Room 404 - File Not Found

Free Burma!

2007-10-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

Sol Invictus in Almada - Portugal

2007-03-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Sol Invictus

March, 24 2007 at Apartado - Culto Club
Apartado 8012, Lisbon,
Cost : tc

Duo Noir Duo Noir is Tony Wakeford and Andrew King of Sol Invictus. Tony Wakeford, vocals Guitar and Andrew King Laptop computer, percussion and vocals. As well as older Sol Invictus material the set will include songs from the soon to be released Tony Wakeford solo album "Into The Woods" and also new material form "The Cruelest Month" the next Sol Invictus album to be released in the second half of 2007.

Click here to listen it.

Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir

2007-02-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

According to official website, Novembers Doom new album, "The Novella Reservoir", is to be released at February 20th, 2007 (6 days from now). Some stores are already letting you to pre-order it.

Before this, Novembers Doom latest album was "The Pale Haunt departure", reviewed by me here.

The tracklist:
01. Rain
02. The Novella Reservoir
03. Drown the Inland Mere
04. Twilight Innocence
05. The Voice of Failure
06. They Were Left to Die
07. Dominate the Human Strain
08. Leaving This

Bravewords reviewed it, saying that:

At once highly hummable/listenable but also filled with tons ‘o despair, The Novella Reservoir is a classy effort that reminds how effective and strong songwriting can pull a group up into the top tier.

Here's one free track from the album.

Marilyn Manson @ Download Festival 2007

2007-02-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Among other artists, Marilyn Manson is now confirmed to be going to present new matterial live at the Download Festival 2007, that will happen from the 8th to the 10th of June.

According to the festival's official website:

Self-proclaimed ‘Antichrist Superstar’, Marilyn Manson is among the most notorious and controversial entertainers of our generation. Making a return to the festival for a second time (2003 being the other), he will take to the stage on the Saturday night. Manson has revealed “I have a responsibility to make the music loud again, so that we won't hear the world coming to an end."

The news about the (expected) fact that Marilyn Manson is going to present new matterial comes from Kerrang!:

Marilyn Manson will be performing new material as part of his set at Download and has emphasised a desire to "make music loud again."

Marilyn Manson: Eat Me, Drink Me

2007-01-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Acording to Marilyn Manson's official website, and we quote,

Marilyn Manson has nearly completed work on his upcoming album, set to come out this spring. The album is titled EAT ME, DRINK ME. The band will also launch a world tour coinciding with the release.

Stand by for further instruction: additional details, commentary, and particulars forthcoming.

We at room 404 are anxious for this release, and will keep you updated regarding this.

Merankorii's new album is out!

2007-01-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

"Melencolia III", the third Merankorii album is OUT NOW!

With a title that shows the inspiration with Dürer's work, Melencolia III, the third Merankorii album, was released last monday. This is a CD-R release, limited to 100 hand-numbered copies, with the most consistent dark ambient sound from Merankorii.

You can know more about Merankorii here, and here are some tracks to listen (that you can download here):

So... What are you waiting for? Buy the album: it only costs 5€, with shipment included if you're in Portugal, 1€ to Europe, and 2€ to the rest of the world!

And remember: 100 copies don't last forever!

Marilyn Manson dating with Lindsay Lohan

2007-01-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

According to Moldova:

Marilyn Manson is said already dating a new woman, just days after wife Dita Von Teese asked for divorce.

As Fametastic notes, a sources close to the couple told People magazine that Marilyn’s relationship with actress Evan Rachel Wood was a factor in the decision for Dita to file for divorce at the end of December.

“Dita is heartbroken, she didn’t see this coming. His partying contributed to the split as well”, said one of the sources.

Marilyn was pals with the 19 year old for some time, since asking her to appear in his imminent film “Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll” and Marilyn painted a picture of Eva for the opening of his Hollywood art gallery last year.

Another friend of the divided husband and wife told the New York Post that there is likely to be a custody battle during the divorce, over the couple’s pets.

Mansonand and Von Teese, who were together for eight years including a year of marriage, have two cats and two dachshunds. Dita took all four when she moved out of their marital home but it’s the felines that will cause the trouble.

“They are fighting over custody of the cats - not so much the dogs”, said a source.

Maybe this means that the "fear" expressed in the last post, about the divorce, can be dismissed, as it doesn't seems that it will affect Manson's artistic vein, even if the whole process is going to occupy some of his time...

Dita Von Teese divorces from Marilyn Manson

2007-01-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Dita Von Teese divorced from Marilyn Manson, after one year of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences" in the past 24th of December. Von Teese (real name: Heather Sweet) asked that the judge not grant Manson (real name: Brian Warner) spousal support and that the division of their property be determined at a later date, according to E! News.

According to the New York Post's Page Six column, Manson was left in the dark about the split because Von Teese, 34, has been unable to reach him to notify him of her intentions.

"He's not been responsive," a "friend" of the couple told the newspaper. "She loved him so much, but he has too many demons. He can't even communicate with her at this point. She tried to tell him she was divorcing him, but she can't even get him on the phone. She moved out of the house and he hasn't even noticed."

Straight to Video - MSI clip

2007-01-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

Mindless Self Indulgence just released a new videoclip, "Straight to Video".
Whatch it here:

Merankorii - Melencolia III on 15th January 2007

2006-12-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Merankorii was born in the beginning of 2004 as a side project of Mind Booster Noori, a tentative form of cultural art with a melancholic and depressive touch of a reality injection to a body who had no more hope on living.

It soon evolved to what it could be a quite schizophrenic movie, but it, instead, turned into "Doom Poetry from a Melancholic Soul", a Doomish sound that you're able to hear in the first CD, released in April 2005.

Four months later all the CD's were sold out, but the recordings of Merankorii's second one, Crash, were already on the process... At 2005's Winter Solistice, the 21st of December, Crash was released in a 50 copies edition.

In 2006 Merankorii appeared in two compilations: "Armageddon Vol. 1" with the track "Solitude", and "Metal Legions - Vol. II" with the track "Interlude".

Merankorii just signed to Necrogoat Heresy Productions to mark the release of Merankorii's 3rd album "Melencolia III". The album is to be released on the 15th of January 2007.

Diablo Swing Orchestra

2006-12-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Diablo Swing Orchestra dates back to 1501 in Sweden, where history tells the tale of an orchestra that played like no other. With music so seductive and divine that the ensemble overwhelmed audiences all over the country, and people from all social classes took them to their hearts. Their performances rapidly earned a reputation of being feral and vigorous and gained the orchestra a devoted crowd that followed them around.

During the later half of the 16'th century the criticism against the royal crown dictatorial ruling had intensified. Gifts and tenancies had made the chruch extremely wealthy, and since the money merely was used to strengthen their power the discontent among the people was growing. To many people the orchestra presented them to a new view upon things and a way to cope with everyday life.

The church witnessed how their influence over the people decreased and began to depict the orchestra as treacherous, saying their intentions were anything but righteous. The orchestras extensive use of the prohibited tritonus interval in their music as well as their excessive lifestyles was facts that were not looked mildly upon. During church services priests slandered the music saying it was an insult to Christ himself. However, when this attempt to reduce the orchestras popularity failed, the church began to use more desperate measures in order to regain its former power. The Devils orchestra became the slogan they used and the members were accused of being everything from devil worshippers to the spawn of Satan. This catchphrase eventually caught on and became the popular name of the orchestra. When even these efforts shown futile the church ultimately framed the orchestra members for a murder and a ruthless manhunt began. The following two years the orchestra lead the lives of outlaws and were forced to perform in barns and outhouses, where only a strictly limited number of people were allowed to attend. Luckily generous people provided them with food and somewhere to sleep.

In order to capture the orchestra the church issued a reward to the person that could provide such information that lead to the capture of the orchestra. The sum was so large that the orchestra, tired and weary of living as fugitives, realised that it all had come to and end. They knew that sooner or later someone would reveal their whereabouts and the decided to go down in style.
But before doing so they all signed a pact saying that their descendants were given the task of reuniting the orchestra in 500 years and continue their work of spreading thought-provoking music. Six envelopes were therefore sealed and given to trustees of the orchestra to pass on to family members.

They announced their final concert publicly as a grandeur finale. Thousands of people showed up and even though it was almost no one who could actually hear the music, the massive sing-along of the crowd granted the performance to be the most talked about in history. Thanks to the huge amount of people the orchestra was allowed to play until their last song when armed guards finally managed to storm the stage and arrest the musicians. They were sent prison and later sentenced to death by hanging.

Stockholm 2003, by mere accident two of the original orchestra descendants meet in a music shop and began to discuss music. It later shows that they both have received a strange letter from some ancient relative containing instructions on how to reunite The Devils Orchestra. They both become very excited and though some genealogy they managed to find all of the remaining successors in a period of three months.

