keepstumblin

Auf Wiedersehen

2009-03-22T09:21:00.002-04:00

Given that I have been posted here less and less, I believe the time has come to shut this little ol' site down. While it's been fun spouting off here, I realize that few people even check this site anymore. So I'll be packing my bags and moving my opinionated crap over to Facebook and use their Notes applications to shout into the void. Adios, muchachos.

Liquid gold from Alsace

2009-02-25T09:51:00.002-05:00

I realize I have been quite remiss in posting here, but life has been so busy in the last month or so that I have lacked the time and energy to do so. Much has happened and continues to happen. However, given the pleasantness of an outing Susan and I had last night, I felt compeled to share.

We've been doing a brisk business with Heights Chateau, a wine shop just down the block from our apartment. It is proving more convenient that our usual vendor, Montague Wine and Spirits, which will always be near and dear to our hearts regardless. We've gotten to know the staff at Heights much like we've gotten to know the staff at Montague and as such are privy to certain information prior to it being released to the public. Case in point, an early invititation to a wonderful wine tasting they held last night.

Our main Heights Chateau contact, Ariel, had introduced us to several wines from Domaine Agape, a tiny producer from Alsace. Suffice to say we were instant fans and were therefore overjoyed to hear that the tasting would feature only wines from Agape. Additionally, one of the producers would actually be attending. The promo materials for the tasting read as follows.

"Domaine Agape is a story of a match made in wine lover's heaven. Isabelle Boxler & Vincent Sipp both hail from traditional families in Alsace, each with a fascinating history of wine and war that goes back hundreds of years. Together they produce stunning wines that are lively, elegant, pure and trul delicious. Producing in three villages including Riquewihr, Hunawihr and Ribeauville, one third of the winery is classified as Grand Cru, with the average age of a vine no less than 25 years. Each plot has distinctive soil qualities and grapes are tended carefully by hand, producing wines that are intensely aromatic and expressive. Isabelle and Vincent continue a tradition of organic farming set forth by their families and focus their efforts on producing a smaller crop and thus supremely concentrated grapes. Production is limited to 5000 cases per year."

That's right. 5000 case on wine per year from 25+ year old vines, 33% of which are Grand Cru.

Yummy doesn't even being to cover it.

Anyway, the event was held at Bacchus (how appropriate) in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn, a pleasant 15 minute walk from our home. We arrived about 5 minutes early, but due to some planning errors on the part of the restaurant we were forced to wait for another 35 minutes before finally being seated and served.

We began with a delcious bruschetta made with pickled red onion and a bit of tarragon, paired with a NV Brut Cremant d'Alsace Emotion. Delicious. The acidity of the wine really accentuated the bite of the tarragon and the sweetness of the pickled onion. An excellent start.

Next up was sea scallops with lemon sage butter sauce paired with Agape's 2007 Pinot Blanc. Again, a complete home run. The sage and lemon simply exploded around this medium bodied stunner and the scallops themselves were done to perfection, the sauce delicate and not at all cloying.

Midway through our culinary exploration, we hit our first snag.

Our third course was pork tenderloin with pears and cranberries poached in white wine with thyme paired with their 2007 Muscat. The pears and cranberries were stellar, their fruitiness and sweetness brought far foward by the wine. The pork, however, was overdone and tough, which was a disappointment.

We faired no better foodwise for the fourth course, Cajun-spice tuna medallion with zucchini paired with Agape's 2007 Gewurtztraminer. Again, the side dish was scrumptious and succulent, but the tuna itself was overdone. Also, the Cajun spice proved to overwhelm the wine a bit. However, when imbided with just the zucchini, a complete winner. A turkey apple sausage with caramelized onions was also served, but I had to pass on this given my apple allergy. Susan informed me, however, that I didn't miss much. As one of our tablemates opined, "If you're going to eat sausage, eat sausage. Why bother with tasteless turkey?"

We were treated to a surprise at this point, as the hosts distributed a rough red wine from Laguedoc. This wine was extremely vegetal and, honest, had a bit of sewage in the nose. Not a huge fan of this particular sipper, but it wasn't a total loss.

Foodwise, Bacchus managed to recover with the final course, a lobster saffron risotto paried with the shining star of the evening, Agape's 2007 Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg. Astoundingly good. Again, the lobster was slightly overcooked, but the risotto was stellar and the wine a complete slamdunk. This is a wine I would happily drink every day, which is quite something to say, given that it's a white. Lots of vanilla and floral accents, especially lavendar. Some powdered sugar tastes as well. Absolutely delicious.

Most of the attendees began to exit the venue around midnight, but Ariel stayed behind and plied us with some refills of the Riesling and an off-the-menu red which quite made up for the so-so Languedoc from earlier in the evening. We also were fortunate enough to have some wonderful tablemates that we chatted with until well into the morning. A quick walk home and we were in bed by 1:30. Not bad.

So, all in all, a pleasant evening. I'm actually anxious to return to Bacchus and see what their fare is like when they are not under the gun of a 30 person, 7 course tasting. Goodness knows that the high points were quite high and the low points were not completely unacceptable. My mouth's mind wonders...

Audio tasting menu:

Various - Three Stripes One Love
(mo dub love from DJ Quendi)

Charlie Parker - Birth Of The Bebop
(a scratchy and catchy recording from Bird)

Blackmouth - Blackness Bleeding
(monster mixes from Jarboe and friends)

This Mortal Coil - Blood
(a bit of a mess that I'm still trying to get my head around)

Dettinger - Intershop
(bleep bleep bloop bloop doop doop)

Hopes and fears

2009-01-16T14:59:00.003-05:00

Here we sit, four days before the most important Presidential inauguration in US history. I'm excited, happy, and more than a bit apprehensive. While anti-Obamaism hasn't been making constant front page news, you know it's there. There are still dumb fucks out there who hate this man because he is black (no doubt aggrevated by the fact that he is intelligent, articulate, charismatic, and successful). They see his election as a slap in the face of the country, which is stupid because it is this very country that elected him. Then again, trying to apply logic to these people is like trying to tutor George Bush in particle physics.

You could try, but what would be the point.

My apprehension is sourced by several things. The first is concern for the man himself. I've grown to respect and admire the man (as much as anyone can a politician). I have the same proud feelings about him as I still do for Bill Clinton, a great man whom history will remember fondly, regardless of where he put his penis.

The second is concern for the country's future. I believe Barack has the power to change our course. I believe he has the vision to make America better, both in terms of living here and in terms of how we are perceived by the rest of the world. If some stupid rednecks did manage to kill him, the country and every one in it will have lost a great opportunity.

Lastly and most selfishly (and most paranoiac), is concern for myself. What can I say? I'm a white guy. If Obama was to be killed, the idea of the resultant racial backlash boggles the mind. The riots following the death of Martin Luther King Jr would pale in comparison; the post-Rodney King verdict chaos would be a mere blip. Lots of people, no doubt both black and white, would die. My stepfather, a black man who unforunately died before he could see all this, said to me once that if a black man were to be elected President and then be assassinated, the country would be in flames for months and every white face would look like the devil to any black person. To have this triumph taken away after having waited for it so long would be too much to bear for too many.

I would be afraid to leave my home. Call me racist. Call me paranoid. All I know that I'd be filled with rage. I can't imagine that rage magnified by what it must be like to be a black man in this country. You could ask Oscar Grant III, but he's dead now, isn't he?

See my point.

So a message to any fool contemplating killing this great man. In the unlikely event that you succeed, you will unleash a fury the likes of which you have never seen. Obama's death would be a terrible, terrible price for all of us and no doubt you and many that you love would be destroyed in the resulting backlash.

And that's too high a price for even you.

Mad Man Scratchy

2008-12-29T12:45:00.005-05:00

I was introduced to dub in 1982, at the tender age of 12. My best friend at the time had an amazingly cool older sister who had absolutely flawless taste in music (as well as other charms that are better not discussed here...) and she was immersing herself in all dem tings dat make de dub; King Tubby, Prince Jammy, etc., etc. And while I was completely sold on the sound, one artist in particular absolutely fascinated me: Lee Scratch Perry. He's incredibly talented, prolific, and unquestionably out of his mind. Legends of his various oddities range from the unbelievable (some say he used to get high by drinking tape cleaner fluid...) to the certifiable (he burned down his Black Ark studio because he had become convinced that it had become possessed by the devil...). Regardless, I loved his music and his techniques, which he proffered to a wide array of artists. Anyway, I've been meaning to do a mix of his stuff (including stuff he produced), so I cobbled this together. 22 tracks, 77+ minutes of The Computer Master... Dub Organizer Supreme... The Original Upsetter.. Lee... Scratch... Perry.

01 Tom McCook & The Upsetters - Cloak & Dagger
02 Junior Byles - Curley Locks
03 Lee Scratch Perry - When Knotty Came
04 The Mighty Upsetter - Fungea
05 Lee Perry - Golden Locks
06 Sir Lord Comic & The Upsetters - Django Shoots First
07 The Upsetters - Dubbing Sandra
08 The Upsetters - Freedom Dub
09 Lee Scratch Perry - Huzza A Hana
10 Max Romeo - Public Enemy Number One
11 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Small Axe
12 Augustus Pablo - Hot & Cold
13 Lee Perry - What A Botheration
14 The Stingers - Preacher Man
15 The Upsetters - Bury The Razor
16 Lee Perry - Blackman Time
17 Junior Murvin - Roots Train Number One
18 The Upsetters - Black Ipa
19 Junior Ainsworth - Thanks & Praise
20 Lee Perry - Justice To The People
21 Lee Perry - City Too Hot
22 The Upsetters - Dub Fu Ye Rights

Your can sample the dubbiness here and also head over to the DJ Abstract website for more interesting tuneage.

Babylon be torn down by:

Various - Mad Man Scratchy
(ruder and crazier than you)

Various - Ground Into Dust
(because sometimes heavier just sounds better)

Various - Soulful Jazz Lounge Funk'n Breaks
(funk 'n' bumps)

Godflesh - Messiah
(as I said, sometimes heavier just sounds better)

Beef Terminal - Anger Do Not Enter
(definitively plantive)

Hackers Suck

2008-12-06T07:57:00.003-05:00

So I've been seeing a considerable increase in traffic to the Machine Tribe Recordings website, but only one order has been placed. At first I thought it was a) that my music was crappy (tho I assumed folks liked it if they were coming there) or b) the site was ugly or too hard to use. I decided to start a redesign. During the course of downloading my existing files, my virus detector kicked off. Turns out SOME ASSHOLE HACKED MY SITE. All of the people who tried to place orders were being sent to some random Japanese website.

I am going to find this person and kill them.

Anyway, it's been fixed. So if you went to the site and had a problem, please go back. Pretty please. I'll waive shipping (as usual) and toss in a free sampler as well.

Son of a bitch.

STOP THE PRESS! PS

2008-12-03T12:35:00.005-05:00

I don't know if I've mentioned in before, but I came across an excellent internet radio program called Bleepshow some time ago. They'd played a Breaks The Blank Day track about a year ago, so I asked the host, Pete Cooper, if I could send him some demos. He said fine. I sent the demos.

Guess what? He liked them.

AN ENTIRE SHOW devoted to my music.

ANOTHER ENTIRE SHOW devoted to my music.

WHOOT!

My ears overfloweth

2008-12-03T11:11:00.003-05:00

Two luscious chunks of Abstract-related audio for today's charter:

Firstly, I've been following a great mix site called SubNav. It's moderated, so you have to submit your mixes for approval and they decide if it gets posted or not. Anyway, I threw caution to the wind a couple weeks back and sent them a couple of my mixes. Lo and behold, they just posted my Ashes And Dust Mix. For those of you who missed it (or want to check out the nifty artwork SubNav threw together for it), check it out. Pretty cool to feel appreciated.

Secondly, another mix has fallen out of the sky and hit me in the head violently.

I may have to apologies for this one in advance. After doing Soft And Broken, I was really in the mood to do something HEAVY. I'd been kicking around a couple of tunes that were pretty klangie and loud and sent myself a couple of emails (subject line: "Hard Mix"; how's that for creative?) with an ever growing list of tracks. Once I'd gotten enough together, I started to work.

"Kur" is just plain nasty, a harder track by Heinrich At Hart off the Position Chrome label. Huge, pitch shifted breakbeats, etc. Just how I wanted it to sound. Mobthrow's "Deathstep" continued the heavy feel and added some dubstep feel to the mix. This logically lead into "Painkillers" by Ebola (more squelchy bass and twisted beats).

Then things started to go off the rails.

I hadn't mucked about with the Blacklands track "Solvay Bliss" in a LONG time; last time I spun it was probably in 2005. Still, it seemed to fit. Kinda. And then the weirdness just built up. "Stalingrad" is completely epic and dark and possibly my favorite track off Blackfilm's debut album. But then TA came back with the bass and then Ice smothered everything.

Blah blah blah.

Suffice to say what started as an attempt at 70 minutes or so of headcrushing music ended up (as usual) all over the place. Parts of this mix are really nasty, while other parts are headnoddy, isolationist, etc. Bit of a mishmash, but I like it.

Hopefully you won't all hate it. I don't want to get voted off the island.

So hang on.

Ground To Dust
01 Heinrich At Hart - Kur
02 Mobthrow - Deathstep
03 Ebola - Painkillers
04 Blacklands - Solvay Bliss
05 Blackfilm - Stalingrad
06 Techno Animal - Bass Concussion
07 Ice - X-1
08 The Dustmite - Assassin Of Memories Track 12
09 The Unknown Ghosts - City Of Ghosts
10 Scorn - Flick
11 Alec Empire - City Of Lights
12 Hive - Vaya Con Dios (A Suspended Remix)
13 Witchman - Palace Of Angels

You can click here to take a listen and, by all means, head on over to my website to find more tasty ear candy.

Feeling the fists of love with:

Various - Ground To Dust
(flatten your cranium in one quick and easy session)

Various - Lee Perry: I Am The Upsetter
(4 discs of premium Scratch)

The Dustmite - Assassins Of Memories
(deep dark hop)

Nitzer Ebb - That Total Age
(because I wish to join in the chant)

A Great White Bird - Adventures In Ornithology
(continuously mixed by your's truly)

More on the melancholy

2008-11-23T18:11:00.002-05:00

We've all got one. There's always that one boy or girl who has the somewhat dubious distinction of being the first person to break your heart. Chances are it happened when you were in your late teens or (as in my case) your early twenties. We survive and can often (as in my case) look back kindly on that person.

I created my first mix tapes for this particular woman and most all of them had one thing in common: they were kinda sad. This is slightly embarrassing in retrospect, but at the time I thought it was romantic; a kind of "doomed love"-type thing. Gives me a wry smile just thinking about it.

Years have passed, my musical tastes (and collection) have expanded in every which way, and now I crank out mixes of all shapes and sizes (musically speaking). However, that taste for the melancholy still exists. After all, I threw together Grayside Tales and Games, Blame, And Hard Luck Dames, so it's not like I don't still stroll down that road occasionally.

This is one of those occasions. Soft And Broken is yet another of those odd mixes that began as one thing and slowly morphed into another. The feel of all the tunes is very similar, but the styles of music aren't exactly kissing cousins. Well, they are to my ears, but I'm just like that. So enjoy.

01 Nina Simone - Don't Smoke In Bed
02 Billie Holiday - Don't Explain
03 Tom Waits - Invitation To The Blues
04 Frank Sinatra - One For My Baby
05 David J - Nature Boy
06 Daniel Ash - Candy Darling
07 Bauhaus - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
08 Dead Can Dance - Severance
09 MC 900 Ft Jesus - Buried At Sea
10 Soul Coughing - Sleepless
11 Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand
12 Beastie Boys - I Don't Know
13 The Cure - Happy The Man
14 Bjork - Headphones (0 Remix)
15 Portishead - Roads
16 Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

BTW, if you missed the link above, you can click here to have a listen. For other stuff I've thrown together, read some more bloggage or visit my website and click on the Mixes link.

Floating into the night with:

Various - Soft And Broken
(pluck them heartstrings)

Nina Simone - Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings
(man, can that woman sing)

Stockfinster - Sunset
(more tasty DIY IDM)

Decapitated - Nihility
(putting the death in death metal)

AFX - AFX Compilation
(Richard D in the place to be)

Ever have a day...

2008-11-19T13:44:00.003-05:00

When you feel like this kid?

Headcrush party:

Various - Tilt 025-027
(yummy yummy bass in tummy)

Mortician - Hacked Up For Barbecue / Zombie Apocalypse
(grrr grunt bad drums ugly bass)

Bowery Electric - Lushlife
(fadeheaded)

Prince - Batman
(so bad it's too good)

Laurie Anderson - Mr Heartbreak
(white courtesy telephone, please)

Tasty leopard food

2008-11-18T09:07:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a restaurant called Danal. It was a tiny place snuggled in the first floor of a brownstone on 10th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues. The atmosphere was intimate, the food delicious, and the wine list excellent. I first went there in 1994 and returned as often as possible. It short, Danal was my favorite restaurant in New York.

Then they moved.

I've not been to the new location, but I've had reports from reliable sources that it is not nearly as intimate or inviting.

So I'm afraid to go back. But Nature abhors a vacuum and provides alternatives.

Some time ago (a little over a year, methinks), Susan and I made plans to take in the Saturday night Sinatra-only show at The Carnegie Club. I did want to grab a bite to eat somewhere in the neighborhood before the performance, so I did a bit of research and came across a handsome place called Il Gattopardo (apparently Italian for The Leopard; go figure). While not as intimate as Danal, it did have possibilities, so I made a reservation, fingers crossed.

A home run in every sense.

The food was spectacular, the service some of the best I've had in New York, and a wine list that would bring even a minor wine enthusiast to tears. I've since made several trips back, including a GU Club meeting. It's that good. So much so that Susan specifically requested that we go there for her birthday. Not being great with names, she affectionately refers to it as "The White Restaurant" (the walls of the main dining room are painted plain white; some might say this is stark, but I would say elegantly simple).

So we arrived at 8pm last evening and sat down to enjoy a very pleasant 2 1/2 hour meal.

Susan began with a friseé salad with pancetta, olive oil, lemon, crushed red pepper and gorgonzola crouton, while I indulged in the white truffle risotto. I was especially pleased when the risotto arrived unadorned. The waiter followed a brief moment later with a white truffle on a bed of sea salt, which he proceeded to grate over the risotto; very yummy. And if Susan's pauses (complete with a closed-eye look of bliss) were any indication, her salad was a lovely experience as well.

We accompanied the appetizer course with a 2001 Supertuscan, San Fabiano Calcinaia's "Cerviolo". Lots of delicious cherry and cedar notes here, along with a finish a mile long. Delicious.

Having slowly worked our way through this tasty introduction, Susan moved onto the Colorado rack of lamb in herb crust with potato croquette and sautéed spinach, served with fruit. I requested the pappardelle with rabbit ragu and wild mushrooms. Again, spectacular results, aided by a 2003 Amarone Della Valpolicella from Fumanelli (a big-bodied, raisin-y wine with very little acid; bone dry and delicious).

After a 15 minute break to degust, we polished off the meal with a mascarpone and espresso Semifreddo with chocolate sauce and a glass each of Dow's 20 Year Tawny port; a fitting end for a scrumptious meal.

So if you're in the mood for sumptuous dining (and are willing to lay down the coin for it...), definely check out Il Gattopardo, my new favorite restaurant in New York.

Further choices from the tasting menu:

Godflesh - In All Languages
(one disc of hits, one disc of rarities; all face stomping)

Godflesh - Us And Them
(their most experimental of all)

Mississippi John Hurt - 1928 Sessions
(roomful of blues)

Stockfinster - Car Crash)
(because all becomes music)

Twine - Violets
(broken and lovely)

Even more good news

2008-11-10T10:20:00.005-05:00

Seems The One True Dead Angel has enjoyed the numerous CDs I sent their way. The lastest disc to be review is one of my faves, Gossamer from Abstract Audio Systems. Another base hit for Machine Tribe Recordings!

As an aside, I have to say I'm feeling very excited about my music. Our efforts to get the Sleepy Time Lullaby CDs continue slowly and we hope to have some success.

I've also relesed a new EP from Breaks The Blank Day entitled Knowing Nothing. You can download it from free at the website or click the links below.

Breaks The Blank Day - Knowing Nothing

01 glitterstring
02 i am glad to know nothing
03 permanence
04 dirtdrift
05 velveteen
06 high earth orbit

Gimme a beat:

Techno Animal - Radio Hades
(as in a beating to the head)

Ice - Bad Blood
(gritty underground hip of the hop)

Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
(gorgeous IDM-iness)

The Unknown Ghosts - Transfer At Dub
(can't get this one out of my head)

Frank Sinatra - Come Dance With Me
(it's such a cookoo day)

Poised

2008-11-04T12:08:00.003-05:00

Forty-five years ago, a great man stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and told the nation of his dream. He spoke of a time when his children would "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"; a time when "we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

And while we all can still hear those jangling discords, it seems to me that we are ready to take another step towards that dream.

Perhaps I'll be eating crow tomorrow, hanging my head in defeat, but I truly believe that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. Already we have seen record voter turnout. Most of the early voting ballots were cast by Democrats and while there is no guarantee that these folks didn't vote for John McCain, it's a good bet that the majority of them didn't.

I still feel the wave building.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of my political life. This was the sixth ballot I've cast for President and I'm a pitiful 2 for 5. So I may stand at .500 come tomorrow.

