Generic - "For A Free And Liberated South Africa" 7"

1986, Flat Earth Records UK
A:
1. Making A Killing
2. Join The Conspiracy
B:
3. Caught Like A Rat
4. The Oldest Trick In The Book
5. Civilised?

http://www.mediafire.com/?49zumonqmxn

My first post, and a great place to start; the first release from what I consider one of the most important punk labels of the 90s? Of all time: Flat Earth Records.

A classic, often over looked slab of wax that is debatably one of the first UKHC records. It’s often argued that Hardcore was started by the Americans, who took what the Sex Pistols led ‘77 punk movement had and speed it up while they dressed it down, playing a faster more aggressive style. This wasn’t just punk, this was “hardcore punk.” A couple of years after punk reared it’s monstrous head in the UK, a second wave of bands, such as Discharge and Abrasive Wheels appeared playing music faster, rougher and more politicised than in the Sex Pistols’ day yet they kept their punk tag. For me it’s all hardcore, but with this record, Generic’s first after a (cracking) demo tape, they demonstrated that they were one of the first UK bands to step away from the Riot City/D-Beat formulae, and create something that traces it’s influence from many different musical places.

On this record you’ll hear furious thrash, filthy throat-cancer crust vocals, intense heavy bits and thoughtful ambiance all speed up and slowed down, mashed up all over shop, when these guys felt like it. They went on to progress their style incorporate influences from heavy/prog rock (they even covered Pink Floyd’s “Wall”!) but always kept their political-protest edge. Two more 7”s and two split 12”s (with Electro Hippies and Mortal Terror) were to follow. This 7” was put out in two identical pressings of 1000 copies each.

This record is not only important because it’s a powerful cut of music, but because it was the first release on Flat Earth records, a label that went on in the 1990s to document a some incredible English/Scottish bands (aswell as international) and release some of the most important records of that decade. Micky, the guitarist and Sned the drummer, who had previously released a split flexi as Blood Robots went onto to form One By One, and after that, many other classic bands.

Flat Earth closed it’s doors to releasing records a few years ago, at the time a Generic discography was planned. It still exists as a distro: http://www.flatearth.freeonline.co.uk