NIGHTWAVES

Page last updated 2002/04/17

Nightwaves is a 'zine published by Gary Flanagan about various aspects of electronic music, from making it, to enjoying it. Regular features include interviews with musicians and composers, "Classic Synth Corner", reviews of demos and albums new and old, an opinion section, software reviews, and how-to articles. Below is Gary's official explanation of Nightwaves as it appeared in issue one.

"GREETINGS!

"Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a long, successful run. 'Nightwaves' is a fanzine dedicated to the amateur electronic musician (industrial, synthpop, techno/dance, ambient, experimental, etc.). If you exclusively use synths, workstations, samplers, computers or drum machines to create your music, 'Nightwaves' is for you.

A review from Broken Pencil Magazine: "Inside the cover of both issues I received for review contained glowing reviews for the zine - so of course, I became immediately suspicious.But I was greatly surprised by the maturity of the 'zine and when I came to the close of reading them not at all surprised at the praise they were garnering. Nightwaves is a specialized 'zine dealing with electronic music and on a lesser scale home recording. For anyone remotely interested in either topic, Nightwaves is a must read. In issue #3 we are treated to an interview (with a somewhat cranky) Stefan Doroschuk from Men Without Hats; an overview of cult band Severd Heads; a brief guide to Canadian electronic/experimental music labels; and a profile of Maritime DJ Andrew Duke. Issue #4 contains an interview with Bleep & Booster; a review of the Halifax Experimental Music Festival; an interview with The End of Time and a fantastic beginner's glossary of synthesis terminologies. The regular features in each issue include profiles on classic synthesizers, bargain bin record scores, top ten lists and music and 'zine reviews. What makes this 'zine truly work is Gary's sincere love for the genre, which reflects in quality and quantity of the content. I only have one bone to pick, and that is I'd like to see some comment from Gary on electronic music's influence on indie rock. Perhaps in a future issue? You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out. (KJ)"

"I felt motivated to start this zine for two reasons. One, I knew full well that there existed an underground legion of amateur electronic musicians who were toiling away in their makeshift bedroom studios, receiving little support and exposure. I wanted to give them the attention they deserved. There's simply more to the east coast music scene than fiddles and penny whistles. Secondly, I had always toyed with the idea of starting a fanzine. Due to a happy chain of events and discoveries, I stumbled onto the vibrant zine scene in the United States (there's truly a zine for every predilection and fetish down there). This 'do-it-yourself' ethic appealed to me greatly, so I decided to follow suit.

"For the longest time I thought I was the only person in my area even remotely interested in synths and electronic music until I met a few friends who also shared my interests. This was a great revelation to me. I suddenly realized that I wasn't the only person in eastern Canada who locked themself away in their bedroom studio for hours at a time, creating music that would only be heard by a few select people. My sense of complete isolation dwindled. I felt a need to create a forum for the members of this fascinating underground. Hence, the birth of' Nightwaves'.

To tell you a bit about myself, I've been into electronic music for as long as I can remember. In high school I stumbled upon what I then referred to as Cyberpunk (Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Front 242). From there I discovered Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and OMD. This snowballed into other bands whom I now worship. Depeche Mode. Heaven 17. Visage. And of course my beloved Human League (recently drove eight hours to see them perform for 45 minutes. How's that for devotion?).

"In early 1993 I began to actually compose songs on my $200 Casio CT-360, an old reel to reel, a microphone and a Realistic mixer. These early recordings are embarassing, to say the least. I eventually got my hands on a good four track, some classic analog synths and a decent drum machine. Being creatively inclined, my repertoire quickly began to grow. I've never been in a band per se, not including a brief disastrous union I was involved in during my university days in Toronto and the odd time I would jam with friends. My music has been compared to everyone from Todd Rundgren to the Cars to the Alan Parson's Project.

"I would like to stress that this fanzine is by fans, for fans. It's all about enthusiasm. I greatly welcome any and all contributions from amateur electronic musicians. I know you're out there. Tell me about your music, your influences, your background. Better yet, send me your demo and I'll gladly review it (don't worry- I tend to write very favorable reviews). This zine can't exist without your input- please send it in!

"I hope you enjoy this fanzine and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Any comments, criticisms, suggestions, contributions, inquiries can be sent by one of the following methods:

e-mail:

"Electronically yours,

Since the very first issue of NIGHTWAVES, I've been one of Gary's most prolific contributors, often creating cover artwork, various graphics, reviews and technical articles. Check the images page for some NW-related artwork. You can view many of my past contributions via the links below:

Contact me via email at