Blatant Propaganda CD:

::: EYE : "Politics can be Fun - Volume 1" (1999) BPCD003

Electronica . Industrial . Acid . Drum N Bass . Propaganda Collages

image - Radio 4ZZZ-FM "album of the week"

CD cover image

This was EYE's first factory-pressed CD release. It received rave reviews as can be seen below. It sold out of the first pressing of 1000 within several months (without any live shows to promote it nor support from the national radio station "Triple J"). While the Australian government Radio Station JJJ, deemed the CD "...too political, too controversial..." to play, it became a favourite on many of the Community Radio stations around Australia, being "album of the week" on several.

TRACK-LIST:

1. Mandate!
2. Party Politicians part 1
3. Party Politicians part 2
4. (we need a proportional) House of Representatives
5. Respect the Mandate (aya mutation)
6. Goods & Services Tax
7. Puppets! (aya instrumental mutation)
8. In situ leach mining of Uranium by General Atomics at Beverley South Australia
9. Action = Life
10. Herd Under Social Hypnosis v.96
11. The Senate part 1
12. No Mandate
13. The Senate part 2
14. Transnational corporations own 90% of Australia, but pay less than 8% of the tax

PRICE:

SOLD OUT, Sorry! To be re-issued.

REVIEWS:

Blake Budak, The Canberra Times Newspaper December 99:

"... imagine a mix between N.I.N., the Chemical Brothers, Atari Teenage Riot, the Aphex Twin and Negativland..."

Gavin Dennet, BMA (Bands Music Action) magazine Canberra, Australia, July 1999:

"... intelligent propaganda... awesome sounds... stunning acid sequences, mind-blowing synths, spooky new wave vocals... over the top of diverse, sometimes harsh, electronic beats... of the highest order!"

From Last Sigh magazine 1999:

"... Eye is the politically charged industrial "acid grind core" band from Australia. Heralding their own political advocacy magazine, Blatant Propaganda, Eye has brought to the surface the lies and disillusions of the Australian Governments mandate and other sordid bureaucratic actions on Politics. The music on this release is as intense as are the issues, ranging from uranium mining (in a nuclear free country?), to the lack of transnational corporate tax revenue, and the means by which the government underhandedly passes mandates without House rule. An overall viewpoint that Australian citizens are for the most part sleeping in regard to such issues is also a theme.

Equally intense to the political expressions and views on this release is the music -- militant, electro-industrial, powerful and protesting, and at times dancy. There are actual samples/excerpts and discussions of politicians and political analysts talking on the tracks about the aforementioned issues. The last track is only a person(s) spoken word with treated vocals explaining the rip off by Transnational corporations of Australian taxes by their not paying their fair share, (ie. they own 90% of Australia, but only pay 8% of the tax!). Australians should be thoroughly pissed off about this and be protesting until these companies pay their fair share.

"Politics" is an incredible release, both in music and political issues in Australia. If you aren't interested in politics, I'd suggest picking up this release for the music. It's as twisted at times, as is the global corporate political agenda."

image - "album of the week"

DRUM Media Music Magazine Sydney, Australia. December 1999.

"original... punk ethic... tech-industrial... influences from acid to drum and bass ... atmospheric & spooky to in your face..."

The Australian Music Biz web-zine, December 99:

"... a fantastic piece of work... cutting edge... some great tracks here that would become favourites if radio has the guts to give them a spin. Top marks for standing up for what you believe in and top marks for a great industrial record."

Peter Still, "Woroni", student newspaper of the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, August 99:

"... 5 out of 5... tongue-in-cheek... a peculiar brand of unconventional but catchy, and often danceable, electronic music... clever, funny and politically aware... a sophisticated and mature work..."

Warren Wheeler, "Tertangala" student newspaper of Wollongong University, Australia, August 99:

"... an amazing record from start to finish... entertaining yet informative..."

Barry Bardoe, "Core" T.V. show, Channel 31, Melbourne, Australia, September 1999:

"... an awesome collection of hard-edged electronica, which cleverly employs samples to make a very perceptive statement about the Australian political landscape. Thought-provoking to say the least, this release, to me, holds the true spirit of industrial much more than the over-hyped N.I.N. and such like. In a word - ESSENTIAL!"

Starvox web-zine, USA December 99:

"... furious electronic beats... imminently listenable... strong, and challenging... raised my awareness. I now put out the challenge, for you to do the same. Your future is being engineered without your active input. One day you may awake to find we do in fact live in an Orwellian world after all."

Andrew Bunney, DB newspaper Adelaide, Australia, December 99:

"... chilling yet hilarious... intense... full-on techno... industrial sounds, samples and chants to make non-mainstream political statements... trance-inducing... intelligent and outspoken views... Their main thesis is that we should have fun but still resist the many forms of tyranny over our lives..."

Virus X, Adelaide, Australia, July 1999:

"... I bought the new NIN single today (huge NIN fan) and it paled next to your music. In other words, I'm very impressed!!!"

Electrozine web-zine, Singapore, November 99.

"... Acid-Trance-Industrial intermixed with Numanesque vocals... mixed to a hilarious and thought provoking crescendo!... pick this puppy up."

Time Off Music Magazine Brisbane, Australia, November 1999.

"... wet acid sounds, distorted house loops... AC/DC style guitar riffs..."

The Aether Sanctum eZine, 2001:

"The warning on the CD says "This product will cause thought". Strangely, it will. As you gather from the title, Eye, which hails from Canberra (the Australian Capital Territory, home to our parliament and its myriad politicians and bureaucrats) is highly political. And, if I might suggest, it's a little to the left. Or, a lot to the left depending on how you view the world. And it will certainly get you thinking about the political system of Australia, and any Westminster-based system. As such overseas listeners may find it a little parochial, but it shouldn't stop them enjoying the music. You have to love these song titles: "Mandate"; "Party Politics"; and "Transnational Corporations Own 90% of Australia But Pay < 8% Of The Tax" (although, to be fair the last sounds much like a politics paper parsed through an Apple Mac's highly amusing speech synth). Let's take some sample lyrics from "Party Politics Part 2" (and, yes, it's set to some cluttered, noisy and strangely workable music): "No political parties can be part of any democratic constitution because it is not possible for a party to operate democratically/ this is because the party's existence depends on the members agreement to vote along party lines/ a democratic illegality". More humour arises from the key track here (this release is really an extended play single) "Mandate". It features the smirking tones of well-known Australian current affairs host Kerry O'Brien, our very own Prime Minister John Howard (no, not the actor), Federal Opposition leader Kim Beazley, and Democrats leader Meg Lees. Fantastic. Even more fantastic, they've managed to combine unclean yet crisp electronics with a rappin' Johnny Howard! Any band which can do that, and come out with a song you can still dance too, must get my vote. Musically, Eye is a cluttered mixture of guitars, electronics and samples - which feels raw enough to be very cut'n'paste - just like ye olde industrial used to be. See, politics can be fun. And music can still make you think. "