Hey all!

   2009 is turning out to be a gangbusters year for the staff at BillLabs!  We've got news on spankin' new releases, tours both near and far and a slew of Seattle gigs.  Read on and we hope to see you out!

I. NEW RELEASES

MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE - TOTEM I (Conspiracy Records)
Wait no more!  MMoB's first installment of the Totem Trilogy has been issued by our friends at Conspiracy Records!  Sun City Girls' Alan Bishop and Secret Chiefs 3's Timb Harris collaborate on this unique ritualized slab of psych.  It is available in CD and limited edition vinyl.  Those interested in vinyl might want to jump as 275 out of 500 were presold!  Album art t-shirts are also available!  See below for MMoB Summer tour info.  In the meantime, check your local retailer or you can order music and more here:

http://www.conspiracyrecords.com/
http://www.conspiracyrecords.com/store/store_detail.php?id=7647

review of TOTEM I courtesy of Julian Cope:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/addressdrudion/121/

And for an interview in Terrorizer, click:

http://www.terrorizer.com/content/mmobactualband

MISS MASSIVE SNOWFLAKE - PHONOMETAK SPLIT 10" w/ GIANNI GEBBIA (Wallace)
This is a split 10" released by Phonometak Laboratories, a collaboration between Milan, Italy's SoundMetak store and The Wallace Record label. This series of 10" records is populated by international avant superstars, and Miss Massive Snowflake is so proud to join the ranks of, OVO, SINISTRI, XABIER IRIONDO, ZU, DAMO SUZUKI, MATS GUSTAFFSEN, PAOLO ANGELI, TALIBAM!, THE JEALOUSY PARTY, and ICEBURN. All of whom have a side of super thick 10" vinyl. This release marks the first songs with the full band MMS line-up of Shane de Leon, Zacery Stanley, David Chaparro, Caroline Chaparro, Bill Horist, Gilles, and Jeanne Kennedy-Crosby. Recorded at Studio Olivia. Limited to 500 copies.  Order here:

http://northpolerecords.org/bands/missmassivesnowflake/disc/

ROAD RACE - THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKETBOY AND EGYPT (North Pole Records)
Road Race does it again. Another album of finished songs born as they were recorded. As Kirkland Leach plays keyboard and sings songs about his life and fantasy life you wonder, "Is he really Rocketboy, and is he really going to save the day?". He's 9. He plays keyboard and his mighty left hand keeps your feet and head moving while his right smites down his enemies with ferocious melody.  The 3D COVER is a drawing by Kirk, but the glasses and effect are done by the 3D genius Ray Zone.  The music features members of the North Pole House Band; Shane de Leon, Gilles, and Bill Horist. The hi-fidelity songs were recorded at Studio Olivia and the lo fidelity songs were recorded at the North Pole.  Really you gotta hear it to believe it. Our best bet.  RELEASE DATE 6/30/09.  Order here:

info@northpolercords.org
myspace.com/northpolerecordings
northpolerecords.org

II. UPCOMING TOURS

BILL HORIST & JAKOB RIIS - JUNE 2009 NORTHWEST US TOUR
Bill and Jakob met and collaborated at Spring Reverb in Sand Diego and Tijuana many years ago.  For this tour they will be performing solos and duos as well as collaborations with filmmakers and local musicians along the way.  We imagine you've heard plenty about Bill but here's more info about Jakob:

Jakob Riis
(b.1964, Vejle, Denmark)
Composer, electronic musician, improviser. Active in the experimental fields of electronic music, soundart, improvisation and contemporary composition. Former trombonist, now focusing on electronic music, laptop pioneer on the danish experimental scene.  Today Jakob Riis is primarily making electronic, noise and electroacoustic music, often making solo laptop prefomances, improvising within open structures.  As a composer he has composed music for bigband, chamber ensembles as well as electronic and electro acoustic music, for ensembles like Copenhagen Art Ensemble, The Orchestra and The Ghettoblaster Ensemble. As an improviser he is playing with people like Axel Dörner, Jassem Hindi, Philipp
Wachsmann, Peter Ole Jørgensen, Mats Gustafsson, Pål Nilssen-Love, Lotte Anker a.o.  Studied trombone at the Rhythmic Conservatory (RMC)
in Copenhagen, where he graduated in 1990. In 97-99 he studied composition
with Bob Brookmeyer at RMC.  Sounds and info at www.myspace.com/sonicescape

Here's the rundown (see "III. JUNE gigs" for more complete info.

