Rahul Sharma (Editor)

RēR Quarterly

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The RēR Quarterly (also known as Rē Records Quarterly and RēR Records Quarterly) was an English "quarterly" sound-magazine comprising an LP record and a magazine. It was published at irregular intervals between 1985 and 1997 by Recommended Records and November Books, and edited by English percussionist, lyricist and music theorist, Chris Cutler. It was sold internationally by Recommended Records via mail order and in specialist record shops.

Contents

A total of thirteen issues were published (four volumes of four, four, three and two issues respectively) plus two "collection" issues featuring music selections from volumes 1 and 2. From volume 4 the LP was replaced by a CD and the CD and the magazine (now entitled unFILEd: The RēR Sourcebook) were sold separately or together as a set.

The record in each issue contained previously unreleased music by artists from across the world, including commissioned pieces, projects and live recordings. The A4 magazine (varying from 42 to 112 pages per issue) included artwork and theoretical and practical articles on music, often by the composers and performers featured on the record. In keeping with the goals of Recommended Records and its prime mover, Rock in Opposition, a number of new musicians and groups appeared on the records, many having their music published internationally for the first time.

Cutler described the RēR Quarterly as:

Paul Oldfield wrote in the English music newspaper, Melody Maker in 1985: "Theirs [RēR Quarterly] is the pursuit of unimaginable, packed in artwork of giddy luminescence."

Background

The idea for RēR Quarterly began in 1982 when Recommended Records released the Recommended Records Sampler, a sampler double album by various artists that contained newly recorded and previously unreleased work by musicians and groups on the Recommended Records catalogue at the time.

Distribution

RēR Quarterly was distributed primarily to international subscribers by Recommended Records in London. Individual issues were also sold by the record label and other specialist record stores. Subscribers received special Subscription Editions that were numbered and signed, and included "something extra". For example, issue 1/1 included additional artwork by Peter Blegvad from his and John Greaves's 1977 album, Kew. Rhone., and issue 1/2 contained a cassette tape of Soviet pop songs from the early 1980s (at that time musicians in the former Soviet Union had little to no exposure in the West).

Name

When the RēR Quarterly was first published in 1985, it was entitled The Rē Records Quarterly, "Rē" being the label Cutler had set up for his own projects in 1978 alongside Recommended Records (q.v.) which served for distribution, mailorder and as a label for outside projects. In 1988 the name changed to The RēR Records Quarterly since the distinction between the two operations no longer needed to be marked. In 1994 the magazine title was reduced to The RēR Quarterly, which remained until it mutated again into the Sourcebook series.

Frequency

While RēR Quarterly was intended to be a quarterly sound-magazine, the gaps between issues varied from four months to four years. Editor Chris Cutler remarked that "It was always hard to get sufficient material of quality for the Quarterly, and so it always took a long time to prepare each issue." Most of the pieces featured on the disc and magazine were commissioned, and as the magazine's circulation was small and it received no subsidy (each issue generally ran at a loss), the contributors received very little for their work. In addition, Cutler was not a full-time editor of the magazine and preparing each issue had to be squeezed into his schedule of recording, touring and running Recommended Records.

