the brainwashed brain
a weekly digest from the staff and contributors of brainwashed
V05I12 - 03312002
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contents of disc x revealed!
You can now get a preview of Disc X, tightly wrapped up in a 19-second track! Don't worry, April 16th is right around the corner. >>>X<<<

hemmann, chalk, o'rourke live in three B's
Mirror have been confirmed for three upcoming shows in Switzerland and Germany:

    18 April BERN Reithalle
    20 April BREMEN Lagerhaus
    23 April BERLIN Podewil

They will feature the same line-up as in Chicago last year: Andrew Chalk, Christoph Heemann and Jim O'Rourke. Check the websites for more information as it becomes available.
More information, on the Bern show, go to http://www.dachstock.ch/cgi-bin/sarah/lhq_eventz_dstock.pl?action=view&mode=single&entry=78 or contact direct - marc.milohnic@freenet.de

eph reissue in stock now
The fabulous reissue of 1999's 'Eph' LP by Fridge is now in stock at Brainwashed Central. The set comes with a bonus CD, never released on the original issue featuring the out of print singles of "Kinoshita/Terasaka" and "Of" as well as two never-before released remixes. More details available at Brainwashed Recordings.

and you will know us by the trail of pregnancies tour....
Kid 606 is heading out through North American with Gold Chains and Jamie Lidell. The shows start Monday, April 1st in NYC and wind their way through Canada, across the northernmost cities of the USA and out to San Francisco, where Trouble starts! Trouble will take place Monday, April 15th with 606, Numbers, Sutekh, Crack, Uprock, DJs Kit Clayton, Philip Sherburne, Televazquez, visuals and a whole lot more. In addition, Lesser's heading out to Japan and TB6 will be at Sonar this year. All the gorey details are at the 606 and TB6 websites.

A MESSAGE FROM V/VM

THE QUEEN MOTHER IS DEAD BOYS AND IT'S SO LONELY ON A MECHANICAL LIMB
...and the church all they want is your money
...and the church they snatch your money
...and the church all they want is your money
...and the church they snatch your money
...and the church all they want is your money
and the queen mother is dead boys and it's so lonely on a mechanical limb////

LIKE ONE BIG HOAX- the queen mother is not dead NOW_ indeed she passed away over 20 years ago ++ precisely when morrissey broke into the palace with a sponge and rusty spanner - what we have been left with is indeed a mechanical replica which has been running on a cocktail of GIN and engine OIL-- fitted with top quality components,,,, made to hit 100 like a trophy from another AGE__ everyone's favourite granny (as if)- well the outpouring of grief over here is non existent outside of a few royalists and people who have nothing else to worry about except for putting a bunch of daffodils outside buildings// indeed my good freind ANIMAL has been on the GIN ever since he heard the news// a big celebration_ (the last time he did such a thing was when metal mickey didn't get an extra series back in the 1980's _ he has a thing for robots and their eventual meltdown))-

SO anyway the FOOL is this, the QUEEN MOTHER IS NOT DEAD BOYS- merely warming DOWN- the process so we're led to believe takes around 4 weeks or maybe 5 for a full shutdown once the plug was pulled. The engine is still WARM and the pistons will fully shut down mid to late april leading to full engine siezure++

We foresaw the queen mum's demise only this week as on friday we officially announced our own QUEEN MOTHER IS DEAD tribute record, the orders were coming in hours before the offical announcement, within minutes of this V/Vm was being innundated with feelings of pure joy. Now this is something the news fails to report over here- people are actually happy that another one has gone with of course princess margeret popping off only weeks ago// the media claims we're a nation in sadness + whatever.

WHich leads us to the tribute, it's limited to 101 copies_ one copy for each bottle of gin consumed per calander month by our dearly departed granny (the thing to do here is research what she was like when she was younger_ racist for one thing_and building huge debts to name but 2+ and yet she is portrayed as your favourite grandmother-- special// the evidence is out there for you to find)-////

We only have a few copies of our tribute left as demand is overly HIGH for such a treasured document._

copies will be mailed out once we are sure the engine has fully cooled and beyond a JUMP start +++ a special robotic tribute for a special robotic person/ _ a purchase will also entitle you to pay your own tribute on the V/Vm site_ a few words to help others through the trauma of it all/

details on how to preorder the tribute can be found at the website. With our heartfelt condolences to the GIN INDUSTRY, OIL INDUSTRY and TEAM OF MECHANICS we can now confirm that the QUEEN MOTHER will officially be dead in around 5 weeks.......