Whatever the outcome, this has undoubtedly been the most intense, exciting, and frustrating political race I have ever been privy to and while it is my sincere hope that Obama will indeed stand triumphant after the smoke clears, there is no denying that this country's future will be deeply changed, regardless of the result.

Do your part to make this happen. Go vote.

Hailing the Chief with:

Various - Texas Guitar Killers
(ripping out the blues)

Various - Trojan Dub Box Set
(dem find de best and play dem here)

Cardopusher - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 2
(cavernous bass and stuttering beats)

Ashtech - Walkin' Target
(more tasty dubstep)

Opeth - Damnation
(an acoustic surprise from epic metal masters)

Calling down the thunder

2008-10-29T12:57:00.007-04:00

Twenty-five is a nice round number, so I gave considerable thought to exactly what type of mix I should throw together to celebrate it. I've been dabbling a lot lately with the downtempo thing (where my heart and soul truly lie), yet I thought something more exciting might be appropriate. Fortunately, I stumbled across two very strong drum and bass tracks and this got my head on straight. The first: Seba's floating and beautiful "Blaze And Fade Out", which I came across during a MySpace visit. The second: Noisia's remix of "Painkiller" by The Freestylers, which ended up in my lap thanks to another mix I'd been listening to off a German dnb site.

I get around.

Anyway, the frenetic beats, cavernous bass rumbles, and wild intensity of drum and bass proved entirely too much to resist and here are the results: DJ Abstract 25: Miasma Mix. This is a gloriously punishing mix, easing in slowly and then dropping the hammer emphatically with amen breaks and techstep assaults galore. Hang on for this one and enjoy the ride.

01 Seba - Blaze And Fade Out
02 Calyx - Get Myself To You
03 Freestylers - Painkiller (Noisia Remix)
04 Visage - Fade To Grey (Noisia Remix)
05 The Upbeats - Monsta Mash
06 Shimon And Sparfunk - In The Shine
07 Cause4Concern - Dub Funk
08 Black Sun Empire - B'Negative (SKC & Chris.Su Remix)
09 Panacea - Panik Orchestra
10 Unknown Error - Fear No Evil
11 Rregula - Shit's Dope
12 Nocturnal - 3rd Rail
13 Rawthang - Scorned

You can revel in the cacophony by clicking here or head on over to the DJ Abstract website to check it out along with a bunch of my other audio main dishes. Take a hot bath in audio!

Sold a quart of blood and bought a half a pint of:

Various - DJ Abstract 25: Miasma Mix
(bone rattling, gut rumbling goodness)

Tom Waits - Bad News Out Of A Pretty Mouth
(forty of my faves)

Daft Punk - Homework
(bring the funk back to the punk)

Lee Scratch Perry - Secret Laboratory
(dub organizer supreme)

Jesu - Why Are We Not Perfect
(because we are no longer Godflesh)

The Miasma Mix is coming...

2008-10-27T09:51:00.002-04:00

Nuff said.

Precursors:

Vorpal - The End
(epically quirky)

The Sales Department - Runs On Codeine / Freebies
(the spirit of the terminal lives on)

AFX - Compilation
(the results of a desperate raid on rapidshare....)

The Bug - London Zoo
(crushin' de dancehall dubsteppas)

Various - Misc DB 9
(bass for your face and the whole human race)

Bring the yummy IV

2008-10-21T15:24:00.004-04:00

Why is it that stuff that tastes good tends to be bad for you? Story of my life, I suspect, because although I was ranting on about my love of Italian food, I do feel obliged to detail one of my favorite meals. Not only is it really bad for you, but it is also as American as apple pie, which may explain why we are the fattest nation in the world. Good for the occasional cheat meal, may I present:

Oven Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Corn on the Cob

2 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup unsifted flour
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
4 whole chicken legs

2 lb red bliss potatoes
3 tbsp butter

4 ears corn, preferably Silver Queen, although yellow will work

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter well a deep baking dish. Pour the milk into a large bowl. Whisk the meal, flour, and spices together in a separate large bowl. Dip the chicken pieces in the milk and then dredge in the corn meal and flour mixture. Reserve the milk for use with the mashed potatoes. Place the dredged chicken in the baking dish, placing a pat of butter on top of each piece. Cook for 55 minutes, turning and applying another pat of butter at about 30 minutes in. Or you can baste about every 10 minutes, but I tend not to have the patience.

While the chicken is cooking, place the potatoes in a large pot and add water until the potatoes are completely covered by at least an extra inch or two of water. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, covered, until potatoes yield easily to a fork (about 20-25 minutes). Then drain the potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Beat lightly with a mixer for about 20 seconds to break up the potatoes. Keep in mind they WILL BE HOT. Add the butter and blend for another 15-20 seconds, distributing the butter evenly. Now slowly begin to pour in the milk until the mash is at the desired consistency. Some like them thick, some like them thin.

(As an aside here, I often add mustard or Caesar Salad dressing at this point to add some extra zing. Experiment and find out what works. Also remember to time your potatoes with the finish of the chicken. Nothing is worse that sitting around with cold mash potatoes waiting for hot fried chicken. I’d recommend starting your potatoes about 20 minutes after the chicken, depending on how hot your stovetop gets.)

Likewise, you should time your corn appropriately. Pour about 4-5 inches of water into a pot large enough to hold all four ears. I would suggest starting the water on low heat when you start the chicken. This way, it will be ready to boil at a moment's notice. Once you're ready to go, bring the water to a boil over high heat and drop in the ears. Let them stand there uncovered until the water returns to a boil, but not for more than 5 minutes. Drain or remove from the water with tongs and serve immediately with the chicken and mashed potatoes.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, I’d recommend pouring some juices from the pan over the potatoes; fattening as hell, but SO tasty.

So go get chubby but happy.

Weight loss anthems:

Seba - Return To Forever
(ambient drum and bass goodness)

Breaks The Blank Day - Breaks The Blank Day
(melancholy glitch experimentation)

Enduser - The End
(give me more, give me more, give me more breakcore)

Bjork - Debut
(leaving the cubes behind)

Dead Can Dance - Within The Realm Of The Dying Sun
(I still think Brendan sounds like Sinatra)

Ain't it the truth

2008-10-14T15:02:00.002-04:00

Solvent - My Radio

it doesn't seem so long ago
when i loved you, my radio
you promised me so much, but now you've changed
you always played my favorite songs
those robot-disco marathons
inspired me to buy my first machines

you've changed and i don't know why
so strange you never said goodbye

i felt betrayed, and so i turned
to television, yet i've yearned
for you, my radio, you complete me
you used to play my favorite tracks
those basslines and synthetic claps
oh, radio, i miss those sounds the most

you've changed
you've changed
you've changed and i don't know why
so strange you never said goodbye

etc.

Nostalgia in a case:

Afrika Bambaata & The Soulsonic Force - Don't Stop... Planet Rock
(revamped, renewed, reviewed)

Fuse - Dimensional Intrusion
(nothing sounds quite like an 808)

Gary Numan - The Best Of Gary Numan (1978-1983)
(unappreciated in his time... but only by Americans)

Joy Division - Closer
(before the New Order, there was the good stuff)

Plastikman - Musik
(minimal on the jiggy)

Bring the yummy - Part III

2008-10-10T08:26:00.005-04:00

So Susan and I have taken the day off and I plan to cook the entire day. Our swing dance teacher, the inestimable Michael Jagger, will be joining us around 6pm for a lesson and then dinner, so timing will be tricky. If I succeed in my mission, this evening's menu should looking something like this:

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Baby Green Salad with Endives and Mustard Vinaigrette
Veal Shank Osso Buco with Couscous
Frozen Passion-Fruit Parfait with Kiwifruit-Pineapple Salsa and Strawberry Coulis

Perhaps the recipes for these in-depth yummies with be posted here in the future (as I seem to be on a SERIOUS food kick of late). However, giving the complexity and length of those recipes (barring the salad, of course), I've decided to post something relatively simple. It's my adaptation (and rebranding) of a classic.

Brookyln Heights Chicken

4 tbsp olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup white wine (preferably Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
3 tbsp Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 marinara sauce
2 tomatoes, diced
3 small cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cups baby spinach leaves

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

While the pan is heating, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, and salt and peper in a large bowl. Pound the chicken breasts to a 1/4" thickness. Once flattened, dip the breasts in white wine and the dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture.

Place the chicken in the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, along with a splash of wine. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 additional minutes.

While the chicken and tomatoes are simmering, combine the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and garlic in another nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, turning frequently with tongs until it is wilted (about 6-8 minutes).

Serve over brown or wild rice, placing the wilted spinach atop the rice first, followed by the chicken and tomato mixture.

It's quick, it's simple, and it's yummy, so this is a regular go-to in our house. That being said, I haven't made it in ages, so perhaps this weekend after we've recovered from the osso buco...

The nickles rattling around in the boxcar that is my brain:

Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
(IDM-ambient-glitchy gudnis)

The B-52's - The B-52's
(because we all come from Planet Claire)

Miles David - Sketches Of Spain
(tight trumpet brushstrokes)

Curse Of The Golden Vampire - Mass Destruction
(because sometimes dead is better)

Esquivel - Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music
(WTF?)

Bring the yummy - Part II

2008-10-07T14:43:00.005-04:00

My ancestry is about as whitebread as it comes: Welsh, English, etc.; British Isles mutt. However, there lurks within me the spirit of Italia. I've no idea how I got it, but I can say without hesitation that if I was forced to pick an everyday, go-to food, it would be Italian. Fortunately, my Susan shares my passion for god's greatest seasoning: garlic. Otherwise this could have lead to some awkward olfactory moments. As it happens, we operate under the assumption that if a recipe utilizes garlic, the amount listed should be at least doubled. However, to do so with this recipe would be ill advised...

Garlic Pesto with Spicy Chicken

3 cups fresh basil
6 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pinenuts
1 1/2 cups fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
extra virgin olive oil

1 lb dried pasta

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 lb boneless chicken breast

Combine the basil, garlic, pinenuts, and cheese in a food processor (Note: you can reduce the amount of garlic if you wish, even though that's missing the point. I've used as little as 2 cloves and it's still tasted good).

Pulse until mixture becomes grainy, stopping to wipe the sides with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed. Once the mixture is grainy, set processor on high and slowly pour olive oil into the mixture. Continue pouring until the desired consistency is reached. 1/2 cup to 1 cup of oil is usually enough, depending on preference (I prefer my sauce a bit thick, so I tend to use less oil). Using a spatula, empty the pesto sauce into a storage container and set aside.

Pour approximately 2 tbsp of oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. While the oil is heating, combine the remaining spices in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Once mixed, rub small amounts of the mixture onto your chicken breasts. Think of dry rubbing a steak. Personal preference and experimentation will dictate how much to use, but this stuff is hot, so go easy at first; a thin coating is best.

(Place any remaining spice mixture in a plastic bag for later use. It goes well on just about anything: steak, pork, shrimp. I've even mixed it into mashed potatoes.)

Once the oil is smoking slightly, place the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 9 minutes on the first side. Then turn and cook the second side for about 5-8 minutes. Watch for juices to come out the top. Once those juices run clear (not cloudy), it’s done. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 170 degrees.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pasta as directed. What pasta you choose once again depends on your preference. I've used everything from a combination of spinach and white linguine to large shells to ziti. Regular spaghetti is also a classic for this recipe; anything that will hold the sauce. I’d recommend against smaller pastas, as they’ll be overwhelmed by the heaviness of the sauce.

Time the pasta to finish cooking a couple of minutes after the chicken is finished.

Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove it to a cutting board and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Quickly place the pieces back in the skillet over low heat to baste with the remaining juices.

Place one serving's worth of pasta into a large bowl. Add one serving's worth of chicken to bowl and combine with enough pesto sauce to adequately coat both the pasta and chicken. Again, personal preference rules here. I like my pesto fairly thick. Others may prefer a lighter coating. Transfer to a pasta bowl and garnish with some additional shredded cheese, a leaf or two of basil, and a small handful of pine nuts. Repeat this process for each serving and take it to the table and enjoy!

On a side note, I've found that this dish is best served with a fairly robust/rough red wine that will cut through the thickness of the sauce. Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale has always served me well in the past, regardless of vintage. I've also found that you are guaranteed a homerun if you spend a little extra and get yourself a Brunello di Montalcino. A 2004 would be great, a 2001 or 1999 even better. A 1997 from Biondi-Santi? Pretty damned near perfect. Then again, if you're buying $550 bottles of wine, you don't need my advice.

Living in a gourmand's paradise:

Venetian Snares - Detrimentalist
(buzz bang pow!)

Twine - Violets
(hear the sound a nationwide gap makes)

Prince Paul - Itstrumental
(big ups to the black italiano)

Prince Douglas - Dub Roots
(down dem in de dancehall)

Puzleboy - That Peculiar Gentleman
(another of my all over the place rekkads)

The Economy - A Visual Demonstration

2008-10-07T14:39:00.001-04:00

More good news PS

2008-09-29T09:49:00.004-04:00

The One True Dead Angel has kindly reviewed two more Machine Tribe Recordings releases.

Abstract Audio Systems -- POEMS FOR INNOGEN
Bonechurch -- WITHIN EMPTY SPACES

To quote Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart, "I'm rapidly becoming a big underground success in this town."

Bring the yummy

2008-09-29T09:20:00.003-04:00

My continual attempts to treat my stomach to various finery has lead me to do a lot more cooking of late, and not just easy-go-to dishes like my spaghetti, my oven fried chicken, or my pesto. Indeed, Food.com has become a regularly visited site and I'm continually cracking my ancient and disintegrating copy of The Joy Of Cooking (the most important cooking tome every written). Adding to this joy of culinary discovery, I have also been motivated by the return of our swing dance teacher. He gives us our lesson in our living room and then stays for dinner (he being as much the gourmand as we). So in celebration of his return, I threw together this:

Pasta Emilia-Romagna Style with Prosciutto di Parma

6 ounces prosciutto di Parma, sliced very thin
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh tomatoes or well-drained chopped
canned tomatoes
1 cup cooked sweet peas (or frozen peas, defrosted)
1 1/4 pounds fresh pasta*
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions
Fill a large pot with 6 to 8 quarts salted water and set over medium heat.
While waiting for the water to boil, make the sauce.

Using a sharp knife, trim the fat from the edges of the prosciutto slices.
Chop and reserve the fat. Cut the prosciutto into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter until foamy. Add the reserved chopped fat and the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in half of the reserved prosciutto and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Add the peas and remove from the heat.

Increase the heat to high under the salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still "al dente". This will depend upon the thickness of the fresh pasta. Drain in a colander.

Return the pasta sauce to the heat and, when bubbling, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the cooked pasta, and the remaining prosciutto. Toss thoroughly to combine. Season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately, passing the cheese with the pasta.

* NOTES: I used a combination of garlic and parsley linguini and rosemary and sundried tomato linguini, but you could technically use dried pasta (spaghetti, linguini, etc) if you wanted. The key is cutting the fat from the prosciutto (an Italian ham) and using it to flavor the other ingredients.

This dish is still in its infancy for me and will no doubt be revisited and altered in the future. Current thoughts are leaning toward the addition of chopped sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

Keeping the juices flowing with:

Various - Games, Blame, And Hard Luck Dames
(late nights and freeway flying)

Cold Worker - Rotting Paradise
(locate face, insert fist)

Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
(wetting up 3 cups of blood)

Otto Von Schirach - Oozing Bass Spasms
(dubstep loves Miami bass loves breakcore loves porn)

Art Tatum - The Definitive Art Tatum
(piano speed freak)

Almost forgot

2008-09-08T09:19:00.004-04:00

For the most part, I see my music as a hobby. As such, I don't play out and I'm not particularly aggressive about getting my stuff out there for people to hear. God knows I probably should, but I convinced myself a long time ago that my stuff is pretty niche-y. Plus I'm kind a lazy sometimes. However, some weeks ago, I sent a batch of CDs to The One True Dead Angel, a music review website that had actually reviewed Evergone quite some time ago. Anyway, seems they liked some of the stuff I sent them.

Abstract Audio Systems - The Ivory EP
Averauschen - Symbiote
Bonechurch - Bonechurch

You can read the reviews on their blog.

Sometimes it's good to be loved.

More ear love:

Godflesh - Godflesh
(the first)

Godflesh - Hymns
(the last)

Hamell On Trial - Big As Life
(Ed don't need no backup, byatches)

Charlie Parker - Yardbird Suite
(2 discs of sax yummies)

Depeche Mode - Violator
(what a good dose of Nitzer Ebb can do for a pop band)

Practicing and preaching

2008-09-02T08:53:00.003-04:00

"Palin said when running for governor in 2006 that she would support funding for abstinence-only education in schools, according to Eagle Forum Alaska, a conservative group that sent a questionnaire asking gubernatorial candidates their views on a range of issues."

Not to be snide, but if Palin's own daughter (who I can safely assume had the abstinence talk repeatedly, given her parents' view on the matter) still got pregnant at the edge of 17, isn't it just possible that abstinence-only education doesn't work? Either that or the Palins are so uptight about sex that it was never mentioned. Either way, any one who believes that the "no sex" talk actually works has missed the boat. And the idea that sex education encourages teens to have sex has repeatedly been proven false. Better to know about safe sex practices than stumble around in the dark and end up pregnant too young.

Either way, this is going to be one hell of an entertaining election.

Encouraging my immorality:

Judge Dread - Dreadmania
(pretty fly for a white guy)

Digitalverein - Zu Hause2
(clicky clicky bump bump)

Fugees - The Score
(did they vanish like...)

Black Sun Empire - Driving Insane
(rip roaring dnb)

Ocosi - Untitled
(because it's so good, it doesn't need one)

Mismatched, mishmash mix

2008-08-29T08:50:00.005-04:00

While I've got plenty of sweetness and light, there are still dark streets and rainy nights inside my head. Walks down these ill lit paths have me contemplating melancholy, desperation, and loneliness; not so much indulging in them, more examining them, prodding around their edges. Taking their temperature, as it were. Music is often the quickest route to these gray spaces.

Case in point, "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis". Besides having one of the best titles ever, the song itself embodies that ragged, rough and tumble downheartedness that I’m talking about. A listen to this got the music bug cranking away. Visions of Billie Holiday and stripped down, sad torch songs came flooding in and it was off to the races.

This mix ended up in a lot of places that I didn’t expect. I’d originally envisioned a tapestry of acoustic, tears-inspired pieces, but Portishead came creeping in and everything went all to hell. Suddenly I’m cramming doo wop together with trip hop and dusty Texas blues. Pain Teens raised their ugly head and bared their claws in response to Shirley Horn and Etta fell to her knees in misery.

Stumbling and tripping, I finally made it out the other side.

This thing ain’t perfect by any means. Even I have some issues with the sequence, but that’s how it all poured out of me. Then again, what we’re talking about here isn’t perfect to begin with. We all have times where we’re broken and empty, disjointed and out of whack. And the road map back from that soft and bitter place never has a straight line on it.

Games, Blame, and Hard Luck Dames

01 Tom Waits - Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis
02 Billie Holiday - Fine And Mellow
03 Peggy Lee - Johnny Guitar
04 Portishead - Over
05 Rasputina - Rusty The Skatemaker
06 Sneaker Pimps - How Do
07 Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind
08 Lightnin' Hopkins - Drinkin' Woman
09 The Chantels - Maybe
10 Shirley Horn - You Won't Forget Me
11 Pain Teens - Moonray
12 Joseph Arthur - Invisible Hands
13 Lamb - Feela
14 Alberta Adams - Remember
15 Deanna Durbin - Always

Let you ears wander through the above by clicking here and check out other musical fallout I've thrown together at the DJ Abstract website.

Continuing to wax poetic with:

Various - Games, Blame, and Hard Luck Dames
('cause everybody hurts)

2nd Gen - Irony Is
(and they like hurting you)

Abacinate - Ruination
(faster and louder)

Billy Eckstein - Billy's Best
(so cheesy it hurts)

Radiohead - Kid A
(hoping that you choke)

One from the vaults

2008-08-24T15:48:00.005-04:00

I have always been obsessed with music. This has resulted in a sizeable library of titles in various formats (vinyl, cassette, CD, reel to reel, etc). However, upon moving in with Susan, it was discovered that some of said library took up entirely too much space. Since I’d replaced a good number of my cassettes with CDs, I plowed through the tapes, chucking stuff out merrily. During this process I did come across several cassettes that warranted saving, if only to move them on to CD (there is a certain joy in having ProTools set up in one’s home).

One of the tapes to survive the onslaught was a mix I had done some 10 years earlier. Hopes and Failures is a ghostly affair, floating from track to track, sometimes melancholy, sometimes spooky, sometimes arty. It’s the kind of eclectic (loathe that word, but here it is apropos) compilation of all the various weird stuff that my ears love to devour. It may cause you to dose in parts, but I can’t be held responsible for the kind of dreams it might bestow upon you...

01 Daniel Ash - The Void
02 M-1 Alternative - Diatom
03 Moodswings - Thailand/Hairy Piano
04 Delerium - Sorrow
05 Area - Dead Feather Years
06 Dead Can Dance - Windfall
07 Cocteau Twins - Dials
08 Happy Rhodes - Ode
09 Skinny Puppy - The Centre Bullet
10 Chet Baker - Moon And Sand

If you'd like to take a listen, you can check it out here. You can also head on over to the DJ Abstract website to check out other mixes. Hell, maybe you can hire me to come spook out your next party?

