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WIFE Complete Work On ‘Standard Nature’ EP
We are excited to announce the release of the new WIFE ‘Standard Nature‘ EP on Sept 23^rd on digital/limited edition CD/limited edition vinyl shortly after. WIFE is the solo electronic music project of multi-instrumentalist producer and singer James Kelly, also known as the mastermind behind acclaimed post-black metal band Altar Of Plagues.

Debuting with the ‘Stoic‘ EP in 2012, WIFE would immediately sign with respected electronic music label Tri-Angle Records (The Haxan Cloak, Evian Christ, Clams Casino etc.) for WIFE’s debut LP ‘What’s Between‘ in 2014 (which was co-produced by The Haxan Cloak respectively). ‘What’s Between‘ saw Kelly incorporate more singer-songwriter elements into the WIFE sound and brought more awareness to Kelly as a prospect within the electronic music scene alongside his aforementioned peers.

With the new WIFE EP ‘Standard Nature‘ to be released via Profound Lore Records on limited edition 12” MLP, Compact Disc, and digital this Sept, Kelly has created a bridge between the singer-song writer leanings of ‘What’s Between‘ and the more experimental aura of the ‘Stoic‘ EP. The result is some of the best produced WIFE material yet with a heavier, more intense sound crafted through layers of electronics, samples, beats, and vocals.

‘Standard Nature‘ explores themes relating to Kelly’s time spent as an environmental researcher. The artwork, created by renowned photographer Daniel Sannwald who has done album covers for such artists as Miguel, Arca, Kelela, and M.I.A., depicts a machine reflecting a rainforest, demonstrating the juxtaposition of nature and machine. Throughout ‘Standard Nature’, layers of Kelly’s field recordings of chainsaws wrestle with lush organic synths and choral vocals, the results simultaneously being the most aggressive and beautiful music WIFE has created.

Track listing for ‘Standard Nature‘:
1. Wide Nine
2. Standard Nature
3. Glass Interruption
4. Native Trade
5. Lovelock
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25 Αυγούστου 2016
Khost [Deconstructed And Reconstructed By] Godflesh – ‘Needles Into The Ground’
(Cold Spring, 2016)

Summer is coming to an end, but if the heat is unbearable, you need to listen to this little masterpiece. Released by Cold Spring, ‘Needles Into The Ground’ is a perfect joint venture between Khost and Godflesh. The album is the result of Khost’s corrosive shroud arranged by Godlfesh. From one side we have the industrial and esoteric drone style of Khost, from the other side the industrial and rabid metal of Godflesh. The two realities of Birmingham meet in this wonderful work. The result?

A brief but intense work. Only four tracks reworked by Godflesh ( except for one unpublished song). Sounds frantic, dark and heavy fog that the space and time of the listener. Full and rich waves. The hands of Broadrick and Green were unmistakable, keeping the violence and the power of Khost. It would be interesting to see them live. Probably, it would be an explosive event. One of the most interesting aspects of this collaboration is the quality of sounds. Despite being an album with very heavy content, the quality of this record stands out at the top. The bass sound is in perfect style, -Godflesh-, (sometimes reminiscent to Shellac’s bass) and creates great atmosphere with an intrusive loop.

The battery takes a steady pace and the charm and guitars paint features that complement, along with the voice, this great wall of sounds. The packaging is interesting too. Three versions of this album are available by Cold Spring.

What else to say? Enjoy the rest of the summer with this nice album and remain patient for new works and why not? Maybe a live event with Andy Swan and Godflesh.

Antonio Cristofaro

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25 Αυγούστου 2016
Sharon Van Etten shares a new song in support of the Orlando victims

New Jersey’s folktress Sharon Van Etten has realeased a song called ‘Not Myself‘ dedicated to the victims of the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando last June. Proceeds from its sales will be donated to support the work of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

From her statement : “I originally wanted to raise money for the victims and their families, but I knew the issue was bigger than this. I wrote “Not Myself” for the victims of this horrific event, but I chose to support the research and awareness work of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund: a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities”

And again : “In the memory of those trying to be safe and be themselves, I hope we can all come together to help prevent another massacre like this and end gun violence”.

