POSSESSION AND ROT.

I thought it was time to post, what with some significant events upcoming, or practically happening NOW. Most timely is that My Castle of Quiet will be filling in for Diane's K. FUNMACH., this coming Thursday, noon-3, on WFMU, of course. A previous fill-in scheduled some weeks ago had to be commuted to the talented Jeff Mullan, as I was still groping for breath, more still in the recovery phase from pneumonia than I at the time realized. So, especially this past season, where I myself opted to be (at least temporarily) on fill-in only status, I was really itching to do a show—you MIGHT say I had a "hard on for love"—you might not. I cannot resist even the most circuitous opportunity to reference Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

So, filling in I will be, tugging along perhaps even MORE than the usual six hours' worth of material. I need a day-long opportunity to stretch out, one might say. Stretching out above is the android love companion from The Booby Hatch, a movie I pretty much fast-forwarded through, and for some reason I was more amused than annoyed by that. I'm honestly not even sure that title was in my Netflix queue, I think I was TROLLED by a Netflix shipping centre employee. ...And do you ever think about how many words have become action verbs, just within the past few years? THAT I can get behind the annoyance canon for! News items are now "trending," and there's some "girl in a box" thing going around the NY-based portion of the Internet, and I don't get it, haha, which makes me feel old, but not really—I'm sure it sucks, and the "reveal" (now a NOUN) wouldn't be worthwhile anyway.

Bandcamp continues to be a great resource for new music in general, for metal and its offshoots in specific. Just for example, Communion Nick recommended a newer grind band called Cut Your Throat; I did the now-becoming-customary "artist name + bandcamp" search and hit upon a full album, ready to download on the cheap, and it's been the star of the car for weeks and weeks now. (On the other hand, maybe Nick sent me the link; I can't recall, honestly, but welcome to the adventure that is short-term memory loss!) And even at those moments when hitting upon something recommended by a friend, spied on YouTube or elsewhere, seems at its darkest, that bandcamp search yields fruit, even if it's just a track or two featured on a label's page, rather than the artist's. If I hadn't been able to hear MORE Gorduw after stumbling upon THIS, and especially THIS (!!!!)—things were going to get ugly.

I've spent the last week plus watching Captain Jack Harkness on Torchwood make out with all manner of people, personally lusting after Gwen "Kooopuh," and feeling generally confused. There's a sci-fi nerd's monkeyspank agenda if ever there was one (but not mine—oh, come off it, I'm too lazy, and real women will come along eventually—and this bus stop looks as though Rita star Mille Dinesen may happen along any moment now.) (Better than "I coulda had a V8," is the "I'm on Danish television, a star, and a check should be arriving in due course.")

Another important point is that Prison Tatt Records will have a three-day table at the WFMU record fair, Nov. 22-24 (more info); no more of this Saturday-only dipping one's toe action!~ All in-print label titles, distro items and MORE will be available at prices reduced from our Web rates. Sales have been in a bit of a slump; sometimes a week passes by with no orders; that said, the at-the-ready, grab-it-and-walk-away having saved $2—$3 should provide some incentive, as well as two new releases DROPPED (like the proverbial puppy's balls) by Sesso Violento (Molestador; actually available NOW—$17 ppd within the USA; PayPal to wmmberger@comcast.net) and Smoke (improvised black metal from the Netherlands, both their first vinyl issue, and their swan song.) ...And as I look around the house (aka Prison Tatt HQ), I stumble upon more items acquired in limited trade; all sorts of goodies—tapes, 7"s, LPs, CDs, CD-Rs etc.—things you may think I sold out of, so you didn't even bother to ask, but you'd have been wrong.

So...salient points—fill-in this coming Thursday noon-3 p.m. ET (thanks, Diane!) and come up like the de-boned mother malicious from Ju-On and say hello at the Prison Tatt table at the Record Fair; even better buy something. (Which reminds me, I saw something that looked like a repress, or possible redo of the Uzumaki manga; unfortunately, little boy would not allow me to stop moving and actually check it out—ah...such is single parenting.)

There's been so much great new (at least to me; perhaps you as well) music come into my life during the last few weeks, I dare not even go there.) Take it down a notch, Kevin Eldon, so I can think. I was born to ramble. ...And in conclusion, I'll just add that I'm hopeful that the needs of myself and the WFMU schedule will be concomitant, such that a return of the My Castle of Quiet program to the station's weekly air will be in the offing; it remains to be seen, still weeks away, but as always and forever, thank YOU for your everlasting support!

radios stuffs and things ...