Bumpin' in ya back trunk:

Various - Hopes And Failures
(moodswinger)

Godflesh - 1990.03.31 Schorndorf, German
(alive and crushing)

Ebola - Mutant Dubstep Vol 1
(bass powered piledriver)

AFX - AFX Compilation
(Richard D James does his thing)

Various - Saint-Germain Cafe
(jazz funk house)

Download the downlow

2008-07-22T07:40:00.005-04:00

After dabbling with some more alt-rock mixes (to my thorough enjoyment), I found myself yearning to revisit the dusty beats and gritty bass of the downtempo styles that I do so adore. So may I present DJ Abstract 24: Ashes And Dust Mix. A couple of classics here, mixed in with some lovely oddities that I've managed to scrape together from the outer fringes of the universe. Lots of bedroom producer, music-for-the-hell-of-it stuff. Crunchy, headnoddy, and hypnotic. Just the way I likes it.

01 DJ Inzi - Jazz For Wind
02 Blackfilm - Sonar
03 Slowing - Ming
04 The Herbaliser - Scratchy Noise
05 Supreme Beings Of Leisure - What's The Deal
06 Harmonic 33 - Underwater Lady
07 Cibo Matto - Sugar Water
08 Massive Attack - Teardrop
09 Boards Of Canada - Orange Hexagon Sun
10 Justice - Faith & Reason
11 Blaktronics - Raindrops (Move D Rmx)
12 Neutrino - I Think Both Understood
13 Aphilas - Collective Memory Loss
14 Slant - Theme From Slant
15 Subtle - Eneby Kurs
16 Scm - Chant

If you wanna check it out now, click here to listen. Either that or you can head on over to the DJ Abstract website and have a listen to a bunch o' my mixes. Spread the love, baby!

Further down the spiral:

Various - DJ Abstract 24: Ashes And Dust Mix
(low impact neck muscle workout)

Abacinate - Ruination
(scoop out your insides)

Amon Tobin - Supermodified
(and super bad)

Various - Universal Religion 2008
(AVB throws down the trance)

Solvent - Demonstration Tape (1997-2007)
(pretty pretty bloop bloop bleep)

Carnt sleep

2008-06-25T08:56:00.005-04:00

I have to admit that it's a relatively recent development.

When I was younger, I used to sleep like a baby, but within the last 3 years or so, there are nights where the harsh horse of insomnia rides me from one end of sanity to the other. This morning was a good example, although that was more due to feeling ill as opposed to the usual reason:

My brain won't shut up.

This usually only happens once every couple of months. However, this morning was the second bout in under a week. Last week's was much worse, though, but a least I got to blame it on music...

I awoke at about 2am with "Falling Elevators" by MC 900 Ft Jesus in my head. Its hefty bass line and eerie trumpet riff got me thinking about stuff that might fit well and hence another fairly bizarre mix started churning around inside the old noggin. This one continues along the lines of the stuff I've been cranking out lately: diverse in a strange way, seemingly unfocused, but still flowing well.

With that massive caveat, may I present Fantasies, Fallacies, And Fever Dreams.

01 MC 900 Ft Jesus - Falling Elevators
02 Bauhaus - Departure
03 Tom Waits - 9th & Hennepin
04 Gil Scott-Heron - Message To The Messengers
05 The Clash - Sean Flynn
06 Laibach - Across The Universe
07 Yello - She's Got A Gun
08 Love And Rockets - The Teardrop Collector
09 John Parish And Polly Jean Harvey - Girl
10 Nine Inch Nails - Lights In The Sky
11 Dream Into Dust - Distant Horizon
12 King Crimson - I Talk To The Wind
13 Jesu - Plans That Fade
14 James Brown - King Heroin

If you're interested in taking a listen, by all means do so. Gotta say I've been enjoying it, but then again it's my baby, so I'm a bit biased.

Further sonic stumblings:

Scorn - Evanescance
(deep dark dub, Mick Harris style)

Yello - Stella
(oh yeah)

The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs
(wickedly polite ironies)

Godflesh - Hymns
(the JKFlesh rock record)

Miles David - Sketches Of Spain
(travel drawings with a muted brush)

Nu Toonz

2008-06-11T08:17:00.010-04:00

I was trying to remember exactly when I last released any music.

Sure, I told you about Lilybies, but that was essentially just a mix of older Abstract Audio Systems stuff.

Well...

As it turns out, I've been failing to promote myself correctly.

The last official release from my particular camp o' music was Poems For Innogen by the aforementioned Abstract Audio Systems. However, I've actually put together several CDs since then, all of which are available presently through the Machine Tribe Recodings website and one that is also available through CDBaby.

So let us discuss, you and I...

Light:

Puzleboy - Fair Weather Friendly

Once again, a mixed bag of beats from my Puzleboy persona. Here you will find downtempo tracks, upbeat dance tunes, some hardcore (just for fun), and a soundscape to boot. Predictably all over the place, it's another fun filled disc of musical diversity. I don't really play by any rules when I've got my Puzleboy hat on, so goodness knows where I end up most times.

At The Lake
Silicon
Funkbit
Arclight
Acid Shuffle
Shot In The Face
Quickened
Static Funk
Mephit
Clarity

Dark:

Abstract Audio Systems - Dark Terrain

Inspired by thoughts of deep space and the limitless ocean, Dark Terrain marks a turn outward and downward for my Abstract Audio Systems project. Elements of ambient and drone adorn all the tracks here, seeking to open your inner headspaces. Look out into the stars and down into the depths.

Particles
Hydrophonic
Arecibo's Echo
Discs Of Snow
Bromia
Beyonder
Titan Sunrise

Darker:

Bonechurch - Hell's Iron Gate + Echoing Dust

My sinister Bonechurch side returns with another epic expedition into the dark music. "(Swing Wide) Hell's Iron Gate" is a 17+ minute blueprint of drone, its growling synthlines drifting off into nothingness. "Echoing Dust" begins in much the same way, yet in the subsequent 24+ minutes it spirals into the rattle and clatter of bastardized neo-dub and anti-rhythmic experimentation. Truly a rewarding experience for those with an adventurous ear. Don't expect any typical musical structure here. This is dark, experimental stuff.

(Swing Wide) Hell's Iron Gate
Echoing Dust

Darkest:
Averauschen - Symbiote

This was a particularly nasty side project I did in my Bonechurch guise along with Princess Coldheart, founder of the now-deceased DBR experimental music night. Though we did this several years ago, it is just now seeing the light of day (and hating it). This CD is drenched in soot black atmospheres, shuddering noise, and dark, dark places. It's a study in experimental noise with deep, dark drones hovering beneath creeping background clicks and scratches. These black, echoing soundscapes scrape across your ears. This is cavernous music, opening spaces hidden inside your head.

03:54
05:05
07:18
06:14
07:45
0:00

(BTW, all the samples above are at 128 kbit/s and do not reflect the sound quality of the actual recordings.)

You can pick up these discs as well of lots of other stuff at MTR and while the Averauschen disc is available on CDBaby, I'll let you in on a little secret... it's a buck cheaper on the MTR site!

Don't tell nobody.

Anyhoo, this is what my twisted brain has managed to crank out in the last year, give or take, so check 'em out. I'm rather found of them. Look for all of these discs to end up on CDBaby at some point (I do this because they distribute to iTunes, Napster, etc., which is nice). However, releases will always be cheaper at home. After all, $9-$10 per CD is pretty freakin' reasonable, considering most retail stores are no-lubing you for anywhere from $15-$20 per CD these days.

Would love to profiteer off of, but didn't write:

Final - Fade Away
(four tracks of distant drift)

Miles Davis - The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions
(marvelous, mysterious, musical Miles)

Asian Dub Foundation - Facts And Fictions
(pre-dnb, but still tastee)

Harmonic 33 - Extraordinary People
(funky retro-lounge goodness)

M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume
(because we all need women)

Cart before the horse

2008-05-30T13:33:00.007-04:00

"She wasn't the only one crying," he said. "There was a whole lot of white people crying."

Rev. Michael Pfleger, step right up! You're the next contestant on "I'm A Complete Idiot."

Another religious Obama backer has used his (bully) pulpit to spew racial rhetoric that is doing more harm to Barack's campaign. Personally, I'm not particularly offended by his remarks. I actually don't care what he said. I am, however, ticked off about his timing.

Wanna say something stupid? WAIT UNTIL WE WIN THE ELECTION!

Seriously. Folks like Pfleger and Wright can fan the flames of racism for all I care, but they should at least have the brains to wait until after Obama wins the election (hope hope). Then they can gloat all they want. "There's a new President in town, cracker, so kiss my black ass."

No problem with that here.

Enjoy it.

But you'll never get the chance if you keep doing this stupid shit. Obama needs to get all his supporters in a room and basically say, "When it comes to race or gender, NO TALKING!". Have them focus on the real issues, Barack, and stop letting these dumbasses shoot you in the foot.

Because you know what? This type of talk from black people (or people associated with black people; Pfleger is actually a whitey) scares the shit out of blue collar white people. You know, the ones Hilary insists you can't carry?

I realize there's no way Obama can make these poeple shut up. I mean, you'd think his distancing himself from Rev Wright would have given Pfleger a clear indication that the O Man was not down with this crap, but apparently Mikey didn't get the memo.

I would hate to think that yet another promising Democrat will loose the Oval Office because of stupid stuff that could have been avoided had anybody really thought about what they were doing.

Heartfelt campaign songs:

Various - Ghostly Swim
(Ghostly and Adult Swim, sitting in a tree...)

Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
(I know what I would like to be feeling)

Amputated - Gargling With Infected Semen
(what more can one say?)

Coldworker - Rotting Paradise
(rooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr)

Joy Division - Closer
(happy music for happy people)

A.E. cypherin' knowledge

2008-05-22T08:28:00.006-04:00

I receive an online newsletter from the Knitting Factory detailing all the tasty shows they are putting on. They always start off the publication with a couple of quotes. Today's first Bartlettesque?

"A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don't think that everybody wants to hear about that all the time."
- Mariah Carey

While MC may have a point, KFactory countered with an even better quote that skewers Top 40 music pretty effectively.

"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice."
- Albert Einstein

Pretty awesome quote.

So good in fact that I looked it up online just to see it in context. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is only the first two sentences of a longer quote:

"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently I hate all this, how despicable an ignorable war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."

Wow.

From a snide (yet pointedly effective) putdown of the zombie masses that listen to Brittany (or whatever crap MTV tells them to) to a stinging condemnation of the nationalist, might-makes-right attitudes of some in this country.

Well done, Al.

"McCain = more war. Either Democrat = less war. Relatively simple, no?"

Promoting other senseless brutalities:

Kompressor - Krush Television
(bug eyed evil from Deutschland via Ohio)

Austere - Distance
(wide open, flat out, and gone)

Scorn - Anamnesis
(headspace pilots)

Bonechurch - BlackStatic
(ancient and evil)

Abstract Audio Systems - Poems For Innogen
(light, lilting, and lovely)

Suicidal tendencies

2008-05-15T08:36:00.004-04:00

I'm amazed at the number of Hillary democrats who are saying they will either not vote or vote for McCain if Hillary doesn't get the nomination.

That's just spiteful and stupid.

Who in their right mind would think that McCain would better represent their views? Either way, I hope democrats haven't found YET ANOTHER way to shoot ourselves in the foot and lose YET ANOTHER election that should have been a goddamned cakewalk. Dumbya all but handed us the White House with his various fuckups and it would be a crime to waste such an opportunity.

Whoever doesn't get the democratic nomination should swallow their damned pride and accept the VP seat. Obama / Clinton, Clinton / Obama; either one should be a win. If not, democrats don't deserve the presidency and we might as well throw in the towel now.

Anger anthems:

Fall Of Because - Life Is Easy
(and people are stupid)

Napalm Death - Scum
(you suffer, but why?)

Nasum - Shift
(blastbeat bonanza)

Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
(walk on home, boy)

Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness
(icy metal from the frozen wastes)

A modicum of fame

2008-05-13T08:28:00.004-04:00

I stumbled across a great website several months ago called Art Of The Mix. Wannabe DJs like me can post their mixes there for all to see. And while I haven't been able to get their "Upload Mix" link to work, I've been linking directly to my DJ Abstract site so that people can download my mixes. Anyway, I've posted a good amount of stuff, including Lilybies. Imagine my surprise when I headed to the site this morning and I was listed as The Mix Of The Week!

Booyah.

Seems "Guest Editor" g.a.b. likes it quite a bit:

A gorgeous lullaby composed & performed by the mixer.

This straddles the borderline between ''Sleep'' & ''Ambient'' and fits Brian Eno''s now famous definition of the Ambient genera to a tee: that a composition be at once be both Aural Wallpaper (background) OR take Center-Stage (the main attraction).

So take a break from the work-a-day Pop/Rock-n-Roll...and enjoy the drift.

Not to bad, eh?

Further down the sound:

Blackfilm - Blackfilm
(orchestral meets downtempo in creepy deliciousness)

Coldworker - Rotting Paradise
(rip off head, do bad things with it)

M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume
(to all my homeboys out in Bronx... this one's for you)

Saint Etienne - Foxbase Alpha
(hippy powers... activate!)

The Sisters Of Mercy - Some Girls Wander By Mistake
(Eldritch from the depths, as usual)

Dreaming in stereo

2008-05-07T15:52:00.006-04:00

Friends of mine just celebrated their daughter's first birthday. I'm a relatively cheap guy, so I figured instead of going out to Babies-R-Us and buying them an armor plated stroller or some such, I'd throw together a mix for Lily (their daughter). So I stepped into both my composer and DJ shoes. All the tracks on the mix were written by me under my Abstract Audio Systems guise. The object was to create a lulling mix that would put the little tyke to bed softly. Hope it does the same for you. Take a listen here.

Lilybies
1 Rain And Sea
2 Beside The Evening Sea (For Harriet)
3 Aedon (Sigh Mix)
4 Gossamer
5 Host Of Fireflies
6 Dulcinea
7 Wispre
8 The Dandelion Clock
9 Evergone

Walking like a panther

2008-05-06T13:15:00.004-04:00

I believe I briefly mentioned that I was working on the soundtrack to a pair of workout videos. Well, they have been completed and are now available for purchase

Catwalk Confidence includes:

Bold Backside 30 minutes - An intense workout incorporating a unique combination of strength and balance exercises to challenge shoulder stabilization, hip strength and ankle stability. This workout will leave you standing taller and stronger...

Crunchless Core Training 15 minutes - The intensity does not stop with this 15 minute core workout designed to challenge pelvic alignment and core control. Targeted muscles include the transverse abdominals, internal obliques and gluteal muscles.

Fierce Feet 10 minutes - The first ever workout designed to help women strengthen their feet and ankles. Strong feet and ankles are the foundation to walking confidently in stilettos. Learn simple exercises that can be done everyday!

Learn how to prevent injuries associated with wearing stilettos by increasing proper body alignment, postural tone and ankle stability.

Stiletto Recovery is a unique combination of yoga, active-isolated stretches and myofascial release targeting tight hip flexors, lower back muscles and foot and ankle stabilizers. Get your body back in balance with Stiletto Recovery!

- Realign the body after hours in stilettos

- Relax overworked muscles

- Alleviate foot and leg pain

The sounds on both DVDs are courtesy of your's truly, so definitely check 'em out.

Shades of gray

2008-05-05T08:46:00.005-04:00

My brain is continually fed music from all types of sources. I tracked down Royksopp because of a Geico commercial (thanks, Cave Man!); got into Negativland after hearing "Christianity Is Stupid" on WKDU (not to be confused with the evil swill that is KTU); and discovered Nine Inch Nails when they opened for The Jesus And Mary Chain. Point being, it all comes pretty fast and furious. There are times, in fact, when I remember the music, but forget the source.

Case in point: The Veils.

I don't remember which movie I was veiwing, but "Vicious Traditions" got played during the ending credits. I immediately went into "search and acquire" mode and was fortunate enough to find The Runaway Found on Emusic.com. The entire album is great, but "Vicious Traditions" is still the standout track for me.

I told you that story so I can tell you this story.

I broke out the tune again a couple of days ago and like some sinister moss or creeping vine, a mix began to grow around it. Note that this is not a happy song, nor is it the type of track I usually use in my mixes, so I knew right away that this was going to be a) tricky and b) probably weird.

It's both.

This particular mix is strange and introspective enough (not to mention oddly personal) that I decided to forego the usual DJ Abstract XX: The Something Mix dubbing and simply entitle it Grayside Tales.

This is some bleak stuff.

Not exactly sad, just... unsettling. There are a couple moments of lightness, but for the most part there's an emptiness and desperation to it.

Not to mention the fact that it ends in a crushing, fifteen minute Swans track.

01 A.O.S. - History Repeats Itself
02 Jarboe - Lavender Girl
03 Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume
04 Dome - Cruel When Complete
05 This Mortal Coil - I Must Have Been Blind
06 Michael Andrews - Mad World
07 The Young Gods - September Song
08 The Veils - Vicious Traditions
09 The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
10 Cranes - Driving In The Sun (Dimitri Tikovoi Remix)
11 Area - Filled
12 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Modern Romance
13 The Cure - In Your House (Holland 1/80)
14 Sonic Youth - Secret Girl
15 Swans - Helpless Child

You can hear it in its entirety here.

I've no idea where this came from, because it's not like I've been miserable or anything. But this thing randomly birthed itself and I just went with the flow.

Mood lighteners:

Various - Grayside Tales
(ok... not so light)

Various - Future Jazz
(harder bop)

Big Black - The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape
(places no respectable man would be seen)

ShadowVox - Zero*Zen*Terminate
(by the elusive M Furgeson)

Madvillian - Madvillian
(beware the metal faced one)

Voices inside my head

2008-04-19T07:09:00.004-04:00

We live on a very busy thoroughfare. Our apartment sits across the street from a bar and there is an even more popular bar just down the street from us. Given these facts and the traffic (i.e. many trucks, early in the morning), we run a fan at night; white noise to cancel out that weary, wacky world. This being said, that blessed buzz does not always overcome the sonic assault.

Which is why I woke up at 4am this morning to the sound of people screaming.

Or so I thought.

Maybe it was really happening or perhaps it was just bleed over from a dream I was having and couldn't remember. Either way, I then thought I heard sirens. Fearing the worst (a shooting at one of the aforementioned bars, a fire, 9/11 redux, the apocalypse), I got out of bed to look out the window.

The street was empty and quiet.

Chalking it up to dreamy leftovers, I got back in bed.

And still heard sirens.

Figuring they were perhaps in the distance and that this explained why I hadn’t seen anything on the street, I got back out of bed and turned off the fan. Absolute silence, in so much as that is ever possible in our neighborhood. Not wanting to wake Susan, I turned the fan back on and got back into bed.

More sirens.

I now assumed that it was some trick of the air flow from the fan or some such, so I did my best to ignore it and go back to sleep. This was only partially successful. Those phantom sirens continued and a short time later I could have sworn I overheard snippets of the President speaking. The subject matter was unclear, but it was obvious something REALLY BAD had happened. This got me thinking about the fact that the Pope is in town, so being the good little "I was in NYC during 9/11" boy, I started spinning disaster scenarios in my head: car bomb outside his hotel, 9/11 Junior with a helicopter instead of a jetliner, etc.

You get the idea.

These types of thoughts (not to mention the granddaddy nightmare of New York’s now long overdue Flood of the Century) are not really conducive to sleep. Mild fear and pronounced curiosity really do keep Morpheus away from the door. Unable to slake my need to know and unable to turn on the radio (Susan is a heavy sleeper, but the tones of our local news station can hardly be described as "dulcet"), I quietly made my way into the office in hopes of garnering what was going on from the internet.

Nothing.

Not a god damned thing. I had essentially spent the last two hours have aural hallucinations. The Pope is fine, hanging out with all kinds of people, and living it up here in our "nation of prayer" (just love THAT new Bush-ism). The President has nothing beyond the usual dire state of the country to talk about and there is nary a drop of water to be found in the middle of our street. Catch ya later, Flood of the Century.

Don’t ask me why this is happening to me, as I have no idea. All I do know is that this shit makes it simply impossible to sleep. Hopefully this is just a one night stand (as it were) and I won’t have similar struggles tonight. Perhaps a good jog (I hesitate to call it "running" yet), some bike riding, and some swing dancing will be sufficient to tucker me out.

Either that or I go a week without sleep and finally end up losing the fight with my inner misanthrope, no doubt with disastrous results.

Haggard.

Echo… things that you said:

The Dustmite – Assassins Of Memories
(the dark, the hop, the dark hop)

Various - Future, Jazz
(more downtempo goodness)

Immortal - Blizzard Beasts
(grrrr! roaaaar! grrrr!)

Still Stupid - Still Stupid
(vintage DIY punk from Philly, circa 1985)

Neotropic - Mr. Brubaker’s Strawberry Alarm Clock
(close to as weird as it sounds)

Pope-A-Dope

2008-04-17T08:09:00.008-04:00

Suffice to say that while I was pleased that Pope Benedict has recognized child molestation as "gravely immoral behavior" (I think most of us are on board with that one), I can't say I was all that impressed with his comments around the various RCC sex scandals.

"Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed ... their obligations. It is vitally important that the vulnerable are always shielded from souls who would cause harm."

Obligations?

Safe to that we all have an "obligation" not to rape children. With you on that one too, Joey Ratz. But the RCC has failed in to shield the vulnerable from souls who would cause harm by concealing evidence, failing to report these crimes to the police, paying off victims, and shuffling pedophile priests from one parish to another.

Eaten all the tasty young dishes on the menu, Father? OK. Here's another menu.

"Rape schmape. What am I supposed to do about it?"

How about some nice excommunications and jail time?

Some of the reasons for why I’m going to hell:

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts
(sound bites blessedly devoid of Trent’s whining)

Burial - Burial
(dubstep mastery)

Bjork - Telegram
(the pixie gets revamped and renewed)

Nitzer Ebb - That Total Age
(auld skool)

Redman - Whut? The Album
(funk doc in da house)

Still stumblin

2008-04-10T08:17:00.003-04:00

OK. So it's been over a month, in fact damned near two, since I've made an appearance here. No doubt that means I've lost what pitiful level of readership I may have already had and am now officially talking to myself. However, I'm in a writing kind of mood and have a couple of things to mention. So here's me being all throw-caution-to-the-windy.

First off, I have not been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I've been slaving my butt off at work, but have still managed to compose the soundtrack for a workout video. I was approached for the gig by a fitness trainer I met a while back. The video has been shot and I've finished the music, so there should be a finished product soon. My fingers are crossed on this, though, 'cause I've been down this road before and things have always gotten fucked up. Still, I've almost been paid in full (What up, Eric B!) and while it would suck if things didn't pan out, at least I brought in some ducats.

Secondly, I spawned another mix.

Yup. I was possessed by the muse about 2 weeks ago and threw down a really eclectic one this time. It started out as a dubstep comp and then mutated into all kinds of downtempo goodness. There's some dark hop in there, as well as some near ambient pieces and some straight up weirdness.

DJ Abstract 23: The Eventide Mix

01 Ashtech - R.E.M.
02 Off Land - Time
03 Death In Vegas - Rematerialised
04 LKR - Listen
05 The Dustmite - See Into My Face
06 Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks - Days Like Television
07 Tekniq - Get Unchanged
08 Troy Scalpels - When I'm Peepin
09 Witchman - Desert Ill
10 Puzleboy - Out In The Rain
11 Nick Cramer - Organs On The Moon
12 Neotropic - It's Your Turn To Wash Up
13 William Orbit - Water From A Vine Leaf (Underwater Mix Pt 2)

If you'd like to download this inner-tripper along with the rest of my mixes, meander on over to my site and get to work.

Thirdly, Susan the Mighty procured herself a new job. She is working hard (so hard it makes me look like a slouch), but learning lots and feeling challenged. We are still engaged and plan to stay that way for about another year. Come next May we'll put the finishing touches on the whole wedding/marriage thing and then it's on to the next 50 or 60 years...

Keeping this old blood pumpin':

Belladonnakillz - Perverted And Proud
(breakcore and jungle shit done by a guy who sounds like he should be singing annoying freestyle)

Lividity - Used, Abused, And Left For Dead
(play this to impress your girlfriend)

MJ Harris / Martyn Bates - Murder Ballads (The Complete Collection)
(these ain't yo daddy's folk songs)

Various - Silent Season Dub
(these aren't the beats you're looking for)

Final - Guitar & Bass Improvisations Vol 1
(getting to the inner space via the outer space)

Gettin' hitched

2008-02-26T08:08:00.002-05:00

Susan and I have just returned from London and we are now engaged. My modest proposal was made on one knee at the top of the London Eye in a private pod, 8pm GMT on Friday the 15th.

Susan was kind enough to accept my meager self.

While this sounds very romantic on paper (and it was, to a certain extent), the atmosphere was not as perfect as I had hoped. As you can see above, the Eye is all concrete and steel and the steward of the pod, who was pouring the champagne, had us feeling a bit "third-wheelie". Anyway, it was nice but not the flawless event I had envisioned.

Susan may disagree, but this ain't her blog. :)

Anyway, whilst in London we spent a lot of time at Gordon's Winebar. It's the oldest in London and is absolutely gorgeous; intimate, candle-lit and pretty much perfect.

Their website says it looks like this:

Without the benefit of a flash (not to mention a glass or two of good vino), we say it looks like this:

Either way, we were there in the late afternoon on the Sunday following our engagement, discussing our wedding and love in general. Struck by a moment of inspiration, I asked for the ring back, stood up, made a brief, impassioned speech to all the other patrons in the bar, then went down on one knee (AGAIN) and proposed (AGAIN). This brought the house down, as well as considerable tears to my lovely lady's eyes.

Very much more the reaction I had hoped for the first time :).

(As an aside, she said yes. AGAIN)

I am a very happy man.

Requiems for bachelorhood:

Immortal - Damned In Black
(which will most likely not be played at the reception)

Justice - Hears To The Future
(drop the hiphop heavy funkery)

The Higher Intelligence Agency - Freefloater
(quick ticket to bliss)

The Veils - The Runaway Found
(temporarily possessed by the vocalist from the Strokes)

Peanut Butter Wolf - The Jukebox 45's
(the boom, the bip, the boom bip)

Drowning our reputation

2008-02-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Our CIA Director says that waterboarding is "necessary though probably not legal".

Astounding.

Especially astounding given that this detailed explaination (i.e. "It's bad, but we gotta do it") was enough to convince our Attorney General not to open a criminal investigation into waterboarding by the CIA.

So don't make Michael Hayden mad. Ever.

Men in ninja suits and black ski masks will break into your house, drag you to some undisclosed location, strap you to a board, stuff a rag in your mouth and then pour water on your face.

Hayden and the AG apparently think that it's OK to torture "an unlawful combatant" (can I get a definitive explanation of what that means, BTW?) if they are "possessing information that would help us prevent catastrophic loss of life of Americans or their allies."

Tyranny 1, Constitution and the core human rights beliefs of America, 0.

Actually, it's more like a hundred something to zero at this point.

Hayden went on to say that the CIA doesn't do this any more (at least since 2003 or so), but isn't it strange that he still said it was necessary, i.e. it's still in their bag of tricks?

I'm sure a bunch of folks are going to say, "But it's OK to use this technique on our enemies to save lives." Who determines who "our enemies" are? The guys pouring the water on your face? Remember that your belief that you are an American Citizen doesn't mean shit if they're convinced you're "an enemy combatant". No trials, no judgements by a jury of your peers.

Just torture. Pure, simple and evil. Each time we do it, we degrade ourselves and everything we are trying to protect in the first place. How can we expect the rest of the world to be civilized when we ourselves do not act like civilized men?

"I'ma drown you like dis."

Keeping me above water:

Swans - Kill The Child
(use a waterboard)

God - Appeal To Human Greed
(chunky)

L7 - Hungry For Stink
(you were dying)

Hive - Bedlam
(dnb in the place to be)

Mighty Force - Hypnovel
(whatever happened to these guys?)

Food for thought

2008-02-07T16:36:00.000-05:00

From dictionary.com:

Liberal (adjective)
1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
3. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression
5. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
6. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant
7. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
8. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts
9. given freely or abundantly; generous
10. of, pertaining to, or befitting a free man.
Synonyms: progressive, broad-minded, unprejudiced, beneficent, charitable, openhanded, munificent, unstinting, lavish, ample.

Conservative (adjective)
1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low
3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness
4. having the power or tendency to conserve; preservative.
Synonyms: cautious, controlled, fearful, guarded, inflexible, obstinate, uncreative, undaring, unimaginative, white bread

Liberally spiced with:

Various - Spectral Liquid: Konkrete
(future music for future seekers)

Alif Tree - French Cuisine
(white Burgundy on CD)

Tom Waits - Orphans
(a crooked sheriff in a real straight town)

The Upbeats - MP3 Compilation
(face-ripping, body-pounding dnb)

MC 900 Ft Jesus - Hell With The Lid Off
(UFOs are real)

Hit the floor

2008-02-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

Five months is a long time. Yes, it's been five months since I cranked out DJ Abstract 21: Late Night Fable Mix. I considered doing another downtempo mix, as my life has been pretty wild of late and I could use some mellow. However, I stumbled across "Mindblowing" by Andy Whitby & Matt Lee and that sparked the dancefloor right into me. So after several iterations, may I present DJ Abstract 22: The Ion Mix. This one pummels pretty hard, but I like it. The mixing isn't that spectacular in places, but who cares? It's a hell of a lot of fun.

01 Intro
02 Hydrogen - Creature Of Habit
03 Nicholas Bennison & Christopher Laurence - Scorcher
04 Andy Whitby & Matt Lee - Mindblowing
05 Armin Van Buuren - Wall Of Sound (Airbase Presents Parc Mix)
06 Art Of Trance - Mongoose (Tek Tonik Remix)
07 Brother Grim - Survive
08 Trance Uber Alles - Ich Schallte - I Switch
09 4 Strings - Mainline
10 DJ? Acucrack - Emulsifier
11 Underworld - Rez / Cowgirl

If you'd like to download this bad boy along with the other 21 DJ Abstract mixes, definitely wander on over to my site and snag to your heart's content.

Other sonic fumbles:

Various - DJ Abstract 22: The Ion Mix
(say what you're going to say, say it, say what you said)

Jesu - Pale Sketches
(JKF takes you on a mind trip)

Moby - 18
(more of the same from the baldster)

Various - Thinner Volume 19
(cool as freak dubtech)

Various - Techtonic Plates CD1
(cool as freak dubstep)

Golfweak

2008-01-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

I have a question. When did the noose become a purely racist symbol? Did I miss a memo? I'm probably just ignorant and insensitive, but a hanging has never had any racist overtones for me. Not so with Golfweek magazine. Under pressure from the PGA tour, they fired their editor because of this:

Apparently Jeff Babineau, now jobless, thought that this cover would highlight their story about Kelly Tilghman's offhand "lynch him in a back alley" comment regarding Tiger Woods (who, kudos to him, released a press statement calling the entire affair "a non-issue"); still, the Golf Channel suspened Tilghman for two weeks.

(Al Sharpton is, of course, calling for her dismissal and subsequent burning at the stake, no doubt. But that's another story.)

Sure, the cover was a dumb idea. But fire the guy? I don't think he was any more racially motivated than Tilghman. Still, in our current culture of hypersensitivity to anything that might offend anyone, Golfweek felt the need to axe their editor.

That's dumb.

Golfweek's statement: "We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country. We were trying to convey the controversial issue with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic."

Their point about how the image conveys the controversy is obviously correct. Perhaps they should have said "the over reaction to our cover".

The PGA Tour said "Clearly, what [Tilghman] said was inappropriate and unfortunate, and she obviously regrets her choice of words, but we consider Golfweek's imagery of a swinging noose on its cover to be outrageous and irresponsible. It smacks of tabloid journalism. It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

So it was tabloid journalism; so what? I was under the impression that the "appropriate conclusion" had already been reached (i.e. Tiger writing it off). If tabloid journalism were a crime, you'd be firing the editor of Weekly World News contantly. I don't think the cover was racist any more that I think Tilghman's statement was racist. I've used the expression "lynching" jokingly about any number of people. "He screwed up. Let's lynch him." The cover was pointing out America's overuse of the race card.

Lynch [linch] –verb (used with object): to put to death, esp. by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.

Nowhere does this definition mention race.

I'll paraphrase a great line from Law & Order where White Cop says to Black Cop, "It isn't always about race". Black Cop responds, "Actually, it is always about race."

Is it?

Well, it shouldn't be. Until people actually stop thinking in terms of race first (an impossible dream, I realize), relations in this country will never get any better. If Tilghman has said exactly the same thing about Vijah Singh, the comment would have gone over with barely a blip.

Today's toxic stew:

Various - Thinner Volume 17
(more tasty dubtech)

Techno Animal - Versus Reality
(and reality cannot win)

Billie Holiday - The Complete Decca Recordings
(primo Billie from yesteryear)

Lamb - What Sound
(dnb, jazz, and downtempo in an easy open pouch)

Slotek - 7
(so mellow, it barely moves)

WARNING

2008-01-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

DJ Abstract 22: The Ion Mix is coming...

Good to know

2008-01-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

Apparently the world is going to end in 2011.

No, seriously.

A woman on the train this morning thought that all her fellow passengers should know that the End of Days is due in 2011. We all need to be righteous, cower before the Lord, etc., etc. This said at volumes no normal human (perhaps except me) should be capable of generating, all the while brandishing a tattered bible high above her head like a flaming sword (or crude bludgeoning weapon, depending on your attitude).

Perhaps she was channeling the Man Himself.

Then again, she might be wrong.

Wasn't the End of Days supposed to come in 2000 (or 2001 for those of us who actually know the definition of millennium, at least in the ordinal sense)?

I was forced to ask myself this question. After all, weren't we all promised a visit from Big J and the Doomsday posse then? Did they miss a bus? Take a day off? Forget to check their planners? Maybe the batteries died on their PDAs?

Hell, it's happened to me, so I totally sympathize.

Either way, I suggest we all get our affairs in order 'cause the apocalypse is acomin'.

At least according to another mindless drone in the subway.

Amen and pass the Kool-Aid.

Sonic bible verses:

Koordinate Of Wonders - Irreverse
(long awaited follow up to their ancient EP)

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
(poppier than you might think)

Nasum - Human 2.0
(not even remotely poppy)

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
(my favorite cracked actor)

Halo - Massive Corporate Disease
(the heaviest)

I not(heart) Huckabee

2008-01-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

"My faith is my life -- it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. ... Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own."
-Mike Huckabee

My particular fault, Mike? You scare the shit out of me.

Say hello to the current Republican frontrunner: Bush 2.0 or worse (or I guess it should be 3.0); anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-war and anutha God fearin' Christian.

"I come bearing Jesus-flavored Kool Aid"

Oh goody.

I'm of two minds about this. Part of me thinks that it would be good for this sheep herder to get the Reppy nomination, as it's my sincere hope that America has the good sense not to elect someone this far right. The other part of me fears the idea because America does not have the best track record when it comes to good sense. The last two presidential elections illustrate my point, I think.

But can he do it?

I've no idea what the religious demographics of Iowa are, but the conservatives chose the guy who appeared to be... the most conservative (at least of the front runners). Hucky has been playing to the social conservatives very well (which is pretty easy, I guess, since he is one), but will this strategy continue to be effective throughout the primaries? Is the "silent majority" (less silent in recent years) still out there? Will Huckabee's religious fervor be enough for him to beat Guliani, Romney, etc.?

One big piece of the puzzle is Rudy’s "Big State" approach. I think it's a mistake (not that I want him winning either). Putting all your eggs in just a couple of baskets is a tactical error. Better to take your licks now and then and get a better picture of what the national feel is for your campaign. Either way, if this strategy blows up in Guliani's face, Huckabee might waltz his way into the nomination.

(BTW, does anybody else think that Mikey looks vaguely like Kevin Spacey? Sorry. Random neuron firing.)

So the Republican race is shaping up to be pretty interesting; Dems' too, especially with Hillary coming in a surprising THIRD! Edwards must be sporting a major woody this morning. Anyway, I think it might be a real scrap on both sides for awhile and that's good. America needs a slap-in-the-face election to get us thinking again. God knows we really need to pull our heads out of our asses.

Pagan plague carrier campaign songs:

Immortal - Battles In The North
(‘cause my imaginary world is colder than your imaginary world)

Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground
(tasty Nord-jazz from ECM)

Various - I Need It Records Compilation 1
(including trax from A Great White Bird; yummy!)

Various - Disco Essentials 1-6
(seven hours of glitter balls and ugly clothes)

Grooverider - Mysteries Of Funk
(d and b in the place to be)

Anutha fohty

2007-12-31T08:56:00.000-05:00

1) Was 2007 a good year for you?
Excellent, especially given how incredibly crappy last year was.

2) What was your favorite moment(s) of the year?
Night bounce dive in Curacao, Mid Summer's Night Swing, moving in with Susan... it's a long list

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
various Mom bullshit

4) Where were you when 2007 began?
At my house

5) Who were you with?
Susan

6) Where will you be when 2007 ends?
La Mancha

7) Who will you be with when 2007 ends?
Susan, Jose, Lorida and hundreds of drunk Germans (ok, maybe just a couple)

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2007?
Pretty much

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2008?
Drop some more weight, drink less, exercise more, dance more, write more music

10) Did you fall in love in 2007?
Already was

11) If yes, with who?
Susan

12) If yes, do they know?
If she doesn't then she's pretty dumb, which she ain't

13) Are you still in love with them?
Last time I checked

14) Do you regret it?
Not a bit

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2007?
No need

16) Did you make any new friends in 2007?
Yes

17) Who are your favorite new friends?
All of them

18) What was your favorite month of 2007?
All of them were pretty smashing

19) Did you travel outside of the US in 2007?
Yarp

20) How many different states did you travel to in 2007?
3

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007?
No, thank God. Been awhile since I could say that.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Bianca, Derek and Mike

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2007?
Eastern Promises

24) What was your favorite song from 2007?
Are you kidding? I own 2700 CDs. Hard to pick, no? Which genre?

25) What was your favorite record from 2007?
See #24

26) How many concerts did you see in 2007?
Not many

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2007?
No

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2007?
Yup

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2007?
Nope. The booze is my only vice.

30) How many people did you sleep with in 2007?
Uno

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Nope

33) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2007?
Didn't catch anybody in a lie

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2007?
Not that I'm aware of

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2007?
Nope

36) How much money did you spend in 2007?
Quite a bit

37) What was your proudest moment of 2007?
Landing my new job at the salary I wanted

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?
Can't remember

39) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?
Nothing. If I did, it might change how things are now.

40) What are your plans for 2008?
Taking Susan to London for Valentine's Day, wreck diving in North Carolina, maybe more diving somewhere warm, copious amounts of swing dancing, Christmas in Georgia with Mom, Lisa and Tom. I'm sure the redhead and I will figure out a bunch of other stuff, too. That's how we roll.

Ramblings in the ghosttown

2007-12-28T08:08:00.000-05:00

There is a long list of places I'd like to be. Here is not very high on the list.

Yes, it's the last Friday in December, the last Friday of 2007 and I'm here at work at 7:40 in the morning. That's no surprise, really, as I'm always here between 7:30 and 8:00am. However, I'm here all by my lonesome with very little to do. I considered sleeping in, but Susan's life is crazy right now, work-wise, so she was up at the usual time and I tend to get up when she gets up.

One of the disadvantages of switching jobs in September is losing all one's vacation and having to work through the holidays. This is always a dead time in the banking industry as everybody and their mother takes off. I'll have enough work to last me a couple of hours, but beyond that it's just filling time.

The most frustrating thing is that I've got a lot of other stuff to do.

Our favorite local restaurant is having a big New Year's Eve bash and I've been elected to provide music. They've requested 70s and 80s tunes and while I've tons of the latter, I am sadly lacking much of the former. So I would love to be raiding iTunes for some tasty Bee Gees and such (no mockery, please; there would be no techno were it not for Barry, Maurice and Robin).

"Y'all 140bpm bitches wouldn't be shit if it weren't for us."

Anyway, I started making a mix in my head this morning at about 3am and I'd love to get it down.

But here I am. Argh.

I've also got more music in my head and would love to be working on it. I remixed a track by a great downtempo artist who goes by Enjae. I like my "Rainwept" remix (though it still needs mastering), but would like to do a few more. I've already entitled the next one "The Red Wine And Chocolate Mix" and envision tasty mellowness.

But here I am. Argh.

However, I will lightly apply my nose to the grindstone and try to drag out my tasks as long as possible so I don't end up sitting here all day with nada to do.

Don't it just make you wanna cry?

Keeping me from becoming comatose:

Sub Level - The Mechanics Of Coping
(broad-spectrum sonic assault weapon)

Coleman Hawkins - Picasso
(shoo ba do bebop)

Tom Waits - Nighthawks At The Diner
(guided tours of inebriation)

God - Appeal To Human Greed
(KMart and JKFlesh sittin' in a tree, K-I-L-L-I-N-G)

Howlin' Wolf - His Best
(and that's pretty freakin' good)

Bring the sick PS

2007-12-13T10:44:00.001-05:00

Nuff said.

Let him rot

2007-12-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

Varg Vikernes. Motherfucker.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this waste of skin, Varg Vikernes (born Kristian Vikernes), aka Count Grishnackh, is a black metal musician currently in prison for the murder of Oystein Aarseth, aka Euronymous. Euronymous was the guitarist for Mayhem as well as the owner of Helvete, a record shop in Oslo specializing in underground metal. He also was the head of the Deathlike Silence label which similarly specialized in extreme music. Now Euronymous was no great shakes himself, but few people deserve to get stabbed in the head on purpose. I can think of a couple, but that is neither here nor there.

(BTW, the history of Mayhem is screwed up enough to begin with, but that's another blog entirely; suicide, cannibalism, etc. Look it up.)

Anyway, back to Varg. He has also been connected to several church burnings in Norway and apparently has "inspired" other acts of vandalism and arson not only in his country, but around the world. While I'm not a big fan of religion in general, I definitely stop short at condoning the destruction of centuries old buildings that hold not only historical but spiritual significance. Say what you will about ritual and all that, but if enough people gather in a place for long enough with the intent of worshipping something, it does imbue that place with a certain "otherness" that should be preserved.

