All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling, the first work of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GY!BE), was released in 1994. Emerging from Canada’s independent music scene, this album was distributed as a limited-edition demo with only 33 cassette copies. The album reflects the band’s early musical explorations and personal experiences, showcasing their non-commercial approach and deep roots in the underground music scene.
The album was long considered “lost”, which elevated it to legendary status among fans, often referred to as “the holy grail of post-rock.” In 2013, fragments of the album surfaced online when a Reddit user shared parts of the tape, sparking renewed interest. However, the full album remained undiscovered until 2022, when it was leaked in its entirety by a 4chan user. Following this leak, the band officially re-released the album digitally via Bandcamp.
This album was born out of Montreal's independent music scene and was recorded almost entirely by Efrim Menuck. Created with the help of only a few close friends, it contains the early signs of the musical revolution to come. This minimalist team recorded and distributed the album with extremely limited resources. Its distinctive lo-fi aesthetic turns these limitations into a strength.
The album significantly differs from the expansive orchestral style that GY!BE would later develop. It adopts a minimalist approach, characterized by short tracks and simple sound arrangements. Emotional reflections drawn from Efrim Menuck’s personal world dominate the work. This record stands as an early example of the band’s effort to carve out a space in the independent music scene while staying far from commercial expectations. The album embodies the free spirit of Montreal’s independent music movement.
The album consists of two cassette sides of short, intense tracks. With a total runtime of approximately 70 minutes, each track conveys a different emotion and story.
Album Line-Up
The line-up of All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling reflects the intimate and experimental nature of its production. Recorded almost entirely by Efrim Menuck, the album features a close-knit group of collaborators. Their minimalist approach and resourceful creativity would lay the foundation for the band’s future direction.
- Efrim Menuck – Vocals, guitar, keyboard, tape loops
- Mauro Pezzente – Bass guitar
- D.C. – Vocals on "$13.13"
- Dano Leblanc – Acoustic guitar, “backwards hash” contributions
Tracklist
The tracklist showcases a series of short yet evocative compositions. Each piece tells its own story, blending lo-fi textures with minimalist arrangements. Despite the album’s humble production, the emotional range and intensity of these tracks demonstrate the seeds of GY!BE’s later grandeur.
Side A
The A side features tracks that vary in mood and tone, from abstract soundscapes to poignant moments of clarity. Together, they capture the raw energy of the band’s early explorations.
- drifting intro open – (02:14)
- shot thru tubes – (03:05)
- threethreethree – (02:33)
- when all the furnaces exploded – (04:18)
- beep – (01:52)
- hush – (02:41)
- son of a diplomat, daughter of a politician – (03:27)
- glencairn 14 – (02:58)
- $13.13 – (04:06)
- loose the idiot dogs – (03:15)
- diminishing shine – (02:22)
- random luvly moncton blue(s) – (02:48)
- dadmomdaddy – (03:36)
Side B
Side B deepens the journey, moving into darker and more introspective territory. Tracks like "all angels gone" and "deterior three" hint at the band’s later ability to craft haunting, expansive soundscapes.
- 333 frames per second – (02:45)
- revisionist alternatif wounds to the hairkut hit head – (03:09)
- ditty for moya – (04:33)
- buried ton – (03:22)
- and the hairy guts shine – (02:57)
- hoarding – (02:49)
- deterior 23 – (02:12)
- all angels gone – (03:45)
- deterior 17 – (02:18)
- deterior three – (03:03)
- devil's in the church – (03:01)
- no job – (02:25)
- dress like shit – (03:19)
- perfumed pink corpses from the lips of ms. celine dion – (03:47)
