I’ve just been sent a link to this blog about hand made, self-powered portable suitcase stereo systems – with style. These beautiful creations work with any device with a headphone plug, and offer over nine hours of playback with a single charge. They can also be plugged in to the mains if the party carries on indoors!
My favourite is The Traveler (pictured).
I’m impressed. And I’m saving up…
Always a highlight of the summer, the first part of this year’s Oyé line up has just been announced.
Africa Oyé is the UK’s largest celebration of African music and culture and takes place annually in Liverpool. Beginning in 1992 as a series of small gigs in the city centre, the event has gone from strength to strength, moving to its present Sefton Park home in 2002 to cope with demand. Africa Oyé has continued to grow and in 2010 attracted an audience of over 50,000 people. Even more are expected to attend the 20th annual Africa Oyé Festival in 2011.
With too many negative representations of Africa entrenched in images of war, disease, poverty and famine, Oyé seeks to redress the balance and highlight the fantastic range of cultures, foods, music and artists that make this great continent one of the most vibrant and inspiring in the world. The festival is also a truly international event that harnesses the spirit of multiculturalism and tolerance. It has played host to artists from nations right across Africa and also programmes music from South America and the Caribbean with salsa, soca, and reggae always popular additions to the festivities.
Line Up
Fatoumata Diawara (Mali)
Kareyce Fotso (Cameroon)
Mlimani Park Orchestra (Tanzania)
Bonga (Angola)
Mariem Hassan (Western Sahara)
Damily (Madagascar)
Cheny (Mozambique)
Abdou Diop (Senegal)
Africa Oyé 20th Year Anniversary Festival, Sefton Park, Liverpool
Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June 2011
12:30pm-9:30pm on both days
Admission: £5 day ticket (under 12s free entry)
Book tickets here.
Stevie Wonder. Where to start? The first record I ever bought for somebody else was the 7″ single of ‘All I Do’. This has always been my favourite version as it has the full keys intro; the version on ‘Hotter Than July’ omits this intro, segueing from the previous track, ‘Did I Hear You Say You Love Me’.
I was fortunate enough to see Stevie perform in Manchester last year. It was the first time I’d been to a gig of that size, and although I’ll always prefer the intimacy of smaller venues, his awesome presence filled the entire room.
I was unable to make the listening session for this LTM, but I set an hour aside last night and immersed myself in this timeless recording. On Innervisions, it’s ‘Too High’, the album’s opening track, that has always stood out for me. I was 18 the first time I got wrapped up in its enchanting Moog bass, trippy vocal harmonies and cautionary (but not patronising) lyrical message. I also really like Norman Brown’s version, which is just the right side of smooth.
I heard this cover on Harmless Records’ 2003 compilation, The Wonder Of Stevie, compiled by DJ Spinna and Bobbito. (There also some gems on this compilation, released in the same year by the German label, ZYX Music.)
The next Living To Music session is on Sunday 6th March, when we’ll be listening to Grace Jones’ ‘Nightclubbing’. Check out the info here!
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Find out more about Living To Music here.
If you joined in, please add your comments to the original post on Greg’s blog.
Show your love
Love is on the way.
I sing to you a song of love
A message from spirits above
I bring to you a melody
The angels sing in harmony.
I play for you a rhythm
With beats from the creator’s drum
I’ll write for you these words of hope
To lift you when you’re feeling low.
Love is on the way
Show your love.
I’ll pray for you a prayer of peace
To put your heart and mind at ease
I’ll give to you the faith you need
To make you strong when you are weak.
I’ll be there when all has failed
To be the wind
That fills your sail
I’ll say to you
These words of hope
To lift you when you’re feeling low.
Love is on the way
Show your love.
I’m gonna start today
Show my love
Love is on the way.
For Issue #9 of SHOOK magazine, I worked on a piece written by Andres Reyes featuring Bilal’s most recent album, Airtight’s Revenge, that dropped last October on Plug Research.
The new single ‘Levels’ is accompanied by an awesome psychedelic video, shot by Flying Lotus (whose debut long player, 1983, also dropped on Plug) and featuring Sound of Dusk favourites Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn.
Via Nutriot.
My first visit to Croatia was in 2008 to check out The Garden Festival in Petrčane. Most of our party flew from London and arrived with a fairly detailed itinerary for our trip. One lovable Italian DJ, though, drove from Trieste and turned up with no sleeping bag, no tent, and nowhere to sleep. But within a couple of days, being the charismatic charmer he is, Stef Maggio had a choice of two apartments to stay in and had befriended the owners of several waterfront restaurants.
