In Time, You And I Will Shine

Such a beautifully perfect love song. Absolute perfection.

Grumpy's Angels

I just love days like today. I am surrounded by gorgeous souls in this photo who all work so hard in the cafe. Viola, on my far left, is a friend who helps out in staff shortages. She is a great worker and lovely presence. She gave me an early morning guerilla hug this morning because of something I wrote about the person immediately to my right, who you might know as Kafka Woman. She likes to hug hello and goodbye if possible every day. I have no problem with this.

The person to my immediate left (yeah, she gets her own new paragraph), that's Badaboom Beverley. She's the one who suggested the Front-Of-House head design in the photo. Don't worry - revenge is already sorted. It's going to be so fun.

After work, Badaboom brought her banjo (she makes this creature sound so beautiful) back to the cafe after closing, and we kind of worked on a song. I have never sung in front of another person other than The Dreaded One. I am relaxed with Miss BB and even suggested the concept of a re-interpretation of this song. I was a chilled motherfucker until it came time to actually sing. I sang along to two versions of this song, a song I normally sing along to so well in the shower. But now, my hands shook a little, and I butchered the song. Twice! Go me!

Badaboom Beverley shrugged it off, we sat down and started tooling around with this song. We tried different ways of doing things. I realised singing quietly but in tune is more important than belting the vocals out. I learned I don't have a clue about music. I learned that there are things called chords. I realised that I don't know what do do with a chord or where the best place to put one is.

We also talked about this song. Why does he go faster here? Why is the chorus so upbeat when it's song about sadness? Is it in fact a song about sadness? It was so cool to try to get an understanding of a song, to really get to its heart and then to try to understand what we want out of our interpretation of it and how to go about executing that.

That Portuguese word saudade... I have always felt that about my creative partner... where are you? I have my perfect life partner, but in all my creative endeavours I have been a solitary man, always vaguely missing someone who isn't there. But here we were, two former strangers sitting in an empty cafe, sharing knowledge, playing with and discussing ideas and making notes about a text and a piece of music.

For me, this was a taste of this creative partnership thing, and it was quite beautiful.

A Day In The Office

It's a good thing you can't see me from the front here - my tongue would be poking out as I try carefully to spoon just the right amount of Nescafe instant into each cup.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

This is me being a bit slammed on the coffee machine. Someone came in with a take-away order for 11 coffees, then, naturally, several other customers came in at the same time with multiple coffee orders. We ran out of space along the bench and had to stack the other lids in clusters wherever we could find space. Early on, this kind of thing would make me break out in a sweat of nerves and my hands would shake. These days, I love it. It's a puzzle, it's a game. Hannah, my helper, wrote the orders on the lids. I then got her to cluster the same types of milk together. I did all the shots, steamed the first of the milk and handed the jug to Hannah to pour and finish, by which time I had steamed the next jug to silky perfection. I merged smaller orders in with the big order so that those customers didn't have to wait right until the end of the big order. It's a small thing, but its a buzz. Being busy is a buzz.

And yes, I currently have a stripe of green hair on my shaved head. And those pants? Made by a talented friend, Sharron at Leafy Sea Dragons. I get plenty of comments on them and yeah, can see why. They're pretty cool.

Felt a bit tired by the end of the week. Was a pretty busy one. Expected yesterday to be quiet because of the long weekend but we got slammed. Busiest day of the week. 50 hours plus on our feet each week, running at times... it's exhausting.

Lots happening at the moment. We seem to be going through another busy period. We haven't done anything to promote the cafe so it's all word of mouth, the most honest kind of promotion. Although we did have a band record their music video clip in the cafe recently. Papa G & The Starcats. We'll get credit in the clip (for their song Smooth Lovin') and post a link here when it's out.

And we're off to the album launch of a former employee tonight. I used to love working with Alyx. Now I just have to be content with loving her music, which I do very much.

First theatre opening night in a while coming up on Tuesday, and I have a feeling  (because there's no rest for these weary bones) that we're going to a doof bright and early tomorrow morning. Just to go hard for the day and into the night, drive back on Monday.

