roots and wires

Dreamplay - March 20, 2010 - 7 PM @ Workspace, SF

2010-03-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

The dread and resistance which every natural human being experiences when it comes to delving too deeply into himself is, at bottom, the fear of the journey to Hades.
C.G. Jung, Psychology and Alchemy, CW 12 para 439

Dreams, those mysterious visitors in the night… Are they simply residues of daytime experience, anomalies as the brain de-frags itself? Or are they, as humans have held for millennia, something more substantial, crucial perhaps? Dream work plays a major part of my own psychotherapy practice, in resonance with my Jungian orientation, yet it has cross-cultural roots that go farther back than Freud or Jung...

In Greek mythology, Nyx – the Goddess of night – gave birth to the twin brothers Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death), as well as to the Oneiroi, the dreams… In Indian Vedic tradition, in the Atharva Veda, dreams come from Yama’s world, from the world of death. As Jungian Analyst James Hillman expresses, “each dream is a child of the night, afflicted with sleep and death…” Every transformation involves a symbolic death as well as birth, the alchemical nigredo and coagulatio…

Charon, another child of Nyx, is the ferryman of departed souls as they enter Hades through the underworld river Acheron… Hades, through his symbolic connection with the Eagle, has a shadowy affiliation with his brother Zeus, also connected with the Eagle. As Hillman expresses, this suggests an awareness of the Upperworld and Underworld as similar but with different perspectives. Returning to Indian tradition, now post-Vedic – in the Mandukya Upanishad, Visva (waking) and Taijasa (sleeping) are also felt to be similar, different sides of the same phenomena, with one looking out towards external objects and the other towards inner objects… In our own lives, synchronistic phenomenon hint at the dreamlike nature of waking life (something the Aboriginal peoples seem well-attuned to, with their sense of Dream-time) and premonitory dreams make us wonder about the distinctions between inner and outer, as well as the nature of time and space…

It’s easy to think of Hades as an entirely nefarious entity, especially when we’ve split off the dark from the light. Yet, through his connection with Pluto, he is also associated with wealth and riches, and through his connection with Trophonios, Hades is connected with nourishment. Hence he becomes the wealthy one, the giver of nourishment to the soul – if we have the courage to listen…

The Greeks would make pilgrimages from across the lands, to Asclepian temples, where they would consult their dreams for healing from somatic and psychological maladies. After a process of ritual purification, there was a descent through chambers of snakes – associated with the creative and transformative potential of the underworld – and into the abaton, where one would sleep and wait for the gods to deliver answers. With regards to the snake imagery, this also forms another underworld-overworld connection, as established between Hades and Zeus – in Greek art and sculpture, Zeus was also imaged as a bearded snake…

The image of modern medicine, the Caduceus, also contains an image of interwoven snakes that harkens back to this tradition of Asclepius. Unfortunately, outside of the Jungian world and some psychoanalytic practitioners, clinical work with dreams exists in the margins of contemporary healing traditions. Despite this, many of us still do use our dream and fantasy life to creatively enrich our waking life in one way or another…

So, in the spirit of dreaming and the dream world, of Imagination and Creativity, please join us on March 20, 2010 for “Dreamplay” – 7-10PM @ Workspace (2150 Folsom Street @ 17th in the Mission). It will be a playful evening of interactive performance, art installation and soundscapes… There will be a remix of the abaton (Heather King Singh, Khenu Singh) - for this, come bearing dreams you are willing to share, allowing the psychopomp to guide you into the inner chamber, to be recorded and mixed into the event, with an attitude of respect, reverence and creative play... There will also be a sin eater café (Delfina Piretti), dream potions (Heather King), performance art (Raphael Noz), video art (Khenu Singh), spoken word and performance (Eric Subido), shadow dance and art installation (Andrea Bass), as well as paintings and art that explore the mythopoetic realms of Psyche…

The night will be a benefit for Haitian Children, with all proceeds going towards this. Please come out and represent!

Dream Play
An evening of performance art, interactive
art installations and soundscapes.

March 20, 2010
7 to 10 PM

W O R K S P A C E
2150 Folsom Street (at 17th )
Mission District, San Francisco

Come celebrate Spring Equinox!

