Phone Booth (2002) - Larry Cohen [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
By some lucky quirk of fate, Phone Booth landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller God Told Me To. Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his Tigerland director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's 24 to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by 24's Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 88 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. --Jeff Shannon for amazon.com
Detroit After Dark (1997) - Terrence Parker [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Terrence Parker's second full-length offering for Germany's Studio K7 label takes the sound defined by 1997's Tragedies of a Plastic Soul Junkie and pushes it into darker, deeper territory. The anthemic piano-driven house that is Parker's signature sound reappears on the disco-tinged "You Can Do It" and "Welcome 2 Southfield," but the bulk of this album is slower and deeper; the opening track, "A Taste of Heaven," is a brooding and melancholy downtempo piece that sets the tone for further variations like the beatless "Romancing Da Drum," "Real Love," and "Once I Was Lost." From start to finish, Detroit After Dark shows that Parker can convey the emotion and energy of life in Detroit without resorting to boring and derivative ideas; his attention to melody and arrangement set him apart from the cadre of faceless producers in his genre. --Matthew Corwine for Amazon.com
Artificial Intelligence (1993)- Various Artists [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
The term "Artificial intelligence" was popularized in rock music by a John Cale album in 1985, but the Warp label was the first one that came up with the categorization "Electronic listening music". This is techno music rather designed for listening at home than being played in dance clubs, similar to the work of '70s bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. Unlike its follow-up "AI2", "AI1" is a compilation of previously released and otherwise available material. Best tracks here are the wonderfully floating "Loving you" by Dr.LX Paterson (an excerpt from the Orb's mega-work "A huge ever growing pulsating brain") and the two Autechre tracks, "Crystel" and "The egg". The aforementioned tracks once were on a demo tape Autechre had sent to Warp Records in order to become engaged, so I guess it's essential stuff for all fans of Sean and Rob. However, Idon't find the contributions from other artists like B12, Aphex Twin, or Black Dog (all under pseudonyms) as interesting as their individual albums. And in consideration of Autechre's "Amber" or "Tri repetae", everything here seems a bit tame. The accompanying booklet features interviews (!) with all participating bands, and I guess you're interested in all the answers to questions like, "Why did you contribute to AI?", "Top 5 electronic tracks?", "Electronic music. Where next?". --Chris Turk from Regensburg, Germany for amazon.com
Going Out (2003) - Captain Comatose [FR][DE][UK]
"Can Oral is Khan -- this is the name he's been known by for many years. As an authority in the international house, techno and electro scene, his productions are innumerable, as are his pseudonyms, but there's a leitmotif in all of Khan's work: no matter what style he happens to prefer at any given moment, it always has an irresistible groove to it, it has soul and it's sexy. Khan, born and bred in Frankfurt, until shortly living in New York, has now returned to Germany, choosing Berlin as his new domicile, armed with another new project: Captain Comatose. Khan shares the place at the helm with his music partner in crime, DJ Snax, who he met at a fashion show in Berlin back in 1996 -- only to find out they were virtually neighbours in New York. Three 12" releases on Playhouse in the last three years gave a hint of what to expect on the first Captain Comatose album: a sleazy mix consisting of disco, electro and house, a rhythm that gets your hips swinging and soulful vocals that hold you spellbound. Thanks to Captain Comatose, the world of electronic music has gained two more super heroes -- two artists who casually and sexily fuse the very best the different worlds of dance music have to offer: cool soul with funky techno and trashy disco meet pushy electro and housey beats. An album which has ever more to discover, multifarious and ravishing. And a project that's especially impressive at live performances -- in Khan's own words: 'We're definitely a disco band in the true sense.' The journey has only just begun." --forcedexposure
The Best of WMOT Records (1995) - Various Artists [FR][DE][UK]
1. Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith
2. Will They Miss Me - David Simmons
3. Act Like You Know - Fat Larry's Band
4. Watch Out - Brandi Wells
5. Everybody's Singin' Love Songs - Sweet Thunder
6. She's Got the Papers (I Got the Man) - Barbara Mason
7. Yes, I'm Ready - Barbara Mason
8. Heaven Is Waiting - Tom Grant
9. Zoom - Fat Larry's Band
10. It's Good to Be the King - Mel Brooks
11. Motown Review - Philly Cream
12. Sexy Cream - Doris James
13. Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn
14. Everybody Here Must Party - Direct Current
Silence in the Secret Garden (2003) - Moodyman [FR][DE][UK]
This has just come out worldwide. I was lucky enough to have been given an advanced copy (thanks Philippe!) and I have played it regularly. Basically, if you enjoy what Moodymann did before, you are going to like Silence in the Secret Garden. All amazon outlets carry it but only France had a review, which is below. Oh and yes, you can listen to snippets at the amazon.de site.
