UnicaZürn

Stargazer’s Assistant ‘Fire Worshipper’ album now available on CD from Zoharum. Featuring David Knight, David J. Smith and Michael J. York

Yes, it's today. We are officially announcing the premiere of 4 new releases in the Zoharum catalog, CD editions from The Stargazer's Assistant "Fire Worshipper", VIDNA OBMANA "Crossing The Trail", Rapoon "Time Frost" and Uhushuhu "Zvirat".
Each of these albums can be listened to in full on our bandcamp, and until midnight you can still take advantage of pre-release promotions, available only at Alchembria.PL (Zoharum Webstore). Check our proposals . Links in comments.

interview Stephen Thrower- highly respected cult cinema expert & post-industrial musician. For this interview, our third with Mr. Thrower- we largely focus on his written work- discussing his book The Flowers Of Perversion- his 2nd book on cult euro director Jess Franco. We also touch on his sonic endeavours with UnicaZürn. The interview dates from 2019 https://bit.ly/3LCDD16

Strange Attractor Severin Films Arrow Video

We are pleased to have been invited by Philippe Petit to contribute a one-hour UnicaZürn session to his Modulisme streaming series. You are very welcome to listen to it here:

UnicaZürn – Modulisme UnicaZürn emerged in 2009 from the belly of a live-improv’ beast called The Amal Gamal Ensemble in 2001. During the 1980s David Knight was guitarist and co-songwriter with highly influential art-pop maverick Danielle Dax, and contributed wall-of-rock guitars to the malign poetry of Karl Blake in ...

Very pleased to be included on the double CD available with this month's Electronic Sound magazine (issue 104). Many thanks to Philippe Petit for organising, and inviting us to contribute.

Issue 104 — Electronic Sound The Secret World Of Modular Issue + ‘A Plan For Modular Living’ double CD

Release date 7th April, 2023.

The Stargazer’s Assistant ‘Fire Worshipper’ LP & Digital is out now!

The LP is available via the main store. Digital is available from Bandcamp and also on all streaming services.

A CD version will follow in due course.

Stargazer’s Assistant new album out soon, featuring UnicaZürn’s David Knight, plus David J Smith (Guapo, Holy Family, UnicaZürn) and Michael J York (Utopia Strong, Teleplasmiste, Coil). Both Smith and York also played live with Cyclobe.

“Agneya” from the upcoming The Stargazer’s Assistant new album ‘Fire Worshipper’ is out today on our YouTube channel and all digital streaming services.

2023 marks five years since the bands last release on HoM and their return see’s the trio of David J. Smith, David J. Knight & Michael J. York at their most ritualistic. It’s time to explore new alchemy and ascend from the depths.

Fire Worshipper is scheduled to be released worldwide in February on LP and Digital. A CD version will follow in due course.

Cover art for the single and inner sleeve image entitled 'Bonfire Night' 2009 © Scott Batty.

UnicaZürn interviewed last week

African Paper | Accidents are gifts: An Interview with UnicaZürn David Knight and Stephen Thrower bring together several decades of experience with music that has always operated beyond the mainstream and simple categorizability. The musical pedigrees of the two, including Coil and Cyclobe (Thrower) and Shock Headed Peters, The Stargazer's Assistant and Arkkon (K...

Heaven’s Lathe upcoming (very limited) release on Friday 4th November - please see HL Records’ page for further ordering info/updates

DANIELLE DAX
Invictus Arduis

HL18
Release date | 04/11/2022

Danielle Dax first came to prominence as vocalist, flautist, saxophonist and keyboardist with the avant-garde music group The Lemon Kittens. Since then, she’s won respect and acclaim for her work as an interior/garden designer, actress and fine artist. Meanwhile, her career as a solo music artist, boasts a brace of influential albums including the deeply experimental ‘Pop-Eyes’ and the catchy, melodic world of ‘Blast The Human Flower’.

Hollywood actress Chloe Sevigny told Pitchfork of her love of Dax’s album ‘Jesus Egg That Wept’: “It’s just perfect: dancey and weird and wild... and p***y and all the things I love about music all on one record.

”In recent years, Dax and long time collaborator David Knight of UnicaZürn, have developed a collection of spoken word pieces, under the title Invictus Arduis. These works combine intricate electronic soundscapes with Dax’s distinctive voice and inventive texts. ‘Invictus Arduis’ is the first opportunity to hear selections from this astonishing body of new work.

Side 1: ‘Cutting The Last Sheaf’/’Born To Be Bad’. A dark, sinister soundscape of wet earth and sparkling spikes is the perfect setting for Dax’s tremulous intonation: ‘I am the one with the cold brash heart, pacing the field with my harvest moon face’.

Side 2: ‘Whistling For His Love’. In contrast to Side 1, here, Dax’s tender, high vocal floats above beautiful pulsing synth tones: ‘Up in the hills and through the trees, his memories still haunt me.’ This is an evocative, moving and mesmerising composition.

