MUSICK GONE
Coil have announced that they will no longer be accepting money for orders of Musick To Play in the Dark, Volume 2. Before you get your panties in a bind, Coil have agreed to fulfil all orders received so far, so do not worry, your money isn't lost if you already sent it. From now on, however, World Serpent will be filling orders.

DIAMANDA AT JOE'S PUB
Diamanda Galas will be performing for three weeks in a row at Joe's Public Theater in NYC. Dates are July 8th, 15th and 22nd (all Saturdays) and more information and tickets can be obtained at www.joespub.com.

KID 606, BLECTUM RELEASE PARTY
There will be a dual record release party at the Peacock Lounge on Haight in San Francisco on Friday (July 7th). Live appearances will be from Kid 606, Blectum from Blechdom, Hotfuckingjets, and Disc (157 / M@+M05 / +!g3480Y) = [LSR / MATMOS / TIGERBOY], with DJ ANEURYSM and MC Kit Clayton. The new releases honored this night are Blectum from Blechdom-"the messy jesse fiesta" full length cd on deluxe recordings, kid606-"down with the scene" full length cd on ipecac recordings, and Disc-"transfer" 12"/2x12" on deluxe recordings. Copies of these *HOT* new releases and other objects will be available at the show. There will also be a door raffle and other contests to win copies of the new releases and other special prizes.... email:kevin@belief-systems.com for info.

KID 606, CEX SURPRISE GIG NYC
Surprise! No, really can Kid honestly be in all places at once??? Well, on Sunday night, July 9th, Kid will be at the Knitting Factory in NYC along with CEX, one of the tigerbeat6 posse. Tickets and details available at knittingfactory.com.

NURSE WITH WOUND/ARANOS MAIL ORDER ONLY CD!
"Santoor Leyna Bicyle" is the latest full- length musical collaboration between Steven Stapleton (Nurse with Wound) and Petr Vastl (Aranos). It comes in a limited edition of 500 special individualized "gallery" packages. The CD now available for order directly from Aranos in Ireland. Please check the News section in the Nurse With Wound web page for details, a photo and some sound samples.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!
Why wait till December to enjoy some of the best Christmas spirit and love. Right now on the V/Vm website, we have started the uploading blitz. All the Christmas releases have been uploaded in full stunning high fidelity MP3 files. Just go there and click on "Audio" and find the links in blue!.

Also be prepared of the flood of new product starting later this month: on July 24th, the Masters of the Absurd 12" album will be released, followed in two weeks by the Love 7", only to be followed two weeks later by the Love CD.

Some were fortunate to catch the Sonic Youth gig in London last night. According to the V/Vm pig,

"last night's performance wise eclipsed sonar due to its stupidity,,,
2000 in the audience, a host of pantomime creatures hurling cabbage into the audience while the birds danced,,,, during lady in red cd's were thrown at the audience (offal01's)===== Thursty More was up for it//"

THOM YORKE DISCOVERS SIGUR ROS
Radiohead's front man invited Icelandic superheroes Sigur Ros on tour with them, thus bringing them to new audiences of generic alt-rock twentynothings. It's kinda like when Christopher Columbus discovered America - while there were people living there before, it seems that the mainstream world - or rather the important people - could now recognize something that's existed before somebody of note pointed it out to them. Whoopee.

CURRENT 93, "SLEEP HAS HIS HOUSE"
David Tibet throws himself heartfirst into a single-pointed meditation on loss which is perhaps his finest work to date. He embraces the painful matter of his father's death with a poignant gentleness, without ever turning away from his own grief and sadness, without once denying the apparent meaninglessness of human suffering, and yet, almost miraculously, without ever surrendering his quiet hope that there may be some peace in death, some small beauty in this world, and some hidden final meaning behind unbearable loss. In following an inner vision towards a goal which is quite far from concern with entertainment or image, he has managed to create an album which is both accessible and entertaining (although hauntingly so). Unflinching attention to the particular and the personal has here accomplished the great art of transmuting a private meditation into a universal elegy, capable of containing, illuminating, and assuaging our own private griefs, both small and large. For me this album serves as a rare reminder of the transformative power and purpose of music, and an affirmation that, while words often abandon us to isolation when we are most in need of them, a true poet is capable of the most exquisitely precise communication. "What drives us on?" Sleep offers refreshing balm to those who didn't even know they needed it. It is never preachy, loud or pushy, but with quiet insistence this masterful work drives us to look into blackness, and to see through it into light. - Thomas Olson

samples:

• Good Morning Great Mulloch
• Red Hawthorne Tree
• The Magical Bird in the Magical Woods

ROLLERBALL, "BATHING MUSIC"
Whenever I see that envelope arrive in my box with the RoadCone return stamp I get all gleeful wondering what treats await inside. This week's present is a full-length follow up to this year's half-length CD from the same band. Rollerball is a collective of four musicians around the Northwestern USA who use more organic than electronic instruments in the execution of their beautiful and harsh mishmosh wall of sound. Influences can be heard from free form jazz, pretty pop and industrial noise genres but the disc can't be pigeonholed to any of those genres itself. It's organized chaos, maximalistic, almost structured free-form, full of contradictions, captivating melodies and loops with a colorful array of instrumentation and sound effects thrown in. Piano melodies and beat gems are both hauntingly delicate while screetching and uneasy in parts. Beat-less and beat-heavy instrumental and vocal tunes litter this fine 42 1/2 minute CD. Not for one moment do you have time to lose interest. My only complaint is the flimsy package! - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Osceola
• DJ Tecate
• What Are You Crying About?

