271103 08:27

zero-g have designed + built the new site for uk-based record label, gronland records. the site is now live at groenland.com

gronland was formed by herbert gronmeyer, lead actor in the movie 'das boot' and who has had a high-profile music career in germany for last two decades.

the roster includes legendary krautrockers, neu! (who recently appreared on tarantino's 'kill bill' soundtrack), as well as rising international dj star adam freeland, bombay 1 (new project featuring pyrolatot, who has produced to rococo rot, stereo total and kriedler), pet (featuring, amongst others, dodo from mouse on mars), half cousin (beautiful accoustic / electronica from the orkneys in scotland), lunz (feat hans jochim cornelius from cluster) and lockdown project (mixing up a love for metallica and cypress hill with some great pop sensibilities).

gronland have their own studio in london where many seminal artists have recorded (such as bjork, radiohead, blur to name a few).

gronland's board members include dutch photographer anton corbijn - famous for his stills and video work with the likes of nick cave, depeche mode, U2, metallica, nirvana and the rollins band - and designer walter schonauer, who recently worked on projects for peaches and chicks on speed.

the site blends cartoon imagery with background info on all of gronland's activities, downloads of b-sides and rarities and a kickin' soundtrack featuring the best of the label's output.

live in the neu! - get to groenland.com


271103 07:50

so i got an email from someone calling themselves "chairman then" who has decided that i am a "horrible, jumped up c**t" and that i have my "head up my c**ting arse". which was nice.

this all stems from the article that i published on this site called 'croydon, f'ing croydon'. you can click here to read it, but i can paraphrase. croydon is a town on the outskirts of london that was built and planned by people who seemingly couldn't give a damn. the whole place reeks of compromise, there's nothing outstanding or inspiring about the place - in fact, quite the opposite.

anyway, my angle was that we shouldn't ever need to compromise for living a life of no alarms and no surprises. we shouldn't need to live a life of 'oh well whatever' resignation. croydon cried out as being particularly due for a hammering, mainly due to its close proximity to some of the most beautiful countryside in england, the south downs. why live in croydon when, seconds away, you could live in far more inspiring surroundings?

the cost of living in london, and its outer reaches such as croydon, is identical (pound for pound, including rent + travel) to living further south, away from the town-planning nightmare and acres of 'out-of-town' shopping centres, bursting to breaking point with consumers intent on blowing their hard-earned cash on crap. it just takes some imagination and some balls to make the jump.

so that's what makes me a c**t, ladies and gents. (and i'm in bed with tony and cherie blair apparently too). if being open-minded and being resolutely determined not to accept the fate of living in a compromised, mind-sucking part of the world, then i'm guilty as charged. i would do whatever is necessary to get out of a place like that, for the sake of my sanity more than anything else. and it's not about money - there are 100s of beautiful places all over the uk (and, of course, all over the world) that are cheaper to live than croydon and the major bonus is that they won't suck your will to live.

there's more to life than that, there HAS to be - and if it means turning our lives upside down and inside out in order to see it, then so be it.

261103 09:20

i can't help but get excited over the new can dvd set - vintage can footage and new documentaries, with some solo audio thrown in for good measure. can tend to get left behind whenever anyone hands out 'the most influential band' bouqets, however an ferocious re-release schdeule (in 2004 and 2005) of their back catalogue might help put a stop to that. here's a recent article from the guardian that tells a little of their history. for the full skinny on the dvd, see playlouder's new story.


251103 23:07

just sat around in the studio waiting for bobby gillespie to phone for an "international interview" and it was a no-show (or a "no-ring" to be precise). very boring and very pissed off at having to make the trip across town (well, along the street) to the studio to no avail ... i'm movin' on up from you bobby, oh yes, my dreams are shattered - and what do i get from you? nothing! not even a phone call or a thank you card! ya bugger! ... expect "waiting for bobby" to be staged at a theatre near you soon.

wedding photos are now officially back from the photo people and damn fine they look too. there's 100s of course which will require a phenomenal scanning session - anyway, here's a sampler ... erm, i know, not too dissimilar from the one on the left, but this time you can make out a faint outline of the harbour bridge and my dashing kilt, sorry, rob's lovely dress :-)

mrs buchanan and i have just put the finishing touches to a new site for london-based record label gronland records (or rather robyn did all the interesting cool stuff and i looked over her shoulder). should be live within hours (maybe days) and features all sort of wonderful 'hannah barbera' type animation and some extraordinarily good music too (such as the legendary krautrock pioneers, neu!)

it's adbusters' buy nothing day on friday (28th), so remember to pack your lunches before you go to work / school / dole queue / pub.


