DIFFICULT LISTENING

In a world of corporate airwave schmaltz, innovative radio deserves widespead support. Here's a challenging playlist option from down under, brought to you by the wonders of online technology.

Sunday Evenings 9-11pm. Public Radio RTR FM (92.1)
Perth, Western Australia
Contemporary classical, experimental, electronic,
industrial, ambient, noise, etc.
Presenters: Bryce Moore and Sarah Combes.

Public radio RTR FM is now broadcasting over the internet, 24 hours a day. Follow the Real Audio link from the Difficult Listening page, shown in the .sig below. If you want to catch Difficult Listening in particular, it goes to air at 1.00pm Sunday GMT, 9.00am US Eastern Time, and 6.00am US Pacific time.
----------------------
Presenter: Sarah Combes

Cornelius
Mic Check (3' 0")
Keigo Oyamada
CD: The Wire Tapper (cover mount CD, April 1998) (The Wire Magazine: )
Wire online

David Hykes
Rainbow Voice (7' 55")
Harmonic Choir/ David Hykes
CD: Hearing Solar Winds (Ocora: C.558607)

Merzbow
Tape Dada (1980) (5' 53")
Masami Akita
CD: Merzbow Merzbox Sampler (Extreme)

Shinjuku Filth
Detox (4' 12")
CD: Junk (Peril 305)
Dorobo

Edgard Varese
Poeme Electronique (7' 54")
Edgard Varese, electronics
CD: Electro Acoustic Music: Classics (Neuma: 450-74)

Darrin Verhagen
The spores of death (2' 52")
CD: Shinjuku Thief: The Witch Haven (Dorobo: 017)

John Zorn
Forbidden Fruit (1987) (10' 20")
Kronos Quartet; Christian Marclay, turntables; Ohta Hiromi, voice
CD: Winter Was Hard (Elektra Nonesuch: 979 181-2)

Coil
Hellraiser (6' 12")
CD: Gold is the Metal with the Broadest Shoulders (World Serpent:
CD11)

Skinny Puppy
Brak Talk (5' 00")
CD: Worlock (Nettwerk: W2-3071)

Goblin
Sighs (5' 10")
Witch (3' 07")
CD: Susperia Motion Picture Soundtrack (Cinevox Records: CD-MDF 305)
----------------------
These playlists are stored cumulatively (for the last three months) at the website listed below. Contact me if you want to receive them by email. If you have some music that you think I might be interested in broadcasting, on tape, CD or vinyl, don't hesitate to
get in touch.

(c) Bryce and Sarah.
difflist@westnet.com.au
Westnet online
PO Box 2237
Kardinya WA 6163
Australia.
-------------------------------------------------

A READER WRITES...

Actually several of you have been kind enough to do so. And here is my response...

Have you considered a career in music? Few professional writers in the business can match your ecumenical knowledge and especially appreciation.

When I worked in current affairs journalism for a number of years I stupidly missed the opportunity to build an additional portfolio of arts reviews, which would have given me a leg-up. Yup, I've thought of it several times. But in spite of the allegedly postmodern cultural Zeitgeist, musical eclecticism has limited commercial outlets. I had a few stabs at 'The Wire' a few years back, but my stuff is not nearly outre enough for them. I have of course long subscribed to Duke Ellington's famous observation that there are no such things as good and bad categories of music, just good and bad music. And I revel in the sheer variety that's available these days. Naturally you have to wade through sludge to get there, especially in less formal genres (where creativity isn't subjected to academy-based quality control). But life is hugely enriched by the search. Also, some of the music I love is hardly fashionable, even if it's 'modern'. It would be nice to earn a crust sharing my opinions... but I already manage to do that (just about) in one sphere: it would perhaps be a bit greedy to attempt it in two! Still, you never know. I'm always open to offers...

HOBSON UPDATE

The collection of Handel Arias I mentioned some time back has been reviewed intelligently at the excellent Music Web site, which is well worth visiting. It is now part of Classical Link - equally excellent, though occasionally a little slow to load for those with more febrile browsers. The classical editor is Rob Barnett and the manager of Music Web is Len Mullenger, who is a goodly fellow judging by the sporting way he dealt with a couple of technical criticisms (including one from me) on rec.music.classical.contemporary recently. Go there today...

LONDON RECORD FINDER

Talking of good people, I have recently been impressed by the very helpful service of Geoff Wallis at London Record Finder. He has a good selection in rock, jazz, dance etc. He recently let me have two quite rare albums by The Guest Stars (review to follow shortly) at a snip of a price and is clearly worthy of business support. We all know how easy it is to find inflated prices and bad service. If you're fed up with such things, give Geoff a go. The web site is well organised, and you can email wants lists to him at: geoff@connectfree.co.uk. He also has an ebay site - just search for londonrecordfinder (one word).