History is Made at Night...

Another night on the tiles....

2011-12-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday night saw the return to London of not one but two of my favourite DJ's: Steffi and Tama Sumo. As residents at Berlin's Panorama Bar it's far to say that both are well versed in bringing trans-Atlantic funk to the dancefloor and blending everything from soulful house grooves to tough electro. Needless to say they didn't disappoint.

I arrived at Fabric at around 1.00am and after a somewhat personal body search made my way through the labyrinth like former cold store and into Room 3. Steffi had been on for some two hours and had build a great vibe dropping the kind of warm and deep 4x4 tracks that have made her a favourite in clubs across Europe and beyond. She was followed by Virginia, best known as Ostgut Ton's resident vocalist having worked with luminaries such as Ben Klock and Prosumer (not to mention Steffi herself). I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Virginia's set but was pleasantly surprised by a set which encompassed Detroit classics such as Chez Damier's 'Untitled' and side A from Wax 30003. The latter is a true lesson in the sound of modern Berlin fusing a deep kick with sharp percussion and an insatiably simple 5 note hook.

By the time Tama arrived behind the decks the crowd was at fever pitch and she didn't disappoint dropping a muscular work out touring every aspect of house music from garage in the form of Todd Edward's 'Saved My Life' to Levon Vincent's rave anthem 'Impressions of a Rainstorm' and John Tejana's disco inspired 'Timebomb'. In the past year I've seen a number of house luminaries from Prosumer to FCL to Moodymann but none have come close to inspiring such scenes of jubilation on a dancefloor. By the time I emerged into the early morning light approaching eight o'clock my joints were aching, my ears ringing but my jaw was locked in a smile - surely a measure of a good night out if ever there was one?

'Auferstanden Aus Ruinen' The Techno Sound of Berlin

2011-12-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

In 1992 one of the greatest compilations of EDM was released through NovaMute. The album in question was 'The Techno Sound of Berlin', a showcase for the Berlin club Tresor. Although Tresor's modern incarnation is perhaps the most commercial of Berlin's current 'Club Mile' in the early 1990s (after the close of the seminal UFO club) it was undoubtedly the epicenter of the city's clubbing heartland.

Tresor's first home was the vault of a former department store called 'Wertheim' which had initially been constructed in 1896. The building on Leipziger Platz was badly damaged during the Second World War and during the latter half of the Twentieth Century fell into deep decline - a matter not helped by its unenviable location in the no-mans land between East and West Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall on October 3 1990 breathed new life into the building and the surrounding area as the creative youths of the West - many of whom were driven to Berlin in a bid to avoid conscription and/or enjoy the city's burgeoning creative scene - met their Eastern or 'Ossie' counterparts.

The youthful exuberance of the now reunited Berlin was expressed through marathon sessions under the streets of Mitte which saw Detroit luminaries such as Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes and Jeff Mills play to packed dancefloors. The essence of these parties was first captured in 1991 with the release of X101 - a self titled project from Mad Mike Banks, Jeff Mills and Rob Hood a.k.a. Underground Resistance: perhaps the most important techno act of all time. Despite being an established record company as well as club Tresor's first release came through NoveMute - a subsidiary of Mute. Given the limit scope of Tresor's operations at this point it is understandable that a larger distributor was employed.

Outside of Germany the record was titled 'Tresor 01: The Techno Sound of Berlin' but the domestic release was given the title 'Auferstanden Aus Ruinen'. Although this is the title of the GDR's national anthem its translation 'Risen from Ruins' seems quite apt. As a city Berlin was facing an uncertain but optimistic future while as a club Tresor had quite literally been built from rubble. This sense of optimism, joy and indeed hedonism comes across clearly though tracks like System 01's 'Drugs Work' and especially the 'Long Hot Summer' remix of Microglobe's 'High on Hope'. While the former is a dark, cosmic and extremely druggy work out in primitive groove the latter is an all out piano rave anthem - fans of Shed's Head High alias take note, without this track 'Its a Love Thing' just wouldn't exist. Although many of the tracks emphasis on booming kicks and synth stabs can seem primitive their importance to the progress of Berlin's techno scene is unquestionable and just as importantly they stand the test of time for listenability both at home and in the club. Given the speed of change in electronic music this is an impressive feat and one which should be celebrated.

