Friday 26 August 2016

Karma

The late Lulu Larsen interviewed by Romain Slocombe for a book on the history of Bazooka (French)


Lulu Larsen R.I.P.
Bazooka
Damn! Just went to the Bazooka site above and it is now 404! There is this though

Olivia Clavel, Lulu Larsen et Loulou Picasso
Merci Olivia
I am not sure when I first came across the Bazooka art collective, sadly not as well known outside France as they should be. They did some illustrations for the NME back in 1977 or 78 and were responsible alongside Barney Bubbles for the stunning cover for Elvis Costello's 'Armed Forces' album. 

I have to keep sending off to France for their books (a very expensive way of getting them by the time you pay postage!)
There was a site 'Une Regarde Moderne' (again now 404) that commented on the news daily in art form and from what I can gather with my (very) limited French they ran into copyright problems with their photo-manipulation.
Pranksters! They used to do supplements for the French paper 'Liberation' and after the artwork was approved they would change it just before printing!

Massive Attack ft. Ghostpoet - Come Near Me


The Woodentops - Why Why Why (Demo)

First Woodentops Why Why Why demo 1985.
Frank De Freitas, Simon Mawby, Benny Lee Staples, Rolo Mcginty, Alice Thompson. Recorded Terminal Studios Elephant and Castle, Engineered by Martin Rex

So whats with the Why?
Well,
Why Why Why began its life early 1985 on an 8 track Teac in Peckham Rye. I had a Linn drum and made a beat, a hand recorded synth sequence, acoustic and bass was it. It was on all the time I was in the flat. In a way it was my personal thing, a kind of electro Afrobeat sound making a fun atmosphere in the place. I had a visit from Benny who had not long been with us at The Woodentops and I played him it. We started obsessing on it and pretty soon it became more percussive, the guitar was playing the sequence and so it had developed a live band shape to it. So it went to the rehearsal room to see how it worked. All the band instantly loved it. It was our new imaginary disco tune.
We had been in the habit of playing the same song endlessly all day, bits of it over and over, then putting the changes together, all of this after hours and hours of just playing the main riff and holding it until it had our legs going and had finally become tight and danceable . Why Why Why went though the process.
I came in with the chorus one day, I'd found myself singing it, knowing not 'why'. It was slowly developing from a remix kind of thing into a song. It was when we began singing why why why forever over the chorus to be able to sing and play at the same tim , that the neighbours, always tolerant to the max began to wonder how much more they wanted us in there. We got our first 'Please will you shut up or play something else for gods sake' screech-a-thon. That from a bunch of artists who did our artwork and all!
We just loved to play it. the atmosphere sounded better again than at my flat. Somewhere in the middle of it I began writing words for it, it was no longer 'Africa Satellite' it was now Why Why Why. The world was at war in the Middle East, It was a moment of chaos, peak oil anxiety and nuclear debate. Danger of all kinds for mankind. It was hard to stop writing words in fact.
So far the acoustic guitar had generally been in there not as a prominent feature just chipping away keeping time. When I started singing verses it began to come forward in the mix. Thats when the almost flamenco aspect came to the front with the African style. I had so much lyrics written by now. As work on the song had been interrupted by tours, where we played it at sound checks to keep it warm, it had taken almost to xmas that same year to the point where I asked if anyone else would like to add a verse so they could begin writing.I would just pull verses out of the bag at random. Simon and Benny did so. We did our first recording of the song at Terminal Studios, Elephant and Castle. It was that recording Adrian Sherwood made his remix from. I have it somewhere.Perhaps I will dig it out. We recorded it again for the album 'Giant'. Can you believe? we ran out of time to complete it. A big disappointment for us. It should have been on that album.
So our favourite song to play grew into a club hit. For us this was the most exciting thing, what we thought was club floor on our terms worked for others too. We went out to clubs all the time in all different countries and loved to dance instead of going to another bar or the hotel room. So our dream disco in the rehearsal room was now a reality! Its well documented how both the remix and the live version became part of the club scene. Its a great story and there's no need to repeat the story here.
In 2015 Trevor Fung, a Dj who features in the original explosion of the track, messaged me to see if he could do a modern remix. I realised there is no 80's master tape to pass on to him. The demo 24 track master disappeared long ago and there was no chance of getting the live version master either. So I asked him what tempo he wanted and The Woodentops went in to Slowfoots' studio and recorded it in an afternoon.
In the time it took Trevor (He's a busy dj) to deliver his mix I began to get more enquiries from dj's looking to do a mix themselves. All people i'd witnessed or new friends like Leo Mas coming in and it was mushrooming into more then just a remix. In the middle of it all I'd met Mark Jones, whose label Wall Of Sound I was well aware of, I was into a lot of their releases in the 90's. With him came more remixes and it was fast looking like a 'versions' album. Then the mixes began to be delivered. I began to see what happens when they are played out too. Oh my gosh! On its 30th anniversary the track has fresh new legs from people who adored the original. A few different 'scenes' are covered in the collection. Justin Strauss and Bryan Mette have somehow made it sound Paradise Garage, New York. Leo Mas and Fabrice have made it pure flamenco disco. Steve Proctor and Trevor Fung have brought out a more hard Detroit angle, Spatial Awareness's one is lyrical, wormy and dark, Lisbon Kid have a cinematic ultra modern electro chic Ritz sound to theirs and Denis The Night's version is totally rocking Panic in the party. Stampede.
A few DJ's/acts had been ' honoured' to be asked to do one but in the end were too busy to get it done in time. Shame perhaps, but Im not sure the package would be any better than it already is in my opinion.
So any second now its out there, on sale. I'ts already banging away in many a night club, the DJ reviews are amazing. Even Boy George replied to his copy in capital letters of respect. We have numerous 5 out of 5's no bad reviews, there's always one mix that they like that stops the hatchet coming down!
We had Move me, Well Well well, Good Thing, Everyday Living, Stop This car, quite a few that went down great but I think this song is really our 'biggest'. It went outside the Rock and Pop, played in the clubs as a live piece amongst mainly computerised tracks, it crossed over before anyone else knew what crossing over was at the time. Its back !
- Rolo McGinty



