Bongwater evolved in New York, USA, in 1987 when (Mark) Kramer (guitar), formerly of Shockabilly and the Butthole Surfers, joined forces with vocalist/performance artist Ann Magnuson. The pair were already acquainted from the latter's previous group, Pulsallama, and the new act was one of the first to record for Kramer's Shimmy-Disc label. The duo completed their debut EP, Breaking No New Ground, with the help of guitarist Fred Frith, and its content ranged from original material to a reconstructed interpretation of the Moody Blues' "Ride My See-Saw". The expansive Double Bummer introduced Dave Rick (guitar) and David Licht (drums) to a unit that would remain largely informal, although both contributed to subsequent releases. The new set included "Dazed And Chinese", a version of Led Zeppelin's "Dazed And Confused" sung in Chinese, as well as songs drawn from the Soft Machine, Monkees and Gary Glitter. Self-penned compositions embraced psychedelia, taped documentaries, pop culture and the avant garde, and if derided as self-indulgent by some, the album confirmed the group's sense of adventure. Too Much Sleep was more conventional and while "Splash 1" (the 13th Floor Elevators) and "The Drum" (Slapp Happy) continued the duo's dalliance with the obscure, their original material, notably the title song and "He Loved The Weather", showed an unerring grasp of melody. Magnuson's semi-narrative intonation flourished freely on The Power Of Pussy, which encompassed sexuality in many contrasting forms. Layers of guitar lines and samples enhanced a genuinely highly crafted collection, which confirmed the promise of earlier recordings. Bongwater also undertook several entertaining live appearances, proving them to be one of the most imaginative acts on the independent circuit of the early 90s. Rick was replaced by Randolph A. Hudson III in 1991, but following the release of The Big Sell Out the group split due to personal clashes between Kramer and Magnuson. The ensuing legal squabbles led to the closure of Shimmy-Disc.

Listen to Bongwater at Finetune.

• (1991)  The Power Of Pussy

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