John Strang - Shame & Stigma

John Strang's sonic journey into psychiatric rehabilitation has been painstakingly reconstructed from cassette tapes and deteriorating studio reels. Composed as a concept album in early 70s, it might have been released on Transatlantic, but the deal fell apart, leaving the recordings buried for 50 years. Charting the experience of mental disintegration and recovery, the album offers an abstract glimpse into the genesis of Strang's later career in psychiatry. The cover, chosen by Strang, is the work of a patient, adding a deeply personal and evocative visual dimension to this long-lost masterpiece.