Last week the hackers working on The Freenet Project corrected the Windows installer.. so now anyone with Windows and Java should be able to use it. For those who don’t know, Freenet is a decentralised information storage and retrieval system. It works by chaching and mirroring content and allows people to distribute data without fear of censorship. Currently in the works are a Freenet based e-mail program, a music sharing program, and the system can be used to serve web sites.
Mad Science: Spider Goats
I first heard about these weird things when Warren Ellis mentioned them in his column a while back. Anyway, check out this ABC News and then pass it around to all your friends.
Hajime Sorayama: extraordinary erotic artist profiled
Hajime Sorayama is a world renowned artist known for his photo realistic depictions of the fantastic. Sorayama makes you believe the impossible with his fascinating erotica that blends in traditional fantasy and science fiction. He frequently melds metal and flesh to make beautiful futuristic pin-up women. His work has influenced countless modern artists and has appeared hordes of publications.
Sorayama was born in 1947 in Japan the son of a carpenter. He did exceptionally well in art during high school but had little interest in pursuing the field. He went to college to study Greek, but the Greek professor had left the university he attended. His sophomore year he started a school magazine called The Pink Journal which was criticized by both teachers and students. He grew to hate the place, dropped out, and went to art school.After graduating in 1968 he initially worked as a graphic artist but eventually became a freelance artist in 1972.
Further Reading:
Sorayama.com New official website
Sorayama Masterworks Book collecting Sorayam’s work.
Old official Sorayama Page Includes samples, contact info, sales, etc.
Dark Moods Sorayama Gallery Hundreds of images, not categorized.
Suicide’s Sorayama Gallery 96 categorized images w/ thumbnails.
Melt Hajime Sorayama gallery a few dozen images, not categorized.
Posts tagged “Sorayama” on Tumblr Lots of images coming in all the time. Not organized.
Gering and Lopez Gallery: Hajime Sorayama 1970 – 2010 Several images from a gallery showing of Sorayama’s work.
The Art of Hajime Sorayama small collection of images. Categorized and thumbnailed.
Muesuem One’s Sorayama Gallery collection of a few un-catagorized, un-thumbnailed images.
The Shrine of Sorayama A wealth of information and a small picture archive. This site is an excellent starting point. [dead link]
ImageNETion Presents: Hajime Sorayama 339 categorized images w/ thumbnails. [dead link]
Zim’s Sorayama Gallery An interesting gallery that allows searching as well as filtering images by rating. Includes thumbnails. [dead link]
Tom Marshall’s Cyber Art Spotlight a collection of non-adult images. [dead link]
Imagine This: John Lennon Assassination Theories
On December 8, 1980 former Beatle John Lennon was murdered by Mark Chapman outside his apartment.
But was Chapman working alone? Lennon’s son, Sean Lennon, says no. “Anybody who thinks that Mark Chapman was just some crazy guy who killed my dad for his personal interests, is insane. Or very naive. Or hasn’t thought about it clearly. It was in the best interests of the United States to have my dad killed. Definitely,” he said.
And why should a conspiracy come as a surprise? Lennon, a radical revolutionist, had just started recording again and a new president, Ronald Reagan, had just taken office.
Fenton Bresler suggests in his book Who Killed John Lennon that Mark Chapman had been brainwashed to serve as a “Manchurian Candidate” to kill the prolific counter-culture leader.
But “Dp2Spirits” suggests that the “lone nut” theory may not be so nutty after all. On his web site he explores the synchronicity between the lives of Chapman, Lennon, Todd Rundgren, and Holden Caulfield and how they may have led Chapman to murder.
Is this geocities hosted site an attempt to throw conspiracy theorists off track, or a legit theory on workings of a bizarre mind? Or perhaps the government selected Chapman as their “Manchurian Candidate” because of his unique obsessions and worked towards deranging him further. Check out the info and draw your own conclusions.
Who Killed John Lennon Excerpts from Fenton Bresler’s book.
