The Gospels of The Gash

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 11.21.11

2011-11-21T21:18:00.005-05:00

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX presents

APEX FEST IV - drones+death

featuring

NYODENE D
(oppressively tense pe/darkambient/deathindustrial)
www.nyodened.bandcamp.com

REQUIEM
(ultra-brutarian ambient doom from david graham of HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA)
www.requiem2872.bandcamp.com

PLANNING FOR BURIAL
(plaintive shoegaze-tinted drone/post-metal)
www.planningforburial.bandcamp.com

YOU.
(obstinate beat-driven minimal synth/coldwave)
www.myspace.com/treverchrisshow

THE VOMIT ARSONIST
(unrelentingly miserable pe/deathindustrial)
www.thevomitarsonist.wordpress.com

DECIMUS
(minimal analog industrial noise from pat murano of MALKUTH)
www.decimus.bandcamp.com

STATIQBLOOM
(experimental ambient/industrial noise from fade kainer of BATILLUS)
www.myspace.com/statiqbloom

PIGLIKE
(droning ambient electronics from montana masback of TOURNAMENT)
www.piglike.bandcamp.com

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4, 2011
DOORS 5PM • $10
SAINT VITUS BAR
1120 MANHATTAN AVE • BKLN, NY

MORE INFO TO COME

Tonight, i received a message from a person in the multiple capacities of concerned friend, fellow power electrician, and irritated customer. this person wished to express to me his support and agitation regarding the long delay in the receipt of items he ordered several months ago. in his message, he offered examples of how i am risking excoriation on online forums and an overall loss of credibility as a reliable outlet for music. he added that martin bladh of IRM had been surprised to learn of the existence of the tshirts i produced in 2010, which i know to be a ludicrous assertion, being that said shirts were produced with his explicit blessing.

it is true that in many ways, i have fallen short of my goals for annihilvs. it is true that, during the past 14 years since i founded this label, there have been numerous periods during which the machinations of my daily life have held me back from following through on a variety of obligations related to these activities. i make no secret of these facts.

just prior to receiving this message, i'd posted the following on the annihilvs facebook page:

"Listen up, you sonsofbitches,
I will be prepping the majority of remaining pending orders over the forthcoming holiday weekend, and everything i can possibly ship will be sent off by the first weekend of december. If not, i will kill myself and nobody will get a fucking thing.
Thank you for your patience and continued support."

the following is an excerpt from my response to this person:

"...i've been doing what i do in one form or another for more than 14 years now, and i don't feel obligated to explain myself further than i have. i've not a speck of concern for what the peanut gallery of the internet has to say about the matter. i will still be doing what i do long after the internet has outlived its current incarnation. as chris from sickness once stressed to me, the internet is not "real" and those who spend the majority of their time there are of little concern. if the ntt "fans" on last.fm are any indication of the kinds of infantile losers who populate the internet, i've got very little to worry about. let them roar their loudest, i'll still be here when their voices go hoarse and silent.

obviously, i am aware that this is and has been an untenable scenario, however it's irrelevant to attempt to go into the minutiae which has led to where i now stand.

for every one person who complains about this situation, there are five who have been with me from the beginning and understand completely where i am and don't feel the need to complain. think about exactly what it is you're complaining about. there are far worse things in the world than waiting for something to show up in the mail, particularly since you can rest in the knowledge that it WILL show up in the mail, at some point. it's not as though i don't think about this, it's something of which i am constantly concerned, and irritated, but here i am. i myself have been ordering merchandise directly from artists for many, many years, and if the items take time to arrive, i understand that there are circumstances behind this.

i could probably count on one hand the number of times i've written to an artist to complain outright about an undelivered item, and i know of only one instance where i've filed a paypal dispute, for a limited tshirt which cost me $45 from a belgian artist. for fuck's sake, i ordered an "antichrist" shirt directly from lars von trier's production company, which cost me more than $30 with the conversion from euro, and i've still never received it. i'm not excusing my own actions with these examples, merely reiterating the fact that there are certainly worse things in the world than having to wait for a package in the mail.

it's also irrelevant to compare my situation to that of cold meat's "loss of credibility," which was due in large part to the dissolution of roger's marriage, which spanned decades and impacted his business directly because his wife was part of that business. his depression became unmanageable and this so-called loss of credibility is the result. so be it, i'm sure he's got plenty of other things with which to concern himself, and he's been doing what he does long enough that the "power of the internet" is merely ancillary.

as for martin, he's been well aware of the existence of the shirts, and i know full well that i have been remiss in providing artist copies, not just to him, but to a few other individuals. this is between myself and those individuals, and frankly it's none of your business.

have you ever heard of lsd organisation? frozen empire media? possessive blindfold recordings? hive records? culture shock magazine? permission magazine?

i've known dozens of people during the last 14 years who have fallen by the wayside, people who've had to fold their bands, publications, and labels for this reason or that, while i've continued to endure, through my own personal struggles; determined that the same will not happen to me, because i do what i do from a NEED to do it. however, that doesn't mean that i am immune from the pressures of living in this particular time, and i am subject to both internal and external circumstances, which have brought me to this point.

in closing, this discussion is made further irrelevant by the fact that within the coming weeks, there will no longer be any reason for this discussion to have happened at all.

satisfaction is the death of desire.

thank you for your continued patience and support."

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 11.07.11

2011-11-01T21:47:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Hell.
Yes, it's been ages since i posted an update, and yes i know many of you are more than frustrated by my lack of communication, especially in regards to overdue orders. i've recently received quite a few messages regarding this, including one this morning which asked, "what is wrong with you?" i hope that the following will explain precisely that.

I have been, as is always the case, struggling to come up for air from the depths of depression for the past six months. that's as frankly as i can say it. several weeks ago, possibly more than a month ago, i announced that i was packing and shipping several orders. with a bit of help, the packing part got done, at least some of it. i was then promised additional help, which never came. then i got sick and tried very hard to make it through the week at work, having to leave after a few hours each day and spending the rest of my time in bed. then i kept planning to get back into packing and shipping, but with each week that passed, i found it more and more difficult to follow through on much of anything. the following week, my mother, who was diagnosed with lymphoma last year, was having some health issues and my attention was focussed on what might come from that. we're still waiting on test results to determine exactly what's going on.

In my last post, i stated that i was fortunate enough to have art to turn to in these moments of despair, but lately i've been up against a wall, creatively, and i have once again found myself thinking about suicide on an almost constant basis, as i was prior to and during the summer months. again, i'm being as frank as i can. each time i have attempted to move forward, i've gotten bogged down in an emotional and mental quagmire. it seems that in spite of my general disdain for humans, i still allow myself to be tricked into thinking certain of them are worthwhile, and end up being disappointed by them over and over.

This past weekend, sparked by an aberrant rush of motivation, i had intended to put all the effort i could into moving ahead with preparing as many orders as possible, however this plan was derailed by — finally — an actual happy event: the birth of my best friend's daughter.

I have already begun packing orders, so i will try to ship as many as i can get out next weekend. following that, i will make efforts toward completing several in-progress releases so that these can also be shipped. by the end of november, i will have posted the last batch of preorders for the year 2011, and by the end of the year, i will be prepared to start working on a shitload of new material that has unfortunately been allowed to fall by the wayside. i need to do this because it's all i have. i managed to make some small progress with some audio work on sunday morning, though it wasn't as far as i'd hoped to get.

To those who have been waiting patiently, and even to those who have been less than patient, i sincerely apologise for the delay. as my disclaimer says, the operations of this endeavour are subject to many pitfalls, and this primarily refers to my lifelong battle with depression. although i have a lot of amazing projects in the works, i find that i generally live life with nothing to which i can look forward. it often becomes necessary for me to retreat inward so that i can protect myself from the real and imagined elements that cause me grief. the circumstances of my life, my job, where i live, and most saliently, the way i am treated by those who profess to care about me, are all far from where i need them to be in order to feel the most remote sense of contentment. there are those who would say, "life is what you make of it," and to those people, i would respond: go fuck yourself.

i wake up every day and wish that i had not. that is my life.

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THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 09.11.11

2011-09-11T19:44:00.012-04:00

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
- Thomas Jefferson

"Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed."
- Samuel Johnson

Ten years ago today, i was working as a freelance graphic designer in the children's marketing department at harpercollins pubishers. my office was at 1350 avenue of the americas between 54 and 55 streets in manhattan.
I don't listen to the radio in my car or at all really, so it's likely i was blasting some kind of heavy music during my morning commute. i recall nothing specific about the drive to work that day and in fact it was a perfectly unremarkable morning. i had gotten into the habit of parking as far away as 10 avenue because it was cheaper and allowed me a quicker egress from manhattan, since it was closer to the west side highway. my walk from the parking garage was also unremarkable.
i typically got to work around 10am, and when i walked into the office, my coworker max said, "did you hear what happened?" when i said i didn't know what he meant, he told me, "a plane flew into one of the twin towers." i asked, "was it an accident?" and he said, "they don't know."+the next thing i recall is that everyone in my department were suddenly crowded around the single television set in an office of one of the managers, watching in what i guess should only be described as horror. the rest of my day was spent trying to get through to certain people on the phone, cell service for many went down with the towers.
we were informed by my boss that security had locked down the building so nobody could enter and if people wanted to leave they could feel free to at any time. my boss and i ended up being the last two people in the department to leave, around 7pm. he lived in connecticut and had to take a train, and i had a 25 mile drive ahead of me.
when i walked west toward my car, the city was empty and quiet. the tolls had been opened for free and the barriers were up as i crossed the henry hudson bridge. there were essentially no other cars on the road as i drove north on the saw mill.
i don't remember anything that happened after i got home.
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Here i am, ten years later, and while the world has changed irrevocably, i have also gone through many changes within myself. ten years ago i was a much angrier person, but time had beaten me down into a form that was more like the person i want to be, and yet now i find myself at a point in my journey where my self must be re-formed and i'm coming to understand that i have no idea how to effect this process. i am buried.
although i've been very silent on this blog, there has been a lot of activity in my little corner of hell. i have struggled hard during the past several months. i'd allowed myself to believe happiness could exist for me and for a time it seemed that i finally had things to look forward to in my life. i found someone who i believed was radically different and better than all those who'd preceded her, in the span of my entire life up to that point. but as yet another relationship drew to its inevitable close, and i experienced the traumatic clichés of being discarded by yet another person who professed to care about me, i simultaneously experienced the trauma of turning 40 years old. i looked at the circumstances of my existence and the path i took to where i now stand. the cumulative weight of my many failures have been riding my back, with spurs digging in hard. the trajectory of my life began to take me lower than i'd ever gone before and i'm still hovering just beyond the edge. filled with sadness and anger, hating my job, my life and myself, i've had no choice but to turn to art and music to combat the forces that have compressed my universe into almost nothing. i am still suffering, but until i have the courage to do what is necessary, i've got little recourse but to press onward.
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Several new preorders have been posted to the ANNIHILVS WEBSTORE, and more will be coming during the autumn and winter months.
In August 2010, to denote the 13th anniversary of ANNIHILVS, I created a preorder package called APEX XIII.
Limited to 30 copies, this package included a 4 hour digital-only compilation download and promised an amazing array of shirts, posters, stickers and pins. The $45 preorder price was meant to aid with the production costs, and was extremely generous in consideration of the number of items included in the package.

ANNIHILVS presents a massive preorder package, in celebration of the label's thirteenth anniversary.

LIMITED 30 COPIES.

PREORDER CONTENTS:

• NO FLESH SHALL BE SPARED DIGITAL COMPILATION

A digital download featuring almost 4 hours of audio.

Contains rare, never before released archival material, a variety of tracks from out of print releases and a selection of recent collaborative pieces. DOWNLOAD WILL BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE UPON PURCHASE.

• APEX XIII TSHIRT

• APEX XIII MINI POSTER

• THEOLOGIAN+PROPERGOL. FOLIE À DEUX CASSETTE

• THEOLOGIAN. "BIG SCHISM" TSHIRT

• APEX FEST 2005 MINI POSTER

• APEX FEST III TSHIRT

• APEX FEST III SCREENPRINTED POSTER

• UNSOUND NYC TSHIRT (ARTWORK BY MARK RIDDICK)

• STICKER SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

• MINI POSTER SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

• 1 INCH PIN SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

However, only 4 copies were sold and it seems to have gone by unnoticed by many.

Now, more than a year later, many of these items have not yet been produced.

I'm once again offering this incredible 13th anniversary preorder package, weeks after the label's 14th anniversary, in order to finally realise what should have been done a year ago.

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One of the bigger pieces of news from the summer is that copies of WITHOUT ME by love is nothing. are on hand and should begin shipping very soon. i'm quite happy with how this release turned out, though it bears some painful reminders for me personally.
The responses have been favourable thus far, and there will definitely be more material coming in collaboration with my dear friend Carrie Ingber. in fact, we've just submitted a cover of ALL CATS ARE GREY by THE CURE to a compilation being produced by Dean and Joe from DIGITAL FERRET, to benefit the philadelphia PAWS no-kill shelter. there will be a two-day event in philly on october 21 and 22 to celebrate the release of the comp. more information about this is available on the facebook event page.
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I have done away with the utterly useless yahoo group, THE ORDER OF THE GASH, which has now been supplemented by the ANNIHILVS FACEBOOK.
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ANNIHILVS SOUNDCLOUD

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX is an underground record label founded in the Summer of 1997, originally as a means to distribute the works of NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES (1997-2009) and associated projects.
Specialising in industrial, power electronics, darkambient, drone, experimental and doom, the label has since expanded to include several other artists from around the globe.

This page will serve to preview works-in-progress, newly released material and will feature the occasional obscure or out-of-print track or album.
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FROM THE WORLD OF BIRDS - SERMONS BY THEOLOGIAN PRIME

THEOLOGIAN-related updates, including new and in-progress audio, album artwork, lyrics and news related to upcoming releases and performances.
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IN-PROGRESS RELEASES:

THEOLOGIAN. THE CHASMS OF MY HEART CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)
I completed the album a few weeks ago and sent it off to Jérôme Nougaillon (PROPERGOL/HERMETIQUE) for mastering. I still need to complete the layout for the cd packaging, as well as peripheral materials, but i'm actually very behind on this. i hope to get back on track soon.
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THEOLOGIAN. FINDING COMFORT IN OVERWHELMING NEGATIVITY CD (HANDMADE BIRDS)
I had planned to jump right into this after completing the above album, but i haven't touched the material for a couple of months now. as with the above, i hope to get things back on track in a reasonable timeframe.
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SUFFERING BODIES. WILL SUFFER NO MORE CD-R
The audio is about 80% completed, i just need to wrap up my vocal tracks and send them off to Kristoffer to mix and then master the release. i plan to have copies on-hand by the end of october.
This 5 track ep is available for preorder here
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There's plenty more news and updates coming regularly on facebook. please join us there.

Thanks as always for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 05.28.11

2011-05-28T11:09:00.027-04:00

Completed and shipping soon:
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THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SINGS TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS BLACK BAG PACKAGE
ANNIHILVS BLACK BAG PACKAGE (tshirt+cassette)
ADERLATING tshirt with 60 minute cassette.

GNAW THEIR TONGUES sideproject ADERLATING provides THEOLOGIAN with source material for a descent into black abysses. Sickening strings gurgle over frightening, mournful drones that echo from within the bottomless void at the core of humankind.

Limited to 40 copies.

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Forthcoming from ANNIHILVS:
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THE VOMIT ARSONIST. THE FINAL PAGE CD-R REISSUE
Reissue of this excellent release, containing painfully heavy, vitriolic and guttural material by THE VOMIT ARSONIST. Originally co-released with the TRAUMATIC CREATIONS label, this new run features a slightly different layout and will be out in time for THE VOMIT ARSONIST's June 2011 tour.
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love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CD-R
After a long period of inactivity, Lee M. Bartow's drone/metal project, love is nothing. returns with this surprisingly accessible and "poppy" release. Featuring extensive collaborative input by Carrie Ingber, former bassist of Brooklyn's ZAMBRI (who played synths in S.H.R.I.K.E., the very first band formed by Lee Bartow back in 1991), as well as guitar contributions by Mike Hill of TOMBS, John LaMacchia of CANDIRIA and SPYLACOPA, Derek Rush of DREAM INTO DUST and members of TOURNAMENT, and vocal contributions by Janaki Kagel, daughter of KRISHNA DAS, this is going to be a profound departure from previous love is nothing. releases.

Ranging from actual dance tracks to heart-rending shoegaze, drawing heavy inspiration from such acts as THE CURE and JOY DIVISION, infused with the trademark deep drones love is nothing. has become known for, these recordings are beyond a doubt unlike anything you've heard from this project before. Features beautiful cover photo by Brooklyn-based photographer Michele Crowe, from the collection of CupcakeGoth.
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THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES BLACK BAG PACKAGE-PREORDER
ANNIHILVS BLACK BAG PACKAGE (tshirt+cassette)
Includes an all-new FRAGMENT KING "Rot" tshirt, with 60 minute cassette.

Side A contains 30 minutes of sheer rage by longtime live member of NTT and collaborator under the guises of NEXICON and love is nothing., Mark Kammerbauer, the man behind ultra-heavy sonic deconstructor FRAGMENT KING, arrives on the craggy shores of hell with HERE MUSIC DIES.
Endless spite is filtered through soul-numbing distortion, accompanied by bitter, crisp electronic rhythms that glide across the edge that separates dark industrial, crushing metal and paranoiac breakbeat. This is the death of music.
Side B features tracks assembled by THEOLOGIAN using FRAGMENT KING source material.
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SUFFERING BODIES. WILL SUFFER NO MORE CD-R
SUFFERING BODIES is a collaborative effort between Kristoffer Oustad (V:28/KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER/PLAGUE MACHINERY), Francesco Gemelli (EIDVLON) and Leech (THEOLOGIAN/KOERPERWELTEN/love is nothing./ex-NTT).
Together, these three veterans of heavy electronic music have forged a monumental work, consisting of five black metal-influenced, martial industrial-inspired tracks that combine bitter cold ambient soundscapes, thudding digital percussion and razor-sharp guitars with screeching demoniacal vocals.
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THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER BLACK BAG PACKAGE-PREORDER
ANNIHILVS BLACK BAG PACKAGE (tshirt+cassette)
FOUR PI MOVEMENT tshirt and 60 minute cassette, featuring one side of exclusive material from FOUR PI MOVEMENT, and one side of collaborative tracks constructed by THEOLOGIAN using FOUR PI source material.

FOUR PI MOVEMENT is currently the solo project of Greg Vaneck (PROMETHEUS BURNING), an improvisational modular noise/power electronics analog monster of heated low-end distortion and raging high-end shrieks. Shredded through the teeth of THEOLOGIAN, the material takes on a totalitarian aspect, crushing rhythms reminiscent of an army of death marching on your city to burn your children and rape your women.

Limited 40 copies.

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In progress:
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THEOLOGIAN. THE CHASMS OF MY HEART CD
(CRUCIAL BLAST)
FALL 2011

The second "official" full length album by THEOLOGIAN on CRUCIAL BLAST finds the antihero introduced in THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE travelling deeper into the abyss. Awakening on the far side of despair, he attempts to make sense of the bleak, burning landscape within him.

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THEOLOGIAN. FINDING COMFORT IN OVERWHELMING NEGATIVITY CD
(HANDMADE BIRDS)
FALL 2011

"From great suffering comes great art." THEOLOGIAN is honoured to join the roster of HANDMADE BIRDS, the excellent new label run by R. Loren of the amazing PYRAMIDS. Expect heavy drones and distorted rhythms, echoing voices wailing in total desperation and an unbearable sense of loss. This release places THEOLOGIAN on a roster of incredible artists such as BLACK BONED ANGEL, DER BLUTHARSCH, LOCRIAN, THE RITA and WHITE RING.

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THEOLOGIAN. SOME THINGS HAVE TO BE ENDURED CDEP
(CRUCIAL BLAST)
EARLY 2012

A sonic departure from the typical heavy industrial drones of previous THEOLOGIAN releases, this 7 track EP features collaborative work with Derek Rush (DREAM INTO DUST/A MURDER OF ANGELS, 4TH SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE), along with a cross section of incredibly talented female vocalists.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 01.05.11

2011-01-05T20:11:00.004-05:00

"The hole you think you thought you'd kept - kept you"
- Julie Christmas, "July 31st"

I started 2010 off with something resembling a plan, and had begun to implement a system, which worked for a time, but was then derailed.
part of this was the result of my inability to manage my time. the combination of work and school and the chaotic nature of my schedule (12 hour shifts on the weekends, class on mondays and thursdays, and chaotic idle days in between), for some reason ended up hobbling me. this isn't much of an excuse, but the trouble encountered was also due to the fact that i make very little money and as the year drew to a close, i was unable to juggle my various personal expenses along with the expenses necessary for producing releases and shipping them in a timely fashion. the preorder concept had been advented to handle this, but certain releases still required a significant personal investment, so while the system worked in some ways, it wasn't sustainable in others.
finally, i still have not recovered financially from the expenses of my brief 5 date tour in november, as it required me to take two weeks off from work, and in the month and a half since, i've been unable to get back to label business, which meant several releases that i've been working on have fallen by the wayside, in deference to my personal life.

With a new year, it is my plan to get back to work on the numerous projects that are currently in progress, but i'm still held back by financial and time management issues, especially since the holidays have left me with absolutely no money whatsoever, and as a result of the expenses of the holiday season coupled with having the last two weekends off from work, my bank account is currently overdrawn. this means it's still going to be a while before i'm up and running.
but, i want to assure you that i will be forging ahead in the coming weeks and months, and i am determined to put the lessons i learned in 2010 to good use.

Also of note is the fact that i have a job interview this thursday (tomorrow), and i have no doubt that i will get the job. working two jobs will allow me additional income, which i can put toward moving ahead with my life and new releases.

I'm also working on setting up a kickstarter.com fundraiser to generate some cash to put toward the next batch of releases.
I have a few friends who have raised money using kickstarter to produce new albums, and it seems to work quite well. i'm still unsure exactly how to make this work, but it's definitely something i want to do.

I have struggled for thirteen years to make this label work, with varying degrees of success and failure, but i will never let the obstacles stop me from forging ahead. i'm determined to make 2011 my best year so far, both personally and artistically... and if it isn't, i'll just kill myself. i think 40 years of being alive is probably good enough.

But, all is not doom and gloom, although that is my specialty. obviously, the love is nothing. release WITHOUT ME was neither completed nor shipped by the end of 2010, but it's the first priority for the new year to get this wrapped up immediately. i've been recording vocal tracks over the past couple of days and my good friend Kevin Reilly has been working on the final mixes. we'll continue this process through the month of january, and after that it will be time to hand the tracks over to John Lamacchia for mastering.

I've submitted a request for a quote on cassette duplication and am awaiting a response. the first professionally-produced cassette will be the THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING collaboration, and i hope to get this taken care of as quickly as possible.

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VITAL WEEKLY has given the debut full length by THEOLOGIAN a favourable review:

A decade ago I received a brutal power electronics album from an artist called Navicon Torture Technologies. It was the album "Scenes from the next millennium" released on Malignant Records in 2001. Behind the NTT-project was Lee M. Bartow ...alias Leech from the New York Power Electronics scene. Genre-wise, NTT, had elements of many industrial-noise sub-genres such as power electronics, death industrial, harsh noise, and powernoise. Now Leech has shipped another project from the dark world of crushing electronics, this time under the flag Theologian. Present album "The Further I Get From Your Star, The Less Light I Feel On My Face" released on the Crucial Blast label is the debut of Theologian. Compared to the ultra-violence of the "Scenes from the next millennium"-album this new project/album more likely operates in the subtle expressions of harsh electronics. The crushing symphonies operates in the sub-levels with utter black ambience delivering some dark and sinister atmospheres.
Everyone interested in noise and experimental ambient should take a listen this excellent piece of rumbling darkness. (NM)
Address: http://www.www.crucialblast.net

MORE REVIEWS:

THE AQUARIAN

DOOMMANTIA

SONIC ABUSE

METAL ARMY AMERICA

COLLECTIVE ZINE

DEFECATION ON THE DIVINE RADIO

TO ELEVEN

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BLEAK NOVEMBER was my return to organising live events, and with the general success of the Brooklyn date, i made a decision to revive that aspect of my activities, on a somewhat limited basis.

Pete Hyde, frontman for the amazing Australian doom act WHITEHORSE, will be touring the states with his harsh noise band OCCULT BLOOD, joined by fellow Aussie noisemaker IVENS. i've set up a show for them in Brooklyn, at The Acheron, which will take place on February 3, 2011.
(WHITEHORSE will be touring the US with THE BODY this Spring!)

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2011
ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
presents
BLEAK FEBRUARY
featuring performances by

OCCULT BLOOD
occultblood.blogspot.com
IVENS
eco-tonerecords.blogspot.com
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com
LUSSURIA
lussuria.cjb.net

DOORS 8PM • ALL AGES • $8
THE ACHERON
57 WATERBURY STREET • BROOKLYN, NY
theacheron.blogspot.com
annihilvs.org

Flyer coming soon
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Up-and-coming (huh huh) porn starlet INDIGO AUGUSTINE shows her NTT pride, while doing a session for my friend's company, VSEX EAST.

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That's all for now.
Your support and patience, as always, are appreciated. Happy new year!

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 12.01.10

2010-11-30T18:32:00.017-05:00

"Therefore those who love for the sake of utility love for the sake of what is good for themselves, and those who love for the sake of pleasure do so for the sake of what is pleasant to themselves, and not in so far as the other is the person loved but in so far as he is useful or pleasant."
- Aristotle

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
As 2010 comes to an end, i find myself in a far more calm place than i've allowed myself to occupy during the past few years. always nagging at me is the pang of the past, but i've never been more prepared to dispense with it as i am now. i'm looking ahead, trying to temper the dissatisfaction with the circumstances of my life by coming up with yet another semblance of a plan to move upward from those circumstances.

i set some goals in the last year that i have achieved; they may not have gone exactly as i would have liked them to go, but they have happened, and it's now up to me to flesh out my next series of goals and see them through to become a healthier and more functional system. i know i've left a lot of people hanging, but i appreciate the patience and support, as always. producing and marketing my own art and that of others, remains the sole fulfilling aspect of my existence, and i have neither the desire nor the will to let this ever stop, even if it doesn't ever seem to go easily.

I've decided to have all future cassettes professionally duplicated, as the primary obstacle in the shipping of shirt+cassette preorder packages has been the process of dubbing and packaging cassettes. i couldn't gauge how time consuming this would be when i first started offering these releases, but now that i see how difficult it has become for me to set blocks of time aside to do it, i think that it will be much more efficient, in spite of the added expense on my part. therefore, i will say now that all shirt+cassette preorders will be professionally duplicated starting with the ADERLATING release. there will be an additional delay as a result, but i will get this taken care of as soon as possible. i will most likely have to slightly raise the prices on future preorders due to the production costs, but anything that is currently available will remain at its current price. preorder packages will be renamed BLACK BAGS beginning in 2011. obviously, i didn't have time to complete the love is nothing. release in time for the tour, but mixing and final recording sessions will resume this week and it will definitely ship by the end of the month/year.

For those stalwart few who purchased the APEX XIII anniversary preorder package, certain items remain in various stages of production, while those that are in stock should start to ship in mid-december. the entire collection should be shipped by the end of february. i apologise for the delay, but with so many projects happening at once, certain things have fallen by the wayside.

There's a new year coming, and i'm determined to make it my best one so far, or at least to do what i can to not let it suck. once again, thank you for your continued support and patience.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
BLEAK NOVEMBER EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a successful and eminently pleasurable experience. many good times were had during the past two weekends, and while certain shows had their pitfalls, the overall arc of the entire endeavour was one of positivity and friendship, serving as a welcome foil to the overwhelming negativity that permeates the fabric of my everyday existence.
Therefore i'd like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Fade Kainer, Greg Peterson, Willi Stabenau, Geoffrey Summers, Joey Bones, and especially Tristan Shone for doing these shows with me. I can't fully express just how much it's meant to me.