So I delved into this fuckwad a great deal when I started getting deeply into black metal. I read a lot of his writings from his website, histories and opinions from other sources, etc.

Wow. Not only is this guy an arrogant SOB, he's nowhere near as intelligent (or interesting) as he thinks he is. Then again, that's par for the course for a psychopathic personality, no? What a douche.

I mention all this because the Might Derek Rush has brought to my attention that Vikernes may be released from prison in April 2008. I can't believe he might get sprung. It's not like he's even attempted to portray himself as reformed. In fact, he's gotten worse while in prison.

Prior to the slamma he was all "I'm a naughty Pagan". Burn churches, rant against Judeo-Christian everything, purport to be a child of Odin, etc. Then I guess he gets too much of a buttfucking in jail and all of a sudden he's the Aryan poster boy. Odalism is out the door in favor of CYA rightwing Nazi stupidity. Way to stick to your guns, big guy. Still, it will be interesting to see how the press covers him once he's out. When he was first sent up, the papers portrayed him as the Essence of Evil. Now let's hope they see that he's just another schmuck.

Smile if you've changed your mind due to a nasty cornholing.

All this being said, remember this post after I get murdered in the street by rabid Burzum fans...

Varg, from His Towering Throne of Irrelevance, resents:

Mingus Big Band - Gunslinging Birds
(boom bip bebop)

James Brown - Sex Machine
(cashing in on a great tune)

Miles David - Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
(mucho miles on this Miles)

Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician - Wave Motion
(another mellow fellow)

Sunn O))) - The Grimm Robe Demos
(deep into the blank and black)

Stuck in past

2007-12-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

CNN's entertainment section has been drooling over the brief return of Led Zeppelin. Part of the drool, of course, was an appeal to their readers to comment on this illustrious return. And lo, the crustaceans came out in force. One of the respondents said, "Loud and proud, there has NEVER been a music act with such ferocity and likely there NEVER will be".

You must be kidding.

While there is no denying that Zep played an incredibly important part in musical history and that they influenced innumerable artists that came after them, it's also undeniable that music has progressed since then. Led Zeppelin can't hold a candle in terms of "ferocity" to even an average black metal band. Grindcore similarly obliterates them in the "ferocious" category. Punk, hardcore and even speed metal likewise. And that's just addressing guitar music. Bring in drum and bass, breakcore and other electronic forms? Again, Zeppelin falls far behind. I'm sure there are many who will say, "Well, that's not really music." Then you're not listening.

Zeppelin were unquestionably part of the cream of the crop in their day, but music has expanded so much further in the last 25 years. Plant and company are fantastic, but why limit your sonic palette to stuff that stopped progressing 20 years ago? Hang onto the old, sure, but move on to something new as well. I'd rather see something new and experimental for $10 in some dingy club in Williamsburg than plop down $250 for an arena show where I can hear songs I've been listening to for 20 years.

Forging ahead with:

The Sales Department - Accounts
(Beef Terminal lives on in the hearts of men and this record)

Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
(a man who knew exactly what I'm talking about above)

Apparat - Multifunktionsebene
(fuzz pop glitch stop)

New Kingdom - Paradise Don't Come Cheap
(bringing the noise from these boyz)

Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
(again... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

Not my cat...

2007-12-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

but I wouldn't put this past him.

Monster truck rally soundtrack:

Blue Stone - Breathe
(ripping off Enigma and Delerium)

DJ? Acucrack - Humanoids From The Deep
(wicked darkstep)

Mad Professor - Dub Me Crazy
(into de outa space, mon)

Nasum - Human 2.0
(grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

Thelonius Monk - Monk In Paris: Live At The Olympia
(jazz mad pianist)

Stagnation

2007-12-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Everyone who knows me will tell you that I have long suffered from a deep and abiding addiction to music. I rant about this every now and again right here on this blog (which I have admittedly ignored for over a month now). While my tunes jones is still in full bloom, I've been forced into a sort of musical 12 step program by two things.

First, my job.

For many years I've listened to music while at work. In fact, I find I'm much more efficient when I'm plugged in than when I'm not. Nothing like a little death metal, trance, or breakcore to get the blood pumping and the mind cranking. However, I've been encouraged by my new boss to cast aside the earphones and join the larger world. He feels it makes me more accessible to, and approachable by, people. I have to say I agree with him. I'm not wild about it, but I do agree. So from about 7:30 in the morning to sometime around 5 in the afternoon (at least on most days), I go cold turkey.

This hurts.

Previously, it was my morning ritual to pick four or five CDs to bring with me to work. Since my collection is fairly vast (2664 releases as of this writing), this usually proved to be a pleasant challenge. Susan also benefited because I would foist a CD or two on her as well, although this sometimes got tricky because the people she works with actually play music so that everybody can hear it, thus eliminating certain choices. Suffice to say that Amputated, Throbbing Gristle and the like would no doubt go over like a lead balloon in her office.

However, now that I don't tune in during the day, I do not tend to put as much effort into selecting tunes for my commute. And that's where the second evil comes into play.

The iPod.

I'd resisted acquiring one of the monstrous devices for a long time. Much like a classic DJ clutching his vinyl like grim death ("From my cold, dead hands, mother fucker!"), I stayed faithful to my own chosen media, the CD. There's something nice about being able to hold it in your hand. Also, as a DJ, I need to be able to pitch shift for the sake of beat matching. Until they come up with something that can do this well with MP3s, I'm not interested (I'm sure there is something out there, but I don't presently give a fuck; "From my cold, dead..." etc., etc.). Lastly, MP3s don't yet come with extensive liner notes, a commodity I've always used to expand my music horizons. Band A gives a shout out to Band B in their CD jacket. I like Band A, so I investigate Band B. They turn out to be as good as, maybe even better than, Band A, so I read into them. And they told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on and so on. Ministry -> Pigface -> Neubauten.

Anyway, now that I'm picking less music in the mornings, it's easy to fall into the habit of just grabbing the ol' iPod. Admittedly I've got about 850 songs loaded right now, but it's such a pain to move stuff from CD onto the damn thing that I rarely add anything new. Therefore I end up listening to a lot of the same stuff day after day. Lately it's been Royksopp, Beef Terminal, and Panzerchrist; those and a couple of my DJ mixes.

So I'm stuck in a bit of a rut.

But I plan to fight.

I pulled a bunch of CDs this morning (but neglected to snag anything for my lady; sorry, Susan). I listened to one of them on the way to work and plan on trying to listen to the others OUT LOUD at low volume via my computer. Am I a daring dude or what? Either way, I hope this will force me out of my sonic funk.

Damn. Speaking of funk, I should have thought to bring some Funky President.

Not now, James, we're busy with:

Various - Don't Fuck With Us
(Digital Hardcore Recordings beats in your face)

Burial - Untrue
(best album of the year? best dubstep album... of the entire genre?)

Bitter:Sweet - The Mating Game
(makes me wanna...)

Black The Sky - Simplistic Mechanics Of Deformable Bodies
(best track title ever: "I Slept With A Member Of Black The Sky And All I Got Was Rope Burn And A Bloody Asshole")

Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
(completely beyond sexy)

Blind idiot god-ies

2007-11-01T07:58:00.000-04:00

The Westboro Baptist Church has been ordered to pay $10.9 million to the father of a marine killed in Iraq. Why?

Because their parishoners are stupid.

The attendees of Westboro Baptist apparently believe that our soliders in Iraq are dying because God is mad at America. And why is God mad at America? Because we're too tolerant of homos.

Yep. These people picketed the funeral of this poor man's son. They carried signs with slogans like this: "Thank God for dead soldiers", "Thank God for IEDs" (improvised explosive devices) and, that perennial favorite, "God hates fags". They actually have such a hard on for that last little quip that they've made their official website godhatesfags.com. Yep. Their official website.

These cretins actually believe that we're losing the war in Iraq because the big fella upstairs is pissed at us. According to these rocket scientists, "America is doomed." They've also touted other examples of God's wrathiness at limpwrists and sympathizers: the 2004 tsunami, the present fires in California, AIDs (of course), Katrina, 9/11, etc., etc.

Almost makes me wish I believed in handguns.

Chief distributor of the Kool Aid in this particular instance is one Fred Phelps, founder of the "church" and head crazy man. His reaction to the court's decision? "This will elevate me to something important."

Elevate indeed, you insignificant little turd. From where you're slithering, the only place to go is up, although if there is a heaven or hell, I suspect you'll be heading down. Freddie protested that the case was about "putting a preacher on trial for what he preaches. All it was, was a protestation by the government of the United States against the word of God. They don't want me preaching that God is punishing the country by killing their servicemen."

The arrogance and the ignorance.

This has got me so pissed that I can barely comment coherently on the absolute braindeadedness of this guy and his fellow mindless drones. If your all powerful God REALLY hated gays, wouldn't he just strike them down? To quote the immortal LaTour, "This AIDS thing's not working"? You must be kidding. Get your head out of your ass and realize that the soldiers dying in Iraq have nothing to do with God at all. If asked, I'm sure He would have some reservations about the situation. We're there and people are dying because our elected officials put us there under false pretenses and have continued to stay there long after the situation has become irreparable.

Leave God out of it. And more importantly, leave the families of fallen soldiers out of it. I may not agree with what their dead sons and daughter chose to do with their lives, but I certainly do believe that NOBODY has the right to desecrate their funerals and mock both their families and their memories. Take your bigoted, close minded, empty headed bullshit straight to hell; do not pass Go; do not collect $200.

Playing on the Peace Train as it plows through Westboro Baptist:

Panzerchrist - Soul Collector
(sprechen sie death metal)

Negativland - Escape From Noise
(even though you can't)

Immortal - Battles In The North
(tracking cross the grim wastes)

Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armaggedon
(death grunt arias)

Still Stupid - Still Stupid
(in heaven everyone is like you)

Death takes a holiday

2007-10-29T10:37:00.000-04:00

The American Bar Association has released a report saying that the use of the death penalty "is deeply flawed" and that "every state with the death penalty should review its execution procedures before putting anyone else to death."

The coffee has been smelled.

The report highlights the following issues:

- Spotty collection and preservation of DNA evidence, which has been used to exonerate more than 200 inmates
- Misidentification by eyewitnesses
- False confessions from defendants
- Persistent racial disparities that make death sentences more likely when victims are white

Is anyone remotely surprised by any of this? Especially the last point?

"After carefully studying the way states across the spectrum handle executions, it has become crystal clear that the process is deeply flawed," said Stephen F. Hanlon, chairman of the ABA Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project. "The death penalty system is rife with irregularity."

Of course pro-death penalty folks are complaining that the study is biased because many of the folks involved were death penalty opponents. Me? I'd guess that some of them might have been either proponents or undecided, but subsequently had a change of heart in light of the evidence.

Hopefully this will result in a freeze on executions nationwide. Maybe we can finally join the other enlightened nations of the world and stop killing people. There are too many opportunities for mistakes, too much racial bias, and, I believe the most important reason, once inflicted, it is irreversible. There are too many stupid people in this world to have the fate of anyone hanging on their memory or word.

So shut down the death houses and then look for the resultant rise in unemployment in Texas.

Riding the lightning with:

Terminal Sound System - Watcher
(open and bottomless)

Mad Professor - Anti-Racist Dub Broadcast
(fight dem crazy baldheads)

Meat Beat Manifesto - Original Fire
(rare gems from Jack)

Bing Crosby- The Best Of The War Years
(vox like butta)

Coldworker - The Contaminated Void
(roar to the floor)

Nevermore

2007-10-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

What do the following have in common?

Killing Joke
Prong
Murder Inc.
Pigface
Ministry
Revolting Cocks
Godflesh

1st? They're awesome.
2nd? Paul Raven.

This is just a smattering of bands he has appeared with, produced or contributed to. He was an extremely prolific musician. I say "was" because Paul died last Saturday of an apparent heart attack. He was 46.

Raven was the bassist for several of my favorite rock/industrial bands, including a brief stint with Godflesh (my favorite). He had stepped in after Benny Green left. However, Justin had a meltdown and disbanded GF before they could tour and record.

Paul's death is a sad loss for anyone who loves the hard stuff.

R.I.P. Raven

Swan songs:

Royksopp - Melody AM
(cheery poppy bouncy)

Radiohead - In Rainbows
(stepping back towards the rock)

Roots Radics - Scientist & Jammy Strike Back
(dub is the teacher)

Superjoint Ritual - Lethal Dose Of American Hatred
(pulling out your eye and showing it to you)

Enduser - From Zero
(a bulldozer driving 200 miles an hour)

Redemption?

2007-10-05T12:20:00.000-04:00

Several recent releases have apparently reawakened my thirst for decent industrial music. Uncle Al is finally putting the mighty beast that is Ministry to rest with their final release, The Last Sucker, so I headed to Amazon to check it out. It goes without saying that I bought the album (I loves me some Uncle Al). In addition, I also picked up Rio Grande Dub Ya, an album of remixes of tracks from Rio Grande Blood. Amazon teased me by saying I could get free shipping and reduced prices on these two CDs if I bought something else. So I went for it.

Year Zero from Nine Inch Nails.

This may be surprising to those of you who read my last NIN post, as I'd pretty much given up on Trent. Still, Amazon sold me the disc for cheap, so I figured I didn't have much to lose.

And now it's my favorite of the three.

It's that good.

Things start out sounding like standard Nine Inch Nails: noisy and slightly funky. The first two tracks ("Hyperpower!" and "The Beginning Of The End") don't sound like anything new at all. I got nervous about this pretty fast. However, "Survivalism" begins to stir the pot a bit. It's strangely cute and bumpy and somewhat reminiscent of "Mr. Self Destruct" off The Downward Spiral, but is not quite as stridently aggressive. Trent’s vocal delivery is great. This track in turn bleeds into "The Good Soldier", which has a nice, funky guitar line. It did not impress me much at first, but has an absolutely gorgeous ending.

Then "Vessel" arrives and things get REALLY interesting.

It sounds like Trent has been listening to equal parts Autechre and Public Enemy. This tune is chock full of glitchy, nasty beats. This song is just UGLY in all the right ways and is the album's strongest track to this point. "I let you put it in my mouth / I let it get under my skin / I let you pump it through my veins / I let you take me from within". The entire thing disintegrates into an all out glitch fest at the end and then gradually transforms in "Me, I'm Not". This is a really spooky track, complete with distant drones and breathy vocal delivery. However, this doesn't last long.

"Capital G" chimes in with a beat stolen right from Gary Glitter (and then fed through a blender). The vocal delivery is really choppy and funky (and probably the most interesting on the album). This general sense of industro-funk leads into "My Violent Heart" which starts off subtly and then hits you over the head with the chorus. Awesome. "The Warning" follows with yet more Autechre-like beats and amazing, blues-tinged guitar lines. This song also continues to expand throughout, getting bigger and bigger as Trent adds more and more subtle elements. This finally explodes into "God Given" which has a caterwauling opening and more whispered, dropout vocals accompanied by buzzing synth lines.

At first, I didn't like the sound of the next track, "Meet Your Master", but then it evolves into a gorgeous middle eighth and an explosive guitar chorus. This does, however, devolve again into "The Greater Good" which is dark and spacious, with the drums right up front in the mix and the vox layered deeper than before.

Unfortunately, the track that follows, "The Great Destroyer", slightly throws off the flow a bit. Sure, it's noisy, but it's not as strong as the four songs that precede it. However, just when I thought it was a throwaway, it blossoms into a glitchy rhythmic freakout that calls to mind the breakdown in "Happiness In Slavery", but it's infinitely more complex and interesting. In fact, it completely saves the song.

Then we have "Another Version Of The Truth". This may actually be my favorite track on the album (although I've got to admit it's damned hard to pick). This an instrumental that features a melancholy, delicate piano melody surrounded by static and drones (somewhat along the lines of "Help Me I Am In Hell"). However, this temporary solace is broken apart as "In This Twilight" steps to the fore.

There's an abrasive-as-hell beat that introduces this juggernaut of a tune. Then Trent's vocals come soaring over the top of this miasma of guitar feedback. It's a stunner (also on my list of faves for this album). The final track, "Zero-Sum", reminds me a bit of the title track from The Downward Spiral, especially the spoken word vocals, distant piano and synths. However, it definitely has its own character and seems more lyrically and sonically mature; another great track and an excellent choice of closer.

So imagine my surprise at all this! It's good to see that Trent has got his shit back together (at least in my opinion). I didn't really take part in any of the viral marketing stuff he propagated for this album, but I can say that I'm really impressed with the resulting disc. A strong piece and the best he's done since The Downward Spiral. In fact, I'd say Year Zero is actually a better album than TDS. It's going to be on my play list for quite a bit, I suspect.

Ear canal dredgers:

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
(Trent finds his footing again)

Ministry - Rio Grande Dub Ya
(Uncle Al spews more vitriol on Fearless Leader)

Ministry - The Last Sucker
(and then bows out)

Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
(epic technoisms)

Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks - Please, Try Not To Forget Me
(be my melancholy baby)

Much ado about nothing

2007-09-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

Kathy Griffin.

She is funny.

She is STILL funny (perhaps even funnier...)

Some folks are comparing the comments she made during her Emmy acceptance speech to those of Don Imus (not that I thought his were bad), Michael Richards (which were bad), and Isaiah Washington (also bad).

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus... Can you believe this shit? Hell has frozen over. Suck it, Jesus; this award is my god now."

I think she actually made a good point (in a subtle, roundabout way).

How many times have you seen an athlete, actor, or somebody else accept a commendation and utter the words, "I'd like to thank Jesus (or God) for ", etc., etc. It's gotten to the point where this is just kind of rote, no? This isn't to say that God has nothing to do with your achievement (some people believe that, some people don't), but these kinds of statements are almost knee-jerk these days. Sometimes they even sound like pandering; not to God, but to public opinion.

I think this is what Kathy was poking fun at.

But, as usual, the staunchest missed the point. A good example? Bill Donahue, head of the Catholic League, is livid, calling KG "a foul mouthed bigot" and condemning her speech as a "verbal assault on 85 percent of the U.S. population".

Um... Bill...

At no point did she say "Catholics are stupid" or any other such comment. In fact, she didn't even mention any religion specifically. She did not even say that religious people were stupid. Also, last time I checked it was not just the Catholics who worshipped the Big JC. Kathy's comment was obviously made in a tongue-in-cheek manner (like pretty much everything she says), but far too many people have skin that is far too thin.

Get over it.

It's not like she strapped a bomb to her chest and detonated herself in a downtown market or something. THAT is an anti-religious statement. Ask an Israeli some time (you know, the people you call "Christ Killers"?).

Get some perspective, people, for goodness (or Christ's) sake.

Kathy Griffin had nothing to do with Jesus enjoying the following:

Techno Animal - Re-Entry
(two packed discs of neo-dub otherworldliness)

John Coltrane - Lush Life
(five packed tracks of jazzy innerworldliness)

Tom Waits - Blood Money
(the gravel gargler returns)

Nile - Ithyphallic
("no one had less to do with this award than Osiris")

Cannibal Corpse - Eaten Back To Life
(because we all taste like chicken)

Stunning

2007-09-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

Years ago, I had some brief contact with Paul Molyneux, the mad genius behind Ocosi. He actually remixed a bunch of my tracks which we then released as Fuck Ups. Paul tends to release tracks that a MAD dark and usually abrasive as fuck. However, he disappeared for a bit, having moved to Ibiza. It's only recently that he has reappeared . I rediscovered him on MySpace and he seems to have moved his music in a more ambient direction. I check his blog today and found this video.

apjiw/ocosi-prism flame

Is that gorgeous or what?

I wish god would let me write music like that.

Going, going, Gonzales

2007-08-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

It's getting to be like Ten Little Indians.

Finally buckling to pressure from just about everybody except the president himself, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned. AG the AG (ever notice that?) has been tied to the wonky firings of eight US attorneys that stemmed, it appears, from political reasons. After his continuing tissue-paper-flimsy testimony to Congress, this comes as no surprise to anybody; except... perhaps the president himself. Actually, probably not; I'm sure he knew Gonzales was fucked months ago and just put his head in the sand.

He's really good at that.

Yes, our Fearless Leader will emerge from his vacation at Crawford to make the announcement.

(Side note: Is it my impression or does GW take more vacations then any standing president that I remember)

Donald Rumsfeld. Paul Wolfowitz. Karl Rove. Alberto Gonzales. Bush is running out of cronies. I can just imagine in about 6 months...

"President Bush announced today his appointment of Bob Smith to the position of Secretary of State. Smith, a former White House janitor, is said to have developed a close and personal relationship with the President over his 7 year tenure at the White House. Congress has already begun to question Smith's qualifications. No reaction so far from the administration."

GW sits alone in the Oval Office and cries in a pitiful voice, "Where'd everybody go?"

Posing for his milk cartoon picture.

Celebratory dances provided by:

Various - Lousiana Swamp Blues
(bring da zydeco, ho)

The Cure - Disintegration
(another feel good all time classic)

The Clash - London Calling
(phony beatle-mania has bitten the dust)

Anti Sound System - Deep Black Static
(australian for "oh, my fucking ears hurt”)

Anti Sound - Five Wounds
(another slab of vicious noise done aussie style)

Open the glitterbox

2007-08-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

Elisha Grey invented the synthesizer in 1876. Robert Moog made the first one that wasn't as big as a house in 1964. The Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 introduced us to polyphony in 1978. Casio started pumping out cheesy keyboards in 1985.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Some musical purists frown at the idea of these instruments and say that electronic music has no soul. Some manly men insist that guitars are an absolute requirement and must always have the lead. If there's no axe on stage, it's not worth listening to. Some say that modern music in general has nothing to offer the human race.

