It seems like only the other week I was contemplating writing one of these and got way laid by pre Christmas fun, work and shopping… I worked out what slows me down in life, and am glad for it, people… I have to say I have really enjoyed the last few weeks. After a year of battening down the hatches and working as, and when, you could people seemed to be very up for getting together and pausing for a minute away from the slog of it. I don’t normally think that way but it has been a funny old year and the break has been great, if only too short. Lots of good things have gone on this year but a general heaviness seems to lurk in the air. Still I suppose after surviving the Mayan calendars end we may breath a little easier… or not. We still have George Osbourne at the controls so I fear for the latter.

I won’t go over events of the year there is more than enough of that around at the moment and you have all the old missives to look at if you fancy that but a musical catch up at the end of year is always a good thing and here it is in classic Meltdown style (it’s long). Four hours of new musical deviations or some great re treads of styles that are now just classic. More often than not it is a fusing of the two. I think I would sum up the year with a word. Consolidation.

It’s always interesting going back over the year, as the list above suggests it did have a lot of great records but it started slow. I can remember scratching around at the start of the year thinking that there wasn’t that much. I suppose the lack of any coherent new forms of music may have abetted that. We saw the consolidation of all new forms of electronic emanating from the UK lumped together under the Bass music banner. A good catch all but it really saw many of those different forms homogenised, often under a housey groove. It was back in a slightly mutated form but it was how it got to be the sound of 2012 that was interesting.

A few years ago it seemed that Dubstep was the punk rock son of the black inspired dance music that had developed in the UK since the advent of Jungle. It was apparently the sound for a new generation of ravers. The sons and daughters of the UK’s second summer of love were dancing to a different beat. It had a new tempo, a new dance, a new drug. It was quite exciting even from my older perspective. What had cleared dance floors was now filling them as rapidly as it had emptied them. There was definitely a revolution happening. It had to come eventually and a new world order was sort of put in place.

Of course house music was installed around the world as the tempo of choice (it has been since pre disco really) but this was a serious challenge to it in its adopted home of the UK. The leaders of this new school, got sent out around the world to spread the word and it caught fire. It had the energy but in a different way and it worked. Of all places in the US. This was even more exciting. The US finally seemed to get it. Well they got it, ran with it and fused it with the already encroaching sound of dance music that they liked: from trance, to Switch’s stylings, to Swedish and French sounds and that had been grabbing hold all across the US away from its traditional homes of Black and Gay America.

Over the past few years this scene has grown into a huge business as this music has engrossed millions of young Americans and we have seen huge changes taking place at US festivals, gigs and even on US radio (a medium not known for changing styles unless there is serious advertising revenue coming through)… The internet was the obvious natural home for any rapidly spreading movement in this century and we here in the UK got to see first hand what was going on at US raves through You Tube and other postings. Almost as quickly as it spread there we got to see it. For many of us it wasn’t pretty. Sure the US ravers were having fun and the participants were getting paid but was it cool ? Was the music good ? I think the UK underground reacted to it. We got soulful this year.

Did you get in to dance music for money or for the elicit coolness of it (that includes the music) ? Exactly. What is good for mainstream American consumption often lacks what we here need or may be we just react to the mass appeal of it. I know I do

Of course that is only one facet of what we cover here at The Meltdown. What I am describing is a kind of mass consensus of the underground (is that possible ?) but I did think it interesting that this slightly soulful, funky, bass injected, house inspired underground was where we generally were at in 2012. I liked it. As the music above suggests there was lots of music that was very fresh and new but also lots that trod well worn ground with a slightly different skank.

I think this accounts for where I see where we are at on the verge of 2013. The re arrival of a more soulful kind of dance music seems to be a direct reaction to the boom in the US of the kind of music that moves thousands of people. It may be many things but rarely is it soulful. Could the excitement around new talent like Disclosure come at any time other than 2012 ? When all we heard about was the huge stage shows of numerous acts that were of a very instant gratification ? Sure they looked impressive and the US audiences were loving it but was it what the Uk underground was all about ? Its not exactly a dim light, a sound (system) and a basement is it ? I think that is at the key to any great party here and people looking for those parties were taken there by an, in part, UK reaction to that was going on in the US overground and the cold simple fact that everyone finds it easier to rock a dance floor with a 4×4 kick drum.

So on top of the US/global adoption/bastardistaion of dub step and the more ‘high energy’ end of club music. More and more of the DJ’s that started Dubstep seemed to tire of it and return to the music of their elders, albeit slightly rehashed and often improved – especially sonically. Look at the playlist of Rinse FM it is almost a house station now albeit with its own broad ranging and uniquely London spin on it. Though even there you do hear more and more house/garage classics from back in the day and less Grime and Dubstep shows. Though they are still there. For which I am thankful. Roska‘s Grimey experiments on Rinse’s Roska 2 EP were a couple of gems for me this year.

The London Underground is a fascinating thing. It’s why I am here. I love the morphs and changes that go on and approaching it with an open mind it always throw up some amazing music that touches on the constants of my own particular tastes – some soul/emotion and/or a groove and a funk. We definitely have a lot of groove about this year and also a lot of soul.

Having said all that we don’t actually play a lot of that new school soulful house/garage sound but it did seem to be the predominant sound. We could have played lots of Disclosure tracks, who were so impressive this year but settled for their remix of Jessie Ware which was almost like the warning call that they were coming. Definitely the remix of the year for me. It is exciting times as we now have very well made, structured, soulful music troubling the charts and that looks set to continue into next year. As Disclosure continue to solidify their very powerful reputation as producers and remixers. It is amazing that they construct records the way that they do and at such young years. They are definitely the most exciting producers in that area and deserve all the props that they are getting.

Julio Bashmore continued to release significant records ‘Au Seve’ being a huge release and his Bobby Womack Remix picked up where that left off. Dusky took that classic 90′s house baseline and showed what you could do with it and little else, coming from a minimal place it was interesting to see how these tracks work so well on such a wide variety of dancefloors. Again showing how such disparate dance floors were all uniting under a housey/garagey norm that was emerging this year. Hot Nature’s ‘Benediction’ was on so many dancefloors this year too. Even old timers like Ashley Beedle got back into their mid 90′s swing and found favour with the nu skool house heads of 2012. His Girls Music released ‘Yardism EP’ was a hit with many this year. R-A-G is a perfect example of that over the shoulder look to the raw, under produced sound that was again prevalent this year through tracks like ‘Black Rain’ which was just a classic modern interpretation of those old Trax records from Chicago back in the day. As with all genres this year the volume of reissues also gave these older styles and sounds a big push. Labels like Amsterdam’s Rush Hour took in detail looks at classic labels such as Mitchball and Nu Groove.

Zebra Katz

There was also the ‘correct’ sound of hip hop influenced house. Whilst the overground got more Guetta infected Hip Hop and RnB cuts at 120bpm plus – that music doesn’t seem to go away but it truly the enemy of all things decent. On its flip side were tracks like Zebra Katz’s ‘Ima Read’ a tune which built over 2012 in that classic way. I’m not saying it’s as big as Azealia Banks was last year but these tunes do take their time to permeate. Her mix tape, in lieu of her album (which should be with us very soon), ‘Fantasea’ was full of tracks picking up where ’212′ left off. Mixing the Gay NY sound of the Sound Factory with a proper underground rap style and not forsaking every thing for a cheesy chorus. She seemed to have a serious contender with the arrival of Angel Haze but she was less house and more straight up but very good.

Acts like Stubborn Heart gained attention by taking the more cerebral side of house and electronics that almost borders on Radiohead territory and putting some good songs on top of it. They made an album that looks set to have legs well into 2013. An interesting debut and ones to watch. One album that came late in the year but was an excellent addition to my collection was the Carl Craig inspired techno of Redshape. ‘Atlantic’, the album, was again reminiscent of early to mid 90′s music. This time reflecting the work of many of the 2nd Generation of Detroit producers with its eerie synths and odd tempo’s and rhythms… There seemed to be a lot of techno influenced music about this year. A lot of it from either post Dubstep producers – some of it good, most of it not really registering here (with me). And then there were the minimalist crew who on the whole left me cold – far too little melody or anything of any real substance, the closest I got to this sound was the Actress album which had some moments of sheer bliss. ‘Ascending’ the track we start one hour of the show with here is one such moment. Taken from an album which I really liked but couldn’t quite see the level of hype that many put around it. A lot of people got excited about Jimmy Edgar and his album ‘Majenta’ – which did have some fine moments on it – ‘Touch Yr Body’ being one such electro moment. The 80′s feel was also present in lots of boogie inspired house cuts. One of my favourites was Juan Laya & Jorge Montell ‘It’s Got To Be Music’. Which could have been from the early 80′s and sounds all the better for it. Jesse Ware’s album had several nods to 80′s soul and that is one reason why I liked it so much. I think she will develop nicely and was a great uncovering for 2012. ‘Devotion’ is a good record only let down by the mix.

Frank Ocean – Feelin’ that Gong Fu vibe

Records that weren’t were Frank Ocean‘s much anticipated debut ‘Channel Orange’. Many people said they preferred last years mix tape (but then they always do) and though it may not have featured another Nova Cane, I thought the album was great. I love it when soul is moved forward and I think he genuinely has done that. He wrote songs in an interesting way and deviated from the norm with lyrics and production but always kept it soul, and to fine effect. It was many peoples album of the year. Tracks like ‘Pyramid’ and ‘Crack Rock’ are not your usual Neo Soul or RnB cuts and the hints that were made the previous year by him, and The Weeknd too, were pushed forward by this album. Miguel too, delivered a forward thinking album with the stand out being ‘Adorn’ a bass led groove that nags its way into your head and is a tune I will be playing for years to come. Jai Paul‘s ‘Jasmine’ was only a demo but extremely well executed and another hint at what’s to come, sometime… Though he did turn up on the Big Boi record.

On the tips for next year the, late arrival, soul of Typesun is well worth looking into. As is the excitement surrounding London Grammar who’s ‘Hey Now’ was posted on Soundcloud in mid December to an unsuspecting world that jumped on it. Keeping it soulful but moving ever forward was Damon Albarn and Richard Russells work with the legend that is Bobby Womack. I admired their ambition and many cuts were great but I think the album was only a part success. Still it was good to hear Bobby back and it was good to hear him against new productions/beats… some of the time. It is a modern production dilemma. You can either record these classic vocalists in a retro style (Rick Rubin, T Bone Burnett or Joe Henry style) or try and move it all forward which I think is a much bolder and harder task. If it were down to me I think I would have taken Bobby Womack down the route of Georgia Anne Muldrow‘s latest release ‘Seeds’ which was by far her best release to date. Part produced by her and Mad Lib, it had a cosmic soul feel reminiscent of the 70′s but with tough sampled beats and some of the best songs she has written. Definitely one of my albums of the year. I think it was a good year for soul all told.

Hip Hop it went through an interesting phase with Trap being the word on everybody’s lips. Lots of 808′s, 909′s and not a lot else. There were lots of quirky tunes but not many that blew me away. I think I miss the lyrics with something to say. The beats though were quality and the world caught up. They provided a blue print for a modern take on Trip Hop (in the 90′s producers copied the NY sounds of Premier and Pete Rock, now they ape the sounds of the South) with lots of UK and European producers making instrumentals that occasionally ended up with US MC’s on them. Stand up Hudson Mohawke and Darq E Freaker for at least two great cuts this year in ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Blueberry (Pills N’ Cocaine)’ it’ll be interesting to see where the pair of them are in a years time with Hud Mo already making beats for Kanye.

Jamie XX was also busy stateside, and did some good cuts – I did like his Alicia Keys track but the new XX album was a classic second album – more of the same. It was good but didn’t blow me away as the first one did. May be they will have a new trick next time around. They are still set for bigger things and I do like them. I didn’t hear much from many other UK producers in that area. Switch left Major Lazer but they delivered a great cut/pre amble to their second album due this year with the free download featuring Amber from The Dirty Projectors ‘Get Free’. In the US Baauer took that trap vibe and turned (it into ‘Trap Step’ ?? good eh ?) the heat up to 11. His EP on Mad Decent was a killer with some huge tracks on it none less than ‘Harlem Shake’ and he is now signed to Glasgow’s Lucky Me the original home to Hudson Mohawke.