“As dark, bright, disturbing, sexy, arty, wordy, weird, sparkly, excessive, obsessive and rock’n’roll as you’d expect.” - The Guardian

“Wildly inventive... wonderfully strange.” - Louder Than War

Heaven’s Lathe are privileged to be releasing Dax’s first new recorded work for over 25 years. The fact these pieces are so strange and unique makes this release even more special. The single comes in lathe cut transparent vinyl, in a strictly limited run of 100, whilst the sleeve artwork features a stunning unseen painting by Dax herself.

We have a previously unreleased 10.17m track - ‘The Innermost Chamber Leads to the Sky’ - on this downloadable compilation, compiled by Philippe Petit for his wonderful Modulisme series - available here:

3 Year Itch Birthday Session v.1 – Modulisme 3 Year Itch Birthday Session v.1 I am Philippe Petit and I would like to invite you to celebrate the third anniversary of this platform I had initiated in September 2019 because back then I couldn’t find any place gathering and offering music made using analog modular instruments as well as provid...

Now IKLECTIK is under threat

Very limited release from our great friend, cover artist, and collaborator Danielle!

https://heavenslathe.co.uk/artist/danielle-dax/?fbclid=IwAR2cjidj-11Hyz9gUzstfCNiJeBJrWS4FSN1wOjnX44Dn4FM6OCjPmn4gKI

Heaven’s Lathe | Danielle Dax 7” lathe cut series featuring Danielle Dax.

Very honoured to be on this playlist

Kosmische Radio | #10 It's A Rainy Year, Sunshine Baby 09082022 Pocket Pavilions - Origami Forest UnicaZürn - AZ/\ZA Now - Murkorik Amon Düül II - Deutsch Nepal Sula Bassana - Mellotraum Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan - Locking Stumps Cavern Of Anti

Lovely review of our ‘Zurnica-U’ CDR in FREQ, by Michael Rodham-Heaps.

UnicaZürn's Zurnica-U has "a lightness of touch that breathes plenty, lures you towards this mini-album’s fourteen-minute centrepiece “AZ /\ ZA”, a velveteen-vexed flood for the senses, shimmer-shot in snaking Popol Vuh-like sabres and padded percussives." https://freq.org.uk/reviews/unicazurn-zurnica-u/

DEREK JARMAN: SUPER 8 REVELATIONS
Ted Mann Theater, Academy Museum, Los Angeles.
15th September, 2022

Nine of Derek Jarman’s beautiful and phantasmagorical super-8 films will be shown next month at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. Among those to be screened are Sulphur, Tarot and Garden of Luxor, all of which feature soundtracks by Cyclobe. The programme will also include a screening of Journey to Avebury (with music by Coil). The event is curated by Derek’s close friend and producer James Mackay, who’ll be present on the evening to introduce the films. We can’t urge you enough to go and experience Derek's inspiring, radical and powerful work. https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/detail/derek-jarman-super-8-revelations-018126a1-48f2-4b2c-3177-8eb5cf3c5dd6

As many people missed out on the original tin cased 'Zurnica-U' CDRs, we have pressed more copies which are (because of sourcing difficulties) now housed in a black clamshell case. The discs are identical to the original release, just the cases differ.

https://unicazrn.bandcamp.com/merch/unicaz-rn-zurnica-u-cdr-ep-in-black-clamshell-case

CDR produced for sale at the UnicaZürn performance on 15th July 2022 at London's IKLECTIK Art and Music Space as part of the 'Wire 40' series of events celebrating Wire magazine's 40th year. This 30-minute CDR features three improvisations recorded live at Bonafide Rehearsal Studios, Muswell Hill, North London. No edits, and no overdubs. Stephen Thrower (keyboards), David Knight (guitar and keyboards), David J Smith (drums and percussion) and Sam Warren (bass).

Lovely review in FREQ of our recent performance with :zoviet*france: at London's IKLECTIK Arts and Music Space. For anyone interested in the 'Zurnica-U' CDR mentioned in the review, we will be announcing mail order details Friday evening, when we plan to make it available for purchase through our Bandcamp page. Many thanks to Michael Rodham-Heaps and Richard Fontenoy.

:zoviet*france: / UnicaZürn (live at Iklectik) – Freq live reviews reviews :zoviet*france: / UnicaZürn (live at Iklectik) Published 26/07/2022 London 16 July 2022 Journey’s End is one of those rare “are we really in London” type of venues. A leafy relaxed, creatively crafted affair at odds with the industrialised ugliness of its surrounds, the g...

TONIGHT at London's I K L E C T I K!

THE WIRE 40 x ROUND UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS Part 1. Featuring live experimental music from...