Requested Donation: $10.00
All proceeds go to Haitian Children.

Participating Artists
Raphael Noz
Delfina Piretti
Heather King Singh
Khenu Singh
Eric Subido

Dread Bass, Spanda and the Dark Side of the Self

2010-03-07T20:12:00.001-08:00

In a dark warehouse space, a roots tune comes to close and a siren unit bleep is triggered and dubbed through an analogue delay, a rhythmic drift into thick, humid and pregnant space – peppered by a few anticipatory hoots and screams… a few syncopated beats deepen the tension… then we’re released and dropped into the fierce wobble of a heavy dubstep bassline, one that seems to drive straight into our hearts and souls… First we simply experience and perhaps later we wonder – why are we affected as we are by these dark, shimmering low-end tones?

The scene shifts to the Balinese countryside, the lush, breathtaking emerald-green of the Ayung River Gorge fades to night... In the dark, the images are sonic ones (1), the growling sound of our motorcycle and the syncopated barking of stray dogs slowly crossfade into the songs of frogs and crickets that sing alongside a Gamelan ensemble playing a village ceremony… Quivering interference beats (2) arise in the space between two metallophones tuned just slightly apart – with a pulsating quality reminiscent of the sub-bass wobble… What is this connection in the perception and experience of these sounds from such different cultures and traditions?

At the back of our mind, somewhere in our being, we feel the archetypal pulsation that the Kashmiri Tantrikas referred to as Spanda, the pulsation and dynamic creativity at the heart of everything. Back of the mind – what does “back” or for that matter, “depth” (as in depth psychotherapy) or any other signifier of linear, temporal-spatial dimension really mean in the realm where Kronos (3) is intoxicated by honey as Nyx (4) sings her songs, and the entire Universe moves in ecstatic dance to the beat of Adrasteia’s cymbals and drum…

We will circle around these questions as we explore Spanda and view this in relation to Carl Jung’s seminal exploration of the Self, in Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self (5)… Though he drew from Vedanta and the Upanishads (6), which also explore the nature of Atman and the Self, Jung had a complicated and ambivalent relationship to (the spectrum of) the East, and what it had to offer the so-called Westerner. Though he had explored Eastern texts more than most other psychologists of his time, he didn’t always seem to understand that it is in fact such a spectrum. He did have the humility to acknowledge this at some points (though this isn’t as clear at other points) – it was simply too much for him to take on as a more comprehensive study.

India alone has so much diversity, with some consistent threads and themes that weave in and out with many substantial points of divergence. Jung sometimes criticized the Indian as being otherworldly. There certainly are influential movements in Indian philosophy – such as Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta – that look at the phenomenal world as illusory, therefore supporting Jung’s critical position. Tantra, itself with a diverse and complex cast of characters and groups, took a quite different take on the matter. Here, the world wasn’t seen illusory, but rather, the play of a creative consciousness that seeks to manifest and thereby see itself…

This forms another thread that weaves through Balinese culture, which is in part is a fascinating syncretism between indigenous shamanic and animistic traditions and Hinduism (7). In this culture, creative process is prayer, as it mirrors the creative nature of the larger Consciousness (8). Likewise, in Indian creative and aesthetic traditions, riyaz – a term that normally refers to practice of one’s instrument – is felt by some to come from a Sanskrit term for prayer, riyazat.

Spanda is a significant concept in the Shaivite Tantric tradition. It was first introduced by Gaudapada in his Mandukya-Karika – a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad (where we find reference to various stages of consciousness as well as the idea of Aum). Spanda refers to the vibration, pulsation, or shimmering that is at the core of the Divine in these systems. This helps shed some light on why the Balinese claim to experience more pure contact with God in the shimmering interference beats I spoke of earlier in this essay, the pulsation between tones. Perhaps this gives us another lens with which to look at certain forms of vibration and shimmer in more contemporary musical traditions, from roots reggae to dubstep…