in memorium
The Queen Mum Is Dead Long live V/Vm

MUSIC IN REVIEW

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM, "ARRHYTHMIA"
The 17-minute "The Ends Against the Middle" EP just wasn't enough, but it did whet the appetite. Antipop work best in long player mode and "Arrhythmia" is a full course, 43-minute meal. One noticeable difference with this album, their Warp Records debut, is that the rapid-fire rhyme flow has generally been slowed down some. But don't fret - Beans, Priest and Sayid's lyrics are as complex, intelligent, funny and just plain bizarre as ever. And they've thankfully no need for excessive braggadocio and lame, misogynist bullshit. Unpredictable is always the state of mind for APC, lyrically and musically. The production, presumably by Earl Blaize, is all killer no filler, chock full of intentionally arrhythmic beats, electronics and inventive odds and ends. This is old school hip hop from some other planet, one more techno-logic-ally advanced than ours. 'Bubblz' rocks tasty hand drum pitter patters, 'Conspiracy of Myth' contemplates piano and strings atmospheres and 'Human Shield' pulses relentlessly except for minor pitch shift and stagger step breaks. 'Mega' and 'Silver Heat' naturally veer off into feminine operatics and impromptu scat, respectively, while 'Z St.' cleverly paints a drug bust short story. 'We Kill Soap Scum' humourously recites the title for the chorus and the 'Iron Man Speaks' skit knocks playas and illegal samples. 'Place the Face' concludes the proceedings with orchestral stabs and the MCs proudly chanting "A, P, C!" Rightfully so. Antipop are touring small North American venues now through May. - Mark Weddle

samples:


JOSEPH SUCHY, "ENTSKIDOO"
If Clinic can be touted as "innovators of modern music" then the being that claims to be Cologne based guitarist Joseph Suchy must be some trans-dimensional hyper-entity who beamed back here from the future to show us the true path to giddy innovative heights. Herr Suchy seems intent on pushing the six strings through as much laptop grop as he can, and he can play the ass off the plank to boot. His busy soloing is still just about recognisable as such much of the time despite persistant machine deconstruction and particle accelerator bombardment. The main chunk of 'Entskidoo' is comprised of two suites of vertiginous improvised computer mangled guitar meltdown. It's a soundscape in constant flux - canvasses splattered red, quickly speckled yellow and pink and then filled in with pulsating green triangles, or at least that's how the synaesthetic analysis was testing last time I sniffed it. It'll probably appeal to fans of the rightly lauded Fennesz and laptop / concrete side of Jim 'Chicagonogood' O'Rourke, and could give both of them a powerbook diddling to remember! This ought to get anyone who drooled over 'Endless Summer' equally hot and bothered. It also marks the first Entenpfuhl release on CD, but the vinyl version has a much nicer sleeve.
The alpha section of the first side opens with a cute little twang that fires slight recall of J Mascis' contribution to the 'Guitarrorists' compilation, but is somewhat more meandering and freeform. This soon takes a darker turn as it duets with ominous digital rumble and rapid click. For a fleeting partial clue, imagine Merzbow doing Hawaiian music for a few seconds. The guitar playing speeds up and cuts loose and the hard drive effects get denser and dronier as the track progresses through crisp vistas of happy noise. At the end of the first suite (vinyl side one) Suchy spews xylophone patters over churning groans. There is always some kind of abstracted melodic pull no matter how many distorted effects Suchy layers on. Some new idea springs forth every few inches and there always seem to be new sounds lurking in each listen. The second suite (side 2 of the record) builds up dense crescendos until dropping back to multi tracked clean guitar picking out a coda, as if to show the bare bones that "Entskidoo" hung it's dissonant diginoise flesh on. The last couple of tracks are self contained and appear on a 7" single in the limited vinyl edition. "Gump" sets a simple chiming riff that recalls Colin Newman's 'Singing Fish' amidst a sea of swirling off kilter digi-flotsam, and seems to be a more compact and eloquent statement of the same intent that fired the bulk of the preceding long player. "Tijovo" takes a very different tack with some unadorned sparse (presumably) improvised guitar plucking accompanied by (double?) bass and soft singing from Yvonne Cornelius. Overall I give this record an X and a Q although I'm not sure if the record can make good use of such rare letters. In case you're wondering, that's a good thing. If his three previous albums on Tonschacht, Grob and Whatness are even half this inventive then they'll be well worth investigating. - Graeme Rowland

samples:


