The Blackmail Starters Kit

Spahn Ranch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 1, 1994)
• Original Release Date: April 5, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cleopatra
• ASIN: B000001JR4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #614,162 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Con

2. Antibody [Conspiracy Mix]

3. Forceps [Sterilized Mix]

4. Breath and Taxes [Deductable Mix]

5. Commination [Demo 1991]

6. Kenneth, What's the Frequency?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Exciting Here, October 24, 2005

By 

M. Mierzwa (Davis, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blackmail Starters Kit (Audio CD)

Spahn Ranch is an early 1990s guitar based industrial act from the Los Angeles area that has a sound a bit like KMFDM or Ministry. Before purchasing this EP, I'd recommend listening to the tracks amazon sampled as well as checking out a few other Spahn Ranch albums.

The only track I really liked was "Breath and Taxes", which has a fast and regular beat accompanied by catchy guitar riffs. I thought the second track "Antibody", which had a slower darkwave sound, was interesting.

If physical space wasn't an issue, used copies of this album are cheap enough that the album might be worth purchasing for this track. But sadly space isn't free, and the other tracks (and album art) didn't really interest me. I rarely listen to this EP at home and I wouldn't recommend this album to anybody. You might be able to find the track "Breath and Taxes" elsewhere. If you are still interested in Spahn Ranch, I'd point you to their "Coiled One" instead.

3.0 out of 5 stars Spahn Ranch - 'Blackmail Starters Kit' (Cleopatra), August 10, 2009

By 

Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Blackmail Starters Kit (Audio CD)

Decent six song mini CD by the electro-industrial unit known as Spahn Ranch. If I remember correctly, I used to keep in touch on a regular basis with one of these members. It's been awhile now and I recall this disc being released on Cleopatra around the same time that key titles by Die Krupps, Front 242 and Front Line Assembly had hit the stores. Been a few years since I sat down and put in one of these CD's. Not bad for a an EP, as the best two tracks are the demo for "Commination" and the *ss-kicking "Kenneth, What's Your Frequency?". Last I saw here, the Amazon asking price was 10 cents for the CD - how could you go wrong?

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not the most origanal, but good industrial., December 8, 1999

By 

"sidheshell" (Corvallis, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blackmail Starters Kit (Audio CD)

I found out about this band and Penal Colony on a Cleopatra Gothic and Industrial music video tape. The video for breath and taxes is good, it had that kindof black and white industrial artistry going on (mildly cheezy) but i would have to say this is the catchiest (and best) song on this album. Not the most original of industrial bands, but when you want some industrial that isn't too out there, this is the kind for you.......