Ascension
Magazine – n. 4,5,6 - Autumn 03 to Summer 04 -
digital-A4-Italian, 72 pp
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With our poor publication schedule, we are
struggling to keep up with the covering of one of the
leading magazines out of the Italian dark underground scene.
Issue after issue, Ascension
is packed to the core with everything you need to know in
the vast panorama of the gothic and deathrock sub-culture,
with an eye open on some of the darkest expressions of
electronic and industrial. Ascension is
created and put together by a team of people on the evident
strength of their deep passion for the music they cover.
What gives Ascension
a very attractive edge is the fact that the character and
ideas of the writers come through very spontaneously in the
articles, without any content or style filtering:
Ascension vibrates with
the enthusiasm of their team of writers and this gives the
reader the reassuring feel that they are reading the genuine
article. The number of bands covered in these 3 issues is
staggering, so I won’t go into mentioning any. Instead,
I’d like to point the attention to two of the
additional characters that make this publication very
special: there’s a substantial coverage of live
concerts and festivals and a great deal of the abundant
photographic material printed is original, shoot on location
by the reporters, which is rarely the case in this sector of
publishing. The quality of the printing has also improved,
making welcome justice to the graphics. Wishing Alex
& co. a great future, I look forward to more compelling
reading of this top publication. ascension@libero.it
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Gianfri
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Bizarre
– n. 15, 2004 – digital-English, 20 pp in DVD box + CD
sampler
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Bizarre from spiralarchive.com, home
of Alex Novak and
Venus Fly Trap, is back with a very handy
solution for this publication carrying the feel of the DIY
cut’n’glue zines in an ingenious format: the 20
pages featuring articles on Berzerker Records,
Jane’s Addition and Tiger Lillies, CD reviews and coverage of other independent press are
included as booklet in a DVD cover which holds the audible
part which is the centre of interest of this publication: a
14-track CD sampler offering a round-up of names culled from
the UK underground, Greenhaus, Voices of Masada, Projekt,
Psychophile, etc and a few
international acts as well, such as E-Craft or La Function
de Repulsa. Bizarre is a never to be missed
appointment with the gothic/electronic/industrial
underground. www.spiralarchive.com |
Gianfri
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Chaotic Order – n.
17, August 2004 - digital-A5-English, 44 pp |
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Covering diverse aspects of
the UK underground culture, Chaotic Order is both
well written and informative. Covering no-nonsese sleaze
such as Mondo and Porn Movies, Serial
Killers, CO makes for a pretty
entertaining counter-culture reading. On the music side, we
are treated to an interview with Siouxsie, one with Naevus and a third with avantgardist Dan138, confirming that real alternative attitudes are what the
publication focuses on. A no frills layout leaves all the
reader attention focussed on the contents. atrocity-367@fsmail.net |
Gianfri
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IndustrialnatioN – n.
19, 20, August 2004 - offest-A4-English, 96 pp |
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This is one of the highest
profile magazines dealing with electronic and industrial
underground in the US and is indeed quite a step up from a
typical small-press adventure. Sporting a thick 96 pages (a
portion of which are in glossy colours),
IndustrialnatioN packs enough to keep you busy for several weeks in a cured
design attractively illustrated. A third of the space is
committed to reviews and for the rest we can find a quite
varied coverage of the electronic and industrial scenes,
putting “senior” and “junior” names side
to side: Laibach, Muslimgauze, Mimetic, La Floa Maldita, Der
Blutharsch, Mimetic, Delerium, Larvae, Iszoloscope, This Morn’
Omina, Wolfsheim, Velvet Acid
Christ, VNV Nation, Grendel, Roger Karmanik, Epsilon
Minus are only some of the names gracing the pages of the issues
under observation. Scene reports from LA and Moscow are much
welcome and more of this, I hope, in the future! Since
Europe –with the single exception of the Belgian mag
Side-Line- has
not been able to produce a valid high profile publication
dedicated to electro-industrial, I’m afraid we’ll
have to turn to IN to feel the gap. www.industrialnation.com |
Gianfri
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Kaleidoscope – n. 18,
winter 2004/05 - offest-A4-English, 56 pp + CD sampler |
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Kaleidoscope is without doubt the leading publication for all things
goth in Britain. Sporting a luxury layout on luscious thick
glossy paper and a table of contents ranging from classic
influential names such as Nick Cave and Skinny Puppy to long
time favourites as Black Tape for A Blue Girl,
Attrition, to a fresh look on the newest developments of a scene that
has since become evidently hybridised: Assemblage 23, Fiction 8, The Sepia, Inertia, Swarf, side to side with the likes of The Ghost of Lemora, NFD, Arkam Asylum, Zombina & The Skeletons
and much more. Don’t ask what Cradle of Filth have
to do with all of this, but they are apparently regarded as
one of the main attractions, as they enjoy the cover
hot-spot. A round-up on the increasingly popular
Infest and a few live reviews are
omitted from the content summary, although being the typical
reading many would jump to first in many contexts. A slim,
but informative review section rounds the lot up, but
don’t forget the class CD sampler included featuring 15
tracks and giving the reader the aural taste of what they
are reading through. Kaleidoscope is definitely your vehicle for keeping up with the higher
profile happenings of the UK dark scene. www.kaleidoscopemusic.org.uk |
