May 04, 2004
Big Tings a Gwan.
Naked Maja
Absolutely T for tremendous break-out of the fascinating Ogun label by Marcello. What a strange netherworld this was where Prog Rock fugitives and hard core improvisors broke bread with an empassioned bunch of South African exiles! Only in London could this happen and perhaps only in the seventies. Right away I'm chasing down records from this superb list, which with it's calm authoritative commentary, rightfully should have appeared in print.
World of Stelfox
Another amazing feature, this time from returning hero Dave Stelfox. Ring the bells in their steeples, strew the streets with garlands, lock up your daughters! Dave uses the device of a CD's track-listing to beckon us to his fireside and regale us with tales from the yard. This and Marcello's piece are exactly the kind of thing that makes the blogosphere essential.
Peking-O
Sad and confused about Cathy's departure, as quixotic and abrupt as ever. I hang my head with shame when I reflect that I've failed to give her proper dues for her sublime delicately crystalline offerings. Here's hoping we see her again soon. In the meantime give tanks for the wonder that is/was Peking-O.
April 25, 2004
Burning Up!
Matos
A great blindfold test Matos performed with the curiously maligned DJ Rupture. I thought Gold Teeth Thief was *amazing* (Ed Blogistan and Jon Eden you know this right?) It takes someone with Matos's breadth of vision to take in all the geezer's reference points.
Rambler
Rambler's excellent second installment in the "Music since 1960" series, here tackling Ligeti's "Atmospheres". I'm glad someone knows what they're talking about!
Silver Dollar Circle
"PHILOSOPHY AND ALT. COUNTRY LYRICS CONTINUED." A lengthy essay on the burning issues as to the differentiation between Humean and Kantian views of motivation in the lyrics of Bonnie Prince Billy. For the people who failed to register it first time round. Respekt to Simon Silver Dollar!
April 14, 2004
Wikkid!
Mr Agreeable
Mr. Stubbs with an once supremely laid back and sound reflection on "ABSTRACT ART VERSUS ABSTRACT MUSIC". Stubbs muses why Avant-Garde Music has failed to attract the audience which Avant-Garde Art has before proceeding to nail the conundrum with this reflection: "Sound is more insidious, circumambient, less easily shut out, permeates deeper into our heads, subliminally, perpetually. Which can be distressing. A painting you can take in, move around, move away from."
Abstract Art seems to benefit from the containment implicit in it's form. It's worth musing that the most outre, least containable forms of Modern Art are invariable repackaged for the gallery: Land Art in the form of Photography (is Land Art not a strain of Photography?) and Performance through the medium of poorly-shot badly-lit video (ha!) I wonder if the mutant strains of the Street Avant Garde (Darkcore, Sampladelic Hip-Hop) could be seen as a digestable formal recontextualisation of Avant-Garde music; not a workable parallel really...
Elsewhere Mr. Stubbs provides a stout defense of "Calling Out Of Context." Raining on the Russell reissue parade was a mean thing of me to do. People who haven't heard "World of Echo" might not be aware of the sheer power and enormity of that piece. An equation with it is possibly the stiffest comparison any recording could have to undergo. It's the best record EVER by quite a clear margin, and folk should be extremely excited that it'll soon be available again. Funny how Mr. Stubbs makes a case for Russell's removal from the Disco canon while here we were arguing precisely the opposite! Incidentally (plug) that RealAudio feed is working splendidly now, the channel is clearer than it has been and the comments box is open again.
Search and Delete
An excellent piece by one of my fave new-links: Don at Search and Delete. "Ten of the Best: Sleng Teng" is an cute breakout of Sleng Teng's history. I mean to rifle through the racks and dig out some more Junglist uses of the riddim for Big Don.
Derek Walmsley's Poplife
I permalinked Deek rather shadily a while back. Here he picks up the Vincent Gallo thread with his usual aplomb and grace. Note to Reynolds, Ewing, Clarke: Look! Another MVE Alumni!
Oliver Wang's Poplife
A recent behind the scenes scuffle between Luka and me foundered on my wholly innacurate claim that Souls of Mischief had a brilliant small-circuit release before their classic "'93 Til' Infinity" LP. My principal belief in this record's existence stemmed from having (I believed) found reference to it the excellent compendium Classic Material which I'd thumbed through rather greedily in an East Village Bookstore. Googling the web provided no break-out of the LPs listed in the tome (really, excellent) but I discovered to my glee that the editor, one Oliver Wang had a feckin' Blog. Soon I put two and two together and realised this was thee O. Wang who graced the permalinks at Catch Dubs and SFJ. Doh!