Volume 1

  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.1 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0101, May 1985)
  • LP track titles
    1. "The Threshold of Liberty" by Steve Moore – 9:25
    2. "Experiment" by Lars Hollmer – 3:45
    3. "Education" by Chris Cutler and Lindsay Cooper – 3:45
    4. "Compromisation" by 5uu's – 3:00
    5. "Dans les Yeux Bleues" by Joseph Racaille – 1:10
    6. "Naiwabi" by The Lowest Note – 2:35
    7. "Sorry 'bout That" by Adrian Mitchell – 1:50
    8. "Prayer for Civilisation" by Kalahari Surfers – 5:02
    9. "Indefinite" by Mission Impossible – 2:58
    10. "Song in Space" by Adrian Mitchell – 0:35
    11. "Pensa un Numero" by Stefano Delu – 2:13
    12. "A Walk Around the Brewery" by Mikolas Chadima – 6:06
    13. "Saw It in the Paper" by Adrian Mitchell – 3:40
  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0102, September 1985)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Berlin Programme" by Duck and Cover – 27:44
    2. "Mystery Tapes 1" by John Oswald – 6:04
    3. "Märzfeber" by Conrad Bauer – 6:44
    4. "Fluent" by Reportaż – 3:13
    5. "Battle-painter's Song" by Reportaż – 2:11
    6. "The Day When Truth Was not Existed" by Reportaż – 2:58
    7. "Stufferation" by Adrian Mitchell – 1:42
  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.3 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0103, January 1986)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Card to Bernard" by The Big Guns
    2. "Early Rest Home" by Biota
    3. "Pigs" by Robert Wyatt
    4. "Sprung from Traps" by Roger Turner
    5. "Little Red Bombadier" by Kontroll Csoport
    6. "Woman of Water" by Adrian Mitchell
    7. "Coste" by Cassix
    8. "Criota" by Cassix
    9. "Religion" by Cassix
    10. "The Stanislavsky Method" by Cassix
    11. "Tempo di Pace, Bari" by Cassix
    12. "Copy Machine" by Cassix
    13. "Finta di Nulla" by Cassix
    14. "Nadja" by Nazca
  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.4 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0104, May 1986)
  • LP track titles
    1. "After Dinner" by After Dinner – 2:07
    2. "A Walnut" by After Dinner – 3:05
    3. "RE" by After Dinner – 4:29
    4. "A Man of Marble" by After Dinner – 3:02
    5. "Glass Tube" by After Dinner – 4:57
    6. "L'heure des Louves" by Wondeur Brass – 5:15
    7. "Раз, Два (1,2)" by Strange Games – 4:18
    8. "Hermetic Discourse" by Steve Moore – 6:38
    9. "C'est Bon la Viande!" by Art Moulu Tréfin – 4:44
    10. "The Murder of the Poet Michael Smith by Three Men in Kingston, Jamaica" by Adrian Mitchell
    11. "Power" by Black Sheep
    12. "Cantate 159" by André Duchesne
    13. "Staying Awake" by Adrian Mitchell

    • Volume 2

  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.1 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0201, May 1987)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Puptent" by Blitzoids – 3:45
    2. "Imperialism of the Future" by Ůr – 4:38
    3. "The Same Thing" by Henry Kaiser/Michael Maxymenko/Bill Frisell – 5:50
    4. "The Wedding" by Iva Bittová and Pavel Fajt – 4:52
    5. "Plains of Hungary" by Anthony Moore – 11:00
    6. "Parade" by John Oswald – 11:10
    7. "Pégase" by Joseph Racaille – 1:14
    8. "Nivelles '81" by This Heat – 5:48
    9. "The Egg & I" by David Thomas & The Accordion Club – 3:31
    10. "It Happened to Me" by David Thomas & The Accordion Club – 2:33
  • Rē Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.2 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0202, Autumn 1987)
  • LP track titles
    1. "In Life's Hand" by 5uu's
    2. "Chairman Mao" by Robert Wyatt – 6:19
    3. "Yeah mother" by John French – 3:47
    4. "From Suite Koradi" by Arturo Meza – 11:49
    5. "Resume 84–86" by Intellectual Cabaret – 11:54
    6. "Christi Crucifixi Ultima Verba" by Jocelyn Robert – 5:35
    7. "Dance" by Hunk Ai! – 5:22
    8. "The Barking Dogs Versus the Minimalists" by Henry Kaiser – 3:42
  • RēR Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.3 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0203, 1988)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Klangfarbenprobes" by John Oswald – 2:00
    2. "Warsong" by Roberto Musci and Giovanni Venosta – 2:40
    3. "Redens" / "Orbiston Parva" by Luciano Margorani – 3:07
    4. "Brave It" by Tone Dogs – 4:05
    5. "Engine of Myth" by David Myers
    6. "Warheads" by James Grigsby – 5:25
    7. "Under Xmas Tree" by When – 4:00
    8. "Tango" by Kampec Dolores – 3:46
    9. "Tra le due Inghilterre" by La 1919 – 3:35
    10. "Pageant for Blinking Signal" by James Grigsby and Brad Laner – 1:25
    11. "Flaubears Dancing" by J. Lachan – 4:40
    12. "Moyen-âge" by Miriodor – 11:00
  • RēR Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.4 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0204, 1989)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Todesanzeige" by Expander Des Fortschritts – 5:40
    2. "Cairo: Khan Al Khaki" by Werner Kodytek
    3. "Picasso's Last Stand" by Increase the Angle – 4:15
    4. "All Thumbs" by Bill Gilonis – 4:06
    5. "Os Monomakhos" by Dimosiypalliliko Retire – 4:12
    6. "Cut" by Lutz Glandien – 11:45
    7. "Organism" by Thinking Plague – 8:37
    8. "USA Intolerance" by Jean Derome – 1:33
    9. "Italy Resistance" by Jean Derome – 2:14
    10. "Ghana Hope" by Jean Derome – 3:35