THE CARETAKER, "A STAIRWAY TO THE STARS"
The Caretaker presumably took about three years to warp a sequel to his 'Selected Memories From The Haunted Ballroom' because he was so busy sweeping up all the offal, trotters and cabbage leaves left in the wake of other V/Vm shenanigans. Now he's back with more slow strange disembodied waltzes from the far side of some limbo lounge in a deserted wintertime seaside resort. Those old 78s get the dusty slow eerie treatment to prove each today doesn't lead to a tomorrow. The Caretaker is stuck in time lock, a ghost spinning his decaying platters to skeletal slow-dancers in a shadow world where the 1930s loop eternal. In other words this is more of the same, but if you ate a good curry last week you might want another one this week, and this week's might just be spicier. The Caretaker cannot escape the past but has shifted it into other hyper-spatial dimensions by dint of sonic trickery. You've heard about tech house and happy house and all that - this is haunted house. The first half summons some nightmarish apparitions, whilst the second half is populated by more friendly phantoms which lurk in the netherwrold between wking and sleeping. Crooning downhearted, the Caretaker can't go on this way, and floats slowly downwards through murky vistas of emptiness, each movement sending huge echoes through the cavernous dusty ballroom, until he unwittingly summons forth malign forces of the occult to do his rumbling ambient bidding. These malign forces make a big nasty seaside organ blare, whilst distant rainfall splashes relentlessly on, pushing The Caretaker to the edge of a breakdown, but he wakes up from the nightmare singing gayly of robins and roses. Thus through cloudiness the Caretaker ascends a stairway to the stars for a date with an angel. He hasn't noticed that the crowds are long gone and the ballroom is empty except for two men in pig masks sneakily setting up laptops at the back. In space, no one can smell your tripe. - Graeme Rowland

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Vainio Fennesz Vainio, "Invisible Architecture #2"
This mysterious CD with an oversized package, which may or may not be a Sub Rosa-related project, is a live recording of a 1999 collaboration in Belgium between electronic music giants Mika Vainio of Pan Sonic and Christian Fennesz. There are two 30-minute tracks: the first is a collaborative set between the two artists, the second is a solo set by Vainio. As much as I like and respect both of these artists—Pan Sonic and Fennesz each released one of the best albums of last year—this CD leaves a lot to be desired. Vainio's work with Pan Sonic and his solo work as Ø often revolve around cold analog rhythms and stark sonic landscapes. Fennesz's trademark sound is his laptop processing of guitar and other sounds, striking a unique balance between beauty and noise. None of this is very evident on this collaboration. Only occasionally is rhythm a factor, and much of Fennesz's textures are overpowered by Vainio's blasts of feedback and distortion. Though the recording quality seems decent enough, Vainio is mixed a little louder than Fennesz, and when Mika lets it get loud, Christian becomes barely audible. In theory, a collaboration between these two seems like a great idea, but the members of Pan Sonic have a less-than-stellar track record when it comes to releases with other musicians (i.e. the 'Endless' CD with Suicide's Alan Vega; the 'IBM' LP with Bruce Gilbert). The only notable exception is last year's 'Wohltemperiert', Ø's disc with Noto. Fennesz, on the other hand, is usually quite good when working with other artists—Peter Rehberg, Biosphere, etc. Here, however, it seems like the two artists are in their own worlds and not focusing on the music as a whole. At one point, while Vainio is creating loud swishes and swoops, you can hear what eventually became "Year In a Minute" on Fennesz's 'Endless Summer' disc very quietly in the background—almost as if Fennesz was trying out new material in the middle of the set instead of improvising. The Mika Vainio solo set is standard Vainio. Five-minute stretches of silence interspersed with random bits of static compete with long stretches of analog ton. Nothing new, but may be interesting enough to the Pan Sonic junkie. There is almost no information about who released this disc; it seems to be on a label called Audiosphere but it also says "conceived by Audioview/Lowlands ¥ Sub Rosa ¥ (Audio) Incident" on the package. It seems to me like this disc and its unnecessary, DVD-like packaging is a pretty blatant attempt to cash in on the Fennesz and Pan Sonic names. It's another example, too, of why it isn't necessary to release every live recording of an electronic artist that exists. A collaboration between Mika Vainio and Christian Fennesz could result in an amazing disc, but this is apparently just a chance encounter, not a well thought out endeavor. Releasing it only detracts from the body of impressive work that both artists have under their belts. - Nate Smith

samples:


