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Items for review: Compulsion, PO Box 19577, Kilbarchan, Johnstone, PA10 2WX, Scotland, UK
Black Sun Productions - operettAmorale
Previous Black Sun Production releases were disparaged and criticised in some quarters, including us. Black Spider Thing, a series of authorised remixes of Coil material for ritual purposes, was regarded as uninspiring and Astral Walk, their first full release of original material drew so heavily on Coil it was almost a pastiche. That operettAmorale is so good and strikingly original is a real triumph for Massimo and Pierce, the duo behind Black Sun Productions.
For a number of years Massimo and Pierce were both sexworkers, and at one point operated their own sex club in Zurich. They've since ceased their activities in prostitution but operettAmorale based on the poetry of Bertholt Brecht has provided a conduit for Massimo and Pierce to explore and explain their experience of prostitution. The recording and ideas behind operettAmorale has been germinating for a number of years permitting Massimo and Pierce the time to refine and select the tracks in order to tell their own story.
Throughout operettAmorale they've enlisted the help of a number of friends - including Lydia Lunch, HR Giger and Coil - but ultimately operettAmorale is the vision of the Black Sun boys. Along with Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo (of (r) and Larsen) they've updated the early German period music with orchestration and flourishes of electronics but maintained the overall atmosphere of decadence of early 20th Century Berlin. The introductory track, 'Brothel Tango', with its sweeping and weeping strings and accordion swirl performed by the Slow Club Orchestra exemplifies this succinctly. The seediness continues with 'Pimp Ballad' where Massimo and Pierce provide a filthy, hilarious account of their prostitution days over pumping accordion and electronic bleeps and tones. The soft keyboard stabs, over electronic hum, with passages of orchestration on 'Seeräuber-Jenny'is a haunting backdrop to the voices of Pierce and HR Giger, who recites a favourite Brecht poem from his adolescence. The following track 'Johnny Over the Sea' is even more strange, as a disturbing whisper is placed over a floating atmo-drone, with flurries of crunchy electronic textures. Even when they play it straight as they do on 'La Canzone Dei Pendagli Da Forca' where Massimo's deep mournful voice resonates over piano accompaniment and cawing crows the result is effective in its simplicity.
Of the contributors Coil provide the most memorable. 'A List of Wishes' is Coil at their most playful and accessible. A gentle lilting keyboard over fleeting textures and tones, with an aching cello score. Jhonn Balance is in fine vocal form as he delivers an oddball assortment of modified Brecht poetry ever so slightly treated. This represents one of Coil's final studio works. It's clear that the world is a poorer place following the death of Jhonn Balance, and demise of Coil. Lydia Lunch's vocal delivery over the fragile drone and tinkering electronics of 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependency' is just too forced, too self-aware. It's the weakest track on an otherwise coherent album.
The spiralling theatrical score of 'Ballad von der Hollenlili' based on Kurt Weill's score is wonderful, even seamlessly integrating the voice of Lotte Lenya beside the gushing vocals of Pierce. Along with 'Pimp Ballad', and 'Brothel Tango' it evokes the Weimar period quite beautifully. 'What Keeps Mankind Alive' is a catalog of human desires set against a fragile drone and fluttering electronics. operettAmorale is a great record, and is certainly recommended. For more information go to www.black-sun-productions.com or www.oldeuropacafe.com
HERR - The Winter of Constantinople
HERR feature a collective of Dutch and English personnel. The Winter of Constantinople appears to be their second full CD release and conceptually at least is concerned with the 1453 Byzantine siege beside the waters of the Bosphorus. The Winter... falls clearly into the bracket of neo-classical but its set apart from others in the field with its use of verse-chorus structure and particularly the vocal work of Troy Southgate who intones many of the lyrics in a London accent. The album features a nice variation in structure ranging from strident orchestral to sorrowful arrangements, appropriated classical music to typical martial / military fare. It's surprisingly accomplished and an assured piece of work from a new group. From what I can gather this has been fashioned out of reworked, re-recorded and remixed previous releases. The orchestration is synthetically produced but any reservations are adequately rebuked through the use of cello, snare and timpani drums.
'The Fall of Constantinople' tells about the capture of Constantinople by the hordes of Eastern Barbarians. The music moves from forlorn strings gradually building in intensity and power into something dramatic and anthemic. It gels evocatively with the lyrics making this somewhat impressive. The stirring sound of 'Tanz Konstantinopel' is proud and majestic, as cello's stab and drums roll in a musical call to arms. 'Requiem', adapted from Beethoven and Scarlatti, is even more impressive. A reflective piano score, with sections of lilting strings. A young girls voice enters to recite a single line - similar to Current 93 - before the piece becomes more melancholic and with a flurry of percussion it undertakes a rebirth to seek past glories with renewed vigour. A definite standout amply demonstrating the musical versatility and maturity of HERR. In contrast to the elegance of 'Requiem' the second track 'Hopes Die In Winter' appears to be a spoken word piece about football tribalry, about the gangs of football hooligans brutally rampaging towns and cities on a Saturday afternoon. Persuasively argued as a localised fight for local identity over industrial atmospherics and muffled sound of chants. The closing track, 'Strife' closes the album in fine fashion with sorrowful strings and male vocals underpinned by martial drumming.
Although conceptually based on Ancient Rome, HERR are seeking to reinvigorate the listener through reviving Europe's ancient heritage in terms of myths, legend and history. Earlier editions of The Winter of Constantinople are highly coveted items and its not really surprising. This is musically and lyrically accomplished, powerful and emotive work. In a genre overflowing with Germanic voices, Norse mythology and samples from both World Wars its refreshing to find a group who can wrestle with themes of conflict, loss and pride yet derive inspiration from an alternate source. Let's hope HERR can continue to plough this singular path on future releases as they appear capable of great(er) things. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk or herr.tegendemuur.nl
IANVA - La Ballata Dell' Ardito
La Ballata Dell' Ardito (which translates as The Ballad of the Ardito) is a mini-CDR from Ianva, as a taster for their forthcoming full length CD Disobbedisco (translating as I Disobey), a concept album based on an impossible love affair between two protagonists during D'Annunzio's Conquest of Fiume. Ianva are an Italian project who describe themselves as "archeofutursitic", and are inspired by Italian culture in music, word and cinema specifically of a decadent and romantic persuasion.
The music on 'La Ballata Dell' Ardito' is lush with a sparkling trumpet score, and graceful accordion score. The second track switches from a gentle piano score and yearning female vocals through full ensemble playing to passages of pumping accordion and beerhall male vocals. Its theatrical and so out-of-step with contemporary music it recalls the European cabaret of the forties and fifties and rekindles the European sensibility captured so beautifully on Scott Walker's Brel recordings and on Marc Almond's Jacques and French albums. So its hardly surprising to find Ianva delivering a commendable live version of Brel's 'Amsterdam'.
Ianva is a collective project including members of Cult Italian groups Malombra, Helden Rune, an ex-member of Wagooba, members of black metal groups alongside classically trained musicians. They all share a passion for Italy and on the basis of La Ballata Dell' Ardito Ianva ought to appeal to anyone moved by Morricone inspired Death In June, Novy Svet, Ain Soph or those who yearn for decadent European ballads as favoured by the likes of Marc Almond, Gavin Friday, Scott Walker (that would be anyone inspired by the works of Jacques Brel, I guess) and Black Sun Productions. For more information go to www.illevriero.it
Kreuzweg Ost - Edelrost
This is undoubtedly the most unsatisfying release to emanate from the Cold Spring stable. The majority of the tracks here are based on black industrial atmospherics, a heady mixture of rumbling electronics, thunderous martial drumming, amidst war ravaged sounds and voices. The bleak oppressive sound herein captures the chaos and fear of the battlefield. Samples (often sped-up or slowed down) feature prominently on most tracks alongside passages of orchestral strings but I can detect little to recommend this. To be fair 'Eiserne Menschen' with its industrial drone and weeping strings peppered with female voices is effective in its restraint and its avoidance of orchestral bombast and martial effects. It's followed by 'Zum Appell' littered with spoken word and frenetic voices that pierce the industrial droning and powerhouse martial drumming. Throughout passages of symphonic music arise adding to the urgency and desperation of the piece. Like others, Kreuzweg Ost have adopted Arabesque percussion. Eastern beats provide the template for 'Die Legion', alongside haunting cello and the frantic grasps of a terrorised woman amidst the turbulent sounds of war. Its difficult to penetrate the bleak sound of Edelrost and distinguish between tracks. Although 'Lebmuhl' closes Edelrost with a recording of a crackly German folk song over ominous droning.
Kreuzweg Ost have certainly created an oppressive black sound but for some reason this sounds like black metal musicians composing black industrial music. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk
Boyd Rice and Friends - Baptism By Fire
Does Boyd Rice need an introduction? A US noise pioneer from the first wave of industrial music, whose initial releases coincided with the rise of Throbbing Gristle in the UK. Over the years Boyd has moved from repetitive and hypnotic noise assaults to texts dealing with Nietzchean themes. He's a Barbie doll collector, with a keen brain and immaculate taste in music championing sixties girl groups, Tiny Tim, Ralph Gean to Little Fyodor. He's a modern day renaissance man with a vast knowledge of neglected and forgotten culture. He's also been maligned for his Social Darwinistic viewpoint. Though today he's more interested in the Holy Grail and investigating the bloodline of Christ. His detractors, meanwhile, will always label him a fascist.
