vomit Your Senses."  Although, often erroneously credited as a Cheese Mites original, this song found its first iteration on the "Live at the Lyle Garage" collection by Sin from 1978. As often was the case for the Cheese Mites, restatement and repurposing became a mode of creation, and it was first established with this cover of VYS. Where the Sin original intended to establish a rock type song with traditional style and credibility, though falling well short, the Mites version built upon the mode of the EiS true-four with noise and chaos, and paired it with (questionably) traditional song structure. The inclusion of VYS in this early collection broadens the scope of what the Cheese Mites were to later venture into. From a free/noise structureless base, they now pointed to standard song form.
   The final four (the back-four) songs of the digitized collection were originally from an unnamed compilation. Culled from a session with special guest Edmund, these incredibly poorly recorded songs showed the Mites in a less frantic mood. There was still a loose, free-form manner. The pretense of poly-rhythms make the continuing thread throughout "The Bad Fish," "We Two Three," "The Big Ocean," and "A Pond of Our Own."
   This will be continued in the next installment.

Sources:
https://thecheesemites.bandcamp.com/album/experiment-in-stupidity

Exploration of "WK - The Early Years" Part III

   The urge to post an entry per song, great though it may be, must be managed for the sake of coherence. Certainly, some compositions will require more particular and in-depth analysis, but others can be quickly grouped for convenience sake. This is not to say that a piece, such as "Backwards Tape 1977" can't withstand a singular dissection. Rather, some works speak better when grouped with similar sounding, or when similar constraints and conditions apply.

   This is best illustrated, following the singular assessment of "Piano Duet," in the following works, all from "The History of WK":

   Guitar and Drums (1975)

     

   Speeded up Stuff (1976) (also known as "Weird SFX")

   Weird Audio Collage (1976)

   Avant Garde (1977)

   Backwards Tape (1978)

   Delay (1978)

   Each of these six unique compositions expanded upon the technique of recording and manipulation established in the "Piano Duet" remix, and foresaw the role technical expertise and experimentation in recording and production were to play, in addition to classically traditional musical instrumentation finesse, in the palette of Snufmeg related music. From one to the next, a considerable honing of mysterious craft is developing, wherein the germ of creativity is gaining density like mass for a big bang. Missing from these works is the talentless nihilism of so many experimenters, the shallow and transparent craving for attention without voice, story or abstract concept. WK occupied a space where the traditional and non-traditional were never at odds. Rather, they propelled each other in a state of constant forward motion, free of the fetish of the concept of progress; a voice to ring and harmonize the mysterious frequency of the universe, the unknown. The middle section of "Weird Audio Collage" exemplifies such harmoniousness. The piece is introduced with wistful sweeps of tone, an exalting breath is manifest in pause, and what follows is a brief cadence of violin, drums and guitar, rhythmically celebrating the firmament, only to be overtaken by the churning anguish of an unsettled unknown. Likewise, "Avant Garde" (1977) is a prayer of harmonious exploration, modal and tonal. It is easy to overlook these transcendent yearnings impressed in recorded medium when one is bombarded by mercantilism. It is crucial to bear in mind the purity of purpose, the truly precious and sanguine nature of these compositions as artifacts of a culture and community, Snufmeg.

   The theme of Snufmeg recurs throughout the body of work of its adherents, WK, the Cheese Mites, to name a few. At the time of these early recordings, however, Snufmeg was not revealed, although its acolytes were converging, called by a voice they could not hear, much less know how to call it. The Spirit of Phynqafis filled all, yet hidden he was. The time for Phynqafis was still years to be. The groundwork set by WK was prophetic.
   Of special note, however, is "Delay." This piece marks a shift in creative channels. An overt influence of blues is noted, which has a profound effect on the basis of much of the Snufmeg catalog. The melding of blues with experimentalism forms the backbone for compositions for years to come, some swaying one way, and conversely.
   Additionally, "Delay" is significant not only for its content but the context of its creation. This year (1978) finds Snufmeg creativity launching into a new era. WK continues to create and record, as does Johnny B Dub with the unabashedly post-sixties rock influenced ensemble, Sin.

https://youtu.be/WQIK40WJ85c
https://youtu.be/lBH6yY9oWy4
https://youtu.be/oq1MXWkTDIs
https://youtu.be/jDPlmxWLkVM
https://youtu.be/mx5-nJZjcWE
https://youtu.be/ZbNPZzZ5sQ4