Why wait for the government to implant you with a tracking device: "Get chipped!" Is this some sick Orwellian practical joke? Uh-uh. Verichip is FDA approved and the Chip-mobile is coming to your town. Hide the children. Surprisingly, John Ashcroft isn't even behind this one... though I'm sure it gives him a big ol' grin.

I'm just recovering from San Francisco's first electroclash event, and while I've been to more electronic music event's than I care (or am able) to remember, few enjoyed the fun atmosphere and great energy of this weekend. I've posted lots of snapshots at iRobotnik, just be warned there's about 1MB of photos, so be patient.

Sometimes the truth is so funny it's not so funny: switch.com/pissed

BURNLAB.RADIO update
We are getting close to developing an appropriate format for streaming audio. if anyone has been following recent news about copyright law, you are aware this is not a good time to start up a web radio station... or any radio station for that matter. Nonetheless, Burnlab is committed to promoting artists we admire - working in all media - and providing our users a resource to learn about and experience the best and most innovative work being created today. BURNLAB.RADIO will help establish this site as a finger on the pulse of the underground, and [thanks to our diverse and talented editorial staff] provide educated insights on the material we cover. The hope is that by exposing people to certain music, they will be inclined to purchase something they would not have known about otherwise. In that respect, we find it foolish that any record label would take issue with this broadcast. We do plan to honor the request of any copyright holders to remove specific material.

We have ruled out Live365 and other third party broadcast services. Streaming media will come directly from our server. It will most likely not be a SHOUTcast station. The reason for this is that radio content will be a feature of the "Burnlab package" as explained above, and is not intended as a stand-alone radio station. The station(s) will be programmed by a team of editors around the world, and feature new music, rare selections and historically significant favorites. I am still very interested to hear what specific features people would like see. Mail here.

On the subject, I'm using the alpha version of WINAMP Mac right now, and loving the sound quality and functionality. Highly recommended media player. Also, do check out Epitonic Radio. It allows you to create dynamic playlists from different genres and features a selection of new music I'm frankly envious of. Epitonic also offers quality editorial content and MP3 downloads.



Finally, a reminder to all that this Wednesday is Devil's Night. Our associates at Ghostly International and DJ Hell himself descend on Brooklyn to the delight of electropunks and art school freaks.

Last night at Paxahau's Tinnitus event, I had my head completely twisted around by some fantastic techno. It was three live PAs of funky, compelling and really really original ssslllooowwww-techno. First was a live PA by Swiss producer Luciano. Heavily delayed dub style pianos over really slick mid-era Speedy J-esq beats. You can get the almost full effect by checking out his not-so-live CD 'Live @ Weetamix. That was followed by a less compelling set by current bleep-bleep golden boy Akufen. Although the set was average, it would be wrong of me to not mention his incredible remix of Cabaret Voltaire's classic "Nag Nag Nag coming out this month on Novamute. The night ended with a set by Perlon artist Dandy Jack who was joined by Luciano in what became a three hour tour-de-force of dueling laptops. I'll let everyone know when Paxahua post the archives from this amazing night.

just back from a whirlwind u.s. trip...cool to see fellow editors tony, olivia and mike in brooklyn and catch a beer (or 10) in buttermilk......as i told mike, a nice new engram tshirt is being proudly worn thru the streets of barcelona. biggest design-related surprise of my trip was the quality of some of the restaurants and bars in las vegas...unfortunately i wasn�t able to find any good links but the mandalay bay resort has a couple of spots sporting over-the-top design worthy of a batman movie.............................................next weekend is the annual artfutura festival in barcelona, which features the best of computer generated art from the past year, with highlights including the "kinetic light sculptures" of paul friedlander and radical software group�s carnivore project,based on software with the same name used by the fbi to monitor internet activity.sounds interesting (i had to say that or else i might be on some fbi blacklist)...........................................guilty pleasure alert (don�t read more if that leadup worries you)...if the coming of crisp fall nights makes you feel like reminiscing about unrequited highschool love while wandering the leaf strewn parks, buy the new coldplay... just don�t admit it to anyone

Lifted from Core77: Superfuture city style guide. Also see the gorgeous new Sony Vaio W Series. Now available in the US. If it only came with a decent OS...

Lifted from Computerlove: We Come in Peace... nice! And check out the great work and clever interface of Emil Olsson's portfolio, Selected.Work.

Smooth move Microsoft.

Our friends at Red Antenna are celebrating the release of their forthcoming compilation, "The New Electric Policy 2" this Friday [Oct. 25], 9pm at Subtonic: 107 Norfolk, Lower East Side NYC.
Festivities include live performances from Karl Zeiss and Variable-X, plus visual art from the Red Antenna agitprop department and Polar Bear Club resident guru, Giles Hendrix.

Also Friday night, the visionary and multitalented Carl Craig DJs at the legendary club Zouk in Singapore.

