This 7" was originally released on Denied A Custom Records as CUSTOM #2 in 1997 and re-released as part of the full discography by Riotous Outburst Records as ROR-038 in 2013. We thank both of those labels for their work, effort & investment in releasing our music to the world.

These songs were recorded in May 1996 live to Mike Guillorn's DAT. For completeness, we're giving you the original liner notes we wrote that were a part of the packaging for the record, as well as updated thoughts in the year 2020.

RICH (2020): This first 7" record was released before we added "The" to the start of our name, partly to distinguish ourselves from another "Judas Iscariot" that was doing something remarkably stupid called "Black Metal," and partly because "The Judas Iscariot" was a better parallel to "The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet's" collective improvisation. Our second 7", 'Harrison Bergeron Bound?', was called on its front cover: "A Collective Provocation by The Judas Iscariot." Ornette's 'Free Jazz' was called on its front cover: "A Collective Improvisation by The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet."

For many years, I would journey every weekend to Trash American Style in Danbury, CT to buy records. 'Skeptics, Mystics and Blind Idolaters' was the first time that my own music appeared on a 7" record. I was so excited to behold this object, and was pleased to find that the record was red just like the font on the cover.

I created the cover design front and back using collage clippings and a fountain pen intentionally over-dipped in ink.

I was annoyed to see that the Japanese label, Denied A Custom, altered my original design by making the name on the front, "Judas Iscariot," very large and that they denoted the title of the 7" with the none-to-obvious word "TITLE:"

The original artwork had "Judas Iscariot" in tiny scrawling camouflaged on the record in a way that would barely identify it as ours. I was inspired at that time by some of the early cover designs on releases put out by Gravity Records. The aesthetic was reversed by the label, but I think the overall feel is frenetic enough.

Another thing I recall is that the record was recorded by my old high school friend Mike Guillorn on a day when I had almost entirely no voice left for talking, let alone for screaming. My voice was shredded to oblivion by band practices (and maybe by shows?), but I can still hear the deterioration of my screaming voice throughout, pronounced especially on "Sitcom and Pajama Effect".

It's a fierce little record, I think. Not our most creative, but sounds good to my ears still in 2020. My 13-year-old son loves this band, so I listen to it often with him. The lyrics I wrote (which you can read here) are inspired by my readings of critical theory, interest in radical politics, and punk disdain of "normal life," all aimed at overturning everything upside down... a task that still needs doing, and to which I remain devoted. The lyrics to "The Corpse" and "Deny Everything" were not mine; those two are covers.

After the recording, we slept in my friend Mike's house (his studio was in the basement). It was impossible to sleep because of our general excitement as a band. In the deep dark of the late night, I would finally wonder if Jeff and Aaron were sleeping. But then, a blanket would move lightly on the sofa, making the faint sound of fabric gently upon fabric that nobody really hears. In response to the minor rustling, Aaron proclaimed: "Who can sleep in here?! It's noisier than Grand Central Station!" We laughed far more than the joke warranted. We repeated it in various forms. I would declare, at the slight sound of the old house creaking, that soldiers were shooting outside. But you know when something just hits you right at the right time and makes it funnier than it would be tomorrow? Humor takes good timing. So does rhythm, even when it's joyfully subverted.

JEFF (2020): The recording and writing of this 7" is now exactly half a lifetime ago (actually, about a year more if I'm going to be precise). My writing in the liner notes of the record is cringey...but included anyway. But the music and the lyrics and the overall package and presentation is something I can still be proud of.

After the release of our demo, two events converged. First, Andrew Orlando of Reservoir Records, who we barely knew at the time but would become a good friend (even to this day), asked us to be on a compilation he was putting together of East Coast bands. Second, Yoshiyuki Takahashi, who had just started his Denied A Custom label, ordered a copy of that demo after reading a review for it in Maximum Rock N Roll and subsequently asked if we were interested in releasing a 7". We accepted both offers.

We went to Loho Studios on Clinton Street in New York City for a late-night session - the express purpose of which was to record two songs for the Reservoir comp. Loho is, or was, a studio with an excellent reputation and I own several records that were recorded there. Unfortunately, our experience wasn't all that hot. I remember sitting around waiting for at least an hour for the house engineer to find some piece for the tape machine that was needed - and the final recording sounding anti-septic and flat and not remotely resembling what we actually sounded like.

