Sorry for the heavy intro there, but theres more to come. Issue 32 hadnt
even started to be noticed on the shelves, and we were already getting
a request from soneone for a free copy. Not naming any names here but they
know who they are. This person was saying they deserved a free copy, because
they had given us free issues of their zine.
Fair enough. But then again we give out free copies of the freesheet
every month to several hundred people. You Know It Makes Sense was our
one chance to actually break even for a change. Get a bit of money back
for what we put in. I dont consider that greedy or capitalistic at all,
considering the amount of issues we've given out for free over the last
2 and a half years.
This person's zine is infrequent to say the least. But because they
had given us one free copy of their zine, they instantly believed that
they were entitled to a free one off us. Suffice to say I was quite annoyed
when this person gave out to us for being (what they thought) was scabby.
I dont have a point to this, just that I was pissed off when someone
argued with us for charging them for a zine when we give out so many copies
of the freesheet (for free) during the year.
Argh !!! Badger-bait us with the head of a shovel !! We made one big
glaring omission in out last issue, and thats the emegence of a new freesheet
called Going Postal. A decidedly techno/hip-hop slant to it, its quite
fresh and its cool to see other people who are interested in dance music
with such different viewpoints and ideas. The first issue covered many
topics,
including the homogenisation (sp.?) of our city into a big fucking
meat market for wankers to pick up tramps in, many points raised certainly
rang true. The second issue hit the streets recently, the main article
is about the Underground Resistance outfit in Detroit, and how they've
been fighting the majors from day one. Very interesting, I had heard stuff
before about UR and their anti-multinational corporation stance but
I had no idea how big it was. Going Postal as of yet have no postal
address (come on lads, print it !!) but if you're electronically connected
you can get in touch with them at GoingPostal@bigfoot.com or else look
at their web page at http://goingpostal.home.ml.org. A superior production,
we look forward to the next one.
Kung-fu punksters Blackbelt Jones will be playing a release gig in the
Fusion Bar on 31st. of May '98. Also playing will be Bambi and Comanchi
Doyle. Entrance fee is four pounds which gets you a copy of Blackbelt Jone's
new 7" on Greyslate records, the illustrious home of Jackbeast and (soon)
The Kabinboy.
It was recorded with their new singer
Tadhg and that it's got four new songs. Greyslate
will be putting out stuff in the future from bands as diverse as The
Waltons, Hylton Weir and the Godlike Polaris. The record is called
"LIVE IN
STYLE".
98.1 (Moving Shadow Sampler CD): Christ !! We're talking hard drum'n'bass
for less than a price of cigarettes !! And I dont even smoke !! Mellow
it is not apart from the initial few seconds of the opener "Hoax" by Abracada.
We're talking hard, feet-to-the-floor drum'n'bass here, although there
are one or two lighter moments.
This is in a totally different league to stuff like the Artcore compilation
or any of Bukem's material on those poxy compilation CDs.. The Successful
Criminal's "crazy lover" has a nice vocal touch that makes it sound very
summery and breezy, (although in the back garden these days you could stick
on any old piece of shit CD and sit in the sun
and it would sound like it was made for the summer). My favourite track
is probably the last one, by Technical Itch, called "Hidden Sound (Dom
+ Roland Mix)", which is pretty heavy, silvery and threatening, I can picture
a bouncing crowd at a Bassbin night going nuts to it, although the beats
do fall slightly into the "boom-click, boomclick" twostep mode halfway
through
so Naphta might not be keen on that, although theres enough variation
in the melody to make it better than the other fodder about. Flytronix's
"Krossworldz" also stands out above the rest for me, again very dangerous
cut-up beats, making you lose your footing on the grass, with lots of black
acid-esque squelches thrown in to keep your head facing firmly downwards.
Not one
for the ladies. Their other track, "Comtemporary Acoustic Jam" is a
bit easier on the brain, with an infectious bouncy bassline and nice light
samples, but still in no way holding back on the beats. I was slightly
disappointed by Calyx's "Double Zero" considering they are meant to be
"the chit" in d'n'b these days, it didnt do much for me..
Overall this compilation is good, nice party music for serious UDH's.
And why is it so cheap I hear you ask? Why are Road Records of 15B Fade
Street only asking for a measly 1.50 of your money for this? Who knows..