As much as there was the hypeness around the Southern United States Hip Hop sounds’ mutations the influence of those classic old NY mid 90′s sounds still lives large, sampling hasn’t gone away. Geoff Barrow teamed up with a host of MC’s and fellow beatmakers to form the Quakers, a collective who’s huge sampling library delivered some interesting but straight up cuts. Then there was another album from Nas. It was such a relief to hear his dulcet tones over some classic NYC music and ‘The Don’ was one of those bloc rocking beats that are timeless. It was also good to hear the new school of MC’s not just using 808′s and that crunked southern sound. Kendrick Lamar‘s record dabbled in both sides of this coin and to fine effect on his album ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City’ which was arguably Hip Hop album of the year. He was slack, he was conscious, the beats were rough and some were smoove. It didn’t rewrite any rules but was just a solid record with good stories. it was also nice to hear my radio co host Andrew Hale be sampled by Joey Bada$$. One of the up and coming MC’s in line for ASAP Rocky’s glories. The track we play ‘Fromdatomb$’ samples Andrew’s music for the computer game ‘LA Noire’ again in that 90′s style. It is reminiscent of London’s Piff Gang. Or may be it is the other way around but it’s good to know that the blunted beat is a live and strong. Especially if you are Andrew Hale !

I have to say that the music which has excited me the most this year is Drum n Bass. It’s been an interesting year for a genre which has scaled pop heights of late but in terms of hypeness and quality may appear to have stagnated but as ever is a strong hold if you are a fan. It never goes away DnB, it’s like Heavy Metal. It has legions of devoted fans around the world who love the energy and dance ability of it. The fusions within DnB were what excited me and it seemed like there were a few elements which when melded were explosive. The tracks we play on the show are good illustrations.

Manchester’s finest: Dub Phizix

The sound of Manchester was still a major pull for me. Dubphizix and his MC’s DRS, Fox, Strategy and Skittles were a dynamic combination. The old Broken English crew were all individually doing it but put them on stage together and they were dynamite. One night at Fabric was enough for me. If they can get it together there is a great album in those guys. DRS’s album highlighted how good they can be together but Dubphizix’s release on Critical ‘Never Been’ was the the epitome of bashment meets DnB. A rough groove and a hooky chorus won over so many dance floors… As did Need For Mirrors ‘Don’t Fight The Feeling’ again featuring DRS but in a different style again. Then there was D Bridges minimalist reworking of James Brown ‘Funky Drummer’ which sounded great on a system and had a nod to the old school. Just a simple filtered groove but such a good one. It also sounded good on 331/3 like all good DnB records do !! The fusion of Chicago’s footwork/Juke styles with DnB was a highlight for me. It seems like we are only at the tip of this iceberg but it is a good fusion. They go so well together especially when the music goes back a bit further to Jungle. Fracture under his Night & Day guise did this to fine effect with his Exit release ‘Get Busy’ which was a track full of energy. There were lots of other less legitimate fusions lurking about on line from the likes of Philip D Kick and more and more producers seem to be dabbling in these areas. I am looking forward to this area growing next year.

Africa has been a much plundered area of late. Again this year has seen the continued reissuing of lost gems of varying quality and inclinations. Labels like Soundway, Strut and Analog Africa reissued some quality old music and shone the light on parts of the world and artists that we might otherwise be oblivious too. Andrew loves a bit of Africa and his pick was the Cameroonian Francis Bebey‘s compilation African Electronic Music 1975-82 where he explores, surprisingly enough, electronic music fused with traditional songs and rhythms. It has some excellent and very quirky cuts from a little known African pioneer. Who’d have thunk it !! Whilst we are on the weirder, wonderful side of things and talking of fusing electronic instrumentation with more traditional forms. We land squarely at the feet of my compilation of the year Personal Space:Electronic Soul 1974-84. It follows a very similar time frame and is basically a collection of very rare and privately pressed recordings which, possibly quite badly, infuse some lo rent soul with some odd electronic quirks. It reminds me a bit of Arthur Russell’s proto disco fusions, in so much as, they kind of work but don’t fully, and didn’t, hence their lack of success and obscurity. Years later they sound quirky and cute. It is a very interesting compilation which if you stick with it benefits you loads. I fell in love with it in the spring and am still playing it now. You need to listen to it at least once.

Back to Africa there were lots of people experimenting with new forms of African music from LV and Debruit here to the second album from Portugal’s Buraka Som Sistema which had some very heavy club tunes which were so percussive you could get away with them on almost any dance floor. Daphni (also known as Caribou) became a UK name to reckon with in the afro inspired fusions though still never bettering his debut ‘Cos Ber Zam Nenoya’ – a reedit from an Analog Africa compilation. His name spread this year with a series of 12″s on his new Jialong label. All these were rounded up for an album which gave a new lease of life to these previous vinyl only cuts. I think I played ‘Cos Ber Zam Nenoya’ on last years best of but I have played it all year and it is the best track off his album. The influence of the compilations and re issues from the above mentioned labels is best seen with not only their spreading of these obscure sounds and artists but their influence on new music. The debut album from Sweden’s Goat has it writ large right across it.

Goat – World Music LP

The album ‘World Music’ is a truly great piece of fusion. The sound is that of a tripped out, psychedelic rock band fused with afro rhythms and inflections to great effect. I can remember putting it on at the counter at Rough Trade and being completely blown away by the sound and feel of the record. It didn’t sound like it was from now, or Sweden ! There have been a few other interesting/good stoner rock records around this year, as every year, but White Manna and Moon Duo shone for me. This is by far the best and they are a band that I really want to see live.

Leaning towards Africa, and with Tony Allen (Fela’s drummer) on drums its possibly difficult to to anything but that. Was the new album project from Damon Albarn: Rocket Juice & The Moon. I never got around to getting the album, which apparently was another winner but the 10′ single featuring Erykah Badu was ace, a slow shuffling Afro beat groove, Erykah doing her thing and being dubbed out in a style that I don’t think you would get on her own records. It had to be played. Talking of Erykah it was another high light of the year seeing her live at Hammersmith Apollo. She really is one of those artist that I can’t get enough of.

Neneh Cherry & Nat Guystafson of The Thing

Another woman that I always want to hear more from who returned this year was Neneh Cherry. I am not sure where she has been but I was more than chuffed to hear her come back and in the style that she did. Hooking up with Swedish out jazzers The Thing she made an album which took a diverse array of covers and pushed them through a classic jazz interpretation. Keeping the themes but stretching them out and taking them somewhere else, so that they are their own tracks. The band were tight and Neneh has a unique characterful voice that I have been missing. It was a great return and Suicide’s ‘Dream Baby Dream’ was one of many tracks that worked so well

On the reggae side of things there were a few bits that shone through for me but my take is very superficial. I am still looking for those classic JA injections of craziness. Again there were lots of re issues. The Trojan compilation ‘Black Ark’ of classic Lee Perry 12′s from the late 70′s and early 80′s was a joy for me the full versions with Perry at his most creative within confines of the legendary Black Ark. There were lots of new rootsy releases about on 7″ and 12″ but there was a dearth of quality ragga and rhythms.

Busy Signal

Three that did stand out were Leftside‘s ‘Johnny Bravo’, Damian Marley‘s ‘Set Up Shop’ and Potential Kid‘s ‘Yah So Nice’… I do try and unearth these tracks but I am always open to leads from others.  So please drop me a line if you think there is anything that I should be hearing and playing. Album wise I was still loving Busy Signal‘s album but that came out late in 2011.

Dr John & bredren from Treme Band

Another album that blew me away was the return of Dr John. He has made a few records over the past 20 years but they have been interesting because they were him and not really because of the content but this record was different. Produced by Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys, it took Dr John back to his classic Atlantic Records period where the Voodoo was strong and the groove was lo slung, off key and funky. I do love the Black Keys anyway but this hook up was one of the best things they have done. The record is retro but so good. The grit they have in their own records is more than evident on this and it is what someone like Dr John needs in his records. Thankfully he got it on ‘Locked Down’. Definitely one of my albums of the year and a highly recommended purchase.

Other tracks that deserve mentioning in 2012 are Andrew Ashong’s debut on Sound Signature. It was a unique piece of soulful music. Super funky, kind of house but really more of a slow chugging groove that just built around his song in a nagging jazzy way. It is a classic in the making. If you don’t know it. Have a listen. You won’t regret it.

half Moon Run

Two other tracks played on the shows and I am done. Both with nods to a period and place that I have a very soft spot for. It’s the harmonies, the melancholy and the emotion of classic Laurel Canyon releases by the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young that I hear echoed in Damien Jurado‘s album and the debut from Canada’s Half Moon Run. Both albums blew me away but the youth, live performances and quality of the music by Half Moon Run really stole the show for me in 2012. I saw them plenty of times in 2012, as I tried to find a way to work with them, and every time they got better and the crowd got bigger. Definitely the new act of the year for me, and the album was probably my album of the year too. You need to know about them. They fuse elements of modern production ala Radiohead with those classic elements from the early 70′s and glorious harmonies. Its soul but of a slightly fairer hue. Essential listening for me in 2012.

So there you go I have a list as long as my arm of things that I wanted to play and talk about but above are my tunes of the year the ones that resonated the most with me.

If you like what you have heard/read don’t forget you can join me and Andrew Hale every Sunday night between the hours of 9pm and 11pm GMT on mi-soul.com or you could drop me a line on ross.allen@me.com and I’ll add you to the mail out list and you’ll get this mail out sent to you every week, and you won’t miss a minute…

So thanks to everyone who has sent me music, sold me music, tipped me off about stuff. It’s all much appreciated and thanks to you lot for reading,listening and getting in touch on such a regular basis. I am glad you are liking it.

Here’s to more music and mutations in 2013

Cheers

Ross

THE WILDSTYLE ROSS ALLEN & ANDREW HALE BEST OF 2012 PART1 MI-SOUL.COM SUNDAY 23rd Dec 2012 9-11PM

LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW

http://www.yousendit.com/download/UW14eVdsSWhrUm1VQU1UQw

LINK TO STREAM THE SHOW

http://www.mixcloud.com/MiSoul/ross-allen-andrew-hale-mi-soul-radio-23-12-2012/

HOUR 1

Spontaneous Overthrow – All About Money – Chocolate Industries CD (from the album Personal Space)
Neneh Cherry & The Thing – Dream Baby Dream – Smalltown Supersound CD (from the album The Cherry Thing)
Jai Paul -Jasmine (demo) – XL 12″
Typesun – The PL – download
Frank Ocean – Crack Rock – Def Jam CD (from the album Channel Orange)
Nas – The Don – Def Jam CD (from the album Life Is Good)
Azealia Banks – Este Noche – Free Mix Tape (from the album Fantasea)
Bauuer – Harlem Shake – Mad Decent EP (from the EP The Jeffrees Part 3)
Quakers feat Guilty Simpson & Phat Kat – Tribal Drums – Stones Throw CD
Red Shape – Atlantic – Word & Sound CD (from the album Square)
Grimes – Oblivion – 4AD (from the album Visions)
Daphni Cos Ber Zam Nenoya – Jialong LP (from the album Jialong)
Goat – Disco Fever – Rocket Recordings (from the album World Music)
Francis Bebey – Coffee Cola Song – Born Bad CD (from the album African Electronic Music 1975-1982)

HOUR 2

Damien Jurado – Moraquipa – Secretly Canadian CD (from the album Maraqopa)
Half Moon Run – Full Circle – Indica CD (from the album Dark Eyes)
Alice Russell & The Quantic Soul Orchestra – Travelling Song
Johnny Mathis – I Love My Lady (Ashley Beedle Re edit) – CDR
Jimmy Edgar – Touch Your Body Time – Hot Flush CD (from the album Majenta)
The Invisble – Wings (Floating Points Remix) – Ninja 12″
Miguel – Adorn – RCA CD (from the album Kaliedoscopic Dreams)
Joey Bada$$ – Fromdatomb$ – Mixtape (from the album 1999)
Damien Marley – Set Up Shop – Tuff Gong 7″
D-Bridge – Cornered – Metalheadz 12″
Dubphizix feat Fox – Never Been – Critical 12″

