alex novak

About me:

It is one of the few independent record shops left in the area and can be found here;

SPIRAL ARCHIVE RECORDS,26 ST.MICHAELS ROAD,NORTHAMPTON-UK

Opening WED-FRI 11-4pm/SAT 11-5pm tel.07974-885450

or alternatively via mail order;

stores.ebay.co.uk/spiralarchiverecords

The shop stocks new and used CDs and records covering INDIE,GOTH,ELECTRONIC,INDUSTRIAL,ROCK,METAL,PSYCHEDELIC, PUNK,NEWWAVE,SKA,MOD,FUNK,SOUL,REGGAE,PSYCHOBILLY,ROCK N ROLL,SOUNDTRACKS....

Along side the shop Alex DJs@ANTE ROOM/BLAST CHAMBER every SATURDAY,VOODOO AMPLIFIER@LABOUR CLUB and guests @SOUNDBOX SESSIONS@RACEHORSE twice a month and has been involved in promoting at various Northampton venues including SOUNDHAUS(RIP),RACEHORSE,LABOUR CLUB,GRINDER(RIP),ROADMENDER,MONKEYS HEAD....

Bands that have played include FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY,SICK ON THE BUS,UK SUBS,SUBHUMANS,DEMOB,999,LURKERS,METEORS,BEDLAM BREAKOUT PSYCHOBILLY FESTIVAL 3,ANTI NOWHERE LEAGUE,THEATRE DES VAMPIRES,MECHANICAL CABARET,TVSMITH-ADVERTS,GREENHAUS, DREAM DISCIPLES,EATER,SLIPSTREAM,PAT FISH-JAZZ BUTCHER, PETER&THE TESTTUBE BABIES,KATSCAN,DREAM DISCIPLES,DEADLINE, SIGUESIGUESPUTNIK,ATTRITION,VARUKERS,VIBRATORS,ABRASIVE WHEELS,MENACE,VOICES OF MASADA,ALL GONE DEAD,DRAGSTER,PENETRATION...

usually with local support acts; JUNKYARD,MISPELT,ROTTEN AGENDA,DUN2DEF,RSI,BITTERSUITE,HARLOT,HUNGRY I,GHOUL DETAIL,TEARSLICKY,TOYBOX,AKTUALSIZE,LILITHS ARMY,HARLOT, PRETTYDEADGIRLS,TENDONS,EXITS,BLACKDOGS,OUTBREAKS,FIRSTWAVE,MOTHERLODE, SHEEP THIEVES,JO WOOLLEY,PRESSURETONES,HAPPY RACKET,STRIDES,SHARKS,WILSON,PEPPERBOX...he also performs with VENUS FLY TRAP myspace.com/venusflytrapuk and ISAWS myspace.com/isaws

BIG BLUE RECORDS is now being distributed in the UK by PLASTICHEAD contact;a.watson@plastichead.com Current releases; LEGENDARY PINK DOTS-POPPY VARIATIONS CD/9 LIVES TO WONDER CD/BRIGHTER NOW CD STRANGE ATTRACTOR-METTLE CD PHALLUS DEI-A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BRIAN JONES CD DARK BLUE WORLD-PERILOUS BEAUTY OF MADNESS CD FADING COLOURS-COME 2xCD VENUS FLY TRAP-METAMORPHOSIS(1987-2007)BEST OF CD XIII STOLETI-DOGMA CD DE COY-PLEASURE FOR NOTHING CD TIME TO EXPRESS-TRAFFIC LIFE CD ZING ZANG(MUSIC FOR SPEAKERS)-COMPILATION CD PLUGITIN(MUSIC FOR SPEAKERS)-COMPILATION CD SZENSE-SZENSE CD Also backcatalog releases from ATTRITION/FADING COLOURS/VENUS FLY TRAP/LEGENDARY PINK DOTS/PHALLUS DEI… Press/promo/info contact;alex@spiralarchive.com A T T R I T I O N news August 2009 " The most successful businesses, relationships, art, music, lives, walk along a very long (thin) tightrope that has success and failure on either side of it. Every day we walk this tightrope trying not to fall off. Too much success means there is (creatively) no where else to go, the only way left is down and spiraling into failure just means you are finished. If you fall off, it is tough to get back up and dust yourself off. We are all doomed - the smart people stay on that tightrope; this is where optimum efficiency lives and creativity is at its best. Attrition have been traversing this line for years and years and years and they haven't fallen off yet. It is difficult to pick a track that covers decades of material but - 'Two Gods' is a good place to start... then you will be entrapped in their dark, enveloping, Gothic world - one of the most important bands in the history of music..." www.systemculture.org Live Performance... We are pleased to announce our confirmed shows for the second half of 2009... having recently lost our regular synth player Nick Storr to the world of acting we welcome renowned techno DJ and remixer Pablo Sonic Terrorist... who will be joining us on stage from now on...except for at our first ever show in the Ukraine next month ...where we will be joined on synths by special guest Justin Mitchell - of Cold Spring records and Satori! September 12th: Children of the night festival 6, Kiev, Ukraine September 