V/A - Cease & Resist: Sonic Subversion & Anarcho Punk in the UK 1979-1986

"Anarcho punk was the one sub-genre of punk that emerged in isolation from the rock n' roll establishment. During its pioneering days of the early 1980s it thrived in opposition to the music industry, existing as a fiercely underground alternative to the bands, labels and venues of the commercialized mainstream punk scene. It continues to do so. Anarcho punk represented one of the last truly underground and autonomous music movements ever witnessed and remains a movement that has never sold out and has never gone away. The major differentiation between the anarcho punk acts and the more traditional punk outfits was that for the former, albeit often more due to musical limitation than intent, the message was more important than the music. Standard song structures were often dispersed with in favor of a relentless lyrical polemic accompanied by a similarly uncompromising aural assault. As the scene grew, so did the diversity of records that emerged under the anarcho punk umbrella: from D&V (drums & vocals) to the proto-EBM synth-pop of Belfast's one-man Hit Parade and the Dadaist Beefheart hybrid of The Cravats. In later days the two biggest acts of the scene, Flux of Pink Indians and Crass themselves, both released LPs which had more in common with improv Jazz than hardcore punk. The resounding victory of anarcho punk is that it is now the unifying soundtrack to a culture of resistance that spans Scotland to Indonesia and remains without compromise. It is still as removed from mainstream music and oppositional to conventional culture as it was over forty years ago and shows no sign of changing. Quite the opposite: the more popular anarcho punk becomes the less it has to engage with the music establishment and the more control it can enjoy. In 2023, that message remains as uncompromising as ever. This is a double vinyl retrospective compilation of some of the most radical music ever made, a musical force that changed lives. Covering the years 1979-86 and including classic tracks from Crass, Poison Girls, Flux Of Pink Indians, The Mob, Zounds, Annie Anxiety, The Ex, Alternative TV, plus ten more, all newly remastered by iconic punk mastering engineer Daniel Husayn. It has been lovingly compiled by JD Twitch and anarcho legend Chris Low and was ten years in the making. There are also a couple of previously unreleased mixes included. It comes as a high-quality double vinyl pressing, and has a full color sleeve with back and front images designed by the legendary Gee Vaucher. Also features Honey Band, Andy T, Alternative, The Apostles, Lack of Knowledge, Hagar the Womb, and Chumbawamba. Includes six-page fold out poster on one side with detailed sleeve notes, recollections and essays on the other side." - Optimo Music.