Wind and Wire issue 3 is available for viewing

Click here to view issue 3 which was published September/October 1997.

This issue drastically changed the look of the magazine, not for the better. The first two issues were printed at a printing firm that did things the old fashioned way, i.e. they took my files and manufactured plates and printed from those. This was a VERY expensive process (issue 1 only cost me between $1500 and $2000 to print!). I couldn't keep going at this rate as I had so little revenue coming in (a few ads and about 50 subscribers at this point). I was mailing these issues out via 1st class and even back then, it wasn't cheap (about $1.50 per issue). I found a firm that used some new- fangled process called "digital printing" so that they magazine was printed directly from my zip drive. This was a LOT cheaper and allowed me to continue publishing. The side effect was a noticeable step back in print quality (the PDF exaggerates the decline in quality, though, and, in fact, I may have screwed up the scanner settings today). But this is still readable, to say the least.

Notable in this issue is my interview with Hearts of Space founder Stephen Hill which was the beginning of having my eyes opened to how the BUSINESS of new age and ambient music was not all that different from rock and roll (much to my dismay). I interviewed New Zealand ambient artist Jon Mark in person in Denver and shortly thereafter he kind of disappeared and I have been searching for him ever since. I also interviewed Robert Rich by phone, which was interesting to say the least, as he is a quiet and soft spoken person. Finally, I met up with my staff writer Judy Markworth in Milwaukee and we attended a Steve Roach/vidnaObmana concert and I reviewed that event as well. I found Dirk Serries (vidnaObmana) to be one of the most charming and polite people in this business and that was reinforced when I interviewed down the road for a future issue.

PLEASE leave a comment here if you are so inclined. I'd love to know what you think.