Dew.

So I'm sitting here now, listening to yesterday's archive, and I'm thinking, "what the hell IS this?!"> od Playgyooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Bleeps and blops, popping in and out; what's happening, Rajah???? ... and Dawn, and Dew, and You. And Hugh.

No! It was not my show, after all, and whew and thankfully. Well it was MY SHOW, technically, but the browser audio (I hope, and not the permanent archive, or HORRORS, the actual broadcast as it was aired, methodically and machinistically popping in and out, vocal mics CLEARLY AUDIBLE and OVERLAPPING WITH THE MUSIC?!?! But you tell Barrett that something was awry, and what happens? > His girl gets locked in the closet, food and water oumoked in indtanrl, slid under the door at semi-reg intervals.

What the kid is asking for is far-reaching; lt's "imtemse," in the Thames, in a tent, for Chrissakes.

So there was the old standard love; polished almonds plucked from the very rough tide, (Do my selections and their airing sequence make a kind of sense, I mean, TO YOU? They always have to me, but of this nature, unprecedented.) His big brother does not like his girl, doesn't approve of her, and THAT kiss of death can last long and hurt aplenty, certainly nothing that numbnuts over here could tell from smelling.

MASSIVE ATTACK = Not massive, not an attack. Your thoughts?

I'monna tan y'hide, I'monna tan it and tan it, gonna Dan Tan-it. Kochalka, Kochalka, Kochalka.
E maj > D-flat minor. Bah-doo-ba-doo-ba-doo-ba.

In the midst of playing all this black metal, Castleheads had NO TROUBLE instantaneously plucking out a song from the latest LP by Yellow Eyes (and there I am, quoted on the page—schwet!)—"Cabin Filled With Smoke and Flies." Great title, great song. What else? Gorduw OH HELL YES. Hydravion (a full band project (1977) by the enigmatic Philippe Besombes, of Besombes-Rizet), Klaus Schulze/Angst --[Angst trailer]-- (thanks, mighty SARZANNA!) ...new Hive Mind, Eeuwig (late of Smoke.) --[Zwaertgevegt label]--

He must explain how he got in. His way in—what was it? Surely it was not through me, as my pockets remain empty and turned out.

...And I'll add a few favorites of my own: the new Witchbeam cassette (also of the legendary ensemble Telecult Powers, the latter, the first artist to ever perform live on My Castle of Quiet, back in 2009), Shadow Musick Vol. 1; and the incredible new White Medal full-length, Guthmers Hahl.

It's refreshing to do a show again; I get restless if I put it down too long, though this time the lengthy gap was but for terrible illness, which demanded much recovery time. My muse must be stoked, stroked, and channels must be channeled. Demons exorcised, and all this wonderful / weird / dark and aggressive music that clutters my head frequently must be LET OUT. A discovery a day, so to speak, sometimes literally.

Always at odds with the idea of an omniscient power beyond reason; the vast, vocal majority of those who espouse such a belief are ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssnakes, liars, or worse; YET, the undeniable need in all mankind for some reason to get up in the morning, PK Dick's "Pink Light," which finally found him, or so he said, and maybe it was just a keen sense, box-cutter sharp perception, or some combination of the aforementioned with amphetamines. Where do I go? Where is my pink light? I've just now passed a dream; loosing out of my psyche as I sit here, extraordinarily sleep-deprived at the moment.

All I can say, mostly, is that it felt good, didn't feel bad, to be in Castle Country again, which feels like home, and WFMU in general has always been one of my few homes away from home; a gathering pod for the idiosyncratic, sometimes quirky, unique minds, focused tastes of the extreme diggers, the weirdos and the deep music collectors. I started listening to the station in the mid-to-late 1970s, hearing The Residents and Jandek, among others, for the first time, wondering what it was all about while simultaneously knowing that I needed to be a part of it. And though my involvement with the station has been either very on or very off (I joined in 1984, doing a weekly show straight through 1999 w/o a break; took a complete break, almost, from Feb. 1999 until June 2009, with only sporadic fill-in shows, the number very gradually increasing as I eased my way back in and sculpted the My Castle of Quiet format. Then again taking this past Summer off as some family obligations/responsibilities loomed.

If you're in NY, or planning to be, make sure to join us next weekend for our annual record fair, Fri.-Sun., more info HERE.

I hope to rejoin you on WFMU's weekly air in December; in the meantime, I'll be filling in again, Castle show #200 (!) this time, in Martha's slot on Black-Friday night, 29-30 November @ mitternacht. Thank you for your kind and enthusiastic indulgence!