19th : The Ark, Edinburgh, Scotland October 2nd : Lock the Target Festival, Porto, Portugal November 21st : Amalgamation festival, Leeds, UK December 7th: Totem club, Vicenza, Italy December 12th: Slowianin, Szczecin, Poland Myspace.com/attritionuk ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… About ISAWS Inspired by the Punk explosion of 1976/77,heavily influenced by the likes of SEX PISTOLS,DAMNED,STRANGLERS,STIFF LITTLE FINGERS,X RAY SPEX and the CLASH.Played their debut gig in 1977 at their local school as HAWKER HARRIER AND THE JUMPJETS,the name changed shortly afterwards.Heavily gigged in 1978/79 building up a frenetic live reputation,playing with the likes of ALIENS,COIL,GRIP,SNEAKS,ZOOM CLUB,BAUHAUS 1919,GUILLOTINE and the RUSSIANS.During that period recording two cassette only albums 10,000 LEMMINGS CANT BE WRONG andISAWESAWSITTINGONASEESAW which appear on the BURNT OFFERING CD(SPIRAL ARCHIVE/BIG BLUE RECORDS 2007).The band received interest from JOHN PEEL(BBC RADIO 1)and CHERRY RED RECORDS,but split during the summer of 1979.X members went on to be involved with many bands including WHERES LISSE, RELIGIOUS OVERDOSE,TEMPEST,ATTRITION and VENUS FLY TRAP Myspace.com/isaws …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… VENUS FLY TRAP Formed in NORTHAMPTON-UK (famous for BAUHAUS goth pioneers,ALAN MOORE cult comic writer and the film KINKY BOOTS) in the late 1980's. Their eclectic style of alternative music blended post-punk with goth to form a dark psychedelic hybrid. Early releases came out via French label DANCETERIA (Venus In Fleurs) that led to tours in France, Belgium and Germany. European interest has always been strong further albums came out via AZYL (Czech Republic), SPECTRE (Germany), SOUNDBUSTER (Germany) and SPV (Germany/Poland). More tours followed getting to new territories including Holland, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Austria and Poland. Major festival appearances have had the band sharing the stage with the likes of NEW MODEL ARMY, DAS ICH (Castle Party, POLAND), PSYCHE (Vampira, Warsaw, POLAND), CLAN OF XYMOX, (Gotham, London, UK) and TWO WITCHES (Carnival of Souls, UK), SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK & FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY . Veering away from mid-period alternative rock later albums embraced dark electronica and surreal psychedelic atmospherics. In 2002 the back catalog was re-vamped / reissued closely followed by the album ZENITH and a DVD video compilation CELLULOID in 2005. In 2009 the release of METAMORPHOSIS 1987-2007 finally collates all of the singles , popular album tracks and 2 brand new numbers ( HUMAN FLY & GEMINI LOUNGE) VENUS FLY TRAP are a hard band to pigeon hole taking their influences from a myriad of sources try VELVET UNDERGROUND, BOWIE, KRAFTWERK, BAUHAUS, JOY DIVISION, SISTERS OF MERCY, NIN, ROXY MUSIC, GOLDFRAPP, DOORS, SIOUXSIE & BANSHEES, CURE ... LY TRAP-Biograp MARS (CD 1989 Danceteria/2002 Spv) TOTEM (CD 1990 Danceteria/2002 Spv) PANDORAS BOX (CD 1992/2002 Spv) LUNA TIDE (CD 1995 Spectre/2002 Spv) DARK AMOUR (CD 1997 Soundbuster/2002 Spv) ANTHOLOGY OF THE FOOD (CD 2000 Spv) Compilation & Rarities ZENITH (CD 2004 Big Blue) CELLULOID (DVD 2005 Big Blue) METAMORPHOSIS (CD 2008 Big Blue) 1987-2007 Best of CD CD Review: Venus Fly Trap - Metamorphosis [Best of 1987 - 2007] Northampton-based alternative outfit Venus Fly Trap make very accessible Goth music. No, it’s not that simple, but it is a good starting point. These blokes from Northampton have been around since the late 80s creating a solid reputation through quality live performances and a back-catalogue of dark-yet addictive music. ‘Morphine’ opens the album and the deep and soulful vocals work well with stabbing punk guitars and a strong militaristic beat to set the tone for an album that is the definition of Goth-punk with more than a slight commercial appeal. This stuff is real cyberpunk and it blends