STR8 DOPE

Too Busy to Write

2006-09-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

So much going on. This summer has been brutal. The short of it is more DJ gigs more events in he works. For details on DJ stuff, events, gigs etc.....check out:

www.onroninproductions.com

and

www.myspace.com/samsupa

will be postin my end of summer music top 10 list soon!

New Year: MUSIC, TV, COLDNESS!

2006-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

The year so far has been good. Been going out a lot and doing lots of things. But it is FUCKING COLD in Cali ya'll. I did get canned at my previous job (good old boys just love cutting jobs before the pension kicks in , even did it before Thanksgiving! RIGHT ON! GO DUMB!). So now I find myself with time to look for another job and also concentrate on doing more music and general creative tasks. This year my rants will be more structured and each one will contain sections on music and live shows as well as current politics , TV and pop culture and trash culture.

MUSIC:

So far it's been a good year for music. I've discovered lots of old music with years worth of artists to listen to. New stuff too. Lots of DUBSTEP & Drum & Bass which I will post about tomorrow. Currently I've listening to way too much BLACK METAL. This diabolical sound has a way of warming up these cold winter days. Fitting for Scandinavian music. Here are my Top 3 Black Metal albums in my headphones:

Lurker of Chalice - This project was done by a mutlifaceted musician who also does another project called Leviathan, hailing from the cold and damp S.F. Bay Area. Very ambient and bludgeoning. Powerful atmospherics paint grey landscapes of hanging dead with their flesh picked of crows. Evil sharp metal guitar work paints it all even darker. This gem is currently out of print but floating around eBay. Thanks to my brother Farron for the CD.

Burzum - Det Om Engang Var(1992) - Furious, trance inducing, evil. Desperate scream to the sky vocals accent the big guitar sound and marching aloof drumming. Not as fast as many Black Metal records. Lots of ambient tracks that are haunting though goofy at times. Varg Vikernes the monster behind Burzum made a few fantastic records before killing a few folks and becoming a total fascist. Never the less this record is one of my faves. Glorious to listen to while driving 6 hours in the snow over Christmas.

Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism(1992) - This record is what I think of when I think of Black Metal. There is so much out there to listen to. When I started checking out Immortal this record caught my ear. Sinister vocals and fast black riffs make this one a repeat listen. Traditional Black Metal. Before much Black Metal became better produced and slicker. I still have much to learn about these guys and BM in general but I have a wonderful mentor who I hope will not sacrifice me to some squid god. Immortal are also the most funny looking of the BM bands in my opinion.

TV:

Battlestar Galactica is my new crack. I am almost caught up on the current season and its just some of the best stuff on TV. The Shield also premiered and has Forrest Whitacker as a guest this season. I love me some L.A. cop drama! Looking forward to see how Macky survies this time. The Boondocks is giving Family Guy a run for its money. Each epsiosde is better than the last and the social commentary is so fucking refreshing. Any show that has Samuel L. Jackson as a voice actor is tops in my head yo! And finally how can I forget the fucking new Flavor Flav show FLAVOR OF LOVE! VH1 has the opium cracking this season with Flav looking for his true love like the BACHELOR but with more booty then BET. I cannot stress enough people how great this show is. I generally hate reality TV. I perfer Celebreality cause they get paid to suffer.

More later...

Katrina Anger Inspires New Music

2005-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Katrina will inspire many things. Hope, anger, faith and even music. Many artist are creating new music to express their opinions on the Katrina recovery effort. While Michael Jackson runs around signing up any any artist that will sing with him on a new relief track others have just taken control and produced new tunes and put them out on the web as free downloads to get them in the hands of listeners.

Last night I got sent a new song by rapper/actor Mos Def called "Katrina Klap". This track expresses the rage most of us have over the treatment and the so called recovery effort in New Orleans. He tears at Bush and even snipes at Bono. My favorite of the most recent Katrina songs.

New York abstract TV On The Radio released a song called "Dry Drunk Emperor". This song calls out Bush and the government for the slow response and how seemignly racist the wholel recovery effort has been. Here is the chorus:

all eyes upon
dry drunk emperor
gold cross jock skull and bones
mocking smile,
he's been
standing naked for a while!
get him gone, get him gone, get him gone!!
and bring all the thieves to trial.

and here is my favorite part the last verse:

what if all the bleeding hearts
took it on themselves
to make a brand new start.
organs pumpin on their sleeves,
paint murals on the white house
feed the leaders L.S.D
grab your fife and drum,
grab yor gold baton
and let's meet on the lawn,
shut down this hypocrisy.

Prince has also done a 3 new songs all benefitting Katrina. I have'nt heard them but they are on sale on iTunes and his own website.

Daily more artists will write songs and over the next year I'm sure we'll see many new songs about this disaster. Considering WalMart and the private sector did a better job of helping out the victims of Katrina then the Government it comes as no surprise that some real artists are using their fame and power to do some good.

Helping Out Down By The Lake

2005-09-08T00:48:00.000-07:00

I went down to the Grand Lake Theatre by my house to donate some clothes and about 100 new t-shirts from work i found in storage room. I go down there and see containers for trucks from the AFL CIO being loaded by basically the people of Oakland. I saw so many people that I'd seen around town. At bus stops at Lukas at the Safeway. I bagged up my stuff in a bag as asked and then I handed it to someone. Then I helped someone carry a box. Then I grabbed some tape and started to tape boxes of food and toys shut. Then marking them.

Before I know it I'm collecting new donations and putting food and toiletries in boxes and I wish I had a tape gun. I know how to tape boxes shut. When I first moved to SF I ran a movie warehouse and shipped boxes all over the world. I can tape boxes shut and its the first time I used my teeth to get them shut faster. There where a few hundred people in front of the Grand Lake helping to quickly box stuff up and get it in a container. I was there when the first truck got filled and everyone cheered.

I'm sure many felt like they did something. They did'nt feel helpless. For the first time in a week I did not feel powerless to help. The cut off time was 8pm and people were still coming and giving what ever they could. I saw a little girl donate her old pooh bear. I took apart a baby stroller and I packed tampons and toothbrushes and pain killers. After being there for a few hours and after the last container was filled I looked around and felt so relieved. I knew these things were going to help my fellow Americans who need every ones help. I would want the help. Imagine if it was us.

I handed my pen and tape to someone and walked up the street and back to the car and I said goodbye to no one because then I would have gotten in the way of people filling up more boxes being filled taped and stacked for tomorrows next container.

They still need people at 8am tomorrow to help pack up and fill more containers. If you've got the time and are in Oakland and can help you will be doing something.

What Can you do to help Katrina Victims

2005-09-08T00:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things you can do. This is from my homey Vina and was sent out to his email list for his weekly party at Lukas Taproom in Oakland. Please pass around via email and repost as needed. I'm going down to the Grand Lake in Oakland after work to drop off clothes and personal hygine stuff.

////Congresswoman Barbara Lee will be collecting both cash and material donations for the hurricane victims (aka victims of large scale governmental neglect ) at Grand Lake Movie Theater today (Wednesday the 7th) from 8 a.m . to 8 p.m. Accepted donations: children and adult clothing in good condition, school supplies, non-perishable food, children's sleeping items: sleeping bags, clothing, personal hygiene.

/////Other things to do, especially if you are looking for avenues other than the Red Cross (courtesy of www.gameforlife.com):
NAACP Disaster Relief Efforts
The NAACP is setting up command centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as part of its disaster relief efforts.
NAACP units across the nation have begun collecting resources that will be placed on trucks and sent directly into the disaster areas.
Also, the NAACP has established a disaster relief fund to accept monetary donations to aid in the relief effort.

Checks can be sent to the NAACP payable to
NAACP Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215

Donations can also be made online at
www.naacp.org/disaster/contribute.php

You can mail or ship non perishable items to these following locations, which we have confirmed
are REALLY delivering services to folks in need....