Baptism By Fire is a CD/DVD package subtitled A Celebration of Live Events from Bologna, Los Angeles and Adelaide. It captures a selection of Boyd Rice and NON tracks taken from Wolf Pact, Receive The Flame, God and Beast, and Music, Martinis and Misanthropy. Baptism By Fire opens with 'Total War', Boyd's signature tune. Over thunderous drumming and crashing cymbals, here performed by John Murphy, it lays clear Boyd's Might Is Right philosophy and his desire to crush aside the weak and frail. In the genre of martial music this is a pioneering Social Darwinistic classic. The human races disposition for war is documented on 'History Lesson', a depressing roll call of strife, combat, revolution, insurrection, uprising, genocide, or some form of violence delivered by Boyd Rice over ebow played by Douglas P. of Death In June. Douglas P.s guitar strum lays the basis for 'The Reign Song', with Boyd's unpleasant truths over atmospheric noise and chimes. 'Worlds Collide' belies a tempered approach amidst funereal paced drum beats and occasional glimpse of melody. There's a return to thunderous martial drumming on 'Everlasting Fire' as Boyd spits out the words over disciplined rhythms and serated noise. The final CD closes with a basic rendition of 'People', from the seminal Music, Martinis and Misanthropy as Boyd delivers his misanthropic bile in a sugar coated delivery over ringing guitars and harmonic backing vocals from Douglas P. His desire for a brutal gardener to deal with the weeds, in a list that includes the stupid, the ugly, the petty, the slow, the liars, the shit-stirrers... There's a distinct lack of live audience here but depending upon your persuasion it remains as humorous and truthful or as offensive and hate-filled as it was the first time you heard it. At just over 30 minutes it's just a snapshot of Boyd's vast back catalog but 'People' aside the quality is slightly impaired and not much better than an audience recorded bootleg.
The accompanying DVD is much more satisfying documenting a short solo Boyd Rice set from May 1999. Flanked by Death's Head banners Boyd remains quite static throughout. The only motion is provided by the searing electronic noise and billowing smoke. Filmed on two cameras the editing is sharp as the grainy effected film zooms from long shot to close-ups in synch with the processed rhythms. The dynamism between voice and noise is captured well on 'Between Venus and Mars' as Boyd intones his lyrics, echoed and delayed at points, like some evil preacher delivering a sermon. The short film ends with a strong version of 'Total War', as Boyd winds up an ancient air raid siren device before the familiar tirade of timpani drums kick in. As the strobe lighting flashes, Boyd is fired-up, igniting the crowd as the collosal sound and rhythms pummel.
Also included is a photo archive showing the many faces of Boyd Rice: goateed, shaven-headed, cropped, and generally attired in black leather or military uniform. The CD/DVD package is complete with a double sided insert of the NON man. Baptism By Fire is released by Neroz, the Australian arm of the NER empire. For more information go to www.deathinjune.net or www.boydrice.com
Mark Stewart - Kiss The Future
Kiss The Future is a career-spanning retrospective of Mark Stewart, the former singer in post-punk outfit The Pop Group. In 1982 he embarked on a solo career combining technological dystopian themes (control, surveillance...) with heavy duty industrial experimentation and extreme dub production. In the absence of new material - his last album was Control Data in 1986 - he's been cited as a direct influence on trip-hop. Mark Stewart was a close associate of the Wild Bunch, the Bristol based collective that spawned Massive Attack and Tricky. His work with avant dub producer Adrian Sherwood of On U Sound Productions has been compelling due to its ground breaking experimental dub techniques.
Thankfully Kiss The Future showcase three new tracks that evidently show that time has softened his wayward approach. 'Radio Freedom' his collaboration with The Bug (aka Kevin Martin formerly of God / Techno Animal et al) is a heavy slice of electro beats concerning the New World Disorder, with neat hammond interludes. With Desi producer Sanjay T they've produced a collosal slice of electro-dub, and with Adrian Sherwood at the controls 'The Lunatics Are Taking Over The Asylum' is a mixture of hip-hop, rock and extreme dub.
His work with The Pop Group is represented well by three tracks including the hyper punk-funk and jazz squall of the consumerist critique 'We Are All Prostitutes'. The soaring punk guitar and dub reggae of 'We Are Time' and the classic disjointed punk-funk of 'She Is Beyond Good and Evil'.
Of Stewart's solo material the majority is taken from Learning To Cope With Cowardice, aided by the Maffia represented at this point by members of the New Age Steppers. Stewart wrestles with themes of urban paranoia on 'Liberty City' with its dub bass, sprinkling trumpet and haunting female vocals. The rendering of Blake's English hymn Jerusalem is sublime. A musical cut-up of dub rhythm, brass band, and church hymn as Stewart panders for the promised land of Albion. It's slightly stilted but the approach is unprecedented. From As The Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade surely one of the most oppressive albums is 'Hypnotised'. A fine slice of electro-pop concerning wealth (re)distribution, complete with scratching and the lugubrious tones of the control addict William Burroughs. Surprisingly there are no selections from his eponymous third album, and in fact his work with Tackhead, the former rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang (think 'The Message', and 'White Lines'), as the Maffia is seriously under-represented. Still 'Hysteria' one of Stewart's most accessible tracks is featured. With its slap bass and seering guitar acrobatics and Stewart's distant careering vocal this is as 'rock' as the Maffia would get. Though the bleak claustrophobic atmosphere would be too heavy for most. There's a distinct techno vibe to 'Dream Kitchen' amidst the over Sherwoodisms in this critique of commodity fetishism.
Regrettably Kiss The Future is a slim introduction to the paranoid musings of Mark Stewart. It doesn't include cuts I would have expected. Where's 'Pacivication Program', 'Stranger', 'These Things Happen', 'My Possession'... In an age where we're reminded daily of the threat of terrorism, and having our civil liberties continually eroded with the continual snooping on our personal lives the time is ripe for the return of Mark Stewart. In the meantime those unacquainted with the work of Mark Stewart could do worse than getting a hold of this compilation. You'll be surprised how fresh most of this sounds. Don't stop there though, investigate the back catalog its the nastiest, bleakest experimental and extreme dub you will ever encounter. For more information go to www.souljazzrecords.co.uk
Congratulations to Antony and the Johnsons who won the Mercury Music Prize earlier this month for their second album I Am A Bird Now. 'You'Are My Sister' sung with Boy George is the next single to be taken from the award winning album. A video has been directed by Charles Atlas. Antony and Boy George took part in the Warchild project where they sung John Lennon's 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'. Antony and the Johnsons are on tour until the end of the year. For more information go to www.antonyandthejohnsons.com
Black Rose Recordings are releasing the Coil / The New Blockaders / Vortex Campaign collaborative CD this month under the title The Melancholy Mad Tenant. Press release follows: In 1984 Vortex Campaign invited Coil and TNB to collaborate. The result, unofficially referred to as “Dolbied”, was released on cassette in an edition of 50. The release has since gone on to become legendary, showcasing two of the most influential groups in the scene at the early stages of their development. The Melancholy Mad Tenant is an authorised release, sanctioned by all three groups. The tracks have been professionally re-mastered and in addition to the Coil/TNB/VC collaboration it also contains the entire VC archive, including two previously unreleased tracks. This release is limited to 500 in hand screen printed covers, which includes a special cloth bag edition limited to 100.
Formed in 1983 the output of Coil has ranged from the avant-garde, to experimental neoclassical, to extended excursions into pure electronica. Many bands and composers have cited Coil as an influence. Coil were mainly a studio group, but in 2000 they commenced a successful series of tours that proved to be extremely remarkable events. The New Blockaders began in 1982 with the release of the debut LP Changez Les Blockeurs which is cited by many as a defining moment in the history of noise music. TNB have gone on to influence a generation of artists from Japanese noise-maestro Merzbow to noise punks Wolf Eyes. For more information and availability contact srmeixner@yahoo.co.uk
The Lumberton Trading Company release Chamber Music the latest album from Thighpaulsandra. Thighpaulsandra is a Compulsion online favourite who has worked with Coil and Julian Cope and is a member of Spiritualized. Chamber Music Combines musique concrčte, quasi-dimensional electronics, ravaged hums, atmospheric tones and all manner of different instruments nodding into focus. The label regard it as his most cohesive work to date. Chamber Music is released on CD and as a limited edition picture disc LP. For more information go to http://lumbertontrading.com
Compulsion online favourite David E. Williams is performing live in Philadelphia on October 10th in a show to promote the book store and gallery Germ Books. Germ Awareness Night II features live performances from David E Williams and Friends. Williams' performance is set to include cabaret with clarinet, a cover Song and a hymn to the genius of Idi Amin. Also on the bill are Oneiric Imperium, Philadelphia's Metrognostic Guerilla Art Noise Cult, and Parasite Militia, described as industrial chaos musick. The show takes place at Bar Noir on October 10th, in an event described as an early happy birthday to Aleister Crowley. For more information go to www.germbooks.com
Jerome Deppe, the guitarist and occasional backing vocalist for David E. Williams has just released a solo album. The Absence of Light is a CD-R released on Old Europa Café. The label describes it thus: "Combines dreamy, haunting melodies with feelings of abandonment and loss. Post apocalyptic art rock with a touch of film noir and even an ambient version of a popular 60’s lounge song. Crafted and recorded entirely underground to accentuate the feelings of despair and finality." For more information go to www.oldeuropacafe.com
Allerseelen, the Austrian technosophist outfit led by arcane researcher Gerhard, have a number of shows planned over the next few months. The dates are as follows: 29 October - Yverdon/Schweiz with Belborn, 30 October - Torino/Italia, 31 October - Pordenone (in preparation), 19 November - St. Petersburg, Russia with Changes, 20 November - Moskau, Russia with Changes. December shows are being scheduled for Germany and London, UK. For more information go to www.geocities.com/ahnstern/conciertos.htm
Allerseelen released Knospe on Carpe Noctem last month. A double vinyl edition of Gotos=Kalanda will be released within the next few weeks, this follows double vinyl issues of Flamme, Heimliche Welt, Archaische Arbeiten, Sturmlieder. Copies are still available in limited quantities.