181103 08:30

last sunday's FAT PLANET 'JAPANESE SPECIAL' was my favourite show yet, for many reasons -not least of which was finally playing THE BOREDOMS on radio and boucing that up next to the likes of SHONEN KNIFE. a fine time was had - playlist is now online. this sunday (23rd) we interview lebanon's R.E.G. PROJECT.

this is from this week's skruff newsletter :::
"Obviously not everyone who wears the label can be called a trouble maker but we have to be careful. Doormen have been told no one is allowed in wearing Burberry." (Daily Star) 80% of clubs and bars in Aberdeen (Scotland) have added Burberry to their door code exclusion policy, after soccer hooligans purloined the upmarket raincoat/ checked print clothing brand.
// upper classes be warned - we're coming for yr ferrets and yr bentleys next!


121103 08:01

this sunday, FAT PLANET presents a JAPAN special, celebrating the release of new albums by two japanese electronic innovators, RIOW ARAI ('Mind Edit' on Leaf) and SUSUMU YAKOTA ('Laputa' on Skintone). also features music from Japanese artists CORNELIUS, DJ KRUSH, UNITED FUTURE ORGANISATION, SKETCH SHOW, TUJIKO NORIKO and some power-pop from the legendary PUFFY AMIYUMI. // FAT PLANET on sydney's FBi 94.5FM


071103 07:59

WE DID IT! zero-g has won the MTV EUROPE WEB AWARD for goldfrapp.co.uk, pinching the award directly under the noses of fellow nominees MADONNA, MARILYN MANSON, JUNION SENIOR and QUEESN OF THE STONE AGE! thanks to everyone who voted and supported the site!!

here's how the MTV site reported the news :::

"goldfrapp.co.uk have won this year’s fabulous MTV Europe Music Web Award, beating rivals (and buddies) Marilyn Manson, Junior Senior, Queens of the Stone Age and even the mighty Madonna.

"The eclectic, sexy brit-synth-popsters, famous for their hits 'Train', 'Strict Machine' and 'Twist', combine a spellbinding cocktail of dreamy narcotic moods doused with elements of tango and torch songs, all wrapped in edgy electronica. With their erotic live shows and tantalising music, Goldfrapp’s global following gets bigger by the second, thanks to their fantastic (and now award winning) website.

"Filled with haunting images like talking trees, floating cowbells and mystery ‘manimals’, www.goldfrapp.co.uk invites fans to enter the band’s imaginary fantasy world via interactive message boards, e-cards, fan clubs, diaries, news, ringtones and exclusive downloads. The site has an extra edge over their competitors, which is why you voted for them in such huge numbers.

"The award was presented to Goldfrapp earlier tonight in a special, personalised video message from last year’s Web Award winner, Moby. Check out Moby’s presentation, and we’ll have Goldfrapp’s acceptance speech here for you to see very soon. So thanks for voting and remember to keep on supporting Goldfrapp’s uber-cool website!"
 
to read the news online and see the video of the congratulations message from MOBY [!], click here, then click on NEWS > GOLDFRAPP 4 WEB AWARD.


051103 08:28

i've had a bad dose of flu over the last week which has pissed me off no end. missed a couple of gigs, parties and some excellent sunshine. in return, i got four days under a duvet watching dvds. great in winter, but it's summer down here - so not so good. coughed and spluttered my way through the radio show last sunday and foolishly guided myself into work on monday. bad move. //

it allowed for some quality cd-listening time, and here's what i found:
> scottish band garlic on former cocteau twins' boy, robin guthrie's label bella union. more great scottish alt.folk melancholia.
> new album from lesser on matador, heavy on the glitchin' surface noise with an additional mp3 collection recorded in 1985 (hilarious!)
> new creatures album, aka siouxsie and budgie, entitled hai! - like stepping right back to their debut album, feast, way back when. driven almost entirely by percussion, there's also a limited instrumental cd where budgie gets to cut loose. (beautiful home page on their site too). many moons ago when i was budding student journo, i interviewed the pair of them. the piece is archived here.
> found some mp3s from icelandic mary chain wannabes, singspore sling. what with the raveonettes on this tip too, it's about time for a reid brothers revival, surely?
> and find of the week was probably mommy and daddy from new york. they describe themselves as "a tag team steel cage match between le tigre and the b-52s on one side, and motorhead and pil on the other". sweeeet!


041103 20:15

two days to go until mtv europe awards - if you haven't voted yet for the zero-g designed goldfrapp site in 'the web award' category - click freakin' here, right now! // last week's flu-infested fat planet playlist online.


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