Ut

Described as an archaeological unit rather than simply a band, Dial craft their lo-fi, outer limit sound using the structures of rock, improvisation and the embrace of chaos.

Dial, Watch (Cede 06)
9 tracks, 43 min.
DL/CD

Recorded and produced by Dial and pre-mastered with Charles Bullen. Mastered by Dominique Brethes.

• Jacqui Ham: guitar & vocals
• Rob Smith: guitar & drum machine
• Dom Weeks: bass, piano, synthesizer, melodica & drum machine

🔗 in bio to listen on Bandcamp. 🎶

Oxford promoters are putting on an Ut show at Common Ground on September 10. Via their Instagram, Divine Schism note of the bill:

“We are stoked to say that New York no-wave legends Ut (who were wonderfully name checked by Le Tigre in Hot Topic!) are joined by all female supergroup & Oxford’s slow-core duo And What on Weds, 10th Sept at Common Ground, Oxford. This is going to be a night of radical left-field noise-art — Rainham Sheds blew the skies away at Supernormal last weekend and this is And What’s first show in a very long time.

“We saw Ut play in Nottingham last year and this is their last remaining show of 2025. Founded by Nina Canal, Jacqui Ham and Sally Young in NYC in Dec 1978 and purveying a sound collision between rock, free jazz and the avant-garde, Ut migrated to London in 1981, played with bands like The Fall and The Birthday Party and released music on their own label before disbanding in 1990 and then began performing again in 2010. This is a show not to be missed — hop on it, Oxford! All ages and wheelchair accessible show from 7:30pm.” Ticket link in bio! 🎟

David Thomas was an extraordinary musician, poet and singer.

We were lucky to have seen Pere Ubu live in 1977 and many times after. Datapanik In the Year Zero was a seminal inspiration for Ut.

We are very sad to lose him.

Photo by ✨

Ut play on
Thursday, January 30, with support from The Engine Room (featuring core ex-members of UK noise-rock pioneers GOD & psych-noise madness Terminal Cheesecake).

Doors: 7:30pm
The Engine Room: 8:30
Ut: 9:30

17 | £15 Advance | £10 Members

This weekend! Schedule for Festival’s Saturday lineup — Ut play in the evening, followed by and Swell Maps.

I was a novice in the studio, and Steve worked with and educated me — and the UT Ludwig Panther kit — to tune the skins musically and to understand where I was coming from —to release the “inner Bonham” in me! And of course, he went on to work with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant. Don’t rest TOO peacefully, Steve! - Charlie D. | 📷: Charlie D. studio shots taken during the Griller sessions

There are many things I could say about Steve Albini. Yes, he was very funny, witty and highly articulate.

When he engineered Griller for UT, he invented amusing alternative titles for all our songs that made us laugh. When we remastered Griller in 2020, we came across these titles written on the reels, which made us chuckle again. Steve once introduced me to one of his poker
friends as a member of UT and gave him such an extraordinarily articulate, comprehensive and complimentary synopsis of the band that I was left
speechless afterwards. It should have been recorded and included in a book.

But what I’d like to highlight is Steve’s exceptional generosity. When UT split in 1990, I formed the band Quint. He engineered Quint’s single (“Blueprint to a
Blackout”/“Sawtooth”) for John Loder’s Southern Records for no fee while he was in London recording The Auteurs. He then offered Quint support slots for two Shellac dates in London. Both gigs sold out and he split the money evenly 50/50 between Quint and Shellac, and it was a lot. This was at a time when you were lucky to be handed £50 for opening as a support for any band. The money
Steve gave us enabled Quint to go into a studio and record and release our album, Time Wounds All Heals.

I’m sure we weren’t the only band that benefitted from his unusual altruism. I imagine we’ll hear similar stories from others as to his incredible generosity. He was truly one of a kind — there was no one else like him. -Sally Young

In early 1977, shortly after arriving in NYC I bought my first guitar, a used blonde pre-CBS Fender Telecaster. I had never played any music before Robert Appleton and Rhys Chatham asked me to play guitar in the Gynaecologists, and that precious guitar became my signature in the various collaborations that ensued in NYC and beyond, including Ut.

Years later, it was stolen after a London Ut gig. Big crisis! It was just weeks before we were scheduled to record our next LP, Griller, with Steve Albini in 1989.

Steve offered to buy me a replacement guitar in the US, only to find that anything remotely similar now cost a fortune. So he suggested a replica by The Guitar Works in Evanston. I ordered my custom bright green telecaster guitar with a mirror scratch plate. Steve arrived in London with the guitar some days before our studio sessions began, and I loved it. He asked if he could borrow it that evening to play with someone. “No problem,” I said.

He returned the guitar the next day with the formerly pristine scratch plate more than a little scratched up. I was miffed — I hadn’t even had a chance to play it myself! He immediately ordered a new scratch plate, but by the time it arrived, I was over being upset and thought no more about it.

Some years later, I realised I’d lost the replacement plate. So to this day, I still have that original scratched-up plate on my guitar. After Steve’s tragic and terribly shocking demise, I am so very grateful that I do. In retrospect, I realise that I will always be emotionally attached to that reminder of such a unique time and experience. We all loved working with Steve.

The upshot is that wherever I play my guitar, I also share a unique trace of his vivacity, intensity, and hilariousness, which I love. - Nina Canal

In early 1977, shortly after arriving in NYC I bought my first guitar, a used blonde pre-CBS Fender Telecaster. I had never played any music before Robert Appleton and Rhys Chatham asked me to play guitar in the Gynaecologists, that precious guitar became my signature in the various collaborations that ensued in NYC and beyond, including Ut.

Years later, it was stolen after a London Ut gig. Big crisis! It was just weeks before we were scheduled to record our next LP, Griller, with Steve Albini in 1989.

Steve offered to buy me a replacement guitar in the US, only to find that anything remotely similar now cost a fortune. So he suggested a replica by The Guitar Works in Evanston. I ordered my custom bright green telecaster guitar with a mirror scratch plate. Steve arrived in London with the guitar some days before our studio sessions began, and I loved it. He asked if he could borrow it that evening to play with someone. “No problem,” I said.

He returned the guitar the next day with the formerly pristine scratch plate more than a little scratched up. I was miffed — I hadn’t even had a chance to play it myself! He immediately ordered a new scratch plate, but by the time it arrived, I was over being upset and thought no more about it.

Some years later, I realised I’d lost the replacement plate. So to this day, I still have that original scratched-up plate on my guitar. After Steve’s tragic and terribly shocking demise, I am so very grateful that I do. In retrospect, I realise that I will always be emotionally attached to that reminder of such a unique time and experience. We all loved working with Steve.

The upshot is that wherever I play my guitar, I also share a unique trace of his vivacity, intensity, and hilariousness, which I love.
Nina Canal

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/tape-1-no-wave-new-york-album-guide

Tape #1 is No Wave History Rick Brown reissues an early document of New York's anti-commercial no wave scene

A last reminder that Ut’s one London gig in 2023 is tonight (Thursday, November 16) at the The Grace (Highbury Islington) — this is their last gig in the UK until 2024!

Joining Ut’s line-up at The Grace are Paul May, Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow, the Work) and Rob Smith (Dial).

Fräulein will be on at 8:30pm, and Ut will follow at 9:30.