Sunday, 8 January 2012

Ryan Estrada: Pulgasari

In memory of Kim Jong Il’s weird, weird, life, here is the strangest story of them all. It’s a story of rubber-suit monsters, of filmmakers being kidnapped, and of a weird little man with far too much power.
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...and now the masterpiece itself!

John Sinclair reviews Sun Ra's 'Wake Up Angels'

Art Yard Records has been releasing some of the best Sun Ra Arkestra recordings under one roof in recent years. With a close relationship to the band and a patience and understanding for the overall vision of what Ra and his colleagues have set in foundation, every Art Yard project related to Sun Ra is given the highest attention to detail for research, packaging and quality of materials. Many of the 70′s period Sun Ra studio and live album reissues were much needed additions to the modern digital age and the expanding fan base of young and new listeners for Ra’s legacy.
This year has marked the arrival of a very special collection in Art Yard’s Sun Ra catalog: the reintroduction of monumental and pivotal performances with Wake Up Angels: Sun Ra and his Arkestra Live at Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Festival 1972-74. John Sinclair and Peter Andrews were the people responsible for organizing and presenting the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival events. Under their Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the Arkestra were hired for the festival held in 1972 to close out the opening evenings schedule of performance. The Arkestra was expanding into philosophical spoken word elements into their sets, lavish dance arrangements, very heavy African and Latin poly-rhythmic percussion additions, cosmic space sound collages, cerebreal improvisations into regions unknown and a very advanced form of orchestration that marveled techniques akin to Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, both of which were some of his closest and most respected teachers. Sun Ra had relocated to Philadelphia from New York in the late 60′s from a fairly long period of activity there. Pivotal recordings would soon come forth while Sun Ra would focus on underground projects and releases with his Saturn Records imprint started in Chicago during the 50′s. After a successful tour of the West Coast in 1969 and a lot of touring in France, UK and other regions of Europe in 1970, 1971 and on. Sun Ra of the 70′s was activated in a way he had never been before...
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Darknet Plan

Understanding Cult Thinking

Diane Benscoter spent five years as a "Moonie." She shares an insider's perspective on the mind of a cult member, and proposes a new way to think about today's most troubling conflicts and extremist movements.
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amandapalmer Amanda Palmer
RETWEET MELBOURNE!! Dresden Dolls are playing a free outdoor show today with @OCCUPYMELBOURNE. 2:30 pm @ collins&swanston