The new song is a mournful and soulful piano ballad burdened by a redundant synth line on the background with the singer crooning:

“There’s too much to take / There’s too much at stake / And I want you to be yourself / Around me”.

In the meantime Sharon Van Etten has also scored for her first time a new indie film called ‘Strange Weather’ directed by Katherine Dieckmann (Motherhood, Diggers) and starring Holly Hunter that will premiere at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Fabrizio Lusso

Listen to ‘Not Myself’ below:

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25 Αυγούστου 2016
The Great Wound

The Great Wound is a band from Spain, formed in 2015 by Tristan Iñiguez (guitars, bass, keyboards) joined later by Ekaitz Garmendia (vocals, guitars). In 2016 they released their debut album ‘Voices of Regret’ via Erzsebet Records.

Tristan, what made you create The Great Wound and how did your collaboration with Ekaitz come up?

The creation of The Great Wound came after the split and end of my previous band called Darkness By Oath which lasted for 12 years. I didn’t have any ideas of creating any new bands, but after some time and then with Ekaitz joining and his contribution, we saw that it could be interesting going on with the project. In just one year we have achieved writing, recording and editing the album.

Your debut album is released by Erzsebet Records. If I’m not wrong, it’s a new Spanish label. First, are you satisfied with this association and second, is there a local support in order a band like you to see its album come true?

Actually, Erzsebet Records/Indar Productions is not a new label. They have been around years releasing albums, working mainly as distro in a worldwide basis. They also released the debut album from Darkness By Oath at least 11 years ago. The relationship is excellent, as we have known each other for a long time, and the deal for this album was agreed in just one afternoon along with some beers… hehehe.

Tell us a few words about the concept of ‘Voices Of Regret’. Judging from the great artwork, apart from the content, is it about life beyond planet earth but in an ominous way?

The cover, indeed shows the arrival of some alien beings to our planet. The child represents the loneliness of a planet which has been warned lots of times to stop harming itself. It’s already late, the ‘Voices Of Regret’ are in vain now. Speaking about the lyrics, we talk about the science of the universe, interstellar voyages, black holes, the dark matter, contact with beings in a science fiction way, what would happen, goverment manipulations, robotics or the Uncanny Valley effect.

What are your general influences, musical and lyrical?

Musically speaking, our main influences are the mid 90’s Scandinavian Black/Death. Bands like Dissection, Naglfar, Abyssos, Old Man’s Child…etc. About the lyric side, as I mentioned to you before, we are very into cosmos, science, science fiction… We take into account scientific facts related to the universe and we also free our minds and imagine about an extraterrestrial visit.

There are two instrumental tracks in the album. ‘Look Beyond What You See’ and ‘Temple Of Wrath’. They sound very cinematic. Tell us a few words about the production of these tracks.

Yeah. That’s exactly the idea that I wanted to achieve, getting a cinematic vibe, trying to get the listener into the music as if it would be the soundtrack of a film. In the end, what we try to transmit with the artwork, lyrics and the music is that, to feel, think and imagine things from a cinematic and fiction point of view, except in the lyrics where we talk about just science. We think that both instrumental songs have given it the spot of it.

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Are you still working on previous projects, or new side-projects?

Nowadays, my two projects that I’m focused on are The Great Wound and the music I write for video game soundtracks and trailers that I’ve been working on for some years. At the moment there’s nothing else, but I’m really busy with that. On the other hand, Ekaitz has a Thrash/Death Metal band called Extinction in which he also plays guitar and sings. You should give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

Checking on your background I realize you are quite experienced in the metal scene. What are your goals regarding The Great Wound?

