It's that time again: after going over the Artworks book with a fine toothed comb, myself and FSOLBoard resident knowledge-hoarder Pandemonium - along with some helpful hints from a certain Mr. Dougans - can reveal a number of possible and probable past, present and future projects from the guys.
Environments news! Well, it's been known that the Environments series will continue, and the cover has already been confirmed (the same as the cover of Artworks), but one of the pages has information on an envisaged sound installation in New York, which is labelled as Environments 8. Brian himself has now confirmed that the band have ten volumes in the series planned. Furthermore, Environments 6 is complete and due for release in 2015 alongside Archive 8. Given that the original plan for volume 5 was for it to be a double album, it's quite possible this is the second disc of that (quite possibly the more electronic material as previewed on The Fears and Fantasies of the Unconscious Mind in 2012). Given the installation nature of the proposed eighth volume, it seems the band seem keen to make the series their more exploratory, experimental output - whilst non-Environments material is worked on in tandem.
A lot of interesting historical items are featured in the book, including covers for an Isness-era proto-Archives release entitled Fish Smokin', a Mello Hippo Disco Radio Show CD promo, a video collection, and a test pressing of a 3" CD EP of Zeebox material planned for release on Rephlex ten or so years ago (a vinyl edition was also planned to exist). The number of scrapped releases by the band must be astonishing.
Finally, if you enjoyed Artworks, you'll love Histories. A second FSOL artwork book (or booklet, as they seem to be underselling it), likely to contain seen and unseen art and behind-the-scenes photos of the band's '90s period, is coming in the new year.
There are only ten copies of Artworks left at FSOLDigital, so if you want to see all this for yourself, you'd best get your skates on!
