Limbo District

Bombay Studios was an 8-track studio located in the sleepy backwoods village of Smyrna, Georgia which briefly operated from 1981 to 1983. During that time, Joe Perry, the proprietor of Bombay was a routine live sound engineer at venues sprinkled across Atlanta including the Agora Ballroom and 688. Most famously, he holds the distinction of recording the first studio session ever by R.E.M. (And no, that session has never been released.) As was often the case, other local bands would record there including Love Tractor, Keith and the Satellites (soon to be called The Georgia Satellites), DDT and Oh-OK. Amongst the littany of bands that’d come in for a day or two and commit their material to tape was the upstart Athens five-piece Limbo District. While looking through third guitarist Kelly Crow’s archive, I stumbled across an unmarked cassette tape of a three song session. Jump ahead to famed collector Lo Yo Yo’s Todd Ploharski who had the same session but on the J-card was written “Bombay.” And just like that, the band’s second recording session from the spring of 1982 had been unearthed. This session is, indeed, the band’s second line-up with Art In The Dark’s Tim Lacy on guitar who strengthened the band’s songwriting and performances. The three songs recorded “Fetish This,” “Daydreaming,” and “Two Of Screams” have more in common with the art damaged New York No Wave scene than any oblique pop, rock or jangle in the Classic City at the time. Not coincidentally, Limbo bassist Davey Stevenson’s big brother Gordon was the bassist in Teenage Jesus and the Jerks who would consistently send his kid brother missives from the front line of New York’s scuzzy vanguard.

Spotlessly restored by Jason NeSmith, ‘Bombay’ celebrates that day in Joe Perry’s studio 42 years ago. “Daydreaming” is included as a digital bonus as it wouldn’t fit on the record. All artwork was culled from the voluminous Limbo District archive. The front is original art by vocalist Craig Woodall while the back is by guitarist Kelly Crow who cribbed from German artist George Grosz for the main visual while Crow scribbled marker around it. Each copy of the record has a uniquely colored scheme done by various friends of Chunklet including musicians from Honey Radar, Lifeguard, Vangas and other esteemed degenerates. The insert features a never before photo of the band in front of an S&M hangout called the Hell Hole off the main strip at Coney Island taken by Ellen McGrail in the spring of 1982. Also included are handwritten lyrics by Craig Woodall.

“Bombay” is the Limbo District’s fifth vinyl release in less than a year with more coming out very soon including the band’s famed Drive-In session with Mitch Easter. Stay tuned into this channel for continued Limbo chaos.

Edition of 200.