Sincerely, we don’t have any special goal with The Great Wound. It’s been a while so we don’t expect anything too much in that sense, just making the music that we like, trying not to spend too much money and hopefully make people enjoy it. Both have been struggling in the music business for a long time, and by now we only seek joy. Luckily, we can do it actually. If the day ever comes that it doesn’t make us feel happy or if it demands too much effort, we would let it go.

Have you been on stage yet (as The Great Wound)? What are your plans on live shows and even tours?

Nope, we still haven’t played live. It’s not in our plans, unless the conditions and personal situation of both become suitable for it. Of course we would love to, but we would need to be sure that the effort would be worthwhile. Luckily we have previous experience on this, and we know what deserves to do or not. Actually we take more meditated decisions.

It is probably too soon to ask, but are there ideas or material for the next album?

Yes, it’s a bit early to speak about a next album. We always work as our body and mind demands us. Now it is time of ‘Voices Of Regret’ and to enjoy the work that has been done and to try and reach as many people as possible. We will have time to think in the future. There are ideas for a next album, about four songs and different ideas, very basic yet, but they will follow the tendency of this album, but in a more Black vibe than Death, much more Dissection/Naglfar if I can tell, and some Dark Funeral and Norwegian Black Metal influences. But as I said, that’s in the future and things can change.

Considering the difficult times we are living, on many levels, what are your experiences as artists? Does it affect your work?

Of course it affects and it makes it difficult. Nowadays it is almost impossible to run a band in a pro way. We would need a daily 8-10 hour work schedule. Hours that we don’t have available, as Ekaitz and I work pretty much in our actual jobs and it doesn’t allow us taking this to the next level. It’s more a hobby and a way of letting our musical anxieties flow, than an aspiration or goal. We just seek having fun together making the music we like, while drinking a couple of beers together.

What would you like to say to those who will get to know you through ‘Voices Of Regret’?

Tons of thanks for taking your time for TGW, and we encourage your readers to visit our Facebook, Bandcamp or YouTube sites and give us a chance by listening to us!!

Photo credits: Nahikari Lázaro

Mary Kalaitzidou

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25 Αυγούστου 2016
Goodbye Gilli Smyth – Seminal poetess, singer and Gong co-founder dies aged 83

A little more than one year since the departure of her partner Daevid Allen, the “Queen of the Space Whisper” Gilli Smyth has passed away after a long illness.

It all started around 1967 when the Australian psychedelic hippie pied-piper and Soft Machine member Daevid Allen, blocked in France due to some Visa issues, met in Paris the King’s College graduate, poetess, writer and performer Gilli Smyth to spontaneously form the early incarnation of that unique extraordinary musical and cultural saga called Gong.

Gifted with a vivid imagination they merged elements of psychedelia, progressive and jazz-rock experimentation always with their typical ‘freaky’ wit and sense of humor. Between 1970-74, after they had signed to Virgin and gradually joined forces with flaustist/saxophonist Didier Malherbe, guitarist Steve Hillage and drummer Pierre Moerlen, the band produced a run of legendary albums as ‘Camembert Electrique‘ and the ‘Radio Gnome Invisible’ trilogy starting to build the Gong cosmic mythology and imaginary.

Gilli was the ‘good witch’ Shakti Yoni with her infamous personal atonal ‘space whispers’, a way of singing and vocalizing whispered and filtered by echo effects designed by her.

In July 1974, after ‘You’, she left Gong in order to follow her multi-dimentional individual inspirations, but always in close connections with the other members of the band, starting with their first solo album ‘Mother’ in 1978. The same year she formed the Mother Gong and played at Glastonbury Festival, then she emigrated to Australia in 1982 where she released a dozen of LPs with a different line-up and toured the world tirelessly.

Steve Hillage said: ‘Once you join the band Gong, you never leave!’ .

The live performances with members of the Gong family and sporadic reunion continued well into the 21st century with their peaks at The Gong Family Unconventional Gathering in Amsterdam in 2006 (more than 1200 people just for them!) and at the Meltdown Festival, curated by Massive Attack, in 2008.