Center for LIFE Outreach Center
121 Saint Landry Street
Lafayette, LA 70506
atten.: Minister Pamela Robinson
337-504-5374

Mohammad Mosque 65
2600 Plank Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
atten.: Minister Andrew Muhammad
225-923-1400
225-357-3079

Lewis Temple CME Church
272 Medgar Evers Street
Grambling, LA 71245
atten.: Rev. Dr. Ricky Helton
318-247-3793

St. Luke Community United Methodist Church
c/o Hurricane Katrina Victims
5710 East R.L. Thornton Freeway
Dallas, TX 75223
atten.: Pastor Tom Waitschies
214-821-2970
S.H.A.P.E. Community Center
3815 Live Oak
Houston, Texas 77004
atten.: Deloyd Parker
713-521-0641

/////Alternative media outlets where you can get a more accurate and balanced presentation of the New Orleans catastrophe....
www.diversityinc.com , www.alternet.org, www.blackelectorate.com, www.npr.org, www.daveyd.com , www.slate.com, www.allhiphop.com, www.democracynow.org, www.blackamericaweb.com

Katrina from the Front Lines

2005-09-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Click above to go to the NOLA.com website. Read up to the minute posts on recovery efforts and check out the up to the minute photo gallery. This has all left me speechless. It makes everything else pointless.

Rave Raided by Randy Assult Rifle Totting Police

2005-08-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Knick from Drum and Bass group Evol Intent testifies about a full on military style raid on a totally legal Rave Dance Party outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Looks like they were cleaning up for the George W. Bush visit today. Think America is totally free?

Last night, I was booked to play an event about an hour outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. The hype behind this show was huge, they presold 700 tickets and they expected up to 3,000 people total. The promoters did an amazing job with the show.. they even made slipmats with the flyers on them to promote in local shops.

At about 11:30 or so, I was standing behind the stage talking with someone when I noticed a helicopter pulling over one of the mountain tops. I jokingly said "Oh look, here comes big brother" to the person I was with. I wasn't far off.

The helicopter dipped lower and lower and started shining its lights on the crowd. I was kind of in awe and just sat and watched this thing circle us for a minute. As I looked back towards the crowd I saw a guy dressed in camoflauge walking by, toting an assault rifle. At this point, everyone was fully aware of what was going on . A few "troops" rushed the stage and cut the sound off and started yelling that everyone "get the fuck out of here or go to jail". This is where it got really sticky.

Here is a link to video captured of the raid. (Quicktime needed to view)

Terrorists May Case Scene As Homeless

2005-08-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

"WASHINGTON - Asking for increased vigilance in the wake of the London bombings, the government is warning that terrorists may pose as vagrants to conduct surveillance of buildings and mass transit stations to plot future attacks."

Damn so does this mean major amercian cities will round up their homeless and put them in camps(homes?!?)?

Rap Hip Hop History Lesson 023: St. ides Malt Liquor

2005-08-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

Been gone for a bit and now I'm back. Back with the fury of MALT LIQUOR! Everyone remembers malt liquor. If you listened to rap music in the late 80's and early 90's in particular Gangster Rap or anything mean spirited, Malt Liquor is all those cats were drinking in between drive bys or rioting against Korean liquor stores. $0.99 to $1.49 would always get you a blast of cold frosty Malt Liquor. Some of us still have a 40 here or there. The most memorable brand to me is St. Ides. St. Ides did a series of commercials in the late 80's late and early 90's starring rappers Ice Cube, King Tee, the Geto Boys, EPMD and even Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg. I remember the commercials always went something like this:

Ice Cube says he's thirsty and then he bags on Old English and then says St. Ides is the real shit and we should be like Cube and be jacking for Malt Liquor yadda, yadda.

I started drinking late like at 21 or so and I was on a meager wage so when I hung out with the boys I would grab a St. Ides. I would drink one sometimes two and scare the life out of my then girlfriend, not because I would get crunk and get outta control she just thought Malt Liquor was bad for me. And it was and I eventually moved on to good beer.

10 years later I still remember for me early drinking meant drinking St. Ides. Digging around for music on the web one day I found a cache of St. Ides commercials on mp3 someone had compiled. I was floored when I found not only the original Ice Cube and King Tee and Yoyo ads but more by such iconic artist as the Geto Boys, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and even the Wu-Tang Clan. Holy shit! I was hella jazzed. In all my years of digging for beats and old tunes I never would have thought that I would find these old commercials for me to listen to and enjoy in the comfort of my own home. Let me share the names of a few titles and remember the titles reflect the lyrics or main gist of the commercial:

Ice Cube & King Tee-Get Your Girl In The Mood Quicker.mp3
Ice cube - wish they'd come up with a 12-pak.mp3
King Tee & DJ Pooh - Forty Ounce Fit For A King.mp3
Snoop Dogg - st. ides in the lbc.mp3
Femalt Liquor - Yo-Yo & Ice Cube.mp3

Amazing! I then proceeded to dig around Google and I found a small blurb from 2002 from a record store:

V/A DJ Drank's Greatest Malt Liquor Hits cd-r 11.98 VERY LIMITED. And we think the blurb on the back of the cd says it best, so we'll just quote it: Before the appropriately named Alkaholiks DJ/producer E-Swift hooked up with King Tee and DJ Pooh to work on a series of 60-second St. Ides TV and radio commercial spots that they had been commissioned to do: complete with a budget that allowed them to bring in some of the best emcees of the day. These rap commercials were really really good (they sound better than most commercial rap crap today!) and were so immensely popular at the time (early 90's when commercial radio didn't play nearly as much rap as today, esp. West Coast artists) that they resulted in listeners jamming radio station request lines at stations like Wild 107, San Francisco just to hear Cube or the Geto Boys rap about their favorite high-octane malt liquor. Not surprisingly with lyrics like Cube's "Get your girl in the mood quicker, get your jimmy thicker, with St. Ides malt liquor," it wasn't long before controversy soon overshadowed the advertising campaign. Outraged protests followed particularly in African-American and Hispanic communities where malt-liquor billboards and posters were defaced. Additionally the St. Ides commercials were publicly criticized by the U.S. Surgeon General and the New York State Consumer Protection Commission and drew fines from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as well as the New York State Attorney General's Office. Additionally Korean grocers boycotted St. Ides, but for a different reason, for their use of Ice Cube as their spokesperson. Their protest was based on Cube's derogatory lyrical comments about Koreans in his album "Death Certificate." (Note: McKenzie River, the San Francisco-based maker of St. Ides, consequently temporarily discontinued using Ice Cube.) But the biggest criticism of the St. Ides commercials was that it used hip hop/rap music, a genre most popular with teenagers at the time, to sell malt liquor directly to underage drinkers. This was further enforced when St. Ides blatantly marketed a nonalcoholic drink for kids, boldly using the St. Ides name/logo (check out the lyrics to Ice Cube's "Crooked I For All Ages" track #30). Overall the reaction to the St. Ides ads was so intense that G. Heileman Co., the national brewer that had created the St. Ides label, disavowed any connection with St. Ides. And eventually the commercials were banned altogether and never heard/seen again.

Next time I'm djing I'm defiantly dropping a few of these tracks they are MALT LIQUOR-LICIOUS! Below are some audio samples I dug up.

Geto Boys "My Malt's Playin' Tricks On Me"
EPMD/Ice Cube "East Meets West Malt Liquor"
Snoop Doggy Dogg "Dogg Food 'n Drank"

All from DJ Drank's "Greatest Malt Liquor Hits" CD

BATMAN BEGINS YES! THIS IS THE ONE!

2005-06-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Saw Batman begins. I advise all to go see it in the theatres. It was such a wonderful atmospheric film that was not a superhero movie as much as it was a film about a disturbed guy who seeks vengeance dressed as a bat. Christopher Nolan (Director of Insomnia and Memento) nailed the dark early years of Bruce Wayne. Christian Bale (American Psycho, Equilibrium, Newsies) was epic as Batman. He is the best Batman yet. No day glow nipple armor or lame candy raver like costumes just darkness. This film is bathed in darkness and in the little light there is Batman. Gotham looks like a real city (Actually Chicago and a London sound stage) not some fake looking video game cut out. The bad guy is the Scarecrow played by Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) and he is creepy and terrorizes folks with fear gas. The visuals are insane crazy when people get gassed and start to hallucinate. The supporting cast list is like an Oscar waiting room too many to name. Nolan delivers a dark, fantastic movie by any means necessary. Hardcore man fucking hardcore.....