11.19.10 - REDSCROLL RECORDS - WALLINGFORD, CT:
Thanks to Rick and Josh at REDSCROLL RECORDS for having us, and to WORK/DEATH and COWARDS for their excellent performances. special thanks to Erin, Monica and Ben for their hospitality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXtIEtNeeXU

11.20.10 - STARLAB - SOMERVILLE, MA:
Thanks to Egan Budd for setting up the show and for his hospitality, and to his lady Marie Soly. thanks to BEREFT, HUNTED CREATURES and MASTER OF PUSSY for their terrific sets and to Andy Grant/THE VOMIT ARSONIST for performing with me. thanks to Samantha Kelly, Kristen McArthur, Shane Broaderick, Desiree Delorge, Chris Machinerygod, Michael Desmond, Stagger Thorax and special thanks to my good friends Shane McGarvey and Ashleigh Maxwell for coming all the way down from Maine to see the show.

http://existest.org/ee_v3/?p=1904

11.21.10 - THE MARKETPLACE GALLERY - ALBANY, NY
Thanks to Samson Contompasis for setting up the show, and to everyone who was in attendance.

http://themarketplacegallery.com/?p=1037

11.26.10 - THE ROTUNDA - PHILADELPHIA, PA
Thanks to Dean Troxell for pulling through in the end and making this event one of the highlights of the entire tour. thanks to Butchie Claugh for making the trip up from Maryland and to Len Bogatch and Brian Boyle for making the trip down from New Jersey. thanks to Jonathan Canady and Suzie Q for coming out, and thanks to everyone else who was in attendance. special thanks and undying gratitude to my beloved friends Jeff McGivney and Nadine Dodge and Jim Plotkin for sharing their beautiful home with us and for going above and beyond the call of duty on the field of hospitality. you're incredible and i love you. thanks to Fade Kainer for joining me onstage for the THEOLOGIAN set, and thanks to Kat Katz for joining BATILLUS onstage, it was awesome. thanks to Jesse Yanniel and Mike Armine of RISE OF BECAUSE for joining the lineup at the last minute and pulling off a beautiful performance.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=111774185555539

11.27.10 - THE ACHERON - BROOKLYN, NY
Thanks and thanks and more thanks to Angela Rene Nacol for helping me put together a great show and for curating an incredible array of visual art. thanks to Michele Crowe for being part of the night and for contributing her photographic works and her time to help Angela hang the art. super thank you to Montana Masback for helping us get the space and keeping the booze flowing, and to Bill Dozer for all his help and providing us with a place to have such a great event. thanks to Nick Palmirotto for running sound and also contributing visual art. thanks to Fade Kainer, Seldon Hunt, Nathaniel Shannon, Jordan Lovelace, Bill Abdale, Angela Nacol, Rich Hall, Tristan Shone, and Pippi Zornoza for their visual contributions as well. thanks to Derek Rush, Jimmy Aly, Chris Pacifico, Justin Morales, Egan Budd, Marie Soly, Chris Machinerygod, Circe Baumgartner, Fritz Stabenau and everyone else who came out, for making this the best possible note on which to end the tour. thanks to Andy Grant/THE VOMIT ARSONIST for collaborating with me on my most intense set of the whole tour. special thanks to Paul Lemos, Mike Bazini and Tony Meola of CONTROLLED BLEEDING for their memorable performance. thanks to Mike Armine and Jesse Yanniel/RISE OF BECAUSE for dealing with the insane traffic to play yet another great set. thanks again to Kat Katz for joining BATILLUS for another excellent rendition of THE DIVISION.
supreme thanks once again must go to Fade Kainer, Geoffrey Summers, Willi Stabenau, Greg Peterson and Joey Bones for sharing these experiences with me and tolerating my drunken euphoria. i love you all.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CupCakeGoth/265022124032

AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGVodTcMjYA

BATILLUS (featuring Kat Katz)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjVuEHYIznI

CONTROLLED BLEEDING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SRx75hBWzY

MORE BLEAKNESS TO COME IN 2011!!!

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

ANNIHILVS 2010 - STILL AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER:

THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SINGS TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS-PREORDER PACKAGE

________________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES-PREORDER PACKAGE

________________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE

________________________________________

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CD-R

________________________________________

ANNIHILVS 2011 - FORTHCOMING:

THE FOLLOWING BLACK BAG PREORDER PACKAGES ARE PLANNED FOR 2011:

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE
Audio will be completed in early 2011 and the preorder will be announced in January.

THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE. THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN

THEOLOGIAN+AUTHOR & PUNISHER. DEATH MACHINES

THEOLOGIAN+HECATE. HEEDING NATURE'S CALL

THEOLOGIAN+AUN

THEOLOGIAN+NO FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

THEOLOGIAN+CONTENT NULLITY

THEOLOGIAN+ATEK

THEOLOGIAN+THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

THEOLOGIAN+XIPHOID DEMENTIA

THEOLOGIAN+COREPHALLISM

THEOLOGIAN+BETA CLOUD

THEOLOGIAN+MUTUS LIBER

THEOLOGIAN+NYODENE D

________________________________________

THE FOLLOWING VINYL RELEASES ARE PLANNED FOR 2011:

VVLTVRE. TITLE TBA EP

SKINCAGE. WOUNDED GALAXIES TAP AT THE WINDOW VINYL LP

BLACK SUN/INSWARM. SPLIT VINYL LP (TITLE TBA)

AND MORE, POSSIBLY...

THANK YOU!!!

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 10.28.10

2010-10-28T19:38:00.006-04:00

"Endure, my heart, you've suffered more shameful things than this."
- Odysseus

I often find myself wishing i could just stop everything that i've set out to do and let it cease, so as to provide myself with a respite from the anxiety that comes along with everything i do. i wish there was more time, even when i only work 3 days of every week, i'm in school and the combined efforts of creating music, layouts, assembling packaging and fulfilling orders take their toll from time to time. if i could afford help on a regular basis, it would make things considerably easier, but at present it takes a lot for me to give up $40-$50 of my weekly pay for assistance. this is not a complaint, it's merely a statement of the facts. i have chosen these activities and without them, my life would be much less worth living.

NOW IN STOCK:
THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)

Plus, a host of new distro items from CRUCIAL BLAST and others.

________________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SINGS TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS-PREORDER PACKAGE
The ADERLATING shirts are now on-hand, which means orders will start shipping soon.

________________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES-PREORDER PACKAGE
Is now available for preorder.

________________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE
This release will be delayed, as Greg is currently dealing with very difficult personal time.
More information can be found on the PROMETHEUS BURNING site.

________________________________________

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CD-R
The final mixing process has begun, undertaken by my good friend Kevin D. Reilly, Jr. at LAST STOP RR, concurrently with collaborative recording sessions with the members of TOURNAMENT. after these sessions are completed, i will finally record the vocal tracks. speaking of vocals, we've confirmed that my friend Janaki Uma Leah, daughter of the venerable KRISHNA DAS, who is herself a talented songstress and kirtan singer, will contribute vocals on two tracks. Janaki also happens to be Kevin's girlfriend and the mother of his son Bodhi. lastly, my friend Derek Rush of DREAM INTO DUST will be contributing guitar to one track. i've now decided that the deadline for completion of this release will be just prior to the BLEAK NOVEMBER tour.

________________________________________

Speaking of the tour, please note yet another venue change for the New York date.

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
is pleased to present
B L E A K N O V E M B E R
EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010
in association with
...A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET,
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL
RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

FRI NOV 19
REDSCROLL RECORDS
http://www.redscrollrecords.com/
WALLINGFORD, CT
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
COWARDS
http://www.myspace.com/cowards999
WORK/DEATH
http://www.corleonerecords.com/banddetail.asp?bandid=35
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SAT NOV 20
STARLAB
SOMERVILLE, MA
presented by EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT/FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS/DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS
http://www.existest.org/
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
HUNTED CREATURES
http://www.myspace.com/huntedcreatures
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence
BEREFT
http://www.myspace.com/bereft73

SUN NOV 21
THE MARKETPLACE GALLERY
http://www.themarketplacegallery.com/
ALBANY, NY
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ACIPENSER
http://www.myspace.com/acipenser315

FRI NOV 26
THE ROTUNDA
http://www.therotunda.org/
PHILADELPHIA, PA
presented by DIGITAL FERRET/ISOTANK
http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ALL THE EVIL (WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE)
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil
http://www.myspace.com/sqsq

SAT NOV 27
THE ACHERON
http://theacheronbk.blogspot.com/
BROOKLYN, NY
presented by CUPCAKEGOTH/ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
http://www.cupcakegoth.com/
http://www.annihilvs.org/
performances by
CONTROLLED BLEEDING
http://www.myspace.com/controlledbleeding
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN+THE VOMIT ARSONIST
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
ALL THE EVIL
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil

________________________________________

As i've been preparing material for my forthcoming performances, i've been formulating plans for the next THEOLOGIAN full length, which will be called THE CHASMS OF MY HEART, which will be released by CRUCIAL BLAST in 2011.
Artwork for the cover has been contributed by my friend Kara Wooldridge:

________________________________________

The last piece of news is that the incredible artist, Ione Rucquoi, has agreed to let me use one of her pieces for a forthcoming release by THEOLOGIAN.

________________________________________

That is all for now. thanks, as always.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 10.11.10

2010-10-11T18:52:00.037-04:00

"The philosopher, of all people, should welcome death, since it is the highest form of katharsis."

Lots of coolness to report this week.
because of logistical troubles getting the tracks to Fade before he left to tour with his band BATILLUS, CODE LEECH has been mastered by my good friend, the lovely and talented Kevin D. Reilly, Jr., at LAST STOP RECORDING & REHEARSAL, a home away from home located in beautiful Orangeburg, NY. this means copies will FINALLY start to ship THIS WEEK. my part-time assistant will be coming by tomorrow to help me pack orders. i'll be in Philadelphia on wednesday to see UNEARTHLY TRANCE, but i'll make it a point to get as many packages out as i can the following day. the ADERLATING shirts are still at the printers, but should be in hand fairly soon, and i'll do my best to begin shipping them immediately after. the audio is now essentially complete.

_________________________________

THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES-PREORDER PACKAGE

Preorder includes an all-new FRAGMENT KING "Rot" tshirt, with 60 minute cassette. Side A contains 30 minutes of sheer rage by longtime live member of NTT and collaborator under the guises of NEXICON and love is nothing., Mark Kammerbauer, the man behind ultra-heavy sonic deconstructor FRAGMENT KING, arrives on the craggy shores of hell with HERE MUSIC DIES.
Endless spite is filtered through soul-numbing distortion, accompanied by bitter, crisp electronic rhythms that glide across the edge that separates dark industrial, crushing metal and paranoiac breakbeat. This is the death of music.
Side B features tracks assembled by THEOLOGIAN using FRAGMENT KING source material.

Listen to an audio preview here.

_________________________________

As of now, there are currently three new preorder packages available (not counting CODE LEECH), all of which are fantastic.

THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SINGS TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER

THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES

this will be the last preorder offered before the BLEAK NOVEMBER EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR, other than the forthcoming collaboration with AUTHOR & PUNISHER, which i hope to have out in time for the tour. the final preorder package of 2010 will be the THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC release.
_________________________________

THEOLOGIAN has participated in the awesome and extremely ambitious COUNTERFEIT web release by NYC band DREAM INTO DUST. The release features six different mixes of the new track COUNTERFEIT, along with a very excellent video for the original version. i've known Derek Rush of DREAM INTO DUST for many many years, and i am honoured to have participated in this project. we've got plans for future collaborations, and i've asked Derek to record guitar for one of the tracks on the forthcoming love is nothing. release.

check out COUNTERFEIT here.

_________________________________

Speaking of love is nothing., TOURNAMENT are back at LAST STOP this week, and i hope to get them to wrap up work on the track to which they're contributing their prodigious talents fairly soon. Carrie Ingber, without whom this release would not exist, will hopefully join us in the studio as well, to help finish up some of the other pieces. i'm still hoping/planning to get this thing done by the end of October, but if it's not, you'll know why.

_________________________________

More acts have been added to various stops along the BLEAK NOVEMBER MICRO-TOUR, and it also became necessary to change venues for the New York show, to a much nicer venue with a real sound system.
the updated information follows:

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
is pleased to present
B L E A K N O V E M B E R
EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010
in association with
A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET,
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL
RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

FRI NOV 19
REDSCROLL RECORDS
http://www.redscrollrecords.com
WALLINGFORD, CT
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
COWARDS
http://www.myspace.com/cowards999
WORK/DEATH
http://www.corleonerecords.com/banddetail.asp?bandid=35
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SAT NOV 20
STARLAB
presented by EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT/FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS/DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS
http://www.existest.org
SOMERVILLE, MA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
HUNTED CREATURES
http://www.myspace.com/huntedcreatures
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence
BEREFT
http://www.myspace.com/bereft73

SUN NOV 21
VALENTINE'S
http://valentinesalbany.com
ALBANY, NY
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ACIPENSER
http://www.myspace.com/acipenser315

FRI NOV 26
THE ROTUNDA
http://www.therotunda.org
presented by DIGITAL FERRET/ISOTANK
http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret
PHILADELPHIA, PA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ALL THE EVIL (WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE)
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil
http://www.myspace.com/sqsq

SAT NOV 27
COCO 66
presented by CUPCAKEGOTH/ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
http://www.cupcakegoth.com
BROOKLYN, NY
performances by
CONTROLLED BLEEDING
http://www.myspace.com/controlledbleeding
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN+THE VOMIT ARSONIST
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
ALL THE EVIL
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil

_________________________________

Don't forget to get THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE, the debut full length by THEOLOGIAN, as well as the digital ep CHARTING THE SCHISM, from CRUCIAL BLAST

_________________________________

I think that is all for now. Thanks for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 09.30.10

2010-09-30T20:01:00.001-04:00

"I am so afraid of people's words. They describe so distinctly everything:
And this they call dog and that they call house,
here the start and there the end.
I worry about their mockery with words,
they know everything, what will be, what was;
no mountain is still miraculous;
and their house and yard lead right up to God.
I want to warn and object: Let the things be!
I enjoy listening to the sound they are making.
But you always touch: and they hush and stand still.
That's how you kill."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

The weather here has been grey and shitty all week. actually, for about two weeks, with a couple of bright, beautiful summer-like days tucked in between.
my grand plans have fallen short, but this is nothing new. during the last two weeks, i've been delayed in shipping a variety of orders for three primary reasons. the first is financially-oriented (what else is new?), and the second is far more logistical in nature; i had to order new supplies (polybags, blank cdrs and blank cassettes), and so have been prevented from producing several items. however, that issue has slowly begun to be remedied, as these items are already arriving piecemeal. the third reason is the fact that i had a paper due today for my HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY class, and it was weighing very heavily and causing me immense stress to try to balance everything that i had to do. i handed in a pretty barebones rough draft today, but at least the bulk of that stress has been lifted. next week will prove to be far more productive than the past two.
that is not to say that i've been entirely idle during this time; two weeks ago i moved part of my recording setup to LAST STOP to put down vocal tracks for the love is nothing. release, and have slowly begun to get some material down. additionally, my friends in TOURNAMENT have selected a track on which they will be collaborating, and some work has already been done in that regard. unfortunately, the release is not yet ready to ship, but it's far closer than it's been before, and i hope to get things wrapped up as soon as possible.
i've also been able to work a bit on formulating parts of my live THEOLOGIAN set for the forthcoming tour in november. more on that below.

_______________________________________

Some very exciting news: just this week, i confirmed that ANNIHILVS will have the singular pleasure of releasing the final vinyl ep by my friends VVLTVRE in the early part of 2011. this release will signal the label's transition from the cd format into vinyl, and will be exclusively distributed by CRUCIAL BLAST on vinyl and as a digital download. i'll post more news on this as it comes together.

_______________________________________

The THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING preorder shirt artwork has been submitted and approved, so they should be in fairly soon. Mories has created amazing new artwork for the release.

_______________________________________

I am pleased to announce that preorders for the THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT release are now available:
FOUR PI MOVEMENT is currently the solo project of Greg Vaneck (PROMETHEUS BURNING), an improvisational modular noise/power electronics analog monster of heated low-end distortion and raging high-end shrieks. Shredded through the teeth of THEOLOGIAN, the material takes on a totalitarian aspect, crushing rhythms reminiscent of an army of death marching on your city to burn your children and rape your women.
FOUR PI MOVEMENT tshirt comes with a 60 minute cassette, featuring one side of exclusive material from FOUR PI MOVEMENT, and one side of collaborative tracks constructed by THEOLOGIAN using FOUR PI source material. Limited 40 copies.

_______________________________________

More acts have been added to a few of the lineups for the BLEAK NOVEMBER TOUR.
although still subject to change, here is the current tour iternerary and full lineup info:

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
is pleased to present
B L E A K N O V E M B E R
EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010
in association with
A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET,
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL
RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

FRI NOV 19
REDSCROLL RECORDS
http://www.redscrollrecords.com
WALLINGFORD, CT
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
COWARDS
http://www.myspace.com/cowards999
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SAT NOV 20
STARLAB
presented by EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT/FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS/DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS
http://www.existest.org/
SOMERVILLE, MA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
HUNTED CREATURES
http://www.myspace.com/huntedcreatures
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence
BEREFT
http://www.myspace.com/bereft73

SUN NOV 21
VALENTINE'S
http://valentinesalbany.com
ALBANY, NY
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ACIPENSER
http://www.myspace.com/acipenser315

FRI NOV 26
THE ROTUNDA
presented by DIGITAL FERRET/ISOTANK
http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret
PHILADELPHIA, PA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ALL THE EVIL (WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE)
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil
http://www.myspace.com/sqsq

SAT NOV 27
THE CHARLESTON
presented by CUPCAKEGOTH/ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
http://www.cupcakegoth.com
BROOKLYN, NY
performances by
CONTROLLED BLEEDING
http://www.myspace.com/controlledbleeding
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN+THE VOMIT ARSONIST
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
ALL THE EVIL
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil
_______________________________________

That's pretty much all i have for the moment. a number of orders will absolutely begin to ship on or around next wednesday.

Thanks for looking and listening!!!

resisting the urge while indulging the urge to respond

2010-09-27T21:25:00.002-04:00

08.13.09

changes in brain chemistry emerge as dreams of a future that could never possibly come to pass.

the perfect life of happiness

married to a psychotic cunt

smiling we pose for a photograph

i looked younger but more mature than i've ever looked, we looked happy together, devoid of the selfishness she exhibits in real life. we looked perfect together, surrounded by smiling friends, elegantly dressed in our perfect apartment. low ceilings, too low for people as tall as we are, little windows where the cats can come and go as they please, white walls and lots of sunlight.
the place for a perfect life together

in spite of her insanity and disregard for anyone's feelings but her own, my mind yearns for a life with her.

the poison of who i really am pulses between the cells of my brain tissue. her smile, her hair, our happiness is a lie that my mind manufactures, it's been more than a year since i had the energy to feel anything but hatred for her, the total disappointment she planted inside my soul rests within me and waits to administer its venom in the form of dreams such as this one.

memories from a future that will never come to pass...

09.25.10

fall into the chasms of my heart,
you'll find no forgiveness there;
only the stench of clotted blood,
and the bitter smoke of burning hair.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 09.11.2010

2010-09-11T20:02:00.002-04:00

"If God were suddenly condemned to live the life which He has inflicted upon men, He would kill Himself."
- Alexandre Dumas

Last night, i was fortunate enough to be able to attend a screening of Frankie Latina's brilliant film, MODUS OPERANDI, which premiered at the IFC Center in NYC.
The film was presented by Sasha Grey, who should require no introduction to most of you. I've been in contact with Sasha for about three years now, as we're fans of each others' respective works. I was able to finally meet Sasha in person after all this time and I was pretty nervous about it. However, as expected, the circumstances of the event were not conducive to much conversation. When my date and i showed up, my worst fear came true, and everybody who i talked to who worked at the theater was willing to acknowledge that i was supposed to have two tickets waiting for me, as i was told there was neither a guestlist, nor tickets put aside for me. a few minutes of feeling bummed and a couple of text messages later, and a lady in a green dress came outside, calling my name. Phew!
A moment later, Sasha and i were face to face, and i hugged her hello, introducing her to my date and handing her a package containing copies of the STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY special edition, MAXIMUM BITTERNESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, FROM BEYOND AN OBFUSCATED CONSTELLATION, THE FINAL PAGE, and WRETCH. She then had to take the stage to address the audience and present the film, so we stood in the doorway trying to catch a glimpse of the action inside. i spotted Danny Trejo, one of the film's stars, and giggled. I'd just seen MACHETE earlier in the week. A theater employee said we should try the main entrance to the room, so we went around the corner and walked in. The room was almost filled to capacity, but after standing awkwardly at the back with some other folks, while Sasha and the director Frankie Latina talked a bit about how the film came about and how Sasha got involved, we found some seats and settled in as the lights went down.
The film itself was a hilarious, convoluted and brilliant criminal/espionage saga, done in the tradition of exploitation cinema. It tells the story of an ex-CIA man, who we first see drowning in desperation and grief after his wife is murdered in what was meant to be his own assassination. He is reactivated and assigned to retrieve two briefcases from men who have killed to possess it, with the promise that when he hands them over, he'll be told the identity of the man responsible for his wife's death. Chaos ensues. I highly recommend it to any fan of violence, intrigue and camp film.

_________________

CRUCIAL BLAST has announced preorders for the debut full-length by THEOLOGIAN, THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE. the album is reviewed very favourably in the current (October) issue of DECIBEL magazine, with an 8 out of 10 rating (the new "SWANS" album received a 5, which mirrors my own impressions). here is a slightly edited excerpt: "...a perfectly timed backdrop for... self interrogation and/or personality change."
I will have copies of both the standard and special editions of this release, but i'm not sure when or how many copies, so i suggest you deal directly with the label if you want to get your hands on this release sooner than later.

_________________

Now that the THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM preorders have all shipped, and the huge stack of orders that had been heaped upon my shoulders has dwindled down to nothing, i'm pleased to announce the next collaborative release that is in progress:

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER:
THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SING TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS-PREORDER PACKAGE
GNAW THEIR TONGUES sideproject ADERLATING provides THEOLOGIAN with source material for a descent into black abysses. Sickening strings gurgle over frightening, mournful drones that echo from within the bottomless void at the core of humankind.
ADERLATING tshirt accompanied by 60 minute cassette.
Limited to 40 copies.

_________________

Next in line will be: THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE

Select items from the APEX XIII preorder will begin shipping in roughly two weeks, along with copies of the CODE LEECH preorder.
Fade from INSWARM will be mastering the tracks for CODE LEECH, but we're having some trouble getting started on that process.

_________________

With today being September 11, there are obviously a lot of emotionally charged discussions taking place online. i was lucky enough to be pried out of the house today by a friend before i could get in any deeper. one of the more unfortunate aspects of Facebook is that it gives us the opportunity to see the political leanings of certain friends, whose opinions on certain matters would otherwise be better left unknown. my response to some of what i've seen today was to construct the following mix:

DJ LEECH - DAY OF WRATH - 09.11.2010

Gnaw Their Tongues > Prayer for the Bloodred Rain
MZ.412 > Satan Jugend
No Festival of Light > Enter to the Realm of Satan IV
Death Squad > Fuck God (live)
Brandkommando > God Hates Us
Nekrasov > Chant the Name of God in a Thousand Languages Until All is Blood and Feces
Haus Arafna > Last Dream of Jesus
Aderlating > Cut off my Penis in Praise of Black Satan
Black Sun > Disintegrate to Khrist
Tribe of Circle > The Aryan Christ
Xasthur > Shrine of Failure
Sewer Goddess > Sewer Goddess Pt 1

_________________

The final piece of news i have to share has to do with the upcoming East Coast tour in November. i'd originally planned to post a more complete itinerary, with links for every act along the way, but it seems like some loose ends still need to be tied up. fortunately, we have some time yet, but i admit to having let certain things slip by me during the last couple of weeks due to a bit of a dip in my personal velocity. i'm trying to regain a foothold, and this post will hopefully help to propel me back into action.
in any case, here is the current tour lineup, which is subject to change:

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
is pleased to present
B L E A K N O V E M B E R
EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010
in association with
A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET,
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL
RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

FRI NOV 19
REDSCROLL RECORDS
http://www.redscrollrecords.com
WALLINGFORD, CT
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
COWARDS
http://www.myspace.com/cowards999
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SAT NOV 20
STARLAB
presented by EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT/FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS/DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS
http://www.existest.org
SOMERVILLE, MA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
BEREFT
http://www.myspace.com/bereft73
MASTER OF PUSSY
http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SUN NOV 21
VALENTINE'S
http://valentinesalbany.com
ALBANY, NY
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ACIPENSER
http://www.myspace.com/acipenser315

FRI NOV 26
THE ROTUNDA
presented by DIGITAL FERRET/ISOTANK
http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret
PHILADELPHIA, PA
performances by
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
ALL THE EVIL (WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE)
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil
http://www.myspace.com/sqsq

SAT NOV 27
THE CHARLESTON
presented by CUPCAKEGOTH/ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
http://www.cupcakegoth.com
BROOKLYN, NY
performances by
CONTROLLED BLEEDING
http://www.myspace.com/controlledbleeding
AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
THEOLOGIAN+THE VOMIT ARSONIST
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
ALL THE EVIL
http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil

Thank you for looking and listening.

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER FROM CRUCIAL BLAST

2010-09-06T07:27:00.002-04:00

CRUCIAL BLAST

Theologian debuts here with it's first widely available release through Crucial Blast, The Further I Get From Your Star, The Less Light I Feel On My Face, an abyssal blast of nebulous black electronics and subterranean death-synth. We are releasing the cd in a deluxe, six-panel DVD style digipack (along the same lines as the last Navicon Torture Technologies release Gospels Of The Gash) as well as an exlcusive Theologian shirt design, a cd/shirt/sticker/buttons package, and a limited edition, hand-numbered silkscreened poster for The Further I Get From Your Star designed by Leech and professionally printed by Contagious Graphics. The poster will either be shipped alone, rolled in a tube, or as part of the cd/shirt/poster bundle option.

The exclusive The Further I Get From Your Star, The Less Light I Feel On My Face shirt design is printed on black Gildan 100% cotton shirts by Mammoth Screenprinting, with white discharge printing on the front.

All items will ship out by the end of September (if not sooner) from Crucial Blast.

The Further I Get From Your Star, The Less Light I Feel On My Face is the latest chapter from New York power electronics/synth-death demon Leech. This is the first full-length, widely available release from Leech's new incarnation as Theologian, which picks up where he left off with his long-running project Navicon Torture Technologies. Over the past decade, Navicon Torture Technologies blurred the edges of power electronics and dark industrial on albums like The Church Of Dead Girls (2002, Malignant), VTERVS (2008, NCC) and The Gospels Of The Gash (2009, Malignant) before ceasing operations in 2009. Now reconstituted as Theologian, Leech again explores the further realms of experience with a new form of blackened synth dread that combines many of the sounds that made up NTT's crushing electronic attack (Swedish death industrial, classic power electronics, harsh noise, powernoise) with a new level of heaviness and droneological power.
Following a series of small-run collaborations (with Wilt, Steve Moore, and The Vomit Arsonist) that were released on Leech's own label Annihilvs, Theologian delivers it's first full-length album, a seven-track descent into roaring, cosmic drone and howling black hole electronics, colossal industrial soundscapes and grim low-end heaviness. The opening track "Zero" sounds like early space music (Schulze, Tangerine Dream, etc) being blasted through massive bass-heavy sound system directly into the Void; its followed by the sprawling twenty-four minute "In Times of Need, We All Go Against Our Natures", which starts with distant twilight factory rumblings and murky motorized reverberations, then slowly reveals a bleak, shadowy realm of grimy minor-key synths slowly drifting underneath the industrial buzz and hum, both mysterious, and immensely grim. After a few minutes, eerie choral voicings begin to appear, and the sound continues to slowly develop into a vast expanse of lush isolationist ambience, a simple three-note melody repeating over and over deep beneath the peals of muted electronic tones, distant grinding, hushed whispering, and oncoming waves of black feedback, becoming darker and more menacing as it goes on. Then a male voice appears off in the background, awash in delay, forming these haunting multi-part harmonies that drift beneath the smoldering electronic noise; after a while, it almost sounds like something from Sigur Ros slowly falling into Stygian blackness, the singing becoming warped and fractured as the swirling black synths corrode and decay into a buzzing, churning field of irradiated drone, getting heavier, more distorted, until the final eight minutes finally form into a wash of blackened doom-drone heaviness surrounded with icy synth pulses, eerie choral voices, grinding industrial dread, and fearsome distorted screams, a sort of pitch-black power electronics dirge...
That epic track may be the album's heaviest moment, but the rest of Your Star is just as bleak and lightless. Another massive slab of murky, molten ambience unfolds with "Unfamiliar Skies", where sheets of glacial string-like drones swirl beneath blown-out synthesizer rumble, and a simple rhythmic throb pulses at the black rotting center, surrounded by clouds of crackling static, and gradually becoming streaked with oscillating sine waves and heavy gusts of black distortion. The title track is blighted isolationist drone shattered by the burning descent of black stars falling from the skies, underscored by a gorgeous, wavering blissed-out drone; halfway through, it shifts gears into hallucinatory, dark wave-infected power electronics with ultra-distorted demonic/robotic vocals and super dense walls of deteriorating drone and sepulchral synthesizer. The remaining tracks move through roaring melodic drift, wailing distorted vocals, and seriously acerbic distortion that combine into mantras of narcotized power electronics, throbbing black machine pulsations, chthonic ambience laced with metallic ringing, eerie sublimated melodies and deep low-end bone-rattling churn, at times sounding really soundtrack-esque, even resembling a more apocalyptic, deformed take on John Carpenter's film score work at times. The hidden final track "The Fragility Of The Male Ego..." finishes the album with a crushing industrial dirge sculpted out of droning feedback and overdriven distortion, as caustic as anything that's come before, with a very subtle dark wave quality lurking beneath the scorched electronics that makes this sound somewhat like hearing a Projekt Records track being remixed by a Japanese noise extremist.
Like Navicon, Theologian combines several different disciplines of industrial into a signature sound, a doom-laden hybrid of death industrial and power electronics and black ambience that's spliced with a constant melodic presence; the music is harsh, often hellish, but accentuated by an icy, desolate beauty that gives The Further I Get From Your Star, The Less Light I Feel On My Face it’s unique, abyssal vibe.
The album is being released on Cd in deluxe dvd-style digipack packaging with striking artwork and visual design by Leech, and as a digital download.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 09.01.10

2010-09-01T07:40:00.005-04:00

"If hell has an anatomy, it is surely a woman's genitalia."
- Catherine Breillat

As summer draws to the inevitable end and autumn approaches fast, i continue to struggle with staying on top of everything on my plate, but rest assured it's all moving ahead in one way or another.
due to some financial pitfalls during the past few weeks, i was heavily delayed in shipping the many orders (40-50, i think) that have been packed and ready to go for at least three to four weeks. i did shipping labels for a little less than half of those orders yesterday and will be doing the rest between today and tomorrow, dropping as many as i can off at the post office tomorrow afternoon.

