The United World Underground Audiozine - New Year 2001

Oh dear God, no! The humanity! The humanity!

Yes, the Cheapo Card Company kick off the latest audiozine and rarely has a track been better named. "The Magic Crap". Nuff said. Next up is a track form Lord Litter, but we've already reviewed "Downpayment", so a good work, fella will suffice. Then comes The Conspiracy, which we all know is the global battle between equines and lizards, but here refers to a rather splendid acoustic psych track called "Blue Angel Agenda". Nice.

Then its time for Dave Gilmours Pink Floyd, or Mr Quimbys Beard to give them their Sunday name. Better be nice as they'll probably be supporting Hawkwind in November, and as I have no idea whether they're hard or not, and I don't want a kicking, praise is due. But its a great track and they're a top band, so looks like my good looks are saved for a little while longer.

The Gurus of the New Millenium! I had forgotten how absolutely brilliant they were. And they've got a new ceedee out! Hose me down while I get the cheque book out. Driving, psychedelia just the way we like it. Buy now. Then we head off to blissville with a couple of trippy numbers from Ras Al Ghul and Delphium. However anyone who calls themselves Vocabularinist and releases a CD called "Hasznasznisznasz" is beneath contempt and I shall type no more.

Eye we have reviewed before and "Mandate" is a top political piece of electronica, replete with cracking samples which is remarkably appropriate post UK election 2001. All politicians are scum and should be wiped from the face of the eaarth. And verily will my scourge remove them. Don Campau & Achim Treu are a bit too trancey for me, but if thats your bag, it seems all right.

Over on the other side its madgrigal madness from Blaine Jones, absolute madness from our beloved Blacklight Braille (watch out for a forthcoming review of the BB blues project, Latitude 22), the divine Karda Estra prove their divinity one more time, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for not buying their music. You can get it from me or Mick, so do it. I'm getting tired now, so Idiom good, Solanaceae, good with another irritaing name, Stinking Badger of Java mad as a very mad thing, Terri B, as always, top notch, spot on, corking, puts Ray Charles to shame. Tutsis are a bit different and "Heroin Bitch certainly caught my attention, in a mad goth kinda way. Acidfuck really should know better now that baby acidfuck has arrived. A bit Damian-esqque if you ask me, and "Piece Of CHrist" lives up to your worst nightmares. Unfortunately, the Cheapo Card Company end things in as bad a maner as they started them.

SILBERNACHT - Nacht ohne Sterne

Lumme, this is a bit good, even if it starts out like some cheesy thirties horror movie score. But then you realise that that is exactly what it is. And it is good, very good. Opening track "Nacht ohne Sterne" is a cracker, even if my rusty German thinks that it is called "Night WIthout Astericks"? And you know that ain't right. Fortunately, track 2 is called "Romantic Thriller". Its all evocative, soundtrack-esque and moody. Top stuff.

Damn track three, "Bevor Nacht und Tod kamen" which may or may not be "Before night and death came", but seems more likely than the first track, is the mood of choice here in Zeitgeist world. Finally we have "Traumverhangnis", which is something to do with dreams, but beyond my ken.

Excellent work from someone who really ought to be scoring a rerelease of Nosferatu.

Frank EBer, Kempener Alle 108, 47803 Krefeld, Germany

Various Artists - Bizarre 12

Bizarre fazine contains reviews and features covering ALTERNATIVE, GOTHIC, ELECTRONIC, INDUSTRIAL and WIERD music/culture from the WORLDWIDE underground. To accompany each issue is a cassette compilation covering featured artists and provides an insight into the current international scene.

Issue 12 has some stonkers tucked away in the grooves (not that cassettes can have grooves, but you get the point). I particularly loved Sopor Aeternus who offered up "Hades" for my dark consumption. Mad stuff. "Rockapopa" by Honey Bunny was also rather splendid in a 360 degrees away way. Also good are SANGUIS ET CINIS (what is it with goths and Latin - it's a dead language, move on!!!!) but never, under any circumstances, go near their website. WHich is why I'm not telling you the URL. All Flash programmers must die. It's not big and it's not clever. Oh, and we also liked the Womb track, which is just as well, as we will shortly be reviewing an entire ceedee of the stuff.

Big props to Alex of the Venus Fly Trap for pumping these out.

All cassettes £3.00 each (UK), £5.00 (Europe) & £6.00 (World) Cheques/P.O.s to: A.Novak, P.O.Box 210, Northampton, NN2 6AU, UK.
http://website.lineone.net/~venus-fly-trap/ venus-fly-trap@lineone.net

Suburban Skulls - Tenebre 491 (Purple Tree Records)

You know if my remaining brain cells weren't in permanent remission I would be able to remember what I said about Negative Trip, the previosu release from Purple Tree, but hey, I'm old and I'm tired. Anyway this is Suburban Skulls, not Negative Trip, and rarely has the word 'mindfuck' been more appropriate. This is the sound of the dark recesses of the mind that creep up on you about 4am when you're at your most vulnerable.

It's triphop, dark psyche, overlaid with strings and samples, and distorted rhythms and drones, and it hurts my head, and I want to come home now mummy, why did daddy go away, i dontknowwhatyouwantfromme. Help. whywontyouleavemealone. theyretalkingtomeinmyheadagain, thevoices. bad. brilliant. disturbing.

Purple Tree Records | Stegstr. 17 | 8820 Wädenswil | Switzerland