"It was always a nagging question why this outfit dropped off a decade ago. The question has now been answered. Picking right up from where 1999's "Under a Statik Sky" (Pendragon) left off, US electronic provocateurs Total Harmonic Distortion bring the grit, the grease and yes indeed, the funk! THD just make so many other bands pointless, they're a slap in the face, cold water at 5am. Yes, you can dance to some of it but not in a fashion or place you've been before.
I have not heard anything this out of left field and deliciously experimentalist in the field of electronic music since Click Click's 1997 masterpiece, "Shadowblack" (Offbeat). The beats are thick, the atmospheres a slice of Gibson's heady brew of toxicity and torrential population explosion. It's a continual reminder, this album, of what a range THD possess. "The Evolution of Our Decay" has very little breathing space. Every last millisecond of sound has been crammed to it's limit. Not many others know how to do this but this is no ordinary pair.
These two have written an album which makes sense to themselves, first and foremost. Anything we fans have to add is strictly topical. The ten years they've spent away from the public eye has only increased their viability. This is a very necessary record, one which no preening git in a gasmask could hope to aspire to. Depth, complexity, nuance, texure, songs which do not follow any predictable pattern. I'd hazard to say it's their best but if they stick around, we have not heard anything yet."

23db Records is proud to announce the addition of T.H.D. to our roster. Readers may remember the band from their several critically-acclaimed releases through Hard, Cleopatra, and Pendragon Records in the mid to late 90's. Now, 10 years since their last release, they're back with a brand new, digital-only album entitled "The Evolution of Our Decay", which will be out on April 28th through iTunes, iTunes Canada, iTunes UK/European Union, iTunes Australia/New Zealand, Amazon MP3, Rhapsody, eMusic, Napster, Lala, Amie Street, and Shockhound. The album picks up where 1999's "Under a Statik Sky" left off and mixes the echoes of seminal acts like Cabaret Voltaire and Lassigue Bendthaus with the retro-futuristic, heavily analog sound T.H.D.'s fans know them for.

As a special thank you to their fans, T.H.D. will also release a free, 10-track EP entitled "Subconscious Drip" consisting of entirely different material than what is on the album. This will be available for download on April 28th via: http://www.assemblage23.com/THD.html

The EP will optionally be available for purchase through all the outlets listed above should any fans wish to show an extra bit of support.

I've received a couple of emails inquiring about the shipping status of this, so I thought I'd give everyone an update. I had originally hoped to be able to ship these a little in advance of the release date (tomorrow), but with shipping time from the pressing plant factored in, that didn't turn out to be possible. The CDs are to arrive in my hands tomorrow, and will begin shipping immediately. Please note, however, that we got more pre-orders for this than for any other item, and most of them were requested to be signed, so this is going to take at 2-3 days to get all the orders filled. Orders will ship in the order they were received. Thanks very much for your patience with this! As for the digital version... we requested tomorrow as the release date, but the different distributors take varying amounts of time to get everything online, so it is possible that some stores may not have it until as late as March 5th. Our experience is that they usually get things online before they say they will, but if you go looking for it online tomorrow and can't find it, rest assured it's coming! Haven't ordered your copy yet? Head on over to the Assemblage 23 Online Store (http://www.assemblage23.com/store.html) and reserve your copy. They're going fast!

From Tom's website: "I've opened up pre-orders for Early, Rare, and Unreleased Volume 2 on the Assemblage 23 Online Store. Remember, this is limited to 1000 copies, so once it's gone, it's gone. Also, even though the release date is February 10th, there is a pretty strong possibility I will be able to ship these by February 1st or thereabouts, so pre-orders will actually ship out a week early! These can also be signed upon request, just indicate in the special instructions of the order form that you'd like it signed. Place your pre-orders here: http://www.assemblage23.com/store.html#rarities "