Unfortunate all of the original scores were confiscated and burned by the church back in 1503. So music-wise the new orchestra were left with no directions on what to play. After some meticulous discussions it was agreed upon that the music should be like a modern version of the old orchestra. Annlouice was chosen to front the band, her angelic yet powerful operatic voice was perfect to bring a bombastic feeling to the music. Pontus dance-influences and programming skills came in handy since the orchestra wanted the arrangements to sound a bit more futuristic. He shares guitar duties with Daniel who also is the main composer in the band. Andy brought some groove to the mix adding powerful slapping and funk-oriented bass licks, while Andreas's energetic drumming made sure the songs are driven and pulsating. Together with Andy, he lays the solid swinging foundation of the band. Johannes's theoretical knowledge and stunning technique combined with an emotive cello-playing style made him essential to the bands sound.

Together they answer to the name of Diablo Swing Orchestra and are determined to honour the legacy of their ancestors.

Listen to their awsome act here.

Marilyn Manson Spooks Hollywood

2006-12-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

Source: Manson USA

MARILYN MANSON :: This Is Halloween

2006-10-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

The release of this CD is already tomorrow, but for you we present the music video today!

The Nightmare Before Christmas: in 3D

2006-10-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I still surprise myself: maybe because while other people tend to get new information from TV and newspapers I don't watch TV and rarely read newspapers (specially on papers), but sometimes I assume that something new is commonly known when in fact it isn't. One of those things, as I found today, is that no one seems to know that a new version of The Nightmare Before Christmas is out there, TODAY.

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop motion animated musical film about the inhabitants of Halloween Town who take over Christmas one year, directed by stop-motion animator Henry Selick. The film is loosely based on drawings and a poem by Tim Burton, and he served as co-producer. He did not direct the film as is sometimes believed, but he was heavily involved.

The film was released by Touchstone Pictures, a film studio owned by the Walt Disney Company, after the main Walt Disney Pictures division balked at some of the darker content.

The remastered 3-D version of the film was re-released by Walt Disney Pictures on October 20, 2006 (today). Note that it is 3-D via 3-D glasses and not CGI.

This new version also comes with a re-edition of the soundtrack... But with a big bonus! For something like £14,99 you can buy the 2-Discs edition of the OST, the first CD being the usual soundtrack, and the second with the songs covered by several bands:

1. This Is Halloween - Marilyn Manson
2. Sally's Song - Fiona Apple
3. What's This? - Fall Out Boy
4. Kidnap the Sandy Claws - She Wants Revenge
5. This Is Halloween - Panic! At the Disco
6. Making Christmas (Demo) - Danny Elfman
7. Oogie Boogie's Song (Demo) - Danny Elfman
8. This Is Halloween (Demo) - Danny Elfman
9. Kidnap the Sandy Claws (Demo) - Danny Elfman

This edition is going to be available starting at the 24th of October, but you can pre-order it now... What are you waiting for?

"Armageddon, Vol. 1" is out!

2006-10-17T02:54:00.000-07:00

The dangers of DRM

2006-10-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

See that picture there? At a first glance, it just seems that one DVD, like many others, but if you take a carefull look, you'll see there a yellow sticker telling:

WARNING DRM

Product restricts usage
invades privacy

As a matter of fact, I was the one who sticked it on, 'cause if I didn't the only way you'ld know that the DVD was defective by design would be if you read those tiny letters in it's behind, where they say something like being restricting the use of the disc that you want to own just because they don't know how to stop piracy.

Yes, DRM, something most people never heard about and probably don't want to, but that is invading their privacy and stopping their freedoms, while killing art. Image that you buy a CD but you can only hear it on the computer, and on the first computer you put it in. That's already happening now. So what's this DRM thingie?

Major entertainment companies are using "digital rights management," or DRM (aka content or copy protection), to lock up your digital media. These DRM technologies do nothing to stop copyright pirates, but instead end up interfering with fans' lawful use of music, movies, and other copyrighted works. DRM can prevent you from making back ups of your DVDs and music downloaded from online stores, recording your favorite TV programs, using the portable media player of your choice, remixing clips of movies into your own home movies, and much more.

To the extent DRM interferes with perfectly legal uses of digital media, it's plenty bad enough. But thanks to the lobbying of the major media companies, DRM is now backed up by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you circumvent DRM locks or create the tools to do so, even to enable noninfringing fair uses, you might be on the receiving end of a lawsuit. The DMCA has been a disaster for innovation, free speech, fair use, and competition.

And Congress is now considering new laws that go beyond the DMCA, mandating DRM in a wide array of digital media devices and personal computers, giving entertainment industry lawyers and federal bureaucrats veto power over new gadgets.

Hollywood and the music industry have always attacked new technologies that help you get more from your media—these industries brought lawsuits against the VCR, DAT recorder, the MP3 player, and the PVR. Today, these media giants want to use DRM to take away your legitimate fair use and home recording rights, hoping to sell those rights back to you later. Worse still, recent DRM has invaded users' privacy and created severe security vulnerabilities in computers.

Fans shouldn’t be treated like criminals, and neither should the innovators who build the gadgets on which they rely. EFF has fought against many DMCA suits, including defending the makers of DVD backup software, and sued Sony-BMG for their "rootkit" CD copy protection scheme. Learn more about our efforts through the links below, and consider donating to support efforts.

I'm trying to do something about it... What about you?

Marilyn Manson in latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine

2006-09-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

According to The Hierophant:

Page 33 of the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine (in the smoking section) reads :

The last time the Smoking Section checked in with Marilyn Manson, he let the world in on his movie project, Phantasmagoria the Visions of Lewis Carroll. In just a few weeks, he'll begin filming in Paris. But he has more up his sleeve. On Halloween, he'll celebrate the opening of his new L.A. art gallery, located at the nearly satanic address of 667 Melrose ("I looked at the lease and said, you have got to be kidding me," he says.)

More awesomely, Manson has been making music, including the new tune This is Halloween for the upcoming DVD release of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. "It will be the vampire national anthem," says Mason. "Black panties all across the world will moisten at the sound of my voice."

So far, he has half an album's worth of tracks, one of which, "Rebels Without Applause", addresses Manson's notion that young bands suck these days. "I'm not the bitter guy that's jealous of these other bands that are coming up and stealing my thunder," he says. "I invented thunder and rain. I am THE black. And I'm here to vacuum the red carpet."

If that's not enough, Manson is releasing his own line of absinthe. "We hope to have it out in time for parents to give it to their children for Christmas."

Shut Me Up The Remixes + 3 In Stores Now!

2006-09-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Mindless Self Indulgence's "Shut Me Up The Remixes + 3" single is finaly in stores!

You can see the video-clip of this single here:

If you want to buy it, it is already on sale in lot's of places. Here's the track listing:

1. "Shut Me Up (Ulrich Wild Groandome Metal Remix)"
2. "Shut Me Up (VNV Nation 1200XL Remix)"
3. "Shut Me Up (Tommie Sunshine TSMV Still Filthy Remix)"
4. "Shut Me Up (Original Crappy Demo)"
5. "Big Poppa" (Notorious B.I.G. cover)
6. "Adios Amigos"
7. "Straight To Video (Suicide City More and Faster Remix)"
8. "Straight To Video (Tommie Sunshine TSMV Extended Electro Remix)"

Portugal's THANATOSCHIZO In Pre-Production Mode

2006-09-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

Portuguese avant-garde maniacs THANATOSCHIZO are scheduled to begin pre-production today (September 10) of five new songs for their as-yet-untitled fourth album, tentatively due next summer. The pre-production recordings will take place at Wagner Studios in Chaves, Portugal (drums) and in the band's own Blind & Lost Studios.

For more information, visit www.thanatoschizo.com.

ThanatoSchizO - interview

2006-09-05T10:03:00.003-07:00

ThanatoSchizO is a Portuguese Metal Band, that appeared in 1997 and are now a cult band, not in Portugal but in other countries also. They're preparing a new album, so I decided to interview Guilhermino Martins, ThanatoSchizO's guitarrist...

404) It was almost ten years ago that everything started for you, inicially as a covers band, until you started to write some original stuff in 1998 and recorded a demo tape with three songs. Can you please tell our readers a description of ThanatoSchizO's evolution as a band?