Where aeroplanes go to die...

2011-11-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

Pinal Airpark, Azirona is an air field with a difference. Its got your standard landing strip and hangers but its also home to literally hundreds of planes both civilian and military. The arid desert climate allows for the perfect preservation of planes which are generally filled with a rubber solution prior to storage. Opened in 1943 Pinal was originally known ar Marana Army Air Field and despite being closed in 1948 would end up as a CIA flying school during the Vietnam War before becoming a 'bone yard' for planes. Although planes stored at Pinal have the hope of returning to service many end up being scrapped: whether because they're militarily redundant or are simply out of date technologically. The airpark itself isn't open to the open to the public, a great shame because as the pictures below demonstrate the site of hundreds of planes aligned in such a uniform manner is something quietly spectacular.

Snoopy: An American Military Icon

2011-11-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

The United States military has long employed the services of animated characters be they on an official level (Uncle Sam) or amongst soldiers themselves. Of the latter Kilroy is possibly the most famous - his nose, eyes and hands protruding over surfaces from the south Pacific to western Europe during the Second World War. Of course American pilots were also well known for etching glamorous pin ups on the sides of their planes alongside risque slogans of the time. Thus a Boeing B-29 Superfortress in dull grey could adopt a certain level of glamour.

In the Vietnam era the most popular character amongst GIs was undoubtedly Snoopy whose image appeared on everything from t-shirts, to patches, to the etchings on the back of Zippo lighters. Its difficult to gauge exactly why the world's most ponderous dog was chosen. Perhaps it was simply down to his ubiquity - Snoopy, Woodstock and friends appeared in daily newspapers across the United States, and perhaps more tellingly in the papers issued to soldiers. A more interesting explanation lies in the timing of Snoopy's exploits fighting 'The Red Baron' atop his doghouse.

This cartoon strip was published in October 1965, coinciding with the escalation of troops to Vietnam as ordered by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Resplendent in flying goggles and with his own mortal enemy Snoopy was the ideal mascot for servicemen. Furthermore by morphing America's favourite hound into a soldier of combar Snoopy's creator Charles Shultz was able to preserve the patriotic spirit of the nation but project it through the lens of a less controversial war. It is perhaps telling that Snoopy's final battle with the Red Baron came in 1972 by which stage Vietnam had become the United States least supported conflict and President Nixon was desperately searching for a means for withdrawal.

Chinook helicopter featuring Snoopy & Woodstock:

Hand engraved Zippo lighter - extremely common amongst servicemen and now extremely collectable:

'Far East Cruise '67' Patch - Given American naval movement in 1967 its relatively safe to assume this patch was worn by sailors serving in Danang

Music to have sex to, real animal sex

2011-11-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday saw the fantastic Boogie Cartel return to East London's finest disco-pub The Horse & Groom. For anyone not acquainted with the Boogie Cartel boys where have you been? Four djs specialising in deep space sleaze and disco oddities playing to a packed crowd of lovely, lovely geezers and beautiful women. Basically it sounds like this:

Taken from one Captain Turtle's set on Saturday this is the grooviest set I've heard in a while. It features snippets of disco classics, some exclusive re-edits and a couple of real hands in the air moments. Top stuff.

On Constructivism

2011-11-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Royal Academy's 'Building the Revolution' exhibit recently opened to much critical acclaim by fusing the works of Popova and the like with oversized photographs of some of the Soviet Union's most celebrated structures. Central to this exhibit is of course the Shukhov Tower: 160 meters of interlocking lattices just a mile or two south of the Kremlin. The Tower's juxtaposition of fragility of masculinity has made it a favourite around the world yet hidden throughout Britain are uncelebrated structures which mirror its urban beauty.

The Regents Canal - London's most prominent industrial waterway since 1812 - houses a range of post-industrial treasures not least the Haggerstone Gas Works. Like the Shukhov Tower the works were built with utility in mind: their heavy steel arches serve as a testament to Britain's fading industrial past and suggest that functionality really is beauty. In years past structures like the Haggerstone Gas Works and its visually stunning neighbour across the Thames the Greenwich Gas Holder have been virtually ignored and dismantled piece by piece to make way for new developments. The Greenwich Gas Holder dates back to 1882 making it part of the last gas works to be built in London. As was common at the time a lattice structure was chosen to ensure protection against the elements.

