Author / musician Joel Gausten (PIGFACE, ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN, THE UNDEAD, EFFECTIONHATE) has posted a demo track currently titled 'The Island' online. Check it our via the audio player below.

Gausten: "This is my first attempt at recording for a solo EP that I plan to have available as a free download this July. While I haven't set any musical guidelines for myself going into this project, I don't think it's a stretch to say that I intend to indulge my interests in experimentation, similar to what you might expect to hear on a THROBBING GRISTLE or early Pigface album.

This demo of 'The Island' features yours truly on floor tom, window fan, running water, roadside construction noise, snarls and sampled screams. Additional percussion/loops courtesy of Keith LeBlanc (TACKHEAD / MINISTRY / NINE INCH NAILS).

No keyboards were used in this recording."

'The Island'

In memory and celebration of the late JOEY RAMONE, who died 10 years ago, Gausten has published THE RAMONES’ Brain Drain: The Untold Story, a just-completed 4,000-word essay on the making of the band’s 1989 album, available at GaustenBooks.com. In addition to exclusive interviews with surviving member MARKY RAMONE and producers Bill Laswell and Daniel Rey, the essay includes several previously-untold details about this often-troubled era in the band’s celebrated history.

The essay, which began taking shape in 2005, is part of Gausten’s book-in-progress, Albums That (Should’ve) Changed The World. Although Gausten originally posted a brief excerpt from the essay online in the summer of 2007, he finally completed work on the full chapter the evening before the 10th anniversary of Joey’s death.

“Many of us wouldn’t have careers – or even lives – if the Ramones hadn’t inspired us to do what we do,” Gausten says. “As the 10th anniversary of Joey’s passing approached, I felt it was time to finally complete work on this chapter and offer it online as a free tribute to my one of true heroes.”

In addition to authoring several music-related books, Joel Gausten is the host of Glory Is Noise, a bi-weekly online radio show featuring an eclectic mix of music and exclusive interviews with mainstream and underground recording artists.