Show Review: Groundscore 10 Year Anniversary at 1015 Folsom

2005-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Groundscore 10 year anniversary 1015 Folsom w/ Audio Angel, MC Duh, Genome, Shimon, Fierce, Aphordite, Jayvon with MC XYZ, Rascue, Syrup Girls (Star Eyes & Siren), Lexxus,4Real, Clockwork, Felix the Dog 6/3/05

As long as I’ve been listening to Drum & Bass, there have been certain records that seemed to have spawned new genres. Urban Takeover dropped memorable records that birthed what was to be known as Jump Up. Jump Up, Hip Hop sample chocked, with rolling, big bass lines featured vocal samples in the forefront of the track. The “Drop the Funky Beats” remixes and the “I’ve got 5 On It”Luniz remix are 2 records that summed up Aphrodite in my mind. I could even go further to remember that Aphrodite used to be Urban Shakedown who put out “Do It Now” and “Some Justice”, old fantastic pieces of Break Beat Hardcore from the early 90’s. I’d never seen him play and was pleasantly surprised when Groundscore to celebrate its 10 years of throwing awesome events booked Aphrodite with excellent support of Fierce (QUARINTINE) and Shimon (RAM RECORDS) at 1015 on a Friday night. Local support featured Genome, and from Los Angeles, Jayvon with MC XYZ. And of course the ever ravishing Audio Angel and the one them call MC Duh on the mics. In addition to an already sick main room there was to be 2 more rooms of drum driven sweetness. NYC favorites the Syrup Girls (Star Eyes & Siren) where to be upstairs with Felix the Dog, Qzen and Wil, with the front room rocked by Rascue, Clockwork, 4Real and Lexxus. Damn that’s a packed house! It was to be another night of running laps around the club to catch everyone on my dance card.

D Marie from Groundscore was snapping photos at the entrance. Her smile was ear to ear. Groundscore had promoted successful Drum & Bass nights at 1015 and I was sure tonight was to be another champagne moment. A 10 year celebration and D & B on the main floor on a Friday night feels like justice. After talking to the lovely woman at the guest list table who graciously allowed my guest and I in we stormed the front room to see what we could see.

Rascue was rocking a smooth Tech House like track with plenty of dancers in front. I headed into the main room to catch Shimon shaking the floor. Shimon along with Andy C and Ant Miles make up the group Ram Trilogy. Ram Trilogy have put out so many dance floor shakers I would need to write an essay on what records they have put out. The floor was packed with crew bouncing dancing and sweating. Big long, rolling basslines, sick dubs and smooth tracks is how I felt about Shimon. His set was a great beginning to my night. I would dance to Shimon then head over to catch Rascue drop a nice beat then I loop around front to shake it to Shimon again. This went on until Fierce came on. Let me start by saying I had never seen a DJ this physically hype in a long time. The cat would not stop rocking out to each mix. A guy like that just makes the crowd more pissed. They just respond with more dancing and then jumping and then Duh would shout out a few lyrics and boom boom boom. Kids would flip their lids with each drop. The bar in the main room had a steady crowd catching drinks then heading back to the floor. I would order a vodka tonic then rush to the back of the main room to catch the maximum bass bombs. The great thing about the 1015 system playing Drum & Bass is how fucking great it sounds. The sweet spot is about 9 steps forward from the back to the middle. That is where my guts would shake with bass. Fierce then threw at the crowd what must have been a VIP remix of Thunder by Photek and DJ Die that sounded very different than the original. Above the DJ booth and the dancers on the floor Audio Angel and MC Duh were taking turns adding some vocal flavor. Around them were the hardcore dancers on risers shaking it to death. Around 1:15am I headed to catch Syrup Girls in front.

Star Eyes and Siren are both S.F. to NYC transplants who have teamed up to form the Syrup Girls. Both ladies are known for originally playing Drum & Bass but then trekked into 2 Step and Garage. Their style has currently been called Funky Electro-House and Booty Bass. I arrived to see them both switching off and dropping yummy tunes. Siren would mix a track in then Star Eyes would get back on and mix into another. The tag team aspect is fantastic to watch. Having seen both ladies long ago at Eklektic and old B.A.S.S. cru parties, it was nice to see them both back home playing together and keeping the people delighted with their track selection. Having the Syrup Girls play was a fantastic way to help celebrate 10 years of events with people who were there at the start. Having a front room playing other flavors was a nice nod to diversity. We love our D& B but sometimes getting dirty to some Booty Bass makes the night even solid. A few surprises like going from Tech House to some Dirty South Crunk style Rap noise added a nice touch of sexiness to the Syrup Girls already hot set. After taking in about half an hour I ran back to the main room to watch the end of Fierce who was still freaking out on the decks.

Aphrodite came on to the roar of the crowd around 2:10am. He played a set filled with lots of remixes. Aphrodite is one of those big D&B producers that remixes everyone. I heard an old a few newer atmoshperic junge tracks and he even dropped the classic yet still fun Luniz “I Got 5 On It” remix. That track made the floor go nuts. I was happy to hear Aphrodite’s set still had the Jump Up he is known for and a few other nice pieces. I danced up front off the side of the DJ booth and watched Aphrodite look out onto the crowd as heads got sick to his set and the Groundscore banner hung under the red lights. I spent most of the time dancing until I would get tired then sit down then get right back up and then do the Moneky, do the WOP, do the Rerun, whatever as long as I kept dancing.

I kept at it until about a little before 4. At this point I was out of breath, out of Vodka and absolutely delighted with the Groundscore 10 year party. I missed Jayvon and XYZ which I do regret. Another person I missed who I did have a chance to see at another event was Lexxus. This cat is creating quite a buzz lately and has the skills no doubt.

Next up at 1015 Folsom will be Roni Size September 2^nd as part of the Eklektic 8 year party. The streets are talking and I think its safe to say that show is going to be fucking huge!

Thanks once again to D Marie and Groudscore for making sleep deprivation my new priority of the summer.

We Are Nullified We Are Nullified!

2005-05-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

And to elaborate Star Wars is over and has been packed up and wrapped up with a nice little bow of hope. Gepetto still seems to be writing the dialouge. I've seen better love scenes between Donna and David on Bev Hills 90210 than Anakin and Padme. Loved the dizzying action. It might have felt dizzying casue of the Rockstar energy drink I drank before the movie started. Loved the evil Palapatine. Felt kinda sad about how tragic the fall of Anakin was.

The big No-Prize of the day goes to my homey Scott for suggesting that the film be shown in Spanish to ease the sting of dialouge.

As far as ranking I'll take Revenge of the Sith over Return of the Jedi anyday. Gonna go watch New Hope and see how that fits now. More later after the weekend.

Damn.....

2005-05-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

Star Wars is over......

Chapelle Sane Star Wars Fever Spreads....

2005-05-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

After spending a week thinking Dave Chapelle was on crack and insane in South Africa we find out he is just chilling out. Newsweek had an article last week that made it sound like Chapelle was out flushing the Koran in Africa or something (something they seem to excel at lately).

Star Wars fever is still on 11 at the Arroyo household. I knew the force was strong when last night while shuffling furniture around with my wife(like my wedding vows said I had to) she was unconsciously humming some Star Wars theme. She then said "dammit looks like I even got Star Wars fever." I laughed and rubbed my fingers thusly....

Star Wars Fever Sucks.......MY SOUL!

2005-05-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Many folks think the most insidious thing in the known world is fast food and tobacco marketing. This is very obvious and has been for years. All those people who are fat and dying of lung cancer have been witness to this evil marketing for the last 30 odd years. Another product that is almost as evil but not obviously harmful is the marketing blitz behind the Star Wars franchise. I am absolutely serious.

