Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 10:41:21 -0400 From: Brian McKay Subject: Area/M7X History Was: Re: C'est La Mort On Thu, 9 Oct 1997, Jeremy L Orr wrote: > I've asked this before, but I don't suppose any of you newer recruits > know anything about the band Ruby Blue? Their song on DD5, "So Unlike > Me", is probably one of my favorite songs in the world, but yet, I can't > find anything out about them, other than that (a) they're a duo from > Edinburgh by the names of Rebecca Pigeon (vocals) and Robert Fife > (music), and (b) the song is apparently taken from an album called > _Glances Askances_ that came out on Red Flame Records in London. But no > one has ever heard of the label, and the album is completely unavailable > through all means I've tried. I also really liked this song, and never found out anything about the band. *sigh*. > This time it's > that Area is listed as being Steve Jones and Lynn Canfield. I thought > Henry Frayne was Lynn's collaborator in Area before they formed the Moon > Seven Times (whose "Miranda" showed up on DD5 long before it was released > as part of their debut album)? Is Steve Jones really someone in Area, or > is this a joke of some sort (i.e. Steve Jones being the name of a Sex > Pistol)? The DD4 booklet is full of bizarre misspellings and misleading > information, so it's hard not to wonder. Ah, a question I can delurk and answer: Area was formed in the mid-80s by Steve Jones, Henry Frayne, and Lynn Canfield. Henry and Lynn had been together in a previous band called Ack!-Ack! which was a bad punkish band in Champaign Illinois. I think Steve helped out on a couple of 7" Ack!-Ack! releases done through the now defunct Office Records. Eventually they formed a studio project, called Area, which released 1 cassette on Office Records (White Canvas, New Hope) which is hopelessly out of print. Then Office released the CS/LP version of Radio Caroline, before Office went belly up, and C'est La Mort released the CD version of Radio Caroline. Things went well, until Fragments of the Morning, at which Henry and Steve had some philosophical differences, and Henry did not participate on that album. Somewhere in this time frame Area had 1 release on Third Mind (and made it on their compilation) called Agate Lines, a "best of" CD only released in Europe. After Fragments, Lynn and Henry started The Moon Seven Times with Brendan Gamble (he was the drummer on the early Poster Children stuff including the fun album Flower Plower). Miranda was on their first 7" from Parasol Records, and made it onto the CLM compilation. Because of the Third Mind /Agate Lines spiel, Third Mind signed M7X to do their 1st CD. Third Mind went belly up, bought by Roadrunner. Most of the artsy bands on Third Mind went to other labels, but M7X has stayed on Roadrunner, which unusal, since Roadrunner specializes in metal and other harsher projects. Interesting side projects: Steve Jones: Arms of Someone New Henry Frayne: Lanterna, The Peddlers ("Like Skippy" was only release, only on Dr. Death Comp!). Rumor has it that Sam Rosenthal of Projekt Records purchased 2 of the Area masters from Woody of CLM. Sam has been hinting at a re-release of the Area stuff via his Relic label, but this hasn't happened to date. That's why Area was included on a "From Across This Grey Land No2", and why The Moon Seven Times was invited to perform at the Projekt festival in Chicago this last summer. Rumor has it that the rerelease didn't happen due to negotiations with Steve and now that Steve is continuing Area, I would guess, that the rerelease of the older Area stuff seems unlikely. For a pseudo-up-to-date discog, dial your browser to www.irridia.com/M7x And, finally, if anyone has a CD copy of Agate Lines or The Perfect Dream they wish to sell, please email me privately. I have will offer $40 for the Agate Lines comp in good shape, and $25 for The Perfect Dream. I will offer $20 for the White Canvas, New Hope cassette if anyone actually has it. -Brian vydra@wwnet.com Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 12:50:33 -0500 From: "James S. Javenkoski" Subject: LANTERAN reissue Greetings, I am forwarding this announcement per Henry Frayne's request. The new LANTERNA re-issue is truly a gorgeous package. The band played here in Cham-bana last Thursday night and featured three guitarists (Henry, Brian Krumm, and Jeff Gerber) for the first time. Their recent live performances have demonstrated a more aggressive "guitarchitecture" than what is recorded on the CD, sort of like a MY BLOODY LANTERNA in a most ear-appealing way. =) The reissue is released tomorrow (Tuesday, 19 May) on Candescence/Rykodisc. >Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 21:50:01 -0500 (CDT) >From: Henry Frayne >Subject: Lanterna Reissue > >Hey there! This is Henry, the guitarist from The Moon Seven Times. >You signed up for our mailing list a while ago, and I thought I'd let >you know about the re-issuance (sp?) of the first Lanterna CD. > >Lanterna is my side project, released in 1995 on Parasol records >(letter-press packaging by Independent Projects press). In the past >few years, Kevin Salemme (whose pictures were in the original release) >and I talked about doing a photo book which would include the first >Lanterna CD... > >Well, last summer after realizing that publishers don't do books with >unknowns like us, Kevin by chance sent a CD to a friend of a friend at >Rykodisc (David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Frank Zappa). To make a very >long story short the Lanterna CD, with an accompanying 12-page booklet >(wrapped in a very cool cardboard sleeve) is being reissued on May >19th... That's this Tuesday. > >I thought I'd ask if you could help spread the word. Tell your >friends (I know you all have those lists where you mail out jokes, and >stuff), ask about it at your favorite record shops, maybe buy it >(really it's the most stunning printing job I've ever seen). > >Lanterna might tour this Summer and Fall. If you want more >information, let me know. If you don't, send angry messages to >"h-frayne@uiuc.edu". > >What the "critics" have said about the CD: > >"Imagine a reflective Echo & the Bunnymen passage crossed with the >instrumental break in 'Riders On The Storm'." -- Option > >"Dreampopppy, delay vistas that clutch one's heart-strings." -- Huh > >"Sci-fi spaghetti-western soundtracks." -- Alternative Press > >And since this is a Candescence release, a portion of the proceeds >from the sale of this album will be donated to the Josh Gottheil >Memorial Fund for Lymphoma Research. > >Thanks for your time, > >henry > >PS: Here's a full bio for Lanterna: > >LANTERNA >The ideal soundtrack for a road movie in slow motion > >"the new band of my dreams" >-Option (Jan/Feb 95) > >"hovering clouds >of pretty sound" >-Magnet (Oct/Nov 95) > >Close your eyes. Daydream. Take five. It's okay - we've now made it >part of your job. Envision a place only your subconscious knows >about, past the dark clouds of doubt. Grand canyons? Primeval forests? >Bottomless lakes? LANTERNA takes you wherever you want to go, >wherever you need to go. While listening and looking at the >accompanying deluxe booklet of engaging photos, it is possible to >float in an imaginary relaxing mindscape. If nothing else, it makes >the coolest road tape you've ever heard! > > >The second release in the newly-launched Candescence series, the >self-titled album by LANTERNA (RCD 10388) is the solo project, mostly >instrumental, of ethereal guitarist Henry Frayne (Area, The Moon Seven >Times), featuring Brendan Gamble (Poster Children, The Moon Seven >Times) on drums. It is inspired by landscapes, real and imagined, >physical and immaterial. Alternative Press described the music as >"vocal-less sci-fi spaghetti western soundtracks." The word LANTERNA >came from an old Italian dictionary and makes reference to a ship's >light on dark waters and also connotes the idea of magic, as in magic >lantern. > >The music for LANTERNA was originally recorded to accompany a boxed >cassette and photo booklet, which was available as a limited >self-released edition (400) and then as a limited CD release (2000) >through Parasol Records. Due to popular demand, Henry and >bandmate/photographer Kevin Salemme compiled a deluxe version for this >re-release with accompanying photos by Salemme, whose work was >directly inspired by the music on the album. > >Henry's defining guitar arrangements have been an integral part of >well-known and not so well known indie bands, Area (C'est La Mort) and >The Moon Seven Times (Third Mind/Roadrunner). Area released four >albums containing Henry's work, and The Moon Seven Times have recorded >three albums, all still widely available. Most recently, Frayne has >been collaborating with French artist/producer Hector Zazou - first on >Irish singer Barbara Gogan's solo album, and most recently travelling >with Zazou throughout Europe as he recorded material for his >forthcoming CD. > >Kevin Salemme met Henry when he took photos for The Moon Seven >Times. He was given one of the LANTERNA boxed cassettes and took it >with him on a trip to the British Isles and Ireland. It was during >this trip, while he was listening to the music on a walkman and >looking at the landscapes surrounding him, that he became inspired to >take the pictures that are contained in the booklet. Kevin had a >photo exhibition in Switzerland entitled LANTERNA, with the album >playing in the background. It was at this show, where people >continuously remarked that the music and the photographs worked >together so magically, that he began the quest to package them >together. Kevin has been an active photographer for many years, and >has taken part in many exhibitions and shows throughout the Northeast. >He is currently attending Harvard University as a candidate for a >Masters degree in Liberal Arts in Studio Arts, Film and Photography. > >Containing 17 tracks, the journey begins with "Silent Hills" and >weaves its way through aural landscapes from the light to the >twilight. The classic meeting of art and music reaches another level >with the release of LANTERNA. > >CANDESCENCE: Music for a Parallel Universe > >The Candescence label was born out of the need to manage music that >transcends many genres. While Candescence was designed to directly >address the "parallel universe"-- a term used by Rykodisc to describe, >among other things, non-traditional retail outlets -- it will also >include elements of genres with which Rykodisc is already favorably >associated, including world music hybrids. > >The imprint will offer diverse music with the common thread of >ambience and consciousness -- "music for a parallel universe." Every >title released under the new label, as with LANTERNA's self-titled >release, will benefit a charity or non-profit agency of the artists' >choosing. > >Future releases include upcoming albums by Robin Adnan Anders (member >of Boiled In Lead), and Burning Sky (Native American instrumentalists) >For more information on Candescence, please contact Darcy Mayers, >978/825-3200 or publicity@rykodisc.com > >The Josh Gottheil Memorial Fund For Lymphoma Research > >In LANTERNA's case, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this >album will benefit the JOSH GOTTHEIL MEMORIAL FUND FOR LYMPHOMA >RESEARCH. Lymphoma is a blood-related cancer that attacks and destroys >the body's immune system. It does not discriminate. Its victims are >young children as well as adults. Its toll is enormous. > >All contributions to the fund establish grants to aid nurses directly >involved in patient care in bone marrow transplant units. >Specifically, grants help to further their education and training by >accepting short-term leaves from their permanent positions to work in >BMT units in other hospitals or by providing travel grants to those >who wish to attend seminars and conferences specifically related to >their training and education as bone marrow transplant nurses. The >exchange of research, technique, experience and training will serve to >improve the quality of care given to BMT cancer patients. > >The fund is a non-profit organization and all contributions are tax >deductible. The fund is named in memory of Josh Gottheil, a >pioneering young music promoter who fought valiantly against the >cancer that took his life at age 19. > >Visit www.rykodisc.com > >Rykodisc: Celebrating 15 Years of Spirited Independence