The Ing
From Intelligent Shit Music
Members
- DOKTOR opens his mouth.
- EGON plays the VCS3.
- JANSEN plays fills the bits inbetween the noise with anTEE-silenz.
- LEED uses elektrisitee.
- REGIS plays the VCS3.
- SHY plays the drums.
- Josef is their mentor.
An Explanation
The !ng are a creation of Josef that operates behind the facade of a six-piece ISM band. One of the few acts still operating under the subgenre of danceISM , the !ng are notable for placing a high priority on rhythm in their music, sometimes composing entire songs out of nothing but drum samples, and for constructing songs from 3 or 4 repetitive loops and spoken voice samples.
The song Timothy (Ginat Crab Dethh) was released as a sample in early 2005 and was well-received, leading some luminaries such as Viddy to enquire about a full-length release. Despite this positive reception, the first album, hAx0r dAx0r, was released little fanfare within the ISM community. A concept album about a child pornography ring broken up by a police investigation, the album's reputation has grown in stature and it has become something of a rare acquisition amongst the discerning ISM listener.
Undeterred by the neutral response to their debut album, the !ng quickly their sophomore release Mr Edmonds Goes On A Voyage Of Self-Discovery (And Sex Games) a week afterwards. The subject matter proved to be a more attractive prospect to both fellow artists and the wider listening community due to the lyrics concentrating on popular light entertainment presenter Noel Edmonds, rent-a-joke novelty character Mr Blobby and ITV's Gladiators, once again in a storyline-based concept album.
After a gestating period of nearly a month, Pornographie Pour Les Oreilles was released to significant acclaim. No longer limited by a loose concept, 'Pornographie' represented a clear attempt to combine the ISM ethic with an accessible mainstream polish. This was most noticeable on first single Hillbilly Rock 'N Roll which combined a catchy violin riff with jazz brushstrokes and cliched lyrics. Despite being well-received by the non-ISM community, there were few dissenters amongst the hardcore crowd who still found sufficient ISM hallmarks throughout the album. The number of outside samples utilised in the production of Pornographie was estimated at around 50, roughly 5 times more than either of the previous releases. After receiving a 9.3 in Viddy's Weekly ISM Score Index and becoming a fixture on local in-car student radio, the !ng begin planning a rarities compilation entitled Motha Crack Y'all Up and a fourth long-player, Alphabet Snoop.
Apart from a limited release of now-deleted outtake Gregarious Feesh! Feesh!, all recordings from this period were scrapped for undisclosed reasons. It would take nearly 2 years before the !ng would finally release their long-awaited fourth album, with friends of the band stating they would refuse to record until the situation was correct and they felt no pressure to recreate the success of Pornographie. A MySpace blog was set-up by the band in late 2006 when ideas were drawn up for what was originally titled Generation Errorists. Even after these infrequent updates from the band, recording on the album would not begin until June 2007 and would last until September. Originally intended to be 20 tracks and released in August 2007 to commemorate the birth of their spiritual advisor Josef, recording woes and long periods of fruitless mixing led the album to be delayed by a further two months.
On October 2nd 2007, the !ng finally released their fourth album, Tek War to the ISM community. Signalling a return to the more abrasive qualities of their early recordings, a clear krautrock and drone influence is prevalent throughout the album. Response so far has been mixed, although some sectors of the community have expressed that it is good that the !ng have returned after a perceived lull in ISM popularity.
Discography
- hAx0r dAx0r (2005)
- Mr Edmonds Goes On A Voyage Of Self-Discovery (And Sex Games) (2005)
- Pornographie Pour Les Oreilles (2005)
- Tek War (2007)