Lennon’s Murder an exploration of the “lone nut” theory. Were Lennon and Chapman were destined to meet?
Washington Killed Lennon Says Son an interview with Sean Lennon
The John Lennon FBI files a source of information about John Lennon, the FBI files and
the book Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files by Jon Wiener
FBI Rock Criticism introductory chapter of Wiener’s book Come Together: John Lennon and His Time
What If John Lennon Lived? Ideas on what the world would have been like if JFK and Lennon had not been assassinated.
Bagism An excellent John Lennon site
John and the Number 9 John Lennon and the number nine synchronicities
Paul Is Dead FAQ Information on the “Paul is Dead” hoax which has fascinated many a Beatle fan.
All Dead Except Paul an interesting idea
Alan Moore: Comic Book Genius Turned Magician
Alan Moore is the author of such acclaimed works as The Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and is a magician to boot.
Initially Moore worked as both a writer and an artist on a detective strip called “Roscoe Moscow,” but he decided he was a poor artist and decided to focus on writing. From there he went on to work for 2000 AD and Dr. Who Weekly (as many British comic authors did…) and eventually began working on the anthology Warrior.
It was here that Moore created two of his most seminal works: Marvelman (later called Mircleman) and V for Vendetta. The former would be reprinted and continued by Eclipse, the latter would be reprinted by DC (it is now part of the Vertigo imprint).
Moore was then hired by DC to write Saga of Swamp Thing beginning with issue 20. Moore continued working for DC and produced Batman: Killing Joke and most notably, The Watchmen.
The Watchmen was a politically savvy and realistic portrayal of a super hero universe. Along with Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, Moore and artist Dave Gibbons revolutionized comicsand paved the way for future mature readers series (such as The Sandman, The Crow, Preacher and many more).
However, disputes over the royalties of the Watchmen caused Moore to leave DC and vow never to work for them again. He then began his own company, Mad Love Publishing. Under this imprint he published two issues of Big Numbers. Around this time he also began two series for Tundra’s anthology Taboo: “From Hell” and “Lost Girls.” From Hell continued as a graphic novel series published by Eddie Cambell Comics.
Moore began working with rogue publishers Image Comics in 1993 and where he created 1963 which was cancelled due to low sales. Moore also wrote Wild CATs and a large amount of Spawn related material, including WildCATs/Spawn
Moore then began his relationship with Rob Liefeld and his Image off-shoot company Maximum Press (later Awesome Comics) where he worked on Supreme, Warchild, Judgement Day and other titles before Awesome comics went bankrupt.
After Awesome went under, Jim Lee’s Image off-shoot company, Wildstorm Productions (now an imprint of, ironiccally, DC Comics) offered Moore his own imprint. Moore accepted and America’s Best Comics was born. Moore has continued to write a number of books under his own imprint as well as other titles under the Wildstorm banner.
Alan Moore Fan site good starting point.
Twilight of the Super Heroes a rejected series proposal to DC by Moore
D.R. and Quinch scan page tribute to Moore and Alan Davis’ 2000 AD stories. Includes scans of an entire segment.
Alan Moore @ comicon.com lots of info and a small collection of works. Includes some performance art stuff.
Italian page a page dedicated to Alan Moore’s music, in Italian
Salon Books: From Hell an excellent article on Moore’s From Hell
V for Vendetta Shrine V for Vendetta fan site
Alan Moore interview an interview from Another Universe
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen review
Watching the Detectives illustrated annotations.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen annotations
Ralf Hildebrandt home page Watchmen annotations
The Annotated Watchmen more Watchmen annotations.
Skinny Puppy reunite for festival
After five years Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key, the founders of the band Skinny Puppy, will reunite for a one time show at this year’s Doomsday Festival in Germany.
The festival, to be held August 19 and 20 in Dresden, will feature a number of electronic and gothic bands from around the world.