Just in: Fischerspooner are to perform at Irving Plaza on November 19th with very special guest DJ Hell. There will be a 9pm and a Midnight show, and those on the mailing list can purchase tickets in advance. We of course encourage all of you to go to the Midnight show, so you can make our much hyped lecture-slash-party at Galapagos Art Space beforehand. We have not confirmed if this is instead of or in addition to the rumored FS performance on Halloween night. (Perhaps Karl can lend some insight?)

Rich and Sven's new mix CD is released next week. Pre-order directly from Mute.

One of the many projects in varying states of completion here at the Lab is a web site for The Fix [see events, left.] Here is a preview of a new feature: Fix Sketchbook documents many of my scribbles for the club flyers and identity of the ongoing electro party, presented as a 57 inch wide JPEG file. + We've archived all the flyers in one place for your viewing pleasure: Fix Flyer Gallery

We're seriously investigating BURNLAB.RADIO [a.k.a. streaming music programmed by your favorite B-lab conspirators.] I'm leaning toward going with Live365, but would like any input from our readers on personal experience with different streaming media hosts. Of course we'd like to keep costs to a minimum, but only want to do it if will be a valuable feature for our users. Insight and comments much appreciated.

I got a little preview of Computerlove V2, and I have to say it will be the best and most dynamic resource on the internet for visual design. Can't say more or they'll kill me, but be prepared to be impressed... sometime before end of the year.

Got Berlin on your mind, Mr. Clark? ;) Marius should be moved there soon. Definitely looking forward to having a Burnlab representative based in the world capitol of underground culture.

Daniel Miller (of Mute Records, Depeche Mode fame) has a radio show, the "Miller Hour". Check it out in RealAudio at Radio Eins in Berlin.

London's Trash parties have a number of great DJ sets available online for your listening pleasure in Real Audio format. Unlike the club itself, dress code is not enforced.

I'm nearly finished with the design for Memory Systems' soon to be released full length CD. Above is a little sneak peek at the artwork.

See our friend Oliver's web design portfolio at OLEX. Clean, beautiful Austrian design straight from Brooklyn.



This past Friday marked the final installment of Magda's weekly DJ residency at Openair in NYC. She'll be playing a handful of one-off events [including *cough* the Core77 Offsite November 19th] before jetting off on tour with the Plastik one. Pictured here at Lit, Odell Nails tries to sell Magda on the virtues of a rather nasty beverage called Sparks, which is a caffeinated, orange flavored malt liquor. With the Openair residency over, expect the NYC kids to be spending a lot more time at Lit on Friday nights. (Sparks will definitely not be part of the regualr routine though.)

Some recent content updates at the comprehensive website of French techno genius and super nice guy Laurent Garnier. Laurent will make a rare stop in Detroit on November 30th at the Johanson Gallery in Eastern Market.

News from Paul at Archinect: The six finalists in the Pentagon memorial competition have been announced.

I swiped this gem from old Burnlab favorite Justin on the NTB board yesterday: art or business?

Since I'm now officially writing for three different design news sites [the one you're looking at + Core77 and Computerlove], it may take some adjustment to figure out what information to post where. Since Burnlab is home base, you can generally expect longer, more detailed rants here... for better or worse. Anyway, below are some highlights from the Things That Think consortium at the M.I.T. Media Lab earlier this week. Thanks to Jaron Rothkop I got to meet innumerable creative geniuses and got to play with some technology that will literally change the way we live. So where to start?

Perhaps not the most significant to mankind's progress, but very ingenious is the newest version of DJ I-Robot. This machine is basically the opposite of Final Scratch, playing real records on custom built computer controlled turntables. My favorite feature is the ability to program rhythms through scratching with the software interface... like an analog sampler of sorts. With the capability to 'fast forward' at up to 800 RPM, it must destroy records and needles at an impressive rate.

Of great interest to designers is a project by Aesthetics and Computation Group research assistant Simon Greenwold, first debuted about a year ago. Installation allows the user to draw objects in three dimensional space, and then pick up the screen and walk around the object as if it is physically in the room. The implications are staggering. As Simon says [no pun intended], "The fundamental idea is that once a work object is contextualized in space it has shared platform for simultaneous manipulation." Meaning that multiple users can access and manipulate information: be it an architectural design, large system engineering, a product or abstract information.

Speaking of manipulating information in physical space, Hiroshi Ishii's Tangible Media Group is dedicated to exploring language in its purest sense and developing better was to mediate information. Illuminating Clay is an interface that "allows users to explore and analyze free form spatial models. Three-dimensional geometry is captured in real time using a laser scanner. From this information simulations such as shadow casting, land erosion, visibility and travelling time are calculated. Finally, the results are projected back onto the clay model." Astoundingly elegant is the ongoing "Bottles" project. Custom glass bottles of different shape and size give out specific frequencies when uncorked, and can be assigned different types of audible information. This bottles can be assigned anything from musical instruments, to metaphorical information related to data interpreted from a web browser. The bottles can even be assigned voices and carry on a conversation.