elements of electronica and rock to showcase the true skill and talent within this at times overlooked cult act. ‘Desolation Railway’ comes off strong with hard Industrial beats. It’s like Ministry meets The Cramps, with some interesting samples thrown in. This is a proper Goth dance-stomper and a definite standout that will catch you off-guard with some epic guitars and infectious chanting. ‘Rocket USA’ is a similarly grand amalgamation of genres. Seriously, there are some nifty elements of blues, funk, rock and electro packed in here. Without setting out to be so; 'Rocket...' is a pretty uplifting tune and it should have you breaking out your air guitar and repeating the chorus. Undeniably catchy and very hard-hitting with some great saxophone elements, chaotic and edgy vocals and classic guitar work. ‘Europa’ is much heavier and comes across as an Industrial rock track with driving guitars, the ultra-heavy beat and some brash vocals. This is bleak, heavy and it demonstrates just how tight the project has become over the years in terms of performing both live and on record. ‘Achilles Heel’ by contrast is light and more dance orientated. This electro-punk anthem certainly demonstrates the variety of influences that have splashed all-over VFT’s music over the years including Goldfrapp, Nine Inch Nails and The Cure. The follow-up ‘Moscow Managerie’ is pure rock n’ roll squished into around four minutes of great musicianship, well thought-out lyrics, raw guitars and mosh-worthy beats. ‘Pulp Sister’ is a Sisters Of Mercy-baiting powerhouse that should easily slip into your ears and skulk around your brain with its intelligent guitars and glitchy electronics. ‘Metropolis’ is the defining tune on this disk, and it is a classic Industrial effort. Pummelling electronics meet with metal-styled guitars and blistering drums for a truly addictive and rock-hard track which will always be hailed as one of their best. ‘Mercury’ is next up, and this time VFT break out some dark-disco for the masses. The clever synths wind in-between electronic drums and a wash of dirty and distorted guitar noise creating a sleazy-electro-rock beast. To finish off this ‘Metamorphosis’ we have the new tracks, first off ‘Human Fly’ is a rockabilly tune that will “buzz” in your head for days. It’s based on the world from a human fly’s perspective...how can you go wrong? The final offering is ‘Gemini Lounge,’ a composition that mixes Bowie’s confident glam-style with Numan’s 80s electro-pop aesthetic for a satisfying finish to a great collection of work. It’s good to know that VFT will be releasing a new album entitled ‘Nemesis’ soon, because for a band who have been around the scene for so long to be able to embrace the ever changing musical spectrum so well; whilst being able to maintain their own unique style is a truly rare thing nowadays. For fans of: The Cramps, The Cult, The Sisters Of Mercy ****/5 mysace.com/venusflytrapuk LEGENDARY PINK DOTS There comes a time in every band’s life when the sound “matures.” The members come back from a year in Tibet or wherever and learn to settle their creative conflicts like civilized people, and the beats are slower, there’s way less bass, and the singer goes a little flat. Of course the writing is more sophisticated, the song construction is more interesting, the lyrics are more subtle, but it’s hard not to feel like the band has lost their teeth. That’s until the band releases the album that “gets back to their roots.” Often it’s a forced imitation of the band’s earlier sounds that filled stadiums and saturated radio waves. But once in awhile, a band truly rediscovers the old energy and revitalizes their mature sound. For The Legendary Pink Dots, that album is Plutonium Blonde. From the electric nightmares Torch Song and Faded Photograph, to the airy prog of A World With No Mirrors, to the country lullaby Mailman, this is the wildly inventive LPD at the height of their powers. The requisite spoken-word psychodrama An Arm and a Leg has vocalist Ka-Spel at his most disturbing, with minimal reliance on electronic distortion. Other tracks cull stylings from every period of the band’s hugely varied nigh-on-30 year history. If you were ever a fan of the Dots, buy this album. If you’ve never heard of the Dots, this is an excellent place to start. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. It's always amazing and refreshing to see an audience as fervent for its minstrels as Houston is for the Legendary Pink Dots. There are no hangers-back — as soon as the band quietly makes its way onto the stage, there is a Jonestown-like lemming march to the front, every set of eyes are turned up in rapture. Sadly, the audience has steadily dwindled over the years, and seems only half of what it was five years ago. It would be a damn shame if Houston were to be marked off of the itinerary of one of the truly independent and original groups of musicians in the world. The Dots' stage presence alone is stirring, woodwind guru Niels Van Hoornblower in his stylish diamond suit, guitarist Martijn DeKleer in his hitchhiking-through-Europe uniform, keyboardist Silverman looking like an aging professional wrestler with his Pebbles Flintstone haircut and, of course, singer Edward Ka-Spel barefoot in his robe, scarf and sunglasses. The band never asks if you're ready to rock. You're not ready, anyway. From the first moment Ka-Spel's sinister pseudo-tenor waltzes out of the speakers, it becomes apparent just how unprepared an audience is for the forthcoming willing rape of the mind. The four Dots' interplay is highly enjoyable, reminiscent of live Doors footage and the shamanistic tradition of shared experience and rhythm. They are very careful, though, not to take it too seriously. Niels, the ultimate multi-instrumentalist playing flute, clarinet, and an electronic wind instrument that looks like God’s bong, shows his playfully attacked each member of the band and audience with his flashlight saxophone during "No Matter What You Do." That song, by the by, explores how Jesus loves the little woodland creatures and the children who occasionally set fire to them. After the song, Ka-Spel leans casually over the mike and wonders aloud whether the subject of the song will come up at Judgement Day. Well, Jesus may have walked on water, but I've seen Ka-Spel walk barefoot across a dirty street strewn with broken glass and discarded needles on the way to a Chinese buffet. Obviously, he’s some kind of prophet (or a lunatic, probably both). One of the evening’s true pleasures was Martijn DeKleer. I've never really focused on him before, but I’ve never seen "The Grain Kings" played live before, either. One of the most awesome tracks from one of the Dots' most awesome albums (The Maria Dimension), the eight-minute song found DeKleer thoroughly thrashing his guitar in a way you just don’t seem to see at a Dots show very often. Usually the most understated and laid-back band member onstage, he really comes alive when it’s his turn, and even the other three members of the band stared at him as he made the sound system beg for mercy. All of this without a single change of expression. The evening drew to a close with the Dots’ encore, "Princess Coldheart," and the band left the stage to the sounds of the audience picking up the song's choir vocals at the end. If there is anything to be said about a Dots show, it’s that the people involved, both band and audience, are firm believers in the Legendary Pink Premise: Sing while we may ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Legendary Pink Dots may have meant the first word in their moniker to be ironic back when they named themselves during the post-punk anti-rock star era. But nearly three decades later, the irony now is that they've pretty much ended up living up to their own billing. The Amsterdam-by-way-of-London quartet has not only held to their defiantly experimental concept, but they've