''No Pasaran''

A Stateless Society

Sleeve - Front

Sleeve - Back

Vinyl - A & B sides. Some have pure white labels, others have cream-coloured labels. One of each is shown here. 

Poster / Insert - Front

Poster / Insert - Reverse: Republican Posters and Photos + Lyrics

Three Insert Variants:

Above: Big & Small on glossy paper

Above: Big and small glossy again - the small one is single-sided

Xerox insert

Flyers: Some copies have a small flyer advertising Deranged Records Releases - two examples are shown above, the bottom one has the label-owners 'want list'.

Stats:

General:
Tracks: No Pasaran B/W Circling The Drain
Released: 2002
Label: Deranged Records D-030
Matrix A: DERANGED YOUTH-30-A
Matrix B: DERANGED YOUTH-30-B

Pressing Info:
First Press of 900 or maybe 1100 (Out of press)
Approx 50 with colour photocopied sleeves
Approx 20 with large spindle hole
7 Test Presses.

Inserts:
Three different inserts. 1.Gloss, double sided poster ('Regular' insert). 2.Xerox, double sided poster (same as gloss) 3. Small single sided Xerox paper. (1)
Some also have Deranged Records flyer advertising contemporary releases (various designs)

Variants:
Regular sleeve
Xerox sleeve
Large spindle hole

Xerox Sleeve (RHS): Image is cropped a little differently and is more xeroxy. Also the "B/W" text band in the top right corner of the xerox version is all white, rather than white with black patches.

Notes 1: No Pasaran

''The clip is from the movie Land and Freedom, the 2nd best movie about the Spanish Civil War, and is supposed to be a really stirring intro to the song about the same topic. We've played this song less than 10 times ever, the last being in Barcelona, where we thought it would be appropriate, but was actually just kind of tacky....we generally have weird feelings about this track now.'' (2)


No Pasaran Documentary:

No Pasaran / They Shall Not Pass from Yoav Segal on Vimeo.

(Spoiler: Franco prevailed and replaced the democratically elected government with dictatorship, began executing his opponents and carried on doing so until his death in 1975, by which point Spain's economy had integrated into the western capitalist framework).


Francoist Spain (Cropped from Wikipedia)Francoist Spain, also historically known as Nationalist Spain during the Spanish Civil War, refers to the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975 when the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco took control of Spain from the government of the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.
The coup had the support of most factions sympathetic to the right-wing cause in Spain including the majority of Spain's Catholic clergy, the fascist-inclined Falange, and the Alfonsine and Carlist monarchists. The coup escalated into a civil war lasting for three years once Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany agreed to support Franco starting with airlifting of the africanistas onto the mainland. Other supporters included Portugal under Antonio Salazar, while the presentation of the Civil War as a "crusade" or renewed reconquista…

The Francoists took control of Spain through a comprehensive and methodical war of attrition which involved the imprisonment and executions of Spaniards found guilty of supporting the values promoted (at least in theory) by the Republic - regional autonomy, liberal or social democracy, free elections and women's rights. The rightists considered these "enemy elements" to comprise an "anti-Spain" that was the product of a "Judeo-Masonic" conspiracy, along with Bolsheviks, which had evolved after the reconquista of Spain from the Islamic Moors, a reconquista that had been declared formally over with the Alhambra decree of 1492 expelling the Jews from Spain.

For nearly twenty years after the war Francoist Spain presented the conflict as a crusade against Bolshevism in defence of Christian civilization. In Francoist narrative, authoritarianism had defeated anarchy and overseen the elimination of "agitators", those without God and the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy… This discourse obscured the social roots of the war and analysis of its origins. Many Spanish children grew up believing the war was fought against foreigners; the painter Julian Grau Santos has said "it was instilled in me and I always believed that Spain had won the war against foreign enemies of our historic greatness. (3)

Notes 2: Circling The Drain

From 2001 Interview:
What is your favourite song from a lyrical standpoint and why?
Mike: Mine is ''Circling The Drain'', which is a theme that developed from the summer I had. I just had the worst summer ever and whatever could go wrong did go wrong and things kept getting worse. (4)

From March 2010:
This song stood out for us because it was not fast. That's pretty much it. Also we still play this song almost 10 years later. (5)

Sleeve Notes:

Front Cover: Original photo-montage by John Heartfield.