Who cares !! Go up there now and buy yerself a copy of this. Even if you
dont like drum'n'bass its still a cool CD
to get for only 1.50. I was puzzled at first when I saw this advertised
on Road's homepage (www.groov.ie/road), surely it couldnt be that cheap
but lo and behold it was, and we here at S@E heartily reccomend this compilation/sampler.
Other chit in the world of drum'n'bass is that Bassbin have moved to
the last Friday of the month in the Mean Fiddler. Aphrodite, who AFAIK
mixed one of the Artcore compilations, is spinning on the decks as well
as Rohan, Naphta, and a live set from Navigator. Thats all taking place
on May 29th, its 8 quid on the door which opens at 10pm.
Bassbin are also continuing their involvement in Thursday nights in
the Funnel. They're teaming up with techno promoters Rogue, and putting
on a mix of techno and d'n'b with the best Irish DJs, keep your eyes peeled
for flyers with line-ups and guests.
Also, Quadraphonic release their second 12" by Belfast duo Calibre,
after the success of their first release, Bass Odyssey's "Twilight", which
did pretty well by all accounts. If you're buying it (and it is quite good),
then buy it in Comet where it only costs 4 quid, as opposed to Tower where
the bastards have the brass neck to charge 5.50 for it.
>1) How long have the Chillage Idiots been broadcasting?
Since January 1996.
>
>2) What do you think of the music/clubbing scene in Dublin?
Paul:
Lately it's been great because Ultramack started PhunkCity @ the Funnel
bar
with guests as diverse as Plaid, Autechre, u-Ziq, Richard H. Kirk and
even
more good acts and label nights to follow. Before PhunkCity we'd be
lucky to
see one of the acts we're into in Dublin and if they did come they'd
be
supported by an "up for it" dj. The Chillage Idiots are all about diversity,
which PhunkCity is relatively close to.
Mick:
Clubwise at the moment, things are definately improving no matter what
you're into, be that techno, hip-hop, jazz, drum & bass etc., there
are
plenty of nights and now with the arrival of PhunkCity, electronica
is even
getting a chance, although deep house is still underrepresented. A
real open
minded night wouldn't go astray. As much as I like drum & bass
or techno, to
hear the same beats pumping out all night would just bore the tits
off me.
As regards the music scene in Dublin, personally I have never purchased
an
Irish produced record be that ambient/electronica, commercial or otherwise.I
know there are some very talented people making music here but so far
no one
has made an impact on the rest of the world apart from David Holmes
who has
mainly British producers.
>
>3) Do you think theres much interest in ambient music in Dublin?
P:
In my opinion there doesn't seem to be a lot but that doesn't matter
to us.
The Chillage Idiots haven't set out to be popular just to maybe open
peoples
minds to music they may not hear on another radio show.
M:
When we fist went on air we thought that there wasn't much because
more
often than not we would get people ringing in asking us for Oasis and
shit
like that! After a while though we started to get some regular callers
into
what we were trying to do and we realised there were some like minds
out
there which was a relief!
>
>4) Does commercial radio cover ambient in any way?
M:
Apart from Enigma, Deep Forest and music on deoderant and tampon ads
I don't
think so.
>
>5) In what ways do you think ambient/IDM music has changed in recent
> years? Theres very few people doing "ambient" music (as
such) these
> days.
M:
Electronica/IDM has definately changed some, e.g: Speedy J in '93 -
Speedy J
in '98, u-Ziq in '93 - u-Ziq '98 live set at the Funnel...Without making
a
list the length of my arm explaining all the changes that individual
artists
make themselves, I think electronica is getting purer again. Around
1993
when electronica was "media cool" there was a lot of shit with
didgeridoo'n'whale sounds over a few twiddly bits and cliched ethnic
vibes
etc Thank god there is less of that shit around.Also as "some" artists
mature and develop, I think jazz also seems to be playing an important
role,
not in a Ronnie Scott's jazz sense but electronically jazzual in sound
and
structure. How can I explain?... As One or Ian O' Brien for example.
So
maybe Speedy J's next LP will be electro industrial extreme jazz ambient
noise.
P:
It's really only the "shit" that changes but the avant-garde will refine
their sound, ignoring fashion and ultimately always look back to jazz
for
their inspiration.
