Tuesday, December 11, 2007  7:13 am 

Flying through heaven and hell with you

‘Sorcery and sanctity’ said Ambrose, ‘these are the only realities. Each is an Ecstasy, a withdrawal from the common life’.

Arthur Machen is the man.

Last Friday’s Upset the Rhythm shindig was fantastic, all the bands were in a hyper-celebratory mood and the outcome was an uplifting Christmasy celebration featuring a good-vibes stage invasion during the banging No Age set, Gay Against You reaching a verbal agreement with the audience (’trust gig’!) and showing us how to wear a hoodie (and black leotards), and a high-five merry-go-round organised by the one and only Dan Deacon, massive kudos, as always, to Chris and Claire for pushing things forward, outwards and inwards so they become ever so touching, as some drunk gal told Scottish Andy and me while we were smoking a cigarette outside, ‘this scene is so different from the indie stuff I used to be into, you know, the Libertines and all of that, I was there in Candem at the beginning but now I’m fed up with it’, we didn’t know what to say, gosh, she must feel like one of these people who, after a plane crash in some derelict area, has to fight with other survivors for the right to feed on the corpses of those who died, after which ordeal is rescued by a helicopter and comes back to civilisation with renewed faith in mankind, to try again, you know, like a scene version of Mr. Scrooge or something.

Anyway, the lovely London Dome had a Christmas grotto on one side and that’s where Haunted Graffiti & Panda Bear associate John Maus spread his arms in the darkness like some sort of skeletal bird carrying Ian Curtis eternal soul, and twitched to the strangely danceable melodies of his absolutely gobsmacking new album, ‘Love is Real’ (best artwork of the year by the way), now, really, you have to check this guy out, he sounds like an oddball Gothic version of Stephen Merrit totally overdosed on Wendy Carlos and early Jarre and I’m only starting to scratch the surface of the colossal sonic cathedral he’s built, roam its halls and enjoy the glorious interplay of light and shadows reverberating through the stained glass windows, while an eerily beautiful funereal march made for people who die in love pounds mighty, that’s where it’s at, Love is Real indeed, and we’re feeling it.

Probably the last addition to our albums of the year collection kids, get on with it and get it, UTR rule.

John Maus- My Whole World is Coming Apart

In another of those examples of nice serendipity which this small zine encourages & embraces, legendary Mario el Canario of ‘I rule Berlin’ (with Hugo, more about this later) fame recommended we check out one Max Krefeld who has recently moved to London, while Eliza sent us in the direction of Appaloosa’s demo of ‘The Day (We Fell in Love)’, which happens to be something Mr. Krefeld is involved with. So blown by the winds of chance endeth this lovely tune landing on the usually turbulent surfaces of your trusty 20JFG solaris-style Rorschach ocean.

Appaloosa- The Day (We Fell in Love)

‘The Day (We Fell in Love)’ has already been posted by The Torture Garden but we couldn’t help but review it anyway, given the way in which its pale and placid countenance compensates and complements the tortured convolutions of Mr. Maus above, in its sheer simplicity and innocence it manages to summon the wistfulness with which one remembers the beginning stages of enamouring, and brings to 20JFG’s heads (who of course fall in love to Goblin and Burzum but then you don’t want to hear this) the purity with which Velvet Underground and Nico, Big Star or the West Coast Experimental Pop Band talked about this emotional stuff.

Pretty things kids, all of you fall in love now.

We mentioned Berlin, ha! Berlin! One of the 20JFG will be flying there on Friday to DJ with the mighty Fuck Hugo at the Aftermath Disco Special in M12, 11.00-5.ooAM no less, Mario el Canario will mess your head through visual means. The vibe is Spanish Refugee disco mafia, or

Last time we went over it was fucking insane, and it was only a test run. So yeah, come over and say hi, we heart thee.

Afterwards we’ll go to see our best pals Allez Allez destroy Tape, oh yes.

Busy bees Allez Allez have Optimo on Saturday the 15th, i.e. the day after at Amersham Arms in London, 388 New Cross Road. You should go and wish our Glaswegian idols a happy birthday, if you weren’t up for the recent celebrations up North, TOTAL WINNER.

labels >> xxjfg