I have to say that Rolo is one of the nicest blokes I have ever met. 
I first came across The Woodentops pretty early in their career when they were doing the first of their month of Wednesday night gigs at Dingwalls in Camden where I was working at the time. I was working behind the bar when it came for them to do their set but even as I was pouring drinks I was very impressed by them so much so that the following week I made sure that I took my break while they were playing and the next two times I took the entire night off. I used to see them as much as I could when I was living in London (and even had the original bassist move into our house) and after moving to Amsterdam I caught them there (and Haarlem, Utrecht and Rotterdam). I did unfortunately miss seeing the funktified line up with Skip MacDonald having moved out here to Australia by then.
Anyway I saw that they were releasing a 100 copies of the new remixes CD so I sent a message to Rolo asking if he could keep me one until my next dole cheque and he said not to worry he would send me a copy. 
As I said, he truly is one of the nicest guys

Keith LeBlanc / MonoNeon - Dumpy Chumpy (Dump Trump)


Music: MonoNeon
Drums: Keith LeBlanc
Vocals: Concerned Citizen
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Major Malfunction

I Love Dick

Wrangler - Stupid


Thursday 25 August 2016

DJ Shadow ft. Run The Jewels - Nobody Speak


Faith No More - Live at The I-Beam San Francisco (13/1/86)


Pills for Breakfast
New Beginnings
As the Worms Turns
Arabian Disco
Jim
The Jungle
The Crab Song
We Care A Lot
Blood
Mark Bowen

Chuck Moseley - vocals
Roddy Bottum - keys
Billy Gould - bass
Mike Borodin - drums
Jim Martin - gtr

'There is no difference between those who force women to cover and those who force them to uncover'

To cover or uncover? Women in France are having their liberties stripped in the name of freedom, while others in the name of religion
Khartoon! by KhalidAlbaih

VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE

I want an all-female death metal act, and I want that group to put out the album VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE, and then I want President Clinton to find cabinet positions for each member of the band.
Because I believe in America

'Lest we forget'

  Via

France 0 VS 1 L'Écosse

The Bug presents Killing Sound Chapter 1: Dub Mutations

Serious Bass Business!
'I see Dub Mutations as an upgrade of the Macro Dub Infection (1/2/8) aesthetic, which I curated for Virgin Records many moons ago. Again, it gleefully departs from the traditional masters - Scientist, King Tubby etc - and revels in tearing up the rules, and exploring a sea of fx drenched sound. The past, present and future of dub is celebrated, befittingly through the mixing desk. As time travel, deep space and spectral visitations are magically probed, and bass, drum and noise are pushed mercilessly into the red. I guess I wanted to emulate the style of mix I made with King Midas Sound for FACT a couple of years ago, and create a non-linear narrative that‘s challenging and full of surprises, with added layers of sounds/effects, but most of all I wanted to create a mix that would be compellingly fresh. And as ever it’s a sketch of what dub was, is and can be, and how dub can act as a postmodern breakdown of sound - not just a smoker’s delight. Most of all, I wanted to just get lost in the sounds myself. Immerse yourself!'
- The Bug

