MOG - wassonii's Posts

SoiSong: New Outfit From Sleazy and Ivan

wassonii — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:38:19 GMT

SoiSong is Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson of Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Hypgnosis Design (Pink Floyd, 10cc album covers, among others and copious videos for the likes of NIN) and Ivan Pavlov of CoH. They have recently had some public performances and this most recent of theirs has been placed on YouTube by nightwatch01 The clip below is part 4 of 7. I encourage anyone interested to check all parts out. Plus he's got some Throbbing Gristle, Legendary Pink Dots, etc., etc. SoiSong has a "concert-only" ep out, which has the final version of the track I've posted, but my file is too big, so I've brought to you the MySpace version. Please check out their MS page for more tracks and infos.

Audio of SoiSong Live at the Sugar Factory in Amsterdam from 24 May 2008 available for DL as podcast. The following directions provided by a kind soul in the comments over at my blog "There's an audio download of the show. It's here; http://www.kinkfm.com/podcasts/X-Rated Since it's in Dutch, scroll down until you're under Downloaden. Right mouse button on Zondag 25 mei 2008, 21:00 tot 22:00. Save target as." Note: The set doesn't begin until around 7:57 and this hour misses about 45 seconds of the final song (at the most).

SoiSong at MySpace

AlChemical Wedding of sorts

wassonii — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:09:54 GMT

The posted track is an unreleased remix created exclusively for the RE:TG event at ATP/Camber Sands UK, May 2004 by Scanner (Robin Rimbaud)

Alchemy Texts

Illustration from the Aurora consurgens

The Chemical Wedding Of Christan Rosenkranz

Bruce Dickinson Chemical Wedding OST CD. Overview Chemical Wedding is a feature film written by Iron Maiden front-man, Bruce Dickinson and long term Monty Python editor, Julian Doyle, who also directed the film. The film is a gothic sci-fi extravaganza set in Trinity College Cambridge, where a scientific experiment goes awry resulting in the resurrection of the infamous Edwardian Occultist Aleister Crowley, who was immortalised into pop culture by the likes of The Beatles, Jimmy Page and Ozzy Osborne.

Something Blue

wassonii — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:29:20 GMT

From Derek Jarman's Blue)

from imdb "Losing his eyesight, Derek Jarman made this remarkable short feature in which his diaristic reminiscences, and commentary on his current degeneration from AIDS symptoms, are set against a placid musical score and a cool, empty blue background."

Something Borrowed

wassonii — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:17:35 GMT

I remember getting turned on to RRK in 12th grade, Wiesbaden, Germany, in the library at a lunch period (I think) jazz appreciation class and my drama teacher trying to hip us all to the madness that is Rahsaan Roland Kirk. It took Crash to rekindle my most recent ear (may he rest in peace!).

enjoy

Something New

wassonii — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:02:43 GMT

Available on KlangGallerie and available at purveyors of fine musicks near you (hopefully) is this lovely de/reconstruction of Cadaverous Condition's "To The Night Sky". "Destroying The Night Sky" (2008) has some aural love from Thighpaulsandra, Con Dom, Andrew Liles, etc.

Something Old

wassonii — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:41:34 GMT

and so it goes...

"the first part is not sung by John; instead, a radio actor who did Blue Meanie) sings the part. It was probably done for the movie, but was never used ."

It's All In The Mind, Y'know

Faust Frontman Jean-Herve Peron and Andrew Liles Collaborate and more

wassonii — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:44:15 GMT

Faust frontman Peron and Liles (he of solo work, Nurse With Wound collaboration, as well as Current 93 and others - will be with NWW in their upcoming shows, including Peron's Avant Garde Festival as well as touring with C93) have a new project out in Fini!, an album released through Peron's art-errorist label (on which site this track is available for download and where more infos on the A-G Festival can be found) and the Dirter label. Don't know much about it, but respect both artists and this track leads me toward the album.

If you've some time for a heady read, check this out: Jacques Attali’s Revision of Baudrillard in Noise by Jeff Schwartz. Just one of those "happy accident" clicks that'll lead you down the winding path.

So there:)

The New Backwards

wassonii — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:05:50 GMT

1 Careful What You Wish For 2 Nature Is A Language 3 Algerian Basses 4 Copacabbala 5 Paint Me As A Dead Soul 6 Princess Margaret's Man In The D'jamalfna

Coil, The Ape Of Naples Boxset, The New Backwards and some Coil knowledge, word from a little bird, and how the heck are you?

wassonii — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:49:39 GMT

Caveat: The track here is mislabeled. This track is actually Algerian Basses. Arrrggghhhh:) (Above image from Important Records the amazing label that put this fine piece of work in the hands of fans like me:) Just got the Ape Of Naples boxset the other day, and though I love vinyl, currently I am sans turntable. Thank the gods for friends with not only such equipment (I really should have a slab player - and so should you:), but also the means of transfer to digital. (spaceling, I still have your mail regarding setup, just haven't had the means to either follow through or to make new lp acquisitions until recently) 4 lps. 3(one-sided. etched on the blank side) containing Ape(originally released in 2005, The Ape Of Naples is mostly reworkings of the sounds from the Backwards demo) and 1 containing other tracks from the Backwards demo reworked. 6 to be exact. side A: 1. Careful What you Wish For 2. Nature Is A Language 3. Algerian Basses side B: 1. Copacabbala 2. Paint Me As A Dead Soul 3. Princess Margaret's Man in the D'Jamalfna Here's one of those. The track I've uploaded is the only one without some manner of vocal from Balance, though he's likely there and processed. As I've got it at 320, MOG only liked the short track. I'll shrink another, as this is some damned fine work on the part of Sleazy and soul-impacting vocals from meester Balance (RIP). Knowledge: (from a recent thread on the coil list. author j. dean who's review can be found at Brainwashed) > "While researching my review of The New Backwards, I found out some information about the exact timeline of the famous "Backwards demos" that might be common knowledge to some veteran Coil fans, but was new to me. For a long time, I had labored under the assumption that the so-called "Backwards" demos were recorded in New Orleans, at Trent Reznor's studio, and represented work done by Coil intended for an album called "Backwards" to be released on Nothing Records. This was my impression, and while I can't point to any one source for this, I thought this was the accepted version of things. Turns out that this is very wrong. The demo tape containing Elves, Egyptian Basses, Simenon, Crumb Time, etc. etc. is actually from the very early 1990s, from sessions recorded not long after LSD(wassonii note: Love's Secret Domain ), in the UK. These demos were recorded for Torso Records and were leaked very soon after, and the bootlegs have been making the rounds ever since. As everyone knows, these demo recordings were instrumental, and though they are often great, are more like rough sketches than finished compositions. After doing these demos, Coil got sidetracked with other projects like Black Light District and other things that seemed to them more interesting to pursue at the time. The demos sat dormant, for the most part, until... Some vocals and extra bits were recorded 5-6 years later, in the mid-1990s when the Coil/NIN connection happened. "Cold Cell" and "AYOR" and (I think...) a version of "Fire of the Mind" (maybe also "The Test," "Sex With Sun Ra" and a few other tracks) were recorded around this time, but shelved indefinitely, except for a few things that got out via Songs of the Week or comp contributions. The album names Backwards/International Dark Skies/God Please Fuck My Mind For Good/The World Ended A Long Time Ago were all announced or rumored at one point or another, but it was basically the creative second-guessing of fans that conflated these names with the Torso demos and (to some extent) the Nothing Records album, as if they were all the same thing, a sort of Freudian dream condensation of all the things Coil hadn't finished yet. Then right towards the end, about 2002-3, some more recording sessions were held with the intention of bringing some of these tracks to completion. This is probably where vocals like "Nature is a Language," "The Most Accomplished Surgeon," etc. came from. Everything wasn't put together and finished until Sleazy and Danny Hyde returned to the material in 2007. So TNB actually represents an almagamation of recordings made over a period of nearly 18 years, many different time periods and recording sessions that were never necessarily meant to go together. In this sense, TNB is even more impressive than it seemed at first to me, as a work of creative synthesis, a recovery and resuscitation of a pile of mismatched fragments and abandoned ideas and sketches."

little birds word: ...Colour Sound Oblivion, taking a little longer than expected. ...Moon's Milk Bonus Disk (title unknown) will be released separately at first and then with the full box later, to include the book of Jhonns paintings. ...Time Machines with a 2nd CD (with new molecules) should be out by later this year/early next year. ...The New Backwards is being mastered for cd with additional tracks to those on the vinyl release and should see release "soon".

Until then, Hi! How are you?

Perhaps some "Electric Company" for your day. Morgan Freeman, you say?

wassonii — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:04:22 GMT

Oh for the beautiful days and sounds of fresh interpretations and intake of Grammar Rock and The Electric Company. Selah.

The Electric Company at Wiki

TEC at IMDb

When I write NWW, I really mean Nurse With Wound...

wassonii — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:17:58 GMT

NWW at MOG

NWW at Brainwashed

From Brainwashed: "...recording, Steven Stapleton did not have internet access, the text printed on the CD as well as the spoken words were taken from the Exquisite Corpse found on this website.

