2022 – Terminates Here

Update – December 2022

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There isn’t much Terminates Here DJ activity at the moment (none, actually), but progress on my ‘Dark Scene 500’ book continues. I’m well over halfway through the first draft, and I’ll soon be at the stage where I’ll be asking for help. Specifically, I will be looking for some expertise in certain sub-genres which haven’t featured heavily in my own scene experiences, but I know are too important to leave out.

As for getting the thing published, self-publication seems to be the way to go these days. I’m hoping crowdfunding will be a cost-effective way of paying for this, given I’m not seeking any personal financial gain from this endeavour. As a sign of good faith, I won’t start this process until I know the text is close to the “finishing line”, given the real costs of self-publishing don’t really come into play until after the text is drafted.

The one area where I’m really stuck, and looking for suggestions – finding an editor. Google searching mainly seems to yield US-oriented editors practised in either academic texts or works of fiction, and this book is none of these things. So if anyone has any ideas for how to find someone who could help get a mammoth tome about obscure musical styles written in colloquial (sometimes cynical) British English into some kind of publishable shape, please get in touch.

Work! (To Live) – November 2022

DJ Setlist

Back to the Aces basement in Tufnell Park for body beats and assorting electronic oddities with Nathan Nothing and guest DJ Nick Octopus down from Edinburgh. Almost certainly my last set of 2022, and my 150th in total. Here’s what I played.

9pm-9:45pm

Absolute Body Control – I’m Leaving
Silke Bischoff – On The Other Side I’ll See You Again
Psychic Force – Underpass ’94
X Marks The Pedwalk – Paranoid Illusion
Numb – Dead Inside
Pankow – Gimme More (Much More)
Cobalt 60 – Bye Bye
Orange Sector – Für Immer
Spark! – Ett Lejon I Dig
Jäger 90 – Dessau
Elm – Wapenrustning
Signal Aout 42 – To Talk Nonsense

11:15pm-Midnight

Go_A – Shum
Kirlian Camera – Eclipse (Anniversary)
Project Pitchfork – Requiem
Kraftwerk – Radioactivity (The Mix version)
Nitzer Ebb – Getting Closer
Front 242 – In Rhythmus Blieben
DAF – Verschwende Deine Jugend
Die Krupps – Tod Und Teufel
A Split-Second – Flesh
Ministry – Revenge
Camouflage – The Great Commandment
Eleven Pond – Watching Trees

Work! (To Live) – July 2022

DJ Setlist

A return to the Aces and Eights basement, where I joined Nathan Nothing and Cavey Nik to play a night of EBM and related styles. I don’t play that often these days, so every set like this is special.

9pm

Vangelis – Alpha
32Crash – Slow Crash
Haujobb – Dead Market
AutoDaFeh – Identity Unknown
klack – Discipline
á;GRUMH – C.B.B. (14%)
Borghesia – Discipline (same title but different song to the klack one…..)
The Young Gods – Jimmy
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult – Do You Fear For Your Child
Revolting Cocks – Attack Ships On Fire
Kraftwerk – Numbers
Welle:Erdball – Starfighter F-104G
Kirlian Camera – Nightglory

11:15pm

Project Pitchfork – K.N.K.A. (Climax Version)
Front Line Assembly – Iceloate
Leæther Strip – Adrenalin Rush
The Invincible Spirit – Push!
Das Ich – Destillat (Original version)
Front 242 – No Shuffle
Nitzer Ebb – Control I’m Here
DAF – Kebabträume
Cabaret Voltaire – I Want You
Klinik – Moving Hands
Skinny Puppy – Far Too Frail

Update – June 2022

News

Writing on the “Dark Scene 500” continues at a steady pace, with close to 50,000 words written so far. Still a lot to do, but I’m not working to any specific deadline here so no need to rush things. The aim is to get at least some of each chapter written within the next month or two, and then the overall shape of the thing will become clear.

As for DJing, I haven’t fully re-joined the circuit (as if I was in said circuit in the first place!), but I will be making a second appearance at the Work! (To Live) night in July – details are available on the Facebook page for those of you who like EBM done the ‘old way’.

Update – April 2022

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After my DJing comeback in March, I’ve now turned my attentions back to writing. The concept remains “500 songs that define a scene”, although the final title won’t be decided for some time yet. At time of writing, just over 150 songs have received a draft write-up. Challenges include working out a fresh ways of describing periods where many songs sounded pretty much the same (thank you aggrotech), and how to sensitively handle the whole ‘musically notable-ideologically problematic’ issue. “Leaving those bits out” isn’t an option – re-writing history to eliminate things you don’t agree with causes more problems than it solves.