John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a pioneer in the use of
art as a political weapon.

While living in Berlin, in 1917, he anglicized his name from "Helmut Herzfeld" to "John Heartfield," an English name to protest against the anti-British fervor sweeping Germany. In 1916, crowds in the street were shouting, "Gott strafe England!" ("May God punish England!"). (3)

"No pasarán. Pasaremos." (They shall not pass. We will pass) Two Nationalist vultures (i.e. condors), one with a swastika and the other with the Falangist symbol look out over Madrid. Republican bayonets point at them from below.

Heartfield's photo-montages satirising Adolf Hitler and the Nazis often subverted Nazi symbols such as the swastika, in order to undermine their propaganda message. (3)

''The Cross Was Not Heavy Enough''. Positive Christianity. Nothing to do with the ''No Pasaran'' 7", but included because it might be topical...




More Heartfield images HERE.

No Pasaran's reproduction of Heartfield in monochrome is also a nod to seminal UK band Discharge

''After the total disaster known as the first Fucked Up 7" which was a black and white mess, Mike has really improved his layout skills''
(Damian speaking in interview with NOT A GAME Fanzine)

Commodity Fetishism:

Cassette - more info HERE

Approx 20 were 'accidentally' made with large spindle holes.

Test Press - blank labels + xerox sleeve

Test Press - hand-written (misspelt) labels

(1) Discogs

(2) Notes from Fucked Up ''Couple Tracks'' LP

(3) Wikipedia

(4) Equalizing x Distort Zine Issue 1

(5) Looking For Gold Blog

''Dance of Death''

THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED

(Message on reverse of sleeve)

Sleeve - Front

Vinyl - Side A: Repress on Left, Original Press on right - Repress has larger text

Vinyl - Side B: Repress on Left, Original Press on right - Repress has larger text

Sleeve Folded Out - Front

Sleeve Folded Out - Back

Flyer: 
Some copies have a small flyer advertising Deranged Records Releases, the above picture shows 3 examples.

Stats:

General:
Tracks: Dance of Death B/W Zezose
Released: 2004
Label: Deranged Records DER-52 (1st Press) DER-52 RE (Represses)
1st Press Matrix A: DERANGED YOUTH-52-A
1st Press Matrix B: DERANGED YOUTH-52-B
Repress Matrix A: DY#52-A    GOLDEN
Repress Matrix B: DY#52-A    GOLDEN

Pressing Info:
First Press of 1000 Nov 2003
Second Press of 500 Jan 2005
Third Press of 1000 Nov 2005 (same plates as above)
*8 Test Pressings for first press in manilla sleeve/numbered (1)
10 Test Pressings for repress
*Probably actually 7 - see pics at end.

Inserts:
Some (usually 1st press) also have Deranged Records flyer advertising contemporary releases (various designs)

Variants:
First Press
Repress (Slightly different labels and matrix, see above)



Notes:

From promotional info:
The title track features guest vocals by Ben Cook from NO WARNING, and VIOLENT MINDS (2)


From Epics in Minutes CD notes:
We wrote this at the same tome as ''Police'' but let it just incubate for a year and a half until Iron Maiden released an album of the same name. We went back to Audiolab and got Ben Cook From No Warning to come in and do back ups at 2am.


Extract From MRR Interview with David Eliade (2004):

OK switching gears, what is Dance of Death about?