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A cosmic feminist , a counter-culture activist, a poetess (‘Nitrogen Dreams’,1966), a political anti-capitalistic writer (‘Politico-Historico-Spirito’ 1994), a unique singer/songwriter and above all a real woman. In the words of the band:‘her unique stage presence and vocals manifested and determinedly represented a vital, deeply fundamental feminine principle within the Gong universe’.

I have fond and vivid memories of the unforgettable Gong’s 25th Birthday Party gig at the London’s Garage in 1994.

In the early 90’s England there was a sense of unity and collaboration between the techno-trance-electronic community (Eat Static, Banco De Gaia, Planet Dog Records, Tribal Gathering Festival), the Anti-Nazi-League movement gigs by bands like Senser, The Levellers and Back To The Planet and the old/new freak groups like Gong, Hawkwind, Here & Now, Full Moon and Ozric Tentacles. Gilli herself was intrigued, as Steve Hillage with his System 7 project, by techno music, leading her to start the psy-trance/ambient group Goddess Trance/Goddess T with his life partner Daevid Allen and their son Orlando.

I still have clear in my eyes that sense of communion, freedom and happiness, a state of mind that only the music brings, where everything seems possible and ‘all is one’: ravers, hippies, indies, crusties, all dancing with the smile in their face and the band jumping and joking like teenagers.

I still have a big ‘flying teapot’ badge I bought that day attached to my bag…

Good bye Gilli, hope to meet you in another galaxy.

Fabrizio Lusso

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25 Αυγούστου 2016
‘Nur ein Moment...’ by Frigoris released through Hypnotic Dirge Records on August 25th

Frigoris is a post black metal band rooted in the heart of the ruhr-area, Germany. The combination between Black Metal riffing and craftsmanship as well as a postmodern approach towards atmosphere and lyrics form a synthesis that results in long, atmospheric but melodious songs. The isolation and depression in modern society, the beauty of nature and a last pure shimmer of hope left are all tropes you can feel and read in the tracks. The trampled and narrow paths of Black Metal are left to find a new identity at the end of Parnassus.
The third album ‘Nur Ein Moment…‘ (Just one moment…) is the current peak of this development. A combination of the typical Frigoris sound, established in the highly praised predecessor ‘Wind‘, with extensive elements of Post Rock and Doom form six epic and atmospheric pieces that are supported by the lyrical concept leading us on the tracks of a protagonist who faces the consequences of suicide in an interior journey. The more than 52 minutes work was given the perfect mixture between modern and natural sound by Daniel Heyn (live mixer of Primordial, Secrets Of The Moon, Ruins Of Beverast, etc.) who caught the atmosphere of the album at the perfect spot.
‘Nur Ein Moment…‘ will be released through Hypnotic Dirge Records on August 25 in a 4panel digipack/12 page booklet.

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24 Αυγούστου 2016
Green Day – New song, new album soon…

They sound still fresh and hopefully returning back to their good old ‘Dookie‘ days with their new ‘Bang Bang‘ song. Pop punk idols Green Day have recently shared their new lyric video from their upcoming album ‘Revolution Radio‘ (October 7th, Reprise), sounding fresh again and with a “catchy-as-hell” Offspring-like refrain. Let’s wait for a few weeks and see if Billy Joe Armstrong and co. can repeat their not-only-commercial success…

Christos Doukakis

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24 Αυγούστου 2016
Brujeria debut brand new track ‘Bruja-‘!

Extreme metallers Brujeria will release their fourth full length album, entitled ‘Pocho Aztlan‘, on Mexican Independence Day (September 16) via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Today, the band have debuted a new track from that album entitled ‘Bruja-‘:

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‘Pocho Aztlan‘ – Tracklist:
01. Pocho Aztlan
02. No Aceptan Imitaciones
03. Profecia Del Anticristo
04. Angel De La Frontera
05. Plato O Plomo
06. Satongo
07. Isla De La Fantasia
08. Bruja-
09. Mexico Campeon
10. Codigos
11. Debilador
12. California Über Aztlan (Dead Kennedys-Cover)

More on ‘Pocho Aztlan‘:
‘No Aceptan Imitaciones’ OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1oUCeg67IQ

‘Pocho Aztlan‘ is the band’s first release since ‘Brujerizmo‘ was released in 2000 via Roadrunner. It was recorded over the course of many years and at several studios around the globe. The end result was mixed by Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE EXPLOITED).