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!

"DIE," HE SAID. I OPTED OUT FOR NOW.

I've been offline, simmering, coping with illness, etc. The good news is that sometimes these lulls are necessary for one to formulate, take a step back and view the whole map.

I could not be more excited about the current and upcoming Prison Tatt Records releases, and Passion and Torment Series batch #2.

The order is rough, and there are other projects (like the Anthony Saunders one-sided LP that could come together at any time), but generally speaking this is what's happening, and it's all freaking SILVER (I don't care for gold.) -

Bob Bellerue - Butcher's Broom LP. One of Bob's heaviest works of late/to date; source material from the band Health, radically remixed/filtered/pounded out, so that the overall effect is like that Theatre of Eternal Music concert we all wish we were old enough and/or hip enough to have attended. Bob has done so much (released previously on Prison Tatt as 1/2 of KILT, with Raven Chacon, for the Kitchen Sorcery CD); he's done solo works under different names, simply legendary collabs, with Telecult Powers and a great many others ... it's almost impossible to categorize what Bob "does," and I feel pretty sure that he likes it that way. If pressed, I'd say that this album stands strong alongside Amplified Piano Duets (with Jarrett Silberman), one of the first records of his that Bob generously gave me, and still one of my favorites. Think hi-volume, bone-shattering drones, but not at all static, more "sweeping," as in you don't know where this record will attack you from next.

Nuit Noire - A Beautiful Belief one-sided LP. Long-anticipated, A Beautiful Belief is one of the first records that was discussed/planned at the Prison Tatt label's very inception. Tenebras very graciously offered to release with us, he really embraced the one-sided LP concept, and as he takes on his projects/release offers one at a time, I knew that the day would come, and now it's here! Perhaps NN's most intimate/radically romantic record to date, still with their unique crunchy catchiness, and Tenebras' gorgeously idiosyncratic vocals, more upfront than ever. Thoroughly excited for this one!

Malkuth - Tamahprabha - One of two Malkuth LPs of brand-new material that's been simmering for a good, long while. I wrote up the promotional/press-release copy for Hathir Sakta, the other new album, which is coming out on Kelippah. Originally conceived as a double-LP, IMO these records are perhaps better even than Malkuth's two exceptional full-lengths on Hospital Productions. ...That rare breed of black metal that brings the "hard" and the "head" in equivalent measure. (Malkuth live set on WFMU / My Castle of Quiet, 2010 January.)

NRIII - The Algea. I've been following the releases of NRIII pretty much since the beginning; $, their debut cassette, was released on Primal Vomit, a label that features substantially in the Prison Tatt distro. Several years and releases later, and stylistic/compositional leaps forward (the 2012 EP trilogy on Neon Doom is a personal favorite, and received heavy airplay on My Castle of Quiet) NRIII bring us nothing short of a masterwork; I like to describe The Algea as the record I always wish Coil had made (always wanting Coil to be a bit more intense, more grimy and loud.) I'd also compare The Algea to the more pounding, song-oriented works of Nurse With Wound, or perhaps a cherry-picked collection of my favorite Genocide Organ songs—it's really that good; a new high for the band and for Prison Tatt.

What else? More, more, MORE!

To be released next, Molestador, the new one-sided LP by Sesso Violento, whose crusty, sci-fi-black-metal masterpiece, Pacificador, was one of our best- and fastest-sellers to date; Seed Stock unloaded their distro copies in hardly any time at all. This record finds SV in much the same form, but forward-looking as well; tight, boom-tap high-impact songs—black metal, yes, but of the Vordr/Bone Awl-inspired stripe, and not at all conscious of subgenre categorizations or limits, mixing in odd sounds all over the place, also not afraid to pick up an acoustic guitar for a song either. These guys are happy to work with Prison Tatt, and the feeling is mutual. Our label was built on great, black-metal one-siders, and Molestador more than continues this tradition.

On that topic, following hot on the heels of Molestador will be another one-sided LP, by the much-beloved Smoke. Deep black metal heads know all about Smoke (from The Netherlands) and their consistently high-caliber cassettes of improvised (!) black metal, the overall effect like being in a wind-tunnel haunted house, riding an uneasy wave of blast beats and frightening, transient melody. The effect of Smoke is staggering, and we're sad to report that this vinyl debut also represents the band's swan song, entitled Het Laatste Oordeel (The Last Ordeal?) The record is comprised of three lurching, hypnotic songs—classic Smoke, and K.v. Hardeveld's pencil-drawn jacket is one of my favorite bm covers EVER.