Well that song sort of deals with the same shit – its about like the imperialist lifestyle and how its been perfect and reproduced to such a dazzling extent, that people within it are convinced that it is the best way, and that they love it. Its like Stockholm Syndrome, when a captive begins to love and revered the captor. The Harbinger’s spiders laid their eggs inside all of our heads, and convinced us to keep dancing in the muck, because we love it. We love smoking and eating non-food, so we love cancer. We love making money and cheating, so we love crime. We love TV and novels, so we love being stupid. We love war and punishment so we love pain. We love life, so we love death. (3)

Extract From Scene Point Blank interview (2006):

It seems like a lot of your lyrics use a classic rhetorical strategy where you talk over an audience's head in hopes that they'll educate themselves. This is fairly uncommon in the broad world of punk, which is usually much more didactic; what's the rationale behind this and what kind of responses have you seen?

10,000 Marbles: I just write how I'd like lyrics to appear. We don't want to tell anyone what to think, really, I just like my lyrics to rhyme, use interesting imagery and words, and be about interesting topics. I'm not in this to spread any particular worldview. And yeah, when we do have particularly objective topics, they're usually tucked inside a metaphor, so the song is more interesting and you aren't hit upside the head with rhetoric. I had militarism in mind when I wrote "Triumph of Life," and smoking when I did "Dance of Death," but I like being discreet, you know? (4)

Sleeve Notes:

Sleeve - Front: 

From Essay by Evan Blanco: The cover is the Alfred Kubin sketch “Sterbendes Mädchen” [“Dying Girl”] from his Dance of Death series of sketches.14 The sketch shows a girl sitting in a chair with a downward glance as the spectre of death looms over her right shoulder. As death reaches out to clutch the left wrist of the girl, she offers no recourse nor wanting. She is totally complicit with the end of her own life. This relates to the message conveyed by “Dance of Death” in the sense that the individual is complicit with the death of their individuality or ability to self-determine. (5)

Sleeve - Reverse: 'The Calavera of Don Quixote' by  Jose Posada 

Jose Posada (1852-1913)

Posada, Jose Guadalupe - Mexican engraver and illustrator. Born into a peasant family in Aguascalientes, he was an apprentice lithographer at the print shop of Trinidad Pedrozo. His first illustrations were for Pedrozo's radical weekly El Jicote (The Wasp, 1871), but after 11 issues the magazine was closed down by the authorities and Posada was forced to flee with his employer to Leon in Guanajato. Here he taught and published lithographs, and in 1888 was able to set up his own print shop in Mexico City. He began to illustrate Antonio Vanegas Arroyo's broadsheets of sensational news stories (accidents, executions and natural disasters) and urban myths (women giving birth to animals or turning into fireballs). In 1895 he began to etch on zinc, which became his preferred rnediurn. Despite a vast popularity; he died in poverty in Mexico City.

Posada was a model for the Mexican muralists as a popular artist producing vivid and simple images in a distinctively non-European mode with strong elements of political satire. He is best known for his calaveras, witty images of skeletons performing the rituals and pleasures of everyday life. Often dressed in bourgeois finery, they mock the pretensions and vanity of the living. (6)

Commodity Fetishism:

Test Press 5/7 (First Press)
Note 'Pickering Dot' below spindle hole, indicating these were probably pressed at the Pickering Plant in Canada

Test Press 7/7 (First Press)

Test Press (Re-press) 6/10
Pressed by United, probably following closure of Canadian pressing plant

(1) Looking For Gold Blog
(2) Deranged 

(3) MRR Interview - on Looking For Gold Blog
(4) Scene point Blank Interview - on Looking For Gold Blog
(5) 'The Hidden World: The Visual Culture of Fucked Up' Essay by Evan Blaco
(6) The Bullfinch Guide to Art History

Sugar Daddy Live Split Series # 8(Split With Melvins)

Front:
Package comprises the  above silk-screen print, with the record behind, both housed in a clear polyvinyl sleeve.