Kenny Dixon jr alias Moodymann, mystérieux producteur à la coiffure afro, célèbre pour son refus de tout exercice promotionnel, s’applique à donner une touche black à la culture house. Originaire de Detroit (fief des pionniers de la techno) et actif depuis le début des années 90, il s’évertue à incruster l’âme des esclaves dans des échos électroniques. S’inspirant de son héritage blues et gospel et muni de samples soul et jazz, il s’emploie à casser sa réputation deep jazz house. Entre martèlements robotiques et silences hypnotiques, sifflets d’oiseaux et pleurs de nourrissons (plus cool que chez Lou Reed) liés par des interludes vocaux, il construit un chef-d’œuvre de soul électronique. Silence In The Secret Garden baigne dans un downtempo voluptueux célébrant la rencontre de Marvin Gaye et de Carl Craig. --Sabrina Silamo for amazon.fr
Zongamin (2001) - Zongamin [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Zongamin, aka multi-instrumentalist Susumu Mukai, first caused damage on the dance scene with his take-no-prisoners, future-retro punk-funk cut "Serious Trouble". Taking on a raucously infectious disco-clash feel, the tune caught the imaginations of many different luminaries in the electro-retro avant-garde, such as Trevor Jackson and Andy Weatherall. This debut LP shows off a little more of the producer' skills, illustrating that Mukai is at least a four or five trick pony. Zongamin is happily diverse, featuring amongst other things Arrows covers ("Make Love Not War"), a few more excursions into his brand of grainy glitterball phunk ("Painless"), confused, robotic chaos ("Spiral"), a cheerful dash of folk-hop ("Street Surgery 2") and some weirdy-beardy experimentalia ("Tunnel Music"). With influences as disparate as Joy Division, Miles Davis and Prince, Zongamin was always going to be an interesting experiment, but the producer's main feat is to make it sound good as well. --Paul Sullivan for amazon.co.uk
The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis - Barbara Creed [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK] Woman as castrator rather than castrated, August 30, 2001
In the majority of critical writings on the horror film woman is portrayed only as victim. In 'The Monstrous Feminine' Barbara Creed challenges this patriarchal view by discussing woman as monstrous feminine and using horror films as the basis for her theory. With reference to a number of classic horror films such as Alien, The Brood, The Hunger, The Exorcist, I spit on your grave and Psycho she discusses the women of these films from a feminist and psychoanalytic perspective. An amazing book and a must read for feminists, film theorists and horror fans alike. --cybaslut from Sydney, NSW Australia for amazon.com
Having seen Shaka Live at the controls it is no wander he has captured the spirit of a live dancehall in this CD. He is the master of Reggae music played live his natural DJ skills at the mike or not equalled in my opinion. Its just such a shame he does not include the siren and other sound effects that make his brand of dub unique. Its also a shame that that the CD is not available to ship internationally via Amazon.com --bkrbonus for amazon.com
Original Guerilla Music (2003) - Junior Delgado [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
1. Sons Of Slaves
2. Armed Robbery
3. Tichion
4. Famine
5. Fort Agustus
6. Storm Is Coming
7. Black Man Heart Cries Out
8. Away With The Fussing And Fighting
9. Warrior No Tarry Ya
10. Trickster
11. Row Fisherman
12. Merry Go Round
13. Big Shot
14. Raggamuffin Year
15. Love Tickles Like Magic
16. Every Natty
This is the 1st release for the On-U (Adrian Sherwood's outlet) label division Sound Boy. Original Guerilla Music is the 'Best Of Jamaican Recordings' and includes productions by Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, Prince Jammy, Sly & Robbie's Taxi production and others. 16 tracks remastered. Compiled by Adrian Sherwood from the archives of Junior Delgado. 2003. --amazon.com
From Memex to Hypertext: Vannevar Bush and the Mind's Machine - Vannevar Bush[Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Memex, a computer that was never built, was described in 1945 by pioneer computer engineer Bush, and foreshadowed the principles and operations of today's personal computers. Bush's writings about Memex are collected here for the first time, interspersed with essays by historians and computer researchers. His work with analog computers may be becoming relevant again. No index. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
1. Strange games and funky things - Love Unlimited Orchestra
2. Going back to my roots - Havens, Richie
3. Thank you - Sly & The Family Stone
4. Make me believe in you - Patti Jo
5. Moses - Crystalites
6. 90% of me - McRae, Gwen
7. Buzzsaw - Turtles
8. Uptown - Chambers Brothers
9. Sliced tomatoes - Just Brothers
10. Do you believe in magic - Lovin' Spoonful
11. Soul at sunrise - Juggy
12. You've been gone too long - Sexton, Ann
13. Get out of my life woman - Dorsey, Lee
14. Holy are you - Electric Prunes
15. Four horsemen - Aphrodite's Child
16. Holy Thursday - Axelrod, David
Smokin' smokin' smokin'! Sean Rowley's TV series of the same name took the train to nerdville more than a few times, but this CD is essential listening. From Love Unlimited Orchestra's widescreen disco heaven to Axelrod's genius closing psych-out, via storming funk, soul, reggae, R&B, you name it, this comp is a blinder from start to finish. Sure, it bedhops genres like the naughty musical tart it is, but that just goes to prove the substance of the old cliche about there being only good and bad music. This is squarely in the former camp. For true music lovers, "All Back To Mine" is elevating and educating...:-).Hats off to Sean Rowley for this faultless comp. All back to his I say!
If you want a definition of the word eclectic then a quick look in Mr Rowley's record box will certainly point you in the right direction.
