Lately I've been getting stuff in the post, presumably for em four, even though it's not going to happen for a goodly while. So I thought I'd do the decent thing and at least review some of the lovely things I've been sent. Check out the brand new reviews of the truly new for the skinny on what's been dropping on my doormat.

News from em three contributors David's Address, creator's of the quite magnificent tune "Monkey Mike" - here's what Alex says: "Hey, Karl, this is Alex from David's Address. Just thought I'd let you in on the latest from us. We've changed our name to Mercury Bell and we're in studio right now recording our first record. And check this out, we're being managed by a lady who manages only one other person - Leon Hendrix, jimi's brother! haha. Take care! :O) ALEX" - Good luck to you lads - I hope to see you shooting up the charts ASAP.

If you're in the London area, you can check out the splendid em three contributors Wompa, on Sunday 7th April, at The Truth. For those of you not in the know, it's at Paradise, 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10. Here's the flyer.

Oh, and it's my birthday today. Don't buy me an expensive present, just buy an em, and spread the word.

Incredible news. Mike told me of the appearance of a certain band on the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack. The certain band was Minibar. Yes, Minibar! The self same Minibar that graced the cover-tape of em one all those (six-ish) years ago. Well, the long and the short of it is that they have since moved from Holloway Road, London N1, to LA. No, not Lower Altringham, but LOS ANGELES....CALIFORNIA MAN. They've recorded one wondrous album called Road Movies, and are working on their second. Road Movies hasn't made it to the UK yet, but apparently it will soon. Great lads. Good luck to 'em in the sunshine. I obviously can't take any credit for their success, but it's nice to know I spotted them before almost anyone else. Sod it: "I DISCOVERED THEM AND THEY OWE THEIR SUCCESS AND IMMINENT GIGANTIC FORTUNES ALL TO ME....... HAHHHAHHAHHAHHAHHHAAAHHAHAAAAAAAA". Ahem. Why don't you check out their most excellent site, dude: www.minibarfans.com?

I'm surfacing for air today after an intensely busy period following the Xmas/New Year break. And I have more good news: just before I went away, I was alerted (thanks Mike) to the existence of a splendid little mention in Muzik Magazine, which is in my opinion about the best dance music magazine in the UK at the moment. Cheers Duncan for sorting that out. Also, top-notch novelist and the godfather of independent publications, Nicholas Royle, mentions em three in a piece in this week's Time Out - awesome. Both of these are now up on the em three reviews page.

My new hero, Michael Garry Smout of The Barcelona Review, has reviewed em three here. It's the best, most comprehensive review of em we've ever had. On reading it, certain members of the emfoundation shed a tear, and even I was quite moved. Thanks Garry.

I've added a page of testimonials for em three from its lucky owners. Marvelous. Reading them now has cheered me up immensely, especially in the wake of a disappointing (lack of) reaction from the printed press. For shame. Perhaps I should devote the next issue to an in-depth examination of Robbie Williams' arse?

The lovely Liz Ford over at FirstSubscriber has added us to their site. Now you can buy em from there, as well as many other publications. I'll be subscribing to Biscuit World straight away!

I've started on a reviews page for em three. There's only one review there for now, but I'm sure there will be more. When I get a chance I'll also put up a page of comments I've received from the contributors and those who've bought copies - a virtual vox-pop, if you will.

Redesigned home page. Oh yes. Less of the pseudo avant-garde minimalist guff - more textual mess. Read yourself silly. Hopefully this will spur me on to more regular updates.

One word of warning: this being the superficial middle-of-the-night update that it is, the old site for em one and em two is still lurking...so, until I update every other damn page, beware...

The October issue of lovely freebie muso-mag Making Music has a great review of em three - hurrah! Thanks to Andy Basire for championing the cause. I'll post up the full review soon, but suffice to say they described em three as "one very, very special package indeed."

I've just done an email Q&A for The Barcelona Review. This will be turned into an article to appear on the site sometime in early November. Thanks to Michael Garry Smout and Jill Adams for this one.

As well as buying em three online, you can also walk into a retail establishment and check it out:

em three is available from the absolutely tree-bloody-mendous Disque Records, Chapel Market, Islington, London N1

If you are a retailer interested in stocking em three, please contact the editor. Note: we do not accept sale or return terms.

Check out sinfield.org, the editor's CV and brain dump.

Cornelius Wright - glacial paintings, great in every sense.

Karl Sinfield, editor

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Samples of various bits of the previous 2 issues can be got here: