Now Where Was I?
July 31, 2004
I'm Back... Just catching up with things... Posted a few shots from Turkey at Flickr... Stayed in Ovacik, halfway between Oludeniz and Fethiye [just outside Hisaronu] at the Gorkem Hotel.
Comment | Permalink
Commercial Breaks And Beats
July 21, 2004
While trying to source the music for the current BMW ad on British TV [and possibly elsewhere?] I came across commercialbreaksandbeats.co.uk, which I believe is something to do with ninjatune... Though I wouldn't swear to it... Anyway the tune is either by the Prodigy or Amon Tobin... I didn't check to see what model was actually being advertised... It appears that the latest BMWs have the ability to plug your i-Pod into the dash and control it via the steering wheel or thereabouts, which is pretty nifty!
Been a bit quiet on the blog front due to the unfortunate combination of drinking too much and being on a dreadfully boring SQL admin course. Not both at the same time I might add, just a BBQ at Kev's that lasted all night, which I might tell you about when I can remember anything about it and a hangover that lasted for days...
Anyway, not had time to find much new material, although Kev and I finished the Mr Timothy remix but I don't think I'll have time to get it to a suitable size to put up here until I return from holiday in a week... But at least I might get to finish Quicksilver at last, as well as some of the other books that have been stacking up... Decided on taking Vernon God Little and e-topia as well. That should do me!
A nice link, via Things is the Diary Of A Record at askingfortrouble.org.
Need to book tickets for the complicite adaptation of Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes due at The Barbican. Not because I have read the short stories or have any desire to see a play with subtitles [it's in Japanese] but because the production looks out of this world.
Bill Morrison's experimental feature Decasia is composed entirely of decaying, nitrate-based archival footage which seems to melt, burn, drip and deteriorate.. and is also now available on DVD.
Comment | Permalink
Bjork Beats Boxes
July 16, 2004
Bjork has confirmed her fifth studio album, Medulla, will be released on August 30. The 14-track album features Bjork singing over rhythms performed by voice artists, or Beatboxers.
These include Japanese beat box artist Dokaka as well as Shlomo and former Roots member Rahzel. According to Billboard, other guests include former Faith No More singer Mike Patton, singer-songwriter Robert Wyatt, classical vocalist Gregory Purnhagen, Inuit throat singer Tagaq and the Icelandic and London Choirs.
This quote apparently comes from an interview in W magazine. I guess it isn't in the Online version, or I can't find it. Nasty little website!
"We could be in a cave somewhere and one person would start singing, and another person would sing a beat and then the next person sing a melody, and you could just kind of be really happy in your cave."
Nice idea using other ethnic vocal styles with hip-hop but where's Sheila Chandra? She started using vocal percussion techniques in 1983 with the release of her Out On My Own album, 2 years after Monsoon's "Ever So Lonely".
I wondered why my various blog pages were loading slowly yesterday. I guess it was to do with the improvements being made to the post editing interface at Blogger. Jolly good it is too. If only they would include a target="_blank" button though... I'm sick of putting those in! I still haven't got the Permalink's working as they should either. I keep getting a # followed by a number where I want the blog title followed by a .htm tag... I'll try again tonight.
Comment | Permalink
Design, The Devil And Drugs
July 15, 2004
Interesting online home of Steve Albini's studio at electrical audio. Complete with breakdown of equipment, booking rates and a forum. You can get in touch with artists that have used the place [in Chicago] and a whole heap more... Cool place to visit, if only virtually! via kempa
There is another production of The Master & Margarita on, nearer to home for me this time but I don't think I'll make it as it's only on for another couple of weeks, so a trip to Chichester could still be on the cards. Chichester was the location of the Court Case following the Rolling Stones Redlands Drug Bust in the 60's, with the alleged Mars Bar/Marianne incident! Which is to be made into a film apparently, called "A Butterfly On A Wheel" starring Nigel Havers, whose father [OK, this seems less weird now!] was a key player in an episode that famously led The Times to ask, in Alexander Pope's words, "Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?".
The Bulgakov novel was supposedly the inspiration for the lyrics to the Stones "Sympathy For The Devil" which features in the 1968 Jean-Luc Godard movie, One Plus One.
