OTHER RELEASES:
Death Comet Crew
DCC America 12"/CD
"This is Riphop" LP/CD
This Is Riphop is the complete discography by legendary hip-hop pioneers DEATH COMET CREW. Recorded in 1983 and 1984, the tracks contained were pulled from various recording sessions and some live shows from back in the day. DCC helped usher in a more forward-thinking approach to hip hop, and their influence is visible in acts like EL P and MF DOOM, who both openly acknowledge DEATH COMET CREW as an inspiration. Listening to DCC, you can hear things never before used in hip hop, the sound collages, the white noise, the snippets from TV and movies. Before DCC, rappers were looping basslines and breakbeats and taking the loop; DCC added a more experimental and layered element to their sound that would be taken to the mainstream five years later with PUBLIC ENEMY. DEATH COMET CREW was there when hip hop, no wave and punk rock lived together in Downtown NYC, and the sound captures the spirit and hostility of NYC in the early 80s.
Background / Bio / Selected highlights Information on DCC members Stuart Argabright , Michael Diekmann , Shinichi Shimokawa , DJ High Priest & The Rammellzee
DCC aka Death Comet Crew
Stuart had returned from W Berlin after some quite creative months spent living and working with members of MALARIA ! , VOOV , Christlo Haas ( Ex DAF , Liaisons Dangeruses , Crime And The City Solution) and Einsturzende Neubauten's FM Einheit.
Back in NYC by the fall of 1983 Stuart regrouped to begin production and soundtrack works and some jams with friends Michael Diekmann and Shinichi Shimokawa. The ideas and personel for a new 'audio attack'unit or 'work crew' were in place and starting to come together...
* Michael Diekmann . Original member of Ike Yard and known for his jagged guitar style.
Michael had formed post punk band Moonmaid And Theories Of Exchange with friends in Providence RI in 1978. Following the end of Ike Yard , Michael began playing with Stanton Miranda of Thick Pigeon (a Crepescule and Factory Records label mate) in late 1983, first with guitarist Sue Hanel (ex Swans) and drummer Ikue Mori (ex DNA) in a group they called Lieutenant 70 after a character from JG Ballard's infamous "Atrocity Exhibition" novel. Hanel soon drops out, and is replaced by guitarist/bassist Stephen Vitiello (ex Offals). The group recorded numerous demos (one Co produced by Thick Pigeon's Carter Burwell, who became composer for the Coen Brothers films) and performed at CBGB's , Hurrah's and The Pyramid Club.
Also late in 1983 Michael asked Stuart to help co produce tracks for his more electronic Oceans Eleven project and they worked together again.
Between rehearsals and gigs for DCC, Michael and Shinichi Shimokawa began working with guitarist / bassist Stephen Vitiello (previously in Lt.70 and by now a noted sound artist) and vocalist Lydia Kavanagh (a guest vocalist with Golden Palomino's and later, Moby) to make the new group they called 3 Lb. Universe. At the end of 1988, 3 Lb. Universe changed name to become Propeller when David Sparks (appeared in The Beastie Boys video "You Got To Fight (For Your Right To Party") joins on drums.
Propeller performs in NYC and NJ and in 1989 records and makes video for the song "Box Kite" included on the "Phoaming Edison" Compilation and shown on MTV's "120 Minutes". In 1990, the self produced 45 "Groundbreak"/ "Dig Yourself Up" is released and recieves airplay on college radio.
1991 found Michael working on new music in his home Studio and by the next year, writing songs with vocalist Tracy Leipold. The duo performed at The Knitting Factory and CBGB's Gallery under the name Sled. Stephen Vitiello joined on bass as well as bassoonist Claire Brunner and drummer Tom Burkhardt.
From 1995 to present , Michael continues to compose at home, occasionally providing soundtracks for video artists. In 2001 he composed a piece for the "Nowthenafter" collection of downtown electronic music.
* Shinichi Shimokawa had come from Tokyo in 1980.
Stuart and Shinichi hooked up when they produced a couple of tracks for the Megalomania project. Recognizing the great job Shinichi had done programming and also his nice touch on kyboards and funky bass, Stuart kept in touch.
When Stuart, Michael and Shinichi were first jamming, Shinichi used an audio FX unit on Michael's guitar, and continued to do so onstage during the first live sets at The Pyramid Club, as heard on DCC's "This Is Riphop" Album. Next, Shinichi played bass on the first record, DCC's 1984 "At The Marble Bar" 12" and his funky bass can be heard esp. on the street Classic "Exterior Street" that has been rereleased on "Anti NY" (Gomma 2000) and Richard Sen's (Bronx Dogs , UK) "Power Cuts" Comp. of 'B Boy Classics' in 2002. Finally , Shin moved over to second guitar for another phase of DCC's music that included more rocking songs like "Sadonation" ,"Black Atlantic" and the second 12",1986's "Mystic Eyes" / "Death Comet Drive" released on the short lived J Mark/Elektra label.
