UNKNOWN PLEASURES : CATS ON FIRE

For the next band we have to move to Finland. In fact, do we know much about the Finnish musicscene? Not really, but this has changed from today on because Cats On Fire are exactly what I expect from music.
Not that these guys do anything new but I'm just a sucker if it comes to irresistible indie-jinglejanglepop that is linked to the C86-movement. I always said that Cats On Fire sound like if Paul Weller would have had a recorddeal with Sarah Records and I'll stick to that. It's the ultimate soundtrack for people who can't get enough from the sound The Wedding Present made on "George Best" all added with a dreamy pop touch.
So far the band have released an EP and two albums, but for a full discography you better watch their website at where you can hear plenty of songs and watch some videos too! Something for genuine indiekids!
http://www.netikka.net/catsonfire/

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : MEMORY TAPES

I always has been in love with what people call the perfect poptune. It can be my brain, my moods or whatever but if I hear a perfect tune with a heavenly female voice then I'm sold.
Listening to Memory Tapes makes me sold forever. This band from New Jersey who were in another life called Weird Tapes, once in another life it was Memory Cassette,understood this perfectly.
Normally their album "Seek Magic" should be out by now and from what I've heard so far, I can only tell that it is the kind of record that every indiedreampoplover should own.
Electronic beats that goes along with the dreamy pop from Sarah Redcords makes Memory Tapes sounds like...well...Saint Etienne.
But is it bad to sound like Saint Etienne? Nope, it's even more than a compliment....
it means that they're brilliant!
http://www.myspace.com/memorytapes

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : ESBEN AND THE WITCH

Today they might be among the "unknown pleasures" from this blog but soon this band will be big, you just feel that. Esben and the witch, are a band from Brighton, who are named after a Danish fairytale and it's not just the name itself that has a fairy tale-connection.
Their music is a quite interesting mix from industrial beats (think Einsturzende Neubauten) mixed with ethereal voices (think Cranes).
In some weeks they'll have a 7"inch out (available through Rough Trade) but if you're too far away from that recordshop it might be a consolation that their current release, the mini-album "33" is out for free download (click on the website below to see the details).
Esben and the Witch are an essential addition for everyone who's into bands like Miranda Sex Garden, Lydia Lunch or so many other female performers who aren't afraid to do the unusual. Be one of the first ones to check 'em out!!!
www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : PLUG

I don't know that much about Plug, just that they're a duo (Sian and Georgie) from London who released a brilliant 7"inch on Parlour Records.
The band themselves are operating in anonymous style, you can't even contact them on their My Space-page.
And what about the music? Well, Plug are creating experimental soundscapes with an industrial undertone that's not far away from what once indus-acts like early Psychic TV, SPK, Coil or Throbbing Gristle were doing.
For some it will be the greatest nonsense ever for others new horizons will open....
http://www.myspace.com/plugddd

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : TESLA BOY

Do you believe me if one of the finest synthpopacts from today can be found in Moscow? Nah, you don't believe me and I wouldn't believe it myself without hearing their music.
Anyway, this trio (Dima, Boris and Anton) are making electropop just like if 1987 was never away, like if time stood still...and the greatest thing is that it doesn't sound dated at all!
Just like every synthpopband they sound a lot like Depeche Mode, but for anyone who is not too lazy, they will certainly hear that these boys have the talent of coming up with some real tunes. Cos that's the problem with many synthpopbands, they have a nice sound but forget to write songs. Tesla Boy are not like this, they can write decent tunes and if it'll be 1987 again I'm sure they could be next to OMD or Alphaville.
Maybe there is still some future left for new romantics and if this scene ever will come back again, Tesla Boy will be on top of it!
http://www.myspace.com/teslaboysound

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : AZEDA BOOTH

Bands who are giving away their new album as a free download? What do you think of that? I know what's on your mind, you say it's cool but it's also because it only deserves to be given away for free.
That's correct for many bands but not for the Canadian band Azeda Booth (repeat that 5 times when you're drunk!).
As said their latest release "Tubtrek" is free and you're really some dumbass if you'll miss that. Why? Simply because these Canadians are making heavenly shoegazepop that's been combined with modern electronic sounds.
They think themselves that their music can be labelled as cherry pop and even if I do agree I say : if you let Aphex Twin remix the early Slowdive-releases you're already halfway there! A band you have to follow and it even doesn't cost you a penny!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/azedabooth

AN INTERVIEW WITH MYSELF...YES, WITH MYSELF!!!!

