Neofolk

Neofolk is a form of folk music that emerged from European ideals and post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial music and experimental music. The genre encompasses a wide assortment of themes including traditional music, heathenry, romanticism and occultism. Neofolk musicians often have ties to other post-industrial genres such as neoclassical and martial music, or have links with Heathen circles and various other societies.

The term "neofolk" originates from esoteric music circles who started using the term in the late 20th Century to describe music influenced by musicians such as Douglas Pearce (Death In June), Tony Wakeford (Sol Invictus) and David Tibet (Current 93) who collaborated heavily for a period of time. These musicians were part of a post-industrial music circle who later on incorporated folk music based upon traditional and European elements into their sound. Folk musicians as far back as the 1960s were creating music similar to neofolk in terms of sounds and themes. These musicians could be considered harbingers of the sound that later influenced the neofolk artists. However, the distinction must be made that it was the aforementioned artists who were involved in the dark music scene throughout the 1980s and 1990s that contributed specifically to the emergence of neofolk. Neofolk is seen by many as an extension of post-industrial music into the folk music genre which did not occur until the late 20th Century.

The spirit of neofolk contains parallels to the ideals of American and British folk movements of the 1960s. The basis of this music is built upon principles against commercialization and popular culture. However the themes of neofolk and folk music are drastically different. A majority of artists within the neofolk genre focus on archaic symbols of culture, myths and beliefs. Local traditions and indigenous beliefs tend to be portrayed heavily as well as esoteric and historical topics. Homages and tributes to figures some may consider controversial such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Julius Evola, and Leni Riefenstl as well as the usage of war themes, imagery and historical imagery by some musicians have drawn misguided criticisms and links between neofolk and right wing establishments from various sources.

Of particular mention is Heathenry or Germanic Neopaganism. This subject plays a large part in the thematic elements touched upon by many modern and original neofolk artists. Runes, pagan European sites and other means of expressing an interest in the ancient and ancestral occurs often in neofolk music. Aesthetically, references to this subject occur within band names, album artwork, clothing and various other means of artistic expression. This has lead to some forefathers of the genre and current artists within the genre attributing it to being part of a broader Heathen revival.

"Room 404" recommends you some neofolk acts, like Current 93, Empyrium, Tenhi, Neun Welten or Halgalaz' Runedance.

Phantasmagoria

The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832–January 14, 1898), better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman, and photographer, and, as a writer, he wrote the well-known "Alice in Wonderland", and the not-so-known but quite inspiring poem Phantasmagoria. Years later, Marilyn Manson decided to tribute Lewis Carrol by making an horror film called "PHANTASMAGORIA: The Visions Of Lewis Carroll".

PHANTASMAGORIA is a series of four short films currently being created by Marilyn Manson that will appeared on his website. It will also be viewed on Phantasmagoriamovie.com. It is planned that a feature length film will follow. The films are said to be part of Manson's Celebritarian Corporation movement.
Manson has begun shooting the films in January primarily in Ireland, with some parts already shooted in Sintra - Portugal (as we previously announced) and the first film will be online in the Winter (USA) 2006. The films have been described by Manson as "the visions of Lewis Caroll". In the first installment Manson will be exploring the origin of Tweedledum and Tweedledee from Through the Looking-Glass who are played by twin girls who "get to have real, genuine sex with each other." The movie will also contain blood, horror violence and explicit sex.

Manson will be playing Lewis Carroll as well as directing with the assistance of Anthony Silva, who is also the co-writer and editor of the film. Alice will be played by model Lily Cole, Manson explains: "The idea I had of Alice in my head was very attached to someone with red hair and meeting her and finding her, she’s very much the personality of this character." Manson has also said that he is talking to Angelina Jolie about being in one of his films, most likely playing the Red Queen.

Unfortunately, in interviews, Manson doesn't always say which series of films he is talking about, so whether he is talking about the short films or the feature length film is open to interpretation. Manson has stated that Phantasmagoria will be filmed in a way no one has done yet. "I have a camera that I'll be the first person to use in cinema, and I'm very excited about it. It's very unique" He has suggested the use of subliminal elements to enhance feeling, but also says he may go further. "I'm going to do a lot of things that may end up being illegal. Until they are, I will do them. I think it will change people's opinion about horror films and they will realize they're not all about slasher. It's kind of a return to Hitchcock-style psychological horror about letting your mind do the damage and sometimes what you don't see is scarier."

The short films, and possibly the feature film, will be made available through Manson's Official Website though Manson has also stated that the first film's release will be "very unconventional" though he did not say how.

