''Organ'' is a British independent magazine covering music, art and underculture. Based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, the magazine was founded in 1986 as a handmade

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

and has evolved many times over the years. It has covered a variety of rock, alternative, punk, progressive, metal and experimental music as well as a wide range of contemporary art and visual artists. The ''Organ'' is run by Sean Worrall and Organart, a music group which includes a radio and TV show, a mail-order music distribution system, artwork, animation and video making, gig promotion (there have been over 1000 Organ shows in London, many big names have made their first London moves via Organ gigs) and ORG records. ORG is an alternative record label which has released material by bands including

Cardiacs Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (lead guitar and vocals) and his brother Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. The band's sound fused circus, baroque pop and medieval mu ...

Dream City Film Club Dream City Film Club were an English, North London-based rock band, founded in July 1995. Their sound was difficult to categorize in that it encompassed tortured lovelorn balladry, avant-garde flourishes, Tin Pan Alley, straightforward rock and ...

Cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...

, Sleepy People,

The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called '' Dig!'', and have gained media noto ...

, King Prawn,

My Vitriol My Vitriol are a British alternative rock band, formed in 1999 in London. The band currently comprises singer and guitarist Som Wardner, drummer Ravi Kesavaram, guitarist Seth Taylor and bassist Tatia Starkey. The band had success with their de ...

, Pop-A Cat-a-Petal (later

Ultrasound Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...

The Monsoon Bassoon The Monsoon Bassoon were an English independent rock band active between 1995 and 2001, notable for their exceptionally complex and energetic music. During their lifespan, the band won the NME's Single Of The Week award three times (for three c ...

Breed 77 Breed 77 (pronounced "Breed Seven-Seven") is an Gibraltarian rock band. The band was formed in 1996 and perform a combination of alternative metal, rock, and flamenco. Origin Breed 77 comes from the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. O ...

Pure Reason Revolution Pure Reason Revolution (PRR) is a British rock group formed at the University of Westminster in 2003. Their music incorporates elements of progressive rock and electronic. Their music has been variously described as 'Astral Folk' and 'Progressi ...

, Cynical Smile, Inaura, Rhatigan, Cheesecake Truck, Everything Must Go, Sonic Boom Boys and many others. Some of the bands who have made their very first or very early moves via the ORGAN RADIO series of compilation albums include

65daysofstatic 65daysofstatic (often abbreviated as 65dos, 65days, or simply 65) are a post-rock band from Sheffield, England. Formed in 2001, the band is composed of instrumentalists Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright. The band's mus ...

, Sikth, I-DEF-I, PULKAS, King Prawn,

Lostprophets Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike ...

earthtone9 Earthtone9 (stylized earthtone9) is an English metal band from Nottingham, England. History Signing to Copro Records in 1998, the band's first major release was the album ''lo-def(inition) discord'', which comprised songs from their three d ...

, Cortizone,

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

, CHARGER,

Skindred Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum ...

One Minute Silence One Minute Silence is an Irish four-piece rap metal/nu metal band based in London, England. The band consists of vocalist Brian 'Yap' Barry from Templemore, County Tipperary, guitarist Massimo Fiocco from London, drummer Martin Davies and ba ...

, Aerobitch,

Raging Speedhorn Raging Speedhorn are a British heavy metal band, founded in Corby, Northamptonshire. Career Raging Speedhorn were formed in 1998 from the merging of the bands Soulcellar and Box. The band quickly established itself as a major presence wit ...

. The ''Organ'' magazine has existed as a fanzine, a glossy print magazine, a folded A3 paper newsheet and a

website A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google Search, Google, Facebook, Amaz ...

, a cassette magazine, indeed one issue of ''Organ'' was printed on a t-shirt. Currently, ''Organ'' is a weekly on-line magazine, released alongside daily updated alternative music and art news pages on organart's website. There is also a weekly radio programme on the London

community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular ...

station

Resonance FM Resonance 104.4 FM is a London based non-profit community radio station specialising in the arts run by the London Musicians' Collective (LMC). The station is staffed by four permanent staff members, including programme controller Ed Baxter and ...

presented by the Organ team on Sunday nights at 9.00 PM.Resonance FM. "The Organ presents The Other Rock Show"
/ref> ''Organ'' is noted for its fanzine nature and alternative DIY ethic; this includes a diversity of coverage, an energetic and subjective

stream of consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. The term was coined by Daniel Oliver (physician), Daniel Ol ...

writing style, and some independence and its role in publicising new talent. The magazine has been known to find new or neglected acts long before the mainstream music press or industry.

References

{{reflist

External links

Organ web site
Fanzines Independent magazines Magazines established in 1986 Magazines published in London Music magazines published in the United Kingdom Weekly magazines published in the United Kingdom