Last week, Slits founder and influential post-punk figure Ari Up passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Now, original Slits guitarist Viv Albertine (who played with Up in the Slits from 1976 to 1981) has weighed in on the pair's tumultuous relationship, as well as announced a commemorative Slits cassette.
On her Twitter account, Albertine recently revealed that she would be teaming up with former Slits bassist Tessa Pollitt to release an unheard Slits track. "Me and Tessa are going to release last ever Slits song 'Coulda Shoulda Woulda' from 1981 on cassette We will hand draw covers A healing thing," Albertine wrote.
Of course, the "last ever" Slits song means the last song from the group's original lineup, not including their reunion without Albertine in 2005. Without explicitly saying it, Albertine did touch on her troubled relationship with Up in a MySpace post, calling it "up there in the top 5 most difficult relationships of my life."
"It was also the most productive and creative relationship I have ever had," she continues. "She was totally unselfconscious about her body and remained so throughout her life. Ari's biggest gift to me was she made the Slits a safe place for a woman of any shape or size to be relaxed and free with her body. She celebrated womanliness, she reveled in it... The way she carried herself was a revolution."
Albertine's touching statement can be read in full here. Also keep your eyes on her Twitter for more information on the cassette, as the hand-made nature of the release guarantees it will be limited in quantity.
On her Twitter account, Albertine recently revealed that she would be teaming up with former Slits bassist Tessa Pollitt to release an unheard Slits track. "Me and Tessa are going to release last ever Slits song 'Coulda Shoulda Woulda' from 1981 on cassette We will hand draw covers A healing thing," Albertine wrote.
Of course, the "last ever" Slits song means the last song from the group's original lineup, not including their reunion without Albertine in 2005. Without explicitly saying it, Albertine did touch on her troubled relationship with Up in a MySpace post, calling it "up there in the top 5 most difficult relationships of my life."
"It was also the most productive and creative relationship I have ever had," she continues. "She was totally unselfconscious about her body and remained so throughout her life. Ari's biggest gift to me was she made the Slits a safe place for a woman of any shape or size to be relaxed and free with her body. She celebrated womanliness, she reveled in it... The way she carried herself was a revolution."
Albertine's touching statement can be read in full here. Also keep your eyes on her Twitter for more information on the cassette, as the hand-made nature of the release guarantees it will be limited in quantity.