It's more powerful and sneaky than anything ever known. Let me explain. I drank a Yoda cup Slurpee over the weekend. I ate Star Wars themed M & M's. I saw Star Wars themed Kellogg’s cereal. Yoda is pushing freking Pepsi and stealing fries on TV. Why do I care? I care because I was molested by George Lucas as a child. No not in the sick physical "show me on the doll where he touched you" way. I was touched by the Star Wars franchise and for the rest of my life I will be touched by it.

As a kid I was addicted to the movies, bed sheets, toys, etc and anything else I could get my folks to get me. My allowance or money from jobs as a kid went straight to Star Wars toys. I would pretend to be a Jedi and swing my saber around and believe that Darth Vader was the ultimate evil. I looked back at some child hood pictures and almost all my poses look like Luke holding a light saber. My childhood birthday cakes with C3PO on it. Anything Star Wars was a big part of my child hood. It would stay with me forever. To this day every Christmas my mother gives me some kind of Star Wars thing. 2 years ago it was a t-shirt that said Chewie with Chewbacca on it and that rocked! I'm not alone there are millions worldwide with the same Pavlov's dog like pant when it comes to Star Wars.

Forward to 1999. The new film Episode 1 comes out and the fever is back. My friends and I were bonkers over the return of the movies. Lucas told us he had been waiting decades to tell these older stories. We believed they would rock and make us all delirious with joy. I ate Taco Bell collected cup toppers. I marveled at Darth Maul and I sat thru the movie a few times. Then something happened. Like drinking a diet beverage when you’re expecting the real thing a bad taste was left in my mouth. The new film sucked and made no sense as far as the plot went. It looked great but drove like a Dodge Neon. We were cheated. Episode 1 did not hold up to even the Ewok plagued Return of the Jedi. Hell it sucked compared to the Star Wars Christmas special even. But the child inside me said hey it’s a start the next one should be better! I believe! I believed because I was programmed to believe.

The second film was better. We got to see Jedi on battlefields with light sabers fighting evil droids. There was a Boba Fett like character which was Boba's dad. We almost bought it and I was almost satisfied. The dialogue was still stiff and the story disjointed. The child inside of me was still semi-happy!

So now I have Star Wars fever again. The last movie to end the series promises to be spectacular and really hit it out of the park for the fans! Anywhere you go Star Wars is there. You can buy Star Wars Lotto Tickets, Star Wars ring tones, Star Wars anything. At Burger King you can Jedi size your adult meal and get 2 toys. This is for adults not kids mind you. Lucas is handing out licenses to anyone and anything like he knows this is it. This is the last chance to cash in and touch all of us before the jig is up! Even my homey who is a fierce critic of the new films is feeling the fever. I am defiantly feeling the fever. I don't know if it’s the evil looking Anakin or the Wookies but my tickets are in hand for the midnight showing next Wednesday. I am ready to be dazzled. Early reports from sneak peeks say all is green, Red Five go!

Let me close by saying this, if this movie sucks and it just might I propose a class action suit against Lucas Films for child abuse spanning the last 30 years. There are millions out there who know what I'm talking about. Lucas infiltrated our childhood by selling us his story. He has a Darth Vader like choke hold over our hearts and minds. He even sold us a Hitler like character in Darth Vader and made us adore him. If you can convince people to love Hitler and dress up as Hitler for Halloween or make kids breath like Hitler you can do anything. Lucas knows this. We deserve to have closure that is coherent and well done. Till then you can find me in the 7-11 cooling off my Star Wars fever with another damn Yoda slurpee.

Been A Long Time Since I Rock and Roll

2005-05-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Apologize for not posting in almost a month. Lots of things have been cracking about. April was a busy month. Still recovering from my trip to Jamaica which was kind of life changing in the sense that it made me look at the quality of life vs. the rat-race here in America especially in the Bay area. Lots of work and lots of parties and events went down in April as well. Now it’s back to keeping the blog up and making sure I’m TCB ya’ll.

Jamaica was wonderful. H and I had not taken a honeymoon yet and we finally did and it was amazing. We are gunning to go back as soon as we can. More on that later.

The Cannabass crew stopped doing parties at the Bench and Bar. They are still looking for a new spot. Let’s hope they bring the true D & B flavor back to Oakland weekly. They did throw a nice house party in April with tons of local DJ heroes and that was fun. We packed folks into Happy’s garage and hooked up my 3500 watt system and went to town. It sounded sweet!

R.A.W. came through town on 4/20. That show was pretty live for a Wednesday night. I had not seen R.A.W. in like 10 plus years. R.A.W. has been DJing for 20 years in Los Angeles and makes insane Ragga hardcore Jungle. Straight up the cat kills it when it comes to mixing and making the crowd want to jump up and down and almost start a mosh pit. R.A.W. was impressive and Action packed. F Sound went to great lengths to make the event special. They provided the ever growing wall of sound and a box of ear plugs for the kiddies. Also on the bill was Juju, Frost Vs. Femme Fatale, Koda Vs. Arson, Bscrivn and Reclipse and of course Audio Angel and Duh on mic support. It was at El Rincon an identity crises laden Mexican/Cuban restaurant which used to be an Indian food place. Same owner’s just different food. Their Cuban sandwich was almost good, they used a hoagie roll instead of a sweet Mexican or Cuban white roll. A fucking crime! It made the sandwich just a sandwich. H did enjoy her Vaca Frita. All in all the show was great. The crowd was responsive and we had lots of fun. It was good to see lots of unfamiliar faces out. The 18 and up age limit probably helped packed the house and make the night major.

Solid State is an event that I helped my good friend promote and organize that had its opening night the 29^th of April and it did well. The music played was mostly Electro and New Wave some 80’s and Death Rock, Industrial. We had fun and it looks like this will be a monthly in San Francisco at the Red Eye lounge. Big up to all the hardcore who made it to that one and Phil thanks for making it out as well tough guy.

That same night I made it out for a few hours to see Tiga at 1015. Tiga is a DJ from Canada who is notorious for playing sexy Electro and fantastic funky Tech House. He has produced some great EPs and runs the Turbo Recordings label out of Canada. My friend Yuri and I ducked out of Solid State and hit the guest list at 1015 in time to catch Tiga rocking the decks. There was a very mixed crowd. I even saw a few Punk Rock Betties I know from Oaktown. Catching Tiga was a must. I missed out on Coachella this year and Tiga was on that bill as well. Thanks to the wonderful Miss Watkins for hooking me up at 1015.

The next night we were a bit tired but I had tickets to see Miss Kittin a damn sexy French Electro Tech House DJ who has produced some of my favorite EPs of a few years ago. She was also booked at Coachella but made it to Mezzanine in S.F. to play a killer set. We were all floored by how tight and fun her set was. She would mix and also add vocals with a mic and an effects box. Absolutely worth the 18 bucks we paid to see her. She earned every penny. I ran into a few old buds that heard about the prior night at Solid State and were hyped for the next one. That was great to hear. The same night the Cat Club in S.F. an Ekelektic party. Ekelektic has been at the Cat Club for endless I wish I could have made it to that one but alas I still cannot clone myself. The Cat Club is closing and I am sure will reopen at some point in time as another venue.

So now it’s May and even more is going on. Thursday the 5^th is Cinco the Mayo and Corazon is going on at the Elbo Room in S.F. My homey John and his boys are throwing that event and it should be a blast filled with Latin House and sexy tunes.

I am starting my monthly at the Golden Bull in downtown Oakland this Saturday the 7^th. The party is called On The One and will be DJ’d by my One Ronin DJ partner VNA and myself. Our guest DJ for the opening night will be DFunk. Patrons can expect to hear Hip-Hop, Funk, Reggae, Electro Classics, 80’s and much more. On The One will take place every first Saturday of the month.

How’s that for an update?!

Elmo Gets Emo for Japan

2005-04-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

"We want to depict emotional conflict through Elmo" - Read about how Elmo is getting more emo for Japanese audiences. I had to share this with the world! This story is almost as good as the Cookie Monster curbing his cookie addiction.