Ogre and Key met in Canada in 1983. The two had similar interests in film and music and decided to start a band to explore these interests. Mixing performance art with live music, Skinny Puppy’s concerts were a walk through the darkside. Ogre frequently mutilated himself on stage while images were projected on screens. In the mid 80s Dwayne Goettle joined the group to play synthesizers and Ogre met Ministry’s Al Jourgensen. After personality differences caused a schizm between Ogre and Key and Goettle the group split. Key and Goettle worked on various side projects including Hilt while Ogre toured with Jourgenson’s Ministry and Revolting Cocks.
The group eventually got back together to do more recording, but drug addiction and further personality conflicts led Ogre to tour with Pigface and to contribute very little to the Puppy album Last Rites. After being diagnoses with Hepititus and kickign cocaine Ogre rejoined the group full time to create their last album, the Process. However, Goettle’s drug problems and the persistant plague of interpersonal conflicts led to the bands final demise. After the band had officially split, Goettle died of a heroin overdose. The Process was stiched together by producers Martin Atkins (of Pigface) and long time Puppy collaborator (and nin mixer) Rave.
Ogre began a new project called WELT with Mark Walk, but the album has yet to see the light of day (rumor has it that it will be released under the name “Ohgrr”). He then went on to create a project called Rx with Atkins and to record and tour with KMFDM. Key continued working on many of the side projects he’d been working on before including Download and Tear Garden and also founded the label Subconscious Communications.
Every year the organizers of the Doomsday festival have asked Orge and Key to do a reunion show. Finally this year Key and Ogre agreed.
Skinny Puppy FAQ and Lyric Archive Go here first. Has a FAQ, Puppy history, and annotated lyrics. Great stuff.
Litany Up to date Skinny Puppy, Dowload, Rx, and related project news. Excellent site!
Skinny Puppy Internet Database Major Puppy resource with images, texts, multimedia, and more.
The Vault of Skinny PuppyIncludes real media songs and videos. Lots of rare stuff here.
Skinny Puppy CentralOne of the oldest and best Skinny Puppy web sites.
Mike’s Startup Logos Lots of Skinny Puppy start up screens for Windows.
Entertainment Through Pain: Industrial Records Remembered
Their catch phrase “Industrial music for industrial people” was dubbed by collaborator Monte Cazzaza. It is doubtful Cazzaza had any idea how widely used the term “industrial music” would be used. It is even more doubtful that he had any idea how it would be used. These days it seems industrial has been used to describe pretty much any band that uses any sort of electronics in their music. But in 1975 Industrial music was fucking bizzare, something completely new, and probably not what most consumers think of when they hear the word “industrial” these days.
Throbbing Gristle used primitive electronics coupled with a few traditional insturments to make soundscapes for what they considered to be urban life at the time. Even after the end of the label and the end of Throbbing Gristle, their music lives on the numerous re-releases and the current works of the former recording artists.
Further Reading
The Throbbing Gristle Pages simple yet extensive Throbbing Gristle resource
Entertainment Through Pain – Another Throbbing Gristle Page another excellent resource (from Brainwashed)
Official Clock DVA Web Site The one and only Clock DVA resource
Cabaret Voltaire Brainwashed’s excellent Cabaret Voltaire and Richard Kirk site.
RHK Page Large Richard H. Kirk web site.
Axis Monte Cazazza site quite a bit of info here
Monte Cazazza pretty small page
All Music Guide’s entry on Beatnik Beach has a listing for a Beatnik Beach release on Industrial Records.
All Music Guide’s entry on Leather Nun
All Music Guide’s entry on Thomas Leer
Related Artists
Invisible Record’s Psychic TV page Genesis P Orridge and Peter Christopherson started this band after Throbbing Gristle broke up.
Psychic TV discography very extensive
The Next New Way On the official Genesis P. Orridge site
Disinfo’s Genesis P. Orridge site an article and a huge collection of related links.]
Brainwashed’s Coil site Peter Christopherson (of Throbbing Gristle) and John Balance started this band after
leaving Pyschic TV
Chris and Cosey Christ Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti’s post Throbbing Gristle project