I don´t give a toss if they i.D. Banksy. His art is important, not his image.
The Bug: the London Zoo album is getting great reviews in the UK music press. The Observer Music Monthly review comes with "But it's in daring to ask the big questions like 'How did we get here, and where do we go now?' that this record's rage-filled exuberance evokes the spirit of such classic state-of-the-world addresses as Specials, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Black Flag's Damaged." Yeah, i´d say impressive.
A couple week-ends ago was the Eolica Festival. The issue surrounding Eolica is the environment. As we entered the scenario we received a little portable ashtray, and I thought, ´cool, good idea´, that scores points. The location is on a wind turbine site in the south of the island, and the power generated by the turbines runs the stages, sound etc. Well, I thought it was, until I saw a generator pumping out the usual diesel fumes...oops, losing points already?
I played on the first night, an"improved" (their words) , Asian Dub Foundation headlined, previewing tracks from their new album Punkara as well as serving up classic material. They did sound better with their new vocalists, more mature than the previous two, one of which was an arrogant shit....i know from personal experience, when they came as a sound system a few years back.
Morodo, a reaggae outfit from Barcelona, I think, over-played their set as if they was the gigamegadon, driving people away with boredom plastered to their faces. All this after being in Madrid, when he shoulda been in Tenerife for his soundcheck. The first band hit the stage three hours behind schedule. One thing really missing from festivals in Tenerife, is a stage manager, one that knows what the job entails and how to do it.
"Stage manager? ask for Maria" pseudoym
Asked for Maria, "You the stage manager?"
"Uh....uh...I am half stage manager. Want do you want? "
Methinks, "Half?"
Asked for a beer, and a chair for the records.....didn´t see her again.
I eventually got behind the decks a bit after five am, and heaped spoonfuls of Iraqi choubi, Maghrebi, darabooka, tabla solo, nu-whirl breakbeat business before the clock struck six.
Curfew, no one said anything about a curfew!
What do you mean 10 minutes?, I´ve only just started! (40 minutes earlier)
I ain´t been able to bring out the futuredubstep bass jewellry yet!
We need to hear that shit coming through this massive system ya got!
Aguaviva Festival...pffft!
My bird-watching man and avid nature-lover friend Juan Jo (see below also) turned Ayoze of the the AguaViva festival people onto me to dj next to the NGO tent. Ayoze called me up, set up dates, then i got passed onto the booker, Alby.
He and I made an agreement that I would be paid after my second set.
When the time came, was he anywhere to be found? Nope!
Would he answer his mobile? Nope!
Knowing that I had a flight to Sweden immediately after my set, Alby ignored my calls and texts until I sent him a third text asking him if he treated all his artists like this? Fuckin´hell, that got his attention, as he replied "Have some respect!" Yes, Alby, you are one to talk. You paid Jamiriaqua (spell check ain´t working) in advance and you can´t even pay me my little monies as agreed.
Thanks to Ayoze from the production company, and Walter, they went all out to help me get paid.
Via magazine (Tenerife) has refused to run a review of the AguaViva Festival proper - not the NGO tent event - penned by Javi Jiminez because he lambasted the festival organization and of course, the magazine can´t bite the hand that serves up ca$h, so that´s it, my man has quit the magazine. Real shame, although it was kinda trendy hi-brow, glam, it had good photography, class images, interesting articles, bi-lingual to a degree, and it was good that Javi was able to contribute to their music coverage. He avoided the obvious stuff that it covered day in day out. I came across the magazine at the airport, and inside was a positive review of a Little Axe album. I was glad to see that somebody down this way had cottoned on to what Skip was doing with Little Axe. I met Javi about eighteen months later. He´s the one that brought El Guincho to town a few months back. Oh, El Guinch´t....he´s had to pull out of his summer dates in North America due to exhaustion. The few months have been full on for him. Hope your reading Future Music in bed Pablo.
Fun-da-mental played the 1st Internationalist Youth Resistance Festival in Greece last weekend. I went out a day early, and good thing too, Ojos de Brujo Sound System were also on the bill, so we hooked up at the studio of Iman Baildi for a little refreshment, (it was 33 degrees) and recording of ODB claps and me abusing the ears of the engineer, shouting into the mic.
The festival was organized by the communist brothers and sisters of KOE. Discussions, debates, events featuring people from Nepal, Bolivia, Haiti, Greece, Venezuela. Leila Khaled was supposed to be there, but the Israeli government prevented her from travelling, so a direct phone link was arranged as an alternative.
It was also the first festival whose portaloo´s were illuminated at night. Normally you wouldn´t want a light in there anyway, but this was real clean, hence no rim-ridding stinking mass was present to be highlighted.
Back home, full moon Friday was an event presented by the Fundacion Global Nature, that the aforementioned JuanJo is involved with. That guy has my back for sure, no? This week was the unveiling of a whale skeleton reconstructed with metal work support. I was told there are only five skeletons of this species, and not all of them are open to the public either, so if ya get the chance, the coast of Los Silos should be on your mind.
2 MC´s and 1 DJ under the name Demencia Lírica provided the old´skool flow & beats to a sparse crowd but appreciative crowd, bless ´em.
After I was done, a female voice, "..more dubstep, something with bass!"
It was true, it was one of the very few events where they had a system that could handle weight.
Been slack on the playlist front, if you´ve read this far you´ll understand why...
The program for this Tuesday is looking like this:
Radio Norte 89.4FM Online here could it be true?
Nubian Mindz · Urban Beats (Archive) / Trippy filtered slow moving
Max Roach · Absolutions (Atlantic) I don´t possess the vocabulary to express myself about this
Humbucker · Cincinnati Hawks (Klein) / 70´s NYC funk. Stuck right up your nostrils.
Boom Bip · Enjoy eating the diane musson´s hand (MUSH) Great use of Marvin Gaye music
Boom Bip · Doo doo science - Once again, great use of a sample, this time of the great purple one.
The Clash · Death is a Star (CBS) Delicate and sincere.
Sabu Martinez and his Jazz-espagnole · The Oracle - What was it like when you first heard him?
Gaby Novak · Caravan (Cosmic Sounds London) - Great jazz recordings saved from the rubbish.
Big Band RTS · Ne ga se prodavaj (Cosmic Sounds London) - As above, saved, and we are lucky.
Cymande · Crawshay (Sequel) I don´t play them enough!
Fourth World · Serra Do Relogio · London Elektricity remix (Melt)
Fourth World · Trip to the Fourth World · 4Hero remix (Melt) No let up from the Dollis Hill crew
Fourth World · Terra Mae · Nation World Service remix (Melt) When asked to do a remix that is also gonna feature IG Culture, BT, Herbalizer and the above, London Elek´ and 4Hero...your shit has got to be tight! We did it Rich!
Ear Conditioning · Jazz Absolutions
July 22 20h - 21h
Radio Norte 89.4FM Online here could it be true?
