June 3rd 2005 none more black

This was sent to me on a really cool 3-inch disc which already gave the band a good start but with a whole load of free stickers thrown in as well this would have to be the worst EP ever to get a bad review. Fickle? Damn right! luckily I dont have to lie through my teeth to find good things to say about this band though; their blend of modern day alt-rock and old school MY BLOODY VALENTINE-esque experimental style instantly had me transfixed. What's so appealing about this disc is the way the songs have taken the old shoegazer technique of piling up layer upon layer of distorted and effect ridden guitars to create a wall of ambient noise but have, unlike many experimental acts, added something more conventional into the mix making this more instantly accessible than even MBV's most catchy moments. The accessibility ends there though as the lyrics printed inside the sleeve are bizarre to say the least, at times even going into technical computer language which is funny (sort of) but probably pointless. Overall, this is a pretty impressive EP with interesting songs that definitely provide a good escape for anyone wanting to lose themselves in something out of the ordinary.

March 2004 demorama.com

Five songs from Seattle on one of those really neat mini-CDs. It's the second submission I've gotten on one of those, and so far they seem favored by musicians with a taste for the eccentric. This time they didn't suck. The lyrics to these songs are pleasingly mysterious. Not everyday I see song lyrics with C Code in it, or references to computer architecture. The songs themselves are kind of mono-groove dreamy with a lead singer who has a high voice. Fortunately, they didn't go mental on the length, so the groove doesn't wear out its welcome, and just stays groovy. As a minor knock, the mix seems awful soft, and a tad murky though. For what this is (arty), it's surprisingly listenable on the first go. Here's your press blurb guys: After some right clicking, my word processor is now pleased to know the word "listenable". For an exercise in minimalism, check out their website. You could haul out an early 90's modem and not have any bandwidth related speed issues. You may also discover a somewhat anti music-establishment bent to the editorial content there. More power to you boys. You wouldn't be the first people on Earth to think Record Labels have needs counter to that of artists. It's nice to see someone doing something about it! (Conrad Teves)

September 2003 diy.spb.ru

translated from Russian to English by Babel Fish

With entire my contempt to the mini -.cD as size, I cannot but note that this is - outstanding, simply strange small laser plate. After sintezatornogo intro- follows very pleasant melodious pank. Group earlier was called The VISITORS, and the pair of songs to us is already familiar on the album "Sniffing Glue"; here they are completed, true, only it is more tightly. New (?) material (two songs at the end, in no way designated either on the cover or on the disk itself) a little - by gitarnym sound - resembles even DEAD KENNEDYS. I.e. from usual, although well played melodious panka group dvizhetsya to the more experimental style. The texts of social nature, title composition, for example, about the fact that the careerists "could completely be automata".

July 2003 diy.spb.ru

translated from Russian to English by Babel Fish

Clean, without the admixture of pank- fate (although the same people play it) experimental electronics - on the whole, it is possible to compare with any APHEX TWIN. In title treke - excellent, poetical (and, furthermore, very pessimistic) text, the second side of singla - without vokala. By the way, the sides of plate are entangled. I consider that entire music - not only pank, noise or khardkor - must be maximally independent from the musical business. Existence DIY of electronic plates like this - the proof of the possibility of this situation.

October 2001 The Chicken Fish Speaks

June 2001 Geek America

Grade: B +

This is the thickest, heaviest 7" i've ever held in my life. serious, I weighed it, the average record is 1 oz (just the vinyl by itself) and this thing is almost 3 oz's! it's crazy. i wonder where they got it pressed... Anyway they included a note saying they hoped i'd like this better than the last one, which i gave a mediocre review to. And i must admit, this is better than mediocre. Side one is a spacy electronic trip that starts to die out in the middle, but just when i thought i was gonna be disappointed, it picked back up and finished up nicely. Side 2 has this super creepy computerized voice that's either speaking backward, or french... something, i can't tell, but it was really scaring me since i will be sleeping alone tonight. Then all these other voices just talking came in and surrounded it, kind of swirling about, then the music finally came in and it's pretty cool kind of like techno based more on music and melody than on the beat. it's all pillowed with synthesizers. listen to this while: driving through the desert at 3 in the morning (bgw)