What I will get to though is the Saul Bass exhibit at the Design Museum... also check out the Tribute site for Prints, movie posters and graphic design work, stills and clips from opening sequences. Many from from Hitchcock, Otto Preminger and Scorsese* movies. There is also a timeline of Bass's work covering the 50's to the 90's as well as a biography of his life and work.
There may also be some of his work at the Penguin Bookjacket Archive, I don't know I haven't had time to look through it yet.
*Scorsese is the voice of "Sykes the Pufferfish" in his new animated Mafia Movie, Shark Tale!!!
Comment | Permalink
Pac-Man, Mondrian And LA Crimes!
July 14, 2004
Found a link to Clash magazine via Fopp... Formerly called Vibe, it may have been going for a while without my noticing. To be honest I don't need any more magazines. I'd hate to workout what I must spend each month on them, what with Wired, Internet Magazine, Computer Arts... Maybe I should stop there, otherwise I will be working it out! but you can always check it out online... Also via Fopp and of more interest is Radio Magentic. An online radio staion that, like Clash magazine, is Scottish based and features artists from Fopp's Unsigned Network. Not only that but they have a show, Magnetic North, presented by Jim Hutchinson and Crae caldwell of Soma Records
Pac-Mondrian closes the perceptual distance between fine art and video games by combining Piet Mondrian's Modernist masterpiece 'Broadway Boogie Woogie' with Toru Iwatani's classic video game Pac-Man. The project offers gamers a chance to compete for $2000 worth of cash prizes for high score and level design... So it say's here!!!
view Broadway Boogie Woogie | view Pac-Man... Once again, via the marvellous Things.
Cybercafes in LA are to be made to apply for police permits, much like strip clubs and other adult businesses after a string of shootings at cyber cafes in the San Fernando Valley. As reported in the LA Times [you'll have to register to read it, but it is free... just a pain in the arse!].
Comment | Permalink
Hayseed Dixie Dalek
July 13, 2004
 What's all this Hayseed Dixie stuff Chris Moyles has been playing? They have recorded three albums. The first a tribute to AC/DC, the second, various hard rock/metal covers and the third a tribute to Kiss, all in a mountain/bluegrass style, with fiddle, mandolin, banjo and the like. They can all be bought from their website [link above] or from Amazon along with their forthcoming album, Let There Be Rock Grass. The Dixies are really the Kerosene Brothers, but it looks as if their novelty alter ego's have outpaced them. They'll be in London on August 6th at The Borderline.
Spotted in Westminster today... A Dalek!
Comment | Permalink
Lost In Space
July 11, 2004
Weird! I just found out who did this [see image in June 12th post... Can't get the permalink thing sorted yet]... Seems it is the work of a guy called Banksy, found via I Like... check out more at Art Of The State. I wish the kids that daub their names in marker pen where I live did this instead! Turns out he's the guy responsible for the artwork for the Blur Think Tank album. Ooh the things you learn online!
Apparently you should be able to get his books via AKUK.com but I couldn't find any, but they do have a Tom Waits book I like the look of. But you can get a couple of titles thru Amazon.
Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall
Exitstencilism: Black Book Pt 1, Vol 2
They're only four quid each!
So far this month visitors have come from the following countries...
Comment | Permalink
Rolling Stones: An Unseen Diary
July 09, 2004
 Rolling Stones: An Unseen Diary. Photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes of the largest rock and roll tour then ever mounted.
The infamous 1975 Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas... I'm sure these can't be as good as Annie Liebowitz book of the same tour.
On at the National Theatre Jul 19 - Aug 21.
Comment | Permalink
Looking Glass Wars And Placard Headphone Festival
July 08, 2004
 Frank Beddor, CEO of Automatic Pictures, producer of There's Something About Mary etc... has turned his hand to childrens books. Alice in Wonderland to be precise.
The Looking Glass Wars is to be published in September 2004 and Beddor claims that Alice in Wonderland was really Alyss Heart, an orphan with a much nastier tale to tell than the Lewis Carroll, 1864, version. In his rework, also to be made into a film [and the inevitable computer games] the Cheshire Cat is a vicious assassin, the White Rabbit never graces a tea-party and Alyss is the future Queen of Wonderland. Interesting, but I like it just the way it is really, thanks all the same Frank. Stick to the skiing!