Changes, meanwhile, also perform at the following dates: 12 November - Sintra, Portugal, Antwerpen, Belgium (TBC), 16 November Wien, Austria, 17 November - Budapest, Hungary. For more information go to www.geocities.com/ahnstern
DurtroJnana reissue Nurse With Wound's Salt Marie Celeste, another casualty following the demise of World Serpent. For more information go to www.durtro.com
Current 93 have shows in San Francisco and Venice later in the year. On November 4 and 5 they perform at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. On the 4th Current 93 are joined by OM, Baby Dee and Simon Finn, and on the 5th OM, Six Organs of Admittance and Pantaleimon complete the bill. For the Venice shows in December Current 93 are joined by Will Oldham, Simon Finn, Baby Dee, Pantaleimon, and Six Organs of Admittance.
The forthcoming Current 93 album Black Ships Ate the Sky with an impressive cast including David Michael, Michael Cashmore, Steven Stapleton, Ben Chasny, Marc Almond, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Will Oldham, Shirley Collins, Andria Degens, Antony, Baby Dee, John Contreras, William Breeze, James William Hindle, William Basinski and Charlemagne Palestine is scheduled for release in February 2006.
The Sanctuary / Castle retrospective 2CD compilations of Current 93 and Nurse With Wound are available now, as is the double reissue of Hypnagogue. The Current 93 retrospective, Judas as Black Moth, features a 12 page full colour booklet, with 2 previously unpublished photographs and a previously unpublished painting by him on the front. Liner notes are by: Marc Almond, Bill Fay, Baby Dee, Antony, Mark Logan, Hymenaeus Beta XIş, Shirley Collins, Ben Chasny, Simon Finn, Will Oldham, Thomas Ligotti, Devendra Banhart, William Basinski, David Michael and David Late Tibet. The Nurse With Wound retrospective, Livin' Fear of James Last, features an 8 page full colour booklet with photographs suitably treated and destroyed by Babs Santini of those who have worked with Steven Stapleton during his long career. The reissue of Hypnagogue as a double CD, containing the original recordings by David Michael and Maja Elliott, in addition to the re-recordings with David and Michael Masley is out now too. For more information go to www.durtro.com
Beta Lactam Ring Records continue unabated with a prolific number of releases this month. These include: irr. app. (ext.) release Perekluchenie on LP; george&caplin issue Electronic Eulogy on LP with accompanying 7-inch in an edition of 300 copies; Edward Ka-Spel frontman of the Legendary Pink Dots releases A Red Long Ladder to the Moon on CD and LP. The double vinyl LP includes a fourth side of music, while the first 200 copies include a bonus album, Hey Rainman (first version). The Silverman, another Legendary Pink Dots member, releases Nature of Illusion, featuring one track with Edward Ka-Spel on vocals. Nature of Illusion is released as a double CD, and on vinyl with a bonus CD.
Beta Lactam ring Records are also re-releasing a number of Edward Ka-Spel solo albums. These include Laugh China Doll, Happy New Year, O Darkness! O Darkness! Each CD will include a coupon to receive a bonus CD of new material once all Edward's solo releases have been reissued. Also available is a Legendary Pink Dots DVD entitled A Dream is a Dream is a Dream. This represents the earliest live footage of the Pink Dots recorded live in 1987 featuring a 6-piece line-up. A Dream is a Dream is a Dream is a region free DVD. For more information on all the above go to www.blrrecords.com
Tesco USA have announced that The Doctor has been released on region free DVD. The Doctor is Thomas Nöla's second feature The Doctor, the tale of a man haunted by his pseudo-ghost ex-patient (the precocious Miss Marilla Huxley), advised by a griffin in pinstripes and persecuted by a strange faction of pierrot masons and black-face foot soldiers. While wandering his occupied homeland, he will search his mind for the secrets of nature and death. This man will be The Doctor.
The Doctor features narration by Douglas P. of Death In June. The DVD special features the Theatrical trailer, Behind The Doctor production vignette and bonus music videos directed by T. Nöla plus more. The Doctor is released by Eskimo Films. For more information go to www.eskimofilms.com
KnifeLadder perform live alongside Ultraviolence at The Garage, Highbury and Islington, London on October 8. Billed as an Industrial Special the line-up is completed by Leechwoman and as yet undpecified guests. KnifeLadder will be performing tracks from their forthcoming album, The Spectacle. The Spectacle is scheduled for release by Old Europa Cafe and Operative Records. KnifeLadder feature John Murphy (Death In June, Associates, Current 93 et al), Andrew Trail and Hunter Barr. For more information go to www.knifeladder.com
Alasdair Roberts who released the stunning No Earthly Man on Drag City perfroms live at The Luminaire, Kilburn, London on October 23. On No Earthly Man Alasdair Roberts was assisted by Will Oldham to create a stuning collection of death ballads performed in an avant-folk style. Alasdair will be supported by the enigmatic Woodbine (who record for Domino) and Jo Mango, who performs fragile folk-pop. For more information go to www.alasdairroberts.com
Akron/Family embark on an extensive European tour throughout October and November. Too many dates to mention but unfortunately nothing in Scotland. The Angels of Light will accompany Arkon/Family on a number of Eastern European dates together with shows in Switzerland and Italy. The dates featuring the Angels of Light are as follows:
October 6 - B2 Club, Moscow, Russia
October 7 - Firlej, Wroclaw, Poland
October 8 - No Mercy, Warsaw, Poland
October 9 - Cankarjev dom cultural Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
October 10 - FonoBudapest, Hungary
October 11 - Akropolis, Praha, Czech Republik
October 12 - Theatre ITD, Zagreb, Croatia
October 14 - BOA Halle, Luzern, Switzerland
October 15 - L'Usine, Geneva, Switzerland
October 16 - Café Procope, Turin, Italy
The Angels of Light feature Michael Gira who enlisted the help of the members of Akron/Family for their latest album The Angels of Light Sing Other People. The Akron/Family debut release is released on Young God Records, produced by Michael Gira. Akron/Family will be performing live, and will act as the backing band for the Angels of Light. For more information go to www.younggodrecords.com
Old Europa Café have a number of new CD-R titles. These include Negru Voda - Voodoo Killers, a reissue of an out-of-print tape of harsh industrial sounds from Megaptera side project. The previously mentioned Jerome Deppe - The Absence of Light CD-R is regarded by OEC as the Best neo pop'n'folk songs from US. The Absence of Light is limited to 150 copies. OEC current full CD releases include Stratvm Terror - Pariah Demise (extra) and Folkstorm - Folkmusic. The Stratvm Terror release is an expanded reissue of their debut album with extra material, and a previously unreleased track. Nordvargr has resurrected his Folkstorm project with this CD of the classic Folkstorm sound with the addition of a number of drone based tracks. A special edition with additional mCD is available in an edition of 300. Coming soon is Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 from David E. Williams. Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 features his debut EP along with 19 previously unreleased tracks from the same period. Some of these songs were eliminated from earlier releases because of their political and sexual offensiveness. Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 is released in a jewel case with booklet containing the text to all songs. For more information go to www.oldeuropacafe.com
Cold Spring release available at the moment include Mind of Flesh & Bones from Archon Satani and their latest label sampler Swarm. Mind of Flesh & Bones from Archon Satani is reissued in repackaged and remastered format. Archon Satani are one of the founding voices of death-industrial featuring the combined talents of Mikael Stravöstrand (Inanna, Mitek) and Tomas Petersson (Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio). Archon Satani's final two releases were released by Cold Spring in the late nineties. Mind of Flesh & Bones has been out-of-print for over a decade. Swarm is issued as a double CD it features exclusive tracks from A Challenge Of Honour, Andrew Liles, Band Of Pain, Bleiburg feat. Werkraum / Von Thronstahl, Clear Stream Temple, Deadwood, Fredrik Klingwall, Goatvargr, H.E.R.R., John Watermann, Kreuzweg Ost, Kriegsfall-U, Merzbow Vs. Nordvargr, Necropolis, Schloss Tegal, Shinjuku Thief, Sistrenatus, Tenhornedbeast, Von Thronstahl, Werkraum and Zos Kia. Swarm is available for the price of a single CD.