In Aion, Jung attempts to expand our understanding of the Self to not only be something creative and of the light, but also with a dark and potentially destructive side. Jung was critical of the god-image in much of Christianity, feeling that the darkness had been split off and been carried by the Devil… He proposed that we need a more encompassing image that reflected both the creative and destructive aspects of the Divine. Indians are fond of establishing parallels between the macrocosm and microcosm; in this spirit, we do see this creative and destructive process mirrored in the phenomenon of interference beats – when in phase there is a creative, additive effect and when out of phase, there is a destructive, negating effect…

The cross-fader cuts back and forth between Gamelan field recordings from a recent trip, and Vex’d, with his own metallic cacophony of beats, and distorted pulsations of sine waves modulated by oscillators, sound emerging from electronics rather than traditional instruments – acoustic or digital, just different forms and transformations of creative libido (in the broader Jungian, and Tantric sense) really, a reminder of the spirit and soul that has often been a companion to physics and physicists (9)…

There is something about the pulsation itself that draws us in – from the perspective of Tantric Shaivism, it could be seen as a form of bhakti, a devotional worship of the creative Consciousness. Yet, there is something in particular about certain tonalities, both the minor keys that are used, as well as the dirty and gritty textures of the bass sounds themselves that stand out in dubstep. Maybe it’s not entirely different from distorted, Punk Rock sounds that draw some of us in as well, that speak to our angst and our knowing of pain, suffering and oppression that exists in life. I argue that one root of our draw into a dark dubstep wobble is a desire to step towards wholeness (10).

We tire of images of spirituality that are too bright in one way or another. One shadow of various New Age perspectives and voices is the exclusion of the shadow, the darker aspect of life, including that of the numinous. We need to have the darker experience of life mirrored back to us in sound, or it’s a deadening – any extreme constellates something of the other pole – which (when untended) can be thrown into the unconscious, from where it’s either projected externally or haunts us through some form of neurosis. An extreme focus on the light is no exception – though perhaps harder to see in its blinding brightness…

Many of us yearn to have a psychoacoustic experience of the darker aspect of the numinous – one we can face squarely in the eye, try to relate to, and maybe even howl while doing it (and then, to have this in a collective setting, it feeds our need to have shared ritual with one another). When we do find it, it grips us like any deep and complementing archetypal experience can... This is one aspect of what drives our interest in horror movies – to have a sense of control in relation to what evokes fear and dread…

This dances with and completes itself by being in dynamic relation with brighter tones and melodies that bring in some light. Unless this happens – which unfortunately has more often been the case than not in my experience of many a dubstep night, which can be too heavy with the dark (or without other forms of creative diversity) – it becomes equally lopsided, and thereby monotonous and deadening in other ways. What wonders when a roots track kicks in, or a bubbling lover’s rock tune drops us into a different sort of soulful space. Or for that matter, when the melody of a sarod drops in, along the curves of the dark, pulsating, low-end terrain… So many forms and transformations of Spanda, a shimmering echo that dubs through these various rhythmical contours…

K.S.

Notes:

(1) Jung and post-Jungians often have a particular focus on the image. Jung alluded to this, but later post-Jungians have expanded the “image” beyond the visual, encompassing auditory, somatic and other forms of “imagery.” That these aspects of image, or modalities of perception are linked becomes clear in synasthetic phenomenon, including dreams that my tabla teacher has shared with me, in which tabla compositions were experienced as colors…

(2) Two sounds tuned to slightly different frequencies will produce a phenomenon called beating, where the volume alternates as the sounds interfere constructively and destructively, as they move in and out of phase with one another

(3) The Greek god associated with time

(4) The Greek goddess of night, mother to Hypnos (sleep), Thanatos (death) and the Oneroi (dreams) amongst others

(5) Collected Works, Volume 9, Part 2

(6) Jung may have been inspired to read the Upanishads by another of his intellectual influences – the German philosopher Schopenhaur, who was said to read from the Upanishads on a regular basis and who had named his cat Atman! In his lecture on Aion, Jungian Analyst Edward Edinger acknowledges that Jung did take the idea of the Self from the Upanishads

(7) Bali, with its Hindu majority, is in contrast to the other islands in the South Pacific which are mainly Islamic.