Back from a quick visit to NYC, including stops at the excellent Buttermilk and Gel and Weave, to see good news for Detroit-area tourism: Instead of settling for the nice yet incomplete glimpse of auto production provided by displays at the Detroit Historical Museum and others, Ford Motor Co.'s Rouge plant plans to resume tours soon. Although they won't likely include time on a catwalk over steel that is being rolled, as described here, it likely will be well worth a detour. Now if only The Detroit Salt Co. would reopen the salt mines below the city for tours.

We are proud to announce two new official Associates:

Computerlove.net is probably the best daily resource for visual design on the internet. I'm honored an excited to be joining their very talented news crew.

More than just a record label, Ghostly International is dedicated to providing the very best quality in music, live events and visuals. Look for co-sponsored events very soon.

The thing I love most about both our new associates is they both maintain an outstanding level of quality, yet a very friendly feel and dedication to emerging talent. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Speaking of Ghostly... see you on Devil's Night.

One more note: remember to tune in to Liz's show on WDETfm online tonight from midnight to 5am E.S.T. for her Focus:Electronic program.

Further evidence of how deeply the roots of minimal techno are tangled with industrial and EBM: Here is what our friend Zip was doing prior to founding the Perlon label.

News from our friends in Singapore: The giant spiney metal clad eggs which have been rising on Marina Bay, also known as The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, opened this past weekend. The Esplanade is a state of the art entertainment and performing arts center which will house concerts, opera, performance art, dance, theatre, outdoor activities, shopping, and a high tech complex of restaurants. Designed by Michael Wilford & Partners and DP Architects, it is part of Singapore's strategy to establish itself as the cultural center of Southeast Asia.

That's just swell. On the same day Jimmy Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize for devoting decades of his life to the peaceful resolution of international conflicts, the US Senate grants President Bush broad power to attack Iraq because...uh... oh, that's right... because of a personal vendetta between world leaders, control of a natural resource we should have phased out decades ago and war is just good fun [and a heck of a lot easier than fixing the economy.] On a related topic, US military personnel and high ranking officials are granted immunity from the potential of war crimes tribunals at the Hague. God forbid our leaders be burdened with the nagging threat of taking responsibility for their actions. This looks like the first phase of adopting President Bush's U.S. Does Whatever It Wants resolution.

Nice one, Chad! If I weren't going to Boston on Monday I'd be so there.

This is not brand new, but if anyone hasn't seen Jack Black doppelganger TransFatty's twisted little piece of pop culture candy, enjoy Archie and Edith in the 5th Dimension.

For those in LA this fall, our own Israel Kandarian has work featured at the upcoming SCI-Arc exhibit 30/30 Vision: Thirty Thesis Drawings from the First Thirty Years. The exhibit runs October 15 - November 4.

Not to be difficult Michael, but doesn't Brian Izard's design look a whole lot like the BMW 7 series? =P

Fans of things dark and tonal should check out the new Amon Tobin album Out From Out Where. Everything from blip-hop to proto-industrial to cinematic hellraiser styles. And the cover art by Openmind (1/3 of Ninja Tune group DJ Food) actually brings a new look to that most overused of techno visuals, the Gundam.

Political satirist and hero of the people, Michael Moore's new film Bowling For Columbine opens in select theaters this Friday. Unanimous winner of the Cannes Special Jury Prize, the film takes aim at the NRA: featuring interviews with Marilyn Manson, South Park creator Matt Stone, and NRA president Charlton Heston. Moore decided to make the film after giving up on the notion of becoming NRA president himself, in order to "return the organization to its roots [teaching the responsibility of firearms] instead of what it is now - a front for a right-wing agenda."

Speaking of car design, check out the portfolio section at Car Design News. Interestingly enough, the student portfolios are generally better than the pros. Some outstanding ones are Jinwon Kim of Art Center Pasadena, Brian Izard of College for Creative Studies Detroit, and Jose Vicente Remon Honrubia of the Royal College of Art London.

In reference to the Sept. 30th post about the NY Times article Stylish Fleet, a very good source informs me that Frank O. Gehry is no fan [to say the least] of the BMW 7 series' awkward styling or the current direction of BMW styling in general. My faith in master Gehry's aesthetics are restored.

Oz Dean informs us that the third edition of Design for Chunks is now online. Getting airsick has never been so fashionable.