Have you ever interviewed yourself? You should do it as all it takes is a lousy mirror, a pretty fucked up mind and some smart questions. It’s much cheaper than visiting a psychiatrist, believe me! But as I don’t wanna bore you with my psychological problems, I decided to concentrate on that subject that gets you here : The Original Sin….
HELLO, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT AND PERHAPS YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF?
Sure, I’m 41, born in Belgium and since I was a kid I fell in love with music….
SO IN LOVE, YOU STARTED A FANZINE. WHY IS IT CALLED THE ORIGINAL SIN?
There is a beautiful version and a rather stupid one. The stupid one is the truth as it was just taken from one of my favesongs by Theatre Of Hate, lots of people thought it was the INXS-song…now, why would I wanna do that?
The beautiful version came later as the original sin was biblewise when Eva ate the apple, for me it was the original sin when I first heard music…like some poison that came in my veins and never came out.
BUT YOU WANTED THE ORIGINAL SIN SOMETHING SPECIAL, NOT?
Sure. I read everything I got in my hands about music. As soon as I got my first fanzine in my hands (that was a German one, Refuse Collection, done by Angela) a new world came open to me. I started writing people how I could obtain fanzines. Soon I discovered some gems among them but honestly said there were many around who were just some blind copies from the NME. I was actually wondering why someone should write about Oasis as they already got so many attention and one day I thought : hey, I wanna do a fanzine that is specialized in small and unsigned bands, all styles.
YOU’RE A SNOB THEN?
At the contrary. I listen to lots of things, even things that aren’t hip. For example I have a huge collection of so called 80’s crapmusic like Bronski Beat, Spandau Ballet, Kim Wilde…and I’m a huge Peter Gabrielfan so….a snob me???
Thing is the undergroundscene is like some unopened magic box in where there is of course lots of crap, but precious little diamonds that can only be discovered through fanzines as the record companies never cared.
What was so damn good about all those fanzines was that they were written by people who stayed themselves and created a whole unique style. I was always looking forward to see the next issue of Abuse, Quirk, REPEAT, Cream Of The Crop, Organ….
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO WRITE?
Honestly, it was all inspired by a Melody Maker-journalist named Everett True. He was my hero and still is, and his reviews were so thrilling. Some say it was nothing but self glorification ET did and in a way it was but I really am bored by journalists who see music as maths. Who wants to read a review from 500 words in where every song is explained to the bone? That’s bullshit only people wanna read who takes music not seriously…. So I decided that I wanted to write like Everett, from the heart.
SOME SAY THAT THE ORIGINAL SIN WAS FAR TOO KIND, NEVER A BAND THAT WAS BAD, EVERYTHING WAS GENIUS…
Yeah, but that was my policy too. I only reviewed a band when I thought it was good, when it sucked I decided not to write about it. And let’s be honest, it’s actually great to slash down a band and if that’s a band who has the audience from Oasis then that’s only fair, even funny. Why would I write a bad review about some band who made a demotape that’s been printed on 100 copies?
That’s stupid. It’s already hard enough for these people to get heard so if you knock ‘em down, then you might be a “true journalist” but in my opinion a bastard as well….
THERE WERE 41 ISSUES, RIGHT?
Exactly. There were 3 phases. The first ones were handwritten, I kid you not. Then there was the improvement of an old typewriter and around the 28th issue the computer made its entrance. It was also then that The Original Sin reached 500 copies per issue. Which was honestly said too less as I always had to disappoint people by telling them the issue was “out of print” but as they were made with a xeroxmachine I kept on reprinting them, so I think some issues must have got 700 copies or so.
A BIG SUCCESS THEN?
I suppose so but that was also the bad side from it. Not only was it financial wise a complete impossible thing as you must know that the fanzine was free but printing it costed around 2 Euro per copy and with that money there were even no stamps included to send them out.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED MONEY THEN…..
We both know, dear, that from the moment you ask a penny not only the thrill has gone but the interest as well….
Plus from the moment it got 500 issues, the fun was over too as I really faced the bad things about being a zinewriter. In the beginning I reviewed only stuff that I liked but once your name was known in the scene I got tons of CDS I never asked for. There were days I got 10 CDS per day in the mail. You might think it’s cool, and for some months it is, but believe me if you have hundreds of cds around from band who are sounding like a bad copy from REM, you know you’re in trouble. Or you get 3 cds by someone who’s pretending to be the next Dolly Parton and a month later you’ll receive an angry letter in where she states it’s a shame her masterpieces weren’t reviewed yet…
