VOLT 2023: A Volition Archive

A band incorporating elements of post punk, post industrial, electronics and noise, Scattered Order formed in Sydney in 1979 and have the distinction of being the first act to be released on Volition.

“(Our music is) Scattered Order-ish. Really I find it hard to describe. Maybe a sonic soup of noise, beats and tunes. But you will need to ask the listener.” [Mitch Jones]

Founded by Mitch Jones (vocals, guitar, bass), Michael Tee (Coffey) (guitar) and Simon Vidale (drums), the band’s lineup has changed multiple times. Dru Johnson (vocals, synths) joined the band in 1983, and she has been responsible for much of Scattered Order’s cover art and graphic design over the years.

“Michael and I formed the band in late 1979 to do some recording. Just mucking about with some recording gear we had and we thought now we are a band so we need a name. I came up with “Order” and he came up with “Scattered”. The name perfectly suited what we were and still are doing. The delicate balance between complete chaos and some sort of structure.” [Mitch Jones]

Soon after, the band established a permanent recording setup in a Surry Hills (Sydney) terrace house, and formed record label M Squared to release their own music.

“I met Andrew Penhallow in the GAP years when I was doing the live sound for Pel Mel who were releasing records on GAP at the time. This was probably sometime in 1980. I think it was 1982 that I recorded some Pel Mel tracks for their single at M Squared studios which we were running. Andrew showed a lot of interest and encouragement in what we were doing with the M Squared label and with Scattered Order.” [Jones]

After financial struggles – the theft of the entirety of M Squared’s studio equipment being the greatest contributing factor – Jones shut down the label.

“In early 1984 the M Squared label and studio had collapsed due to mounting debt. As a band we had no idea how we would continue as a recording unit and then Andrew came in saying he had a new label called Volition and would we be interested in doing a record with them.

We thought, “Great!” For the first time somebody outside of the band had shown faith in us so we jumped at the chance and it went from there.” [Jones]

The group became part of the newly-formed Volition label soon after, releasing the seven track live vinyl 12″ EP “A Dancing Foot And A Praying Knee Don’t Belong On The Same Leg” – recorded at the Musician’s Club, Sydney – in May 1984. The EP was Volition’s first release, with the catalogue number VOLT 1.

The band’s next release for Volition was their 1985 studio album “Career Of The Silly Thing” (VOLT 2), released on vinyl only. The album was also released on vinyl in the UK and Europe by Ink Records (INK 17) the same year.

They followed up with the release in 1986 of the single “Escape Via Cessnock” (backed with “1000 Gene Autreys”) on vinyl 7″ (VOLT 4) in Australia.

“Escape Via Cessnock” was also released as a five track vinyl 12″ EP (INK 1217) in the UK and Europe on Ink Records in 1986.

In 1987 Scattered Order released “Selling The Axe To Buy The Wood”, a four track 12″ vinyl EP (VOLT 8).

1988 saw the band release the album “Comfort” (VOLT 14), a special edition double LP set of which the second record was a compilation of tracks recorded between 1981 and 1987.

“King Of Blip” was lifted from “Comfort” for release as a 7″ single (VOLT 12) in April 1988, with “Comfort 5 Range” and “Love Is Not” on the B-side.

Scattered Order’s final release for Volition was the 1991 album “Professional Dead Ball” (VOLT CD 41), released only on CD. In an odd marketing move, the CD came with a hype sticker on the front which read “AN INTRO TO TECHNO”, encouraging the buyer to “CHECK THESE OUT”, slotting the band in with Boxcar, Severed Heads and Single Gun Theory. While “Professional Dead Ball” is certainly an electronics-heavy album, and some tracks have an industrial edge, techno it isn’t… but it’s a fine album!