Because what I learnt later as I followed the shop to Swanston street (Peril 305) and then Elizabeth Street (Peril Underground) was that Darrin was Verhagen the man behind Shinjuku Thief and the label Dorobo and Iridium.Over time I collected all the output, plus more things he recommended.
It was thanks to Darrin I got into reviewing - he pointed me towards Vivisect who took my early and varied reviews (I always seem to go beyond the remit of my review home, hence the Ampersand), and my groundwork there got me in with Jasper and ambeince - then to my newsletter and blog.
I also became even more aware of packaging and the look of a label - Dorobo has a distinct presence and aesthetic which mutated into the Iridium and the editions. The consistency was developed in the music as well - without constrain it: Darrin himself worked in a variety of styles/persona, the Shinjuku Thief, Shinjuku Filth, Professor Richmann, eventually under his own name and e.p.a. while working in dance scores, straight albums in various forms and game soundtracks.
This is the black perspex box that holds the last 3 dorobo releases: you can just make out black | mass engraved on it and the disk numbers and the Dorobo logo. Inside three albums (e.p.a. black ice, shinjuku thief matte black and darrin verhagen black frost) continue the theme in black covers with gloss with music which is edgy and as minimal as the packaging.
This piece initially came into the series as a nod to Darrin and as another item in the collection of beautiful and special pieces (I also have the wooden box that houses the Witch Trilogy). But then when I looked at the photo I saw that it was something of a self portrait, but also of part of the room. So reflecting (no pun intended) some of the themes of this blog (my musical journey; the music; the packaging; thanks to people along the way) I have decided to call this number zero
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