Sean Rowley is best known as the man behind the 'All Back to Mine' concept, which was successfully translated into TV and radio programmes and compilation CDs. He's currently hosting a weekly radio show on BBC London. Sean was inspired by the late Roger Scott, a London-based radio presenter who championed doo-wop, gospel and 60s pop.
-- http://www.dmcworld.com/backtomine/index.asp
Eskimo Vol.1 - Various Artists [Amazon UK]
1. Disco 4 - 33 & A Third
2. I can't go for that (no can do) - Hall & Oates
3. Say no go (bonus beats) - De La Soul
4. Planet E (Acid Drop mix) - KC Flight
5. Outta limits - Mission Control (1)
6. Awade (ah way day) (Stan's friendly mix) - Instant House
7. Get your own - Willis, Doug
8. You better (Es Cavalett mix) - Mount Rushmore (3)
9. STP - Mang, Ray & John Stitch
10. Flying machine - War (1)
11. Underwater (part 1) - Thumann, Harry
12. Disco drunkard - TET
13. Njia walk (street walk) - Fatback Band
14. Scraper (Psychonauts remix) - Liquid Liquid
15. Revival (original mix) - Girault, Martine
Quite surprised to see no one has reviewed this amazing danceable funk-collection. Compiled by Belgium's finest dj-duo Mo & Benoelie. They pick the right tracks from any genre, as long as it's funks. You're just obliged to move!!... The True FunkMasters. --(cinematiq@angelfire.com) from Kortrijk,Belgium
Tony Humphries - Choice - A Collection of Club Zanzibar Classics [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
CD 1
01. Mass Production – Welcome To Our World
02. Hamilton Bohannon – Me And The Gang
03. Tongue ‘n’ Cheek – Tomorrow
04. Tyree – Hard Core Hip-House
05. Martha Wash & Todd Terry – Carry On (Tee’s Crazy Mix)
06. The Blackbyrds – City Life
07. Massimo Barsotti – Whole Lotta Love
08. Swing 52 – Color Of My Skin (Swing Remix)
09. Deodato ft. Camille – Are You For Real
10. Peter Godwin – Emotional Disguise
11. Stephanie Mills – You Can Get Over
12. Cher – Take Me Home (12” version)
CD 2
01. LY – Back 2 Zanzibar (King Street Mix)
02. Sinnamon – I Need You Now (Tee’s Master Extended Mix)
03. Gypsymen – Hear The Music
04. Pointer Sisters – Happiness
05. Heaven And Earth – I Only Have Eyes For You
06. Happyhead – Digital Love Thing (LP Version)
07. Liquid Liquid – Optimo
08. Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun
09. CJ & Co. – Sure Can’t Go To The Moon
10. Mark IV – It’s A Mean World
11. Psychotropic – Hypnosis
12. Phalon – Dance Floor Of Life
13. Archie Bell And The Drells – Where Will You Go When The Party’s Over
Speculum of the Other Woman - Luce Irigaray [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Those unfamiliar with Plato, Descartes, Freud and Lacan will find great challenges in understanding this rather poetic book. Irigary examines these figures in light of the "symbolic order" to detail phallocentricism in the development of Western thought in general as well as psychoanalysis, revealing what is, according to the author, the nature of feminine sexuality and gender identity. Reading this text, written by a former student of Lacan's expelled over ideological differences, was transforming and has left a permanent perspective from which to percieve and critique philosophical arguments as well as science, medicine, and psychotherapy. --jheidos@cs.com for amazon.com
Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism (Theories of Representation and Difference) - Elizabeth Grosz [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Elizabeth Grosz's work is a triumph of corporeal phenomenology. The book discusses the role of the body as it pertains to gender,race and sex. The body is not just an atomic aggregate but rather a lived experience. The first part of the book, "Inside Out," explores the psychoanalytic view of the body whereas the part titled "Outside In" covers society's pressures on the body. Grosz concludes by addressing the differences between the male and female body, and how the body-politic cannot be ignored when disucssing femininsm. --sofiaphile for amazon.com
Pierre Molinier - Wayne Barewaldt, Pierre Molinier [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Pierre Molinier's enigmatic photographs influenced European and North American body artists in the early 1970s and continue to engage artists, critics, and collectors today. Viewers are asked to reconsider, with broad implications, the notion of "deviation" in the sexual object and in the sexual aim (transvestism, voyeurism, exhibitionism). --amazon.com
2003, June 17; 11:54 :::: Lee Perry
Black Ark Studio Equipment
According to "People Funny Boy" Scratch used these in the early days of Black Ark (1973-75):
- Alice mixer (Scratch: "They weren't professional machines they were only toys") - Grantham spring reverb - Roland Space Echo RE201 - Marantz amplifier for instruments - AKG drum mic for vocals - Teac 3340 1/4 inch 4-track recorder - Teac 2-track recorder for mix down
In 1975 he added some new equipment: - Soundcraft mixer (replaced the Alice) - Mutron phaser (an early demo model) - better mics
- Around 1979 he was given a Teac 1/2 inch 8-track recorder but he didn't like it and almost never used it.
If you want to see Scratch working this stuff at Black Ark get the video "Roots Rock Reggae" from Shanachie. And the book "People Funny Boy" by David Katz is a must also. In the course of telling Lee Scratch Perry's life story he tells the whole story of Jamaican music. The best book ever on reggae.