Pictured on the sleeve/booklet include Peter Christopherson and Jhonn Balance of Coil , Alan Trench, Alison Webster, and David Gibson of World Serpent, Edward Ka-Spel of LPD , Petr Vastl (Aranos) , Darragh Grealy (dj and animator, sounds contributor), Davide Meroni (the Italian voice on the album), David Tibet , Sarah Fuller (female voice on the album), Steven Stapleton , Matt Purcell (engineer Harmony Row Studios), Peat Bog (with Freddy). "

From Julian Cope's Head Heritage

"It has much in common with Krautrock (yes, again!), particularly the tape editing (Can, Faust), as well as the modulation and splice experiments of 20th century classical avant-guardists (Stockhausen, Henri, Cage etc.). But these are just touch points, rather than starting blocks. This music has something deranged about it (like The Residents), but it’s very listenable and not nearly as hard work as I’m probably making it sound (unlike (much of) The Residents.). Synthetic rhythms pitter patter as weird and wonderful noises, often with no immediately apparent source, jump in and out. A surrealist narrative in a gorgeous brown voice with a Spanish accent drops in now and then to give us the impression that a story is unfolding. Each track flows into the next giving the whole album a ‘concept’ feel. The ‘concept’, however is of our own making, as any themes are too oblique to be a concrete concept. Hell, the concept is the NWW sound, not any bash-you-round-the-head-till-you-get-it lyricism. This record is bloody difficult to describe. Mainly because I’m scrabbling around for reference points, but this music sounds like the product of a hermetically sealed environment and a singular aesthetic. Effects are used, not merely as aural colouring-in but for a purpose. If this sounds like serious stuff, then I’m also misleading you, because there are large doses of dark humour here too. I probably also haven’t got across the beautiful nature of much of this record. ‘Yagga Blues’ is a sumptuous piece of exotica. Oh, and moments of genius like using the sampled words ‘…to communicate’ looped, as a mantra rhythm-track just make the hairs on my arms stand up!"

And just for those whom stick it out, just working my ass off with little time to read, fewer chances to listen, but thanks to yous guys, listening and looking, though brief, tend to bring a smile or a bob and nod of the head, circumstances depending.

Ahhhh, Nurse With Wound. I love me some Steven Stapleton. I hope you do, too. Happy frickin' time change, USA. "Death needs time for what it kills to grow in, for Ah Pook's sake." -William S. Burroughs

Who Can I Turn To Stereo

Sunshine Cake: or part of why I love Tiny Tim

wassonii — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:54:49 GMT

Originally released in 1969 on "For All My Little Friends", Sunshine Cake is a slice of pure innocence. Childlike. Fitting, as the album was a children's LP. Not until 2006, though, would it see a proper rerelease when Rhino Records handmade division put out "God Bless Tiny Tim: The Complete Reprise Recordings". Limited to 3000, I imagine there should be a few copies still available as there is a love/hate relationship for most whom listen to Tiny. I happen to be one of the former. Warning: This track may bring a smile to your face if so inclined!

Remembrance: Picked up this LP originally in 1997. Played it for my first daughter, then one. Best answering machine message ever was an excerpt of this track with her squealing with delight at that time. Beautiful.

From Rhino's site: "Born Herbert Khaury in 1932 New York City, falsetto-voiced Vaudevillian cult icon Tiny Tim enjoyed 15 minutes of fame following his hit 1968 version of “Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips.” He appeared on the debut episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and married Miss Vicki on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, attracting the largest audience in that show's history. He was instantly recognizable with his long, curly hair; prominent nose; and signature ukulele. In the mid '60s, after performing for years in New York clubs under such names as Larry Love and Barry Dover, Tiny Tim recorded some demos with producer Richard Perry, who would go on to make records for Captain Beefheart, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand. After catching the ear of Reprise Records' Mo Ostin and signing to the label, Tiny was paired with the producer for what would become 1968's God Bless Tiny Tim, which contained the above-mentioned breakout single. Crafted to capture Tiny's Tin Pan Alley charms while also appealing to the mass market, the album combined old songs with flights of fancy and psychedelic studio techniques. Tiny and Perry quickly got to work on the more straightforward Tiny Tim's 2nd Album, but a small-label release of a shoddy 1962 performance arrived first, putting off fans awaiting the follow-up to God Bless. In any event, Tiny received a warm welcome at London's Royal Albert Hall in October of 1968, performing to a crowd that included all four Beatles plus The Rolling Stones. A children's record, For All My Little Friends, was recorded and released in 1969, but Tiny's contract with Reprise soon expired and was not renewed. He went on to build a 25-year post-Reprise discography that resembles, according to Barry Hansen's liner notes to this release, a “crazy quilt of one-off albums and singles, including some very nice work” This three-disc Rhino Handmade box contains all three remastered Reprise albums in their entirety, plus 13 unique Reprise single sides, and an entire disc of previously unreleased masters, radio spots, and demos. Includes a full-color 28-page booklet."

Maki Asakawa: Since My Ears Are Already In The Land Of The Rising Sun

wassonii — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:47:28 GMT

From the ever excellent Mutant Sounds : " Maki’s first album recorded and released in September 1970 and came into being after an alliance with enfant terrible of the Japanese avant-garde Terayama Shuji (Tenjosajiki fame). Maki’s black clad and sugarless, petroleum dark coffee voice gets set against a folk-avant-jazz and psych backing. Between the tracks of each song, the listener gets treated to some filed recording like musique concrete insertions, that augment the overall atmospheric quality of this late night alcohol and nicotine stained recording. Stunningly fantastic female vocals and utterly rare."

Her Homepage

Maki Asakawa Discogs

This track, then, is from her first album "浅川マキの世界" from 1970. (I believe the characters to be "No Sekai", although Google translates them as "Maki Asakawa world". Regardless, smoky goodness. Spine-tingling cool, babies. Enjoy.

Angelic Voice From Japan: Sachiko Kanenobu

wassonii — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:37:24 GMT

Originally released in 1972, Misora saw rerelease 2 years ago today from Chapterhouse A nice tidbit from their site for Kanenobu: "But just a few months before her debut album Misora was released in 1972, Sachiko left Japan and secretly emigrated to America to marry music critic Paul Williams (Crawdaddy Magazine, Rolling Stone). She did not record again for almost a decade and didn’t release another album until 1992. Instead she settled with Williams in small-town California and raised two sons. Misora was released in her absence and promptly disappeared, without an artist to promote it."

Sinfully pure and painfully simple yet complex, her voice seems to transcend time and space. I may not understand a lick of what she is saying and I must confess that I depend on the good will of the translator... That said, I truly love the album from which this track hails, but this song in particular/ "Look Up, The Sky Is Beautiful" Indeed

The following is an entry from the excellent Fire In The Mind blog one year ago:

" ...And then there was Sachiko Kanenobu, with her achingly beautiful folky Misora. The record is actually from 1972 and was produced by one of the YMO guys. They often refer to her as the Japanese Vashti Bunyan and comparisons are also drawn with Joni 'Boring' Mitchell, while I am myself more inclined to compare Misora with Linda Perhacs's heavenly Parallellograms. Comparisons aside this is one of those forgotten singer-songwriter pearls-for-swines that keep resurfacing in recent years. And it is totally, completely sung in Japanese. Which is a plus at my house because I am a total sucker for all things Japanese.

A more interesting fact about her is that it was one Philip K. Dick who encouraged her to get back into music in the early eighties, after meeting her in New York and hearing Misora. He even payed for the sessions of what was to be her first English-sung album. Unfortunately he died and the record never saw the light of day. Anecdotes, I love them. "

FYI: It was Harry Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Happy End

Her MySpace

If you dig Sachiko's voice, check Mike's post about Vashti Bunyan

If you like being screamed at by a girl in Japanese...(OOIOO remixed by Yamantaka Eye)

wassonii — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:15:10 GMT

Official Site OOIOO at Wiki From Wiki: "OOIOO (IPA: [əʊ əʊ aɪ əʊ əʊ]) is perhaps the best known side project of Japanese rockers Boredoms. An all-female group founded by Boredoms drummer (and sometimes trumpeter and vocalist) Yoshimi P-We, OOIOO shares much of the musical style of the better-known Boredoms." OOIOO for those among you who understand Nipponese. OOIOO MySpace OOIOOs Uma on YouTube

Wolfgang Dauner: What Child Is This, indeed!

wassonii — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 14:01:48 GMT

Dauner at Jazz Pages

Dauner at Destination Out! (and you should check out the DO on GP. Fantastiche!(micki, did I spell it right:)

Dauner at Curved Air (another great blog for out of the way stuffs)

Dauner with his outfit "Etcetera" via YouTube

More info on The Oimels

Definitely worth a listen. His treatment of the music of others is out of this world, as well as the original compositions. Good music, indeed! And it's moderately holiday-themed:)

Enjoy!

Phunk for the Friday: Honky Tonk Pts. 1 & 2 from the illustrious James Brown

wassonii — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:03:09 GMT

Info at Answers

When this hits in the shuffle, madness and a smile, for sure. Nothing soothes the soul sometimes like the swing in them chops and the sweetness of Maceo coming to the fore. RIP JB, you beautiful male siren dashing us all headfirst into that which is Funk. Get It!