Whoa. The digital distribution of out-of-print and net releases by Rainbow Bridge / Justin Marc Lloyd is a veritable color-noiseter's field day, even if you just want to open your browser & listen. The c18 split between False Flag and Zone Tripper (orig. Forever Escaping Boredom), a scrying mirror to something truly new. The battle against mediocrity continues forever, it's an ongoing campaign that requires due diligence. DO NOT EVEN ASK FOR A SMOKE BREAK.

With that in mind, tired of everyone, no REALLY tired, of those refusing to live out loud on Internet social networks. WHY? What have thee to lose? What might your high-school friends think? ... SCREAM! Scream your freakishness from every mountaintop. (Listening right now, Neo Zelanda's vocalist sounds like she's screaming, "es Posehn," and last night in the car, Intolitarian's singer was surely saying "Mort Sahl" - it's all right there, just below the surface, and as Carlos Castañeda eventually concluded, you don't need drugs to get there.) Oh, and embedded at bottom is the music - AND ALSO, TOO...BEEN TRIPPING OUT TO "Inappropriate King Live"'s Datboonbaat - a sonic-garage-sale of Bladder Flask-caliber collage greatness.

And yes, I'll be returning to WFMU's airwaves, YET AGAIN, this time guest-DJing the great Distort Jersey City program, on Weds. 31st July, and thanks Deed Runlea for the opportunity. Nothing but a solid hour of modern punk and hardcore; my selections (7-8 p.m. ET), Reed's forum. ...And, a "proper" MCoQ fill-in for Diane's Kamikaze Fun Machine on 15 Aug., noon-3 p.m. ET. So there, you've been informed (better than being informed upon!)

And yeah, Elke. suck it. Suck it from across the atrium. You AND your little, red-bobbed hat.

Lastly, as promised, the free downloads of exceptional and/or oop music continues on this forum,  with this colorful, electronic curio—Vangelis' OST (1970; a prime, fertile era for the composer) to the film Sex Power—a powerfully engaging, BBW of an electronic score, so dig.

Vangelis - Sex Power OST

Legendary way to go out Wm.

I feel like David Bowie—though many of you are probably too young to remember the many times that he announced that he was "quitting show business"—I need to actually spend some time away, to at least lend some legitimacy to all the goodbyes.

Last night was about as good as my relationship with radio ever gets; five bands, ones I hold in high esteem, playing live and generously donating their talents to the WFMU / Castle airwaves. Endless gratitude is due to Diane, Eddie and Dominic, and all the other band members, for helping me make the broadcast a reality.

The last four MCoQ live sessions, from Bludded Head onwards, will appear in due course over the Summer, as I get the time time to sit down and work the raw, master files and create mp3s, and scribe my impressions, memories and appreciation for each session in turn.

It was great to see many of our Castlehead regulars pop up on last night's playlist comments, and it's good to know that I can plop down occasionally on the WFMU schedule, and be reminded that the appreciation for the show will remain and still stir up the pot when it does.

Click on our screen capture above, from director Koen "Ex Drummer" Mortier's 22 Mei (more on this film in a future post) to reach the archived audio, playlist and comments for last night's Castle -in-exile 5-band black cavalcade.

1. Worship Satan. 2. Pledge. Repeat.

A gracious, monstrous, mighty sick and mighty hot THANKS to all of you who pledged to last night's My Castle of Quiet horrorcast™. About mid-way through the program, I set a shift goal of $3,000—a bit ambitious, perhaps, but I would always rather allow the patrons to show ME where the ceiling is, rather than say, "here's the ceiling." Too late, I did it, and as it was, we didn't make it, but we did do very well, for a show broadcasting after midnight in the EST block especially. My bottomless gratitude to every generous pledger who dug deep, and showed myself, the world, and WFMU what The Castle means to you. We also distributed some mighty special prizes in the process—new releases on Gilead Media, and the DVD of Mystics in Bali, to name but a few. (Mystics YT clip; prepare yourself for the most-gaudy witch laugh in contemporary film.)

A very special Castle blessing of sorts (our sort) to listener SiHV and family, who managed to survive a car wreck mere hours before we went on air. SiHV also managed to check in with a very generous pledge, despite the incident, and walked away with the new Barghest LP, not to mention WFMU and My Castle of Quiet's deepest gratitude for his contribution made under duress.

Tremendous thanks also to Diane Kamikaze Farris, for co-hosting with me in the veritable wasteland of the late night. I'll be returning the flavor by MC'ing Diane's show this coming Thursday afternoon, from Noon-3 on WFMU. Diane's premium CD is a winner, and has been dominating my car stereo for the last week or so. Make sure to tune in.

