Operation X-70

New Painting - Case 2.7

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I finally got a new painting done. I think it was worth the wait right? RIGHT!?! Well, I'm pretty pleased.

The title is "Case 2.7" and it is 10 x 8" acrylic on canvas.

My productivity in the painting department has been slowed by music. In spite of this I still manage to have one or more paintings in the works at all times. I hope to have a ton of these small pieces done by the end of the year. Maybe they would make up a solo show? Definitely a new chapbook anyway.

Corephallism / Josh Hydeman Philly Show Pics

Here's a set of photos I took at the Corephallism / Josh Hydeman show here in Philadelphia on 6.19.09.

SQ and I had a lot of fun at the show and both Shane and Josh sounded AMAZING. It was one of the loudest shows I've ever been to.

Make sure to check out their respective MySpace pages:

myspace.com/corephallism

myspace.com/thejoshhydeman

Also, I recommend you pick up the new TWODEADSLUTS 7" over at Bloodlust! (both Shane and Josh are members of the band).

Peter Sotos reading / signing - Philly this Saturday

This Saturday there is a very special event over at Germ books in Fish Town / Philadelphia.

For those not familiar with Peter Sotos here's the wikipedia entry and a recent interview (WARNING: His work is not for the easily offended).

Details on the signing over at the Germ Books Blog:

blogs.myspace.com/germbooksandgallery

SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE Live Pics

Here's a some photos of the SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE live set @ Wierd 6.17.09. Enjoy.

For you gear nerds - SQ is playing my brand new custom made analog DAED box. I am playing a Boss Overdrive pedal converted into a simple analog DAED box. Both of these great little machines were done by my friend David Talento @ Help Wanted Productions. You can see some other strange gear he makes at his website.

Introducing NIGHTMARES

This is my new analog synth collaboration with David Reed and Mark Solotroff.

We have two releases in the works as well as a Mid-West tour for late this summer.

You can hear a sample and learn more at our MySpace page: myspace.com/synthnightmares

Francis Bacon Retrospective

SQ and I got back from NYC yesterday and are just beginning the recovery process. The SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE show at Wierd went great. We got some good photos I will post soon. We also went and saw JOSH HYDEMAN and COREPHALLISM last night in Philly and they were amazing. Photos from that coming soon as well.

Most importantly though... Suzie and I went to the Francis Bacon Retrospective at The Met yesterday. The above video is from the UK version of the show. Seriously, it was the single most amazing art exhibition I have ever seen. The show is still up through the middle of August so GET THERE AND SEE IT. If you can't make it you should get the beautiful catalog for the show. It's the best book on Bacon's work I have had my hands on and worth every penny.

More on our trip soon.

A Very Rare Announcement...

Here's the Very Rare and entertaining press release for the SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE show at Wierd tomorrow night...

This WIERD is dedicated to anyone who has ever texted yourself to remember something when you were wasted, and then you lost your phone and woke up and remembered it anyway...VR!!!

We're very excited to welcome the long overdue return to the party our old friend and a figure that can only be referred to as seminally important to the history of East Coast power electronics and industrial music Mr. Jonathan Canady of the legendary Deathpile, Dead World, Angel of Decay etc! Rumors have been circulating for quite some time that Jonathan and his companion the lovely Ms. Susy Q.have been down in the frozen cold basement in dark synth Pennsylvania pioneering a new sound departing from Angel of Decay's analogue terror that rocked the VR World on the WIERD Compilation Volume II - and one which we've now heard being called everything from 'Maximal Synth' music to 'Power-less Electronics' to 'Powersynthtronics'...needless to say the critics are at a Very Rare loss for words as to what IT is :)))...in which case yours Very Rarely would officially like to deem this new genre of electronic music SEXUAL ELECTRONICS!!!

With this said o lovely young children of the cold, it is with pleasure that this week WIERD welcomes the first ever live performance of SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE at midnight! Fans of the undeniably VRerotique sounds of the likes of Robert Turman, Epee du Bois, the early drummachine encrusted experiments of Lustmord, SPK, and Portion Control, the Cold Meat Industry all-stars, Les Joyaux de la Princesse...and something even sounds to me like the late Soft Cell circa 'Down in the Subway' et all if Mark's head was duct-taped shut, held down and smothered on the trax by a big dirty hot pink lace-lined pillow...ooooh my aren't you tho curious???
http://www.myspace.com/sqsq
http://www.malsonus.com/

We're all in for another lovely June evening of icicular-panty moistening pleasure kiddies...hope to see you all in the cold WIERD Wednesday world...life is short, get sexuo-electronically assaulted while you still can! VRp.

