Music(k) to play in the Dark

As some of you know, I’ve always been a fan of COIL, which, sadly, doesn’t exist anymore, something that really broke my heart, in a way. I’m still interested in what they stood for and try to stay in the loop. Just a few days ago I came across this article by John Coulthart on England’s Occulture music scene, which is kinda interesting. Here’s a snip:

The 2002 ritual is one of the more striking manifestations of a largely unobserved current of inspiration running through the margins of British electronic music in recent years. A loose network of musicians have been following similar paths of interest or obsession, paths that frequently end up in places where ritual, magick and paranormal occurrence are the spur for musical invention. Themes and reference points include weird tales and ghost story writers (especially some of the names that influenced HP Lovecraft), psychogeography (or the physical examination of the psychic qualities of our cities), renegade science, and nostalgia for half-remembered (or mis-remembered) films and television, typically science fiction and horror. These groups are eager to use their work to lift the veil on the mundane and shine a light into occluded zones. What they’re delving into might be called “occulture” (for want of a better term), “occult” meaning hidden, and it’s with hidden, forgotten or secret arts that occulture concerns itself.

One of my cravings is to get my hands on the England’s Hidden Reverse, a book by David Keenan, who chronicles the movement, if you want to call it that (some reviews and more info here and here). The book comes at $45 and christmas is drawing near…*hint* *hint*… On a different but related topic, this week’s Brainwashed Radio Podcast is excellent and if you haven’t subscribed yet, do yourself a favor and do so!

To stay with the occult and the grotesque, take a minute to surf by Kris Kuksi, one of

of the emerging artists in the art movement of Fantastic Realism, Kris Kuksi has become a profound voice in a new wave of contemporary art that includes the Surreal and Visionary. He continues in the technical tradition of the old masters along with disciplined anatomical study that he applies with a modern cutting edge appeal. A keen observer fascinated with nature and psychology, he prefers to create a look that is both aesthetic and slightly unusual to reflect his taste for the enigmatic.

He works in different media, but his sculptures are really the most amazing, although his painting skill is also remarkable.

Filed under: Art and Stuff, Bizarre-O-Rama, Books, Crafts and Modification, Documentary, History , art, music, occulture