TSO) To sum it up quickly, the we banded together in 1997, after two years rehearsing covers, giging, going to modern music contests and doing everything we could to get better musicians and experienced on gig'ing. After that mutation we started doing some originals and three months after we went into studio to record our Demo '98. That demo's sound is completely apoteotic - in the worst way - so we decided not to commercialize it. So, we kept rehearsing and that led us to the recording of the Melégnia EP with the supervision of Luis Barros - our producer as allways. It was 1999 and we started a never-ending tour to promote that EP.
At the end of 2000 Misdeed Records talked us to record our first full-length, and in 2001 "Schizo Level" appears. The intense number of gigs keeps on and the promotion of that album led us to the British independent "Rage of Achilles" that edited our "InsomniousNightLift" in 2002.
After that, in 2004 we released Turbulence and, after two years promoting it with gigs, we slowed down to concentrate on our next full-length album, to be released in mid-2007.

404) Your last work, Turbulence, and as we are already used in your releases, showed us a new face and sound of ThanatoSchizO. How was the general reaction?

TSO) It was undoubtly the TSO's album that had the best reactions and was voted in several places as the best nacional CD of the year.

404) Melégnia's tour got in TSO's fans minds as a really extense tour, and showed us that you were serious about this thing, that you weren't one of those bands that appear to disappear soon. So, it was quite surprising for me to see that you didn't gig'd in 2006... Why was that?

TSO) Easy! After so many years playing live we needed to slow down and totally focus in the next album. Gigging is a strong experience with a great mix of feelings and rituals, and that would distract us from the essencial: our fourth album, So, in that way, we're working in our new album without any kind of pressure.

404) Can you tell us something about the new album? Is it going to be in the heavy path, like in Schizo Level, or in the soft path like in InsomniousNightLift?

TSO) We know us well enough to know that we can't answer to that yet... We never repeat ourselves - it would be easy to record just another "Turbulence 2" but that's something that just won't happen.

404) How are ThanatoSchizO viewed outside of Portugal? Will your next release mark ThanatoSchizO's history as the album that made TSO gig in foreign stages?

TSO) I think we're seen as an exportable band. I don't know if the new album will make us tour outside of Portugal, but if the opportunity arise we'll consider it. We had such opportunities in the past, but the conditions weren't as expected, so we decided not to play.

404) We had lot's of argues here in Portugal lately about the Portuguese Record Industry and the issues of digital music. On the other hand, we see lot's of bands, like yourse, using the Internet to get known, giving free mp3's in their websites or in services like MySpace. What's ThanatoSchizO's oppinion about mp3's?

TSO) I still have a romantic vision about art, and, in this case, about music, and I beliece that people buy the records they like, whether they have it's songs in mp3 or not.

404) I know that ThanatoSchizO has it's own style and sound, so we can't say that they sound like some band. But what are you listening to lately?

TSO) Lately I've been earing the new records from Strapping Young Lad, Rain Paint, Peeping Tom and Ihsahn. Besides the news, this month I've been listening a lot of Secret Chiefs 3, Kip Winger, Fadomorse and Miasma and the Carousel of Headless Horses.

404) What do you think about the Portuguese Metal health?

TSO) We're having more public to quality projects. After some time of mediocricy, we have healthy times of criativity and lately we're having new bands getting the scene healthier. The Internet was a catalyst, and nowadays noone can say he has no way to know this or that band. On the other hand, the public is getting more interested in knowing different stuff, which pleases me.

404) Do you want to leave a final message to this interview readers?

TSO) Before everything, I thank your for this interview, the support and interest on ThanatoSchizO. To the readers, I recommend a visit to www.thanatoschizo.com, were you can follow the news about the upcoming album.

404) Thanks for the chance of interviewing you! Good luck... Here, we'll wait for the upcoming album!

Scarling. - City Noise

2006-08-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Room 404's staff is on vacations right now (which might justify the lack of updates lately), but we couldn't let you without knowing about Scarling.'s first music clip, City Noise. So I've just uploaded it and you can see it here:

If you like it, and want to find more about Scarling., you might want to read our previous article that covers it.

Enjoy!

BRUMA OBSCURA / GORGONIAN - Inner Hell / 2006 - split demo

2006-08-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

The sixth release of the Portuguese black/death metal label "Hell Unleashed Records", that is already making some fuss in the Portuguese underground scene, is a split-demo tape limited to 100 copies that presents us the last work of the Portugese bands Bruma Obscura and Gorgonian. Gorgonian had already a release with this label in the compilation "Colheita 2005", with bands like Amphion, Deep Odium, Infernal Kingdom and Tenebrarvm. Bruma Obscura have a tape released by "Mistress Dance Records" title "Murmúrios da Serra".

Bruma Obscura is a project leaded by Hell M., declared as misantrophic, and yet inspired in the Mother Natured, specially in the mists of Serra da Estrela. After their Murmúrios da Serra demo there were some line-up changes, and in this split we have two cold, cutting, and obscurely and atmosphericly intense tracks, now growled by Varg's voice, in Portuguese.

But the great revelation here is gorgonian: a "One Man Band" executed by Lord Quetzalcoatl (in the press-release that came with the demo he is presented this way, and not like he was used to be called - Lord Quental) that shows us a strong yet melancholic and depressive feeling in a distinct and original sonority - leading us to thing that Gorgonian has finaly it's sonority defined. With a track being an Ode to Death, after one other - a dialogue between L.Q. and Lucifer, this split lets us waiting for a Gorgonian release where we can finaly appreciate what this band promises us and yet didn't deliver yet.

All in all, this is a cool demo to have, but we wouldn't loose our sleep if we didn't.

Jessicka Fodera

2006-08-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

After so many posts about Marilyn Manson, I couldn't but introduce you to another conceptual music act - Scarling. - by telling you about its singer, Jessicka Fodera.

If you notice in the inners of "Portrait of an American Family", the first album from Marilyn Manson (released in 1994), you'll see that he thanks to a band named "Jack off Jill". Later an album was released, called "Humid Teenage Mediocrity", an album with the demos of "Jack off Jill" from 1992 to 1995. Why am I talking about this? Well...

Before the world was introduced to Marilyn Manson, before the world even knew what sweet dreams were made of, there was Ft. Lauderhell, The Spooky Kids, Jack Off Jill and a club called Squeeze, which would later become a headquarters and home away from home for both bands. There, Manson became the great Oz to Jessicka's Dorothy. And Ft. Lauderdale their yellow brick road of sorts. A golden trail leading them out of humid hell and onto bigger and better things. Humid Teenage Mediocrity is a collection of recordings produced during that Golden Age. The now defunct Jack Off Jill hit the South Florida scene in 1992 and was hailed by critics as a "childrens puppet show meets the Exorcist." The band lasted eight years, with only Moulder and Fodera remaining through all its lineups. The Original (all-girl) line-up consisted of Jessicka: vocals/lyrics, Agent (Robin) Moulder: bass, Michelle In-Hell: guitar, and Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha: drums. Jack Off Jill played with a relentless fuck-all attitude and sound that could rarely be duplicated by its predecessors. Releasing Children 5 And Up, Cannibal Songbook and Cockroach Waltz and touring with riot girl legends L7, Babes In Toyland , 7 Year Bitch as well as Goth icons Switchblade Symphony and fellow Floridian shock rockers Marilyn Manson, Jack Off Jill's live show was one to be seen. They commanded the stage ruling it as their own private playpen complete with dolls-candy-blood and a plethora of toys for singer Jessicka to fashion into weapons in order to injure herself or her unsuspecting band mates. Jack Off Jill took the stage taunting you to play their game and play it on their turf.

Humid Teenage Mediocrity is a 25-track collection of songs from the Florida-based punk goth legends, and was produced by Marilyn Manson. The album includes 13 previously unreleased tracks and nine songs that went on to be re-recorded for the classic debut Sexless Demons And Scars. Manson also supplies liner notes with a Jack Off Jill history and guitar parts to "Swollen". Essential for all JOJ and Marilyn Manson fans.

Jack Off Jill released several independent records: "Children 5 and Up", "The Boygrinder Sessions", "Cannibal Song Book", (produced by JOJ and Manson) "Cockroach Waltz", and several 7" singles. It was not until they played a benefit show with legendary Minneapolis based grrl band Babes in Toyland and 7 Year Bitch from Seattle, that Jack Off Jill caught the eye of record labels. Drummer Lori Barbero from Babes wanted to sign them to her now defunct Minneapolis label Spanish Fly, but it was not to be. Jack Off Jill then caught the eyes and ears of Risk Records, who signed them in January 1997. They replaced both Ah Cha Cha and Inhell with new members because the two were not ready to leave Florida. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout"/"American Made" in March of 1997. On September 9, their full-length Sexless Demons and Scars (produced by Don Fleming who produced early Hole) was released to the public.

After moderate underground success, touring with Lords of Acid, and playing to sold-out crowds in 1997, Jack Off Jill headed to Los Angeles in order to complete 1998's Covetous Creature, a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky), a founding member of Marilyn Manson, and new drummer Claudia Rossi. The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony.

