Biography
Pursuing an unyielding commitment to autonomy throughout its existence, the obscure British outfit 70 Gwen Party—centered on the duo Victor N'Dip and Lurgin Pin—channeled themes of social protest through an eclectic sonic palette that ranged from pounding industrial rhythms to sparse piano interludes, while its words echoed the influence of both Crass and Chomsky. The project originated in the late 1980s once the pair's prior band Isis disbanded. N'Dip first proceeded solo before reconnecting with Pin and bringing him aboard in 1988. This led to multiple singles issued on the group's independent Snape imprint, plus the early full-lengths Devil Wrapped and Ginsung Buried and The Optical Glass Empire. Sessions taped for John Peel also materialized, later compiled as the act's debut CD release. Throughout the 1990s, however, 70 Gwen Party earned its widest recognition in U.K. music publications mainly as fodder for comedic columns, a byproduct of its uncompromising positions and deliberately inaccessible style. N'Dip responded in kind, gaining notice for sharply worded letters to editors and pointed liner notes that matched the intensity of the music itself. Following the third album Anti Blue Nazi, along with a concluding single and a retrospective cassette, the duo ceased operations in 1998, as N'Dip expressed a desire to pause and weigh subsequent creative directions.
Albums