REVIEW: Sharp, Gridlok, Photek, UFO!, Audio Angel and MC Duh @ 1015 Folsom 4/1/05

2005-04-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Friday night at 1015 Folsom is usually a mob scene. Driving by in the past I’ve seen the line over flow into the streets for many an event. Tonight the line was pretty long. Get Freaky was happening upstairs in the main room and in the entrance room. My reason for coming here tonight was to check out the basement where Groundscore were hosting Sharp, Gridlok, Photek and UFO!, with vocal backing from Audio Angel and MC Duh. I saw Duh out front and he helped me avoid the line. Breaks and Booty Bass Electro filled the air as I walked in. It was 11:28pm and I was bit tired from the day. I hit the bar for a Vodka and Redbull.

April 1st had been billed as Fuck Off and Dance, a night of Drum and Bass favorites rocking the basement from 11pm to 5am. I descended into the dark nether region to hear the sweet sound of Audio Angels vocals flowing over Sharp’s mixes. When I entered the room I was happy to notice the bar downstairs had been opened and was serving drinks. This will allow for total enjoyment of the night. No need to go upstairs unless the restroom beckoned. Besides upstairs was another world where the breaks are in slo-mo. The room was filling up with D & B lovers and the random Breaks Hippy. All heads bounced to the music pumping out from the speakers. Above the DJ was the sign FUCK OFF AND DANCE. People were feeling it.

Sharp’s set was a clean set of dope tracks. Eventually Duh got on the mic to toast and welcome one and all of the “April Fools”. As Sharp finished up he dropped Calibre’s now classic “Drop it Down”. More heads started dancing a bit harder. I walked around the room to find a sweet spot. When I first got in I felt the bass was too low and the treble too high. I couldn’t hear the tunes to well. It almost seemed like noise. This leveled during the last half of Sharp’s set and was almost all eliminated all together when Gridlok came on depedning where one was standing. As the night when on I felt the sound could have been better.

As Sharp ended I could see Gridlok in the back gearing up to get busy. MC Duh announced the oncoming VIOLENCE! I caught Gridlok at Phuturo quite a few weeks back and enjoyed what I heard. He was playing back to back with others then so I was looking forward to hearing him play solo. I heard he has been mad touring and also working on tons of tracks. Violence recordings, Hive’s label has a long list of new music coming out so I was excited to hear them mixed in along with other tracks.

Gridlok slow killed Sharp’s last record and started up fresh with a new intro. As the tune came in Duh shouted the warnings of a “Dead Man walking”, prepare for the Violence, Project 51! When the second track dropped it seemed like the sounds system was sounding better almost tuned right. The bass was kind of filling the room and the highs sounded more muted. Gridlok played a masterful set with a few well placed rewinds to get the crowd hyped. He played a rich set of a few older tracks and quite a few favorites. There were plenty of Violence records tracks dropped in as well. I heard the Neo remix and a few of Gridlok’s own tracks. Tons of stuff I had not heard this loud. He played tight and did not give one quarter. His head bounced harder as he watched the crowd joyfully respond to his mixes. Duh found space in between shots to remind the crowd how it all goes down on a Friday night. Sick booming drums kept coming. Parts of the set almost reminded me of a D & B version of speed metal done right. He would build to the break and drop it heavy heavy.

The crowd was having a blast. Many people dressed in furry vests with glow bracelets that were here for the breaks party stumbled down into the basement. Many stayed awhile and freaked out to Gridlok’s dense and highly danceable volley. Eventually Hive and Keaton’s BRING IT ON was playfully brought in. The track beckoned the dancers to kept going nuts. DO NOT STOP DANCING. As the one hour set was coming to a close I checked the time. Damn no cell phone reception in the basement. I found a person with a real watch. 1:15am and Gridlok ruled. He came heavy and tore all who heard him a new one.

Photek was up next and it was also time for another Redbull and Vodka. I had not seen Photek since like ’98 or so. I was sprung on his newer tracks. His song with Die, Thunder was in heavy rotation on many a turntable, mine included. Age of Empires on Metalheadz is another track that is just epic. I was looking forward and not knowing what to expect.

Surprised is how I felt when Photek was dropping funky tracks with some dancehall and ragga aspects. He was having fun. He would seem to bring the rewinds to almost toy with the crowd. I heard one track that had vocal samples that almost sounded like soccer game chanting. Other tracks had American sounding MC’s. A grip of tunes got by me, lots of new stuff I had not heard. Later after he played I had a chance to chat with Photek a bit and found out a good part of the newer tracks were actually tracks by Hochi and Infiltrata, two new artists freshly signed to TekDubs his new label. New material was also dropped from System Noise from Norway also on TekDubs.

Duh was still repping on the mic keeping the crowd up. He warned the crowd that last call was about to hit. Thirsty dancers made dashes to the bar. Duh also kept talking about all the Trance and Happy Hardcore that was in store for the night. Hilarious!

By 2:15am Photek changed it up and started to get heavier. The second track of the next hour was Age of Empires. Other tracks had vortex sounding beats. The floor was going nuts. The basement was a tad emptier than it was but the energy was live. Less Breaks Hippies and more skanking, sweaty bassheads. At one point Photek sprayed water big time upfront on shocked smiling dancers. I am sure many were not expecting water from the DJ. Photek had started out hard and funky and he was taking home mad technical, booming and scary. All in all his set had something for everyone.

UFO! came on right after Photek. He brought on the last set of the night for the truly hardcore left. The track he started out with had the some sample about blacking out that sounded way sinister. UFO! always reps hard. I checked out about 20 minutes of his set and then had to leave to meet Photek to do a small interview.

The night was fun and I enjoyed all the sets. Gridlok truly played my favorite set of the night. It’s exciting to see such a dedicated producer also strong as a performing DJ. Aside from some of the sound concerns the night was killer and action packed. It left me curious and anxious for the next D & B event at 1015. Props go to Groundscore for pulling together a nice night of top notch talent.

Thoughts on the Pope

2005-04-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a fantastic trip to Jamaica. Full write up later. Most news today is a about the Pope dying. I am not a catholic but I like break dancing. Above is the link for the 2004 news story which warmed my pop-locking heart. Here's to better days and the religious whirlwind the death of the Pope will surely bring.

50 CENT & GAME BEEF HITS BOONDOCKS

2005-03-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

Boondocks is one of may favorite comic strips. It reminds me of Bloom County from the 80's. Biting political and racial commentary with spot on satire. The last weeks strips have been about the so called beef between 50 cent and rapper The Game. It makes it all seem so crucial but absolutely laughable! The newest strip takes on Wal-Mart.

Bush backs US hawk for World Bank

2005-03-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

Lets get the one of the genius's behind Iraq and toady for Rummy to give loans to the rest of the world and say PUSH THE HAWK agenda forward. Right. Bitchen. Gotta give Dubya the medal for trying to make the rest of the world look like Texas. NO REALLY!

SCOTT PETERSON GETS DEATH!

2005-03-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

Damn! Does this surprise you? This is gonna cost me in taxes to keep tha bastard alive! This is a case for cryogenically freezing perps like Demolition Man!

Biggie Smalls' Case Closed

2005-03-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

The FBI closed the muder case of Christopher Wallace AKA Notorious B.I.G. AKA Biggie Smalls. The FBI spent 18 months loooking into a tip that a rogue L.A. police officer was working with Suge Knight, head of Death Row records, to murder Biggie. Agents cited lack of evidence as the reason for the closing of the investigation.

This has become legend in cities across America. Tupac and Biggie have become immortal. I think it was foul play involving so many factors any conspiracy theroy could be correct. Ready to Die has not left my record bag since before he was killed. As much as I hate comparing the two, I am glad to hear the 50 cent Game beef has been squashed. The last thing we need is Ghetto Saint Hood for 50 Cent.