THE WILDSTYLE ROSS ALLEN & ANDREW HALE BEST OF 2012 PART 2 MI-SOUL.COM SUNDAY 30th Dec 2012 9-11PM

LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW

http://www.yousendit.com/download/UW15Q3Qrdzh0Ni9MYnNUQw

LINK TO STREAM THE SHOW

http://www.mixcloud.com/MiSoul/ross-allen-andrew-hale-mi-soul-radio-30-12-2012/

HOUR 1

Bobby Womack – Whatever Happened To The Times ? – XL LP (from the album Bravest Man In The Universe)
Dr John – Locked Down – Nonesuch LP (from the album Locked Down)
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid – Aftremath/Interscope CD (from the album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City)
Childish Gambino – LES – Glassnote CD (from the album CAMP)
Jesse Ware – No To Love – Island CD (from the album Devotion)
Juan Laya & Jorge Montell – It’s Got To Be Music – Imagenes Recordings 10″
Andrew Ashong – Flowers – Sound Signature 12″
Major Lazer feat Amber Dirty Projectors – Get Free – Mad Decent download
Rocket Juice & The Moonfeat Erykah Badu – Nothing Spoil – Honest Jons 10″
Buraka Som Sistema – Tira O Pe – Enchufada CD (from the album Komba)
Roska – You Dun Know – Rinse EP (from the album Rinse presents Roska 2)
Ashley Beedle – Only You – Girls Music EP (from the EP Yardism)

HOUR 2

Actress – Ascending – Honest Jons LP (from the album RIP)
R-A-G – Black Rain – Delsin Records 12″
Dusky – Flo Jam – Dogmatik Records 12″
Julio Bashmore – Au Seve – Boardwalk doanload
Zebra Katz – Ima Need – Mad Decent/Jefrees download
Fracture – Get Busy – Exit 12″
Need For Mirrors feat DRS – Don’t Fight The Feeling – Metalheadz 12″
Darq E Freaker & Danny Brown – Blueberry (Pills n Cocaine) – Southern Hospitality download
Leftside – Johnny Bravo – Keep Left download
Hudson Mohawke & Lunice aka TNGHT – Higher Ground – Warp EP
Debruit – Ata (LV Remix) – Civil Music download
Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti & Dam Funk – Baby – 4AD 12″
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Kali Yuga -Someothaship Connect (from the album Seeds)
Stubborn Heart – Need Someone – One Little Indian (from the album Stubborn Heart)
Jesse Ware – Running (Disclosure Remix) – PMR/Island12″

Well that didn’t take long ! (but this will I’m afraid)
x

First up comes Jody Gillett, former editor of  the English speaking version of http://www.mondomix.com, Braziliophile, budding film maker and a key player in the annual WOMAD camping circle.

ARTIST
Sam Lee
(www.samleesong.co.uk)

A wonderful singer doing beautiful things with a repertoire built up over years of song collecting with Gypsy and Traveller communities across the UK. What Sam Lee brings with the new arrangements on his debut album (the Mercury nominated Ground Of Its Own) is a very young band which makes the whole project feel exciting and on the move. I’ve seen them three times – first at the 2009 launch of Will Hodgkinson’s great book A Ballad Of Britain, then at an intimate happening at the Bedford pub and most recently at Womex where he wowed a global music industry crowd. Every time he was barefoot, charismatic and funny. And the songs? Ancient, unusual melodies and all heart. (check out Goodbye My Darling and The Tan Yard Side.)
Also:  Os Nelsons – https://soundcloud.com/os-nelsons

RADIO
wfmu.org/The Best Show
(www.wfmu.org/playlists/BS)
I came across this recently, thanks to persistent insomnia episodes. It’s a 3 hour phone-in show on the New Jersey community station, presented by Tom Scharpling, a grumpy humanist and comedy writer with a deep knowledge of daytime US TV (Storage Wars, anyone?) and American rock lore. He responds to genuinely random callers from all over the country (plus occasional set-ups with collaborator Jon Wurster) like they’re hecklers, variously interesting fellow-citizens or just triggers for rants. Good if you’re into US popular culture (aka what’s happening in Huntsville, Alabama of a Tuesday night) or harsh hang-up-the-phone etiquette. It’s rambling, funny freeform radio with strangely touching moments, punctuated by silences and the sound of Tom clicking his pen.

FILM
Mission To Lars
(www.missiontolars.com)
Sweet, moving film with jeopardy, love and courage at its core. It was also a pretty revealing portrait of a family and a lesson in how so-called campaign films can be effective in multiple ways – raising money for Mencap and making you feel gooey about heavy metal. Mission to Lars was made by a brother and sister with Tom Spicer, their elder brother who has Fragile X Syndrome and who’s obsessed with meeting Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich. It’s a window on autism, family dynamics and film-making. It’s also a road movie, which is always good.

Also:
Bill Cunningham’s New York (dir. Richard Press)
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Swandown (dir. Andrew Kötting)

RE-ISSUE
Rodriguez – Cold Fact (1970) + Coming From Reality (1971) (www.lightintheattic.net)
Thanks to the film release this year, Sixto Rodriguez had his two early 1970s albums re-issued (and this time he’ll see the royalties). Back then they bombed in the US, but boomed in South Africa and Australia, unbeknowst to him, who worked on construction sites for decades while raising his three daughters. The magic in Malik Bendjelloul’s documentary (Searching For Sugar Man) is Rodriguez himself. What an inspiring guy. I went to see him at Royal Festival Hall in November. His backing band were okay…where were the strings though? But the man wrote some great songs. And he got up there and sang them in a 70s bubble, it was unexpectedly moving. The place was packed with fans, and he came across exactly as you’d wish – humble and real. At “a solid 70” he is almost blind, but his voice was all there. And the albums too. Respect, Rodriguez.
Also:  The Existential soul of Tim Maia/Nobody Can Live Forever  (Luaka Bop)

Other inspiring 2012 highlights:

CONCERT:  The awesome summer solstice happening…

Sacred Music :  Sacred Spaces: A Re-envisioning of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ at The Chapel, King’s College.

EXHIBITION: Jeremy Deller’s JOY IN PEOPLE at The Hayward.

SPOKEN WORD: Kate Tempest’s Brand New Ancients at Battersea Arts Centre.

In the tradition of the legendary Shaw Brothers’ kung fu classics comes a brand new indie martial arts movie that’s located not in Hong Kong but in London’s China Town.  IRON MONK  is produced by veteran stuntman and actor Jason Ninh Cao and features 34th generation Shaolin Master Yanzi Shi in the lead role. Unlike the current wave of martial art epics from China … Ip Man, Fearless, Bodyguards &Assassins… there are no wires, no CGI. Both the film’s director, Mat Sunderlandand, it’s fight choreographer, Vincent Wang, maintain all the action is 100% authentic. In his daily life Shifu Yanzi Shi is the currently the head monk at the ShaolinTemple UK in Tufnell Park  but in this film he plays a Shaolin monk who tries to spread a message of peace and zen in Chinatown. Unfortunately, his opposition to drugs and prostitution attract the attention and ire of the local Triads who become  determined to destroy the monk and his peaceful teachings once and for all. And as cinematic history has shown we all know where that leads. Coming soon to the big screen.

For news / release dates check:  http://www.jncproductions.co.uk

Pic from Raphael Sebbag’s Facebook Timelime. UFO baby!

First up is a release on Gerald The Jazzman’s imprint – Jazzman Records, I was sent a soundcloud link to this and I am definitely smitten. This is the follow up to Jazzman’s  ‘Jukebox Jam’ and it’s appropriately entitled ‘Jukebox Mambo’. This equally rocking selection sheds light on the influence of Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms on R&B and Jazz during the mid-20th century by dishing up dynamite cuts from Joe Lutcher, Dave Bartlolomew, Red Callendar, Mabel Scott et al. That might sound like eons ago but this music is as  fresh as the day it was recorded. This music hauls me back to smokey, sweaty, boozy, Thursday nights in the Sol Y Sombra with Dave Hucker or Gossips with Gaz Mayall and respect is most definitely due to compiler and DJ Liam Large who lives up to the  Jazzman motto of “diggin’ deeper”. As usual Jazman deliver nuff formats. There’s a 22 track CD with 16 page booklet and a Deluxe Double Gatefold LP with liners, pics and full colour insert. However, if you’re looking for that elusive Xmas gift check the SUPER DELUXE “MUSICAL BOOK”  (see pic!) containing 6×10” records, colour booklet insert with liners and pics & four bonus tracks!

Check the gumbo here: http://soundcloud.com/djfryer/sets/jukebox-mambo-cd-dbl-lp-hard/

On a totally different tip, also from  Jazzman Records, comes Isle Of White based pianist Greg Foat with a follow up to last year’s much lauded  ‘Dark Is The Sun’.  This  fresh installment of filmic and jazz-ual soundscapes is entitled ‘Girl And Robot With Flowers‘ and further reflects the man’s  passion for analogue sound, all kinds of keyboards and sci fi  (‘Dark Is The Sun was inspired by the novel by Philip José Farmer ). Like it’s predecessor  the new album is recorded at Mattias Glava’s Kungalv Studio in Gothenberg on a mixing desk that used to belong to Donald Fagan and oozes that dynamic, spacious, warm sound that can only be achieved by recording direct to tape through high quality vintage equipment. The album’s title track  is delivered in 5 parts and is interspersed with a handful of  tracks like ‘Have Spacesuit Will Travel’ and ‘Cast Adrift’.  To get a taste: http://soundcloud.com/djfryer/sets/the-greg-foat-group-girl-and

Cecilia Stalin

Next up  is a labour of love on the part of Cecilia Stalin. You should know Cecilia for her vocals with Koop, The Streets and The Charles Tolliver Big Band. When word reached me that she had immersed herself in the works of John Coltrane and recorded a new album I was eager to hear the results. Having just been immersed in Trane’s music myself, as the curator for Sacred Music Sacred Spaces, I was naturally stoked to hear where she had taken the music.

The album is called ‘Step Like A Giant’ and Cecilia maintains the  project was born when she first heard and fell in love with the melody of ‘Naima’. According to the singer the album is her way way of reaching out to people today that haven’t been introduced to the music of John Coltrane – ” to people who don’t know jazz at all” – and to enable people to comprehend  what John Coltrane contributed to the musical platforms we all use today… “hiphop/grime/soul/neo-soul/nu-jazz/broken beat/house/ dub step/garage/blues/pop/rock…and all the ones in between”.

Like John Coltrane and his contemporaries Cecilia wants her music to speak out against injustice, to push the boundaries and this is what she has done. The saxophonist’s timeless compositions are her launch pad.  Don’t expect jazz singer meets classic acoustic quartet, this is a 21st century affair  and if you’re feeling the concept you need to check her bandcamp page right now…. touch the tracks and buy the album!

http://ccstalin.bandcamp.com/album/step-like-a-giant-2012

I came to this album via Mancunian trumpet player Matt Hallsall.   Go Go Penguin’s ‘Fanfares’ LP has just been released on Gondwana and features the classically tinged piano outings of Chris Illingworth colliding with profound double B lines from Grant Russell and the excellent shuffling trap drums of Rob Turner who betrays a strong passion for post junglistic expression. I’ve got a distinct feeling that ‘Fanfares’ is going to win this trio a whole new audience.!

OK. This next trio of deep double CD’s come courtesy of R2′s Kiri Patsalides . The R2 classics series dishes up a serious dose of Classic Fusion from The Headhunters, Ramsey Lewis and Larry Young.  It wasn’t until I got hooked on the UK Jazz Dance scene in the mid eighties that I discovered Fusion.  Before that I was into straight ahead stuff or the avante garde. Miles’ ‘Bitches Brew’ was about as far into Fusion as I was willing to go. Anyway, through hanging out with a host of DJs who’d come through the suburban soul and funk scene, the hard core jazz dance sessions and pirate radio I got a taste of Fusion that was to turn my prejudices around. These two-album packages are off their time and some of the tracks reflect that but there are a host of cuts here like Larry Young’s ‘Turn Out The Lights’ that continue to transcend time and remain totally radical.

The Headhunters’ first album ‘Survival Of The Fittest’ was a huge seller (selling more than ‘Bitches Brew’!) and perfectly reflects time when funk, rock and jazz musicians were taking it to the bridge. Some of this stuff is strictly for those cats who can Dance Jazz… they are fast ‘n’ furious and truly off the hook… try ‘Slick’ from Ramsey Lewis’ ‘Salongo’. It’s killin’… love that! Produced by Earth Wind & Fire’s Maurice White and the great Charles Stepney.  If you don’t know these records intimately you need to.  They have inspired a generation. Think heritage. Think Dilla, Mobb Deep, Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees…

Kaidi Tatham..

And from there we have to drop into Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks which has just surfaced on Dego’s 2000BLACK imprint.  It’s a fact that this crew of Bruk Beat pioneers are the genuine heirs to the music contained on the R2 Classics and on this album they continue to proudly fly the flag but in their own inimitable West London style. Kaidi Tathan is an inspirational keys whizz who forever brings something new to the table and guests like Eric Lau,  Bembe Segue, Serina Leah and Ferraz add their own flava to the mix. Sadly I missed their album launch at Jazz Refreshed last night but I’m told by a very reliable source that it was smoking!