I emailed Oliver and he got back to me to inform me that...................the Souls........first........LP........was.....in fact.....indisputably....."'93 Til' Infinity". And I was having such fun confusing heads behind the counter in Hip-Hop shops demanding a copy of this record! Since that auspicious day I've been checking in at Wang's regularily and it has rapidly become one of my favorites. It's his unusual tone which hooks you at first. Permalink on the way Oliver!
Silver Dollar Circle
Simon, who must have escaped appearing in my vote-winning breakout of fave blogs the other day by a whisker. Great stuff.
March 17, 2004
Love.
Yet more additions to the links bar, and kind of by way of addressing the massive proclivity of "Da Phenomenon," I'd like to shower a little love on some of my favourite bloggers, be a little selective for a change. Somewhat ruefully I was reflecting that doing one of my pictorial bloggers break-outs again is now becoming increasingly unlikely. Ladies and Gentlemen a big hand for the following (in alphabetical order):
::::......::::...:::::::::.....
You know him as Luka Vandross, the improbably porous poet. You might not know that that the medja continues to heap garlands upon the youthful Vandross's slight frame. Luke 'Eronbone has recently starred in articles in Scotland's "The Herald", featured prominently in Michael Tufluv's excellent FACT article on "Da Phenomenon" (the only blogger discussed, though links in evidence), been interviewed by Resonance FM, and has appeared in a small walk-on part in Mel Gibson's biopic "Jesus." More than this he's the best fookin writer on the net. A big round of applause for LD.
Blissblog
OK, so we don't hear as much from him as we'd like, but as Luka recently remarked in his trademark lowercase: "the funny thing about simon is, he's always right. uncanny." Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to echo those words. It's scary how on the money Reynolds is, he's like a shining light illuminating the bullshit, detonating the easily-hyped (after a lukewarm comment he made about the Linda Perhacs record I found myself questioning it myself!) and honing in on the culturally vibrant with penetrating alacrity (Crunk ahoy!). Blissblog will never die!
Evergreen Daze
Jim makes no pretense of being the world's greatest writer, or the world's greatest authority on anything. Me neither. However Evergreen Daze, the graphically lovely upgrade of that hardy perennial Emerald Daze is a prize bloom. Always a pleasure mate.
Grievous Angel
Here's one for fan's of my discomfort. Paul has also done some first-rate digging on the subject of the effects of file-sharing and the results are worth a read. Nice to see so much going up big feller.
House at World's End
Robin seemed to have a bit of a rough ride recently at ILM, part misunderstanding on the part of some, part gross hooliganism on the part of others (you fuckin' monkeys). Learning his age came as a huge shock to me, I'd been offering posts up in deference to him thinking he was in his late sixties, when in fact he's but a toddling 23. Carmody is a fascinating, erudite and acerbic pundit, a man with his own vision. I raise my glass to you sir!
k-punk
Outstanding stuff as usual. Mark's absolutely charming manner and gentility combined with his gracefully incisive, theoretically-informed writing make k-punk a veritable jewel in the crown. So many highlights! The Cafe Wars, The Poptimism debate, the recent celebration of British Superhero comics (replete with beautiful stills). I spend my days scheming of ways in which to drag him into conversations so that he might lend his keen critical eye to proceedings. Bravo!
Naked Maja
Naked Maja has been absolutely essentially reading since Marcello's bollock-busting 1985 break-out. Carlin is on absolutely tearing form, writing with wit, charm and pugnaciousness. In my humble opinion, Naked Maja is shaping up to be a more a playful and (yeah I know I'm superficial) FUN read than COM ever was. I've examined my conscience (this took 2 minutes) and I can vouch this opinion has nothing whatsoever to do with our welcome patch up of relations, at least not on any mundane level. Naked Maja rocks!
Uncarved
Pithy and unfailingly stimulating, it's been great seeing Jon branch out on a few subjects.
-
So there you have it, my current TOTB. Others, most notably my man, the ever-brilliant Jess Technicolor would have been in there but for a slight dearth of new stuff. Anyway, not everyone is a sad fucker like me and chooses to waste time on it. A huge big up to everyone on my links bar. (blowing kisses) I love you all dahlings!
February 12, 2004
February 07, 2004
Nobody does it better.
I know he's my mate, and I know I spend half the bloody time giving him (and Reynolds) props, but this is just breath-takingly brilliant. I don't know how he does it! Sheer bloody magic!
February 01, 2004
Named and Shamed.