In discussing Tubby Katz says that his equipment was mostly handmade and can't really be duplicated.
2003, June 16; 15:09 :::: decline in traffic
May and April were fantastic months for jahsonic.com. The number of unique visitors went up from 55,000/month (end of March) to 75,000 (May). The number of pageview went up from 170,000/month to 220,000/month, with one day where daily pageviews shot up to 8,500! The reason for this sharp increase is - and this is an educated guess - that I spent much more time on the site and the number of my pages that are listed in Google went up from 700 to 1,040. On the rise were the reggae pages (because "history of reggae" ranks number one on Google) , the pages on rap/hip/hop, the SM pages and the erotica pages in general. June, however, does not look that good. I have had a decline of up to 30% for some pages and the overall number of pageviews has been hardest hit. And I cannot figure out why. The same number of pages are still listed in Google and the pagerank for my different pages appears to be the same. Is it the time of year, does the sunshine of summer keep the people away from their PCs?
2003, June 16; 10:03 :::: dub
I found this article while doing a search to find out which audio recording equipment Lee Perry had used for his famed Black Ark studios. The article is by John Bush, and I wonder if it is the same John Bush that writes for allmusic.com. The article can be found here.
2003, June 15; 20:44 :::: 9/11
Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues With Jurgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida (2003) - Giovanna Borradori, Jurgen Habermas, Jacques Derrida
[Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
The idea for Philosophy in a Time of Terror was born hours after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and came to realization just weeks later when Giovanna Borradori sat down with Jurgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida, in separate interviews, in New York City. Habermas and Derrida evaluated the significance of the most destructive terrorist attack ever perpetrated. The resulting book is an unprecedented encounter between two of the most influential thinkers of our age: here for the first time Habermas and Derrida overcome their antagonism and agree to appear side by side in this book.
In her introduction, Borradori contends that philosophy has an invaluable contribution to make to the understanding of terrorism. Just as the traumas produced by colonialism, totalitarianism, and the Holocaust wrote the history of the twentieth century, the history of the twenty-first century is already signed by global terrorism. Each dialogue, accompanied by a critical essay, recognizes the magnitude of this upcoming challenge. Characteristically, Habermas's dialogue is dense, compact, and elegantly traditional. Derrida's, on the other hand, takes the reader on a long, winding, and unpredictable road. Yet unexpected agreements emerge between them: both have a deep suspicion of the concept of "terrorism" and see the need for a transition from classical international law, premised on the model of nation-states, to a new cosmopolitan order based on continental alliances.
As Derrida and Habermas disassemble and reassemble what we think we know about terrorism, they break from the familiar social and political rhetoric increasingly polarized between good and evil. In this process, we watch two of the greatest philosophical minds at work. --amazon.com
2003, June 14; 20:54 :::: architecture & design
Hi there,
I loved Jahsonic.com but still needs to add more on Architecture & Design, especially on Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava e Eric Owen Moss....
(I mean, it's just a suggestion...)
on the philosophy side, I am surprised on how little it is mentioned about Jurgen Habermas and his anti-postmodern position, especially after September 11th...
An interesting book to mention is a recent debate with his "rival" Jacques Derrida regarding the terrorist attacks and the consequences to modern society...
best,
anynomous (awaiting permission)
2003, June 12; 14:20 :::: david holmes
The Essential Mix (1998) David Holmes [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
1. Contact - Bardot, Brigitte
2. Elephant called slowly - Blake, Howard
3. California soul - Shaw, Marlena
4. Lesson 6 - Jurassic 5
5. Smokey Jo's la la (instrumental) - Rene, Googie Combo
6. My mate Paul (Skylab remix) - Holmes, David (1)
7. Higher ground - McIlwaine, Ellen
8. Guru vin - Sebesky, Don
9. There's no vibration but wait - Broughton, Edgar
10. Scoobs in columbia - Plaid
11. Shhh for a little while - Brown, James (1)
12. East - Paul, Billy (1)
13. First light - Faith, Percy
14. Get ready - Rare Earth
15. Jumpin' Jack Flash - Shankar, Anandar
16. Cat woman - Abaco Dream
17. I just want to celebrate - Rare Earth
18. Dancing drums - Shankar, Anandar
19. 101 strings - Karma Sitar
20. Knickers of a girl - Skylab
21. Little short one (part 1) - Holmes, David (1)
22. My mate Paul (2) (Major Force remix) - Holmes, David (1)
23. Bite this - Skylab
This double cd of rare grooves and psychedelic trips may at times seem jumbled to the point of incoherence (witness: the 5 minute drum solo in the middle of disc 2!). However, this is Holmes' genius at work. The juxtaposition of big brass horns and purple-haze sitars creates an eclectic listening experience. You get the feeling that Holmes is peering over your shoulder going "Ooh, this is a great track!" and is hurriedly chucking records on the decks. He is sharing with us his favourite stuff, which is very different from his own work, yet has been undoubtedly influential in creating his dark, funky sound. Standout tracks include contributions from Rare Earth ('Celebration'), and Marlena Shaw, who sings the magnificent 'California Soul'. If this tune doesn't put a smile on your face, then you are a terminal depressive. Buy it, love it, force it on your friends. --ashley_smith80 for amazon.co.uk
Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use (2003) - Jacob Sullum [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Opponents of the "war on drugs" have long focused on the distinction between drug use and drug abuse; that distinction is at the heart of Sullum's provocative and impeccably reasoned new title. Our expensive and ineffectual drug war, Sullum says, is predicated on a fundamental misconception that drugs are inherently "bad." Politicians and the media perpetuate the stereotype of the desperate, violent druggie, while the average user looks nothing like that, Sullum says-just as the typical drinker bears little resemblance to a wino passed out in the gutter. "We see the drug users who get hauled away by police, who nod off in doorways and on park benches, who beg on the street or break into cars," Sullum writes. "We do not see the drug users who hold down a job, pay the rent or the mortgage, and support a family." He describes the billionaire insurance executive who's also a "functioning pothead," the neuroscientist who enjoys MDMA at social events and the woman who likes a bit of heroin before cleaning house. Most people understand that alcohol can be dangerous if used to excess, but alcohol in and of itself does not "compel immoral behavior." Why, Sullum asks, is that not the case for marijuana, cocaine and heroin? He labels the vilification of certain drugs over others (like alcohol, nicotine and caffeine) "voodoo pharmacology." A senior editor at the libertarian journal Reason, Sullum rejects the frequent moralizing that clouds the drug debate, and frames much of his case as part of the greater argument against so-called "consensual" crime, which asks why an act by consenting adults that doesn't hurt anyone should be illegal. As with his last title, For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health, Sullum proves he's not afraid to take on entrenched public policies that he sees as fundamentally wrongheaded. Never preachy, his volume presents its heavily annotated arguments in clear, conversational tone that's refreshing for a book of this kind. --Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Freestyle Greatest Beats: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 - compiled by Joey Gardner [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
1. One Way Love - TKA
2. Show Me - The Cover Girls
3. Silent Morning - Noel
4. I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
5. Hooked on You - Sweet Sensation
6. Please Don't Go - Nayobe
7. Tender Heart - Leather & Lace
8. Mexican - Jellybean
9. Don't Break My Heart - Safire
10. Running - Information Society
11. No Reason to Cry - Judy Torres
12. Exposed to Love - Exposé
Expanded to 10 volumes from the original 7, Timber Records head Joey Gardner's Freestyle's Greatest Beats is a roughly chronological history of the music. Volume 1 scores with freestyle fundamentals from heavy hitters such as TKA, Cover Girls, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, and Exposé. This disc is heavy on the classics and features cuts that aren't played as much anymore. Jellybean's "The Mexican," in its original form, blurs the line between dance music and rock; England's Information Society brings some Euro-cool to the Latin hip-hop; and Nayobe's hyperemotional "Please Don't Go" hits the head as hard as the hips. --John Sanchez for Amazon.com
No Protection: Massive Attack Vs. Mad Professor (1995) [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
This is the studio work of London's prodigious dub godfather, Mad Professor, who takes Massive Attack's Protection album as raw material to create a completely new experience. Bits are added, dropped out, accentuated, run through sonic effects, drenched in reverb, turned inside out until the songs disappear and in their place emerge reborn textural soundscapes. No Protection gives a sort of discursive aural commentary on Protection's original songs, pointing out all the obscured details--the minutest percussive rings and beeps, the most mesmerizing bass loops. --Roni Sarig for Amazon.com
Marie-Gabrielle - George Pichard [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Marie-Gabrielle is a graphic BDSM novel that is definitely not for the weak at heart. It is the story of young noble woman who visits a strict Catholic nunnery where wanton women are punished harshly for indulging in sins of the flesh. As she tours the dungeons, pits and workcrews where these unfortunately drudges are toiling away, she is regaled with the explicit tales of the women's indulgences and the horrifying punishments inflicted upon them in order to make them reform.
This novella has been around for sometime and remains popular. I, however, can not explain why. The illustrations are not particularly well done and the characters are somewhat unattractive. The bondage and torture devices are fairly extreme but not particularly original or imaginative. I guess one of the redeeming qualities of the book is the more extensive than usual dialog and story line for this type of book. In terms of bondage illustrations and stories, I find Michael Manning more interesting, but if you want to see voluptuous (i.e. fat) women being humiliated and tortured then this book will interested you. --SH in Arlington for amazon.com
2003, June 10; 13:20 :::: Joshua Ellis on taste tribes
There's a great line in the film High Fidelity where the main character, Rob (played by John Cusack) makes the observation that he doesn't like people because of who they are – he likes them because of what they like.
At first glance, this position sounds incredibly superficial. But on closer examination, it becomes more reasonable. After all, why do you talk to the stranger in the coffeehouse or in the bar? Unless you're a creepy freak who just bothers random strangers, it's probably because they're wearing a t-shirt sporting the logo of a band you like or reading a book by your favorite author. This spurious connection gives you a reason to talk to them.