The band road-tested new songs in March of 1999 when JOJ were asked to take the opening slot on the Marilyn Manson / Monster Magnet / Hole tour after Hole departed. With Putesky no longer in the guitar position, JOJ enlisted the help of Jessicka's then-boyfriend gutarist Clint Walsh, original JOJ guitarist Michelle Inhell (Oliver), and drummer Norm Block and for the tour. In 2000, JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records, that featured a cover by arist Mark Ryden and was produced by Chris Vrenna of Tweaker and Nine Inch Nails, right as the label was preparing to close its doors. Due to pressure, poor publicity for C.H.G.F, several line up changes, tension between founding members Jessicka and Robin, and management problems, Jack Off Jill played its last show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April of 2000. They were joined onstage by guitarist Helen Storer of the UK all-girl band Fluffy and producer Chris Vrenna on drums. JOJ officially called it quits in late 2000, and Jessicka told that she was never going to do a band again.

After taking a break and making Los Angeles her permanent residence, Jessicka was invited in 2001 by guitarist Christian Hejnal to perform guest vocals on his solo album. The pair had only met a few months earlier through their mutual friend Lisa Leveridge at a Los Angeles night club. They began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form Scarling. in 2002. After the new duo had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented the first and very short-lived lineup of Scarling.

In early 2002 Jessicka was introduced to Long Gone John, owner of Sympathy for the Record Industry, by mutual friend Mark Ryden. On March 19, 2003 Scarling.'s debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", (produced by Chris Vrenna) was released on John's label. Its cover featured an illustration entitled "Wound 39" by artist Mark Ryden. In April of 2004, Scarling. released their debut album, Sweet Heart Dealer, a seven-song, thirty-three-minute amalgamation of sound and texture which again utilized the team of Ryden and Vrenna.

In the autumn of 2004, Scarling. was invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-curated Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, and Jessicka's long-time favorite, The Cure. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated "Sweet Heart Dealer" for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize.

After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are The Music Makers" and was released on August 23, 2005. Scarecrow was produced by Rob Campanella, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, at his studio, Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters. The album features the band's new bass player, Derik Snell. In December of 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour, creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. While in Europe, Jessicka attended long-time friend Manson's wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese on December 3, 2005, in a secular ceremony in County Tipperary, Ireland. In 2006 Jessicka continues to tour in the US and Europe with Scarling. Along the way, touring with such bands as UK shoegaze outfit Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for The Wedding Present and Depeche Mode. Scarling. are expected to begin working on their third full length album in early 2007.

In the meantime, and introduced as a CD single that conceptually connects "So Long, Scarecrow" and the upcoming album, "Staring to the Sun" was released. It was presented to the fans like this:

SCARLING.’s latest attack to redefine noise and chaos within the context of their beautifully painful melodies is the first single from their latest full length release So Long, Scarecrow. “City Noise”, showcases the SCARLING. desperate, powerful and melancholy sound perfectly and is quickly becoming a trademark to throngs of the lost and lonely. Singer Jessicka’s perfected juxtaposition of sugar vocals and abrasive, yet welcomed outbursts have never collided better with the roaring guitars and pure wall-of-sound, creating a force to be reckoned with on this new release. This CD single also features a 2 brand new unreleased, non-album tracks entitled "Staring To The Sun" and a rather exciting cover of The Pixies "Wave Of Mutilation" making this a must have CD single for all scarred and non-scarred alike that is sure to leave you with a soundtrack to your next nervous breakdown. Original cover and back photos by Piper Ferguson.

As a matter of fact, "Staring to the Sun" is being called by Scarling. members as "SLS2" (So long, Scarecrow 2) as we can see in the picture above. That has an obvious reason: when you get to listen this single you'll notice that this "new track" is something like a "joyfull version" of the "So Long, Scarecrow" song, preparing us to another Scarling. era.

Here's a video (listen to it rather than just watching) with a snippet of an intervew made to Jessicka.

Marilyn Manson News

2006-08-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me transcribe to you to and enterview that Mr. Manson gave to i-D Magazine:

[iDM]How did you discover Lewis Carroll in the first place?

[MM]As far as I know, it’s the second most read book after the bible. Everybody’s been forced to read Alice in Wonderland, or they’ve chosen to read it as a kid. The interesting thing is Disney has imprinted us with the idea of a blonde girl with a blue dress but the truth is when you read it there’s no real description of the characters. So it gives you the opportunity as a director, without having to change an artist’s work, to interpret it in different ways. I wanted to stay as close as possible to his work, with the idea of trying to find out who he was through his work, because I think that’s where the story really laid.

[iDM]You could apply that to yourself maybe?

[MM]I think it does go for me as well. People want to ask me questions about my life, but if you simply look at the things I’ve written, that’s where you find the story.

[iDM]Didn’t you initially plan the film as an interpretation of Alice in Wonderland?

[MM]The whole premise changed from my digging deeper and finding that the creation of Lewis Carroll is a more interesting story than the creation of Alice in Wonderland. Charles Dodgson and Lewis Carroll were two very different people, much like Robert Louis’ initial description of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

[iDM]What was your starting point?

[MM]A lot of the film is inspired by his diaries. It’s not widely known but the family tore out a lot of passages from his diary, so that gives you a bit of leverage to use your imagination.

[iDM]So, what’s your take on him?

[MM]I think the mythology of Lewis Carroll has completely changed over the years, some people think of him as a paedophile or someone who was obsessed with young girls, but he was someone who was very much tied to his childhood. I think when he eventually found that he had nothing left to hold onto from his childhood he just gave up on life. The only thing he felt very prolific and accomplished with was his photography, and when photography became easier to do, he gave it up and that was shortly before his death. I think he felt he had nothing else to add to the world, I don’t think he realised at the time that his creativity was the one thing you can’t reproduce. Anyone can buy themselves a program me to write a song or book, but you can’t create the human soul and that’s what the movie is about. It’s the darkest story I could ever tell.

[iDM]Why did you decide to cast yourself in the lead role?

[MM]It wasn’t a vanity project. If anything, it was out of humility, because the character is very vulnerable. I think it just came out of me finding myself relating to a lot of the sorrow that he was living in him. It made me see a lot about myself just reading the work and looking at in a different way – and he had two names, which was something I could really relate to.

[iDM]There was a rumour Angelina Jolie was considered for a role in the film…

[MM]I have met and spoken to Angelina Jolie, but it’s something the journalists have turned into something else. But I do know she was quite taken by the teaser trailer and liked the idea.

[iDMHow extreme will be the sex, violence and dismembering?

[MM]I don’t think there will be any dismembering, there was already a lot of “Off with their heads” in Alice in Wonderland. It’s strange, there’s probably more violent references in the writings than what I plan to actually do. There is sex and there’s obsession, because here is a person who is believed to have lived and died, without ever having a woman or having a family, and I think that consumed him and it was definitely part of his insomnia and his depression. So there’s a lot of fantasy, it’s seen in his writings and I wanted to interpret it in a way that pushes people to see something they haven’t seen in the cinema before. I’m not trying to set out for anything, other than to redefine the horror genre and put it back where it once began with great directors like Polanski.

[iDM]Wasn’t one of your intentions for the film to scare people shitless?

[MM]Well I don’t want to be merely shocking – that’s elementary. I think that as a challenge wouldn’t be a big ask to be more frightening than the current horror movies. While they’re very successful, I don’t see myself alongside the horror films of today. Of course, people are assuming I will make a music video for one-and-a-half hours bit that’s not the case.

[iDM]You mentioned Polanski, are you looking to do psychological horror like Rosemary’s Baby and Repulsion?

[MM]That’s my favourite type of horror films, but it’s hard to compare. As far as making you walk away and feel something different, then yes. They’ll be moments of sadness and characters you can relate to. I aspire to make something that is very original most of all.

[iDM]There has always been a macabre sensibility to all your work. Do you feel it’s given less value artistically, because of the knee-jerk reactions it often provokes?

[MM]I’m so sick of people who think that art has to be beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Art can be beautiful but at the same time it can be scary, grotesque and frightening. It doesn’t make it less valuable. If people are scared or shocked, they should question why, rather than seek reactionary censorship.

[iDM]You paint as well, so I take it you consider yourself an artist as well as an entertainer?

[MM]Yes. The difference between the two is an entertainer will stop when they finish performing but artists live for art.

[iDM]You’ve changed the people you’ve worked with over the years, including your band members, has this been due to your evolvement as an artist?

[MM]There was a real conflict with the people that were working with me, so I’ve changed the people who I surrounded myself with in my life. I wanted to find a group of artists and friends who would be able to approach life the way I see it: that art isn’t art unless the artist is living it. I wanted to find other people like that, and I did and it became this window that opened and the window this window led to the film.

