'Rembrandt Pussyhorse' and 'PCPPEP' among the first remasters to emerge.
Matador is reissuing a number of key releases by the legendary Butthole Surfers, bringing their strange and grotesque world to a new generation.
The Texas band were formed by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981 and incorporated elements of psychedelia, noise rock, and punk as well as their use of sound manipulation and tape editing. The band also included second drummer Teresa Nervosa, who passed away last year.
A brief San Francisco performance was witnessed by Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys frontman and Alternative Tentacles overseer invited the Butthole Surfers to open for Dead Kennedys and T.S.O.L. at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go. Biafra subsequently put out their debut EP.
Forced Exposure writer and critic Byron Coley said: “The early-mid ’80s had their share of insane combos – The Birthday Party, Black Flag and Minor Threat had the raw power to melt your mind in seconds. SWANS, Einsturzende Neubauten and Big Black created enough overwhelming sonic pressure their sounds might actually flatten you.
“And Sonic Youth displayed such a dizzyingly unpredictable mix of art, pop culture and violence you’d sometimes leave their shows drooling. The Buttholes shared elements with all of these groups, but added a wild psychedelic edge and a propensity for bizarre spectacle.”
Matador’s remastered reissues begin with ‘Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac’, ‘Rembrandt Pussyhorse’, and ‘PCPPEP’, which have already hit streaming services with vinyl to follow on March 22.
Then, in addition to 1983’s ‘Butthole Surfers’ EP (plus PCPpep), ‘Pioughd’ + ‘Widowermaker!’, ‘Humpty Dumpty LSD’, ‘Hairway To Steven’, and ‘Locust Abortion Technician’ will follow.
In addition to the reissue campaign, a feature length documentary about the band is scheduled to premiere later this year.
Main Photo Credit: Pat Blashill
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