>
>6) Is DJing in clubs a load of bollocks? Do DJs deserve the recognition
> they get?
P:
Yes, Deejays are all too predictable at the moment. I've been hearing
the
same 4 tracks for 4 years. 90 per cent of deejays don't deserve the
recognition they get because they don't challenge their audiences.
The real
dj's play in pre-club "bars" these days, so what does that say about
"dance
culture"?
>
>7) Who do you have most respect for musically, locally and further
afield?
Locally:Michael Moog
Further afield:Warp records for nearly 9 years of quality music.Pete
Namlook
of Fax/Rather Interesting records for not changing his beliefs.Roman
Flugel of
Alter Ego,Ro70,Sensorama,Acid Jesus etc. Rephlex records who are a
constant
challenge and delight.Mark Pritchard & Tom Middleton @ Universal
Language.Chris Brann of the Wamdue aliases in Atlanta.Carl Craig, definately
the most talented of all those Detroit bods.Clear records.R&S/Apollo.Mark
van Hoen of Locust, Scala etc. Speedy J,Luke
Slater,Scanner,Sensurreal,Gerd,Biosphere,Ninja Tune,Marc Royal aka
T-Power etc.,
Harold Budd,Brian Eno and probably a load of others we've forgotten.
P.S: As some background info might not go amiss, we broadcast every
Sunday
8-10pm X107.1Fm and live in real video on the internet at our site
(www.isis.ie/xfm). Apparently, we've made Irish radio history by being
the
first ever show in Ireland to go out live in real video and broadcast
on Fm
at the same time!!!!!!
The show is archived in real time and then is available to be watched
24/7
until the following Sunday (or so I'm told).
Our FM repeat is on Saturday @ 1-3AM.
Singer was off his head (yet again) after PURE (every last Friday of the month in the Funnel) so we stuck a tape recorder in his face while he was walking back up the quays and let him rant for a while before we put him on his Nitelink home.
The media speak of drug users in obscure and degrading terms, branding
them as the outcasts of society, that they don't function with the rest
of "normal" society. This view in no way faces up to the reality
that drugs are common place and are part of some ppl's day to day life
(and contrary to media allusions, these usually aren't no-lifer scumbags
, nor pompus rock-stars/upper
class swines). The only time when Joe/Joesephine Normal see usage
of drugs in the media is when.... 1)There is a drug haul, with soundbites
inserted into the nine o' clock news by the Gardai and ever publicity-hunting
politicians like "A battle won in the war against drugs" "A few more lifes
saved" totally ignoring the fact that drug hauls only increase the suffering,
as drugs do and
always will get through the customs we have in Ireland, thus according
to the laws of supply and demand, a price rise will occur. Hardcore
drug users need the same amount of drugs, so drug related crime will undoubtadly
rise. 2)On hospital programs like "casualty" (aren't there too many
medical-drama series out there?) where some awful actor drops a 'bad'
E,(only coz his pers forced poor
Johnny into it, mind) while at a 'rave', listening to 'the prodigy'
and dies in the hospital with his mother beside his bed screaming.
3)When theres an unfortunate tragic case of death while on drugs.
As nice as it would be to live ones life free of contact with drug users,
(politicians
would never admit there to being a drug 'problem' in a normal suburban
area because that would shatter their plan of 'everything being rosey,
vote for me') i think you'd have to be blinkered not to see the extensive
use of drugs in Dublin (or maybe ppl don't want to ?) I was in work yesterday
in a Centra in town (damn those low-paid student weekend job, why couldn't
the government just give students money to live on? :) -singer the
socialist(?!) ). The area where the shop is has a lot of ppl
passing through on their way to/from work/where-ever, however theres a
large population in the nearabouts, the majority living in whats the Evening
Herald describes as "underprivilaged areas" (the rest of the local population
live in those over-priced faceless facist redbricked apartment blocks(why
aren't they called flats?) that seem to be springing up all over the city....
