Gallon Drunk's James Johnston and Terry Edwards with the great Derek Raymond.

In the late nineties, writer and Derek Raymond-protege Cathi Unsworth hosted a week-long radio series called “The Dark End of The Street,” which explored the story behind Raymond’s career. The series culminated in a discussion of Raymond’s most influential book, I Was Dora Suarez. The book is a shocking read, both in its graphic content and sense of unease it creates in the reader. From page one the reader is thrust into confrontation with the inner thoughts of a psychopathic serial killer, a feat requiring great psychological insight on the part of the author. In elegant prose, Raymond renders a brutal murder scene using the killer as guide. The second to last book in the Factory Series is easily the most scandalous.

In 1993 the British rock/punk/jazz band Gallon Drunk collaborated with Raymond to create an atmospheric audio rendering of Raymond’s infamous book. Titled Dora Suarez, the 1993 release led to a short film of the same name, which is included in Gallon Drunk’s One For The Ladies DVD. In today’s installment of the Return of Derek Raymond series we have a selection from this collaboration. Introduced by Cathi Unsworth, here is Gallon Drunk providing the backing for Raymond as he reads from the opening pages of I Was Dora Suarez.

Be warned: This is not for the faint of heart.

Dora Suarez Opening by MelvilleHouse