Our man in Tokyo, John Balousek sends news of three great design events going on this week:

Tokyo Designers Block 10 | 10 - 14
Tokyo Design Week 10 | 10 - 14
Swedish Style 2002 Tokyo 10 | 5 - 15

Thanks to Chad for the Voice's Best of NYC link.
Congrats to our good friend Magda for the titile
"Best New New York DJ Imported From Detroit".
At least the room-mate gets a mention. :)

Also, big congrats to Andy and the other Hungry Wives for "Best Song Dissing New York's Club Scene", It's Over.

Speaking of, the Electroclash festival is this week. Go see the Wives, Tommie Sunshine, 2 Many DJs, Felix the Housecat and a slew of other great acts at Webster Hall Wednesday night.

Wow, Olivia... the photos remind me that I need to take out the tight vinyl pants and burn them once and for all ;) Good song picks there, though Goth sites really need to put a stop to the black/purple combo. I'm tempted to register www.full-on-blade-runner.com just to have a Cyberpunk music portal free of clich�s and a strict ban on guitar solos, bad poetry and excessive use of vague pagan symbols. Put it on the stack of things to do...

Okay, speaking of internet radio, Burnlab Radio is definitely an idea I've been kicking around for the next overhaul of this site. In the meantime, BitBoy's 80's Cafe does a nice job with Lab favorites from New Order to Nitzer Ebb, plus some rare gems. You can also listen to Liz Copeland live at WDET online from midnight to 5am every Sunday through Thursday nights [or Monday through Friday, depending on how you look at it.] At this very moment [1:11am E.S.T.] Liz is doing an album spotlight on the new Swayzak release.

I'm brainstorming on ways to improve Burnlab for the next relaese and any suggestions from readers or conspirators are much welcome. Send me an e-mail. There is still the notion of a one-off Burnlab magazine/book, but that's in line behind 50 other pipe dreams under pursuit currently.

Design for Freedom has a new online zine called SCOUTT which is pretty darn cool. Check out the interview with Tom M�ller.

Flyer #3 for The Fix, the only ongoing electro night in the Motor City. The heavily modified image is based on a Polaroid by previously mentioned make-up artist St�phane Marais... a "ready made" I found in the pages of Vogue. For those in Detroit, we're not going to tell you to choose between The Fix and Pop Artificielle tonight... go to both!

Photography, make-up, fashion, music and toilets:

Those familiar with St�phane Marais' cutting edge make-up artistry will be pleased to know that he recently opened a boutique / studio in Paris, as featured by FRAME Magazine. Also check out his book of Polaroids, Beauty Flash.

Andy Salzer, one half of the team behind the Yoko Devereaux clothing line, is also a founder of the Brooklyn-based new wave band The Hungry Wives. Check out the Wives' site for audio samples. I'm quite fond of the tracks "There's Something Wrong With Tim" and "The Splits".

Betty Cobb photographs some of my favorite 'alternative' icons, including Peter Murphy, Nivek Ogre, Nicole Blackman, and our friend and supporter Jared of Chemlab. Her superb portrait work can be seen regularly in the industrial/goth/electronica zine Outburn, who have finally gotten on the wagon with an in-depth article on Fischerspooner this month. Outburn has become an essential institution in its own right through a history of outstanding interviews with the likes of Blixa Bargeld of Einst�rzende Neubauten and Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode and Recoil, not to mention those listed above.

Speaking of Herr Bargeld [who apparently had some witty critique of our own Liz Copeland's German language skills recently], check out his ongoing "Serialbathroomdummyrun" photography project at Blixa-Bargeld.com. Blixa has been meticulously documenting the bathrooms of every hotel room he has stayed in since 1990.

Re: Agenda Suicide
Yep... if you click on "previous version" to the left, there is a Lab Report post from April 10th. There was some hullabaloo about this, as MK12 Studios [who created the video for The Faint] was experiencing server crashes due to high traffic. Burnlab hosted two video clips for a few days, but Saddle Creek kindly asked us to remove them, apparently unaware that every single graphic designer and electro fan in the world was trying to download the video right from MK12. Still one of my all time favorite animated music videos... and a great song!

If you haven't seen Paul Drohan's graphic design work at D5ive, do yourself a favor and spend some time there. Fun interface and a 'dirty science' aesthetic I love. Also of note is his Weapons of Mass Destruction piece for the Design for Freedom project. Nice.

I realised a 10 year old dream this weekend: 12 hooks, 60 minutes, 4 meters above the ground. I've been wanting to do a body suspension ever since the first time I read about it, and thanks to the Oslo Suspension Festival I finally got the chance. The pain was perfectly bearable, letting go of control was harder. I heartily recommend it if you want to see how far your body can go. Go on, learn to fly.

Nice post on Ricardo Scofido and Elizabeth Diller's fine example of Swedish design wizardry. For those interested in more (pre-General Motors) Saab heritage, check out the online Saab Museum. It features the history of the 95 and 96 line, and (in this humble contributor's opinion) one of the most beautiful sports car designs in history, Sixten Sason's 94 (also known as the Sonet 1).