done it independently of the recording industry. "Somewhere inside me I always knew I was in for a bit of a long ride," explains founder and main artistic voice Edward Ka-Spel about the group's longevity. "I did have a lot of ideas that I wanted to see through back then, and I'm still seeing them through." Ka-Spel says he feels "no commercial consideration at all" when constructing the group's records, which have been known to mix and match everything from off-kilter drumbeats to spoken word sections to deceptively "childlike" ditties. "Better to miss a meal and have something you feel proud of than to slowly sell your soul," he explains. "The music we make is the most important thing." The group's newest CD, "Plutonium Blonde," is a concept album that offers a first-person look at isolation in the digital age. "It begins with anger and ends with resignation," he says. "By the time you get to the end, the guy is sitting in his little cube where he's got everything he ever wanted, but he never actually leaves the cube."In other words, it's another iconoclastic vision, courtesy of Ka-Spel and friends. "It's becoming more and more refined," he says of his artistry. "I think I'm learning how to deliver it in a better and better way. The Legendary Pink Dots 30th Anniversary Tour The Legendary Pink Dots formed in August 1980 in London. In 1984 the band transplanted itself to Amsterdam which led to a shift in the original lineup, the original bassist Roland Callaway leaving at this time. The core members of the group are vocalist/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight. Their music touches on elements of neo-psychedelia, ambient music, electronic music, tape music, industrial, psych folk, synth-pop and goth rock, with a distinctly experimental/avant-garde bent; their sound has evolved over time and remains distinctive, making it difficult to place the group into a concise style or genre. The group's overall sound combined with Ka-Spel's distinct lyrics and singing have earned comparisons to Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett the group has also been compared to such classic Seventies bands as Can, Faust, Brainticket, Magma or Neu. 15TH NOVEMBER 2009-BARDENS BOUDOIR-LONDON Doors: 7.30pm Entry: £10 Advance From Bardens Boudoir info@bardensboudoir.co.uk 36 - 44 Stoke Newington Road London N16 7XJ United Kingdom 020 7249 9557 myspace.com/thelegendarypinkdots DarkBlueWorld lives and argues in Vancouver, Canada, which makes it a (waitforit) Canadian Band, and writes songs of musical and literary integrity... with all the attendant advantages to which that category of artistic endeavor entitles one. Like free healthcare. And total, yet so very ethically addictive, obscurity. And free healthcare.The music of DarkBlueWorld has been described as "original, relevant, culturally engaged & emotionally, intellectually uncompromising". Also: "songs visceral and enraged and yet with tenderness and naked vulnerability".As influences, various members of the band cite in no particular order: the fall, bob dylan, astor piazolla, nirvana, elvis costello, leonard cohen, mingus, the gang of four, beatles, tom waits, diamanda galas, king crimson, televison, hank williams and many other freaks and sociopaths. And, also very importantly, incredibly depressing obscure hungarian village music. Of which the singer has a vast collection. And regales her friends with same. While giggling maniacly. Myspace.com/darkblueworld.ca Some reviews: ... songs visceral and enraged and yet with tenderness and naked vulnerability. - The Georgia Straight... Akin to Diamanda Galas singing German cabaret music as played by King Crimson, or something like that, the music is thoroughly engaging. Over it all, Fisher's sinuous voice delivers her often dark and edgy lyrics about "love songs for the dead" and smiling angels inside picture frames. - A - The ProvinceSongs that ache with truth... The Globe and Mail ... they breathe