Finally, ’cause I’m getting tired… and need to do the work I should be doin’… a couple of 7″singles. The first single features Juaneco Y Su Combo – La Cumbia Del Pacurro / Paco Zambrano Y Su Combo – Meshkalina and is pure vintage Peruvian funk-psych-cumbia and it’s comin’ ‘atcha on Martin Morales’ Tiger’s Milk label. Straight outta his newly opened Peruvian restaurant in Soho. Bless! The second single is on the Stick Label, is entitled ‘Wildfire’ and features Harold Martin & Larry Young Jnr.  One very chilled out jam… Yeahhhh!!

OK, I’m out. Laterrrrrs.

PS. Check out Taurus Riley‘s ‘Unplugged’LP. Played it earlier today. A conscious youth with a message that you can sing-a-long  to! Whoops…  forget to mention the latest Brownswood Bubblers No. 8... always worth a visit… where else you gonna find the groundbreaking Hello Skinny followed a contemporary jazzy vocal  gem like ‘Mr New York’ followed by the genius that is Criolo.  Thirteen bubblers… another marker in time… merci GP.

Just as Mercury moved into retrograde I was preparing myself a bad day. That said,  at 7am this morning I turned on the mac only to discover that Obama was back in the White House… YESSSS!!

Now, that is good news. While it’s still not going to be an easy ride for the Democrats the tone has been set. Obama needs to mobilise the people to move the program forward.

Also, we can give thanks that the offbeat 200-year-old White Horse prophecy has not come to fruition in the shape of the contender, former Mormon missionary and Bishop, Mitt Romney. The prophesy is a centerpiece of Mormon doctrine which predicts that when the United States Constitution is hanging by a thread that a great White Horse Savior will rescue the United States. Well, not this time baby!

The spirit of Hope prevails, as does “The American Dream”. This is how President Obama put it in his acceptance speech:

“I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.”

Can I get a witness?

Welcome to Miss Lily’s first published release

Technically illegal, these rough-hewn masterpieces of lettering and color are nailed to poles and trees, usually during the middle of the night. Over the past 12 years, filmmaker-by-day, Maxine Walter has become an obsessive collector of these brilliant artifacts and is regularly seen scaling trees, poles, walls, and fences, crowbar in hand, to add new works to her extensive collection.

The Book Cover

Jamaican Dancehall Signs From The Collection of Maxine Walters marks the inaugural publishing venture by Miss Lily’s Variety, the retail arm and gallery / cultural space of popular New York City Jamaican restaurant, Miss Lily’s. So, right now, this limited edition, softcover book is high on my “I need this!”  list of treats.

THE NYC exhibition is has just finished but you can get the book on-line for 20 bucks! A bargain.

http://misslilys.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/jamaican-dancehall-signs-book

The Poster!

It was way back in the hazy mists of time that I initially encountered the art of what’s become European “improv”. I’m sure they didn’t call it that back then but it was a very feisty and British take on the Free Jazz of Ornette, Coltrane and Eric Dolphy. Being confronted by musicians like bassist Barry Guy, drummer Tony Oxley – his kit was something else – and Marxist Leninist trombonist Paul Rutherford was a challenging and mind enhancing experience. Basically, as musicians they were totally wayward. They had opted for life on the edge  but as a result  succeeded in creating a far reaching and radical alternative sound palette with their individual instruments.

7UP: Opening Night 2012.

Over the years there have been numerous  ventures that united this dedicated community of musicians  like John Stevens’ Little Theatre Club in Covent Garden, the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, London Jazz Composers’ Orchestra, Iskra 1903 /1912, the annual Free Jazz Meeting sponsored in Baden-Baden, the short-lived Musicians’ Co-operative, to name but a few, but it is a scene that has more often than not seen lean times in the UK.

However, in 2012, we can give thanks that there appears to be a revival of interest in this practice, as exemplified by the young audiences in East London’s Cafe Oto who are savouring the explorations of musicians like Peter Brotzmann, Eddie Prevost, Black Top’s Pat Thomas and Orphy Robinson,  Alan Wilkinson, Steve Noble and Steve Beresford to name but a few.

Peter Ind by Gina Southgate

To celebrate this resurgence I wish to give props to a local exhibition – 7UP – which is  currently happening in the Gallery at the back of Stoke Newington library in North London. This is their 2nd year and I passed through the show yesterday  – rather late I’m afraid as it has already been running for a week – and encountered paintings inspired by improvised music (Gina Southgate) and visual art produced by artists who are primarily musicians.

In the visual mix we have a host of veterans and activists from the London improv scene including Paul Shearsmith, Marco Mattios, Gilles Leaman, Susan Lynch, Nick Lubran and Rob Mills. With this crew in the house an “Arts Lab” vibe is inevitable. Expect the unexpected when the forces at play gather.

A View Through A Bed Of Homegrown Percussion

I was touched by Paul Shearsnith’s homage to his beloved Volvo and the recordings of his replica car being used as a source of percussion. Bassist Marco Mattios is an accomplished and serious ceramicist and I was definitely intrigued by the images and process of Tale Of What! :

A score

Tale of What! – is an art/music project
Tale of What! – is a music derived from graphic art
Tale of What! – is machine drawings
Tale of What! – is improvised
Tale of What! – is collage

Poems are read and the shredded, placed a plastic bags, sealed and given to the listeners. There are seascapes and landscapes (one inspired by a Requiem as it was performed in the gothic atmosphere of nearby Abney Park cemetery). There’s a hint of darkness and a touch of the “outsider”.

Steve Williamson by Gina Southgate

Don’t expect the scale and polish of my previous post (Shepard Fairey). This is a show done by mostly by musicians who are exploring another dimension to their musical practice and, in essence, it is an intimate affair. That said, if you’re in the Stoke Newington area over the weekend there will be a steady flow of performances and live painting in the Gallery. There’s a portion of interesting work to browse through and you may even feel like making a purchase. I myself was drawn to a spontaneous painted image of saxophonist Steve Williamson.

7UP, The Gallery, Stoke Newington Library, Edwards Lane, N16 0JJ
Friday: 12-6 /Saturday 12-5 / Sunday 1 -5 

LIVE SETS: 2 till 4pm!

Lively Up,  celebrates Jamaica50! It consists of several ambitious projects set to tour the UK – two of which are dedicated to the music of The Wailers and innovative saxophonist Joe Harriott. Lively Up is the brainchild of Gary & Janine at Dune Records and the posse are holding an open vocal rehearsal, featuring Aswad’s Brinsley Forde, at the British Music Experience in the 02 this Thursday (2oth Sept).  It’s intended to give us a taste of what’s to come with their 30 piece Jazz Jamaica big band + strings  interpretation of The Wailer’s classic ‘Catch A Fire’ album.

‘Catch a Fire’ was released in 1973 and it is a seminal album. It arrived in a replica of a Zippo lighter complete with flip top and it established The Wailers as international superstars. The LP introduced reggae to the  rock music mainstream who were taken aback  by the raw, lyrical militancy of tunes like ‘Concrete Jungle’, ’400 Years’ and ‘Slave Driver’ and the power of the music which had been tweaked to reach beyond it’s Jamaican audience. It was the spark that helped ignite a global Rasta revolution.

The Wailers circa. ’72. Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley, Carlton Barrett, Peter Tosh, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett

Along with the open rehearsal (don’t expect the full ensemble!), the BME have scheduled a forum/discussion around the global impact of  ‘Catch A Fire’ which will feature Tony Platt (Engineer on ‘Catch A Fire’), Gary Crosby OBE (Jazz Jamaica/Dune Music), Brinsley Forde (Aswad) and Kevin Le Gendre (Journalist).

It all kicks off at 7.30… but get there early. Along with access to the rehearsal and discussion, you will be able to take in the the Bob Marley exhibition and savour Stage 2 of our very own Chaser Productions’  Word Sound & Power: Reggae Changed My Life.

This Thursday!!!  20 September – 7.30pm  /  Tickets – £5.00

More Info: http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/seminal-albums-catch-a-fire/

Caravane

Rachid Taha

Let’s hope he brings the show to London in the Autumn and Hassan and I can have a little “ancient to future” reasoning.

Above: Hindi Zahra

PS: You can find Hassan’s shop at Arnold Circus end of Calvert Avenue in Shoreditch, East London… it’s got a double fronted shop window and wares that are obviously his!

Above: Keziah Jones + Man – Belly Dancer

I’m definitely a fan and as I entered the downstairs space which is populated by seventeen figures I was totally hooked.  Each body was formed from rectangular cuboid blocks, stacked and jutting out at different angles. They are a warm rust colour and drip stained as if corroded over time. As one moved around the space you became increasingly aware of their character and Gormley’s  ability to create  then most subtle shifts in posture.

Up until recently,  the previously residence for these isolated figures was  in a grand columned space at St. Petersburg’s illustrious Hermitage Museum and  I felt I tinge of  privilege upon discovering them by chance in Hoxton Square. As with the works that the artist showed at the Hayward the Academician’s body shape and size is the scultor’s  starting point and he explores numerous stances. Arms are crossed or placed behind the head, some strain to stay upright, one is bent double while another is prostrate on the floor. One figure seems to simply disintegrate. Obviously, there are resonances of Cubism and Constructivism but it’s the pixel effect created by the use of blocks that instantly transports these physically powerful pieces into the digital dimension.

When I suggested to a fellow viewer that some figures appeared to be watching us he spontaneously recited an appropriate piece of verse. I thanked him for his poetic insight… I was totally knocked out

As a result, I failed to notice that there were more recent pieces on show upstairs at the gallery and another visit may well be on the cards. Otherwise I’ll have to wait until the dark days of November to roll in and the White Cube in Bermondsey hosts a major exhibition of the artist’s new work.

Photography: Stephen White. Courtesy White Cube.

Respect is indeed due!

Having been marooned in the city for the bulk of the summer, I have to say that the Olympics and the Paralympics saved the day. As Swifty and myself were busy installing at the British Music Experience in the North Greenwich Centre (they weren’t allowed to call it the 02 for sponsorship reasons) we were immersed in the Olympic build up whether sharing the tube with the Adidas clad volunteers or running the gauntlet of the Royal Marine commandos who were manning the airport style security.

I’ve already put down a bunch of thoughts provoked by Danny Boyle’s tremendous opening session of the Olympics (http://ancienttofuture.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/olympics-2012-takes-me-back-way-back-to-discover-a-working-class-woman-welder-and-olympian/) and as the athletes from Team GB – Olympic and Paralympic – set off today through the streets of central London with a carnival style bloco leading the way and playing a version of the Clash’s ‘London Calling’ it’s appropriate to reflect on the impact of the Paralympic Games.

Just as we all the thought the Olympics couldn’t be topped the Paralympic opening, with Stephen Hawking, threw down a different gauntlet. Basically, we were immersed in a complex and endless flow of serious competitions and performances that bordered on the superhuman. It was brilliant to see the stadiums packed to capacity and being in the athletics stadium when they announced that 1 million people had just passed through the Olympic park for the Paralympic Games was a major buzz.

Suddenly, people with impairments and disabilities were visible and dominating our TV screens. Each night The Last Leg ran their ‘Is It OK To Ask…’ tweets and did us all a favour by treating us to a dose of good humoured education. There was even an admirable attempt onto take a wheelchair on that killing BMX track. We all had to wrap our heads around the categories and what combination of disabilities make up that particular category. Watching a Chinese swimmer with no arms competing against swimmers with arms was mind blowing and a little confusing. However, he did come second with an aamzing time and all in all it has been totally enlightening. It’s been amazing to witness how sports science has evolved to assist these athletes in dealing with the impact of particular disabilities.

For sure, the Paralympic games will have provided a new generation of young people right across the spectrum with a massive dose of inspiration and a taste of what’s possible if you have the passion, the will to succeed and the determination to train very hard. It was most appropriate that George Osbourne was booed when he stepped up to present the medals at one session. What did he expect? He’s a Tory Finance Minister. Not only is he proposing cuts in disability benefits his austerity policies are guaranteed to damage the potentially positive legacy that both games have left behind.

There’s undoubtedly still a long way to go but I feel proud that people have responded so positively. There’s always going to be idiots out there and the refusal of Horse & Hound magazine to devote their current cover solely to the medal winning Paralympic dressage team proves the case. There always going to be political opportunism – Cameron giving swimmer Ellie Simmons her Gold medal was a classic – and flip side to that scenario demands we know why the ghost-like leader of the opposition wasn’t in the house. Man of the people – sadly, I think not!