"The ForceLab Edition: Composure - Remixed by Algorhythm"
The biggest problem with Richie Hawtin's 2001 mix CD 'DE9: Closer To The Edit' was the hype and attention devoted to the techniques and software used to create it. As gearheads and laptop geeks oohed and aahed over the new innovations and opportunities for experimental DJs, many people including myself found the result kind of dull. It was ultimately a straightforward techno mix made with more than just a mixer and two Technics 1200's. Big deal. Please forward all complaints to the Customer Disservice Dept. Following a similar model, Algorithm, ironically another veteran Canadian techno DJ, presents his first mix CD almost as a response to the process-focused approach spearheaded by Hawtin. The result, however, is infinite more interesting than 'Closer To The Edit,' mainly in part due to better track selection. While limited to a small backcatalog of Force Lab 12" releases, as well as some previously unreleased tracks from new signings, the quality of this material shines through. Force Lab's signature deep bass-heavy clicktechno & clickhouse evokes the futurism that Detroit techno has always promoted, but arguably lost hold of as it became more and more dated. Algorithm takes advantage of his right to excessive filtering as he submerges these dubby sounds even further without offering the full release given by French house classics like "Music Sounds Better With You." However, with effected loops from mainstays Kid606, Kit Clayton, and Farben as well as up-and-comers like Yagya, OZY, and Posterboys Of The Apocalypse, who cares? This is ideal listening for late-night coding sessions, late-night afterpartying and late-nite pornography downloading. - Gary Suarez

samples:


Department, "This Is Tension Avenue"; "Exiting"
Department is an experimental industrial duo from Australia, who go by the cryptic personas of Gatz and Spacious. Not much is known about their past except that one of them (Spacious, I think) was in an early '90s Aussie prog-metal band called Vauxdvihl (pronounced: vaudeville) that apparently achieved minor cult status. Department claims that their attitude is based on a "punk" aesthetic - "making strong statements, keeping album lengths short and getting straight to the point." Well, maybe, but the music on these two self-released CDs sounds more like a modern soundtrack for an apocalyptic student film. Department is mostly instrumental, with industrial drum machine beats, layered synths and guitars, processed samples, and lots of noise thrown in for good measure. On the whole the music sounds a few years dated, but there are definitely some intriguing elements within the mix. On 'This Is Tension Avenue,' the first disc, the most notable track is "Detached," where a pleasant guitar line plays over synth drones and what sounds like stereo-shuffled radio clips. I could definitely do without the overbearing "Cure For the World," the only song with vocals, which makes fairly evident why Department is primarily instrumental, but the film-music synth washes of "Pulchrify" are engaging enough that it's worth a few listens.

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'Exiting,' Department's more recent album, takes a step off to one side by adding ultra-reverbed horns to the industrial jams of "From The Clutches" and "There's No End," and on the whole the music sounds slightly less serious, almost reminding me at moments of Mr. Bungle without the frontman/clownish vocal antics of Mike Patton. The most interesting track on 'Exiting' is "Baltra," a quiet computer-generated piece of bouncing and cycling tones, which is a pleasant departure from the intensity of most of the rest of the album. I think Department like to think that they're more experimental or groundbreaking than they really are, which is not a big issue, but it makes me feel like there's a lack of irony to this music which is sorely needed. Their biography states, "Anti-corporate paranoia never sounded so good," and I hope they're kidding, at least a little bit. Department is a nice addition to the industrial canon, though, and with their very tailored industrial film score sound, I wouldn't be surprised if they show up on an indie-flick soundtrack in Australia sometime soon. - Nate Smith