The London Placard Headphone Festival 2004 is a day and a night of headphone performances taking place on Saturday 17th July 2004, 12 midday - 2am at the state51 factory, Rhoda Street, E2 7EF [map] It's free, but bring your own headphones.
There will be 39 performances in one day! organised by a network of London-based promoters, labels and artists including state51, highpointlowlife, murmer, slow sound system, idoia, [no.signal], midRange, moshi moshi records, yaxu paxo and coombe records...
But I'm out Saturday, so I can't go... But you could!
Photoblog of note: sergiofrances.com... Only two images up yet, but excellent flash animations of light on surfaces. Well one is. I'm not sure what the other is. The info is a bit minimal!
Heat Events present: South West Four
Clapham Common
Saturday 21 August 2004
Time: noon - 10:00pm
Capacity: 10,000
Ibiza comes to London!!! Witness Sasha's only outdoor performance in London this summer. If that's not enough there is also Erick Morillo playing for 3-hours in the early afternoon on the outdoor main stage (1 till 4pm), and X-Press 2 performing live over six decks. Plus 'Gallery' legend Tall Paul and the Bora Bora Sound System with happy uplifting house music from the Ibizan residents.
To buy tickets online or phone the priority booking number: 0870 903 0150
For full list and other information about this event check out heatuk.com or call 07984 427575/07931 252 095
Spiderman Vs Doc Ock... in Lego form!!! Excellent.
Richard Linklater has been doing the rounds for his latest movie, Before Sunset, a sequel to the 1995 movie, Before Sunrise, but he is also working on an animated adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel, "A Scanner Darkly", which is to star Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. amongst others...I imagine Keanu was chosen for his voice and not his two dimensional acting prowess!?! Actually, I believe it is a real live action affair with added animation. Always best to check more than one source!
Dick is now the most adapted SF author ever. Shame he wasn't around to benefit!
Comment | Permalink
Formula 1 in London?
July 07, 2004
 This rather grainy image is the best I could get out of nigh on 90 minutes waving my camera over the heads of a small segment of the half a million people that turned out to see eight F1 cars dash past us in Regent Street yesterday. Even at a relatively slow 75mph they were pretty hard to catch!
They apparently started at Waterloo Place, bottom of Lower Regent Street, then went up Picadilly Circus and into Regent St itself...
After that, up to DH Evans. Turned right through the pedestrian precinct outside the London Palladium, then on to Marlborough Street opposite Liberty's, before turning back onto Regent St for a run back down to Waterloo Place.
Initially we [Jake, Sam and Me] tried to find a spot around the Pall Mall end, where all the pit area action seemed to be going on, but everything was fenced off for the hoi polloi... so we fought our way past numerous arsey policemen and round the back streets onto Regent Street itself. It wasn't until eating pizza after that I even realised I had got this shot [Martin Brundle in a Jaguar I suspect]. I only caught fleeting glimpses of the other cars as they flashed by and never imagined I'd actually get a shot of one.
The best moment was when a bunch of road sweeping trucks went past preparing the surface and everyone cheered.
I'm all up for a London GP but the organisation is going to be horrendous. God knows how they will cordon off the appropriate areas to charge punters to see this. Apart from The Mall and Park Lane I can't imagine how they could seat enough people to make it pay and keep it safe! I'm surprised none of the people climbing up lamp posts and on bus shelters etc werent injured. especially getting down. Some of them had climbed the walls between shops and were on their balconies.
Somewhere in this BBC Report I believe they have a speculative route mapped out... But it is nothing more than a reporters dream... But Ken Livingstone thinks it could happen in 2007... He's always been an optimistic soul though hasn't he?
OK... No more sporty posts. I promise!!!