Our companion releases by OPPONENTS (Telepathic Times) and Creeplings (their two-song, one-sided vinyl debut) are still very much NEW, and Prison Tatt is fiercely proud to be presenting these records/artists, on the very cut of postmodern, Brooklyn-analog-industrial, with "edge" to spare; these are such great records, there's no time for humility, and you're plain missing out if you don't pick them up. I've extended indefinitely the period for which continental-US customers can pick up both records for a flat $30—because I want you to have them. Full descriptions of these (as well as records by Wretched Worst, Moloch, Demonologists, Todd Pendu's Chaos*Majik, Long Distance Poison—all remarkably still in print, though supplies diminish weekly), song samples, basically the whole Prison Tatt catalog, can be reviewed at http://prisontatt.com. For NY locals, Creeplings will be performing a live score this Monday night at Silent Barn (see the link for info) to my choice of an early Clive Barker short film, The Forbidden. Event curated by Stephanie Wuertz and Millennium.

Am I done yet? No! ...Because batch #2 of the Passion and Torment Series is coming soon, somewhere in the midst of all these vinyl releases. P&T is the CDr imprint of Prison Tatt Records; a cheaper and and more-immediate way to release some great music that comes across our figurative desk. There are a lot of P&T releases in the works/being discussed; things most often don't come out when or exactly as planned, but I've whittled our second batch of four down to these:

Degenerate Slug - Garuda II - Leningrad Mon Amour - it was decided long ago that this would be the first disc of our second CDr batch, from the hyper-prolific, hyper-talented Paul von Aphid. I hesitate to put any sort of subgenre label on this, as Paul is so much more well-versed in these things—I just know I like it! Raspy vocals over collaged sounds and pounding drum machine; the audio equivalent of a severed head on a chain, as anguished dungeon cries close in around you, a full psychic meal of things to listen to and for. Includes a full, 26-min, 2011 live show.

Terrier - The Doors - My collaboration with Bob Bellerue of scary/weird improvisations finally does its impression of the MGM lion. A full-length disc of material culled from various sources, all centered around "The Doors," our favorite live-recorded performance to date (from Port d'Or.) Also included are some pieces recorded off-air in WFMU's famous Studio B live studio, and a particularly juicy live set from Corey Bauer's Brooklyn space, July 2010.

Gnus - The first physical release for this great, minimalist black metal outfit from Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that link, you can hear what Gnus are about—strong, wicked compositions, and the most cobwebbed, depressive atmospheres that will capture you in awe, but also keep the songs short enough that one ought not get too attached...hehe.

Lastly, a three-way split of black metal from the extended, prolific universe of Smoke/Profectum Iri founder K.v. Hardeveld. This is the CDr version of a cassette release on the Kaladruna label. Eeuwig presents the centerpiece of an extended, depressive epic entitled "Martelgang," a track one can get dangerously lost in, advancing ever forward, as phantom doors close and lock behind you. One track by Arjen, also from Bosnia (see Gnus, above) and two, shorter tracks from Nevelrijk, solo project from the drummer for Smoke (per Smoke, see new vinyl, above.)

More than enough to keep me on an anxiety bender through and past year's end, balanced by the fact that I know these releases will be great, and bringing great music to the public is its own reward (in addition to sales, of course) when one endeavors to keep a small, independent, "boutique" music label (as my friend Jeff Conklin has dubbed us) exciting and vital.

One final bit of "promo," as it were—new in the undershopped, SHINY, AND JUST WAITING FOR YOU Prison Tatt distro (literally just arrived in the mail today)- Gutter Choir, by Hivesmasher, one of my favorite LPs of this year, a great grind album, with progressive and artful deviations, as well as the self-titled 2009 Painkiller Recs. 7" by Failures, on clear vinyl, sort of a must-have for fans of modern, dark hardcore (and you may/should be a fan of their s/t 2009 LP on Youth Attack.) Prices tba, like I said, just arrived today. Please write to: solitary@prisontatt.com.

In addition to my role as purveyor/conduit, there's also the infinitely lower-stress universe of fan and sometime radio DJ (next Castle fill-in, 11.14.13 for Diane's Kamikaze Fun Machine.) The ongoing, ever-churning process that is the discovery of new music is one that's saved my life more than a few times, and is in my blood like NJ toxins.

