May 2007

A decade ago, Kathleen Hanna's Bikini Kill heralded the days of rage that led to Riot Grrrl, one of the few 90s movements that felt like punk actually happened. Now, Hanna's new trio Le Tigre (and side projects ranging from plunderphonic IDM to conceptual art stunts) are spearheading a rapidly spreading network of feminist flavoured electropunk while defining new parameters for politicised noise in their search for an electronique feminine. Words: Joy Press. This article originally appeared in The Wire 215 (January 2002).

Interview from Issue 146

Yoko Ono: A Life In Flux

April 2007

There are no two ways about it: Yoko Ono has led an extraordinary life. Descended from Japanese emperors and samurai, she survived the bombing of Hiroshima to move to New York, where she became both patron to and collaborator with some of the most influential figures in 20th century music, including LaMonte Young, John Cage and Ornette Coleman. Then she met John Lennon and was transformed in the public imagination from radical art-feminist into the queen bitch responsible for breaking up The Beatles. Now she is working with her son Sean Lennon and producing some of her most galvanising music for years. This article originally appeared in The Wire 146 (April 1996).

Issue 215

January 2002

+ The Wire Tapper 08

ON THE COVER: Le Tigre - With roots in Riot Grrl but advancing into electropunk, IDM, and interventionist art, Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and JD Sampson's trio are agitating at ground zero of a female music explosion. By Joy Press

STUCK TO THE COVER: The Wire Tapper 8 - Our series of free new music compilations continues with new work from artists including Fog, Set Fire To Flames, Noxagt, 23 Skidoo, Cornelius, Xinlisupreme and many more

FEATURES: Cabaret Voltaire, Don Letts, 2001 Rewind, Badawi, Zeitkratzer, Sand, No-Neck Blues Band, Coil, Cornelius, Uri Caine, Evan Parker, Nobukazu Takemura, John Cale, Australian post-punk

Issue 146

April 1996

On The Cover: Yoko Ono - A life in flux

Features: Techno theories - Mille Plateaux, Alec Empire, Oval; Who Needs Record Companies? An anarchist's guide to starting your own label; Courtney Pine's jukebox, Mark Stewart, Harrison Birtwistle, New Kingdom, Larry Heard