Tracklist:
1/ Frankie Paul - ‘Worries in the Dance’ (Hit Bound)
2/ Version (Hit Bound)
3/ Johnny Osbourne - ‘Love Is Universal’ (Jah Guidance)
4/ Version (Jah Guidance)
5/ Dennis Brown - ‘Don’t Want To Be No General’ (Emmanuel Music)
6/ Version (Emmanuel Music)
7/ Ranking Dread - ‘Hard Times’ (Justice)
8/ Massive Attack ft Horace Andy - ‘Angel’(Blur Remix)(Wild Bunch/Virgin)
9/ Techno Animal ft Jon Hassell - ‘Needle Park’(Virgin)
10/ King Midas Sound - ‘Goodbye Girl’(Unreleased Dub Mix)
11/ Pole - ‘Silberfisch’(Kiff SM)
12/ Monoton - ‘Ein Wort’ (Desire)
13/ HTRK - ‘Chinatown Style’(Ghostly International)
14/ Andy Stott - ‘Violence’(Modern Love)
15/ Kode 9 & The Spaceape - ‘Glass’(Hyperdub)
16/ The Bug Vs Earth - ‘Don’t Walk These Streets’(Unreleased, forthcoming on Ninja Tune)
17/ The Bug - ‘Somnia Loop 1’(Unreleased, forthcoming on Ninja Tune)
18/ Fatal Microbes - ‘Violence Grows’(Small Wonder)
19/ Primal Scream - ‘Living Dub’(Creation)
20/ 23 Skidoo - ‘Gospel Comes To New Guinea’(Fetish)
21/ WE - ‘Secondhand Science’(Wordsound)
22/ Sofa Surfers ft Singing Bird - ‘Beans & Rice’(Klein)
23/ JK Flesh - ‘Conquered’(Electric Deluxe)
24/ Goth-Trad - ‘Grind’(Back To Chill)
25/ Experimental Audio Research - ‘Untitled’(Space Age)
26/ Little Dragon - ‘Only One’(Chopped & Screwed by The Chopstars ) (Adult Swim)
27/ Rhythm & Sound - ‘Imprint’(Rhythm & Sound)
28/ Ø aka Mika Vainio - ‘Taikisin’(Sahko Recordings)
29/ Lukid - ‘Wake Up’(Werk)
30/ Jacob Miller - ‘Baby I love you So’(Yard Music)
31/ Augustus Pablo - ‘King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown’(Yard Music)
32/ King Tubby ft Horace Andy - ‘A Better Version’(Jamaican Recordings)
33/ Michael Rose - ‘No Burial’(Manneseh Remix)(M Records)
34/ Equiknoxx - ‘Last of the Mohicans’(Dubbed & Screwed by The Bug)(DDS)
35/ Al Cisneros - ‘Jericho’(Dubbed & Screwed by The Bug)(Drag City)
36/ Kode 9 & The Spaceape - ‘Ghost Town’(Hyperdub)
37/ King Midas Sound - ‘Who’(Unreleased, forthcoming on Ninja Tune)

Listen
HERE

Fireside Chat 

An open letter to the Prime Minister on the climate crisis, from 154 scientists

Roger Dean Postage Stamps

Cath Carroll - Moves Like You


Wednesday 24 August 2016

Fish People



Snowden: Leak Of NSA Hacking Tools Are Russia’s ‘Warning’ To The US Government

J.G. Ballard on The End of The World

Everybody talks about the end of the world, but we've actually asked the big question: What will it be like?

Ballard replied...

I dream of: Dying in a car crash with Madonna. Having sex with Hillary Clinton. Appearing in Zapruder frame 313 with Jackie Kennedy. Being transformed into a TV channel. Detonating a nuclear weapon over Disneyland. Having all the whores in Moscow call me on their mobile phones. Seeing time make a new beginning. Persuading Neil Armstrong to return to Earth. Meeting my younger selves on the virtual-reality highways of tomorrow. Being buried under the main runway at London's Heathrow Airport

Apocalypse How? (Spin November 1995)
Illustration: Winston Smith
Thanks David

JK Flesh - Live @Supernormal 2016


Via

Ad Break: The World's Biggest Asshole


...even an asshole can save a life.
DO IT!

