Sperma: S/T 12″

Description

Brilliant archival reissue of late 70s Zuri-punk s/t 12″ ep by SPERMA. Originally released in 1979 on Another Swiss Label, the same genius which brought us so many of Switzerlands early punk releases, this reissue is like a magnifying glass overtop of the moments in Switzerland (and around the world) where punk was truly breaking ground internationally. This is dripping in delectable ineptitude all the way from the broken English I hope this works melody of No More Love to the textbook contempt for mainstream radio on Radio. All three tracks are overloaded with happy flare ups of singalong melody mixed with mindless and perfectly undeveloped rock and roll aggression. The light touch of the clean guitars being boiled in pummelling drums and loud bass feels like a clue to what the recording session might have been like, battling with an engineer inexperienced in the pneumatics of punk and insisting on quieter and quieter guitars to prevent too much sound bleed, or just an old amplifier pushed to its limits. Regardless, the magic is there and the songs are there. This new issue comes with a beautiful printed 20 page booklet with unseen photos, flyers, and moments otherwise lost in time. ( Dr. Jonah Falco )

Our take: Originally released in 1979, German label Static Age Musik has faithfully reissued the self-titled 12 EP by Swiss punk band Sperma. Over the course of their brief existence, Sperma released a handful of singles before disbanding in 1980. This eponymous 12 EP features 3 tracks of jangly guitar-laden, melodic punk tunes informed by the UK punk from that era. From a musical standpoint, Sperma doesnt sound too far off from a primitive version of Stiff Little Fingers. A song like Radio is more akin to the syrupy pop stylings of bands like Protex. My familiarity with the Swiss language limits my understanding, but the bands lyrics appear to be a confrontational commentary on a bleak, grey period. Im no expert on the state of living in late-70s Switzerland, but my brief research in attempting to translate the lyrics led me to envision the conjuring of a generations bitter perspective. The one song sung in English, No More Love, dismisses any relevance of the notion of peace and love from the lingering hippie generation. Lyrics in the other songs show contempt for the cultural assortment provided by mainstream radio or propose to eradicate the police state. The blending of all these elements makes for a charming snapshot of a young band who were perhaps underdeveloped as players, but were swept up by the energy and power of the burgeoning punk movement. The packaging on this Static Age reissue includes a 20-page booklet, which provides plenty of insight into the bands history as well as many unseen photos and flyers.