by Michael Stutz (stutz@dsl.org).
The brainchild of Ram Samudrala, Twisted Helices are shown off here on this self-released disc (complete with gimmick hexagonal packaging) sold mainly on the Internet. Observe the crisp production of Twisted Helices' post-_Pretty Hate Machine_ angry keyboard jive and Primus-meets-Residents guitar/noise terrorism that make their hypersound.
What is most important about this music, however, is the underlying philosophy that shapes its distribution and modification terms. Ram's ``Free Music Philosophy'' is a call to arms for musicians in the digital age, and should be required reading for such. In the FMP, Ram describes how and why musicians should release their works in such a way that others are free to copy and modify it; the jist of this anarchistic, anti-``Intellectual Property'' law worldview is shared by myself and others who believe that this will shape the future of music.