Not A Review Of The Very Excellent Nick Cave, Melbourne, December 2014

I'm not reviewing Nick Cave from last night because I was just a punter... and yet today as I made another punter's coffee, sentences like this drifted through my mind...

"Counterpointing the gorgeous simplicity that is Nick Cave's lyrics, vocals and piano of, say, The Ship Song, were other songs of a more chaotic nature. I would loved for it to have been Stagger Lee (he was never going to play that one), but it was probably Higgs Boson Blues or even something more fucked up, in which each performer seems to go off into their own crazy world for a while and do their own fucked up thing... Warren Ellis hunched and terrorising a small stringed instrument, making it squeal and cry and howl; Nick Cave might also have been howling, or hitting some random metal things; somewhere some kind of crazy bell and keyboards and strobing lights and savage lyrics that make sense in a darkly supernatural way. It's crazy, cacophony for sure, but it's the most wonderfully harmonious and exciting cacophony you're ever likely to hear..."

Back in the real world: And here is your soy chai latte.

Life In Northcote Update, And Kimbra's Plain Gold Ring

When I heard the Gotye track Somebody I Used To Know for the first time, I recognised Wally's vocals but when Kimbra came in I thought who the fuck is this? I saw the film clip and was amazed again. I've since read up, have since heard much of her music and whoa, how good is she? This track is my favourite. I like her other stuff too, but man, I watched this one this morning and just melted. She's 21 years old and clearly headed for big things. The track itself, originally performed by Nina Simone, is a wonderfully sad story of unrequited love. Nick Cave did a typically cool version of it. Kimbra's version... I think it's the kind of song you really have to feel to pull off. Watching her perform here, she is totally immersed in the song. Love it.

I was going to give an update on what's been happening in my life but I don't know if I'm in the mood. I am Limbo Man. I need a change. I need a good thing. I need a new adventure.

Yeah, a new adventure sounds nice.

Focused now on the 2012 World Trip Of Parties. Ozora, Boom, Ibiza, maybe Burning Man. This time next year we'd be heading back to Australia for Dragon Dreaming. I think we will work on making this happen. Living adventures like that, it's what it's all about.

For now though, things are not as bad as they were when we landed back in reality in Melbourne. I've gotten through the troubles, mostly. I think only The Dreaded One and Kat know what I'm talking about. Not good times even though I managed to pull out the smiles and laughs. Feel like I'm through a storm, shaken but okay. No one suspected a thing.

Fun times ahead. I really can't express how much... two things save my head. Writing silly stuff and hearing good music. I watched the Kimbra clip with tears in my eyes because I love how much she is getting into it. It's an amazing thing.

Oh there other things that save my head. The friends I know will hug me at the next doof. The new friends in this new city who are actual friends. The observations of The Buddha. The sight at Flinders station of a group of total wreckheads with tattoos on their necks, trashed clothing and one girl with a black-eye... seeing them enjoy taking time out from the life of carnage I know they live to enjoy a simple pleasure like buying icecreams on a sunny day. I passed by and took in all the information and it was a sad and happy picture. The girl with the black eye, she probably wondered why it can't always be like this. The guy with the tattooed neck she was passing the icecream to, he probably wondered the same. No doubt it would all fall apart hours later, but seeing these wrecks enjoying this moment of innocent enjoyment and being nice to each other for a while, it was nice. If sad. Why can't it always be nice?

Things are okay here. We like Northcote. We like Melbourne.

Daheen's Being Green Album Review

DAHEEN
Being Green
REGEN Records

Being Green is the latest release from Sydney psytrance producer Daheen (aka Dave Le Breton). It's an album with an environmental message, for sure, but the music is as fun as the message is, well, green. The tracks – a motley collection of proven favourites from Daheen's live sets – as often exist simply to smile and dance to as they do to remind us of the precarious situation we have gotten ourselves into environmentally.

Tracks such as Pirates Ahoy, Horsin' Around, Pink Panther and Master Yoda use often hilarious samples to get you smiling while you stomp. Who would ever have guessed that the likes of Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore's classic comic duo Derek and Clive would make an appearance on a trance dancefloor?

