The second installment ofthe Dark series has finally been shipped to the first subscribers,after a wait of more than six months in some cases.

Montreal's scratchmasterKid Koala brings this tasty treat of 14 new tracks of groovingmelodies, peculiar samples, breakbeats and scratches.

It's unfortunate that many listeners are unfamiliar with Ventricle, a small Seattle-based label devoted to the female voice.

Perhaps it's one of them'contractual obligations' from the label, but this collection,appropriately titled, gathers bits and pieces from all over SHJ'srepertoire.

Many may recognizeRussell Mills' name from the artwork for NIN's "The Downward Spiral,"others might know his name from the multitude of audio/visual artinstallations that have taken place all over the world.

Did you cry when Slowdive broke up?

Tarwater return to Mute (US) and Kitty Yo (Europe) with this wonderful 11 part songbook.

"The Blue Room" never sat very well with me, though I did love Hotel Y.

Imagine a world where The Yeastie Girls get kidnapped by Pan Sonic and flown to Germany to make a pop record!

Another EasternMassachusetts native, Hrvatski has released this collection of yummystuff from 1996-1998 on his label, Reckankreuzungsklankewerzeuge (yeah,it's pronouncable).

There are a lot of very talented classically-trained musicians appearing on this very pretty gloom-folk CD from World Serpent.

I listen to a lot of electronic music, but for a techno album to grab my attention - that's a feat.

There is so much bad gothmusic coming out these days, it's been tough to motivate myself tolisten to new bands, especially local ones.

Trumpet player Rob Mazurek has been fronting many incarnations of the Chicago Underground since the mid 90s.

With vibrophone virtuoso Dylan Cristy and music enthusiast/drummer Adam Pierce at the production helm, this disc grooves more on a dub tip than anything else they've done—without compromising the intensity of the ever so prominent vibes.

Traditional unadorned instrumentation and medieval melodies come together with badly mixed vocals.

Stunning artwork and innovative packaging from Middle Pillar!

With "Ampday", the now canyon-sized fissures that were once tiny cracks in Kiln's parched-earth facade show more than mud and stone. Where in the past, Kiln releases provided the smallest bit of info possible, with only artwork and titles to satisfy eager minds - now, no longer must we wonder about our once-faceless Gaian scientists, and what arcane incantations were used in the creation of such wonderful sounds. Messr's Marrison, Rehberg, and Hayes, still playfully obtuse (what sound did the "levitating catslide" make?), seamlessly blend their twisting, ethereal instrumental pop with soundscapes that imitate the sounds of spreading rust or moss.

Hailing from the UK, this is the debut album by Sieben.

This album celebrates EN's 20th year of operation with a marked improvement in production values. The focused and streamlined sound finds equal space for pulsing, naked bass guitar, trimmed-down sound effects, low-end percussion, and strings. Not least of all, the punchy production brings EN's often-personal lyrics and intense delivery to the forefront--to double-edged effect.