Mick Harris/Martyn Bates
Murder Ballads (The Complete Collection)
(MMM/Invisible/FAB)



20th Century

Ambient

Drum And Bass

Electronic / Experimental / Industrial

Industrial Rhythm

Techno

Trip Hop, Breaks, Dub, World-Fusion

(Very) Alternative

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    This is the strangest folk music you will ever hear. Eyeless In Gaza vocalist Martyn Bates one-ups Nick Cave by covering olde English ballads about the nastiness of murder and rape. These standards, like "The Death Of Polly" are still sung by British folkies and on this side of the pond, Appalachian old timers like country-blues artist Dock Boggs (not to mention the Byrds and Judy Collins). Some of the apocalyptic folkers in the Current 93 mold are getting into their heritage as well, in particular Fire & Ice spread the word about the home-wrecking, "Long Lankin" (also once covered by Steeleye Span). But no one has done them in this manner, as Bates signs on Scorn's Mick Harris to provide the bleakest industrial-ambient background for these grisly tales. Harris' swelling drones and bowed gong-type harmonics create a strangely mesmerising stillness for Bate's slow intimate vocals. Together they did three CDs in this style for the Italian label Musica Maxima Magnetica: Drift, Passages and Incest Songs, which have now been collected by Invisible for this daring triple set.