AWOL and from Coil's first US appearance

wassonii — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:34:56 GMT

Hmmm Well, much to do, little time in which to do't. Interesting life occurences coming along quickly and sans warning, Hope everybody's Thanksgiving went well and the leftovers got eaten. A very happy holiday season to all whom celebrate such things. A Blessed Yule as well. All things considered, health both mental and somatic remain intact. For some, nothing here now but the recordings. For others, L'chaim! At any rate, please forgive if I am unable to do nothing more than read fellow posts and "like" as time waits for none and the tasks continue. Ahhhh... As for the Coil, it's from their first U.S. appearance in NYC at Convergence VII from 18 August, 2001. This is my favorite Coil "song", but herein is treatment unlike any other. "Death, He is my friend. He's promised me a quick end" - Lyric from Blood On The Air, John Balance RIP JB since Nov. 2004 Namaste.

Coil Live Muffathalle Munich, Germany 7 April 2002 (Wise Words From The Departed...)

wassonii — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:55:15 GMT

While the photos aren't from the set in question, the sounds definitely are. In preparation for the eventual release of Colour Sound Oblivion (of which this set may or may not be a part), I've decided to begin posting various parts from their short-lived live incarnation. The song is Broccoli. The inherent message is to remember to say Please and Thank You - a viable standard by which too few choose to live.

And so, Broccoli (originally a track on Musick To Play In The Dark in 1999)-

p.s. if you enjoy, please visit wassonii.blogspot.com for more Live Coil

Memento Mori

wassonii — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:24:26 GMT

The Cracow Klezmer Ensemble was formed in early 1997, but at the beginning of 2007, changed their name to The Bester Quartet. Their discography is available through John Zorn's Tzadik label. From The Bester Quartet Site "The CKB (The Cracow Klezmer Band) are one of the most creative and innovative music groups in Poland - keep on searching for new forms of expression for their musical fascinations.

The group was formed in 1997 as an initiative of Jaroslaw Bester - a young accordion player and composer - and it was soon hailed as one of the most interesting phenomena of the global avangarde scene. Thanks to the original and exploratory character of their music - a result of comprehensive musicianship - the CKB's recordings and concerts have been notable for unusual energy, refinement, beauty of sound and performing perfection. Thanks to these qualities, the CKB's appearances get rave reviews and win increasing appreciation worldwide. The CKB are the only Polish group recording for John Zorn's Tzadik label that has released their four CDs, i.e. De Profundis (TZ 7143), The Warriors (TZ 7157), Bereshit (TZ 7183) and the most recent Sanatorium under the Sign of the Hourglass (TZ 7349). "

Unfortunately, the mp3 is mistagged regarding the band's current name, but the song and album title remain the same.

What a strange time this is. Remembrance, live's past, life beginning, strange goings on in political life, etc.

Certain chords within pieces tend to hit harder than others, but I couldn't tell you why. It is certainly a subjective occurence dependent upon the individual and past experiences.

All I can say is L'chaim, my friends. Don't waste the opportunites given, for they fleetingly pass and life is too short to dwell on regrets.

As to this outfit, I wholeheartedly encourage you to research them further. I have not heard their latest piece, entitled "Remebrance", but can recommend it based on their other titles, including their take on Zorn's "Balan: Book Of Angels, Vol.5"

Be well.

Joy Division Reissues

wassonii — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:15:48 GMT

From Yahoo Music "...Now, on the 30th anniversary of Joy Division's creation, the spotlight is back on the Manchester-reared band. To mark the occasion, Warner Music Group (WMG) is reviving the act's catalog with a flourish of projects, including an expanded reissue program, a special vinyl boxed set, download and ringtone releases and the soundtrack to "Control," Anton Corbijn's critically lauded Curtis biopic.

"The strangest thing is that when Ian died, our manager (the late Rob Gretton) said to us not to worry because Joy Division would be much bigger in 10 years, which of course wasn't much solace at the time," founding bassist Peter Hook says. "Up to Ian's death, I think we'd sold about 10,000 records. But strangely his words have proved to be true 10, 20, 30 years on. It's almost become a myth."

WMG's reissue specialist, Rhino, is driving the rerelease project in North America and internationally, and hopes are to give the band a sales spike like it has never enjoyed.

"In England, Joy Division has always been in the pantheon of independent, influential music, but in America it has always been more underground," says Rhino senior vice president Robin Hurley, who has been closely involved in the campaign. "This project will help nudge it slightly more into mainstream public awareness, and they will sell more than they have ever sold before."

FACTORY-MADE

Joy Division assembled in 1976, initially as Warsaw. The band released two studio albums, "Unknown Pleasures" (1979) and "Closer" (1980). The latter appeared two months after Curtis' death, and was followed by a posthumous compilation of rare, unreleased and live recordings, "Still" (1981). The three albums appeared on the now-defunct Manchester independent label Factory Records, which was co-founded by the late entrepreneur Tony Wilson.

Rhino will reissue double-CD deluxe editions of those albums, expanded with rare and unreleased music, in physical and digital formats, beginning October 30. The first disc of each set features the original album remastered, while the second disc contains unreleased live performances.

A Joy Division vinyl box will be available September 11 exclusively at rhino.com , before rolling out as individual sets across all retail beginning September 25.

"Control" received glowing reviews after debuting at the Cannes Film Festival in May, collecting a Golden Camera special mention. It's scheduled for limited stateside release by the Weinstein Co. starting October 10.

An accompanying soundtrack, due October 30, contains works from key acts of the period, including David Bowie, the Buzzcocks, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop and the Velvet Underground, and previously unreleased music including the Killers' version of "Shadowplay."

After Curtis' death, the remaining bandmates regrouped and hit the big league as synth-driven outfit New Order. During its lifetime, Joy Division had only one U.K. hit -- "Love Will Tear Us Apart," which peaked at No. 13 in 1980. As part of the new campaign, the track will be rereleased.

Although the group existed for just four years, its music has shown remarkable staying power. A current slew of bands can trace their sound to Joy Division, particularly New York act Interpol and British alt-rockers Editors.

"It's one of the strangest things in the world that so many bands try to sound like Joy Division, but never seem to be able to pull it off correctly," Hook quips. "Every single band in the world that is rocky and powerful seems to be compared to bloody Joy Division. It's an incredible accolade, really." "

RIP Luciano Pavarotti

wassonii — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:31:10 GMT

Very sad, indeed. Blessed be, maestro

From Yahoo: ROME - Luciano Pavarotti, opera's biggest superstar of the late 20th century, died Thursday. He was 71. He was the son of a singing baker and became the king of the high C's.

Pavarotti, who had been diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment last month, died at his home in his native Modena at 5 a.m., his manager told The Associated Press in an e-mailed statement.

His wife, Nicoletta, four daughters and sister were among family at friends at his side, manager Terri Robson said.

"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer," Robson said. "In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness."

Pavarotti's charismatic personna and ebullient showmanship — but most of all his creamy and powerful voice — made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since the great Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar.

For serious fans, the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and '70s when he first achieved stardom. For millions more, his thrilling performances of standards like "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" came to represent what opera is all about.

"Nessun Dorma" turned out to be Pavarotti's last aria, sung at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin in February 2006. His last full-scale concert was at Taipei in December 2005, and his farewell to opera was in Puccini's "Tosca" at New York's Metropolitan in March 2004.

Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras — his partners in the "Three Tenors" concerts — never quite could.

"I always admired the God-given glory of his voice — that unmistakable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range," Domingo said in a statement from Los Angeles.

Pavarotti, who seemed equally at ease singing with soprano Joan Sutherland as with the Spice Girls, scoffed at accusations that he was sacrificing his art in favor of commercialism.

"The word 'commercial' is exactly what we want," he said after appearing in the "Three Tenors" concerts. "We've reached 1.5 billion people with opera. If you want to use the word 'commercial,' or something more derogatory, we don't care. Use whatever you want."

In the annals of that rare and coddled breed, the operatic tenor, it may well be said the 20th century began with Enrico Caruso and ended with Pavarotti. Other tenors — Domingo included — may have drawn more praise from critics for their artistic range and insights, but none could equal the combination of natural talent and personal charm that so endeared Pavarotti to audiences.

"Pavarotti is the biggest superstar of all," the late New York Times music critic Harold Schonberg once said. "He's correspondingly more spoiled than anybody else. They think they can get away with anything. Thanks to the glory of his voice, he probably can."

In his heyday, he was known as the "King of the High C's" for the ease with which he tossed off difficult top notes. In fact it was his ability to hit nine glorious high C's in quick succession that turned him into an international superstar singing Tonio's aria "Ah! Mes amis," in Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment" at the Met in 1972.

From Beijing to Buenos Aires, people immediately recognized his incandescent smile and lumbering bulk, clutching a white handkerchief as he sang arias and Neapolitan folk songs, pop numbers and Christmas carols for hundreds of thousands in outdoor concerts.

His name seemed to show up as much in gossip columns as serious music reviews, particularly after he split with Adua Veroni, his wife of 35 years and mother of their three daughters, and then took up with his 26-year-old secretary in 1996.

In late 2003, he married Nicoletta Mantovani in a lavish, star-studded ceremony. Pavarotti said their daughter, Alice, nearly a year old at the time of the wedding, was the main reason they finally wed after years together.

In the latter part of his career, he came under fire for canceling performances or pandering to the lowest common denominator in his choice of programs, or for the Three Tenors tours and their millions of dollars in fees.

He was criticized for lip-synching at a concert in Modena. An artist accused him of copying her works from a how-to-draw book and selling the paintings.

The son of a baker who was an amateur singer, Pavarotti was born Oct. 12, 1935. He had a meager upbringing, though he said it was rich with happiness.

"Our family had very little, but I couldn't imagine one could have any more," Pavarotti said.

As a boy, Pavarotti showed more interest in soccer than his studies, but he also was fond of listening to his father's recordings of tenor greats like Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa, Jussi Bjoerling and Giuseppe Di Stefano, his favorite.

Among his close childhood friends was Mirella Freni, who would eventually become a soprano and an opera great herself. The two studied singing together and years later ended up making records and concerts together.

In his teens, Pavarotti joined his father, also a tenor, in the church choir and local opera chorus. He was influenced by the American movie actor-singer Mario Lanza.

"In my teens I used to go to Mario Lanza movies and then come home and imitate him in the mirror," Pavarotti said.

Singing was still nothing more than a passion while Pavarotti trained to become a teacher and began working in a school.

But at 20, he traveled with his chorus to an international music competition in Wales. The Modena group won first place, and Pavarotti began to dedicate himself to singing.

With the encouragement of his then-fiancee, Adua, he started lessons, selling insurance to pay for them. He studied with Arrigo Pola and later Ettore Campogalliani.

In 1961, Pavarotti won a local competition and with it a debut as Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Boheme."

He followed with a series of successes in small opera houses throughout Europe before his 1963 debut at Covent Garden in London, where he stood in for Di Stefano as Rodolfo.

Having impressed conductor Richard Bonynge, Pavarotti was given a role opposite Bonynge's wife, Sutherland, in a Miami production of "Lucia di Lamermoor." They subsequently signed him for a 14-week tour of Australia.

It was the recognition Pavarotti needed to launch his career. He also credited Sutherland with teaching him how to breathe correctly.

Pavarotti's major debuts followed — at La Scala in Milan in 1965, San Francisco in 1967 and New York's Metropolitan Opera House in 1968.

Throughout his career, Pavarotti struggled with a much-publicized weight problem. His love of food caused him to balloon to a reported 396 pounds in 1978.

"Maybe this time I'll really do it and keep it up," he said during one of his constant attempts at dieting.

Pavarotti, who had been trained as a lyric tenor, began taking on heavier dramatic roles, such as Manrico in Verdi's "Trovatore" and the title role in "Otello."

In the mid-1970s, Pavarotti became a true media star. He appeared in television commercials and began singing in hugely lucrative mega-concerts outdoors and in stadiums around the world. Soon came joint concerts with pop stars. A concert in New York's Central Park in 1993 drew 500,000 fans.

Pavarotti's recording of "Volare" went platinum in 1988.

In 1990, he appeared with Domingo and Carreras in a concert at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome for the end of soccer's World Cup. The concert was a huge success, and the record known as "The Three Tenors" was a best-seller and was nominated for two Grammy awards. The video sold over 750,000 copies.

The three-tenor extravaganza became a mini-industry and widely imitated. With a follow-up album recorded at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1994, the three have outsold every other performer of classical music. A 1996 tour earned each tenor an estimated $10 million.

Pavarotti liked to mingle with pop stars in his series of charity concerts, "Pavarotti & Friends," held annually in Modena. He performed with artists as varied as Ricky Martin, James Brown and the Spice Girls.

The performances raised some eyebrows but he always shrugged off the criticism.

Some say the "word 'pop' is a derogatory word to say 'not important' — I do not accept that," Pavarotti said in a 2004 interview with the AP. "If the word 'classic' is the word to say 'boring,' I do not accept. There is good and bad music."

It was not just his annual extravaganza that saw Pavarotti involved in humanitarian work.

During the 1992-95 Bosnia war, he collected humanitarian aid along with U2 lead singer Bono, and after the war he financed and established the Pavarotti Music Center in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills.

He performed at benefit concerts to raise money for victims of tragedies such as an earthquake in December 1988 that killed 25,000 people in northern Armenia.

Pavarotti was also dogged by accusations of tax evasion, and in 2000 he agreed to pay nearly roughly $12 million to the Italian state after he had unsuccessfully claimed that the tax haven of Monte Carlo rather than Italy was his official residence.

He had been accused in 1996 of filing false tax returns for 1989-91.

Pavarotti always denied wrongdoing, saying he paid taxes wherever he performed. But, upon agreeing to the settlement, he said: "I cannot live being thought not a good person."

Pavarotti was preparing to leave New York in July 2006 to resume a farewell tour when doctors discovered a malignant pancreatic mass. He underwent surgery in a New York hospital, and all his remaining 2006 concerts were canceled.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dangerous forms of the disease, though doctors said the surgery offered improved hopes for survival.

"I was a fortunate and happy man," Pavarotti told Italian daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published about a month after the surgery. "After that, this blow arrived."

"And now I am paying the penalty for this fortune and happiness," he told the newspaper.

Fans were still waiting for a public appearance a year after his surgery. In the summer, Pavarotti taught a group of selected students and worked on a recording of sacred songs, a work expected to be released in early 2008, according to his manager. He mostly divided his time between Modena and his villa in the Adriatic seaside resort of Pesaro.

Just this week, the Italian government honored him with an award for "excellence in Italian culture," and La Scala and Modena's theater announced a joint Luciano Pavarotti award.

In his final statement, Pavarotti said the awards gave him "the opportunity to continue to celebrate the magic of a life dedicated to the arts and it fills me with pride and joy to have been able to promote my magnificent country abroad."

He will be remembered in Italy as "the last great Italian voice able to move the world," said Bruno Cagli, president of the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.

The funeral will be held Saturday inside Modena's cathedral, Mayor Giorgio Pighi told SkyTG24.

Hilo Hattie at the Hawaiian Village: Know Your Roots

wassonii — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:47:02 GMT

While able to claim Hawaiian blood, there's not enough to get to the sacred islands. Still, it is important to know from whence you come. I should have known of this earlier (isn't that always the case?:), but am quite thankful for even having been able to run across it. Following is a great deal of info about an unfortunately little known (outside of the islands) entertainer to whom I should like to bring your attention. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow moggers, Hilo Hattie -

From the liner notes, found at Kono Tiki Island :

"Hilo Hattie has long been known as the "Clown Princess of Hawaii." For many years she has been spreading throughout the world her comedy versions of the lore and lure of the Hawaiian Islands. Although she is known and has been seen and heard by millions, this album is Hilo Hattie's first LP and it is sure to add many more fans to her long list of international followers."

From an excellent page at Square One "Clara began teaching at Waipahu Elementary in 1923. Though she taught English, social studies and math, her real love was teaching music and many of her students remembered her with great fondness. After years of entertaining her students with her comic and naughty hulas, Clara turned professional in 1936 when she entertained with the Royal Hawaiian Girls Glee Club. They sang at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Waialae Country Club. She performed occasionally for the then-new Kodak Hula Show. But the turning point was when she went to a teachers' convention in Portland, Oregon. During a program of entertainment on the ship home, she first performed Don McDiarmid's new song, 'When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop.' McDiarmid had a much more sultry dancer in mind when he wrote the song, and he was conducting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel orchestra when a dancer fell ill and Clara performed the song in her inimitable comic style. He was astounded when the audience loved Clara's interpretation. Clara legally took the name Hilo Hattie at the insistance of Harry Owens when she performed in the 1941 film Song of the Islands. Unfortunately, she doesn't perform her signature song in the movie, only a shortened version of 'The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai.'"

From The Honolulu Star-Bulletin Kolohe Hilo Hattie warmed hearts By John Berger Special to the Star-Bulletin The stereotypical seductive allure of South Sea Islands women has been part of the Polynesian mystique since the voyages of Captain Cook. But Clara Haili captured the hearts of millions portraying a very different type of island wahine -- everybody's kolohe, or rascal auntie, Hilo Hattie. "Hilo Hattie was a classic comedy hula dancer but where most dancers were doing it to Hawaiian songs and interpreting kaona (hidden meanings), she danced to hapa-haole songs for the mass audience. Her clowning around and dancing were right on the surface," said Harry B. Soria Jr. of the long-running "Territorial Airwaves" radio show. Haili's career changed forever when she interpreted a hapa-haole song called "When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop" at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Bandleader Harry Owens didn't think the song appropriate for the Royal, but her performance became such a show-stopper that composer Don McDiarmid Sr. wrote more verses for her. Her outfit - baggy muumuu, floppy hat, strip of cloth tied around her hips - became a uniform, and although she did many other numbers, she became so strongly identified with the song that she eventually changed her name to Hilo Hattie. Soria said she was unique in Hawaiian music: "We didn't have women like that here before. We had quiet dancers, pretty girls, soprano singers and falsetto singers but we didn't have a raucous, bellowing, clowning around, strong personality." Hilo Hattie toured extensively, appeared in Hollywood movies and made a number of recordings. She returned here in 1960 to headline the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Tapa Room with Benny Kalama and the Village Serenaders. It was her last big engagement in Waikiki. She died in December 1979."

Hilo Hattie Shop Hilo Hattie Wiki Hilo Hattie IMDb

More Cracked Pepper

wassonii — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:53:36 GMT

02) With A Little Glam The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends Gary Glitter - Rock'n'Roll Parts 1 & 2 KLF / Timelords - Doctorin' The Tardis Paul McCartney - Smile Away John Lennon - I'm Stepping Out Wings - Hi Hi Hi The Beatles - She Loves You (Royal Variety Performance)

ccc myspace

Not so much a fan of Gary G, I like this usage of his track. Overall CP is really nice, especially with deep listening. Tasty.

NWW Amoeba-Hollywood 5 April 2007 now online

wassonii — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:14:45 GMT

Thanks to the kind sir at Because God Told Me To Do It hipping this vid from Amoeba player, my A.M. sojourn to wakeful consciousness has now begun proper-like. Enjoy. (Gotta get me some of THOSE toys:)

Cracked Pepper ccc/ill chemist Mash The Beatles...and I like it!

wassonii — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:07:11 GMT

Cracked Pepper tackles a mashup problem I haven't been too satisfied with overall, i.e. take The Beatles to new mash heights in a successful fashion. The selected track is titled "It's Far Too Late". Within You Without You has been treated kindly and given a beat. From Cracked Pepper Tracks "08) It's Far Too Late The Beatles - Within You Without You The Doors - I Looked at You The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Fire"

Other tasty treats involved, for sure.

Space Age Funk from Mr. Dick Hyman (Give It Up Or Turn It Loose)

wassonii — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:49:31 GMT

Perhaps you were thinking of the James Brown version of this song. But no... Dick Hyman Info from Discogs "Born in New York City in 1927, Dick Hyman studied at Columbia University and played with some of the greatests Jazz musicians like Teddy Wilson, Red Norvo, and Benny Goodman... In the late '60s he investigated the earliest periods of Jazz and Ragtime and researched and recorded the music of some of the first early Jazz figures. Hyman experimented with various keyboard instruments, including Baldwin and Lowrey organs. In the late 60's he recorded a series of Avant-Garde albums using a Minimoog synthesizer focused in the instrument. He recorded some of the most appreciated albums from the Space Age Pop. Hyman has also worked for TV, scoring film soundtracks for Woody Allen, and as a Jazz pianist and organist."

From Dick Hyman Wiki "The Age of Electronicus was an experimental 1969 album of electronic music recorded by jazz pianist Dick Hyman and released on Command Records. The album was one of many in the period which saw then-current popular songs set to Moog synthesizer. Two songs from The Beatles were covered, namely the album's opening track of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and Blackbird, both from the so-called "White Album." Musical styles ran the gamut from the funk of the number one R&B hit Give It Up Or Turn It Loose by James Brown, the Memphis soul hit instrumental Green Onions by Booker T. & the M.G.'s to easy listening, evidenced by covers of Alfie and the Joni Mitchell hit, Both Sides Now." ...

The Age Of Electronicus would be one of those Avant Garde albums with a little Space Age Pop mixed in, including the funky gem "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". The Beatles pieces are nuts. Hit or miss on some of the others, overall a great nostalgia piece. But the love for James Brown!

There is some heavy shit going on in the world right now. This is no funk war piece. Think Love. Space Age Funky Love. Aww, yea. P.S. There is still no Genre tag for Funk. Or Punk for that matter. Maybe we should storm the battlements and create our own:)

Marilyn Manson Has NOTHING On Slayer!

wassonii — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:06:04 GMT

Allow me to begin by saying that the billing is Slayer/Marilyn Manson, with opening guest Bleeding Through. The show I saw was third in this tour (which lasts until 1 September) at Hi Fi Buys Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA on Saturday 28 July 2007. Further tour dates here

Slayer Wiki

Opening act, Bleeding Through held their own, packing much thrash power into a 30 minute set. Marilyn Manson kind of phoned it in, though the kids liked it. I mean he's a helluva showman, but the songs all sound the same after awhile and I find myself picking apart composition to find from where riffs and rhythms have been appropriated. (and yes, he was headlining. Don't want to take anything away from the showmanship involved, but...) But fucking Slayer!!!!! Lasting only about an hour, this set was fierce and demanded attention. Don't exactly know why they opened for MM, but I am thankful for the experience. Having never seen them live, I count my blessings. Setlists for tour first night Here is the closing track, as taken from the album Reign In Blood:

Slayer's performance from Rock Am Ring June 2007 can be found for DL here and offers a very similar setlist to the show I witnessed.

Go for the Slayer!

Edgar Varèse: excerpt and notes from Music Of Varèse - Deserts

wassonii — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:04:04 GMT

Zappa regarding Varese

From the liner notes: "The four-minute Hyperprism enlists no ordinary percussion section. In this case the battery includes such items as an anvil, a siren, and a lion's roar - the latter being a tub with a hole in the bottom through which the player pulls a rope! Alejo Carpentier writes that Varese "has never given us a more tightly knit, a more clear-cut conception... Faced with certain passages, full of blanks, reduced to essentials, one thinks of certain Picasso drawings in which two incisive strokes suffice to send us leaping across the whole universe. The instruments set out, intertwine, escape from one another, form into groups, change levels, all with utter sure-footedness... Everything is in it's place. Three notes less, and an equilibrium would have been shattered... It would be futile to seek for any influence from the past in Hyperprism. In this work Varese is like no one but Varese." Yes."

This particular album goes unreleased on CD at this writing. On Angel Records, date unknown. Performed by Paris Instrumental Ensemble for Contemporary Music Michel Debost, flute Konstantin Simonovitch cond.

Further Info regarding this recording

Do you know what "Thithee" means? It's certainly Funky for Shuggie Otis

wassonii — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:56:34 GMT

Nor do I, but I'm looking. Feeling this track today and the vibe of Mr. Otis, so thought I'd share the love. His story can be found elsewhere and below, so suffice it to say, there's not much of a better way to start that Funky Friday.

Discog Shuggie From Shuggie Wiki "He released his first solo album in 1970. The Brothers Johnson's version of his composition "Strawberry Letter 23" reached #1 in the Billboard rhythm and blues chart and #5 in the Billboard pop chart in 1977. He has recorded with Frank Zappa(specifically, he is listed as "Shuggy Otis" for electric bass on "Peaches en Regalia" from Hot Rats), Al Kooper, Etta James, and Eddie Vinson, and more recently Mos Def. Shuggie's albums include: Here Comes Shuggie Otis, Freedom Flight and Inspiration Information. David Byrne recently re-released Inspiration Information, including some bonus tracks from "Freedom Flight", on his Luaka Bop record label. It the liner notes, the critic James Sullivan states that Shuggie was offered guitar duties in the Rolling Stones but declined. A talented guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Otis' style melds blues, jazz, funk and pop." Pitchfork reviews the Raven double release of Here Comes.../Freedom Flight Here are some other Moggers thoughts on Shuggie.

John Zorn's Moon Child Milano 3 December 2006

wassonii — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:12:20 GMT

John Zorn's Moonchild now on YouTube as blogged by dmtlsmerzbau. Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, and Joey Baron in freeform Zorny goodness:) There's a happy Sunday for you!

John Lennon Gets A Little Funky

wassonii — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:03:23 GMT

john lennon: electric guitar klaus voormann: bass jim keltner: drums bobby keyes: saxophone

Apparently prior to the King Curtis sax overdubs and if I'm not mistaken sans George's slide.

At any rate, feeling the funk with a message.

anno one w.m. (with mog)

wassonii — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:16:49 GMT

I am thankful to MOG because I am able to post things like this:

and although 2 people may listen to it, we have connected. I may not want to listen to the music you are talking about, but here I can get an overview of thoughts, as opposed to a single review, and maybe the one track somebody posts is the one track it takes to get me to listen again, with fresh ears.

By the by, the track is from a Harrison 70 session, starting with Pete Drake demoing his talking guitar: "I'm just a guitar, and everybody speaks on me..." and then a coupla tunes.

Thanks to the Moglords what keep us placated so as to have no peasant rebellion.

Cheers!

Rose McDowall: Voice Of The Angels

wassonii — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:33:17 GMT

From Rose Wiki "She formed Strawberry Switchblade in 1981 with Jill Bryson. After signing with Warner Brothers they enjoyed chart success with their single "Since Yesterday" in 1984, however later singles and an album did not sell as well as expected. This and internal problems lead to an acrimonious split in 1986. For the next six years Rose was primarily a guest vocalist or "floating member" of several different alternative bands. She contributed backing or lead vocals for Coil, Current 93, Death in June, Felt, Alex Fergusson, Into A Circle, Megas, Nature and Organisation, Nurse With Wound, Ornamental, Psychic TV, and Boyd Rice on recordings as well as singing or playing guitar for live appearances. In 1993 she collaborated with Boyd Rice under the band name Spell producing 2 singles and an album of 1960s style pop, country and psychedelia covers for Mute Records. At the same time she formed a melancholy folk rock band called Sorrow with then husband Robert Lee. Between 1993 and 2001 they released three albums and one EP through World Serpent Distribution and performed in Europe and the U.S. During this time McDowall continued to record and perform with Current 93 and Coil, including the short lived group Rosa Mundi. Robert Lee left the band in 2002. Rose and her remaining bandmates continued to perform under the name until 2005 when she began performing under her own name. McDowall is best known as a vocalist but also plays guitar, keyboards, melodica, and drums."

Way more than "melancholy rock", McDowall has the voice of an angel. I primarily knew her from her work with C93, DIJ, NWW, Coil and their related entities. Unfortunately, I never heard the Sorrow project until recently, but thankfully, she has some titles on her website proper, and I've found some backstock here and there. Sorrow's titles were released through World Serpent and when it went under, the music never got rereleased.

Rose MySpace News(from MySpace): Rose McDowall will be performing live at the Indietracks Festival on 28th of July. She and her backing band are currently scheduled to headline in the railway chapel starting at 7:50pm though times are subject to change and we suggest getting there early enough to enjoy the Bobby McGees and other fab bands on both stages. More information available at the festival website and Indietracks MySpace page. This is Rose's only scheduled live appearance this year.

Rose McDowall proper Also on her MySpace is a great audio interview.

UNKLE with The Duke Spirit = Good Music

wassonii — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:42:30 GMT

I love me some The Duke Spirit And there's the musical chameleonality of UNKLE (see Dale's page for a good UNKLE post ) Put them together and it's all good. From the forthcoming album "War Stories"

A Good Track from The White Stripes

wassonii — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:33:56 GMT

Not always the biggest of fans, I at least appreciate Jack and Meg's way with instruments and instrumentation and always their senses of humour. That being said, this is a damn fine song set smack dab in the middle of rock and blues.

The Heatin' System for your funky ass

wassonii — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:28:27 GMT

From Orgy In Rythm "Brother Jack McDuff's The Heatin' System from 1972 on the mighty Cadet label.This has never made it to cd despite most of the tracks appearing on compilation after compilation over the years,and it's also been sampled and remains a big groove heavy dj friendly slab of jazz funk in the truest sense of the genre." Verily, verily I say unto thee...

Hank III on Tour

wassonii — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:50:41 GMT

Hank III Tour begins.

Confirmed Tour Dates as of June 1 ALL DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE Big Red Goad w/Power of County will be opening all shows

July 10 Vinos Little Rock AR July 11 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK July 13 Backyard Austin TX July 14 Cynthia W. Mitchell Pavilion Houston TX July 15 House of Rock Corpus Christi TX July 16 Ridglea Theatre Ft. Worth TX July 18 Launchpad Albuquerque NM July 20 Marquee Tempe AZ July 21 House Of Blues San Diego CA July 22 Roxy Los Angeles CA July 24 Slim's San Francisco CA July 27 Dante's Portland OR July 28 Big Easy Spokane WA July 29 Big Easy Boise ID July 31 Gothic Englewood CO More to come, I am sure. Go if you can!!!! BRG is indeed Jim Goad of Answer Me and The Redneck Manifesto. Hank III at Internet Archive

In honor of the new Macca album

wassonii — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:24:22 GMT

A nice little bit of ephemera from a bygone era. A few mates hangin out chillin, yet their prowess shines forth. When I first heard this, I fell in love with The Beatles all over again. enjoy!

You've got your Depeche Mode in my Coil!

wassonii — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:33:15 GMT

Unreleased except for the SOTW series and "unofficially" on Depeche Mode Ultra Rare Trax Vol. 6, Coil manipulates the sounds of DM and makes the proverbial silk purse.

Tainted Love

wassonii — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:14:32 GMT

Coil's tainted Love video was primarily played at the time (1984-5) in gay clubs as a means of getting across the message regarding unprotected sex. Directed by Peter Christopherson, it is a moving piece any way it is viewed. Guest appearance by Marc Almond. I've included an mp3 so there's more Coil in the MOS.

Coil, Derek Jarman : Derek Jarman, Coil

wassonii — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:12:00 GMT

Derek Jarman

from imdb "Against a plain, unchanging blue screen, a densely interwoven soundtrack of voices, sound effects and music attempt to convey a portrait of Derek Jarman's experiences with AIDS, both literally and allegorically, together with an exploration of the meanings associated with the colour blue."

Coil

Coil, Hakim Bey : Hakim Bey, Coil

wassonii — Thu, 31 May 2007 20:50:15 GMT

Using sounds from Stoned Circular, this is a great marriage of sound and voice. Laswell used, without permission, these sounds on his City Of Lights comp.

Hakim Bey Coil

The Beatles and John Barrett

wassonii — Sun, 20 May 2007 20:08:18 GMT

From BLZ "Prior to the early 1980's, it was pure hearsay amongst Beatles aficionados as to what was inside the EMI vaults pertaining to the group's residency at Abbey Road and other studios from 1962 until 1970. Also, very little was known about actual recording dates of their album and singles. Most of the information that was available to fans came from contemporary reports in UK music magazines such as "New Musical Express" or "Melody Maker", or fan mags like "Beatles Monthly". This info, some correct, some not, was then regurgitated in many of the earlier Beatles books, such as Roy Carr and Tony Tyler's "An Illustrated Record" or Harry Castleman and Wally Podrazik's "All Together Now".

All of this uncertainty was to change beginning in 1981. That year, an engineer at Abbey Road named John Barrett found he had cancer, and was looking for a way to occupy his time while undergoing treatment. Ken Townsend, the manager of the studios at the time, thought that finally going through the vaults and seeing exactly was and was not there with regards to the Beatles' many recording sessions would be an excellent task for the ailing engineer.

Barrett ripped into his task with gusto, spending weeks listening through every tape and making up a detailed "catalog" of sorts, with multi-colored tabs and dividers for easy access to the various sections, and color codings for the multitudes of mixes and takes which were included. The first fruits of this research was used on the insert for the box of EMI's "The Beatles Singles Collection" issued in December of 1982, which featured for the first time the recording dates for the tracks enclosed. Also, an informative article in "Record Collector" by Nick Piercey in october 1983 included EMI mouthpiece Mike Heatley using Barrett's guide when answering Piercey's queries about various Beatles recording issues.

Throughout 1982, Barrett was also compiling audio material for a Beatles multi-media show that would take place in the famed Abbey Road Studio 2 while it was being refurbished in the summer of 1983. While this cataloging and assemblage for "The Beatles At Abbey Road" (as the show was to be imaginatively titled) was occurring, Barrett was running cassette dubs of some of the more interesting material for his own use. Some of the material was mixed as he was running his tapes, while some tracks where the original mixes done at the time of the recording sessions. Barrett knew what he was doing; he dubbed off lengendary tracks such as "Leave My Kitten Alone", which had never been issued, as well as the more interesting alternate takes in the vaults like "Norwegian Wood" take one. Also, many of the tracks he dubbed where stereo mixes of titles that at the time hadn't seen the light of day in stereo, or had seen limited release, such as "This Boy"."

I first heard of these recordings coming available when I purchased Turn Me On Dead Man: A weeding through the 7 volumes that were about to become available. Herein are two of my favorites. WMGGW Take 1 is beautiful.

The SFF medley shows a nice songwriting progression. Happy Sunday!

Saturday Sonic Assault : Les Rallizes Denudes

wassonii — Sat, 12 May 2007 13:24:15 GMT

From Forced Exposure "Les Rallizes Dénudés, Haddaka No Rallizes in Japanese, and probably 'Les Valises Dénudés' in French, are the most obscure group from Japan. Their guitar-based music began at Kyoto University in late 1967 with their first official gig in 1968. While their self-released recordings from this time are structured in a loose Group Sound ('GS')/Folk Boom-type style, their live shows featured deafening volume, strobe lights and mirrors for maximum disorientation. This, of course, invites comparison with the Velvet Underground's Exploding Plastic Inevitable not to mention Le Stelle de Mario Schifano's art-show happenings in Italy during 1967-68. References could also apply to the Grateful Dead before losing Tom Constantine and Ron 'Pigpen' McKernen. In any case, the volume was too much for others to deal with -- a relationship with a theatre group fell apart due to the band's refusal to turn their amplifiers down. Nothing was going to change for the next 20 years... In the late 1970s the band reappeared, playing their best music. It seemed that punk had allowed Mizutani, with his newly cut hair and leather clothing, one more chance to unleash his over-the-top distortion-laden guitar over their simple melodic rhythms for a supreme Asian form of acid-punk annihilation. In August of 1991 releases were finally made available. Three CDs appeared on the band's own SIXE label. These were 67-69 Studio et Live, Mizutani/Les Rallizes Dénudés, and the 77 Live 2CD set. The only other non-CDR artifacts are a video released in 1992 and a 7" included with the Japanese Etcetera magazine from 1996. It is all rare, sought after and expensive. The 77 Live release (reissued and re-named here with new diecut B&W artwork and photos, mimicking the old Ocora LP sleeve style) is the best, a document of extreme feedback and distressed guitar with Mizutani's detached vocals laid over languid rhythms, unbelievable in intensity."

Open Air 1976=

AMG Though Les Rallizes Denudes, also known as Hadaka no Rallizes, were one of the earliest and most revolutionary Japanese psychedelic rock bands, and have existed off and on through four decades, they are also one of the most obscure, barely known even in their native country. This cult of noise-terrorists shrouded themselves in mystery, seldom touring and releasing very few records, usually with no discernible label. Their sound presages the later psychedelic experimental noise of Fushitsusha, High Rise and others in the current crop more than any other Japanese psychedelic group from the late '60s. Revolving around guitarist and vocalist Mizutani Takashi, Les Rallizes Denudes formed in November of 1967 at Kyoto University, inspired by Exploding Plastic Inevitable-era Velvet Underground as well as the over-amplified rock of lue Cheer. By 1968 they were gigging live and even began a regular collaborated with an avant-garde theater troupe, which ended the next year because of Les Rallizes's penchant for extreme volumes of sound. Not only did they use massive amounts of feedback at loud volumes, their stage shows used strobe lights, mirror balls and other effects for a live experience that was a total sensory assault. The group also aligned themselves with radical left-wing politics, performing at the front lines of student demonstrations against Vietnam and even the student occupation of Kyoto University in April of 1969. One original member, Wakabayashi, was involved in the Japanese Red Army hijacking of a flight to North Korean, known as the Yodo-go incident, and because of Mizutani's own connections with the Red Army, the group's gigs became more infrequent and clandestine. The band didn't record much in the studio, and the only music of theirs to come out on vinyl at this time was one side of the double LP compilation Oz Days Live released by Oz Discs in 1973. In fact Les Rallizes kept going throughout the '70s and '80s without releasing a thing, and then suddenly they put out three CDs of archival recordings in 1991, and a video the next year. Of these, the double CD/LP '77 Live highlights them at the top of their form, with 10- to 20-minute tracks of intense guitar feedbacks and drones over repetitive rhythms and heavily distorted vocals. Les Rallizes played their final gig in October of 1996, nearly thirty years after their inception. All their albums were released in very limited quantities, and are extremely difficult to find with collectors grabbing them up immediately when they show up in stores and catalogs. Because of the group's reputation for secrecy and violence, as well as the difficulty in tracking down their recordings, Les Rallizes Denudes has taken on an almost mythic status.

From the cdr release "Heavier Than A Death In The Family" (recordings from 1973 & 1977, released 2001 - don't know when exactly this cut was laid to wax as I don't read Japanese. Sorry)

Are You The Rabbit? New Track From Eat Me, Drink Me

wassonii — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:11:53 GMT

Thought some others out there wouldn't mind the sounds. New Album due in June.

For your audio perusal:

Etta James Sings Funk

wassonii — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:58:42 GMT

Etta James Sings Funk [Cadet, 1970] "As you can read on the back, funk isn't a style or something like that--it's just, well, Etta. Etta with chorus, Etta with full brass, Etta with strings even. Etta singing a Gershwin song, Etta singing a Bee Gees song, Etta singing three Acuff-Rose songs, Etta singing four Pearl Woods songs. (Pearl Woods?) Highlights: the Acuff-Rose songs. B" From Robert Cristgau's Etta James Page

So, apparently even an "OK" Etta joint gets a B. This album has not been released as such on CD, but is included in the Etta Chess Box. Thought it'd be a nice Friday pick me up:)

John Zorn Six Litanies For Heliogabalus: Dedicated to Antonin Artaud, Edgard Varése, and Aleister Crowley.

wassonii — Fri, 04 May 2007 02:31:11 GMT

"The infamous Moonchild/AstronomeTrio of Patton, Dunn and Baron returns to the studio this time aided by the searing organ of Jamie Saft, the complex electronics of Ikue Mori and a small female chorus to realize Zorn’s latest project Six Litanies for Heliogabalus. Inspired by the decadent excesses of the Roman emperor/child-god who made Caligula and Nero look like reasonable human beings - smothering his dinner guests to death in a rain of perfumed rose petals - these six compositions (including an outrageous new piece for solo voice) explode with color, imagery and intensity. A startling blend of Metal, Contemporary Classical, Jazz and Mediaeval Music, this is one of Zorn's most extreme and original creations." John Zorn: Alto Sax, Composer Joey Baron: Drums Trevor Dunn: Bass Ikue Mori: Electronics Mike Patton: Voice Jamie Saft: Organ Martha Cluver: Voice Abby Fischer: Voice Kirsten Soller: Voice

The Roses Of Heliogabalus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1888

Native American Folk Tune Arranged For a Four-Piece Rock Band

wassonii — Fri, 04 May 2007 01:22:45 GMT

Quote actually found on the Frank Black Forum "Some time ago, Patton said about it: "It’s going to be completely different. We’re doing a bunch of public-domain Native American folk tunes that Duane [Denison], the guitar player, arranged for a four-piece rock band. I think it’s exactly where we need to go: we need to take a detour, and this is gonna be a nice, colorful one. It’s going to be a very quiet record—very moody, very layered, lots of percussion. It won’t sound like Tomahawk.""

Track found in the aethyrs

Threshold Houseboys Choir: thoughts, liner notes, track(s)

wassonii — Wed, 02 May 2007 12:40:23 GMT

Form Grows Rampant (2007)

Part One: A Time of Happening Part Two: Intimations of Spring Part Three: So Young It Knows No Maturing Part Four: So Free It Knows No End Part Five: As Doors Open Into Space

From the liner notes:"All music and pictures composed, arranged, & conducted by Peter Christopherson in the East Tower October 05 - February 07. Produced & semi-conducted by Danny Hyde. Lightly mastered by Mark Godwin. All Voices from indigenous sources, completely re-styled,re-tuned, and re-arranged, using Live6 , Melodyne plugin Auto-Tune5 & Avox Throat without which this album would not have been possible."

" In 2003 I was invited to attend the GinJae Festival in Krabi Town in the South of Thailand. GinJae literally means Vegetarian, though the connection is obscure. The GinJae Festival takes place on the 9th full moon of the year. Over the course of ten days (during which participants wear white and abstain from meat, alcohol, and sex) a series of rituals are performed, intended to keep the world spinning on the correct axis, to bring merit and good luck to the village, and to scare away malign spirits that might otherwise bring misfortune to the neighbourhood, especially at busy intersections, accident black spots, etc."

I can't possibly explain what the musicks herein sound like at this point, so here is a track for your digestion as well. (i've added track one in the comments since original post)

coil are no more. "shadows fall across the mountainside. hurry up please. it's time" wsb Here begin the Bangkok transmissions from Sleazy. Old Siam I AM SOLD. Pukhet has a related Vegetarian Festival which is mentioned in the liner notes. GinJae, though, appears to be less tourist-oriented, but I could be wrong as I've never been myself. Regardless, the DVD does indeed contain graphic images of self-immolation performed after trances/possessions have been induced. Not for the weak, but stunningly shot and with score it becomes mesmerising.

Form Grows Rampant Live On MayDay

wassonii — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:02:38 GMT

The Threshold Houseboys Choir in Kyoto 1
Uploaded by lezardnoir

From the recent set in Kyoto. Thought y'all might like. Album proper stuffs to come later. Posted at Kurotokage

Threshold HouseBoys Choir released

wassonii — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:01:53 GMT

Mailed out from Thailand late last week, the newest from Sleazy hit stores in the past coupla days and I will have much more info after it arrives and is consumed. Don't have any sounds yet from this project, so thought I'd submit a favourite Coil piece.

(Postcard mailer from THH)

Available directly through ThresholdHouse and other fine purveyors of Coil-related titles.

Info on THBC via Wiki

(Cover Art)

From Side-Line ""Form Grows Rampant" comes as a 2 disc dvd/cd set. The dvd contains a five part long-form documentary film, photographed by Christopherson at the GinJae festival in Thailand, where boys in trance perform various extreme physical acts (cheek piercing etc) to scare off malign spirits and so serve the community. The visuals come mostly in very slow motion. The music that accompanies the film, written by Peter Christopherson and performed by the Threshold HouseBoys Choir, also appears on the cd, so it can be enjoyed independently of the pictures. "

(Sleazy/THBC Live Russia 2005)

Thoughts On Volta

wassonii — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:02:09 GMT

Volta The place at which a distinct turn of thought occurs. The term is most commonly used for the characteristic transition point in a sonnet, as between the octave and sestet of a Petrarchan sonnet. (from Answers.com) I'm going with that definition as this album seems to mark a point of transition, or a meeting of ages. I'll leave it to someone more eloquent than I to give a more in-depth review, but suffice it to say this is a well-realised album. Working her voice, Bjork seems to revel in past sound structures while moving forward, as evidenced by the Timbaland connection. Pure beauty comes through sonically, but it is not overworked nor do you feel like it's hitting you over the head. Very playful, too. Caveat:Antony is on this album for a track or two. Don't know how anyone else feels about him, but his voice works well in Bjorkland.

The video contest for Innocence continues at Bjork's website, FYI.

This'll be the last track I post UFN.

Come on May8!

Bjork Innocence Track From Volta

wassonii — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:50:53 GMT

Found this today. Apparently a pre-release. Just now taking it on. Good stuffs. Thought y'all might like a gander. More later today.

Earth Day Across The Universe

wassonii — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 19:22:08 GMT

Earth Day and wanted to find an appropriate track to share. Turns out I found out about much more.

First, the track: Across The Universe (8 Feb 1968, Take 8 RM2 ('Hums Wild'), SS.PM2.13.08.RM2, Alternate mix with the extracts of the 'Hums Wild' Sounds effect. No Orchestration or Animal Sounds at this stage)

From Wikipedia

"During the February 1968 recording sessions, Spike Milligan dropped into the studio and on hearing the song suggested the track would be ideal for release on a charity album he was organising for the World Wildlife Fund. At some point in 1968 The Beatles agreed to this proposal, and track was mixed into stereo for the first time by George Martin. The original mix (mono and stereo) is 3:37. For the 'wildlife' album it was deemed appropriate to add sound effects of birds at the beginning and end of the track. After the effects were added the track was sped up; so that even with 20 seconds of effects the track is only 3:49. The song was first released in this version on the Regal Starline SRS 5013 album No One's Gonna Change Our World, in December 1969."