    • Volume 3

  • RēR Records Quarterly Vol.3 No.1 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0301, 1989)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Iranian Rock" by Steve Moore – 7:01
    2. "Bakerloo Boogaloo" by Overflow – 7:33
    3. "Bells" by Don Wherry – 11:40
    4. "War is Deception" by State of War – 3:45
    5. "Vox-5" by Trevor Wishart – 5:37
    6. "Anything's Possible" by ZGA – 2:15
    7. "Duchesne Téléphone" by René Lussier – 2:14
    8. "Christmas Message" by René Lussier – 2:46
    9. "Extrait du Manifeste du 'Front de libération du Québec'" by René Lussier – 3:29
    10. "Government of Love" by Bing Selfish & The Ideals – 4:29
    11. "Working Stiff" by The Murphy Federation (Murphy Working Stiffs) – 2:32
  • RēR Records Quarterly Vol.3 No.2 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0302, 1990)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Pressure Inversion Ratios" by David Myers and Alex Ross
    2. "Es Lebe" by Lutz Glandien
    3. "Stone Music" by Zygmunt Krauze
    4. "Music from 'The Bacchae'" by Rasmus B. Lunding
    5. "Dedicated to Marina D." by Ne Zhdali
    6. "Release" by Charles Southern
    7. "From Suite in 3-Parts: The Old Pianola" by Pierre Bastien & Mecanium
  • RēR Records Quarterly Vol.3 No.3 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0303, 1991)
  • LP track titles
    1. "Chiaroscuro" by Steve Moore – 7:00
    2. "Photo Project 1" by Jocelyn Robert and Diane Landry – Z:22
    3. "Bell II" by When – 6:25
    4. "Tombo" by Tom Djll – 5:05
    5. "Racer Hero" by Hail – 3:33
    6. "Microclimats" by Illegal Function – 9:19
    7. "Carousel of Progress (ReR Photo Project 2)" by Dave Kerman and Patrick Tierney – 5:22
    8. "Intense Grace" by Abdo-Men – 3:16
    9. "Diary XI-XV" by Erik Hug – 7:30

