Mike76

In fact, the first side can almost be defined as straight-up punk if it weren't for the surreal lyrics inspired by comics and children's TV series, but then the experimentation comes out in full force and they really go crazy. I might prefer "Jane From Occupied Europe," which is more polished and better produced, or even better, the compilation "Collision Time Revisited," which takes the best from both while adding some gems; that one, in any case, remains a must. And indeed, it's true that Sonic Youth can be felt a lot in here, I would say more than in the contemporary No Wave records.

Excellent record, like "Dark Continent" by the way, but this one manages to be even more winning in its melodies while remaining experimental in a perfect balance. The lyrics are also beautiful (that one about the worker worn out physically and mentally who amputates a finger in the factory and beats his wife in "Factory" is one of the most vivid portraits of the nullification of the individual). If it matters, I have also convinced myself that the Depeche Mode from "Personal Jesus" onwards, despite many differences (for example, Ridgway has a voice that couldn’t be more country, while Gahan is more soul/blues), have drawn a lot of inspiration from the blend of "traditional American music + synth" that the WOV developed first. In short, beautiful, expressive, seminal—what more could you want? Probably the WOV are the only band that, while throwing their Americanness right at you, still manages to excite me.

I have the first legendary album by the B-52's ("Rock Lobster" is a stroke of genius), I’ve never heard this one but judging by the review and what it invited me to listen to via YouTube, it’s definitely worth a listen.

I categorically deny that the aforementioned film was released directly on VHS without going through theaters; I saw it in a cinema where the audience could be counted on one hand, in the company of what is now my wife, hard to forget that. What can I say, the plot of two lovers with a significant age difference is a rather worn-out and abused classic of "scandal cinema" since the days of "Ultimo Tango a Parigi" and perhaps even earlier, so it shouldn't scandalize anyone anymore. The director, if nothing else, deserves credit for filming it in a raw manner without winking at the mainstream audience and the voyeurism indulged in by pervs like Bigas Luna.
Anyway, I don't remember it as such a great film, even though back then I appreciated gratuitous provocations more than I do today.

I'll be superficial, but to me they are inaudible here, almost on par with Wham! On the other hand, the first steps of the group are interesting, grappling with a personal and unique interpretation of post-punk sounds found in the compilation "Early."

You are absolutely right in calling it industrial ambient because it really is a background (no matter how noisy) almost like a soundtrack. Vol. 2, from what I remember, is slightly more "piercing," even if just a little.

Why, with all the things I miss about Christian Death, did I go and track down this old out-of-print compilation? For the cover! Years ago, it captivated me and made me promise that one day I would have it. The music? I'm definitely less interested here compared to their debut, but "The Wind Kissed Pictures" and "Lachrima Christi" (I can even find a meaning in the first verse of the lyrics in Italian, but maybe I'm just grasping at straws) are exquisite dark wave gems that are worth the price of admission. Much less convincing for me is "Believers of the Un pure," a gothic rock track with some Billy Idol-esque undertones. The other instrumental tracks would fit well in some horror movie soundtrack without falling into stereotype or campiness, although in the long run (like all soundtracks without visuals) they can get tedious. All in all, a good little record.

I own the aforementioned work, undoubtedly difficult, noisy, chaotic, etc. which is not inherently a bad thing, but unfortunately I also find it rather "aseptic," placing it a notch below other power noise works that are more visceral from other artists I've had the "pleasure" of listening to (not many, to be honest). Don’t ask me how I also have "Music for Bondage Performance vol.2" at home, complete with (I'm going from memory because I don't feel like checking) illustrative drawings on how to tie your woman up like a salami and a historical essay on Japanese bondage by our Masami. Anyway, if having one Merzbow record at home is good, two are already too many.

Read. Really very interesting, especially the first 200 pages or so that cover the period when Donati was a track and field coach and then a member of the CONI Anti-Doping Scientific Committee, providing a picture of Italian sport and, above all, the moral qualities of its leaders, which is truly discouraging.
The last 100 pages, mostly devoted to the author's legal troubles (which he has always navigated brilliantly) and his experiences as a consultant for various organizations and governments, are somewhat less interesting. It must be said that Donati was prescient about some things because his somewhat unorthodox thesis regarding the relationship between organized crime and doping was proven this year by an investigation in Australia (and here I think of a swimmer, an athlete, and a tennis player from the "land of kangaroos" who retired or declined prematurely after reaching the peak). The problem remains difficult to solve; what is needed is a change of mentality among sports federations, the media, and the public, which, according to Donati, is already happening to some extent (perhaps thanks to the Armstrong case and now the cases of Powell and Gay).

Techno blues, echoes of crepuscular 80s synth pop, vague glitch influences that here and there dirty the sound, making it more current. I liked it, but to be honest, I also enjoyed the much maligned "Sound Of Universe," and thinking about it, I believe that the DM have never really missed a beat in their career, which, after over thirty years, is a miracle. Friendly review, well-written and lively.