This pissed me off for three reasons.
1) He doesn't link these pictures to their original context so people can see how I presented them.
2) He "piggybacks" my server space. The only reason you can see them is that they're hosted on webspace I pay for. Try "Open Image in New Window" on one of the JPEGs and you'll see their original URL.
3) He doesn't ask me if he can do it, and he doesn't reply to two of my (friendly) emails.
Shape up Hernan! You'll a big shot with a nationally syndicated radio show! I'm just a poor shmuck!
I don't embed a www.woebot.com tag on the images which I very carefully put up here, though maybe I should, because I've noticed to my horror that people have been tagging images AFTER they've ripped them off my site. I'm also very careful to credit other people's ideas.* Wanna rip me off? And of course I'm NOT talking about linking to crap I do here! All you have to do is ASK, or at least TELL me politely what you're planning. Netiquette innit!
Go: Get Personal>I need you to know.
*Though YES, I'm also a total cunt and post mp3s I've ripped here. For this my soul will burn in eternal damnation.
January 06, 2004
Signs of life.
Gareth with one of the more individual charts of 2003.
When Phil says he's got Ricardo Villalobos in his crate...he really means it.
Citta Violenta. Where blog entries have bibliographies.
December 11, 2003
Faffing about.
More faffing about on the links bar. It's gone alphabetic though interlopers would do as well to realise that Blissblog could become "A Blissblog", hey I'm partisan! Worried too about K-Punk's new ranking, thought maybe a ~(tilda) would suit him nicely as a suffix, but he's bigger than that. As for the rest of you, well put up and shut up! Welcome to my new semi-democratic Links Bar.
I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to Dave Stelfox for not linking him sooner, he's seriously got the bug now and I'm really "feeling" his stuff. I'd like to give a big shout out to the following who have been giving me enormous pleasure recently: Sacha Frere Jones (still LOVING those photos mate), Emerald Daze (blogging up a storm), Crumbling Loaf (whose pithy observations linger with me for days and days), and a huge big up to my man Heronbone (who's been on beyond brilliant form for a couple of months now). All this wondrous bounty makes up for the quietness of some of my other fave auteurs. (Hey that's OK folks, life rules!) As for the Machines! If you're more than one dude, are a website or a resource you're now officially a Machine. Machines rock too!
The rules of the links bar are as such: you link me and I link you. Failing that: you ask me to link you and tell me you'll consider reciprocating. Failing that: I link you, then you link me and then decide that I'm really not a very good writer and banish me from your world altogether. Hey I'm easy!
December 04, 2003
Disclaimer.
My Great-grandfather was General Sir Arthur Smith, Montgomery's right-hand man (defamed in the exercable Hollywood movie Patton). We drove out the hun! Now I'm playing on the "Kosmische" show! What gives!
For the record (before I stumble into some kind of minefield) I hadn't thought through the implications of the SS tag, it was supposed to be an abbreviation. (jeering crowd). Vis a vis Hollow Earth (and gee thanks for making it look suspicious bad bwoy!) The Polar myth is only elliptically connected with Nazism. You can't quote the occult tradition (even as a joke!) without falling foul of political correctness.
I am not even vaguely sympathetic to Nazism or any other right wing cause for that matter. Anyone who's read this blog will give that credence. In future (groan) I'll be on guard.
December 01, 2003
gabba_pod.
Gabba_Amp has been renamed gabba_pod. It's been redesigned and moved to a server in a Siberian coalmine. Looking absolutely FANTASTIC I must say. Now you can vote on tracks and leave comments too, which is well cool. It's as good as TOTP for dysfunctional music-obsessed mockneys like myself. However, HOWEVER, you have to be "one of the club." Here's hoping my online credit is good.
November 27, 2003
End of year charts.
coo. look at that. (salivates).
i dunno if i'll get round to doing an end of year thing. the logistics! also, queerly, the year something came out is one of my blindspots (evidently!)
i imagine i'll just chase around trying to hear what everyone else has bigged up. (strokes chin) seeing how it sizes up...
i get in a right tangle trying to trace vinyl that's on these "best-of" charts. recently i've found that other people's lists are between 50% and 75% bluff. (not that i'm suggesting jess's is, seriously). they don't actually OWN the vinyl, i mean why should they? you only have to hear it to have an opinion for chrissakes! having said that (wink) i have extremely entrenched opinions on many things i haven't heard.....
i'm growing a bit of confidence (just a bit!) maybe caring less what other folks love, trusting my own judgement a fraction. its a scary line this division between punter and pundit. it's much more comfortable to be a punter. i'd argue you get much more pleasure as a punter too.
