Special thanks go out to Peter at "Schallgrenzen" ("Sound Barriers" in English) - one of Germany's top music blogs - for his feature about everything that has been going on here at 5th Estate Music.  Here is an English translation...

Everything takes a bit longer with me, but that shouldn’t be your concern.  I’m happy to leave the daily business of covering the “hottest new shit” to the others.  Now I’m going to kill two birds with one stone starting with an album that was sent to me ages ago.  Paul McCormick is Fine Print Pariah.  A Canadian who arrived in Berlin 10 years ago.  Recorded his debut album there on his own.  The result is a raw record with highs and lows, light and dark, the ebb and flow of the city where he lives and musically miles away from stylistic posing.  That takes backbone and stamina.  On the debut album from “Fine Print Pariah”, the connection to the earthy sounds of Black Sabbath, the psychedelic rock of Led Zeppelin, the progressive worlds of Pink Floyd, the rawness of Iggy Pop and the Alternative Rock of 90s bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden can be heard.  But the result is also very personal and one hears the passion pulsating, all a bit weird and painful.

Paul McCormick not only took care of all the instruments and vocals himself, but also the entire production and in doing so has created an album that is strangely beautiful with its old-fashioned sound.  Also with his new baby and the E.P. “Shock & Awe” released under the (admittedly strange sounding) name Paul E. Phonics, McCormick has chosen yet again to swim against the current.  Here it gets even rawer, weirder and darker with experiments drawing from stylistic elements of Post-Punk and Post- Rock and who knows what.  Music that despite its twists and turns, the distorted guitar sounds, the electronic sounds and the plaintive voice, remains touching with its uncompromised, pain-filled rawness and drama. 

Considering this uncompromising attitude, it only makes sense that Paul McCormick has started his own label - 5th Estate Music - to distribute his music.

Schallgrenzen, June 17, 2010