hurrah for the celtic tiger ?! not that i wouldn't mind living in one of
them...:> )
It is striking, the sheer quantity of ppl who who buy items solely
for drug use. You can spot the heroin addicts a mile away. If they've banged
up recently, their eyes are sunk into their faces, and they sway and stagger
not unlike the way drunkards do. Sometimes they drool saliva onto the floor
(it's soooo much fun cleaning that up). Anyway, these fuckers buy the same
shit day in, day out. Tinfoil, lemons/lemon juice, lighters (the uppy-downey
kind) and bic-biros for the preperation and intake of heroin, Yazoo (their
fave), Yop, Kinder Bueno, MilkyWay Crispy Rolls and Mint
Aeros for eating (all nice and easy on the stomach). Serving
stoners is a bit humorous. Especially if they're wrecked. The poor stoned
individual fumbles their way to the counter... "Ehh, 10 Benson and 2 packets
of red Rizlas" "£1.75 please" The stoner can then visibly be seen
trying to work out what to buy for 'munchies', giving a glazed confused
look while searching through the selection of sweets... "ohh, wow, can
i have 2, no, 3 mars bars
please. Actually make it for, and, ehhhhh, and these crisps *hurredly
places 6 packets of crisps on the counter* awww, what did the ppl in the
flat ask me to get, uhh take for a bottle of coke, will ya, sorry about
this, uhh, and some milk...... and..." ad infiniatum. The poor sod, being
wrecked and having to decide what food yrself and all yr friends want is
a stressful job, there should be government funded training courses around
for that sorta thing.
Other drug-addled customers aren't as frequent/easy to spot. I've probably
passed off speed heads as hyperactive shitheads, E ppl don't usually come
into shops the times I work, although I sometimes catch a few trapsing
home from partys if I'm working early, they usually buy milk and chewing
gum. Acid heads probably just don't come near shops, and they're best off
for it (trying to get your head around the concept
of handing overmoney in exchange for goods is asking way too much of
your average Joe acidhead). So, enough about the shop. Drugs
are easily visible on the streets of Dublin, after work yesterday I was
catching a nightlink home (i don't usually work that late, mind) and boy,
was it an eye-opener being sober and lucid at that time of night....
I passed a couple queing for the bus beside my one and overheard "Are you
still up?" "yeah, i still feel like dancing, you know.." I
think it was
the manical chewing of gum, and persistent tapping/edgyness that gave
them away. And then, while on the nightlink there were 3 lads and
a girl, one of the lads was quite drunk, but the others were most definitely
quite awake, to the extent that he was chewing his bus ticket, and his
eyes looked as big as snooker balls. 'Twas quite an image.
So, theres a few hours in the life of a person who notices other ppl being
on drugs (hey, well theres little else to do while working in a bleedin'
shop.... it's the kind of job that turns ppl to heroin.. ;>
) It would be interesting to get any kind of responce to this piece,
perhaps if it wasn't being printed in an underground freesheet it might
get some... or maybe we should distribute S@E to the Dail, I heard
Bertie likes a bit of Autechre, so S@E will be right up his street so...
:)
Drugs are fucking everywhere, I wish the media would cop onto this
(or
maybe
it's just I work in the wrong places, and always end up with the wrong
sort of
friends...I don't think so...)
Stripe comments - I think the media stresses enough that drugs are everywhere, just that they dont bother debating seriously the reason people take them or what can be done to stop it (and why stop it?).
And speaking of drugs, apparently theres a new chemical on the
market that makes men want to have sex with women. No, alcohols been around
for years I hear you say. It isnt alcohol however. The difference between
this drug and alcohol is that it gives you the "physical" urge as well
as the drunken mental one. With this new drug, the age old male problem
of "MicroSoft" is at an end.
Yes, its the choice of the ageing US politician, Viagra. Viagra
hasnt hit this side of the pond yet, but when it does, doubtlessly we'll
see it being consumed by the truckload. Tent poles that havent seen the
light of day for years will be erected once again. Where there was once
flaccid flesh, there will now be full-bodied throbbing "members", ready
to take the "pink plunge". I could go on with more childish, filthy metaphors
but you get the general idea.
Is this a good thing? It's hard to tell yet, if you'll excuse
the pun. If it means that ageing couples everywhere will have a new lease
of sex life, then we're all for it. We all know that the only thing thats
going to save this miserable piece of shit planet is LOVE between all fellow
human beings, and if that comes about by more people being happily able
to fuck each other, then bring the pills out, and let the fogies get fornicating.
However, what happens when this pill gets everywhere? Its going
down (excuse the pun) a bomb in the states, where doctors have been inundtated
with requests from the wannabe-horny public for a prescription, while the
pharmaceutical manufacturers' share value has rocketed through the roof.