November 24, 2003
Progmetheus Unbound: The Return.
Another *astonishing* chapter.
How (isn't it) ironic...me holding forth on Italo Disco!
November 05, 2003
November 03, 2003
Bass innit.
Fantastic Wiley Interview by Martin Clark at Hyperdub
I especially liked Wiley talking frankly about being transformed by Dizzy: "I wasn’t converted to an artist, that’s one thing. And I was just an MC. Listening to him made me convert to an artist, it made me open up my mind that it’s not just about garage. It’s music, just make music. Before that I didn’t have it in me, but I got energy from him." That seems to be the crucial thing about the axis around Roll Deep and it's influenced Grime too, there is a creative agenda. The problem with the "Ardkore continuum" is that the tradition is so lateral that it's easy for folk to just notch up another mark on the stick, to contribute without using their own mind, to float on the collective imagination. It's not like he's saying categorically that he doesn't belong to Grime, just that he's working on his own thing. Nice to see Wiley check Crazy Titch, his recent tune "I Can C U, U can C Me" on Aftershock, that was indeed a creative track. And yes, down at Sterns checking the latest Oriental releases!
Interesting Lemon D Interview by Mickey Toughlove.
A behind the scenes snapshot of Lemon D's and Dillanja's antics with the Big Bad Bass sound-system. Quite alot of Industry talk here. These boyz be working hard. I thought that their move into the sound-system territory was mighty brave and about the most avant thing conceivable in the static drum and bass arena, as if to acknowledge the music had settled down in the way Roots Reggae did. When you visit Abashanti or witness the Jah Shaka "sound" you're not expecting novelty and flashy thrills (back to Jess's piece here), but an assertion of fundamentals, an acknowledgment (akin to going to church) that in the end everything remains the same. It's a proud timeless refection and while not the way I prefer to digest culture, can be moving and powerful.
October 29, 2003
Links.
Feel the love! Links bars are tricky things. I avoided them at the last gaff for precisely this reason. I promise there is no method to the order, I mean, look, Kin are at the bottom. Where's the justice in that? I'll admit a strong partiality to the oeuvre of Reynolds, so he's (nearly) numero uno. Y'all know what a parasite on Blissblog I am...and the gang sort of at the top bit might be a bit closer to my heart. I'm only human! I'm a music junkie, give me a break!
I was tempted to make a gag along the lines of "so and so" is above "so and so" cos they're just that teensy weensy bit more interesting, but then snapped to and realised the upset I'd cause. Sheesh! What a frigging minefield! If you're not on and you want to be, complain to the management.
October 28, 2003
Why the fuck hasn't he linked me?
Er sorry. There's gonna be a load more links going up.
October 23, 2003
Reynolds on Prog.
Running out of superlatives this week. That superbly florid title: "PROGMETHEUS UNBOUND a provisional cartography of progward tendencies through the last 40 years of music; a prototype taxonomy of prog substyles, prog-adjacent musics, and post-1976 prog sprog genres", set the tone for Simon's own hilarious and incisive prog missive.
Somewhere 5 minutes into the khaki jungle I realised I'd long lost sight of the gargantuan Blissblog links list. Yet the position of the browser's scroll bar led me to assume there were further delights. The joy of the work comes as one realises how Prog's spores, it's creepers and roots have continued to unfurl unchecked down the ages. I couldn't find a single misplaced example, and too many highlights to mention (though here's one which I loved; on Paul Weller whose Prog tendencies are "Dadrock-stifled and innately mod-restrained." Brilliant). Tremendously weird to consider that the progroll often ressembles a litany of what music has mattered in these intervening decades. Certainly dance music has done a great job in disinfecting the genre.
Reynolds has accurately nailed the problem with the whole anti-Prog angle, that it has tarred so many great achievements. So many invaluable contributions were "damned by proximity." Certainly this applies to the selection of records I put together which seem, as I've already reflected, distinctly un-Progg-ish. I've sent Simon some morsels to contribute towards the feast, and for once I've decided to shut my mouf and not post them here. What a splendid bit of fun I must say!
October 22, 2003
Dale on Prog.
Dale absolutely fascinating on this stuff and some choice tips for us neophytes. South American Prog! Boomshanka! I've always known there's a daunting universe of stuff out there. Check the Flower Travelling Band!
October 12, 2003
(smirks)
OK I'll admit to being a wee bit wicked posting up the Marcello thing, though I palmed it off innocently enough...(let the remarks speak for themselves, use your own head etc)
However it turns out that Marcello has a new blog and far be it for me to rain on his parade! He's even emailed me with a request: "Mr Harris, my good lady and I much appreciated your welcome spinning of Jethro Tull's "Life Is A Long Song" on last night's programme; can we have some Linda Perhacs next week, or perhaps Howard Werth?" I'll see what I can fix up for you, you swinging scamp you! I must check that new Belle and Sebastian long-player, it sounds absolutely t'riffic.
So there it is, Marcello has a new blog! Delightful to see him weave with inimitable style around a whole range of topics. No links bar at present, one can but hope, the odd hit is always welcome!
October 05, 2003
Fear and Loathing.
Other blogs are wonderful (fr'instance "I Feel Love") but I'm watching this lot like a Panda on heat. The last few weeks have been tense. I reckon the blog phenomenon is now entering it's own early 1970s: bad vibes and long solos, triple albums with gatefold sleeves (look no further...), supergroups and solo albums, reclusive old skool icons, muddy festivals, quaaludes and mandrax, syndication and cynicism. Music to my ears in fact. Massive respekt goes out to Simon "Don Dada" Reynolds and Mark "Dr.Wu" K-Punk both on blisteringly good form. Delighted to make the acquaintance of Gutterbreakz and The Original Soundtrack. Special fanx to Eden (nice idea mate!) and Meme. It's not over.
September 02, 2003
The Massive.
Heronbone
Danger! Danger! High Voltage!
Blissblog
Count yourselves lucky.
The Pillbox
I'm a HUGE fan of Ian's.
k-punk
Linktastic!
Emerald Daze
(shaking head) Jim, Jim, Jim. Don't let that young squirrel at Heronbone come between us! Where were you at the Desi Bash? I asked you along! Where's your frigging email link? You live about 2 minutes from me! Sort your fin out and drop by! As I'm sure Jim would agree, being a hipster is an unpleasant side-effect, like hair-loss.
Eden
The man with the 20 year plan.
Worlds of Possibility
Jon's new shack. Watch him with that discus now!
Forcefield
Marsel's *ACE* Detroit site. Just realised I sold my copy of Inertia's "Nowhere to run" (groan).
tWist
Iain's looking for 3 records: "Ash & Vern's 'Squeeze' (early Tearin Vinyl release), 'Plight of the Innovators' (early Smooth release - Basement sublabel), and Swift and Zincs 'Musical Box' (dunno the label but it's a 92 release)" Anyone who finds them is duty bound to surrender to them at low cost.
Keith
Number one stop on the Grime ring-road.
Skykicking
Tim.
Technicolor
The web needs Jess.
I Feel Love
More of a glossy mag than a weblog.
Minima Moralia
OK so where's the comments on my Detroit tape? This applies to all the crew who got it.
Paul Meme
Boss.
A Time for Fear
I've been a slouch linking Olly up (almost no music chat). I'm a regular reader.
Some Disco
Scott on his chaise-longue.
Job de Wit
Job "The Winner" de Wit's Radio show.
Andy Kelman
Andy's been teaching me Micro-house. He's now at...
NYPLM
...who got decent props off the genius Eshun.
Dr. Smile
Pick up thy stethoscope and skank.
Bass Nation
Ardkore Mix 4 at Marky D's right now.
Dave Howie
Who should probably write a bit more for all the props he gets.
Verlaine79
Hot addition.
The House at World's End
Robin deserves nuff respek for services rendered. Nice to see he's a home of his own now.
COM
The Dadster.
Phenotext
Nathalie. Shouldn't worry so much. She's ace.
Spizzazzz
Massive props to this lot as always. Especially to e and Missy, who is possibly my fave writer on the net. Stylin!
August 19, 2003
I'm only posting this cos I'm embarassed.
Sure I'm NOBODY (this is true), and you're Ian Penman. And yes I'm an egotist. Aren't you? And actually if you read it again it's patently clear I know you're not talking about ME-ME-ME. I quote: "it's probably not aimed squarely at me" and "the latest Penman slur is just a hook to hang it on" and "(addressed to the arching panoply of the heavens)" So you see I'm not talking to you. Sorry to offend you even further, get OVER yourself etc etc etc. Except of course it would be dishonest to try and slip that one under anyone's nose. I'm not about to walk into what is to all intents and purposes a crowded room and stand in the corner and pretend I'm not there.