Cold Spring Records are hosting a 15 Year Anniversary Party at the Marquee, London on the 12th November with live performances from Von Thronstahl, H.E.R.R. and Kriegsfall-U. Tickets on sale now. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk
Steinklang Records have a number of new releases available. A Challenge Of Honour vs Praetorio - Hadrian's Wall, is a limited 10-inch record limited to 500 copies. Hadrian's Wall is a neo-classical soundtrack about the Roman defenses in Great Britain by A Challenge Of Honour and Praetorio, featuring Dutch artist Irvin Getrouw a member of the A Challenge of Honour live set-up. This is released in association with Vrihaspati Recordings, the record lablel of A Challenge of Honour. This will be followed by Seven Samurai a new album from A Challenge of Honour in a run of 400 copies. Thorofon - New Heroes, is a double vinyl release of of droning power electronics and speedy-disco killers in an edition of 500 copies. Institution D.O.L. - With Her I Had Some Tropical Feelings. The Austrian electronic outfit offer a psychoacoustic journey through rhythmic noise sequences, psychedelic melodies and ambient/hypnotic patterns. Stahlwerk 9 and Rasthof Dachau collaborate on The Final Resistance bringing pure analogue power-electronics with hard voices and speech-samples. Sound samples of the above releases are available at the Steinklang website. For more information go to www.steinklang-records.at
Autre Que is a new label set-up by two members of the Heimdallr webzine. Their inaugural release is a 7-inch EP from Ô Paradis. El Juego Negro is the title of the EP. Demian of Ô Paradis together with Juergen of Novy Svet, came up with a strange musical game. On each side of the record a dark, moody track is paired with a sunny, uplifting song... grief and despair are opposed to a lust for life in the black game of life and death. El Juego Negro is on white vinyl in an edition of 222 hand-numbered copies. Ô Paradis and Novy Svet previously collaborated on Entre Siempre y Jamás Suben las Mareas, Duermen Las Ciudades. El Juego Negro is distributed by Tesco Distribution. For more information go to www.autre-que.com
Instal 05, Brave New Music takes place at The Arches, Glasgow between October 14 and 16. The line-up is as follows:
Friday
Jandek
JOJO
Black Boned Angel
UP-TIGHT
Saturday
Tetuzi Akiyama
Birchville Cat Motel
directing hand
Rauhan Orkesteri
Sun City Girls
Hijokaidan
Sunday
Ingar Zach + Rhodri Davies
Tom Bruno
Loren Mazzacane Connors + Alan Licht
Chie Mukai
Henri Chopin
Pauline Oliveros + David Dove
The Instal website includes details on all acts with sound clips. The Instal Fringe section features 16 of the most exciting new acts from Scotland. For more information go to www.instal.org.uk
Experimentaclub, a festival that each year exhibits at La Casa Encendida the main international artists of the experimental music scene returns for its fifth season between October 5 and 9. ACts performing include Psychic TV, Richard H. Kirk, To Rococc Rot, Borbetomagus, People Like Us. JG Thirlwell will provide a DJ set. For more information go to www.entradas.com
Whitehouse embark on a short US tour in November. The dates are as follows: 4 November - New York, 5 November - Empty Bottle, Chicago, 6 November - Philadelphia. For more information go to www.susanlawly.com
Sorrow who recently performed live in London are performing a one-off date in France in November. Sorrow appear at the Theatre du Bourg Neuf, located at 5 bis rue Bourg Neuf in Avignon France on 5 November. Only 95 tickets are available. RoseMcDowall.com are still offering for sale Cut With The Cake Knife a CD of Rose's post Strawberry Switchblade demos. This is a beautiful and engaging release ideal for warming up those cold, autumn evenings. For more information go to www.rosemcdowall.com
HR!SPQR, the Italian arm of Hau Ruck, release, are the sole distributor of a CD-R of the Ain Soph performance at Hinoeuma the Malediction. Ain Soph – Live In London, produced by Misty Circles and Wolf Age, is limited to 100 copies only. Spectrae the long awaited new release from Ain Soph will be released as a Spectrae release, the solo project of the vocalist / guitarist in Ain Soph. Spectrae will be released in November 2006, though this may be a publicity error. For more information go to www.hauruckspqr.com
Wertham will be performing their first show in Germany in November. The event billed as November Coming Fire - Italian Noise Invasion will also feature experimental trumpet player DBPT and Rome guitar noise gods Circus Joy. Wertham is the power electronics outfit of Marco Deplano, a member alongside John Murphy (KnifeLadder) and Richard Leviathan (Ostara) of Foresta di Ferro. The event takes place on November 5 at Harlekin im Riesen, Wetzlar. For more information go to www.ghastlymurder.org
Machine Made Pleasure have just released Spirit Within, containing 15 tracks of dark electronic dance music. For more information go to www.machinemadepleasure.com
Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds and former member of The Birthday Party has released a new solo album, One Man's Treasure, on Mute Records, containing cover versions of songs from Lee Hazelwood, Tim Buckley and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. For more information go to www.mickharvey.com
Fear Falls Burning, the musical alter ego of Vidna Obmana have just released their debut album Fear Falls Burning. This double CD includes entrancing and repetitive guitar work ranging from gritty dirty guitarloops to long sonic landscapes with dense walls of sound. Fear Falls Burning is comparable to contemporary drone and minimal ambient acts. Fear Falls Burning is released on Ikon /Projekt. Fear Falls Burning are touring throughout October. The dates are as follows:
October 2 - Lagerhaus, Bremen, Germany
October 11 - Tanzhaus West, Frankfurt, Germany
October 12 - AZ Conni, Dresden, Germany
October 13 - Kulturbunker Müllheim, Köln, Germany
October 15 - E-live festival, TU Auditorium, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
October 19 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands; venue TBC
October 22 - Catharina chapel, The Netherlands
October 29 - Theater Luchtbal, Antwerpen, Belgium
For more information go to www.fearfallsburning.be
Klanggalerie have just released a previously unissued album from Zoviet France. Music for a Spaghetti Western was recorded in 1986 by Robin Storey, Ben Ponton and Paolo di Paolo and this is its first airing. Still available from Klanggalerie is Sound Sketch for Raging Flames a collaborative effort between the UK´s anti-artists TNB and a Russian free jazz trio Gosplan Trio. Sound Sketch for Raging Flames is released on CD in an edition of 350 copies. See above for details of an archive collaborative release from The New Blockaders/Coil/Vortex Campaign released by Black Rose Recordings. For more information go to www.klanggalerie.com
Werkraum follow the success of Unsere Feuer Brennen! on Cold Spring Records with a mini album on Ahnstern/Steinklang. Kristalle contains 6 exclusive pieces of folk music, aided by Antje Hoppenrath, Nick Nedzynski (Lady Morphia) and members of Changes. A full length release, Morgenstern, is scheduled for release later in the year. In the meantime Werkraum contribute to the Cold Spring sampler Swarm, and a reissue of the boxset Eternal Soul.
Axel Frank will be performing live with Triarii at the Icetodiron Festival on November 26, 2005 in Vilnius/Lithuania. Other acts performing include Reutoff, Claustrum, Northaunt, Svartsinn.
The Werkraum site has been updated with discography, containing selected high-quality audio streamings from each release, rare and lost tracks, live recordings, interviews etc .For more information go to www.werkraum-heimat.net
Important Records have two new releases out now. These include XXL, a new group formed by Xiu Xiu and Larsen. Both members are keen to stress this is a group and not merely a collaboration. Sound samples are available. The other release from Important Records is a double vinyl reissue of How I Loved You from the Swans. Once again, like the Important reissue of New Mother this is in an edition of 500 copies, with 100 being on white vinyl. For more information go to www.importantrecords.com
Tursa Records home to Sol Invictus and Tony Wakeford are putting out a download only release. The initial release will be a sampler of future releases, with an exclusive download only track. The initial release is purported to comprise two exclusive mixes from a Tony Wakeford solo release, two exclusive mixes from the forthcoming Sol Invictus release and one from his triple tree project. For more information go to www.tursa.com
Ostara have released their new album of apocalyptic pop music. Immaculate Destruction is released on Trisol. A deluxe limited edition is available as a deluxe double digipak. MP3's and a music video can be accessed at www.ostara.net
Ostara perform live at the Hinoeuma the Malediction Halloween Party at the Slimelight London. Other acts on the bill include Mushrooms Patience, Calle Della Morte and The Green Man From Italy. The event takes place on October 29. For more information go to www.geocities.com/hagshadow
The new album from dark folk outfit In Ruin should appear before the end of the year. Kim Larsen of Of The Wand and the Moon guests - including a cover of one of his own tracks - as does Isaac Aubrey of The Arid Sea. For more information go to in-ruin.musicpage.de
Of The Wand and the Moon have a number of new releases out now. Sonnenheim, their fourth album, features collaborations with Sonne Hagal and Forseti. Sonnenheim is regarded as a major development in the work of this Danish outfit led by Kim Larsen. The CD is released in an embossed digipak with 12 page booklet. Midnight Will is a rerelease of the long sold-out 10-inch originally issued on the Eis+Licht label. This edition features additional tracks and different versions. Their third release is the Hail! Hail! Hail! 7-inch containing a cover of 'Benediction' / 'Malediction' that was originally sung by Ian Read on the Current 93 album Swastikas For Noddy. Of The Wand and the Moon are aided by members of Sonne Hagal and Forseti on this release. The 7-inch is released on white vinyl. The inital 66 copies include additional artwork. All the above releases are on Heiđrunar Myrkrunar via Tesco Distribution. Reviews on Compulsion online next month. For more information go to www.ofthewandandthemoon.dk
Suilven Recordings are offering a free CD-R sampler to anyone who contacts them. TheFirstTen – a Suilven Recordings compilation CD-R containing tracks from each of the first ten releases – is available now for anyone, anywhere, and at absolutely no cost whatsoever. All you need to do is email info@suilvenrecordings.com with your postal address and a copy will be sent out to you free of charge. Recent releases from Suilven Recordings have been from Daniel Patrick Quinn, who has been likened to Alasdair Roberts. Robert Wyatt has described his music as "Lovely stuff". For more information go to www.suilvenrecordings.com
The Horse Hospital host A London Tattoo Art Show, Work in Other Media by working tattoo artists. The group exhibition presents the work of 18 London tattoo artists including Alex Binnie and Lal Hardy. All of the works on display – from religious shrines inspired by the Mexican Day Of The Dead to paintings inspired by pet iguanas, from carved trees to linen needleworks of tattoos of French prisoners, from jewellery to digital art – are works in other media, of tattoo artists working beyond the body, outside of their work. A London Tattoo Art Show, Work in Other Media by working tattoo artists runs until October 29. For more information go to www.thehorsehospital.com
Thee Occasional is an international, independent, non-profit making, privately published journal featuring articles on paganism, esoteric Christianity, sacred history, mythology and folklore, and the manifestation of these trends in music, literature and art. The Autumn Equinox edition of Thee Occasional features 'TOPY vs. NOS: A Comedy of Errors', which highlights hidden links between Thee Temple of Psychick Youth, a disgraced evangelical Christian sect and The Society of the Inner Light, the esoteric organisation founded by Dion Fortune; an article on Coil; and David Late Tibet on the artist Louis Wain. For more information contact patrickwood@btconnect.com
The fourth issue of Degenerate has just been published with interviews with Niko Skorpio, Boyd Rice / NON, Fire In The Head, C.O. Caspear, DVT, Brethren amongst others. There's also a tour report by Grunt, articles on industrial culture and over 100 reviews. Degenerate is professionally printed, in an edition of 600 copies. For more information go to www.kaos-kontrol.org/degenerate
Items for review: Compulsion, PO Box 19577, Kilbarchan, Johnstone, PA10 2WX, Scotland, UK
Black Sun Productions - operettAmorale
Previous Black Sun Production releases were disparaged and criticised in some quarters, including us. Black Spider Thing, a series of authorised remixes of Coil material for ritual purposes, was regarded as uninspiring and Astral Walk, their first full release of original material drew so heavily on Coil it was almost a pastiche. That operettAmorale is so good and strikingly original is a real triumph for Massimo and Pierce, the duo behind Black Sun Productions.