Pistorius & Oliveira

There was plenty of drama in both Games. From Jamaica 1-2-3 and Mo Farah in the Olympics we went to  Pistorius vs Oliveira (next stop Rio), the unstoppable Weir Wolf,  the velodrome (which gave us: “He’s throwing a Cundy!), the ruffnecks that play wheelchair rugby, the blind footballers, the one legged high jumpers and the dude on a crutch who threw himself into that final table tennis volley! It’s amazing what will make a grown man cry!

And if you were wondering what Ellie Simmons had on her headphones as she entered the pool it was Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’.

“You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo…”

To quote one Games Maker the games have, “Lifted the cloud of limitation.” Who would disagree… certainly not the million strong ecstatic crowd of people who turned out today to show their  appreciation for their record breaking achievements… Trafalgar Square! Road block!

This is Tokio’s  first visit to the UK and his art works draw inspiration from ethereal sources such as ancient mythology, the wonders of the cosmos, and psychedelic experiences and states of mind. While he is influenced by artists like Picasso, Dali, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Jean Michel Basquiat, Tokio channels through his art the essences of peace, ascension and love as embodied by musicians such as Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and Sun Ra.

On the eve his visit I decided to shoot off a mail to Tokio in Japan and ask him a few questions. Enjoy.

J Dilla

Are your roots in the city or the country side?
I grew up in the countryside in the north of Japan. I never really grew up in a big city.  My roots along with most of my family can be found in the countryside.

Did you grow up in the Buddhist or in the Shinto traditions or both?
I grew up in both …we have buddhist funerals but we celebrate and go to festivals based in the Shinto tradition. We also go to shrine (Shinto) and pray during the New Year. Well most people in japan don’t know about what is Shintoism and what is Buddhism because everything is so mixed.

 Can you explain briefly how the practices of Shinto / Buddhism relates to your life in Japan and how these belief systems influenced your work?
It definitely influences my paintings especially after living in Seattle Washington for a few years. I say this because being away from home made me more aware of the cultural differencesbetween Japan and America so I instantly became more aware of myself as a Japanese person and my cultural practices.  The temple and shrines by themselves are so beautiful and their art influences me in many ways.  The festivals and practices of the peoples in the shrines are very inspirational and spiritual…very unique.

Are you self taught?
Yes I am.  But I went to graphic design school and studied drawing a little bit in Seattle but not painting.  I actually didn’t finish the school.

How do you relate to the graff / street art scene?
Movies, music, American culture, mostly inspired me.  Especially as a teenager when I first came to the USA I was mostly inspired by what I saw in the USA.  Yet as I got older, ancient and spiritual artifacts and culture mostly inspire me now. 

Psychedelia obviously rose to global notoriety in the Sixties…. 50 years later you are tapping into that culture. Having visited Japan it seems to me that immersing oneself in commercial drug culture (ganja, LSD, cocaine  etc) is a potentially risky business. Is there an undergound culture where, for example, people go hunting for mushrooms etc.
Yes, it is definitely there. Some people do go hunting for mushrooms in the forests and mountains.   Some people even grow ganja in the secrecy of their own backyard but it is so risky. I won’t do that because the laws in Japan concerning drugs or magic mushrooms are extremely strict and carries a heavy price for anyone caught in such a business.Many people don’t know that many people used to grow Ganja before the WW2 and it was a common and normal thing for Japanese people and people used the mushroom for certain ceremonies.  But that culture was destroyed by  the occupying Americans who made certain rules concerning drugs and morality in Japan.  Also ganja is closely relatedto Shintoism and everyday life, but people have forgotten about that fact and now it is a really bad thing to take ganja.

 Japan, like Britain is an island culture and post WW2 – like Britain – Japan has absorbed waves of Black culture from the US and Jamaica along with music from Africa, Brasil, Latin America…. is this a minority thing compared to J-pop… or is this where the creativity is?
A lot of Japanese people are inspired by the African american, African, and Jamaican artists that they see on TV or hear in the radio and it has been that way for a long time.  It is not a small movement.  I remember as a kid seeing Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and various Black artists in advertisements and commercials on TV.  J-pop is big in Japan but I am not really into J-pop of today.  Hip hop and Jazz is extremely popular in Japan.

How important was it connecting with Georgian Ann Muldrow and Dudley Perkins in taking your work international?
I had loved their music before they even know about me or my artwork.  Their music is very unique and pleasant for me to listen to.  They were very instrumental in getting my name out on the international stage. Each time someone saw their album they also saw my work so it was like handing my business card to thousands of people, something that would have been difficult for me living in Japan.

What is it in their music that inspires you?
The message that they are trying to say in their music really connects to my thoughts and beliefs about life and people.  Of course, I do love their beats and melodies.  

Have you traveled a lot?
I think so.  I have been to Colombia, Jamaica, parts of the USA, Canada, Italy, Thailand, and soon England.

Is there a particular shamanistic / transcendental tradition that you adhere to or in this age of information do you find yourself engaging with concepts and experiences born of other spiritual traditions from around the world.
I don’t have a particular  religion or follow a certain shamanistic tradition.  It’s a mix of everything for me.  I really do like Shintoism but for now, many things from around the world inspire me.  I like Shintoism because it respects many aspects of nature but I don’t strictly follow it.  Ayahuasca however is something that I would like to try in the future.

 Following the tsunami and the ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima daichi power plant have you as an artist been compelled to focus your vision on the physical impact this is having on the people, the environment and the culture?
Not as an artist but as a volunteer.  After the disaster me and my family and friends went to the disaster area and gave food and supplies along with helping to move debris.  It was an eye opening experience.  I don’t support such things as a nuclear power plant and I was in a protest using my art as a way to educate people about the dangers of nuclear plants.  I also did a few covers for a freepaper that was talking about the dangers of nuclear power.

I feel that one’s spiritual quest is inevitably linked to our immediate and global environment and therefore to activism of some kind. Has the nuclear disaster thrown up a new generation of activists and how important is it for the cultural /arts underground to get behind them?
This disaster has inspired many Japanese people to protest and speak out against the use of nuclear energy in Japan.  Just about every Friday, many Japanese people in Tokyo and around Japan are getting the word out about their anger and mistrust of the government using nuclear energy as a major power source, even with the dangers involved.  Many artists, popular and underground are doing their best to speak out against nuclear energy after seeing the horrifying events of March 11, 2011.On the other hand, many people think that the Fukushima disaster is over but it is still going on and we still need to think of a solution of the problem in the coming years. 

Thank you!

CHECK IT OUT @ HOXTON GALLERY, 9 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AA

Thursday 23rd August 6.30pm – 9.30pm: LIVE PAINTING SESSION w/Tokio Aoyama

An opportunity to see Tokio at work in an interactive
session that will also see him share the techniques and
inspirations behind his work.

Saturday 25th August from 5pm: EXHIBITION CONFERENCE

The conference will be a panel-style forum featuring psychedleic art. They’ll be openly discussing their work, the current climate, and the future of the medium.

More info: http://www.ancientfuture.org.uk

(Please note:  Ancient To Future and Ancient Future are related only in attitude and spirit!)

The O2 was host to an array of Olympic activities including the ever popular gymnastics. That led us to partake of numerous tube rides with carriages full of vibed up volunteers and spectators, and undergo the venue’s airport style security manned by a sensible squad Royal Marine Commandos. By the time our installation at the British Music Experience officially opened I was stoked and ready to settle into an Olympic groove that promised some serious action.

Basically, during the final week  I took in just about everything. How could anybody resist the athletics… long distances, short distance, relays, hurdles…. mind blowing stuff… Usain Bolt & the Jamaican posse, the American women’s relay team… Mo Farah,  David Rudisha and Jessica Ennis?  The velodrome was intense and the carnage on the BMX track shocking. I got sucked into the boxing,  taekwando, diving… even the dancing horses. I was clear that Olympic athletes don’t need drugs, sport is their drug, and what we got on or TV screens was the culmination of  hours, weeks, months, years of devotion, hard work and sacrifice . No pain no gain combined with the thrill and energy of the moment.

However, two events threw me back in time. Firstly, I was blown away by Danny Boyle’s vision for the opening. It was a wild ride and his version of this island’s history definitely resonated with my own experiences of being British. Boyle and I grew up in the same northern mill town. A town where England’s green and pleasant land gave way to dark satanic mills. And those chimneys! How did he do that?  I was impressed.

RADCLIFFE – 1902 – CHECK THOSE CHIMNEYS!

The second event was a BBC report on women in the Olympics which  suddenly conjured up the vague childhood memory of a neighbour who’d been in the Olympics. Radcliffe is a working class town and it’s had its fair share of sportsmen. My old man was an FA coach. It’s cricket Club featured West Indian legends Sir Frank Worrell and Garfield Sobers. Paul Gascoigne played for the local Borough football club. On the snooker table it gave us John Spencer. So who was this Olympian? As kids we knew her as Nellie. She was well respected but Nellie Halstead was a bit different. She was quite manly and I recall she was a welder. She had  a rep as a famous runner and that was it. Basically,  I knew nothing about Nellie so I googled her.

Nellie Halstead: Olympic Champion, footballer and master welder.

Turns out that in her day Nellie Halstead  was known as “Britain’s greatest woman athlete”. Born in Radcliffe in 1910 , the teenage Nellie joined the Bury and Radcliffe Athletic Club. At the age of twenty, she competed at the English Championships and broke the world record for the 220 yards sprint. She then went on to break the world record for the 440 yards race in 56.08 seconds – a record which stood for 22 years.

True to the legend, in 1932,  she joined Team GB and set off for  Los Angeles to compete in the Olympic Games where she won a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay. In 1934, at the Empire Games, she represented England and won gold in the then 3×110/220 yards, silver in the 4×110/220yds and a bronze in the 220 yds. Nellie also raced in Berlin (Jesse Owens blitzed Hitler’s Arian race in Berlin 1936 – wonder if she was there? ) , Prague, and San Francisco.

Dick Kerr’s Ladies Football Team

In line with another highlight of the 2012 Olympics – the women’s football -  it transpires that as Nellie’s running career came to an end an end, she signed up for for the Dick Kerr Ladies Football Team as their centre -forward. It was the popularity of this women’s football team that prompted the FA to ban them from playing on registered pitches! In later life she became an excellent golfer.

A working class woman, Nellie Halstead, did what most people only dreamed of. She began her working life as a weaver but when her running career took over she was given part time work in a local brewery. During the war years she became a highly skilled welder, a trade she maintained until retirement (which meant working on the egg  stall at Radcliffe Market). Nellie came from an era of radio and newspapers – pre-Television -  and not surprisingly vanished into obscurity and despite today’s huge media attention maybe that what happens to the majority of Olympians. They take home Gold, Silver and Bronze and slip quietly into history.

Uncovering Nellie Halstead’s pioneering role was touching. As kids one of our heroes was Alf Tupper, a tough working class runner who took on and beat the toffs, week in week out, in The Victor comic. Little did we know that the real life women’s version lived a couple of doors away.  We’ve come a long way in terms of women’s participation in athletics and respect is most definitely due to women like her. I’d like to know more. However, right now as our Olympic heroine Nellie only merits a one line mention on Radcliffe’s pretty comprehensive Wikipedia page I need to see that’s boosted up!

Don’t you just love people’s history.  It’s the best!

Pianist, harpist and band leader, Alice Coltrane’s  Sanskrit name was Turiyasangitananda. She was devoted to the practices of Indian spiritual master Sri Swami Satchidananda, and the Indian sage Sri Satya Sai Baba and these influence permeated all levels of her own music. The Sacred Music : Sacred Spaces ensemble will embrace her vision by integrating the mind enhancing musical offerings of a modern day master the interdisciplinary arts – Ansuman Biswas.

Ansuman is a unique and deeply spiritual individual and on mid summer;s night in the Chapel in Kings College  he will exchange tabla rhythms with a trio of Cuban/Nigerian bata drummers  and add to this  spiritually charged endeavour  the sublime sounds of  the santoor, water phone, conch and assorted percussion.

You can find more about Ansuman’s diverse and mind stretching projects on http://www.ansuman.com/home.html

Ansuman Biswas : Zero Genie

Sacred Music : Sacred Spaces is supported by the PRS Foundation & Sound and Music

In December 2011, following the turbulent Dudus Coke affair, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller aka Sister P was re-elected Prime Minister of Jamaica and declared their intention to sever the link to the “Mother Country” and become a Republic… check Swift’s big nod of respek to Jamie Reid and Peter Tosh RIP. It went on sale at the annual Art Car Boot Fair in Brick Lane yesterday.