I did read that post very carefully, and I was very moved by it. I actually wrote three nice caring emails then ditched each one, too "worthy", too "trendy", too I dunno. Trying to make clear, gently, whatever, that I care. That I'm not a "grubbing" evil person. I love. Also thinking what's the point, I'll not get a reply. So eventually the sentiment comes out backwards. Sorry.
This is like being at school.
August 18, 2003
Penman in the frame...again! cuz
Penman cracks me up yet again. It's probably not aimed squarely at me, just me and all the other Reynolds' clones. In truth I'm probably more the upper middle class 'Ardkore collector. A finer breed than all these grubbing middle-class 'Ardkore collectors. I couldn't quite get how the stab {break} featured amid the rest of the {flow} a tirade against working-class under-18 cat botherers. Yeah and being cruel to animals is no joke, we've had a string of abandoned greyhounds. We don't endorse that here at T.W.A.N.B.O.C. (dieing laughter)
Let me quickly fill you in on the plan for the next couple of weeks. This scrap. One MAJOR post. Then nothing. I'm away on holiday. I'll be back though. My final point, and I'm not going to address this again, and the latest Penman slur is just a hook to hang it on (no more). It concerns me that certain people might be under the impression that I'm some slavering mono-dimensional asshole. A "media whore". A greedy capitalist. An air-headed show-off. A slave to fashion. All I seem to talk about is music. Vinyl. Christ even Reynolds and Carlin (the Godz) talk about real-life, politics, feelings etc! I'm like a stuck record. I've often been tempted to "open up" and talk about other things but that's not the game-plan here. The plan is to talk about music.
And you can print this: (addressed to the arching panoply of the heavens) I'll wager I'm a hundred times the fuck-up, and a thousand times the gangster you are. You don't know shit about me, or what I've done, or what has happened to me. So be a little more careful with your assumptions.
August 14, 2003
Links.
Jay's been busy
Though I'd take him to task on a number of issues like making the distinction between "Rastafarian" Dub and "Tripped-out" Dub, eh? Quoting Reynolds on Dub? Er, taking The Pop Group to task for "We Are All Prostitutes" and predictions like this: "African 60s and 70s music is soon to be the new dub, the new tropicalia, the new krautrock – whatever it is that people move on to when they’re bored with rock and roll", though that last thing should be read against a west-coast perspective, we've been drowning (not unpleasantly) in repackaged African Comps for years over here.
Jess 'Arvell on Early Chungle.
As evidenced here the smart money has been on Ibiza/Kemet/3rd Party for some time. Reynolds has a well-documented Noise Factory weak-spot. I met this lot in 1994 at the time of the Kemet "The Seed" LP, a disappointing record if memory serves. They were occupying a recently abandoned warehouse in a Tottenham back-street and were in the process of converting it into a Multi-media centre. Mark X shared some SERIOUSLY scary Broadwater Farm bad-bwoy stories with us tourists from the middle-classes.
Tom Ewing's crew have had a face-lift.
I'd like to thank Tom for the linkage. Respekt to the daddies! Only hope I'm living up to expectations, which considering recent gripes seems unlikely: (a) Always trying to out-Reynolds Reynolds (OK fair enough!), (b) That my Bob Dylan thing was extremely Q magazine (that from the voice in my head) and also that various items had no appointed description, the brand of the lady's cigarette, the sofa fabric, Bob's hairdresser etc, (c) That there were typos on the Maclise poem (where?), (d) That I'm a superficial posh show-off loser vinyl bore who doesn't watch enough Telly, who really needs to get to grips with his theory and would probably do as well to approach "Record Collector" magazine for gainful employment.
May 31, 2003
Rampaging Word Counts.
Blissblog
Reynolds has been SMOKING this week. He’s supposed to be working on his book, I was awaiting the hanging paragraphs. We’re bloody lucky he’s finding time to chat. Sheer class! Double Figures! As we say in ice-skating.
Word Count (high for him): 276,776.
COM
Marcello sounded seriously pissed off this week. He too has his hands full, so once again, we must colour ourselves lucky.
Word Count (down a few million): 324,976,435.
Heronbone
Luka has been busy chasing girls in stolen cars. Good for him.
Word Count (a juicy): 645.
Astronaut's Notepad
Jon’s been organising successful Avant-Garde Cinema events. He’s pulled back from the brink, and has still made a respectable entry.
Word Count (a beautifully organised): 18. (I actually counted these, ha ha!)
K-Punk
My new mate, the swinging professor. We share smokes after class (me in shorts clutching a conker, him hunched in tweed and tortoise-shell glasses) We talk Phil Collins and John Foxx. A stunning entry into the blogosphere. BRAVO!
