Twenty-Three years after the release of ‘Firestarter’, we find ourselves mourning the loss of the demonic figure of chaos which haunted that black and white video. Keith Flint was more than just a performer, he was capable of invading our minds both through the music of The Prodigy and the attitude of destruction that Flint could project. Not since the days of Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious had a figure risen on the British music scene that stirred the same fear and controversy as Keith Flint. Music in the nineties has become split into two categories, the boy/girl band offering or the Brit-Pop sound, The Prodigy were what music was crying out for, what an audience-danger, an edge, all projected in front of infectious beats and venom soaked lyrics with the fiendish grin of Flint to spearhead it.

The Prodigy however, an outfit formed in Essex at the dawn of the nineties struck gold with all that followed ‘Firestarter’. A second lashing of apocalyptic intensity followed in ‘Breathe’, paving the way for one of the most essential albums of the twentieth century.
The eagerly anticipated-The Fat of the Land, the long-awaited follow-up to Music for the Jilted Generation was hailed as a musical savior rising from the grime of the streets. While the two singles-'Firestarter' and 'Breathe' had hit the number one spot in the United Kingdom, this was electronica, cultivated with the long established techno sound that would break the genre out of Britain and finally plant it on the world stage.

The Fat of the Land falls short of masterpiece status, but what it lacks in with context it makes up for in appeal. It delivered exactly what was expected of it, intense hip-hop-derived rhythms, meaningless spewed fragmented lyrics by Flint and Maxim and the added ingredient of clever reconstructed samples. In part the majority of the album does sound quite similar to 'Firestarter,' though Liam Howlett is an inventive producer, and he can make empty songs like 'Smack My Bitch Up' and 'Serial Thrilla' work and become addictive and infectious and even wholly original. The funky hip-hop of 'Diesel Power” and 'Funky Shit,' as well as the mind-bending psychedelic splurge of 'Narayan' stand out. With guests including Crispian Mills (Kula Shakur) and Saffron of Republica who does an intense, toe-curling version of L7's 'Fuel My Fire,' all these passengers on Fat Of The Land give the album a wider scope and a variation between tracks.

The Fat of the Land does not qualify apparently as a flat-out masterpiece, it doesn’t really need to, the context and the image it set out transcends at times the music, what it did do was introduce us to one of the most enigmatic figures of the last thirty years, Rest In Peace Keith Charles Flint (17 September 1969 – 4 March 2019).

I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator
I'm the fear addicted, a danger illustrated
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter
You're a firestarter, twisted firestarter
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter
I'm the bitch you hated, filth infatuated, yeah
I'm the pain you tasted, fell intoxicated
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter
You're the firestarter, twisted firestarter
I'm the self inflicted, mind detonator, yeah
I'm the one infected, twisted animator
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter
You're the firestarter, twisted firestarter
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter starter

[Kevin Burke 4/03/2019]

Belgium-based artist Mathlovsky announced the release of his newest single “The Heat” and following LP “Yassssin” later this year. Following the words of Mathlovsky, The Heat demonstrates the transition he passed from being a DJ to musician and composer, recording “The Heat” with live-drums and additional vocals performed by the members of Jason & Rhonda-duo.

Titled "Sweep It Into Space" the newest full-length album will be released on April 23rd 2021. The first record since "Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not" will be released on Indiana-based Jagjaguwar-label.

Following this announcement, Dinosaur Jr. premiered their first single - "I Ran Away"!

By 1987, Siouxsie And The Banshees became more than a band, they were an almost institution. Their previous seven-albums had created a momentum of spectacular success, within a short few years Siouxsie And The Banshees were already cited as legendary.

The album the band released in 1987 must have came as a shock at first, Through The Looking Glass is an album of cover versions.
From the creative well that had thrown forth a back catalogue as strong as they had, this release on the surface may have seemed strange. Though they had successfully covered The Beatles Dear Prudence and even Helter Skelter in the past so they were no strangers to cover versions. In the end the album has become regarded as one of their finest works, a testimonial to the strength within the band.
Through The Looking Glass acts as a homage to their influences, songs carefully chosen to reflect the band members own childhood and teenage years, these had to ring true for Siouxsie Sioux to sing them and to believe in them. The album however transcends the normal tribute album,
Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk hailed the version of 'Hall of Mirrors' stating-“In general, we consider cover versions as an appreciation of our work. The version of 'Hall of Mirrors' by Siouxsie and the Banshees is extraordinary'. Iggy Pop also highly praised The Banshees cover of 'The Passenger'. The mix of tracks from The Band’s “This Wheels On Fire”(The first single released), the Billie Holiday Civil Rights statement-“Strange Fruit. The Doors -“You're Lost Little Girl” and even the early Sparks classic “This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us”.
Through The Looking Glass separates the two classics Tinderbox and Peepshow, it displays an extra dimension to the what the band can achieve. The tracks covered were honed, stylishly built and molded into The Banshees instantly identifiable style.

Through The Looking Glass (Original Track List)

This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us
Hall Of Mirrors
Trust In Me
This Wheel's On Fire
Strange Fruit
You're Lost Little Girl
The Passenger
Gun
Sea Breezes
Little Johnny Jewel

DISCOGS

British goth-rock legends SEX GANG CHILDREN premiered their newest single and clip supporting it!
The single titled “Death Mask Mussolini” is the band’s first release since 2013’s Viva Vigilante and is part of the forthcoming album OLIGARCH which will be released in April.