Shinichi also played with Michael Diekmann in 3 Lb. Universe and Propeller between 1987 - 1991 and worked with Stuart on soundtracks for Robert Longo (MD was on that too) , and CD ROMS "Innerware" and "Digital Shiatsu" in the mid 1990's. Back in Tokyo , Shinichi worked with techno party promoter in Asia and Thailand, websites and recently helped with a remix of New Age Steppers for Tokyo's Dub Bud Records , among other activities...
* Stuart Argabright (aka Arbright) has made a number of groups over the years, starting in Wash. DC 1976 -'78 with high school friends as The Rudements. The post punk Rudements song "Imagination" was selected for the "30 Seconds Over DC" punk/new wave Compilation that's currently being rereleased on Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye's new label District Line.
After moving to NYC in spring 1978, Stuart performed "Imagination" in the New Wave Vaudeville Shows, the first new programming for the Irving Plaza venue. This showcase also marked first NYC performances for Klaus Nomi , Come on and Ann Magnuson , among others. He then went on to form The Futants , playing drums and doing vocals with Stratocaster guitarist Michael Finley and Synthesizer player and song writer Martin Fischer from Berlin . The Futants took their basement forged brand of post punk - electro rock to a handful of gigs around NYC including a CBGB's Benefit w/ Material , Tier 3 and Squat Theatre's '24 hours of music' marathon.
Next Stuart hooked up with fellow Mudd Clubber, the bassist Ken Compton and when they found Michael Diekmann and Fred Szymanski the new group Ike Yard was formed. Group name came from a group cited in the "A Clockwork Orange" novel by Anthony Burgess. Their first gig saw Ike Yard opening for Lydia Lunch's then current group 13.13 and Suicide at the new club Chase Park . In 1981 Ike Yard recorded their first 12" EP "Night After Night" for the Belgian Crepescule label and gigged with label mates New Order at The Ukrainian National Home. Then in 1982 , Ike recorded their Album for Manchester England based Factory Record's Factory America label and gigged with Section 25 at the reopened Peppermint Lounge and Maxwells.
Returning to NYC by October 1983 , Stuart had written most of what would become the single for the new Dominatrix project and after doing a deal with NMS honcho Joel Webber's new Uproar label , went into Unique Studios to record with Ken Lockie ( ex - Cowboys International) and Ivan Ivan as Co Producers . The result was the #1 Club Record and Dance Classic "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" released on Uproar/Streetwise after Arthur Baker overheard the song while in Studio. WEA Int. released the 7" featuring a scratch mix by DJ Red Alert. The music video was directed by noted downtown Film maker Beth B , promptly 'banned from MTV' but eventually found a place in MOMA's Permanent Collection. Since 1996 "Sleeps Tonight" has been used, sampled and featured in tracks by UK top DJ Carl Cox , Munich's DJ Hell, UK's Junior Cartier and Puff Daddy & Mase ("Do It Again" on Mase's "Double Trouble") as well as being included on TommyBoy's "Perfect Beats Vol.2" Compilation in 1998 and Andy Weatherall's "Nine O'Clock Drop" on Nuphonic in 2000.
"Sleeps Tonight" enjoyed a very successful rerelease in fall of 2003 throughout Europe on DJ Hell's Int. DJ Gigolo Records label , was #1 on Euro Zzub Chart end of Jan. 2004 and features the excellent, floor filling Black Strobe remix . The Music Video will be featured on the Gigolo 150th special DVD release this summer , use as cell phone tone is pending and Stuart is working on new Dominatrix 12" and is planning to do a Dominatrix 'rare and unreleased' EP and all new Dominatrix Album.
After the release and success of "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by spring of 1984 , and ready to make a different kind of music , Stuart began to play with Michael and Shin in what became Arena Sex Death /Death Star Crew/Death Comet Crew - DCC . Bringing along DJ Ivan Ivan from the Dominatrix production to make a FX and electronic drums - guitar and FX plus DJ 4 piece , this still loose unit did it's first gig at The Pyramid Club in March 1984 and blew minds with it's heady mix of improvised and beat heavy music . The second gig at The Pyramid Club saw the crew settling in with new DJ High Priest (aka Nick Taylor , ex-Gray founder with Jean Micheal Basquiet ,'first white scratch DJ) and chewing up new ground as the DJ'd beats flew and the Crew threw down two jaw dropping sets that had the crowd screaming and wondering. DCC drew on these 3 earliest sets for the live material on the "This Is Riphop" Album ...
