NEW YEAR/NEW LOOK
So, we're trying out a new look for THE BRAIN. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to everybody who voted in this year's poll. Results have been archived and are accessible at the past issues page.

2001 PREVIEW!
Early this year is chock full of new releases from brainwashed bands, brainwashed-related and brainwashed-friendly bands too! Later this month, brand spanking new Panacea full-lengther, "German Engineering" is due. February 19th sees the all new full-length releases "Standards" from Tortoise, "fixed::context" from Labradford, as well as "Newness Ends" from The New Year (former Bedhead). A new Windy & Carl full-length, "Consciousness" was due out that date as well but has been delated temporarily. Jessica Bailiff with Jesse Edwards have a full-lengther due out as Northern Song Dynasty and Jesse has his first full-length as the.dithering.effect also due out soon. Aranos has two singles in the pipeline from Klang Galerie and Beta Lactam Ring Records, Coil also have a few new releases due in February along with member Thighpaulsandra's 2xCD release on Eskaton, Nurse With Wound are gearing up for the release of one of many "Automating" collections and Current 93 have a couple special releases also announced on their websites. Fridge have also completed work on their fourth album of all-new material. "Happiness" should be out in the stores hopefully by springtime.

ARANOS DISASTER
Aranos has requested us to post the following information about his computer troubles: "My computer somehow managed to lose all my e-mail up to yesterday. Contacts and the lot. So please you good people out there contact me again if you want me to let you know about my future activities. Also whoever ordered things recently, please let me know your address again if it is not in your letter, so I know where to send it."

!!!
Slammin' mutherfucking ballsy-ass shit. This debut CD release is probably the most excited I've been about a new rock-genred band in as long as I can remember. The energy is fierce, the music is fast, funky and full of wakka wakka guitars, crazy effects, beefy bass chops, electronic and organic drums, wild cheering, hoards of percussion and a splash of horns. Amidst all of this the vocals are remeniscent of Cabaret Voltaire's "Kino" while the music echoes the vigorous drive of Wire's "Advantage in Height." Perhaps this is what New Fast Automatic Daffodills wanted to achieve a decade ago but failed. The songs are insanely energetic and almost uncontrollably make you want to shake your ass. There's a bit of debate on how to pronounce "!!!" as well as how to search for it in record shops and on the web. While the group allegedly claims it can be any one-syllable word repeated three times, (like POW POW POW or CHICK CHICK CHICK or YEAH YEAH YEAH) most Unix geeks will say it is without a doubt pronounced "Bang Bang Bang." Linguistics specialists would argue that "!" can represent a ticking sound common in African language - hence "!!!" would sound like one of those shameful scorns which usually accompany a shaking head. If you really want to buy this, you probably won't be able to search many online stores, so try the label's website at www.threeoneg.com/gsl. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Feel Good Hit of the Fall
• There's No Fucking Rules, Dude
• KooKooKa Fuk-U

TRICKY "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"
Remember Tricky? The former music media darling amicably parted ways with Polygram/Island/Def Jam in 1999 and now calls Epitaph branch Anti home alongside Tom Waits and Merle Haggard. Mission accomplished? This UK EP (also due out February 6th in the States) gives us a little over 16 minutes with 3 new songs and 1 previously unreleased old one. The sound is similar to the live guitar/bass/drums band setup of the preceding albums "Juxtapose" and "Angels With Dirty Faces". The title track centers around a heavy guitar riff and Peter Gabriel's "big time, I'm on my way I'm making it big time" lyric sung by Tricky and another male vocalist, ad nauseum. Halfway through the 3 minutes it becomes apparent that this is all the track has to offer. "Crazy Claws" begins promising with a lively snare loop, sexy bass line, and Tricky's whispered poetry about a certain female. Unfortunately, a few minutes in two other rappers take over (the first possibly being Mad Dogg from "Juxtapose", judging by the heavy British accent) and ruin it. "Tricky Versus Lynx (Live)" must be 'live in the studio' and I'm unsure of Tricky's involvement as the only one rapping is someone other than Tricky. It's the weakest of the 3 new songs. Why Tricky relies on these guys is beyond me ... their vocals pale in comparison to Tricky's and their braggadocio rhymes are tired and unnecessary. "Divine Comedy" was originally released as a white label 12" in 1998 as reaction to racist comments made by a Polygram executive and later became the more polished and superior "Money Greedy" on "Angels..". Altogether the EP is very disappointing with half-assed outtake quality ideas and only small glimmers of Tricky's lyrical and musical potential. Hopefully the debut album for Anti out this summer will reclaim some or all of Tricky's past glory ... - Mark Weddle

samples:

• Crazy Claws
• Divine Comedy
• Mission Accomplished

BLACWORLD, "SUBDUING DEMONS IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE"
I am amazed at the mad genius that is Richard H. Kirk, once again he manages to blur the line between music and noise as entertainment in a very thought-provking manner. Kirk expands on ideas from more recent works including, "Loopstatic" and "Darkness at Noon"; using found sounds, sampled mostly from shortwave radio, mixed with his signature "Clonk" and tribal rhythms. This time almost the entire song structure is built up from these odd test tones, crackles and overheard conversations. It is even less synth-based than before, the samples ARE the instruments and Kirk puts these cut-up fragments together to invoke a cacophony of chaotic complexity reminiscent of an automated factory assembly line or the bridge of the Starship Enterpise.
Underneath an all-out barrage of sequenced sensorium and subsonic booms we are spoonfed bytes of intercepted fascism - but we are too captivated by the "blinking lights" and weird noises to percieve all of what is being said. Similar to recent works, the layered arrangements give you the feeling that something sinister is lurking behind this happy industrial mayhem, something ominous, calculated and not easily distracted. Is it music or noise with a beat?? You won't hear this music in any commericals and that's a good thing. For me, it has always been about one's expectations- meeting Kirk's latest ideas and approach. I notice every Kirk release has a particular quality to it—he obviously employs slightly different strategies, techniques and instrumentation from one to the next—but he isn't interested in reinventing himself, just exploring new ideas and directions. He's a true revolutionary 'artiste'. Remember that Al Jabr cover, I've often thought that we (his fans) are the hostages and Kirk is holding the gun to our head- ready to take us for a little ride, it may get rough, some may be lost, but perhaps he'll return us safely and go back to making the slick techno he used to after the final installment of this trilogy (and we pay his ransom),...
To sum up my thoughts: I like this "Blacworld" CD. The seminal industrial artist, the visonary "Dark Magus" of modern music has opened a window to a futuristic reality of technologic overload; of increasing socio-political interconnection and manipulation at the dawn of the electronic age. Take a look. - Daniel Barychko

samples:

• Yorkshire Ham
• Europeanz
• Financial Institutions

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS, "I FELL IN LOVE WITH A DEAD BOY"
Three days in my possession and I can't stop playing this three tracker over and over again. For those who have been fortunate enough to witness Antony & the Johnsons live, this provides an excellent souvenir of favorites not on the debut album. Other fans would enjoy this as a great companion to the eponymous release. The title track is a touching yet unsettling love song. With the simple chord structure echoing old standards, it too can easily become a timeless classic. In addition to this, the single's rounded out by two covers: Current 93's "Soft Black Stars" and "Mysteries of Love," originally performed by Julee Cruise, written by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti. Like the subject of the song, the mysteries are all sort of becoming clear now. Until recently had I not made a surrealistic David Lynch connection. The whole experience of Antony & the Johnsons live and on record sort of all make sense under a twisted yet beautiful mentality of works like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Wild At Heart. Perhaps the popularity of Goldfrapp and Jay Jay Johanson can also be attributed to the attractive simliar sort of film-noir qualities combined with delicate beauty. - Jon Whitney

samples:

• I Fell In Love with a Dead Boy
• Mysteries of Love
• Soft Black Stars

OPIUM JUKEBOX "MUSIC TO DOWNLOAD PORNOGRAPHY BY"
Opium Jukebox is Martin Atkins (Pigface, The Damage Manual, Invisible Records) and Bobdog Catlin (ex-Evil Mothers, Pigface, Pseudo Buddha) and a dozen other musician friends. This cd is a contemporary covers album: Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit", NIN "Head Like a Hole", Gary Numan "Cars", "Ball of Confusion", Jane's Addiction "Been Caught Stealing", EMF "Unbelievable", "Tainted Love", Devo "Whip It" and Dead or Alive "You Spin Me Right Around". I know what you're thinking ... horrid 'industrial' or paint by numbers covers, right? No, fortunately. This collective barely keeps the paint within the lines with their very loose instrumental interpretations. Think exotic/erotic strings and rhythms and analog synth and beat programming (courtesy of Lee 'Bagman' Fraser - Sheep on Drugs, The Damage Manual) shrouded in Middle Eastern mystical ambiance. These very familiar songs slide by in an almost unfamiliar haze ... melodies played by Bobdog on sitar are about the only remaining identifiable element from the originals. A wide array of percussion and vibes keep the time and various flavors are added by dijeridu, horns, guitar, bass, violin, etc. About half the songs leap out of the speakers with more pronounced drums and electronics while the others maintain a more mellow groove. You've heard them a million times before but you've never heard them quite like this. I'm not sure if this is a joke or what (funny title) but as a covers album it's a great idea that's superbly executed and as an album in it's own it's even better. I hope they do more covers or originals someday ... - Mark Weddle

samples:

• Head Like a Hole
• Cars
• Been Caught Stealing

IN THE NURSERY, "HINDLE WAKES"
There are certain things you can always count on when purchasing a release from In the Nursery. The melodies are always emotionally charged, the production shines with a signature decadent brilliance and the sounds do an excellent job of imitating a full orchestra. The new release is their fourth in a series of music for silent films. This amazingly priced 2xCD set accompanies the British film of the same name from 1927, a story which revolves around a working class holiday in Northern England. What's seemingly more important than the story to some critics are the filming techniques used, which makes this film noteworthy to film buffs and scholars. Perhaps one of the reasons ITN chose this film to score was the long drawn out camera shots and picturesque images noted in some online reviews of the movie. The variety of themes for various dramatic situations always impress me with In the Nursery's releases, although the instrument choices can get somewhat repetitious. This is a quality of the most popular film scores, however: John Williams for example almost always uses the trumpet as a lead instrument, while on Hindle Wakes, ITN has almost completely exhauseted the clarinet as a lead instrument. Film scores should have recurring themes so the repetition on this disc might be somewhat overkill without actually viewing the picture. Judging by the length of the release, I'm sure the entire score is here, making it easy to rent the film and watch along. Let's hope everything lines up perfectly. [Note: while the DVD release of "Man with a Movie Camera" includes the film set to ITN's score, there's no word about a release of Hindle Wakes with their score.] - Jon Whitney

samples:

• Hotel Metropole
• Postcard
• Partnership

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
Blue Foundation - Blue Foundation CD (April, Denmark)
Randall Cousins' MeltdownRed - DataLeak CD (Alleged Iguana, Canada)
Richard Devine - Lipswitch CD/2xLP (Warp, UK)
Everything But The Girl vs. Soul Vision - Tracey In My Room 12"/CDEP (Virgin, UK)
Leafcutter John - Microcontact CD (Planet µ, UK)
Lesser - Gearhound CD/2xLP (Matador Europe, UK)
Negative Entropy - City Open to the Nomad CD (Beta-Lactam Ring, US)
The Orb - Once More 12"/two CDEPs (Island/Universal, UK)
Ty - Nonsense 12" (Big Dada/Ninja Tune, UK/Canada/US)
Various - Knottel Remixed 12" [original track by Zorn, remixed by Multipara, Geiom, Artificial Duck Flavour, Arovane, Frederik Schikowski, Biochip C. and Thaddi - first 50 copies include CD-R with exclusive remix] (Lux Nigra, Germany)
Various - The Adventures Of Jonathon Whiskey CD [with Tristeza, Hood, Chicks On Speed, The Remote Viewer, Yellow 6 and more] (Jonathon Whiskey, UK)
The Wisdom of Harry - Unit One Remix 12"/CDEP (Matador Europe, UK)

