Formed in 1973, Smegma have spent the past 49 years proudly flying the freakdom flag, influencing several generations of underground communities in the process. They’ve been a mainstay of every vital incarnation of noise for the past five decades – outsider free improvisation, punk, 80’s cassette underground, 90’s/00’s weirdo noise underground, etc. While resolutely forward looking, their sound is also deeply informed by the rich history of 20th century American music. Their brand of vernacular avant-garde draws as much from the likes of Charley Patton, Art Tatum and Sidney Bechet, as it does from Harry Partch and John Cage.
This CD is an expanded reissue of the cassette first issued on Pigface Records in 2015, which documented the earliest recordings of Smegma performing live as part of the Portland punk rock / new wave scene (Myrtle Tickner, Jerry A. and Pig Champion from Poison Idea would all later go on to play with the band at various stages throughout the 80’s and 90’s). Also included are the complete Flashcards and Disco Diarrhea 7″s, both originally self-released on Pigface Records in 1979.