One can only presume thats its not just withered old-timers necking this
pill, but also younger men who might be worried about
not being able to perform on cue (I think thats quite enough of the
obscure puns now..)
Is this fair? Speaking from personal experience as a bloke, not
once has my full-bodied, thick, horse-sized penis ever broken down when
it was needed most. No sir. Everything here at S@E is just fine. But, a
friend of mine (ahem), told me that at one stage or another in their lives,
all blokes will go through the horror of the
"equipment" not responding, no matter how many signals are sent to
it from the brain. This is caused by a number of possibilities, such as
drunkeness, fatigue, stress, anxiety, among others. This was quite an alien
concept to me (of course) although I listened intently.
Does this pill mean the end of sex as we know it? Will blokes
feel under pressure to take this pill even when they arent in the mood
for sex, but the significant other is? Its slightly easier for the ladies
of course, and although they might not be physically ready, that situation
is generally much easier remedied than the male problem. Time will tell
although I cant help but think that this pill is going to have some sort
of impact in bedrooms everywhere.
The thing is, happiness doesnt come in pill form. OK, we here
at S@E might be prone to the odd substance ingestion here or there (sideways
glance at Singer), but thats for escaping reality. Theres nothing wrong
with wanting to escape from reality because reality is mundane. But the
drugs wear off eventually. Drugs arent the
answer to life's problems. Be yourself as much as you can be and deal
with your problems yourself. Chemicals wont and dont give you all the easy
answers, sometimes they're right in front of you; you just need to look
harder.
An aspect of Viagra is that its ability to make a mans dick hard
is that its focused on the act of sex itself. It ties in with our whole
culture I suppose, centred on the single act of penis/vagina intercourse.
If thats all thats been driving you, then maybe you should look somewhere
else rather than Viagra as a cure for impotence.
If your sex life is purely orgasm-oriented by way of penis/vagina sex,
then of course its going to lose interest after a while (maybe not for
years..). Sex isnt and shouldnt be just about fucking, its about pleasure.
There are many other pleasures in life apart from the obvious ones. You've
got to try and explore these.
If a bloke isnt ready for "performing", then that shouldnt be
a halt to the end of the nights proceedings. Theres a whole other realm
of "deviant" sex out there to be adventured into. I'm talking fingers,
tongues, food, objects, ice, s/m, vaseline, roleplaying/swapping, poppers,
light bondage, toys, fists, and anything else you can think of that might
(in any small way) give pleasure when used on ANY part of the body, orifice
or otherwise.
I suppose I can be easy going about the whole impotence thing
because I am still young and I havent experienced it the way that older
men would. It must be difficult to lose the use of such a nice toy that
you've played with and loved all your life.
When all is said and done though, I must admit I am eager to
try this drug. Although no one woman could ever satisfy my enormous libido,
and my cock gets hard at the snap of a finger, blah blah, etc etc, it fascinates
me that a drug can do this. Theres some rumoured side effects, such as
temporary damage to your vision (my mam always told me that I would go
blind anyway)
but I'd be willing to take that risk. After all, taking several E's
every fortnight for the best part of four years probably isnt very good
for ones health either but it was never a barrier. I'm looking forward
to going to a GP and blushingly informing him of my "problem". When/if
it happens, I'll tell you all about it.
Argh !!!! I just spent the last fucking half hour typing out a book
review and this fucking sub standard 486 piece of shit crashed on me and
I lost it all.. fuck fuck fuck.. Windows is a load of shit, I am never
ever using it again.. anyway, thats all for this month, thanks for everyone
who has been in touch with us. Our next
issue should be out hopefully in another fortnight, which hopefully
will have lots of nice gig reviews that Singer is going to and also that
book review that I dont feel like typing out any more. We should also have
the new Boards of Canada reviewed, along with a Nuphonic compilation and
the new Red Snapper EP. If you wanna get in touch with us our email address
is slanted@redbrick.dcu.ie or our snailmail address is 10 Whitethorn Road,
Artane, Dublin 5. YOu
should also check out our ultra shit cool web page which has been clocking
up the hits (much more than we expected) which is located at http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~bscanl.ca1
There you can find our guide to drinking, drugs, music, and loads of other
bits and bobs. See you all soon kids.