Radio Tiranë

Robert Ehrlich

Cemental Health Records EEG03

All tracks written by Robert Ehrlich, © control P.I.S.S. Artists,
 except Bike (Syd Barrett, publisher unknown) and Kampfwagenschlacht (Ian Shuttleworth/Roy Watson, © control Anal Memoranda).

Produced by Robert Ehrlich except Kampfwagenschlacht, 
backing tape and live recording produced by Ian Shuttleworth.
Mastered January–April 1983 at Ghetto by Ian Shuttleworth.
Digitally remastered October 2004.

Cover by Robert Ehrlich.

This title (P) 1983, 2004 Cemental Health Records.

This album brings together for the first time a comprehensive selection of the electronic music of Robert Ehrlich.  The title track is mainly rock-influenced; the rest of the album shows the exploitation of more classical ideas.  With the exception of Kampfwagenschlacht and of occasional phrases on Bike, not one sound on the album is synthesized.

Radio Tiranë is not easy listening.  Give each piece time to unfold.  This isn’t a collection of three-minute tracks!

Vocals, spoken text and all instruments except where credited: Robert Ehrlich.
Harpsichord: Zuckermann (8’, 4’ and buff), 1978 • Bass guitar: Aria SB1000 • Synthesizers: Korg MS-10 (Bike and I.S. on Kampfwagenschlacht), Roland SH-101 (R.E. on Kampfwagenschlacht) • Distortion unit made by Nigel Greer • Tape decks: Pioneer CT-200 (cassette), Akai GCX-715D (cassette, final mix only), Sharp GF-777E (cassette, I.S. mastering and processing), Akai 4000-DS (open reel), Telefunken 200-TSE (open reel, reversed tapes only) • Amplification: Rotel RA-300 (El Phoenix... R.I.P.!), NAD 3020 (final mix), Rogers 300 (monitoring) • Headphones: Sennheiser 420, Yamaha (final mix, used in conjunction with Sennheisers) • Microphones: Panasonic.

Thanks to Ian.

This album is dedicated to some 300,000 political prisoners believed to be detained in Albanian jails.  Robert Ehrlich is a capitalist (democratic socialist, to be pedantic), and so is upset by any attempts to link him in any way with obscure little countries in south-east Europe.

Robert Ehrlich is a P.I.S.S. artist.

TRACK LISTING

  • Bike (1:23) (recorded 1981): Piano, synthesizer. Vocals Ian Shuttleworth.
  • RADIO TIRANË: Lest I Forget (8:44) (Spring 1982) Harpsichord (tape loops), tape machine feedback at 7½ips, vocals (tape loop) / Futility (5:50) (1981) Bass guitar feeding back (at low volume) through interlinked distortion/pre-amp/main amp units, vocals.  (Text Lewis Oriel, published Belfast 1980) / Consonance (5:53) (1980) Harpsichord (single taping with multiple tracking from master).
  • Bashkini (i Rinesë së Punës së Shqiperisë) (6:02) (Spring 1980): Harpsichord.
  • At The Denis (2:03) A high-speed processing of the title track, in reverse then forwards.  (Processed by ian Shuttleworth.)
  • Harpsichords 2 (8:45) (summer 1980) Harpsichord.
  • Dissonance (11:25) (Spring 1981) Harpsichord (multi-tracked).
  • Kampfwagenschlacht parts 1 & 2 / outro RADIO TIRANA [sic] live at Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast 11th December 1982 (10:38) Backing tape (bass guitar/synthesizer Ian Shuttleworth), synthesizers (Robert Ehrlich and Ian Shuttleworth).  Closing segment recorded from Radio Tiranë, Albania.