"Kilt By Death: The Sound Of Old Scotland (1977-1984)" is an exhaustive, three-CD archival box set that serves as a definitive audio history of the Scottish underground music scene. Curated in the early 2000s by American music enthusiast Michael Train and released via Fusetron Sound, this unofficial compilation brings together 87 tracks tracking the explosion of punk, post-punk, and DIY indie-pop across Scotland. The collection plays on the legendary Killed by Death rare punk bootleg series, positioning itself as the ultimate treasure trove for collectors seeking the region's most obscure and fiercely independent sounds.
The compilation is highly revered by record collectors because it unearths incredibly rare music, often sourced directly from privately pressed 7" vinyl singles, acetate demos, and live bootlegs that originally had pressings of only a few hundred copies. Rather than relying solely on mainstream hits, the tracklist spans a massive sonic spectrum: it highlights early novelties like Andy Cameron’s "I Want To Be A Punk Rocker", raw punk energy from bands like The Valves, and post-punk architecture from Josef K. It also tracks the evolution of the influential "Postcard Records era" with legendary acts like Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, and The Fire Engines, capturing a golden age of Scottish independent music that would otherwise remain lost to time.
