Smunk Pad - Cinestatic Research

::Cinestatic::
::Smunk Pad::

::Sunday, July 25, 2004::

㉫

Hummanna hummanna haaa

I'm off to the park in a minute.

Just thought I should write something cos nobody else has for a couple of days ('cept Matthew).

Something highly thrilling.

I put up some curtains yesterday. My hands hurt. The walls of my flat are made of solid diamond. The drill was not co-operating. I got them up eventually though. Look.

Oh, and while I'm putting up pictures, have a look at the flan I made the other week:

There's broccoli, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, eggs, bacon - it was very tasty.

Okay bye!

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::Thursday, July 22, 2004::

㉭

Glade Festival Electronica Beatists

Terribly sorry to disappear on you. I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath for my next post. (Sarcastic voice, that was.)

Hi. I've been working. It's been fun. Kinda liking the missionism needed to get the job done. I work much better in intense bursts than slowly and gradually.

I went to the Glade Festival at the weekend (16th-18th July). That was okay. Got a sunburn (or 'some colour' as you non-vampires call it). Danced about. Camped in a new tent. Disappointed that they fenced off the countryside and finished up so early. There were some fun moments, like showing someone how to use their digital camera so they could take psychedlic pictures of one of those wavey digital LED text-spinny things. Sticking around for 'DJ AFX' was just about worthwhile in the end (he does like to 'test' his crowd).

I got an overwhelming sense of disrespect for the audience from most of the laptop performers present. Cylob played meandering patternless twangy non-tunes for a long time, then ruined that hit single of his, then played some more meanderings and unearned 'break dance' samples. Freq Nasty (or was it Mu-Ziq - there isn't much artist differentiation in this arena...) was obsessed with showing off what he could 'do' with the amen break and a couple of other ropey old overplayed samples. That amen thing is like a guitar solo for beat scientists (like the schrrrrraaa scratch, as mentioned in the film 'Scratch'). Guitar solos are a pox on music. And hence so is the amen break. Nothing more than chin-stroking is possible. Make something NEW!

The source of Squarepusher's popularity was revealed to me on Saturday. He plays bass. Like me, his gimmick is that he plays an instrument! It's good to see that it makes a difference. But while I always had a certain amount of respect for the chap, it was always the dodgy twangy bass on his tracks that put me off.

It's painful that the best thing on offer was the Aphex Twin. He's a pretentious cheesy knobend, in my estimation (here's hoping that statement never comes back to me). He's done a couple of good-ish tracks (the ambient stuff), but most of his other music is painfully tinny and thin. It's the synchronisation of the visuals with this music that makes people notice him, I reckon.

There's a massive electronic-music defecit. Too many amateurs, not enough imagination. (I swear, if I have to stare at the back of another Apple Powerbook for two hours again any time soon, I'll go crazy. Especially if, like the rather cynical Mu Ziq, the artist is moving around in such a way that suggests that he's manipulating the beats in real time, when he's clearly using a fucking tape).

I think that the reason nobody had heard of most of the artists playing the Glade Festival is not because they are 'cool' or 'underground', but because they're not that good.

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yeah i got a comment. for a start mu ziq was fukin heavy, whether he was "playin a fukin tape" or not. Aphex is qual, and his production is top notch u spaz, squarepushers "twangy" bits are what makes his sound and lastly u r a div. thought this would be a good site, obviously not. did u see eat static? the word "pikey" springs to mind, but then i like pikey house,. the worst things about the glade were the caukus road show, (wank) and sancho panza, (*overated funky house). in abit u stain

[ vitamin 09/08/2004 14:09:08]

Hooray... my first hate mail. That's gotta mean something, right?

Nah - I admit I was overly harsh with my hurried Aphex Twin dismissal, and not in the most optimistic mood when I wrote this. But you have to admit - it's all a bit "I want your soul" sub-goth-cheese-of-the-lyrics. A long white limo, in any context, surely screams "twat". He's always got some sort of immediate gimmick (weird faces etc..) but it doesn't stand up to repeated listens or watchings. The whole affair is all a bit too cocaine for my tastes.

I know "Squarepusher's 'twangy' bits are what makes his sound", but I don't have to like his sound, do I?!

Wish I could have been more specific, but I can't find the program, so I can't remember who was who. Just the overwhelming frustration with it all.

This disappointment extends even to the artists I venerate the most. For instance, Mouse on Mars played a brilliant gig at the ICA a couple of years ago - relentlessly funky, not a sound or beat out of place, behind a table covered in wires and modules and this and that - looking and sounding like they had some level of genuine control over what they were doing. But then, at The End last year, they played a harmonyless, barely rhythmic noise dirge, presumably to be 'challenging', and it was horrible. Especially when they do tunes so well. It was another example of the lack of respect a lot of electronica musicians have for their audience. I think it's a geek thing. "We're not gonna give you something you can dance to, even though you've taken dancing drugs" - it's twatty as fuck.