TUESDAY
Delarosa & Asora - Backsome 12"/CDEP (Schematic, US)
Richard Devine - Lipswitch CD/2xLP (Schematic, US)
Fishgulish - Circuit Breaks Vol. 1 CD/LP (75 Ark, US)
Pan sonic - Aaltopiiri CD/2xLP (Mute, US)
* Renegade Soundwave - RSW 1987-1995 CD (Mute, US)
Boyd Rice - Presents Music for Pussycats CD (Cacciocavallo/Soleilmoon, US)
Underwater - This Is Not A Film CD (sub:marine, US)
* Various - Ischemic Folks CD [repress] (Schematic, US)
While - Slip 2x12"/CDEP [mixes by Savath+Savalas, Fennesz and A Grape Dope] (Chocolate Industries, US)
Z'EV - Face The Wound CD (Soleilmoon, US)

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.

RATCATCHER / GEORGE WASHINGTON
These films were shown recently as a double-bill at a local movie-theatre. And they were both remarkably similair yet nothing alike. Or some such crap. Both films are the feature-legnth debut of the writers/directors, David Gordon Green for George Washington and Lynne Ramsay for Ratcatcher. Both films circle around the children of the working poor and the reaction of said children when they are partly responsible for a playmates death.
Now those of you who remember my previous movie reviews know that I suck at writing these things. You can all bite me. Suffice it to say both of these films are hidden gems and easily get a listing in my top 10 films of 2000. Both directors have amazing vision and each cast of unknowns shine through. And the George Washington;s minimal soundtrack is the best movie soundtrack I have heard since Joe Hisaishi's Hana-Bi soundtrack.
In honor of these films I have composed a Haiku for each:

George Washington:

don't get your head wet
are we heros or villains?
uncle don't like dogs

Ratcatcher:

London Garbage Strike
No Englishman is sober
There's mice on the moon

- Thomas Guttadauro

TRAFFIC
Hoo boy. If they could cut 2/3 of this movie it would be pretty damn good. There are three main storylines going on and one sideplot, by my reckoning, and only a few standout actors and very solid direction save it from being a total wash. And an excellent soundtrack. (What is it about excellent soundtracks and bad/mediocre films this year? Traffic, Reqium for a Dream for starters.)
The worst part of this movie is the after-school special qualities of Michael Douglas and his crack-addicted daughter. We're supposed to be shocked that a rich Drug Czar's daughter would put out her pussy for some smack. Didn't Scott Baio already cover this ground in some TV special?
The next part of this movie featured Carmen Zeta-Jones-Smith-Inglasious as the unknowing wife of a drug trafficer. Not that she doesn't know that she's married, it's that she doesn't know the guy she married traffics drugs. Watch Out, Carmen! Next thing we know, he's in prison and her character has done a complete, unbelievable 350 and is ruthlessly making drug deals herself. I'm pretty sure there's a made-for-lifetime Movie Event featuring Helen Hunt on this subject. I think it's called "A Made-for-Lifetime Movie Event featuring Helen Hunt on this Subject."
Finally, the third storyline is where Benicio Del Toro shines. He's a cop in mexico who is hired by one of the Mexican drug cartels to help eliminate the competition. There are so many unknowns in this part of the story that I can't explain how well it works without giving away major spoilers.
The sideplot is also well done, featuring solid acting by Don Cheadle and Luis Guzmán as police officers guarding squeeler (I can't remember who the actor is, but he's solid as well) as the trial he is a witness to is underway.
There's very little in the storyline that you haven't seen before (aside from the Mexican Cops story), but Steven Soderbergh does a great job of directing (per usual) and the soundtrack had Herbie Hancock and Flea working on it. I wish that the story featuring del Toro was made into its own movie. Everytime I had to watch Michael Douglas worry about his daughter or Zeta-Jones worrying about her future, I wished the movie would head back into that ground. Or another shot of that kid from the seventies show freebasing that sweet crack-a-moo.

- Thomas Guttadauro

HAIL TO THE CHIMP
Can you spot the differences between George W. Bush and a monkey? Do you think if both were standing next to each other that it would be easy to tell them apart? Before you think you know the answers, you'd best consult www.bushorchimp.com to see the excellent image collection.