sadness and celebration in the same breath because they own that paradox, all while retaining status as pop through their brilliant narratives and insularly intricate musicianship... - Album Review: CokeMachineGlow ... With her cigarette-rough voice, Fischer invites comparison to Nico or Patti Smith, though her superior range and color indicate that the similarity has more to do with persona than sound. The slow burning anger in these songs is hardly apparent at first, but finally surfaces as defiance rather than cynicism. It is the sound of a damaged romantic who cannot reconcile herself with the random blows of fate administered by an unthinking world. "Things go wrong and no one's to blame," she sings, signing a sympathy card for the broken-hearted multitudes. It's as poignant as a regretful letter to an old lover, or a face glimpsed in the window of a passing train, never to be seen again...- Album of the Week, Junkmedia ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… STRANGE ATTRACTOR (Niels van Hoorn and Richard van Kruysdijk) presents it's second album: 'Mettle'. It features some legendary vocalists; David J (Bauhaus) laments the decline of ‘sleaze’, Winston Tong (Tuxedomoon) speaks his translation of a text by Charles Baudelaire, Graham Lewis (Wire) delivers another one of his enigmatic lyrics, while Richard Sinclair (Hatfield & the North) and Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson (Coil, Throbbing Gristle) both add some abstract choirs. The only female vocalist is Marie-Claudine, known from Sonar Lodge. She is also part of the live trio and her beautiful voice features on 4 tracks. myspace.com/attractor STRANGE ATTRACTOR are;NIELS VAN HOORN is a longstanding member of the English / Dutch cult group The Legendary Pink Dots. Their unusual mixture of electronic psychedelic whimsy and lush textures straight out of Alice In Wonderland have kept them on top of the underground cult music scene for already a quarter of a century. Niels, who always coloured outside the dotted line, reached an important milestone with his first solo album Colours (out in autumn 2002 on Soleilmoon USA). Over the years, Niels has also worked with a wide range of performers: drum & bass outfit Voltage, Dead Voices On Air (Mark Spybey of Zoviet France & Download), The Tear Garden (Edward Ka-Spel and Skinny Puppys Cevin Key), Lydia Lunch, Anubian Lights, Szense a.m.m. Niels plays soprano-, tenor-, bariton- and bass saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, Steiner wind synth and electronics. RICHARD VAN KRUYSDIJK, a.k.a. Sonar Lodge (with MARIE-CLAUDINE VANVLEMEN), has been sound mining ever deeper since his first drum & bass influenced releases to the jazz-infused trip noir approach on Sonar Lodges recent 12s and CDs. They are both also involved in the new M4S group Music For Speakers Amplified (with Sandor Caron, Raphael Vanoli, Jeroen Kimman (Roomtone), Edward Capel). Various projects brought Richard on stage and in the studio with some influential musicians. Future & current collaborations include BEAM and krautrock impro group Szense. Since 1993, he is also a member of the German industrial band Phallus Dei and it's ambient offspring PHD2. Richard plays drums, keys, laptop and electronics. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… PHALLUS DEI The history of PHALLUS DEI starts in 1988. OLIVER ST. LINGAM releases the tapes "Pigfuck" and "Per Crucem Ad Lucem" on the Unclean-label under the guise of PHALLUS DEI, named after an album by Krautrock legends AMON DÜÜL. Shortly after, PHALLUS DEI signed with the label Dark Vinyl, who released the first CD "Pontifex Maximus". It is amongst the most successful debuts of an Industrial band in 1991. After a successful tour with Italian Industrial legends SIGILLUM S, the personnel changed. MK. E. ,who was with them on tour, joined the band. Also, Dutch drummer / multi-instrumentalist RICHARD VAN KRUYSDIJK (who now also works with Niels van