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Pilote, "Doitnowman"
Music should never be purely judged by how it sounds. It should also be judged by how it makes the listener feel upon listening. What experiences it inspires. What textures and emotions it invokes. On these qualities alone, Pilote takes the taco. Stuart Cullen received accolades for his debut album "Antenna", and on this, his second album, he explores the same melancholy electronic ground, but with a more interesting and disturbing tone. I felt at once a myriad of emotions: 'Paul Oakenfold', the album's opener is borderline schizophrenic with its slowed-down vocal sample and simple beat that belies the underlying horror, and made me feel like someone was watching me; 'French Canadian' sounds like the soundtrack to the perfect crime, where a valuable piece of information is stolen, like a Mamet picture; 'The Fourth' made me feel like I wasn't doing enough for the problems of the world, like the homeless; 'Nelson' made me want to start/join a Fight Club. It's all very melodic, gorgeously constructed, and horribly dense for such a meager and simple structure, for the most part. Programmed beats, jumbled vocal samples, keyboards, and synthesizers can make for a boring listening experience. Not with Pilote. While it has a heavy tone, the album is very playful, and that inherent contradiction makes for a compelling listen. This is one of my favorite releases of this year, based purely on the originality of the sound, and it was released in October of last year on Domino. There are a few moments that sound a little too familiar. That keyboard sample on 'Paul Oakenfold' sounds a bit too much like one the Lo-Fidelity All-Stars used on the Pigeonhed 'Battle Flag' remix, and 'Junior' sounds very much like music one would hear on later episodes of Miami Vice. But again, it's all in the interest of invoking a very pure, raw emotional response. And that, Cullen succeeds at beyond all doubt. - Rob Devlin

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LYDIA LUNCH WITH THE ANUBIAN NIGHTS, "CHAMPAGNE, COCAINE & NICOTINE STAINS"
For this five track EP on Germany's Crippled Dick Hot Wax, omnipresent artiste Lydia Lunch teams up with Los Angeleno instrumental duo Tommy Grenas and Len Del Rio, aka The Anubian Nights. Strange bedfellows? Hardly. The Nights' solid grooves are both live and looped, drawing on smoky bar jazz, Martin Denny exotica and electronica. Thankfully it's devoid of the tongue-in-cheek tackiness such a concoction could create. Lydia is simply, perfectly credited as "chanteuse". She is extraordinarily melodic here as she erotically exhales two short stories and an especially lusty poem. I imagine her words and voice are enough to make some homosexual men reconsider things. On 'Nothing But Trouble' she confessedly purrs "the trouble with being so bad is that it feels so damn good" then regales us with the sins of her trouble man. With an opiated whisper she tells us of a little man in the title track, "another hopped up bastard on a barstool" who'd "go in heat just like a little bitch" at the sight of any woman out on the town. 'Potango Tango' plays out like a horn-y Foetus production, Lydia insisting "your kiss tastes like an orgy" and "your kiss is my elixir" over a throbbing dance rhythm. The near instrumentals 'Guernicana' and 'Potango Tango (Rmx)' tastefully round out the suite. Everything from the music to the voice to the lyrics to the artwork is complementary on this release. I'm just about sick of it I've been listening to the damn thing so much. It's only April Fools Day, but I'm pretty confident this will be my top EP of 2002. - Mark Weddle

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Claudia, "The Chelsea Sessions"
In the grand tradition of celebrities venturing forth from their meager beginnings to great acclaim and stardom, comes Claudia. Claudia, the latest one name celebrity, the airline hostess, the actress (Saturday Night Live, Sex and the City, and more), and now, the entertainer. On her debut release, this CD single on Sourmash USA, Claudia introduces the world to her voice, and opens her heart to us all. Does she succeed? Not all that well, no. But it IS her first release, and I suppose we can forgive her that. This is a phenomenon that must be heard to be believed. Man, what a personality Claudia truly is. And what better material to pick for sixties redux than a track popularized by Skeeter Davis and another by Lou Reed? These songs just lend themselves to the treatment. And Claudia has put together a fine band for the release, just so you know it's not a joke. Actually, the truth is the music and her voice together sound like what you can expect to hear in your favorite pub on karaoke night. And the voice that you expect to be dazzled by is really buried in the mix, and sometimes that's for good measure. But is that really what's important? No. Claudia is not here to show you the most beautiful voice you've ever heard. Nor is she here to show you what a wonderful new approach she has to this music. She's here to entertain you. She wants you to feel her emotions. She wants to be loved, and to love you. She wants you to stare at that photo on the front of the CDs for hours on end, longingly hoping for it to wink at you and blow a kiss. And it's the style more than anything else that's important for that. Not the music. The music is secondary to the image. So what more do you need? Listen for yourself, and have an open mind for the ways and wiles of Claudia. - Rob Devlin

samples:


"This is Next Year - A Brooklyn-based Compilation"
The scene is Brooklyn, NY. The time is present day (okay, 2001. This release came out last year, but I just found it for review). And the music is by... Hey! Who the heck are these guys? From Arena Rock Recording Co. comes this compilation of both unknown and well-known Brooklyn bands. And what better cause could there be but donating all the proceeds to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition? Arena Rock has introduced us to some superior rock bands in the past, and Brooklyn has a history of being the birthplace for impressive rock. And the results are astonishing. This is, quite simply, the best 2-CD multiple band compilation I have ever heard. The established acts show off their strengths: They Might Be Giants bring a great rock record to the table, complete with quirky lyrics; Grand Mal is at their heavy-psychedelic best; Nada Surf donate a fantastic acoustic track with well-blended harmonies; and Elk City come off like Concrete Blonde with a fuzz bass. It's pretty impressive just taking the home team donations into consideration. And what about the little-heard from visitors? They hold their own, and, in some places, could teach the veterans a move or two. The Seconds come out of the gate ready to tear out your throat, with a punky Cure sound; Blasco try to break your heart with a very film noir, Giant Sand-like sound; Stereobate successfully combine Mogwai with Thurston Moore without sounding lame; and then recent Arena Rock signing The Mink Lungs want to groove you with their lo-fi slacker sound. Overall, the variety of sounds and abundance of bands make for a very disjointed but aurally pleasing mix. A great introduction to some great new bands, a worthy cause, and two CDs for one low price. Christmas can come a little early for you, too, this year. - Rob Devlin

samples:


minotaur shock, "chiff-chaffs & willow-warblers"
David Edwards deserves an "A" for effort on his debut full-length release as Minotaur Shock. The interplay of organic piano and guitar with electronic instruments and sampled beats blends nicely in this shimmery recordng of tinkling melodies and sharp rhythms. When I saw the names Fridge and Four Tet dropped in writeups on this album, naturally my interest was piqued, but seeing those names made me expect something somewhat derivative of the two. What Edwards is doing is completely different from the Fridge boys. It derives, however, more from the repetitive, glistening days of Aphex and Autechre mixed with a little cheesiness of Isan and only a slight nod to Four Tet. While it's not a bad thing, it is somewhat predictable, in the way that you know the first 40-second track is an intro, the second track will probably be one of the strongest, and the ending will have that proverbial essence of finality to it. The production is great, the melodies are catchy, yet I'm finding myself more interested in hearing how Edwards develops as a musician. After a year of stunning electronic releases by groups like Múm, Dntel, Ulrich Schnauss, Four Tet, and Telefon Tel Aviv, I'm honestly seeking out something more challenging and far more original. Keep us posted, Dave. - Jon Whitney

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STAFRÆN HÅKON, "...Í ÁSTANDI RJÚPUNNAR"
If you're Icelandic, you're probably already aware of Olafur Josephsson's project, as his career got a large boost by opening for godspeed you black emperor! last month in Reykjavik. His "band" name translates as Digital Hakon (Hakon the Good was the king of Norway in the 10th century and has a long legacy of being name checked in numerous songs) and the music is probably the most amazingly produced CD-Rs I have ever received. A heaping serving of patience is needed as the disc opens with a gentle 8 1/2 minute piece of soft drones and sparse guitar. Over the course of nearly an hour, the music crescendos slowly, slowly, slowly. Various other instruments are added, numerous differently treated guitar sounds, un-dominating beats and rhythms, bass, long-stretched keyboard synth string sounds, pianos, and bell-like chiming things (xylophones, wind chimes or keyboard sounds, it's hard to tell what's real these days). Unfortunately, as is the seeming downfall of everything I'm writing about this week, there are a number of derivative elements. Sampled tirades of Jesus freaks has almost been done to death by godspeed, swirling guitar melodies echo those from the Aerial M record and chord progressions I'm hearing are strikingly similar to those overused by Mogwai and their imitators. These aren't bad things to emulate by a long shot. If anything, more music needs to be this patient and delicate. Josephsson, however, seems like a very intuitive man, tactfully issuing this disc only as a CD-R, giving out a number of songs for free on his website, www.islandia.is/hauskupa. In essence, he's made a silent statement that he's here, he's busy, but things are not quite ready just yet for a mega-super world dominating release. Pay attention to him, however, as things will happen. You can quote me on that. In the meantime, lend him an ear and I'm sure he won't let you down. - Jon Whitney