Back:
The print has the 'series number' (8) stamped on the reverse. The polyvinyl sleeve allows the record to be seen.

Stats:

Tracks:

Side 1: 21st Century Cling-Ons  - Performed by FU

Side A: Rat Faced Granny (Live) - Performed by Melvins

Released: 2013
Label: Amphetamine Reptile Records  Scale 133
Matrix A: 12-0604 A K SST NOISELAND MPO
Matrix B: 12-0604 B K SST NOISELAND MPO
Pressing Info: 700 copies
Inserts: No regular insert
Variants: No variants



Notes:

21st Century Cling-Ons - Announcement on LFG (Feb 26 2013):
So we did that split with The Melvins and we did a new song for it, recorded maybe 2 years ago? Probably not that long ago, but long enough that I can't remember how long ago exactly. A long time. We didn't sound like this last time you heard us, and we don't sound like this anymore either, so kind of while we were on hiatus we developed a new style for a few days, wrote this song and then ditched it. Anyways, stream "21st Century Cling-Ons" on Pitchfork HERE.

Sugar Daddy Live (From Wikipedia):

Sugar Daddy Live is a live album by the American band Melvins. It was released on May 31, 2011. The songs are taken from their 2008 tour, with the majority of the tracks coming from their two most recent studio albums at the time. All thirteen songs were released as split 12" singles with bands selected by the Melvins for a split series. Though some of the bands are submitting new material, others like The U-Men and the Cows are submitting previously released material due to being defunct bands. Off! was the first band in the series to have new material submitted with Butthole Surfers (Although their tracks are unreleased live songs) being the second. Die Kreuzen, Negative Approach and The Necros are all on one split under the title "Midwest Hardcore". 

Sugar Daddy Splits vol. 8 w/Fucked Up  (From Am Rep Shop):

The eighth release in this 13 volume series has Melvins "Rat Faced Granny" (live from Sugar Daddy LP) on the A-Side and Side One with Fucked Up's "21st Century Cling-Ons".
Mackie designed silk screened sleeve by Obsolete Industries. Hand stamped Vol. # on back side. This comes in a heavy duty 8mil polyvinyl sleeve (made for picture discs so you get to view your purdy splat color vinyl).

Screen shot - Am Rep shop

''Here Lies Are''(Split with Serena Maneesh)

Once you saw the ripe fruit / Now all you see are the flies... 

Sleeve - FU Side:
Photograph taken by Sandy Miranda

Sleeve - Serena Maneesh Side

Vinyl - FU Side

Vinyl - Serena Maneesh Side

Stats:
General:
Tracks: Here Lies Are / Opium Priest (Performed by Serena Maneesh)
Released: 2010
Label: Best of Both Records: BOBR1003
Pressing Info: 1000 *See insert note

'Norwegian / Euro Version':
Matrix A: 108922 A1 KM
Matrix B: 108922 KM B1

'Canadian / North America Version'
Matrix A: AR-16928-A
Matrix B: AR-16928-B

Inserts:
Norwegian version: 2 inserts - a hand-numbered picture-card and an A4 photocopied lyric sheet
Canadian version:  1 large insert on glossy paper, combining the info / text of the above.

*The insert in the Norwegian version is numbered out of 1000; it's unclear if there were 1000 of each version or if there were 500 of each and the Norwegian inserts were intended to be numbered only as far 500/1000.



Variants:
Norwegian Version
Canadian Version

Sleeve Variants:
Left: Norwegian sleeve is slightly smaller and the print is less sharp
Right: Canadian sleeve

Inserts  - Norwegian Version:
Top: Photocopied A4 sheet with lyrics and credits (single sided)
Bottom: Small card with toddler image

Inserts  - Norwegian Version:
Top: As above (reverse of sheet is blank)
Bottom: The picture cards are numbered on the reverse out of 1000

Insert - Canadian Version (front):
Glossy paper with same image as Norwegian card

Insert - Canadian Version (back):
Lyrics / credits - the original version is not much easier to read...