Saturday June 20 - SEATTLE - Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave 8pm, ALL AGES!
Sunday June 21 - OLYMPIA - Capitol Theater, 1pm, ALL AGES!
Sunday June 21 - PORTLAND - Enterbeing, 1603 NE Alberta, 8pm, ALL AGES!
Monday June 22 - EUGENE - The Jazz Station, 68 W Broadway, 8pm, ALL AGES!

MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE - SUMMER EUROPE & WEST COAST TOURS
And finally - HEADS UP!  MMoB will be taking to the anastamoses of roads in Europe and the Western US!  We'll be sweeping Europe during the second half of July with stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK ending our trek at Supersonic, a festival in Birmingham that will also feature THE ACCUSED, SWANS (REUNION SHOW!!), GOBLIN, ZU, and a whole heap of other great music.  In August, the Master Musicians sodden the West Coast for a two-week tour with the shamanic SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE.  

III. JUNE 2009 GIGS

Thursday June 4
Aphonia Recordings presents
APHONIA FEST with
DESOLATION WILDERNESS
BILL HORIST
MOOD ORGAN
Aphonia Recordings celebrate their third year of existence with a three-day fete featuring some of the finest in electro-ambient-experi-muscular in the Northwest and beyond.  For a complete schedule, visit www.aphoniarecordings.com or www.myspace.com/aphoniarecordings.
Jewelbox Theater @ the Rendezvous, 2332 2nd Ave, SEATTLE, 10pm, 21+

Thursday June 18 (day)
Seattle Office of Cultural Affairs present:
BILL HORIST
This installment of the "Seattle presents" midday concerts will feature Horist playing a solo acoustic set of music found and from all over the world.
City Hall Plaza, 600 Fourth Ave, SEATTLE, 12 Noon, ALL AGES!!

Thursday June 18 (eve)
MARTIN BISI
THE FAMILY CURSE
BILL HORIST
THE PURRS
Legendary NYC producer Martin Bisi visits the Northwest for a very rare appearance in the Northwest.  Bisi's credits include critical albums by Sonic Youth, Swans, Foetus and John Zorn, not to mention Herbie Hancock's groundbreaking 80s hit, Rockit!!  In his own band, he plays guitar and sings. His new album veers between moody, psychedelic, poppy and harder rock. The sound is mostly dense and rich in instruments and multiple vocals, but then also edgy and quirky.  The Purrs drench the room with their psyche-americana ooze.  Also on the bill, the downstroke no-wave of the Family Curse.  Bill Horist opens the evening solo (at 9:30 - REALLY!!) and might sit in with Martin's band for a few tunes.
The Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave, SEATTLE, 9pm, 21+


BILL HORIST / JAKOB RIIS NORTHWEST US TOUR

Saturday June 20
BILL HORIST
JAKOB RIIS
Gallery 1412, 1417 18th Ave E, SEATTLE, 8pm, ALL AGES!

Sunday June 21 (day)
Olympia Experimental Music Fest presents:
MICROCOSMIC ABYSS:
BILL HORIST
JAKOB RIIS
collaborate with filmmakers
ROB TYLER
ERIC OSTROWSKI
LANE BRANDON PHELPS
DEVON DAMONTE
Spontaneous collusions between sound and screen.  Horist collaborates with Rob Tyler.  Riis collaborates with Eric Ostrowski and Lane Brandon Phelps.  Then Horist and Riis collaborate with Devon Damonte.
Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE, OLYMPIA, 2pm, ALL AGES!

Sunday June 21 (eve)
BILL HORIST
JAKOB RIIS
JEAN-PAUL JENKINS
Enterbeing 1603 NE Alberta, PORTLAND, 8pm, ALL AGES!

Monday June 22
BILL HORIST
JAKOB RIIS
SABRINA SIEGEL
The Jazz Station, 68 W Broadway, EUGENE, 8pm, ALL AGES!

The live footage from the Prepared Portland DVD has been uploaded in its entirety onto youtube. Check it out here:
pt 1
pt 2
pt 3
pt 4
pt 5

or google video:

Prepared Portland