Archive of posts filed under the london category.
Shaking The Foundations: Reggae soundsystem meets ‘Big Ben British values’ downtown | Datacide
Shaking The Foundations: Reggae soundsystem meets ‘Big Ben British values’ downtown. My article for Datacide issue 11 is now online. I wrote it a couple of years back in preparation for the talk I did at the launch event for the previous issue. But actually it has stood the test of time quite well, anticipating …
Remembering the Embers: New Cross 1981
An interesting podcast about the New Cross fire, which includes documentary spoken word (both archival and new) and music: Some of the music is taken from the Lovers Rock mix I did with Paul Meme. I find this recontextualisation very interesting (and saddening). These tunes may have been the last sounds that 13 of the …
AGIT DISCO 22: John Eden
I’m very happy to be taking part in Stefan Szczelkun’s Agit Disco project. My installment is now available here. It covers UK reggae and dancehall from the 1980s, with a particular emphasis on the politics (with a small “p” and a big “p”). There is no audio on the Agit Disco site, so I will …
Keith Allen in Gay Rasta Scandal
Or: Pseudo Gay Rastas part one Sex Boots Dread – Tickle Tune (Rinka, 1980) A nice bit of traditional toasting over the Pick Up The Pieces riddim: Me think about the lion as him rest upon the sand Me tink about the help that me have from white man And me want to crying Becah …
Blood Rites of the Bourgeoisie
Stewart Home – Blood Rites of the Bourgeoisie (Semina, 2010) Home’s latest novel is an installment in a series of books of experimental fiction. More on other episodes in the series anon, I hope. “Blood Rites” has a number of themes – identity blurring, spam, the machinations of the art world in London. It confuses …
The River
1. Zap Pow – The River (Lee Perry production, 1977) 2. Augustus Pablo – East of The River Nile (Augustus Pablo/King Tubby production, 1977) 3. Dr Pablo – North of the River Thames (Adrian Sherwood production, 1984) 4. Digidub – South East of the Thames (Lee Berwick production, 1993) Link 5. Tinie Tempah – South …
Dusk & Blackdown: Margins Music Live
To the Albany in New Cross, via the brand spanking new train line which joins the previously isolated South East and North East parts of London. The journey allowed me some time to ruminate on the mixed feelings I had about the event. “Margins Music” was a bold album, linking up the psychogeography of London …
the twentieth gig I can remember going to
Click here for a complete list of entries in the series “the first 23 gigs I can remember going to”. I’d busied myself assembling a collection of virtually everything Psychic TV had ever done. Working back from the psych-pop of “Godstar” and the eclectic Live Albums Series to classic albums like “Force The Hand of Chance” …
Continue reading ‘the twentieth gig I can remember going to’ »
2009: The year grime began to pay
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/31/grime-2009-dizzee-rascal-tynchy-stryder Five No 1 singles, record label feeding frenzies, influencing the US charts – no one imagined grime would get this big. Dan Hancox explains how Dizzee Rascal and Tynchy Stryder set the world alight. Nice overview from Dan with some great links at the end that show grime’s real talent away from the Top …