Manson has also made many references to how his website will change in the future stating that the website is very video-extensive and "has been created to be a place where you can see even more than what is in the film, whether it will be viewed as trailers or teasers, or further elements that aren’t necessary to support the film. If you enjoy the film, there’s a wealth of knowledge there to dig deeper". It has been revealed by the producer, Alain de la Mata, that the film is hoped to be completed in autumn 2006.

http://phantasmagoriamovie.com/ http://www.marilynmanson.com/

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phan - tas -·ma -·go -·ri -·a

1)A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever.

2)A constantly changing scene composed of numerous elements.

3)Fantastic imagery as represented in art

Mindless Self Indulgence

I've talked about Mindless Self Indulgence previously, but now they have a re-vamp of their video "Shut Me Up", this time directed by Jhonen Vasquez. See it here:

Ursula Rucker

1 Million Ways To Burn



I look upon you
with eyes burnt from tears
sear the meat of my heart with
memories

of your hot/cold words
your dry ice words

sticking
stinging
singing

with vision blurred
I watch
our love go up in a frigid smoke
guess I got to close
I inhaled
I choked

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

Etched you name on my walls
with the fire in your touch
Our ardor once warmed like summer
soldered bodies
we swam
in simmering sweat

I
melting metal
softening
glowing fiery orange like the sun
bending

You
blacksmith
branding

At strangest times
I feel the heat of the iron
still

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

Like smoldering coals now
weaker
but able to burn
still

3rd degree
1st degree

This hurt turns angry
scalds
like freshly boiled tea water
spilled upon flesh
making skin bubble
then blister
later to heal
scarring
still

Etch my name on your wall with a caustic tongue
hope at strangest times you feel the heat
still

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

Shall we leave our love at the stake
within a fence of flames

sacrificed on an altar of discontent
sacrificed for no greater purpose
on an altar of self
for the purpose of self

Will the rains come
to douse or drown
Will we rebuild from the ember and ash

Or will nothing ever grow here
on this burnt earth
that was
us

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

slow burn, slow burn
slow burn, slow burn

Burn
from passion
or displeasure
Burn

slow burn

One million ways to burn
choose one
One million ways to burn
choose one

choose one
choose one
choose one
choose one

Ursula Rucker

Is DRM Just a Consumer Rights Issue?

Is DRM just a consumer rights issue effecting your record collection? A UK board is treating it as such. But it's much more important than that.

Before Gutenberg, copyists, using pen and ink, duplicated written political dialogue laboriously. Only the wealthy and the church could afford to employ copyists, and during this period the paucity of communications limited the exercise of democracy to small groups. The advent of Gutenberg's press made the mass distribution of written political dialogue possible. People vote based on what they hear and read, and the improvement in communications brought by the press made egalitarian mass democracy possible. It is thus no surprise that the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of the press.

Within the last century, electronic communications have increasingly become the vehicle of democratic discourse. Because radio and television broadcasting are expensive with limited frequencies available, the wealthy have dominated broadcasting. The Internet and World Wide Web place into the common man's hands the capability of global electronic broadcasting. Clearly, the Internet is the most important tool of democracy since Gutenberg developed movable type.

In order to protect democratic discourse in the future, the Internet must remain a fair and level playing field for the distribution of political speech. The full capability of the Internet must remain available to all, without restriction by religious, business, or political interests.

A number of "Internet radio" and "streaming TV" devices and programs have become available today. Most of the products sold for this purpose only receive stations that have been enabled through the gateway site of product's manufacturer. The devices are sold below their real cost, because the manufacturers of these products get a royalty from all of the stations that the product is allowed to carry. Thus, the manufacturer of an Internet radio or TV will control what stations their product provides access to, and what political viewpoints are available via the product. Most of these products use proprietary file formats to lock out anything the manufacturer doesn't control.

One day in the future, most of us will receive text, audio, and video programming via the Internet, either wired or wireless. Imagine the problem for democracy if, when that day dawns, the manufacturers of our access devices are a few companies that have attained a market lock on Internet broadcasting, thus determining what political viewpoints the electorate can receive.

Unfortunately, the trend is for law to further restrict any attempt to circumvent a manufacturer's choice of what programs you will be able to receive, through protection of their proprietary formats in the name of "eliminating piracy". DMCA does it today, Barbara Boxer's PERFORM act, and the WIPO broadcasting treaty will soon add to the burden. The $250,000 fine attached to DMCA and the associated legal defense costs would be enough to bankrupt most people, and there's jail time too. A tiered Internet would further limit your choices.

So, if you think DRM only effects your music collection, think again. It effects the very core of democracy.

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This text was written by Bruce Perens, but we at 404 totally aggree with it.