As Britain's industrial stock declined and consumption culture gathered pace public art and design drew not from functionality but from fashion. However almost as a backlash to an obsessive 'throw away' culture the past two years have seen a steady rise in the influence of utilitarian Constructivism on popular British art.

Anish Kapoor is perhaps the artist who has displayed the greatest debt to Constructivism. His 'Temenos' sculpture in Middlesborough paid tribute to the areas industrial heritage and the contorted arches of his 'ArcelorMittal Orbit' in Stratford clearly take influence from industrial design. It is perhaps no surprise that the name itself borrows from Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

Kapoor suggests that "much of what I make is geometric, and has a kind of almost mathematical logic to the form" an approach similar to that of Eva Rothschild who in 2009 produced 'Cold Corners' an austere sculpture of twenty six interlocking triangles running the length of the Tate Gallery. Although black aluminium tubing and not steel was the chosen medium the effect was no less striking than the Shukhov Tower or indeed the lattices of the Greenwich Gas Holder.

The influence of Constructivism is also strong in mens clothing. Scottish brand 6876 has, for over 15 years, created utilitarian silhouettes using stain repellant and self cleaning nanosphere technology. In a similar vein Margaret Howells MHL line has come to be defined by its almost industrial stark lines and silhouettes. Although the current fashion for 'heritage' wear touches upon industrial design (see for example the number of Donkey jackets released over the past two years!) the Constructivist influence has been somewhat sidelined and confined to a niche of forward thinking and often small brands.

As the art world embraced the ugly-beauty of what's left of Britain's urban landscape it is possible that mens clothing will move in a similar direction possibly towards the heavily industrial influenced Commes de Garcon collections of the 1990s. Similarly as trends in the art world change Constructivism will no doubt fall by the way side. However I strongly hope that our oft unloved industrial sculptures will remain both as a testament to British ingenuity and an inspiration to future artists and designers.

Sweet female attitude

2011-11-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

On a very sweaty night in March I was treated to one of the best musical experiences of my life. Steffi, Panorama Bar resident and first lady of house took over Fabric's Room Three for an evening of sultry electronica. It wasn't my first time seeing Ms. Doms but her set made a lasting impression on me - raw grooves stacked against one another but a throbbing heartbeat ran throughout. It was sensitive music for those who want to jack.

If one label is able to encapsulate the sound I felt that evening its not Ostgut Ton but instead is Steffi's own 'Dolly' imprint. To me Dolly is everything a modern House label should be: vinyl only, and committed to showcasing artists without placing undue pressure on image or artwork. In recent months a multitude of artists from Basic Soul Unit to Dexter have released beautifully pressed slabs of wax to much critical (and some commercial) acclaim however the best release comes in the form of a re-issue.

According to my sources Tyrez' 'The Breath of Desire' originally came out in Autumn 2010. Being the slow bastard I am I only came across this release earlier in the week when it was showcased by Phonica Records. Supposedly the chap at the controls is none other than Chi-Towns very own Tevo Howard: a man synonymous with dancefloor sleaze in the best possible way. As with any great track 'The Breath of Desire' leaves the listener asking for more. That nagging bassline works beautifully with the synths and straight to the jugular kicks.

I feel gutted for spending almost a year out of the loop on this one but those keys more than make up for it. A night time voyage of epic proportions.

Tentative beginnings....

2011-11-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

The internet is awash with blogs that I enjoy reading and whose authors possess far more talent and imagination than I. So why bother? If I want to look at expertly crafted menswear there are a plethora of sites available, same goes for listening to beautiful music - be it a long lost soul treasure or something a little more jacking - indeed there are a multitude of blogs devoted almost entirely to Cold War studies and to the collapse of British power. My aim isn't to compete with these sites but simply to form a blog dedicated to my own thoughts and to reating some record of what I do with myself all day/night. Selfish and self centered this may be I also hope that it'll provide someone (anyone) other than myself some fleeting moments of intrigue whatever they may be.