For a number of years Massimo and Pierce were both sexworkers, and at one point operated their own sex club in Zurich. They've since ceased their activities in prostitution but operettAmorale based on the poetry of Bertholt Brecht has provided a conduit for Massimo and Pierce to explore and explain their experience of prostitution. The recording and ideas behind operettAmorale has been germinating for a number of years permitting Massimo and Pierce the time to refine and select the tracks in order to tell their own story.
Throughout operettAmorale they've enlisted the help of a number of friends - including Lydia Lunch, HR Giger and Coil - but ultimately operettAmorale is the vision of the Black Sun boys. Along with Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo (of (r) and Larsen) they've updated the early German period music with orchestration and flourishes of electronics but maintained the overall atmosphere of decadence of early 20th Century Berlin. The introductory track, 'Brothel Tango', with its sweeping and weeping strings and accordion swirl performed by the Slow Club Orchestra exemplifies this succinctly. The seediness continues with 'Pimp Ballad' where Massimo and Pierce provide a filthy, hilarious account of their prostitution days over pumping accordion and electronic bleeps and tones. The soft keyboard stabs, over electronic hum, with passages of orchestration on 'Seeräuber-Jenny'is a haunting backdrop to the voices of Pierce and HR Giger, who recites a favourite Brecht poem from his adolescence. The following track 'Johnny Over the Sea' is even more strange, as a disturbing whisper is placed over a floating atmo-drone, with flurries of crunchy electronic textures. Even when they play it straight as they do on 'La Canzone Dei Pendagli Da Forca' where Massimo's deep mournful voice resonates over piano accompaniment and cawing crows the result is effective in its simplicity.
Of the contributors Coil provide the most memorable. 'A List of Wishes' is Coil at their most playful and accessible. A gentle lilting keyboard over fleeting textures and tones, with an aching cello score. Jhonn Balance is in fine vocal form as he delivers an oddball assortment of modified Brecht poetry ever so slightly treated. This represents one of Coil's final studio works. It's clear that the world is a poorer place following the death of Jhonn Balance, and demise of Coil. Lydia Lunch's vocal delivery over the fragile drone and tinkering electronics of 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependency' is just too forced, too self-aware. It's the weakest track on an otherwise coherent album.
The spiralling theatrical score of 'Ballad von der Hollenlili' based on Kurt Weill's score is wonderful, even seamlessly integrating the voice of Lotte Lenya beside the gushing vocals of Pierce. Along with 'Pimp Ballad', and 'Brothel Tango' it evokes the Weimar period quite beautifully. 'What Keeps Mankind Alive' is a catalog of human desires set against a fragile drone and fluttering electronics. operettAmorale is a great record, and is certainly recommended. For more information go to www.black-sun-productions.com or www.oldeuropacafe.com
HERR - The Winter of Constantinople
HERR feature a collective of Dutch and English personnel. The Winter of Constantinople appears to be their second full CD release and conceptually at least is concerned with the 1453 Byzantine siege beside the waters of the Bosphorus. The Winter... falls clearly into the bracket of neo-classical but its set apart from others in the field with its use of verse-chorus structure and particularly the vocal work of Troy Southgate who intones many of the lyrics in a London accent. The album features a nice variation in structure ranging from strident orchestral to sorrowful arrangements, appropriated classical music to typical martial / military fare. It's surprisingly accomplished and an assured piece of work from a new group. From what I can gather this has been fashioned out of reworked, re-recorded and remixed previous releases. The orchestration is synthetically produced but any reservations are adequately rebuked through the use of cello, snare and timpani drums.
'The Fall of Constantinople' tells about the capture of Constantinople by the hordes of Eastern Barbarians. The music moves from forlorn strings gradually building in intensity and power into something dramatic and anthemic. It gels evocatively with the lyrics making this somewhat impressive. The stirring sound of 'Tanz Konstantinopel' is proud and majestic, as cello's stab and drums roll in a musical call to arms. 'Requiem', adapted from Beethoven and Scarlatti, is even more impressive. A reflective piano score, with sections of lilting strings. A young girls voice enters to recite a single line - similar to Current 93 - before the piece becomes more melancholic and with a flurry of percussion it undertakes a rebirth to seek past glories with renewed vigour. A definite standout amply demonstrating the musical versatility and maturity of HERR. In contrast to the elegance of 'Requiem' the second track 'Hopes Die In Winter' appears to be a spoken word piece about football tribalry, about the gangs of football hooligans brutally rampaging towns and cities on a Saturday afternoon. Persuasively argued as a localised fight for local identity over industrial atmospherics and muffled sound of chants. The closing track, 'Strife' closes the album in fine fashion with sorrowful strings and male vocals underpinned by martial drumming.
Although conceptually based on Ancient Rome, HERR are seeking to reinvigorate the listener through reviving Europe's ancient heritage in terms of myths, legend and history. Earlier editions of The Winter of Constantinople are highly coveted items and its not really surprising. This is musically and lyrically accomplished, powerful and emotive work. In a genre overflowing with Germanic voices, Norse mythology and samples from both World Wars its refreshing to find a group who can wrestle with themes of conflict, loss and pride yet derive inspiration from an alternate source. Let's hope HERR can continue to plough this singular path on future releases as they appear capable of great(er) things. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk or herr.tegendemuur.nl
IANVA - La Ballata Dell' Ardito
La Ballata Dell' Ardito (which translates as The Ballad of the Ardito) is a mini-CDR from Ianva, as a taster for their forthcoming full length CD Disobbedisco (translating as I Disobey), a concept album based on an impossible love affair between two protagonists during D'Annunzio's Conquest of Fiume. Ianva are an Italian project who describe themselves as "archeofutursitic", and are inspired by Italian culture in music, word and cinema specifically of a decadent and romantic persuasion.
The music on 'La Ballata Dell' Ardito' is lush with a sparkling trumpet score, and graceful accordion score. The second track switches from a gentle piano score and yearning female vocals through full ensemble playing to passages of pumping accordion and beerhall male vocals. Its theatrical and so out-of-step with contemporary music it recalls the European cabaret of the forties and fifties and rekindles the European sensibility captured so beautifully on Scott Walker's Brel recordings and on Marc Almond's Jacques and French albums. So its hardly surprising to find Ianva delivering a commendable live version of Brel's 'Amsterdam'.
Ianva is a collective project including members of Cult Italian groups Malombra, Helden Rune, an ex-member of Wagooba, members of black metal groups alongside classically trained musicians. They all share a passion for Italy and on the basis of La Ballata Dell' Ardito Ianva ought to appeal to anyone moved by Morricone inspired Death In June, Novy Svet, Ain Soph or those who yearn for decadent European ballads as favoured by the likes of Marc Almond, Gavin Friday, Scott Walker (that would be anyone inspired by the works of Jacques Brel, I guess) and Black Sun Productions. For more information go to www.illevriero.it
Kreuzweg Ost - Edelrost
This is undoubtedly the most unsatisfying release to emanate from the Cold Spring stable. The majority of the tracks here are based on black industrial atmospherics, a heady mixture of rumbling electronics, thunderous martial drumming, amidst war ravaged sounds and voices. The bleak oppressive sound herein captures the chaos and fear of the battlefield. Samples (often sped-up or slowed down) feature prominently on most tracks alongside passages of orchestral strings but I can detect little to recommend this. To be fair 'Eiserne Menschen' with its industrial drone and weeping strings peppered with female voices is effective in its restraint and its avoidance of orchestral bombast and martial effects. It's followed by 'Zum Appell' littered with spoken word and frenetic voices that pierce the industrial droning and powerhouse martial drumming. Throughout passages of symphonic music arise adding to the urgency and desperation of the piece. Like others, Kreuzweg Ost have adopted Arabesque percussion. Eastern beats provide the template for 'Die Legion', alongside haunting cello and the frantic grasps of a terrorised woman amidst the turbulent sounds of war. Its difficult to penetrate the bleak sound of Edelrost and distinguish between tracks. Although 'Lebmuhl' closes Edelrost with a recording of a crackly German folk song over ominous droning.
Kreuzweg Ost have certainly created an oppressive black sound but for some reason this sounds like black metal musicians composing black industrial music. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk
Boyd Rice and Friends - Baptism By Fire
Does Boyd Rice need an introduction? A US noise pioneer from the first wave of industrial music, whose initial releases coincided with the rise of Throbbing Gristle in the UK. Over the years Boyd has moved from repetitive and hypnotic noise assaults to texts dealing with Nietzchean themes. He's a Barbie doll collector, with a keen brain and immaculate taste in music championing sixties girl groups, Tiny Tim, Ralph Gean to Little Fyodor. He's a modern day renaissance man with a vast knowledge of neglected and forgotten culture. He's also been maligned for his Social Darwinistic viewpoint. Though today he's more interested in the Holy Grail and investigating the bloodline of Christ. His detractors, meanwhile, will always label him a fascist.