[iDM]You’re one of the pioneers of horror in terms of music, with the nightmare visions of your videos and art shows. How do you see the film adding to your palette?

[MM]I’ve always felt I’m more a student of film rather than a student of music. Every time I’ve made a record, in my head, I’ve tried to see it was a movie, and film is a place I see as home, a haunted home maybe. With film you get performance, music, cinematography and all these things I love and when I put them all together I think I’d be able to convey a much more important message than I’ve ever been able to in any other art form.

Now, let me quote Perous Secret Diary:

after dinner, drove a bit further into london town to catch up with m.manson.

ms cole was there when i arrived.
she is incredible.
an alien for sure.
much more stunning in 3d than 2d.
could easily get lost to the point of no return, looking in her eyes.

spent a while working on the children's story me and manson are doing.
his words, my photos.

and left for the eastside some time later once again.
nights out in london will be more difficult to arrange soon.
i was glad to only be driving back to hackney and not 66 miles further east into kent.

So, it seems that our Mr. Manson is writting his own version of a young children illustrated primer, heh?

To end, here are some scanned pages you might want to read, titled "Marilyn Manson and Lily Cole: Beyond the Pale":

Tenebrarvm - Invoke Wrathful Lore

2006-08-01T01:56:00.000-07:00

Tenebrarvm, from Beja, Portugal, was crafted as an old-school black metal project in the Summer of 2001 by Mordred under the name of Full Moon. In 2002 Seth (guitar) and Ragnarok (drums) joined. In the beginning of 2003, they were followed by Abnos (vocals) and Venom (keyboards), completing the first line-up, along bringing a definitive change of name to Tenebrarvm. Although without the participation of Venom and Seth due to a growing lack of time from their part that eventually led them to quit, the first recording came out one year later, in the Fall of 2003, a 3-track promo demo called ...For Doom And Decay.

By the end of 2003 a new guitar player, Anubis, joined, and about one year later, a 6-track EP, Under The Shade Of The Moon, was finally released, by Hell Unleashed Records. Right after this, Anubis quit and Ragnarok and Abnos left Beja, so the band was considered over.

However, some months later, Abnos and Mordred were invited to do some tracks for an Hell Unleashed Records' compilation, called Colheita 2005, and thus the band was back on the active, this time with a symphonic black metal sound. After the decision to continue was taken, a new EP started to take shape, and by the end of 2005, bearing the title Invoke Wrathful Lore and a brutal black metal sound, this same EP was finally finished. Following its release on the beginning of 2006, Tenebrarvm regrouped with Ragnarok and Venom.

Here I'm going to review this second EP from Tenebrarvm: "Invoke Wrathful Lore". This EP was released in February 2006, in a K7 100 hand-numbered edition from Hell Unleashed Records, which is composed of 4 tracks plus 2 interludes and a Dead Can Dance cover. Featured is a more brutal approach though with an ethereal edge.

The first thing you'll notice, above all, in the EP is that Tenebrarvm deserve to get a better studio and prodution: they don't practice a raw black metal as their production seems to lead, but a complex scheme of brutal strings that would be way more appreciated with a clearer distinction between instruments and sounds. The drums should have way more complexity added, because despite having some powerful and well-done breaks, as we can hear, for instance, on "Tears for Eternal Monuments", the base rhimes are from monotunous to tireant... Something that is easable forgotten if you take in consideration the powerfull guitar riffs that, unfortunately, aren't as shown as they should be.

But don't let fool yourselves by the harsh criticism I'm making on this guys: I'm doing it because Invoke Wrathful Lore lets them show some of the true potencial they have to do something really better, and this EP shows us a really good piece of black metal, brutal yet melodic, sometimes almost symphonic. That vein from them starts to show at the end of the third track, "The Shade of Ancient Towers", and the forth and last track from side A, "Aurora's Lunar Rise", shows us a completely new face of Tenebrarvm, probably with Burzum influmences, and that lets us thing how would it be to have a black ambient record from Tenebrarvm - something I would certainly like to hear.

Against the odds, this black metal band is one of those who make real sense from their lyrics, while avoiding the easy, one more point that makes me believe that they'll have a rising future. Scars Over the Firmament, a brutal statement that opens us to the side B of this EP, shows us their potential also in that vein.

All in all, this is an record you should have if you like to keep track of bands while they grow as artists. I won't say it is an excelent record, but I'll say that these guys have the potencial to do something great - and I'll be here to hear them grow. Although, if you intend to buy this EP, probably if should be better for you to wait for the upcoming re-release of the EP in CD - with a preferable format that edition will bring us some bonus tracks.

The Legendary Pink Dots

2006-07-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

Formed in London in 1980, Legendary Pink Dots moved to Amsterdam in the middle of the decade. Members throughout the band's career have been Edward Ka-Spel (vocals, keyboards) and Phil Knight (keyboards), also known as the Silver Man, with a shifting supporting cast over the years. The Dots' music is by turns melodic pop and exotic psychedelia, with classical influences, sampling, and relentlessly dark, violent, apocalyptic lyrics. After several releases for Mirrodot and Inphaze during the early '80s, the group signed to Play It Again Sam distribution for 1985's The Lovers, and released much of their best material (1990's Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, 1991's The Maria Dimension) on the label. Even as Legendary Pink Dots neared their two-decade anniversary, the group continued to tour Europe and America quite consistently, appreciated by several generations of dark industrial/goth audiences (and documented by the 2000 live album Farewell, Milky Way).

If you want to listen some samples of their songs, here's a good place to do it.

Until then, here's a teaser:

Thanks to Carlos Canau for introducing me to the band :-)

Marilyn Manson - The Covers Man

2006-07-24T02:55:00.000-07:00

As many as you know, Marilyn Manson is an artist with a really big number of covers made and well known. As a matter of fact, there are lot's of songs that are now known because they were covered by them. But while everyone knows "Sweet Dreams", "Tainted Love" or "Personal Jesus", there are other covers the band did and are less known. Trying to fix that, I, in colaboration with Undercover songs, decided to do a podcast showing covers made by Marilyn Manson.

Undercover Songs #11, AKA Marado's Marilyn - Episode 1 - The early years is out, and shows some covers made by Marilyn Manson in the early years of the band (as a matter of fact until 1995). The songs presented are:

03:26 - Love & Rockets - Mirror People

10:07 - Gary Numan - Down In The Park

16:13 - Patti Smith - Rock'n'Roll Nigger

21:29 - Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You

Soon enough Episode 2 will come...

Podcasts

2006-07-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to talk to you about podcasts. If you're a regular room 404 reader, you know that this blog is about art in general, but from the seven forms of art the one we talk more about is music. So, for those time where there's nothing new to read on room 404 and you still want to know more art, what do you do? I bet each of you have their way of fulfilling their art needs, but here is the room 404 recommendation: listen to podcasts.

According to wikipedia,

Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. The term podcast, like 'radio', can mean both the content and the method of delivery. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. Podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their files; a podcast however is distinguished by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading RSS or Atom feeds.

Usually a podcast features one type of 'show', with new episodes released either sporadically or at planned intervals such as daily or weekly. In addition, there are podcast networks that feature multiple shows on the same feed.

So, now that you know what a podcast is, here are the recommendations we do of some awsome podcasts to know more music:

Contrast Podcast is a podcast made by Tim Young, and the idea behind the contrast podcast is that various MP3 bloggers and podcasters each suggest a track based on the week's theme. Every tuesday a new contrast podcast, and the theme for the next number is said. Everybody is invited to participate, and I did it in serveral numbers, from "When I was 16 I liked..." to "Local".

Undercover Songs is a podcast made by Nuno and Fred, and their show is only on covers. Each number has covers with something in common, like "disruptive covers" or "Lounge" covers. I also contributed with this podcast in the past with a Marilyn Manson cover, and I'll do it again. A new podcast is out every thursday.

And you, Room 404 readers, which podcast files do you listen to?

Artists and Technologists together for one common goal: art freedom

2006-07-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

Being both an artist and a technologist, I'm quite surprised but happy to see so many well-known faces being together fighting to reach a common goal - end with freedom-destroying technologies like DRM, that are turning music from art into products, destroying in it's way the freedom in art. John Perry Barlow, Cory Doctorow, Avril Lavigne, Lawrence Lessig, Richard Stallman, Steven Page (BNL), David Berlind and Sarah McLachlan are some of the names you can see in this fight. If you want to know why, what's the threat and what can you do to help, consider reading this.