This leaves the CODE LEECH preorders next on deck. fade from INSWARM is mastering the tracks, while waiting for me to complete the final piece, then i can start assembly and shipping. the collaborations with ADERLATING and FOUR PI MOVEMENT are next in the queue for availability, while the APEX XIII stuff will begin trickling into the postal system toward the middle of september. i hope to get the love is nothing. release out at the end of this month. i'm waiting for some more guitar tracks from Johny Lamacchia, and once i record the vocals, i'll start Kevin on the final mixes at LAST STOP. i may be able to get TOURNAMENT in on at least one track once this process begins, since they're working over there these days. which reminds me that i need to get started on my contributions to our 3 cdr collaborative release, OPIUM DEN.
the STROM.EC preorder will be made available in early october, followed by the AUTHOR & PUNISHER preorder in november, which will be produced to coincide with:

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX
is pleased to present
B L E A K N O V E M B E R
EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010
in association with
A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET,
EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL
RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

AUTHOR & PUNISHER
http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher
http://www.tristanshone.com
BATILLUS
http://www.myspace.com/batillus
http://www.batillusdoom.com
THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian
http://www.annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19
REDSCROLL RECORDS
WALLINGFORD, CT

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20
STARLAB
SOMERVILLE, MA

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21
VALENTINE'S
ALBANY, NY

BLACK FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26
THE ROTUNDA
PHILADELPHIA, PA

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27
THE CHARLESTON
BROOKLYN, NY

MORE INFORMATION TO COME

Some time this week, CRUCIAL BLAST should be announcing preorders for THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE, the debut full length album by THEOLOGIAN, along with the first ep, CHARTING THE SCHISM, which will be available exclusively as a digital download.

That's all for now.
Thanks as always...

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 08.11.10

2010-08-11T09:41:00.005-04:00

Today is my birthday, and as such it's also considered the 13th anniversary of ANNIHILVS.
in celebration of this auspicious milestone, i'm launching a new webstore and offering a huge limited (30 copies) preorder package as thanks to those who continue to support my endeavours. please note that some of these items already exist, while some will be produced during the next couple of months. what is in stock will ship as soon as possible, while others will be subject to the usual delays.
the preorder includes a digital compilation download called NO FLESH SHALL BE SPARED, which contains more than 4 hours' worth of material, ranging from archival recordings that very few people have heard outside my immediate circle, to pieces from out of print limited releases. also featured are brand new tracks from the recent slew of limited cassette collaborations as well as never before released material from projects which were planned but never fully fleshed out. this will be available immediately upon purchase. along with the massive compilation download, this anniversary preorder contains a total of 4 tshirts, several mini posters, stickers, pins and posters, for $45.

starting with this release, i will be making the transition to this all new (to me) webstore system, which generates an automatic email with download instructions. this is my first time using this site, so hopefully there won't be any issues. the old webstore will remain active until i can transfer all of my inventory over to the new site. i still haven't made a solid plan for this, so for the time being, both stores will remain active.

For those who have been patiently awaiting packages, i am going to ship as much as possible by the end of this week, and my hope is to get everything pending out the door by saturday. because of my birthday, i've taken the weekend off from work and intend to not just celebrate, but to get as much label-related work done as i can. as of now the vast majority of THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM preorders are packed and ready to ship, along with the last 3 straggling THEOLOGIAN+WILT parcels and several distro/trade packages.

John Lamacchia and Mike Hill have each submitted guitar tracks for two pieces from the love is nothing. cdr, and i couldn't be happier with the results. Johny is going to work on some other tracks, and has offered to master the album, which is very exciting. things are moving ahead. still no definite date on when these will ship, but i'm determined to get them out as soon as possible without sacrificing the high quality i'm trying to achieve with this release. the new logo has been incorporated into the cover artwork, and can be seen on the love is nothing. myspace page.

I've received word from BLUE COLLAR that the BLACK SUN shirts have shipped, and now i'm basically waiting for them to take my money, which will leave me somewhat broke until after i work again in two weeks. hopefully, some of you will take the leap and buy the anniversary preorder:

APEX XIII PREORDER PACKAGE

ANNIHILVS presents a massive preorder package, in celebration of the label's thirteenth anniversary.

LIMITED 30 COPIES.

PREORDER CONTENTS:

• NO FLESH SHALL BE SPARED DIGITAL COMPILATION

A digital download featuring more than 4 hours of audio.

Contains rare, never before released archival material, a variety of tracks from out of print releases and a selection of recent collaborative pieces. DOWNLOAD WILL BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE UPON PURCHASE.

• ANNIHILVS TSHIRT

• APEX XIII MINI POSTER

• THEOLOGIAN+PROPERGOL. FOLIE À DEUX CASSETTE

• THEOLOGIAN. "BIG SCHISM" TSHIRT

• APEX FEST 2005 MINI POSTER

• APEX FEST III TSHIRT

• APEX FEST III SCREENPRINTED POSTER

• UNSOUND NYC TSHIRT (ARTWORK BY MARK RIDDICK)

• STICKER SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

• MINI POSTER SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

• 1 INCH PIN SET (ANNIHILVS, NTT, THEOLOGIAN, love is nothing., M BLADH, IRM, JARL, PROPERGOL, WILT)

Also in progress is a comprehensive (as comprehensive as my memory will permit) article about the history of ANNIHILVS, from its very meagre beginnings to its very meagre present, for those who are interested in such things. i plan to eventually have this shopify site serve as the sole location for all things ANNIHILVS. we'll see if it works out that way.

CRUCIAL BLAST should be officially announcing the release of THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE by THEOLOGIAN some time this week, and it will become available in september, along with the digital ep, CHARTING THE SCHISM.

That seems to be it for now, thanks for your continued support...

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 07.21.10

2010-07-21T13:20:00.044-04:00

As summer drones on and i try to make myself get used to to the heat and a general sense of malaise, i strive to keep moving ahead with label-related activities. not so easy, but i have managed to get a lot out of the way during the past month. the THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM preorder will begin to ship very soon. i finally finished the layout today and sent it to the printers, and the audio master has been made, so i can start dubbing copies. i plan to begin preparing packages tomorrow. i'm hoping to get them all out by july 30, and after that i will work on assembling the CODE LEECH preorder package. i plan to wrap that process up and begin shipping them by the 11th of august. i have to finish one last track, but today i sent the BLACK SUN shirt artwork to the printers. i'm switching to a different, somewhat cheaper printer than i have been using. the shirts will be delayed a bit, because they are moving to a new location in the next weeks. the good news is that starting with this one, i can now get runs of 50 shirts for less than what i've been paying for runs of 36 shirts. that means i can send more artist copies out and to a few distros as well. hooray.

The 11th of august is my birthday and the 13th anniversary of ANNIHILVS, at which point i will announce a pretty massive celebratory preorder package that will include a couple of new shirts, some posters, miniposters, pins and a whole bunch of new stickers (also featuring a very nice, unexpected collaboration release); hopefully coinciding with the advent of an all-new ANNIHILVS website/webstore. i'm lagging very far behind my self-imposed schedule (what else is new), so it remains to be seen if i'll have the new site working by then, but the anniversary preorder will be announced regardless.

A slew of new collaborative audio is currently in progress, and i'm going to try to get these out is as quick succession as i can during the next several months. below is a list of preorder packages that have tracks in various stages of production, which doesn't necessarily reflect the order in which they will be released (though this is possible):

THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING. A CHORUS OF BEAUTIES SINGS TO ME THROUGH SLIT THROATS
THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER
THEOLOGIAN+AUN. L'ÉPREUVE DE PORETE
THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE. THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN
THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE

In other THEOLOGIAN news, Adam at CRUCIAL BLAST is working on getting the shirts, posters and other periphery for the special edition of THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE, while it's being mastered by Jérôme at HERMETIQUE. More on that to come.

I've gotten the licensing contract for the photo by the very talented Michele Crowe which will be used as cover art for WITHOUT ME by love is nothing.
the audio is still in progress, and i'm still waiting on a new logo design from Hiero, so it's gonna be a while, but i think it will be worth the wait.

In the world of SUFFERING BODIES, i had a recent email exchange with the amazing Mark Powell about using some of his work for the layout, so that is coming together. the audio is kinda stalled at the moment, but we're in contact about moving forward. there are four existing tracks, which were submitted to the awesome VENDLUS RECORDS, and there was a positive response. no real plan exists for when this beast will materialise, but it shall, and it will be on an amazing label!

I think that's pretty much i can muster at this point.

Many thanks for your continued support.
HAIL SATAN

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 07.01.10

2010-07-01T11:48:00.005-04:00

I'd hoped to get several orders shipped on wednesday, but between unbelievably intense hot weather in the early part of the week and the effort i've put into finishing up the audio and layout for the new THEOLOGIAN album by the end of june, i had to let a lot of shit slip by me this week. i will absolutely get back on it next week. i picked up the INSWARM shirts today, and the audio has been completed for a little under a week now, so those will most likely start shipping next week, along with the last remaining few WILT preorders. in spite of this week's hiccup, things are still moving ahead.
i received a few emails about missing orders and a couple of incorrect items that got shipped. this is most likely due to the transitional into working with an assistant who's unfamiliar with my (lack of a) system. the kinks will be ironed out...

Now, for the real news:

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)
The audio and layout are completed and have been turned in to Adam at CRUCIAL BLAST. the tracks are being mastered by the amazing Jérôme Nougaillon of HERMETIQUE and PROPERGOL, and i anticipate that he will make them sound incredible.
there will be a special edition of the album, including a shirt, poster and pins. CRUCIAL BLAST will also release the debut ep, CHARTING THE SCHISM as a digital download in conjunction with this album.
i sent the unmastered mp3s to a few people to preview, among them was Mories of GNAW THEIR TONGUES and ADERLATING, and this is what he had to say:
"Absolute dark tunnel music, like being slowly sucked into a black hole leading to hell...brooding dark stuff man."
i can't ask for a better description than that, especially from someone so well-versed in making music that sounds like it was recorded in the pit of tartarus. by the way, congratulations are in order for GNAW THEIR TONGUES, whose next album will be released by CANDLELIGHT RECORDS!

Earlier this week, Mories sent me the artwork for the ADERLATING shirt to be included in the previously announced THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING preorder package, forthcoming in the near future.

YOU REALLY SHOULD BUY THIS:
THEOLOGIAN+BLACK SUN+INSWARM+REQUIEM. CODE LEECH-PREORDER PACKAGE
Black-on-black tshirt featuring the SWANS-inspired logo of cunted Glaswegian doom butchers BLACK SUN. Includes a 60 minute cassette containing multiple versions of the track CRAWLING LIKE A LEECH, from their CODE BLACK ep (appearing on the split 7inch with THEY ARE COWARDS), raped and reinterpreted by THEOLOGIAN, brooklyn-based industrial doomers INSWARM and pennsylvanian black ambient mystic REQUIEM. Also features a cover/remix version of the BLACK SUN track HAMMER by THEOLOGIAN.

More news to come...

Thanks for looking and listening!

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 06.16.10

2010-06-16T09:07:00.010-04:00

A lot of news this time around. things worked out well with my new assistant Ron last week, and a host of orders were shipped. i think i'll have him come in twice a month to help me get things in shape. the INSWARM shirts are at the printers and will hopefully be ready to start shipping next week. the last of the WILT preorders, along with the last batch of IRM shirts and a few other assorted orders, will be going out today and tomorrow. several new preorders are in the works.
i've tried to compile as complete a list as i could at the bottom of this post. i've added a bunch of distro items from COLD SPRING, EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT and SYZMIC RECORDS to the webstore.

As i've stated previously, ANNIHILVS turns 13 this august; i'm working on some special releases and planning to launch an all-new website in celebration. we'll see how it all pans out. my ambitions far outmatch my funds, as always.

The first of a new two-part interview with THEOLOGIAN has been posted to the (also new) webzine METRONO.ME.

I've started working on the next collaboration betwee THE VOMIT ARSONIST and THEOLOGIAN, which will be called NATURE IS SATAN'S CHURCH, inspired by and based on ideas and imagery from Lars Von Trier's film ANTICHRIST. this should be pretty dark and fucked up, like the film.

It would seem that SUFFERING BODIES has found a home with a great label. now we just need to keep working on material. more to come...

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER:

THEOLOGIAN+BLACK SUN+INSWARM+REQUIEM. CODE LEECH-PREORDER PACKAGE
Black-on-black tshirt featuring the SWANS-inspired logo of cunted Glaswegian doom butchers BLACK SUN. Includes a 60 minute cassette containing multiple versions of the track CRAWLING LIKE A LEECH, from their CODE BLACK ep (appearing on the split 7inch with THEY ARE COWARDS), raped and reinterpreted by THEOLOGIAN, INSWARM and REQUIEM. Also features a cover/remix version of the BLACK SUN track HAMMER by THEOLOGIAN.

ON THE HORIZON:

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)
Work continues. i am attempting to make this album to be as magnificently depressing and enraged as possible.

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CDR-PREORDER
A moderately major update has been applied to the love is nothing. Myspace page, and the latest news is that i've secured a fantastic image for the cover. also, a new logo and title artwork will be created by Hiero at Chirurgie Graphique, whose work some of you may recognise from the NTT release, DRIPPING WITH THE POWER OF HER FLESH. here is the most recent "official" text for the release:

After a long period of inactivity, Lee M. Bartow's drone/metal project, love is nothing. returns with this surprisingly accessible and "poppy" release. Featuring extensive collaborative input by Carrie Ingber, former bassist of Brooklyn's ZAMBRI (who played synths in S.H.R.I.K.E., the very first band formed by Lee Bartow back in 1991), as well as guitar contributions by Mike Hill of TOMBS and John Lamacchia of CANDIRIA and SPYLACOPA, this is going to be a profound departure from previous love is nothing. material. Ranging from actual dance tracks to heart-rending shoegaze, infused with the trademark deep drones love is nothing. has become known for, these recordings are beyond a doubt unlike anything you've heard from this project before. Features beautiful cover photo by Brooklyn-based photographer Michele Crowe, from the collection of CupcakeGoth.

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE-PREORDER PACKAGE
As previously stated, two tracks are nearly complete, but the audio will remain in-progress for some time. recording of the opera vocals has been delayed while she attends an international opera festival. STROM.ec have sent me a huge archive of source audio to sift through, and we're working on strengthening the release's concept, further researching the works of Philip K. Dick. this is going to be an absolutely amazing release, and while preorders will probably be announced next month, it most likely won't be completed until the fall.

COMING LATER:

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE. THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+FRAGMENT KING. HERE MUSIC DIES-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+HECATE. HEEDING NATURE'S CALL-PREORDER PACKAGE

IN DISCUSSION:

THEOLOGIAN+ADERLATING-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+AUTHOR & PUNISHER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+NO FESTIVAL OF LIGHT-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+CONTENT NULLITY-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+ATEK-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+THE BIRD CAGE THEATER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+XIPHOID DEMENTIA-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+SEWER GODDESS-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+COREPHALLISM-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+BETA CLOUD-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+MUTUS LIBER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+NYODENE D-PREORDER PACKAGE

PROBABLY MORE TO COME...

ALSO PLANNED FOR LATER IN 2010:

SKINCAGE. WOUNDED GALAXIES TAP AT THE WINDOW VINYL LP

BLACK SUN/INSWARM. SPLIT VINYL LP

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 06.06.10

2010-06-06T22:38:00.002-04:00

IRM SHIRTS ARE NOW ON HAND!

I'll be putting orders together tomorrow, tuesday and wednesday and will do my best to ship as much as possible on wednesday.
in a particularly odd twist of fate, i recently found out that this guy Ronald, with whom i've been working at my shitty factory job for the past four months, is a fan of power electronics, death metal and black metal. several weeks ago, i was wearing my new GODFLESH pullover hoodie from HYDRA HEAD as i entered the break room, and he said, "nice sweatshirt, man." which, as many of you know is a standard greeting of recognition amongst dudes who are into music. then, two weeks ago, i was wearing my BDN "WHEN YOU LIKE IT HARD" tshirt, and he said, "you like BRIGHTER DEATH NOW?" which was more than a little weird for me, considering that i live in the 'BURBS, and it's a very rare occurrence for me to meet someone who knows anything about industrial music, let alone something as relatively obscure as BDN. we briefly got to chatting, and i asked him if he'd ever heard of NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES. "Yeah..." he said, so i said, "That's ME."
the short version: it looks like i've now hired myself a part-time assistant. Ronald will be coming by on wednesday to help me with packing and shipping orders, and if all goes well i will have him come over twice a month to lend a hand.
this should make the whole shipping process less dependent on me, and quicker for you all to get your orders. how can i afford to pay an assistant, you may ask? well, i really can't, unless you keep ordering stuff. if i have help i can streamline my system, which means i can be more organised, productive, and get more releases done and shipped faster.
i'll be adding a shitload of new distro items to the webstore this week, as i've recently done trades with a few labels, and gotten my merch room prepared with a lot of new and old stock.

The IRM shirts and the remaining WILT preorder package will all go out together. i'll also try to get copies of the THEOLOGIAN+STEVE MOORE cdr out this week. the next thing in line is the THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM preorder package. as the plan stands now, i'm going to send the shirt artwork to the printers tomorrow and complete the audio this week.

CLOSE ON THE HORIZON:

THEOLOGIAN+BLACK SUN+INSWARM+REQUIEM. CODE LEECH-PREORDER PACKAGE
Hopefully, i'm going to send the BLACK SUN shirt artwork in next week and will post the preorder package to the webstore on or around june 12. this will change if i don't manage to ship out all or most of the above-mentioned items.

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE-PREORDER PACKAGE
Two tracks are nearly complete. STROM.EC have enlisted a professional opera singer (mezzo-soprano, for those who know about such things) to record vocals on one of the tracks. this will add a really fantastic element to a release that is already shaping up to be amazing. i've submitted some lyrics for this track, which i'm hoping will be translated into finnish before they are recorded. i've still got to design the sweatshirt artwork. i may be posting the THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC preorder package at the end of june or the beginning of july, but because this item includes a hoodie, i am leaning toward not shipping them until the fall. we'll see how things work out.

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)
I'll be finishing the layout and audio by the end of this month. I've submitted the high-res artwork and master audio for CHARTING THE SCHISM, which will be available in digital-only format from CRUCIAL BLAST as a companion to this release.

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CDR-PREORDER
As previously stated, we have several tracks in various stages of completion, and the release will include contributions from Mike Hill of TOMBS (www.myspace.com/tombsbklyn), and John Lamacchia of SPYLACOPA and CANDIRIA (www.risingpulse.com). The release will be delayed until we have finished all the material and ensured maximum quality.

COMING LATER:

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE. THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN-PREORDER PACKAGE

IN DISCUSSION:

THEOLOGIAN+AUTHOR & PUNISHER-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+NO FESTIVAL OF LIGHT-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+CONTENT NULLITY-PREORDER PACKAGE

AND MORE

I am also communicating with Andy Grant of THE VOMIT ARSONIST about an exciting collaborative release, tentatively entitled NATURE IS SATAN'S CHURCH. i think this will probably be released on Andy's own DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS label. also in the works are a previously announced full-length vinyl release by SKINCAGE, as well as a possible split lp featuring INSWARM and BLACK SUN. the vinyl releases won't surface until much later in the year.
august 2010 marks the 13th anniversary of ANNIHILVS, and i'm hoping to get something really special together to mark this important date. this will hopefully include an all-new website and webstore system, as well as the advent of digital-only reissues of many out of print limited items from the past 13 years. again, we shall see.

It feels very good to be able to announce forward progress. please wish me luck, as it will only mean your orders go out sooner!

Thanks for your patience and support.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 05.18.10

2010-05-18T22:54:00.001-04:00

SO...

I know it's been an absurdly long time since my last update, and while at various points i have thought i had enough positive news to share, i have also felt crippled by my inability to satisfy some very basic criteria before posting again.
i can't stress enough how much the patience and support has meant to me as i work toward making things happen here. that so many people understand the creative process and how difficult it can be means a lot. at the same time, i am constantly weighted down by guilt around the fact that i let so many orders go unfulfilled while i go through my daily life, so don't think that it's a matter of not giving a shit.

it's taken me much longer than anticipated to get the dedicated merch room set up, but as of today it is now completely ready. in addition to certain personal issues, i was delayed in large part due to the fact that in the time since my last update, the hardwood floors in my house were being refinished and the fact that i've had a painter working in my home for the last several weeks. he prefers to work alone, so he's been in my house now for close to a month. due to these two factors i couldn't get to certain areas of the house, or function normally during this time. the work is now moving to other areas of the house and i'm getting back into action.

on a more positive note, my job — while still barely tolerable — is about to become a permanent position in the near future. i've been told it will happen by the end of may, but that's looking like a somewhat liberal estimate. the permanence will lead to increased financial stability and i can work overtime shifts in order to finance not just my personal life, but new releases as well.

lest you think that nothing is going on, i do want to let you all know that there has been considerable progress during this period of silence, so you haven't just been waiting on nothing.

IRM. THE CULT OF THE YOUNG MEN TSHIRT-PREORDER
COMING VERY SOON. ARTWORK IS AT THE PRINTER.

THEOLOGIAN VS WILT. A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT-PREORDER PACKAGE
I had announced previously that these were going to start shipping, and while a couple of them did indeed go out, i admit to having let shipping fall aside during the above-mentioned period, but i spent part of today packing orders and will get back to it after i post this update. several orders will go out tomorrow, WITHOUT FAIL. i am probably going to mark this release as officially sold out by the end of the night.

THEOLOGIAN+STEVE MOORE. INTO THE UTTERMOST FIELDS OF ETHER CDR-PREORDER
As far as i'm concerned, these tracks are now all completed and i'm just waiting on a final green light from Steve that he agrees with me, before i deem the release ready to be assembled. congratulations are in order for Steve, whose wife Lauren recently gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Tess. i have posted one of our tracks to the THEOLOGIAN myspace (www.myspace.com/gashtheologian) as a preview. there are also two in-progress tracks from the forthcoming THEOLOGIAN full length on CRUCIAL BLAST up there.

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CDR-PREORDER
There are now a total of 8 tracks in various stages of completion, though we're going to take our time with this stuff in order to make it as high quality as possible. i've posted two in-progress tracks on the love is nothing. myspace for preview (www.myspace.com/lovemeansnothingintherealworld).
also of note is that i have confirmed input from previous contributor Mike Hill of the amazing TOMBS (www.myspace.com/tombsbklyn), as well as John Lamacchia of SPYLACOPA and CANDIRIA (www.risingpulse.com). each will contribute guitars to at least one, if not a couple of tracks.

THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM. OBLITERATE THE HEART, LIBERATE THE SPIRIT-PREORDER PACKAGE
Two tracks have been completed for this release, with a total of 22 minutes' worth of material ready. i'd like to do one more, but have been delayed while Fade from INSWARM was on tour with JARBOE in europe, and then stuck in switzerland for several weeks due to the icelandic volcano. i'm just waiting on a little more source material before wrapping this one up.

i am going to do what i can to get everything above produced and shipped by the middle of june at the very latest.

here is a list of other forthcoming releases, currently in-production:

THEOLOGIAN+BLACK SUN+INSWARM+REQUIEM. CODE LEECH-PREORDER PACKAGE
Tshirt featuring the BLACK SUN logo printed in black ink on black shirts. Includes a 60 minute cassette featuring four remixes of the track CODE BLACK by BLACK SUN. One by THEOLOGIAN, two by INSWARM and one by REQUIEM. Audio is complete, shirt is pending.

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE-PREORDER PACKAGE
STROM.ec hoodie, includes 60 minute cassette. Tracks range from guitar-ambience to heavy electronics. One track is currently completed, two more are in-progress.

THEOLOGIAN+FOUR PI MOVEMENT. THE DESTROYER-PREORDER PACKAGE
FOUR PI MOVEMENT is the improvised noise/modular synth side project of PROMETHEUS BURNING. Tshirt comes with 60 minute cassette featuring exclusive new FOUR PI tracks and collaborative material with THEOLOGIAN. Original material is completed, i haven't gotten started on my end of the collaborations yet.

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)
The first official full length album by THEOLOGIAN will be released in both physical and digital formats by CRUCIAL BLAST. THEOLOGIAN has been described by the label as "blackened synth dread."
All six tracks (totalling roughly one hour of music) are currently in various stages of completion.

so, as you can see, i'm not just sitting around rolling my naked body in your money. things are happening, but as always i find it somewhat challenging to handle every aspect of my life simultaneously. i need some help, to be honest. if anyone within a reasonable distance of me has an interest in contributing to the cause by helping to pack orders once or twice a week, feel free to let me know.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 04.01.10

2010-04-01T14:04:00.004-04:00

I'd been planning to post a new update in the middle of march, but various things would happen that would draw me away from the proper mindset. a heavy depressive mood had begun to overtake me during the past month and a half, which has been pulling me inward and downward and further from a state in which i felt capable of achieving even the most mundane goals, while still going through the motions day by day.
i'm bouncing back, i think, but it's a slow crawl, as usual. my job is a major reason for this, as it robs me of physical energy and the time i spend at work gives me very far too much mental breathing room where i tend to focus almost exclusively on the negative aspects of my existence and the job itself. it's been maddening.
in addition to these irritating facts, my computer had begun to malfunction with increasing frequency, and it was becoming clear that my ability to work on new music was becoming hampered. exasperated, i finally took the 6 year old machine to the local apple store, and had my suspicions confirmed: the logic board is failing.
so, i bought a new computer this week.

I managed to ship several orders a couple of weeks ago, and did in fact ship the last orders of the MARTIN BLADH special edition and THE FINAL PAGE/WRETCH REIMAGINED, but due to some technical errors, certain packages didn't make it past the post office. apparently, this had to do with how incompatible with current software my old computer was, and the fact that it couldn't process shipping labels on usps.com, leading to some flubs in a system i've only recently adapted. with this new machine, that element of the equation should be bypassed for the foreseeable future. i am still knee-deep in a big mess as i work out the kinks during the transition from old machine to new, and i don't yet have the capability of working on layouts yet since my version of adobe creative suite does not function on the new machine (i should be getting copies from a friend next week), so certain things are going to be delayed further.

The combination of the computer issues and my personal emotional state both contributed to the fact that copies of A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT+WILT shirt have not yet begun to ship. being that i'm working tomorrow and saturday, i won't get back on track until monday. but, i have off for easter and at least part of the day will be spent putting pieces in place. to this end, i've begun to migrate the ANNIHILVS stock and the materials involved in packing orders to a spare room of my house, which has been filled with junk for many years. once the move is complete, i'm certain that this whole process will start running much more smoothly and efficiently than ever before, and at that point, only i myself will remain the weak link in the chain.
orders will start shipping again next wednesday, april 7, and i'll keep trucking at the best rate that i can.

Here's a summary of what's happening with the preorders:

THEOLOGIAN VS WILT. A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT-PREORDER PACKAGE
begins shipping wednesday, april 7.

THEOLOGIAN+STEVE MOORE. INTO THE UTTERMOST FIELDS OF ETHER CDR
one track is complete, i'm still waiting on new source material from steve, whose wife is pregnant with their first child. it's coming...

THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM. OBLITERATE THE HEART, LIBERATE THE SPIRIT-PREORDER PACKAGE
one track complete as of last week, more is in-progress. INSWARM are on tour with JARBOE as i type this. will ship before the end of april.

IRM. THE CULT OF THE YOUNG MEN TSHIRT
these will finally be in my hands toward the middle of this month and will ship immediately thereafter.

love is nothing. WITHOUT ME CDR
carrie's band ZAMBRI is currently busy recording new songs, but she ensures me that i'll have more material from her by the middle of next week. also shipping before the end of april.

Here's what is also in the works:

THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE. THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC. HUBRIZINE-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN+BLACK SUN+INSWARM+REQUIEM. CODE LEECH-PREORDER PACKAGE

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE CD (CRUCIAL BLAST)

In addition to these releases, i'm currently working on a remix for the band AND UTERO DOMINAE of the title track from their album MINOR EVOLUTIONS, and have been asked to contribute to their new album, THE PULSE OF A NEW HATE. work continues on SUFFERING BODIES, my project with kristoffer oustad (V:28/KNO) and francesco gemelli (EIDVLON), at a slow pace.

Obviously, i have a whole lot on my plate, and there is always more being heaped on. this is the only way i can give my life meaning, and i appreciate the patience and support that people have shown me as they follow my activities. i am moving forward.