AROVANE, "ATOL SCRAP" + "TIDES"
Arovane, aka 35-year-old German Uwe Zahn, has in the past few years produced a split 7", several 12"s, an EP, remix work (Various Artists "8,8.5,9 remixes" - Arovane's 'amx' is one of my personal favorites) and now, two full length albums: the debut "Atol Scrap" on Din and "Tides" on the new City Centre Offices label. "Atol Scrap" is 64 + minutes of blissful electronic ebb and flow that finds a balance somewhere between the mellow IDM of the early '90s (think Aphex Twin "Selected Ambient Works 85-92"), the quirky rhythms of more recent IDM (think Autechre) and the repetition and attention to detail of the Chain Reaction minimalists. The key to most every track is dreamy synth pad and bass melodies, accentuated by mostly gentle, abstract rhythmic sounds and fuzzy atmospheres. The mid to latter section of the album has a few tracks where the percussion is much more pronounced and abrasive, which is somewhat of a disappointment as the melodies are no longer the obvious focal point. But, he's rather good at that style of track too and it helps create a good variety throughout the album.
With only 1 album under his belt, Zahn has apparently already decided to change direction. "Tides" is 40 minutes in length and although it's recognizable as Zahn's work it's also very different from "Atol Scrap". As the title suggests, the album is inspired by visits to the sea and the memories of waves wash ashore in several tracks. Here Zahn utilizes some slow motion hip hop styled beats for his cloudy/fluid melodies and atmospheres, adding various samples (water, bits of voice, chirping crickets, sea gulls, bell tones, etc.) and clean electric guitar played by fellow Berliner Christian Kleine on 4 of the 9 tracks. The 3 and 1/2 minute guitar and wash loop that is "Seaside" captures the entire feel of this album and just might receive my 'most beautiful track of the year' award. All of Zahn's music is a bit sullen and relaxing in a subtle and beautiful way, no matter how he produces it. It's hard to believe that these are his first 2 albums as they are quite impressive. He's another electronic artist to definitely keep track of in the years to come ... - Mark Weddle

samples:

• Scapen Te
• Seaside
• Tascel 7
• The Storm

LAIKA, "BAD TIMES"
Laika's second single from this year's "Good Looking Blues" is a three-tracker featuring the title track plus two non-lp tunes. "Bad Times" is a groovalicious spacey jam with Margaret talking all about the dangers of what the Bad Times virus will do to you. It's entertaining and the music is produced with that signature Laika rhythmic feel. Laika don't wander too far from what they do but they do it well enough that you can trust every release from them (until you get bored of the sound of course!) The other two tracks are perfect examples. "He Knows" and "Longwave" might have been left off the album but in no way are they inferior tunes. Much like the first single, "Uneasy," the cover's a semi-reflective job so this accompanying scan doesn't do it much justice. A full review of "Good Looking Blues" will be posted here sooner to the US release date. For now, enjoy the singles while you can still get them. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Bad Times
• He Knows
• Longwave

NOT BREATHING, "ITCHY TINGLES"
David Wright has picked up the beat a bit on the latest offering. I find myself more captivated by this album than most of the other music Wright has released. Perhaps it's because I saw Zipperspy playing with him, twiddling knobs on the most recent Boston show, perhaps his hearing impairment has forced him to use different sounds and techniques. Regardless, it's a fine offering, hypnotic and enjoyable, blonky and blippy in parts, with more high pitches and stabs than clumsy warbling bass frequencies. This results in the bulk of the album having a generally quirky and happy feel. Music to smile along with is nice. The album is almost entirely electronic with very little usage of samples that remain close to their original sound. The only slight hints of unoriginality come in on the album's closer, a cover of the Tammy Wynette tune, "Stand By Your Man," and I only say this because it's a cover tune. Dave Wright's choices on the tune were quite original and entertaining. Don't let the Invisible Records stigma hold you back, Wright's a true American electronic gem. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Wasp Fury
• Rotorhead Battle Cry
• Stand By Your Man

