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Revision as of 04:00, 1 April 2021
James Ray has started from relatively simple and minimalist sounds, moving along aggressive
guitar-sampled industrial techno over onto full trance-based techno albums within various bands
and a variety of projects.
See also James Ray Official Website and check for a listen to the complete range of James Ray's releases.
Lyrics and audio clips can also partly be found on this James Ray Fan Website.
Recently, James Ray inter alia, re-compiled and re-released all of his music including demos and rarer tracks
along bandcamp.com, d-monic and Cherry Red Records
James Ray is currently mainly involved in the Black Hearted Riders project.
Enjoy !!!
James Ray And The Performance
James Ray And The Performance were the first band of James Ray including Carl Harrison on keyboards and Richard Harvey.
- 1986 - Mexico Sundown Blues - (12") / MRAY52
- 1986 - Mexico Sundown Blues - (7", radio promo) / MRAY52R
- 1987 - Texas - (7") / MRAY38
- 1987 - Texas - (12") / MRAY38T
- 1989 - Dust Boat - (12") / MRAY11
- 1989 - A New Kind Of Assassin´- (CD album) / MRAY89CD
not on Merciful Release:
- Evolution - an online-only compilation release,
- a limited number of very few copies were distributed in advance of the actual release, though.
- Mention should also be made of an unreleased demo of Faith Healer (original by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band).
- A still video featuring the track is currently available here...
James Rays Gangwar
After the dissolution of James Ray And The Performance James Rays Gangwar was the follow-up.
- 1989 - Another Million Dollars - (12") / MRAY99
- 1989 - Without Conscience - (12") / MRAY101
- 1990 - Without Conscience - (CD single) / MRAY101CD
- 1992 - Dios Está De Nuestro Lado - (LP/CD album) / MRAY341 / MRAY341CD (CD)
- not on Merciful Release:
- 1989 - Underdog - (Fanclub Flexi of 12-10-89 Leeds-University) - released by Flexi Records Ltd
- 1991 - Rev Rev Lowrider - (12") - released by Slaveking
- 1992/3 - Fuel - (12" / CD)
- 1993 - Third Generation - (LP/CD album) - released by Surgery
- 1996 - The Best of James Ray's Performance & Gangwar - released by Fifth Column
- This compilation consists of 2 CDs featuring Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado
- and A New Kind Of Assassin, basically using the artwork for the latter.
- 1996/7 - Psychodalek - (CD album) - released on 11 February 1997
- by 24:24 / Twenty Four Twenty Four
- 1996 - Psychodalek (book) - released by 24:24 / Twenty Four Twenty Four
- - ISBN 0952823500
- A PSYCHODALEK t-shirt was also available for £6 plus £1 P&P at the time
- with the print: THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN MURDER IN THE BACK OF THE MIND
- Quotes from the the original book:
- This book is sold under the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent resold, hired out or circulated
- electronically or likewise, to anyone who has been deemed mentally irresponsible by society. Anyone found flaunting these
- conditions could be held responsible for this book becoming a work of fact rather than of fiction.
- PSYCHO (siko) n., Slang. A psyghopath - a person with a personality disorder, especially
- one manifested in aggressively antisocial behaviour, amoral attitudes, and
- continually fluctuating moods.
- DALEK (daalek) n. 2. A person who behaves in a dehumanised automatic manner.
From the back of the book cover:
- A modern Jekyll and Hyde set against the backfrop of a near future London, where riots are the norm and drugs
- flow like piss. You are taken on an orgy of cold blood and murder tight into the heart of the city's backside
- through Joe Menelik's eyes and out of James' mind.
Latest Gangwar News
On 6 February 2016, James Ray's Gangwar played the Industrial Festival
in Cannes, France, see the live track from that gig here on the left side... ;-))) ...
Furthermore, a new track was recorded and is available for a listen
@soundcloud under Absolutely Free (Let Me See Your Hands).
Cheers.
The MK Ultra
The next project of James Rays were The MK Ultra.
Note: "mK Ultra" is the name of a band different from "The MK Ultra".
Both are presumably named after Project MKULTRA, a truth serum project developed by the CIA after World War Two.
- 1994 - This Is This - (LP/CD album)
- 1995 - Beluga Pop - (CD album) - the last collaboration of James Ray's with Merciful Release
- not on Merciful Release:
- 1993 - Third Generation 12" Promo - released on Surgery in 1993 and featuring three tracks,
- 2 versions of the title track from the former Surgery release Third Generation,
- plus the song F.U.C.K from the then oncoming The MK Ultra album This Is This.
Obviously, this promo was also released officially with full cover and labels.
Paris Riots
In 1995 a project titled "Paris Riots" was due to be released by Merciful Release.
It never saw the light of day apart from the fact that in the mid-2000s a CD titled "Jacob's Ladder"
surfaced in an online auction. As far as we know, this CD contained only one track and was accompanied by
a file, which allegedly showed the according contract between James Ray and Eldritch Boulevard.
If you are interested in this issue, we recommend you dig this thread and this thread on the Heartland Forums.
James Ray & The Longfolk
James Ray & The Longfolk are only one of the many projects in which James Ray has recently been involved.
Please find all available information on their 2005-released CD-r album
Everywhere's A Strange Part Of Somewhere here on discogs
This CD features the songs Beneath The Tupelo Tree, Between Those States Of Mind, Nothing At All and A Higher Plains Drifter
Some of the according audio files are available for a listen here in some still videos @James Ray's YouTube Channel.