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manitoba, "give'r"
Okay, I know this dude's friends with the Fridge guys but the kickoff track on this EP+video sounds too strikingly similar to "Kinoshita" from Fridge's 1999 single. Dan Snaith is a Canadian who's studies have landed him in London, where he now makes his home and his muisc. This four-tracker contains the aforementioned ripoff, "Dundas, Ontario remix" two new tracks, the album version and a video of "Dundas". While his skills as a player and technologist are more than evident in all of his recordings, I always feel there's something conceptually missing. The beats he drops on the opening of track two, "Tits and Ass" are bombastic at first, then the track drifts into some pretty melodic keyboard loops which sort of linger in the air like a fart in a room that won't dissipate soon enough. The other new track, "Webers" is also pretty, with a xylo-phoney melody which reminds me of being stuck in a Japanese restaurant in a cheap Kung-fu film waiting for my take-out noodles minutes before the ninjas burst in. It's accented by tired rhythmic clicking and an artificial bass drum kick, but once again I feel about as statiated after I've eaten only one gyoza. The made-for-chic coffee shop ambiance LP version of "Dundas" closes the audio portion and the video of the remix version rounds out the set. To me, the video seems like it's trying to parodize Beach Party MTV-style videos whilst making fun of the place where young Dan grew up, taking the form of a home video of a bunch of drunk Canadian kids. Even the plushies couldn't help this one in the end. Jon Whitney

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

NEW RELEASES

MONDAY
A Certain Ratio - Early 2xCD/2xLP [best of/rarities collection] (Soul Jazz, UK)
Cornershop - Handcream For A Generation CD/LP (Wiiija, UK)
Dimension 5 - Alien Artform CD/2xLP (Delsin, Netherlands)
Future Beat Alliance - Head Ways 12" (Emoticon, UK)
Herrmann & Kleine - Our Noise CD/LP (Morr Music, Germany)
Lasse Marhaug - untitled MP3 on 3.5" floppy disk (Synesthetic Recordings, Norway)
Mclusky - Mclusky Do Dallas CD/LP (Too Pure, UK)
MUM - Boychild 12" (Klein, Austria)
New Order - Here To Stay 12"/two CDEPs/DVD [co-produced by Chemical Brothers, mixes by Felix Da Housecat & others] (London, UK)
Pet Shop Boys - Release CD (Parlophone, UK)
People Like Us - Recyclopedia Britannica CD (Mess Media/Soleilmoon, US)
Susumu Yokota/Rothko - Waters Edge 12" (Lo Recordings, UK)

TUESDAY
Anti Pop Consortium - Arrhythmia CD/LP (Warp, US)
Rhys Chatham - A Rhys Chatham Compendium CD (Table Of The Elements, US)
Julie Doiron - Heart & Crime CD/LP (Jagjaguwar, US)
Drekka - Take Care To Fall CD (Bluesanct, US)
Philip Gayle - Moreu Mizu 7" (Family Vineyard, US)
The Iditarod - The Ghost, The Elf, The Cat And The Angel CD (Bluesanct, US)
ishq - Orchid CD (Interchill, Canada)
John Wilkes Booze - Whiskey & Pills 7" (Family Vineyard, US)
Don Lennon - Downtown CD (Secretly Canadian, US)
Little Wings - Wonderue CD (K Records, US)
Marshmallow Coast - Ride The Lightning CD (Misra)
Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Frank Sinatra/DJ Song 12" (Emperor Norton, US)
MX-80 - Lights Out/So Clear 7" (Family Vineyard, US)
Nagisa Ni Te - Feel CD (Jagjaguwar, US)
Parlour - Octopus Off-Broadway CD [ex-members of Crain, The For Carnation and Aerial M] (Temporary Residence, US)
Swearing At Motorists - Along The Inclined Plane CDEP (Secretly Canadian, US)

FRIDAY
Oren Ambarchi - Suspension 2xLP (Staubgold, Germany)
Ekkehard Ehlers - Plays Hubert Fichte LP (Staubgold, Germany)
Institut Fuer Feinmotorik - Penetrans CD/LP (Staubgold, Germany)
Zorn - Apnoe EP (Lux Nigra, Germany)

This is simply this week's highlights from the NEW RELEASES provided by Greg and Feedback Monitor.
For a more detailed schedule stretching into the future, please check out the site,
since release dates can and will often change.
LINKS OF THE WEEK

Who says mac users are a buncha stoners?
Dude, I made this bong with my old Mac,.... Check it out!

fatmouse
I think this next website was thought up after long hours of smoking dope out of an Apple Macintosh. http://malafex.topcities.com/

FEEDBACK

keep your glands to yourself

Subject: only one letter this week?