Giacomo Carmagnola

Via

Leonard Cohen: Steer Your Way

Steer your way through the ruins of the Altar and the Mall
Steer your way through the fables of Creation and the Fall 
Steer your way past the Palaces that rise above the rot 
Year by year
Month by month  
Day by day 
Thought by thought

Steer your heart past the Truth you believed in yesterday 
Such as Fundamental Goodness and the Wisdom of the Way
Steer your heart, precious heart, past the women whom you bought  
Year by year 
Month by month 
 Day by day 
Thought by thought

Steer your path through the pain that is far more real than you 
That has smashed the Cosmic Model, that has blinded every View  
And please don’t make me go there, though there be a God or not 
Year by year 
Month by month  
Day by day  
Thought by thought

They whisper still, the injured stones, the blunted mountains weep 
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make things cheap 
And say the Mea Culpa, which you’ve gradually forgot  
Year by year 
 Month by month  
Day by day  
Thought by thought

Steer your way, O my heart, though I have no right to ask  
To the one who was never never equal to the task  
Who knows he’s been convicted, who knows he will be shot 
Year by year  
Month by month  
Day by day  
Thought by thought 

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So Long, Marianne  (Oslo 1993)

Tuesday 23 August 2016

'Fucking Obvious' is the middle name of Russian corruption

Any Style


Studio Chronicles: Jamaica

Harry J's

King Jammy's

Hitmaker

Anchor

Grafton

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Tuff Gong Studios: 1Xtra celebrates Jamaica 50

Thor Harris: How to live like a king for very little


1. Don’t smoke cigarettes.
2. Drive old Japanese cars. Easy and cheap to fix & they run for fucking ever.
3. Buy most of your groceries from the produce section. Most of that other shit is not actually food. You don’t need it.
4. Ride your bike instead of driving as much as you can. You need the exercise and gas is expensive.
5. Don’t have kids. They’re not miracles, they’re people. 7 billion is too fucking many. Find some other way to give your dull existence some meaning. BTW they’re expensive.
6. Get your clothes from thrift stores. With the physique you’ll have from riding your bike, you’ll look hot wearing anything.
7. Learn to fix things. Tons of great books and youtube vids on fixing anything. Or ask an old dude. People used to fix things. No shit.
8. Learn a trade – Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, auto mechanics, tailoring, computer/electronics repair, something They can’t fucking outsource. No one gives a shit about your Masters in Dostoyevsky…. fix something, dumbass, fix something!
9. If you like booze, drink at home with your neighbors. Drunk driving is for assholes, rich ones with lawyers.
10. Do people favors. It’s called Cooperation. It’s how the world worked before money. They will return the favor, or someone will. No shit. This really works.
11. Make things – Look around you. What do you see? Yah, shitty stuff made by impoverished enslaved people far away. Pick anything. Make a better one. People want good shit. You won’t get rich, but you’ll get by.
12. If you live in America – don’t get sick and avoid injury. Wear your fucking helmet and put lights on your bike.
13. Find work you love. If you can’t do that, then find a job where you love the people.
14. Junkies and addicts are like toddlers. They just want to shit all over you and everything. The messes they make can get expensive. Avoid them if you can.
15. Don’t buy shit on credit, remember what happened to America? Cash only, fuckers. Can’t afford it? Don’t fucking buy it!
16. Preventable expenses - STD’s, abortions, DWI’s, lung cancer, head injuries, speeding tickets, cirrhosis of the liver.
17. Don’t go on fancy dates if you’re not fancy. Most people kind of despise the rich anyway.
18. When you go see shows, bring a flask in. That way you can afford to buy a record.
19. If you had told me 15 years ago that Coca Cola would put tap water in plastic bottles and motherfuckers would BUY IT …… No fuckin way.
20. Don’t get cable. Asshole. There is nothing on. I promise. $100 a month ? Fuck no!
Via

Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater) Makes His Ominous Debut with 'Lullaby for Klaus'

Why Europe Can’t Find The Jihadis In Its Midst

Sultans of Gedankenbrain - Intoxicated Man


Kristof Hahn - Guitar, Vocals
Stefan Rocke - Basoon
Mike Strauss - Keyboard
Thomas Wydler - Drums

Gilli Smyth R.I.P.



Via

Dixie Fried

Deadly Headley R.I.P.

Deadly Headley & Adrian Sherwood

Another favourite saxophonist; Alpha Boys' School alumnus Felix Deadly Headley Bennett.
Featuring African Headcharge, Dub Syndicate, Singers & Players, Creation Rebel, Playgroup, Noah House Of Dread, Bim Sherman, Prince Far I, Lee Scratch Perry, Sly & Robbie and the late, greats Rico Rodriguez and Style Scott. Yet another On-U Sound production, Adrian Sherwood at the controls. Deadly Headley in the area

Archie Meets The Ramones

The Riverdale Crew Goes to Rock N’ Roll High School in Archie Meets Ramones

XTC - Let's Make A Den (Previously Unreleased)

Listen
HERE

Gawker Was Murdered by Gaslight

Sam Shepard’s Spring

The Birthday Party - Nick The Stripper


Number 2...you can't beat that really

Monday 22 August 2016

Bad Blood for the Vampyr (Lysanne Thibodeau 1984)


A vampire in Berlin has trouble finding a virgin. With Blixa Bargeld as the priest

Sunday 21 August 2016

Daniel Tucceri - Live @The Bendigo Hotel Melbourne (21/8/16)

BIG thanks to Jesse for the photographs
WOW!
That's about all I can say.
As my friend Alan said:
I thought I'd encountered (Robin Casinader) and even met and even promoted some pretty eccentric piano geniuses from Melbourne down the years (Anthony Pateras). Then this arvo I went to Daniel Tucceri's gig at the Bendigo where he embraced the possibilities of a bashed up upright and belted Mozart, Beethoven, some Metal band I dunno and Mussorgsky all enhanced with wild synth and multi instrument interpretations of a few classics. Best gig in months and months by miles

Download

Saturday 20 August 2016

The Woodentops - Why Why Why (Lisbon Kid Remix)



The Woodentops - Why Why Why 2016 (Remixes)
In partnership with legendary label Wall of Sound, we are proud to offer the PRE ORDER for a VERY limited run (only 100) of hand numbered CDs for the thirtieth anniversary re-release of the iconic Woodentops classic, "Why Why Why".
Released on 2nd September 2016, you can order your copy now, to be sent out on the day of release (postage FREE in mainland UK).
CD TRACKLIST:
The Woodentops - Why Why Why 2016
1. Balearic Militant Dub (by Leo Mas & Fabrice)
2. Balearic Rework (by Lisbon Kid)
3. Steve Proctor Remix
4. A WTF Remix (by Trevor Fung & Dan Wainwright)
5. A WTF Acid Dub Remix (by Trevor Fung & Dan Wainwright)
6. Whatever/Whatever Remix (by Justin Strauss & Brian Mette)
7. Spatial Awareness Remix
8. Denis the Nght and the Panic Party Remix
2016 sees the thirtieth anniversary of the release of The Woodentops seminal “Why Why Why” - the record that arguably forged the link between dance music and indie culture.
To celebrate this momentous milestone, epic UK label Wall Of Sound is releasing a special Summer anthem 8 track EP of brand new remixes from artists carefully selected by the band; luminaries from the first time around rub shoulders with rising stars of the new vanguard carrying forward the same Balearic spirit that infused the original.
“Why Why Why” was the sound of a Rough Trade indie guitar band drawn towards all things experimental, electronic, and funk fuelled and becoming further immersed in club culture; thanks to resident DJ Alfredo, the record became an anthem at Ibiza's Amnesia and quickly worked it’s way into the psyche of those who made the pilgrimage there.
And thus, influencing many of the pioneers of UK dance music, the roll of honour of DJs who loved “Why Why Why” is a veritable who’s who – Weatherall, Rocky and Diesel, Carl Cox, Oakenfold, Rampling, Holloway, and many more. The legendary Tony Humphries became a huge fan of the band, after finding a white label promo in a bargain bin and wondering what it might be.
Fast forward to Summer 2016, and leading the charge is Ibiza veterans Leo Mas and Fabrice, distilling the esoteric hedonism of late eighties Amnesia into an eight minute blissed-out epic. Taking the baton, Lisbon Kid (Rui da Silva and Danny Matos) take the Ibizan sunset vibe up a notch for the deep dancefloors. Firmly entering acid house territory, old school stalwart Steve Proctor turns in a bleepy workout for the late night enthusiasts. Two mixes come courtesy of Godfather of the Balearic scene, Trevor Fung; a tough slice of infectiously chugging downtempo house is joined by his Acidic Dub, that strips it all back and ups the 303 quotient. Adding The Woodentops to the breathtaking list of bands they've remixed is Whatever/Whatever (New York City DJ and Production legend Justin Strauss and Bryan Mette), with a ten minute journey to the dark heart of innerspace…
Rounding off the package come two mixes from the new school – Spatial Awareness accentuates the dub elements with an acid soaked odyssey, whilst Italian electro upstarts Denis The Night & The Panic Party take “Why Why Why” apart and rebuild it as a heavy slab of indietronica.
https://www.facebook.com/WoodentopsOfficial
http://woodentopsmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wallofsound.net
http://www.wallofsound.net/