Terse Tapes

Tom Ellard tersely summarises the output of his cassette label, which ran from 1979 till 1982.

Terse Tapes was named after the TRS-80 home computer. The logo was a clipping from an advert for the computer with the name written over it in white-out.

The tapes were numbered from 000 onward up to 1982, when the Dogfood albums were being 'marketed'. They then were numbered by year plus the release. Terse was slowly abandoned as Severed Heads got too busy. There were many changes of plan and so no coherency should be assumed.

TRS000 Noise. Mid 1979

A tape with contributions invited from various people most of whom were from my high school. The idea was to add it all together. A very small number of these made, provided only to contributors. A copy exists.

TRS00½ Severed Heads - Ear Bitten. Late 1979.

Note the use use of a half symbol to mock the numbering of releases (why have two noughts followed by a half) and to indicate that it was half of a shared record. Also numbered Wrong Records 1 by Richard, with the slogan, “it's the wrong record!”.

There is no TRS001 - do not be fooled.

TRS002 Various - The Terse Sampler E.P. 1980

A 7 inch with Wet Taxis, Agent Orange, Rhoborhythmaticons & The Mindless Delta Children. Each band paid a quarter of the cost. 400 copies, each wrapped in tin foil and with a picture cut out of old copies of National Geographic. It was bumped to 002 so as to mock the Factory Sampler, FAC002 (also explains the tinfoil).

TRS003 Lamb Baa - Human Sequencers C60 1980

Tom Ellard & friends play endless repetitive melodies, repeating mistakes. Also some primitive TRS80 based sequencing à la 'Dance' on Ear Bitten. See the illustration. Lamb Baa is a toy that when inverted makes a lamb sound.

TRS004 Various - Mysterious Kitchens C90 1980

A compilation of a small number of people under many assumed names. See the illustration.

TRS005 Severed Heads - Side 2 of Ear Bitten. 1980. Labelled 'Wrong Terse 5'.

TRS006

Reserved for a number of UK tapes through Mark Christie of Coventry (Obvious Products) including Fire On Boat, a cassette compilation of bands from the Midlands. These were given sub numbering A,B,C...

TRS007 Clean Side 3

A 1981 cassette that was given away to people who bought Clean. Ian Andrews points out that it is labelled Lust on the case. Master was 'borrowed', copy found.

TRS008 The Wet Taxis - Taxidermy. C60 1980.

Master reverted back to band. Their first 'weirdo electronic' period – Simon Knuckey, Tim Knuckey, Garry Bradbury & friends.

TRS009 One Stop Shopping - a three cassette survey of Australian underground music in March 1981.

See illustration.

TRS010 Bleeding Arseholes - Casual Not Causal. 1981

This was John Laidler (Slugfuckers). I didn't understand the joke and labelled it 'Casual, Not Casual'. For some reason he didn't mind the mistake. Master reverted.

TRS011 Mice Against God C60

Uncle Ian & Uncle Michael from the I.C.E. From their 1981 New Years Eve performance.

TRS012 Negative Reaction self-titled C60

Master reverted. Slow guitar textures and poetry.

TRS013 was a band called Mesh, 1981

I can't recall that much about it!

TRS014 Hiroshima Chair Live @ Exiles 1982

TRS015 Kurt Volentine

AKA Ian Andrews.

TRS016

Not sure at this exact moment. Around this time the Dogfood label was causing no end of grief so I had to drop Terse for a while.

(TRS017) TRS821 Tom Ellard - Eighties Cheesecake, 1982

The relationship between two cassettes Snappy Carrion and Eighties Cheesecake is confusing. The former was assembled for distribution by K7 labels in the UK. The latter, almost identical was sold in Australia. As it turns out only the latter had much effect.

TRS018

- was a band called Carnage. It did not get a wide issue as Terse as a label for other groups was winding down.

TRS822 Severed Heads - Blubberknife. C90. 1982 The re-issue in the UK in 1985 is Ink Tapes 001.*

TRS832 Severed Heads - Since The Accident, as a c60.

TRS841

- was a planned sequel to Noise. However we became 'successful' and dropped the cassette label.

I have a page from a brochure made in 1984. It mentions projected titles (e.g. A compilation called Smear) but they were never conceived. The Go Back To Your Precious Wife and Son tape was made but did not go out through Terse.

* The official year of release was 1984, as shown in the discography, but the album was not widely available till the following year. - KB