And why not? Taste is based upon a certain set of assumptions about what is good or bad in the world. It's an arena of moral choices, to paraphrase rock critic Greil Marcus. Chances are that the guy down the bar in the Kraftwerk t-shirt and I will have more commonalities than we do differences – and not just in regards to music. We may not become best friends, but at least we'll probably have an interesting conversation. --Joshua Ellis for mindjack http://www.mindjack.com/feature/tastetribes.html
2003, June 10; 12:41 :::: impact!
Soul Jazz Records Presents Impact! (2003) - Various Artists [Amazon UK][FR][DE][US]
1.Woman of the Ghetto - Hortense Ellis
2. Rolling Stone - The Psalms
3. KT88 - Tommy Mccook
4. We’ll Get Over It - Lloyd Parks
5. Do It Till You’re Satisfied - Skin, Flesh and Bones
6. 30-60-90 - Jackie Mittoo
7. Dub Organiser - Augustus Pablo
8. Country Boy - Charley Ace
9. End Dust - Randy’s All Stars
10. Too Late - Augustus Pablo
11. Ghetto Guns - Randy’s All Stars
12. Black Magic Woman - Winston King Cole
13. Soul and Inspiration - Jackie Mittoo
14. Harvest in the East - Tommy Mccook
15. Be Thankful - Donovan Carless
The majority of these partying shorts are instrumentals, originally released under the Impact! imprint. They were recorded in the studio above Randy's Record Mart on North Parade, Jamaica, utilising the talents of Randy's All-Stars house band. Vincent and Patricia Chin started the business in the late 1950s, with brother Victor, subsequently opening a branch in Brooklyn, and son Clive producing at Randy's Studio 17 in the 70s. This is where Jamaican reggae meets its more obvious Stateside soul and funk influences, but still manages to retain a chunkily uncompromising individuality. With Jackie Mittoo's organ, Augustus Pablo's melodica and Skatalite Tommy McCook's flute and saxophone, the featured soloists always have a strong personality, lending a quirky nonconformity to the tuneful gait of each number. "Woman of the Ghetto" has Hortense Ellis backed by an addictive falsetto chorus and "Guns in the Ghetto" features a spine-tingling solo that's either a rusty harmonica or Pablo playing melodica with maximum distortion. Several cuts feature heavily fuzzed guitar licks, or even shades of country picking. And is that a dog or a duck that's being strangled on Mittoo's "30-60-90"? Curious hybrids abound, but the only problem is that, at 47 minutes, it's a bit short compared to most similar collections. --Martin Longley
2003, June 10; 12:00 :::: nice up the dance
Soul Jazz Records Presents Nice Up the Dance (2003) - Various Artists [Amazon UK][FR][DE][US]
1. Boomin In Your Jeep - Kenny Dope Feat. Screechy Dan
2. Who Say Me Done - Cutty Ranks
3. Get That Money - MS. Thing
4. Satisfied - J-Live
5. Synthesiser Voice - Pompidoo
6. Ring The Alarm - Tenor Saw (Hip Hop Mix)
7. If I Know Jah - Singer Blue
8. Infiltrate - Sean Paul
9. Fuss Fuss - China Africa
10. Petrol - Ward 21
11. Gunshot - Kenny Dope Featuring Shaggy
12. No No No - Dawn Penn
13. The Boom - Chaka Demus & Pliers
Dancehall ragga-hop rips straight out of the Kingston-Brooklyn crossroads, with Nice Up the Dance making up a big, brash set loaded with 13 hard-edged bouncers. Kenny Dope and Screechy Dan provide a body-blow opener with "Boomin' in Ya Jeep", strutting with a huge, crashing beat and deranged, desperate vocals spouting and drooling over a rumbling bass bottom. Cutty Ranks favours shifty, slipping rhythms, toasting right on top of the beat, dodging and ducking, shunting rapidly between the two parts of his "Who Say Me Done". The entire collection seethes with uncontained energy, lightening up only slightly with Ms. Thing's Tom Tom Club electro-feel on "Get That Money". The hardcore rapping side surfaces on J-Live's "Satisfied" and Pompidou easily qualifies for the most rasping voice, while Singer Blue's "If I Know Jah" has an almost oriental vibe, its tip-toe rhythm nimbly walking on eggshells. Other stand-outs are the hip-hop mix of Tenor Saw's classic "Ring the Alarm", the sheer pulsing drama of Sean Paul's "Infiltrate", the jogging robotics of Chaka Demus & Pliers' "The Boom" and the slab-hop wallop packed by Shaggy's "Gunshot", with Kenny Dope once more riding hard at the desk. Excessive jiggling is, of course, compulsory. --Martin Longley for Amazon.co.uk
2003, June 08; 11:30 :::: best CD of the 21st century, so far ...
Underground Moderne - Various Artists [1CD, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
An excellent collection of essential tracks that were far from the mainstream in their time from 1965 through to the 1980's. Includes such diverse artists as Mutabaruka, Frank Zappa,Funkadelic, Can, Agitation Free, Tim Buckley, Augustus Pablo and many more. The best compilation to come out in 2001.