The real beauty in this album though is the music from nature. The natural rhythm of a frog's ribbit and cricket's chirrup (are they the technical terms?) provide the perfect base for the wonderfully fat title track. And lest you get caught up in the dark coolness of this track, who should make an appearance but the green one himself, Kermit The Frog. The following track draws on the symphony of sounds the great grey beast the elephant communicates with; it's an intricate track of shimmering beauty, dancefloor friendly but equally one of those tracks to close your eyes and think beautiful things to.

Printed and packaged in eco friendly materials, the album comes with a short story connecting the variety of characters who make an appearance on the album as our frog hero Neehad (where did Daheen come up with such a name?) embarks on a voyage to get to the bottom of the mystery of the disturbing shrinking world frog population. Whimsical, silly and with a whole lot of heart, it's exactly the kind of thing you could read to your kids at bedtime... just fast forward through the Derek and Clive section.

Daheen may have a message, but he knows the dancefloor is for dancing. As the Hopi Indian saying goes, “To watch us dance is to hear our hearts sing.” Dance to Being Green and hear your heart sing.

The Melbourne launch of Being Green happened at The Mothership Part 4, My Aeon, Friday September 9.

Lee Bemrose

Deya Dova Interview and Remixed Album Review

Two more mag things about the amazingly talented Deya Dova. And check out Deya's website for even more music than covered here. The psytrance tweak of Spaceman is awesome.

Deya Dova Remixed: Interview With Deya Dova

DEYA DOVA REMIXED

Currently residing in far Northern New South Wales, Deya Dova is a dynamic live performer who, with her full live band, is a popular fixture on the festival circuit. In 2009 she released the stunning album Burst which has now been remixed by local luminaries and international heavyweights for the album Deya Dova Remixed. The roll-call putting their spin on the Burst tracks includes Juno Reactor, James Monro, An-ten-nae, Antix, Tijuana Cartel and more, with musical styles as diverse as the artists themselves.

BY LEE BEMROSE

Burst was such a good album in its own right – why bother with a remix album?

Wicked, thanks Lee. Burst was the product of a lock down in my studio for 12 months. It was a big learning curve for me being my first self-produced album, teaching myself the gear and software and developing my production techniques as I went. Although I was really happy with the result, I was still fascinated by the idea of hearing how an established producer would interpret my music. Also being inspired by so many styles of electronic production, I was keen to hear how the Burst songs would translate in different genres.

It's an eclectic mix of producers. How did it all come about? Why/how these particular artists?

I randomly started contacting producers online whose music inspired me for one reason or another. I introduced myself and my then new album Burst. The response was so overwhelming. Naturally some of them didn’t go for it, but most did and I simply followed the leads I had and allowed it to grow organically.

Did you feel nervous at all, waiting to hear the end results of the remixes?

Oh yeah, it’s been a wild process. Thankfully the mixes have all been fantastic and each producer has really captured the vibe of what I am doing, interpreting it through their own lens.

Is it the entire Burst album that's been remixed or just selected tracks?

It’s a selection of tracks. Some of the popular songs like Kyio and Burst got a few different remixes in different genres. For example Kyio got a super juicy tech house doing by New Zealand underground duo, Antix and then a sexy chill/ambient mix by global headliner James Monro.

How was it decided who got which tracks to remix?

I was keen for each producer to pick a track from Burst they most vibed with, so they could really have some fun with it. I made a few suggestions, in terms of particular tracks suiting particular genres, but mostly left it to the artists.

Which tracks are you most happy with?

Ohhh wow. Each track is a gem in its own right. I am a big progressive house/minimal tech listener so I got really excited by the moody, bass-heavy dance remix of Burst by Switchbox. I also love the fresh, European springtime feel of Nyquist’s Burst dance mix and of course the lush, building tech vibe of the Antix remix.

Which were the biggest surprises for you?

Juno Reactor’s rewrite of Hyperglider blew me away. I was naturally expecting a very Juno-esque track, something cinematic in line with his work in movies like The Matrix etc – but the sheer epic-ness of the journey through electronic, tribal and rock textures got me. As a visual artist the track fills me with wicked pictures of sci–fi speed chases, primal ceremonies and expansive landscapes.

I was also surprised by Tijuana Cartel’s remix of Petal – I really dig what they did with the vox at the top.

Did you have any creative input or did you simply put your trust in the remixers?