February 2001 Heart Attack #29

14 tracks in 38:06 minutes. Red Martian play loud and fast three chord punk rock. Each tune has a melodic bass and a sing-a-long chorus. They have some heady social criticism and political commentary in their lyrics addressing apathy, escapism, abuse, sexism, hypocrisy and more. The music is energetic and tight and fun. Red Martian sounds a bit like the Dead Kennedys and early Hüsker Dü. There are 14 tracks on this CD. The energy level and intelligence are maintained throughout. Apparently this is the same band who sent in the 7" of electronic soundscapes reviewed last issues. SJS

September 2001 - Impact Press

August 2001 - Impact Press

ashes to ashes

Another cd we got in the mail for listing on distribution so I thought i would at least give them a plug on the site for that. Punk rock that reminded me of schreaching weasle in places (i dont know why, they dont really sound like them, but something just keeps screaming Wiggle at me).... Intresting layout and web site...check'em out if you dig punk. http://redmartian.com

August 2000 Heart Attack #28

Red Martian play two lengthy tracks of rythmic electronic bubbling and blurps, bleeps and splashing on this 7". The sounds are melodic and hypnotic and a bit reminiscent of 80's era Tangerine Dream. Side one begins with electronically altered voices and then the rest is instrumental. A poem on the back of the sleeve talks of humanity and our lives in the context of infinite time. A disquieting sadness pervades the words, which gives the music a melancholy setting. Perfect for introspection in the still of the late night - SJS.

February 2000 Heart Attack #25

This is really hard to describe. It reminds me of some '80s pop played with a punk edge. And there's keyboard, too. It's not like these people don't know how to play their instruments, it's just that the end result doesn't sound very intriguing to me. - MH

March 2000 MISH MASH MUSIC ZINE

I knew Seattle's Red Martian had plenty of attitude back in December when I received a Season's Greetings card picturing SWAT team members from the WTO riots. I was even more impressed by the pure punk rawness of their recent EP release, Automaton.

The disc is brief but brimming with brilliant adolescent punk attitude, angry with the world at large for no specific reason: So you've wasted 23 of your best years / sitting in plastic chairs competing with your peers / where they spoon feed you garbage until your head falls out...You might as well be an automaton / a machine they can program.

It teeters between toughness and geekiness, thrashing about like the coolest garage band on the block, yet embracing the misfit side of life. The songs are quick and clever, thumbing a nose at the mainstream with lo-fi sounds and goofy, angst-filled lyrics.

I'm told the band's full length, Deny Authority, should be on the way soon--but for now, Automaton is an excellent appetizer.

MISH MASH Mandate: Snacktime punk

JUST ANOTHER SCENE

SMOTHER ZINE

MUTANT RENEGADE ZINE #14

If you can get past the creepy cover art, you will find a nicely put together post punk release. On the cover, a girl is shoving a piece of bread that is phallic shaped into the armpit of another girl who looks as if she is about burst into tears. It looks like a child molester was the artist. It?s really disturbing and I think it would scare the average listener out of buying the CD. The songs are energetic. The guitars literally sound like the are bouncing up and down to the drum beats. The lyrics give the finger to conservative America and nazi racists. Stephen Jones vocals are crisp and bring the lyrics to life with the inspiration of a pissed off 17 year old spirit. {Gail}

Tom & Steve - http://www.tomandsteve.com

9am -noon every Saturday morning
88.7 KTCU, Fort Worth

Special Notes: We're finally getting used to writing 2000 on stuff, but it still looks funny... Anyway, we did our own little tribute to the future from Red Martian's "Automaton" to Radiohead's "Paranoid Android". Here's hoping we have flying cars and robot maids before too much longer. 2000 is nothing like I envisioned it as a kid...

Tom and I are extremely excited that Chomsky will be joining us in the studio on January 29th! E-mail us any questions you want to ask Chomsky...

GAJOOB ZINE

CORNZINE http://www.cornzine.com

KONTROL #14 - http://www.kontrol.freeuk.com

MENTAL MUSIC ZINE

HOSS LOG

I was most disenheartened last night when teaching. Every night during class, I ask about the news of the day that might apply to networking. Well, as you know, yesterday the supreme court indicated that an appelate court would hear the antitrust case before they would. The decision, IMHO, is the right one-- Microsoft is just as entitled to a fair legal proceeeding as anyone.