REVIEW: KLUTE @ PHUTURO W/4REAL, GENOME, RAISE,MC DUH 3/8/05

2005-03-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

Wow. Klute rocked the Undie big time yo. I'm getting ahead of myself. I Got to Undie SF at around 11:45pm. It was packed. The dance floor was filled with ladies and gents dancing and head bobbing. I missed Raise but Genome and 4Real were rocking a solid set and Duh was on the mic adding his 2 cents about the night, hyping up the crowd for Klute. Hyping up the crowd for a Tuesday night. Hyping up the crowd and prophesizing about the spring and summer to come. He sent shout outs to, if I heard right, Mike Bee and the birth of his second kid and someone’s birthday. Tracks played where favorites like the Amit off Metalheadz and of course Calibre. I could play only Calibre and feel pretty good about it. That’s another whole story. The tracks bumped nice and clear on the soundsytem. Tight mixing and good crowd response. I went and grabbed my first beer of the night and stood in the corner taking in all the good vibes. Happy joy feeling from the crowd accented the music and the anticipation for the man they call Klute.

I could see Klute stirring in the back wearing a Cro-Mags shirt. He not only makes good music but obviously has good taste in old music. He finally came on about 12:30am. The man dead stopped the track that was playing and started fresh. Klute pumped out the lovely, light, smooth sounds of some tracks off his new LP. He then went up into mad deep heavy tracks. Honestly I just danced and ran to and from the bar loving every minute of it. Klute kept pouring on the sickness with the occasional rewind. One enthusiastic cat, tattooed from head to toe was tearing up the dance floor. He was jumping sideways and up and down almost violently. Ladies were rocking and rolling to the bass lines. Bathroom lines turned to Soul Train like dance circles. Truly this was the best $5 dollars anyone here had spent so far this week. Klute wrecked it. I was happy, time for pizza next door.

Tuesday night recently has become better than Fridays to me. Phuturo is providing top notch talent from around the globe and we are better for it. It’s fantastic to be able to go down to the Lower Haight and get down like its Saturday again. Some people I talk to in the Bay Area D & B scene feel it's in a lull right now. Too many crews too much choice and not enough quality. I tend to disagree but you must understand in the last month I have seen Fresh, Dieselboy, Gridlok, Klute and the local regulars that always come correct and make going out worth the loss of sleep and the bar tab. In fact I think that most parties being thrown are pretty dope efforts. Good music nice vibes. The support needs to continue because this scene is what you and I make of it.

Coming up is Photek April 1st at 1015 then Adam F at Compression Sundays April 3rd. WMC is right around the corner and I'm sure after some kids come home there will be much more on the horizon for you and I to lose sleep over.

Hunter S. Thompson Memorial

2005-03-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

A memorial service for Hunter S. Thompson was held this past weekend in Aspen Colorado. Many Stars attended including Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, both who portrayed Hunter in past films. The best quote from this event I read was from Don Johnson, Hunter's neighbor. Johnson once asked Thompson what was the sound of one hand clapping which Hunter responded by slapping Don in the face. Brilliant.

DVDs Sunlight Music

2005-03-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Spent the weekend enjoying the sun and the DVD player.

Saturday I caught up on The Shield Season 3 DVDs. This cop show is an intense drama that always makes great use of its characters. The series follows officer Vic Mackey and his hardcore Strike Team as they bust and maintain the law in a fictional barrio in Los Angeles. The show has a big western theme like most cop shows. Bad guys, good guys, not so good guys etc. Each episode is filled with moral dilemmas and plenty of action. Season 4 starts next week now starring Glenn Close so H and I are trying to get current. Not since Miami Vice have I enjoyed a cop show. I highly recommend The Shield if you enjoy police dramas.

I also got a copy of the Metalheadz Records documentary: Talking Headz. This is only available on VHS. It was hilarious. This doc covers the main players of the now global label Metalheadz and the British D & B scene. Thrill as Goldie rides go-carts with J-Magik and Grooverider and a whole crew of boss djs. Think Mario Cart with D&B superstars. Laugh your ass off at drunken Metalheadz soccer matches. Oh yea and there is some bits on music. We get a good look at the Virus studio and see Ed Rush mutate sounds into floor bangers you all love. Dillinja and Lemon D explain how they make tunes and we hear how everyone fears Dillinja's bass! The film is thin on actual music features and concentrates more on various artists talking about what D & B means to them and its history. This piece was released in 1999. Worth watching to hear cats you own records by talk a bit about what’s in their headz.

Sunday I went bike riding in Oakland which is nice and empty on the weekends. It makes for great urban riding. We had a spot of sun and it was so relaxing. Seeing the sun is necessary I've heard. Rode to the water front and stopped for a pint.

I listened to the new Klute LP: No One is Listening Anymore, in anticipation for his dj set at Phuturo. I really enjoyed his Metalheadz America Mix for Knowledge Mag UK. The LP is enjoyable and considerably more interesting than most D&B coming out these days. Klute's press makes him come off as an enigma. I think he's just another one of those quiet guys that makes solid tunes. Full review of the Klute show Wednesday.

If you haven’t seen it yet I got an edited version of my Fresh and Dieselboy review posted at Word & Bass. The site is run by DJ and published writer Oakland based BPM Smith. I will be posting show reviews and eventually interviews at Word & Bass. Keep it dialed.

Big shouts out to D-Marie and the Groundscore crew. They got PHOTEK at 1015 Folsom on April the 1st. Not an April Fools joke at all! Photek kicks ass. The new sub basement will be premiered and D-Marie promises it is a night not to be missed!

I also set the commments section to anonymous users so anyone can comment on anything posted.

Monday is half over. Looking forward to Tuesday.

New DJ Wireless Device

2005-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

This device is made for any one who has ever heard a dj scratch and then moved their hand in mid air back and forth ....wicky wicky wicky wicky.....sounds like a killer toy.

If what this article says is true then this will change the way music is made and mixed by djs. All this and we stil don't have flying cars, I don't understand.

HOW TO EAT SUSHI

2005-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

This easy to understand FAQ will help any aspiring Sushi eater to make sure they are getting the true Sushi experience. I have been eating Sushi since I was 5 and think it is the perfect food. Learn how to enjoy it properly!

TODAY'S TOP 5 NEWS PICK I READ IN AWE

2005-03-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

What up what up. Been a long weekend. Got kinda sick like on Monday, stayed home worked a bit and watched my DVR shows. Now H is home sick. Here is today's top 5 news picks I read in semi awe:

1. 50 Cent Kicks Game Out Of The G-Unit, Violence Erupts Outside Of Radio Station

Damn 50 loves the hype. How can one millionaire cause so much havoc. His new record is gonna sell mega units. Guess he needs to start beefs or else he wouldn't be taken seriously right? What does this mean to Dre and Em?

2. Rumsfeld Sued Over Prisoner Abuse

Ohh ohhh ohhh could my Voodoo spell be working? Could the Voodoo spells of most of Blue America be working?

3. Duchovny Says "X-Files 2" Shoot Set

David Duchovny is still chasing aliens yo. You know you'll go see it if it comes out sucka!

4. Supreme Court Abolishes Juvenile Death Penalty

I think giving kids the death penalty sucks. Good to hear we are growing up as a country. That's my most educated opinion.

5. Teen Sniper No Longer Faces Death Penalty

Looks like Lee Boyd Malvo will not be executed. Folks in DC and Maryland are gonna be pissed!

SHOW REVIEW: BASS INVADERZ TOUR – FRESH/DIESELBOY/METHOD ONE@1015 W/MC DUH & MC J MESSINIAN 2/24/05

2005-02-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

Time after time I go out to an event that has been ultra hyped and there is disappointment. This is especially true when the venue is 1015 Folsom. I hate this venue always have. I haven’t been to 1015 in like 5+ years. Why go? I can happily say this event killed all doubt I had about Drum and Bass events at 1015.

For weeks I have been planning on going to this show. I was down with the new Fresh on DOA and Dieselboy and seeing it all go down in a big venue on a big system. I even dragged out my homey who had stopped going to Drum and Bass parties eons ago and my wife H. The talent and price were right. I was ready to be dazzled. The efforts of the many had been poured into making this event go off. God bless them! I was fucking shook up like a victim of an unexpected bass ninja assault.