It was such a pleasure to work with all the international producers. There was a lot of trust, some delivered their tracks final, but most, which I hugely appreciated, were open to my input and feedback. Some tracks where very collaborative, shooting sound bytes back and forth through cyberspace.

It must have felt strange to hand over such personal creations to others. Do you have any feelings at all that anyone got it even a little bit wrong? (You don't have to name names).

I went into it with the attitude that there is no wrong, just different ways of seeing and hearing things. As a very particular and “detailsy” type artist, it was a great experience for me to let my work go out to other labs. I learnt a great deal about producing and writing, but also about what genres are more compatible with my voice and style. Having said that there was a couple of tracks I initially went “What!” but hey, at the end of the day I was into offering something across the board, not just for me.

I see amongst the diverse styles there is some dubstep, one of my least favourite styles of music. Who is responsible for this and what can you tell us about that track?

I was really keen to have dubstep represented on the album. In my own productions I love to flirt with favourite elements across the electronic genres. Although the metal darkness of dubstep doesn’t turn me on, the bass exploration of it does. I was stoked with the elative and super phat tribal mix San Fransisco’s DJ/producer An-ten-nae did of So Happy. And also with the more intricate and worldly dubstep mix Sydney based artist Kalya Scintilla conjured up for Toonmowi Tree.

My favourite tracks from Burst are Twinkle and Move U. What can you tell us about the remixes of these tracks?

Twinkle, inspired by the desert, is also a fave of mine. Aptly, Desert Dwellers have done a stunning down-tempo journey into Twinkle, and also a wicked IDM mix which I think Tipper is going to master in the near future. Adham Shaik tapped into his Indian ancestry and went wild with a West Coast breaks remix of Move U, which he’s told me is rockin' the dancefloor over there.

And another highlight, Bad Day. Can you tell us about this remix?

Quite a few artist took on Bad Day, not the easiest song to turn into a dance track. Dave Basek has served up a cheeky prog house/nu disco remix, I dig the quirky and hooky tweaked out vocal repeating “Ew”. I’m also looking forward to Dick Trevor’s remix of Bad Day which will be a follow up release to Deya Dova Remixed.

Bad Day is a gorgeous clip. Any more on the way? And any planned for the new album?

We had a blast making that clip! And thankfully got such great support from the stations – Rage, and Channel 10’s Landed Music. I'm really keen to do more music videos, a few fun ideas are floating around. Running the Reflekta label independently doesn’t leave much play money, so any sugar daddies of the music video kind out there, or any film makers and animators who are keen to collaborate - FB me :)

You keep yourself pretty busy on the live circuit. Are you also busy in the studio on new work?

Over the past year I’ve been devoted to developing the live show. Performing the material from Burst with the full band is such a high energy party, and I tend to go all out with new mixes, visuals and costumes, I love it. Between that and co-ordinating the Deya Dova Remixed album I’ve only had a chance to do a bit of vocal demo-ing and am looking forward to working with producers on the new material. Now with the release of the remix album I’m keen to get more time in the studio and put all I’ve learnt about song writing, production and dance music with some big phat bass.

Deya Dova Remixed is out now on the Reflekta label. Listen to samples and purchase the album at http://deyadova.bandcamp.com/album/deya-dova-remixed

A different version of this interview will appear in a forthcoming issue of Tsunami. Album review to follow soon.

Postcard From Ibiza

Well we finally made it to Ibiza. I always said I wanted to come here just once in my life. My life has revolved quite a lot around dance music and clubbing for some time now, although the doofing scene of partying in the wilderness has caused me to see clubs much less in recent years. So just once, I thought.

I was under the impression that Ibiza had lost it's charm a long time ago. I saw that Real Ibiza reality TV show years ago. Over time I've spoken to a lot of people who have DJ'd here or partied here or just have an opinion about the place. Some friends with taste keep coming back each year, but I've had a lingering feeling for a long time that I missed Ibiza's glory days, perhaps with a little hope that I was wrong.