Neofolk

2006-06-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

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/

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

2006-06-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

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:

Eminem Reaveals New Film

2006-06-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

Star is also likely to provide soundtrack.
Eminem has revealed he is to star in a new film.'Have Gun Will Travel', a remake of the 50s TV show of the same name, will be set in contemporary Detroit and will feature the rapper in the lead role as a bounty hunter.It is likely that the star will also feature on the soundtrack, though whether this will be as the main artist or as a guest has not yet been confirmed.Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg told The Daily Variety: "When this became available we discussed it and brought it to Marshall and he was very intrigued and excited about the concept."Produced by Interscope/Shady/Aftermath Films and co-produced by Rosenberg, the film is likely to be placed on Paramount Studios fast track.While Eminem has featured in films 'The Hip Hop Witch' and 'The Wash', his only major role so far has been in 2002's '8 Mile'.

Retrieved from here.

Ursula Rucker

2006-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

How Not to Love Crispin Glover?

2006-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Crispin Glover

Crispin Glover as Willard

Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is a multifaceted American artist. He is primarily known as a film actor, but is also a painter, filmmaker, author, musician, and collector and archivist of esoterica. Crispin Glover is known to portray rather eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future or Willard Stiles in Willard. Born in New York City, Glover moved to Los Angeles at the age of four. As a child, he attended the Mirman School for the academically gifted. His father, Bruce Glover, was a character actor best remembered for playing the offbeat S.P.E.C.T.R.E. assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. Glover appeared in several sitcoms as a teenager, including Happy Days and Family Ties. His first film role was in 1983's My Tutor. That led to Teachers (1984) and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984).
His breakout role was as George McFly in Robert Zemeckis's Back to the Future. Glover refused to participate in the film's two sequels, reportedly because he wanted more money and his salary demands were not met. Nevertheless, Zemeckis used previously filmed footage and body prosthetics on another actor, Jeffrey Weissman, to simulate Glover on screen. Glover then sued the producers (including Steven Spielberg) and won a landmark victory setting a precedent for how actors' images may be used in films. [1] At the same time, the suit put somewhat of a dark mark on Glover's reputation.

Crispin Glover as George McFly on Back to the Future

Back to the Future was an international box office smash following its release in 1985. Glover followed it with The Orkly Kid, in which he portrayed a young man whose obsession with Olivia Newton-John raises the ire of his small-town neighbors. From that point, Glover pursued a defiantly individualistic path. His characters were notable for the peculiar personality tics and unconventional thought processes. He played Andy Warhol in Oliver Stone's The Doors in (1991). He has continued to play exceedingly eccentric types, e.g. the title characters in Bartleby (2001) and Willard (2003). He has received some considerable mainstream attention recently as the "Thin Man" in the Charlie's Angels films.

Crispin Glover as The Thin Man,

the only actor worth watching in Charlie's Angels' films

In 1987, Glover appeared on Late Night with David Letterman to promote his new movie River's Edge, wearing a long wig and platform shoes (see video clip). His bizarre appearance was exceeded only by his strange behavior, which was thought by some to have been influenced by drugs, while others say it was a combination of staying in-character with the role he had last played, as well as being very nervous. After a failed attempt to challenge Letterman to an arm wrestling match, Glover feigned a karate kick. At that point Letterman ended the segment and cut to commercial. Glover later explained his behavior while appearing on the show as simply keeping in the character of his latest role, the character Rubin from Rubin and Ed, which can be seen in the similarity between the character's style of dress and mannerisms in comparison to the clothes worn by Glover on the show and the actions he engaged in. It is also noted that in the film Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Glover, when asked to perform a dance, performed a wild dance resembling an epileptic fit. However, this probably increased his popularity and made him a candidate for Back to the Future as George McFly was a rather eccentric character.

Music
In 1989, during a hiatus from films, Glover released an album called The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be (1989) through Restless Records. The album features Clowny Clown Clown (which has its own music video), a cover of Lee Hazlewood's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," a cover of Charles Manson's "Never Say Never To Always," several original songs, and readings from his art books Rat Catching and Oak-Mot (Glover modified old books by adding or deleting pictures, text, and drawings). He included his home phone number with copies of the album, encouraging listeners to phone when they had "solved" his puzzle. Glover later commented that he was rather surprised how many people figured it out.
The music itself is similar to outsider music, with seemingly absurd, dream-like lyrics.
In 2003, he recorded a version of the Michael Jackson classic "Ben" to coincide with the release of the film Willard. In the eccentric music video for the song, he sings to a rat named Ben. It is available on the DVD of the film. (On the DVD Glover's optional commentary adds an extra dimension of weirdness to the video and is highly recommended.)
There have also been at least two songs written about him, both titled "Crispin Glover," one by a New Jersey-based band Children In Adult Jails, and the band Scarling. The band The Warlock Pinchers also released a song entitled "Where the hell is Crispin Glover?".

What Is It?

What Is It?
Glover made his directorial debut with 2005's What Is It?, a strange and surreal art film similar in style to the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky and has been described as "The adventures of a young man whose principle interests are snails, salt, a pipe, and how to get home, and is tormented by an hubristic, racist inner psyche." The movie's budget was a mere $125,000 and took almost a decade to complete, originally intending it to be a short film with shooting beginning in Los Angeles. Most of the primary footage was shot in 12 days, stretched over a two-and-a-half year period. From the late-1990s in to the early 2000's, he toured with prints of the film, showing parts of it before it was completed, along with various slides and read excerpts from his works. Production was mostly funded by the actor's roles in Willard and the Charlie's Angels films.

The film boasts an eclectic and unusual cast. Porn stars Kiva, Muffy and Karin Odell appear naked with animal heads. Most of the principal actors are young and have Down syndrome. Fairuza Balk lends her voice to a real snail, and Glover's role in the film is officially described as "Dueling Demi-God Auteur and The young man's inner psyche.". It features swastikas, Shirley Temple in the nude, songs by cult-leader Charles Manson and deals with many types and symbols of racism and prejudice. He defended his choices of imagery in a 2005 interview: "It's really a film to help start these kinds of discussions. Why are these things taboo, and what does that mean for the culture itself? A culture will die a death of stupidity if it doesn't have different points of view." [2] Glover made clear when touring with the film that he had no plans to sell it to a major studio nor release it for home viewing. He also revealed his plans on releasing it as part of a trilogy at some point in the future by including the titles of the next two films in the credits for What Is It?.

It is Fine. Everything is Fine!
The second film, It is Fine. Everything is Fine! has already wrapped on production and is now assumed to be in the editing phase. The film was written by Utah writer-actor Steven C. Stewart, who also appears in What Is It? and It is Fine. He died of complications from cerebral palsy in 2001, only one month after principal filming wrapped. Glover said in an online chat that "it's an autobiographical, psycho-sexual, fantastical retelling of [Stewart's] point-of-view of life." It is Fine. Everything is Fine! was shot entirely at David Brother's sound stage in Salt Lake City, Utah. Glover has stated that it is "probably the best film I'll ever work on in my entire career." [3] No release date has yet been declared for It is Fine.

It is Mine
It is Mine, the final film of the trilogy, is an original screenplay written by Ryan Page, Mike Pallagi, and Glover. Glover has stated that Stewart "wanted to show that handicapped people are human, sexual [and] horrible, and It Is Mine will be much more sexual than the other two." [4]

External links:

Official site
Crispin Glover at the Internet Movie Database
TV Tome bio and filmography
Crispin Glover's Essay, What is It? from Apocalypse Culture II (Feral House).
Willard-era interview, film stills
The Cult of Crispin
Crispin Hellion Glover Resource Center
Crispin Glover Encyclopedia
Excerpt from Snails and Retards and Crispin Glover--Interview
Crispin Corner fansite
Transcript of Glover's notorious first appearance on Late Night with David Letterman
Recording of Glover's appearance on Late Night with David Letterman
Obsessive CHG fan site

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin_Glover"

Is DRM Just a Consumer Rights Issue?

2006-06-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

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.

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

Ashram return with a new album and new live shows in Portugal

2006-05-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ashram return with a new album and new live shows in Portugal

After a long break, Ashram are back.

Four years after their homonymous debut, the Italian ensemble finally completes their second album, “Shining Silver Skies”, a work which unfolds itself as an exercise in musical bliss and purity, drenched in sweet nostalgia that flickers through memories of aching loss or rapturous passion. The trio is also assisted by guest cellist Leonardo Massa on these recordings, whose contribution brings a discreet additional depth to “Shining Silver Skies”, an album which not only embodies the romantic backdrop of early 1900’s glamour but that also flirts with a slightly naïve Folk spirit occasionally.

The album will be released on Digipak CD with booklet via the Portuguese label Equilibrium Music on the 22nd of May 2006. You may pre-order now at Equilibrium Music's site or directly on this site with PayPal on the Discography section.

Ashram will be returning to Portugal for the third time to perform live in Lisboa (at Santiago Alquimista) on the 2nd of June 2006 and Famalicão (at Casa das Artes) on the 3rd of June 2006.

Cranes

2006-05-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

After being at home coding until late, I was trying to decide if I should or not get out and catch some fresh air (as a matter of fact some 'less hot air', since it's as hot as hell here in Portugal) and get some dinner, or just code until I was tired enough to sleep. I decided the healthy one - eat. I really should stop doing that, or at least stop having dinner near a FNAC. The conclusion is that I came back home with less 100 €, with a 10 € meal being digested, a pack of cigarretes, and two plastic bags full of art.

One of the things I couldn't resist buying was a Cranes CD - a quite rare one. As a matter of fact I only bought it because I wouldn't probably never find it again, since nobody can convince me that this isn't a 2nd-hand CD. Violeta already told me she was having some bad experiences with Oporto's (Sta. Catarina's) FNAC as a matter of quality of preservation of CD's. Well, this was not only exteriorly bad preservated (which I noted as soon as I picked it up from the shelves), but it has been already used - guaranteed. I don't know what new deals/suppliers are they dealing with now, but I'm not liking FNAC's services lately... Oh well.

But, back to the matter, I got home and started to hear the CD. This is an AAD CD, from 1997, still from "dedicated records", and it is called "EP collection volumes 1 & 2". Not that they were ever sold separatedly, but it's a double CD. Since that finding their old material (even in mp3!) is quite difficult, this is a collector's must have, infortunately also not-so-easy findable. It covers Cranes since 1989's "Self Non Self" until 1997's "Population four", covering 12 of their releases in an almost chronologic order.

But Cranes' discography doesn't start there: "Fuse" was Cranes first demo-tape, released in August 1986, but these tapes are considered "lost" even by the members of the band, that say that a re-release of it will never see the light of day. Probably like Mordor's discography until now... After that, a Pre "Self-Non-Self" demo tape was recorded, the usual deal of a band of nothing-yet released that need something to show in order to get some gigs made. This was - so - a 15 copies "or so" release, so forget on having one in your hands... And then, in 1989, Cranes finaly got the way to release "Self Non Self", their first LP, under "Bite Back!"'s lable. In 1992 this LP was re-issued by "Dedicated", with the add of two more songs than the original version. I allways thought that the most in-your-face song of the album was "Fuse", so I was quite surprised to see that the songs chosen to this compilation were "beach mover" and "heaven or bliss". In 1990 they released two more EP's: "Inescapable" and "Espero" already under "Dedicated" lable, in August and November. In 1991 came "Adoration" EP, followed by "Tomorrows Tears" and then "Wings of Joy", this last one re-released in USA in 1997. This was, undoubtly, the most acessible sound they had made so far. The year ended with Alison Shaw (Cranes' vocalist) having a paralel project called "Inrain" with Rudy Tamaba (of A. R. Kane) that released one 7'' single in December. After one year gig'ing this full set of quick released, in 1993 the Cranes are back, releasing "Adrift", an EP, followed by "Clear", a promotional EP with three remixes of the music that can be found in the LP "Forever" that they released at the time, quickly followed by "Jewel" EP. Another release "Forever Remixes" was made, with one mix of "Jewel", four of "Clear" and the well-known Cloudless Thai's Mix. Then, "Everywhere Promo", a single CD, and "A taste of Forever", a rare promo cassete. "Shining Road" made Cranes' entry into 1994, being the EP that, with "Loved Sampler", made "Loved" probably the most successfull Cranes' release. Following the tradition, new singles and EP's followed, with "Lilies Promo", "Beautiful Friend Promo" and a surprising "La Trag�ie d'Oreste et Electre" an LP released in 1996 that is quite different to all that Cranes' did and where, and still felt so right. It is probably my favourite Cranes' CD, and was promoted with the "Ancienne Belgique Promo". "Population Four" and "Can't Get Free" were the two releases left before this compilation "EP Collection - Volumes 1 & 2" was made, "Population Four" being an LP and "Can't Get Free" a single having "Pier Scene", one song composed specially to the soundtrack to the film "Scarborough Ahoy!". Then, they released "'Til the Stars Shine", a lyrics book with all their lyrics, and that is as matter of fact being re-selled at the moment - if you want to catch one copy it's now or never, made in 1998. This book includes lyrics from what is to be 1999's "It's a Beautiful World", but get's then renamed to "Future Songs" - the first CD I ever heard from Cranes, and the first CD they did for Dadaphonic - their own record label they made for Cranes. This Dadaphonic releases must be fairily easy to find, since, even without having a great deal of distributors, they are themselves, and they care to bring to their fans their art. The CD was released in May 2001, and in January 2002 a "Future Songs Sampler" CD was made to try to boost their sells. After that, in April, they did "Submarine", a remixes CD, and "Cranes: Live in Italy" was released in May 2003 showing what can Cranes live be. In 2004 they released a new album "Particles ans Waves", that is now, since 2005, available in a CD+DVD release. On this 2006 they're still touring, but will Cranes reserve to us in the future?

EP Collection, Vols 1 & 2

Disc 1
Beach Mover
Heaven or Bliss
Inescapable
Give
Dada 331
I Hope
E.G. Shining
Cha Cha Escueta
Brighter
Tomorrow's Tears
Casa Blanca
Dreamless
Underwater

Disc 2
Shining Road
September
Jewel
Adoration
Beautiful Friend
Paris and Rome
Lilies
Angel Bell
Adrift
Tangled Up
Breeze
Au Temple
Danse Des Érinnyes

Hidden Tracks
Slide
Starblood - Remix

"The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" on DVD!

2006-05-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

FROM CULT AUTHOR JT LEROY’S BEST SELLING NOVEL

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS

ASIA ARGENTO’S BOLD CINEMATIC ADAPTATION OF THE CONTROVERSIAL STORY OF A MOTHER AND HER SON LIVING HARD AND FAST IN THE DARK FRINGES OF AMERICA

Amid allegations of Warholian-style literary hoaxes and identity scandals involving "JT LeRoy," THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, adapted from "JT’s" second novel, comes to DVD June 6, 2006.

Seven-year-old Jeremiah (Jimmy Bennett) lived a calm, comfortable life in the care of a loving foster home until the day his birth mother Sarah (Argento) suddenly showed up to reclaim him. Torn from the life he knew, Jeremiah is drawn into his mother’s reckless world of turmoil and depravity, and into a desperate struggle to survive the madness of his surroundings.

JT LeRoy was elevated into national celebrity partly due to the overwhelming power of his heart rending childhood experiences. Following the recent accusations by New York Magazine and The New York Times, which revealed the lengths one woman was willing to go to in order to gain entrance to the literary and celebrity world, THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS reveals with colorful and uncompromising filmmaking, the back-story of one character who rocked the world of literature, fashion, music and film . . . without ever existing. This is the unfathomable story of "JT Leroy."

"However you choose to view the whole affair - cruel, obvious, protracted, selfish - even those who are the angriest will admit that, yes, the whole thing was ingenious. It was an incredible show, and most of the credit goes to a punk-rock mom in San Francisco who wrote porn and did phone sex for a living." - Salon.com

Written and directed by Asia Argento (SCARLET DIVA, XXX, LAND OF THE DEAD), and shot by Eric Alan Edwards (KIDS, MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO), THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS boasts a stunning cast that includes Academy Award® nominee Peter Fonda, Jeremy Renner (NORTH COUNTRY), Michael Pitt (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, LAST DAYS), Marilyn Manson, John Robinson (ELEPHANT, LORDS OF DOGTOWN), Ben Foster (X MEN 3, ALPHA DOG), and Jimmy Bennett (POSEIDON, POLAR EXPRESS, DADDY DAY CARE) and Cole and Dylan Sprouse as Jeremiah. Featuring music by Hasil Adkins, Sonic Youth, and Subhumans.

The DVD will be released with an exclusive limited edition photography book "Exposing a Hoax: Exclusives, Rarities and Fabrications", featuring pictures by legendary rock ’n roll photographer Mick Rock. The photography will be presented in a high quality, 24-page book inserted inside the DVD jacket and will contain key excerpts from the many newspaper and magazine features on the hoax along with some personal quotes from the filmmakers and, of course, from Mick Rock.

HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Special DVD features include director, Asia Argento and producer, Chris Hanley commentary; Theatrical Premiere featurette; JT LeRoy featurette "JT Undercover" (exclusive and candid video footage of the JT LeRoy camp in action at parties, book readings and interviews); Easter eggs; original US theatrical trailer; links and trailers/previews of Palm Pictures upcoming releases.

News taken from this source.

«Light Against Time»

2006-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

«Light Against Time» is going to be on "Espaço Juventude@Lisboa", Bairro Alto (Lisbon - Portugal), and will start in the next 26th of May. By Nuno Moreira, this is a photographic exposition showing half a decade of show pictures. In the 24 pieces of concerts, some names are of revelance, like Anthony & The Johnsons, Bernardo Sassetti, Marilyn Manson, Moonspell, Mão Morta or Alice Cooper.
Without the end of selling the exposed products, Nuno Moreira just wants to show the message of a photographer present in the battlefiend between public and artist and grab some attention to the promotion of imagery in the music world.