It turned out that the stage manager of the festival was an old friend of Stef’s called Paul Curtis. When he was introduced to me as ‘Moose’, I recognised his name from a Keri Smith book I’d recently read, and was delighted to discover that this was the very same person. Aside from stage managing festivals, Paul ‘Moose’ Curtis is best known for his remarkable reverse graffiti projects, cleaning dirt and grime off surfaces to create works of art. Moose has a magnetic personality, his art of living life is a constant source of inspiration, and he’s somebody I’d consider a friend for life. (He quite likes me too, even though he still moans about that time I pushed him into the sea, drowning his mobile phone.)
A few nights before we left, a group of us spent an evening in Zadar, checking out the sea organ and drinking in The Garden. I was fascinated by the musical knowledge of Kevin Jenkins, a DJ who goes by the name Ole Smokey. He shared a love of folk and spiritual jazz, and waxed lyrical about vocalists and musicians I’d never heard of but was bound to dig.
The highlight of the evening was the taxi ride back. Ole Smokey persuaded our driver to play some of the CDs he’d brought with him, and I tripped the whole way home. He gave a handful of these CDs to Stef, who promised to share the treasure when we landed back in Liverpool. Unsurprisingly, I’ve never seen those discs since. I did see Ole Smokey again though. His afternoon set at Mr Scruff’s tent at The Big Chill in 2009 was a highlight of the weekend, once again dropping tune after tune that blew my mind.
You can imagine my delight when a couple of days ago, I noticed Ole Smokey had joined SoundCloud. As well as sharing a snatch of the obligatory edits that have made the platform so popular, there is a full length DJ mix that’s every bit as outstanding as I’d hoped it would be. Enjoy.
Track List
1. Batteaux – High Tide
2. 39.4 – Mas Alto (Higher)
3. James Vincent – Space Traveler
4. Sergio Mendes – Emorio
5. Terry Reid – Dean
6. Pentangle – I’ve Got A Feeling
7. Curtis Amy – Liberia
8. Roberta Flack – Qual E Malindrinho
9. Alphonse Mouzon – Snake Walk
10. Gong – Magdalene
11. Telegraph Avenue – Something Going
12. West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – Smell Of Incense
13. The Corporation – India
14. Kinkina – Jungle Fever
15. Al Green – Waiting On You
16. Unknown James Brown Cover – There It Is
17. Georgie Fame – Papas Got A Brand New Bag
18. Joe Cocker – Feeling Alright
19. Stretch – Why Did You Do It
20. Laura Yager – Where’s Your Love Been
On Saturday 24th April of last year, I played ‘Reasons’ from Minnie Riperton’s Perfect Angel album during my gig at Ronnie Scott’s. (You can listen to and download a live recording of that set here.)
I bought the vinyl reissue of Perfect Angel from Liverpool’s Probe Records, and at the time didn’t really listen further than this opening rock-soul anthem. The lyrics played around my head for months, and it became an end of night tune in many of my sets last year. ‘Reasons’ is also one of the best examples of Minnie’s majestic command of the whistle register, sustaining notes for extended periods in the sixth and seventh octave. But it would be a disservice to describe this talent in terms of technical ability; Minnie Riperton’s gift goes fay beyond that.
Minnie Riperton – Reasons
The reasons for my life are in a million faces
Like aching promises I feel them in my bones
Slipping through my fingers to dance upon the road
The reasons for my life are more than I can hold
But oh, the sweet delight to sing with all my might
To spark the inner light of wonder burning bright
You’re not alone
You’re not alone.
The reasons for my life are buried in deep places
Words once could awaken them
These seeds that I have sown
Ringing through the madness to crash against the cold
The reasons for my life cannot be bought or sold.
The reasons for my life are filling all my spaces
Like rushing waters flow, they carry me along
Twisting through my memory to pull free from the load
The reasons for my life are more than I was told.
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In September 2010, I moved my studio, record collection and library to a permanent home in Southport, and my records waited miserably in boxes until I had the chance to unpack them at the end of December. The roads were dangerously icy across the UK, and Southport was one of the most seriously affected places in the country. We were snowed in, and I spent the best part of a week exploring the lesser known corners of my record collection. I played ‘Perfect Angel’ over and over – I was enthralled – and my admiration for Minnie grew with each listen.
Last night, I tearfully watched ‘Unsung: The Story Of Minnie Riperton’ after downloading a complete copy from a Minnie Riperton tribute site. (You can still get it here.)
On the back of the ‘Perfect Angel’ LP, there is a note written by ‘a very special fan’:
When Minnie sings I feel my insides rush and quiver. She touches a place in me where no one else can go. It’s hard to believe how incredibly high and beautiful Minnie can sing. But I know her, and I believe. Sometimes I just lay back and try to imagine how sweet her soul must be. Thank you for your music, Minnie… a gift of love for all the world to see…
This message is the lyrical inspiration for the following little-known but incredibly beautiful tribute by DJ Cam and In Love.