YOU ALWAYS PUT AN UNSIGNED BAND ON THE COVER, NOT?
That was also a funthing, who will be on the cover of this month’s issue? It depended on different factors, who were the best or who sent decent pics with their demo. I mean if you think that band X is the best band of the year but you have no picture, you can’t put them on the cover, not? You have no idea how many letters I got from bands begging me to put them on the cover. Quite stupid. But then again, being on the cover also meant that your band was seen by 500 eyes, at least. From the moment I got letters from labels who told me I could get all their records for free as long as it were good reviews, I understood it was lost.
YOU SAY UNSIGNED BANDS, BUT ARE THERE BANDS WHO GOT BIG?
Cranberries, without any doubt. Then there was also Camera Obscura and little bands like Electric Sound Of Joy who never got big, but ended up on legendary labels like Earworm or Wurlitzer Jukebox. But in general it’s rather frustrating, I think I have reviewed around 4 till 5000 bands and to see that only one really got big is in fact a sad fact, not? Maybe it was the curse of The Original Sin, who knows, but realizing that Cranberries became a millionselling band made thatcurse rather nonsense, not?
THE ORIGINAL SIN WENT ON-LINE AFTER 41 ISSUES, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT?
The beginning of the end. I was married then and in no way I couldn’t afford the money to keep on doing The Original Sin. Plus as said, the real love was gone and I felt like a slave to the zine…I was listening to a stupid REM-copy while I wanted to hear the latest Yummy Fur and that was no good. Out of the blue came one of my best mates, Dennis, with an idea : let’s do it on-line! Sounds brilliant but Dennis lived in Germany and knew all about computers and I was in Belgium and I knew nothing about it. I was completely depended on Dennis and even if he did a great job, I never liked the e-zine cos The Original Sin was like all e-zines : if you visit them 2 weeks later, it were the same bloody pages….
AND THEN YOU DISSAPEARED…
“Disappeared from view” as The Teardrop Explodes sang but in my heart, I was still there…mind you.
AND NOW THE ORIGINAL SIN IS BACK, WHY?
Oh there are different reasons. The main reason is the most stupid. I asked one of my best mates if she could give me some readingtips for books and as soon as the question was asked, I realised that I was a writer instead of a reader. Secondly through the Facebook I got in touch again with some old pals and I think I kind of missed it…
IT’S A BLOGSPOT, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THIS FORMAT?
Difficult to say. I guess it’s a no because first of all a fanzine is the best on paper. But I know from myself that in no way I could afford the old days and secondly I am not a computerhead, so don’t expect me coming up with a genius website, so let’s be thankful there are blogspots for people like us.
DO YOU EXPECT IT TO HAVE THE SUCCESS AS IT USED TO?
Everyone who is making a come back hopes for that otherwise you don’t. I have no idea if today in 2010 there is an interest in the fanzinescene cause after all I was active in the peak of its success. Bands got contracts because fanzines liked them, just think of Bis. I suppose the old traditional fanzines are still around but I can’t think they have such an impact as they used to have back then. The difficult thing for me is also that I have to start it all over, it’ll be a long way to have what once was, but having said that : with a little bit of luck there are some hundreds of readers as well…. What’s most important for me is that I do the things now on my terms, even if I know from myself that there is just one standard : a very high one.
IT’S GETTING LATE NOW SO WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS GREAT TALK.
Thank you….
NO THANKS, BUT YOU STILL MUST ANSWER THE TWO QUESTIONS YOU ASKED IN EVERY INTERVIEW. WHAT’S YOUR FAVE RECORD OF ALL TIME AND WHY…
That must be “Low” by David Bowie because after all that’s the record that started it all for me. When I was a teenage kid my whole world got open once I heard that sound and as history knows this sound wasn’t just influential for me…
WITH WHO DO YOU WANNA BE STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR FOR 8 HOURS AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN?
You sick bastard! What a question, with my wife of course!
WHAT A DUMB ANSWER, MATE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE…
I guess it must be Charlotte Gainsbourg, what I’ll do is none of your business…
DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OUR READERS?
Once you’re immortal you can die.