I’m sure you can snap up a print via http://www.swifty.co.uk/home.html

ALPHABET CITY is run by native New Yorker Erin who specialises in pre-digital printing and  runs an early evening letter writing group. Erin is old skool and upon our arrival at the work-shop she and Swifty enthusiastically talked TYPE! They then set a group to work organising letter press alphabets which could be printed out and then  cut up and used to construct headlines and layouts. Others were directed to the central table which had numerous portable manual typewriters. Their task was bosh out the pieces that they were writing or had received from friends.

I’m included in this latter group and though I have roots in the Tipex generation I was going nuts by the end of play. The combination of Erin’s tinny sounding transistor radio, which was tuned to an indie rock station, and the succession of typing errors was doing my head in. I was ready to take a hammer to that damn typewriter by the end of the afternoon.  “A project not using computers! Whose  STUPID idea was that?!”

While I was at Alphabet City  quietly stressing about whether we had enough copy  to create a Zine and fill out our goodie bag (which was being hand printed in the corner) Swift was at Cut Collective getting ready to put it all together. I needn’t have stressed. By Thursday morning everybody had risen to the quest.

THE POSSE IN FULL EFFECT!

The vibe at Cut Collective was on another level.  It’s a hip and inspiring  space littered with their own artworks and when we reached there it was already a hive of activity.  The huge table was piled high with paper and print outs. People were cutting and pasting, licking and sticking. Swift’s waxer was working overtime.

Nadine & posse

The layout table!

To a gentle backbeat of roots reggae and hip hop Jason was  making rapid progress with the fold-out map of the city and it’s hot spots while  Sanya was getting busy with Swift’s collection of letraset. The Cut Collective were equally busy creating their own booklet while another duo were creating a feisty ‘zine called The Vomits. Q&A’s and interviews with Home Brew, Recloose, The Yoots and a local micro brewery had come together along with  Amanda’s piece on urban foraging and J”s post card ideas.

Artwork… The Vomits

Layouts ! Coming together!

Jason K & PB

A couple of cases of beers arrived threatening the momentum but the pages continued to mount. The building blocks were in place and after a bit of  juggling and a touch of editorial improvisation the zine’s flow seemed OK.  Of course, as the spirit of improvisation prevailed we had no idea of how many pages the zine would be. Our sponsors were amazed when I said it would be 54 pages.

THE MAP!

I reserved the task of dividing the spreads and re-splicing them for the printer until the following morning. It was good move. The task required a clear head. Even so, it took time and completion was in danger of colliding with Swift’s  lunchtime presentation at Semi Permanent. That was to be avoided at all cost and following a final burst of activity we hi-tailed it to Semi Permanent stopping off at the printers on the way!

Stepping into the auditorium at the Aotea Centre was a freak out. No wonder Swift had wanted to get this over and done with! The capacity had to be between 1500 and 2000 people and it was filling up fast. Swift was onstage, sitting on sofa organising his stuff and I was praying that the late nights at Conch hadn’t prevented him preparing, especially as he was going to focus half the rap on the current project.  However, I needn’t have worried, he seemed to win over the crowd with his explanation of Yea Nah and despite a couple of technical glitches, transferring instagram pics onto the big screen, he pulled it off. Yep, the boy done good.

Basically,  we were on a roll and after leaving Semi Permanent popped into the print shop. The job was ready and  nicely finished prompting us to get a few LARGE prints of the UK reggae flow chart for the Conch session that evening. They looked so-o-o-o fresh! Once back at Cut Collective brown paper goodie-bags were stuffed ready to be allocated out to the crew and anyone who was coming to Conch that evening. Everybody was stoked. Job done!

At Conch Swift organised his prints and one-offs for sale and then set about finishing his his new piece. My good friend Gaylene Martin was in the house and as she’d worked with just about everybody on the UK and international reggae scene we had a splendid reasoning going over the flow chart. As Swift was fully mash-up I took on the Conch  Q&A session with my good friend and one-time voice of Kiss FM London – Wendy Douglas.  In fact, we did the Q&A twice as the crowd changed radically over the evening. I enjoyed dropping a selection of  reggae 7′s that I’d brought with me.  The Conch session was a  liberating conclusion to hard working but enlightening and enjoyable week.

WENDY D in da house!

Saturday was our last day and our only day off. Wendy picked us up and we headed off to Matakana stopping off to pick up some green stone  on the way. A 45 minute drive from the city and we were in Matakana sampling the wares at the farmers market and  checking the second hand shops. For a tiny town they had one wikkid cinema. From there we went to Wendy’s ranch which spans 8 acres, has panoramic views, barns, chickens, a wetland with 5000 local plants, fantastic ancient trees and a chill out room which contains their London sound system. Think Channel One. Word sound & power!

Much to our relief we were greeted by blue shies in Matakana and following a walk on a heavenly, largely deserted beach we stopped of at the Sawmill for a drop of fine Pino Noir. Swift put on an impromtu display of live painting by firelight and then it was back to the city.  Finally, after a hectic  diversion to secure a baseball cap with the Arcade skateshop logo for my boy we arrived at the excellent Verona for our final diner.  It was a fitting end to a great day and a TOP trip.

THE END (at last!)

Big shout out to every body involved! Respek is indeed due!

Pics: Cut Collective (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cut-Collective-Ltd/62880888305) PIYN (http://piyn.net/) and Swifty Instagram ( http://ink361.com/#/users/4696626 )

However, as I packed my bag for the epic journey to New Zealand I thought suddenly thought White Bicycles would make an excellent traveling companion. I was so-o-o-o right. Wonderfully written this book is a mind blowing journey through music making in the Sixties. What a life the man has led.  Joe Boyd rode the wave of a cultural revolution and loved every minute.

From tour managing iconic blues and jazz musicians to musicians to stage managing Dylan’s fiercely controversial amplified and electric gig at the Newport Folk Festival (what a story!) to recording the Pink Floyd’s first single, ‘Arnold Lane’ (a song about a knicker sniffer!) to running the legendary UFO – London’s first psychedelic all nighter from the Blarney Club in Tottenham Court Road. to his Witchseason imprint which was the launch pad the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention and Nick Drake… it’s a tremendous journey.

Joe’s  book paralleled my own formative teenage years, growing up in the north of England, when I ordered blues LPs and singles like ‘Arnold Lane’ from the guy on the local market,  hassled my old man to let me stay up and watch an acoustic Bob Dylan and berated mates for idolising the Incredible String band but still bought the Fairport’s ‘Unhalfbricking’. Reading White Bicycles reaffirmed the energy and the elusive magic of  that time. If  you’d like a genuine taste of music making combined with Sixties counter culture this book is the lick.

The PIYN project was scheduled to kick off at Bizdojo at 10.30am and there were 25 people registered. The initial idea for the project materialized when I first met Gareth Farry in London. He was on a scouting mission and I was interested in doing a project that united various disciplines that would result in a some kind of publication. The prospect of holding a “master class in creativity”  was a little daunting, especially as we had no real idea as to who we were dealing with but, as Swifty and myself had worked on Straight No Chaser with an ever shifting, diverse group of contributors  I felt we were primed to pull this off.

I’d  emailed in advance a bunch of comments /questions to those signed up for the session. The intention was to set loose ideological and cultural perameters but in reality the project would be defined by those involved on the day. That said, the main thrust of the project would be to produce a goodie-bag of stuff without the aid of new technology. Everyone, including ourselves, were to operate outside of our comfort zone.

At Bizdojo we all crammed into the glass box of a room and everybody introduced themselves.  In the mix was Jason – a creative refugee from Farnworth in Lancashire, Amanda a food forager and “doer” , Jason and Sanya – graphic designers, Steve, Kate & Greg (photographers), Tosh – Cut Collective, Nadine – designer, Jeremy – zine producer/blogger, Tessa ( printer) … it was mixed crew and  I was somewhat relieved that the full quota of 25 had not materialised. To illustrate the lo-fi task at hand, Swifty & I  showed them early editions of Straight No Chaser, original punk fanzines from 1977 like Sniffing Glue, 48 Thrills and Ripped & Torn, old NME’s, early copies of The Face and other mags we’d brought with us.

Yea Nah – Tosh & daughter

We then hit the white board. We needed a name and I believe it was Tosh from Cut Collective who came up with Yea Nah… a common colloquial saying in the city. Swift immediately pounced it’s logo potential. From there we explored the potential of doing a map -  a job that ironically fell to an out-of-town Brisbane based zine-head called Jeremy and a local wood-cutter Tessa (who also took on the logo). A swathe of issues were discussed and kicked around people and gently nudged into taking on various stories and generating images. Phew! Heads were reeling at the of that day but we were confident that we had the bones to build on.

Jeremy gets busy on the map

From Bizdojo it was back to Conch for the evening session. While Swift got busy I got chatting to Mark James Williams aka  ‘Slave’ from Fat Freddie’s Drop.  He told me the story behind the ‘Singalong with the Yoots’ LP and how, with the permission of the Maori elders, they taken the traditional songs that all New Zealand kids learn at school and turned them into  ska instrumentals. He described The Yoots  debut gig in a school with Lord Litchfield bashing away on the school piano, the Maori kids dropping the songs on the ridim and doing the Maori dances. The scene had brought tears to his eyes.  I immediately asked him to write it up for the ‘Yea Nah’ mag. Top story!

That evening we stepped next door to do a interview with Recloose and George Booker on the Hit It & Quit It radio show. Also in the house was another Londoner, Bill Brewster, who had penned the book A DJ Saved My Life. Unfortunately, I had recently  discovered that Bill’s DJ History website had slated Mark ‘Snowboy’ Cotgrove’s book, ‘From Jazz Funk & Fusion To Acid Jazz: A History Of The UK Jazz dance Scene’ . As I’d published Snowboy’s book I was seriously irate that it had been casually dismissed without any discussion on the remarkable history that Snowboy had painstakingly documented. Basically, it was disrespectul  fuckeries and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it! In the end, rather than confront Bill there and then I decided to let it ride. It would definitely would have marred his trip and, more importantly,  distressed mine! The last thing I needed was a serious dose of negative vexation.

Having championed Matt Chicione aka Recloose in Straight No Chaser it was indeed a pleasure to meet the Detroit techno don in person and take part in their radio show. He’d left the Motor City and settled in Aukland after successfully applying for the post of  project leader on  the DJ EMP – Dj’ing and Electronic Music production course. – at the SAE Instute. Wow! Another wicked story which I immediately allocated to photographer Jason Kyle. It was definitely coming together but the next day’s sessions at Alphabet City and Cut Collective would prove to be a make or break. Would have enough copy?

T0 be continued….

Pics in the distinctive funky curved corner frames are by Swifty instagram!

Singapore – Sydney – Auckland…. gotta  say,  the aerial view of Sydney was pretty impressive…

I still feel lucky when it comes to traveling. Having met and worked with kids who never been out of Hackney… not even to the West End… I feel privileged to be touching down places on the other side of the world. I like to go to places where I have a mission, a purpose. You can get into the place on a deeper level and from the moment we step out of the airport in Aukland it’s deep runnings.

On the way from the airport our driver, Tom, who hailed from Ealing and had arrived in Aukland after 5 years in Japan, suggested we check out One Tree Hill. It’s a vantage point that gives a 360 degree view of the city and its located in Cornwall Park. In fact, it felt like Cornwall, the neat stone walls and  fields dotted with sheep and cattle.  We pass the  Stardome Observatory and ascend to the peak which hosts an obelisk dedicated to Sir John Logan Campbell.

“OK… where the the tree?” I ask Tom only to discover it had been chopped down. The original tree on this sacred Maori site of Maungakiekie had been an indigenous pohutukaw and it was cut down by the colonists. Attempts were made to reintroduce indigenous trees to the hill but all failed. Only two pines survived and both were felled by Maori activists on two separate occasions.

Maori inspired artwork – Cur Collective

Therein ended our first lesson in Maori resistance against British colonialism. It gave us an indication of how vital Maori culture has been in shaping this unique country on the edge of the world.

We dropped the bags at the hotel and headed straight off to Conch Records in Ponsonbury where Swift was booked to do some live painting based on our forthcoming UK exhibition Word Sound & Power: Reggae Changed My Life. Basically, time was tight and everything had to locked down tight if were complete the tasks in time.

