Since 2012 Noise Receptor Journal constitutes my current endeavour in writing about underground music, which particularly focuses on dark ambient / industrial / experimental / power electronics and neo-folk type genres.
However my first publication Spectrum Magazine released five self published issues between 1998 and 2001, and covered similar musical territory to Noise Receptor Journal. All back issues of Spectrum Magazine have recently been re-published in a ‘compendium’ book format, including the cancelled sixth issue and a wealth of bonus content.
Further details provided below, and here: http://spectrummagarchive.wordpress.com
-Richard Stevenson
SPECTRUM COMPENDIUM
archival documentation of the post-industrial underground
Spectrum Magazine Archive 1998-2002
by Richard Stevenson
SPECTRUM COMPENDIUM – published February, 2019 by Headpress
Special hardcover edition only available via:
General release softcover version available from:
- Cult Never Dies (UK)
- Metropolis Bookshop (Aus)
- all major international book stockists
Spectrum: Ambient/ Industrial/ Experimental Music Culture Magazine was one of the most well respected underground ‘zines dealing with post-industrial music in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Although produced and published in Melbourne Australia, Spectrum focused on the global scene and network of artists and labels operating at the time, with a particular focus on the dark ambient, death industrial, heavy electronics, power electronics, neo-classical, martial industrial and neo-folk genres of music.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is now apparent that Spectrum covered a very active period internationally which can now be considered as one of the critical eras for the development and evolution of the post-industrial movement. During its years of activity the five individual issues of Spectrum were distributed through an extensive underground network of artists, labels and mail-orders, but have long since been sold out, and unavailable other than as rare collectables.
Now 20 years on from the release of the first issue of Spectrum in 1998, Spectrum Compendium brings together reprints of all five issues, along with a wealth of interviews and reviews originally intended to be published in the planned but ultimately abandoned sixth issue of Spectrum.
SPECTRUM COMPENDIUM functions as a critical publication to shine a light on the often obscured post-industrial underground. It is also a celebration of, and an archival document charting, the activities of key artists and labels during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Running to just short of 400 pages (392), it is available in soft-cover and special hard-back edition, which the hard-back including a bonus five track digital compilation of archival tracks (incl. Toroidh, Navicon Torture Technologies, Militia, Isomer and Chaos As Shelter).
Specifically SPECTRUM COMPENDIUM reproduces scanned pages of all five issues of the rare, out of print issues of Spectrum Magazine, plus content for the unpublished issue No 6, and a wealth of bonus archival material.
Featured interviews: Bad Sector / Black Lung / Brighter Death Now / Caul / Cold Spring / Crowd Control Activities / C17H19No3 / Death In June / Der Blutharsch / Desiderii Marginis / Deutsch Nepal / Dream Into Dust / Endvra / Folkstorm / Genocide Organ / Gruntsplatter / Hazard / House Of Low Culture / I-Burn / Ildfrost / Imminent Starvation / Inade / IRM / Iron Halo Device / Isomer / John Murphy / Kerovnian / Knifeladder / LAW / Malignant Records / Megaptera / Middle Pillar / Militia / MZ.412 / Navicon Torture Technologies / Nový Svĕt / Ordo Equilibrio / The Protagonist / Raison D’être / Sanctum / Schloss Tegal / Shining Vril / Shinjuku Thief / Skincage / Slaughter Productions / Spectre / StateArt / Stone Glass Steel / Stratvm Terror / Terra Sancta / Tertium Non Data / Toroidh / Tribe Of Circle / Warren Mead / Vox Barbara / Yen Pox
Plus:
- foreword commentary by: Klaus Hilger/ Tesco Organisation, Justin Mitchell/ Cold Spring Records, Mikko Aspa/ Freak Animal Records, Henrik ‘Nordvargr’ Bjorkk/ MZ.412, Jason Mantis/ Malignant Records, Rene Lehmann / Loki Foundation. Stephen Petrus/ Murderous Vision/ Live Bait Recording Foundation, David Tonkin/ Isomer.
- detailed introduction covering the backstory of Spectrum Magazine.
- 600+ detailed reviews of dark ambient / industrial / experimental / heavy electronics / neo-folk / power electronics releases.
- 2001 archival interview with Spectrum Magazine’s creator Richard Stevenson.
- live performance photo archive, covering 40 artists at eleven underground industrial shows in Melbourne, London, Switzerland & Sweden between 2000-2002.
- personal correspondence archive, including selected letters, flyers and postcards.
“I can only recommend Spectrum — one of the best print mags in this genre”. – Tesco Organisation Germany
“Amazing work, really cool to see these zines again”. – Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk, MZ.412
“These issues are legendary and historically very significant! Thanks for making them available again”. – Stephen Petrus, Murderous Vision / Live Bait Recording Foundation
Quotes:
“I can only recommend this magazine – was one of the best print mags in this genre” – Tesco Organisation Germany
“Amazing work, really cool to see these zines again” – Henrik ‘Nordvargr’ Bjorkk
“These issues are legendary and historically very significant! Thanks for making them available again” – Stephen Petrus / Murderous Vision
noise receptor 