:zoviet*france: + UnicaZürn

+ Biba Kopf DJ sets

London Iklectikc, SE1. Doors 8:30pm, £12. Tickets here: tickettailor.com/events/iklectik/711941

Rehearsal for this Friday’s show at IKLECTIK

We’ve got a gig coming up next month at IKLECTIK

Very happy to say that we have a four-page UnicaZürn feature in the July issue of Wire magazine. Thanks so much to Rob Turner for the interview, and Kuba Ryniewicz for the photos

UnicaZürn interview in this month’s Wire

The Wire 461 is out now! thewire.co.uk/issues/461

On the cover: AMM For 50 years, Eddie Prévost, Keith Rowe and John Tilbury have had their sights set firmly on sonic freedom, changing the landscape of music in the process. By Clive Bell. AMM mini-Primer: A user’s guide to the group’s recent recordings. By Seymour Wright.

Angharad Davies: The hardworking violinist and improvisor finds inspiration for her time dissolving recordings and performances through interpersonal connections. By Abi Bliss.

UnicaZürn: Veteran industrialists Dave Knight and Stephen Thrower pour two lifetimes of experience into their dystopian stew. By Rob Turner.

Invisible Jukebox: Hannah Catherine Jones: Will the UK composer be reduced to a Foxy Moron by The Wire’s mystery record selection? Tested by Meg Woof.

Also inside this issue: Opal X; Nexcyia; Teresa Winter; K Of Arc; Nhạc Gãy; Tape Archives; Global Ear in Washington, DC; The Inner Sleeve by Sarah Davachi; Epiphanies by Pamela Z; pages of reviews and much more!

Cover illustration by Emily Forgot.

Thank you, Marek 'Lokis' Nawrot, for this lovely piece

Szum Szmer Szelest: UnicaZurn Śmiało można stwierdzić, że chyba wszyscy znają i doceniają wkład obu Panów w dziedzinie dźwiękowo-pisarskiej (S. Thrower), a emanującej z angielskiego zakątka świata, który obaj zamieszkują. Od wczesnych lat osiemdziesiątych rozpoczynając od Five or Six, Shock Headed Peters, Posse...

We have launched a Bandcamp site. Following our recent 7” single release selling out, we received many requests for a downloadable version… so here it is.

Thank you to Heavens Lathe and Bladud Flies for releasing the vinyl version and for agreeing to the download. And thank you for your interest.

https://unicazrn.bandcamp.com/album/fuse-fire-vortex-blood-comes-singing

Fuse Fire Vortex/Blood Comes Singing, by UnicaZürn 2 track album

SOLD OUT and UnicaZürn broke Bandcamp! ⚡️

Well that was utter madness!

To everyone that picked up a copy, thank you! To all of you that persisted with the BC issues, thank you! 🙏

Your support is very much appreciated.

All order will ship by early next week. 📦

TONIGHT! 6PM BST from our Bandcamp page (https://heavenslathe.bandcamp.com)

UnicaZürn
‘Fuse Fire Vortex’ / ‘Blood Comes Singing’

The single is released in a strictly limited edition of 100, on lathe cut, hand etched 7” transparent vinyl. The cover is graced by a haunting and previously unpublished painting by Danielle Dax.

All orders of the 7" come bundled with the full version of the tracks as a bonus item.

Available on Friday!

UnicaZürn new 7-inch single, very limited edition, coming soon!

Super excited about our next release - incoming in 1 week! More info to follow...

UnicaZürn

‘Fuse Fire Vortex’ / ‘Blood Comes Singing’

HL5 | Release date | 01/10/2021

UnicaZürn combine the considerable talents of Stephen Thrower (Coil: Cyclobe) on keyboards and reeds, and David Knight (Danielle Dax: Shock Headed Peters: Lydia Lunch) on guitar and keyboards. Together, they create a deeply layered neu-kosmiche. Their sound is birthed in improvisation, then edited, reconfigured and polished to an obsidian gleam.

‘A viscerally organic strain of proto-ambient.’ - The Quietus.

‘Impressively ambitious, harrowing and complex.’ - Brainwashed.

‘Knight and Thrower prove themselves to be expert soundscapists of the highest order.’ - International Times

UnicaZürn have released 5 critically acclaimed albums, featuring expansive instrumental pieces that can clock in at anything between eight and thirty minutes. This single is a unique opportunity to hear them working ‘in miniature’.

A-side ‘Fuse Fire Vortex’ sees the duo assisted by David J. Smith (Guapo, Stargazer’s Assistant) on electronic percussion and Sam Warren on fuzz bass. The result is a slinky and seductive composition, wherein Knight paints mournful streaks of guitar over the perpetually uncoiling synth lines. With echoes of Tangerine Dream, this is quite simply the most immediate and catchy recording UnicaZürn have ever committed to vinyl.

The B-side, the exquisitely titled ‘Blood Comes Singing’, is a more cold blooded affair: a brooding, majestic work with rich undercurrents of unease. With its stately keyboard arrangement and what sound like, but almost certainly aren’t, keening violins, ‘Blood Comes Singing’ could almost be the soundtrack to the opening scenes of a chic Spanish horror film circa 1979.

The single is released in a strictly limited edition of 100, on lathe cut, hand etched 7” transparent vinyl. The cover is graced by a haunting and previously unpublished painting by Danielle Dax.

-- Graham Duff