krautrock

There are at least two bands/artists with this name: 1) BLACKBIRDS is a hardcore/punk band from Michigan (although some members are from Canada). Their earlier material took cues from American Nightmare/Outbreak/97A but their new material is in the vein of His Hero Is Gone/Tragedy/etc. They are not broken up anymore and are back together with a new lineup, new releases soon, and are back touring. The hardcore band Blackbirds is not associated with blackdog records.

Damo Suzuki's Network is an experimental/improvisational music outfit that revolves around Damo Suzuki. This Japanese-born singer is best known for his 1970-73 stint with Krautrock legends Can. Following his departure from the band, he embarked on a decade-long hiatus from music. By 1983, however, Damo Suzuki returned to the realm of music. In the 1990s, he formed and began fronting Damo Suzuki's Network.

Psychic Ills is a group that became active in NYC sometime during 2003. Their sound has included a combination of rock experimentation, drones, electronic textures, and various ethnic influences. Their live shows have varied widely and have been known to have an improvised performance art element as well. The current line up consists of Elizabeth Hart, Brian Tamborello, and Tres Warren. Their 2nd album "Mirror Eye", is set to be released on January 20th of 2009 on The Social Registry label.

Read more about Psychic Ills on Last.fm.

German composer Marcus Schmickler first came to prominence as a member of POL, the project formed by Carsten Schulz (C-Schulz) that released Transomuba (1994), that mixes field recordings, world and techno music, and Baby I Will Make You Sweat (1995), the (vastly inferior) soundtrack to a movie. Schmickler then recorded Wabi Sabi (1996), an avantgarde work of computer-generated drones that updated Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music to the digital age. Onea Gako (Odd Size, 1994) was credited to Marcus Schmickler, and it was co-arranged and produced by C-Schulz.