    • Volume 4

  • RēR Quarterly Vol.4 No.1 (CD, Recommended Records RēR 0401, 1994)
  • CD track titles
    1. "Untitled" by Koongoortoog – 4:03
    2. "Untitled" by The Adenoid Quartet – 7:20
    3. "Z" by John Oswald – 0:22
    4. "TP2" by Tom Nunn – 7:26
    5. "What's the Point?" by Diledadafish – 2:13
    6. "The Desk" by Lesego Rampolokeng with Kalahari Surfers – 3:45
    7. "Vietnam's Victory" by Cornelius Cardew – 6:27
    8. "Death in 40 Pictures" by Peter Machajdík – 2:03
    9. "Circus Music" by Tiziano Popoli and N.O.R.M.A. – 9:01
    10. "Sonnet 2" by Al Margolis – 2:41
    11. "The Unknown" by David Myers – 2:47
    12. "How to Clean Squid" by Thinking Plague – 5:42
    13. "Lost Title" by ZGA – 3:23
    14. "Walk Aside" by Biota – 4:15
    15. "The Cross and the Circle" by Martin Burlas – 5:42
    16. "Chair" by Blitzoids – 3:38
    17. "Les cons ont Dansé. Lait Condensé" by Les Sales Combles – 3:44
    18. "Encore" by Chris Cutler and Fred Frith – 1:16
  • RēR Quarterly Vol.4 No.2 (CD, Recommended Records RēR 0402, 1997)
  • CD track titles
    1. "Sacrifice to Isis" by Q.R. Ghazala – 2:26
    2. "Three Cold Floors" by Mike Hovancsek and Paul Guerguerian – 4:01
    3. "Inception" by Tom Dimuzio – 4:08
    4. "Short-Cuts: Brahms" by Marie Goyette – 4:25
    5. "Danseuse" by Ken Ando – 5:13
    6. "Congo" by Robert Iolini – 2:35
    7. "Zimbabwe" by Robert Iolini – 1:42
    8. "From 'Le Ombre di Otello'" by Giovanni Venosta – 3:47
    9. "Feu Brilliant" by Keith Rowe and Alain De Filippis – 5:54
    10. "Shenandoah" / "Innsbruck" by Brian Woodbury's Variety Orchestra featuring Dudley Saunders – 5:44
    11. "The Unthinkable" by Richard Barrett – 6:28
    12. "Heterophony" by Stevan Tickmayer – 7:19
    13. "Des Objets de la Plus Grande Importance" by Volapük – 3:26
    14. "Interludium: Two Drums" by Boris Kovač – 2:46
    15. "Virgo Ramayana" by Philip Perkins – 5:56
    16. "After Hours" / "The Colour of Blood" by Shelley Hirsch/Jon Rose/Chris Cutler – 5:00

    • Selections

  • RēR Quarterly Selections from Vol.1 (CD, Recommended Records RēR QCD1, 1991)
  • CD track titles
    1. "Mystery Tapes" by John Oswald – 6:07
    2. "Berlin Programme" by Duck and Cover – 27:41
    3. "Hermetic Discourse" by Steve Moore – 6:45
    4. "Religion" by Cassix – 2:32
    5. "The Stanislavsky Method" by Cassix – 1:11
    6. "Tempo di Pace, Bari" by Cassix – 3:56
    7. "Copy Machine" by Cassix – 1:49
    8. "Finta di Nulla" by Cassix – 1:59
    9. "The Birth of Compomisation" by 5uu's – 2:53
    10. "The Threshold of Liberty" by Steve Moore – 9:32
    11. "Early Rest Home" by Biota – 9:43
  • RēR Quarterly Selections from Vol.2 (CD, Recommended Records RēR QCD2, 1991)
  • CD track titles
    1. "Chairman Mao" by Robert Wyatt – 6:20
    2. "The Wedding" by Iva Bittová and Pavel Fajt – 4:52
    3. "Tra le due Inghilterre" by La 1919 – 3:40
    4. "Christi Crucifixi Ultima Verba" by Jocelyn Robert – 5:32
    5. "Pageant for Blinking Signal" by James Grigsby and Brad Laner – 1:46
    6. "Flaubears Dancing" by J. Lachan – 4:49
    7. "The Barking Dogs Versus the Minimalists" by Henry Kaiser – 3:40
    8. "Picasso's Last Stand" by Increase the Angle – 4:23
    9. "All Thumbs" by Bill Gilonis – 4:09
    10. "The Egg & I" by David Thomas & The Accordion Club – 3:29
    11. "Pégase" by Joseph Racaille – 2:28
    12. "Klangfarbenprobe" by John Oswald – 2:02
    13. "Warsong" by Roberto Musci and Giovanni Venosta – 3:06
    14. "Redens" / "Orbiston Parva" by Luciano Margorani – 3:09
    15. "In Life's Hand" by 5uu's – 4:40
    16. "Warheads" by James Grigsby – 4:33
    17. "Under Xmas Tree" by When – 3:52
    18. "USA Intolerance" by Jean Derome – 1:34
    19. "Italy Resistance" by Jean Derome – 2:16
    20. "Ghana Hope" by Jean Derome – 3:48

    • References

    RēR Quarterly Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA