BABY ANNOUNCEMENT
Congratulations to Alan and Mimi from Low. Hollis Mae Sparhawk was born on the due date - Thursday morning, March 2nd weighing in at 7lbs. 3oz.. Alan says, "I feel like I've known her face for a million years. Mim was amazing. It sounds crazy, but in some ways childbirth is like how it must have been to storm the beach at Normandy. She's doing fine now. Zak was there, too. Thank you all so much for the kind words and wishes. Your love was there in the room with us. Before I start auditioning for Hallmark, I should get going. Take care and see you soon."

WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT
Longtime friends and supporters and contributors of brainwashed, Nick D'uva and Kristen Cummings are tying the knot - the wedding plans are for the end of May, 2000. (Yes, that's damn soon!) It will be held at an ultra secret place known only to insiders.

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS
On the concert circuit: Kid 606 will be storming through Europe with Lesser in April. Jessica Bailiff has some dates in Ohio at the end of April as well. Adam Wiltzie from Stars Of The Lid will open for Pan American on the May 2 date in Dallas alongside Cyrus Rego. They'll be playing a selection of songs from Rego's new album on Emperor Jones and some Wiltzie originals. Check the kranky page for the gorey details.

LEGENDARY PINK DELAY
According to Soleilmoon, the release of Edward Ka-Spel's solo record, "The Red Letters" will be delayed, perhaps to the middle of March due to pressing plant issues. In the meantime, MP3 samples will be available soon.

RRROBERY
A robbery took place at the performance space known as Voix in Lowell, MA, directly above RRRecords. Voix is known to have been organized in part by RRRecords owner Ron and his wife who performs as Zipperspy. For all people buying equipment from the area, please be on the lookout. Here's an extract from the letter from Ron:

The worst Happened..
Everything below was stolen...and possbly more

The PA.........4 Cabs....2x12" and 2"18" The brands were "Ross" and MK's
2 turnatables......1200's MK3 techniques SILVER BRAND NEW
1 Mixer Newmark BLACK 2-3ys .old 3CHANNEL
The Video mixer
SVHS DECK blk
The SH101 A Blue ROLAND KEYBOARD
2 Gutairs AN OVATION and a light green Gibson "the PAUL"
Kaos PAd made by Korg
The PC Computer of RANJI's w/ windows 98 ...
Various Gutair Pedals
2 Red anvil Cases

we have no insurance..

If you spot any of this please let the LOWELL POLICE know ASAP!!
978-937-3200
Dective Raymond J Vachon
Ann Lessier

WE are Devastated as all patrons of the VOIX

Tell your muscian friends and Dj's
Maybe something will turn up.
It is possble they took it to pawn shops around here in Mass., in New Hamshire or in NYC.

Thank You 4 your support.

FATCAT SERIES 1-8
Oh yeah, here's another fuckup from Fat Cat on CD. This is pointless! If you're going to release a CD compilation of some of the 12" only releases, then compile the whole damned series, not just highlights and charge a full price for this shit. To add to the tease, included is a list of all the 12" singles in the split series released (just to let you know everything you're missing!) Okay, the music is fine and okay and all, but come on guys, put the whole goddamned thing out or don't bother with a CD release. The selection on here includes Janek Schaffer from the split with Pan American (the superb Pan American track does not however appear on the disc), a track from the v/vm split with Third Eye Foundation (there were 4 v/vm tracks on that 12" but only one appears on the disc) while if I'm not mistaken, the Third Eye Foundation track is considerably shortened. Merzbow's "Ab Hunter" appears to be the only thing on here in its original form - clocking in around 15 minutes - however the AMM side of that 12" single is missing. Save your money and buy the stinking 12" singles. Maybe somebody from Fat Cat might actually read this review and reconsider releasing CDs. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Ad Vanz V Gescom - Viral
• v/vm - Female Pig Herder
• Chasm - Phonn

ELECTRONIC EYE, "NEUROMETRIK"
Richard H. Kirk is back once again, this time resurrecting the Electronic Eye moniker for the first time in 5 years. It doesn't much matter which name Kirk uses ... Cabaret Voltaire, Sandoz, Sandoz in Dub, Trafficante, Dark Magus, Nitrogen, Sweet Exorcist, Al Jabr, Agents with False Memories, his given name, etc. ... you always have a general idea of what to expect from his frequent output. Kirk has done variations of the same thing for the past decade but he's so damn good at it it never gets tiresome. He has figured out a way to basically remain static without stagnating. "Neurometrik" clocks in just shy of 70 minutes with most tracks between 5 and 7 minutes in length. All the usual RHK elements are here: ambient synth textures (including some very familiar sounds from 1993's "Virtual State"), dub effects, static and noise, radio transmissions, speech and dialogue samples, ethnic/tribal/jazz samples and loops, massive techno beats and bass lines ... a big, thick, danceable sonic soup that sounds as claustrophobic and paranoid as Kirk is himself. The production is good with feedback and grit kept to a minimum and my God are there some absolutely thumpin' tracks this time around. Yet another great one from the master. The 8 page insert displays more of Kirk's concern with technological and political oppression via his cryptic, blurred images and an adaptation of a letter about a 'financial new order' from the Zapatista National Liberation Army of Mexico. Look for the new Richard H. Kirk album "Loopstatic" via Touch in March/April and, no doubt, several more discs throughout the year. - Mark Weddle

samples:

• Free I Society
• Hey Chief
• Super Afrique Highway

DAVID COULTER, "INTERVENTION"
David Coulter is a multi instrumentalist who was a contributing member of the Pogues and Test Dept., has played with Peter Hammill, The Kronos Quartet, Marc Ribot, Talvin Singh and Roger Eno among others and currently lectures at Stratford-upon-Avon College. "INterVENTION" is his solo debut via Michael Gira's (SWANS, The Angels of Light) Young God Records. Of the 13 tracks found here, the majority were recorded between 1996-99 in various European locations with several different guests, including: Marc Ribot, Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello) and Terry Edwards. To give you an idea of the extensive amount of instrumentation used, here is a list of *just* the stuff Coulter plays: jews harp, krar, soprano and baritone sax, one-string fiddle, violin, accordion, terracotta potts and paper, violectra, double bass, soprano saw, shaker, viola, various didjeridus, bowed bass, hand claps, guitar, and berimbau. Wow! The music is rather difficult to explain (which is good) ... textured drones, percussive bits, unidentifiable/found sounds and a few spoken word passages and wailing vocal parts. The end result is full but uncluttered, experimentally minded meditations with an almost alien, organic/acoustic flavor throughout. The singing saw and guttural chants found in a few pieces took some getting used to but most of the album is soothing rather than abrasive. And all of it is remarkably different and interesting. Leave it to Gira to find and release something this cool, hopefully a sign of things to come from Young God. - Mark Weddle

samples:

• Broken Mass
• Kinsnow Orchestra
• Looking at Trees
• Shinju (Pot Etude #3)

VOLCANO THE BEAR, "THE INHAZER DECLINE"
From the first few notes of this CD, it is evident as to why Volcano the Bear is one of Steven Stapleton's favorite new groups. With a very diverse instrumentation, ranging from distorted keyboards to horns to strings to live drums, this album whirls into extremely unpredictable directions. At one moment it's harsh and almost nerve-irking; and at another it's soothing and beautiful. Some tracks feature vocals - a unique voice with a very eerie feeling to it. The whole album really does drip with a sinking emotion that you can't quite grasp - full of twists and turns that leave the listener just plain dumbfounded. - Daniel McKernan

samples:

• Planetary Bethlehem
• Quarterstone
• Worse With Noun

UNTO ASHES, "MOON OPPOSE MOON"
Featuring a wide array of exotic old and world instruments, fused with modern electronics and vocals in three different languages, Unto Ashes blends the renaissance folk goth genres into a melange of pathos. Kit Messick's vocals are hauntingly sad on Teach Me How To Drown. Quid Vides begins as a very mellow chant and evolves into Arabic-Turkish dance. Michael Laird's voice, reminiscent of Art Garfunkel, sounds so peaceful, and his songs are so pretty, yet rather incongruous when he sings about drowning and misery, as in Scourge. Der letze Ritter sounds like early-period Dead Can Dance, featuring crashing percussion and hyperactive dulcimers. The discordant melodies and hand-drum in Conjuration to Lilith gives a pagan ritual finale to the recording. Highly recommended. - Alan Ezust and Julie Geanakakis [ed note: To obtain the release, the best place would be at www.untoashes.com]

samples:

• Derletze
• Scourge
• Teach Me How to Drown

THE MIRROR REVEALS, "FRAMES OF TEKNICOLOR"
Kate Messick, vocalist from Unto Ashes, appears with composer/lyricist James Babbo on this album, and her full upfront vocals seem flatter and less textured than on Moon Oppose Moon. The whole CD is rather spartan in its composition, featuring a guitar, some ambient synths, and almost no percussion. The fantastic art-nouveau cover art belies the very simplistic and slow-tempoed droning vocals that persist in track after track - Messick's voice has it's own beauty although here it's relatively unadorned and the melodies Babbo writes lack dimension and depth. Quite pleasing to the ear though. - Alan Ezust and Julie Geanakakis

samples:

• 1939
• In a Box

We know that sometimes these CDs are somewhat challenging to find, which is why we have a RECOMMENDED STORES section which can be used to obtain nearly everything available on the site.

MONDAY
The Aeolian String Ensemble - Lassithi/Elysium CD (World Serpent, UK)
Asian Dub Foundation - Real Great Britain 12"/two CDEPs (FFRR, UK)
Mira Calix - One On One CD/LP (Warp, UK)
Chemical Brothers - Music: Response 2x12"/CDEP (Virgin, UK)
* Coil - Astral Disaster LP [ltd edition on grey vinyl] (World Serpent, UK)
Current 93 - I Have A Special Plan For This World 12" [ltd edition on clear vinyl] (World Serpent, UK)
Current 93/Antony And The Johnsons Orchestra - Immortal Bird/Cripple And The Starfish 7"/CDEP [ltd edition on red vinyl] (World Serpent, UK)
DJ Food - Ageing Young Rebel 2x10"/CDEP (Ninja Tune, UK/Canada/US)
Everything But The Girl - Tempermental three 12"s (Virgin, UK)
GF - Limited Series No. 6 12" (KK, Belgium)
* Kraftwerk - Expo 2000 12"/CDEP (Kling Klang/EMI, UK)
Metamatics - Colmic Zeus 12" (Neo Oujia, UK)
Metamatics/Geiom - Geiom Edits Metamatics 12" (Neo Oujia, UK)
The Mirror Reveals - Frames Of Teknicolor CD (Middle Pillar/World Serpent, US/UK)
Moby - Natural Blues 12"/two CDEPs (Mute, UK)
Ostara - Secret Homeland CD (World Serpent, UK)
Recoil - Liquid CD/2xLP (Mute, UK)
South - 4 Track Sessions 12" (Mo Wax, UK)
Stephen Vitiello - Scratchy Marimba CD (Sulphur, UK - Sulfur/Beggars Banquet, US/Canada)

TUESDAY
Bauhaus - Gotham DVD (Metropolis, US)
* Diary Of Dreams - One of 18 Angels CD (Metropolis, US)
* Randy Greif - Alice in Wonderland 5xCD [box set reissue of series from early '90s] (Soleilmoon, US)
Lypid - Stratospheric 12" (Statra, US)
Persona - Maximal CD (Vinyl Communications, US)
Various - Between Sun & Moon CD (Soleilmoon, US)
Various - Paradigm Shift CD/2xLP (Statra, US)

THURSDAY
Niche & Neeper - Life at 6900rpm 12" (Chair, Canada)

For a more comprehensive release schedule stretching far into the future, please check out the NEW RELEASES brought to you by Greg and Feedback Monitor.

WIRE + GUESTS, ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
Another evening of music curated in high-art seated surroundings by members of the post-punk establishment. Having only a casual interest in Wire, and not knowing much of their other activities, I attended this gig to buy the limited edition CD for a friend, but hoped for an entertaining time: the members of Wire had put together an extensive bill of side-projects and a headline performance in their original Wire guise. But the results were mixed.

First up was a short live film of Wire around 1978. So far so good, but depression set in quickly when the first live act, who as far as I can tell must have been Immersion, came on and treated us to some extremely dated, aimless keyboard doodling obviously trying to be presented as contemporary ambient electronics. I was surprised to hear this from Wire members, whom the music press so often cite as having kept their fingers on the cultural pulse. The bad projected video collages didn't help either.

He Said were up next, and didn't sound half bad. The music again sounded dated, but as moody, song-based mixtures of sequenced electronics and guitar are not exactly being shoved down our throats at the moment, it was at least interesting. It was a shame that a good third of the seats were unoccupied, with people out in the bar or on the balcony overlooking the Thames. I joined them pretty quickly when some awful post-industrial distorted drum machine crap started up. Judging from the set list, this must have been Daniel Miller and Seth Hodder DJ'ing with Wire soundloops. The things people try to inflict on a captive audience!

Acts were changing over quickly, and it wasn't long before Wire themselves were up. They played for about twenty minutes, mostly early-to-mid-period material as far as I could tell, and gave a gentle rendition of Heartbeat before starting to leave the stage, whereupon Michael Clark and a couple of other dancers did their dancing thing. If Mr Clark was paid, any sum would have been at a good rate for doing little more than lying on the floor for five minutes. There was a real unease in the audience at this point: those remembering the put-on aggro of their punk days were sneering loudly while others, apparently having learned to appreciate the 'finer' arts, were screaming at them to shut the fuck up.