Baptism By Fire is a CD/DVD package subtitled A Celebration of Live Events from Bologna, Los Angeles and Adelaide. It captures a selection of Boyd Rice and NON tracks taken from Wolf Pact, Receive The Flame, God and Beast, and Music, Martinis and Misanthropy. Baptism By Fire opens with 'Total War', Boyd's signature tune. Over thunderous drumming and crashing cymbals, here performed by John Murphy, it lays clear Boyd's Might Is Right philosophy and his desire to crush aside the weak and frail. In the genre of martial music this is a pioneering Social Darwinistic classic. The human races disposition for war is documented on 'History Lesson', a depressing roll call of strife, combat, revolution, insurrection, uprising, genocide, or some form of violence delivered by Boyd Rice over ebow played by Douglas P. of Death In June. Douglas P.s guitar strum lays the basis for 'The Reign Song', with Boyd's unpleasant truths over atmospheric noise and chimes. 'Worlds Collide' belies a tempered approach amidst funereal paced drum beats and occasional glimpse of melody. There's a return to thunderous martial drumming on 'Everlasting Fire' as Boyd spits out the words over disciplined rhythms and serated noise. The final CD closes with a basic rendition of 'People', from the seminal Music, Martinis and Misanthropy as Boyd delivers his misanthropic bile in a sugar coated delivery over ringing guitars and harmonic backing vocals from Douglas P. His desire for a brutal gardener to deal with the weeds, in a list that includes the stupid, the ugly, the petty, the slow, the liars, the shit-stirrers... There's a distinct lack of live audience here but depending upon your persuasion it remains as humorous and truthful or as offensive and hate-filled as it was the first time you heard it. At just over 30 minutes it's just a snapshot of Boyd's vast back catalog but 'People' aside the quality is slightly impaired and not much better than an audience recorded bootleg.
The accompanying DVD is much more satisfying documenting a short solo Boyd Rice set from May 1999. Flanked by Death's Head banners Boyd remains quite static throughout. The only motion is provided by the searing electronic noise and billowing smoke. Filmed on two cameras the editing is sharp as the grainy effected film zooms from long shot to close-ups in synch with the processed rhythms. The dynamism between voice and noise is captured well on 'Between Venus and Mars' as Boyd intones his lyrics, echoed and delayed at points, like some evil preacher delivering a sermon. The short film ends with a strong version of 'Total War', as Boyd winds up an ancient air raid siren device before the familiar tirade of timpani drums kick in. As the strobe lighting flashes, Boyd is fired-up, igniting the crowd as the collosal sound and rhythms pummel.
Also included is a photo archive showing the many faces of Boyd Rice: goateed, shaven-headed, cropped, and generally attired in black leather or military uniform. The CD/DVD package is complete with a double sided insert of the NON man. Baptism By Fire is released by Neroz, the Australian arm of the NER empire. For more information go to www.deathinjune.net or www.boydrice.com
Mark Stewart - Kiss The Future
Kiss The Future is a career-spanning retrospective of Mark Stewart, the former singer in post-punk outfit The Pop Group. In 1982 he embarked on a solo career combining technological dystopian themes (control, surveillance...) with heavy duty industrial experimentation and extreme dub production. In the absence of new material - his last album was Control Data in 1986 - he's been cited as a direct influence on trip-hop. Mark Stewart was a close associate of the Wild Bunch, the Bristol based collective that spawned Massive Attack and Tricky. His work with avant dub producer Adrian Sherwood of On U Sound Productions has been compelling due to its ground breaking experimental dub techniques.
Thankfully Kiss The Future showcase three new tracks that evidently show that time has softened his wayward approach. 'Radio Freedom' his collaboration with The Bug (aka Kevin Martin formerly of God / Techno Animal et al) is a heavy slice of electro beats concerning the New World Disorder, with neat hammond interludes. With Desi producer Sanjay T they've produced a collosal slice of electro-dub, and with Adrian Sherwood at the controls 'The Lunatics Are Taking Over The Asylum' is a mixture of hip-hop, rock and extreme dub.
His work with The Pop Group is represented well by three tracks including the hyper punk-funk and jazz squall of the consumerist critique 'We Are All Prostitutes'. The soaring punk guitar and dub reggae of 'We Are Time' and the classic disjointed punk-funk of 'She Is Beyond Good and Evil'.
Of Stewart's solo material the majority is taken from Learning To Cope With Cowardice, aided by the Maffia represented at this point by members of the New Age Steppers. Stewart wrestles with themes of urban paranoia on 'Liberty City' with its dub bass, sprinkling trumpet and haunting female vocals. The rendering of Blake's English hymn Jerusalem is sublime. A musical cut-up of dub rhythm, brass band, and church hymn as Stewart panders for the promised land of Albion. It's slightly stilted but the approach is unprecedented. From As The Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade surely one of the most oppressive albums is 'Hypnotised'. A fine slice of electro-pop concerning wealth (re)distribution, complete with scratching and the lugubrious tones of the control addict William Burroughs. Surprisingly there are no selections from his eponymous third album, and in fact his work with Tackhead, the former rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang (think 'The Message', and 'White Lines'), as the Maffia is seriously under-represented. Still 'Hysteria' one of Stewart's most accessible tracks is featured. With its slap bass and seering guitar acrobatics and Stewart's distant careering vocal this is as 'rock' as the Maffia would get. Though the bleak claustrophobic atmosphere would be too heavy for most. There's a distinct techno vibe to 'Dream Kitchen' amidst the over Sherwoodisms in this critique of commodity fetishism.
Regrettably Kiss The Future is a slim introduction to the paranoid musings of Mark Stewart. It doesn't include cuts I would have expected. Where's 'Pacivication Program', 'Stranger', 'These Things Happen', 'My Possession'... In an age where we're reminded daily of the threat of terrorism, and having our civil liberties continually eroded with the continual snooping on our personal lives the time is ripe for the return of Mark Stewart. In the meantime those unacquainted with the work of Mark Stewart could do worse than getting a hold of this compilation. You'll be surprised how fresh most of this sounds. Don't stop there though, investigate the back catalog its the nastiest, bleakest experimental and extreme dub you will ever encounter. For more information go to www.souljazzrecords.co.uk
Congratulations to Antony and the Johnsons who won the Mercury Music Prize earlier this month for their second album I Am A Bird Now. 'You'Are My Sister' sung with Boy George is the next single to be taken from the award winning album. A video has been directed by Charles Atlas. Antony and Boy George took part in the Warchild project where they sung John Lennon's 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'. Antony and the Johnsons are on tour until the end of the year. For more information go to www.antonyandthejohnsons.com
Black Rose Recordings are releasing the Coil / The New Blockaders / Vortex Campaign collaborative CD this month under the title The Melancholy Mad Tenant. Press release follows: In 1984 Vortex Campaign invited Coil and TNB to collaborate. The result, unofficially referred to as “Dolbied”, was released on cassette in an edition of 50. The release has since gone on to become legendary, showcasing two of the most influential groups in the scene at the early stages of their development. The Melancholy Mad Tenant is an authorised release, sanctioned by all three groups. The tracks have been professionally re-mastered and in addition to the Coil/TNB/VC collaboration it also contains the entire VC archive, including two previously unreleased tracks. This release is limited to 500 in hand screen printed covers, which includes a special cloth bag edition limited to 100.
Formed in 1983 the output of Coil has ranged from the avant-garde, to experimental neoclassical, to extended excursions into pure electronica. Many bands and composers have cited Coil as an influence. Coil were mainly a studio group, but in 2000 they commenced a successful series of tours that proved to be extremely remarkable events. The New Blockaders began in 1982 with the release of the debut LP Changez Les Blockeurs which is cited by many as a defining moment in the history of noise music. TNB have gone on to influence a generation of artists from Japanese noise-maestro Merzbow to noise punks Wolf Eyes. For more information and availability contact srmeixner@yahoo.co.uk
The Lumberton Trading Company release Chamber Music the latest album from Thighpaulsandra. Thighpaulsandra is a Compulsion online favourite who has worked with Coil and Julian Cope and is a member of Spiritualized. Chamber Music Combines musique concrčte, quasi-dimensional electronics, ravaged hums, atmospheric tones and all manner of different instruments nodding into focus. The label regard it as his most cohesive work to date. Chamber Music is released on CD and as a limited edition picture disc LP. For more information go to http://lumbertontrading.com
Compulsion online favourite David E. Williams is performing live in Philadelphia on October 10th in a show to promote the book store and gallery Germ Books. Germ Awareness Night II features live performances from David E Williams and Friends. Williams' performance is set to include cabaret with clarinet, a cover Song and a hymn to the genius of Idi Amin. Also on the bill are Oneiric Imperium, Philadelphia's Metrognostic Guerilla Art Noise Cult, and Parasite Militia, described as industrial chaos musick. The show takes place at Bar Noir on October 10th, in an event described as an early happy birthday to Aleister Crowley. For more information go to www.germbooks.com
Jerome Deppe, the guitarist and occasional backing vocalist for David E. Williams has just released a solo album. The Absence of Light is a CD-R released on Old Europa Café. The label describes it thus: "Combines dreamy, haunting melodies with feelings of abandonment and loss. Post apocalyptic art rock with a touch of film noir and even an ambient version of a popular 60’s lounge song. Crafted and recorded entirely underground to accentuate the feelings of despair and finality." For more information go to www.oldeuropacafe.com
Allerseelen, the Austrian technosophist outfit led by arcane researcher Gerhard, have a number of shows planned over the next few months. The dates are as follows: 29 October - Yverdon/Schweiz with Belborn, 30 October - Torino/Italia, 31 October - Pordenone (in preparation), 19 November - St. Petersburg, Russia with Changes, 20 November - Moskau, Russia with Changes. December shows are being scheduled for Germany and London, UK. For more information go to www.geocities.com/ahnstern/conciertos.htm
Allerseelen released Knospe on Carpe Noctem last month. A double vinyl edition of Gotos=Kalanda will be released within the next few weeks, this follows double vinyl issues of Flamme, Heimliche Welt, Archaische Arbeiten, Sturmlieder. Copies are still available in limited quantities.