As we park up there’s huge billboard featuring a poster by NYC based artist Ron English advertising the Semi Permanent conference . Against a backdrop of  the stars and stripes made up of a collage of comic strips the hulk – as baby! -  stared out at us. It was a slightly nerve wracking, daily reminder, that Swift was scheduled to speak  at this seriously high conference on  on the Friday.

Ron English: Baby Hulk

Conch Records is an Aukland institution. It’s situated on a four lane highway flanked by two storey buildings that look more like the mid west than the UK. It’s in a block that houses restaurants, cafes, an award winning women’s bookshop and the local radio station – George (where we were to hook up with Detroit legend Recloose).  The Conch crew are pretty much all present and correct. Dustin was on the Mac sorting out orders, ????  has a the rep for making a wikkid flat-whites and organic de-toxifying juices, Bobby Brazuka of LatiAoteara was in and out and hard at it, working on a cafe extension, at the back of the shop was Brent. The only missing link was Cyan.  He was scheduled to be spinning some tunes across the road later.

Conch is cultural watering hole and the cafe extension remind us that diversification is vital if you want to stay in the game. A glance round the shop reveals that along with CD s and vinyl – new and 2nd hand – they sell ‘Brixton’ stingy brim hats and caps (sadly, all too big for my tiny head), tees and sweats, art-prints  and books  (Soul Underground, Karnaval, Black Britain: A Photographic history).

It’s like a less packed version of Soul Jazz in Soho. The ethos is the same and the range of music equally eclectic. There’s a fabulous Doze Green original painting in the coffee area at the front of the shop and Swift was planning add his artwork to the Brent’s handiwork in the re-vamped yard space. Once the boards were measured up, spray paints and pure turpentine secured we head across the road to eat, drink a couple of beers from the local micro-breweries and say hello to Cyan and Gareth Farry – our man at the British Council and instigator of this mission.

Tom + Street Fighter

Upon leaving the bar we encountered Aukland’s, tell it like it is, hip hip hop crew – Home Brew.  Famed for being a bunch of rowdy, outspoken, caners they appeared to dragging a street-fighter game up the street. But before they could get into the pop up shop they’d acquired for the launch of their excellent double CD, ‘Fruit & Veges’ they spot Neil Finn – the lead singer and songwriter of Crowded House exiting a nearby restaurant. The man is a local legend.  “Who are you guys, ” he asks us. “Are you street gang? “No man… we are Home Brew!” is the  response of a geezer in a black hoodie proclaiming Young Gifted & Broke!  “I like Home Brew.” Finn says with broad smile. Enuff said and he’s off into the night, the same as Swift and myself.

Monday  began, just after dawn, in Myers Park adjacent the hotel. Several rounds of the spiralling Chen family xin jia taijiquan form was exactly what I needed after that flight. I needed  to get some life into these old bones. The task of the day was  to familiarise ourselves with the city and the venues that we were planning to use for the PIYN project. We dropped in on Bizdojo and the hard working Cut Collective who introduced us to their numerous and ambitious projects like Public Access: Picture Perfect In A World Of Chaos.

As time was tight we decided it was better to check Ron English’s exhibition at Webb’s Auction House sooner rather than later. Ron is  one of the forefathers of NYC street art and famed for  ‘liberating’  commercial billboards which were altered to broadcast political messages. Over three decades, much like Banksy and Shepherd Fairey, with whom he has collaborated and exhibited, his work continues to morph. The show consisted mostly of large laser prints and included his controversial Abraham Obama piece which was produced large scale for the 2008 election and provoked some serious debate but four years on I’m not sure what it’s saying.

There was a series of big Warhol pieces which focused on the iconic hair and included a prepubescent Warhol and a dead/skull Warhol, a couple of Marilyn Monroe pieces with Micky Mouse breasts -  his nose for nipples and the Macdonalds clown amongst other smaller pieces. Ron is a skilled painter and has a serious track record, he loves his comics and cultural icons but as we left I could help feeling the shows’ immediate power was undermined by a paucity of ideas. It was slick and, for this viewer, disappointingly vacuous.

Ironbank

Tuesday morning began with Da Bei Qigong under the eaves of a building in the park. The heavens had opened and believe me, when it rains it Aukland it rains. In fact, it rained pretty much for the rest of the week.

Our first stop of the day was Bizdojo which  is housed in in the architectural icon that is the Ironbank Building in Auckland’s vibrant Karangahape Road. It’s an innovative, creative and business comunity where you can rent a space and connect with others and as the PIYN project we were facilitating was aimed at uniting Swift and myself with aspiring artists and performers from the city it was good place to start the ball rolling.

To be continued….

The Pics in the distinctive funky curved corner frames are by Swifty instagram!

Art Science Museum – Buddha Palm

Swift and I touched down in Singapore at six in the evening.  It’s was a welcome one night  stop-over on our way to Aukland and intended to ensure we arrived at our destination ready to roll. Stepping out of the air con of the airport we hit a wall of tropical heat. It was humid as hell but neither of us was complaining. We were only hours away from a wet and miserable London.

A few years ago Swifty was invited to show his work in Melbourne. It was organised from  Singapore by Jonny Kiat and his crew and after e.mailing him he’d offered to be our guide to his  city. It was a happy re-union and once we’d registered at the hotel and changed garms to suit the climate we headed off to his neighbourhood. Jonny’s place is located on Tanjong Katong Road but the streets that feed into it have English names like Bournemouth  Street or Poole Road. Our colonial past is never far away.

PB, Cherri, Swift, Jonny

Prior to an opening at the adjacent Phunk Studio that evening we stopped off at a favourite street corner cafe to savour a few culinary delights that Singapore is famous for. There was fish… a snapper…  prawns, pork and Marmite chicken!. Jonny and Cherri are knowledgeable hosts and they filled us in on all aspects of life in the city from ladies night to the machinations of the design and music worlds.

Jonny Kiat is a very modest fellow who failed to explain that he is something of a pioneer and a don in the Far East drum ‘n bass and electronica scene. He has long championed the darker side of electronica with quality breaks, rolling bass-lines and leftfield influences. With more than 17 years of DJ-ing experience behind him, it was inevitable that he moved into music production.

After opening for Goldie at Homeclub, Singapore, Jonny’s tunes caught the Metalheadz don’s attention and were immediately courted for release on the Rufige imprint. A collaboration with Brazilian producer S.P.Y.  -  “Close Encounters” – made a solid impact on the saturated electronica scene while Goldie voted it as his top tune of the summer 2008!

Check out his soundcloud site (http://soundcloud.com/kiat) to get a taste of where this man is at. He’s  never takes the same route twice when creating his music and maintains that new breed of producers such as Low Limit and Flying Lotus are definitely a source of inspiration.

Phunk Studio crew

By the time we reached the gallery the opening has spilled out onto the pavement. The show featured work by a range of young artists, all being mentored by Jonnny’s contemporaries Alvin Tan and Melvin Chee amongst others. Introductions were made and that resulted in a barrage of big-ups for Straight No Chaser. Swift’s work was well known and respected by all the the design dons in the house. These guys were collectors. They were attuned to the history, the music and the graphics synonymous with the scene that Chaser represented and helped create. They remain dedicated to their version of the Freedom Principle.  It’s always amazing how far Chaser traveled and the impact it’s had on a generation of hungry, open-minded creatives.

Back in the day former Chaser scribe Mo Wax’s James Lavelle sunk roots into the Singapore scene. Another long standing Chaser contributor and close friend, Gilles Peterson, has maintained strong links in the city. He has hosted one of the city’ s most radical musical events – Worldwide Festival  – since 2008 and  last year’s  impressive line-up included Alice Russell,  Ramadanman, Jeremy Ellis, Kyoto Jazz Massive/Shuya Okino, Kon & Amir, Floating Points, Mala, Lefto  & Mr. Earl Zinger. This September’s event is set to be as impressive as ever.

Like all cutting edge creative communities the Singapore crew have found a spot on the margins of the city centre and it’s only time before others follow. As the opening wound down and we retired to  Alvin’s flat. It’s in the same block as the gallery and like Jonny and Cherri’s it’s on the top floor. It had been opened up to reveal a high ceiling and create a loft like space. While Swift was button-holed by Lucinda, who’d interviewed him in his shed in Ealing I discovered, that the host’s collection of Chaser’s was destroyed when his whole archive – apart from a few treasured copies of Emigre magazine – went up in flames when his storage space mysteriously burned to the ground.

Swift & Lucinda

Despite that fact that Singapore is without a strong reggae scene there was considerable interest in the Word Sound & Power: Reggae Changed My Life exhibition that Swift and I are working on. Interest was such that one misguided fellow quietly suggested we forget about our hosts gallery and check out his far more appropriate and larger space. Bad move mate! Any Chaser follower would know that we value loyalty and friendship and have a deep respect  for the community that allowed us to thrive as long as we did. Besides, why would you trust someone who drinks your beer and hustles behind your back. Swift was not impressed!

Alvin’s place!

We kicked off the next day back with a walk around the botanical gardens before heading back to Tanjong Katong Road and another  local dish  – Hainanese rice – which combines  poached chicken infused with ginger and  rice cooked in chicken stock . It was served with fresh ginger, chilli and sweet soy sauce  and  accompanied by chilled, fresh coconut milk. Classic! From there we headed off to the Buddha Palm – an offbeat 21st century architectural space that currently hosts a comprehensive Warhol exhibition.

As we drive down the road that doubles as the track for the Singapore Grand Prix Jonny revealed he has access to tickets. Swift is knocked out. Janine – his partner (who organises Gilles’  Dingwall’s classic sessions) – is crazy about the Grand Prix and he would love to bring her to Singapore for the race!

At the Buddha Palm we meet another of Jonny and Cherri’s associates who was on release from his two year long national service. Maybe because of it’s past and it’s strategic positioning -  hundreds of ships sit just offshore from this the city -  it remains a very militarised nation and I was a touch surprised to find out that most people didn’t mind doing national service.

As Cherri was in the process of organising an event at the museum we got a squeeze on entry and once inside got to see how this extraordinary inner and outer space was constructed. The Warhol show spanned his whole career from his earliest magazine illustrative work through the explosive years of the Factory with a soundtrack courtesy of the Velvet Underground. Nico’s vocals on ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ bounced gently off the concrete walls and made my day while Swift was clearly made up with the glass cabinets that housed the gizmos and gadgets which were Warhol’s tool’s of the trade.

The stay in Singapore was short but sweet and I have a feeling that we’ll be back there sometime in the not too distant future. Or maybe Janine will!. The collective creativity of the Singapore paved the way for the next stop – Aukland, New Zealand – where we would follow in the footsteps of illustrious individuals such as Charlie Dark and Akala. We were the next in line to take on the  PIYN project  a “master class in creativity” which “involves aspiring artists and performers from Auckland’s diverse communities, working with the best of contemporary UK talent, to collaborate, create and celebrate.”

Awoahhh… stay tuned….

Flash It! The Pics in the distinctive funky curved corner frames are by Swifty instagram!

Mos Def meets Pharoahe Monch

N'Dambi + Angie Stone + Leela James

If you’re a Camden Town Jazz Cafe regular or a late night  Soho wanderer you might well have come across a camera totin’ Siobhan Bradshaw.  After studying fine art at St. Martins she traded in painting and drawing for an SLR and an F3  film camera and true to her Soho roots, in 2010,  she held a successful central London show in Cuts – yes, the hairdressers, it’s a Soho institution! That show attracted the attention of veteran music photographer David Redfern and two years on she  has collected together a host of music inspired images for a brand new show called Feel Flows at Bayeux.

Siobhan’s photography and film making embraces the spirit of those classic 50s and 60′s jazz album sleeves and the intensity of film noir. As a photographer she equally at home in the moment and at one with musicians and singers in full flight as she is with desolate, late night cityscapes – places and spaces devoid of people but fused with an undefinable energy.

Above: Joyce Sims

Feel Flow shows the artist’s commitment to that art of photography. While she has moved with the times and taken on board digital technology she clearly loves the power of a well crafted print. Drawing on the dozens of live sessions, the final mix of shots in Feel Flows includes an elegant and pensive portrait of reggae legend Alton Ellis,  the mighty Pharoah Sanders, funk and soul legends Maceo Parker, Bobby Womack and Reuben Wilson. Rap artists Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch share the same frame as do N’Dambi, Angie Stone, and Leela James  but it’s the solo shots of  powerful women like Meshell Ndgeocello, N’Dambi, Angie Stone, Leela James, Jean Grae, Adriana Evans and Joyce Sims that provide the core of this show.

Alton Ellis - Rock Steady Don!

