From the Durtro news: "The split 10" featuring Current 93 and Om is entitled INERRANT RAYS OF INFALLIBLE SUN (BLACKSHIP SHRINEBUILDER). The track by C93 is titled 'Inerrant Infallible (Black Ships At Nineveh and Edom)' and is just under 9 minutes long, and that by Om 'Rays of the Sun/To the Shrinebuilder', which is 8 minutes long."

There are now nine audio interviews available for download at the Coil website, with much thanks to Jeff Davis, Doug Wittner, and an anonymous donor.

Sound samples and cover images are now online for the first three Kranky releases for 2006:  Lisbon by Keith Fullerton Whitman, Lightning Ghost by Bird Show, and Minima Moralia from Chihei Hatakeyama.  Look for them in shops or your mailbox by March and April of this year.

Songs from the Coalmine Canary is the brand new album from Little Annie, featuring music produced and performed with Antony (of the Johnsons) and Joe Budenholzer.  The album is expected to be released in early February.  New artwork should be posted on her website soon as well as images and sounds from the forthcoming release.

Christoph Heemann is reviving his DOM BARTWUCHS label with releases in the pipeline including a boxed set from Jim O'Rourke and Outposts by Brendan Walls.  Additionally, In Camera (the new duo of Heemann and Timo Van Luijk) have a second album completed and scheduled for release on Robot Records:  Open Air is anticipated (no promises) to be out in February on LP. In Camera have also been asked to play a festival in Harlem (Amsterdam) in April along with Tony Conrad and Phill Niblock (more details will be posted as they are known).  And finally, expect some Mimir resurfacing this year on Streamline: Mimir (the debut album) has been remastered and Mimyriad is expected to make its debut on CD in the LP version.

Throbbing Gristle has announced that due to Mute's fear of "illegal copying," Part Two will no longer be available at the German New Years gigs.  Part Two is scheduled to be issued on Mute in March and the Überticket holders will receive their copy in "due time" along with a special 3" CD.

Ryoji Ikeda has released his seventh solo album, Dataplex through Raster-Noton in Germany.  From the press release, this is his "first musical composition in the datamatics series—a new body of work across various media that uses data as both its material and its theme."  For more information, check out his new official website, RyojiIkeda.com.

Thanks for a great 2005.  We wish all our readers the best for 2006!  Even though the Readers Poll hasn't quite been pulled off, we have started to put our own staff picks in our bios in the new section, Meet the Staff.  We hope you enjoy the read and encourage similar dialogue in the forum.

On Dec 17, 2005 Anthony Mikel Gius was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike.  Mike was the original drummer for !!!, helping start the band back in the fall of '96.

Jessica Bailiff is putting the finishing touches on her fourth solo album for Kranky, due out in the spring.  Rumor has it that Keith Fullerton Whitman is also taking part in this record.  Also for 2006, look for a new Rivulets record featuring Jessica as well as some dates by Jessica solo and with Eau Claire.

The Accidental is Aaron Moore's debut solo album on CD released through Elsie and Jack, and featuring collaborations with Andrew Liles, Luke Fowler and Alex Neilson. It is available to purchase direct from VTB, who also have a handful of the limited two-disc set featuring a bonus DVD of a film made by Francesco Paladino to accompany the album. The DVD also features an exclusive extra track. Beta Lactam Ring Records will be releasing a limited vinyl issue soon with completely different artwork.  Additionally, there's a feature on VTB in December's issue of The Wire, and there are two songs available now for download from their website.

Nurse With Wound now have an edition of an Absinth box, in production now and shipping in January.  It's limited to 100 copies and will cost 100 Euros.  Details and images are available (in German and in English) at absinthvertrieb.de.

Not Alone is a 5 CD set of music by a wide range of artists traversing many boundaries and genres.  The majority of tracks are previously unreleased and exclusive to this set. ALL proceeds from the sales will be donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders, specifically to target their work on the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 80 countries.  To pre-order, visit jnanarecords.com.  For a list of those participating, continue on.

If you're subscribe to the Brainwashed Podcast, you'll notice that Kranky's KrankyKast 02 is now available.  If you're not subscribed, you've missed out on a lot of awesome music since the Brainwashed Podcast launched a year ago.

Chihei Hatakeyama is a member of the computer-oriented electro-acoustic trio Opitope, which is active around Tokyo. Opitope organizes a performance series called "Radical Mute Geek" in Tokyo and has played at the series with Keiichi Sugimoto (aka Four Colour), Testuro Yasunaga (Cubic Music), Christophe Charles and others. Hatakeyama is also a member of the improvising group Copa del Papa. Minima Moralia is the debut album on Kranky, due for release in February 2006.

Let us make it clear right off the bat: Meat Beat Manifesto is not on a major label, however, a commissioned remix, "What Is Hip (T.O.P.R.M.X.)," by Jack Dangers, which appeared on the compilation What Is Hip? Remix Project Volume One has been nominated for a Grammy!

In the tradition of Brainwashed artist sites, sound samples are now available for The Ape of Naples - the final studio album from Coil.  They are located in the site under the "Music" section.

For the whole of 2006 V/Vm is giving away audio on a daily basis for you to use and abuse. Additionally, the V/Vm shop has now reopened and there's a new mini-site for the Caretaker, where you can download an exclusive new 72-track 320kbps MP3 release by The Caretaker.

The Hafler Trio are in the planning stages of launching a subscription-based service as an outlet for special limited edition releases and other objects. Feedback is being encourged at this stage.

Brainwashed Recordings will be releasing Live at VPRO Radio from The One Ensemble of Daniel Padden as part of the Brainwashed Handmade CD series.  The expected release date is December 5th.  In an unprecedented move, Brainwashed Recordings is so damned proud of this awesome recording that all pre-order customers who clearly state they've heard the samples and know what they're getting are being offered a money-back guarantee (minus shipping) if they aren't completely 100% satisfied with the release. Pre-orders are now being taken at the Brainwashed Commerce page.