7 Comments

1. An interesting article by Howard Slater, but I’m skeptical due to the introduction:

   “A gigantic cultural revolution is underway. Free expression and the joy of bodies, the autonomy, hybridisation and the reconstruction of languages, the creation of new singular and mobile modes of production – all this emerges, everywhere and continually.”
   Toni Negri

   Toni Negri got his head bashed against the wall one time too many when he was inside if you ask me.

   What the fuck is a singular, mobile mode of production? I wish someone could explain what is revolutionary and ‘autonomous’ about writing a bunch of books which it is impossible to understand.

2. Did you read the ‘article’ on Muslimgauze? It’s more a rant from someone infused with Germanic post-war guilt, than a properly argued piece on the aforementioned artist’s politics. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing was a troll, especially seeing as no one could be bothered to own up that they were the author.

3. I read that Datacide thing ages ago, and I think the piece on Muslimgauze was quite good, and I like some of his music. At least it raises a few points. which, unless you believe in the purity/infallibility of underground pop artists, can only be a good thing, surely? I don’t think his endless pro-PLO pose was that far from the gawks dressing up in nazi uniforms and ‘exploring’ difficult areas. I’m not saying he was a nazi or that supporting the PLO is fascist, but he was as drenched in ‘ambiguity’ (a cop out) as many others in the industrial scene who loved barking out statements and slogans but couldn’t be bothered to discuss the issues at length and wrote off all alternative viewpoints as a sign of people ‘not getting it’ (biggest cliche’ on the underground).

4. Also this Muslimgauze guy has apparently said that he would never talk to an Israeli, which is a disgusting joke at best.

   I have read a few editions of Datacide, and admittedly a lot of it is not worth my reading because I’m not familiar with the music or the politics, but some of it has been really fascinating. Also on the page with the Muslimgauze and Roots link is an article

   “Anti Imperialism – Bankruptcy of the Left”

   This article just reads like a Stewart Home joke, but an annoying one at that. Best left alone! Stuff like this is often left lying around at squats n social centres, basically by people with an axe to grind and an ego the size of several social constructivist theories.

5. I think it’s easy to pick holes in datacide but for my money it is one of the few independent music and culture magazines out there which covers a wide range of subjects you just don’t get to read about anywhere else. I didn’t mention the piece on homeless insurgencies in Osaka but that is one of the best non-music pieces in the latest issue.

   Muslimgauze – it’s obviously fine to criticise the article but it is the first thing I have ever read which tries to get to grips with Bryn Jones’ politics in a serious un-fannish way. Datacide also published the first proper critical article about Death In June (by Stewart Home). I think these investigations into the ideologies and aesthetics of post-industrial music are to be welcomed, and then built on. Otherwise you just end up with a bunch of nerds comparing limited edition vinyl and regurgitating fawning interviews with their heroes.

   It doesn’t matter to me if some of it is annoying or if some people who distribute the mag have egos – it exists as a platform to discuss particular things and as far as I know contributions are welcomed.

   As are discussions – there is a forum at the c8.com site to discuss the contents of Datacide and there is already a thread there discussing Howard’s article iirc:

   http://c8.com/c8/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=29&sid=f0f417fa42227c14bc6475e3c9603054

6. ‘first proper critical article about Death In June (by Stewart Home)’

   Which one was that again?

7. This one innit: http://www.stewarthomesociety.org/dij.htm

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