(8) Consciousness used here is a larger term then the Conscious aspect of Psyche which is contrasted against the Unconscious – it is a term that encompasses what the Jungians would call the Unconscious, and has a teleological aspect

(9) Jung had a long exchange with physicist Wolfgang Pauli – see for instance “On the Nature of the Psyche,” in Collected Works, Volume 8: Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche

(10) I choose “step towards” intentionally as this is a lifelong process, rather than some discrete state or final endpoint

Roots and Wires in Session: 07.24.09

2009-07-05T17:37:00.001-07:00

World of Reggae music live and grow. This time around Andy G of Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional along side Lionheart Sounds, Low Tones, and many more singers and players of the slowly emerging SF-Oakland Bay Area Roots Underground come together for a unity dance in commemoration of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I's 117th Earth Day Celebration.

The aim herein is to forward a collective effort and build a community around the word, sound, and power of dub reggae music. Heartical, Rootical, and deeper than deep we strive in this time to go.

Come one, Come all.

All Roads lead to Triple 2 Seven Gallery, 2227 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606 on Friday 24 July 2009!

Reach!

Clusters of Time and a Journey Into a Timeless Temple of Sound History

2008-05-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

Time often seems to coalesce around clusters of memories or experiences. Periods in life ebb and flow with the seasons not unlike recurring themes in the universal human story – fog rolls in, Sun shines up, the end of something, the start of a next thing. Blink your eyes and a season has past or one memory has flickered away to the next. But still, the grooves on the record must rewind from time to time…So rewind and come again my selector…

One such brief cluster of time in the 10 year story of the Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional was lived some five months ago on the Indian Subcontinent. After having been invited to play at the Indian Electronic Music Festival in late November of last year, we found ourselves barreling forward on an outernational adventure to the land of many a bustling metropolis, thousands of temples, and oceans of humanity so thick as to be beyond comprehension at times. The full story of that adventure is indeed a story for another time.

For now, I am going to step back to one moment in that journey - A moment that I had been anticipating for years before I ever set foot in India. Some years ago Khenu described to me what sounded like some mythological chamber within a chamber within a chamber lined with an endless union of priceless gold and gems all kingly in character. The temple and gems of which Khenu spoke had nothing to do with the Taj Mahal in Agra or the Golden Temple in Amritsar, but everything to do with them in a way such as it is. To me this place and the multitudes Khenu described became imbued with just as much majesty as the many temples, mausoleums, and shrines I was blessed to visit while India.

The multi-chambered temple of which I speak is lodged in bustling neighborhood only a short rickshaw ride from the Rajouri Garden stop along the Delhi Metro Rail. This particular shrine was first anointed with one simple but revelatory act: the purchase of a long play vinyl record. The year was 1964. The record was “Uran Khatola (Na Toojan Se Khelo)” by the legendary Hindi musician Rafi. The sonic curator-to-be was a young Lakhwant Singh known affectionately as Lakhi Uncle. Anyone who has ever felt the tactile shiver of opening a gatefold record sleeve, stared for hours at a particularly artful album cover, or studied the minutia on the back of a album sleeve can relate to the feeling Lakhi Uncle experienced. An unfolding. A coming home to a sense of pure, direct, unadulterated experience. Musical dispensation.

Place it on the platter.
Lift the needle.
Let it drop.

Records, as Sociologist Paul Gilroy has said, are complex cultural artifacts. Gilroy writes in his book Small Acts,

The music encoded onto the surface of the discs may be the primary inducement to acquire a record, but the sleeve with its combination of text and images comprises an important…element…

The pictures of Hindi album covers sprinkled throughout this article point to the multifarious purposes that album sleeves serve. Gilroy reminds us that album covers have, first and foremost, served as a way of defining an artist to an audience. Album jackets also function as a way of conveying symbolic “sub-culturally” distinctive ways of dress, fashion, and such. Album sleeves open a dialogue on how a cultural group, a sub-culture, or, as may the case, a nation views itself. The album sleeve and the music found therein “facilitates the circulation of styles and symbols, creating an aura of pleasure and desire around them which is an important political phenomenon. … They also help to solicit…audiences into specific modes of cultural and political identifications.”

