I was meaning to talk about this when Woebotnik did, but unlike Matt I’ma huge fan. Just an ace little garage tune. I’m so pleased they were number one. And I just drove Felix to nursery school while it was playing, and we both sang along, and he seemed to know at least half the words, and it was one of those fantastically beautiful life-changing experiences that I seem to have every two minutes at the moment. So it gets a thumbs up from me.
Homophobia in ragga and Outrage
Fantastic discussion of this issue over in the Uncarved comments boxes. Get in there.
The question I’m asking is, does the coverage of the issue which Outrage’s tactics elicit in the Jamaican and British media, and the possible resultant impact on the awareness of the issue in Jamaica, justify both the (probably minor) economic impact on the artists concerned, and the (probably major) impact on the economic and artistic health of the broader reggae community in Britain?
New Life.
The baby came through OK.
Birth took from 11AM induction last Sunday to final delivery by ventouse (with one cut) at 7.58AM on Monday, at the Jessop wing of the Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield (which is fantastic). Pain relief was gas and air, one shot of diamorphine, arnica (homeopathic remedy). We were back home 7PM on the Monday.
Baby was an eight pound boy, named Malachi. He’s in fine form, and was breastfeeding happily within an hour of birth. My wife is doing fine, and I love her with all my heart and I am massively proud of her. Our three year old, Felix, loves his new baby brother and just wants to cuddle him and coo over him, as we do. Malachi looks a lot like a sixty year old east end gangster, all serious grimaces and rolls of skin. He snores too.
During the birth I was naturally mainly focused on my wife, but when I felt the need, I mentally called out for the help of ancestors. When I went back to see them in the ward later on the Monday, I had a sudden vision of vast sets of ancestors arcing away into the sky above each of the cubicles where the new parents and babies were, with each set of ancestors having a vast party to celebrate the new arrivals.
I feel like I’m just coming up, all the time. My head and heart are twisting into new shapes to encompass this new life and this new love.
Thanks to everyone for all their love and support, it really made a difference.
paul
K-Punking
If you haven’t noticed already, K-Punk is in raging good form right now. It’s rapidly mutated from being “just a blog” to, not so much a forum as an endlessly uncoiling serpent of clashing incantaory voices. It’s been called “the new ILM” by Simon, but it’s stranger and more beautiful than that. Get in there now; it won’t last forever.
Latest up is a cracking analysis of Burroughs — tough subject, artfully dissected (by K-Kollective member John Effay, though I hesitate to undermine the unauthorship of the scene by naming names).
Soundlinkage
Just want to do a massive big up to Dan at Molex Roots for running the best reggae blog in the universe (or Britain at least). I’ve added his site to the links section. His comment that I was filling the shoes of Stelfox is highly complimentary but it’s not really true; I’m WAY out of date on hot dancehall and my knowledge is a long way short of John’s standard. If anyone is filling Stelfox’ shoes it’s Dan himself. Sparkling, on the money, up to the minute reggae coverage. Everyone loves it.
Scrolling down the entries you’ll notice Dan has had some silly slag offs from his visitors. I don’t understand this at all. If you don’t like his mixes, skip to another one; it’s not as if there’s a lack of them out there. Least you can do is provide some constructive feedback.
Luckily I’ve had nothing but nice comments here and on email, touch wood. Thanks to everyone who’s been sending me good vibes, long may it continue. (He says, with a baby arriving tomorrow hopefully, meaning my much trumpeted musical hiatus should be starting pretty much immediately!)
New ragga techno
You know I was saying I probably wasn’t going to be doing much more music, what with the new baby coming? Weeeeell… it was really boring waiting for it to come, and I had spare time on my hands and…
… well, I’ve done a new ragga techno track. And it’s a bit of a corker.
I’ve again gone back to that all time classic ragge acapella, Cutty Ranks’ DJ Epitaph, cos it’s just overflowing with potential for versioning and mashups. I just can’t resist it.
The musical blueprint is pounding techno speed ragga with shades of electro to the beats and acidic basslines. Very tasty as far as I’m concerned.
Grievous Angel Vs Cutty Ranks: Culture Killer.
