Out today (with artwork by Remi/Rough) is a tidy compilation of highlights from the Ninja Tune forum instigated 64 Bar Challenge entitled ‘Boundaries’. Started by Kovas a few years ago, the concept was to make a piece of music in any style for 64 bars at a predetermined tempo. Numerous producers, both professional and unreleased, took part across the six different challenges and the quality was remarkably high. I was approached to mix the sixth installment and helped forward the best of the bunch to Ninja for a possible release, and here it is!
Released today digitally, with the option of a vinyl pressing after a certain number is reached coming soon via Ninja’s new Beat Delete arm, it’s 20 tracks of largely instrumental electronica by producers from the US, Canada, Russia, Chile, Australia and all over Europe. Congratulations to all involved and respect to Kovas for pulling the whole thing together, here’s a little preview put together by Tom Central from the Keep Up! crew, followed by a mini DJ Moneyshot megamix of various tracks.
[youtube width=”640″ height=”480″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71HuMfCSVhw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Well, the time is nearly upon us, the launch of ‘The Search Engine’ at the Planetarium in deepest South London. As this isn’t a regular gig and the margin for error is high, I’ve put together six main points for those who might not have properly read the transport and schedule info that came with the ticket. Timings are tight for the performances and there will be no admittance once a show has started and I’d hate for people to miss out by not reading the info properly.
Nice five page piece on the Data Transmission site just went up.
I wish I could sign these petitions but you need a US zip code to do so it seems, please take the time to read and sign this if you feel the same way, the internet is one of the greatest inventions of our time, these bills seek to compromise that. Wikimedia is staging a 24 hour blackout of it’s services in protest today too.
[youtube width=”640″ height=”380″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gDZn7Klb1c[/youtube]
I’ve heard this album, every track a winner, check the cover art and video preview above. www.djformat.com
The 2 minute postcard records I’ve made specially for the Pure Evil Gallery opening on Jan 26th have arrived 
They are a thing of great beauty and I couldn’t be happier with them. 30 copies only and they will retail for £8 each at the show with any left over available from me direct via this site.
The fidelity isn’t going to win any awards but it’s better than some recent postcard records I’ve acquired and the track is an exclusive ‘discovery’ version of ‘In Orbit Every Monday’, only available here. If you want to make your own there’s more info on where to get these beauties made, and other sizes and formats too. Contact Kenneth Winkler: www.vinylpostcards.com/ or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Vinylpostcards
Comics nerds fans among you may have spotted my little tip of the hat to one of comic artist Brendan McCarthy‘s first published works, ‘The Electrick Hoax’, in the title of a track on the new album, albeit with my own spin on the spelling. Appearing in Sounds magazine in the wake of punk in ’78 was a half page strip of utter madness, drawn by Brendan and, after a while, written by Pete Milligan, who McCarthy went on to do much great work with.
Packed with cultural references and trademark phrases the adhoc ‘plot’ featured cameos by the like of Jonny Rotten and Patrick McGoohan amongst others. Until recently only a few were available to view on the web, via Brendan’s site, but recently David Hine‘s excellent ‘Waiting For Trade’ blog has bought to light a few more, along with a couple of equally vintage strips from the Cipher anthology. More McCarthy here and here and also to come on this blog, maybe I should ask him to draw a special one-off episode for the cover of my forthcoming ‘The Illectrik Hoax’ remix 12″ in April?
I have to big up my friend Steve Cook who took this amazing picture of me at home with (some of) my records. The picture has already been printed full page in a couple of mags and we set it up to make just such an impact (had to use a pretty extreme lens to get it all in). The reason I’m highlighting it again is that it gets printed but magazines rarely credit the photographer so I’m just showing off his work as a thank you. Steve is another one of those annoyingly talented people who can do everything from graphic design, photography, retouching, colouring, teaching and whip up a mean blog piece every once in a while (well every day actually).
He also runs several self-designed web sites of his work, my favourite being his latest one, Secret Oranges, that focuses on his collection of comic or comic-related ephemera. From the first time I featured it though, shortly after it had debuted online only 2 odd months ago, the hits have gone haywire on the site and it’s quickly built an avid fanbase, keen to see what’s in Steve’s cupboards. I thought I had a collection but his is ridiculous, not only obscure fanzines, magazine cuttings and original stats used to colour B&W artwork but also personal scribbles from the artists he’s worked with and amazing items rescued from the bins that would fetch hundreds on eBay these days.
He has several different regular features running as well like ‘Largin’ it’ where he blows up a comic panel so you can see all the fine detail and print process, ‘Mint.Fine.Good.Fair.Poor.Well Loved’ where he scans some of his oldest, most well-read comics with all the trademarks of time intact, and ‘Other People’s Cupboards’ where he highlights fellow collectors’ storage spaces, of which I’m no.3.
He’s also preparing a book of his photos from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s clubbing and comic days and runs a section of his main site called Alternity where he blurs the boundaries of the present and the past with altered photographs. Also, also, also, he has the best ghost stories ever…
Here’s the view from the top of Greenwich Park outside the Royal Observatory Greenwich where we’ll be launching The Search Engine on Thursday 19th January.
