The book was a best seller in the U.K. and received surprisingly kind notes on both his writing and accompanying live act from even such staid publications as the Times of London, whose critic wrote that "Winn displays a rampant thirst for mysticism and self-discovery. One cannot help being won over by his enthusiasm and intellectual energy."
Winn assumed his alter ego after being voted Official New Messiah by the 10,000 counterculturalists at the 1998 Burning Man Festival. They favored Winn's proposed doctrine of emulating the chromopathic communication of octopi and experimenting with dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, an illicit compound distilled from a rare vine in South American rain forests. DMT is the most powerful psychedelic yet discovered, and one trip, Winn assures his disciples, is quite enough. This Techno Pagan Octopus Messiah -- or at least this kaleidoscopic entertainer with a messiah complex -- drops by Phoenix for two shows this Saturday on his first U.S. tour.
Ian Winn, a.k.a. The Techno Pagan Octopus Messiah, will perform two shows on Saturday, May 6, at Modified, 407 East Roosevelt. Showtimes are 8 and 10 p.m. Local turntablist Deepfreq will spin eclectic drum and bass between sets. Cover charge for the entire evening is $5. For details call 602-252-7664.
