One of the finest moments in grime is the subject of this third dusting.
The year is 2004, Roll Deep crew is continuing to gain momentum, the mixtape “Creeper” vol.1 is out and everybody is waiting for the already heavily delayed album.
The hyperactivity in the scene at the time made MC’s and producers itching to make and release music and with a vinyl-market still remaining healthy groups and side projects to these are popping up everywhere.
One such side project is Trim and Scratchy, two Roll Deep crew MC’s with distinctive styles, is initiated through the track “Trim n’ Scratch” or “It’s Like” as it also got known as. The production is the first by Scratchy and is mistaken as a Terror Danjah beat when it surface as a instrumental on Rinse FM in the summer of 2004. I saw them perform the track at Fabric the following autumn to a massive crowd response and in the following months album plans was informally announced.
But as so many times in grime, the art of not showing up triumphed. Two weeks in a row Trim and Scratchy didn’t show up to Logan Sama’s radio show on Kiss FM in 2005. Around the same time Trim lost his contract with 679 records (a sublabel to Warner Music) after not showing up to meetings and his career on the label ended after the Mike Skinner-produced track “They Gave Him An Inch” and video was out.
Any Trim and Scratchy album never materialized and the release of “Trim n’ Scratch” didn’t get released until November 2005, almost 1,5 years after it first was played on radio.
Trim n’ Scratch.mp3 (right-click to download)Trim n’ Scratch (Instrumental).mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 24th, 2009
IT’S OUR THING LOOKBOOK.
The latest It’s Our Thing lookbook for 2009 is available below for download in PDF format. One in medium resolution and one in full, 300 DPI glory, where you can zoom a bit more.
Right now in Sweden a big debate is raging through cultural blogs, TV and radio. The subject is the endless discussion to define art from a perspective of law, and as certain as the absence of any sensible conclusion is also the fact that the discussion get politicized. The conservative government and minister of culture declaring that the piece in question is disgusting and declining to call it art. At the same time acknowledging the arts right to be provoking the fuel is thrown on the fire in the blog-sandbox called the forum for cultural debate in Sweden. A debate that after a while fuel itself and swirls on until next topic comes up to create another shit-storm.
Personally I really like the videos by Stockholm-based graffiti writer Nug, the person behind the calamity. Especially the last clip of the video to the right, it looks to me like a confused ballet.
The local transport authorities, SL, is charging Nug ¥1,000,000 for his little adventure.
By PMKFA February 23rd, 2009
POST GRAFFITI (AGAIN?).
Last year me and Cameron had some opportunities to discuss on graffiti/aerosol art in relation with Andreas Johnsen, the film director who came here for promotional purpose of his movie “Inside Outside” which is a documentary film about some graffiti artists from Brazil to New York, Paris to California. Including our discussions, almost all the discourses on graffiti/aerosol art seems insufficiently failed to be relevant to this time and age, the 2000’s, despite the fact that there are so many documentations on the same subject matter.
The initial mistake is always made, because the definition of graffiti/aerosol art has been equivocal, and the realm seems unlimited, but the reservations this involves are what conveys this art-form. Yes, in some aspects, it’s defined as an art-form. On the other, in social contexts, it reminds me of this sentence from “1985″ by Anthony Burgess “Whatever the conditions needful for the sustention of society, the basic human endowment must not be denied”. Do I make sense? Actually, this is a little something for introducing Tinho from Sau Paulo. It’s quite interesting. (Thanks to Mari1)
By EGA February 20th, 2009
HOT CUP A TEA.
It’s 200 years this month since the late Charles Darwin was born. Since his theories was unveiled the world haven’t looked back (except for a few the-earth-is-flat-people). In music, no market is more darwinistic than the Jamaican one, the little island where thousands of riddims have seeded but far from all succeeded.
One of those who didn’t make it in the evolutionary definition of what’s hot an what’s not is “Hot Cup A Tea” riddim. Extensive research on internet shows that it’s almost erased from history and leave me to just guess and asume.
Released on the How Yu Fi Sey Dat? label it’s, as with nine out of ten releases from the imprint, produced by the in-house team of Anthony “Red Rose” Cameron and Anthony Malvo. The time must be first half of 90’s, like 1993-94 from what it sounds like and from checking out other releases.
It’s not hard to understand the lack of the success of the riddim but I can’t help to get charmed by it’s untight character and rough synth sounds. The A-side features a horrible version vocaled by Harry Toddler and is not worth posting.
Hot Cup A Tea Riddim.mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 18th, 2009
MEXICAN DEATH CULT.
Just found a trailer for a new documentary about the spreading death cult in Mexico! Sounds like a hoax? Not so. You can already see slideshow homages (HERE) to St. Death via Youtube, complete with a backing hymn by the amazing men who brought up the Blade Runner soundtrack - Vangelis.