For all those going it’s very important to note: The park is closed after 6 to pedestrians, you can drive in through the Blackheath Gate but not walk or ride bikes, there is free parking outside the Observatory. For those coming on foot you can get a free shuttle bus from St. Mary’s Gate (just up the street from the Cutty Sark) or a free coach from outside the Greenwich train station (15 minutes transfer time).
Everyone who has bought tickets from the Ninjashop should have received an email with full details to be printed out and bought along to exchange for a coloured wristband, each different for each performance time.
You must bring your e-ticket to get into the transport provided, and to enter the venue. Beyond the main show show we have many things lined up, such as DJ’s PC, DK and 2econd Class Citizen in the bar, a cafe serving food and drink, the astronomy galleries, and more. Coaches depart 45 minutes before each show (shuttles buses every 5-10 mins) so make the most of it and get there early, there will be no late admissions in the Planetarium itself! The event will be held on the south site of the Royal Observatory (entrance shown above left) in the Peter Harrison Planetarium (middle). But please do check the document and get there in good time for your performance. The event is open from 7pm-11pm.
Timings on the night are:
1900 Doors open. Café, bar, galleries and foyer open
1900 – 2230 Telescope viewing on Upper Courtyard
1900 – 2030 DJ set – 2econd Class Citizen
1920 Planetarium doors open
1930-2015 Planetarium show 1
2020 Planetarium doors open
2030 – 2115 Planetarium show 2
2030 – 2145 DJ Set 2 – DK
2120 Planetarium doors open
2130 – 2215 Planetarium show 3
2145 – 2300 DJ set 3: – PC (Narrick Peparcett)
2230 Café and bar close, Telescope viewing ends
2300 Event ends. Last coach departure to Greenwich Station
More exact details on transport arrangements: Shuttle buses
From 18:50, free shuttle buses will be available on a first come first served basis, picking up every 5 – 10 minutes from the park entrance St Mary’s Gate (located at the end of King William Walk, Greenwich Town Centre. Google maps:).
The shuttle buses will transport people to the Royal Observatory and back to St Mary’s Gate throughout the evening, last departure from the Royal Observatory to St Mary’s Gates: 23.00
Coaches
The Museum is providing free coaches to and from Greenwich train station and the venue. The coaches will be positioned in the parking zone just as you exit the station (take Greenwich High Road exit). Coaches are white and marked “City Circle”. Please have your booking confirmation letter ready to be checked before getting onto the coach.
Departures from Greenwich Train Station are scheduled at 18.45, 19.45
and 20.45.
Please note these times are approximate and dependant on traffic; the estimated transfer time between the station and the venue is 15 minutes.
Got a feature in today’s Metro newspaper for all you living in the UK although it’s on the web too (click the link).
Clash magazine ran a 2 page spread bigging up the album and planetarium show.
The Bleeding Cool comic and film website plugged the exhibition with Henry with a nice array of images.
Black Mills Tapes vol.3: All pathways Open will be available on Jan 23rd via Bandcamp, if you missed the first 2 they’re still available at the same place from Pye Corner Audio.
Only found out about this poster the other week, by artist godmachine, unfortunately long sold out.
The sequel is here (you know, the one everyone loves the most), new SW-themed 2 track 7″ with attached vintage figure. Also, if you missed it last time, they’ve repressed the first Rave Wars. Be quick, 200 copies of each only, more pics when I get mine in the post.
[youtube width=”640″ height=”480″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz-l5HiJ3NY[/youtube]
I have a track – ‘All Covered In Darkness’ pt.1 featured on the February issue of UK magazine The Word. Thanks to Andrew Harrison or Alex Gold, which ever one of you picked it.
I know I’ve already published details of this a while back but it’s been announced to the press in general this week and already been blogged by Design Week, Secret Oranges and ECBT2000ad amongst others. Here’s the final flyer with opening times, myself and Henry will be there on the opening night to drink chat and sign things if you wish.
There will be free booze, kindly provided by Peroni, and you can order signed gicleé prints direct from Scraffer.com which will also be on display (third one to be announced next week) as well as pick up an ultra limited postcard record (if they arrive from Vienna in time).
http://www.djfood.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/The-The-holding-page.mov
Imminent new podcast being cooked up by Matt Johnson featuring myself in interview and my version of GIANT plus an exclusive listen to the new ‘Deep Space’ version I prepared for him and the planetarium shows. TheThe.com being relaunched soon…
The early bird pre-order offer of £12 for the comic-sized booklet / CD / flexi disc version of the album ends at midnight Friday 13th. Ninja have them in stock now so I expect pre-orderers will receive them before the shops do. The price goes up to £16 after that – check some images of the package here and pre-order here.
Just arrived, fresh from the Amorphous Androgynous (aka Future Sound of London) is a, frankly mind-melting, 17 minute remix of ‘The Illectrik Hoax’, a track from the album, featuring Natural Self on vocals. This has been in the pipeline for a while and they initially started work on a version of ‘GIANT’ but changed direction and so a three part Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix of the Hoax has been born. To say that they’ve thrown everything into it is an understatement, after a manic version of the original they proceed to tear it apart and reassemble fragments of it in two new versions.
Not only that but 2econd Class Citizen has also created what can only be described as an ambient acoustic version of the same track, completely different but brilliant in its simplicity. As soon as I heard it I realised it was perfect for the planetarium shows next week and it will get its premiere there. As to when these will be available and on what formats, I’ll get back to you on that but we’re looking at sometime in April.