Wire returned and continued in the same vein, did a couple of encores, finished with 1.2.X.U., and the night was over. I got a sense of how they may have been a great live band in their time, but no-one missed much by not turning up to this event, the effect of which which was always going to be stunted by the grandiose venue. When Wire go on the road in May and play normal venues such as the Highbury Garage, it should be a lot better. - Andrew Shires

"YOU OUTTA BE IN PICTURES" - THE FIRST ANNUAL AMATEUR ADULT FILM FEST
"You Outta Be in Pictures," The First Annual Amateur Adult Film Fest was THE place to be this past Tuesday night, Leap Day.

It started off with a girl doing a strip tease to NIN which was really kinda boring, she didn't reveal anything you can't on network TV, it seemed to go on forever. Next up was one of the submissions from organizer Kim Airs as her alter ego, "Leo de Genero," as Leo was hustling a stripper on stage with a live band playing. It was entertaining and got quite a few chuckles when Leo stripped down, only to reveal he was a woman. As the owner of Grand Opening, she's certainly got access to some of the most real looking dildos. Following that was a Mumenshantz-esque bit where a guy cut holes in the centers of paper plates and drew various faces around his penis. Then up was a dyke flick staring two weighty lesbians, one of them known as "Big Daddy" - it was set to the music of Morcheeba and was very well done, black and white, lots of night time street shots interspersed with these two women making love to each other. Following that was another female stripper, this one had vaginal piercings and was swinging in a chain sling type thing, masturbating with a dildo at the end.

Then "Leo de Genero" made another appearance as some woman pierced his cock - the audience was in tears laughing as Kim was pumping fake blood out of the dildo. Then up was a really short one with two girls, one posing as a guy, both fully clothed while one sucked a dildo off - not too exciting. But then - horror fell over the audience as an extremist guy was putting crochet needles in his pee-hole and clothes pins on his sack. It was enjoyable to watch the crowd was squirm and watch. The "actor" was sitting two seats over from me in the theater come to find out. His wife assured me that what he did in the video was "nothing" compared to what he can do. (Can't wait for the second annual fest!) Then up was a old guy fucking his girl up the butt, it got boring and he was really old and ugly. This was followed by a guy banging his 9-month looking pregnant wife (audience confused - wondering if it indeed was dangerous for the baby...). And then Kim Airs did a video which stunned the audience and nearly got a standing ovation. She peed her pants in the shower (to prove a point - that she was all urined out) and then took off her clothes and masturbated and started gushing, she was streaming all over the place - it did not end. It was quite impressive. One of the courses she teaches at Grand Opening is called "What the Hell is the G-Spot and the Female Ejaculation Thing?" Following her talented display, I heard mutterings from a some women who now want to take the course. The funniest part was after her bit she would say "That was just for you, Russell!" Following that was a woman jerking her husband off on the bed and the bed broke, it got some laughs.

And lastly, the final submission came in by my friends Sandy and Amanda. Sandy dressed up as a witch doctor and had a doll she would poke and prod - Amanda, in a different room would feel the arm pricks and titty twisters. All of this was set to music from Coil, NWW, Throbbing Gristle, and other faves. They finally met at the end and were both playing with the doll, writhing, following it up with a shower scene. Yes, Carter, I have finally seen FULL FRONTAL AMANDA (and on the full screen too)! It was titled "Voodoo Dykes" and got an amazing response from the audience - the most laughs out of any other film for the night.

The show sold out and they were turning people away. I'm glad I bought my tickets in advance and I can see a trend happening after this one. I would love to hear if any other cities decide to have something like this cos it was a really neat event. At the end of the show, the video tape was destroyed.
More info can be found at www.grandopening.com and some guidelines for submissions for next year's Amateur Adult Film Fest. - Jon Whitney

NEIL GAIMAN: "SMOKE AND MIRRORS"
A collection of short stories by one of the best writers of our time. There are a few stories in which Gaiman appears to have added sex (or to be just writing about it exclusively) in some puerile, wank-fest kind of way. Putting these aside, many of the other stories emphasize that he is, after all, a genius and we should forgive him everything. This book contains some of the best stories I have ever read. Add to this his writing style, which is clear, clever and witty, and you're on to the best book to grace your bedside since Stardust (which as a whole, was better). Buy it: it won't disappoint. - Nic Doye

OUR RAPPIN' FOREFATHERS!
Yes, well we know that not only were the founders of the USA excellent statesmen and patriots. But they could also cut a fly beat. Check out the rapmasters at jibjab.com. Double click and they start to rap.

OUR DUMB COUNTRY
Somebody has finally decided to culmonate all of the stupid laws that they hear about at www.dumblaws.com. Not all necessarily have evidence that they are true laws.

me too

- Alan from Low, posted to the Low email list...