In closing, i'd like to ask those of you who care to contribute to two worthwhile causes that are important to me:

LINK:
My friend Randi Goldberg is riding in the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's Annual AIDS Life/Cycle

LINK:
PROMETHEUS BURNING are raising money to fund the self-release of their newest album

Thanks for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 03.03.10

2010-03-02T22:25:00.074-05:00

“Pain or suffering of any kind, if long continued, causes depression and lessens the power of action, yet it is well adapted to make a creature guard itself against any great or sudden evil.”
- Charles Darwin

I'd wanted to post this update on the first of the month, but as i settle into my new work schedule and try to maintain a functional level of energy, certain things have been falling by the wayside and i'm struggling to get back on track with the activities that give me fulfillment. i'm well aware that i've fallen short of this goal, and the fact that numerous orders are still waiting to be shipped stands as proof of this. but, i continue to press onward and i'm going to do what i can.
tomorrow or thursday, i will be going to pick up the new WILT shirts from the printers, and will be assembling the cassette layouts and dubbing copies this week as well. several more orders will be going out in the next few days.

here are some items of particular interest...

__________________________________________________

Work has resumed on the first four tracks by SUFFERING BODIES, the collaborative project featuring Kristoffer Oustad (V:28/PLAGUE MACHINERY/KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER), Francesco Gemelli (EIDVLON), and myself.
SUFFERING BODIES combines elements of thunderous martial industrial and heavy ambient drone with black metal-inspired sensibilities. no release date is in sight, but i'm hoping that it will be released by a particularly awesome label. i'm in discussions with a very talented artist for the visual elements.
more on this to come.
speaking of which...

__________________________________________________

I am extremely pleased to announce that the first official full-length cd release from THEOLOGIAN is forthcoming on the absolutely fucking amazing label CRUCIAL BLAST.
THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE is set for an august 2010 release, coinciding with the thirteenth birthday of ANNIHILVS.
in addition to the physical compact disc, this album will be available as a digital download. a special edition will be produced as well.

as an added bonus, CRUCIAL BLAST will also release THEOLOGIAN's debut ep, CHARTING THE SCHISM, in digital download format.

an edit of the first track, IN TIMES OF NEED, WE ALL GO AGAINST OUR NATURES is on the THEOLOGIAN myspace profile. (www.myspace.com/gashtheologian)

__________________________________________________

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the label, CRUCIAL BLAST has produced a monolithic compilation which is available solely as a free digital download.

this is all very exciting news, as i am a huge fan of this label and feel extremely honoured to be included among such an incredible roster of artists.

more information about the comp and a download link are below:

BLASTWAVE X: 2010 Compendium DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
CBRDIG666
FREE

After ten years of exploring the outer fringes of extreme underground music, CRUCIAL BLAST has amassed a considerable catalog of titles from such renowned artists as GENGHIS TRON, WEEDEATER, SKULLFLOWER, GNAW THEIR TONGUES, TOTIMOSHI, MONARCH!, SCOTT HULL, SUBARACHNOID SPACE, NADJA, BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS, and more, spanning the realms of avant-grind, black industrial, sludgecore, extreme doom, brutal prog, and heavy psych. In commemoration of the label's ten year existence marked by the arrival of 2010, we have assembled a massive digital compilation that features over fifty tracks from our catalog of artists and releases, as well as unreleased tracks from some of our upcoming 2010 releases and exclusive material from black metal/industrial terrorizers NEKRASOV, cavernous black orchestral drone demons ROBE, the dystopian industrial deathdub of LYCANTHROPIC WARHEAD, and a blistering assault of blackened synth dread from THEOLOGIAN.

You can download the BLASTWAVE X compilation at the following link:

MEGAUPLOAD: DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL COMPILATION HERE

TRACK LISTING:
01. GNAW THEIR TONGUES Sawn Asunder and Left for the Beasts from the An Epiphanic Vomiting Of Blood CD/CS/DIGITAL
02. FISTULA The Basilisk from the Burmese/Fistula split CD
03. BLACK ELK She Pulled Machete from the Always A Six, Never A Nine CD/DIGITAL
04. SKULLFLOWER Black Rabbit from the IIIrd Gatekeeper CD/DIGITAL
05. UNHOLY GRAVE After The Bloodbath from the Not Without A Fight 2xCD compilation
06. YEAR OF NO LIGHT Par Économie Pendant La Crise On from the Nord CD/DIGITAL
07. MARAX Returning To Rust from the Veil Of The Black Sanguinarian CDR/DIGITAL
08. JUMBOS KILLCRANE Locust Blanket from the The Slow Decay CD/DIGITAL
09. THE GOSLINGS Statuette from the Spaceheater/Perfect Interior CD/DIGITAL
10. EARWIGS Megatron Locust Invasion from the Dataclast/Earwigs split CD
11. GEISHA A Wilderness, Except by Sight from the Die Verbrechen Der Liebe CD
12. SOUVENIRS YOUNG AMERICA Invocation in the Caldera from the An Ocean Without Water CD/LP/DIGITAL
13. KORPERSCHWACHE Red Wind from the Broken Blades Of Steel Scattered Across The Narrow Way CDR/DIGITAL
14. BURMESE Spill My Fuck from the Burmese/Fistula split CD
15. SAMUS Who's Pumping Estrada from the Desengano CD/DIGITAL
16. SKULLFLOWER Void of Roses from the Tribulation CD/DIGITAL
17. GENGHIS TRON Arms from the Cloak Of Love CD/DIGITAL
18. BLACK ROLLER CROP ROTATION Prayers from the Rotten Soil from the Prayers from the Rotten Soil CDR/DIGITAL
19. ACROSS TUNDRAS Cosmic Retribution from the Dark Songs Of The Prairie CD/DIGITAL
20. WETHER Cloven Hoofed Priest from the Uncertain Ritual CDR/DIGITAL
21. MICROWAVES Codex Vortex from the Contagion Heuristic CD/DIGITAL
22. HAISHA Loser from the Haisha/Mizuko split CD
23. NADJA Affective Fields from the Desire In Uneasiness CD/DIGITAL
24. TOTIMOSHI Cellophane from the Mysterioso CD/DIGITAL
25. THE HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA Denial (part I) from the Politics Of The Irredeemable CD/DIGITAL
26. SUBARACHNOID SPACE Lilith from the Eight Bells CD/DIGITAL
27. NOISM Yesism from the +/- CD/DIGITAL
28. SORC'HENN Leka met elden from the Faro: Death Of The Island Sheeps CDR/DIGITAL
29. SOIHADTOSHOOTHIM Chausson Chansson from the Alpha Males & Popular Girls CD/DIGITAL
30. GREY DATURAS My Sciatica from the Dead In The Woods CD/DIGITAL
31. THE MASS This Is Your Final Dream from Perfect Picture Of Wisdom And Boldness CD
32. UNEARTHLY TRANCE Scarlet from the Record Of Shadows Infinite compilation CD
33. SUZUKITON Rogue Mechanica from the Service Repair Handbook CD/DIGITAL
34. AUN Consumed By Flies from the Multigone CDR/DIGITAL
35. SKULLFLOWER Annihilating Angel from the Orange Canyon Mind CD/DIGITAL
36. GEISHA Bondage Death from the Monde Del'Orrore CD/DIGITAL
37. NEKRASOV Disillusion from the upcoming album IV CD/DIGITAL
38. JUMBOS KILLCRANE Gasmouth from the Carnivale De Carne CD
39. LUASA RAELON Gravitational Pull from the Into The Void CDR/DIGITAL
40. HEDORAH Hyperbolean from the Collected CDR/DIGITAL
41. THEOLOGIAN II (unreleased - from the Charting The Schism EP)
42. BACTERIA CULT Mastication from the Soulless Solace CDR/DIGITAL
43. ALL IS SUFFERING Mauthausen from the The Past: Vindictive Sadisms Of Petty Bureaucrats CD (out of print)
44. WEEDEATER Potbelly from the Sixteen Tons CD
45. DATACLAST Pull of the Culture from the Dataclast/Earwigs split CD
46. ENCOMIAST Pumpkin from the Bathed In Sunlight CDR/DIGITAL
47. MIZUKO Razing The Sky from the Haisha/Mizuko split CD
48. WHOURKR Slaagt from the Concrete CD/DIGITAL
49. WILDILDLIFE Things Will Grow from the Six CD/DIGITAL
50. THE MASS Trapped Under a Ice from the City Of Dis CD
51. YES, COLLAPSE Untitled from the Final Diagnosis CDR/DIGITAL
52. ROBE. Vacant (previously unreleased exclusive track)
53. GNAW THEIR TONGUES My Orifices Await Ravaging from the Dread Magnificence Of Perversity CD/CS/DIGITAL
54. LYCANTHROPIC WARHEAD Vexator (unreleased)

__________________________________________________

That's all for the moment, thanks for looking and listening.

THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON MY FACE

2010-02-25T20:13:00.007-05:00

coming 2010

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 02.16.10

2010-02-16T14:33:00.017-05:00

"The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor."
- Albert Camus, "The Myth Of Sisyphus"

Well, things are looking somewhat better. after only a few weeks of being unemployed, i've started working again — unfortunately, what i am doing for work is not so great, and i'm not sure how long i'll last there. but, i need to have a job, so i will bite the bullet for as long as i can and endure my situation. the good news is that my new work schedule will give me a lot of free time during the week to get back to label business, as i'm now working only three days a week. the fact that i'm cramming almost 40 hours into those three days presents me with a degree of stress, but at least i'm not cleaning toilets or mopping jizz. it's nothing especially untoward, i'm just working in a factory, which i suppose one can say is part of the backbone of this country. in any case, i will now have my weekdays free to focus on label operations.

In any case, i apologise for the delay in shipping for certain orders. because my financial situation was in question, i needed to hold off on moving forward until i had a better grasp of what was ahead of me. now that i have an income, i can keep going. i've told the shirt printers to go ahead with the WILT shirt, so they should be on hand in the next week or so. i'll be getting a number of orders out by the end of this week into early next week, and then will make it a point to keep things moving as best i can. i appreciate your patience, as always.

So, here is a very rough encapsulation of what is going on with the preorders:

More than half of the copies of the MARTIN BLADH special edition and THE VOMIT ARSONIST/THEOLOGIAN package have shipped. i need to order some more supplies for the rest before i can get them out, but as i said above, there's a stack of orders ready to be shipped very soon.

Audio for A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT is now complete. there are two all-new pieces from WILT, and the cassette will include both the original and extended versions of the titular collaboration between WILT and THEOLOGIAN.

I've posted a 12 minute preview of material from WITHOUT ME, the forthcoming cdr release by love is nothing., which features extended collaborations with my friend Carrie Ingber, who played synths in my first band S.H.R.I.K.E., back in 1991. Carrie is currently the bassist for the amazing ZAMBRI (www.myspace.com/zambri), who i've basically been begging to work with me on a release.
i'm pretty sure the material on this cdr will be unlike anything anyone's heard from me before, meshing poppy shoegaze and dance rhythms with my trademark drones. if you're a fan of JOY DIVISION and THE CURE, you'll get where this is coming from. i'm loving this stuff so far and can't wait to work on more. this preview is the result of my tinkering with existing, incomplete tracks that Carrie gave me, and doesn't necessarily represent what will appear on the final version of the release...
http://www.annihilvs.org/love-is-nothing/without_me

I've got one track complete for the collaboration with STEVE MOORE, and am waiting for him to send me more source material. there will be a total of four tracks.

The audio component for the collab with INSWARM is on hold until they get back from doing some gigs with JARBOE.

I think the stuff i'm working on with STROM.ec is also going to surprise people. sonically, it has a lot more in common with love is nothing. material than THEOLOGIAN, because it's entirely constructed from guitar. i wouldn't exactly call this power electronics, more like power drone, but it's great!

That's pretty much all for now. i'm working on some really awesome possible releases, including the first official cd release by THEOLOGIAN later this year, on a label i really dig.

Thanks very much for looking and listening. more is coming...

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 02.01.10

2010-01-30T18:53:00.012-05:00

"As bottom-feeders set the agenda, everyone is reduced to being treated no better than the lowest rung by a dumbed-down, idiot-proofed nanny state. It's not that the lunatics are running the asylum, but with democracy's deification of Victimhood, lunatics are coddled and subsidized, and the productive are their slaves."
- Boyd Rice

My life, even when i endeavour to simplify it, has had a tendency to be particularly dramatic, especially at the most inopportune moments. so, here i am, unemployed. again.

However, this time it's sort of a celebratory occasion, even if is inconvenient and sort of a reason for me to begin panicking. since july, i'd been working in the warehouse for a company that sells used high-end hifi stereo and home theatre gear. the owner of this company is a small man. his affinity for betting on the horses and fucking prostitutes, addiction to cocaine and heroin, and general attitude that he doesn't care about anyone or anything was at first somewhat interesting and amusing. as the months drew on and his behaviour became more erratic and actually began to have an impact on my existence outside of work, i started to understand more clearly that someone like him was not to be trusted.
when he fired my good friend, who'd helped me get my foot in the door and who was actually the company's most valuable employee, with absolutely no legitimate grounds for doing so, it became obvious that my time there was going to be short-lived — at best.
business has declined considerably during the past several weeks, ever since the company was blackballed from a prominent site where literally 90% of his sales had been generated. the hifi establishment seeks to rub him out, but his personal view is that he is a "god" and can't be stopped. anyone who challenges this skewed vision of the world is expendable to him. since i was a threat and a friend of someone he'd previously used to prove to his tremendous staff of 9 people just how much power he had over them, it was time for me to go as well.

The fact is, i'm much better off. my initial impulse had been to quit after he fired my friend, but i knew i needed to be working. however, it became very clear that the business was floundering due to his insane misdirection and lack of humility, and i knew it would only be a matter of time before i was gone. in fact, two days prior to my firing (the stated reason for which was, "i don't have to explain myself to you"), i was told that because business was slow, he didn't need two shipping guys, but he kept me around to go to the local otb for him to cash out stubs from his winnings over the weekend. it was at this point that i really knew i could go at any moment.

So, here i am...
it was my intention to refuse to allow this to get me down, but events and circumstances that have unfolded in the single day since i lost my job are such that optimism is not particularly easy to muster at this moment. nevertheless, i shall — as always — press on.

The ANNIHILVS site and related domains have been down for over a week now, with no real set date for a return in sight. however, the blog and the webstore remain functional and active, so i'm not viewing it as an emergency so much as a minor irritation.

http://apexarmouries.bigcartel.com

I am pleased to report that i've been steadily shipping preorder items (and other orders) out during the past few weeks. i'm very interested in having feedback from people who receive their items in the following weeks, about how they feel the releases turned out.

The WILT shirt is going to be printed this week, and the IRM shirt is coming shortly after. preorders will continue to ship until all orders have been filled. please note that the MARTIN BLADH SPECIAL EDITION has been temporarily marked as sold out, pending the production of more copies.

I'm very excited to announce the following items, available now for preorder:

THEOLOGIAN+STEVE MOORE.
INTO THE UTTERMOST FIELDS OF ETHER CDR-PREORDER
$5
PRODUCED ON-DEMAND-SHIPPING LATE FEBRUARY 2010

love is nothing.
WITHOUT ME CDR-PREORDER
$5
PRODUCED ON-DEMAND-SHIPPING LATE MARCH 2010

THEOLOGIAN+INSWARM.
OBLITERATE THE HEART, LIBERATE THE SPIRIT-PREORDER PACKAGE
$20
C60+INSWARM TSHIRT
LIMITED TO 36 COPIES-SHIPPING LATE MARCH 2010

More new items are coming soon, including:

THEOLOGIAN+SKINCAGE.
THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN-PREORDER PACKAGE
C60+SKINCAGE TSHIRT

THEOLOGIAN+STROM.EC.
HUBRIZINE-PREORDER PACKAGE
$30
C60+STROM.EC HOODIE

Several distro items have been added to the webstore, including my very last personal copies of the VTERVS LIMITED BOXED EDITION from NTT, which i discovered while cleaning last weekend.

I've had to increase international shipping rates for the newest batch of items, because it's become obvious that i can't afford to continue eating shipping as i increase my active stock. the average 1-2 pound priority mail shipment overseas is around $15-$20, so i've had to make adjustments to reflect that.

More is coming. thanks to everyone who continues to show support and interest in my activities.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 01.21.10

2010-01-21T12:57:00.003-05:00

"Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure."
- Edward Lee Thorndike

Things are coming together nicely, if not a bit haphazardly. the first
batch of the special edition of STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY by MARTIN
BLADH will ship tomorrow. THE FINAL PAGE/WRETCH REIMAGINED will ship
shortly after. it turned out that the cassettes i had were actually
c20s, not c30s, so i had to order new blanks. because i was in a hurry
and didn't want to waste time looking for deals, i had to settle for
c60s, which means that the two tracks on WRETCH REIMAGINED, at 15
minutes each, will now both appear on each side, instead of one on each
side as the tracklisting on the layout states. no big deal, it just
means i'm just delayed in dubbing the copies, which i'll begin doing later today.

After these items begin to ship, i'll be adding some new preorders,
around early february. in the meantime, i've added some new distro items
to the webstore and more are coming.

My personal life is again in a bit of turmoil, as my boss descends into
a cocaine-fueled spiral of narcissistic self-destruction. the label
activities may suffer as a result, but i'm trying to put in place some
things to allow it to sustain itself. i have been working on a move into
my own place during the past month, but these workplace issues may also
derail this important step, as they seem to have done many many times in
the past. my life never seems to just be smooth sailing, there's always
some kind of bullshit, but i continue onward toward the unattainable
horizon, seeking - what, i wonder - valhalla or nirvana?

More music is coming. more releases are in the works. amazing things are
being discussed with amazing artists. one thing i can state officially
is that a new vinyl lp from SKINCAGE is coming later in 2010:

"If all goes well, new skincage record by the end of 2010, brought to
you by the fine folks at Annihilvs. "Wounded Galaxies Tap at the
Window." 44 minutes of Lovecraftian audio, on vinyl. Stay tuned."

- Jon Ray, Skincage
http://www.myspace.com/skincagedronezone

Coming late february: the WILT shirt/A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR
EXIT c60 from WILT vs THEOLOGIAN, and the IRM CULT OF THE YOUNG MEN shirt.

Other stuff in the works for 2010:
SUFFERING BODIES (collaboration between myself, KRISTOFFER NYSTROMS
ORKESTER and EIDULON - label TBA)

THEOLOGIAN. THE FURTHER I GET FROM YOUR STAR, THE LESS LIGHT I FEEL ON
MY FACE CD (label TBA)

Collaboration releases with STEVE MOORE (ZOMBI), INSWARM, CONTENT
NULLITY, SEWER GODDESS, COREPHALLISM, XIPHOID DEMENTIA, and more...

I have done an update on the MARTIN BLADH page at the ANNIHILVS site, with some new imagery and a link to his blog. i suggest you take a look to gain more insight into the mind of this incredible artist.
http://www.annihilvs.org/m-bladh

That's all for now, thanks for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 01.11.10

2010-01-11T22:34:00.002-05:00

" Because I love you
You can trust me now"
- SWANS

This is my first update of the new year, so allow me to extend the appropriate sentiments to those of you who care. let us hope that 2010 is vastly more painless, pleasant and productive for all of us than 2009 was. i shall certainly hope to make it so for myself.

In my last update, i stated that i'd post again when preorders were assembled. i am pleased to announce that - at least in part - this is the case. after work tonight, i picked up the printed matter for the special edition packaging of STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY by MARTIN BLADH, as well as THE FINAL PAGE/WRETCH REIMAGINED by THE VOMIT ARSONIST. i have assembled several copies of both and will continue to do so through this week. the shipments will begin to go out on the weekend. please note that THE VOMIT ARSONIST release is now sold out!

This will leave the WILT tshirt/WILT/THEOLOGIAN collaboration cassette and IRM tshirt as the remaining preorder items to be produced. i need to hold on to a bit of cash in the coming months, in preparation for a particularly important personal expense, but it is my plan to have both these items out in the world by the end of february at the very latest.

New developments and plans for new releases are in the works, if things go the way i hope, it should be pretty exciting news when the time comes to share.

That is all for now. thanks for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 12.18.09

2009-12-18T17:35:00.003-05:00

"The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good."
- W.H. Auden

Well, today is december 18, and unfortunately i was unable to adhere to my deadline. however, things are moving ahead. i just picked up the printed artwork for MAXIMUM BITTERNESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED by THEOLOGIAN (they look great), and the layouts for THE VOMIT ARSONIST release will be in my hands early next week, along with the layouts for the MARTIN BLADH special edition (hopefully). the shirts are now in-stock, so the large vinyl albums for that release are one the last hurdle. the holidays are obviously causing a bit of a disruption to my plans, as is my daily work schedule, but it's all coming together, and those two releases will definitely be completed and on their way out by the coming of new year.
the last of the non-preorder items will ship tomorrow, so at least that stuff will finally be out of the way. the WILT shirt/cassette release and the IRM shirts will come in the early part of january 2010.

I have assembled numerous copies of MAXIMUM BITTERNESS tonight, and they look awesome. i'm quite happy with the way this release has turned out, both visually and sonically and i hope that it will be well-received.

Some of you are already aware that i've posted two more web-only releases as thanks to those who've shown me support and patience...

_______________________________________

As another gesture to those who have been patiently awaiting their orders, and as a further thanks to everyone who has continued to show interest in my activities over the years, i've just posted another free release for download.

My drone/ambient/metal project, love is nothing. has not been as active in the past couple of years as i'd originally hoped it would be. however, in the spring of 2009, my good friend Mark Kammerbauer of FRAGMENT KING stayed with me for a brief time, and one day we worked on some improvised bass guitar recordings together. i'd been planning to do more with these sessions, but the only thing that i managed to sculpt out of the recordings was this track, which i'd submitted the track for inclusion in an online compilation, but it was not used and i don't anticipate that it will be, so i'm choosing to present it this way instead.

Clocking in at about 24.24 minutes, this piece consists of only bass guitar and voice, edited and effected in such a way as to create an absolutely miserable atmosphere, perfectly expressing the emotional and psychological state in which i found myself at the time. not, ironically, unlike what i am feeling at this very moment. the included imagery comes courtesy of a mutual friend of mark's and mine, frank merten of HERBST9.

So, without further attempting an explanation, is my gift to you:

love is nothing.
suffer and be devastated.
bass guitar by mark kammerbauer.
vocals/editing/mixing/recording by lee m bartow.
photograph by frank merten.
http://www.annihilvs.org/love-is-nothing/suffer_and_be_devastated

_______________________________________

Yet another unreleased gift, presented as a zip file with two tracks in mp3 format.
These selections were recorded as rehearsal sessions for the first live appearance of THEOLOGIAN in February 2009, as part of the TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL show with CENOTYPE, presented by Digital Ferret in Philadelphia as part of their Fourth Fridays event series.

As this was the first performance by this project, i was uncertain how i'd pull it off, and was uncertain about the gear configuration, or even what i wanted the project to really sound like at the time. i'm still trying to figure that out. in any case, i think these recordings are an accurate approximation of how i wanted the performance to turn out, although the actual set was rife with technical problems. it's also yet another perfect example of my emotional state at the time (and at present), the single refrain of the track INJURY puts it best: YOU HURT ME SO BAD...

THEOLOGIAN. INJURY/LIVE
http://annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN/INJURY_LIVE

_______________________________________

That is it for now, i'll post again when the preorders are assembled...

Thanks, as always, for looking and listening.

NEW WEB RELEASE - love is nothing. suffer and be devastated.

2009-12-15T21:15:00.002-05:00

As another gesture to those who have been patiently awaiting their orders, and as a further thanks to everyone who has continued to show interest in my activities over the years, i've just posted another free release for download.

My drone/ambient/metal project, love is nothing. has not been as active in the past couple of years as i'd originally hoped it would be. however, in the spring of 2009, my good friend Mark Kammerbauer of FRAGMENT KING stayed with me for a brief time, and one day we worked on some improvised bass guitar recordings together. i'd been planning to do more with these sessions, but the only thing that i managed to sculpt out of the recordings was this track, which i'd submitted the track for inclusion in an online compilation, but it was not used and i don't anticipate that it will be, so i'm choosing to present it this way instead.

Clocking in at about 24.24 minutes, this piece consists of only bass guitar and voice, edited and effected in such a way as to create an absolutely miserable atmosphere, perfectly expressing the emotional and psychological state in which i found myself at the time. not, ironically, unlike what i am feeling at this very moment. the included imagery comes courtesy of a mutual friend of mark's and mine, frank merten of HERBST9.

So, without further attempting an explanation, is my gift to you:

love is nothing.
suffer and be devastated.
bass guitar by mark kammerbauer.
vocals/editing/mixing/recording by lee m bartow.
photograph by frank merten.
http://www.annihilvs.org/love-is-nothing/suffer_and_be_devastated

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 12.13.09

2009-12-13T22:31:00.002-05:00

"Acedia [sloth] is man's enemy because it's hostile to industry of any kind, and it is also a great enemy to the livelihood of the body, for it makes no provision for temporal necessities and even wastes, spoils, ruins, all earthly goods by negligence. It makes living men [be] like those who already suffer the pains of Hell. It makes a man peevish and encumbered."
- Chaucer's Parson's Tale

COMING DECEMBER 18:

THE VOMIT ARSONIST. WRETCH TSHIRT/THE FINAL PAGE CDR/THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN. WRETCH REIMAGINED CASSETTE

Things are moving ahead slowly, but with certainty. i have now completed the second track for the WRETCH REIMAGINED cassette, which means the audio component of the release is now finished. copies of THE FINAL PAGE discs have been duped, though as it has turned out, the material doesn't fit on 3inch discs, so this will now be a full-sized cdr.

Preorders are still available at:
http://apexarmouries.bigcartel.com

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

AVAILABLE NOW:

THEOLOGIAN. PAIN AS NARRATIVE WEB RELEASE

To thank those of you who have been waiting patiently for your preorder items, i've posted new material by THEOLOGIAN as a free download. three tracks of plaintive, lonely, droning isolationism; averaging between 10-14 minutes each. edited down from long improvisations using the gear configuration from the two THEOLOGIAN performances that took place in november 2009. perhaps the best reference point would be something along the lines of FINAL. available as a zip file containing all three tracks in mp3 format with hi-res artwork.

http://annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN/PAIN_AS_NARRATIVE

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

As previously announced, non-preorder items have begun to ship. the MARTIN BLADH shirts should hopefully be in my hands this week, and i've managed to find a printer to work with for the various forthcoming releases. i will attempt to start shipping the special edition version of STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY on the 18th along with THE VOMIT ARSONIST release. whatever doesn't get done before the holidays will start shipping in early january. it's all coming...

Thank you for your patience, and as always for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 12.01.09

2009-12-01T23:15:00.002-05:00

"Everything is alright when you're down"
- The Jesus & Mary Chain

As the last breaths escape from the lungs of 2009, I feel my own heartbeat slow to a crawl. The expense of energy and currency from the last few months lies at my feet like a broken victim, but as i gaze inward it's clear that i've only succeeded in preying upon myself. it seems as though there are very few things to look forward to at this point, and motivation in this state seems far out of reach, but i will continue to press onward and upward - as always - because there is no other clear choice but to persevere, as best i can.

I've previously related the fact that i will be shipping orders for items that are NOT listed as preorders this week. preorder items are still in production. i've asked the shirt printers to get rolling with the M BLADH shirts and have sent the layout for MAXIMUM BITTERNESS by THEOLOGIAN to be printed. i am hoping that these will be on hand by the 18th at the very latest. the rest of the preorder items should follow shortly thereafter, if not sooner. andy from THE VOMIT ARSONIST has submitted new artwork for THE FINAL PAGE, and i've still got to complete the final piece for WRETCH REIMAGINED, all of which have obviously delayed the production of this release, but it is coming soon, following the above timetable.

In other news, the newly-released double cd, CEMETERY ROAD/DEAD ELECTRONIKS by WILT has been released by AD NOISEAM and features the collaborative track A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT by THEOLOGIAN, which serves as the basis for the forthcoming cassette release of the same name, which will be included with the new WILT shirt, available as a preorder in the ANNIHILVS webstore.

Please note (again) that the STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY cd by MARTIN BLADH is currently available as a standalone item. if anyone who has preordered the special edition wishes to have their cd sent to them in advance of the shirt and special packaging, they need only to ask. new distro items have been added, and more is coming. patience is appreciated.

thanks for looking and listening.
hail satan

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - 11.18.09

2009-11-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

"The phonograph is not of any commercial value."
- Thomas Edison, 1880

It's taking some time for me to settle back into my daily routine
after APEX FEST III, and with a forthcoming trip out of town for
thanksgiving week, the residue of upheaval will most likely not fully recede
until next month.

I owe thanks to a great number of people, but the list is long so it
seems more prudent to simply state that i am lucky to have had the
experience of working with so many amazing individuals. as many people
know, there was a lot of stress and difficulty surrounding the
preparations for APEX FEST III, but in the end it turned out to be much
more enjoyable and successful than i could have expected. this is due to the
incredible people who put so much of their energy, effort and in
certain cases, money, into helping me to realise it, and i thank you all from the
bottom of my soul for making it such a phenomenal experience.

Copies of the STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY CD by MARTIN BLADH are
now in stock and have been added to the webstore as a standalone item,
separately from the special edition. the shirt design has been with
the printers for over a month, but they haven't yet gone into
production.
i'm looking into a good printer to do the large artwork for the special edition, so i may not be able to ship them until mid-december.
if you've ordered the shirt/cd combo and want your cd shipped without the shirt, let me know.

I've also added some new distro items to the webstore, including
releases from THE VOMIT ARSONIST and BEREFT, as well as the left over
APEX FEST III shirts and posters. if you missed the opportunity to
come to the shows, at least you can dress as though you were there.
more distro items will be going up soon.