Word Count (it’s purely academic) 3,674,888
The Pillbox
Penman‘s been trying to sell his copy of Mutant Disco to some geeky fanboy.....me? I have a copy. The best thing about that record is his liner-notes (true…) Last Sunday Ian wrote a small novella in about 45 parts. I’m like, Lyotard that’s some kind of ballet outfit, right?
Word Count (a bollock-breaking/flowing): 6,754,001
Phil Sherberne
Phil blessed me with a TRULY lovely Microhouse mix CD this week. Will be honoured somehow. Clearly collating music in his image, Minima Moralia is gentle, charming and sophisticated.
Word Count (nice): 1,453
Uncarved
I love Eden’s site. But seriously John? You’ve written about Reggae and homophobia? Copy and Paste that shit. In case you didn’t know there’s a f*** of a lot more to Eden than writing about music.
Word Count (It’s not the words that count): 674
Sacha Frere-Jones
Brevity is the essence here. SFJ spinning his blog like a Haiku/Ramones song. A refreshing snapshot of East American life…meals and all.
Word Count (oi!): 23
Matos
Unaccountably ommited from my last Sinking Links TM (smacks forehead). Michelangelo "God fears him" Matos has been polishing some very pretty marbles.
Word Count (after a quiet patch....going up): 7,655
Skykicking
I keep linking Tim up, but you know, he has kicked me hard in the bollocks recently. I did notice! I only mention it in case you thought I was a total dumb ass giving him props when I should be sulking. CONTROVERSY! What could I say against this dude! He’s the RUSHIEST!
Word Count (going up all the time): 9,755
Inglistan
My soul brother Bismillah Raxmani Rahim. Eden described this site as “pleasurably disorientating” which nails it. Test your psychoanalytical skills to the max, see if you can figure what makes this dude tick…
Word Count (er…): 0
Spizzazzz
My kind of music journalism (true…) Oh Missy Mack, Missy Mack, you don’t reply to my calls. I lurve you Missy Mack! Don't marry Pharrell, he's a no good chicken!
Word Count (It’s the pictures of celebrites in tight-fitting clothes which count): 622.
May 14, 2003
In Defense of Simon Reynolds.
I promise I will get tired of shadowing Reynolds. Please no one flame me. I have a weak heart. Jess, keep it to yourself.
Reynolds on the other hand has the hide of a rhinocerous. I’d really suffer if Nick Southall laid into me like that. For that matter, if any chap who didn’t know better laid into me like that. Not that Nick doesn’t know better. Reynolds seems to find the whole thing jolly amusing and really rather stimulating (takes off his half-moons etc). He actually didn’t seem to find it necessary to outright defend himself, just paced round his high-backed leather armchair, leant with his back to the roaring hearth (twirling aforementioned specs).
Remember how Wire got sick of being asked to perform their early tracks? They hired as their opening act a dedicated covers band called ex-Lion Tamers who played all their early numbers (note-for-note) before they came on. Do I have to spell this out for you? I’ve gone through Nick’s salient points and done a point-by-point riposte. I would smooth this out into a bit of sparkling prose if I thought it would be any more interesting to read:
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1) Simon Reynolds think's Prefuse 73 is crap. Simon Reynolds says that Ludacris "creams [Prefuse 73] on just about every front, including riddimological invention."
Yeah poor old Scott! While I bet he could do with with Ludacris’s lucre, he isn’t short of people telling him how bloody great he is. Ludacris on the other hand could do with a little back massage from clever folks.
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2) That bit about Reynolds being as keen as Freud to pigeon-hole stuff.
I weep. I thought it was only musicians who complained about being pigeonholing (on and on and on and on and on and on).
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3) What’s wrong with music without sociological relevance?
No such thing as music without sociological relevance. It’s so easy to be blind to one’s own implicitly-held bourgeois agenda.
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4) That bit where Nick says Simon’s patronising with his “Hope lies with the Proles” approach.
Er, desire criss-crossing social, racial and class boundaries. Champagne in the dancehall. Folks with gold vomit stains sown into their jeans. U2 dragging their leather jackets out of the back of their Cadillac. Blah blah blah.
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5) Simon wouldn’t like it because it’s a white guy doing arty hip-hop.
Er, Ardkore being mix-race. He did like the Recloose LP!
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6) Black music beyond tampering by those with privelleged backgrounds.
Well it is a bit naughty!
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Yeah well Prefuse are OK. I did like the Phoenecia stuff on Schematic more (different crew, same square root). I had a secret history mapped out for them (which I know they were riffing on) via Miami Bass like DJ Battlecat’s DJ N Effect, Ladi Luv’s Good to the last (Dub) and Dynamix II’s Purple Beats. That Miami Bass stuff is pure Techno. Dave Tompkins might have spotted it but (maybe?) he’s too myopic a hip-hop head.
As for Ludacris, well nothing did it better for me than Southern Hospitality.
May 06, 2003
Sinking Links TM.
These would all be permanent if I could figure out how to do it:
Blissblog The Don! Had enough props yet this week? Just tell me when to stop ;-)
Heronbone Freaky Styley my Bredda!
Astronaut's Notepad Watch out for Jon's imminent Associates Piece!
Church of Me Marcello kicks arse (as always) with KLF diatribe! More is more!
The Pillbox Cats and Semiotics!
Uncarved Chaos The Crusty Dub Webring! Yikes!
Shard, Fragments, Totems Paul Meme you is (not) a dutty bastad!
Bassnation Great mixes care of Marky D!
Sufi Bismillah Raxmani Rahim!
Spizzazzz Lil' Missy Mack you slinky little thing!
Skykicking I is watching you! No slacking! Nuff excuses!
Needledrops Looking forward to the CD Phil! Dare you to link GT from Critical Beats!.....(pant pant)
March 29, 2003
Don't Go!
With Tim, then Jon, then Simon going rather quiet its time for all you sidebar jockies to repoint your browsers. First up is Luke at Heronbone while he doesn’t always talk music, he does talk musically (sorry Luke, that was shite). Next up is the really enjoyable Agony Shorthand which I ripped off Jon (The Beatnik’s Beatnik, who has a nice package in the post). Then the glorious Spizzazzz a joy ladies, a real joy. Finally, and despite Tom nearly packing it in, the freshly rejuvenated NYLPM. Oh and come back here when you’ve finished right!
February 06, 2003
Rewind Seleckta!
Still reeling from blissblog's stunning maximalist Garage Rap History. A knock 'em dead freestyle rap as delivered by the Guttah scholar himself. Pure intensification, Reynolds guarding his patch with the loyalty and tenacity of a Pit-bull on steroids. You may have noticed the spelling-rap-spat rearing its ugly head. This is (not) turning into a bitter feud. In reply to Reynolds assertion that "Fly Bi"...is the B.O.M.B. and what's wrong with the spelling thing anyway' I replied by email 'the N, the O, the N, the O, the T, the H, the I, the N, the O, the T, the H, the I, the N, the G' . Amazingly I actually found a copy of "Fly Bi" last week, so got to really examine my opinion. My conclusion, spelling rap is the equivalent of water in your lager, a lot of water. I was certain there was a "10 most awful spelling raps of all time" in the Ego Trip book of Rap lists (buy!) but sadly I must have been hallucinating. It looks like I'm all alone on this one.
I'd like to give some constructive feedback about Reynolds's amazing Garage Rap Radio Highlights CD (see Phil's Rap) but I got stuck on the 3rd track of the first CD. Horra Squad's "GUTTAH THROUGH AND THROUGH 'I man a get MESSY bwoy' TOOO GUTTAAAHH" with its Reese bassline midi-keyed into the gear action of a Czechoslovakian Juggernaut importing Crack to the UK on a P&O ferry. I just keep re-rewinding it and shrugging like a Looney. So sorry about that.
As for "Cockney Translation" being the first Garage Rap Record. That's pretty good. I am going to ask to refer with my colleagues on this one, my Reggae connection is in Togo at the moment (for real), but he's on the email so here's crossing my fingers. Though (slightly off subject here), have you heard I.Roy's 'Camp Road Skanking' in which the master himself does a little cockernee intro? By all reports Reynolds has garaged himself out, like the apocryphal Monty Python character that had one 'waffer' too many, I'm worried about even mentioning the word around him.
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A few other bits and pieces David Howie from Glasgow dropped me a line to say:'I suppose this is just to let you know, if you live in Glasgow or just visit or whatever: there's a new record shop run by Stephen Pastel in new vegan restaurant across from the 13th Note in Mono. It's pretty good, stocking your usual Missing-style Large Alt.Rock Section, a good (for Glasgow) electronica section, and a nice quiet atmosphere.' Thanks for that David. Also my brother emailed me to say I'd spelt Matmos, Mathmos, (since corrected), which I guess is the equivalent of your mum telling you your flies were undone after you just collected the "Most Dilligent New Boy" Prize, thanks Tobes.