Happy music for happy people

I confuse a lot of people.

It's true.

A glance at my CD collection routinely results in more than a few odd looks. Bing Crosby sits next to Bitshifter (I alphabetize based on the way the name appears on the sleeve; e.g. Frank Sinatra appears under "F", not "S", and the "T" section of my collection is freakin' huge). Annie Lennox can be found next to Anti Sound System. Aretha Franklin is placed next to Armageddon Dildos (one of my favorite juxtapositions)...

My point is this: my musical tastes are seriously fucked up.

And it's getting joyfully worse. The story goes like this:

It's my sincere hope that you checked out the Death Metal Fresh Prince. One of the funniest things I've seen in quite awhile. The imagery is hilarious, but for most people, that's as far as they'd go with it.

Me? I tracked down the song and bought the damned album.

The tune used in the video is the title track from Amputated's Gargling With Infected Semen. Pleasantly sub-titled "Pussy Plundering Porno-Grind", this album is currently one of my favorites. Who could resist the allure of tracks like "Anally Disemboweled (Weapons Of Ass Destruction)", "Love 'Em And Cleave 'Em" or the ever popular "Menstrual Cunt Fart"?

This shit is hilarious and more than a bit tongue-in-check. After all, these guys posted the Will Smith thing on their MySpace page, so they've gotta have a sense of humor. But the music is still aggressive as all get out. Death grunts in full effect, roaring guitars and great drumming. Some blast beats here but mostly a thunderous groove. This stuff swings, as odd as that sounds; shades of Entombed's colossal Wolverine Blues. The lyrics aren't listed on the sleeve, but in all honesty I don't think there are any. I believe it's just this crazy motherfucker growling into the mic.

Don't believe me? Check out "M.D.S.P.T.".

Doesn't he have a lovely singing voice?

How can you listen to this stuff without wanting to punch somebody in the face while laughing maniacally? Just kidding. However, I dare say A LOT of people would be offended by this music as well as the album art: mucho porno here as well as some pretty sick medical photos (typical of goregrind albums).

I say to hell with them.

Anyone who can't listen to this stuff without either enjoying it (like me) or just shaking their heads and chuckling (like Susan) needs to get the pole out of their butt. Go listen to Elton John, Yanni, or some other smarmy, soulless crap. Life is too short not to go crazy now and again. Punch a higher floor.

"There are two kinds [of music]: good and bad." - Louis Armstrong

Dr. Everythingwillbealright recommends:

Amputated - Gargling With Infected Semen
(my presidential campaign music)

Still Stupid - Still Stupid
(DIY punk lovingly transferred from cassette)

Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
(putting my hand on the pump)

The Bug - Pressure
(this KMart does not have a blue light special)

Tom Wait - Bad News Out Of A Pretty Mouth
(this is a man that should do some death metal)

Eulogy

Today marks the first anniversary of the death of my stepfather, Overton "Skip" Fleming. He and my mother met while I was in college, so he and I never had a father-son relationship. However, I will always value my memories of him. He was an amazing man who lived a very exciting life: veteran, former POW, race car driver, jazz lover (rabid fan of Miles), geneologist (he organized family reunions where several HUNDRED people would show up); the list goes on and on.

I remember times when he and I would get to talking, be it about politics, music, or any other number of topics; the rest of my family would often find us hours later, still chatting away.

A fantastic man.

He took care of my mother when she was ill and she in turn took care of him when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was caring, intelligent, and exciting to know.

I miss him very much.

Farewell to Falwell

Seems that "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, [and] all of [those] who have tried to secularize America" have lost one of our primary opponents in our fight for a sane, more tolerant world. Jerry Falwell died yesterday due to heart failure. And while I don't gloat over his death, it is my sincere hope that if there is a heaven he's there getting a stern talking to from St. Peter and perhaps the Big Man Himself.

Falwell wasn't as out there as some of the other crazy fundies (paging Mr. Robertson, white courtesy telephone please...), but there is no denying that he did more than his share of adding to this country's growing culture of intolerance as well as the supposed moral superiority of the Christian Right. There's also no denying his history of racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia, from his anti-Equal Rights statements of the 1960s all the way up through his heartless comments around AIDS (remember "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals"?) and casting blame for 911.

And do not forget that the Anti-Christ will be Jewish. Thanks for the tip, Jerry.

It's too bad that a man of obvious intelligence and charisma (unfortunately clouded and obscured by the innate stupidity of intolerance) ending up pursuing his life in the manner that he did. Many will praise his accomplishments, especially his successful transformation of the fundamentalist movement from a fringe group of crazy people to a powerful political machine (comprised of crazy people). I will remember him for exactly the same reason, although considerably less kindly. His legacy may in fact be the true advent of political power for the Christian Right. "Family Values", "The Sanctity of Marriage" and other such repugnant (at least to me) ideas are the direct fallout of folks like Falwell.

He's gone, but no doubt hordes of likeminded folks are clamoring to pick up Falwell's standard and run with it. I suspect he is already being referred to in martyr- or savior-like terms by those in his extended flock. And folks like that will always remember the intensity of his faith, not the hate in his message. And that is more than just unfortunate.