2010 will be the 13th year of existence for ANNIHILVS, and several new
releases are being planned. it's likely that i'll be making a
transition to primarily releasing vinyl in the new year, with a few
LPs being discussed.

As previously announced, i will begin shipping orders for items other
than the preorders at the end of this month, and into mid-december. by
that time all preorder items should hopefully be in my hands. the fest
took a lot of my time, energy and money, so certain things had to be
pushed back. rest assured they are all coming together, and most are
in various stages of production. for example, all shirt artwork has
been with the printers for at least a month, if not more.

Finally, it is entirely possible that APEX FEST III will be the final
live event that i organise. the climate in new york has become far too
fickle and indifferent to warrant the monumental stress and expense it
takes to do these shows. i'm not saying it can't happen, but i am
saying at this point i have absolutely zero interest in ever doing it
again.

As always, thank you for looking and listening.

APEX FEST III - CHANGE OF VENUE

2009-11-06T23:00:00.003-05:00

Due to a seemingly disastrous conjunction of circumstances, we have had to change venues for APEX FEST III. we regret any inconvenience this may cause, if any, but it is necessary in order to allow us to continue forward with the event.
the new location is:

S.I.R. STUDIOS
520 25TH STREET
(BTWN 10-11 AVES)
NYC

please note also that the lineup for friday has been changed. APHELION will not be appearing, and has been replaced by THEOLOGIAN (Leech from NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES). tickets will be available at the door on each night of the shows.
thank you.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13 + SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 2009

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX | MALIGNANT RECORDS | SHADOWGRAPH RECORDS |
UNSOUND NYC
in association with

THTFL | PENDU SOUND | LASCIVIOUS AESTHETICS | EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT |
CHRONIC YOUTH
proudly present

APEX FEST III
[TWO DAYS OF DARKNESS]

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13

featuring performances by

DOORS 7PM

HECATE
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM
RISE OF BECAUSE
THEOLOGIAN
CHAOS MAJIK
STATIQBLOOM

dj sets by
JAMES PLOTKIN | WINTERMUTE | TENEBRE | ISADORA

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

featuring performances by

DOORS 4PM

STROM.EC
ADERLATING
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
GNAW
T-FAKTOR
SEWER GODDESS
COREPHALLISM
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

dj sets by
SEAN RAGON | DARRYL HELL | THE CHRONIC YOUTH DJS | LEECH

ADMISSION IS $25 PER DAY OR $40 FOR BOTH DAYS
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
DUE TO VENUE CAPACITY, ENTRY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 TICKETS PER DAY
FOR ADVANCE TICKETS:
www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

- ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE -

SPONSORED BY ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
www.ztmag.com

NEW LOCATION:

S.I.R. STUDIOS
520 25th STREET
(BTWN 10-11 AVES)

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-11.01.09

2009-11-01T18:17:00.002-05:00

"Denn die Todten reiten Schnell." ("For the dead travel fast.")
- Bram Stoker's DRACULA

Salutations.
Yet another month has withered away and died, and here we are with less than a week to go before the second annual NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL.
THEOLOGIAN will be appearing on saturday, november 7.

http://lasciviousaesthetics.blogspot.com

I've completed the audio and layout for the cdr release, MAXIMUM BITTERNESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, and will have copies on hand at the fest. i received the new shirts on friday, but unfortunately they were not printed to my specifications, and i have to wait until tomorrow to see if the printers can replace them by the time i have to go up to boston.

One week later, APEX FEST III will be upon us, beginning friday the 13th of november.

http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY by MARTIN BLADH should be delivered to me by november 16. orders placed from the new webstore will begin to ship after APEX FEST III.

To recap, here is a list of what is currently in production and coming soon:

MARTIN BLADH. STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY CD (at pressing plant)

THE VOMIT ARSONIST. THE FINAL PAGE 3INCH CD-R

THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN. WRETCH REIMAGINED CASSETTE

THEOLOGIAN. MAXIMUM BITTERNESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED CD-R

WILT+THEOLOGIAN. A ROOM WITH NEITHER ENTRANCE, NOR EXIT CASSETTE

___________________________________________________

I apologise for the error i made in my last batch of announcements about the fest. i erroneously re-posted an older version of the lineup, and swapped STATIQBLOOM with THE BIRD CAGE THEATER. to clarify, STATIQBLOOM plays friday, THE BIRD CAGE THEATER plays saturday.

A limited selection of cheap beer and mixed drinks will be available for a suggested donation of $3, which will go directly toward our venue rental fees. We will have wristbands to distinguish between those legally able to purchase alcohol and those who are not.

Two DJ LEECH mp3 mixes featuring music by the acts in the festival lineup have been posted to the APEX FEST III webspace.
http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

APEX FEST III

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13

DOORS 7PM

HECATE
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM
RISE OF BECAUSE
APHELION
CHAOS MAJIK
STATIQBLOOM

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

DOORS 4PM

STROM.EC
ADERLATING
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
GNAW
T-FAKTOR
SEWER GODDESS
COREPHALLISM
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

ADMISSION IS $25 PER DAY OR $40 FOR BOTH DAYS
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
DUE TO VENUE CAPACITY, ENTRY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 TICKETS PER DAY
FOR ADVANCE TICKETS AND AUDIO PREVIEW:
www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

- ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE -

18 TO ENTER/21 TO DRINK - BRING ID

SPONSORED BY ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
www.ztmag.com

CHASHAMA ARTS
217 E 42nd Street
www.chashama.org

Please support truly independent music in NYC by purchasing advance tickets for APEX FEST III. The cost of admission goes directly toward the various logistical expenses inherent in producing an event of this magnitude. if you intend to come to the festival, YOU MUST PURCHASE TICKETS IN ADVANCE.
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

Listener-supported radio station WFMU will be giving away two sets of 2-day passes on the air.

Here's something from their list of upcoming programs:

"GNAW
Tuesday, December 8th, 3pm - 6pm
on Brian Turner's show
As former member of O.L.D. and Khanate, Alan Dubin has etched a blackened hash mark forever into the totem pole of tortured throat purveyors; his terrifyingly raw, sometimes electronically manipulated shrieks are a thing of alien nature to say the least. GNAW began in 2006 with members of Burning Witch, Enos Slaughter, Ike Yard and sound design wizard Brian Beatrice, released their debut "This Face" this past year on Conspiracy, and are making some radio doom this afternoon on BT's show. You can also catch GNAW live on Saturday, November 14th at the Apex Fest III, which happens on the 13th as well at Chashama Arts, 217 E 42nd Street in Manhattan."

http://www.wfmu.org

APEX FEST III - UPDATE

2009-10-28T11:27:00.003-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that we've made arrangements with CHASHAMA to allow adults the age of 18 and over to enter APEX FEST III, and for those over 21, a limited selection of cheap beer and mixed drinks will be available for a suggested donation of $3, which will go directly toward our venue rental fees. We will have wristbands to distinguish between those legally able to purchase alcohol and those who are not.

Two DJ LEECH mp3 mixes featuring music by the acts in the festival lineup have been posted to the APEX FEST III webspace.
http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

Please support truly independent music in NYC by purchasing advance tickets for APEX FEST III. The cost of admission goes directly toward the various logistical expenses inherent in producing an event of this magnitude. if you intend to come to the festival, YOU MUST PURCHASE TICKETS IN ADVANCE.
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

Listener-supported radio station WFMU will be giving away two sets of 2-day passes (or four 1-day passes) on the air. More information on that to come, here's something from their list of upcoming programs:

"GNAW
Tuesday, December 8th, 3pm - 6pm
on Brian Turner's show
As former member of O.L.D. and Khanate, Alan Dubin has etched a blackened hash mark forever into the totem pole of tortured throat purveyors; his terrifyingly raw, sometimes electronically manipulated shrieks are a thing of alien nature to say the least. GNAW began in 2006 with members of Burning Witch, Enos Slaughter, Ike Yard and sound design wizard Brian Beatrice, released their debut "This Face" this past year on Conspiracy, and are making some radio doom this afternoon on BT's show. You can also catch GNAW live on Saturday, November 14th at the Apex Fest III, which happens on the 13th as well at Chashama Arts, 217 E 42nd Street in Manhattan."

http://www.wfmu.org

_____________________________________________________________________________________

APEX FEST III

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13

DOORS 7PM

HECATE
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM
RISE OF BECAUSE
APHELION
CHAOS MAJIK
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

DOORS 4PM

STROM.EC
ADERLATING
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
GNAW
T-FAKTOR
SEWER GODDESS
COREPHALLISM
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
STATIQBLOOM

ADMISSION IS $25 PER DAY OR $40 FOR BOTH DAYS
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
DUE TO VENUE CAPACITY, ENTRY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 TICKETS PER DAY
FOR ADVANCE TICKETS AND AUDIO PREVIEW:
www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

- ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE -

18 TO ENTER/21 TO DRINK - BRING ID

SPONSORED BY ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
www.ztmag.com

CHASHAMA ARTS
217 E 42nd Street
www.chashama.org

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-10.20.09

2009-10-20T11:36:00.002-04:00

"And again, no more gods! no more gods! Man is King,
Man is God! But the great faith is Love!"
- Arthur Rimbaud

I'm somewhat surprised by the fact that i have anything to report so soon after the last update, but it would seem as though things are indeed moving forward.

I've sent the layout for the MARTIN BLADH cd to the pressing plant and paid half of the fees. now, i've just got to fill out paperwork and submit the audio master, which will be done by the end of the week. by their calculations, the cds should be in my hands by the 6th of november.

One track for the THEOLOGIAN collaboration with THE VOMIT ARSONIST has been completed, as have the layouts for both the cassette and cdr. as previously announced, the shirts are in-stock. once the audio is completed, the cassettes and cdrs will be duped and all should be ready to ship around the middle of november.

Things are falling into place for APEX FEST III. the festival shirts will be going to the printers by the end of this week and if all goes well, the new THEOLOGIAN merch should be produced in time for the NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FEST.

I can not stress enough that if you are planning to attend APEX FEST III, YOU MUST PURCHASE TICKETS IN ADVANCE. this is not a kindly suggestion, it is imperative if you want to come to the show. we presently have no plans whatsoever to take money at the door on the days of the shows, and in fact your payments go directly toward helping with the various expenses involved with organising such a massive event.
http://www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

This page will shortly be updated with a podcast/mp3 mix fesaturing tracks from each artist on the lineup.

Look for new distro items in the ANNIHILVS webstore next weekend, and some updating to several websites, myspace profiles, and various periphery is coming.

There's just so much happening at once, it's both exciting and totally fucking daunting.

Thanks for looking and listening...

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-10.11.09

2009-10-11T21:17:00.004-04:00

"Altruism (living for others), is actually the most vicious principle ever stated, the source of all evil, the principle of slavery, dependence and degradation."
- Ayn Rand

______________________________________________________________________

Greetings.
As the autumn months move onward, i find the various broken pieces of my life coalescing back into something that more closely resembles stability.

Thank you to everyone who has placed preorders and orders on the new webstore. due to various production issues, as well as the planning for APEX FEST III, those items which had previously been listed with october ship dates need to be pushed back. as of now, the new tshirts for THE VOMIT ARSONIST are in stock, but the audio still needs to be worked on. i will be completing the layout for the MARTIN BLADH cd in the next week, and the disc will go to press toward the end of this month. other releases are in progress, and if all goes well, everything should be ready by the end of november, and hopefully the majority of it will be in stock around the same time as the fest.

Also remember that THEOLOGIAN will be performing at the second annual NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL in massachusetts the week before APEX FEST III.
______________________________________________________________________

APEX FEST III

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13

DOORS 7PM

HECATE
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM
RISE OF BECAUSE
APHELION
CHAOS MAJIK
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

DOORS 4PM

STROM.EC
ADERLATING
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
GNAW
T-FAKTOR
SEWER GODDESS
COREPHALLISM
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
STATIQBLOOM

ADMISSION IS $25 PER DAY OR $40 FOR BOTH DAYS
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
DUE TO VENUE CAPACITY, ENTRY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 TICKETS PER DAY
FOR ADVANCE TICKETS:
www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

- ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE -

SPONSORED BY ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
www.ztmag.com

CHASHAMA ARTS
217 E 42nd Street
www.chashama.org

______________________________________________________________________

Lascivious Aesthetics & Existence Establishment Present:
NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL ll
November 6th - Jacques Cabaret - Boston, MA
November 7th & 8th - Obriens Pub - Allston, MA

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
PETER SOTOS
STROM.EC
BLOODYMINDED
EUGENICS COUNCIL
TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK
JAPANESE TORTURE COMEDY HOUR
MARTIAL CANTEREL
ANAL CUNT
FIRE IN THE HEAD
YELLOW TEARS
THEOLOGIAN
KARLHEINZ
CATHODE TERROR SECRETION
SUFFERING BASTARD
COREPHALLISM
PHARMAKON
JOSH HYDEMAN
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
SHALLOW WATERS
SHARPWAIST
NURTURE ABUSE
STILLBIRTH
VOMIT ARSONIST
SEWER GODDESS
ANAL HEARSE
BEREFT
SCARD

Tickets will only be available at the door for Night 1
Tickets are on sale now for Nights 2 & 3 through:
http://www.obrienspubboston.com

APEX FEST III - NOV 13+14 NYC - ADVANCE TIX NOW AVAILABLE

2009-10-01T06:20:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13 + SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 2009

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX | MALIGNANT RECORDS | SHADOWGRAPH RECORDS |
UNSOUND NYC
in association with

THTFL | PENDU SOUND | LASCIVIOUS AESTHETICS | EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT |
CHRONIC YOUTH
proudly present

APEX FEST III
[TWO DAYS OF DARKNESS]
featuring performances by

ADERLATING
(GNAW THEIR TONGUES sideproject)
www.myspace.com/aderlating
APHELION
www.myspace.com/aphelion0
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM
www.myspace.com/theausterityprogram
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
www.myspace.com/thebirdcagetheater
CHAOS MAJIK
www.myspace.com/chaosmajik
COREPHALLISM
(TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK sideproject)
www.myspace.com/corephallism
GNAW
(featuring Alan Dubin, ex-KHANATE)
www.myspace.com/gnaw666
HECATE
www.myspace.com/hecate
RISE OF BECAUSE
(ROSETTA sideproject)
www.myspace.com/riseofbecause
SEWER GODDESS
www.myspace.com/sewergoddess187
STATIQBLOOM
(Fade Kainer of INSWARM/BATILLUS/JARBOE live band)
www.myspace.com/statiqbloom
STROM.ec
www.myspace.com/dogsoftotalorder
T-FAKTOR
(TERRORFAKT sideproject)
www.myspace.com/terrorfakt
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
www.myspace.com/utny
THE VOMIT ARSONIST
www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
www.myspace.com/existenceestablishment

dj sets by
JAMES PLOTKIN
(KHLYST/JODIS)
LEECH
(UNSOUND NYC)
TENEBRE
(UNSOUND NYC)
ISADORA
(UNSOUND NYC)
DARRYL HELL
(HELL LAB/SK6)
SEAN RAGON
(CULT OF YOUTH)
THE CHRONIC YOUTH DJS
THE BLACK OIL
(215 NOISE)

ADMISSION IS $25 PER DAY OR $40 FOR BOTH DAYS
PRICE INCLUDES LIMITED FESTIVAL TSHIRT + POSTER
DUE TO VENUE CAPACITY, ENTRY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 TICKETS PER DAY
FOR ADVANCE TICKETS:
www.annihilvs.org/APEX_FEST_III

SPONSORED BY ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
www.ztmag.com

CHASHAMA ARTS
217 E 42nd Street
www.chashma.org

LIVE EVENTS IN NOVEMBER

2009-09-29T08:55:00.002-04:00

THREE MORE PREORDERS NOW POSTED

2009-09-25T08:15:00.000-04:00

As part of the effort to breathe new life into ANNIHILVS, three more items have been added to the new webstore.
The first two in a series of new shirts promoting each artist on the existing roster, as well as the first ever THEOLOGIAN shirt are now available for PREORDER.
Also, an updated image has been posted for THE VOMIT ARSONIST shirt.
These will be printed in limited runs of 36, and will begin shipping in November 2009.

http://apexarmouries.bigcartel.com

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-09.20.09

2009-09-20T20:04:00.002-04:00

FORTHCOMING ANNIHILVS RELEASES NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER:

MARTIN BLADH.
STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY CD/TSHIRT
$20
This long-delayed and anticipated solo release by the genius frontman of Swedish industrial legends IRM.
Aktionist, provocateur, visionary: Martin Bladh has composed an eerie score for impossible performance art, incorporating sparse, stringed drones and chilling atmospheres similar to Bladh's work with performance artist Bo I. Cavefors. Jewel case cd release housed in a large vinyl album. Shirt is limited to 36 copies, cd is not.
Audio preview coming soon.
Email APEXORDERS@aex.org for purchase information.

THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN.
WRETCH TSHIRT/WRETCH REIMAGINED CD-R/CASSETTE
$15
The first in a series of new tshirt/cdr/cassette releases, this item serves as a celebration of THE VOMIT ARSONIST's recently released WRETCH cd from FORCE OF NATURE/CIPHER PRODUCTIONS (http://www.forceofnature.cc/releases/?rid=FON19).
The cdr and cassette each contain different material, constructed by THEOLOGIAN from original album source tracks. Limited to 36 copies.
http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist
Email APEXORDERS@aex.org for purchase information.

THEOLOGIAN.
MAXIMUM BITTERNESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. CD-R
$5
All-new material from the new project from leech of NTT, constructed from practise sessions in preparation for the upcoming NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL II taking place in Massachusetts in November 2009. Four long tracks of bleak, heavy dark industrial, espousing the glory of hate and misery. This is a hand-made cdr release with cardstock artwork packaged in polybag. Produced on-demand. Fuck you.
Email APEXORDERS@aex.org for purchase information.

______________________________________________________

FORTHCOMING LIVE APPEARANCES:

Lascivious Aesthetics & Existence Establishment Present:
NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL ll
November 6th - Jacques Cabaret - Boston, MA
November 7th & 8th - Obriens Pub - Allston, MA

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
PETER SOTOS
STROM.EC
BLOODYMINDED
EUGENICS COUNCIL
TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK
JAPANESE TORTURE COMEDY HOUR
MARTIAL CANTEREL
ANAL CUNT
FIRE IN THE HEAD
HALFLINGS
THEOLOGIAN
KARLHEINZ
CATHODE TERROR SECRETION
SUFFERING BASTARD
COREPHALLISM
PHARMAKON
JOSH HYDEMAN
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
SHALLOW WATERS
SHARPWAIST
NURTURE ABUSE
STILLBIRTH
VOMIT ARSONIST
SEWER GODDESS
ANAL HEARSE
BEREFT
SCARD

Tickets will only be available at the door for Night 1
Tickets are on sale now for Nights 2 & 3 through:
http://www.obrienspubboston.com/

______________________________________________________

APEX FEST III
[TWO DAYS OF DARKNESS]
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13 + SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 - NYC

VENUE TBC

FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES BY:
ADERLATING (GNAW THEIR TONGUES SIDE PROJECT)
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
CHAOS MAJIK
COREPHALLISM (TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK SIDE PROJECT)
GNAW (FEATURING ALAN DUBIN OF KHANATE)
HECATE
RISE OF BECAUSE (ROSETTA SIDE PROJECT)
STATIQBLOOM (FADE KAINER OF BATILLUS/INSWARM/JARBOE LIVE BAND)
STROM.EC
T-FAKTOR (TERRORFAKT SIDE PROJECT)
UNEARTHLY TRANCE
XIPHOID DEMENTIA

AND MORE!!!!!!

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-08.11.09

2009-08-11T16:19:00.001-04:00

"I've walked across the sun. I've seen events so tiny and so fast they hardly can be said to have occurred at all, but you... you are a man. And this world's smartest man means no more to me than does its smartest termite."

- Dr. Manhattan, Alan Moore's WATCHMEN

Today is my 38th birthday. as i look back on where i've been during the past two years and the trials i have faced, now it all seems like a dream.
the circumstances of my life have gone through a subtle metamorphosis in the last month. i find myself gainfully (and enthusiastically) employed, which is in and of itself a drastic alteration in what had become a frightening and painful existence.
the seemingly endless series of rejections heaped upon rejections that i have gone through since 2007 had begun to crush the absolute center of who i was, and i'd lost sight of where i wanted my life to go. i've said numerous times in the month since i got this job that while i am hesitant to use the phrase 'happy' to describe myself, it is in fact a fairly applicable adjective for how i feel when i get up and come to work every day.
after month after month of physical inactivity and self-loathing, having to spend my days in a somewhat hot warehouse, loading and unloading trucks, packing and hefting large crates and boxes full of solid state stereo equipment and ridiculously large speakers, has been turning my flab into muscle mass and the realm of my mind into a far more peaceful landscape.

While the emotional injuries i've suffered in the past year will not be easily forgotten or forgiven, i do feel better than i have in a very long time, physically and mentally...

This can only serve to have a positive impact on my artistic endeavours, which have always suffered when i've found myself in financially dire straits that lead directly to a severe disquiet of the mind. at present, there are plans in the works for a series of new releases to come in the year ahead. It seems that august has often been a time when annihilvs has bloomed after periods of deathlike silence, and perhaps it's fitting that this is the month when both myself and the label were born — and reborn.

So, what's coming? without getting ahead of myself and announcing things that may never come to fruition (something of which i've been guilty far too often), i can tell you the following should be going into production during the next few months:

• a series of limited t-shirts for each artist on the current annihilvs roster

• a series of limited t-shirt/cassette/cdr releases by:

THE VOMIT ARSONIST
COREPHALLISM
CONTENT NULLITY

...and more to be confirmed, each includes collaborative material with THEOLOGIAN

• the long-delayed and long-awaited solo cd, STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY by MARTIN BLADH

• new material from THEOLOGIAN and love is nothing., including a collaborative cd release with my friends TOURNAMENT

• I've begun to post various distributed items in the GASHDIRECT section of the annihilvs site. more is coming.

• live events in the works:

THEOLOGIAN live at the NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL
november 6-8 in boston
http://lasciviousaesthetics.blogspot.com

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
STROM.EC
BLOODYMINDED
TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK
FIRE IN THE HEAD
HALFLINGS
ANAL CUNT
THEOLOGIAN
KARLHEINZ
MARTIAL CANTEREL
CATHODE TERROR SECRETION
JAPANESE TORTURE COMEDY HOUR
SUFFERING BASTARD
COREPHALLISM
PHARMAKON
JOSH HYDEMAN
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
SHARPWAIST
ROSEMARY MALIGN
SHALLOW WATERS
NURTURE ABUSE
STILLBIRTH
VOMIT ARSONIST
SEWER GODDESS
ANAL HEARSE
SCARD
BEREFT

APEX FEST III
november 13+14 in nyc
lineup to be confirmed

That would seem to be all for the moment. as always, thank you for looking and listening.

Northeast Noise & Power Electronics Festival

2009-08-04T15:24:00.002-04:00

Northeast Noise & Power Electronics Festival

Lascivious Aesthetics Presents:
NORTHEAST NOISE & POWER ELECTRONICS FESTIVAL
November 6th - Jacques Cabaret - Boston, MA
November 7th & 8th - Obriens Pub - Allston, MA

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
STROM.EC
BLOODYMINDED
TWODEADSLUTS ONEGOODFUCK
FIRE IN THE HEAD
HALFLINGS
ANAL CUNT
THEOLOGIAN
KARLHEINZ
MARTIAL CANTEREL
CATHODE TERROR SECRETION
JAPANESE TORTURE COMEDY HOUR
SUFFERING BASTARD
COREPHALLISM
PHARMAKON
JOSH HYDEMAN
XIPHOID DEMENTIA
SHARPWAIST
ROSEMARY MALIGN
SHALLOW WATERS
NURTURE ABUSE
STILLBIRTH
VOMIT ARSONIST
SEWER GODDESS
ANAL HEARSE
SCARD
BEREFT

Plans for APEX FEST III in progress for the following weekend in NYC. More info to come.

NTT. BOTTOMFEEDER C40 NOW AVAILABLE FROM NIL BY MOUTH

2009-07-15T12:04:00.001-04:00

NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES "Bottomfeeder" Single Side C40 NBM20TAPE

Delayed for two years for various reasons, NIL BY MOUTH presents BOTTOMFEEDER.
With BOTTOMFEEDER, Navicon Torture Technologies spins a twisted, noirish tale of obsession, sexual addiction and perversion.
BOTTOMFEEDER contains a collaboration track with German power electronics master [BLEED], as well as a collaborative cover version of the song UP IN FLAMES, recorded with with BAIN WOLFKIND and flame performer Paula Kaiser. UP IN FLAMES, written by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti, was originally performed by Koko Taylor in David Lynch's film, WILD AT HEART.
Also included are one previously unreleased track, and an extended version of the track, BLACK VOMIT OF CONTEMPT, the original version of which was featured on the ADDICTION cassette compilation released in 2008 by EN.MI.TY RECORDS

Large cristal clear plastic case with postcard. Blue cassette with chrome tape

8 Euro (Europe) – 10 Euro (World)

http://www.myspace.com/nilbymouthrec

illegal filesharing...

2009-07-02T16:49:00.001-04:00

i'd already decided that i don't want to carry on beating the dead horse of illegal file sharing, thereby continuing to make myself a target for idiots who have no concept of cause and effect, but i wanted to share this piece from a recent mailing list post by michael gira:

"I was planning on writing a tirade about illegal filesharing here, how it’s seriously endangering my ability to continue YGR, but I frankly don’t have the energy – it’s too depressing. Here’s a link to what our (now defunct) Swedish distributor Dotshop has to say about it. Pretty much lays it out. To those of you that buy the music on YGR, thanks very much! It’s how we’re able to keep making music (and perhaps eating). Yes, it’s that simple: stealing actually hurts people, has consequences."
http://www.dotshop.se/ds/news.php?nid=322

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-06.01.09

2009-06-01T23:07:00.001-04:00

'Hell is Every God Damn Thing.'
- Alan Dubin, KHANATE

It feels like a very long time has passed since i last wrote a monthly update. The sensation of catching up with the present can be jarring, but perhaps it's best to see it as an opportunity for personal progress. The changing of seasons is a good time for new beginnings and stepping forth onto a different path, adjacent to but different from that upon which one has been taking up to this point.

Admittedly, at the moment i'm having some difficulty pinpointing exactly what it is that i'd like to explain here, while knowing full well that i do feel a need to share certain things with those who may be interested.

One major reason for the lack of an update in the month of may has to do with a general lack of musical activity here, and a lack of new information that bore sharing. i spent a couple of weeks completely reconfiguring my recording setup in order to maximise space and to facilitate an entire new wave of recordings. sadly, this has yet to come to pass. mark kammerbauer (FRAGMENT KING) visited with me for some days in mid-may, and we spent an afternoon working on some material, and it did produce a single 25-minute long piece to be released under the love is nothing. name, but nothing further has come out of that session... yet.

In the time since the last monthly update, i was also drawn into an argument regarding the ever-exasperating file-sharing issue. for weeks this became a particularly looming aspect of my daily life, involving conversations and debates spread across several blogs and message boards, and conversations in real life as well. i've reached a point now where i feel inclined to simply remove myself from the discussion, if only for the simple fact that the arguments posed by the other end of the discussion are so impossibly devoid of validity, it is essentially futile to attempt to explain why, because they believe in their own bullshit so strongly that it constitutes their reality. there is no point in wasting my energy on them any more than i have.
The argument has also instilled me with a sense of futility, as i question my motivation for continuing the efforts that have brought me into this arena.

Over the past two years, i've been beset with what has seemed to be an endless nightmare of disappointments, failed relationships, foiled plans, and the person i have been seems drastically alien to the person i am now in so many ways that it's as though i am struggling with my own identity, after having had a very solid concept of the person i wished to be, just a matter of months ago.

I was slated to start a new job a couple of weeks ago, but in keeping with the way shit's been going for me, it's now out of my hands and i'm not sure when i'll be starting work. for the moment i remain in limbo, and i've developed something of a flat affect, essentially devoid of enthusiasm for very much at all.

There is a feature on NTT in the new issue of ZERO TOLERANCE magazine (http://www.ztmag.com), available now.
The writer closes the article by quoting me:
'I'm just hoping to pick up the pieces of my fucking life and move forward in some way that will allow me to shrug off the old skin that's been weighing me down.'

1. NTT. BOTTOMFEEDER C45
Delayed for two years for various reasons, NIL BY MOUTH presents BOTTOMFEEDER.
With BOTTOMFEEDER, Navicon Torture Technologies spins a twisted, noirish tale of obsession, sexual addiction and perversion.
BOTTOMFEEDER contains a collaboration track with German power electronics master [BLEED], as well as a collaborative cover version of the song UP IN FLAMES, recorded with with BAIN WOLFKIND and flame performer Paula Kaiser. UP IN FLAMES, written by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti, was originally performed by Koko Taylor in David Lynch's film, WILD AT HEART.
Also included are one previously unreleased track, and an extended version of the track, BLACK VOMIT OF CONTEMPT, the original version of which was featured on the ADDICTION cassette compilation released in 2008 by EN.MI.TY RECORDS.

2. NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH LIMITED BOXED EDITION
I now have my personal copies of the boxsets. I will be selling a limited number of these and they may or may not include some additional goodies to make them slightly more personal. i have to figure out what that might be before making that decision.
If anyone is looking to get a copy directly from me, get in touch by email: leech (at) aex (dot) org
To keep shit organised, i WILL NOT discuss anything regarding purchases of this release except via regular email.

That's basically all there is to share at the moment, i guess.

Fuck the ruiners, and this time around that's directed to a pretty specific cross-section of people. they should all know who they are.

THEOLOGIAN - A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE REVIEW

2009-05-20T10:18:00.002-04:00

'...pain and suffering rarely sound more authentic.'

2009-05-18T16:00:00.001-04:00

ZERO TOLERANCE MAGAZINE
http://www.ztmag.com

navicon torture technologies
the gospels of the gash
malignant records

Going out in style, that's what NTT's Leech is doing here: a double, over-sized CD set, exploring themes of obsession and desire with Leech baring old scars and exposing mental wounds throughout an epic journey. His trademark so-frank-its-raw-and-suppurating emotion drips from the set's 20 tracks like blood from a razor blade. Power romance is his term – but there's nothing particularly 'romantic' sounding here. More gut-wrenchingly honest, particularly on the tracks when his voice comes to the fore – similar, in that regard, to Prurient, although NTT's death industrial / power electronics frequently brings to mind aspects of Strom.ec and Steel Hook Prostheses, both of whom have been involved in this album's production. The Gospels Of The Gash affords a pleasingly fluid listening experience – harsh, pounding electronics willingly giving way to gentler, more ambient passages – but throughout there remains a dark, disturbing undercurrent of a mind on the edge. Whether this genuinely reflects Leech's state of mind, or is more a case of him being in 'character' doesn't really matter – pain and suffering rarely sound more authentic.

calum harvie 4.5

Discourse on the side

2009-05-02T12:45:00.000-04:00

Andy Grant at 7:47am May 1
i like where he mentioned that downloading the album will cause people to buy future releases.... it goes nicely with this, posted on a sidebar in his blog:

"I won't tell you to support music by buying it, honestly, do what the fuck you want to do."

jackoff.... Read More

what's your deal with last.fm, by the way?
Tim Spann
Tim Spann at 8:37am May 1
i commented on his blog
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 11:36am May 1
here's the newest comment, a reply to tim:

Mr. Energy,
'Industrial musician', whining about high costs of equipment is just about as fucking lame and ridiculous as a teen bimbo whining about high costs of designer clothing after she maxed out her daddy's credit card on Prada and Versace. If you feel like spending thousands on modular synths and ... Read Morefancy high end plugins, or whatever it is you use, that's your choice and your problem. There is ALWAYS a less expensive solution out there. Instead of bitching about how you are about to go broke if 5 people god forbid download your shit for free, (while promoting yourself in an unrelated post), use what you can afford and make the most of it. Nobody owes you anything.
Stephen James Knight
Stephen James Knight at 12:14pm May 1
Thanks Lee, I enjoyed your blog post. I know exactly where you're coming from, practically every album I've released has been on torrent sites before I could even finish my promotion for it. Once I lived a relatively shitty (but musically productive) life in order to focus solely on music, struggled every day to pay my rent and eat, but produced ... Read Morehours upon hours of music... being that it wasn't financially viable - I took a day job, and where I once had more music than I knew what to do with - now I struggle trying to find the time to write. This is why I haven't released a new album album in 2 years. If it were financially viable for me to live off my music, I'd spend every waking moment writing and playing - instead of sitting in an office wishing I was.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 12:37pm May 1
tim, why'd you remove your comment?
Tim Spann
Tim Spann at 12:43pm May 1
i don't want to get involved in an internet flame war over download sites. Stephen said what I was thinking.
Rachel Maloney
Rachel Maloney at 12:52pm May 1
kudos lee, though these obviously logical points just don't ever seem to sink in...
Rachel Maloney
Rachel Maloney at 12:53pm May 1
"If you feel like spending thousands on modular synths and ... Read Morefancy high end plugins, or whatever it is you use, that's your choice and your problem."

by this logic, only wealthy people should be making "industrial" music.

I would like to know what this "less expensive" solution is.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 12:55pm May 1
human bones and contact mics
Tim Spann
Tim Spann at 12:56pm May 1
I've always been the power tools and sledge hammers guy. Though it would be nice to have a somewhat cleaner sound when recording.
Tim Spann
Tim Spann at 12:57pm May 1
There are a few open source and free music programs out there. Some for windows, some for Linux, not sure about Mac but there's probably a few. Most people have hammers and pieces of metal.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:03pm May 1
the argument that dude makes is unsound at its base. it's 'our problem' that we want to receive some sort of financial restitution for the time, effort and money we put into what we do, rather than seeing complete strangers giving it away for free.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:04pm May 1
steve albini makes an interesting point on the prosound forum:
"My point remains that people buy things even when they are available elsewhere for free. Pretending that something can't be sold because there is a free version of it out there is flying in the face of the obvious.

We can sell records and downloads, of course, and make money doing it. We can't control the free exchange that goes along with it, so we shouldn't worry about it. That isn't our audience and it isn't our market.
... Read More
More importantly, there is a cultural good provided by the free exchange of music that extends the influence of the bands and the music, enlarging their natural audiences and opening them up as resources.

If it really bothers you that someone might listen to your music and not pay you for it, then don't release it out into the world. Play it for people on a per-listen basis from a lemonade stand in front of your house or something."
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:07pm May 1
BUT, this is coming from someone who has worked on records that have sold millions of copies, and surprisingly (or not), he doesn't take time to consider the stance of someone working from within a truly underground scene, where even the smallest number of free downloads from blogs or paid torrents from those russian sites have the potential to eventually put an artist out of business
Stephen James Knight
Stephen James Knight at 1:08pm May 1
I think it comes down to the simple fact that it should be the musicians discretion/decision whether or not to release music for free; not anyone else, regardless if their intention is good (in the sense of "helping" the artist with promotion) or not (seeking profit through torrent site or blog advertising revenue).
Tim Spann
Tim Spann at 1:12pm May 1
If people don't want to pay and just want the music you can't stop them. Since they could do what they do with DVD pirating and have someone buy one copy and then put it online. So you'll get only 1 sale instead of 100-500.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:13pm May 1
exactly. and to tangentially answer andy's question about why i hate last.fm, this is precisely the issue i have with that site. ostensibly, i am the moderator of the ntt profile there, yet i have no control over the user-generated content that gets posted there. i took over the management of the profile because someone had posted a bunch of ... Read Morepersonal images that i had previously removed from myspace, none of which should be associated with ntt outside of my own control. if it happens again, i have to jump through the administrative hoops of last.fm, and have to justify to them my reasons for wanting a particular item removed. this falls in a similar context to this issue of unauthorised downloads. the artist should be the one to dictate what gets seen and what gets heard, not some random teenager with no clue.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:17pm May 1
this guy is fucking clueless:

"Leech,
Imho, the perfect example misplaced sense of entitlement that you speak of is the guy arguing against free music sharing because he has to spend 4 grand on gear in order to be able to make industrial music, and expressing desire for gear to be donated to him for free. "Nobody owes you anything" was addressed to someone who feels entitled to expect music fans to pay for his gear whoredom, which by no means equals creative process, and who would also like to receive free stuff, while denying others their right to want free stuff in form of online music sharing.
Artist compensation and running a label is a whole different story...... Read More
-lash"

http://a-special-plan-for-this-world.blogspot.com/2009/01/navicon-torture-technologies-dripping.html?showComment=1241160660000#c2240805798680780332
Rachel Maloney
Rachel Maloney at 1:18pm May 1
FIE ON YOUR FANCY EXPENSIVE CONTACT MICS! it should ONLY be about bongos. in a cave. forget progressiveness and experimentation with new and ever changing technology to create and test the limits of sound and music
Stephen James Knight
Stephen James Knight at 1:21pm May 1
It's really disheartening when I'm contacted to perform a show or asked to book a small tour and I have to decline simply because I can't leave my day job (I'm reminded of the old addage that 'what you own, eventually owns you' (and it's nice to have a place to plug in my gear, and pay my electric bill)). It just isn't financially viable to be a ... Read Moreperforming musician (and I don't blame this solely on unauthorised downloading of my music, however, if I made even half as many sales as I have downloads, I could probably make a meager life for myself solely as a musician). So, does it KILL the scene? No, but it definately damages the potential.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 1:30pm May 1
yeah, and that's my point really. i can't say that i am wholeheartedly AGAINST the idea of filesharing, and in fact a large part of my loathing for metallica came from the napster debacle, and we as 'futuristic,' technology-driven artists obviously need to keep our eyes forward and try to adapt to our environment, but our musical 'careers,' such as... Read More they are, could potentially be severely damaged or hindered if we lost the capacity to recoup anything from our efforts and expenses toward continuing forward. that is what these people fail to realise. someone i don't know posted a pretty good comment on my original blog:
http://annihilvs.blogspot.com/2009/05/unauthorised-downloads-discourse.html
Kevin D. Reilly
Kevin D. Reilly at 2:05pm May 1
a thought:
Brilliance of the blog-o-sphere : promotion fro artistic commerce.

Failure of the blog-o-sphere : commerce of artistic commerce.
... Read More
Really, why blog about an artist? because you want a part in the promotion of said artist, no? you want to feel connected to the artist... i believe LLORT claims this in his/her initial response to Lee.
But then you give the product away on the blog... WTF? if consumers must feel the need of PLAY to PAY (i.e. too remedy the issue of "how many times have you bought a "shitty"album") then make a snippet of the parts you thought were outstanding to prove your point of how Amazing this album is... but don't just give it away.....

this disconnect i find stunning.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 2:08pm May 1
yeah, there's a huge difference between writing a positive review of an album and giving the album away for free because you think people should 'support the artist'
Jon Ray
Jon Ray at 2:12pm May 1
I appreciated reading this. I'm not against downloading, though in my own case it's mostly material I couldn't get via traditional means. I've had some similar issues with my tracks, including some unfinished work making it out there, which means the culprit is among a very small group of friends. I'm glad to be heard but as much for people like Tom at Spectre as for myself, I'd like people to buy the real records. If nothing else, it truly sounds better, and isn't that the point?
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 2:18pm May 1
well the sound quality is another issue entirely, because the blog that started this whole thing posts FLAC audio. so, we've got people posting full quality audio files for the world to download free of charge, bypassing and even subverting the artists entirely.

on a side note, i have some degree of trouble separating this from the issue of sampling. are those of us who use samples guilty of precisely the same thing that we find so irritating about filesharing?
Kevin D. Reilly
Kevin D. Reilly at 2:24pm May 1
i don't find sampling to be a similar issue...The copyright law has provisions for Fair Use in collage works and parody, as well as manipulation of an original sample. Now that said, the sampler hasn't always come out on top via the legal system set up to deal with this copyright situation.... (i.e. Negativland, no commercial release of a truly ... Read Moresampled record ala Paul's Boutique since Paul's Boutique).
This is blatant redistribution of a commodity. Somewhat of a robin hood action, yet your not stealing the King's deer, but the porridge from your own Merry Men.
Jon Ray
Jon Ray at 2:30pm May 1
That's a good point regarding sampling, Lee. I look at it differently depending on the source material and what role it plays in the final piece. Maybe it's a bit of dialogue that drives home the emotional current implied in the drones (like the tapes used on Soundtracks For the Blind), or maybe it's a piece of existing music, but so deconstructed ... Read Morethat it ceases to be what it was and becomes part of a new context (how much beat-driven material would exist without drum samples?) . This is a whole debate unto itself, of course.

I guess we as artists are going to have to find a way to draw the audience back to having a relationship with us as creators/storytellers, rather than this current situation where the work is available free and detached in a vacuum and "nobody gets hurt."
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 2:55pm May 1
right. so is filesharing a victimless crime? is sampling?
the example you use from soundtracks for the blind is an interesting one, because it's a much different matter than generic horror/sci fi samples that we're all familiar with. an artist who incorporates personal recordings of their parents (swans - 'how they suffer') in their music, or who ... Read Moreuses found tapes (skincage - 'calling home') isn't in the same legally questionable arena as your standard ebm act sampling from hellraiser or some other easily recognisable, mainstream media source.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 3:00pm May 1
after ten years of creating material that was 99 percent based around appropriated source material, i received a cease and desist order from a music publisher for a track which used a music sample from the film underworld.
at the time that i was working on that track, i was in semi-regular contact with brian lustmord, who did the sound design and ... Read Moresome music for that film. when i played the rough version of my track for him, he told me that he had originally created the loop i'd used, but the score's composer liked it so much he incorporated it as a main theme (which later appeared in the sequel as well). lustmord didn't exactly give me his blessing, but he did remark on how 'interesting' my use of the sample was. obviously, he was not in any legal position to give me express permission to use this sound, but in some small way, i did include someone closely involved with the production of the original sound in the creative process.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 3:03pm May 1
...ultimately, after i explained to the lawyer who had contacted me that i never had and never would see a dime from the release that contained the sample in question, and that it was pressed in a run of fewer than 1000 copies (i think it was 300, but i told him 500), and that i only received ten percent of that total pressing, i never heard from ... Read Morehim again.

it simply wouldn't have been worth their time or money to attempt litigation. fortunately, one of my best friends is married to a former entertainment lawyer, who has herself written plenty of cease and desist letters.
her advice proved to be perfectly effective.
Lee M. Bartow
Lee M. Bartow at 3:09pm May 1
i've received a comment posted to my blog from Llort, who runs the blog that started this whole thread. go get him guys!

http://annihilvs.blogspot.com/2009/05/unauthorised-downloads-discourse.html
Stephen James Knight
Stephen James Knight at 2:38am May 2
I still remember to this day back in 2007, I went to Germany to promote my latest album, it was not officially released yet, but there were pre-sale CD's available at the show - I only went for the weekend, played Saturday night, and was on a plane back to New York on Sunday - before I was off the plane, my release was available on the torrent ... Read Moresites. I'm fairly certain this cut into the CD sales, and in business terms that severely cuts into the ROI (and most likely makes it hard to recoup the costs of mastering, and production - this is all without any "pay" for the actual creative process). As for the publics general attitude, I don't think it's malicious; some years back at Noisefest up in Providence, I had my small merch table set up - selling CDs and shirts and whatnot (hoping to recover some of the expenses from the trip), and one guy picked up a CD, asked how much, put the CD down, and said directly to my face "hmm, I'll just download it, thanks". I actually had no response.

The Ultimate Warriors Light The Night Walk

2009-05-01T18:49:00.001-04:00

my friend and unsound co-curator justin elias morales was diagnosed with lymphoma in december 2008. he's been going through chemotherapy treatments and his friends and family are doing this crazy thing to lend their support.
since i'm a broke depressed loser, all i can do is help spread the word. maybe someone you love has struggled through lymphoma or some other form of cancer, maybe you can help out.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Manhattn09/theultimatewarriors

dear lymphoma,
go fuck yourself

see you in hell,

lee

music tax

2009-05-01T13:14:00.001-04:00

i can't speak for tim's opinion, though having known him for as long as i have, i can say that he's got a pretty low tech recording setup and i'd be surprised if the total cash value of his gear would amount to very much at all. i'm not sure i am reading into his posts in quite the same way that you guys are, but i never saw his comment here because he removed it in order to avoid getting into a pointless flame-war on my blog.
from what kevin and lash both said in your responses makes me think he suggested some sort of government-sponsored tax in order to help artists buy gear?
well, pretty much the rest of the western world has government financing for artists, while the usa - who tout ourselves as the wealthiest nation on earth - makes it increasingly more difficult to support oneself through producing art. kevin, you can't say it wouldn't be nice to receive some sort of stipend that provides financial aid for reptilian records or scapegoat publishing.
something that has been put forth in a variety of forums is the idea that the end user pays for music on a bandwidth usage basis, rather than for individual downloads. i'm not quite certain of how this would be implemented, i haven't read much about the subject, but it might end up being the ultimate solution for the mainstream record industry to keep itself afloat. who knows if that's a good thing or not...

_lash

2009-05-01T11:30:00.001-04:00

hey lash, it's an interesting argument that you pose, but you're adhering to this misplaced sense of entitlement that seems to be at the core of the issue.
the administrator of this blog states in his original response to me that approximately 99 people have downloaded my album from this site.
in a pressing of 1000 copies, that represents a significant percentage of the entire run, and a substantial loss of potential income for me personally, not to mention for the guys at the label that released that album - oh, by the way, that label went defunct because they could no longer afford to pay for cd pressings. it's a simple issue of cause and effect.

your example regarding this idea of spending thousands on modular synths and fancy high-end plugins is also misplaced in this particular instance, because neither myself nor tim (mr. electric) have done anything of the sort. my 'studio' is an extremely modest collection of gear acquired over the past twelve years, and in all likelihood wouldn't garner me much more than a thousand dollars if i were to put every single thing on ebay. when i started, i was using borrowed effects units and a broken 4 track, and assorted improvised equipment, which i replaced over the course of a decade as i became more adept at the production of my material.

as far as your statement, 'nobody owes you anything,' if you provide me with tangible goods or services and i refuse to pay you for them on the basis that i believe it should be free, would you call that stealing? would you take me to court, or try to have me arrested? would you tell your employer that you don't need your paychecks anymore and that you'd like to work for free, because they don't owe you anything?

if you don't get paid, you quit your job. you can't afford to work for free. if they don't pay you, you can't pay your bills, you can't eat, you can't buy gas or pay for public transportation in order to get to your job. you can't produce what your employer wants you to produce if they don't pay you. totally independent artists, and their small labels run from out of bedrooms and basements and garages can't produce what the fans want them to produce if every album they put out gets posted on blogs and torrent sites for free within weeks of their release. cause and effect.

UNAUTHORISED DOWNLOADS - A DISCOURSE

2009-05-01T02:28:00.008-04:00

the following is a response to the blog 'a-special-plan-for-this-world.blogspot.com'
http://a-special-plan-for-this-world.blogspot.com/2009/01/navicon-torture-technologies-dripping.html?showComment=1241160660000#c2240805798680780332

well, it's an argument that i have a difficult time resolving, even within myself. with that said, this is something i have wanted to blog about for some time, and i'm happy to have the opportunity to at least attempt to explain why what you're doing has the potential to hurt the artists, while you and others like you may perceive that your activities are 'promoting' their works.

first off, an answer to your question regarding how many people have discovered my work via the internet:
as an artist who uses the web almost exclusively to promote my activities, i would say that the majority of my listeners/fans have discovered me online. i have always made it easy to communicate with me directly, and my online presence is spread fairly wide between various domains of my own, in addition to several myspace profiles, a yahoo group, and other profiles such as last.fm (a site which i detest from the bottom of my heart), virb, and most recently - facebook (which i am preferring at this point to keep as more of a personal space for close friends and/or people i've not seen in decades.

therefore, it is not a difficult task for someone to contact me directly in order to procure any number of my releases if they so desire.

your assertions regarding this concept that people shouldn't need money to enjoy music are a symptom of our times, and i think it's an issue that people such as yourself don't really take the time to consider in depth.
the music and recording industry has been trudging along since its inception straddling a thin line between art and commerce.
on the one side, you've got your artist who works very hard to achieve the simple act of having their work put out into the world. this can require an incredible level of personal expense.
gear costs money. internet access costs money. producing releases costs money. printing merchandise such as stickers, shirts, posters, pins, all cost money.

if my computer dies or i have a hard drive failure, that costs money to fix.
for an individual such as myself, or the many other underground artists who are my peers, a single release that costs 'X' amount to produce, will very likely never generate a profit, but i do it because i am compelled to create art. without it, my life would be devoid of meaning.
the labels i have worked with and will continue to work with are all run by people like me. people who may not ever see a profitable return on the financial investments they make in order to release the music about which they are so passionate.
for many, the best they can hope for is to break even, to allow their labels to sustain themselves without the need for additional investments from their personal funds. personally speaking, i have yet to achieve this goal after twelve years of running a label. granted, i have yet to take full advantage of what is available to me, but it takes time and energy to reach that goal, and when the circumstances of ones life tend to get in the way, it's a far more difficult journey.

your statement that 'music should not be something you have to be moderately rich to enjoy' is both right and wrong. again, it is the symptom of our times, and there seems to be an almost generational, societal concept that states that music SHOULD be free. however, the chief point that is being overlooked is that, if every single person in the world started 'illegally' (i prefer the term unauthorised) downloading and trading music and refused to pay for it - ever - then the music would cease to exist. not the music that is being traded/downloaded, but anything that had the potential to come out after that.
now, you and people like you who believe that you are doing the artists some great service by posting their work, are actually taking a risk that the people who you claim to be supporting will someday no longer be able to produce this music.

for example, my most recent release, the gospels of the gash 2cd from malignant records, has been out for roughly two months. in my regular google searches for reviews of this release, i have found an ever-increasing number of torrents and blogs offering free downloads of the album, in full quality and for free.
the people who have posted these have gone so far as to state that they are promoting the music and profess to believe that what they are doing helps the artist.
however, i personally have not sold a single copy of the album - yet - meanwhile, it is available for paid download via digstation, from which the money from every purchase will go directly to me. how does making the album available for free, preventing me from seeing any revenue in return for my hard work, help me as the artist?

so, you and others like you can feel free to make as many philosophical arguments stating that music should be free, that there is more to music than money, and that art should be considered first and foremost in deference to commerce, but these arguments fail miserably when they are taken into a larger context where producing art is the way that an artist makes their living, and by 'stealing' or 'trading' that art while removing the artist from the equation ultimately dooms them to failure.

to answer your question about whether or not i personally have downloaded music, i can say that i have never torrented anything. i have gotten copies of leaked releases from friends, and on those few occasions, i have always done so with the knowledge that i'd be purchasing the album upon its release.
but, here's what has happened after i got those leaked albums:
i bought the domestic release, the japanese import, the double vinyl, the tshirt, and then went to see the live performance, where in all likelihood i purchased items at the merch table.
i have supported the artists i love because i want them to be able to keep doing what they do, so i can continue to enjoy their work.

it's true that underground music was less accessible on the same scale that it is now prior to the internet, but a perfect example of the fact that this potentially makes very little difference in this argument is metallica. they started out in a very small local underground scene and rose to this hideously grotesque, monolithic corporate monstrosity, who ultimately led the mainstream record industry's witchhunt against file sharing. they achieved this success primarily without the use of the internet, before the internet even existed in the form we know today.
how much of their rise to fame lent itself to underground tape trading? to endless touring, to self-promotion, to the trappings of the traditional music industry?
all of it.

word of mouth is a tool, the value of which is impossible to properly assess, and small obscure scenes like the 'noise' scene would not be what they are today were it not for connections having been made across long distances via the internet. i'm not sure if that's necessarily a benefit. even a band like swans, as influential and seminal as they have been to so many artists, never came close to achieving mainstream success - certainly nothing even resembling what metallica have seen - and michael gira and jarboe continue to work in relative obscurity in spite of their artistic statures.

for people such as myself, whose work is even less accessible or palatable for the greater masses, the most that can be hoped for is the ability to make my art support itself without going broke in the process. nearly everyone i know who does this stuff has a day job; i personally have been unemployed for two years now and when my benefits run out, the only income i'll be able to count on, if i continue to be unable to find a job, will be piecemeal monies that come in from cd sales.

in 2007, i had an exchange via ichat with a 19 year old fan who told me that he 'might actually buy' the ntt album that was forthcoming at that time. when i asked where he'd gotten my other releases (he'd previously said he owned all of my albums), he told me flatly and seemingly with no sense of shame, that he'd gotten them from soulseek.
i was shocked more by his unflinching sense that he'd done nothing wrong by admitting this to me. as we conversed more, i was able to explain to him something which, by conventional thinking should be a forgone conclusion - that by downloading my albums from third parties who have no relationship to me whatsoever, he was essentially pulling money out of my pockets, which potentially could lead to an end to my activities altogether. subsequent to this discussion, he purchased a few limited cdrs from me.

so, it's a difficult topic that doesn't have any easy answers for any of us. i can tell you first and foremost that i'm not some corporate entity with a legal department that can aggressively go after the hundreds of sites where unauthorised - paid and free - downloads of my albums can be found. i don't get paid royalties on a regular basis, i don't receive payments for publishing, my work is not being considered for use in car commercials or films or television series. i don't sell millions of copies of my records, the largest pressing i can hope for is 1000 copies worldwide, and the chances that i will see more than a few hundred dollars in the time before any one of these releases goes out of print are very slim.
i am just one guy, whose only sense of purpose comes from creating art, struggling to live my life and failing miserably at doing so.

what if i'd been planning to re-press dripping with the power of her flesh? what if i went through the effort and expense of doing so and didn't sell a single copy, not because nobody wanted the album, but because they'd already downloaded it from your blog? should i not hold you, or others like you, personally responsible?

i have no quarrel with you personally, i appreciate the support of those who follow my work and i rely on that support in many ways, but i think that you and others like you fail to realise that posting free downloads of entire albums by underground artists potentially does more harm than good. your argument that if people were not downloading from you they could do it elsewhere is simply not good enough to justify the practise.

i'm not going to tell you to remove the download if you feel you're doing me a service, but i do ask that you think about what i've said and consider whether you are legitimately doing a service to the artists you claim to be supporting. ask yourself if you are not instead causing them serious harm by contributing to a larger machine that will eventually ruin them. ask yourself, how exactly are you and others like you helping these artists by giving something away for free that they have put their blood and sweat into, that may or may not have been the result of a tremendous sacrifice on the part of everyone involved?

GOSPELS BOXSET PHOTOS

2009-04-27T21:40:00.003-04:00

NTT fan Marc Benner has kindly posted photographs of his copy of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH LIMITED BOXED EDITION.

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH LIMITED BOXED EDITION NOW AVAILABLE FROM MALIGNANT RECORDS

2009-04-23T21:09:00.003-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FROM MALIGNANT RECORDS!!!

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION
After 12 years of producing tormented, vicious rage and doomed, miserable alienation, NTT presents its final offering to the deities of self-hate in the form of this monolithic special boxed edition of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH.
This box serves as the doorway into a hellish realm of absolute loneliness, where the fear of physical pain is overshadowed by the demons of emotional torture.

Also included is the 2CD release YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY. Consisting of 18 collaboration tracks and remixes, these two discs boast a tracklist featuring phenomenal artists both obscure and infamous, who have joined forces with NTT to construct an epic of undulating drones and visceral screams.
Once again, NTT blurs the lines between the brutish intensity of power electronics and introspective dark ambient contemplations.

The list of collaborators includes:
DEUTSCH NEPAL, EIDULON, HERBST9, JARBOE, KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER, THE [LAW-RAH] COLLECTIVE, TROUM and many others.

AUDIO PREVIEW AVAILABLE HERE:
http://annihilvs.blogspot.com/2009/04/flashwidgetz_7673.html

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION

100 COPIES INCLUDING:

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
NTT. YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY 2XCD
2 (TWO) PINS
2 (TWO) STICKERS
2 (TWO) MINI POSTCARDS
1 (ONE) 8x10 MINIPOSTER
1 (ONE) TSHIRT

PLEASE SPECIFY SHIRT SIZE IN NOTES SECTION WHEN ORDERING.
Available in S, M, L, and XL...
$50.00

ALL HOUSED IN A 9" x 12" METAL TIN WITH ETCHED ARTWORK

http://www.malignantrecords.com/catalog

OR:

http://www.malignantrecords.com/search.mpl?type=new

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-04.23.09-SUPPLEMENT

2009-04-23T17:51:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, I have just spent the bulk of today packing a pretty sizeable number of parcels, including all copies of [NTT.FINAL PHASE], and assorted other outstanding orders that have stacked up from the past YEAR.

I had hoped to make it to the post office before they closed at 6pm today, but my day was cut in half when i ran out of packing tape and bubble mailers and had to take a quick run up to staples.

So, i have put the box of packages in my car, and will bring them to be shipped at the crack of noon tomorrow.
It is my intention to send these parcels via media rate, because it will probably empty my bank account to send everything at once. However, i am determined to get these the fuck off my back as soon as i can, so i'll take the hit for those of you who have been waiting patiently (and in some cases, not so patiently) for your items to show up.

I do apologise profusely for the ridiculous delay, but all i can say for myself is that i have had an exceptionally difficult two years on both financial and psycho-emotional fronts. Those of you who have stuck with me since the early days are well-versed in how much trouble i have with handling individual orders, and how tumultuous my life tends to be. Getting to the post office is a particularly strenuous task when one can barely get out of bed every day.

In any case, i'm sure there are still some orders that have fallen through the cracks, and i know that some orders that were mailed out last year never reached their destination (what the fuck is it with the german postal system???), and i have about 9-12 orders still listed as outstanding from what seems like a million years ago, which i will attempt to take care of some time soon.

Once again, i find myself crawling out of a fucking mental and emotional abyss, where i've lain for the past four months, and today was merely the first very small step upward.
Fuck the ruiners.

I'll post again when i hear from Jason about the boxsets.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-04.23.09

2009-04-23T06:59:00.005-04:00

"I tried to find the rhythm of the world where I used to live. I followed the current. I was silent, attentive, I made a conscious effort to smile, nod, stand, and perform the millions of gestures that constitute life on earth. I studied these gestures until they became reflexes again. But I was haunted by the idea that I remembered her wrong, and somehow I was wrong about everything."
- Chris Kelvin, Steven Soderbergh's Solaris

Well, it's April 23, and that means that THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH boxset will become available from MALIGNANT RECORDS by the end of the day. I don't think a price has been set yet. Please direct all inquires to Jason at MALIGNANT RECORDS.
http://www.malignantrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/malignantrecords

This day holds some personal significance for me, and I will try to look upon it as a time for moving forward. I don't really have any other choice.
I have been delayed in sending out the copies of [NTT.FINAL PHASE] during the past couple of weeks for financial reasons, but i plan to get a bunch of stuff mailed out today.

