Zahgurim formed in 1983 and were early contributors to the Industrial Music scene associating with the Temple Ov Psychick Youth. Zahgurim were invited by Konnex Records’ Manfred Schiek to record an album for his Berlin Atonal label resulting in ‘Moral Rearmament’ produced at Julian Gilbert and Simon Crabtree [Crab] ’s studio at the Old Ambulance Station on London’s Old Kent Road. It became Berlin Atonal’s fifth release [ST 3005] and Zahgurim’s first and only vinyl.

Live performances at Dimitri Hegemann’s pioneering Berlin Atonal festival with Psychic TV, Test Dept., Laibach et al were followed by appearances at TOPY’s early ‘rave’ ‘Thee Fabulous Feast ov Flowering Light’ at London’s Hammersmith Palais in May 1985 and the ICA’s Drastic Classicism season. Their last official European performance was at Budapest’s Raday Klub in 1986. Shortly afterwards Zahgurim members Paul Ackerley and William Vince co-founded the percussion group, Left Hand Right Hand. Remaining Zahgurim founding band member, Andrew Wadsworth went to Kansas to live with William Burroughs.

In 2018, Walter Robotka reissued ‘Moral Rearmament’ as a CD on his Klanggalerie label with a vinyl on Alessandro Adriani’s Mannequin label to coincide with Zahgurim’s first performance for 32 years at Replugged in Wien. A live document of the performance ‘Live at Klang 25’ was released on Klanggalerie. It included a new recording: ‘The Living Room’. That was picked up by Olf van Elden’s Rush Hour label for the Interstellar Funk compilation ‘Artificial Dancers – Waves of Synth’ curated alongside Chris and Cosey, The Human League and Clan of Xymox. Zahgurim also released ‘The Living Room’ as a single to raise funds for Syrian refugee charities.

iCanFeelTheFun is a response to Nostalgie de La Boue’s founder Tristan Koreya’s curiosity. He rightly suspected that years of musical shrapnel lay scattered on tapes and digital folders. Recordings continued to be made with the original analogue equipment in spontaneous takes, channelling the early period musical fascinations and featured original band members, associates and new ones who are at the age now that the original ones were in 1984. As the world is still in chaos, their ruthless take on it was necessary to retain the project’s authenticity.

Recordings created in coastal Sussex between 2013 and 2023 | All recordings created, mixed and performed by Ackerleys | Remastering without stems by the kindness and genius of James ‘Foz’ Foster. With thanks to him, Walter Robotka, Simon Crab, Kosa Vince, Joel Scott, Karen Howard and Tristan Koreya. Special thanks to Bath House Records, London. Bonus track by James ‘Foz’ Foster.

℗ 2023 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Zahgurim under licence to Nostalgie de la Boue © 2023 Zahgurim under licence to Nostalgie de la Boue.

Art Direction and Design by Paul Ackerley – Photography by Paul Ackerley | No AI was used in any element of this project.

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