KAOS
Komplete KAOS (Artifix)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

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I remember when I first heard KAOS, on the legendary What is It? compilation along with other greats from the same era: the Dils, Controllers, Eyes, Germs, etc. Their two songs, "Top Secret" and "Auto Pilot," won me over, and I soon tracked down a copy of their lone What? Records EP with "Alchoholiday," "Top Secret" and "Iron Dream." Some twenty years later and I'm spinning this newly released compilation of KAOS stuff culled from primitive 4 and 6 track sessions. KAOS was formed by Johnny Stingray, who had also been in the excellent Controllers (also on What?), along with Amy Wichmann on bass (later a guitarist in the Jeff Dahl Group), Lisa Adams on second guitar and various drummers, including Metal Mike Saunders (of Vom and Angry Samoans fame), Pete Curry and Mystery Ron. None of the actual EP recordings are including, although different versions of those songs are, as well as a slew of other great ditties. Songs like "Cone of Silence" (yes, Stingray had a real "Get Smart" obsession!), "Nuclear Nightmare," "I Don't Want To" and "I Don't Mind I." There's also some choice covers like "White Light/White Heat," a radically rearranged "Memphis," the Stones' "Dead Flowers" (here titled "Roses On My Grave") and the Germs' "Forming" done as a surf-like instro! At the end is a rather hilarious radio interview, and the enhanced section has a clip of the band performing "Nuclear Nightmare" live on New Wave Theatre circa 1980.

[Pick this up at www.artifixrecords.com.]

© 2004 - Alan Wright