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Gianfri |
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Livid Looking Glass –
n. 1, Summer 2005 - offset-A4-English, 64 pp |
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A new effort to grace the
independent alternative dark scene, Livid Looking
Glass is the product of a man heavily involved in that scene
since long years, who has finally decided to take the plunge
and start his own. At Darklife, we have had the honour to have him on board on a few past
issues, and now mr Ron Sawyer is broadcasting from nothing
less than the Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. Livid
Looking Glass is a pure love affair with the open-minded dark
underground, packing in 18 interviews and names like
Tiger Lillies, Collection d’Arnell-Andrea,
Violet Tears, Louisa John-Krol,
Dresden Dolls, Empusae, Hungry Lucy, Morthem Vlade Art or
Lustmord amongst them. Pure underground columns in a clear
easy-on-the-eye presentation and a great resource to get
acquainted with acts you have possibly never heard of
before. The colour cover featuring the work of underground
artists Mike Sosnowski adds a
touch of class to the mag. As does the interview with
Gunther Von Hagens -also know as the man behind the fantastic
Körpenwelten (Body Worlds) exhibition, who
has managed to bring his thought-provoking show even to
reactionary US (after narrowly surviving the British extreme
close-mindness)! Following a dense review section, this is a
class article rounding up a class publication that will
hopefully find a way near you soon. Livid Looking Glass
is a free mag and you’ll be finding it easily in
California and at selected US events. We are negotiating a
shipment to the UK, so ask us if you’re interested.
Going with the mag is a 16-track CD sampler that we’ll
be reviewing in our next round-up of CD reviews. The disc
reflects the spirit of the printed pages, with -take or
leave one or two- a line-up reflecting the mag content. I
won’t neglect to mention the -take- by Kirlian
Camera, unleashing K-Pax upon an
unsuspecting American audience... The disc is available for
a symbolic price at www.lividlookingglass.com |
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Gianfri |
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Moonlight Shadows –
n. 2, April 2004 - offest-A4-English, 52 pp |
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Pretty much stemming from a
deep emotional love affair with certain music genres of
dark, melancholic connotations, Moonlight Shadows is
solely the product of John Zikos od Atehns, Greece.
And what a fine product it is! 52 pages of glossy greyness
conducted in a very personal style that makes the reading
experience remarkably enjoyable. The interviews are much
detailed and researched, the table of contents spans the
dark spectrum ranging from the likes of Gothica, Weltshmerz or Sense of
Loss, through Arcana, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio,
Daemonia Nymphe all the way to the death/doom metal area
with Nightfall, Funeral Procession amongst
others. To further interest, a few of the featured bands are
Greek which gives an interesting insight on a country not
typically on the map when talking dark music, and a full
report on the gothic-electro festival Seelenschmerz in Athens. In depth CD and mag reviews complete the picture.
The graphics are extremely cured and the design attractive
and perfectly in line with the tone of the publication. Pity
a few pages came across too dark therefore slightly uneasy
to read, I know very well what that means as we have had
that sort of printing problem as well in the past.
Inconsistent printing and little left to do for the small
DIY publisher who has to swallow that or call the mag off
altogether and loose the investment and reputation. I still
personally think that death/doom metal does not add up to
the whole picture, but it certainly does in the editor
vision and that’s all that matters for this publication
very worthy of attention. Order at deathcult55@hotmail.com |
Gianfri
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Transmission
– n. 2, 1st quarter 2004 -
digital-A5-German/English, 72 pp |
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Transmission has grown substantially to a
thick 72 pages with their second issue and confirm their bid
to offer coverage of the gohic rock/deathrock scene in
Germany but not only. Their confirm the formula of printing
in English the interviews conducted originally in that
language (Casual, Cold, Arc Gothic), which, although debatable, it certainly saves them time.
I guess the publication could benefit from the little extra
effort that could be invested into rendering everything in
German. An interesting and in depth retrospective interview
with Berlin early goth icons Marquee Moon is the definite highlight of this issue while other acts
covered are Cassiopea, The Vanishing, Mission of
Burma, live reviews of Cinema Strange,
Placebo Effect, scene events coverage and misc articles,
a peek into Gothic in Poland and a thick review section.
Straightforward and clear layout, yet indicating the
potential for future developments in the graphic department.
www.transmission-magazin.net |
Gianfri
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Zinnober – n. 7 April
2004 - digital-A5-German 88 pp |
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A very well respected
publication in the German non-aligned underground,
Zinnober is truly up to its reputation. A spartan design and high
quality matt paper give this tome a special feel that is
more close to actually reading a book than a music mag. From
music to related esoteric art, historical and intellectual
themes, Zinnober is all
but a lightweight publication not least because of the
length and depth of the articles therein. A very well
stocked review section is an important guide to navigate the
post-industrial, esoteric scene. A vital publication in the
genre, provided, of course, you chew German decently. A CD
sampler published by Steinklang is available separately. www.zinnober.net |
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Gianfri |