Notes:

Best of Both Records:
This label appears to be no longer operational; the following is taken from their FB Page:

About:
Best Of Both Records releases limited runs of split singles on quality vinyl 

Mission: To create a crossover between Toronto and Oslo music scenes, establishing a trans-continental link between the two communities providing larger exposure, creating a larger market, and developing diversity of alternative music in both cities. Essentially, to create links between artists and fans in both cities through any effective means available (booking, distributing records, podcasting, sharing of resources, guest bedrooms etc.). 

Company Overview: We are an independent record company based in Toronto (Canada)/ Oslo (Norway) that releases split 7" records showcasing some of the best artists from both cities. We print small to medium run limited edition vinyl with regional distribution to independent records stores offering artists locally based promotion and a more focused and personal type of international promotion.

Mixtape 4 Inlay Notes:
1) “Here Lies Are” From the split 12” with Sareena Maneesh
Here's another tasty little nugget. This was recorded forever-ago, but it still feels like a new song. Looking back at liner notes is a real time warp. This was done in November 2009, about a year after ChemCom came out, during the sessions that produced “Year of the Ox” and the Davids Plan 7”, amongst other things. A real check-off session, where after leaving songs and ideas simmer for a bit too long, you rush in and record everything at once before you have to leave again. In this case, we were cramming to get the 7” out before Christmas, since it was a holiday benefit record, and this 12” released in time to meet us for a tour in Europe. We're perpetually late on the Zodiac 12”s, so there was no real time-crime happening there, because we dust-binned the cycle a long time ago. This song was written in about 5 minutes. Every once in a while the practising and writing is at such a fever pitch that it overtakes you completely, and the only relief from writing is to also write, but of something of lesser value. Our respite from the gruelling work of doing Year of the Ox was to just bust out a really fast song and throw it on a single with a band we'd never met (but who are cool). I actually did end up meeting one of the dudes in this band, at a Carl Craig show in NY for some reason, at 4am. He was wearing a sailor hat.


Lyrics:
From the first moment I met you / I feared this day would come / When I went from your only / To the person that you shunned / Familiarity breeds contempt, and over time / No one is heaven sent / I was never heaven sent / We sit across the table / Exchanging silent stares / Now that the affair is over / There's no need to put on airs / Familiarity breeds contempt, and over time / No one is heaven sent / I never claimed to be heaven sent  / You're the one that was heaven sent / I'm not heaven sent / Once you saw the ripe fruit / Now all you see are the flies / Where once you heard the truth / Now all you hear are lies / The pendulum has swung / And we watched it as we went / As we brace for the backlash / I'm not the one who changed.





Sleeve Notes:
'Inside of fig': In ancient times the fig was a euphemism for female genitalia. Does the fig have any bearing on the lyrical themes, other than simply being 'ripe fruit'? At this stage in the discography, it's fair to wonder if the lyrics are a straight-forward 'end of relationship' type song, or is it some biblical / Jesus / original sin / loss of faith metaphor? Probably the former...

But what has the toddler on a lead / bomb-fin bollard thing got to do with anything?

Commodity Fetishism

Test Pressing - Canadian Version
Originally bought in the now defunct 'Hits & Misses' Store RIP

PMP Shortlist Surprise (Split with Yamantaka // Sonic Titan)

Sleeve-Front:
The same generic sleeve was used for four different records, hence the surprise.

Sleeve-Reverse:
Similar to front, but with French text

Vinyl - FU Side:
Orange(y) with slight marbling.

Vinyl - Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Side

Stats:

General:
Tracks: What Would You Do? (For Veronica) B/W Queens (Performed by Yamantaka // Sonic Titan)
Released: 2012
Label: Polaris Music Prize PMP1008
Matrix A: PMP1008-A R-26421
Matrix B: PMP1008-B R-26422
Pressing Info: 350 (From correspondence with promoter)
Inserts: No regular insert
Variants: No variants



Notes:

General:

This was one of four different split 7"s, featuring some of the bands nominated for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize. The records all came in a generic PMP jacket, so you don't know which split you are getting. Given away in Canadian record shops as part of the PMP promotion.