This article is meant to serve as a brief opening and meditation on the lost art of the album sleeve and the multifarious meanings they carry. Each one of these images captures in one way or another, the essence of a particular historical moment in a way that the music cannot do alone.

Lakhi Uncle carries this history with him. Who feels it knows. Lakhi Uncle feels it. Lakhi Uncle knows it.

Should you be interested in exploring the depths of his musical ark you can contact Lakhwant Singh at lakhwant_7@hotmail.com. Likewise, Lakhi Uncle is open to sales should you be looking for anything in the way of vintage and rare turntables and sound equipment.

Text by Andy G of Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional

Photos by Heather King Singh

Roots and Wires inna India!

2007-12-15T13:21:00.001-08:00

Greetings Musical Fans, Friends, and Extended Family,

Recent events in the World of Roots and Wire Sound Dimensional have unfolded in ways synchronistic and magical. A few weeks ago we were asked to perform at the Indian Electronic Music Festival in New Dehli on 21 December 2007. The opportunity to dig into our dub basket and play a set of our original productions alongside some exclusive tracks sent our way is an honor indeed.

A big thanks to Qasim, the festival organizer, for offering us the opportunity to play this gig.

So if you are going to be in New Delhi during the holidays make it a point to swing by and check Roots and Wires in action. The outernational audiovisual vibes of Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional will be present in full force. The festival venue details are as follows:

Venue: The 2007 Indian Electronica Festival: Delhi will be held at Kuki - a new spot located in Greater Kailash II.

Kuki
E 7, Greater Kailash II,
Masjid Moth Commercial Complex
Phone: 29225241

Kuki's website: http://www.kuki.in/

Tickets at the gate! Come early! Stay late! Roots and Wires will be hitting the stage at 11 PM so Don't be late.

While in Delhi we will be entering the studio to record with a number of Indian classical musicians including members of the Roots and Wires extended family, Kishu and Vishal Nagar. In typical Roots and Wires fashion we will also be documenting our journey with camera and video cameras in tow. Nuff magnificent audiovisual magic must rise! So fret not if you can’t bounce to India!!! 2008 should bring some more audio inventions, deep dubs, and visual trickery from the RWSD set and sound. Stay tuned and in touch whether you may hail from east, west, north, or south!

May this holiday season bring blessings to you and yours. A special musical message from Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional!

Peace,
Andy G and Special Agent K
Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional

Who Was Mr. Brown?

2007-08-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Link to 111 Minna Performance Audio Stream

I was recently invited to perform at a New Global Citizens fundraiser, sponsored by Alarm Magazine. The visual and aural artists were asked to give individual expression to a fantastical story of a coffin that was said to have floated through Kingston with three crows perched on top… Though there are several versions of this tale in reggae music, the most known is Bob Marley’s – “Who is Mr. Brown?” It’s been referred to as one of his “most memorable songs.” Perhaps we can understand some of it's popularity through a consideration of socioeconomic forces, but upon reading the 1970 news report from the “Jamaica Daily Gleaner,” it seemed to me that there was something deeper at work in the capacity of this story to fascinate. Let’s take the first few paragraphs of this news report as a launching point for our own depth psychological exploration:

Hundreds of curious persons chased through the streets of downtown Kingston yesterday. For the
Majority the object of their chase was both elusive and invisible.

With pedal cyclists setting a hot pace, hagglers, office clerks, and school children rampaged along
King Street, Orange Street, Beckford Street, invaded Tivoli Gardens, and then doubled back on
their route; all the while searching for a glimpse of the object. The chase was provided with added
fuel by the spate of fanciful and weird rumors.

The whole narrative has a feeling of the mysterious and the fantastical, a numinosity that makes it clear that there are deeper elements of psyche at work... It can be looked at as a dream in which all the elements are aspects of an individual psyche, or also at the level of the group or collective psyche. Viewed from a Jungian perspective, in either case there is something from within or beyond (chose your preferred metaphor here) seeking relation or emergence. How will we respond to the calling? The frenzied quality of chasing after this strange and mysterious object, seems to reflect an ambivalent curiousity and an existential yearning for the numinous and spiritual – a hunger for the otherworldly. The collective nature of the frenzy reminds me of a good soundsystem dance - being connected in individual and yet collective ways to something (and some process) that we often term spiritual...