With Shinichi on bass , DCC went on to record the UK only released "At The Marble Bar" at Unique Studios with Ken Lockie. DCC did gigs throughout NYC with MC's Phase Two and The Rammellzee (veteran grafitti writer from the "Wild Style" and MC with K-Rob on the Jean Michael Basquiet exec produced hiphop classic release, "Beat Bop")
DCC got a tape to legendary Film maker Nicholas Roeg ("Performance" w/ Jagger, "The Man Who Fell To Earth" w/ Bowie , among other great movies) and got the call from Roeg's Producer Jeremy Thomas ("Last Emperor") in 1985 in order to make a licensing deal for the use of DCC's "America" in Roeg's next Film , "Insignificance" .
Recently, DCC got back together for Troubleman's Oct. 2003 CMJ Showcase and tore the house down with MC's The Rammellzee and Shockdell at The Knitting Factory show that had the town talking for the next two weeks , followed that up with a packed out party at Apt. that got all the hands in the air. The next week DCC went in and recorded basic tracks for a white hot , all new DCC Ep they are due to finish soon.
After DCC , Stuart worked on The Voodooists Haitian cyber voudou club music project with partner William Barg from 1988 through 1992 . The Voodooists were lucky enough to hook up with noted Filmmaker Johnathan Demme ("Stop Making Sense" , "Silence Of The Lambs" , among others) and their first track , "Queen Of Voudou" was place on Demme's "Married To The Mob" soundtrack and 7" single with a Deborah Harry song . The Voodooists went on to do a 12" Ep on Warlock Records in 1992 , and the "Video Voudou" LaserDisc released in Japan '92 through Toshiba /EMI.
True to form , Stuart returned to rock, albeit a darker , harder rok when he formed black rain with guitarist Shinichi Shimokawa in 1988 . This 4 piece heavy 'Misfits meets Einsturzende Neubauten' sounding group did a series of demos, self produced cassettes and blazed gigs through NYC from CBGB's , C Squat and the Anniversary of the Tompkins Square riots gig to opening for the notorious GG Allin's last show at the former Gas Station in the East Village. In a second phase from 1993, the group was commissioned to do the soundtracks for author William Gibson's 10th Anniversary Audio Book Edition of "Neuromancer" in 1994 (on Time Warner) as well as the original music for Robert Longo's "Johnny Mnemonic" movie (Sony/Columbia , w/ Keannu Reeves) in 1985 . Both The Voodooists and black rain rereleases are in the works.
In 1997 - 2001 Stuart was hired by ex Bowie synth guitarist Chuck Hammer to do Cable TV soundtrack work at NY Times TV . Supplying the beats and music that backed up The Learning Channel's 'Adrenalin Rush Hour' media blitz , the team went from doing one series to 6, eventually scoring 80 shows and recieving an Emmy nomination for work on the hit series "Trauma: Life In The ER" in 2001. Other TV soundtracks included NY Times "Science Times" , shows for Discovery's "On The Inside" series , Newsweek TV Ad spots for Asia, ESPN's first "The Season" and NYT/Granada TV's "World Birth Day".
In 2001 , he set out to curate and produce the "Nowthenafter" collection of underknown, unheard downtown electronic music Artists for Harvestworks .
In 2003 , Stuart remixed TUSSLE's "Don't Stop" for their EP on Troubleman Unlimited , the "DCC America" Ep on Troubleman was released to wide critical exclaim and recognition and "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" was rereleased on Gigolo.
During 2002 and 2003 Stuart Produced "Bi-Conicals Of The Rammellzee", the first Album for legendary Artist and MC The Rammellzee . Currently out on Munich's Gomma label. This future forward Album has gotten so much press in Europe with over 50 Reviews , features in UK's The Wire magazine , Russia's "You" , Sweden's "Sex" and many other magazines, fanzines and online publications. In addition we have been doing interviews with journalists around the world TV shoots for Germany and that's all still ongoing ...
* DJ High Priest . Nick Taylor had been a friend from the Mudd Club scene , a founding member of Gray with Jean Michel Basquiet and Michael Holman ,took part in Holman's TV pilot "Grafitti Rock" (looking totally killer in shades and an army hat)- and so by the time he hooked up with DCC , DJ High Priest had been spinning and doing legendary sets with MC's Phase Two , The Rammellzee and K-Rob , among others . Oh yeah, he was also the first white hip-hop DJ. Nick currently has his own Cable TV show on Public Access ("Outside My Window") and has a show of his early Mudd scene photography up in a Gallery upstate .
* The Rammellzee . Stuart had met Rammellzee way back in W Berlin 1983 at a grafitti art show at the Sylvia Menzel Gallery and made the call in 1984 to get Ramm for the 12" recording of DCC's "At The Marble Bar" . He is also known for his contribution to the track "Beat Bop" featuring J.M. Basquiat, and most widely known as a graffiti legend. He was in the legendary documentary Style Wars, and his work is still shown all over the world. He is a graffiti and hip hop pioneer, along with DCC.