- Duelling banjos
- Registered nurse
This was originally a bonus LP that came with the Psilotripitaka box set. The track Duelling banjos was later release on automating volume one in a very different format. The two tracks here have a fairly similar theme running through them, tape manipulations to a backdrop of quite harsh sounding electronic noise. It’s quite power electronics sounding at times which makes it quite close to the 150 murderous passions release with Whitehouse. Indeed I believe William Bennett had some input on these tracks. The tapes are a rather strange manipulation of a conversation between a doctor and an American patient. There are also some interesting clips from what sounds like a documentary about a musical experiment by John Cage and other odd tape pieces. Among the noises and tapes are some mutated percussive hits and what could possibly be guitar feedback. It’s definitely unique in the Nurse catalogue and sounds unlike any of the material the group were releasing around this time. Much more electronic sounding and forceful.
The second track “registered nurse second coming” begins with what sounds like some mangled fairground music before more electronic noise akin to the first track breaks in. This time the sound is less claustrophobic with greater use of reverb and delays creating space in the mix. Again the tapes work around the medical theme with a man trying to tell his mother he wants to train to be a registered nurse. It’s this dialogue which is used in the Automating version of the first track. I like the improvised and skitty nature of the electronics which are much more like the Whitehouse material of the time, although I do prefer Duelling banjos. After about 6 ½ minutes the track becomes more noises with the power electronics crackling and grating the tapes to oblivion before it stops and begins to build again. At nine minutes the noise halts and the tapes and electronics are applied in a more staccato cut up way, which brings an interesting twist to a track which does start to get repetitive. The track finishes with a mass of tapes noise and studio wizardry.