I'm sorry if you're feeling neglected, It's nice to see some of the freebies coming with your CD compilation, but is that really a key ring or is it a cock ring?

a doodle due

What you do with your ring is up to you. Just don't send photographs.

Subject: merch

boy i can't wait to get my hands on that sweet ass "Brainwashed" brand patch and keyring! i'll be the first kid on my block to pay to advertise for a mediocre childish webzine! alright! boy i bet the people who wear that stuff are as cool as the website! and by "cool" i mean "much of a waste of space"

Oh, boo-hoo. You think our feelings can be hurt by a woosie man like yourself who hides behind a fake email address so we can't write back directly? Did daddy not buy you that bike you always wanted, resulting in your need to shit on other people's joy? Anyhow, if you really wanted that cool merch, you'd have to spend the cash on the best 3xCD compilation ever fucking released, since they're not sold separately, dickslap.

Subject: extras

Okay .. You guys have to stop including cool stuff in the Brain in the Wire releases! I'm becoming too jealous of my friends who actually did pre-order. I read, though, that you might have a few extra once they're shipped for a higher price. Do these come with disc X, the keyring, and the patch?

Gosh, you and mister pissy pants should discuss your differing opinions. Yes, they'll be available with all the goodies. Wait till you see the poster!

Subject: cosy in porn mags

Hi, i just stumbled on your tg site. Great stuff! Brings back so many memories. One side note about the FAQ page: the pron mags in which cosey posed, i know about this list because I received that industrial newsletter. But when i ordered the mentioned magazines the same month, i recieved other copies because they all were sold out already. So I have never seen Cosey's nude pictures :-(

Great signature did she have way back then, does she still use it?

You should try reaching her separately at www.coseyfannitutti.com. The brainwashed site is simply a TG archive. The nudie pics were included in the Time to Tell CD and were at one point on her own website.

Subject: no subject

hey, is there any hope in you?? or just claiming so!!!

If there was no hope, everybody would give up and it would be a dull, dull world in which you wouldn't have anybody entertaining to write pointless emails to.

Subject: NON/DIJ

Quick question... Death in June/Boyd Rice @ the Frying Pan? Why is this not mentioned on your site, or any of them for that matter. I've never really heard a lot from either party, but what I do know is that the venue is by far the coolest "bar" that I've ever stepped in. It's an old ocean liner that sank, was raised, and is now a bar. I'm sure that you're already going, if so, let me know, if not , you should seriously reconsider... anyway, I won't ramble anymore.

We don't host the NON website and haven't modified the DIJ archive in years. The news section above only relates to bands hosted on brainwashed. Plus, nobody's ever given us any "press release" about the show anyhow.

Subject: no subject

You totally sucked last Friday night. Total waste of time and money.

Maybe that's why the brainwashed staff doesn't play live. Who's your note to?

Subject: SOTL

Tired Sounds....refuses to leave our CD player, 24 hours a day.

Get out more often.

Subject: Jon Daries is a tool.

Get a man to do your next concert review. Went to see Chicks on Speed? The musical equivalant of, jesus, i dont even know what. Those lousy bitches ruined the whole flow. Gold Chains ruled ass. You fucking childish goth/industrial whores need to be put down.

Childish, twice in one week? Hmmmm... Methinks somebody needs to get laid and soon.

WHAT'S IN YOUR PLAYER?

Southern Minimal Kraut by the grace of god
Henry Cow - WESTERN CULTURE (Deluxe Edition)
Mnemonists - HORDE
Amon Tobin - PERMUTATION
Captain Beefheart - TROUT MASK REPLICA
John Coltrane - ASCENSION
John Abercrombie - CAT N MOUSE
Zelenka - TRIO SONATAS (ECM)
Cage - THE SEASONS (ECM)
Schoenberg - SERENADE - Pierre Boulez
Gorecki - ALREADY IT IS DUSK - Kronos Quartet

Travis Johnson, St. Augustine, FL

feedback and submissions:
Brainwashed Garden Ornaments
P.O. Box 7 / Arlington MA 02476 / USA
electronic mail



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