Of course, this type of contact can also evoke dread (which is why I say "ambivalent curiousity"), as obvious in the next quote:

A policeman shot at it in Spanish Town, a rumor stated. He was immediately stricken and taken
to the Spanish Town Hospital in an unconscious condition. The Spanish Town Police denied that
any member of the Force in that town was so incapacitated.

It’s fascinating to see this arise in the narrative. This fearful shooting at the otherworldly is associated with a state of unconsciousness. If looked at as a dream, the shooting can be equated with attempts to repress - in part, because of the intense anxieties associated with the unknown. Rudolph Otto, in his "The Idea of the Holy," defines the numinosum as Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans - the mystery that not only fascinates, but also evokes dread and fear. As we know, we often try to destroy what we don't understand and what we fear. Yet, if we can't step up to it and into it, if the communication is repressed or ignored, consequences can follow, leading to or sustaining states of unconsciousness… If we look at Jung's recently published Red Book, we see the devastating consequences across Europe (during the World Wars) when the material in the personal and collective shadow was ignored. And we only have to open a newspaper or get online to see how the devastation emerging from unconsciousness continues across the globe through to the present...

Returning to the news report, it's interesting that it's a policeman that does the shooting. If we look at this "dream" in another way, we might also consider the police to symbolize something of the collective order that needs to be broken down, to allow space for new structure that is more congruent with the spirit of the times. This is like the myth of Osiris, Ra and Horus - where the old patriarchal order needs to be symbolically killed off in order for the new patriarchal principle (a new and more dynamic king principle) to be established. This is the potentially healthy impulse in rebellious energy (as Jungian Analyst Heinrich Karl Fierz says, the health versus dysfunction of this depends on whether we are trying to depose the Ra or Horus principle)...

The details of the elusive, mysterious object are also intriguing – it was reported as a coffin that either floated through town in mid-air, or rolled on three wheels. On top were perched three crows – in some versions, they were dressed in coats! This seems to accentuate the archetypal, trickster aspect often associated with crows. As well, from shamanic and Native American traditions, the crow is seen as the mediator between worlds (e.g. consciousness and the unconscious). Synchronistically, as I was preparing for the show – just the morning of the performance – I heard cawing and looked out over my laptop and midi controllers to see two large, black crows sitting on my fire escape. It was as if they had escaped from Mr. Marley's track and this blog piece into the world, flowing as ravens and crows do between worlds! The world as having qualities of dream is an interesting topic but for another time. I will say that the archetypal has a tendency to externalize at times, with the related phenomenon of synchronicity blurring the boundaries between internal and external, between dream/myth and so-called consensual reality… It's uncanny to see this unfold or emerge when I get into deeper processes with the patients in my psychotherapeutic practice. And back to the "dream" - the coffin image is also relevant. In alchemical treatises, where the goal was most deeply a process of transformation of cultivation of the lapis (philospher's stone) or the Alchemical gold (i.e. a living relation with our core nature - what Jung and vendantics call the "Self" or Atman), one important stage along the way was the nigredo which involved the dying off of older and relatively limited ways of being, perceiving and so on, in order to pave the way for a new and more whole or authentic relationship with oneself, others and the world...

(this image is from a 17th century Alchemical text depicted the Nigredo - note the presence of the raven/crow!)

Rewinding the story a bit, as I sat with this news report in Andy G’s echo chamber, the whole account seemed to come together as a contemporary fairy tale or myth. Starting with the mundane, ordinary state of consciousness. Then, the encounter with the Mystery – or psychologically, the encounter of the ego with the Self, or consciousness and the Unconscious. Next, an initial fear in relation to the encounter, as it shakes things up and breaks things down in a sort of symbolic dismemberment. Sometimes we don't have the ego-strength or right attitude to pass the initiatory trial (e.g. the policeman who shoots and is rendered unconscious) - leaving us with a failed initiation. And sometimes we do - see Jung's essay "Spirit Mercurius" - Alchemical Studies CW 13 - for another version of this myth and this theme. There’s an ensuing struggle and the process of potentially transformational contact between consciousness and soul, as the ego seeks to reconstitute itself in new relationship with the depths. In our composition for the event, we tried to capture some feeling of these dismembering-fragmenting processes by transitioning from slower, darker dub (Little Tempo’s “Boogie Man Walk”) to subsequent, more frenetic junglist riddims. Finally, when all goes well, there’s the reconstitution of a more integrated person/group/culture. When it doesn't go well, there's some form of psychosis - either literally or metaphorically...

