Ike Yard – Night After Night, Sense of Male, Infra-Ton // Cherish, Motiv (Les Disques Du Crepuscule) 1981. Another classic that has been re-released and repackaged with other releases on Dan Selzer’s amazing Acute Records label. This first EP from the NYC No Wave band Ike Yard is unlike almost anything you have ever heard before. Released in 1981, Ike Yard appeared at the tail end of the No Wave movement with other bands like The Lounge Lizards, ESG, Bush Tetras and Golden Palominos. By this point, the scraping guitars found on early DNA and Teenage Jesus records that symbolized the no wave sound were replaced by bass, and lots of it. In this sense, Ike Yard is most similar to ESG. However, Ike Yard more than any other act, used the studio as another instrument and in this sense, the band almost sounds like dub. Or a dub approximation of No Wave. The most overwhelming feeling one gets from Night after Night is an ominous one. It’s the sound of night and empty city streets. Of steam coming out of the sewers and moonlight shining on empty industrial buildings. Ike Yard captures New York City at a certain time and place better than any postcard could and they do it purely with sound. I encourage adventurous souls (and really, if you’re reading this blog, that means you) to order 1980-81 Collected from Acute Records. It collects, for the first time, Ike Yard’s two releases (their Factory LP and this EP recorded for Les Disques du Crepuscule) plus several previously unreleased tracks. You will not regret it.
Hardcore Podcasts
September of 2010 I put together eight Hardcore Podcasts. You can check them out here if you are interested. For more insight into how I came up with the years 78-90 for the First Wave you can read about The Hardcore Superiorty Myth.
Hallo Last Days
Thank you for the well put reveiw of the first Ike Yard EP.
Not so many people caught it the first time around, we think many more found the rerelease or the cuts on NY Noise 3.
Now there will be the new 10″ coming up with new album to follow.
So if you do like the previous work, you wil probably like the new stuff !
Will be on Denmark’s Phisteria label.
Stuart for IY
Stuart…please send along a copy when you have it ready. I am sure it will be awesome. This Ike Yard release has slowly grown on me over the years. Its very subtle stuff.