The Catholic church in Mexico does not recognize Death as a legitimate saint, and views this at clear Satan worship. But St. Deaths faithful are not swayed easily and have set up shrines all over Mexico: skeletal effigy’s have been erected, dressed ornately, complete with flowing locks, and of course ‘mother death’ is prayed to and given apples (?) like any other saint. I would love to know how something like this gets started. Maybe its an extension of the new age idea that we ourselves can be god, because really, who wants to be responsible for all that ‘god’ stuff anyway. Much better to create your own god than be god yourself, and who better than death herself! I love the religious resourcefulness at work here. Can’t wait for this to come to Tokyo.
By Cameron February 17th, 2009
MONEY, CARS & MUSIC.
Money might not be the most rare subject in music but large scale economics might be just that. But in fact it’s a major influence on much music throughout the history. Effecting the sound of certain scenes in a major and deep way it’s easy to miss in the shadow of obvious musical influences that are more straight hearable.
Yellow Magic Orchestra, the japanese Kraftwerk to describe it with more than a handful of arrogance as they stand steady on their own merit, portrait a Japan in a era that at this moment feel more than just two-three decades ago.
It might still be the worlds 2nd largest economy but the general attitude is that it’s just a matter of time before that’s part of history. In 1983 US could feel Japan’s breath in the neck in regards of gross domestic product and the nations pride was now complete after all those years of hard work to rebuild and regain what was lost after WWII.
The sound of Yellow Magic Orchestra sums up the atmosphere of the time, a bright future ahead, neon-colored and hi-tech, Japan would spearhead and lead the region, and maybe the whole world, into the last part of the 20th century.
Parallel to what YMO was doing in Tokyo, techno was taking shape in Detroit, there the bright future had collapsed and been replaced by a dystopic one, caused by the japanese car-industry’s determination to become as big and surpass it’s US counterpart.
One can wonder what techno of today would’ve sounded like if Toyota and Honda hadn’t done what they did.
By PMKFA February 16th, 2009
RAMMELLZEE, JEAN-MICHEL AND TOXIC C1.
Why does New York in 80’s attract you still? If not, why does especially Japanese people love that period and the place (it seems so)?. As the great predecessor of Mukami, the existence of Andy is one of the reasons (incomparable)? Or Studio 54? Or because of the fact that Downtown punks meeting hip hop people from Bronx? Like an English iconic culture vulture Malcolm McLaren and his album “Duck Rock”? Or, say, was/is New York so significant? Like James Chance? or the rise of independent film makers including Jim Jarmusch? and the truth is, that’s not enough.
There’s the guy called Rammellzee, the rapper, the graffiti writer, and the artist. There’s no short cut to explain his works aesthetics and it’s characteristics. It’s complexity put him beyond easy to understand categorizing. Some people just worship him. Some just ignore. Me and my partner in crime, Keetja Allard contributed more than twenty pages to a article about him to the Japanese magazine Relax in 2002. It was the first one in it’s length and volume I suppose. It was not about being nostalgic for early 80’s but trying to present his expanding theoretical discourse “Alpha’s Bet” which was almost impossible to reach readers, as you can imagine, I had to translate them into Japanese. And my knowledge of English is way too limited for such a task.
I am fascinated by graffiti because of the same reason with Zen painting. It’s all about the relation between text and image and it’s not coincidence for me both Zen monks and graffiti writers are not trained in art institutions. The video here was edited by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat.
By EGA February 12th, 2009
DUSTING OFF THE GRIME #2.
Second out to be dusted off is one of my favorite grime MC’s Riko. He’s one of the old-timers of the british garage-scene and one of the few to already have reached passed 30. Starting his path as a jungle MC Riko fell out for a while after being sentenced to five years in prison in the very late 90’s.
Riko is one of many on the grime scene with Caribbean roots but one of those who show it most as his style is more dancehall than grime, even though he sometimes can sound strictly British as can be heard on the Menta remix of Lady Saw’s “Random”. That verse was recorded via a mobile phone from inside prison as Riko had a quick rebound in the end of 2004.
Earlier that year Riko had stopped being a lone swordsman and joined the biggest crew in East London, Roll Deep. On a Sunday in the end of July former member of the crew, Trim, announced on Rinse FM “Riko is in Roll Deep, I repeat, Riko is in Roll Deep. No more questions asked”.
Roll Deep was on it’s way to shape a more radio friendly sound and the groups two main producers, DJ Target and Danny Weed, was building what the following year would result in the groups silver-selling debut-album “In At The Deep End”.
The Target-produced track “Chosen One” with Riko from 2004 is a early example of the more positive atmosphere that Roll Deep was moving towards. It got much less attention that it deserved and it’s one of DJ Targets finest moments behind the board.
It was the third release on DJ Target’s own label Aim High music.
Bonus! Riko sending for Demon at Rinse FM 2005.
Chosen One.mp3 (right-click to download)Chosen One (Instrumental).mp3 (right-click to download)Riko on Rinse FM.mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 12th, 2009
CD III.
