The Kiwi Animal ‎- Mercy (1985)

With their fan base ever growing and a firm grip on their art and identity, Kiwi Animal moved an 8-track recorder into Knox Church in Parnell on January 27, 1985. Over the following fortnight, they captured eight songs for their second album, Mercy, with sound engineer Jon Cooper.   Highpoint ‘Man and Woman Have Balance’ was taped at Last Laugh Studios and ‘Fag Piece’ with words by US beat poet William S. Burroughs, a correspondent of Hayward’s, was recorded in the wide open concrete sandwich of J.S Sarten Parking Building.   This time they had Patrick Waller (who would later rename himself Dubhead) installed as a permanent member, providing cello, metal percussion, trumpet, vocals and guitar.   The music was all recorded live except for a trumpet overdub on ‘Mudsinging’ and ‘Woman and Man Have Balance’. Taped sound and dialogue was used on ‘Conversation Piece’ and ‘Fag Piece’. Among those thanked in the credits were fellow sonic adventurer Graham Sinclair for his Casio PT50, future Sombretone, Able Tasmans and Chills member Craig Mason and Brion Gysin.  Gregor Kessler in Popwatch pointed to a “darker undercurrent” in Mercy. “The experimental nature of this LP at times reminds me of soundtrack work rather than out-and-out folk music. I hear the sorts of sounds in “Conversation Piece” and its companion “Fag Piece” that could have scored bleak, wintry tales like those in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 10-part Decalogue. 

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