Me? I loves me some synthesizer.

True, I'm a devotee of pretty much everything from extreme metal (where the guitar is king) to acoustic music (bring me some of that jazz, folk and blues, baby), but I do loves me some synthesizer. There is an innate beauty in a gorgeous synth line. Programmed drums? Shonuff! Thunderous dnb bass drops? Yummy! Clicky robot pop freakin' rules! I worship at the altar of Kraftwerk and YMO.

And Switched-On Bach.

I bring this up because I've been listening to purely electronic music today. Drum machines, synths, all that. Even the vocals are vocoded; nary an organic sound to be heard. My primary focus has been two albums by Solvent. Both were released on the nearly peerless Ghostly International label and they're prime examples of synthetic confection. The first, Apples & Synthesizers, contains 13 lovely Solvent tracks, while the second, Elevators And Oscillators, features several remixes of stuff from Apples & Synthesizers as well as more original tracks by Solvent.

This is great music. Sometimes delicate, sometimes distant, the tunes on these two CDs are premium ear candy. Here's a sampling:

"Wish"
"My Radio (The Mitgang Audio Remix)"
"For You (Isan Remix)"

How can you not love this stuff? From the Yaz-like opening of "Wish" through its Visco Space Drum beats and orbiting synths and vox, it's just a gorgeous tune. The remix of "My Radio" again brings the float. Sure, it's grounded by a beautifully burbly arpeggiated synth line, but the soaring vocoded chorus takes me right out of my head; amazing to dance to, especially at double time. Isan's remix of "For You" is straight from outer space. Listen to the fireflies in this tune! The vocals sit right in the middle, but everything around it drifts about like helium. So sweet.

So, no, it ain't ZZ Top, the Stones, or Aerosmith.

This is me not caring.

Helping robots devour the earth:

Solvent - Apples & Synthesizers
(have a bite. it's tasty.)

Solvent - Elevators And Oscillators
(it's tasty. have a bite.)

Strategy - Drumsolo's Delight
(on the electronic dub tip)

Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity
(making 1975 sound like 1995)

Various - Thinner Volume 01
(dubtech madness)

Tale o' the mellow fellow

2007-08-14T09:07:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy two and a half months since I sat down behind the decks and churned out a mix. Admittedly there have been a few abandoned attempts, but last weekend the stars aligned correctly.

I tend to go on about how difficult creating a set can be, what with all the music choices I have, but this time I was fairly certain I wanted to do a chillout mix somewhat in the vein of Midnight At The Velvet Club. So I pulled out about 60 CDs from my collection and whittled them down to about 70 minutes of prime downtempo-ness. For the most part, the mix is a major mellow-out, but there are a couple of upbeat sections that break it up nicely. Welcome to DJ Abstract 21: Late Night Fable Mix.

01 Bonobo - Noctuary
02 Skalpel - Break In (Backini Remix)
03 Alif Tree - Enough
04 Lamb - Trans Fatty Acid (Kruder & Dorfmeister Session Mix)
05 Branestorm Productions - NoOnes Lost
06 Ordio - 3 In 1
07 Aphilas - Lifelong Fiction
08 Blunted Minds - Lushen's Revenge
09 Sifu Beats - Taiten
10 Sub City - I Remember Everything
11 Bowery Electric - Passages
12 DJ Cam - Gangsta Shit
13 Sofa Surfers - Sofa Rockers (Richard Dorfmeister Remix)
14 Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician - Where
15 Peace Orchestra - Domination
16 Portishead - Interlude

It's actually been a bit of a musical reawakening for me of late. I've contributed a couple of Abstract Audio Systems loops to Austere's Zen Machine project and plan to toss them some Bonechurch loops as well. I also got PAID for a bit of soundtrack work that the aforementioned Austere guys put together. They used some of the tracks we did together on evergone and were kind enough to send me some of the resulting moolah.

Great guys.

I've also been throwing together some new tracks of my own. One is comprised of loops from the Tapegerm Collective. I just posted it there, so hopefully it should be seeing the light of day in a bit.

So life goes on and goes well so far (knock on wood).

From the Sea Of Holes into the Sea Of Green:

Austere - Mirror
(cause I loves the shiny stuff)

Benny Benassi - Hypnotica
(funk yo butt)

Terminal Sounds System - Compressor
(intestinal rearrangement made simple)

Ellen Allien - Berlinette
(so fressssssssh)

Milieu - Slow Lid Close
(cause da man nose)

Pulling out my hair

2007-08-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

Let's hear it for sagas and dramas.

Back story: several months ago, my boss's boss moved from the department where I work to another department within the firm. After her move, she contacted my boss and invited him to come join her. After some (albeit brief) consideration on his part, he agreed to the move and off he went. During the course of all this being unveiled, he and I discussed the possibility of me jumping over with him. Both he and his boss are very confident in my abilities and see me as a valuable addition to their team. Several conversations took place, promises and offers were made and I came to the decision that, yes, I would like to join them as a full time employee (I've been consulting for this particular firm for 12 years).

Then... nothing.

Well, not entirely nothing. Basically I've been putting up with months of administrative bullshit. First it was the effort of actually getting the OK for the creation of the position in the first place. That took forever and a day because this has all been occurring over the summer when a lot of folks are away. Suffice to say that the requisition was OK'd only about 2 weeks ago. I "officially applied" last week, finally.

And still... nothing.

My future boss is chomping at the bit to get me on board. My current consulting contract with the firm runs out at the end of this month, so unemployment looms large. It's just the middle men I need to work my way through to get to the people who have told me I already have the job.

Damn you, middle men. Damn you all to hell.

I'm starting to loose sleep over this as I don't relish the idea of sitting on a corner, shaking a cup for change come next month. OK, that's a drastic thought, I know, but I fully expected to ALREADY BE GONE from my current position by now. I've got a week long vacation planned for September that's been on the books since early this year and it's going to suck to start the new job and then turn around and go on vacation.

The worst part is the feeling of powerlessness. I'm at the mercy of these fuckers at the moment (and by fuckers, I don't mean my new employers; I mean the schmucks who aren't doing their jobs fast enough to get through all the administrative crap). In the meantime, the really interesting work that needs to be done at my current position is slowly drying up. I've trained my replacement and am ready to get the fuck outta dodge.

It's just that the HR guys won't let me outta town yet.

Fuckers.

So here I lounge in dreadful anticipation. I am tired of what I am doing presently and want some new challenges and responsibilities. And I could be attacking those new challenges if the goddamned bean counters would just the hell out of the way.

Hear my 9mm go bang:

Meat Beat Manifesto - Archive Things 1982-88
(chunky funky noisy from Jack and Perennial Divide)

Bonono - Dial "M" For Monkey
(sweet, fat downtempo stylings)

Boxcutter - Oneiric
(glitchin' you up)

Mothboy - Sells Out Demo/Raw Loops And Numb Breaks
(master of the broken beat breaks you up)

Milt Jackson - Wizard Of The Vibes
(he is a wiz of a wiz if ever a wiz there was)

Easy commute

2007-07-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

Surprise, surprise. President Bush has finally decided to step in and save Scooter's butt. While not issuing a full pardon, Dumbya was instead kind enough to commute Mr. Libby's sentence. Sure, he'll still have to cough up $250,000 and spend two years on probation, but at least he won't have to worry about getting shived or having a broomstick shoved up his ass.

Kinda makes you sad, doesn't it.

Truthfully, I could care less about what Libby did or did not do. It's painfully obvious that the guy is an amoral, manipulative political operator. There is, however, a good chance that he was intentionally thrown to the wolves (and subsequently reprieved) to save those further up the ladder from prosecution. Dick Nixon is no doubt observing from the beyond and shaking his head. "You dumb asses. You obviously don't read your history."

Traitorous music:

Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked
(that includes you, Scoot)

Paul Desmond - Easy Living
(is easy listening)

Napalm Death - Scum
(you suffer... but why?)

Austere - Curio
(distant, dazzling, and delightful)

Curse Of The Golden Vampire - Curse Of The Golden Vampire
(Alec, JKFlesh and the Bug do dey thang)

The Crippler

2007-06-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

I was first introduced to professional wrestling in 1977 by a fellow summer camper named Danny Klein. He showed me glossy mags featuring The Iron Shiek, Bob Backlund, "The Claw" Baron von Richter, and a bunch of other silly looking guys throwing each other around the ring. I got hooked. But during the subsequent 30 years, I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with "sports entertainment". I was bored to tears during the "rock 'n' wrestling" era. I was spellbound by the advent of the NWO and the temporary genius and then demise of Eric Bishoff's WCW. I then followed the WWF with a fair degree of devotion until in morphed into the WWE.

Now I don't pay all that much attention.

I still receive a daily newsletter that kind of keeps me up to date with what is going on, but I can't remember the last time I actually sat down and watched an episode of RAW. I do have to say, however, that 30 years of even mild interest introduces you to a lot of different wrestlers. I've had a lot of faves and for different reasons.

One of my all-time favorites, however, was Chris Benoit. From his all-business attitude in the ring to the best snap-suplexes in the business, the "Canadian Crippler" always kept me watching. Combining strength, speed, and great agility, he was simply exciting to watch.

Then, last weekend, he apparently killed his wife and 7 year old son and then hung himself.

What can one say about this?

Part of me is angry about his selfishness. Part of me feels infinitely sorry for him because he was in a place where he felt he had to do this. Was it drugs? "Roid rage"? Maybe. Maybe not. He was still a man I respected. Anyone who makes it as far as he did in that industry is a dedicated individual. It's an incredibly tough business to be in. Performers are on the road almost constantly. They perform injured. There is no "off season". It doesn't even pay that well unless you make it near the top. In the meantime, the mainstream media often laughs when wrestlers are spoken of as "athletes", when in fact these performers are often more talented than many mainstream athletes.

I imagine Chris locked up in that house with the bodies of his family (it was apparently quite some time after he killed his wife and son that he took his own life). Was he insane? Scared? Miserable either way, I would suspect. Stories of him texting people at the WWE with his address and instructions around how to get into the house make me deeply sad; calls for help that were made too late.

He even laid a bible on the bodies of his wife and son. Chilling.

I suspect that history will now revile Benoit as a cowardly multiple murderer, but I hope at least some will try and see both sides of the story. I suspect that beneath this evil act there lay a vast sadness and confusion. It's just too bad nobody helped him when he needed it most.

Missing commas are fun

2007-06-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

From CNN.com regarding the temporary cessation of psuedo-journalist Perez Hilton' website:

"Los Angeles photo agency X17 Inc. sued Lavandeira in federal court last year, asking for $7.6 million in damages. The suit claimed Hilton used 51 photographs without permission, payment or credit, including images of a pregnant Katie Holmes, Kevin Federline pumping gas and Britney Spears."

I think I've seen the images of Keven Federline pumping gas, but I've NEVER seen the images of Kevin Federline pumping Britney Spears.

Paparazzi music:

Dan Faehnle - Ohio Lunch
(primo jazzo guitaro)

Pink Martini - Hey Eugene
(including more stylings from Dan Faehnle)

Coldworker - The Contaminated Void
(grindcore meets thrash and makes friends with death metal)

Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
(brap!)

Diana Krall - Live In Paris
(hey kids, it's her first live album!)

With liberty and justice for all who can afford it

2007-06-07T10:23:00.000-04:00

Three days.

Three fucking days.

Now, I've always found Paris Hilton to be more of an annoyance than anything else. She doesn't really warrant hatred. She's just another worthless rich kid spoiled by privilege. While I loathe that particular brand of human being, I've known enough of them (for example, pretty much everybody I went to high school with) that I tend to let 'em slide.

However, this kind of blatant kid-gloving of celebrity makes me puke. From 40 days to 23 and now release.

After three days.

Apparently, this news-cycle-stealing waste of skin has been "fitted for an ankle bracelet and reassigned to house arrest, after authorities decided to release Hilton from prison due to medical reasons". Of course, they can't tell us what these "medical reasons" are due to confidentiality.

Considering she was housed in an exclusion wing, it's doubtful that she got raped with a broomstick or anything radical like that.

Maybe she's got a cold? Or didn't like the food?

"Paris will be under house confinement in her West Hollywood home for 40 days. After the 40 days are up, ... she will have 'fulfilled her debt to society.'"

Wow. House arrest? Tough stuff, guys. I wonder which of her hotels or mansions she'll pick? Or will the law determine where she languishes in well appointed suffering? Regardless of what finally is decided, this is further proof that when you have money, you can do just about whatever the hell you want and get away with it.

I wonder what they'll do when she goes out clubbing in a couple days?

I think I might actually hate her now...

"Hi. I'm worthless, but my money makes up for it nicely.
And that's hot."

What I would use instead of a broomstick:

Alec Empire - Squeeze The Trigger
(primo face punching musick)

Noisia - The Tide/Concussion
(boom growl tchak tchak)

Various - Listen Picks: Hip-Hop
(ya don't stop)

Various - Misc DB 3
(more face ripping dnb)

Various - Misc DB 4
(even harder than 3)

Happy music for happy people

2007-05-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-23T10:17:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-16T10:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-03T09:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-03T09:24:00.004-04:00

Because the Fresh Prince is down with the Horned One.

How did I miss this one?

2007-04-20T08:09:00.000-04:00

The news these days is, of course, all about Virginia Tech. And rightfully so. I've got mixed feelings about the whole thing. I am horrified by all the carnage, but I also wish someone had tried harder to reach this kid. He should have been in a hospital being treated instead of at college gunning down his fellow students. And don't get me started about the fact that he LEGALLY purchased TWO handguns. Let us not forget, however, that guns don't kill people, people do; especially crazy people. But my guess is that the guns certainly help.

Anyway, I didn't start writing today to talk about Virginia Tech or guns or crazy people (well, maybe a little about the last one). It's just that the massacre story is eating up so much of the news cycle that I missed something that has much more sinister implications for this country's future than the admittedly horrible deaths of 33 people. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the ban on late-term abortions first passed into law back in 2003. It's no surprise that the two justices that GW has appointed in the intervening period were part of the majority: Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy.

Make no mistake. This is the beginning of a run at Roe vs. Wade.

As Justice Ginsberg states in her assenting opinion, this action "cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away a right declared again and again by this court". The support of this bill lays the ground work for the argument that if some abortions are illegal, ipso facto, so are all abortions.

The most ominous thing about the situation is that the Court now teeters on the edge of being predominantly conservative. The only thing preventing the downfall of Roe vs. Wade is Justice Kennedy's swing vote. And that could be a crap shoot. His support of the late term ban is in keeping with his previous decisions (Stenberg vs. Carhart). However, he has also historically supported the pro-abortion interpretation of the Fourteenth amendment's Due Process clause (the essential basis of the Roe vs. Wade argument). So if Kennedy sticks to his guns and remains middle of the road, things might not change. However, if he succumbs to pressure from the conservatives...

Start buying stock in coat hanger companies.

Dumbya is, of course, pleased as punch. According to Fearless Leader, the decision "represents a commitment to building a Culture of Life in America. [It] affirms that the Constitution does not stand in the way of the People's representatives enacting laws reflecting the compassion and humanity of America."

I am a compassionate person, George, but I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose. The federal government has no business interfering in the most personal decision an individual can make. Thinking otherwise is a rather radical departure for a federalist like you, is it not? Then again, your religious ideology has always outweighed your politics, so this comes as no surprise. I cannot wait for the next 20 months to pass, after which you will be blessedly gone. But who knows how badly you will have fucked up this country and the rest of the world by then. I suspect that you will leave a pretty rancid legacy behind.

Pursuing life, liberty, and early deafness via:

Klangstabil - Straftat Gegen Das Leben
(Neubauten meets Kraftwerk)

4 Strings - Mainline
(primo vocal trance)

Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
(and your eardrums)

Various - Headfloat Trax
(tasties from The Sales Department and Torsion)

Lena - Alchemy Of Fingers And Dark
(with remixes from Austere and The Mystifying Oracle)

See no, hear no, say no

2007-04-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

I can't say that I'm at all surprised that Don Imus got pulled because of his "nappy-headed hos" comment. After all, he's had it coming for years. I personally don't agree with his firing. He's just another idiot with stupid opinions; the world is full of them. Don't like what he has to say? Don't listen to his show.

However...

His termination is already starting to open the floodgates. In a move that no doubt has the foundering PMRC licking their fang-filled chops, many "community leaders" (yes, Sharpton and the usual suspects) are turning their focus on rap music. While there have been rumblings about this for quite some time, it seems that the Imus controversy has given this movement an ideal focal point. What better pitch than "See, we're not just picking on the White Guy. We need to clean up our own backyard"?

Guess what? You don't.

Again. Don't like what rap has to say? Don't listen to rap. This is first amendment shit, kids. It was bad enough that we let Tipper and Friends mar our CD covers with little white stickers (although, in retrospect, this may have been a good thing; turns out this tends to increase sales of a CD, not reduce them). I'm just afraid that this is going to lead to more outright censorship.

Are the members of the Rutgers women's basketball team really nappy-headed hos? No. Do they see themselves as nappy-headed hos? I doubt it. Are women bitches because Snoop Dogg says so? No. Do women feel like bitches when they listen to Nellie? Not any that are worth mentioning. Feel degraded? Get some self confidence, dearie. Then again, I'm a white male, so what the fuck do I know? I do know that when Ice Cube calls me a racist idiot, I really don't care. Know why? Because I know I'm not a racist idiot.

Get the idea?

It isn't anyone's job to "protect" people from ideas. Don't like what someone has to say? Ignore them. If it REALLY bugs you, discuss it. Suppression only empowers something. Prohibition didn't work, did it? The more you make something "forbidden", the more it appeals to those who are easily swayed (i.e. the stupid people; i.e. most people). Moreover, it hardens the resolve of those whose message you’re suppressing. "We can't give into the Man" becomes the call of folks who might have just been casual supports of something. Suddenly they will do more than their level best to see that censorship won't succeed.

In short, when we tell people what they can and can't say, we stifle debate. How can we explain to people why their opinion is wrong (in our opinion...) when we can't hear their opinion in the first place? You call me cracker; you call me a faggot. Guess what? I don't care, but you can certainly try and explain to me why you think that way.

And when was the last time you actually paid attention to this?

PMRC top five easy listening hits:

Disciples Of Annihilation - New York City Speedcore
(I'll show you hard)

Edgey - Structures In Rust
(hammer the nail)

Godflesh - Songs Of Love And Hate
(render you asunder)

Godflesh - Love And Hate In Dub
(I an' I render dem asunder)

Ella Fitzgerald - Sings The Cole Porter Song Book
(nope, can't listen to this one either; songs may contain sexual innuendos)

For Tipper PS

2007-04-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

My rant above has reminded me how much I value deep, meaningful music with insightful lyrics and heartfelt sentiments. That being said, I'd like to dedicate the following to Tipper Gore, Al Sharpton, and all the others who are kind enough to protect us from bad words, violent images and Janet Jackson's boob.

Disciples Of Annihilation - Brooklyn Mob

Love,
Ben

Wolf in chump's clothing

2007-04-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

According to CNN, the staff of the World Bank is calling for President Paul Wolfowitz's resignation. And why is this, you may ask? What did this pillar of honesty and integrity, this quintessential neo-con moralist representative, do to deserve such treatment?

He promoted his girlfriend without askin' nobody.

Nice one, Paul.

Apparently this is one of the first things he did after being successfully nominated to the post by Senor Dumbya (much to the disappointment and chagrin of most of the WB's staff, BTW; after all, who enjoys it when a neo-Manifest Destiny, "America Right Or Wrong" beast like Wolfie is force fed to an organization devoted fighting global poverty?).

Sure, Paulie has apologized, but then excused his actions by saying that he was in "uncharted waters" and still new to the job.

That's a load of shit.

When it comes to stuff like this, being President of the World Bank is no different than being, for example, a Store Manager for Walmart. You can't just unilaterally promote someone you're boning, whether the bone-ee deserves the promo or not. Hell, if I'd been in his position, I'd have made triple sure that EVERYBODY was involved in the decision. I'd have been holding meetings with the goddamned janitor if I'd thought it would assure people that I wasn't practicing favoritism.

Still, Wolfowitz has never been one to operate within the rules. I guess he's a real "out of the box" thinker (or, in this case, an "all about her box" thinker…). But while it's a round about way to do it, I do hope this ends with him leaving. After all, I suspect things at the World Bank over the last two years or so have been more focused around Paul's role in the instigation of the war in Iraq and his bozo-buddy-ness with GDumbya than on actually combating poverty around the world. But I suspect that the conservative cavalry will soon come to his aid. Start looking for key members of the World Bank ethics committee to start disappearing mysteriously...

OK. Maybe not. But the neo-cons always manage to protect their own, don't they.

Unless you're name is Scooter.

"Maybe I should have just stuck with the BJs in the office. Hell, it worked for Bill. Almost."

The World Bank did not finance the following:

Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician - Lightweight Heavy
(downbeat blissout)

CocoRosie - Noah's Ark
(I don't know about the animals, but I want these two chicks with me when the flood comes)

Takeshi Muto - Expect More From A Past Life
(mutated glitch quirk fest)

Bounty Killer - 5th Element
(you naw gwon step to dis, bwoi)

The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
(better living through malicious wounding)

Up and running

2007-04-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's a magical thing.