We got there at 9:30pm and it was empty. The space was cool looking. I liked what they’d done with the place. The outside area by the entrance had been remodeled to look cool and slick. The front bar by the door had great speakers placed about 10 feet up in various spots. You could hear the main room crystal clear. I passed out a few Cannabass flyers to who ever was there. After grabbing a drink we headed into the main room.

We headed towards the back. Method One was playing and I think MC Duh was on the mic. It sounded sick. The MC was giving shout outs to the early birds getting their worm on. I looked at the space and dug the speakers and the way the DJ booth had been remodeled. I had not been here in days and it was another world to me. Once I got settled the first thing I noticed was how the bass was shaking my brain and insides. If I stood in the center back on the dance floor I would feel the bass shake my body in a way that felt like being nervous and about to have a seizure. It was amazing. Once H and Paul noticed the bass we had to get used to it. It was exciting to hear tunes I heard at home on a huge monster bass system again. Every bassline would shake the hell out of me from stomach to the hairs on my head. After getting used to the sound and few more drinks I was ready to get my skank on and dance. I was so happy I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Around 10:30 the room started filling up like a bus had dropped off 4 different schools at an assembly. I held my ground in the back of the dance floor. That’s where the bass was chilling at I thought I should make good use of it. The crowd response was wicked. Everyone was loving the mixes and the MC and the whole scene was a Jungle heads dream. Every drop was greeted with cheers more dancing and the occasional lighter. The bass was running shit tonight. I don’t think anyone expected this level of sound quality. Method One sounded great on this system.

11:30pm, I am too bassed out to think about anything else beside what Tomb Raider will sound like on this system. I know Fresh is going to play that and Living Daylights, he has to. Fresh comes on and uses a sick intro that stuck with the Bass Invaderz theme. Great opening great rewinds on the intro and he got the floor freaking out within the first 2 minutes. He tore through sick records and made the whole place shake even more. Fresh was bouncing and singing along to all of his tracks. The MC J was toastign along and sounding hella tight. H and I were standing side by side dancing and dancing. H felt that the bass was beating her heart for her. Kind of scary but very apt!

After running to the bar for a beer I ran back and got there just in time to hear Fresh drop Tomb Raider. It sounded fantastic. He worked his way onwards and every track was another amazing test on the bass bins.

When Dieselboy came on the crowd found more energy to give. Dieselboy kicked a solid opening and he lit the crowd up. I stood by in front by the DJ Booth by the door to watch the skills on the decks. I stood there bouncing to the mix waiting to be shook some more.

Half way through Dieselboy my wife met a girl that passed out in the john and we left to help her out in front. I missed the end of the night but I defiantly got complete satisfaction. A truly amazing Thursday filled with so much bass I am happily once again slightly deaf for the second time this week. Here’s to looking forward to 2005 and all the great parties I am sure are ahead. If this event is a taste of what’s to come even at 1015 I better start wearing ear plugs!

REVIEW: GRIDLOK @ PHUTURO 2/22/05

2005-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

We Went to Phuturo after the Ted Leo show. We got there and we really did not need to drink anymore. Juju was working the door. I finally got a copy of Juju's Thunder EP on Liquid V and I am damn proud a Latino Americano producer from the Bay Area has had a release on one of my favorite labels. The EP is fucking brilliant. He also throws Phuturo a dedicated Drum and Bass weekly that brings great talent from all over the globe. The man has love for the scene and can truly be called "El Patron".

Inside there was a lively crowd of unclassifiable people, older, younger, B-boy, punk chick etc. Everyone was on the floor dancing and rolling to Gridlok Hochi and Genome dropping sick thick sinister beats. The djs were taking turns like 2 on 2 back to back which I really appreciated. You really don't see that kind of thing anymore. I think it adds an aspect of creativity and challenge to the set. There was a laptop set up so I figured there was use of Final Scratch or at least some of Gridlok's new tunes. The sound was right on and left me slightly deaf the next day. That was a good thing.

I met up with the immortal C-Dub and one of her friends. Chris lives in the Lower Haight and has for years now and I always gotta pay respects and drink up when I'm in her area. 2 things I always do when I go to the Top (S.F. Underground S.F. whatever!) is meet up with Chris and get pizza after what ever party I'm at. More on great pizza later.

In the far back in what seemed to be the smoking area I met lots of cool jungle fiends that I gave flyers to. I was passing out flyers for my boys Happy and Lewt for their Wednesday night Cannabass party in Oakland at Bench and Bar. I met djs Autopsy and another friend of his who gave me their demos. I can't say that I've been to any house clubs were djs are passing out demos to anyone who'll take one. This reminds me about how the Jungle scene in the Bay Area is like the Punk scene was very DIY. This I feel is due to the ages of the people into drum and bass and the new djs that are trying to get out there and play. Regardless I enjoyed the free new tunes which I listened to zooming around in my car yesterday.

I danced for a while and just basked in hearing loud well mixed tracks surrounded by like minded people. Folks would just smile and feel every drum of the song. Gridlok and the other djs nailed every track and kept surprising the crowd with bigger and better songs as mixes came in.

Back in '94 when I was listening to what was then just called jungle or hardcore I would play tracks for people I knew into Techno or House. They would freak and call it crack music and too fast and just really get down on it. I loved the music because it was fresh sounded great and had tons of drums. It was as close to speed metal as you could get in electronic music without sounding stupid like Gabber. Being able to go out now almost every night of the week to hear Drum and Bass on systems bigger than my car stereo is a damn blessing. Right now I think there are quality tunes being put out and great parties going on and just lots of love for the music. Another thing is the rise of American Drum and Bass producers which is a long time coming.

I stayed till about 1:30am and then decided to take off. Before I walked out the door I heard a sick track that had what sounded like the Ohio Players "Funky Worm" sample in it that sounded sick, great music to hear as the last sound walking out the door. I hadnt been to Phuturo since the Top became Underground S.F. but the sound was great, better than I'd ever heard there.

We walked over to the pizza place next to the Top that is run by very nice devote Muslim men. The shop is decorated with pictures of people at Mecca worshipping. I had a buddy who once called this pizza place Pizza Jihad. Offensive but they sure do love Allah and thats more than I can say for soulless fucking Dominos. Their slices are huge and tasty and sure comfort to a stomach full of booze. After finishing up we said our good byes to Chris and co and headed back across the bridge to Oakland ending a great night listening to Autopsy's demo. All this action and it's only Tuesday.

Show Review: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists@Noise Pop Fest 2005

2005-02-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

Noise Pop Fest 2005 got off to a great start opening night. I got to the show around 9:30pm with my crew of Scott, Fahye and my wife H. We arrived late and missed the Joggers and the Herms. The crowd was a mixed bag of young pop punkers and older sweater geeks with the occasional drunk punker. This event was sponsored by Miller High Life and some kind of strange Jaeger Meister like herbal booze that my wife loved. I think MHL sponsoring the show was a nice touch. It fits the whole DIY cheap ‘zine fiend pop kid look.

Communiqué was up around 9:40pm. Communiqué contains former members of East Bay punk favorites American Steel. They played a nice blend of Nu-New-Wave and Rock with Punk Rock energy. Enjoyable to watch with elements and traces of Weezer and Echo and The Bunny Men with a nice driving beat. The band consisted of 2 guitarists a bassist a synth player and drummer. It’s great to see synthesizers back in rock. The crowd seemed to rock and sway for most of their entire set. I can't say I would go out and pick up a CD but they were enjoyable none the less. You could tell they loved playing music. Next up was Ted Leo.

Before Ted started I went over to the merch area to check out this year’s fest designs. A pink, vacant looking bunny adorned various colored shirts and a big ass pink poster. The poster for this particular show was pretty simple with band names on the bottom a barking dog on the right next to the text and lots of white space. Ted Leo merch consisted of mostly CDs and his new album on vinyl, a t-shirt, and tiny little buttons. I love little buttons.

I really like the Great American Music Hall it’s like a mini version of the Fillmore. The last show I saw here was the flamboyantly ferocious Turbo Negro about 2 years ago. At that show I spent most of my time on the floor in front of the stage singing along and pushing the kids around. This space has a great layout and it's still intimate with fantastic decor. I moved up to the front right side of the stage to get a better view.