Second, the upcoming movie with the same name as directed by Julie Taymor, about which I had no idea, but am looking forward to't.

From wikipedia)

Across the Universe is a 2007 musical film directed by Julie Taymor and set for a US release on September 28, 2007. It is an original story which incorporates the songs of The Beatles. The film mixes live action with puppetry and animation. It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess, from a screenplay by Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement.

Across The Universe at imdb

Jazz Chansons For Saturday Evening

wassonii — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 02:41:46 GMT

Wanted to share a cut of this odd yet wonderful piece. A really good track and fairly exemplary not only of the quality of this album, but also the versatility of The Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Some history and links follow. I believe this album to be still in print. More on this amazing and still very viable outfit later.

Art Ensemble Of Chicago myspace

From answers.com

"Of all the strange records this French pop chanteuse ever recorded, this 1971 collaboration between the teams of Brigitte Fontaine and her songwriting partner Areski and the Art Ensemble of Chicago - who were beginning to think about returning to the United States after a two-year stay - is the strangest and easily most satisfying. While Fontaine's records could be beguiling with their innovation, they occasionally faltered by erring on the side of gimmickry and cuteness. Here, the Art Ensemble provide the perfect mysterious and ethereal backdrop for her vocal explorations. Featuring the entire Art Ensemble of that time period and including fellow Chicago AACM member Leo Smith on second trumpet, Fontaine and Areski stretched the very notion of what pop had been and could be. With strangely charted arrangements and mixing (percussion was in the foreground and horns were muted in the background, squeezed until they sounded like snake-charming flutes), the ten tracks here defy any and all conventions and result in the most provocative popular recording of 1971 - and that's saying something." - Tom Jurek AMG Also a bit of history on the Ensemble from answers In the late '60s and early '70s, the Art Ensemble helped pioneer the fusion of jazz with European art music and indigenous African musics. It also fused jazz with itself; that is to say, the band combined elements of jazz history and pre-history - for instance, music from the sanctified church services, minstrel shows, and bawdy houses of late 19th and early 20th century America - with a modernist spirit of experimentation. A pronounced theatrical element was also essential to their work. Chris Kelsey AMG

Their diversity of inspiration is expressed by their motto, "Great Black Music: Ancient to the Future."

Keepin It Real With the Friday Funk

wassonii — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 05:37:47 GMT

Ah Friday. The end of a really long week for some, the start of things for others. Today I proffer up this selection. Hasn't been cut to CD yet and not really sure why, but it certainly fits for today, I think. Pertinent and such. This is probably the most continuously "funk" styled song on the album, but it is a good album if you happen to come across it. Holla.

"There is a revolution going on in the world. We are very much a part of it and have a great deal to contribute to the force and direction of this revolution. There are many fronts within this struggle, many far flung outposts geographically isolated and distant from our mainstreams of communication. But everyone who struggles for a better life for oppressed people is an ally who could use any symbol of our concern and solidarity." —Gil Scott-Heron, from the liner notes to Bridges

Faust versus Dalek, or, where the hell was I in 2004?

wassonii — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:33:49 GMT

Have to admit total ignorance to this project. Glad to have found it though. Some good reviews when you google for faust versus dalek All I can say is that what may seem unlikely has a ferocity to be reckoned with. Referred to in the quote below is a concert of this project that i would love to find if anyone knows of its existence. Until then, make your own judgement.

From the Faust site

"Dälek

are a three-piece hiphop-outfit from New Jersey. Will Brooks (a.k.a. MC Dälek) is responsible for lyrics, Alap Momin (a.k.a. The Octopus) is the producer and Hsi-Chang Linaka (a.k.a. Still) handles the turntables. Their open-mindedness towards musical influences was boundless from the beginning and so it is small wonder that they soon hit on German Krautrock-survivors Faust as a source for interesting samples. Through a mutual acquaintance they sent a CD to Faust's Klangbad-label. Co-founder Hans-Joachim Irmler was so impressed with it that he decided to release their album From The Filthy Tongues Of Gods And Griots on Klangbad. He also invited the band to record at the label's own studio. Once there, it turned out that the musical grounds both bands covered was identical in large parts. Dälek's noisy loops (in which they bury tiny melodies) and their penchant for LOUD!ness have their counterparts in Faust's sound. Thus a collaboration seemed logical. In the course of two years the three sessions which spawned the music on this album took place. The high point of these saw the two outfits appearing side by side on stage at the Bonn Bad Klibi-festival 2003 in Switzerland."

Eine Kleine Nursemusik

wassonii — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 21:00:35 GMT

This track is the first on Rat Tapes One : a collection of odds and ends from 1985-2006(2006). This track appears in its unexpurgated form on She And Me Fall Together In Free Death (2003) whereon it is a reworking of a traditional song, "Black Is The Colour Of My True Loves Hair" with one of the rare times Stapleton sings. Hope you like.

Some Phunk Phor De Phriday

wassonii — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:20:04 GMT

Funk, Trad. Amer., 1974 Thanks for Inaugurating this CrashPryor Hello David, whence would be the Genre Funk?

and so it goes...

Coil Wraiths And Strays (From Montreal)

wassonii — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:23:15 GMT

God bless sharity. Missed out the first time 'round for Black Antlers. Naa more, tho. This version of Wraiths And Strays is from the initial 2004 CDR and is taken from a different concert than the version that appears on Black Antlers released in 2006(that being Paris). Slightly less full quality of recording than the "official" release, still a good insight to the live sound of Coil. Too, less Balance in this version, but a good start. OOP as far as I know. Enjoy.

Newer Coil pieces you need and/or need to know about.

wassonii — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:04:25 GMT

In the latter part of 2006, Coil released several cds, either as rerelease or first official. Herein I want to let you know of them. Spreading the word, as it were.

Originally released in 2002 as a concert CD-R, The Remote Viewer has now seen official status and I can unquestionably say that anyone whom even thinks they appreciate Coil MUST HAVE this album. Michael York on breton pipes, Cliff Stapleton on hurdy gurdy and a subtle, percussive groove underlying produced by various electronic devices of Messrs. Jhon Balance, Peter Christopherson and Simon Norris. This grouping makes up the lineup for that years tour. No vocals, unless they have been madly treated and woven into the fabric, this CD contains three pieces that harken the neurons to draw upon experience, good and bad, and allow the music to wash over the soul.

Initially released, too, as a concert CD-R in 2004, Black Antlers, for the most part, mirrors that tour's setlist. Speculation has it that this was a recording of the rehearsals leading up to the tour. Mostly studio work, with the exception of "Wraiths And Strays", there is excellent vocalisation throughout. BA highlights include (but are not limited to)"Sex With Sun Ra"(a take on an erotic dream of JBalance) ,"All The Pretty Little Horses" and the aforementioned "W&S". This album and Remote Viewer contain a second disc of sounds from the respective recording sessions that have been "sympathetically" reworked. Beautiful, at times deepseated in its rhythm, perhaps not as essential as RV(i.e. if you only had enough money for one...), but should be in the collection when you get the chance.

(This first paragraph is lifted directly from Brainwashed as written by Jonathon Dean) "At first listen, COILANS seems like Exhibit A for the sort of experimental audio that functions as more of an intellectual or conceptual pleasure, rather than the sort of viscerally satisfying music I've come to expect from Coil. It clocks in at well over four hours of entirely unstructured, rhythm-less high-frequency sine-waves and subtly shifting AC hum. Tracks have no beginning or end, no point-counterpoint or resolution, and no tonal consistency. This new three-disc set also includes a DVD of synchronized digital animations for four of the tracks. It's a reissue and expansion of ANS, a limited edition, tour-only CD released in 2003."

That being said(and I could not have been as succint as the quote), all I can do is concur with Mr. Dean. For the fan, this is necessary, but for the idle listener, not so much. Regarding the ANS synth, "“It was built in 1958 by Evgeny Murzin, who set out to create a synthesizer capable of producing the full range of audible frequency via a unique photoelectric process. The composer inscribes his visual “score” onto a glass plate covered with sticky black mastic, slides it through the machine, which reads the inscribed plate and converts the etchings into sound produced by a system of 800 oscillators.”(also sourced from brainwashed)

Recorded at All Tomorrow's Parties in 2003, "And The Ambulance Died In His Arms" is a great capture of the best of Coil live. This set was unrelated to Coil's other tour's sets and as such, is a beautifully recorded tribute to the memory of JB. Definitely recommended to the occasional fan and necessary for the diehard. I remember this as a bootleg in late 2003. The release is soundboard and track-separated and Balance is in fine form. "The Dreamer Is Still Asleep/Somnambulist In An Ambulance" being an excellent working of a piece from MTPITD.

These are all available at Threshold House and other fine purveyors of the strange and wondrous.

More rereleases and such due in 2007 include: Moon's Milk In Four Phases, (including the bonus disc this time:). Time Machines, including an extra disc of sympathetically remixed session pieces.

More on those when they come out and, like these about which I have posted, I've had time to properly digest.

All the beast!