CONCERTREVIEW : WALDORF/BIG PINK (TRIX, ANTWERPEN, 30/01/10)

The first thing you notice once you enter the venue called Trix is that not many people have showed up to see the next big hype from England. Maybe they’re waiting and will come later, I thought, as first we had to see Waldorf.
Waldorf are a Belgian band who are already around since 2001 but most of the members were seeking other places (one member went to Soulwax) but the brain from this band, Wolfgang Vanwymeersch kept on believing in himself which ended up in their debutalbum on the quite legendary Belgian label Kinky Star.
So far the history, the music is something totally different as a friend already told me they were quite like Queens Of The Stone Age. You can blame me but if I hear QOTSA as a reference, the alarmbell in me goes ringing cuz if there’s one thing I cann’t stand it must be stoner rock. Waldorf were not different, average songs played with a lack of enthusiasm. They did their thing, they brought 6 or 7 songs but as soon as the gig was over none of my braincells got touched.
If there is one positive thing about Waldorf then it must be their drummer Brecht Decroos, one of the best Belgian drummers I ever saw but as you can guess a brilliant drummer doesn’t makes a band good….
And there was Big Pink. Big Pink are huge in the UK, not only have they won the NME-award for best new act but the album “A brief history of love” that’s been released on 4-AD was seen in every list.
You can blame the British press for their hunger for hypes but the hype around this London-based electronic duo is at its place. You just don’t feel that vibe in Belgium yet cos the cosy venue was filled with 150 people who wanted to see what’s it all about. But as always it were only those who weren’t there who were wrong cuz from the very first second you saw that Big Pink are a band who do more than just play their album.
While their album is pretty poppy and at times quite like Placebo, the sound they produce on stage is totally different. It’s no wonder that singer/guitarist Robbie Furze used to be the guitarist from Alec Empire because all they wanna do is letting your ears tremble. A constant noisy fuzzguitar dominates the whole sound while keyboardplayer Milo Cordell conjures magnificent industrial sounds, and from someone who wears an Einsturzende Neubauten-jacket you know what you can expect.
The sound was so loud that you couldn’t hear Akiko’s drumming, but apart for her, nobody complained because watching Big Pink was as exciting as seeing Jesus & The Mary Chain during their” Psychocandy”-years.
Some people will be complaining that the band are seeking more industrial sounds for their concerts but it’s just that add which gives it an extra touch, even such a touch that after seeing them live you can accuse them of having made an album with a rather lame sound. Superb.