Pieter and Glenn are Sexually Assaulted by an Aspiring Gender-Dysphoric Eunic called WIERD!
Wednesday June 17th, 10pm-4am
(Very Rare Live Debut Performance by Sexual Assault Rifle at Midnight!)
WIERD @ Home Sweet Home
131 Chrystie St. at Delancy, NYC
Info:(212)226-5708
http://www.wierdrecords.com/

More SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE / show reminder

There is another new song over at the SQ / SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE MySpace page. It's called "Meat Feelers" and sounds a lot closer to how our set will be at Weird tomorrow night.

Here's the details again:

Wednesday 6/17/2009 - MIDNIGHT
SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE @ Wierd / Home Sweet Home
131 Chrystie St., New York, New York 10002
Cost: FREE

This will be my only East Coast show this year - so be there or be square.

Bimbo's Initiation (1931)

Colin Potter

Above is a very good fan video for Colin Potter's "I Am Your Shadow " from 1980.

Potter is probably best known as a studio engineer and and collaborator with Nurse With Wound but his solo music is just fucking excellent. In fact I personally like it better than any Nurse With Wound.

I have been listening to his early tape releases a lot lately thanks to Mutant Sounds. My favorite release is "The Scythe" from 1981, but I like everything I've heard.

You can get "The Scythe" here and three other tapes here.

POST UPDATE: I just discovered that you can get the 2x7" EP comp "Angst in My Pants" (which includes Colin Potter's "I Am Your Shadow ") here. Gotta love Mutant Sounds.

Introducing SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE... live at WIERD NYC

SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE is me and my lady SQ creating some root industrial inspired analog synth experimental.

You can hear our first song, "(Distracted by) Your Sexuality," over on the SQ / SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE MySpace page.

We are playing our first (and possibly last) show next Wednesday at WIERD in New York City. Here are the details:

Wednesday 6/17/2009 - MIDNIGHT
SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE @ Wierd / Home Sweet Home
131 Chrystie St., New York, New York 10002
Cost: FREE

Maybe we'll see a couple of you there.

Nekronology LP Design

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Here's a sneak peek at my most recent freelance graphic design gig. It'll probably be my last for a long time, aside from my own projects.

The Nekronology Gatefold LP will be released by Aesthetic Productions very soon.

3 Seconds of Nausea

(Click image to see larger - Slimewave comp artwork by Mike at www.visualdarkness.com)

SLIMEWAVE - Gore Grind Compilation CD.

Track 8.

Cripple Bastards "Sottoposti Aol Taglio."

Last 3 seconds.

Burst of analog synth noise under the grind.

That's me.

Ha ha. Yeah, I sent my friend Andrea from Cripple Bastards some analog noise over four years ago for a collaboration. That's what they did with it. I love it.

You know, I'm not a big gore grind guy but SLIMEWAVE is a pretty damn good comp. You can get it over at Relapse.

Wow, two Relapse plugs in one week. Matt better put me back on the payroll.

Buried Inside - Spoils of Failure

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I just got around to listening to the new BURIED INSIDE album "Spoils of Failure" the other day and I thought it was great. I don't like it quite as much as their previous album "Chronoclast" but it would definitely be ideal for fans of NEUROSIS and mid-period ISIS. I saw BURIED INSIDE open for EYEHATEGOD a few years back and they KILLED.

You can hear some of the new stuff over at their MySpace page.

Pick up the CD and LP over at Relapse.

Lynch

If you're a fan of the man's work... you gotta see "Lynch."

It could have been a little better but it's well worth watching. I was definitely entertained and informed, plus I laughed out loud (in a good way) several times.

Here's an interview David Lynch did with one of my local papers, The Philadelphia Weekly, back in 2001. It was interesting for me to read considering I live in the city that inspired "Eraserhead." In fact, "LaPelle's Factory" that the lead character Henry supposedly works at is technically about two blocks down the street from my day job. Lynch worked for Rodger Lapelle back in the 60's. I mentioned LaPelle's Gallery in a previous post. This painting was the one hanging in back I mentioned before. Amazing.

Conrad Schnitzler

Here's a great little film of Conrad Schnitzler after splitting from the group KLUSTER. Too bad it has no subtitles.

I have been listening to the first two KLUSTER albums, "Klopfzeichen" and "Zwei-Osterei", a LOT lately. I really missed out not hearing these many years ago. If you like dark early exprimental and root industrial these are a MUST HAVE - trust me.

Recently I obtained a couple of early albums by CLUSTER (the same band minus Schnitzler) and while they are good, they are definitely lacking without old Conrad.

Conrad Schnitzler and KLUSTER must have had an influence on THROBBING GRISTLE although I have never seen them mention it. I have seen fans and reviewers state that those two KLUSTER albums were the birth of Industrial though. I went back and read what I have on hand about the formation of TG to see if they mention any projects that inspired them early on with no luck. All Music lists TG's influences as Faust, The Velvet Underground, Can and Silver Apples (?!?!). If any of you reading this have any more specific info on the connection between Schnitzler / KLUSTER and TG I would love to see it.

You can get some two early Schnitzler albums over here at Mutant Sounds - it's really excellent stuff.