What disturbed me, though, was not even the fact that the class felt microsoft had done no wrong. After all, I'm the only non-microsoft-toady professor in the entire department, so they wouldn't hear from the "opposing team". After all, none of them have ever had to compete against microsoft, so they might not understand some of the issues I have with that company's practices. Fine, we can disagree on the particulars of whether price-dumping is a legitimate business tactic.

What disturbed me was the notion put forward by one of my students, and agreed to (via head nodding) by other students, that the best way to compete was to drive your competitors out of business. When Microsoft's acquire-or-destroy business technique is held up as the pinnacle of ethical and proper business practices... well, I worry about how businesses will be going about their tasks over the next 20 years. Add in the fact that every student in the business school seems to think that business law and business ethics classes are a total waste of time, well, there's some cause for distress.

Something that I'm very very proud of here at Playnet is that in all circumstances, we deliberately choose the noble path, the high road. No matter what the particulars of a situation are, we take the ethics of the situation into account, and not just the bottom line.

Today's Music? The Propellerheads, DECKSANDDRUMSANDROCKANDROLL. Also, Sixpence None the Richer, The Visitors Sniffing Glue (a CD I really like because I taught the drummer how to play bass, and I worked with him in his early drumming days), and Rage Against The Machine.

(sniffing glue quote) pyromaniachick

mpX review

Once upon a time the word "Punk" was little more than a reference to low-lifing petty criminals. But in the early 70's every alienated soul in the Thatcherite UK had embraced the lifestyle, look and feel of the term, giving rise to a truly messy, riotous, and incendiary musical era. The rest of the disaffected soon followed suit in nerve centers such as New York, LA, Paris and Berlin.

Well folks, Punk is very much alive and kicking on MP3.com. The Visitors are a truly inspired Punk band, with arguably the most technically adroit rock sound we've heard to date on any MP3 format release. All their songs sound terrific; we reviewed "Behind the Trash" because it just happens to top MP3.com's Punk charts, but "Sniffin' Glue" is also a goodie: as airtight a recording as anything produced by NY's Ramones and London's Damned in the '70s - a truly over-the-top delight. This is a case where an indy label - Mind Kontrol - can really strut its stuff.

"Behind the Trash" is a delicious, rapid-fire, screaming mouthful as lead singer Stephen Jones rises to the challenge. He has an expert and slick vocal style that melds a sneering, tongue-tying treatment with ferociously intelligent lyrics. "Did you know behind your fancy clothes, behind your makeup, your stilted nose? Stop! He's a famous star and all you people don't know who you are. Stop! See the shiny teeth? Why don't you look beneath the trash?"

The Visitors produce smart, well-crafted, sociopolitical songs and render them at mega warp 4/4; the band credits the Clash, Sex Pistols, UK Subs, Bad Religion, Descendants, Green Day, Blondie, and Minor Threat among their major influences. The Visitors are all these guys and more! The band's personnel consists of Benjie "Bollox" Butler (lead vocals, coconuts, kazoo), Theodore Ühlemann (Fender Precision/SVT), Stephen Jones (guitars, Prophet 600, and Roland Super JX-10), and drummer Jordan "Boredum" Zadwick (who lists the year of his birth as 1983, and the year of his death as 1979).

Get thee to MP3.com and download anything and everything these guys have up.

DocMacRock

Herrlich: Garagenproduktion, nur drei Mann und beherzte "Wir spielen, worauf wir Bock haben"-Attitüde. Das Trio aus Amiland klingt mal nach Kiss on Punk, dann folgt ein netter Ska, dann ´n netter Melodic-Punk mit schiefen Vocals. Schön abwechslungsreich, spielerisch nicht immer ganz high-end, aber immer happy und sympathisch. Mehr muss eigentlich nicht gesagt werden. Außer, dass die Scheibe beim dritten Mal zündet, die Visitors fleischfressende Menschen gar nicht leiden können, die nächste EP im Februar 2000 erscheint und die Drei im November und Dezember durch 14 States der US of A touren. Ach ja, die Einflüsse: nach eigenen Angaben Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Descendents, Minor Threat, Bad Religion, 7 Scounds. Ich würde noch Sudden Impact anfügen. Dies auch noch: coole, geile trockene Produktion. Macht Spaß!