The author, 24 years old, wants the showcase to be itinerent, promotion the free access to people interested in art and culture.

Wood & Holly

2006-05-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Directed by Alain Xalabarde and with music by Marilyn Manson, Wood & Holly is revolutionizing the world of musicals with its innovative and unique style. It has already been tested and has amazed all kinds of audiences – including those who are not followers of this type of music. A love story told the way it has never been done before.

Watch the trailer here:

Marilyn Manson in Sintra - Portugal

2006-05-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Seems that Marilyn Manson is going to be in Sintra - Portugal to start the recordings of "Phantasmagoria: The Visions Of Lewis Carroll", a movie financed with 4.2 millions of Euro by Wild Bunch. The only actress already confirmed to the cast is Lily Cole who's going to do the part of Alice. Angelina Jolie was contacted to be in a part on the movie.

I don't know what's true in this story since I read it here and there are no references to the source, but yet I hope it is true...

MM & ACO - Inspiration?

2006-05-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

It is not hard to associate MM new look with longer fake eyelashes on the left eye to the character portrayed by Malcom Macdowell on Stanley Kubrick's scandalous and preposterous masterpiece "A Clockwork Orange".

Diary of a Dope Fiend - MTv's Diary of MM - I

2006-05-10T22:52:00.001-07:00

Diary of a Dope Fiend - MTv's Diary of MM - II

2006-05-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

Diary of a Dope Fiend - MTv's Diary of MM - III

2006-05-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

Diary of a Dope Fiend - MTv's Diary of MM - IV

2006-05-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Body of Sin

2006-05-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

One another CD I've got was Arcana's "Body of Sin" CD Single. As I've ordered it via internet, I had no idea of what I was going to get - noone at all. This CD has it's value just because the excelent format it comes in. They're no way to describe it, so I suggest you to try to see one for yourself: for real, not by seeing some pictures of it.

This CD single is from 2002 (kind of old, I know), but since I only had previous works from them, it doesn't affect me that much the age of the CD. This work comes after "...The Last Embrace" (2000), and shows a more defined sound, getting closer to Neofolk and thus less Ambient. This is a very good piece of work, although you can't get more than a little taste of it since there are only two tracks... But it definitively made me think on buying "Inner Pale Sun", the CD they've released after this CD-S.

MARILYN MANSON Reunites With Longtime Manager

2006-05-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

According to Hits Daily Double, Marilyn Manson has reunited with his longtime manager Tony Ciulla's Posthuman Entertainment firm. He continues being repped legally by Danny Hayes at Davis Shapiro Lewit Montone & Hayes.

Manson is currently puting the finishing touches on his sixth LP, tentatively due before the end of the year. Speaking to MTV.com in February, Manson said of the upcoming CD, "I started singing on it, but right now, musically, it's quite complete. I'm trying to find the time to finish doing my part, vocally. It's a different sort of creativity with the band. It's more 'everything goes' at this point. I think everyone will be pleased with the record when it's done. I feel I'm at my most creative at this time — I feel I can do whatever I want." Manson is also preparing for his directorial debut, "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll", a surreal-horrific look at the life of English writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his "Alice in Wonderland" pseudonym Lewis Carroll.

In addition to directing "Phantasmagoria", Manson said he's also composing the film's score. That project, too, is nearly completed, with most of the elements coming from past Manson recording sessions.

"It's interesting that we can create scenes around the mood of certain songs," he told MTV.com. "It's working in a different way than you normally would with film. I just started making music that ended up not fitting anywhere on any of the Marilyn Manson albums over the years, and I kind of collected it together. It's much more cinematic."

Thanks to BlabberMouth for the news.

The Pale Hunt Departure

2006-05-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Today I've got the last four CD's I was expecting to get for this April, and I intend to, in time, review them. For now, I'll talk about Novembers Doom latest album "The Pale Hunt Departure".

One of the things I've allways liked in Novembers Doom is that they are quite explicitly conceptual. But even if that is true, their development as a band isn't as nice as it could... A short biography:

Novembers Doom was formed in 1989, but it was only in 1992 that they presented the world to their Doom Metal sound in a two tracks demo, which lead them to 1995's "Amid Its Hallowed Mirth" their first and most recognized conceptual work. After that one EP and two more CD's were released, as well as a tour promotional CD. But all that works aren't seen as art pieces by themselves: they are just complements to the Hallowed Mirth, and a proof that the band was still creating. Only something to remark over that period of time - in 2001 "Amid Its Hallowed Mirth" has seen a great re-release, under Dark Symphonies label.

In the end of 2005 they shook the Doom Metal scene once again, with this "The Pale Hunt Departure". Having lot's of similarities with Amid Its Hallowed Mirth, now they present as an improoved version of their Art - both technicly and conceptualy. An well more defined concept is presented to us and a powerfull blast of emotional Metal. This isn't an "WOW" release, but it's a very good one, that shows us who Novembers Doom really are, what they want to say to us, and, specially, that you must be ready, because they're here to stay, and their future works will be really promissing.

For those who know their previous works, a warning: this time they have no female vocals at all - which is good since they now know they don't need them, and because that made them more defined.

Conceptual Art

2006-05-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

"Conceptual Art" or "Idea Art" is all we here at Room 404 are about - talking and dissecting the ideas or concepts behind a piece of art, or (usually) the whole work of an Artist or group of Artists.

The tradicional vision of a piece of art is that the piece is the art itself. In conceptual art, the piece is just an object or representation of the art itself. In this cases, the Art is the concept, the idea, and not the format and representation. This turns to be important to understand why so much conceptualists are not just paintors, musicians, film makers, but do it all and nothing - they just try to spit it out and show their Art/Concept.

Sol Lewitt said:

In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes art.

In the sixties, Joseph Kosuth and English Art and Language group discarded the conventional art object in favour an documented critical inquiry into the artist's social, philosophical and psycological status.

Conceptual Art predates that, but the sixties aren't ocasional: the big boom of Conceptual Art was then a reaction against the commodization of art - it attempted, and in our point of view the need of such an attempt urges more than ever, a subversion of the idea that the gallery, the museum, the publishers, the art market in general is what defines, owns and distributes art.

Laurence Weiner said:

Once you know about a work of mine you own it. There's no way I can climb inside somebody's head and remove it.

Many conceptual artists' work can therefore only be known about through documentation which is manifested by it, e.g. photographs, written texts or displayed objects, which are not in themselves the art. It is sometimes (as in the work of Robert Barry, Yoko Ono, and Weiner) reduced to a set of written instructions describing a work, but stopping short of actually making it - emphasising that the idea is more important than the artifact.

Of course that this makes Conceptual Art quite difficult to understand, interpret, dissect. We, here in the 404, can't do more than spice your appetite to find it for yourselves. We'll throw you some tips, but the art is only beautiful if you're the one doing the process of knowing it.

The fact that this kind of art isn't easy understandable makes it quite hated. As a matter of fact, the existence of such a movement created a counter-movement called "Anticonceptual Art".

Conceptual Art made as an explanation or taking as inspiration from the Conceptual Art itself, is often considered as Post-Conceptual Art. Diving into Post-Conceptualists is often a painfully travel amongst art, history, culture and anthropology. Are you ready to walk on room 404, will you close the door behind?

Alternative Freedom

2006-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Alternative Freedom is a movie that's being aired all over the world.

While Congress changes our copyright laws under the behests of a few powerful corporations, individuals across the United States are losing their digital rights. Activists are working together to change this oppressive regime and create an alternative of freedom.

Two filmmakers uncover the most important legal battles of our time: Copyright Law and Digital Rights Management. Featuring interviews with DJ Danger Mouse, Lawrence Lessig and more.

Here's the trailer...

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UNPOP ART - Countercultural Brainbooster

2006-05-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Think Different" by Unknown Artist 1997

Modified advertisement.

"God Bless Our God" by Charles Krafft 1996
Hand-painted overglaze with ceramic transfer on porcelain.

"Tonight we're gonna party... Like it's 1969" by Boyd Rice 2003

Police photograph with digitally-added text (Tate-LaBianca murders)

Room 404

2006-05-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings, and welcome to room 404. This blog was created by Mistress Violeta, that kindly invited me to participate in.

What's room 404? We're here to talk to you about the facts that aren't talked about, in art and showbusiness surrounding it. Since the beggining of Time that true art hides in itself more than it shows. A piece of art enclosures in itself remaints of the artist and the art itself. Are you ready to see what's behind Art?