Comment | Permalink
Chichester Festival Theatre
July 06, 2004
Chichester Festival Theatre
23 JULY - 24 SEPTEMBER
WORLD PREMIERE
The Master and Margarita
By Mikhail Bulgakov (1940)
In a new adaptation by Edward Kemp (2004)
Moscow in the age of Stalin and a mysterious stranger appears in a park. Soon he and his retinue have astonished the locals with the magic show to end all magic shows and have quite literally set the town alight. But what is the real purpose behind their visit? And what the devil has it to do with the gorgeous and sensual Margarita? Or with her lover the Master, a writer whose masterpiece has been silenced by earthly powers. Will anyone solve the mystery before the night of the spring full moon? A crazy roller-coaster, a wicked satire and a poignant love-story, with vampires, flying broomsticks and a talking cat, The Master And Margarita is a carnival for the senses and a diabolical extravaganza... And I can't believe nobody has made this into a movie. Well there was a Russian version in 1994 apparently, but I was thinking of something on a larger scale. Also check out this excellent resource on the book
Comment | Permalink
LoveBox
July 05, 2004
Well, it didn't rain on me... But what was good about it? The wind and the noise from the various sound systems in the tents meant that you could barely hear what was going on on the main stage unless you were near the front so god knows how the sound guys managed. What I could hear of Ritchie Havens was all you'd expect from a legend, Ozomalati were, er, different... but not my cup of tea. Grandmaster Flash started well, but then I lost him on the breeze so went for a wander around the tents.
The Strongbow tent provided the best entertainment. A real party vibe, very up-for-it tunes, although I don't know who did what [was the guy in the "Iron Maiden" T-shirt Touche?]. Although the sound went once in there! Jon Carter did half a good set and then seemed to spend half an hour or more wanking around over a sample loop and playing with the mixer... only to redeem himself by closing with the Dirty Funker remix of Nirvana's Lithium.
As is always the way with these things we missed Groove Armada completely, as they were on the same time as Jon Carter. Other than that the day flew by, only marred by woefully inadequate toilet facilities, some heavy handed security and extortionate bar prices. At least it didn't rain!
Comment | Permalink
Post 100: buildings, books, tunes and DJ's
July 02, 2004
 Yay, my hundredth post...
Made it to the New City Architecure Exhibition today [last day].
Fantastic architectural models of the City with proposed new buildings in place. The picture shows Heron Tower from the east towering-ish over the Swiss Re building. It's due for completion in 2007 at 110 Bishopsgate.
Visit the website to see the other skyscrapers we can expect to be filling the London skyline in the coming years. I don't know what else the space will be used for afterwards. It's a gallery of sorts... I think. It's underground in Finsbury Avenue Square, part of the Broadgate development, behind Liverpool Street Station.
Off to Lovebox tomorrow, assumingly in the pissing rain, so don't expect any new blogs over the weekend! The god-like Derrick Carter is, apparently, at Plan B on Sunday as well.
Really looking forward to getting a copy of Mobius Dick by Andrew Crumey [published by Picador] A tale of mobile phones, quantum chaos, music, madness... and whales! Read this extract from Scotland On Sunday, where Crumey is literary editor [conveniently enough!]
Will be exploring the Sine Fiction thoroughly after finding a link at Things [once again!]. Plenty of tracks to listen to, all inspired by Science Fiction novels.
Comment | Permalink
Random Dancing Desyn
July 01, 2004
I have just witnessed a performance by the Random Dance Company... Not sure I'm fully appreciative of interpretive choreography. It certainly looked random to me. Coincidentally the first piece they did was accompanied by A Scanner track... don't know what it was called but it seemed to involve a hoover and a washing machine on spin cycle! The second piece was something vaguely choral by Craig Armstrong, better known for his film scores and string arrangements on Massive Attack's Protection
album. Talking of Scanner I notice he has something called Six Thousand Chairs on in Crystal Palace on 28-29 August but I can't find anything else out about at the moment...
Download Desyn Masiello's brilliant Symphonic Mix in MP3 form. Released as a freebie on the cover of DJ Magazine in 2002, this is why Desyn is a top class DJ [that doesn't play in London enough]. It's a 94.5MB MP3
Update, Feb 2008 - desynmasiello.com is no longer the DJs domain, so the link is gone. Sorry!
Comment | Permalink
|
|
