W I R E A D V E N T U R E S I N M O D E R N M U S I C

lssw 155 January 1997 $2.50 $5.50 ISSN 0952-0686 (USPSW6231 ) 45-46 Pobnd Street - LondonWIV 3DF - W

Tek 01114396422 - F.x:0111 2814261

brmll: t b e e ~ . w . r *

EdiilPublisher Tony Herrington

Deputy Editw RobYoung Art E d i Robin Haws

Advertising Manager V u u n u Smith(0111 494 1340) :

Subsaiptions Ben House (0111 134 3555) Adminimator Alex Silcoa

Founder h t h o n y Wood Chairmanof the Namara Grwp N . ka A m

Cmtnbutas Sylve- Balazard, Jake Barnem, Mike Bunes, Dean Belcher, Clive Ball, C M . Blackford, Linton Chtmick, Robert C l uk , Richard Cook, JohnCorbelt, Blian Duguid, Phil England, Kodwo Eshun, Mark Espiner, John W,Malt Eytche,Louise Gray, Andy Hamilton, Stew Holtje, S h n Hopkins, DavM Ilia, David Keenm, TknKent, R.hrru Khuam, Nick Khnberley, B i b . Kepi, A r l Lange,Howard Mandel, Peter McLntyre, Aady Medhwt, Will MO-, SernMoore, IM PO-, Edrrin P-ey, Slman Ihynolds, TomRidge, Robin Rhbaud, JonathauRomuey,Savage Pencil, Paul Schnke,llichud &OM, Petushapiro, CM.Sharp, Mark Sinker, PaulShunp, Julie Taraaka, David Toop, JohnL Walter8, Ben Watson, By Witherden

D i m

UK & Eumpe: USM 8 6 Newman Street London W1P 3LD. Tel: 017 1 396 8000 Fax: 0 171 396 8002

Subxrlptlons

UK f 30 Europe $35 USA $601535 Rest ofwmfd f 5 0 Airif 35 Surface Hotlb~?Ol717343555

USA. Ea8temNew8 Dwributorr 2 5 0 West 55th Street NewYwkNY 1W19,USA Tel: 2 12 649 4484 US4newsstandqmes call TdlFree 181)02213148).

Printedby St IwPLC The Wreis amember of the Namara Grwp (Chairman: NairnAttallah). It is published 12 timesper year by The Wire Magazine Ltd I

2nd Claa P m g e is paid at Hadwrnck NJ 07601. PostMster: Pleasesend address changes to: 7he Wire, 45-46 Poland Street LondonW1V 3DF, UK Special thanks this issue to Manffytche, Joy Lewis and David Keenan Cover photograph:h d y Pwkington

1996: A year of two halves. .. ~~4kos~& n gover in July mpubli l e d iof The Wire ' :(before realising, a split second lat ,that it would mean

. -hasmuchwork) MeetingM $E Smith Talvin - . Singh @ The WP's Adventures In Modern Music night

.,presentedas part of ~ottin~ham'sNOW 96 multi-arts festival: a brilliant mix of'hair-raising tabla virtuosity, high velocjty drum 'n' bass and Talvin's electnfylngstage

J . . , presence Xper.Xr @ LMC's New Auras season: * . ' - : -ridiculousHong Kong turntable'n' microphone-abuse duo who turned the hairshirtambience of London's Conway Hall into an hysterical Theatre of the Absurd Aphex Twin @ The Clink: Dante's Inferno with breakbeats Labelswith a sense of humour:Sabotage, Ninja Tune Electronics from Vienna, Cologne, Dusseldoff Nights at The Electronic Lounge, The Sprawl and, of course, Scratch, launched in April by The WireILo RecordingslLeaf, voted into the NMEsTop 20 Clubs in Britan by October Derek Bailey, for refusing to rest on past achievementsand producingtwo of the year's most headsplnningrecords W a r ,D m s 'N'Bassand The Last Wave Yoko Ono on the April cover The strange goings-on in the mind of Faust'sJean-Hen@Peron CompilingCasmicKumhi Mmsrefx Changing The Wire logo Postcardsfrom RussellMills .Artwork by Savage P m i l Photography by Tim Kent One 'star' contributor: Mr Lee Ranaldo Big Cat Virgin, R ~ g e n c eand Mantia for the free CDs On-U Sound @ The Wre 150th issue party Rearrangrngthe office Words of support from Tortoise, Diamanda Galas, Laibach,Jim O'Rourke Makingconnections with Wre-friendly souls from LA to Santiago Some welcome visitors Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Keiko Yajima (God Mountain,Tokyo), Tom Welsh (NewAlbm, San Francixo),Bill Murphy (Axiom, New York) Some friendly faces:Jon Tye, Tony Morley, Tony McLoughlin,Iris Garreifs, Simon Hopkins, Mike Barnes, Robin Rimbaud, John Wall, Paul Schiitze, Trevor Manwaring. Ed Baxter Some receptiveears: Harry @ SRD, S i n @ Cargo, John Paveley @ Caroline, Andy Childs @ Ryko, Giles @Tower,Andrew McKenzie@ LAB Some (other) 'zines: Octqws, Paris; TubaFrenzy, Chapel e Fall, Kreidler, Funki a pay us that invoice, or what?"

note imminent fa erhwd ' ; t tnp to The Festrval of for The Wim* Not sit down and listen

TOW HERRlNGT

The February 97 issue of The Wire

R~pp~ngInto the New Year wlth Autechre, John Zorn, George Crumb, ESP, plus all the

(un)usualpages of features, Interviews,CD and book revlews, mult~med~a,news and other under-the-counter stuff

On sale Tuesday 28 January l ien oa?ts to any renciei iyha ylotri.ii rhr del!beruter wtake 00 lost r~?orithsrlexf lsciie lwxl

$3