AGENDA (updating)
Object Of Projection is Kim Gordon's first exhibition in Portugal. It functions as a retrospective of the influential artist's work (and musician of Sonic Youth fame) over the last decade, with special emphasis on her growing series of performance video installations. gnration, Braga 18 January - 5 April.
After a memorable concert in 2022, where they played Amplifest in Porto, the historic collective from Montreal is back on the road with the new album 'NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD', another moving contribution for the troubled times we live in. Casa da Musica, Porto - 2 March.
The 45th edition of Fantasporto - Porto International Film Festival, well known for its idiosyncratic selection of fantastic and horror films, happens again at the Cinema Batalha and brings around 80 feature films and 30 shorts to contest. Batalha Centro de Cinema, Porto 28 February - 9 March.
Helena Hauff is a German analog nerd who incorporates industrial, gothic and grunge styles in her sets. She is the first woman to win the coveted BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year in 2017, and returns to Portugal to play Plano B, Porto - 4 April.
“Devendra Banhart: Offering Cloud of Scattered Genitalia” opens at Serralves in Porto on November 21st and includes drawings, watercolors and poems by the author of "Santa Maria da Feira". Serralves, Porto - from 21 Nov. - 18 May 2025.
THIS WEEK
15.02.25 | VISIT TO MATÉRIA PRIMA | PAREDES CONCERTS WITH BEN CHASNY AND NORBERTO LOBO.
When in or around Cedofeita in Porto the Matéria Prima space is mandatory. One of those stores that is easily an all-dayer where one can spend multiple salaries.
An area of magazines and books at the store. It carries all the magazines you can only find in London or Paris, and the selection of music is ultra independent... still managed to find some Coil and Kali Malone but thats considered pop findings in this store.
Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) and Norberto Lobo present PAREDES. In the year marking the centenary of Carlos Paredes birth the two musicians come together for a series of concerts in Portugal paying homage, in their own way, to the singular composer and guitarist from Coimbra. Auditório de Espinho Academia, Espinho - 15 February.
Above, the stage before the performance. To the right, an excerpt of the last 10 minutes of their performance, this is already the encore (the packed audience asked for 2) with final acknowledgements from both musicians. The venue had a strict no photo/video policy.
SAUNA TURNS 10
Released 03 FEBRUARY 2015 – 03.02.25
Sauna is Mount Eerie's 7th album and it turns 10 years this 3th February. Recorded between June 27th, 2013 and August 13th, 2014 at the UNKNOWN in Anacortes, Washington by Phil Elverum
with singers Geneviève Castrée (RIP), Allyson Foster, Ashley Eriksson and Paul Benson, and flute by Evin Opp.
'Spring' is one of the highlights of the album and makes the Mix #176.
20 ALBUMS WORTH CELEBRATING IN 2025
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Released 9 October 2000
taken from mix #gybe
Sunn O)))
Black One
Released 17 October 2005
listen to 'It took the Night to Believe'
taken from mix #62
Venetian Snares
Rossz Csillag Alatt Született
Released 14 March 2005
listen to 'Galamb Egyedul & Szerencsétlen'
taken from mix #50
Swans
My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to The Sky
Released 23 September 2010
listen to 'No Words/No Thoughts
taken from mix #101
GAS
Pop
Released 28 March 2000
taken from mix #67
Demdike Stare
Liberation Through Hearing + Voice of Dust + Forest of Evil
Released in 2010
listen to 'Forest of Evil (Dawn)'
taken from mix #146
Earth
Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method
Released 20 September 2005
listen to 'Lens of Unrectified Night'
taken from mix #39
The Body
All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood
Released 02 June 2010
listen to 'Even The Saints Knew Their Hour...'
taken from mix #74
Deathspell Omega
Paracletus
Released 09 November 2010
listen to 'Apokatastasis Pantôn'
taken from mix #72
Mount Eerie
Sauna
Released 03 February 2015
taken from mix #176
Lurker of Chalice
Lurker of Chalice
Released 27 June 2005
taken from mix #39
Rafael Anton Irisarri
A Fragile Geography
Released 16 October 2015
taken from mix #27
Boris
Flood
Released 15 December 2000
taken from mix #101
Abyssal
Antikatastaseis
Released 23 June 2015
listen to 'I Am the Alpha and the Omega'
taken from mix #34
Ulver
Perdition City
Released 26 March 2000
listen to 'Hallways of Always'
taken from mix #55
Coil
The Ape of Naples
Released 02 December 2005
taken from mix #32
Prurient
Frozen Niagara Falls
Released 12 May 2015
listen to 'Christ Among the Broken Glass'
taken from mix #132
Isis
Perdition City
Released 3 April 2000
listen to 'Celestial (The Tower)'
taken from mix #00
Chaos Echoes
Transient
Released 20 April 2015
taken from mix #45
« 20 | 25 | 2025 »
A painstakingly curated selection of 20 albums, spanning a period of 25 years, which are celebrating round number milestones in 2025. Its an eclectic collection of 21st century music; music that is delicate and effortless, but also sophisticated and complex.
