The APF Brigade
Encyclopedia
The APF Brigade were an anarcho-punk
duo from Peterborough
, Cambridgeshire
, England. The group was founded by Andi Export (later Xport) and Jon Hindle in the early 1980s.
scene, and released a number of independently produced tapes promoting an anarchist message. Every copy of their first release, Live Brigade, was individually recorded live in Hindle's garage, making each a unique artifact, in the tradition of Mail Art
. They released no recordings on vinyl, except for the song "Anarchist Attack" on the Crass
released Bullshit Detector
Volume 1 compilation LP (1980).
The group's name was an abbreviation of The Animal/Anarchy, Peace & Freedom Brigade.
Xport later worked with The Peace & Freedom Band
, with other alternative
and indie
musicians including Andy Bruce, Paul Rance, and Andrew Savage. Although this group was notable for its disorderly style and musical experimentation
, Xport's musical and songwriting skills brought some order to the group.
Xport continued to produce solo albums on cassette using the name Man's Hate
, with an emphasis on promoting his humanitarian, environmental
, and animal welfare
concerns. He also produced the International Sound Communication
series of compilation tapes, which featured a diverse range of music from various countries, including early recordings by Blyth Power
and Chumbawamba
.
Some of Xport's earlier music has been made available for downloading (see below).
Anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
duo from Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England. The group was founded by Andi Export (later Xport) and Jon Hindle in the early 1980s.
Genre
They were members of the cassette cultureCassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
scene, and released a number of independently produced tapes promoting an anarchist message. Every copy of their first release, Live Brigade, was individually recorded live in Hindle's garage, making each a unique artifact, in the tradition of Mail Art
Mail art
Mail art is a worldwide cultural movement that began in the early 1960s and involves sending visual art through the international postal system. Mail Art is also known as Postal Art or Correspondence Art...
. They released no recordings on vinyl, except for the song "Anarchist Attack" on the Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
released Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector was the name of a series of compilation LPs put together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their Crass Records label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984, consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had been sent to the band...
Volume 1 compilation LP (1980).
The group's name was an abbreviation of The Animal/Anarchy, Peace & Freedom Brigade.
Xport later worked with The Peace & Freedom Band
The Peace & Freedom Band
The Peace & Freedom Band were a British group, formed in 1986, by two underground poets - Luton-born Paul Rance, and Hartlepool's Andy Bruce.Basically coming out of Peace & Freedom magazine - which was then a music/poetry fanzine edited by Rance, and later photocopied by Bruce - The Peace & Freedom...
, with other alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
musicians including Andy Bruce, Paul Rance, and Andrew Savage. Although this group was notable for its disorderly style and musical experimentation
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, Xport's musical and songwriting skills brought some order to the group.
Xport continued to produce solo albums on cassette using the name Man's Hate
Man's Hate
Man's Hate was a solo music project of ex-APF Brigade, and one-time The Peace & Freedom Band member, Andi Xport. It was also the name of his privately produced cassette label, Man's Hate Productions....
, with an emphasis on promoting his humanitarian, environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
concerns. He also produced the International Sound Communication
International Sound Communication
International Sound Communication was a series of compilation cassettes, compiled and distributed as a mail art project by Andi Xport from Peterborough, England, in the mid 1980s...
series of compilation tapes, which featured a diverse range of music from various countries, including early recordings by Blyth Power
Blyth Power
Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer/drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of Zounds and The Mob.Blyth Power's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music, and the band members have described their sound as a cross between The Clash, Steeleye Span and The...
and Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
.
Some of Xport's earlier music has been made available for downloading (see below).
Discography
(all releases were cassette only apart from "Anarchist Attack")- "Anarchist Attack" (on Bullshit Detector volume one compilation LP)
- Live Brigade (each copy was individually recorded)
- Anarchist Antidote
- Sick Society
- The Earth Soaked It Up (Jon Hindle's poems set to an acoustic background)
- God the Tape (the title was a pun on CrassCrassCrass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
' album Christ The Album)