Apologies in advance.

—–

From: Rattus Rattus
Date: May 14, 2008
Subject: Mix CD
To: John Eden

Hi,
I think you would enjoy my new mix CD. Either for formal blogging/review or for you own personal enjoyment. Its a fast paced mix of Dubstep, Electro, Grime, Funky, Bassline and Garage. After being up for a week on Uptown Records and Facebook it has had almost 500 downloads and great feedback.
Heres a link to a zipped broken down (track by track) version of the mix CD including artwork and tracklisting; […]

From: John Eden
Date: May 14, 2008
Subject: Re: Mix CD
To: Rattus Rattus

Hello Paul

Thanks for the links, the tracklist looks great.

Unfortunately I will never know if the mix is any cop or not because I’m not going to download it.

Because of the title.

I know we’re all supposed to be wacky and postmodern these days and not give a fuck, but I’ve spent too many hours talking to people about their rape experiences until the early hours…

John

From: Rattus Rattus
Date: May 14, 2008 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Mix CD
To: John Eden
Hi John
Apologies for any insult or offence I may have caused. I think its all to easy to use ideas like this title to create shock and to draw attention to yourself. Without thinking about the bigger picture, the people who have been affected or who know people who have been affected by this crime, of which i am clearly guilty of.
If you do want to check out my mixing on which your opinion would be very much appreciated. I have my last mix CD “Clash! At The Rave” which you can download from here: http://www.zshare.net/download/371175940462ec/ Which is a mix of Dubstep, Classic Rave, Grime, UK Garage and Indie.
Here is the tracklisting; […]
[…]
And once again apologies for my short sightedness.
Paul

—–

All of which got me thinking…

From Whitehouse’s shrieks to SWANS bellowing You should be raped / You should be violated on “Time Is Money (Bastard)” there is a fair bit of male transgressive-aggression in music I have checked out over the years.

I once was round at a female friend’s house and she was playing me some generic power electronics, for a laugh like. But then we had to turn it off abruptly because a mate of hers came round. A friend who’d been raped recently. There was an awkward silence at first, before real life superseded the “extreme” soundtrack. We didn’t discuss what had happened to her. It was another point in my life when I grew up.

Maybe self-consciously transgressive art only appeals to people with empty lives.

Back to a series of knackered sofas and broken park benches. It is completely shocking, every time. You’ve got to know someone well – or think you have – and it’s late and then something triggers off a memory. Of when it happened, years before. And then there’s tears and anger and you sit there, listening, trying to help. But, really, what use are you? All you can do is listen, for as long as it takes and offer very clear reassurance when the conversation looks like dipping into self-doubt. Self-blame.

Sometimes it takes a long time. Years of not speaking about it… because people don’t, do they? And yet, there just seems to be such an awful lot of it, those nights when you really get to know people and they pluck up the courage to tell you because it has to come out somehow and maybe you seem like the sort of person who can take it. Or maybe it could be anyone. I never got my cub scout badge for rape counseling.

“Songs About Rape” is probably an album already, but I’m not going to google it.

Here are two:

Zos Kia – “Rape” (All The Madmen Records, 1984)

There is a wealth of material on Zos Kia and John Gosling (its only permanent member) in England’s Hidden Reverse by Dave Keenan. I’ve not met John Gosling but I like him a lot from what I’ve read and heard about him.

This release features harrowing spoken and screamed vocals by Min – retelling her rape experience, perhaps as some kind of catharsis. No wonder Garry Bushell was a bit nonplussed when he reviewed it for Sounds.

More info and audio over at Kill Your Pet Puppy

A short history of All The Madmen

Rhoda with the Special AKA – “The Boiler” (Two Tone, 1982)

Rhoda was the lead singer with Two Tone all-girl band the Bodysnatchers. “The Boiler” is a girl meets boy story with a horrific date rape twist. Jerry Dammers apparently once said that everyone should hear this record, but only once.

Once again it’s a spoken word affair. The tune received no radio airplay (except for John Peel) but still reached number 35 in the charts.

“The Boiler” appears on the official “This Are Two Tone” compilation but is strangely absent from later, more nostalgic “best of”s.

More info and audio at Tracklister blog.

Rhoda myspace.