Changes, meanwhile, also perform at the following dates: 12 November - Sintra, Portugal, Antwerpen, Belgium (TBC), 16 November Wien, Austria, 17 November - Budapest, Hungary. For more information go to www.geocities.com/ahnstern
DurtroJnana reissue Nurse With Wound's Salt Marie Celeste, another casualty following the demise of World Serpent. For more information go to www.durtro.com
Current 93 have shows in San Francisco and Venice later in the year. On November 4 and 5 they perform at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. On the 4th Current 93 are joined by OM, Baby Dee and Simon Finn, and on the 5th OM, Six Organs of Admittance and Pantaleimon complete the bill. For the Venice shows in December Current 93 are joined by Will Oldham, Simon Finn, Baby Dee, Pantaleimon, and Six Organs of Admittance.
The forthcoming Current 93 album Black Ships Ate the Sky with an impressive cast including David Michael, Michael Cashmore, Steven Stapleton, Ben Chasny, Marc Almond, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Will Oldham, Shirley Collins, Andria Degens, Antony, Baby Dee, John Contreras, William Breeze, James William Hindle, William Basinski and Charlemagne Palestine is scheduled for release in February 2006.
The Sanctuary / Castle retrospective 2CD compilations of Current 93 and Nurse With Wound are available now, as is the double reissue of Hypnagogue. The Current 93 retrospective, Judas as Black Moth, features a 12 page full colour booklet, with 2 previously unpublished photographs and a previously unpublished painting by him on the front. Liner notes are by: Marc Almond, Bill Fay, Baby Dee, Antony, Mark Logan, Hymenaeus Beta XIş, Shirley Collins, Ben Chasny, Simon Finn, Will Oldham, Thomas Ligotti, Devendra Banhart, William Basinski, David Michael and David Late Tibet. The Nurse With Wound retrospective, Livin' Fear of James Last, features an 8 page full colour booklet with photographs suitably treated and destroyed by Babs Santini of those who have worked with Steven Stapleton during his long career. The reissue of Hypnagogue as a double CD, containing the original recordings by David Michael and Maja Elliott, in addition to the re-recordings with David and Michael Masley is out now too. For more information go to www.durtro.com
Beta Lactam Ring Records continue unabated with a prolific number of releases this month. These include: irr. app. (ext.) release Perekluchenie on LP; george&caplin issue Electronic Eulogy on LP with accompanying 7-inch in an edition of 300 copies; Edward Ka-Spel frontman of the Legendary Pink Dots releases A Red Long Ladder to the Moon on CD and LP. The double vinyl LP includes a fourth side of music, while the first 200 copies include a bonus album, Hey Rainman (first version). The Silverman, another Legendary Pink Dots member, releases Nature of Illusion, featuring one track with Edward Ka-Spel on vocals. Nature of Illusion is released as a double CD, and on vinyl with a bonus CD.
Beta Lactam ring Records are also re-releasing a number of Edward Ka-Spel solo albums. These include Laugh China Doll, Happy New Year, O Darkness! O Darkness! Each CD will include a coupon to receive a bonus CD of new material once all Edward's solo releases have been reissued. Also available is a Legendary Pink Dots DVD entitled A Dream is a Dream is a Dream. This represents the earliest live footage of the Pink Dots recorded live in 1987 featuring a 6-piece line-up. A Dream is a Dream is a Dream is a region free DVD. For more information on all the above go to www.blrrecords.com
Tesco USA have announced that The Doctor has been released on region free DVD. The Doctor is Thomas Nöla's second feature The Doctor, the tale of a man haunted by his pseudo-ghost ex-patient (the precocious Miss Marilla Huxley), advised by a griffin in pinstripes and persecuted by a strange faction of pierrot masons and black-face foot soldiers. While wandering his occupied homeland, he will search his mind for the secrets of nature and death. This man will be The Doctor.
The Doctor features narration by Douglas P. of Death In June. The DVD special features the Theatrical trailer, Behind The Doctor production vignette and bonus music videos directed by T. Nöla plus more. The Doctor is released by Eskimo Films. For more information go to www.eskimofilms.com
KnifeLadder perform live alongside Ultraviolence at The Garage, Highbury and Islington, London on October 8. Billed as an Industrial Special the line-up is completed by Leechwoman and as yet undpecified guests. KnifeLadder will be performing tracks from their forthcoming album, The Spectacle. The Spectacle is scheduled for release by Old Europa Cafe and Operative Records. KnifeLadder feature John Murphy (Death In June, Associates, Current 93 et al), Andrew Trail and Hunter Barr. For more information go to www.knifeladder.com
Alasdair Roberts who released the stunning No Earthly Man on Drag City perfroms live at The Luminaire, Kilburn, London on October 23. On No Earthly Man Alasdair Roberts was assisted by Will Oldham to create a stuning collection of death ballads performed in an avant-folk style. Alasdair will be supported by the enigmatic Woodbine (who record for Domino) and Jo Mango, who performs fragile folk-pop. For more information go to www.alasdairroberts.com
Akron/Family embark on an extensive European tour throughout October and November. Too many dates to mention but unfortunately nothing in Scotland. The Angels of Light will accompany Arkon/Family on a number of Eastern European dates together with shows in Switzerland and Italy. The dates featuring the Angels of Light are as follows:
October 6 - B2 Club, Moscow, Russia
October 7 - Firlej, Wroclaw, Poland
October 8 - No Mercy, Warsaw, Poland
October 9 - Cankarjev dom cultural Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
October 10 - FonoBudapest, Hungary
October 11 - Akropolis, Praha, Czech Republik
October 12 - Theatre ITD, Zagreb, Croatia
October 14 - BOA Halle, Luzern, Switzerland
October 15 - L'Usine, Geneva, Switzerland
October 16 - Café Procope, Turin, Italy
The Angels of Light feature Michael Gira who enlisted the help of the members of Akron/Family for their latest album The Angels of Light Sing Other People. The Akron/Family debut release is released on Young God Records, produced by Michael Gira. Akron/Family will be performing live, and will act as the backing band for the Angels of Light. For more information go to www.younggodrecords.com
Old Europa Café have a number of new CD-R titles. These include Negru Voda - Voodoo Killers, a reissue of an out-of-print tape of harsh industrial sounds from Megaptera side project. The previously mentioned Jerome Deppe - The Absence of Light CD-R is regarded by OEC as the Best neo pop'n'folk songs from US. The Absence of Light is limited to 150 copies. OEC current full CD releases include Stratvm Terror - Pariah Demise (extra) and Folkstorm - Folkmusic. The Stratvm Terror release is an expanded reissue of their debut album with extra material, and a previously unreleased track. Nordvargr has resurrected his Folkstorm project with this CD of the classic Folkstorm sound with the addition of a number of drone based tracks. A special edition with additional mCD is available in an edition of 300. Coming soon is Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 from David E. Williams. Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 features his debut EP along with 19 previously unreleased tracks from the same period. Some of these songs were eliminated from earlier releases because of their political and sexual offensiveness. Pseudo Erotica and Beyond 1986 - 1998 is released in a jewel case with booklet containing the text to all songs. For more information go to www.oldeuropacafe.com
Cold Spring release available at the moment include Mind of Flesh & Bones from Archon Satani and their latest label sampler Swarm. Mind of Flesh & Bones from Archon Satani is reissued in repackaged and remastered format. Archon Satani are one of the founding voices of death-industrial featuring the combined talents of Mikael Stravöstrand (Inanna, Mitek) and Tomas Petersson (Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio). Archon Satani's final two releases were released by Cold Spring in the late nineties. Mind of Flesh & Bones has been out-of-print for over a decade. Swarm is issued as a double CD it features exclusive tracks from A Challenge Of Honour, Andrew Liles, Band Of Pain, Bleiburg feat. Werkraum / Von Thronstahl, Clear Stream Temple, Deadwood, Fredrik Klingwall, Goatvargr, H.E.R.R., John Watermann, Kreuzweg Ost, Kriegsfall-U, Merzbow Vs. Nordvargr, Necropolis, Schloss Tegal, Shinjuku Thief, Sistrenatus, Tenhornedbeast, Von Thronstahl, Werkraum and Zos Kia. Swarm is available for the price of a single CD.