In conjunction with Assemblage 23's 2007 US "Meta" Tour, 23db Records released a limited edition CD collection of the band's earliest works entitled "Early, Rare, and Unreleased: 1988-1998". The CD was a huge hit with fans and sold out quickly (although it can still be purchased digitally through most providers). We are happy to announce that a second volume of this collection has just been completed and will hit the shelves February 10th (this is a projected release date and may be subject to change), also through 23db Records. As with the first volume, the CD contains unreleased material from Assemblage 23 going back as far as 1988 (including the hard-to-find cover of Psychedlic Furs' "Love My Way"), all re-recorded using the original sequences and equipment for maximum fidelity. This release will also be strictly limited to 1,000 copies, so don't hesitate to reserve your copy when pre-orders become available about 2 weeks from now. The tracklisting is as follows: 01.) Eschatology (1994) 02.) Beneath the Silence (1989) 03.) Graverobber (1992) 04.) Black Day (1988) 05.) Relationshit (1994) 06.) Untitled (1995) 07.) From Darkness Comes Light (1992) 08.) Mary Behind the Counter (1994) 09.) Alone (1992) 10.) Love My Way (1998) 11.) Psychotic (1995) 12.) Pain (1995)

Recession-busting Deals from 23db Records!
23db Recordss, the label run by A23's Tom Shear, has dropped the cost of all its releases effective immediately. From now on, music fans can pick up any 23db CD for the fantastic price of $11.99! And as if that wasn't enough, fans can buy all 4 in-print 23db CD releases together for $40, a savings of $8 if the albums were purchased individually. So if you're looking for some great new music, now's the time to see what 23db has to offer!

Still a Few Discounted Assemblage 23 Remix Slots Available
The response to our deal of slashing $50 off the cost of an Assemblage 23 remix for your band has been overwhelming, and although most of the slots are taken, there's still room for a few more, so if you'd like to have your band remixed by Assemblage 23, now's a great time to do it and save some money in the process. Email Tom for details @ tomshear (at) comcast (dot) net

Burikusu!!! Praised on Comic Book Site?!
It's true! Comic book writer Brandon Jerwa was so impressed by the debut album from Burikusu!!!, that he devoted his online column to spreading the word on this awesome release. You can read his thoughts here. And if you haven't heard Burikusu!!! yet, you can check out sample clips from every track on their new album here.. Don't miss the boat on this amazing act available now through the Assemblage 23 Online Store!

Nerve Filter Collaborates with Caustic
Assemblage 23 side-project Nerve Filter has collaborated with noise merchants Caustic for a track on Caustic's upcoming album on Crunch Pod records. The track, entitled "Formula 420" is a quasi-dubstep track and marks the first (and perhaps last) new Nerve Filter-related material in quite some time.

Here are the details:

Los Angeles, California
November 13th, 2008
Klub Terminal @ Leonardo's
831 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Admission is $15. 18+ to get in.
Doors are at 8PM

23db Records, the indie label run by Assemblage 23's Tom Shear, is proud to announce we are now accepting pre-orders for the mind-blowing debut album from Sweden's Burikusu!!! entitled '2080'. We could sit here and try to tell you why this release is destined to be of the best releases of 2008, but we think these preview clips speak for themselves. If you have placed an order on the Assemblage 23 Online Store recently, you should have received a promo post card with a promo code on the back that entitles you to a free copy of Nerve Filter's "Linear" with your order of this album. We still have plenty of the postcards left, so if you want a coupon, now's the time to grab you some swag! '2080' will ship on November 17th. To reserve your copy today, visit The Assemblage 23 Online Store.

Vember Audio, creators of the critically acclaimed Surge softsynth, in conjunction with 23db Records are happy to announce the Burikusu!!! 2080 Remix Contest. To help introduce the world to the genre-busting electronic sound of Sweden's Burikusu!!! (who will release their debut on 23db Records on November 17th), the band has uploaded the submix stems for their song Year 2080 for you to cut-up, remix, and smash to bits! All entries will be reviewed and judged by the band themselves, with prizes going to the top two contestants:

1. FIRST PLACE PRIZE - A free copy of Vember Audio's critically acclaimed Surge softsynth, a signed copy of the Burikusu!!! debut album 2080 (out on November 17th on 23db Records), and free copies of the entire 23db Records catalog!