4080peru
4080peru is another project by James Ray. The according film is available for watching here.
- Empty Hearts Break (DVD)
- This release consists of a 52 minute video that can be played with four different tracks.
- Meanwhile, there is no trace of it anywhere.
Here's, however, a review of James Ray performing 4080peru at The Garage, London - 26 February 2005
A short exerpt from that gig can be viewed on YouTube.
Check also the 4080peru myspace page, and listen to some tracks they recorded in 2008.
25men
The 25men band cooperative is another project James Ray has regularly been working with recently,
partly including and elaborating his former productions. 25men are also on Facebook and myspace.
A 25men discography @discogs is available as well.
Some of their songs/videos can be found on YouTube ...
In 2008, an album was produced and released with d-monic, see The Dancing Wu Li Masters
2009 saw the appearance of a data-file consisting of the 5:24 track "Re:set", see Re:set.
A film titled 4080peru, produced by the 25men and was performed last on 26 January 2013, see the 4080peru official site
This film can be watched here in full length.
4080 Peru was also performed live at Industrial #18 Festival Cannes 2014.
Earl Rivers & A Band Of Heathens
Earl Rivers & A Band Of Heathens made a sudden and short appearance on YouTube in 2013 with the song Nowhere Left To Go.
This song was written by Simon Matthews, long-time guitarist and producer of various James Ray incarnations including 25men,
The Longfolk and The Black Hearted Riders. The track was produced by James Ray, who also did the vocals.
As a matter of fact, two further tracks exist. Manhattan Smile, published by A Band Of Heathens already in 2011 on soundcloud,
and Dylan Thomas And Me, also available for a listen on soundcloud. Both of these tracks were written and procuced
by James Ray and have him on vocals.
The entire output of Earl Rivers & A Band Of Heathens is featured right at the beginning of the fully comprehensive 84-track
compiliation of James Ray songs and demos Spanish Cadillac Selected that was released in 2015, see also James Ray Re-Releases here below...
James Ray Re-Releases
In 2014, James Ray started to re-release his works, partly in new formats and including various additionals along bandcamp.
- Another Million Dollars EP digital album & Photo Set available here ...
- Psychodalek - The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned (eBook/262 pages) available here...
- Unlike the original issue, this eBook does also include the screenplay The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned.
- Spanish Cadillac Selected - an 84-track digital album featuring the full abundance of James Ray's music,
- released in June 2015 including demos and rare tracks plus a 74-page booklet in pdf-format available here...
For further information and steady updates, keep an eye on James Ray's Legacy Site @Facebook.
- In May 2015, a live album of James Rays Gangwar titled Before And After The Storm was issued
- with the French M-tronic's Cold Rock Label d-monic.
- The tracks of this release were recorded live in 1993 and include all the classic Gangwar hits.
Then, two compilations followed, released with Cherry Red Records on July 31rst, 2015 covering the era from 1986-1989:
- Dust Boat - The Merciful Release Recordings 1986 - 1989 - James Ray And The Performance
- a compilation CD featuring the Mexico Sundown Blues, Texas and Dust Boat singles as well as six bonus tracks
- plus plenty of rare memorabilia and extensive liner notes based on new interviews with James Ray
- Details and order form here
- Destination Assassination - The Merciful Release Reordings 1986-1989 - James Ray's Gangwar
- a 2CD set featuring Another Million Dollars, Without Conscience and their first full album Dios Está De Nuestro Lado on CD1
- as well as 16 previously unreleased demos on CD2 available on CD for the first time
- plus plenty of rare memorabilia and extensive liner notes based on new interviews with James Ray
- Details and order form here
James Ray & The Black Hearted Riders
The most current project of James Ray are James Ray & The Black Hearted Riders, a collective of musicians from all around the UK.
The Black Hearted Riders released their first LP Last Train From Woody Creek in Summer 2015 and played their first gig at the
Wild West District Rusty Spurs Stage @Boomtown Festival, Hampshire in August that year.
In September 2016, their second CD Dawn Death Zephyr followed.
For Summer 2017, another produce titled Fields Of Rape was announced, but didn't materialise. Instead, a live CD
- Broken Glass & Bullet Holes - was released on 13 December 2017, which does feature a track called Fields Of Rape.
Check here for orders and see also James Ray & The Black Hearted Riders @Facebook for news on gigs and coming releases.
A review of Broken Glass & Bullet Holes by Mark Asby can be found here @überröck.
On 29 August 2018, James Ray & The Black Hearted Riders released the limited edition 12" vinyl LP Stone Junction.
All tracks were compiled from the "Dawn Death Zephyr" & "Last Train From Woody Creek" CD-albums and released in vinyl quality.
The vinyl is available with the French label d-monic and a digital release can be obtained from their according bandcamp page.
The most recent produce by James Ray & The Black Hearted Riders is available only as single audio or video tracks under the
following links and titles: When Death Is Over (Instrumental), Now Death Is Over, Bless Your Sour and Long Road.
Lyrics Book
In 2018, a lyrics book of songs written and released by James Ray saw the light of day.
- Title & Author: Book Of Songs - James Ray
- Format: Paperback (75 pages)
- Dimensions: 12.7 x 0.5 x 20.3 cm
- Language: English
- Publisher: independently published by A.M.O.
- Date of publication: 19 December 2018
- Identification Markers:
- ISBN-10: 1791991289
- ISBN-13: 978-1791991289
- Barcode: 9 781791 991289 9000
- Distribution: Amazon