Cold Spring Records are hosting a 15 Year Anniversary Party at the Marquee, London on the 12th November with live performances from Von Thronstahl, H.E.R.R. and Kriegsfall-U. Tickets on sale now. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk
Steinklang Records have a number of new releases available. A Challenge Of Honour vs Praetorio - Hadrian's Wall, is a limited 10-inch record limited to 500 copies. Hadrian's Wall is a neo-classical soundtrack about the Roman defenses in Great Britain by A Challenge Of Honour and Praetorio, featuring Dutch artist Irvin Getrouw a member of the A Challenge of Honour live set-up. This is released in association with Vrihaspati Recordings, the record lablel of A Challenge of Honour. This will be followed by Seven Samurai a new album from A Challenge of Honour in a run of 400 copies. Thorofon - New Heroes, is a double vinyl release of of droning power electronics and speedy-disco killers in an edition of 500 copies. Institution D.O.L. - With Her I Had Some Tropical Feelings. The Austrian electronic outfit offer a psychoacoustic journey through rhythmic noise sequences, psychedelic melodies and ambient/hypnotic patterns. Stahlwerk 9 and Rasthof Dachau collaborate on The Final Resistance bringing pure analogue power-electronics with hard voices and speech-samples. Sound samples of the above releases are available at the Steinklang website. For more information go to www.steinklang-records.at
Autre Que is a new label set-up by two members of the Heimdallr webzine. Their inaugural release is a 7-inch EP from Ô Paradis. El Juego Negro is the title of the EP. Demian of Ô Paradis together with Juergen of Novy Svet, came up with a strange musical game. On each side of the record a dark, moody track is paired with a sunny, uplifting song... grief and despair are opposed to a lust for life in the black game of life and death. El Juego Negro is on white vinyl in an edition of 222 hand-numbered copies. Ô Paradis and Novy Svet previously collaborated on Entre Siempre y Jamás Suben las Mareas, Duermen Las Ciudades. El Juego Negro is distributed by Tesco Distribution. For more information go to www.autre-que.com
Instal 05, Brave New Music takes place at The Arches, Glasgow between October 14 and 16. The line-up is as follows:
Friday
Jandek
JOJO
Black Boned Angel
UP-TIGHT
Saturday
Tetuzi Akiyama
Birchville Cat Motel
directing hand
Rauhan Orkesteri
Sun City Girls
Hijokaidan
Sunday
Ingar Zach + Rhodri Davies
Tom Bruno
Loren Mazzacane Connors + Alan Licht
Chie Mukai
Henri Chopin
Pauline Oliveros + David Dove
The Instal website includes details on all acts with sound clips. The Instal Fringe section features 16 of the most exciting new acts from Scotland. For more information go to www.instal.org.uk
Experimentaclub, a festival that each year exhibits at La Casa Encendida the main international artists of the experimental music scene returns for its fifth season between October 5 and 9. ACts performing include Psychic TV, Richard H. Kirk, To Rococc Rot, Borbetomagus, People Like Us. JG Thirlwell will provide a DJ set. For more information go to www.entradas.com
Whitehouse embark on a short US tour in November. The dates are as follows: 4 November - New York, 5 November - Empty Bottle, Chicago, 6 November - Philadelphia. For more information go to www.susanlawly.com
Sorrow who recently performed live in London are performing a one-off date in France in November. Sorrow appear at the Theatre du Bourg Neuf, located at 5 bis rue Bourg Neuf in Avignon France on 5 November. Only 95 tickets are available. RoseMcDowall.com are still offering for sale Cut With The Cake Knife a CD of Rose's post Strawberry Switchblade demos. This is a beautiful and engaging release ideal for warming up those cold, autumn evenings. For more information go to www.rosemcdowall.com
HR!SPQR, the Italian arm of Hau Ruck, release, are the sole distributor of a CD-R of the Ain Soph performance at Hinoeuma the Malediction. Ain Soph – Live In London, produced by Misty Circles and Wolf Age, is limited to 100 copies only. Spectrae the long awaited new release from Ain Soph will be released as a Spectrae release, the solo project of the vocalist / guitarist in Ain Soph. Spectrae will be released in November 2006, though this may be a publicity error. For more information go to www.hauruckspqr.com
Wertham will be performing their first show in Germany in November. The event billed as November Coming Fire - Italian Noise Invasion will also feature experimental trumpet player DBPT and Rome guitar noise gods Circus Joy. Wertham is the power electronics outfit of Marco Deplano, a member alongside John Murphy (KnifeLadder) and Richard Leviathan (Ostara) of Foresta di Ferro. The event takes place on November 5 at Harlekin im Riesen, Wetzlar. For more information go to www.ghastlymurder.org
Machine Made Pleasure have just released Spirit Within, containing 15 tracks of dark electronic dance music. For more information go to www.machinemadepleasure.com
Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds and former member of The Birthday Party has released a new solo album, One Man's Treasure, on Mute Records, containing cover versions of songs from Lee Hazelwood, Tim Buckley and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. For more information go to www.mickharvey.com
Fear Falls Burning, the musical alter ego of Vidna Obmana have just released their debut album Fear Falls Burning. This double CD includes entrancing and repetitive guitar work ranging from gritty dirty guitarloops to long sonic landscapes with dense walls of sound. Fear Falls Burning is comparable to contemporary drone and minimal ambient acts. Fear Falls Burning is released on Ikon /Projekt. Fear Falls Burning are touring throughout October. The dates are as follows:
October 2 - Lagerhaus, Bremen, Germany
October 11 - Tanzhaus West, Frankfurt, Germany
October 12 - AZ Conni, Dresden, Germany
October 13 - Kulturbunker Müllheim, Köln, Germany
October 15 - E-live festival, TU Auditorium, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
October 19 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands; venue TBC
October 22 - Catharina chapel, The Netherlands
October 29 - Theater Luchtbal, Antwerpen, Belgium
For more information go to www.fearfallsburning.be
Klanggalerie have just released a previously unissued album from Zoviet France. Music for a Spaghetti Western was recorded in 1986 by Robin Storey, Ben Ponton and Paolo di Paolo and this is its first airing. Still available from Klanggalerie is Sound Sketch for Raging Flames a collaborative effort between the UK´s anti-artists TNB and a Russian free jazz trio Gosplan Trio. Sound Sketch for Raging Flames is released on CD in an edition of 350 copies. See above for details of an archive collaborative release from The New Blockaders/Coil/Vortex Campaign released by Black Rose Recordings. For more information go to www.klanggalerie.com
Werkraum follow the success of Unsere Feuer Brennen! on Cold Spring Records with a mini album on Ahnstern/Steinklang. Kristalle contains 6 exclusive pieces of folk music, aided by Antje Hoppenrath, Nick Nedzynski (Lady Morphia) and members of Changes. A full length release, Morgenstern, is scheduled for release later in the year. In the meantime Werkraum contribute to the Cold Spring sampler Swarm, and a reissue of the boxset Eternal Soul.
Axel Frank will be performing live with Triarii at the Icetodiron Festival on November 26, 2005 in Vilnius/Lithuania. Other acts performing include Reutoff, Claustrum, Northaunt, Svartsinn.
The Werkraum site has been updated with discography, containing selected high-quality audio streamings from each release, rare and lost tracks, live recordings, interviews etc .For more information go to www.werkraum-heimat.net
Important Records have two new releases out now. These include XXL, a new group formed by Xiu Xiu and Larsen. Both members are keen to stress this is a group and not merely a collaboration. Sound samples are available. The other release from Important Records is a double vinyl reissue of How I Loved You from the Swans. Once again, like the Important reissue of New Mother this is in an edition of 500 copies, with 100 being on white vinyl. For more information go to www.importantrecords.com
Tursa Records home to Sol Invictus and Tony Wakeford are putting out a download only release. The initial release will be a sampler of future releases, with an exclusive download only track. The initial release is purported to comprise two exclusive mixes from a Tony Wakeford solo release, two exclusive mixes from the forthcoming Sol Invictus release and one from his triple tree project. For more information go to www.tursa.com
Ostara have released their new album of apocalyptic pop music. Immaculate Destruction is released on Trisol. A deluxe limited edition is available as a deluxe double digipak. MP3's and a music video can be accessed at www.ostara.net
Ostara perform live at the Hinoeuma the Malediction Halloween Party at the Slimelight London. Other acts on the bill include Mushrooms Patience, Calle Della Morte and The Green Man From Italy. The event takes place on October 29. For more information go to www.geocities.com/hagshadow
The new album from dark folk outfit In Ruin should appear before the end of the year. Kim Larsen of Of The Wand and the Moon guests - including a cover of one of his own tracks - as does Isaac Aubrey of The Arid Sea. For more information go to in-ruin.musicpage.de
Of The Wand and the Moon have a number of new releases out now. Sonnenheim, their fourth album, features collaborations with Sonne Hagal and Forseti. Sonnenheim is regarded as a major development in the work of this Danish outfit led by Kim Larsen. The CD is released in an embossed digipak with 12 page booklet. Midnight Will is a rerelease of the long sold-out 10-inch originally issued on the Eis+Licht label. This edition features additional tracks and different versions. Their third release is the Hail! Hail! Hail! 7-inch containing a cover of 'Benediction' / 'Malediction' that was originally sung by Ian Read on the Current 93 album Swastikas For Noddy. Of The Wand and the Moon are aided by members of Sonne Hagal and Forseti on this release. The 7-inch is released on white vinyl. The inital 66 copies include additional artwork. All the above releases are on Heiđrunar Myrkrunar via Tesco Distribution. Reviews on Compulsion online next month. For more information go to www.ofthewandandthemoon.dk
Suilven Recordings are offering a free CD-R sampler to anyone who contacts them. TheFirstTen – a Suilven Recordings compilation CD-R containing tracks from each of the first ten releases – is available now for anyone, anywhere, and at absolutely no cost whatsoever. All you need to do is email info@suilvenrecordings.com with your postal address and a copy will be sent out to you free of charge. Recent releases from Suilven Recordings have been from Daniel Patrick Quinn, who has been likened to Alasdair Roberts. Robert Wyatt has described his music as "Lovely stuff". For more information go to www.suilvenrecordings.com
The Horse Hospital host A London Tattoo Art Show, Work in Other Media by working tattoo artists. The group exhibition presents the work of 18 London tattoo artists including Alex Binnie and Lal Hardy. All of the works on display – from religious shrines inspired by the Mexican Day Of The Dead to paintings inspired by pet iguanas, from carved trees to linen needleworks of tattoos of French prisoners, from jewellery to digital art – are works in other media, of tattoo artists working beyond the body, outside of their work. A London Tattoo Art Show, Work in Other Media by working tattoo artists runs until October 29. For more information go to www.thehorsehospital.com
Thee Occasional is an international, independent, non-profit making, privately published journal featuring articles on paganism, esoteric Christianity, sacred history, mythology and folklore, and the manifestation of these trends in music, literature and art. The Autumn Equinox edition of Thee Occasional features 'TOPY vs. NOS: A Comedy of Errors', which highlights hidden links between Thee Temple of Psychick Youth, a disgraced evangelical Christian sect and The Society of the Inner Light, the esoteric organisation founded by Dion Fortune; an article on Coil; and David Late Tibet on the artist Louis Wain. For more information contact patrickwood@btconnect.com
The fourth issue of Degenerate has just been published with interviews with Niko Skorpio, Boyd Rice / NON, Fire In The Head, C.O. Caspear, DVT, Brethren amongst others. There's also a tour report by Grunt, articles on industrial culture and over 100 reviews. Degenerate is professionally printed, in an edition of 600 copies. For more information go to www.kaos-kontrol.org/degenerate