We may have already had the session with Rich's friend, Mike Guillorn, who lived up in Connecticut, booked to record the songs that would go on this 7". So we re-recorded the two comp tracks while we were at it and those were the versions that ultimately ended up on the 'Not So Quiet on the Eastern Front' comp. ("Bugs Will Run the World" and "Gospel Scholars").

I honestly don't remember too much about the recording. We recorded live with a bunch of mics hanging around us and knocked out the songs pretty quickly.

As I go back and listen to this record, I can hear the evolution of the band from the straight-up noise-thrash/hardcore band we were on the demo as we were progressing towards incorporating the more experimental and free jazz-influences which would be more prominent on future releases. There are no overt attempts at improvised free-jazz here and Rich had yet to pick up "Don", our trusted trumpet and valued member of the band starting on the next release.

But the signs are there....I used screwdrivers on my bass on "Pop Market Neurosis", "Circus Folk" has some momentary improvised chaos in the middle, on "China Mandate" I use a guitar slide, and "Where's the Cheese and Mission?" brings it down a bit....we didn't need to be on a full-tilt thrash attack at every moment.

If I'm going to revisit the old Judas records (which I probably do more than I'd like to admit) - this isn't the first one I reach for - but I think it stands up as a document of a band that refused to stand still creatively for the 2 1/2 years we were together.

One thing that certainly made this release a challenge was the fact that Denied A Custom were based out of Japan and while Yoshiyuki's English was much better than our non-existent Japanese, there was a significant language barrier. There was no e-mail, no Dropbox, nor any long-distance phone communication. It was all put together through the painstaking back-and-forth of the postal service. Between the time we recorded it and time it was released was probably close to a year. The wait was worth it.

AARON (2020): Six broken microphones adjudicated over us in a cramped basement while Rich's friend Mike presided over the court from behind a wall of bric-a-brac.

Witnesses provided testimony for hours on end, and we who were both the accusers and the accused were ultimately condemned, particularly by the crippling statements submitted by Theodore Adorno.

When we were finally taken down from the dock and remanded to subterranean custody, we laughed maniacally deep into the night at what we had wrought.

Diabolical birds laughed along with us until the first pallid peeking of dawn broke in through the solitary window.

Our friend from the East who had requested that the trial move forward without delay, eventually handed down the verdict, printed, bound, and made available for those who would also condemn themselves by bearing witness to the guilt of The Judas Iscariot.

They, too, would be ruined with the mark of Cain once they consumed our guilt.

(Ukelele crashes down on head of infant).

************************************************************

RICH (1996): The new Judas Iscariot might preoccupy him/herself with provocateurs like Robert Anton Wilson, Nietzsche, Adorno, Schopenhauer, Hegel & Woody Allen. But, it is only a manifestation of noises, within which, s/he can live. This can be the second 'legitimized' incarnation of the one shunned by the followers of an idol. This project does not seek to negate that particular (alluded to) idol's supposed innocence and 'mesmerizing self'; nor does it even with to doubt it. Rather, it advocates the inherent putsch in the actions of the one (Judas) who 'turned in' a human missal (regardless of ignoble motive). NOW: in the perpetuation of apostasy, the bombardment of all similar Judas Iscariai must never ever cease...for that which is passive cannot be punk rock and punk rock is the food of the Judas.

JEFF (1996): It's Friday the 13th (uh-oh) of December, 1996, of the Common Era as I write this. My name is Jeff. I play bass for the band Judas Iscariot. A band that you will be listening to very shortly. I am going to leave all philosophizing to Rich and Aaron. I could sit here and write all about how adding the infinitesimal to the field of Real Numbers destroys the Mean Value Theorem and, hence, all calculus as we commonly think of it. But I won't. Being a student of mathematics just is not that conducive to writing something for the insert of a 7".

No offense to any of you reading this - but this noise will never mean as much to any of you as it does to the three of us. We are the parents of these sounds. They are our children. Only we could have created it and only we can recreate it. I guess this seems kind of obvious. I just hope you are entertained, startled and provoked by it.

