An incredible
sample-based musical project begun in the early 1990s by Matt Wand (who runs the label
Hot Air) and Andrew Sharpley (also in
Dummy Run) in the UK.
(Their name is a play on the famous British
pop song writing trio,
Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and at the same time an allusion to one of the most important
avant garde composers of the 20th century,
Karlheinz Stockhausen.)
They make highly effective use of the
detritus of British musical culture, crafting a quirky, humorous, noisy but catchy sound.
The packaging for their releases, designed by Wand, is also quite unique and entertaining, a close visual accompaniment to their musical aesthetic,
appropriating cheesy but cute graphics like photos of hamsters and cats, toys, mannikins, and the like.
Mostly complete, roughly chronological discography (on Hot Air unless otherwise noted]):
- Giving Up with Stock, Hausen & Walkman
- Hairballs
- Stop!
- Organ Transplants, Vols I and II
- Buy Me (single)
- Oh My Bag!
- Empty Box (10-inch ep)
- Alert (single)
- Brocolli/Stripper (single, on Eerie Materials)
- Unskilled Vegetarian Remould Force (single, with Vomit Lunchs)