Monadology (Revisited) by A Handful of Dust

At various times in the early twenty-first century we tried to interest labels in a compilation of Dust recordings from the 1990s. Versions were compiled and proposed under various titles riffing on 'Monadology', in anything from one to three discs. Generally the labels would fold into insolvency on being offered this project for release. Eventually a deal was struck with the inestimable Thin Wrist imprint, but the requirement was that previously-released material be avoided as much as possible and the spread of time be as broad as possible. So that was really a different beast - eventually it became 'Dragging Her Wings of Rusty Knives'. The tracks compiled here would have been included in the original project - hence 'Monadology (Revisited)'.

These represent the trio version of Dust in the first flood of its activity. Peter Stapleton's unstoppable beat underpins everything here. Tracks 1 and 3 were recorded at the Empire Tavern, Dunedin 8 April 1994, track 2 at the Dux de Lux in Christchurch 17 August 1995, and track 4 at the Wharf Hotel Dunedin 10 February 1995. All tracks previously released (in full or in part) in various hard to find formats.

A Handful of Dust are an improvised noise group consisting of a core duo of Bruce Russell and Alastair Galbraith. Formed originally in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1984, they have released a number of full-length albums on labels such as Corpus Hermeticum, Thin Wrist and Freeway Sound. From 1993 to 2020 they were also frequently joined by the late Peter Stapleton playing percussion and electronics.

Thin Wrist Recordings
alastair galbraith
Bruce Russell
The Dead C
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