And speaking of premiums, a few of you pledged to receive a copy of MCoQ's kustom CDr compilation, In the Dark, There Are Fingers That Grab, My Castle of Quiet companion #3, a collection of all-exclusive, new material from a hearty host of Castle-favored artists. More infos here and here. Only the few, the brave, the less-broke of us, those with $75 or more to spare for WFMU and MCoQ, will be receiving a copy of this select corpus, of which I'm quite proud. Please, we need more premium-sized pledges, and I'd like (as would the artists) to see this collection get out there some more, as it really is a dazzler, and I'm extremely grateful to all the artists who donated their talents to make this disc something more than a mere gathering of my personal favorites, but instead, a tome of Castle who's who of this moment in historical time.

So, on to next week, when my co-host will be the outrageous and sharp-witted Professor Dum Dum, sure to keep myself and Castleheads on our collective toes. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope to hear of thee there.

All in all, Diane and I managed to entertain, in the midst of rousing the faithful, and pulled off an entertaining broadcast in the process, if I say so myself, and I do. Click on the image of the evil forest ranger Asmosdeus, and the doomed Susan, up above, to hear the archive, and view the playlist and comments for this week's special-fundraising-edition horrorcast.

Pure tongue gnashing pleasure.

Somehow that sounds like a cigarette ad, two young couples on a catamaran; it's an unbelievably beautiful day. That's not my life, probably not yours, either, though I do gnash my tongue.

So, howABOUT that Volkl tape? Really pretty goddamn special. Lussuria + Husere Grav = I tremble and hoard my breath, as though in a trap, but the air is open all around me. I know at this moment what it is to suffocate—and it's horrible. Musically, enjoyable. That about sums it up.

The Nihilobstat (on Rhinocervs) and Satanhartalt (Legion Blotan) tapes can be endlessly explored, it seems. Californians DARGAR also seem to have joined that club, with one single play from their s/t record. A very unique sound indeed. And well Custodian harrrrsh noise is pretty fuckin' unbelievable; the set they shared with Volkl, Absum et al. was rip-roaring, and I'm happy to know that listeners got happily lost in the crush as well.

NRIII's full-length from last year, Solus Patior, continues to be a source for new discoveries, and the more I listen the more I realize that there really is no one making music quite NRIII. The Lego Feet reissue inspired a positive discourse, which I didn't expect, as the last time I tried to play something vaguely Skam-ish there was a fairly heavy "techno sucks" cotillion on the playlist. Ah, but we've grown, together, haven't we? All at once, I was taken back to the exciting days of waiting for the new Skam 12" to hit the street. I still have all mine! They did not go the way of drug money! Last but never least on the appreciation list (because we all love the entire show, don't we?) was Jesse DeRosa's Shingles project from an all-around great new split release on Tranquility Tapes; expect to hear the Spectrum Tickets side soon.

So, that was the horrorcast™. Our title suggested that one be on one's guard, "always," but our screen capture seemed to encourage willful bondage. Contradictions, always contradictions. So click on the couple, above, to reach the playlist and audio archive from last night.

Next week, it's big marathon show #1, with the always-amazing Diane Kamikaze co-hosting, running the phone room, and generally keeping the energy moving. We make good team, yes? Also watch this space for more info on my premium CDr (for anyone who pledges $75 or more during either of my marathon shifts, or to my show in general); I don't mind saying I'm really pleased with all of the exclusive, new material I was able to shake out of some of MCoQ's favorite artists.

Take This, That Which Is Offered; The Communion on My Castle of Quiet radio, TONIGHT

As we continue our adventure into the very darkest corners of self-expression, the Castle is thrilled to present a full live set by The Communion. The Communion's set is a life-affirming ass-kicking, one that leaps with ease across several metal and noise touchpoints—a punch out by Autopsy, Eyehategod, Halflings and Tulus all at once. These guys really are that good, and I'm just going to open up the airwaves and let 'em go.

Six million thanks to WFMU trusty Diane Kamikaze Farris, who'll be engineering The Communion's set, live and in real time, and you know, works on big metal tours and stuff, and is graciously lending her dynamite expertise to make sure it all comes off. Diane was also a friend to late Communion guitarist Lee Altomare (1976-2010), who passed away in April of this year. You can check out Diane's mighty playlists here. You rule, Diane!

The Communion do it all, and do it all well, often in the context of a single three-minute song. If you're stooge enough to doubt my claims, check out their myspace page, and the two live clips I shot of the band this past July, embedded below. Their writing and song-structuring are top shelf, and the intensity of their execution make The Communion a hellish live bludgeoning that's not to be missed.

Three swings with a sharp axe should do it @ 12 mid.
TC @ 12:30 approx.
WFMU 91.1 FM (NY/NJ)
WMFU 90.1 FM (Hudson Valley)
wfmu.org live on the Web

The Communion - Iron Lung Dust Bowl from My Castle of Quiet on Vimeo.

The Communion - Conjugal Apparition from My Castle of Quiet on Vimeo.