From Promotional Post on Polaris Blog (Aug 02 2012):

Get Free Vinyl And A Chance To Go To The Polaris Gala

TORONTO, ON – Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Polaris Music Prize is pleased to announce the return of the surprise split 7” series, sponsored by Scion. Purchase any one of the ten 2012 Polaris Music Prize Short List artists' albums (cd or vinyl) at any of the participating retailers (listed below) and you will be given a surprise split 7”. The instantly collectible unmarked limited edition 7” will feature one Short List artist on each side.

The releases will come in the following splits:

Grimes / Handsome Furs
Kathleen Edwards / Cold Specks
Japandroids / Cadence Weapon
Fucked Up / YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN.

Dirtbombs / Split (Bruise Cruise Volume 8)

Sleeve - FU Side

Sleeve - Dirtbombs side

Vinyl - FU side

Vinyl - Dirtbombs side

Sleeve - Folded Out:
Sleeve printed on shiny card, blank on reverse.

Stats:

General:
Tracks: I Hate Summer B/W If Can Can Can't We (Performed by The Dirtbombs)
Released: March 1, 2012
Label: Bruise Cruise Records BCR008
Matrix A: U-66229M-A BCK-008-453-0/4
Matrix B: U-66229M-B BCK/008-453-0/4
Pressing Info: 800, or maybe 500
Inserts: No regular insert
Variants: No (known) variants




Notes:

''I Hate Summer'' recorded live at KEXP Seattle 2009. Given away as part of Bruise Cruise holiday.

From Insound:
This year's new 4-record series promoting the Bruise Cruise. Each release will feature 2 artists performing on the 7-inch and is limited to 800 copies (300 to Cruise attendees - 500 available to retail stores).

Promotional info, HERE includes rejected? sleeve art:

From FPH Bruise Cruise Review:
There were roughly 2000 passengers on board; only 500 were “Bruisers” who paid double that of the regular cruisers. The 500 consisted of: bands, press, and fans who have a reckless attitude toward their net worth. We were a strange upper-class, pressing every luxury forward. So, why did we do it?

I had hoped for sociological theatre, but that didn't happen. From all reports, last year’s inaugural cruise had a much more mischievous stripe running through it. I suppose that most thought it was an enchanted one-off and treated it as such. If last year was about reckless conquest, this year was about nesting and making sure that we could all do it all again.

The apathy of the other cruisers was welcome company to a crowd hailing mostly from the twitching hyper-informed city of Brooklyn, which was recently described to me as the “Hollywood of music”. I've also never seen bands look more content or relaxed. The weekend was , after all, a vacation from their tours.

The most important thing to note is that there was virtually no phone service or Internet available for the entire trip, and I never heard anyone complain. This became what really made this festival truly special. The crowd was not watching the shows through a sea of raised iPhones, and then scrambling to post their “footage”; they were actually present, together, sharing an experience. This festival didn't need to be validated by the Internet; it was valid on its own.

Relearning Web-less human interaction is pretty easy in a formalized setting that is built only for drinking, eating, fucking, swimming, and going broke. These are all themes that have a significant place in rock-and-roll culture. This irresponsible electricity in an exclusive environment, away from the bad noise of the world came to feel, for lack of a better term…punk.

There is a heavy irony in the idea that independent music culture has become so over-saturated, dangerously accessible, and embedded in the marketplace, that one of the last places it can still get enough room to breathe is in the staged-and-staffed, faux opulence of a “luxury” cruise liner.

The Bruise Cruise was a savage vacation that reminded me how great it is to see a show, and the human connection that makes me come back.