Check out the track video for the song ‘Viva Presidente Trump!‘ here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGJzMzW3kuY. The track comes from their recent 7″ release by the same name, which is now available for purchase digitally on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. Purchase the single here: http://nblast.de/BrujeriaDownloads

Brujeria’s legend has proliferated for nearly three decades. When the band first emerged from the sunbaked hellscape of Los Angeles in 1989, the city was on the brink of chaos. Daryl Gates ruled the LAPD with an iron fist, overseeing a legion of blue-suited storm troopers who cracked brown and black skulls at every opportunity. Rodney King, the ’92 riots, and CA governor Pete “Pito” Wilson‘s anti-immigrant Prop 187 were all on the bleak horizon. The Mexican-American agitators of Brujeria captured the mood of the city’s minorities with the band’s infamous and widely banned 1993 debut, ‘Matando Güeros‘ (“Killing White People”), quickly becoming the Spanish-language counterparts to early grindcore masters TERRORIZER and NAPALM DEATH. Led by lyricist and mastermind Juan Brujo, Brujeria were alternately rumored to be satanic drug lords and members of well-established metal bands. The truth, as always, lays somewhere in between.

Fast forward to right about now: ‘Pocho Aztlan‘ is Brujeria’s first new album in 16 years. The title translates to “Wasted Promised Land,” a combination of Aztlán, the fabled ancestral home of the Aztecs, and the term pocho, which native Mexicans use to refer – not always kindly – to their counterparts born in the States. Brujo himself is pocho, a man caught between two worlds. Many pochos are not exactly accepted with open arms in Mexico. Meanwhile, they’re too often regarded as second-class citizens in their adopted US home. Brujo has transcended both scenarios through the power of Brujeria’s uncompromising grindcore and death metal. His all-Spanish lyrics are as vivid as they are effective: Bona fide tales from the frontlines of the drug war, the racial divide, and the battle for the border. “A lot of Brujeria songs are true stories,” Brujo says. “And if they haven’t happened yet, they will happen.”

Brujeria are:
Juan Brujo (John Lepe) | vocals
Fantasma (Pat Hoed) | vocals, bass
El Cynico (Jeffrey Walker) | bass, guitars, vocals
Hongo (Shane Embury) | guitars, drum programming
Hongo Jr. (Nick Barker) | drums auxiliary
Pinche Peach | vocals, samples
Pititis (Gaby Dominguez) | female vocals, backing vocals, guitars
A Kuerno (Chris Paccou) | guitars
Sangron

23 Αυγούστου 2016
New song ‘Separation’ by No Age

Noise rock duo (Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt) No Age have premiered their new single ‘Separation‘ on Pitchfork, that will be part of the forthcoming ‘Separation/Serf To Serf‘ 7” and self-released by the group within September. In addition,

No Age will be touring Norway within next month. Below, you can stream ‘Separation‘ and have a look at the artwork of the 7 inch.

Christos Doukakis

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23 Αυγούστου 2016
American Football : Back to ’emo’ after 17 years…

It was 1999, when a band from Illinois named American Football released their self-titled, breakthrough debut album that characterized the emo, indie scene at that time. No better news for “emo-genre” fans than the announcement of the band’s second album on October 21st through Polyvinyl in the U.S. and Wichita Recordings in U.K. & Europe. Meanwhile, you can stream the addictive lead single ‘I’ve Been So Lost For So Long‘ of their forthcoming album and prepare for one of this year’s returns. Get prepared…

Christos Doukakis

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23 Αυγούστου 2016