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : MOLOKO VELOCET

Quite funny how many bands are named with a velocet...there was the Wiiija-band Velocette, experimental Britpoppers Campag Velocet and now a band from Tourcoing (that's in France,yup) are called Moloko Velocet!
If they are named after milk (moloko is Russian for milk) or after the drink from "A clockwork orange" is beyond me, but what I do know is that this band have recently released an EP (it's called, ahum, Moloko Velocet) on which they can be proud of. From the early start you feel like you're entering some unknown Pink Floyd-album (the Syd Barrett-years of course) but as soon as the vocals from Maria Mackenzy start you notice, you're dealing with a very special band.
Not only are you paralyzed by Maria's vocals, there are also the slide-guitars that are giving you a specific 60's psychedelic feeling, even if the music itself has a quite modern sound.
Think early Pink Floyd, Mazzy Star, Galaxie 500, Spacemen 3, even some Nico and above all a French band who have found a very original sound. Too genius to be forgotten.
http://www.myspace.com/molokovelocetmusic

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : BOAT CLUB

There is something between Sweden and perfect popmusic. Whether it's the water or the sexy Swedish girls is something that hasn't been solved yet, but thing is that Boat Club, who are from Gothenburg, are once again a Swedish popband who came up with the perfect popsound. Boat Club are Andreas and Magnus who recently released the "Caught in the breeze"-EP on the Luxury-label.
And now of course the question that's on your lips : how does it sound then?
Well, let's say it is ethereal dream pop that makes you feel like you're on some beach in Hawai which is kind of logic if you have a band name that is Boat Club, not?
But it is of course more than that, imagine the popbeat from New Order, the heavenly popatmosphere from early Factorybands like The Wake and all this added with the romantic touch of a Sarahband like let's say Field Mice.
You got it? This is dreampop for dreamers, a heavenly synthpopsound that feels like the best cocktail you ever drank. Enough of my lyrical nonsense, now it's time to listen!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/boatclub

UNKNOWN PLEASURES : THE SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP

A good beginning is something of an essence, not? I mean, if you start a blog or fanzine (or whatever?) and the first band you review is shit you know you won't have that many future readers so it has to be a good one! Well, I truly do believe in them! It's even a band from whom I think that one day will be playing in big venues, but then again everything's possible....
Enough of my bollocks, you read this cause you wanna know how they sound like! Ironically I read several reviewers that linked them to Fleet Foxes and that's only because folky indierockbands are these days automatically be compared with them.
This trio (the singer Jill is American, Nick is from Wales and Gregor is from Scotland) already have supported British Sea Power and that already says something about the power these people have.
It's lo-fi folk with strong guitaroutbursts with songs that are as sharp as what PJ Harvey did on her debutalbum with a light psychedelic touch. Lots of words to describe a good band and as God served us with bright technology these days you can check it all out yourselves. Do it!http://sparrowandtheworkshop.co.uk/

Hello dear all,
some of you might remember the name of "The Original Sin" as a fanzine on paper. It was known as the fanzine that features small and unsigned bands, all styles. We did 41 issues and what a time it was! But I had to give it up as the zine took too much money from me and you can't live forever on the costs of your parents (sorry ma and pa!!!!) so unfortunately it came to an end. Tried for a while on-line but in all honesty, despite the great help from Dennis Ohrt, the e-zine died simply because I don't know enough from computers and software to give it a go. But now there's something called blogging!!! So this is the reborn Original Sin!!!! It will be the same as we used to giving small bands a chance and mix that with some great names so you'll keep on reading!!!
Having said that, I don't wanna be the victim from my zine. I mean, I review what I want so there's no need to ask "Where's the review you promised????" cos this is my zine, my music and not a collection of free ads from some unsigned bands who think they're the next new Beatles and besides we don't need any new Beatles so leave me alone.....
For the rest we will do what we did : kicking the underground with great reviews, interviews and all the things that made The Original Sin, The Original Sin....Kick out the jams!!!!!!