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION
After 12 years of producing tormented, vicious rage and doomed, miserable alienation, NTT presents its final offering to the deities of self-hate in the form of this monolithic special boxed edition of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH.
This box serves as the doorway into a hellish realm of absolute loneliness, where the fear of physical pain is overshadowed by the demons of emotional torture.

Also included is the 2CD release YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY. Consisting of 18 collaboration tracks and remixes, these two discs boast a tracklist featuring phenomenal artists both obscure and infamous, who have joined forces with NTT to construct an epic of undulating drones and visceral screams.
Once again, NTT blurs the lines between the brutish intensity of power electronics and introspective dark ambient contemplations.

The list of collaborators includes:
DEUTSCH NEPAL, EIDULON, HERBST9, JARBOE, KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER, THE [LAW-RAH] COLLECTIVE, TROUM and many others.

AUDIO PREVIEW AVAILABLE HERE:
http://annihilvs.blogspot.com/2009/04/flashwidgetz_7673.html

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION

100 COPIES INCLUDING:

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
NTT. YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY 2XCD
2 (TWO) PINS
2 (TWO) STICKERS
2 (TWO) MINI POSTCARDS
1 (ONE) 8x10 MINIPOSTER
1 (ONE) TSHIRT (ALL MENS' SIZES S/M/L/XL, AND GIRLS' S)

ALL HOUSED IN A 9" x 12" METAL TIN WITH ETCHED ARTWORK

Once again, please direct all inquiries to MALIGNANT RECORDS.
http://www.malignantrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/malignantrecords

YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY - AUDIO PREVIEW - FULL VERSION

2009-04-19T12:02:00.002-04:00

YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY

2009-04-12T21:42:00.004-04:00

The second and final mastering session for the forthcoming two-disc release YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY took place today, and the audio component of the limited boxed edition of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH has officially been completed.

Many thanks to my good friend Kevin Reilly at LAST STOP RECORDING & REHEARSAL for generously lending his seemingly endless expertise to this release. Kevin went above and beyond my expertise, pulling sounds and frequencies out of these tracks that were only just beneath the surface prior to this process.

Obviously, I also have to thank the artists who contributed to this amazing collection. These are the very final tracks to have been worked on using the NTT name, and they stand apart from my previous output in many ways, particularly due to an increased sense of maturity and musicality not found in any other NTT release. I am truly honoured and exceedingly fortunate to have collaborated with these individuals.
I proudly consider some of these tracks the best pieces of audio I have ever created.

The final tracklist follows:

BOOK III - NURTURED WOUNDS

I
EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS - NTT + AUN
II
SOUL EATER - NTT + BLACK SUN
III
THE LAST EUROPEAN (DAMNATION EDIT) - NTT + CENOTYPE
IV
CULT OF DOOM - NTT + THE [law-rah] COLLECTIVE
V
HEADWOUND - NTT + INSWARM
VI
I WON'T SURVIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT YOU - NTT + COVET
VII
AN EXERCISE IN PAIN-EXTENDED VERSION - NTT + AUTOCLAV 1.1
VIII
ECLIPSED BY A BLUE STAR - NTT + HERBST9
IX
KNOWING NO MERCY, THEY RAGE AGAINST MANKIND - NTT + HECATE

BOOK IV - THE SCHISM YAWNS WIDE

I
YOU ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR - NTT + JARBOE
II
VICTVM VERMIS - NTT + DEUTSCH NEPAL
III
GUMROT (DECAYING FACE EDIT) - NTT + FRAGMENT KING
IV
IN THE FOLDS OF THE FLESH - NTT + KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER
V
SHE THROWS ME TO THE DOGS - NTT + PROMETHEUS BURNING
VI
LOVE THEME - NTT + STEVE MOORE
VII
PILLARS OF FLESH - NTT + EIDULON
VIII
SONNENAUFGANG - NTT + TROUM
IX
THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS, DREAMS INEVITABLY LEAD TO HIDEOUS IMPLOSIONS - NTT + THE BIRD CAGE THEATER

The limited boxed edition of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH will be officially released on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

More information and an audio preview will be forthcoming.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-04.01.09

2009-04-01T18:38:00.001-04:00

"I told my love, I told my love,
I told her all my heart,
Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears—
Ah, she doth depart."

- William Blake

This past winter was like one long and brutal night, filled with bad dreams and hunger pains, but for what it's worth I'm still here.
My life took some turns I wasn't prepared for, and I know that I have lost some pretty significant pieces of myself along the way, but there's nothing I can do but limp onward. I have nothing more to give than my love.

01. [NTT.FINAL PHASE] 5XCDR
Progress has been made finally, and the remaining copies of [NTT.FINAL PHASE] are nearing completion. I plan/hope to get them all packaged tonight and to possibly ship them out beginning tomorrow.
Other overdue orders will be forthcoming alongside these parcels.

02. NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-LIMITED BOXED EDITION
This monolithic release is on its way to completion. I have collected 17 of the 18 tracks that will appear of YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY, the two-disc collection of remixes and collaborations which will serve as the final nail in the NTT coffin.
Starting tonight, I will be mastering this material with my good friend Kevin Reilly at Last Stop during the next week or so, while I wait for the final track to come in. The shirts and printed matter are in production as I sit here.
The official release date of the boxset will be April 23. No price has been set as of this moment, so please hold off on contacting MALIGNANT until the formal announcement is made.

03. NTT. BOTTOMFEEDER
It had been my hope that this cassette would have seen the light of day by now, but hopefully it shouldn't be too much longer.

04. THE SWEET SUFFERING SERIES
Beginning in June, I will be partnering up with Lenny B of CENOTYPE to form a new label imprint called SWEET SUFFERING, a combined effort of ANNIHILVS and ORIGINS PRODUCTIONS. This will consist of a series of limited CD releases (most likely distributed via MALIGNANT RECORDS), covering a broad spectrum of underground, electronic and experimental music ranging from darkambient and power electronics to doom and post-metal.
The first release in this series will be the long-delayed solo album from Martin Bladh of IRM, STUDY FOR A THEATER OF CRUELTY. More on this as plans develop.

______________________________________________

The NTT webspace has been dramatically updated, and I will continue to tweak it and add some new features leading up to the release of the boxset.
______________________________________________

That is all there is for now.
Thank you.

TERMINATOR SALVATION

2009-03-24T05:50:00.003-04:00

NTT WEBSPACE UPDATE

2009-03-16T19:07:00.002-04:00

I'm in the process of working on a moderately substantial update of the ntt website. I've included lyrics from several releases, and will be putting up some previews for THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH and YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY. More to come soon.

A GREY DAY - A MIX FOR SASHA GREY'S BIRTHDAY 03.14.09

2009-03-14T22:47:00.005-04:00

I made this mix for Sasha Grey's 21st birthday.

Destroy everything you touch

2009-03-11T14:34:00.002-04:00

I've just made plans to collaborate with TONIKOM (www.myspace.com/tonikom) on a cover version of LADYTRON's DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH.

I think this will be done as love is nothing., but haven't sorted out any further details yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtqGoHouoE0&feature=related

LADYTRON-DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH

Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way
Anything that may desert you
So it cannot hurt you

You only have to look behind you
At who's undermined you
Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way

Everything you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Shakes your hand
Takes your gun
Walks you out of the sun

What you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Destroy everything you touch today
Please destroy me this way

Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way
Anything that may delay you
Might just save you

You only have to look behind you
At who's underlined you
Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way

Everything you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Shakes your hand
Takes your gun
Walks you out of the sun

What you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Destroy everything you touch today
Please destroy me this way

Everything you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Shakes your hand
Takes your gun
Walks you out of the sun

What you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Destroy everything you touch today
Please destroy me this way

Everything you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Shakes your hand
Takes your gun
Walks you out of the sun

What you touch you don't feel
Do not know what you steal
Destroy everything you touch today
Please destroy me this way

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD-UPDATE

2009-03-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

Another skirmish in the universe's continuing campaign against me:

Jason forwarded me an email this morning from Roger Karmanik (BRIGHTER DEATH NOW/COLD MEAT INDUSTRY), explaining that he'd received his copies of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH, and upon opening a copy to take a listen, he found that there were two copies of disc 2 and no copies of disc 1 inside. curious, he opened the rest and found that, of the ten copies he received, two copies were missing disc 1 and had two of disc 2 in them.

Jason suggested i check my copies to make sure they were all okay, and that he'd do the same upon returning home from work.

I promptly called the president of the company who produced the album for us, who said that he'd have our project manager contact Jason and make arrangements to send the copies back so they can check them for us, rather than us going through that effort, and replace whatever needs to be replaced.
However, considering that copies of the album have now been shipped out to various locations across the planet, to both distributors and individual customers, it seems as though this arrangement will do little to stem the tide of what promises to be a massive headache for Jason...

A response to Anthony Lane's review of WATCHMEN in THE NEW YORKER

2009-03-05T01:19:00.004-05:00

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/03/09/090309crci_cinema_lane

In response to Anthony Lane's egregiously ignorant critique of Zach Snyder's forthcoming film WATCHMEN:

Dear Mr. Lane,
Your assessment of the film WATCHMEN shows a durth of any degree of comprehension of the importance of the original comic book series from which it takes its name.

When WATCHMEN was originally published 23 years ago, among other things it was a starkly pessimistic and artistic analysis of the political climate of the day. I grew up in the Reagan years. As a child I feared – like most of my generation – the spectre of a possible nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union. Like the America depicted in WATCHMEN, obliteration perpetually hung above me and my world. Like many other children and adults, comic books were a tremendously important aspect of my life. WATCHMEN was among a certain breed of comic book series which did not talk down to its readers and addressed certain intellectual and moral concerns not found in most books. Alan Moore has been hailed as a hero for decades for the depth and emotion of his storytelling. The collected WATCHMEN trade paperback was the progenitor of the entire concept of 'graphic novels,' which did not exist prior to the publication of this item.

So, where to begin when deconstructing your article? Perhaps with your most generally insulting and offensive assertion: "The result is perfectly calibrated for its target group: nobody over twenty-five could take any joy from the savagery that is fleshed out onscreen, just as nobody under eighteen should be allowed to witness it."
WATCHMEN was originally published in a limited series in 1986. That means that very few people UNDER 25 even know what WATCHMEN was, and the fact is that those books were adored by members of many generations. The collected WATCHMEN is in fact the only graphic novel to hold a place on TIME Magazine's 2005 list of 100 ALL-TIME BOOKS OF ALL TIME.
Were those who awarded the book this status the same hypothetical, moronic under-25-year-olds who you believe will be the only people to find merit in the film? Several of my friends and I have been waiting with bated breath for a large portion of our lives to see WATCHMEN made into a film, just like millions of other people from many generations.

Now at the age of 37, I still own my original copies from the 1980s, which are bagged and boarded on bookshelves alongside trade paperback collections of Katsuhiro Otomo's AKIRA (another series heralded for its innovative and intelligent storyline, which was made into a similarly acclaimed film), as well as a trade collection of Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's brilliant MARVELS series, the graphic novel of Frank Miller's influential BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, J. M. Matteis and Kent Williams' BLOOD: A TALE, several books of Matt Wagner's GRENDEL, Masamune Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL, as well as several books of Frank Miller's SIN CITY and Mike Mignola's HELLBOY. The common thread amongst all of these books is that they have all been hailed by critics for decades, all went on to immense popularity beyond the comic book world, and most of them were adapted for the screen by directors either closely connected to the creators or who strove to remain as loyal to the source material as possible.

The pocked surface of your review is revealed for its ignorance under the dimmest light. Your ridiculous comment in regards to the character of Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl hiding in his basement to escape some infringement from the intellectual property of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego is as hollow as the comments I've read by uninitiated teenagers on message boards on the same subject. DC Comics owns the character of Batman, and WATCHMEN pays homage to several of the classic comic book characters and clichés, using the trappings of a superhero story to comment on an extraordinarily deep and far-reaching range of topics – in particular, the very notions of what topics could and could not be expressed and explored in the pages of a comic book. WATCHMEN changed the world, and just as Dr. Manhattan's participation in the Vietnam War altered the course of history, books like MAUS and PERSEPOLIS could not have existed without the presence of WATCHMEN.

Your references to Alan Moore's glaring lack of participation in the production of this film glosses over the fact that there have been legal issues surrounding Moore's connections to the book and a long-soured relationship with DC Comics since the book was first published. Moore's refusal to participate in DC Comics' celebration of the 15th anniversary of the book back in the first years of this decade was big news in the comic book industry at the time, and the matter of his disregard for the WATCHMEN film is unrelated to his disconnection from its cinematic cousins THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN and V FOR VENDETTA.

Whether the film carries the same emotional weight as the book remains to be seen, it is above all a Hollywood film, but the fact that filmmakers like Mr. Snyder are finally making comic book adaptations which don't gut the original source material is as important as the impact that WATCHMEN had on literature. Seeing iconic scenes from WATCHMEN transferred with loving detail from the page to the screen will be an intensely satisfying experience for millions of fans. Your review's criticism of these scenes is indicative of the same lack of understanding shown by those who criticised Zach Snyder's adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 for not being historically accurate. It's laughable that GLADIATOR won 5 Oscars and bore no more relationship with actual history than did 300. As for the inclusion of Bob Dylan's music, his words figure quite prominently within the pages of the book, a fact which would take very little research on the part of the laziest reviewer.

You've missed the point entirely, and in the process, insulted the scores of people who have held WATCHMEN close to their heart for decades.

In contempt,

Lee M. Bartow
http://www.leechnest.net

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD NOW AVAILABLE FROM MALIGNANT RECORDS

2009-03-02T23:01:00.002-05:00

The final and definitive double CD release from NTT, The Gospels of the Gash chronicles one man's journey into a world devoid of light or hope. This is a place where the air is alive with the stink of pain and the beating of great black wings. The two discs compile material from a slew of limited releases from 2005-2007, as well as newer tracks recorded specifically for this release. As a result, Gospels of the Gash is unquestionably the most complete NTT recording to date and nothing short of a monumental achievement...a culmination of the best aspects of past releases combined into an epic odyssey of apocalyptic atmospheres, brutish frequencies, harrowing darkness, and razor sharp vocals. The Gospels of the Gash includes collaborations with various stalwart members of the NTT priesthood such as Cenotype, Fragment King, and M Slagle and more recent converts Autoclav 1.1 and Covet. Isomer and Steel Hook Prostheses have also made valuable contributions.Mastered by STROM.ec, and packaged in a two-tray DVDigipak with layout and artwork by Leech and Jorden Haley (www.karbine.com), this release is a fitting funerary rite for NTT. Please note, the boxset will follow at a later date. Even though there will be copies with the Gospels 2CD in it, you will have the opportunity to buy it as a separate entity, minus the $14.33 cost. In other words, don’t feel like you have to wait for the boxset before getting the regular 2CD! With all due respect to all the other artists, this may be the finest Malignant release ever.. $14.33

http://www.malignantrecords.com/search.mpl?type=new

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-03.01.09

2009-03-01T16:08:00.005-05:00

"Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It's us. Only us. Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them."
- Rorschach, from WATCHMEN by Alan Moore

As I lay in bed on this grey Sunday afternoon, recovering from the indulgences of my weekend and waiting for this snow storm everyone is talking about, I thought I'd share some of these experiences with those of you who may care.
In anticipation of the WATCHMEN movie being released this Friday, I will attempt to emulate Rorschach's journal entries in my descriptions. i will warn you in advance, this isn't going to be a short read.

February 27, 2009
Woke at 5am. Anxiety and depression. Dreams of Her still plaguing me. Cried myself to sleep two nights in a row. Attempted to prepare myself mentally for being back in social arenas after weeks of self-imposed isolation. Back to sleep.
Woke again at 9am. Stayed in bed until 10, disassembled recording setup and packed it for travel. Broke leg off the table where my vocal setup sits while trying to pry microphone cord free. Annoying.

Showered and got dressed. First time wearing clean clothes in two days. Packed car with gear and merch. Drove to Lenny's house in Jersey. The winds buffeted traffic like a series of small tornadoes. Grey skies and warm air. Thought about how much I miss Her. Cried more.
Arrived at Lenny's around 12:45, a dull nagging hunger in my gut.
Put new discs into sleeves for the ORIGINS UNFOLD release while Lenny packed his gear and merch in the basement. Lenny eventually came upstairs and helped with the process. Discussed plans for eating. I cooked ravioli and made a cheese sandwich. Lenny and Heather have a lot of food in their house. I'm not used to seeing a fully stocked refrigerator.

Heather came home, vacillating about whether she was too tired to come to Philadelphia. She finally decided that she would. We waited for CENOTYPE member Clive Reinhold to arrive, Heather's friends Nicole and Kim as well.
Packed Lenny's truck. Lenny, Clive and myself driving independently from the women.
Some small amount of traffic on the NJ Turnpike. Lenny can be very highly strung at times, I feel a profound connection to him in spite of the ten year difference in our ages. He's a good friend. I am glad I know him.

Felt sad that She was not participating in this experience, pangs of loneliness always just beneath the surface of every moment. Concerned that this would affect the rest of the night. Tried not to think about it.

Made good time on trip to Philadelphia. Arrived at Digital Ferret with good amount of time prior to start of event. Found parking across the street from the venue. Loaded in without incident. Haven't seen Joe or Greg in several years. Good guys, nice to see familiar faces. Put me at ease. Had good conversation with Dean, organiser of the event. Common ground. I sometimes forget how important it is to make positive connections with people. Set up went quickly, soundcheck took some time but ultimately, things worked out as perfectly as they could have.

Jason texted that he and Butchie would be late. Flat tire on highway. I assured him that soundcheck was taking some time, so no worries. Later, Jason and Butchie walked in, Jason smiling when he saw me. I said he looked evil, a black goatee across his face like a mirror universe version of him. He said that was the point. Boxes of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH under their arms. Broke open boxes, my hands were covered in pizza grease, but was anxious to hold one. Opened it with Butchie's help. A black bible containing the most painful moments of the last 4 years of my life distilled into sound. A crowning achievement, the final release by NTT.

Butchie gave me a copy of the new ADERLATING disc on his label SHADOWGRAPH. Side project of GNAW THEIR TONGUES. Looking forward to hearing it. Favourite track title: CUT OFF MY PENIS IN PRAISE OF BLACK SATAN.

Started playing around 8:30pm. First performance under THEOLOGIAN name. Sound was good and loud. Nervous about singing in front of people again after almost a year since last live appearance. Hands shaking. Knees buckling. Problem in vocal effects chain toward the end of set. Irritating. Disappointed by technical issues. Response from those in attendance was positive. Was repeatedly told problems went unnoticed. Jonathan Canady's girlfriend Suzie was first to approach me after I was finished. She said "Good set." Didn't recognise her at first, preoccupied with breaking gear down and still a bit annoyed by problem with effects. Snapped out of it quickly. Glad to see Jonathan and Suzie.

Lenny reminded me that I was doing vocals with CENOTYPE for our collaborative track JUSTICE, the last piece of their live set. Plugged my effects chain back in, prepared mixer for him. Sat down behind table with headphones on, made adjustments in volume periodically. Closed eyes and listened. Sounded crisp and clear. Addition of Reinhold makes a difference. Wished his synth was separate in the mixer so I could ride his levels. Next time. Did JUSTICE. Screamed names of serial killers and methods of state-sanctioned execution. "kill them all." Cathartic. Learned later that Heather's friend Nicole had to go outside during this part of the set. Physical reaction to the combination of sounds and frequencies. Almost vomited. Heard Lenny say from several feet away that I would think that was great. He was not mistaken.

Sold some merch to Joe for sale in the store. Jason took copies of new THEOLOGIAN cdr and cassette, as well as other ANNIHILVS releases and all my copies of the BLACK SUN PARALYSER vinyl. Sold things to Dean as well. Facilitated a deal with Jason and lenny for ORIGINS UNFOLD. Glad to help. We mingle and try to decide what to do in the time before heading to ABOMINATION RISE, large club event where Lenny was appearing as a guest DJ. Bought something for Her, against friendly advice.
Left gear and merch in the store to be picked up later. Said our goodbyes to Jason and Butchie, as well as Heather and her friends, drove convoy-style to the next location.

After brief hassle in parking lot, walked to venue. Realised at the door I'd left my wallet in my coat in Lenny's car. He walked back with me to retrieve it. Went into club. Hot, sweaty, crowded with bodies. Glo-sticks and black fishnet everywhere. Half naked girl dancing on raised platform instantly dredges up my contempt. Winding up stairwells and dimly-lit corridors. We find the room where Lenny is spinning. Reinhold and I go to bar as Lenny speaks with acquaintances. I buy a round for us. We still haven't eaten much. Finally locate a comfortable place to sit with Joe and Greg and others who were at the store. Red velvet booth with small table. My eyes pass across those in the room. More glo-sticks, more fishnet. A lot of ugly women and girls. A lot of half-naked and attractive young ladies. None of them appeal to me. I think of Her. Three beers in, two hours later, and my mood has descended into the blackness. Tears loiter in the corners of my eyes at brief intervals. I think about texting Her, but the cliche is too ridiculous to indulge in. Swallow this pain.

The hours slide by and Lenny is behind the decks. Requested NOTHING SEEN, NOTHING DONE and CONCRETE RAGE, which Lenny faithfully plays, perfectly incorporating them within his set. I take some photographs, Siobhean's pink camera always the butt of jokes when in my hands. The dark prince holding a pink camera. Comedy.

2am finally presents itself to us. Time to get the fuck out of here. We leave en masse, returning to Digital Ferret to retrieve our gear with Dean and his girlfriend Renee, who help us load the truck. Thanks and goodbyes.Back on the road. Lenny asks us not to pass out so he can stay awake and focussed while driving. I am unable to oblige, through no fault of my own. We stop for food, WaWa is too confusing for me in my state. Lenny has to help me order. I feel disgusted by the people in this place. The proximity of this particular breed of humankind creates a terrible anxiety within me. I am so out of sorts, this food actually tastes good.

I wake up an unknown amount of time later. Parking lot at a rest stop. Lenny tells me Reinhold had to stop. Wasn't feeling well. Goes inside to check on him. I fight to keep eyes open but unconsciousness pulls at me like a rat on a garbage heap.
More time passes, I slowly grow uncomfortably cold. They finally come back. Reinhold first, then Lenny some moments later. I sleep.

February 28, 2009
We arrived at Lenny's house some time between 4-6am. The air was freezing, and my teeth chattered as we unloaded the truck, throwing my gear and merch into the back of my car with numb hands. Teeth chattering, I parked in front of Lenny's house and ran inside. Lenny gave me a sleeping bag, a blanket and a pillow. I made myself comfortable on the couch. Cartoon Network.
One of Heather's two black cats, Ezekiel or Elijah, came to me purring. Crawling into the sleeping bag, he stopped at my knees and turned around, making himself comfortable in my crotch.
Reminded me of Her cat, who sometimes crawled under the covers as we lay together. Tears. Sleep.

Woke up and checked email using Heather's laptop. Messages from Jason, too tired to reply. Slowly crawled out of neurological haze. Heather came into the room, needing her laptop for schoolwork. She gave me Lenny's laptop. Too lazy/tired/confused to get my own from my bag. We chatted as she studied, Lenny eventually got up and went to get us all some bagels. Sat up and ate breakfast. After many hours, was finally able to stand up. Lenny and I went to Cafe Soundz and sold some merch to Bobby. Showed us photos and video of his new property in Costa Rica. Took Lenny home and drove back to Nyack.

Stopped at grocery store, bought snacks for friends coming over to watch movies.
Cleaned up and prepared house for guests. Marija showed up and I took shower. More friends came, more food. Beer. Dogs. Enjoyed myself in spite of overwhelming inner sense of loneliness. Some drama, people experiencing struggles far more difficult than mine. Feel lucky to have the friends I do. Don't deserve them.

March 1, 2009
Wake up alone again. Hung over and feeling sick from two days of social activity after such a long period of introversion and sloth. Coming to terms with the idea that She doesn't love me. What I feel for Her will never cease. She brought out the best in me. Now She's gone.

1. THEOLOGIAN. PERSONA/INJURY CDR
The first 'official' release by this new post-NTT industrial project contains two long tracks of dark, melancholy drones and malevolent rhythms, intermingling in an atmosphere of lonely bitterness. Released on ANNIHILVS, unveiled at the premiere performance by THEOLOGIAN at DIGITAL FERRET in Philadelphia on February 27, and now available exclusively via MALIGNANT RECORDS.
MALIGNANT catalogue description:

The formal debut of the new project from Lee Bartow (Navicon Torture Technologies). More straightforward than NTT, but immensely powerful. Two long tracks, the first offering sheets of cold, penetrating drones that are singular in nature, but still carry a ton of weight and intensity to them, with vocals that come slicing through the buzz. The second is the more melodic of the two, with Lee's soaring vocals floating over a percolating synth bed and glitchy noises.

http://www.malignantrecords.com/catalog

2. THEOLOGIAN. A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE C20
Echoing from the deepest shafts within a doomed soul comes A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE, the new cassette release from THEOLOGIAN on DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS – four tracks of insolently simplistic industrial agony from the lightless world beyond the schism.
The 20-minute cassette comes with a 6x6 inch professionally-printed cardstock insert, packaged in a resealable, medical-grade black vinyl bag. Includes black latex gloves and a THEOLOGIAN sticker. Limited to 50 copies.

Officially available February 27 at the debut performance by THEOLOGIAN at DIGITAL FERRET in Philadelphia. Contact the label for ordering info.

http://danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com

3. NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
The final and definitive double CD release from NTT, THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH chronicles one man's journey into a world devoid of light or hope. This is a place where the air is alive with the stink of pain and the beating of great black wings. The two discs compile material from a slew of limited releases from 2005-2007, as well as newer tracks recorded specifically for this release. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH includes collaborations with various stalwart members of the NTT priesthood and more recent recruits, from AUTOCLAV 1.1 to CENOTYPE, COVET, FRAGMENT KING, and M SLAGLE.
Packaged in a two-tray DVDigipak with layout and artwork by Leech and Jorden Haley (www.karbine.com), this release is a fitting funerary rite for NTT.

http://www.malignantrecords.com

DR. MANHATTAN

2009-02-22T23:01:00.002-05:00

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DC28158

CENOTYPE. ORIGINS UNFOLD REMIX CDR

2009-02-21T16:29:00.021-05:00

ORIGINS PRODUCTIONS & ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX PRESENT

CENOTYPE. ORIGINS UNFOLD

Featuring remixes from:

100BLUMEN
ATEK
AUTOCLAV 1.1
BOOTY JAZZHANDS
C/A/T
CAUSTIC
CLIVE REINHOLD
ESA
ISZOLOSCOPE
THE LAST DAYS OF SEX
THE PANIC LIFT
PROMETHEUS BURNING
SILENT_COMMAND
TONIKOM

This very special release will be available in a limited edition of 250 numbered copies. A black-on-black CDR collects 15 amazing remixes from the above-listed contributors, along with a 3inch CDR featuring an extended remix by NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES, are packaged together in a hand-assembled chipboard CD case, stamped with the CENOTYPE/ORIGINS logo.

To thank the people who have supported this project and its releases, there will be a promotional card included at random in a few of the packages that will entitle the buyer to one free merchandise item from CENOTYPE. The winner will be able to choose from one of two T-shirt designs or the first full-length CENOTYPE CD, ORIGINS (HIVE RECORDS).

http://www.cenotype.com
http://www.myspace.com/cenotype

Points of interest

2009-02-19T23:02:00.004-05:00

I've recently found a few amazing sites:

http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com

http://streetanatomy.com

http://www.myspace.com/markpowellart

THEOLOGIAN. A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE C20

2009-02-18T17:05:00.006-05:00

THEOLOGIAN. A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE C20
Echoing from the deepest shafts within a doomed soul comes A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE, the new cassette release from THEOLOGIAN on DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS – four tracks of insolently simplistic industrial agony from the lightless world beyond the schism.
The 20-minute cassette comes with a 6x6 inch professionally-printed cardstock insert, packaged in a resealable, medical-grade black vinyl bag. Includes black latex gloves and a THEOLOGIAN sticker. Limited to 50 copies.
Officially available February 27 at the debut performance by THEOLOGIAN at DIGITAL FERRET in Philadelphia. Contact the label for ordering info.

http://danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD-UPDATE

2009-02-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

Never let it be said that the process of pressing a CD is an easy task. To give you some insight into what is entailed when dealing with professional pressing facilities, here's a little anecdotal tale of how the last couple of days went for me:

Jason received the masters from Jasse toward the end of last week and sent them expressmail to Discmakers on Saturday.
I had previously sent a link to a zip file containing the layout to our contact there, but Jason had found out after we never heard anything back that this person was no longer working there. He re-established communication with someone else, and forwarded their info to me.

I then sent the same link to this new person, along with some questions I had previously asked regarding certain specifications I needed to make sure were going to be possible. Jason later told me they had received the audio master and Discmakers wanted me to upload the artwork to their site. I didn't really get why this extra step was necessary when I'd already sent a link to the artwork, but shrugging my shoulders, I went ahead and tried to upload the artwork.