Bottom line? I like nice things. I like music and culture and style. We're due in Barcelona next and I like Barcelona. Loved Barcelona actually, but we still chose to extend our stay in Ibiza. I like it here a lot. I've had nothing but a good time in spite of friends who have never been here assuring me that it's a horrible, tacky place with nothing to offer but drunk Brits. With all due respect, they have no idea. I thought maybe it was going to be a bit like Surfers Paradise in Queensland; it's nowhere near as tacky as that place.

Yes there are drunk Brits. Pasty flesh rubs shoulders with the taut and tanned. You will bump into ugly, tasteless people wherever you go. But even in the most crowded club or beach party, everyone I have encountered appears to be here to party and have fun. I have not seen any agro... well a couple of people got thrown out of Pacha by security but I don't know what that was all about and I don't care.

Ibiza town is a nice place. Stylish little town with plenty of good food places about. Ibiza is not all about house music, drugs and drinking. There is plenty of that if you want it, but it's very easy to get away from all of that.

The first night we were here we went to Space nightclub. We are very lucky because a friend works there and we got in for free and were given free drinks. This is the one downside of Ibiza's short party season; it can be shockingly expensive. 60 Euro will get you through the door. Enjoy dancing sober because the drinks are horrendously expensive. We went to Pacha the following night with no contacts, and it was 60 Euro each to get in, 34 Euro for two JD and cokes. And I have to say it wasn't really worth it. The night was called Flower Power and the music was retro. I like California Dreaming etc, but this was just one cheesy cliche after the next with no mixing and it wore a bit thin after a while. The place was rammed and I just couldn't get into the vibe. The vast majority were having a blast though, smiles everywhere, not an agro drunk Brit in sight. Maybe it was just the shock of handing out so much money for so little. I don't normally care what it costs to have a good time but that was a shock, especially when you do tha exchange rate math. We can fly from here to Barcelona (next Tuesday) for the same amount it cost for two drinks at Pacha.

Oh and did I mention I got lost trying to get out? These places are big. Home in Sydney has a capacity of 1500 or something. I think places like Space and Pacha are about twice as big and I took a wrong turn, The Dreaded One was engulfed by the crowd and I wandered lost for about half an hour. My phone buzzed with texts from The Dreaded One but my eyes are fucked and I can't read my phone without my glasses. I knew what she would be saying anyway - where are you what the hell are you doing I'm waiting for you outside. It was a bit embarrassing. I kept finding my way to the same rooms I didn't want to be while Mama Cass belted out that tune I used to like so much but didn't want to hear ever again. In the end a security guy saw and recognised my confusion and showed me the way out. He seemed a little amused. I like to think I'm not the first to have been lost in Pacha. I was fucking glad to get out.

Anyway, a night or two later we went to a place called, I think, Kumares. Beachside place where Nightmares On Wax were playing a live set as the sun went down. A totally classy evening, sand and couches and beach-beds, white wine, friends and fire twirlers. I remember looking around and thinking how can you improve on this? Upbeat chilled music (been into NOW for years now) surrounded by cool people while the sun and clouds put on a pretty show... I like Ibiza a lot.

We're going to try to get to Cafe del mar probably today. Might also go back to Bora Bora. It's a club that spills onto the beach, and around 4.30 the relaxed vibe ramps up a bit until the beach and inside the club are one big, thumping party, planes roaring in low for landing at the nearby airport with party-goers cheering a welcome to the new arrivals.

You can knock places you have never been to and I really did think I'd come to Ibiza just once and probably never come back. But I'm staying longer than I expected to and I really wouldn't be surprised if I find myself back here again. Next season, perhaps. Or 2012, around Boom time.

Ixchel Promo With The Dreaded One & Me

Promo clip of what was a good night and a particularly memorable one for me.

I think there will be more DJing coming up. Stay tuned.

I Be Smilin'

Not much into family but I have occasionally wondered about my father. The guy in this clip, he and I share the family name I was born and grew up with. Wonder if Clarence is my Dad.

Heard this song again today and it made me smile on an otherwise gloomy morning... I be strokin'...

Cowgirl by Underworld

Saturday and I'm having a bit of an Underworld fest. Would love to see them live again. They really know how to whip the crowd into a frenzy. I remember a DJ playing this track during the day, maybe Monday, at the last Rainbow Serpent and even that sent the crowd mental. I don't think I stopped grinning for the duration of the track - which on that occasion seemed to go forever. Awesome stuff.