Tracklisting: 1. Ghost Rider (Suicide) 2. Mushroom (Can) 3. Gypsy Love (Silver Apples) 4. King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown (Augustus Pablo) 5. Solo/from The Film 'der Tote Bin Ich'(Irmin Schmidt) 6. Sweet Surrender (Tim Buckley) 7. Le Voyageur (Heldon) 8. Chrysler Rose (Dashiell Hedayat) 9. Fohat Digs Holes In Space (Gong) 10. Comme à La Radio(Brigitte Fontaine;Areski;Art Ensemble Of Chicago) 11. Revolutionary Words (Mutabaruka) 12. You Play For Us Today (Agitation Free) 13. Peaches En Regalia (Frank Zappa) 14. Birds Lament(Moondog) 15. One Nation Under A Groove (Funkadelic)
2003, June 08; 11:15 :::: international tastemakers
Note to Self and Google:
"publish your favorites" and make them available online
International Tastemaker
In our continuing series on current international tastemakers, I (re)present you
Radio Nova, best example of integrated media. Radio Nova broadcasts over the airwaves in 5 French cities (university cities) in France, the same stream goes online for the rest of the world, they feature a live display of the tracks they are currently playing. They feature advertising during the daytime, and specialty programmes at night. There taste in music is irreprochable and can be bought by acquiring the Nova CD releases thru jahsonic.com .
Supermodified (2000) - Amon Tobin [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Amazon.com's Best of 2000:
Amon Tobin's off-kilter rhythms and jazzy samples create a beautiful mess on Supermodified. Feeding off Latin rhythms, downtempo beats, and wildly adventurous musical jumbles, Tobin's manic bliss never allows the songs to wander, working a sense of method into a sea of crazy atmospheres. The result is focused, enticing, and fascinating. --Matthew Cooke for amazon.com
At the junction of jazz and breakbeat science, Amon Tobin is one of the undisputed masters. Instead of drawing on jazz samples and styles as a sort of prepackaged cultural signifier, he's engaged in the cross-fertilization and recontextualizing that many aspire to but not so many achieve. On this release, he casts his net farther afield--the smoky nightclub trumpets and sultry beats of 1998's Permutation are still present, but the hummingly intense electronics and roiling drums on tracks like... read more --Amazon.com
2003, June 08; 10:54 :::: back
My lovesickness has shifted to rabid lovemania. I was ill for most of yesterday, I went to bed at 8:30 and got up between 3:30 and 4:30, when I ate some yoghurt and watched MTV Chillout zone. Saw several amusing clips, thing to remember is Amon Tobin (something with muta/fied in the title, and very nice clip with islands of debris in decaying colors). Today's sunday, feeling much better and sweetly weak. Found the article clipping on Cracked's site by Googling for "early eighties" electronica which features "So a connection between the early eighties, were machinist sounds and spliced-tape-loops started off a genre, right down to the 21st century fully equipped with a PC, DAT and soundlab"
Kitsch in Sync: A Consumer's Guide to Bad Taste - Peter Ward [Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
While it commences with a somewhat weak prehistory of kitsch in the 19th century, the light style and deceptively glib analysis of this slender volume are a perfect complement to 20th-century trash culture. In what is essentially a history of mass-produced tackiness, Peter Ward provides insightful commentary on how good taste becomes officially bad when its audience changes. He also catches the sense of humor of Jeff Koons, who appears just a few pages past the Bay City Rollers, a juxtaposition I'm sure Koons would enjoy. Kitsch
in Sync is worthwhile for its novel take on '80s new romantic music and for the illustrations of the postwar culture of disposable and ugly home furnishings.
Messenger (1997) - Luciano [CD, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Many expected this reggae mystic's sophomore international release to forsake his debut's laidback '70s tempos and melody lines, in favor of stepping up to more dense and fast-paced rock and pop-shaded tracks. But this aptly titled CD sticks to its roots and still manages to beam a warm inclusiveness while spinning universal meaning from keenly felt personal experience. Like its predecessor, Messenger also yielded a lion's share of instant reggae anthems, largely because Luciano plies his formidable vocal and writing gifts towards the finest of intentions. Even the gently chiding "How Can You" side-steps the all-too-common reggae pitfalls of didactic rant and sweeping judgement. More typical of this deeply sensitive artist is a tune like "Never Give Up My Pride," guaranteed to swell your heart. --Elena Oumano for amazon.com
2003, June 03; 15:15 :::: lovesick
I am feeling lovesick today and hope it will soon be over. I was intending on writing up a list of the music I play.
"Unlimited Capacity for Love" - Grace Jones
"Garden of Life" - Leroy Sibbles
"Gigi L'Amoroso" - Dalida, been playing this ALOT, makes me cry nearly everytime.
"Il venait D'Avoir 18 Ans" Dalida again
"Ain't Got Nobody" - Pam Todd & Love Exchange, got this for my birthday from my friend Romeo who also DJd
I'm Here Again" Thelma Houston, unfortunately I only have the 7" Vinyl
2003, June 03; 15:15 :::: annoying but smart and interesting internet advertising http://cdn1.adsdk.com/CDN/41767/greencard_Im_v2.gif This one pretends to be a Messenger buddy. I read somewhere today in an ICT magazine, that it is estimated that by end of year, 50% of all email will be spam. This is not as surprising at it may sound since we are already at 40% at this very moment, according to the same study. At the moment, hotmail has the best solution to the problem; you can set your account to receive only emails from people who are already in your addressbook. This also means that somebody who has your email address but you don't add them to your list, that person won't be able to send you mail. This brings us to shared address books. When we add eachother as as buddies, any change in either address book is adjusted in the other's addressbook as well. Of course, this is the fight about who a consumer will trust his digital identity with. Three contenders are in the field at the moment: Microsoft with Hotmail and Messsenger, Aol and Yahoo! with similar offerings. [...]