Albums that are undeniably relevant within their respective genres and are still turnkey references for many younger artists, many years or even decades after their original release. We are knowingly leaving out other unique albums that are genre-defining masterpieces, and as much as it pains us to do so we have chosen to put a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and the emotional attachment we have with some more than others. These represent the very sonic fabric that informs our taste and will continue to challenge our sound systems for years on end.
THIS WEEK
24.01.25
The latest from Hi-Fructose, the 73rd volume, featuring amongst many great articles, a review of the new monograph of favourite punk photographer Murray Bowles, who has unexpectedly left us in 2019.
The world has gone bonkers so Campbell James Kneale is painting cats.
RIP Rich Hall. Pictured here is artwork for the latest Young Widows album, a band with whom he had collaborated for so many years.
THIS WEEK
17.01.25 | DAVID LYNCH RIP | DEAF CENTER LIVE AT RIVOLI PORTO
Coming to grips with the passing of David Lynch this Wednesday 15th January, 5 days short of his 79th birthday. Rest in Peace master.
Ethel Cain's new release 'Perverts' is on. Still not floored, still listening, in search of transients and ghost-like hidden notes and feeling.
Deaf Center + Rauelsson live at (Understage) Rivoli, Porto, 17.01.2025. Playing to a sold out room, managed to speak to Otto and Erik after the performance, wanted to buy Low Distance on vinyl, last copy went to André Amplicasom. Warm conversations on a cold night. 17.01.2025
FOZ. PORTO. 17H46. 17JAN
INTERVIEW: BYUNGSOO YEH
Sound Makers Series (2025) – 06.01.25
"I have not yet found any data on prices for the WE16A horn in the 1920's. It seems that the Western Electric Company did not sell it, but leased it to the theaters, which is why the horn is labelled 'This is the property of the Western Electric Company'. Genuine 16A horns are so rare that it's hard to find records of them ever being traded, so there is no known market price. I saw someone offer one for sale a long time ago for over €50,000..."
THIS WEEK
04.01.25
'Ritarikokelas' by new favourite artist Joel Slotte.
Luna. An approximation to a 'chiaroscuro' look with a Helios 44M-4 vintage lens and fujifilm simulations.
The only rewind I need
THIS WEEK
05.12.24 | VISITING THE MONASTERY OF POMBEIRO
1
2
3
4
1/ best view of the Church
2/ the Altar full of baroque bliss
3/ seating area in the elevated pipe organ room
4/ the beautiful pipe organ refurbished in 2015 after 200 years of silence
"Pay your respects to the vultures for they are your future, our fathers and mothers have, they have failed to release us into the welcoming arms of the amethyst deceivers. So pay your respects to the vultures, and to the crows, and to the carrion crows, those Craven Ravens, and to the carrion crows, and to the rooks, and to the vultures, for they are our future. "
lyrics from 'The Last Amethyst Deceiver' by Coil.
John Balance died on this day, the 13th November, 20 years ago. RIP
John Balance at Brainwashed
THIS WEEK
11.11.24
I had the pleasure to hold a minute conversation with Mizmor's mastermind ALN and told him that they were one of the highlights at this year's Amplifest. Their latest album Prosaic, released in 2023 is a modern black metal classic.
A clean slate Amplifest 2024 visual. The 10th edition of the Porto based intimate music festival coincided with Amplificasom’s 18th birthday. Amplifest has been, since 2011, thought out and carefully designed as an intense experience, from music fans to music fans. Highlights this year were Menace Ruine, Chelsea Wolfe, The Body & Dis Fig, Inter Arma and Mizmor.
Artwork crop: Oxbow 'Love's Holiday', 2023 album released on Ipecac.
Artwork crop: Sutekh Hexen & Andrew Liles 'Breed In me The Darkness', 2013 album released on Aurora Borealis.
DIMENSIONAL BLEEDTHROUGH TURNS 15
Released 10 November 2009 – 10.11.24
Krallice 'Dimensional Bleedthrough' turns 15 this 10th November. Their 2nd studio album, was my introduction to the mighty sound of Krallice and ranks as one of the most accomplished pieces of avant Black Metal to grace my years. Celebrating 15 years since this release, in praise of the most unique, hard working band in extreme metal, lead by the prolific record producer and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Colin Marston and long time collaborator Mick Barr.
'Aridity' is one of the highlights of the album and makes the Infinite Mix of best tracks from the band, album after album release.