The collective unconscious emerges in images. The most vivid images are found in popular culture. There is a compensatory aspect to this emergence from the shadows, with the goal being movement into a relatively more whole and integrated state of being - again at both personal and collective levels. Of course, this is always an ongoing process, rather than some final end state. Along these lines, there is the history of Jamaica as a former colony, largely composed of the descendents of former slaves. In the 1930’s, Marcus Garvey started the “Back to Africa” movement, echoed throughout roots reggae and reggae-influenced songs. This is another expression of yearning for the (breakdown and then re-) creation of a new, more empowered and authentic identity - here, one with more capacity for self-determination and with connection into a larger framework of roots and culture… We attempt to convey this sort of movement in the Aswad track “Back to Africa,” as well as a version by the Japanese band “Tokyo Reggae Clash.” This theme also continues with the classic Earl Sixteen track, “Going to Africa,” and concludes with the wicked Smith and Mighty version of Mudala Kunene's “Ubombo” that evokes a sense of trembling and quivering connection with one's deeper nature and power...

So enough of these meandering and words for now! Get cozy in your space, and click on the link below to hear the performance as played at 111 Minna on August 10, 2007 by the Special Agent K…

Link to 111 Minna Performance Audio Stream

Bass is Maternal: Rob Smith in the Sound Arena

2007-05-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

BASS IS MATERNAL: Rob Smith in the Sound Arena

BY ANDY G, Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional

“For me, dub is about the combinations and the omissions… hard and soft, rough and smooth, and also about the space in between sounds.”
~Rob Smith~

Music on my sound system in the here and now:

Smith & Mighty’s first full-length album, BASS IS MATERNAL.

With each pulse, each hi-hat rewound and rerubbed, each sliver of keyboard omitted and reintroduced in between the constant heartbeat of a dubwise bassline, the boundary between me and the sub-frequencies entering my ears and body is diminished. I have entered an all-encompassing womb of sound…BASS IS MATERNAL. WHEN IT IS LOUD I FEEL SAFER…Believe…

In the realm of sounds and blues, Rob Smith, founding member of Bristol beat makers Smith & Mighty, Blue & Red, and More Rockers reigns supreme. Born out of the rich musical firmament of the early 1980s Bristol U.K. scene, Rob Smith cultivated his now distinctive sound through endless experimentation with old reel-to-reel tape recorders. Slowly but surely, Rob began making loops and playing sounds through echo pedals.

Given the dub reggae foundation on which his sound has been forged it is no surprise that Rob also cultivated his skills by playing rhythm guitar for early Bristol reggae band, Restriction. During this time his band shared the stage in support of many a roots reggae stalwart. He did the Rasta Serenade along side Aswad. He did the Herbsman Hustle on the same bill as Sugar Minott. He recorded for the mighty Mad Professor at Ariwa Studios.

All the while Rob soaked in the vibes of roots reggae sound systems: Jah Shaka, Jah Tubbys, too many to mention. Dub like dirt. Musical dispensation. Heartical revelation.

Around 1985 he met up with Ray Mighty. On discovering that they had a similar interest in synchronizing beat machines, synths and sound effects, the untrained pair began producing their own sound based on hip hop beats, dub reggae treatments and sixties melodies. Smith & Mighty was born.

In late 1987, on their own Three Stripe Records label, Smith & Mighty produced and released ‘Anyone,’ a bass driven cover version of Burt Bacharachs ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart.’ After their follow up underground hit ‘Walk On By,’ the pair took on a string of productions including Massive Attack’s debut single ’Any Love’, and top ten hit ’Wishing on a Star’ for The Fresh Four who’s members included the young DJ’s Krust and Suv. Since those heady days Smith & Mighty have released three albums, the aforementioned "Bass is Maternal," "Big World, Small World," and "Life is..." as well as contributing to K!7 record's longstanding "DJ Kicks" series.