It's been about eight months since we recorded this music - and who knows how many more months will pass before this gets put into the hands of the masses for commercial consumption. I still love all the songs on this record. Jut thought you'd want to know that. Lots of new music has been born since, so I perceive these songs as being the older siblings. Not too much has changed in the J.I. camp since this recordings, save for the additions of "Shorty" and "Don" - but you'll be hearing from them yourselves in the future.

OK - here's my rundown of the songs for you:

Pop Market Neurosis: Screwdrivers. A songs that grew on me. More screwdrivers.
Non-Living Room: Tenths are my favorite interval.
Circus Folk: 1st exploration into unexplainable chaos.
The Corpse (Mengele Crotchfoot): A song at the end of the Ten Feet Tall 7". Aaron's old band from Pittsburgh. I love playing this song.
New Youth Rebellion: The name of our first demo, but this was written after that. A riff stolen from my previous band.
Placebo Effect: Will never make it to the Top 10.
Tainted Grapevine: Genesis meets a riff I stole from a Pennsylvania punk band.
The Sitcom and Pajama Effect: The end is a runaway freight train. The rest is weird for a rock 'n' roll song.
Deny Everything: Damn fine cover of this classic if I do say so myself.
China Mandate: A slide. Some amazing lyrics. We don't play this song enough.
Where's The Cheese & Mission?: Don't hate us because we're beautiful. More to come.
Spaghetti Cured My Cancer: Rich has written the shortest dissertation in history. Think about it.

That was fun. Well, goodbye for now. And I'd just like to personally thank Rich and Aaron. The chemistry is unbelievable between the three of us. Conceited?? Yes - but I know it's true. This is special.

AARON (1996): Hornet's nest and moonshine came willingly over the horizon. Enjoined at Fritjof Capra, the settling began. WE had all realized that frighteningly real relationship between the Western notions of modern physics - relativity theory, quantum theory, etc. - and the ancient teaching of Eastern religious and philosophical systems. Without further elaboration, the glass shattered and verboden twilight fell on the edge of the angry felt hat. It shirked responsibility (true freedom from what?), and became the conglomerate of all its past experiences. At a loss for an identity, it entered a profound state of weariness. Pitfalls and landmines, pizza on subway and Harris tweed handshake, carton of Lenny, poisoned and driven mad by would-be conspiracies and drug overdoses. The outstretched hand embraces the ------conscious and deliberating. That Viennese logician and mathematician had the gall to make the mystical observation, "that which cannot be spoken about must be passed over in silence." The rifle aimed at the foot goes off in silence. Bone shatters. I didn't want to give credence to that national character, but at the same time, I kept recalling E.E. Schatschieder's remarks about expanding the scope of conflict. And then, Christ in a handbag, I was led directly to Alfred T. Mayhan's theory of "he who controls the Middle East, controls the world." I washed this down with a plate of fried calamari and a pitcher of gin. Leather and Anthony Trollope emblazoned emblem on eye-filled Wentworth Hotel and skin diving suit mayhem for I-Cor. Hustle and Bustle of green, leafy vegetables remunerative wayward lads on holiday. "I might galvanized sugar" to coin a phrase and steal a lick of peppermint combustion engine. Remnants and cacciatore, blending bulldozing nine. Whosoever stakes the claim and pays the rate outweighs us all in effort, commitment, and determination. My phenomenally energetic life of non-action. My outrageously life-extinguishing suffocation of the will. "Which will?", queried Gary. "Which will tear it all to unified wholes," replied Reply. Okay----a fourteenth century Kabbalist and Ludwig Wittgenstein are sitting on a stoop having lunch. Wittgenstein leans over to the Rabbi and says, "What's that you have there?" The Rabbi says, "Nothing". Steno notebook projection of (Christ, it's that glossolalic crap again - we nailed Artaud for that, don't you know we can just as easily nail you?) warm and runny egg yolk nightmare. Peaks of steam rising. In order to disobey that which has become natural and non-linear (I'm well aware of the inherent paradox of linear non-linearity) some form of conclusion, a gestalt, a closure is appropriate, albeit mournful. When.