Only a short while after writing about it, CDBaby has cranked out their catalog entry for Poems For Innogen, the latest release from Abstract Audio Systems. The samples are up, the picture is pretty, and the description is a perfect example of my sometimes self-absorbed, introspective bullshit (heh heh).

Seriously, folks; I'm proud of this one. It incorporates a lot of the stuff I like to hear myself (but sadly, no metal...) and every track is heartfelt in some way. I'm sure most people won't get it, as it combines some pretty disparate sounds, but then again, that's how my brain works. I think the pieces fit together well.

So please check it out. And maybe, if you're feeling adventurous, generous, and want to own something pretty exclusive (hell, there's only about 10 copies of the CD in existence right now), you might pick up a copy.

Today's WBMH top five:

Various - Rediscovered Blues
(Lightnin', Big Bill, Sonny and Brownie pull it from the sky)

Various - Radius Suck
(down, over, out)

Front Line Assembly - Millennium
(Leeb does metal)

Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
(whatcha speak, bwoi?)

Various - Terrordrome II
(no dress code, but no BPMs under 200 will be admitted)

The little mix that Santa Claus forgot

2007-04-03T08:43:00.000-04:00

As a 100% bona fide music addict, I take great pleasure in throwing together mixes. The rewarding process of finding tracks that go well together brings me a great deal of pleasure and once I've completed one of these little assembly projects, I always love to give it to anyone who'll listen. So the fact that I haven't shared my latest creation with y'all is a testament to how hard work has been kicking my butt.

Yep.

Several weeks ago, I found myself with some free time, so I snagged the opportunity to throw some hard trance and club music into my magic cauldron. Giving it a rigorous stirring, the resulting explosion of steam coalesced into DJ Abstract 19: The Synthetic Bliss Mix.

01 Laurie Anderson - Someone Else's Dream
02 Armin Van Buuren - Shivers
03 Carl B - Social Suicide
04 John 00 Fleming - Rasa Lila (Part 1)
05 4 Strings - Treasure Box
06 Reva - Quasar
07 Slusnik Luna & Peter Lowlan - Last Train To Transcentral
08 Bluescreen - Daybreak
09 Solid Globe - North Pole Vs. Sahara (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
10 Up Above The World - Straight Up Caffeine
11 Jason Nevins - I'm In Heaven (Motivio Vocal Mix)

There are some majorly bangin' tracks on the mix. Starts of slow and a little spooky with a slice of vocal from Laurie A, but then plunges headlong into AVB and pretty much doesn't stop after that. It was especially fun to pull out a (relatively) golden oldie like "Straight Up Caffeine" and the parting track by Jason Nevins always brings a smile to my face. Of the billion and a half tracks that sample MJ's "Human Nature", this is definitely one of my faves. It's also a nice slow down after all that pounding four-on-the-floor.

Anyway, if anyone would like a copy, they can either email me and I'll send you one or you can head over to my website and snag a copy (cover and all) there. Either way, I hope everybody enjoys it.

Feel free to send money as well...

Carcrash (by funk):

Tom Waits - Bone Machine
(my gateway drug to the world of Waits)

The Mystifying Oracle - Quintessence
(one man Austere army)

White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000
(hottest bassist... ever)

The Bug - Killing Sound
(here come the hellsteppa)

William Orbit - Pieces In A Modern Style
(love ya, Arvo, but you can stick it)

Mourn their passing

2007-03-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

While strolling through my collection this morning, I came across an album I hadn't listened to in some time: Grab That Gun by The Organ. Now I know the band name sounds dirty (you pervs), but the music is great. Imagine an audio cocktail of equal parts The Smiths and The Cure with added dashes of Joy Division and The Go-Gos. Combine this with a creative sound that is their own and you've got The Organ. If you don't believe me, check these out.

Brother
There Is Nothing I Can Do
No One Has Ever Looked So Dead

See what I mean?

Anyway, I dragged the CD with me to work and am thoroughly enjoying it. I came across these ladies back in 2005 when I saw them with The Raveonettes and The Dirtbombs at Southpaw here in the Land Of Brook. I'd been looking forward to seeing them again, but they headed off to Europe and did considerable touring over there. Listening to their CD again, I thought I'd checkout what they were up to. Leaping instantly onto the Information Superhighway, I discovered something sad.

They've called it quits.

Yes, their website announced in December of last year that they were breaking up. It's really too bad. I was hoping to hear more from them. It's always a pity when great music dies an early death (The Organ, 3rd Bass, My Bloody Valentine, etc. etc.) while stuff like The Stones and Aerosmith continues to roll on.

Such is the human race.

Keeping me from dying early:

The Organ - Grab That Gun
(twice as bright, half as long)

The Haunted - The Haunted
(step back or suffer the consequences right now)

Entombed - Left Hand Path
(monumental death metal monument)

Terminal Sound System - Watcher
(bleak, dark, and glittering)

Tom Waits - Bad News Out Of A Pretty Mouth
(why pick and choose when you can have it all)

New chunes

2007-03-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

Creativity is a thing of peaks and valleys; inspiration and motivation, fleeting. Fact is, I've been experiencing quite the dry streak of late; months of occasional half-hearted musical fiddling, manifesting itself mostly as going over older, half-started stuff in hopes of finding that spark. Manifest excuses always seem to include "too busy", "too tired", and the eternal favorite "just don't feel like it".

However...

My plan last weekend was to go to Atlanta to surprise my mother for her birthday. I have not seen her since she move down there months ago. However, Mother Nature (or "Mother Fucker" as I call her in this case) saw fit to drop a load of snow on the fair denizens of New York City, causing untold panic (and subsequent cancellations) amongst the airlines. Suffice to say this resulted in two cancelled flights and no Atlanta pour moi.

(BTW, I've rescheduled the trip for this coming weekend, but Mom reads my blog every now and again, so let's hope she won't see this one until after I've surprised her on Saturday.)

Anyway, as I found myself essentially housebound over the weekend, I thought I'd take a crack at finishing the mastering for my latest Abstract Audio Systems release, "Poems For Innogen"...

And I'll be damned if inspiration didn't strike.

I essentially spent two solid days working on a bunch of different tasks related to this new CD. Firstly, I re-mastered the tracks, tweaking the EQ here, adding some gain there, etc. Secondly, I determined the song sequence and created the packaging. Thirdly, during the course of setting the sequence, I discovered that one of the tunes just did not fit the overall feel and flow of the album, so I chose not to include it. This track will no doubt show up on some subsequent EP or some such, but either way it left me with a gap; a gap I filled... with an entirely NEW TUNE. Yup. I'd been toying with a few bits and pieces in the preceding weeks, but I guess the creative juices were flowing the right way that day, resulting in a completed song. Lightning struck and luckily I was holding the kite string when it did.

Having completed all this, I burned a bunch of copies and shipped them off to CDBaby, so the album should be available through them at some point. Factor in shipping time, setup time on their end, etc. and we're talking a couple of weeks. However, if you'd like to take a listen now (and maybe BUY A COPY), you can hear samples on the official Machine Tribe Recordings website. You can also check out all of our other releases.

Pretty neat, huh?

So I'm feeling quite pleased, really. Hopefully this creative streak will continue and I'll be composing steadily. I know hardly anybody listens to my stuff (although hopefully we will come to a tipping point eventually), but I still love putting it together and perhaps those who do get to listen enjoy it just as much.

Slammin' jammin' to this crunked up junk:

Various - Quatermix
(15 downlow track from those fine folks at Quatermass)

Various - Global Cuts
(vintage 90s techno, R&S style)

Godflesh - Godflesh
(like lava: slow, implacable, and utterly destructive)

Various - Interiors
(heavy duty dark experimental shiznit)

Averauschen - Symbiote
(oh, the noise, noise, noise, noise)

In praise of friends

2007-03-18T18:08:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that life can get crazy busy and it's during these times that you lose touch with people. You're concentrating so hard on the situation you're in that you don't have the time (and sometimes the inclination...) to keep up with folks. This especially holds true if the friendship is long distance; even more so if you've never met the people face to face.

I've regaled you with this little tidbit because I myself have been guilty of this with my Oregonian friends, Austere. As you may or may not recall, I've been in touch with these guys for several years now via the glory of the internet. Hell, we even did an album together (which was a ball, BTW).

For those unfamiliar with the Mighty A... they create some of the best ambient music around using a host of different techniques (it's all very hush hush) and have also managed to manifest themselves in two side projects: The Mystifying Oracle and, more recently, Freq. Magnet (that's "Freak Magnet", kids).

Anyway, I succeeded in falling off the map with these guys for quite some time. So imagine my surprise and joy when I received a couple of emails from them, one of which informed my that Freq. Magnet was releasing their sophomore offering, "Etoiles Du Couvercle". According to their description, the album is a tribute of sorts to Stars Of The Lid, a favorite band of both Austere and myself; in fact, the title of the CD translates to... Stars Of The Lid.

Well, not only did Austere get back in touch with me, they were also kind enough to send me a copy of the CD (along with the DVD companion to FM's first record; more on that later). I've listened to it a couple of times and am more that dutifully impressed.

Often "tribute" albums simply sound like bad rehashings of the original artist's material. This is definitely not the case here. Freq. Magnet has created a fantastic piece of work that hints of Stars Of The Lid, yet retains its own unique identity and sound.

While the vast majority of the album was created with guitar, you'd never guess this was the case. Through the masterful use of gear (including the ever present Space Echo), the melodic strums of Freq. Magnet's Fender Squire are stretched, twisted, and embellished until they sound like something else entirely and while guitar is the primary instrument on this release, each track retains its own feel.

The album begins with what sounds like a snippet from an old radio serial, quickly followed by the first instrumental piece, "Gravitational Pull". This is deep space drone at its finest, featuring an echoing guitar that almost sounds like a cello. If you close your eyes, you can feel yourself getting lost in the huge spaces inside your head. This isn't a frightening feeling, however, as the music gently wafts you along, cradling you as you look down and out across the universe. The sound of the guitar begins to morph near the end of the song into something darker and more vast and then is joined by what sounds like distant satellite transmissions.

The album then launches into the mammoth "Ballasted", an epic 47-minute foray into drift. There is a distinct womb-like feel to the beginning of the track, a feeling that you are floating somewhere dark and warm. Again, this isn't frightening, but somehow deeply comforting. The sounds of this song gently shift until the drone sounds like waves breaking on a distant shore. At about the seven minute mark, a shimmering guitar appears in this huge, echoing space and builds slightly, but never becomes overpowering. One of the most perfect moments of this massive piece occurs about twenty-two and a half minutes in as the music almost drops out around an Apollo 11 broadcast. This brilliantly placed sample of the astronauts drifting above the surface of the moon sounds as if it has been bouncing around the cosmos for decades. This hypnotizing composition eventually fades slowly into nothingness. Breathtaking.

The fourth, untitled track takes a vintage sample of "The Prisoner" and then cunningly manipulates it into something new. Excellent if all too short. Still, it is an excellent introduction into the final track, "McBride". This is perhaps the most melancholic piece on the album, beginning with a slightly muted and distorted piano that is quickly coupled with a soothing, backwards loop. Again, there is a very mellow, comforting feel to the entire affair, like lying in bed and looking out the window on a rainy day. Very satisfying.

So it is in your best interest to pick up a copy of this exciting release. Rumor has it that it will be available through Hypnos soon, but you can contact Austere directly to snag one immediately. You should, trust me.

Headspace piloting with:

Freq. Magnet - Etoiles Du Couvercle
(ibid)

Abstract Audio Systems - Poems For Innogen
(coming soon to a CDBaby near you)

Opeth - Morningrise
(acoustic and death metal; two great tastes, etc., etc.)

Horace Andy - Dancehall Style
(everyting iree, mon)

Bobby McFerrin - Simple Pleasures
(best cover of "Suzie Q" ever)

Pottle kettle black

2007-03-09T10:08:00.001-05:00

Newt Gingrich has finally admitted to having an affair during his attack on President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky thang. The balls on these guys! The hypocrisy of some folks just boggles the mind.

Still gonna run for Prez, Newt?

But I got better:

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
(not really ambient, but you won't catch me complaining; classic)

Armin Van Buuren - 10 Years
(shoulda started listening in 1995)

Sublevel - The Mechanics Of Coping
(because sometimes ya gotta kill)

Tom Waits - Bad News Out Of A Pretty Mouth
(many of my Waits faves)

Rollins Band - Weight
(weights of a different sort entirely)

Get the fuck outta Dodge

2007-02-20T09:38:00.000-05:00

The saga of Pastor Ted continues. The Overseers of the New Life Church have told their former pastor to hit the bricks. "For the sake of Ted's restoration, it is best for him to move out of Colorado Springs," said Rev. Larry Stockstill.

And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Although the Overseers have spent months aiding Ted in his "battle with a dark side", it appears they've had enough of him. And while they read a letter to their congregation reassuring them Haggard is being "rehabilitated", he's gonna have to do it somewhere else now. But apparently, there's some payoff for Ted.

Literally.

The church has given him a financial settlement (the exact details of which were not disclosed). "This act of Christian love will provide professional care, counseling and the financial support they need to continue in their journey of recovery."

Counseling?
Professional care?

Yes, Brothers and Sisters, if we all pray together real hard, we can cure poor Pastor Ted of the gay.

Unbelievable.

These folks see homosexuality as some sort of mental disease that, given the right treatment, can be controlled. Just ridiculous.

I have visions of Haggard strapped to a chair, eyes pried open a la "Clockwork Orange", while some busty Hooters chick gives him a lap dance. Over his cries of horror we can hear good ol' Larry Stockwell reassuring, "It's for your own good, Teddy. Titties are your friends. And, by the way, we're paying for this one."

Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.

In truth, I feel sorry for Haggard. The confusion and pain he and his family must be going through is no doubt truly horrific.

But imagine a world where none of this would have happened; a world of tolerance. No need to lie. No need to hide. No need to apologize. No "treatments", no "cures", no "dark sides". Just love between people and no hysteria about what parts go where and with whom.

A pipedream, I know, but a nice pipedream nonetheless.

Regardless, let us hope that this particular "expulsion from paradise" will bring Ted to his senses and get him to a point where he can tell the New Life Church and anybody else who thinks it's their business who he screws to fuck off. It's not their life, it's his and he should be able to live it as such. Then maybe he could find love without the guilt.

And without the price tag.

More pansy-assed tunes:

Armin Van Buuren - 10 Years
(spiraling ever upward and outward)

Various - Salon Oriental - Oriental Downtempo Escapade
(willin' to be chillin')

Various - The White Cliffs Of Dover
('cause I was born too late)

Various - Code Orange Relaxation Techniques
(dub organizer supreme)

Various - Nirvana Lounge
('cause I'm still a down low ho)

Quick pics

2007-02-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

Underwater photography is extremely tricky, so I was really psyched to hear from Marti that her Roatan pics came out really well. Sure, she took over a hundred beautiful pictures, but I'm a vain, selfish guy, so I posted the ones of Susan and me.

Aren't I a stinker?

Aquaphonics:

The Red Chord - Fused Together In Revolving Doors
(gonna pull out your eye and show it to you)

Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
(epic technics)

Various - Code Orange Relaxation Technique
(primo downtempo from Properly Chilled)

Madeleine Peyroux - Dreamland
(love dis lady)

Armin Van Buuren - Shivers
(heart pounding, soaring trance)

Silver screenin'

2007-02-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

As I'm a dedicated movie junkie, I am, of course, a devoted follower of Theater Hopper, a great webcomic created by a guy who's even more of a movie buff than me (or even Danny?!?!). Anyway, his latest comments mentioned "Hannibal Rising", "Ghost Rider", and "Norbit", so I had to throw in my two cents.

"Hannibal Rising"? I'd rather eat broken glass (with a nice Chianti...). From what I've seen of the previews, it puts aside all of the brilliant psychological aspects of "Silence Of The Lambs" and just goes with the psycho aspects: gore, gore, and then some gore.

If I want that, I'll rent a Fulci flick, thanks.

As for "Ghost Rider", I'll end up seeing it one way (big screen) or another (little screen). I'm too much of a Nick Cage fan to skip it (heck, I own "Kiss Of Death"), not to mention a comic mark as well. Yes, the effects look shockingly cheesy, but in a way, that adds to the comic-y feel of the thing. Add to that Pete Fonda, Donal "I'm gonna be a naughty vampire god" Logue, and SAM ELLIOTT? Sure, it will probably suck, but it sure will be fun while it's doing it.

(PS. Is it just me or does Fonda put in an incredible Lance Henriksen impression during the trailer?)

"Norbit"... pass. Murphy lost me a long time ago. I love his early stand up ("Raw" still has me in tears every time) and I thought he was great as Axel F. To some, it's blasphemy, but I think "Harlem Nights" is a classic. However, I started losing interest around the release of "Nutty Professor". After all, one can't expect to remake a Jerry Lewis movie without adverse side effects.

Still, I'm sure the movie will rake it a fair amount of bank. He's still got the star power to ensure at least moderate success for any project he hitches his particular trailer to. Haven't seen "Dream Girls" yet, but it appears he does garner a bit of forgiveness and redemption for it.

In all, I think 2007 is going to be a bit of a slow roller at first. However, once summer hits, who knows?

Soundtracks for the deaf:

Main$tream - Truck Drivin Muzak
(noise boyz)

Litmus001 - Bliss
(snooze boyz)

Lard - Power Of Lard
(Jello loves Al and Al loves Jello; it's a beautiful thing)

Madeleine Peyroux - Dreamland
(one part Billie, one part KD, add some Patsy, shake well)

Lackluster - Distance
(yet another mellow fellow)

What so prudely we hail

2007-02-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

People complain to the NFL about being offended by Prince's "phallic" shadow on the backdrop during his Stupid Bowl performance.

A woman complains that she finds her next door neighbor's "busty mermaid silhouettes" offensive.

Another woman complains to a Florida theater that she's offended by their listing of "The Vagina Monologues" on their marquee. The theater subsequently re-titles it "The Hoohah Monologues".

What the hell is happening to us? When did this country become populated by prudes? Has it always been this way? Did I miss a memo or something?

It still fascinates me that people can get their panties in such a twist over sex. Anything remotely sexual is just so shocking to them. Violence, however, is just fine. Put guys in body armor and have them slam into each other over a pigskin; no problem. Flood the airwaves with "America's Most Shocking Videos"; it's a hit. Horror movies are still a mainstay of Hollywood. I could go on and on.

It's so ridiculous.

"But this kind of early exposure to sex harms children. It contributes to the moral decay of our society," they whinge.

Fuck that.

Japanese culture is absolutely saturated with sex, yet they have some of the lowest crime rates in the world (not to mention the fact the longest lifespans).

Are we still so rooted in our Puritan beginnings that we continue to be ludicrously sensitive to anything sexual? It disgusts me. It makes me angry. Of all the things to get offended by, why this? I guess I'm blind for the most part, as I live in one of those heathen, liberal cities, but doesn't it seem like there are more important things to address?

I blame religion and its demonizing of sex. I blame government, as it also demonizes sex (sex ed is still a hot topic, no?). I blame stupid people... 'cause they're stupid. I blame America because we don't have our heads on straight. Sure, we're the most powerful country in the world, but we're also one of the most uptight and mockable.

Audio porno:

Sven Vath - L'Esperanza
(blowing the dust off an old dancer)

Swans - Filth
(flex your muscles)

Rasputina - Cabin Fever
(wonderful world of weird)

Hallucinogen - Twisted
(LSD in CD form)

Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked
(the rain that will come and wash all the scum off the streets)

Not my daddy

2007-02-07T13:46:00.000-05:00

Seems one of our enlightened elected officials has introduced legislation that will ban the use of electronic devices while crossing the street. Yes, gone are the days when you were expected to "look both ways". Now, should you survive, you will be handed a $100 fine. Apparently New York State Senator Carl Kruger thinks we're too clueless to fend for ourselves anymore. He's upset that three pedestrians in his district have been hit and killed since September, each of them plugged in at the time.

"Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry," Kruger told CNN. "This electronic gadgetry is reaching the point where it's becoming not only endemic but it's creating an atmosphere where we have a major public safety crisis at hand."

Five words for you, Carl: From My Cold, Dead Hands.

Don't you touch my Discman, boy! The only reason I haven't committed mass murder by now is because of this helpful little gadget. Sure, maybe it's antisocial, but in an environment like New York City, it's a must-have.

As for those folks who don't pay attention to what's going on around them?

How is it any different that what people act like most of the time? Most humans are innately oblivious anyway. Perhaps we should encourage more people to plug in and tune out. Reduce the surplus population through the combined powers of music and fast moving traffic.

Treat me like an adult. I take responsibility for my actions as soon as I step out into the world. I don't need the government to make sure I don't hurt myself. That's my job.

"Gonna run you down, bitches!"

When I get hit by the bus, I will be listening to:

Slayer - Reign In Blood
(which will cause the bus to bounce right off me)

Wynton Marsalis - The Midnight Blues
(slinky, smoky sexy)

Various - Spintrax 19
(pounding trance and progressive house)

Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
(because you too can steal from David Bowie and Pink Floyd)

Armin Van Buuren - Shivers
(a damn near perfect collection)

Sit down and shut up PS

2007-01-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

Apparently there's been quite a flap about AirTran throwing a family off one of their flights because the family's three year old was throwing an uncontrollable tantrum. Lots of folks are no doubt morally outraged ("She's just a child" and all that other bullshit), but I say, well done, AirTran! As a fairly frequent traveller, nothing drives me crazier than being stuck on a plane with a screaming kid who's parents who can't control them. I applaud AT's decision to have them removed; too bad other airlines don't follow their lead. AirTran also kindly refunded the Kaluszas' money and offered them free round trip tickets to anywhere (1st class, no less). The family declined and has vowed never to fly AirTran again.