Ted came out excited, smiley and ready to rock. I don't know the names of his bassist and drummer but they both looked like junior members of the Big Foot hair society. They both had big bushy beards and curly big hair bordering on afro country. I’ve come to expect this look from Metal bands lately but this look worked for me.

Ted greeted the crowd and immediately went into "Me and Mia", one of my fave tracks off the new album Shake the Sheets. A groovy rocking track, that really shows off Ted's Vocal range. Leo thanked openers the Joggers whom they were sharing gear with and generally was happy to be in front of such a receptive crowd. I'm sure his fan base has grown with the last album being so well received by old fans and most all of the music press. I know I’ve turned on many a head to his albums. A very fitting artist for his label Lookout Records.

Ted Leo is just a damn good song writer. He knows how to use his energy and voice with the band to create a running rhythm, as my wife H observed, that almost loses sync but you then realize that its clockwork perfect in time. His lyrics are well written and totally unified with his music.

He went into "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone", one of my favorite songs that exposes how much of a Mod, Ska, Punk, Leo really is at heart. You find Ska sounds in his drumming and guitar work. Leo totally reminds me of The Jam. He also seems to have a pinch of Irish folk in his songs to boot. Occasional breaks that have a slight dub sound to them are accented with delay and effect on the guitar that sound blissful live. He also played "The High Party" which is his observations on 9/11. It's not a preachy song at all. It has a real crucial question asking melody that is rapture to bop to.

In between songs he would play solo songs whose names escape me but I am sure they are off his solo EP “Tell Balgeary Balgury is Dead”. He even playfully broke into the chorus of The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s "Maps" for a few bars then going back into what he was playing. It was cute but strange to hear him play with his own song.

After plowing through a nice tight set of almost his entire new album and older material he ended by putting his guitar down and picking up the mic. His bassist and drummer went into "The Ballad of the Sin Eater". He freaked out old school hardcore punk style and sang the song passing the mic into the crowd for the chorus then picking up his guitar to finish it off with the band.

I really loved the show. We all left feeling well adjusted (but tipsy) and happy, we defiantly got satisfaction. I think I love Ted Leo even more than I did yesterday. I do wish he would have played "I'm A Ghost" off Hearts of Oak. I would have started a slam pit for that one.

Slow Gray Day Hinder Haste of Show Reviews

2005-02-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a slow morning and the gray cloudiness of it all has made me even slower. Had a blast last night at Ted Leo and Phuturo. Reviews will be up around lunch time.

Metalheadz America: The Worldwide Unification Drum and Bass

2005-02-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

In March I will be dropping major coin on Drum and Bass vinyl like I did 10 years ago. Metalheadz, the timeless U.K. Drum and Bass imprint started by Goldie, will be releasing EPs from artists in Canada and the United States and eventually the rest of the Americas.

Never before has a U.K. DnB record label decided to persue artist outside of Europe. "There's no regard for the size of an artists profile here, if the Headz crew believes in your music you're in! Metalheadz America is all about bringing together the artists from South, Central and North America and giving them a platform to make music with the Metalheadz name pushing them: we have faith in the artists, which gives them a freedom to make music the way they want to", said Goldie.

I recently heard a sick Metalheadz America CD that came with an issue of KNOWLEDGE MAGAZINE. Mixed by Klute the CD shows off new tracks from these new non-U.K. based artist. This mix is one of my new obsessive staples in my iRiver. Klute will also be making an appearance in S.F. at PHUTURO in March.

The Oil Must Flow: The Saudis and America

2005-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how America built an air base smack dab in the country that also contains the most holiest of Muslim Shrines, Mecca and Medina? Ever wonder how Saudi Arabia became the oil rich kingdom loved by bankers and hated by it's own people? The PBS Frontline documentary HOUSE OF SAUD takes a deep look at the history of Saudi Arabia and the royal bloodline that rules it.

We learn that how the current regime has been sanctioned by the religious clerics since 1744 to be the sole rulers of Saudi Arabia. We see how the first King was a vicious fighter riding throughout the desert fighting and uniting all the tribes to create a kingdom he named after himself. We learn that in the Saudis looked for water in the desert and all they found instead was oil.

It's a facisnating look at the relationship that America and the oil companies have had with the Sauids since Word War 2. Much detail is given about the uneasy ties with the U.S. that threatens the royal family's precarious relationship with the Wahhab clerics that interpret the words of the holy Koran into Saudi law.

As time goes on we see how outside Muslim radical teachers were invited to help Saudi Arabia become more of a religious state and how that back fired and in turn contributed to the rise of Bin Laden and Al-Queda and other terrorist elements. It is these elements that threaten the future of the desert kingdom and the rest of the region.

In these dark times it's nice to learn more about why America is in the situation it has created in the middle east.

Heiress Paris Little Black Book Posted to the Web

2005-02-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

Paris' Phone, Emails Exposed on Web Half of young Hollywood is reportedly changing their phone numbers today. That's because celebutante PARIS HILTON's private cell-phone records were allegedly hacked into and the numbers of her star pals posted on the Internet over the weekend for the world to see -- and dial. Read More...

This just makes me grin. I watched the Simple Life once and it made me want to carpet bomb Paris and Nicholes homes. Paris is a wonderful case for sterilization. Just cause people are rich doesn't mean they should breed. Lets hope she doesn't. I think Hilton looks like a skinny deer that decided to stand up and start wearing Prada. Beautiful, nope, stupid YUP!

Goodbye Raoul Duke: The Suicide of Hunter S.Thompson

2005-02-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday night is TV night. H and I watch Fox and HBO then Adult Swim. Last night I was jolted off my couch to the news anchor announcing the death of Hunter S. Thompson. I was sad and shocked but not surprised to find out he took his own life. Hunter was an amazing prolific writer that pioneered the concept of injecting the journalist into the story. His books were amazing drunken drugged out tales of debauchery and his political commentary was honest and biting and angry. His fascination with booze and guns (2 American staples that go great together) always seemed downright crazy to me. I will miss him and recommend you go out have a very strong drink and mutter something to yourself about the damn giant lizards but please DO NOT SHOOT GUNS!

Ted Leo and Phuturo

2005-02-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the opening night of the SF Noise Pop Fest with the amazing Ted Leo & The Pharmacists rocking the Great American Music Hall. Ted Leo is an amazing songwriter and performer that has an incredible ability to sing complex words and make you want to jump up and down in your living room. Exciting and melodic Ted Leo is definitely worth seeing live if you like bands like the Jam or Stiff Little Fingers. But alas, this show is sold out kiddies and it should be a good one. This years fest looks pretty damn promising with the inclusion of a few electronic artist such as Amon Tob in. Full review of the Leo show Wednesday.

After that looks like we are heading over to Phuturo for Drum and Bass on the Lower Haight at the former TOP DJ BAR now called SF UNDERGROUND. DJs will include GRIDLOK [virus / violence - sf] HOCHI/INFILTRATA [metalheadz / tek dubz - sf] and 4REAL [phuturo - sf]. Should be a great and heavy, heavy night of sick DnB! Gridlok used to live in my hood when he first moved to California. Nice cat one of the few American Drum and Bass artist that not only gets respect in the U.K. but he also uses Stanton's Final Scratch when he plays out.

First Paid Web Published Articles

2005-02-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today is a good day. I got my first 2 articles published online. Over the weekend I attended Wonder Con 2005 in San Francisco to cover a few panels for Comic Book Resource online. I attended and covered the Joss Whedon and the Batman Begins panels. It ws pretty fun to go to a comic con as press. Folks look at you diffrently and industry people listen to you more. Below are the links to the 2 articles.

Batman Begins Joss Whedon

Another cool thing my brother in-law found was that my articles come up in a Google news search. Batman as the search subject and then Joss Whedon. My Joss article comes up at #2 and Batman at #3. Not bad for a Google search! It's like being a slightly bigger needle in a haystack!