Below are two examples of the type of texts written during the period from 1980 to 1984 when Ken Hollings was a member of Biting Tongues.

The original group, comprising Ken Hollings, Colin Seddon, Howard Walmsley, Eddie Sherwood and 808 State’s Graham Massey used pre-sampling tape manipulation techniques, film, video, spoken word and killer dance rhythms to create a series of intense live and recorded performances.

dirt for 485
From the album Libreville, released in 1983 on Paragon Records, reissued on After The Click: Retrospective 1980-1989 by LTM Records, LTMCD 2371

Here’s two girls talking
Let’s listen in
Someone went by over there

He’s just a spoilt brat
He was my friend
Very concerned about me he was

They’re burning old tyres
On a vacant lot
Whom do I have in heaven but Thee?

This is a reconstruction
And I like the way it works
This is a reconstruction
And I touch the ground
This is a reconstruction
And he left the motor running
This is a reconstruction
And I like the way it works

And I have to listen in
And I have to watch
And I have to listen in
And I have to watch

He sealed the door
With plastic tape
He locked the windows
Pulled down the blind
Just left like that
In front of the wheel
With the headlights on
With the headlights on

And I have to listen in
And I have to watch
And I have to listen in
And I have to watch

Where I touch the ground
When I touch the ground
Where I touch the ground
When I touch the ground

This is how their talk went
And this how the motor works
This is how their talk went
And this how the motor works

This is how she leaned back
And this is how the tyres burned
This is how she leaned back
And this is how the tyres burned

This is how he sealed the doors
And these are his ignition keys
This is how he sealed the doors
And these are his ignition keys

This is how I listened in
And this is how the motor works
This is how I listened in
And this is how the motor works

Forever
Forever
Forever
Forever

ape headed
dog headed

the sharp beauties
of his filed down teeth

surrounding
surrounding

cutting dissolving
slowly bleeding
leaving a red smear

straw soaked in animal piss
his mouth
full of blood and disinfectant

he washed his hands
in an old enamel bowl

the reflector
the worn leather couch

monster
monster

icepack and cigar smoke
thrown down the walls

sleeping in a cattle car
a wheel sparking under us
running on iron rails

down
down

cut and ripped

a city poisoned
a city poisoned

born out of desire
not born out of need

got a dry glass with
smoke
smoke

you know you’re talking to?

don’t touch me