Monday 10 August 2020

Prolapse - Seismic Waves


Bio:
"Prolapse formed in the summer of 1991 under a table at Leicester Polytechnic's Friday night disco, "With the aim of being the most depressing band ever". The original line-up was comprised of "Scottish" Mick Derrick (vocals), Linda Steelyard (vocals), David Jeffreys (guitar), Patrick Marsden (guitar), "Geordie" Mick Harrison (bass) and Tim Pattison (drums). "Geordie" Mick and Tim, both from the North-East of England, knew each other prior to attending Leicester Polytechnic, and had performed together in early school bands. In a 1999 interview, Steelyard stated that the name was chosen "to indicate something undesirable in a miserable sort of way, rather than unsavoury. Unfortunately, we have come to realise that it makes some people think of arses."

In 1994 they released their debut album "Pointless Walks to Dismal Places", which won critical acclaim, followed a year later by their second album "Backsaturday", which saw them experimenting with both repetitive grooves and ambient soundscapes. Their third album "The Italian Flag", released in 1997, was an eclectic 13-track tour de force which saw Prolapse pick up significant radio play for the first time, particularly for the lead single "Killing The Bland" and its even more commercial-sounding follow-up "Autocade". The album returned to the more melodic approach of the first album, though now with a harder guitar sound, but this time there was also a whole diverse array of styles, earning the band many favourable reviews. Their final album "Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes" was released in 1999, after which the group drifted apart."

If you find the idea of an angry Scotsman yelling (often) unintelligible lyrics somewhat scary, then I'd suggest avoiding this collection! OK, he's not always that confrontational, the odd occasion he sounds almost relaxed. Though still angry. On the other side you have the almost angelic vocals of Linda Steelyard, though she can certainly dish it out just as viciously when needs be. Check out the final track on this collection for a perfect example.

The band gained notoriety for their live shows and the tension between the two vocalists, often likened to a soap opera being played out in front of a wall of noisy guitars, bass and drums. Sadly they only released the 4 albums, but they have reformed for live dates the past few years, so maybe one day we'll see a fifth.... As usual, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music and download files. Stay safe, and I hope you enjoy this collection!


  1. Doorstop Rhythmic Bloc (5:19)
  2. Every Night I'm Mentally Crucified (7000 Times) (2:14)
  3. Flat Velocity Curve (7:13)
  4. After After (5:07)
  5. They Slept in Darkness (3:15)
  6. Muscovite Parricide Song (2:23)
  7. Autocade (4:39)
  8. Move to Limit Slabs (5:16)
  9. Diamonds O'Monte Carlo (4:26)
10. Chill Blown (8:10)
11. Fob.com (4:41)
12. Zen Nun Deb (5:49)
13. Liquid Compliment (3:01)
14. Slash/Oblique (4:56)
15. Drown Radio Therapy (1:34)
16. TCR (3:13)
17. Tina This Is Matthew Stone (7:12)