I’m hoping to launch some crowdfunding to actually get this book published – forget about the established press. However, as a sign of good faith, I won’t launch this until the first draft is nearly complete (probably around the 400 song mark). It will also be the point where I hope to engage other subject matter experts on corners of the scene I haven’t personally been involved in – so if you think you know your stuff RE: digital hardcore, deathrock revival, 2010s EDM-that-had-a-scene-following or whatever it is steampunks listen to, hold that thought – we might have something to discuss!

Until then, I haven’t counted out DJing again from time to time, particularly if I get to play under-represented styles (as was the case with ‘Work!’) or have the opportunity to work up a decent genre-spanning setlist.

If you have any interest in any of the above, get in touch!

Work! (To Live) – March 2022

DJ Setlist

The first Terminates Here set since the pandemic began took place at Work! (To Live), a real-world version of Nathan Nothing’s lockdown-era online event Work! (From Home). Back to one of my favourite venues, and one of my favourite styles to play, alongside Nathan and DJ Mara Mortem. And thanks to Bandcamp Fridays, some new bands alongside the old favourites.

9pm-9:45pm

Due to my 2-year DJing layoff, I decided to start the event with the last track I played at the final Terminates Here set (also at Aces and Eights) in March 2020, followed by a reprise of the first track ever played at a TH set back in 2008 (also in Tufnell Park). Then the hard rhythms could begin…..

Ramin Djawadi fear Serj Tankian – The Rains of Castamere
Laibach – Mama Leone
:Wumpscut: – Capital Punishment
Deja Vu 2 – World Alert (2014 mix)
Borghesia – Ni Upanja, Ni Strahu
Ministry – Just Like You
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – Kooler Than Jesus
Cabaret Voltaire – Just Fascination
Pouppée Fabrikk – Death
Chrome Corpse – Remembering Your Words
Rein – There Is No Authority but Yourself

11:15pm-12:00am

Possibly one of my favourite DJ stints, ever…..

Absolute Body Control – Figures
Front 242 – Tragedy For You (Punish Your Machine)
Leæther Strip – Strap Me Down
Red Meat – Wrapped In Leather
Test Dept – Landlord
Armageddon Dildos – East West
Choke Chain – Blood
Cat Rapes Dog – American Dream
Youth Code – The Dust of Fallen Rome
Portion Control – Amnesia
Die Krupps – Robo Sapien

Update – February 2022

News

With my DJing return still a little over a month away, I though it best to offer some updates on my latest writing project. It’s already the biggest thing I’ve attempted – by far, but progress is being made.

I’ve picked out 500 songs that have some claim to being influential on the musical styles that define the scene in which DJ Terminates Here has operated since 2008 (and EOL-Audio long before that). The genre remit can essentially be defined as “all the genres covered by Wave-Gotik-Treffen” – though the band doesn’t have to have played said festival to make it in. Expect all forms of industrial and goth, a decent dose of early and experimental electronics, a selected few metal and rock tracks, and more that a couple of surprises.

It’s important to note that this is NOT an academic study – my style is simply better suited to the lay reader and I wouldn’t enjoy writing it if I couldn’t indulge in some humour along the way. Whilst there was a semi-scientific method behind the selection of bands and songs, it’s far too complex to go into here – I’ll explain more in the book itself. In terms of drafting, I’m well past 100 songs at the moment. There’s still a lot of explanatory text to write in between the chapters, so I’ll call the first draft 20% done.

I’ll post updates at key stages – and at some point in the near future I might be asking for some assistance, specifically from those of you who have some knowledge of the more obscure subgenres. More on those later – for now, I’ve got a few hundred songs to cover!

Update – January 2022

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Hi everyone, and a belated Happy 2022. I haven’t posted much on here lately, whilst the emergence of the Omicron variant has kept me from picking up the DJing once again. I have, however, been writing. I’ve decided that I’ll never have time write every listeners guide I want to, so have instead decided to change course and once again attempt to write a print-to-paper book.

This is my third attempt at such a thing, but this time I’m 20,000 words in and with plenty more to come, I’m confident of success this time. The underlying concept is ‘Songs that defined a scene’. I’ll reveal more as writing progresses. As for publishing – I’m hoping that aspect can be crowdfunded, but I won’t ask for any money until the first draft is mostly complete.

I’m otherwise alive and well, and happy to continue with this project at my own pace. I’ll post updates when there’s news. Until then, I wish you all the best with whatever it is you’re all doing these days. Hopefully we’ll all meet again soon.

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