However, when I attempted to do so late Sunday night, I received error messages stating the account number and quote ID I was entering were incorrect. I sent Jason an email informing him of this, and waited for the next day to come. Jason responded to me early Monday morning saying as far as he knew, the info I was entering was correct. I had already attempted to upload again by this time, and it still wasn't working.
I called Discmakers and asked about this situation, and was told after some waiting that the website had recently been updated, and it was possible that my upload attempt was being made simultaneously to the update, causing some kind of error.
When I attempted to upload again, the website was even more screwed up than it had been the night before, so I called back and told the same person I'd spoken to earlier. He did some checking with the IT department and confirmed that there was something wrong with the site and it would be fixed as the day progressed. He said I could try uploading again later and if it didn't work, they would use the link to my zip file as a last resort.
Why they couldn't simply bypass the whole issue with the site by downloading the file from my server, I can not say, but I guess they just preferred to make life difficult.

The next day, I was contacted by another person at Discmakers, informing me that the artwork had been received and the process would finally begin, and I'd get proofs by Wednesday, and assured that it was very likely we'd be able to get the album out in time for the THEOLOGIAN show in Philadelphia next Friday
.
Tuesday afternoon, I was again contacted by this someone else at Discmakers and informed that it had been discovered that our audio master exceeded 78 minutes, the industry standard for maximum audio CD length, as recommended by the 'Red Book,' because although Compact Discs are capable of holding 80 minutes of audio, certain consumer players can't handle this much data and may not be able to play discs longer than 78 minutes. Jason later discovered that they had never accounted for the fact that this was a DOUBLE CD, but aside from that it was the second disc that was apparently over 78 minutes, by a mere 52 seconds.

I tallied my copy of the master, which was under 78 minutes, and replied that although I didn't have a copy of the final master (Jason later sent me the files via email), it was doubtful that Jasse had extended any of the tracks so much as to increase the overall length. Once I checked the copy that Jason had sent, I found that some tracks were longer than my original and others were shorter, but it was simply a matter of silences at the begiining and end of certain tracks. Easily edited. I sent screencaps from iTunes, comparing the two masters, but was told there were lead-in and lead-out times that I was not taking into account.
Jason was leaving for vacation on Wednesday morning, so we had to make a decision whether we'd send in a new edited master (which I worked on in the wee hours of Tuesday night), or if we'd simply sign a waiver absolving Discmakers of responsibility for any issues inherent in a disc longer than 78 minutes. The ONLY problem we were told that MIGHT arise was the possibility that certain people would have playback problems with their discs. However, we were told there had never been any reports of problems of this nature from other discs exceeding 78 minutes in length.
We decided to go ahead with the 78:52 master and take our chances. Jason said he'd deal with the problem if there was one later on.

Later that day, I had another call from the new contact at Discmakers, informing me that the artwork I had submitted was in a DVD template. Yes, I know that, it's a two-tray DVDigipak. I was asked, but isn't your master and audio CD? Yes, that is correct, I said.
Okay, let me check with our art department and clarify this, I was told. I later received an email saying because the DVDigipak has to be printed out of house, Discmakers had no control over the turnaround time, and there was no way of knowing whether it could be finished in time for our release date.
It would have been nice to have been told this during the last half year that Jason and I have been in touch with Discmakers on this project, but it's obviously par for the course.

Today, I finally sent in the waiver, after some ridiculous email tag with our new project manager, and there are a lot of details that I'm leaving out (I couldn't make this shit up if i tried).

TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL-02.27.09

2009-02-11T23:49:00.007-05:00

The first live appearance of THEOLOGIAN will take place on Friday February 27 in Philadelphia at DIGITAL FERRET.

FREE 4th FRIDAY ART/ MUSIC EVENT SERIES @ Digital Ferret

TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL

+ Music: Cenotype & Theologian
+ Artwork: Fred Lancello
+ DJ: The Black Oil

LIVE MUSIC! DJ! ART OPENING! REFRESHMENTS!

FREE! All AGES!

www.cenotype.com
www.annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN
www.myspace.com/mrbadluck

SPECIAL SALE DURING THIS EVENT
20% off all apparel (T-shirts, hoodies, longsleeves, etc.) only during this 4th Friday event between the hours of 6pm-10pm.

DATE: February 27th, 2009
TIME: 6- 10
LOCATION: DIGITAL FERRET
732 S. 4th St.

3 Blocks South of South St.

Philadelphia, PA 19147
EVENT COST: FREE

love is nothing./C.I.R. SPLIT CASSETTE

2009-02-08T23:58:00.002-05:00

love is nothing. (ex-NTT, THEOLOGIAN) presents "Dedicated to Megan Wright," inspired by Megan Wright, a gang rape victim who went on to commit suicide. Uncomfortable drones and bleak, industrial noise... exactly what we've come to expect from Leech, but taken in a slightly altered direction.

C.I.R. is an excorcism of 30 years of personal demons, culminated into rape, schizophrenia, religious fanaticism, and various forms of emotional torture. The four songs were recorded live in front of a small audience in Boston, MA. A truly uncomfortable and haunting experience, utilizing sound collage, Boyd Rice inspired delays, militant percussion, and wall of sound PE.

Edition of 50. three full color inserts included-- one for each artist, and one containing notes on Megan Wright and the C.I.R. performance.

$5ppd US / $7ppd world.
distros feel free to contact.
trades welcome.

PAYPAL: thevomitarsonist@gmail.com

http://danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com

::COMING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER::

SHARPWAIST - Untitled C30
CONTENT NULLITY - Despondancy Overdose C46
THEOLOGIAN - A Life Of Constant Struggle C20
CONCRETE VIOLIN/THE VOMIT ARSONIST - Split C30
SEWER GODDESS/BEREFT - Split C30
RU-486 - Untitled C10

ADERLATING “The Nectar of Perversity Springs From the Well of Repression” CD

2009-02-06T09:59:00.002-05:00

Those familiar with Gnaw Their Tongues already know of the bludgeoning power, and the complete and overwhelming darkness. Now, with ADERLATING, the man behind GTT begins a new chapter in depravity. Mining the same unholy regions, “The Nectar of Perversity Springs From the Well of Repression” features eight torturous expressions of horror, shared through black ambience, ritualistic expression and heavy electronic terror.

To put it in the words of the artist: ‘drone / horror soundtrack / noise. draining all the blood from your worthless body with nausea inducing 20 khz drones fistfucking distorted tapehiss raped soundscapes while the lowest and vilest of demons provide a diabolical orchestration to celebrate the death of everything‘.

On Shadowgraph Records.

VISIT THE SHADOWGRAPH MYSPACE PAGE TO HEAR TRACKS AND FOR PURCHASE DETAILS

ALSO AVAILABLE on Shadowgraph Records: APHELION "Lay"

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-02.01.09

2009-02-01T22:05:00.010-05:00

"If everything is imperfect in this world, love is perfect in its imperfection"
- Squire Jöns, THE SEVENTH SEAL

With help from Lenny B of CENOTYPE, I've made some real progress with assembling copies of [NTT.FINAL PHASE]. The inside inserts should hopefully come in this week and then I can start wondering how I will afford to mail all of these out. Lenny also helped me organise a bunch of old orders, so i'll be working on getting as much stuff ready to ship as I'm able to, and as stated earlier, I will try to get all of this stuff out of my way by the end of February. Wish me luck, I've got a feeling I'm going to need it.

As previously mentioned, I've been working on tracks for the forthcoming remix/collaboration release YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY during the past several weeks. The latest piece to come together is a collaboration with Italian darkambient project EIDULON (http://www.myspace.com/eidulon), who released the wonderful IDOLATRIAE album on MALIGNANT in 2008.
This track is shaping up to be one of my favourites, and like the collaboration with KNO before it, I'd like to share an early mix with those of you who are interested.

NTT + EIDULON
PILLARS OF FLESH

LIKE ASHES THEY FALL
WRITHING
FEELING EVERYTHING,
KNOWING NOTHING
OH, HOW I WISH
I COULD FORGET
THAT TIME OF MY LIFE

1. NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
The final and definitive double CD release from NTT, THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH chronicles one man's journey into a world devoid of light or hope. This is a place where the air is alive with the stink of pain and the beating of great black wings. The two discs compile material from a slew of limited releases from 2005-2007, as well as newer tracks recorded specifically for this release. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH includes collaborations with various stalwart members of the NTT priesthood and more recent recruits, from AUTOCLAV 1.1 to CENOTYPE, COVET, FRAGMENT KING, and M SLAGLE.
Packaged in a two-tray DVDigipak with layout and artwork by Leech and Jorden Haley (www.karbine.com), this release is a fitting funerary rite for NTT.

http://www.malignantrecords.com

2. THEOLOGIAN. A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE C20
Echoing from the deepest shafts within a doomed soul comes A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE, the forthcoming cassette release from THEOLOGIAN on DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS. Four tracks of insolently simplistic industrial agony from the lightless world beyond the schism.

http://danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com

3. APHELION + THEOLOGIAN. I SAT BEAUTY DOWN IN MY LAP, AND I FOUND HER GALLING CD

http://www.myspace.com/shadowgraphrecords

4. THEOLOGIAN. PERSONA/INJURY CD-R

Limited cd-r. Two minimal tracks of heavy electronics. Available on February 27 at Digital Ferret's 4TH FRIDAY EVENT.

5. FEBRUARY 27th, 2009

TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL

+ Music: Cenotype & Theologian
+ Artwork: Fred Lancello
+ DJ: Black Oil

http://www.cenotype.com
http://www.annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN
http://www.myspace.com/mrbadluck

FREE 4th FRIDAY ART/ MUSIC EVENT SERIES @ Digital Ferret

DATE: February 27th, 2009
TIME: 6- 10
LOCATION: DIGITAL FERRET
732 S. 4th St.
3 Blocks South of South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
EVENT COST: FREE

LIVE MUSIC! DJ! ART OPENING! REFRESHMENTS!

6. NTT. YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY
The 2 CD companion to THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH, the final double album from NTT, coming soon from MALIGNANT RECORDS. Consisting of 16 collaboration tracks and remixes, these two discs boast a tracklist featuring phenomenal artists both obscure and infamous, who have joined forces with NTT to construct an epic of undulating drones and visceral screams.
Once again, NTT blurs the lines between the brutish intensity of power electronics and introspective dark ambient contemplations.
A harrowing journey across a bleak internal landscape of broken emotions and romantic tragedy, this release will only be available as part of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH limited boxed edition.

Featuring:

AUN
www.myspace.com/martindumais
AUTOCLAV 1.1
www.myspace.com/autoclav
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
www.myspace.com/thebirdcagetheater
BLACK SUN
www.myspace.com/legionofblacksun
CENOTYPE
www.myspace.com/cenotype
COVET
www.myspace.com/daemontia
DEUTSCH NEPAL
www.myspace.com/deutschnepal
EIDULON
www.myspace.com/eidulon
FRAGMENT KING
www.myspace.com/fragmentking
HECATE
www.myspace.com/hecate
INSWARM
www.myspace.com/inswarm
JARBOE
www.myspace.com/thelivingjarboe
KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER
www.myspace.com/knoprojekt
THE [law-rah] COLLECTIVE
www.myspace.com/darkambient
STEVE MOORE
www.myspace.com/stevemoore2600
PROMETHEUS BURNING
www.myspace.com/pr0metheusburning

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION

100 COPIES INCLUDING:

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
NTT. YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY 2XCD
2 (TWO) 1-inch PINS
2 (TWO) STICKERS
2 (TWO) POSTCARDS
1 (ONE) 8x10 MINIPOSTER
1 (ONE) TSHIRT

ALL HOUSED IN A 9" x 12" METAL TIN WITH ETCHED ARTWORK

7. ANOTHER KOERPERWELTEN REVIEW

KOERPERWELTEN - Avatars Of Rape And Rage
http://www.necroweb.de
CD Review zum neuen Album: KOERPERWELTEN - Avatars Of Rape And Rage
(Translated from German by Mark Kammerbauer)

Another of the numerous projects of our productive nordvargr is this one here, created together with leech (ntt).
since the previous nordvargr album disappointed me somewhat, i approached this release with caution, which proved pointless in the end. however, contrary to his main project under his name, koerperwelten (the name was taken from gunther hagens controversial exhibition of plastinated, mostly human bodies) operates on a much harsher note.
"avatars of rape and rage" is divided into two sections, the first of which is titled "rape", and the second "rage". the soundscapes are continuous yet still diverse in musical terms. the opener provides the consumer with a rather calm phase of introduction before the tempest breaks loose on "the forces of chastity are massing once again" which doesn't overwhelm yet provides an intense immersion. this track, next to "oestrus" and the coherent opener "the sun destroyers" comprises the best composition on this silver disc; the basic mood is, to a certain degree, rather gloomy. however, atmospheric waves do not break upon the listener. but this is something that shouldn't be expected with this kind of release. instead, the hidden potential exposes itself only after multiple rounds and the songs then can also convince. members of the noise faction should test listen here in any case, as the two gentlemen of koerperwelten please more and more with each listening. "avatars of rape and rage" has turned out to be a rather good piece of work and is infused by elements of harsh industrial, employed in a controlled and focused manner. In order to describe this work only two words are necessary - apocalyptic and threatening.

As always, thanks for looking and listening.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD - UPDATE

2009-01-29T09:51:00.003-05:00

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH approaches realisation.
The layout has been submitted and the final audio masters should be in Jason's hands by next week, which means the album will be getting pressed fairly soon.
The boxed edition will follow sometime later for logistical reasons. I've received several inquiries regarding preorders, but please direct all questions about this release to Jason, as it is being released by MALIGNANT and not me.
As far as I know, there are no plans at present for preorders.

I have to finish assembling copies of [NTT.FINAL PHASE] and I'm too bogged down with old unfulfilled orders to take anyone else's money for new orders.
I hope/plan to have all this shit out of the way by the end of February and then I'll be able to forge ahead with new releases and - maybe - start taking individual orders again.

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
The final and definitive double CD release from NTT, THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH chronicles one man's journey into a world devoid of light or hope. This is a place where the air is alive with the stink of pain and the beating of great black wings. The two discs compile material from a slew of limited releases from 2005-2007, as well as newer tracks recorded specifically for this release. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH includes collaborations with various stalwart members of the NTT priesthood and more recent recruits, from AUTOCLAV 1.1 to CENOTYPE, COVET, FRAGMENT KING, and M SLAGLE.
Packaged in a two-tray DVDigipak with layout and artwork by Leech and Jorden Haley (www.karbine.com), this release is a fitting funerary rite for NTT.

A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE

2009-01-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

Another release from THEOLOGIAN is being conceived.
Echoing from the deepest shafts within a doomed soul comes A LIFE OF CONSTANT STRUGGLE, the forthcoming cassette release from THEOLOGIAN on DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS. Four tracks of insolently simplistic industrial agony from the lightless world beyond the schism.

http://danversstaterecordings.blogspot.com

I SAT BEAUTY DOWN IN MY LAP, AND I FOUND HER GALLING

2009-01-23T12:49:00.008-05:00

The first tracks by THEOLOGIAN for the forthcoming split release with APHELION are taking shape.
Chris from APHELION told me today that he also has material in the works. I'm actually pretty excited about this.
The title will be I SAT BEAUTY DOWN IN MY LAP, AND I FOUND HER GALLING, which is adapted from a passage from Rimbaud's A SEASON IN HELL. I found this fitting, since I have been experiencing my very own season in hell of late.
Each project will contribute four tracks, with a ninth piece driving the point home by way of an extended collaboration track bearing the album's name.
I've been working on the layout, and wanted to share a preview:

It seems that MALIGNANT RECORDS will in fact be releasing CHARTING THE SCHISM, the debut 5 track ep from THEOLOGIAN, but no release date has been set. At the moment there are other priorities, and we're making a big push to prepare NTT's THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH double cd, and the accompanying boxed edition and assorted items to be contained therein, to have it out in time for the first live appearance of THEOLOGIAN at DIGITAL FERRET in Philadelphia on February 27.

I will make a short run of limited THEOLOGIAN cdrs specifically for sale at this show, entitled PERSONA/INJURY.

This will consist of two very minimal tracks, espousing abysmal misery.

TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL

2009-01-21T18:17:00.002-05:00

FEBRUARY 27, 2009
DIGITAL FERRET PRESENTS
TWO HEARTS BOUND FOR HELL

C E N O T Y P E
http://www.cenotype.com
T H E O L O G I A N
http://www.annihilvs.org/GASH_THEOLOGIAN

DIGITAL FERRET
732 S. 4TH STREET • PHILADELPHIA, PA
http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret

FREE ADMISSION • 6-10PM • ALL AGES
THEOLOGIAN @ 7.45
CENOTYPE @ 8.45

MALIGNANT RECORDS ON NEUROBEAT RADIO

2009-01-21T14:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight: Dark Ambient / Industrial from Malignant Records only @ Neurobeat Radio 07.00 pm EST

Tonight at the Tenebrae Vision, pure Dark Ambient / Industrial Sound, fom the Kult- Label Malignant Records...

with Bands like Iron Halo Device, Jarl, Navicon Torture Technologies, Ex.Order, Stratvm Terror, Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester, Megaptera, Caul & Kirchenkampf, Yen Pox etc ...

07.00 pm EST

http://www.neurobeat.org/RadioLinks/listen.pls

IN THE FOLDS OF THE FLESH

2009-01-21T13:16:00.002-05:00

During the past several weeks, I have been working on remixes and collaboration tracks for YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY, and now have 13 tracks in various degrees of completion. One track in particular has held my attention over the last few days, and while it is not finished by any means, something about the way it sounds at this moment is having a particular impact on me. In its simplicity, the profound sadness contained within is resonating in some very deep corner of my self.
Maybe it's because it seems to so perfectly capture the way I have been feeling during the past month. I do have to say that the impact of this track is due in large part to the efforts of my collaborator, Kristoffer Oustad, of KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖMS ORKESTER and V:28, and I anxiously await his next contribution to the track.
More information on his endeavours can be obtained here:
http://www.myspace.com/knoprojekt
http://www.myspace.com/v28band

What little memory I have of the film IMMORTAL BELOVED is confined to a single conversation where Beethoven is quoted as having said something to the effect that music is the only artform in which the artist can place the audience in the exact frame of mind in which he finds himself. I've always liked that notion.

Therefore, I feel compelled to share this unfinished piece with you, my captive audience...

YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY

2009-01-19T10:17:00.003-05:00

YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY is a 2 CD companion to THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH, the final double album from NTT, coming soon from MALIGNANT RECORDS. Consisting of 16 collaboration tracks and remixes, these two discs boast a tracklist featuring phenomenal artists both obscure and infamous, who have joined forces with NTT to construct an epic of undulating drones and visceral screams.
Once again, NTT blurs the lines between the brutish intensity of power electronics and introspective dark ambient contemplations.
A harrowing journey across a bleak internal landscape of broken emotions and romantic tragedy, this release will only be available as part of THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH limited boxed edition.

Featuring:

AUN
www.myspace.com/martindumais
AUTOCLAV 1.1
www.myspace.com/autoclav
THE BIRD CAGE THEATER
www.myspace.com/thebirdcagetheater
BLACK SUN
www.myspace.com/legionofblacksun
CENOTYPE
www.myspace.com/cenotype
COVET
www.myspace.com/daemontia
DEUTSCH NEPAL
www.myspace.com/deutschnepal
EIDULON
www.myspace.com/eidulon
FRAGMENT KING
www.myspace.com/fragmentking
HECATE
www.myspace.com/hecate
INSWARM
www.myspace.com/inswarm
JARBOE
www.myspace.com/thelivingjarboe
KNO
www.myspace.com/knoprojekt
THE [law-rah] COLLECTIVE
www.myspace.com/darkambient
STEVE MOORE
www.myspace.com/stevemoore2600
PROMETHEUS BURNING
www.myspace.com/pr0metheusburning

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH - LIMITED BOXED EDITION

100 COPIES INCLUDING:

NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD
NTT. YOUR SUFFERING WILL BE LEGENDARY 2XCD
2 (TWO) 1-inch PINS
2 (TWO) STICKERS
2 (TWO) POSTCARDS
1 (ONE) 8x10 MINIPOSTER
1 (ONE) TSHIRT

ALL HOUSED IN A 9" x 12" METAL TIN WITH ETCHED ARTWORK

Heathen Harvest review of Koerperwelten release

2009-01-18T23:06:00.001-05:00

http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090108230342643

Körperwelten - Avatars Of Rape And Rage
Thursday, January 15 2009 @ 12:00 AM PST
Contributed by: Perceptron

Avatars Of Rape And Rage

Artist: Körperwelten Other

Title: Avatars Of Rape And Rage

Label: Malignant Records United States

Genre: Experimental / Dark Ambient / Noise

Track Listing:

Part I - Rape

01 The Sun Destroyers
02 The Forces of Chastity are Massing once Again
03 Oestrus

Part II - Rage

04 My Heart pumps Piss for You
05 Kidney Stone of Wisdom
06 Breed for Me

The awaited collaboration between Henrik Björkk and Navicon Torture Technologies / Leech has been issued on Malignant Records under the name Körperwelten. evolves between sick ambient and noisier pattern, filled with the subtleties we could await from two giants of, respectively, dark ambient and noise. The album is a 6 panel digipack with « extreme and controversial artwork » by Jonathan Canady consisting of a bloody SM-porn-snuff-movie-esque cartoon. Let's check what's in the guts of this bloody album...

Till the first track, we can feel an insane atmosphere. « The Sun Destroyers » deals with some mechanical pornographic metaphor, with a low heartbeat rhythmic getting almost ritual, lost in a void of echoed distorted breathing and haunting tones... What could be better to introduce the first part named « Rape »?

As one could expect, all sounds, rhythm and combination are quite surprising, Samples appear as well as metallic shocks, various destructions phrasing the whole... Electronic parasites appear, playing with the nerves of the listener in a crazy stereo effect. Intensity rises with some more and more distorted and abrasive sound layers, adorned with some kind of deep harmonious voices behind. A rhythmic may be identified behind, consisting of low patterns or heavy dirty beats.
An amazing track with excellent sounds...

« The Forces of Chastity » keeps on with the same ambient background, but introduces a clearer rhythmic pattern, delightfully noisy. An aggressive distorted beat begins together with a really repetitive sample phrased by lower industrial metallic sounds. Then, a wonderful transition to a siren driven rhythmic part with a martial regularity, together with a melodic bass sound, and highly dismembered noises: really massive and powerful. Also an excellent track, especially the second part of it... The combination of noise, rhythmic industrial, and ambient.

With « Oestrus », back to some rather ambient atmospheres, phrased with a deep low beat, into a maze of distant metallic gratings... When it comes to atmosphere, the terms « dark » and « anguishing » should be considered with their true meaning and import...

The « Part II - Rage » begins with « My Heart pumps Piss for You », a track following the same path as « Oestrus »: ambient atmosphere and heavy low beat. But, the increasing intensity in the middle of it rather recalls the first track. This finally reaches a noisy plateau from which hardly surfaces an intriguing and obsessing little melody... The fifth track « Kidney Stone Wisdom » takes back some ambient elements from the former tracks and distort 'em till they get unnoticed within an intensity and loudness increase... The ill-driving electronic synth sound is constantly harassed by parasites and aggressive

To close the track, a plaintive sample with a now more relaxed ambient landscape, yet but devoid of a funeral hateful atmosphere... The last track, « Breed for Me », is a short but intense outro It deals with a spasmodic distorted explosive beat surrounded by a deformed voice, the whole with a sound in the same vein as previously... And a merry happy fanfare concludes this insane trip!

« Avatars of Rape and Rage » exudes sick, dark atmosphere and a massive impression of power, even without sound walls or aggressiveness. The originality of sounds, combinations, atmospheres is striking and refreshing. The music integrates cold elements, mechanical, metallic and industrial sounds, but it's not cold, it's alive, haunted, it easily transmits a feeling of deep unease.

The tracks are perfectly liked together, play with thematic repetitions, many evolutions, intensity's changes and perfect transitions. They evolve from relatively calm noisy ambient with repetitive loops or heavy beats, anguishing sick or even melodic, harmonious parts, till slow rhythmic noise part often accompanied with increase in intensity and in sound harshness... The whole is catchy because of the perfect integration of all these contrasted elements.

Artistically achieved, it makes noise and ambient seductive to courageous newbies, without any compromise to the most demanding audience. Finally, the music doesn't reflect the cover, the artwork or the thematic: not because these would be bad or unsuitable. The music simply goes further, deeper, till setting a musical definition of hell.

A great album! Get it and wait till the next!

ANNIHILVS SITE 2009 REVAMP

2009-01-12T10:09:00.005-05:00

I've begun a full overhaul of the ANNIHILVS webspace.
The distro section will be updated over the coming weeks.

[NTT.FINAL PHASE]

2009-01-08T22:42:00.008-05:00

Yet another short update to announce that I've gotten the printed layouts for the [NTT.FINAL PHASE] 5 cd-r release, and have begun assembling copies.

I've got the first sold-out batch of 25 all ready to go, and have more blanks on their way so i can complete the entire run of 50, and send the other 25 to Jason at MALIGNANT RECORDS.

I apologise that this has taken so long, but it turned out to be a real pain in the ass to realise. At least the wait will end soon, and I will try to get these shipped by the end of this month.

Thanks!

CHARTING THE SCHISM

2009-01-06T14:16:00.004-05:00

"Adversity introduces a man to himself."
- Anon

Greetings from Imperial Tower, located at the heart of the eternally burning city of Dis.
This is a brief message to announce that CHARTING THE SCHISM, the debut ep by THEOLOGIAN, has been completed. a digital demo has been submitted to Jason at MALIGNANT RECORDS for his consideration. If Jason turns this release down I will be seeking a label for the project.
It will be my goal to release multiple albums on the same label as THEOLOGIAN progresses, but I am also contacting a variety of labels for the purposes of more limited, DIY releases.
At present, there are plans for a split cd or cd-r with the amazing APHELION and the previously mentioned split with BRANDKOMMANDO.

ANNIHILVS SEEKING DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENT

2009-01-02T23:02:00.003-05:00

ANNIHILVS is seeking a digital distribution arrangement in an attempt to generate actual revenue and improve efficiency beyond the disintegrating corpus-pace at which it has been operating during the past couple of years.
I am looking to make releases from ANNIHILVS, NTT, and peripheral entities available for paid download via online aggregators who are primarily interested in and dealing with industrial/darkambient/power electronics/etc.

The first digital release I would like to make available is the debut 5 track ep CHARTING THE SCHISM from THEOLOGIAN.

If anyone can aid in this agenda, PLEASE ADD THEOLOGIAN ON MYSPACE and contact me via that profile. See screenshot for instructions.

Thank you.
- Lee

THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH-01.01.09

2009-01-01T19:01:00.002-05:00

"...Man diminishes in a world that does not nurture him."
- Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot

Salutations. The new year yawns wide as a gaping maw. So many possibilities lie ahead, yet the wounds of 2008 still shine. Nurtured, open, red and unhealed. Injuries both old and fresh are indistinguishable from each other.
Typically, the turning of a new year brings hope. Certainly, with a new administration preparing to take its place in the states - one which ran on a promise of change - it would seem appropriate to prepare for a return of optimism. But i feel no such optimism. At present, I feel very little of anything, other than misery. What else is fucking new?

This post is the first attempt at re-formatting my regular updates.

NEWS:

1. THEOLOGIAN

THEOLOGIAN is a new industrial project which will take over as my primary musical focus in the absence of NTT. Plans for this project have remained a secret for some time except among a select few. I will continue with the ambient/drone metal experiments of love is nothing. as an ongoing collaborative project, but THEOLOGIAN will likely function entirely as a solo effort.

THEOLOGIAN will chronicle the development of my own personal mythology inspired by concepts introduced into the public consciousness by Clive Barker in his short novel THE HELLBOUND HEART, intertwined with ideas derived from Wayne Douglas Barlowe in his INFERNO series. These concepts have obviously been a part of certain NTT material for some time, but in a peripheral sense.
THEOLOGIAN is a continued aural exploration into the higher reaches of experience. Expressions of love and obsession, the loss of self and the corruption of the soul through addictions to carnality and temporal lusts.
Sonically, I have opted to go for a minimal approach, the first few tracks seem to have been somewhat inspired by early DIVE material.
I will eventually release these first 5 tracks on an ep called CHARTING THE SCHISM, and a split release with Polish power electronics brutarian BRANDKOMMANDO is being discussed.

2. NTT. THE GOSPELS OF THE GASH 2XCD

As previously announced, there will be a limited boxset edition for the final NTT release on MALIGNANT RECORDS. The work continues. Hopefully, this will be out by the end of this month.

3. [NTT.FINAL PHASE]

I will do my best to get this out by the end of February. I never intended it to take this long.

4. NTT. BOTTOMFEEDER

Still no word from NIL BY MOUTH when this will see the light of day, but it's entirely out of my hands now, which is always a good indicator that something will be out sooner than later.

5. UNSOUND NYC

Lots of amazing lineups in the works. The first UNSOUND show of 2009 will take place on Friday March 6. More information to come.

6. ANNIHILVS

I will try to get some of these long-awaited late orders out starting next week. I am always struggling.

Thanks for looking and listening.