On to...trolling bandcamp for great new grind, sound art and black metal... Bandcamp is the breeding ground where it's really all happening, in terms of near-instantneous music delivery; name-your-price digital downloads, often not, though sometimes happily entwined with a physical release, Deafkids, The Atrocity Exhibit, Bleak, new works by personal favorites Moonknight (Rising Beast) and Husere Grav (Crucial Blast), and the ongoing greatness perpetrated by both Greh Holger's Chondritic Sound and Justin Marc Lloyd's Rainbow Bridge have all kept my music Jones chugging along, and occasionally, there's a smartly done cassette, CD or even vinyl 7" or 12" that arrives a few weeks later in the mail to accompany one of these ultra-satisfying mini-grail downloads. In that spirit of physical releases, I want to also mention the Tunnel/Chi Omega 7", one in a relatively steady stream of superior works by Spettro Family, a one-man Italian project that waxes boldly original, while taking in part its cue from 70s-80s Giallo and thriller film soundtracks (SF's great Black Horizons cs release of last year, for example) and has in the works a one-sided LP for Prison Tatt. Stefano has been absolutely great to work with, and I know that whatever he delivers to the label to release will be beyond top-shelf—it will be some of the best Spettro Family to date. Also, as goes digital-followed-by-physical releases, a set of tracks I had privy to by Lea Bertucci last year will soon see the light of day on LP. Though now, these four selections, since last I heard them, arrive radically transformed with maximum crunch; organic, yet "factory floor," in the form of a custom-designed (by the artist) LP package, Resonance Shapes, to be released by the Obsolete Units label, of which this writer has been a long-time fan. Lea played live last October (has it been that long?) on the My Castle of Quiet radio program, and though due to that, I had some idea of the primordial stew these selections were originating from, it's this final product (pre-order the LP from OU at the link above, and receive an email link to download the digital files, while you wait for your LP) that is sure to bring home the greatness of Lea's total vision.

With this all in mind, I'm pleased to say that we're "in it," too, with some, though not all (because what fun would that be, if everything was available in every format?) of the Prison Tatt artists having agreed to let me sell their works both physically and digitally via our very own bandcamp home. Some releases will remain exclusive on vinyl, while yet others will appear for sale digitally, only when the vinyl has sold out from home base. Similar to a conversation I've had with more than one "noise friend," I don't dwell on formats so much, they are but music-delivery systems; everyone is pretty much in agreement that by and large vinyl is king, and beyond that, I just want to have the music, so a CD, CDr, or digital file does not offend me with its impermanence, and often that choice is made, by label, artist, or both, that expediency is of the essence for getting the sound to your ear, and we'll worry later about which works to preserve in which ways FOR ALL ETERNITY. There are also some damned-attractive, one-of-, or-few-of-a-kind packages being done of late with CDr; Fadensonnen's PD3 comes to mind.

This having been one mutha of a post, I'll sign off now. You can always keep your eye on the Prison Tatt Records Facebook group for the most up-to-date information on the releases mentioned in this post, distro adds, and beyond.

fantastic and weird to have the Castle at this hour. Oh happy hellfire.

Always interesting to transplant The Castle into different times of day, and see how it flies, and it flew well! ...I veered far from std. Castle territory, after a while, trying to prepare / brace you all for the show's eventual / possible return to weekly broadcasts. A person with my broad appreciation of music cannot live on "roughage" alone, though the original 195 shows remain as a solid body of work that I'm fiercely proud of, and I'm grateful to WFMU for keeping them all archived for your ongoing discovery / enjoyment.

Too many listener hails to chart here, but the playlist and comments can be viewed by simply clicking above, on the immensely talented Reece Shearsmith (of League of Gentlemen fame), stuffing his face hurriedly with hallucinatory mushrooms in director Ben Wheatley's A Field in England, one of my favorite films of this year.

Thanks, as always, for listening and appreciating!

I'll be back, I know not when. ...

that was a whole lot of punch per minute, thanks WM!

Yesterday's Distort JxCx guest spot; hope you enjoyed! ...Tried to make it a 60-min. auto wreck, with no let-ups. ... Click on The Undertaker and His Pals, sneaking into the sauna for a piece of leg (quite literally) to reach the playlist and audio archive.

Oh, and just had to add this ... seems appropriate.

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.

TONIGHT on MCoQ; Verglas, Volahn, Bilirubin, Arizmenda and Blue Hummingbird on the Left (BHL.) !!!

