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The Dead C

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The Dead C
OriginDunedin, New Zealand
GenresExperimental rock, noise rock, free rock, drone music
Years active1986–present
MembersBruce Russell
Michael Morley
Robbie Yeats

The Dead C are a New Zealand based music/art trio made up of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats. Most often, Russell plays electric guitar, Morley sings and plays electric guitar or laptop, and Yeats plays drums.

Formed in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1986, the group is known for its lo-fi guitar soundscapes and improvisational take on rock music.[citation needed] Their first Auckland show was in 1989 at Russell Crowe's Venue. They became known internationally through their releases on the Philadelphia record label Siltbreeze, especially the 1992 double LP Harsh 70s Reality. Early, pre-Siltbreeze albums such as Eusa Kills and DR503 found the group still drifting between song-based work and the experimental free rock found in later albums including The White House and Tusk. Recent albums have seen the group add electronics and samples, yet still maintaining their origins in trademark hazy guitar chaos.[citation needed]

The group performs infrequently outside of New Zealand, although they did travel to the US in March 2002 to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival (curated by Sonic Youth), as well as a couple of gigs in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They also performed for the first time in Europe in May 2004 at Le Weekend, a new music festival in Stirling, Scotland and returned to the UK to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival again in December 2006. In 2008, they played a short tour in the United States, and returned to the UK to play All Tomorrow's Parties in December 2010.

A compilation album covering their first 18 years entitled Vain Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987-2005 was released on the Ba Da Bing! label in 2006.

Discography

Date of Release Title Label Charted Country Catalog Number
Albums
1988 DR503 Flying Nun Records - -
1989 Eusa Kills Flying Nun Records - -
1990 Trapdoor Fucking Exit Precious Metal - -
1992 Harsh 70s Reality² Siltbreeze - -
1992 Clyma est mort³ Siltbreeze - -
1995 The White House Siltbreeze - -
1996 Repent Siltbreeze - -
1997 Tusk Siltbreeze - -
2000 The Dead C Language Recordings - -
2001 New Electric Music Language Recordings - -
2003 The Damned Starlight Furniture Company - -
2007 Future Artists Ba Da Bing! - -
2008 Secret Earth Ba Da Bing! - -
2010 Patience Ba Da Bing! - -
2013 Armed Courage Ba Da Bing! - -
2016 Trouble Ba Da Bing! - -
Cassettes, singles & EPs
1987 The Dead See Perform M. Harris - cassette Diabolic Root - -
1987 43 Sketch for a Poster - cassette Diabolic Root - -
1988 The Live Dead See - cassette Xpressway - -
1989 Perform DR503B - cassette Xpressway - -
1989 The Sun Stabbed - 7" EP Xpressway - -
1990 Runway - cassette Precious Metal - -
1990 Helen Said This¹ - 33rpm 12" EP Siltbreeze - -
1991 Hell Is Now Love / Bone - 7" Siltbreeze - -
1991 Mighty / Power / Peace - 33rpm 7" EP Forced Exposure - -
1994 The Operation of the Sonne† - 33rpm 12" EP Siltbreeze - -
1994 Metalheart - 7" Precious Metal - -
2005 Split Series 18 (with Konono Nº1) - 12" Fat Cat Records - -
2006 Relax Fallujah - Hell Has Come - 7" Ba Da Bing - -
2007 Split LP (with Hi God People) Nervous Jerk Records - -
2013 The Dead C vs Rangda (split with Rangda) Ba Da Bing! - -
Compilations
1995 World Peace Hope et al. Shock - -
2006 Vain, Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987-2005 Ba Da Bing! - -
  • ²1500 copies made.
  • ³450 copies made.
  • ‡the covers were pasted over digipack sleeves of other Siltbreeze releases.

Singles

Year Single Album Charted Certification
1991 "Hell is Now Love/Bone" -
1991 "Power/Mighty/Peace" - -
1994 "The Dead C vs. Sebadoh" -
1994 "Metalheart" - -
1995 "Metalheart"
(reissue)
-
2000 "Stealth/The Factory" - -
2006 "Relax Fallujah Hell Has Come" -
2008 "Golden/Canine" -