Unfortunately, I’ve come onto Feel Flows a bit late in the day and it finishes on 20th April. So, don’t sleep on this.  If you’re in London’s West End  head on down to Bayeux in Newman Street which is off Oxford St.

Feel Flows @ Bayeux, 78 Newman St, W1 3EP. Tel: 0207 436 1066

PS: If you can’t make it check The Jazz Cafe’s Facebook page which is overflowing with Soibhan’s images. Also her web page is http://www.siobhanbradshaw.co.uk/

First up comes Le Super Borgou De Parakou: ‘The Bariba Sound’ on Analog Africa. Following on from label boss, Samy Ben Redjeb’s previous musical forays into Benin where he initiated us into the Vodou driven ridims of Cotonou, this crate digger supreme has now immersed himself in the music of the predominantly Islamic people of the north – the Bariba and Dandi. To tell the truth, I’ve been struggling with this set. Maybe it was down to both Analog Africa and Soundway, having conjured up some majestic music in recent times that’s been hard to follow. That said, as I sat in my friend’s kitchen in Bristol, with these recordings bubbling away on a more modest hi-fi than my own, we were both struck by the potency of the selection. Without realising it, over a couple of cold beers, we had tuned the hi-fi to sound like a powerful radio and I found myself whisked back in time to savour the musical  heartbeat of Parakou. Unpolished as these recordings may be, there is a great, raw energy at work punctuated by some bad-ass solos – check the guitars and the Farfisa! It was no surprise to discover that Le Super Borgou De Parakou were famed for their covers of Congolese rumba hits but these guys, like their peers, across the African continent, were quick to enhance the “village sounds” with whatever was coming their way. Don’t touch that dial!

Small Island, Mighty Sparrow, Sir Galba -1950s

A double Cd that’s been gagging for a few words is the Mighty Sparrow double Cd ‘Sparrow Mania’. If you are not familiar with this legendary Trini(dadian) wordsmith and troubadour I suggest you treat yourself to this mind-blowing selection put together by Strut. History has thrown up some mighty calypsonians from  Kitchener to Black Stalin but none are are as mighty as the Sparrow himself. This man has lyrics like dirt and no subject is taboo. Politics, race, sex…  the Mighty Sparrow is combative and wikkidly funny. The arrangements on Sparrow’s songs are tremendous, from small ensembles to jazz-style big bands that swing like crazy and rival their Cuban neighbors for dancefloor sensuality.  If you think calypso is some cheesy tourist music, you need to think again. On the street it’s ruffneck renegade runnings, and listening to ‘Sparrowmania’ it easy to see why this man was crowned Calypso Monarch eleven  times and notched up ’nuff victories in the Carnival  Road March.

A few years have now slipped by since I first met stellar pianist Robert Glasper through Straight No Chaser. It was his first time in the UK and he wasn’t long out of college but he clearly had a plan, a plan that’s most definitely come together. He’s established himself on the frontline of a new generation African American jazz players ready to engage with the tradition but he’s also pursued his passion for hip hop and R&B by occupying the keys seat in Q Tip’s band and launching his own Robert Glasper Experiment. ‘Black Radio’ (Blue Note) is the latter’s current offering and it’s a collaborative endeavor that has all the hallmarks of the Philly Soul movement. Ledisi and Bilal are in the mix. Erykah Badu weighs in with a trademark rendition of  ‘Mongo’s Afro Blue’ and Lalah Hathaway is in fine voice on ‘Cherish The Day’. Lupe Fiasco and Yasin Bay (Mos Def) drop lyrics and while Meshell gets top marks for sensuality on ‘The Consequences Of Jealousy’, I was definitely suckered by the combination of the brilliant Chris Dave, RG and Stukley. Overall? ‘Black Radio’ is a classy affair.

The closure of the Dub Vendor shop in Clapham Junction, post the recent riots, signified for me, the end of an era but no sooner had the shop closed its doors than Chris Lane and John McGilivray announced the relaunch of their groundbreaking Fashion label. For me, Fashion was synonymous with the rise chart busting homegrown UK Lovers and MC’s like the late Smiley Culture, Asher Senator, Pato Banton and Tipper Irie. From their subterranean dub cutting and recording studio in Lavender Hill they intuitively negotiated the transition into dancehall using engineers Gussie P and Frenchie. Chris Lane was also pivotal to the sound which took Maxi Priest into the mainstream. This First Volume of ‘Fashion Records In Fine Style: Significant Hits Vol. 1‘ kicks of with the sweet harmonies of Dee Sharp’s sweet ‘Let’s Dub It Up’  and Alton Ellis impeccable ‘Play It Cool’ and progresses through host of blues dance rub a dub faves. The duo of McGilivray and Lane have been attuned to the pulse of reggae music in this town for decades and they took that experience into all their recordings with both UK artists and Jamaican artists like Frankie Paul and Cutty Ranks whose ‘The Stopper’ is a classic. For a solid taste of UK reggae music look no further.

Topping of this first batch of reviews is Stuart McCullum’s independently produced solo set ‘Distilled’ which I bought at Jazz In The Round immediately after taking in  his live set of .  Fleeting echoes of  the Cinematic Orchestra betray his involvement in the latter but this Mancunian based whiz kid, armed with a guitar (electric & acoustic) and a box of electronic gadgets and trickery,  has produced a compelling set of  soundscapes that ebb and flow over samples, beats, loops and orchestrations, but inevitably build in intensity, effortlessly sweeping up any listener in their path. Seek out the album via http://www.stuartmccullum.com & check the ancient to future review -  Jazz In the Round… bit late but quick review – in Is That Jazz for a video documentary on the making of  ‘Distilled’.

Norman Jay MBE

Kingsley Davis’ has just launched his  new website with news, videos, shopping
and a selection of B&W prints now available.

The man himself is totally chuffed with the result and to mark the launch Kings has got another signed copy Flip The Script – the book – up for grabs.

He managed to catch up with Ms Dynamite at the recent Urban Classic with the BBC Symphony orchestra and she kindly signed a copy …. so, if you fancy a punt  simply visit the contact page and send Kingsley a message with Ms D in the inquiry box plus your contact info – simple!

http://www.flipthescriptbook.com/contact2.html

Firstly, I have to say that since the early Seventies, reggae music has underpinned a good portion of my life. It has shaped me as the person I am. Reggae confronts us with history, mystery and prophesy. It forces us to think, to evaluate our past in relation to our future. It has been an enlightening experience, one that led me to encounters with visionaries like Bunny Wailer, Michael Smith, Dennis Brown, Pablo Moses, Mutabaruka and Peter Tosh amongst others.

Globally we have witnessed a reggaematic revolution and while the hedonism that is dancehall / bashment may have prevailed in recent times the Rastafari laid down a solid foundation based on equal rights and justice! In 2012, the legacy of slavery and the subjugation of African people at home and abroad continues but as Jamaica prepares to celebrate 50 years of Independence they are finally seeking closure on their colonial past.

Following the blood letting that surrounded the Dudus Coke fiasco, the JLP Prime Minister Bruce Golding was forced to resign. What followed was a General Election that was held at the end of December. Jamaica elected its first woman Prime Minister – Mrs Portia Simpson Miller of the socialist People National Party. Known to her supporters in the PNP as Sister P, she pledged, in her inaugural address to the nation, to sever Jamaica’s umbilical link to the Queen Of England.

While the UK gears up to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, in Jamaica it’s …  “Babylon,  your Queendom is falling…”

Last week, sitting at my kitchen table, with pencil and paper I traced a web of connections which started in Jamaica and grew organically between UK based musicians, singers, producers, record labels, record shops, distributors, sound systems and their operators, poets, writers, journalists, film makers, photographers, journalists… five decades of growth… five decades of evolution that span the birth of Ska and the post jungle and dubstep offerings of Digital Mystikz. There’s way more to this picture than Island records and Bob Marley.  No disrespect to either but the balance definitely needs to be recalibrated.

From Birmingham, the city that’s poised to host Usain Bolt and his record breaking Jamaican Olympic team mates, comes the ever consistent Punch Records. Straight out the starting blocks  in February 2012 they hit the road  with the radical Jamaica Party that builds on the Dub To Jungle and Dub to Dubstep tours.  Once more it aims to edu-tain and unify the JA rooted sounds of jungle, dubstep, garage and grime. In the mix – Channel One,  Top Cat, The Heatwave Crew,  Mungos Hi Fi, RoxXxan, Lady Leshur,  Rtkal , Mala, Coki, The Bug and FlowDan – and it’s heavy.

Activism is synonymous with Punch Records and a whole bunch of events are in the pipeline including a tours with Yellowman and the Mighty Diamonds. It’s most warming to see that they are also sponsoring a tour  with local deep roots veterans Steel Pulse whose ‘Handsworth Revolution’ album was a landmark in the evolution of UK reggae music.  The band will feature the including original line-up from ‘Handsworth Revolution’ including  Mykael Riley – The Preacher – who went on to  form the innovative Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. Their radical stage show, complete with string section, was way ahead of its time and definitely influenced Jazzie B’s vision for Soul II Soul.

Today, as and academic, Mykael Riley champions the concept of an all-embracing contemporary ‘Bass Culture’ with a DNA that’s clearly Jamaican.  The influence of Jamaica is obvious to those of us that have grown up with it but in this era of disposable digital culture it’s vital that a new generation are given the reference points that will allow them to savour the depth of their culture… a culture constantly in the making. While, I personally tend to sidestep categories that lump things together, ‘Bass Culture has captured someone’s imagination and British Underground will be taking Riley and the ‘Bass Culture Forum’, along with Gappy Ranks,  Rasites, Little Roy, Natty, Lady Leshur, Kenny Ken and Sound Clash along with the tour host Ras Kwame (BBC Radio 1 Xtra / Orange Hill/Electrobashy Records) – to SxSW in Austin Texas in March and to Brasil later in the year.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that around the country a number of disparate community based organisations are hosting an impressive array events. Birmingham, Bristol and Nottingham are looking real good.  In London the National Museum of Popular Music (02) is planning a Bob Marley exhibition. Meanwhile over in the north west London the duo from  Dune Music ,  Gary Crosby ( RFH’s Artist In Residence) and Janine Irons are working on Lively Up!. This is a comprehensive and ambitious programme that will tour the nation and in the mix is a radical, urban and orchestral arrangement of  The Wailers’ classic ‘Catch A Fire’ album by Jason Yarde. A  Joe Harriott project called Parallel which will pair the saxophonist’s music with the works of an as yet un-named contemporary visual artist. Singer, Zara Macfarlane (Brownswood Records) will be hosting a children’ project called Mango Spice and Jazz Jamaica will be doing what they do best with  Tighten Up!. Tomorrow’s Warriors join forces with  Perry Louis’ Jazzcotech dancers in Stepping Over  – the ska shuffle to steppers. There’s also a most interesting cross generational, evolutionary project called Roots & Reminiscences.

So far, there’s no news from the major players, the cultural institutions with the real dosh – South Bank, Barbican, V&A, Tate, Serious et al – so the bigger picture continues to evade us us.

However, in the meantime I shall return to my memories of record buying, cricket matches and sound clashes and a short stint in the cells at a police station in Hinkley.  That “map” of UK reggae  is coming along but we’ve had to separate off the Sound Systems onto an island of their own… it’s work in progress.  So, now, along with graffix don gorgon, Ian ‘Swifty’ Swift, we are in the process of visualising large walls and spaces upon which to  transfer the said information and pondering a set of iconic boof ‘n’baff ‘n’ biff style speaker boxes that can double up as a web of information which can be exhibited and scrutinised and added to by those who may know better.

So, until soon, and in the words of Ivan O’Martin… “I was here but disappear!”

Paul Bradshaw

You can catch a preview of SxSW incuding the Bass Culture Forum, Rasites , Natty and Lady Leshur at the Roundhouse in Camden Town on the 15th Feb.

CHECK THIS OUT: http://punch-records.co.uk/dub-to-jungle-2011-kane-fm-documentary/

“Q~tip appears in the new book ‘Flip the Script ~ A Photographers Music Diary’ and returns to London for a gig on Fri 26 August. As soon as the Abstract received the book he started flicking through it straight away! To mark the occasion we have a special copy of the book signed by the legend himself up for grabs… to enter the competition just click ‘like’ at http://www.facebook.com/flipthescriptbook

In addition, we would like to see your pics of Q tip, please post them with any stories and gig memories, Good Luck!”

Time to get busy!

Flip The Script is available in Hdbk (29.99) & Pbk (9.99)from soundsoftheuniverse.com roughtrade.com, united80.com & amazon.co.uk