VERSUS

You know how all the haters are always saying Arthur only has love for so-called New Weird American Freak Folk or whatever, despite the fact that Delia & Gavin, Spiritualized, Sunn O))) and MIA (and Sparks, Diamanda Galas and Wino while we’re on the topic – ed.)have graced our covers and we also write tons of stuff about everything from Flying Lotus to classic country to contemporary African blues nomads?

Well as a matter of weird fact your humble contributing editor was once the editor of a rap magazine, and so respected a critic of electronic music as to be quoted by the Wikipedia on the subject of minimal techno’s links to classical minimalism*. If you have even a passing fancy for minimal techno, ambient electronic music or classical minimalist composition (or if you’re curious about some of those German names that keep popping up in the liner notes of Animal Collective albums), we would like to direct your attention to two timely items of interest.

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The dude taught George Harrsion how to play slide guitar, wrote the song “Superstar”–made famous by the Carpenters (and later covered by Sonic Youth) — and created some of the warmest “Sunday mornin’ comin’ down”-music with his then-wife Bonnie Bramley and a chorus of pals that included Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons and Duane and Greg Allman. Delaney died in Los Angeles on December 27. Here’s the New York Times obituary. And here’s a Delaney mixtape tribute from our pal Jody over at When You Awake.

The first few minutes of “The Coconut Revolution” documentary…

This is an incredible modern-day story of a native people’s victory over Western globalization. Sick of seeing their environment ruined and their people exploited by the Panguna Mine, the Pacific island of Bougainville rose up against the giant mining corporation, Rio Tinto Zinc. The newly formed Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) began fighting with bows and arrows and sticks and stones against a heavily armed adversary. In an attempt to put down the rebellion the Papua New Guinean Army swiftly established a gunboat blockade around the island, backed by Australian Military personnel and equipment. With no shipments allowed in or out of the island, the People of Bougainville learned to become self-dependent and self-sustained.

The 52-minute documentary is viewable here:
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=9073157933630784238

We have 75 copies left of Arthur Magazine’s

IRA COHEN & ANGUS MACLISE’s
“The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda”
DVD

for $29.95 (USA), $34.95 (Can) and $39.95 (World), postpaid.

(Sorry, no bulk order discounts available. These are meant for individuals only.)

Director Ira Cohen says: “It was in 1968, the year before Woodstock, between the giant bottle of liquid mercury Tony Conrad found in a doorway on 42nd St. and the Mylar chamber, we experienced a shared voyage conceived in three parts: The Opium Dream, Shaman and Heavenly Blue Mylar Pavilions, an alchemical journey born of out common consciousness — culminating in the akashic bindu drop swirling in the sky’s reflected azure. No minimalism here, but a maximalist adventure. . .”

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS, DVD ORDER INFO and YOUTUBE PREVIEW

MYTHTYM: TRINIE DALTON – EXCERPT 3/4
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 MYTHTYM: TRINIE DALTON
Buy the book here…. now!

Trinie Dalton has long made popular zines on variety of subjects. She brings together artists, musicians, critics, novelists and cartoonists in one gorgeous stew. MYTHTYM compiles the best work from her previous zines on Werewolves, mythical beings, and the natural world. But best of all, this volume includes an entirely new, 100-page body of work on the theme of mirrors.Contributors include: Aurel Schmidt Folkert De Jong Takeshi Murata Jim Drain Andrew Leland Aura Rosenberg Sue De Beer Leif Goldberg Matt Greene Francine Spiegel Derek McCormack Jesse Bransford Shamim Momin Amy Gerstler assume vivid astro focus David Altmejd Sammy Harkham Rachel Kushner Marnie Weber Bjorn Copeland Paper RadAbout her zines, Trinie Dalton has said: ‘I don’t want my books to be cliquish, but at the same time I don’t see them as communal free-for-alls. Of course, many people I invite to participate are my friends, and are friends with each other, but I deliberately include not only established artists and writers but also young people who are relatively unknown in their field. The idea of introducing and contextualizing artists by hanging their art on the same wall is a fundamental one in the art world. To me, my zines are literary/art/music history anthologies, following the group-show or salon style. They’re like parties on paper, and I want to be an exquisite host.’

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