2003, June 01; 09:12 :::: space
The Right Stuff (1983) - Philip Kaufman [DVD, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Philip Kaufman's intimate epic about the Mercury astronauts (based on Tom Wolfe's book) was one of the most ambitious and spectacularly exciting movies of the 1980s. It surprised almost everybody by not becoming a smash hit. By all rights, the film should have been every bit the success that Apollo 13 would later become; The Right Stuff is not only just as thrilling, but it is also a bigger and better movie. Combining history (both established and revisionist), grand mythmaking (and myth puncturing), adventure, melodrama, behind-the-scenes dish, spectacular visuals, and a down-to-earth sense of humor, The Right Stuff chronicles NASA's efforts to put a man in orbit. Such an achievement would be the first step toward President Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon, and, perhaps most important of all, would win a crucial public relations/morale victory over the Soviets, who had delivered a stunning blow to American pride by launching Sputnik, the first satellite. The movie contrasts the daring feats of the unsung test pilots--one of whom, Chuck Yeager, embodied more than anyone else the skill and spirit of Wolfe's title--against the heavily publicized (and sanitized) accomplishments of the Mercury astronauts. Through no fault of their own, the spacemen became prisoners of the heroic images the government created for them in order to capture the public's imagination. The casting is inspired; the film features Sam Shepard as the legendary Yeager, Ed Harris as John Glenn, Dennis Quaid as "Gordo" Cooper, Scott Glenn as Alan Shepard, Fred Ward as Gus Grissom, Scott Wilson as Scott Crossfield, and Pamela Reed and Veronica Cartwright are superb in their thankless roles as astronauts' wives. --Jim Emerson for Amazon.com
Lovemaps: Clinical Concepts of Sexual/Erotic Health and Pathology, Paraphilia, and Gender Transposition in Childhood, Adolescence, and Maturity
by John Money
[book, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
This is the most accessible of John Money's books. It is the real "Venus and Mars" book about relationships. Dr. Money has a long history of solid research and writing in the field of sexology that predates Comfort and others. His intense intellectual power limits the audience to those willing to struggle through complex descriptions of very complex concepts...you see our sexual brain is not so simple as to be covered in the prime time attention span of 30 minutes. If you take the time with this one, I am sure you will come away with more than that which the 10 most popular lay books out there COMBINED have to offer. This is the REAL truth, and not in a fancy package...all the best to Dr. Money...former student and author, Kenneth Giuffre MD, "The Care and Feeding of Your Brain", Career Press 1999. -- kenbrain@neurostuff.com
Paris Is Burning (1991) - Jennie Livingston [VHS, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Paris Is Burning closes with two neon-lit boys holding each other on the streets of Harlem. One looks into the camera and asks, "So this is New York City and what the gay lifestyle is all about--right?" This documentary takes an honest, humorous, and surprisingly poignant peek into one of America's overlooked subcultures: the world of the urban drag queen. It's a parallel dimension of bizarre beauty, where "houses" vie like gangs for turf and reputation ... only instead of street-fighting, they vogue their way down makeshift catwalks in competitive "balls." The only rule of the ballroom: be real.
In surprisingly candid interviews, you discover the grace, strength, and humor it takes to be gay, black, and poor in a straight, rich, white world. You'll meet young transsexual "cover girls," street hustlers saving up for the big operation, and aging drag divas reminiscing about the bygone days of sequins, feathers, and Marilyn Monroe.
Made in the late 1980s, this fashion-conscious film shows its age less than you'd expect. It's still a great watch for anyone interested in the whole range of humanity, or anyone who's ever been an outsider, desperately wanting something the world hides out of reach. --Grant Balfour for amazon.com
Vamp (1986) - Richard Wenk [DVD, Amazon US][FR][DE][UK]
Campy, trampy and vampy, July 12, 2002
I will admit that this is not the best movie ever made, but it certainly is my favorite. Grace Jones always looks like she would rip your skin off with her teeth, bit by bit.
The first thing you notice is how surreal the background gets after dark. I love the humor in this movie. I think this movie should be rated as the best cult film ever. The lines are delivered with comic expertise. For anyone who loves vampire movies as much as I do, you will love this movie. Not a scary movie for the squeemish, but extremely entertaining. Once it gets dark, beware. Snow and his followers will get you, if the vampires in the club don't.
My favorite line in the movie (it was hard to choose) is the one that A. J. delivers when he says, "formica, go figure". If you see the movie, then you will understand the meaning of that line. Another great line was when the little rich friend asks one of the waitresses what time she gets off. She states in a very husky voice, "3:30". He then says, "can I watch?"
Lots of tongue in cheek, and even a bit of romance towards the end. This is a fun movie for people who don't take vampires seriously. --Mickey Buell for amazon.com
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