■ 第 一 質 料 M A T E R I A P R I M A

Prima materia, materia prima or first matter, is the ubiquitous starting material required for the alchemical magnum opus (The great work) and the creation of the philosopher's stone. l i n k

These recordings have been taken from the soundtracks to the shows 'Materia Prima', performed in Holland, Italy, Finland and Denmark, 1988-89, and the 'Unacceptable Face of Freedom', performed in London in 1986. This is a 'restricted issue'.


M ore expressly political than their German counterparts Einstürzende Neubauten, Test Department followed the same tack: A creative use of the ethos in which diverse objects can be used as instruments. Formed in London's New Cross in 1982 by Alistair Adams, Graham Cunningham, Tony Cudlip, Gus Ferguson and Paul Jamrozy, the quintet became renowned for the staging of huge multimedia events at obscure venues, and their political agenda, which has included action against apartheid, the rise of neo-Nazism and Britain's Criminal Justice Act.