It’s said that tough times are good times for hip hop, that when things are too smooth the creativity suffer. From that angle 8 years with George W Bush have been a good time and with a legacy that most likely will effect Barack Obama’s time in the oval office it’s not a bad guess that things will continue to be a bit rough before the good days come and the sharp electronic sounds of todays hip hop will be replaced by birds singing and looped digeridoo’s.
Rewind 26 years, replace George W Bush with Ronald Reagan and the subjects are the same. The cold of the society, a for the people distant and ignorant leadership and the counter-reacting driving force is feeding creativity. CD III and the electro hip hop classic “Get Tough” might sound and look very cheerful but the the lyrics paint a different picture. It was released on Prelude records, a New York dance label where François Kevorkian held a position as in-house remixer and A&R in the 57th street office.
“Get Tough” was produced by Art Polhemus. He also produced the groups next, and last, single “Success” from 1984. After that nothing more was ever heard from CD III and Prelude ceased to exist in 1986. When “Get Tough” was licensed to the French EMI sublabel Pathé Marconi, they misspelled the title on the sleeve to “Get Touch”.
Get Tough (vocal).mp3 (right-click to download)Get Tough (dub).mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 8th, 2009
SOON…
…the new line is ready. It’s been a great week in Osaka, now back in Tokyo to photograph everything.
By PMKFA February 7th, 2009
LARRY CUBA.
No animation is as experimental as early computer animation. It’s even hard to find anything from the first generation of computer animators that’s not pure psychadelia or just a study of abstraction.
Larry Cuba earned himself a place in the historybooks already at the age of 25 when he collaborated with the legendary John Whitney on what would be known as the animation “Arabesque” (1975).
After a quick tour in the world of Hollywood filmmaking, and the animation for the brief to the pilots that were going to attack the Death Star, Larry went back to the more abstract direction where he came from.
“Calculated Movements” came out 1985 and what you can see on the right is one of four episodes. It was made in the Circle Graphics Habitat at the University of Illionois at Chicago where he spent many years.
By PMKFA February 7th, 2009
JOHN CARPENTER.
John Carpenter is one of my favorite film directors and probably the best movie soundtrack composer ever. With movies like “They Live”, “The Thing” and “Escape From New York” he’s in a high league.
The movies might not be masterpieces in story and acting but the style and visual appearance of them are amazing using a very offside vision of science fiction. The twisted humor of “They Live” and the fact that the main weapon against the invading aliens is a pair of Rayban glasses with some sort of x-ray feature enabling the hero John Nada to see who’s alien and who’s not.
The main theme from “Escape From New York” is one of the finest moments of movie soundtracks from the 1980’s. John Carpenter obviously saw the crossover potential in the track and did two extra mixes of it that was included on the album “The Essential John Carpenter” from 2002. The mixes featured more accented drums compared to the original score.
The dystopian story of “Escape From New York” took place in 1997. Manhattan had been turned into a prison island ruled by the anarchy-loving “The Duke” played by none less then Isaac Hayes. Next year the remake of the movie is out and John Carpenter have stepped out of the director seat and act as executive producer, but let’s hope he’s still in charge of the music.
Below you can also hear another memorable John Carpenter piece, from “Assault On Precinct 13″ from 2005, a good example of his ability to build up tension using his trademark of roughly tuned synth sounds. Will Hollywood ever sound better than this?
Escape From New York mix 2.mp3 (right-click to download)Assault On Precinct 13.mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 7th, 2009
DUSTING OFF THE GRIME #1.
First out in our series of grime nuggets that already have fallen into the dark corners of music history is East London dwellers Ruff Sqwad’s “Lethal Injection”. A huge track that came out 2004 on the now more or less defunct groups own label.
The white label tell that it’s the fourth release. It was the b-side track on a EP filled with “Pied Piper” remixes, another big track from the group.
“Lethal Injection” is a instrumental and I don’t know who produced it, can it be Rapid? The dark style in the production was significant for Ruff Sqwad’s early tracks, alongside other huge tracks like “Tingz In Boots”, “Everytin’ Down” and the trance-grime hit “R U Double F”.
Lethal Injection.mp3 (right-click to download)
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By PMKFA February 7th, 2009
VIT KASSETT.
Once upon a time in Sockholm all the top DJ’s were united under the umbrella of Disco STHLM, a party-organizer, web-magazine and DJ agency.
International stars like Cari Lekebusch, Seba and Mad Mats were in there together with local heroes like Mika Snickars, Calle Dernulf, Bruce Leenus, Skivsamlar-Lasse, Andres Lokko, Claes Bodén and DJ Sleepy.
In 1998 Disco STHLM released a promotional “white label” cassette tape called “Vit Kassett volym 001″ where each and every DJ from the agency got to choose their favorite track. It came with no playlist and no credits on who had chosen what track.
It’s a great little C-90 tape mixtape with soul classics and early hip hop side by side to tracks like Dave Clark’s “Wisdom To The Wise”.
Thanks to Calle Jurell, the administrative boss of Disco STHLM, for giving me this tape in 1998 while I was a high school-intern at the since many years vanished company.
Vit Kassett 001.mp3 (right-click to download)
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