THE CZARS, "BEFORE... BUT LONGER"
With their country esque American feel and sound, The Czars seem like an unlikely pick for the Bella Union label. Discovered at a South By Southwest shmooze fest, they have released their debut in the UK on Bella to a warm response in the UK. While I've got mixed feelings about SXSW, I don't have any about this CD. It's sweet and endearing, a pop record which will have a tough time cracking any pop charts over here due to its almost naked no-frills production and honesty. Vocal melodies, appropriate harmonies and a rich sound are created by this basic group of guitars, bass and organic drums. Vibes play on various tracks that are well-equipped for serene college radio programs. The more I listen to this disc, I hear influences of (excuse the music critic cliches) Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but through the eyes of kids raised in good Southern homes. Folks who like a little twang accompanying their Low, or finde the idea of John Denver crossed with Stephin Merritt appealing would probably find something enjoyable in the Czars. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Val
• Concentrate
• Dave's Dream

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
Cut La Roc - Freeze CDEP (Skint, UK)
Divine Styler - Directrix 2x12" [mixes by Optical] (Mo Wax, UK)
Eardrum - Last Light Remixes Vol. 1 12" [mixes by Ashley Beedle, Freeform, Monolake and Sofa Surfers] (Leaf, UK)
LTJ Bukem - Sunrain 12"/CDEP (Good Looking, UK)
Metamatics/Clatterbox - Project Unison CD/LP (Neo Oujia, UK)
Mindfield General - Reach Out 12"/two CDEPs (Skint, UK)
Moby - Porcelain two 12"s (Mute, UK)
Mucho Macho - Death on Wild Onion Drive CD/LP (Wiiija, UK)
Pancreatic Aardvarks - Are You The Weasel? CD-R (Gnarphlager, US)
Two Lone Swordsmen - Tiny Reminders 1 12" [first in a series of three 12" EPs, to be collected on a single CD later this year] (Warp, UK)

TUESDAY
TRS-80 - Manhattan Love Machine CD (Invisible, US)

WEDNESDAY
Styrofoam [Tin Foil Star] - The Point Misser CD/LP (Morr Music, Germany)

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.

PRAXIS
1996 was the year of the festivals at the Brooklyn Anchorage for me. One of those nights was Praxis - an incredible show from a collective that I've loved since hearing 1992's "Transmuatation." I was hoping to see something as incredible this time around, while it was nice, it didn't quite measure up completely. On stage this time around was Buckethead, Brain, Bill Laswell and a incredible DJ from the Invisible Scratch Picklez - one DJ and a Bernie Worrell shy of the last performance I saw. Buckethead was brilliant, his playing's absolutely unhuman, Laswell is a master groovemeister on the bass, Brain's beats and rhythms are loud and fierce enough to tie everything together in the hodgepodge of metal, experimental noise, funk and rap. The set was short however. The band played for approximately one hour while a host of MCs and singers took center stage in a rotating schedule between songs. While it was entertaining, I did indeed prefer Praxis as an instrumental outlet. I loved the show, they're all wonderful musicians, the sound was incredible, but the highlight of the night truly was spending time my old friend Matt who I haven't seen since we graduated high school, 10 years ago. - Jon Whitney

EVERY GENERATION GETS THE VANILLA ICE THEY DESERVE
I have to admit that I like Eminem. I don't like his music and don't necessarily agree with whatever he's saying but he's good for the music industry in many ways. Detroit's Marshall Mathers or Slim Shady isn't doing anything drastically different than a prankster like Boyd Rice or Monte Cazazza did 20 years ago. He simply has a more easily digestible, world-accepted commercially viable medium to deliver the message. What is his message? Just like Boyd, Mathers provides a mirror on ourselves, showing how ugly we really can be - only if we actually take a step back and think about it. Slim Shady does this by openly blasting people in his music - like Britney Spears, N'Sync, his mother or gays, but at the end of his songs, he'll often toss in comments about how he's sort of playing around with your mind. So thus begins the controversy on how to interpret him - are we left to believe he means all those things? The weak minded individuals will become blind followers - much like those Nazi boys that show up at Death In June gigs! Mathers essentially is everything you make him out to be. I believe him to be a downright coward, as he comes off all tough but really he only picks on those that won't fight back, groups that don't threaten him. (I still haven't heard the word "nigger" in any of his songs yet.) Eminem also provides a great window on how racist the music industry and radio is, reflected simply by his popularity (and not dependent on his lyrical content). White rap singers get the airplay on the "alternative" stations, the "rock" stations as well as the "top 40" stations. Snow, Beastie Boys and Everlast have all achieved multi-platinum success when black artists were ignored. When was the last time you heard Ol' Dirty Bastard on your local commercial alterna radio outlet? Public Enemy only crossed over the line into mainstream success because they opened for Beastie Boys, RUN DMC crossed over because they had a hit with Aerosmith. Mathers shows us the world is truly an ugly, racist, sexist place and it's us who make it that way. - Jon Whitney

TAKE A RIDE
Make sure the latest version of Flash is installed so you can grab a ride on flight404.com. It's a neat little place to watch the pretty designs fly by... Wish all flights were this pleasant.

I got some photos but not as good as the ones linked on the Coil website. I'm sure there will be good ones coming in soon. And, well, yes I wore it for V/Vm's performance of "Lady In Red" as it was the only red shirt I owned.

- Joe Salas, Los Angeles CA