As part of the Anahuac Tour 2013 (you may recall the Black Twilight Circle's historic visit to WFMU in October 2011), Crepusculo Nergo returns to My Castle of Quiet tonight, this time with a four-band lineup of Volahn, Blue Hummingbird on the Left (BHL), Arizmenda, and Bilirubin. As luck would have it, the dark gods smiled upon us, and program favorites, the mighty Quebécois band Verglas, were also in town that same weekend, and joined us in the studio as part of the recording for broadcast. In editing / preparing the raw session files for airing, I can assure this session is a monster, and will take up most of our designated three hours this evening.

For fans of true black metal, and the wild, creative, and progressive directions it has taken in the past few years, this show is not to be missed. I'll be filling in for Evan "Funk" Davies, airing the whole, unholy mess, tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Tremendous thanks to Diane Kamikaze, without whom this massive, all-day session would not have been possible.

Tune in to reap the rewards. A more-arresting assortment of vocal stylings you'll not hear in one single session, that's for damn sure.
Facebook event.

I crawl to the console—bloodied, beaten, and clinging to life; my last, great act, to press "play" @ 9 p.m.
Live music begins promptly @ 9:05
WFMU 91.1 FM
WMFU 90.1 FM (Hudson Valley)
WNYX Montgomery
in Rockland County @ 91.9 FM
wfmu.org live on the Web, with real-time accu-playlist and message board.

...at least, I can still spit; we must have GRATITUDE.

Kris Kelvin was the man for the job.
Click, for archived audio, playlist and comments for last night's Kosmische-käste.

ON THE AIR TONIGHT, OH LORD, OH LORD, OH LORD, OH LORD...OH LLOYD, OH LLOYD—yeh MY GOOD BUDDY LLOYD. [plus exclusive track from VARDAN!]

First things first, My Castle of Quiet returns tonight to WFMU's airwaves, for a two-week run, starting @ 9 p.m. (6 Pacific.) Having been deserted, disappointed, or otherwise unfulfilled by all earthly pleasures (offers welcome!), I'm a crummy Satanist / Hedonist at the moment, but also smart enough to know that when the magic doesn't work, it's not the magic that's flawed, it's me, and so I look to the Cosmos, and that's what tonight's Castle is about—a deep gaze into that endlessly vast, impossibly black void of nothing—and potentially everything. Tune in at 9, for probably more than a few surprises for regular Castle listeners; not that the show will be fun, or necessarily not fun, but I would never suggest unbridled enjoyment as a way out of one's trouble—NO! EMBRACE those bad times, and bad feelings! There's entirely too much giddy colour in global media as there is. Blecch!

----

Now, very graciously offered here is this exclusive demo track from Italy's Vardan (Catania, Sicily.) Vardan's work has been a personal favorite of mine for the past year or so, both his solo recordings and those of the outstanding duo project Anwech. Back in 2006, Vardan created the exceptional work under the name Leaden, Monotonous Foghorns of Molesting Department, a landmark of avant/depressive black metal, one of the strangest and most uniquely engaging albums in the entire contemporary black-metal canon. At the time of its release, this was my first exposure to Vardan's works, and I've come to know it so well over the years, owning it as I do on both factory CD and cassette. Monotonous Foghorns..., like Bone Awl's Meaningless Leaning Mess, or Moloch's Depressive Black Metal Plague, has implanted itself in my basic cellular structure; search cranial HD under black metal/modern.

You can hear several tracks of Vardan, Anwech and Leaden by using the WFMU Playlist Search engine, searching on the project names, and using the "jump-to" links to those tracks within past My Castle of Quiet broadcasts, as well as a track from Leaden's debut played on Sue P.'s show in 2011.

Vardan also works with several labels in Italy—Midwinter, Last Way and WarAgainstYourself, among others, and through trades, Prison Tatt has acquired some of his finest releases, available in our distro. Three by Vardan (including the phenomenal split with Striborg), one by Anwech, and the aforementioned, unforgettable sophomore release by Leaden. For more information, and to purchase within North America, please see the Prison Tatt distro page.

This track, in its final, non-demo version, will be released on a split CD with Burial Mist on the Black Raven's Blood label, both based in Russia. We find Vardan in "mixed sensation" mode, fast-slow-fast, with excellent overlays.

Vardan  - Demo 2013 / Untitled

I'll be returning next week to WFMU at the same night and time (thanks to Evan "Funk" Davies for offering to have me sub-in) with a cavalcade of live-recorded, extreme/innovative/underground black metal—nothing less than the entire Crepusculo Negro 2013 Anahuac Tour, as well as Castle favorites Verglas. Not to be missed!