Hoorn (The Legendary Pink Dots) as STRANGE ATTRACTOR, and with Marie-Claudine Vanvlemen as SONAR LODGE) joined the band. The trio recorded several songs, later to be released on the album "Cyberflesh". JORIS HUIJBREGTS, who also features on this CD, played previously with Richard in the band Lament, and joined PHALLUS DEI a year later. Together they recorded the critically acclaimed albums "Pornocrates", "Luxuria" (feat. Gitane Demone), "Orpheus & Eurydice", as well as "Universum"; a CD by their ambient side-project PHD2. After Joris left the band in 1995, they continued as a trio, shifting their sound more and more towards electronica and experimental, cinematic music. A "best of"-CD ("Adorations") was released by Hollows Hill / Triple X in the USA, and after a period when the band members concentrated on different projects, they came back strong in 2001 with a new album: "Nature Mortes". As PHD2 they released their second album, entitled "Resource". 2003 saw the release of their last album to date: "Osmose". It features remixes from their debut album "Pontifex Maximus" (1991) that the band made in 1996. Phallus Dei have just completed the recordings for their next album, entitled "A Day In The Life Of Brian Wilson", which is planned for release in the spring of 2009. PHALLUS DEI meet THE WALKER BROTHERS John Walker, lead singer of the legendary Walker Brothers (next to Scott Walker) will feature on the soundtrack of the German film “Sommertag”, directed by Heiko van der Scherm. “Will you come now”, the title song of the movie, is written and performed by Phallus Dei and again shows another side of the ever eclectic band. With the collaboration of John Walker as guest vocalist, a long cherished wish of Phallus Dei is fulfilled. Being big admirers of the Walker Brothers for many years, it’s a huge honour for the band to work with one of the world's most talented singers. Myspace.com/phallusdei ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… About XIII. Století The beginning of the group can be dated to 1990. It arose from the ruins of punk trio Hrdinové Nové Fronty ("The Heroes of the New Front"). The frontman of XIII. Století, Petr Štepán, says: "It is logically only one genre, which can grow up from punk past, without declining their music from the past". During evolution, the membership of the group changed many times, but the original members of singer Petr Štepán and drummer Pavel Štepán have remained with the group throughout. The most important part of the group's activity is the concerts, well known as "monstrosity" shows. The longevity of the gothic group is remarkeable in the Czech Republic. During their years they have released many albums. The first was a CD Amulet with a fresh guitar sound. The second was an album with a more "pop" sound, Gotika. These two albums were released by the company Monitor. Then XIII. Století started co-operation with the company Happy Music and released through them three dark gothic albums - the energetic Nosferatu, Werewolf and Ztraceni v Karpatech. XIII. Století became very popular in Poland and Slovakia, especially after their attendance at the Gothic Fest in Bolkow in 1999. Their popularity grew, not only in Poland but in Italy and other European countries. The activities of Petr Štepán are very diverse - from appearance in theatre to writing books. He is an author of The Book of Nosferatu - Vampire Bible. Between 2001 and 2003 there was long pause in their musical output, but the band is now back again. Myspace.com/xiiistolet …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. CONTACT; Big Blue Records Ceglowska 64/1 01-809 Warszawa Poland tel. (+48) 22 - 834 68 74 fax/tel. (+48) 22 - 864 13 19 records@big-blue.com.pl Promocja / marketing: Aneta Sadurska-Kurowska (mobile +48 606 272 980) aneta.sk@big-blue.com.pl English/German speaking only? A&R, MIDEM etc.? Please contact label manager Igor Kurowski: mobile +48 606 272 970 Myspace.com/bigbluerecords ....