7:12
9.9Mb
Best bio of Cutty Ranks I could find was here though it fails to mention his work with the Bug.
Back
Four whole days without net access. I felt naked.
Museum of Witchcraft Update
Latest message from the museum:
By Friday the Museum should be accessible and the first priority is to move the library to a safer location, as the damp will be damaging the paper. Levannah & Adrian are appealing for volunteers with vans to move the library on Friday; if you can help please contact Levannah on
levannah@aol.com
Please spread this appeal to any other groups or individuals.
I am told that the flood washed up to the ceiling on the ground floor and then subsided down to about three foot, and I am also told, by someone else, that a fireman working there yesterday digging cars out of the harbour said that the Witchcraft Museum was covered in mud. These conditions will ruin the library very quickly, so please help if you possibly can.
ENDS
STILL happy?
Quick one back on Glueboot to save copying and pasting in the comments boxes:
>However, happiness doesn’t >particularly open up a space for >thought.
No way! Yes necessity is the mother of invention. But I just don’t recognise unhappiness being as much of a motor of insight as it’s sometimes made out to be. Yes, “the first taste of hope is fear” as a recent industrial mix I put up was titled — well, SOME hopes, anyway. But from where I’m sitting, pain restricts the mind’s ability to reflect as much as it goads it.
Carrot and stick innit :-).
> If one is happy there is no reason > for one to find out why there is
> happiness.
You’re joshing me! Sounds like (I could be wrong) there’s an assumption somewhere here about “normality” being suffering, and momentary happiness being a relief therefrom, unquestioned. That’s not how most of the people I know think — admittedly the people who read a lot of philosophy tend to be a bit down on things 🙂 but a lot of people seem to me to be figuring out ways to make themselves feel happier. Even my 3 year old!
> But to posit a world and a
> philosophy of pure happiness is
> the absolute heights of naivety.
Yeah probably. Have to check back with Leary on that one :-). But who’s positing that? Not me!
Nice one bruv…
Boscastle flooding appeal
URGENT APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE MUSEUM OF WITCHCRAFT
On 16th August 20004 the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, UK, which holds one of the most significant Pagan and Witchcraft collections in the world, was seriously damaged by flash floods which have devasted Boscastle.
Graham King and all the Museum staff are safe. The building is still standing, but there is serious damage to the collection. We will not know the extent of this for a while yet.
The Museum is appealing for help from the Pagan community. They would like to assure all their friends and supporters that the Museum will be back.
The friends Of The Museum and the Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall are co-ordinating the appeal for help. Two kinds of help are needed:
Donations; If you are able to send donations, please make them payable to:Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall and send them to: PO Box 314, Exeter, EX4 6YR, UK. Please send cheques, postal orders or IMOs (not cash) and mark the envelope “Museum Of Witchcraft”. All donations will be acknowledged (eventually!).
Practical help: All kinds of volunteer help will be needed to clean up, save the collection and re-build the Museum. This help will not be needed for a few days yet, but if you can help, please email your details to either: thecrowman@houseof the oldways.fsworld.co.uk or: levannah@aol.com.
Someone will contact you when we know what is needed. We will also email updates as we get them.
Many thanks and Goddess Bless to everyone who has already been in touch to offer help and support. The Museum will not be beaten by this.
Please circulate this information as widely as you can.
Blessings of the Old Ones
Levannah Morgan and Adrian Bryn-Evans
(Friends of the Museum Of Witchcraft and Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall).
From one of the staff at the museum:
All the people that we know are safe and well – although some homeless for a while.
The Museum has suffered extensive damage and all the downstairs exhibits have been ruined. The front window has been blown out, but the upstairs, including the library seems to have escaped the worse of the damage.
No-one is allowed entry to Boscastle until all buildings have been declared safe to enter. This could take some days and the whole village is cut off as part of the road has been washed away.
Many, many thanks to all who worked magically last night. Although there are 15 people unaccounted for at the moment, there appears to be no loss of life… so far.
Graham is very tired after all his Coastguard work yesterday and through the night. He sends his grattitude to all and will definitely be needing help soon in a clear-up operation, but this can’t happen for a few days at least.
ENDS