Genre Alternative/Indie | ||
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Albums Jo in Nine G Hell, Psychedelische Musique (Lava Surf Kunst), Over Valence, Go Round, Crouch End Members John Wills, Neil Mackay, Nigel Webb Record labels Beggars Banquet, Aquese Recordings, Freek Records, Beggars Banquet US, Situation Two Similar | ||
The hair and skin trading company highbury 1996
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 and 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.
Contents
Their first two albums bear influences of My Bloody Valentine and The Skids, while the vocal delivery has been compared to The Fall's Mark E Smith. By the third album, 1995's Faust-like Psychedelische Musique, the band had dispensed with conventional rock elements, and few of its songs bear titles; instead these 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 and released an album for Lissy's Records titled Making Things Up and Then Forgetting Them. Mackay and Webb played several gigs around London with Tony Irving 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
Songs
ElevenateJo in Nine G Hell · 1992
$1000 PledgeJo in Nine G Hell · 1992
Where's GalaJo in Nine G Hell · 1992