Factrix, a San Francisco based trio formed by Bond Bergland, Cole Palme, and Joseph T. Jacobs (sometimes
assisted by Monte Cazazza), belong to the category of those long forgotten bands, which at their time
were precursors of a genre. Michael Moynihan and Storm Records have painstakingly researched and
assembled the material comprising the two discs of this complete retrospective of the brief existence
(1979 - 1983) of this grossly overlooked San Francisco band. The retrospective comes as two CDs, one
regrouping all the group's studio recordings and the second a collection of unreleased tracks, live
excerpts and a Velvet Underground cover ('Beginning to See the Light'). The CDs are presented in a
gatefold sleeve that is completed with a 24 page booklet containg photos, a period interview and
various liner notes.
Factrix used a drum machine, various homemade electronic devices, customised guitars, feedback...
to create a music that sounded like nothing else at the time, something that escapes all definitions.
Their songs are a noisy flow of gliding, oozing, organic layers of tortured sounds that explore the
limits of innovation and defy all the structural conventions of rock and pop. To a modern day listener,
the music will sound comfortably familiar to Glenn Branca, early Sonic Youth many other contemporaries,
but this only highlights the important influence/heritage of this seminal and unjustly forgotten
formation. An injustice that has now been repaired...
An indispensable (archive) release for any serious music historian/researcher.
Ian C.
Spring 2003
Distributed by Tesco Organisation.