First statement of this issue is: FUCK TOWER RECORDS !!! Regular readers of this fanzine/freesheet publication may have noticed that our last issue, number 32, entitled "You know it makes sense", was a full length affair and cost 40p in the shops. (Theres loads of cool articles in it from Diabetes to Religion to Class to the Canaries to Dublin Bus, with loads of reviews and other shit - buy buy buy if you havent already)
Anyway we went around to the local independent shops in the city, Comet, Freebird, Borderline and Road, and of course they had no problems with stocking it. Respect where its due. But when we strolled on into the Tower "megastore" on Wicklow Street, that was a different story.
We normally drop the freesheet in here, and we have been doing so since about this time last year, basically because Tower stock a few "underground" magazines, and we thought there would be people in here who would be interested in reading our little sheet. Its also a gateway to the masses cos you get a mix of people in Tower, the usual heads who know where all the smaller shops are, but also the mainstream dickheads
looking for shit like Loaded and Select. And hey, if they got turned onto other shit through seeing our freesheet, then all the better. Its always good to see people turning to the Dark Side of the Force. And we've met people from Tower before at gigs and raves and stuff, and they liked the sheet. So we thought there wouldnt be any problem in them taking a few copies of the zine.
We went in and looked around. Asked several people for help or who to go and were told to "Just hang on a minute". OK, fair enough. We were sent to this woman called Rachel, who was the manager of magazines and books.
Went up to this woman anyway and asked would they give us a receipt for the issues. After telling her what it was, she asked what price we were selling it at. I told her 40p per issue, and 10 or 15 copies, that makes either 4 or 6 quid. She said that she was sorry, but it wasnt enough to fill out a consignment order. Why, we asked. Because its not worth it, she said.
The fanzines were too cheap, and wouldnt make Tower enough profit. It wouldnt be worth their while stocking them because they would only be making about 20p per issue (Tower have to make AT LEAST thirty three percent profit on every single thing they sell, think about that next time you are in there).
At the risk of sounding like sell-outs here, we said to her that we didnt care how much they sold them for, just as long as we covered our costs. Yeah alright, we're capitalist bastards but we did spent a lot of money on it and its nice to get a bit of cash back now and again after you've been giving the damn thing out for free for two and a half years.
But no. A cost price of 40p was too low. We would have to take in more than that. At this point we just left it, we felt bad enough at the prospect of Tower over-charging for our zine without us reaping the benefits of it. We just said thanks anyway and left the store.
The red tape involved in the whole thing made me a bit angry. Everything that Tower stocks has to be done through their main store in London, so basically anything thats on the shelves has to be passed through several stages of stocking and pricing, etc etc. Its not simple enough that they couldnt just give us the cash then and there, and they'd still make their profit. I can see the point of this of course when you've shitloads of CDs, books, magazines etc coming in every day. What does piss me off
about this whole situation is Tower's supposed stance on the "underground" media. If you go into Tower any day of the week you can pick up a fanzine. Except that its an American fanzine, and its going to cost you more than 2.50. Tower are making their money. But to the average punter, it seems like Tower are doing something different. You know,
they're taking a risk. They're supporting a scene. My fucking hole they are. They're just making their money by associating themselves with a culture that they dont care for. I'm not well-versed in DIY theory, but I thought one of the points of doing a zine was to support your local scene (whatever one that may be). You know, to put across views that arent aired
in the normal press. About doing things cheaply and giving people a decent read. About publicising whats going on in your town or city. Its not about making money. We didnt start S@E to make cash for ourselves. We dont care about making cash (not that much anyway :). Its all about telling people what we think, what they arent exposed to by the mainstream toerag press.
I guess this is just because we are bitter that Tower didnt stock our zine but they never stock any Irish zines. If Tower cared about the Dublin scene then they would stock Dublin zines. But no, its better to stock a zine from San Fran about something strange like Palindromes, rather than a zine with the latest shit about whats going on in the Dublin punk scene or dance scene or whatever.
What more can we say? We give thanks to the lord for places like Comet, Freebird, Road, and Borderline that stock fanzines at a decent price, and dont care for things like consignment orders or profit margins. Support these shops because they offer something different than the mass consumption Tower wants you to indulge in.
Anyway, what does Tower ever have anyway. CDs for 18 quid? Give me a break. We wont be shopping there again... (that is of course, until they get a 12" in that we've been looking for.. doh..)
STOP PRESS !! I just seen the new Curve CD for sale in Tower, right. But it was 18 quid initially. Now they are selling it at a reduced price at 15 quid. BUT they have another sticker on it, indicating the original price was only 16 quid. Not only do they have the nerve to over charge, but they also have the nerve to try and fool the customers into thinking that they were originally selling something at a lower price before they cut it..

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.