After the excellent Dead Can Dance reunion concert in The Hague on 12 March 2005, the waiting for the exclusive live cd began. Only 500 discs would be made of each of the thirteen European DCD shows. No cheap bootlegs, but ‘a professionally mixed and mastered, custom-designed, limited edition cd’. Each package is individually numbered […]
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Some Bizarre business
Some Bizarre has a reputation of having released some of the most influential electronic/industrial artists of the early 80’s. On the other hand label owner Stevo Pearce must be one of the most controversial people in the music business. Countless artists, like the Neubauten, Foetus, Coil, The The and Psychic TV complain that they never […]
New Ladytron candy
Ladytron will release a new album on Island Records in August, with the title “Witching Hour”. If you can’t wait that long, their new single ‘Sugar’ is to be released on June 20th. The single will be available in three formats, CD, 7″ and 12″ with exclusive new songs (‘Tender Talons’, ‘Fighting in Built Up […]
Cure: three imaginary boys
A statement on the official Cure-website: “The decade old line-up of The Cure has changed – Perry Bamonte and Roger O’Donnell are no longer in the band. The forthcoming summer shows will be performed by Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper… and others???” O’Donnell, who is working on a solo album: “It was sad […]
Dive in town
I’m in a Dive mood at the moment. First of all because Dirk Ivens will perform this Friday in Utrecht at the Xtreactor event. Secondly because two weeks ago I found two older Dive releases in a German second-hand record shop: the mcd “Final Report’ (1991), with immortal songs as ‘Mercy’, as well as the […]
DIY-wax
Now you have the chance to get rid of those nasty tiny shiny discs. The Vestax VRX-2000 records cd’s or any other audio source directly unto specially designed Vestax vinyl blanks. Now you can ‘burn’ your mp3’s on vinyl or publish your crappy demo unto an impressive slice of ‘classic wax’. Vinyl cutting at 33 […]
Sounds like Iceland
For years I more or less ignored Sigur Rós. Not really consciously, though I mistrusted all the good critics they received, but I was simply too busy with other bands. But now I’ve decided to try to catch up with this Icelandic group. Last week I heard very nice music in a record store, which […]
Michael JV speaks
Musique Machine has an interview with Michael JV Hensley, renowned producer of dark ambient music. Solo as Blood Box, with Steven Hall in Yen Pox, as well as a few other collaborations. “However, I am human, and carry with me those human weaknesses, emotions, desires, fears and the other generally horrific and amazing chemical reactions […]
No goths today
One of the most popular directors in the dark underground scene is Tim Burton, creator of films such as “Edward Scissorhands”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Sleepy Hollow”. Therefore you would not expect people being refused at the cinema because they are dressed like goths. But that’s precisely what happened at an advance-screening of his […]
Tesco USA fired up
The new webstore of Tesco USA is up and running, with quite a few nifty database features. To celebrate the opening they have a contest which may win you a $100 Tesco USA gift certificate! Interesting for Death in June fans: two new dvd’s are announced on the main page: Live in New York (2002) […]
Breakcore in Shanghai
Breakcore may not be my favourite musical genre, this interview with travelling laptop musician C-Drik is very readable. He was born in Congo, mostly lived in Belgian and moved to The Netherlands a few years ago. C-Drik toured in Asia and stayed in Shanghai for several weeks. During his travels he attracted quite some attention […]
Strengthening the Forces
Funprox welcomes a new reviewer this week: JS, aka Foundation Hope. He directly started his ambitious new, yet underpaid career with four eclectic reviews. We can only say: keep up the good work!
Eyeless in London
You thought Eyeless in Gaza was a vague echo from the past? Not anymore, because on July 29 they will make their first live appearance in eighteen years, at Bush Hall in London. Martyn Bates and Pete Becker founded Eyeless in Gaza, named after an Aldous Huxley book, in 1980. After their first single ‘Kodak […]
M. am Draht
Tonight (May 19) there will be two dj-sets by M. (co-reviewer of funprox) at Welt am Draht internetradio. The broadcast of 110 min. will start at 22:30 hour. 24 hours after the broadcast, it will be available online for four weeks in the download section of the Welt am Draht website . These two dj […]
Back from Leipzig
Just returned from Leipzig, from the 14th edition of the Wave Gotik Treffen. In four days 170 acts played at approx. twenty different locations throughout the city, which was invaded by around 20.000 visitors (mainly) in black. I saw 20 bands perform, which I consider a reasonable score. Later this week, when I’ve recovered and […]
Shoptronica
Today I watched the cultural tv program R.A.M., which had an item about Robin Rimbaud’s project Scanner amongst others. I first encountered his work at the 1997 Impakt Festival in Utrecht, where he used intercepted phone calls and radiowaves in his soundscapes. Scanner performed at the experimental Toon Festival in Haarlem last month. On a […]
ACTUS at WGT
As usual many interesting acts will perform at this year’s Wave Gotik Treffen, but without a doubt ACTUS from Hungary is one of the bands I’m looking forward to most. It was relatively silent around them for a few years, but they have announced a new album entitled “Mandala”, which will be presented in Leipzig. […]
Partytalk: Erosie
Last Thursday the try-out of “Erosie”, an evening devoted to dark ambient, drones, neoclassical and other forms of atmospheric tranquil music was quite succeeded, so a sequel seems unavoidable. Much more people than expected came to this ‘dark loungenight’, and although most of them came more for the free entrance and the cocktails than the […]
Streaming Antony
No less than two live recordings of Antony and the Johnsons are available now for your streaming audio pleasure. Both were recorded on Friday April 15 2005: Live at the Motel Mozaique 2005 festival in Rotterdam Session for VPRO 3VOOR12 internet radio
Elf photos
Last week I visited the Elf Fantasy Fair, held against the background of the lovely castle of Haarzuilens. On this nice sunny day with many visitors I saw performances of Dubia Fortuna, Faun and GOR. Watch some photos here…