German webzine Lichttaufe has ended its activities, but a new initiative has arisen: Nonpop. This ‘Musik- und Kulturmagazin’ can be reached at nonpop.de, starting January 1, 2007. To celebrate this occasion, a free sampler with 26 interesting artists can be downloaded from this date.

At a record fair I found two cheap LP’s from The Essence: Purity (1985) and A Monument of Trust (1987).
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You want to hear something different than Last Christmas this year? Then stuff your stocking with the Zaftig Research Christmas Compilation.
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German webzine/community Neo-Form presents its second free sampler with neo-folk, industrial & avantgarde sounds. You can download 17 tracks and fitting artwork from sampler2.neo-form.de. Among the artists are Allerseelen, Der Feuerkreiner, Tribe Of Circle, Decadence and Of The Wand And The Moon.

Blender.com has compiled a list of The 50 Worst Artists in Music History. According to me, Japan and Skinny Puppy should not be included in there. It must be possible to think of worse acts!

Zwielicht is the name of a new German magazine for ‘Musik, Kultur, Untergrund’, published by Eislicht Verlag. The content of the first issue looks promising with articles about Martin Hannett, Woven Hand, Michael Cashmore, Alex Fergusson, Bad Sector, Forseti and more. Single issues and subscriptions can be ordered from neofolk.de.

Some new photos were added to the Gallery, of DAAU, Faun, Novy Svet, White Rose Transmission and Woven Hand.

Now this is what I call a lucrative auction. A unique acetate record of the first Velvet Underground album, with alternate versions and mixes, was found by a student at a New York street sale for 75 cents! Now it’s up on eBay and with four days to go it has already passed the hundred thousand dollar mark…