2. SECOND PLACE PRIZE - Free copies of the entire 23db catalog, including releases by SD6, Lost Signal, Nerve Filter, and Burikusu!!!

Now for those pesky rules.

The remix kit (including stems) is downloadable at: http://burikusu.net/remix/

All submissions should be in MP3 format at 320kps and should be sent to: remix@burikusu.net.

Deadline for all submissions is November 5th, 2008. Winners will be announced November 7th, 2008. The rights to stems and all remixes belong to Burikusu!!! and 23db Records. (Don't worry, we're not going to sell your remixes and make money off them, this is just to protect the band from unauthorized parties trying to commercially release their remixes. Remixes are a derivative of the original track, and thus remain under copyright protection.). By entering this contest, you are giving permission for 23db Records and Burikusu!!! to share your remix with the rest of the world as a free download. All decisions are final.

You can hear the original version of Year 2080 at http://www.myspace.com/burikusu

Now get to remixing and show us what you've got!

Direct from SD6 headquarters:

SD6 needs your vote for Best Band in Western Washington!

It's election season, and sure enough - WE NEED YOUR VOTES! We're up against some heavy hitters here, but with your help we can win the music category in Evening Magazine's Best of Western Washington! You do have to sign up to vote, but we'd REALLY appreciate the support. And remember - a vote for SD6 is a vote for all electronic artists in Western Washington. Plug-in pride, baby!

Just head over to http://best.king5.com/sd6/biz/115898 and click the "vote" button above our photo! It only takes a minute.

If you haven't heard SD6, pay a visit to http://www.myspace.com/sd6 and listen to tracks from our debut album "Between Noise and Transmission"

To celebrate the nomination (and SD6's unique economic bailout plan) 23db Records is offering the full-length "Between Noise and Transmission" CD for the outstanding price of only $8.00! This offer is available exclusively at http://www.assemblage23.com/store.html Head on over and drop one in your basket!

Thanks in advance for your support! Together, we can make a difference!

www.myspace.com/sd6
www.sd6online.com

Per Tom's MySpace:

"It's been awhile since I've made an update. Sorry about that, I've just been extremely busy working on remixes, mixing for some other bands, and - oh yeah - working on the next A23 album. I'll make a more substantial update on everything going on soon...

In the meantime, in a couple of weeks there will be some new A23 merch available through the Assemblage 23 Online Store:

- Brand new zippered hoodie design!
- Assemblage 23 Shot Glasses!
- Assemblage 23 Messenger Bags!

I'll make an update when everything is actually available..."

-M

23db Records, the independent electronic music label run by Assemblage 23's Tom Shear, is proud to announce the addition of Sweden's Burikusu!!! to the label's roster. The band will release their debut album, entitled 2080, on 23db Records later this fall as both a physical CD and via digital distribution.

Burikusu!!! is the brainchild of Claes Johanson (creator of the critically acclaimed Vember Audio Surge softsynth and DSP programmer for Ableton Live) and Timmy Nilsson. Musically, the band is a highly technical mix of stuttering rhythms, haunting melodies, and severely manipulated vocals, all the while fearlessly melding elements of IDM, synthpop, hip-hop, experimental, and even straight up pop. The result is an astonishing melange of futuristic beats and forward-thinking programming that gracefully leaps over the cutting edge and bravely forges ahead into previously uncharted terrirtories.

But enough of the label hyperbole. Check them out for yourself at: http://www.myspace.com/burikusu

Just a note to let people know that the previously announced re-release of Lost Signal's 2001 debut album is out now on 23db Digital. As a reminder, this isn't simply a re-release - the original tracks were mixed over from scratch resulting in a much cleaner, more contemporary sound. Definitely a must for fans...

This release will be available on most of the major digital distribution sites such as iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, etc. While it hasn't yet reached all of the distributors, it is up on most of the major ones as we speak. Enjoy!



Check it out at: The Assemblage 23 Online Store