I remember on the Friday night (back to the Glade now), feeling frustrated by the lack of interesting music, making a bee-line for the Psy-trance stage. Psy-trance is nothing if not a reliable source of cathartic dancing away of woes, am I wrong? But even there, disappointment struck. It finished at midnight! A psychedelic trance event finishing at midnight? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there to see it myself. What happened to dancing to the break of dawn and then off to the after party?! Yeah, so it was outside, so why didn't they then move it inside?

God - I make it sound like I had the shittest time ever. It was mostly good, but I was expecting a bit more inspiration. Any other div spaz stains out there who agree on any level? Or was it all just "brilliiiiiaaaaaantt".

[ Mike 09/08/2004 15:40:05]

Yep, well, gotta agree with Mike there. But what do you expect when you listen to the shit played at the Breaksday and Main Tent. Shoulda been stomping away at the Origin stage. It was an amazing sight to behold - amazing people, great vibe, and great music. The dust cloud that hung over it for most of the weekend told you all you needed to know. I guess this doesnt help much if you dont listen to psy trance, but I never expected anything much from anything other than the Origin stage in any case. Half the people on the main stage (apart from a few, namely plaid and the egg) are arrogant twats who masturbate on stage. To get the true festy vibe one needed to be dancing outside in the sunshine on the other side of the campground where the Origin stage was blowing all those who cared to listen away.

[ Sach 26/08/2004 19:37:09]

You can't find more bass than aphex twin. His music is incredible. Tinny? Give me a break. I listen to him on repeat. I would love him without the videos. And I have to wonder if you have heard that much aphex. What the fuck do you like? New Order?

[ frank 14/09/2004 15:22:27]

Go and see the Magic Band. They are phat. I like Captain Beefheart. I listen to him on repeat.

[ Mike 14/09/2004 19:47:25 :: web]

glade was the most amazing festival apart from its small teething probloems, lets just hope it stays small and friendly, it was great to be able to take drugs and exchange k for weed without seeing a policeman all weekend!
>

[ Any Excuse 10/11/2004 18:16:33]

Maybe your aphex critism was a bit harsh, but i wasn't there, and added that some of this analord stuff has been questionable / guite good at best, many people have the right tom complain.

I've never seen aphex live, and i still REALLY want to, but if he keeps making this, werid house i'm not going to like it that much.

Some people have commented on him being very withdrawn and quiet (not saying anything to people backstage and worse the crowd) which seems strange after the MP3 of aphex live in canada in 1999/2000 time.

If anyone does (incidently) have any recordings of the 2005 "AFX" set at glade please send them to me, as i'd be interested in seeing if all this hooharr about aphex being on a downwards slope is justified.

Personally, i hope he is just saving up a gem of an album, similar to RDJ LP, Druqs or I Care Because You Do.

If Not, So Long Richard...

[ Ed 20/07/2005 02:40:46]

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::Monday, July 12, 2004::

㊜

New Job

Other people write blogs about stuff.

This page is more personal and cathartic. I write when I'm unhappy. Sort of a sympathy call. If I put it out here, there's marginally more chance that somebody might come across it and understand what I'm talking about. A potential for some displaced connection.

I've found myself as pessimistic as ever this week. Even though I'm doing pretty much exactly what I planned when I decided to leave Newham. I've quadrupled my salary (and doubled my hours), doing stuff that I'm good at - when the technology cooperates it's a breezy, constant progress. Constructing virtual machines that become incrementally more complex and interesting as I reduce the noise to liquid programmatic units. It's kinda fun.

I'm the new kid. Dressed slightly too smartly (I misjudged my clothing expenditure and now have shiny shoes instead of expensive trainers. etc.), programming something that nobody else wanted to touch. The people are considerably friendlier towards me than in my old job. There's a beer fridge. Pool. Table tennis. It's a quantum leap from the conditions I was used to at Newham. You can get nice sandwiches round Angel. I could be so enthused and happy, but you know? I'm just focussing in on the minute negative points. Really stupid stuff. That's completely understandable. I'm not even going to get into it, cos I know I'll look back in a couple of days and see that I'm being stupid.

I'm in a grey mood. Sorry.

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::Thursday, July 08, 2004::

㊌

Smunk Microsite

I've just done a new website for meeself. Get your broadband powered up and those speakers switched on and check it out. www.smunk.net.

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::Friday, July 02, 2004::

㊘

Yyyyeeeeeeaaaa!

I have a new job!

Well, a two week contract anyway. For starters.

My phone rang on Wednesday evening just as I'd finished saying goodbye to everyone at Newham and I was told I had an interview the next day... I went and bought some 'smart casual' clothes in the morning, went to the interview, and whaddyaknowit, I heard just now that I done got it! There was a threat of it interfering with my trip to the Glade Festival, but they're okay with me having a couple of days off, so I start next Friday! So my first official, proper IT job contract, is with Oyster Partners.

So I got to be a half-bum for the best part of 24 hours. And now I'm not in the least bit bummy.

Phew. Reliefness. Onwards. To better things.

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