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If you don’t like it lump it

I have had a lot of support from the readers of this blog with my stance regarding the pap we are being forced to listen to (see http://bit.ly/ckMo3q ).

I am more than happy to be criticized but make it personal and I will simply tell you to f—k off and call you a c–t. If you disagree then make a comment. If you think I am arrogant then fine but I have my own opinion and I will defend it!

This Darker Entity – In All Conscience

When you get an email with content like this you have to go and investigate:

….anyway for the project i have to say that is rubbish,untalented,i am an asshole,deceiver, cause if i say anything different,………

He’s a F*********g fraud and liar. This is brilliant and everything I love about DIY music, dirty, noisy, clever, simple, analogue drums, analogue arpeggios, scary, and fucking angry! This is simply beautiful madness. If I had a star rating system this would be 10 out of 10!

Reminds me very much of a partner in crime of mine called Garry Smout (T34, Finish The Story, Eva Eva) – must go and see him and make some NOISE – Thanks for getting in touch with me.

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Below is part of an earlier email interview I did with This Darker Entity.

Your tracks appear to be heavy (analogue) synth sounds, how would you describe your music?

ANSWER 1- I’m coming from a thrash/death metal background of 80’s bands as POSSESSED, CELTIC FROST, among others,so what always I do, I have them in mind.This Darker entity hunting *the spirit of innovation* and I’ll explain why? All recordings I’ve made created on a 1994 pc with windows 98 on it,a microphone that cost 3 dollars in a pc store and a second hand Yamaha SW60 sound card i bought 30 dollars from a friend,and I download the drivers from the net. As you can see this is a miracle of its own,by creating whole songs with such a poor equipment. Other than that I’m not studied musician I don’t know notes or musical terms, just creating by *ear* hearing the sounds and record piece by piece. If you ask me what DO RE MI FA SO LA SI DO is, I’ll tell you is a pizza or spaghetti….So I call my music ELECTRIC DOOM SYNTHESIS, and this last one is borrowed by BEHERIT/Finland!

The Black String Theory – Review

The Black String Theory stride out from the angst-ridden dark spaces that are called Gothic and deliver songs that have audio references to the 1980’s and 1990’s. It would be easy to make a list of lots of bands and artists that these tracks remind me of but that would be a bit pointless and quite disrespectful. These tracks immediately draw you in emotionally and lift you up – deliciously self indulgent and music perfect for the twilight. What else can I say except go and have a listen.

The four-song, self titled EP was mixed by GRAMMY Award winning engineer, Chris Testa (Jimmy Eat World, The Subways, Motion City Soundtrack, Switchfoot, Mat Kearney) in Los Angeles, CA and mastered by Tim Young (Editors, The Clash, Bat For Lashes, The Kooks) at Metropolis Studios in London, UK. The EP was made available worldwide via iTunes at the end of April and is also available via Amazon, Napster and eMusic.

Below is from MySpace:

THE BLACK STRING THEORY was first conceived in July 2009, inspired by what van Dort views as a quest for self-liberation and a life of authenticity. Van Dort says “You can look in an office anywhere around the world and no doubt you’ll find most people there have a shadow life of some sort. I’ve spent years working corporate 9-5 jobs, while writing music and playing in bands on the side, so I know what it’s like to lead a double-life. I realized I had to give rise to that side of me if I was ever going to live authentically.”

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The Tascam 144 4 track cassette recorder

‘Like A Sickle Runs Through Corn’ was recorded on a 4 track Tascam 144 cassette recorder – I had bought this in Birmingham – the store fleeced me with excessive repayments – they were expensive bits of kit and a piece of cutting edge technology – in comparison with today’s digital audio world they were positively primitive. This was a massive investment for me and at the time – it was the best available home recording equipment on the market and Finish The Story had two of them.

Remember the tascam 144 portastudio 4 track multi-track cassette recorder? http://tinyurl.com/23nlpjt Track released by Beggars Banquet, see Finish The Story track on this 1980’s vinyl release on Discogs.com

Below is from Amazon.com

Gunfire and Pianos LP Zig Zag Situation Two – made in England – 1988 situ 17…Lp vinyl record album, not a cd…various artists…cover is VG+ condition with made in England sticker, vinyl is VG condition with some marks…features : ALL ABOUT EVE – Suppertime / AGE OF CHANCE -I Don’t Know And I Don’t Care / ZOOEY – Teddy Bear / MANCUBS – Serious / PSYCHIC TV – Baby’s Gone Away / MEMBRANES – (Even More) Skin and Bone / ZOOEY – Carnival / DIATRIBE – Peace In Our Time / JAZZ BUTCHER – Lost In France / FINISH THE STORY – Like a Sickle Runs Through Corn / PASTELS – I’m Alright With You / BABY BRAVE – Rainmaker / BRIGANDAGE – Up To You / VERY THINGS – The Hole / NAKED RAYGUN -Home Of The Brave / ZOOEY – Zooey.

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Remember the Tascam 144

Recorded on a 4 track Tascam 144 cassette recorder – I had bought this in Birmingham – the store fleeced me with excessive repayments – they were expensive bits of kit and a piece of cutting edge technology – in comparison with today’s digital audio world they were positively primitive. This was a massive investment for me and at the time – it was the best available home recording equipment on the market and Finish The Story had two of them.