I had to compile a list of 10 tracks that I'm into at the moment for an application to do stuff for a local independent radio station and it was surprisingly difficult. I'll bet everyone doing the same thing became as self-conscious as I was. You start trying to second guess them. You want to include stuff you think they will like. You want to demonstrate your cutting-edge taste. You want to make a unique list. You want to somehow convey that you approve of their playlist. You put in something new and something old. Did my head in.

But if I were making that list today, Cowgirl would definitely be included.

For the hell of it, here's the list I came up with. Self-conscious, perhaps, but honest. Really hard thing to do when your taste in music covers so much ground. Another day there would be another completely different list.

Scandal In New York (Satoshie Tomiie remix) – A kinky proggy number not heard nearly enough on the dancefloor. I opened my debut set with it. DJ friends told me it was ambitious trying to mix it into Wizzy Noise's Sabotage. They were soooo right. Great track though.

Kyio – Deya Dova – From her forthcoming album (can't recall the album's title), this is Deya at her best. Sweet and up-beat, sounds like it was made in Africa. Haven't heard the Luke Chable dance remix yet. It's bound to be good though. This Northern New South Wales performer deserves more airplay. The listeners deserve it too.

The Evangelist – Robert Forster – Came across this again recently and can't get it out of my head. The lyrics make an okay poem, but with the music and Forster's vocals it just crushes you under the weight of its sad beauty.

Only An Expert – Laurie Anderson – From her yet to be released (and possibly mythical) Homeland album, this is political, scathing, ironic Laurie in fine form. Harks back to her earlier Big Science stuff, only it's less cryptic.

Shamanik Concept – Tripy – New one from local psytrance producer Tripy. As melodic and trippy as the title would suggest. Sounds great on the dancefloor, good to listen to while kicking back on Sunday afternoon too.

Faery Spell – Lost Keys – Local to the Byron area, another world class Australian psytrance producer doing pretty things with the psy sound. Tracks like these last two have my non-psy friends asking what kind of music it is. Love new converts.

Paper Plane – MIA – I keep hearing this very infectious track, I keep liking it and I keep thinking about what is really going on under the guise of a catchy, breezy pop song.

15 – 20 – The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Again, heard this catchy, innocent sounding tune in heavy trafic and found it an ideal road rage diversion. I feel kinda soft admitting I like it.

Stagger Lee – Nick Cave – Played this vintage Bad Seeds track again the other day, because sometimes you don't want pretty, tinkly bits in your music, you just wanna be a bad-assed mutha swaggering through the dirty West (whilst singing in the shower). This is a very funnycool song.

Who Has The Marijuana? - Alien Project – A bouncy psy track sampling Southpark. Funny. Fun. Dancey. Perfect way to end a debut DJ set. The punters agreed.

Introducing DJs Stompy & Grumpy

Over the course of my silly little life I've accidentally managed to get my name on a poster or two, the cover of a novel (someone else's, not mine), lots of columns and feature pieces in magazines, and now - as you will see if you click on the image to the left - a flyer for a club night.

Yes, that's right, The Dreaded One (Stompy) and I (Grumpy) will be DJing at the Abercrombie next Saturday night.

Totally hilarious.

Do come play with us if you're in town. It will be fun. Promise.

Bonkers... A Guilty Pleasure.

Funny - I've never been a Dizzee fan and Arman Van Helden doesn't do it for me... but this track kind of cracks me up. I like it.

Not I, Said This Writer

I've just read a magazine review that I wrote of a music gig I saw last week. I really enjoyed it and I had fun writing the review because I love it when I get to open the floodgates of gush. If I think something is good, I want you to know about it and I want you to know why I thought it was good.

Hilarious thing though... the editor clings to some antiquated style nuance about not referring to yourself directly. They think good editing means there is no such thing as "I". Even when you are writing about your personal experience of a performance.

Hang on. Let me demonstrate. I'm going to re-write what I've written above using the style guide this particular editor uses:

"This writer just read a review that this writer wrote of a music gig this writer saw last week. This writer really enjoyed it and this writer had fun writing the review because this writer loves it when he get's to open the floodgates of gush. If this writer thinks something is good, this writer want's you to know why he thought it was good."