Fine by me. But maybe this will teach them to keep their brat in check.

BTW, Ms. Kulesza is also four months pregnant, so apparently there's another demon on the way.

Be happier: Breed less.

Fait Accompli

2007-01-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

So it's official. Susan and I are now cohabitants. We finally got all her stuff into the apartment on Sunday.

Man, does she have a lot of stuff.

Luckily, it's all nice stuff. With the addition of her accoutrement, it actually looks like adults live in the apartment (as opposed to my previous pad, which was furnished with the glorious early 90s "Ikea" look).

Anyway, right now the place looks like a hurricane has just swept through, but things are coming together. This is actually the fun part of moving: the organizing once all the crap is in one place. Unfortunately, I haven't been much help so far, as I managed to throw my back out on Sunday moving stuff about. Feeling better today, though, so I think I can begin to contribute a bit more. Gotta build some bookshelves and such; gonna get all "handyman" and shit.

In other words, I'll be lighting up my Dad's cell phone :)

Pumpin' at Chez Hudgins-Tretsky (Atlantic Ave division):

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
(the first and the finest; no escape from the mass mind rape)

Armin Van Buuren - Shivers
(pump pump pump it up)

Amsterdam Ave - Kicked To The Curb
(hey guys, Danzig wants his band back; just kidding: this is great shit)

Tom Waits - Orphans
(using the collective powers of our wills, we can make him tour)

Rusuden - Formulae Remixes
(rip-and-re-arrangers, including End-fucking-user)

Store in a warm, wet place

2007-01-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

I'm not really a "vacation" kind of guy. I rarely take them and when I do, it's usually a long weekend. Call me a slave to the grind. Call me a pathetic homebody who misses his kitchen and his kitty after only a few days away. Whatever. If my latest vacation is any indication, however, things are going to change.

I just spent a glorious week in Roatan, Hoduras scubadiving my ass off. Seventeen dives in 6 days; usually three dives a day, although one day we went all aggro and did four. I can't overstate how much fun this all was.

We did two night dives, which were spectacular. During both, the dive master took us to the bottom and had us turn out our lights. After a few moments, we were surrounded by bio-luminescence, like a swarm of fireflies underwater. It was like sitting in a planetary, only the stars were microscopic organisms; absolutely beautiful.

We also did several deep dives, including one into a spot called "Hole In The Wall" that descends to some 300 feet. We stopped right around 140 feet, some of us staying shallower (i.e., me at 134), others going deeper (Susan and Marti at 139 and 150ish respectively). Always warm, always safe, always beautiful. One of these deep dives was the wreck of the Odyssey, which was sunk about 5 years ago. The ship was in great shaped, lying on its side at about 110 feet. We actually did a swim-thru of it, which was awesome.

Most of the shallower dives involved playing in and amongst the coral: canyons, swim-thrus, and overhangs; quite the adventure. We also did some drift diving, although it was more like "surge diving", as the current would pick us up, move us a few feet and then swing back the other way; like being rocked in your mother's arms.

It did rain quite a bit while we were there, but we were underwater most of the time anyway. It was also warm the entire time, so I didn't mind too much. Our cabin was right on the ocean, so we got to see some of the wonderful effects of the weather, as you can see here: wavey and rainy (taken right outside our house).

Susan also continues to come into her own as a diver. She's logged damned near an entire day's bottom time and is getting more and more comfortable all the time. She even followed my lead on the second night dive and turned out her dive light, content to follow those of our companions. Her buoyancy is awesome and she can go an hour on a single tank (something I couldn't do for a LONG time; much longer than it's taken her). I envision bunches of dive trips for us, both with company and without.

I did not take any pictures except for the above videos. Both Marti and Wouk, however, were quite the shutterbugs, so once I get their photos, I'll post a link to them here.

I want to go again right away, though.

Undersea sonic systems:

Armin Van Buuren - Shivers
(in da club!)

Mark Pistel - Pistel
(Consolidated honcho rips off Jack)

KMD - Black Bastards
(the nascent MF Doom)

The Red Chord - Fused Together In Revolving Doors
(take your head off faster than Barzan Hassan's)

Bong-Ra - Soldaat Van Oranje
(breakcore on the floor)

Stumblin' into 2007

2007-01-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

OK. So it's been damned near a month since I've posted anything. That's the way love goes (thanks, Janet). Fact is, I've been busy as hell. Susan and I are still in the process of moving in together. All my stuff is in the new place and we're bringing her things over in dribs and drabs, with the big stuff (like furniture) coming on the 20th.

God, does my butt miss having a couch.

Add to this the fact that we're headed to Honduras on Saturday and it's pretty much constant work and preparation. I'm more that just a little beat.

However...

I've changed a lot of stuff around. Signed up for the YMCA with Susan (we're officially a "family" to them) and opened a new checking account with WaMu. I'm sick of getting raped by Chase every month. $30 'cause I don't meet your minimum balance? Eat me. Also been trying to cancel my New York Sports membership for three days now, but my branch's computers have been down the whole damned time. I think it's just a conspiracy to keep me there. I will, after all, miss my Saturday double spin classes.

I'm particularly psyched about the Y, though, as they'll let my trainer see to me there. In fact, I'm having my first session there tonight. Man, am I out of shape. What with all the moving, being sick, etc., I haven't worked out in forever. I feel fat and outta shape. Guess I'll join all the other New Year's Resolution saps and have at it.

So, this marks the end of this ramble. Just felt like I needed to spout into the void about nothing in particular.

My headphones can whip your headphones with:

Tom Waits - Orphans
(three discs of awesome)

Magnetic Media - Bitchcraft
(hiss pop bang crunch)

Rammstein - Sehnsucht
(because S&M is more fun)

Redman - Dare Iz A Darkside
(right there with ya, Reggie)

Reign - Embrace
(proving you can rock out for 9 minutes without sounding wanky)

Get over it

2006-12-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Apparently some religious groups are now up in arms over "Black Christmas", a remake of a fairly classic slasher flick first released in 1974.

From CNN:

"To have a movie that emphasizes murder and mayhem at Christmas, a time of celebration and joy around the world seems to be ill founded," said Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, an organization dedicated to upholding religious freedom and traditional family values.

Jennifer Giroux, who co-founded Operation Just Say Merry Christmas as a way to reclaim the season for Christians, said it was abominable to release this film on Christmas Day.

"The use of religious music -- 'Silent Night' -- and the nativity set on the front porch in one scene are insensitive to Christians," Giroux said after watching the trailer online.

"It's not enough to ignore and omit Christmas, but now it has to be offended, insulted and desecrated. Our most sacred holiday, actually a holy day, is being assaulted."

You've got to be fucking kidding.

How can you even begin to think that this is even remotely "anti-Christian"? It would be one thing if the killer branded his victims with an inverted cross, pissed on the bible, or actually thought for himself (sorry about that last one; it was uncalled for), but if the remake is anything like the original, the plot is entirely too concerned with a maniac chasing semi-naked girls (like any high quality slasher flick) to make any sniping statements about Christianity (or anything else for that matter). I find it pretty pathetic that anyone could be that upset by this for strictly religious reasons.

Don't like gore? Don't watch the film.
Don't like semi-naked chicks? Don't watch the film.
Think that the film has anything to do with relgion or spirituality or is even attempting to have anything to say about these things? Take another valium.

Fact is, these geniuses probably don't even realize that December 25 as a birthdate for Jesus is merely traditional. Hardly ANYONE thinks this is his actual date of birth. Besides, Christmas became a predominantly secular holiday ages ago, not to mention the fact that the Christians stole it from the pagans in the first place ("Natalis Solis Invicti" anyone?); another example of holiday theft (Halloween, etc).

Anyway, I'm ranting but I don't care. These people are stupid and it ticks me off. With all the important things to get upset about (war, disease, the Red Sox signing Matsuzaka), the idea of wasting steam on a B-grade horror movie is ludicrous.

Then again, it seems this has pissed me off, so what am I talking about?

Hiding in my stocking:

Various - Shadow Vs. Krush
(two juggernaut DJs, face to face... kinda)

Various - Neh/Not Unlike MP3 Compilation
(tasty glitch and jazz down tempo)

Various - Chill Out!
(two discs of mellow)

Various - Proto Tracks 1-3
(too bad this series died out)

Bye bye Bolton

2006-12-04T09:47:00.000-05:00

It gave me great joy to hear that John Bolton will be stepping down as U.N. Ambassador once his recess appointment ends. Yep. Dumbya tried to pull a fast one, but the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had the common sense to say, "Hey. No way." The fact that George thought this obstreperous individual would be an ideal representative of this country's foreign policy says quite a bit about... our foreign policy. Why not appoint an uncooperative bully to be the face of an apparently uncooperative, bullying nation? After all, we've alienated many of our allies (heck, seems even Tony Blair is beginning to falter) and added to our already extensive list of enemies, so why not let another bull into the china shop? Thank goodness cooler (and more rational and slightly less nationalistic) heads prevailed.

"Damn. I was really looking forward to breakin' stuff."

Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good:

Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
(fix up, look sharp)

King Kooba - Indian Summer
(surfing the waves of laidback)

Belphegor - Necrodaemon Terrorsathan
(better living through malicious wounding)

DJ? Acucrack - The Dope King
(feeling like we do, the way you love to)

The Cure - Join The Dots
(four discs of beauty from the Piggy)

G.O.A.T.

2006-11-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking about LL Cool J.

I'm talking about Tom Waits.

At this point, my CD collection spans several hundred years of music (from Beethoven and before to Enduser and beyond) and innumerable genres (pop, rock, blues, jazz, and a ton of others most folks have never even heard of; e.g. "what the hell is 'glitch'?").

And over 2500 recordings.

With that much music, you can just imagine how hard it is when people ask me, "Who's your favorite band?" This is damn near an impossible question for me, as a sufferer of advanced audio addiction, to answer. Depends on my mood; depends on what kind of day I've had, what I've done, what I'm looking forward to doing, and what's going on around me at the time. I have a very thirsty ear, so it's easy for me to jump from one sound to another that seems completely unrelated.

My brain is a weird place to live sometimes. Trust me. Anyway, with all this music around me, I do have to say that one man always fits the mood.

That man is Tom Waits.

Since 1973, Tom has been putting out the most diverse and adventurous music I've ever heard. Notice I didn't say "some of the most diverse". No: the most diverse and adventurous. No other artist I know has experimented to the same degree that Waits has. There is no genre that man is afraid to utilize, from straight ahead rock to blues to soul to jazz to balladry to outer edge experimentalism.

His new 3-disc collection, Orphans, is a perfect example. From the Anti website:

Brawlers is packed with full throated juke joint stomp, boogies and riotous blues. It’s roadhouse Waits... he chugs, whistles and screams. It’s primal steaming surreal blues. He channels the Stones, Beefheart, Muddy Waters and T-Rex. One new one, "Low Down" is raw garage rock with Waits’ 20 year old son, Casey on drums and San Francisco’s white trash blues icon, Ron Hacker, on guitar.

Bawlers – Lonesome ballads about the sadness at the end of the road are framed by tender songs of innocence and green hope. The plaintive hill country laments of, "Tell It To Me" and the cautionary tale, "Fannin Street" blend poignantly with saloon songs of betrayal and despair ("The World Keeps Turning"), Celtic waltzes and bitter cabaret torch songs like, "It’s Over" and "Little Drop Of Poison", all of which explore what the heart gives and what it takes away.

Bastards – explores the strange and unusual side of Waits, who is peculiar by nature. Contained here is experimental music and scary tales. There are uncategorizable diversions into this dark side. It tunnels beneath the city with spiels, rants, mouth rhythms, including a poignant reminiscence of car ownership, a Ramones cover and a version of Daniel Johnston’s, "King Kong", a disturbing bedtime story,(not for children faint of heart), and a poem by Charles Bukowski. It has insects, murder, drowning and insanity. Or as ma says, the full dinner menu.

So it's a continuation of the wonderful weirdness that Tom has been putting out for years. Sure, there were only dribs and drabs of bizarre prior to 1983, but that was the era of gin-soaked, melancholy Tom. Beautiful darkness, lovingly crafted. Then came 1983's Swordfishtrombones. The flood gates exploded and Waits brought the weird. And it's been a delirious trip ever since.

Keep going, Tom. I wanna see where else you take me.

(And tour more, damn it!)

Inner world travel diary:

Tom Waits - Orphans
(three discs of pure gold)

Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives And Sevens
(four discs of pure old)

Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked
(oh.. my... god; sorry, I mean Ra)

Various - DJ Abstract 17: Midnight At The Velvet Club
(kickin' back and chillin' out)

Various - DJ Abstract 18: Arc Light Mix
(poundin' down)

Pound it on down

2006-11-13T12:54:00.000-05:00

I'd been toying around with the idea of throwing together a new mix, but couldn't decide whether I wanted to go the chillout or the freakout route. I was still in the throws of this conflict when I headed to my spin classes on Saturday morning. The instructor played a majorly old school dance music tape during my second class and that pretty much decided the matter.

So the freak flag was flown that afternoon.

May I present to you DJ Abstract 18: Arc Light Mix. To quote myself, "The eighteenth mix from DJ Abstract brings down the trance and the hard house. Thick four-on-the-floor dance tunes to get your body moving." Here's the tracklisting:

01 Man With No Name - Broken Promise
02 Infected Mushroom - Spaniard
03 Bluescreen - Surfacing
04 Winx - How's The Music (Ovum Warmth Mix)
05 Underworld - Dinosaur Adventure 3D
06 Point Blank - Meng's Theme (Original Mix)
07 Analog Pussy - Solipse Technology
08 Resistance D - Unknown
09 Hardfloor - Who's Jack?
10 Daft Punk - Revolution 909
11 Solvent - Think Like Us (Alter Ego Remix)

So bounce on over to my website and download this bad boy for yourself. Check out the other 17 mixes while you're there. Enjoy.

Calling me "Flower" if they want to:

Various - DJ Abstract 18: Arc Light Mix
(strobe lights not included)

L7 - From The Outer Space
(the grrrls are back in town)

Dream Into Dust - The Lathe Of Heaven
(whispering sweet nothings in your ear; then cutting it off)

The Bug - Killing Sound
(me murder dem)

The Acacia Strain - ...And Life Is Very Long
(but too short to spare your eardrums)

House of cards

2006-11-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

"I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election and, as the head of the Republican party, I share a large part of the responsibility." - Dumbya

"The timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon... [Rumsfeld] understands that Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough." - Dumbya

Welcome to America, George. It delights me to see this kind of cold water thrown in your face. Your failed policies have lost your party its control of the Senate and your approval ratings continue to plummet further into the cellar. Maybe now you'll realize what a fuckup you are (though I doubt it). If there is any justice in the world, history will cite you as one of our worst. After eight years of budget surpluses and social advancements (thanks, Bill), you brought us six years of budget deficits, escalated intolerance, and failed, costly wars. The rest of the world pretty much hates us and it's your fault.

Too bad you don't follow Donnie's example and hit the fucking bricks.

"Bye, Rummy. See you soon."

Too bad it won't be sooner.

Soundtrack for the Republican going away party:

N.W.A. - Efil4zaggin
(because misogyny and violence are just the coolest)

Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity
(1975 sounds like 2005)

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
(because Brian votes democratic)

Enduser - Pushing Back
(highly developed braincrushing device)

Nile - In The Beginning
(maintaining universal harmony as the counterbalance of Barry Manilowe)

Once again...

2006-11-03T09:04:00.000-05:00

Or should I say, "Schadenfreude, Part II".

Seems Mr. Ted Haggard... Oh, pardon me. "Reverend" Ted Haggard... has resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals because of accusations that he has been paying a male prostitute for sex over the course of several years. Teddy has also stepped down at his own church "pending an internal investigation". The guy who has replaced him says that Haggard (and he is...) has already admitted to some of the accusations.

Strangely enough, Haggard was listed by Time magazine on its 2005 list of the 25 most influential evangelical leaders (according to CNN), "noting his participation in a weekly conference call with White House staffers and other religious leaders."

Nice, Ted.

Once again, it seems that those who shout the loudest have the most to hide. One of my favorite phrases continues to be, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much." I'm not saying that every homophobe is actually gay, but honestly, folks, why would you be so angry if there wasn't some fear involved, be it fear of discovery or fear of inadequacy? "I don't feel like a manly man, so I need to show I'm a manly man by hating faggots."

That's stupid.

Any straight man that is truly comfortable with their own sexuality should have no problem with gay men. If somebody hits on you, so what? Be complimented. God knows few enough women have the stones (metaphorically speaking) to step to a guy and make their intentions that concrete. A gay man chatting you up means you're probably a decent looking, interesting dude. Take it as a compliment and then politely decline.

He'll understand.

Wouldn't it be nice if gay people could just say, "Hey, I'm gay" and get on with their lives? Can you imagine if Ted could have done that when he was a teen? Sure, he wouldn't have his wife and his five kids, but I daresay he'd probably be happier and there'd be slightly less anti-gay sentiment in the world. Heck, if the church didn't have its head up its ass so far, he still could have been a Reverend or whatever.

"I've no idea what I'm doing."

Of course, the caveat to all this is that we still live in an incredibly intolerant country. I'm lucky enough to live in a place where a person can come out of the closet and be embraced by a culture that already exists here. Coming out in Colorado is, no doubt, a different situation. After all, they're in the midst of trying to ban gay marriage, "God hates fags", etc.

Some advice: Move to civilization.

(Man, I can be a real asshole sometimes)

I like to listen to these with all of my God-cursed, gay friends:

Alien Sex Fiend - Curse
(with the big boobies)

3rd Bass - The Cactus Album
(two white boys doin' it better than the Beasties)

The Opus - Breathing Lessons
(mad tight instrumental alt-hop)

Kraftwerk - The Mix
(boom chock)

Deep Forest - Boheme
(their first album is so much better)

Sexy and seventeen

2006-10-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween, my little droogies. Today we all pretend we're not really stealing pagan holidays and don our scariest attire. And what could be scarier than...

ADDITIONS TO THE DJ ABSTRACT WEBSITE!

MUHAHAHAHAHA!

Yes, I have now uploaded every DJ Abstract mix currently available. Seventeen in all! That's right. Seventeen.

Recoil in horror at the mellowness of the chillout mixes!
Be bewitched like St Vitus by the sinister dance mixes!
Flee in utter terror from the monstrous metal, devilish drum and bass, and blackhearted breakcore!
A world of bone chilling fear awaits you at the DJ Abstract website.

(also be terrified by the completely over-the-top self-promotion above)

Anyway, enjoy the day, y'all. Do your best to support your local dentist by chowin' down on as many bad sweets as you can hack. Remember, candy corn is your friend!

And so is the DJ Abstract website!

(Sorry. Had to push it too far just one more time.)

Ghoulies and goblins dance amongst the darkened glades to:

Hardfloor - 4 Out Of 5 Aliens Recommend This
(have a little acid with your Hersey miniatures)

Junkie XL - Radio JXL: A Broadcast From The Computer Hell Cabin
(tastes like Smarties, but dancier)

Hate Eternal - Conquering The Throne
(sounds like what you'd like to do to those annoying people who hand out healthy snacks instead of chocolate)

DJ Cam - Underground Live Act
(smooth as caramel)

DJ Vadim - USSR Repertoire - The Theory Of Verticality
(more semi-sweet than sweet)

Rent me

2006-10-23T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm fortunate in that I have a fairly robust social life. I've got some really great friends and I hang with a cool lady a lot of the time these days. Most nights I'm out doing fun stuff and that fun stuff usually involves music.

Wouldn't it be nice if I could get paid for that?

I mention this because I spent some of the weekend updating the official DJ Abstract website. I've added a bunch of mixes (nine at present, with more on the way), as well as links to my various other musical projects. It's my hope to use the site as a way to get my name more in the whisper stream for DJ gigs and perhaps, hope against hope, soundtrack work.

I really miss being behind the decks 'cause I love to play music for people. There is nothing like somebody running up to the booth yelling, "What is this track? I gotsta get it!" Then again, sometimes they're just running up to make a request. That's why I keep a can of mace with me at all times.

(Just kidding. If you want me to play something, just ask; better yet, bring the CD with you.)

Anyway, if you know anybody who's looking for a DJ for their next party, send 'em here. I spin a ton of different styles (dance, downtempo, jazz, blues, straight up evil, etc.) and I have my own gear. The website also has a completely list of all the CDs I own, so you can check that out as well.

Hook a brotha up!

Me, in my natural habitat.

(no, I don't have a headache, just small earphones)

Sugarplums dancing in my head:

Various - DTS Volume 12
(glitchy downy chillout...y)

Boymerang - Balance Of The Force
(on the lighter side of drum and bass)

Various - Misc DB 3
(on the darker side of drum and bass)

Belphegor - Necrodaemon Terrorsathan
(peeling back your scalp and looking inside)

Madvillain - Madvillainy
(MF Doom, MF!)