Boys:
Raymond Watts (PIG, Schaft, KMFDM)
Rob Henry (Euphonic, Children Of The Bong)
Mike Watts
Past boys:
J.G. Thrilwell (Foetus, Manorexia, Wiseblood)
Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM)
Steve White (KMFDM, 16 Volt, Themroc)
Günter Schulz (Slick Idiot, KMFDM, Pig)
Jon Caffery (Kids On TV, 2-Kut)
Martin King (Test Dept.)
Hoppy Kamiyama (Optical 8)
This is the official SOW myspace page. It is not maintained directly by Anna Wildsmith.
Biography: SOW is the musical output of Anna Wildmith. Originating in Berlin in the late 1980s, SOW was born in an apartment space alongside Raymond Watts (PIG). The first material was set unto the masses in the form of the Manripe 12", via Yellow Ltd. Anna's unique take on the written word, combined with the production and songwriting of Watts, lead to a harsh and blistering debut. From there, Anna would guest on many of PIG's now-classic releases, such as Praise The Lard, A Stroll In The Pork, Sinsation and several others.
In 1994, SOW's debut full-length, entitled Je M'Aime, was finally completed. Initially released on the German Hyperium label, the album showcased Anna's unique spoken word abilities, alongside music from Watts, J.G. Thrilwell (Foetus, Manorexia, Wiseblood) and Jon Caffery (Kids On TV, Einstürzende Neubauten, 2-Kut). SOW's whispers, screams, monologues and singing, which alternated between French and English languages, clashed over sounds from some of the most esteemed and respected experimental musicians of the era. The album would be given a US re-release in 1999, dubbed 'PIG & SOW' for Invisible Records.
1998's Sick revealed a maturity in sounds from the more harsh assaults of Je M'Aime. The album arrived via Blue Noise/D:Pop (Japan) and Martin Atkins' Invisible Records (USA). Commissioning tracks from an incredible line-up from around the world, Sick featured the likes of Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM), Rob Henry (Euphonic), Günter Schulz (Slick Idiot, KMFDM, Pig), Martin King (Test Dept.), Hoppy Kamiyama (Optical 8) and Raymond Watts (PIG, KMFDM, Schaft, Schwein), who also produced the album. The material was a melting pot of rock, electronic, experimental, traditional and everything in between - all brought together by Wildsmith's distinct lyrical and vocal style. Many considered it one 1998's best albums. SOW supported it with a US tour opening for Martin Atkins' legendary industrial supergroup Pigface (Anna also sang in the Pigface line-up for the shows).
Anna had a pair of notable appearances in the following years, with guest vox on PIG's Genuine American Monster in 1999 (singing in Japanese for the first time) and H3llb3nt's 2001 album, Hardcore Vanilla, alongside Jared Louche (Chemlab), Bryan Black (MOTOR, XLOVER, haloblack) and Eric Powell (16 Volt). In 2002, two new SOW tracks, No Candy and My House, appeared on thesickcity's internet-only compilation, Volume One. These tracks were the first glimpses into her long-awaiting third album, Dog. The songs once again presented an entirely new dimension to SOW's ever-evolving sound.
After a long decade of near silence, SOW is finally gearing up for a highly anticipated return with Dog. The material is once again produced by Raymond Watts, with music from PIG and Euphonic. It is her most accomplished album to date and is poised to become a one of the most genre-defying, standout releases in years. Dog will definitely prove to be worth the wait!
Discography: Manripe 12"(1989, Yellow Ltd.) Je M'Aime(1994, Hyperium/Invisible) Sick(1998, Blue Noise/D:Pop/Invisible) Dog(2010, I, Absentee)
Compilations: Project 91(1991, Hyperium/Concrete) Dr. Speedlove Presents: Chemical Warfare (Mix Mix Bang Bang)(1999, Invisible) thesickcity Presents: Volume One(2002, thesickcity)
Guest Appearances: 2-Kut - Beat Boy 12"(1989, Cashbeat/Strike Back) Pig - Praise The Lard(1991, Concrete/Cleopatra) Pig - A Stroll In The Pork(1992, Concrete/Cargo/Contempo/Blue Noise/D:Pop) Pig - Painiac(1995, Victor/XEO) Pig - Sinsation(1995, Victor/XEO/Nothing) Pig - Genuine American Monster(1999, Rock/Metropolis) H3llb3nt - Hardcore Vanilla(2001, Invisible)
FIREWATER - LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS! Last shows until October!
Jun 26 : Larz, GERMANY : Fusion Festival Jun 27 : Audincourt, FRANCE : Rencontres & Racines Jun 28 : Istanbul, TURKEY : Balkan Soundz Festival July 02 : Dornbirn, AUSTRIA : Speilboden July 03 : Bulle, SWITZERLAND : Gibloux Festival July 04 : Jena, GERMANY : JG Stadtmitte July 05 : Hradec Kralove, CZECH R.: Rock For People July 06 : Vienna, AUSTRIA : Szene Wein July 08 : Linz, AUSTRIA : Posthof July 09 : Suzzara, Mantova, ITALY : Sconfinart July 10 : Steyr, AUSTRIA : Röda July 11 : Bologna, ITALY : Mondiali Antirazzisti July 12 : Milano, ITALY : Magnolia Festival July 13 : Colmar, FRANCE : Hiero July 15 : Paris, FRANCE : Batofar July 17 : Pozega, CROATIA : Dirty Old Empire Festival July 18 : Veszprem, HUNGARY : Utcazene Fesztivál July 24 : Riberac, FRANCE : Le Grand Souk Festival July 25 : Gdynia, POLAND : Globaltica Festival July 31 : Namur, BELGIUM : Esperanzha Festival Aug 01 : Habere-Poche, FRANCE : Rock'n'Poche Festival Aug 02 : Bladel, NETHERLANDS : Bladelse Zomerfeesten
> Bellydancers in costume get in free at all club shows!
> More shows are still being added, so check the Firewater MySpace page for updates.
> This message was sent by an evil robot. So if you are somewhere other than Europe and can't escape, we're sorry. We'll be back again someday soon.