Sadly, I'm not joking. All these "this writer thought" and "this writer believes"... Eh? Wot?

I wrote a line about a guy on stage tweaking knobs on his mixer who was being very extravagant with his knob-twiddling, and I said that I was mightily amused and that from now on my reviews would be written with Beethovenesque flourishes.

Ed changed it to, "From now on, reviews will be written with Beethovenesque flourishes."

Wot? Not just this writer's reviews but all reviews everywhere throughout all the lands and kingdoms?

Okay. That's all for now. Clearly I have to go beat myself about the head repeatedly with a 1956 edition of The New York Times to see if some of this shit sinks in.

Gary Numan at The Enmore

Review of last night's gig below. I'm not sure if it was 1979 or 1980 when I heard Cars on the radio, and I know Triple J back then was Double J, but this (below) is a first draft review written late at night without the luxury of fact-checking.

This youtube clip is, as far as I can tell, the original version of Are Friends Electric. I think around the same time I was into Mi Sex, Ultravox, Debbie Harry's Blondie, Bowie (natch) and ACDC. See? I have always lacked focus.

I was very impressed with what Gary Numan did last night. I've seen none of the other artists I just mentioned except for Bowie twice. Laurie Anderson was to come a year or two later and then live around 20 years after that. I also remember The Church around the same time. It kept going, I kept hearing new stuff that had a big impact. Mixed bag.

But hearing Numan in a bland suburb on my shitty radio in my grandparents' house... it was a memorable moment. What the fuck is this? I wondered, cranking the volume. Next day at school, about three or four of us were all oh my God did you heard that song Cars on the radio yesterday? The rest looked at us like we were freaks.

Happy times, last night. Numan is gruntier with the same soaring synths. The guitar playing was masculine, and Gary knew the crowd loved him. I never knew he could smile such a high beamer.

Anyway, I know it's not everyone's music, but for me it's stirring music. It's electronic and it's like he was always going for escape from emotion or something, stripped wires and sterility, but there's actually shitloads of emotion in there.

I had a fucking great time last night.

GARY NUMAN

Indulge me for a couple of seconds... back in the late seventies when I was (probably not) doing my homework, Triple J played Gary Numan’s Cars. Everything stopped for me because this was a sound I’d never heard before. It was lush synth, rich, layered with some kind of detached yearning in the lyrics. I think my friends were into The Angels at the time (they were good too) but for me, Numan was where everything was heading.

It’s been more years than I’d like to think since that afternoon, but Gary Numan was in town and I wondered if he still had that thing. Most recent album I listened to was Hybrid, a blend of his ethereal electric synth and gutsy rawness of Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. I liked it a lot.

So how was the 50 year old guy who wanted to do punk but discovered the synthesiser keyboard and went electro-goth instead? Pretty fucking awesome, actually. He’s said he wasn’t going to do his old stuff, but he did do his old stuff. He just twisted it in gutsy style with some of the most muscular guitar work you’re likely to hear.

Support band Pivot did an admirable job. I’d not seen them before but they were good. Drummer was exciting, vocals were ordinary but willing, and the guy on the lap top and mixer was pretty fucking funny in how much he was putting into it. From now on, I type my reviews with Beethovenesque flourishes.

But Numan, baby. One old one, one new one, one old one new one. The nostalgia freaks had a blast with tracks like Down In The Park, and oh my God the impromptu singalong to Are Friends Electric was just beautiful. I caved and smiled a lot and also joined in.

Numan was flanked by two synth players and two guitar guys, one kick-arse drummer behind. His voice was as fresh as it was a thousand years ago. He prowled the stage, played guitar, and sang his songs with very obvious enjoyment, whether in that detached tone or menacing whisper. For me, this was not a nostalgia trip. Numan knows music, knows it has to move forward, and he’s doing an excellent job.

LEE BEMROSE

Deya Dova at Exodus Cyber Tribal Festival 2009

Hello. I'm back, briefly. Not sure if you read the comments in the last post but yeah, I really did get into a bit of a dummy spit with a woman called Universe, really did throw my back out badly trying to get out of a toilet cubicle in a place called Casino, really did smack myself in the eye whilst napping hard enough to bruise it. There is lots of amusing stuff to write about.