THIS WEEK
06.10.24
“Ice cold and dystopian.” It celebrates “atmospheric pressure, and the joy of full body assaults, via oversized sound systems in undersized club rooms.”
in 'Kevin Richard Martin aka The Bug writes about his new album Machines I-V released on Relapse.'
Machines I-V
"NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD" - 04.10.24
"THE PLAIN TRUTH ==
we drifted through it, arguing.
every day a new war crime,
every day a flower bloom.
we sat down together and wrote it in one room,
and then sat down in a different room, recording.
NO TITLE= what gestures make sense while tiny bodies fall? what context? what broken melody?
and then a tally and a date to mark a point on the line, the negative process, the growing pile.
the sun setting above beds of ash
while we sat together, arguing.
the old world order barely pretended to care.
this new century will be crueler still.
war is coming.
don’t give up.
pick a side.
hang on.
love.
GY!BE"
THIS WEEK
29.09.24
“I did not join a rock and roll band to play rock and roll!” – Blixa Bargeld, on quitting The Bad Seeds.
“My name is Blixa Bargeld. And I’m here for my COMPUTER!” – Also Blixa Bargeld, when picking up said computer from a computer store in Berlin where Xiu Xiu now resides.
Detail: concept of the SS25 show stage for Courrèges SS25 show. Grönlund & Nisunen in collaboration with Courrèges' artistic director Nicolas Di Felice and scenography director Rémy Brière.
L’EAU ROUGE TURNS 35
Released in September 1989. 13.09.24
The Young Gods 'L'Eau Rouge' turns 35 this September. Their 2nd studio album, it is usually referred to as their masterpiece and was included in “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” in 2005, the 1st edition of the book edited by English writer Robert Dimery, who had previously worked for magazines such as Time Out and Vogue. The book is still being updated today and the album still features. Incidentally, been wanting to write about this album's milestone, which is sometime in September (a specific day for the release of the album has never been confirmed), and just heard the news of Roli Mosimann passing aged 68. The Swiss-American producer behind this album's unique sound was a respected drummer, musician and producer who worked with The The, Celtic Frost, New Order, Faith No More, Skinny Puppy, Marilyn Manson, and more.
'La Fille de La Mort' is one of the highlights of the album and makes the Mix #110
Amazing Album cover of the month by Caroline Harrison for Pyrrhon.
Hail Murray! book - The Bay Area Punk Photography of Murray Bowles, 1982-1995.
JOÃO MARIA GUSMÃO
Animal Farm, Galeria Zé Dos Bois. 04.09.24
Like a phantom, 'Ghost Tape' glimpsed in a room adjacent to 'Rooster at Dawn' is a an absence from the past persisting in the present. As we observe. and as befits any ghost worth its salt, it is unnervingly haunting de to the twistedness of the temporal dilemma that precipitates its absent presence.
In the very same room where 'Fermented Foam' floats another piece perches precariously, playing with paradigms even more preplexing - those of evolution, animal anatomy and proto-cinema. The piece in question is 'Half a Horse', here we witness a sequence of still shots of bizarre bipedal horses, each appearing one ofter another, cleanly cloven in two. Half a Horse repeated.
From the realm of scatology to the field of urology; from number two to number one - from three to four in Freudian jargon; from coprophilia to urophilia, from poo to pee, the journey is teensy, since both events are usually performed within the same revered sanctuary: the water closet the bathroom. Yet sometimes these transpire outside these conventional confines, which brings us to the peculiar subject of the film 'Mozart's Piss Stone'.
In Gilles Deleuze's writings on Cinema, the oft-cited philosopher refashions the concept of "any-space-whatever" (espace quelconque) - a term originally coined by French Anthropologist Marc Augé to describe mundane urban like metro stops and waiting rooms... such transient yet distinctive - void yet fertile spaces abound in and within 'Bedrooms'.
Upon the three-metre expanse of screen, the first encounter a visual opening that whisks us away to a foreign place through landscapes of deviance. Deviant, for they overtly diverge from the norms or expectations rooted in their inherent milieu... as the title 'Flat cows make nice yoghurt' intimates, these bovines have transcended mere animal status, they have become monsters of super-production. Amplified, as is inevitable when the urban sprawl ascends vertically, they reach outward to the horizon to sustain our growing brunch.
Vintage Eiki 16mm movie projectors were used in all rooms.
+
ODECEIXE
30.08.24
Above: Casas do Moinho and nr. 133 details, shot walking up and down the charming Rua 25 de Abril in Odeceixe. Below: Praia da Arrifana and house in Rogil. Vintage Helios 44-2 58mm f2 lens using Fujifilm Old Ektachrome simulation. No post-production.