Attempting to capture the wonder of Minnie in words is an impossible task, but the essence of her spirit shines through every note. Her gift of love lives on.
DJ Cam feat. In Love – For Minnie
Just like an old sweet song for Minnie
It’s bringing all my memories
And that’s the way she used to be
So sweet, sweet and lovely.
Just like the way she used to sing ‘Loving You’
It was more than just a dream come true
And loving you is all I want to do
I can see your soul shining through.
Just a little touch of love
I feel my insides rush and quiver
Just a little touch of love
And your love will live forever.
Thank you for your magic music Minnie
A gift of love for the world to see
How beautiful you were and always be
So sweet, sweet and lovely.
And I think you are a perfect angel
Yes I think you are a chosen one
Sometimes I dream that you could be around
And sing such a sweet song.
Just a little touch of love
I feel my insides rush and quiver
Just a little touch of love
And your love will live forever.
And if you’ll see Andmoreagain,
Then you will know Andmoreagain,
For you can see you in her eyes.
Then you feel your heart beating,
Thrum-pum-pum-pum.
And when you’ve given all you had,
And everything still turns out bad.
And all your secrets are your own.
Then you feel your heart beating,
Thrum-pum-pum-pum.
And I’m wrapped in my armor,
But my things are material.
And I’m lost in confusions,
‘Cause my things are material.
And you don’t know how much
I love you.
Oh, oh, oh.
And if you’ll see Andmoreagain.
Then you might be Andmoreagain.
For you just wish and you are here.
Then you feel your heart beating,
Thrum-pum-pum-pum.
And I’m wrapped in my armor,
But my things are material.
And I’m lost in confusions,
‘Cause my things are material.
And you don’t know how much
I love you.
Oh, oh, oh.
A couple of weeks ago I was in London with a friend and we checked out the High Society exhibition at the Wellcome Trust:
From ancient Egyptian poppy tinctures to Victorian cocaine eye drops, Native American peyote rites to the salons of the French Romantics, mind-altering drugs have a rich history. ‘High Society’ will explore the paths by which these drugs were first discovered – from apothecaries’ workshops to state-of-the-art laboratories – and how they came to be simultaneously fetishised and demonised in today’s culture.
I was fascinated by Rodney Graham’s installation, ‘The Phonokinetoscope’. A five-minute 16mm film loop documents a bike ride Graham makes in the Tiergarten in May 2000, having ingested a blotter of ‘Mad Hatter’. The film is accompanied by a single-sided 12″ played on a Technics 1210 turntable that has proven to be quite difficult to track down. I made a note of the lyrics in the exhibition and discovered them to be from Pink Floyd’s ‘Bike‘. This wasn’t the song playing though! After some searching, I discovered the track in question was written and recorded by Graham himself, inspried by Floyd’s lyrics, and is called ‘Theme From “The Phonokinetoscope”‘. You can listen below. It’s brilliant.
Rodney Graham – Theme From “The Phonokinetoscope”
I’m the I they failed to dot
From the land that time forgot
I just lost my train of thought
I saw someone sitting on a rock.
You’re the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
Who is it that does not love a tree?
I planted one, I planted three
Two for you and one for me
Botanical anomaly.
You’re the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
When I fell off my medication
Seems I lost the art of conversation
Drape the dump in shades of grey
Declare it ‘I feel fucking awful day.’
You’re the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
Who is it that does not love a tree?
I planted one, I planted three.
Another highlight of the exhibition is ‘Afyon’, a projection by Mustafa Hulusi that shows four simultaneous tracking shots across a field of poppies in Turkey.
This extract from a preview posted on Saatchi Online gives more context:
The seductive fields of Hulusi’s Afyon are also subtly woven with a complex social and political history. The word ‘Afyon’ comes from the province in Western Turkey where it is thought that the poppy originated. From time immemorial, the opiate form of the plant has been used as an aid to worship, an intoxicating substance to intensify the religious experience; it has been used as a poison by assassins; then for medicinal purposes; it has been the subject of wars that resulted in Britain’s imposition of punitive trading laws on China; but also and, more latterly, as a source of income to fund the current anti-colonial wars in Afghanistan. Hulusi’s work, set in what was the centre of opium production, thus carries more than a simple sensory pleasure, however light the artist’s touch.
You can watch the footage here, but it really must be seen in situ to fully appreciate its enveloping mystique.
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High Society runs until 27th February 2011 and comes highly recommended.
I’ve just noticed Max from the Southport Weekender forum has posted a link to this rare documentary that was uploaded to YouTube earlier in the month.
At the beginning of the film, Stacey Pullen talks about the influence of Detroit radio DJ, Electrifying Mojo. Below is a rare radio interview with the man himself, posted on SoundCloud by DJ Max Gold.
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I’m not sure how long it will stay up for so check it out while it lasts!
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