It's blind and it's frightening.

Secularizing America with:

The Nefilim - Zoon
(the breaking of bodies and spirits)

Techno Animal - Dead Man's Curse
(JKFlesh and KMart rule forever)

Tom Waits - Small Change
(can't wait to get off work to see my baby)

Various - Speed Limit 140 BPM Plus
(glorious proto-dnb techno)

Various - Terry's Cafe 8
(down and out)

Out the other side

At last a break.

Hopefully.

After two solid weeks of being completely buried, I have emerged almost unscathed. Imagine my joy when I found myself not having to work over the weekend!

In fact, Susan and I had a wonderful Saturday together. First we toured the old City Hall subway station, closed in 1945. It was not quite as spectacular as it was billed, but it was still worth the trip. The ceiling work was particularly impressive, though the entire station was filthy.




I think with a good cleaning the space would be perfect for wine tastings, small concerts, and other such events. Then again, you'd have to schedule things around the trains which come rumbling through every couple of minutes...

We nipped home after the tour for quick bite before heading out again to see a Miles Davis tribute put on by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Two separate bands performed, each covering a separate phase of Miles' music. The first set featured tunes from 1960-1967 and was spectacular. The band did a fantastic rendition of "Round Midnight" as well as some of my other favorites; really great.

The second set, however, was extremely disappointing. I've never been a big fan of jazz fusion, but I got served a big steaming pile of it for the second set. Awful wank. Funk guitar just does not sound right to my ears when mixed with jazz trumpet and sax. Add to that saccharine synth sweeps and limp proto-hiphop rhythms and you've got a recipe for ick.

At least in my opinion.

Susan was quite insistent on pointing out that the rest of the audience seemed to enjoy the music and she was correct. Lots of folks around us were calling for more after the band finished and more that a few people actually gave the musicians a standing O. However, the gentleman sitting next to me who, like me, was madly tapping his foot throughout the entire first set, was noticeably tapless during the second set, so I don't think I was the only disappointed patron. Either way, the second half of the concert was a letdown, but the first set more than made up for it.

Miles says, "Piss on you, Ben. You don't know shit."


It felt really good to be out from under the weight of work for a bit. Things should continue to be sane at least for a bit, I believe. Perhaps I can start seeing folks who I haven't seen for weeks!

Plowing through my head:

Coldworker - The Contaminated Void
(from the ashes of Nasum rises a new grindcore power)

Area - The Perfect Dream
(finally tracked down their other albums; god bless you, emusic.com)

Various - Spintrax 22
(house house house)

Various - Reduced Phat 2%
(Enduser, Subsektor and Edgey crush you like a little bitch)

Various - DJ Gristletwich: The Doppleganger Mix
(that's just nasty)

DJ Abstract turns twenty

I'd been toying with the idea of throwing together another mix for some time. The problem was figuring out what style of music I wanted to spin. I'd come up with a number of really cool starting songs and had some great ideas on where the subsequent flows would go, but it was a "kid in a candy store"-type situation.

So much music; so many choices.

Adding to the trickiness was the fact that this would be my twentieth mix; a milestone of sorts, no? Would I go back to the beginning and do a downtempo mix a la The Dark Lounge Mix? Perhaps another trance mix like the last couple I've done? Some wicked d&b and breakcore instead? Maybe some metal?

Goodness knows this was a tough one.

As it happens, however, I was listening to an old compilation yesterday (Law Of The Jungle) and this proved to be the breakwater. T. Power's track "Elemental" is a chilled out yet still d&b track that got me thinking... what about a laid back jungle mix? Not the usual miasmic, evil hover bass and shattered breaks that I usually employ and enjoy, but a more introspective, mellow approach. My brain started churning pretty much right away: Roni Size jazz-inflections, older Grooverider tunes, Laswell organic bass...

Oh... Oh yes…

And so was birthed DJ Abstract 20: The Polychrome Mix. Mostly mellow, some bits of heavy, but mostly a relaxed, inward-looking vibe.

01 T. Power - Elemental
02 Roni Size - Jazz
03 Matrix - Mute
04 Lamb - Five
05 Jonny L - I Let U
06 Grooverider - Starbase 23
07 Boymerang - Lazarus
08 Spring Heel Jack - Eesti
09 Chris J - Revelation
10 Goldie - Sensual
11 Bill Laswell - Faktura
12 The Bug - Living Dub



So head over to my website and download it along with my other nineteen mixes. So much audio tasty to choose from, so go see, hear, share and enjoy.

Sailing upon the seas of sound:

Various - DJ Abstract 20: The Polychrome Mix
(just think, one more mix and I can vote)

Erroll Garner - The Complete Savoy Master Takes
(brilliant piano from a guy who couldn't even read music; amazing)

Immortal - Pure Holocaust
(vocals sound better when you've got a diseased frog in your throat)

Various - Silent Season Dub
(glitchy crinkley floaty)

Various - Immortalized
(the Earache collectors can; three discs of pure brutality)

So... metal... PS

Because the Fresh Prince is down with the Horned One.