But first... I tried to upload some of my footage of Deya Dova but it didn't work so here's a youtube piece. It's not from Exodus but it will have to do for now.

I think there are a couple of types of music moments. Sometimes you know a band or performer and you're excited to see/hear them perform. Other times you've never heard of someone and they stop you dead in your tracks and you become an instant fan.

Walking back from the campsite across the mainstage on the way back to the trance stage I walked into a crowd totally going off. Good to see because the main stage at Exodus rarely sustains the energy level of the trance stage. I looked up and saw Deya Dova doing some really upbeat dance stuff to the programming of DJ Pulse. I couldn't believe how good this music was. Her voice is so primal, and DJ Pulse looked earnest as he worked his Apple Mac, occasionally looking up at Deya as she hit a note and smiling with admiration and respect. Beautiful partnership.

After a while Ann said she was going back to the trance stage. I said I wasn't going anywhere. Deya looped and harmonised with her own vocals. Sometimes the dancefloor was jumping, other times it swayed to more chilled beats. Frequently I had goosebumps.

Later I said hello and bought a CD which Deya signed. I said that their act was the music highlight of the festival so far. Deya thought that was great. I said steady on - it's a long weekend and anything could happen. Deya and Hamilton (DJ Pulse) both laughed at this. As it turned out, that was indeed the music highlight for me. They are Australian and live in far northern NSW. The influences in the music come from all over the world but amazingly the lyrics are not any language. She just opens up and draws on what she told me was a cellular level we're all in touch with.

The album I have is called The Jasmani Garden. It's quite meditative stuff, quite spiritual. It's in the stack with Kolliope, Laurie Anderson, Inga Liljestrom and a few others that I go to sleep to or put on my my head needs rescuing.

Apparently a new album is coming out that contains more of the dancey stuff. I cannot express how excited I am about this. Going to do all I can to get behind it.

Next post, I'll tell you about that dunny door and my back and that hostile woman called Universe.

Earthdance 2008

Earthdance happens this weekend. I am not going to the Sydney party because I'm working. If it was being held on the correct day, however, I would be able to go. But the Sydney organisors in their wisdom have moved the party a day forward.

This doco is worth watching if you want to know what Earthdance is really about. In the opening minutes several people mention that at the heart of the thing is the simultaneous pause for a prayer for peace. The point is that at hundreds of locations around the world, hundreds of thousands of party-goers stop playing and pray for peace while the same track is played.

It's a bit of hippie silliness, perhaps, but it's kind of cool too. Certainly doesn't hurt anything. Sydney has always had a bit of a problem with the prayer bit because GMT midnight is about 9am here. You turn up, you see a handful of bleary eye punters who've just had breakfast.

Still, to this year move the party to an entirely different day... missing the point completely.

Last couple of years the party has been a bit of a mess. The promoters talk only of making the party bigger and bigger each year. Punters treat it like Field Day or any number of other dance festivals, and that's more or less okay. Get wrecked by all means, but drop some change in the bucket and I guess it does some good... after costs have been deducted for putting the party on.

I'd like to be at Waveform. It looks good and it's at least keeping the spirit of the thing alive. Sydney is just missing the point.

This Is Love

One song leads to another. I've stepped outside of psytrance for a bit and am into jangly, psychedelic sounds and bad love stories. I want growly guitar and stories about love and addiction.

PJ is babe.

Stagger Lee Goes To The Shop

I'm tweaking my murder love story Leaving Ruben Jane, getting it ready for an upcoming competition. I've been distracted and kind of dark and brooding and murdery. Last song I heard before going to sleep last night was the previous post's Stagger Lee.

So the sun was shining in this morning when The Dreaded One made the coffee and told me that that was the last of the milk and we'd have to go to the shop to buy some more.

"Stagger Lee wouldn't go to the shop to buy milk," I replied, barely awake and not really considering that she'd never heard Stagger Lee. "He'd go to the shop, murder the shopkeeper and take the milk."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. Stagger Lee would take, like, all the milk. Because he's a crazy motherfucker."