The Universal Cosmic Groove was a total freeform dada-anarchy radio show on WAMH (Amherst College radio - Amherst, MA) from 1992-1994, and is the analog precusor to the digital Weirdsville! randomcast. Inspired by Burroughs' cut-up theory and The Bowl, DJs Chris Larson, Mark Richards, Erik Amlee, Sean Ellia, and assorted cohorts (Hampshire students all) blazed a new trail of slackadelic improvisation and juxtaposed fucked-up-itude.
It was originally "The Hour of Slack", an hour of Chris and Mark's "normal" college radio show to be dedicated to homemade tape-collage and weird thrift-store Lps. Soon (like by the following week), the burden of having to actually plan and pre-record the Hour became way too much and the show devolved into a spontaneous, unrehearsed, overmixed aural stew. Preparation consisted only of vague themes and a few featured selections. Each DJ would carry in an armload of Lps that would form the audio pool, along with use of the extensive WAMH vinyl library. There were certain tracks that would be played on every show (Dick Hyman's "Legend of Johnny Pot" for example), but most records were new, some even unheard before the broadcast.
At worst, it sounded like tuning into six stations on the same frequency. At best, the random elements would converge into a semiotic orgasm, with each disc or tape informing and blending with the others to create a brain-blasting psychedelic montage.
UCG conspirator and Mayor of Weirdsville, Erik Amlee, recently unearthed the dusty tapes and relics, and is pleased to dedicate this archive to a remarkable piece of radio history.
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UCG #7: Revolution Now!
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Grand Funk - Lenny - Mothers - Chicago 7 - Just Say No - Deep Space - Beyond Unusual - Country Road - Dead Souls - ACtion - Oud - Strangely Ordinary - Beef - Star Trick - Sadie - I Like - Squid - Webhead - TG
Up Against The Wall, Motherfuckers! This single-sided Groove tape, provided by Prof. Mark Richards, takes you back to 1969 w/ the heaviest mothers on the scene. Yippies, Hippies, Freaks and Anarchists storm the studio and blaze a trail for the unending radio play about nothing.
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UCG #6: Bag
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Enfilade - Enfilade 2 - Slaughterhouse Voodoo - Janor Ugly - UFO - Brag
Assortment of short tracks, condensing the Groove into groovy bite-sized morsels. Somewhat organized with an emphasis on the horizontal, rather than vertical. For those who've been paying attention, see how many hidden sounds you can identify!
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UCG #5: Halloween
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boo: shiver - organ - nancy's pain - psy space - mommy's baby - imaginary shortwave - chiro myths - seance - mansion - spirits - meteorite - green hell - nightmare
who: graveyard rock - remus - john w. - beasts - experiments - every weekend - hypno - shaman - joint party - jap moog - god's trombones - kreskin
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UCG #4: Belly ov The Beast
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I girlland - swallow - good lookin - imagination - god - c- free - discipline - rock'n'roll religion - enchantment - rainbow - scared - bop - voodoo - witch - salt pancake - small jumps - u ooo ooo - warthog
II the problem - arch rival - cowboy hat - yellow sub - the thing - IRS - human animal - tubby - close2u - i'm alive - metal - snake - jet - eyes - george- pop bottles - dr. johnson - public tv - heart - apollo - free - girls - bros
Good, solid, working-man's UCG - no real leitmotiv but meanders thru an unending labyrinth of sound and context. The 2nd half, in particular, journeys thru a constantly shifting LP mosaic, as the engineers blindly slap on records in search of the Universal Cosmic Groove. Keep in mind that this was broadcast live on WAMH FM on Saturday Night, so many choices were designed to ambush the unsuspecting listener flipping around the dial.
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UCG #3: Golden Bough
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1 Golden Bough: pt 2 - mmm - jajouka - amy's wet spot - ahnold/miles - the boil - koreatown - dirty hairy - cop killer - shroud - drumkituva - surprise visit - habit - 1812 - it doesn't matter - be stoned - mancake - temptation
2 Sea: pacts with the devil - voodoo - hippies - amerikkka - 3 lil fishies - smoking - chilibean - wrestling - penis - rubber room - asia minor
3 Banshee: violince - banshee - hashishim - wcpaeb - chuck wood - montag - undifferentiated zebra puke - nothing - heroin
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UCG #2: Head
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The Monkees' Head provides the secret link in this installment of the UCG, weaving in and out of the sonic tapestry. Kind of like Dark Side of the Oz, this show was meant to be an alternate stoned soundtrack to the movie for those few illuminated listeners.
The Manson Family, Huckleberry Hound, Last Poets, Bogart, Tibetan monks freakin' at the Freaker's Ball, Boss Hog, and the hillarious Gabe Kaplan. Extra-special static mix provided for your listening pleasure...
"Can you dig it? Do you know?"
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UCG #1: The 'Hour of Slack'
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We inaugurate the series of historic Universal Cosmic Groove recordings with the first ever "Hour of Slack" in stunning, full-mono RealAudio. Though still traditional compared to what will come later, early elements and motifs of the UCG can be heard, from the overplayed Kreskin album to Robert Drasnin's "Voodoo" to 60's dope comedy and politics.
Sweat Loaf, Cheap Trick, the Brag of the Subgenius, Oscar the Grouch, and Cliff Burton...It's an ESP Party!
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