The Witch Trials

The Witch Trials were a four-piece electropunk project that existed very briefly in October 1980. The group compromised of Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Adrian Borland (The Sound), Morgan Fisher (Mott The Hoople) and Christian Lunch. They recorded a single EP in a single improv session, which was released a year later on Subterranean Records (who also put out a lot of early Flipper and Dead Kennedys singles) and reissued by Alternate Tentacles a few years later. The four tracks on their self-titled EP are eerie soundscapes, crafted with shots of noise, off-kilter keyboards, mechanical drums, and Biafra's looming spoken word. It's an experimental outing, especially considering the other projects its members were involved in, but an interesting listen both for its historical uniqueness and its hauntingly evil sound. Enjoy.

The Witch Trials (1981)

1. Humanoids From The Deep

2. The Tazer

3. Trapped In The Playground

4. Meat Beat

Bandcamp