I was first exposed to the revelatory sounds of Rob Smith’s productions via the foundational drum & bass junglist “Dubplate Selection: Volume 1.” Released on Smith and company’s very own MRR (More Rockers Records) imprint, “Dubplate Selection: Volume 1” represents one of the finest mixes of wicked ragga junglist basslines, atmospheric and soulful lyrics, and tough-like-lead dubwise reggae samples. When a tune like “Selector,” with its Jah Tubby’s sample hits one’s ears the debate need not continue. “Selector him good. Selector him Wise.” More Rockers runs proper junglist vibes. Unsurprisingly, Smith has carried the More Rockers sound far and wide with Volume 2 of the series coming on Select Cuts Records out of Germany and Volume 3 featured on Japanese imprint Rush Productions. Also not to be missed is the compilation "Select Cuts From More Rockers 12 Inch Selection," a set of dub, drum & bass cuts originally released as singles on the MRR label.

The next brick that the builders of pop culture refused but that caught my curious ear, the mid-1990s underground and shamelessly overlooked digital roots masterpiece from Rob Smith collaborators Henry & Louis entitled “Rudiments,” brought me deeper into Smith’s sonic fold. Whereas Smith & Mighty’s soul inflected, dub inspired breakbeats and More Rockers dubwise jungle meet somewhere between a Jah Shaka session at Digwall’s and a Soul II Soul dance at the Africa Centre, Henry & Louis is pure roots dub tailored for those that champion the next generation UK digital roots reggae sounds such as Manasseh, Iration Steppas, and Aba Shanti I. Seek this one out at all costs. One for the steppers crew.

Born out of the same collaboration, Rob Smith/Blue & Red and Henry & Louis released “Time Will Tell” on the now sadly defunct Portland based BSI records in the early 2000s. Once again, roots reggae was the sonic glue. Recorded in both Jamaica and the U.K., “Time Will Tell” was another digital roots scorcher replete with guest vocalists such as Johnny Clarke, Tony Tuff, Willi Williams, and Tippa Irie. Keeping up his strong connection to the Japanese dub/reggae/breakbeat scene Smith released the dub companion to “Time Will Tell” on the Japanese Rush Productions imprint.

More recently, Rob’s passion for bass and dub treatments has been evident on his solo album projects ’Up On The Downs’ and ’In One Way Or Another.’ Continuing in the same vein as Smith & Mighty, these two full-length sets represent a mix of breakbeat, dub, soul, and hip-hop.

Year 2007 has seen Rob unsurprisingly moving from strength to strength. So far this year Rob has released two breakbeat dub twelve inch singles on the Functional label entitled ‘Give Love’ and ‘Loveage.’ Likewise, he has entered the dubstep realm via the new Bristol dubstep label Punch Drunk. This time, working under the nom de beat, RSD, the tunes ‘Dub Corner’ and ‘Pretty Bright Light’ are serious entries into the “Best of 2007” category. Never one to rest long, Rob will also be releasing a new heavyweight dub track named ’Kingfisher’ on Earwax along with ‘Firewall’ on the Dub Related imprint. Rob is also busy making remixes for UK digital roots crew Zion Train, UB40, and Japanese outfits Antennasia and Rub-A-Dub Market.

Currently deejaying all over the globe from London’s ‘Fabric’ to Tokyo’s ’Club Yellow’, Rob drops a combination of reggae, breaks, dub step and drum and bass. He will also be playing guitar with Bristol ten-piece band Dub From Atlantis at this year's Glastonbury Festival. The long standing UK festival will also see him once again join with Ray Mighty as one-half of Smith & Mighty.

…But hold tight… Before you start booking your flights for Europe’s premiere summer music fest you can see the mighty Rob Smith live in his first San Francisco appearance in over five years.

The STATELESS crew (Michael K, Andy G, and Special Agent K) are proud to present Rob Smith at the Rickshaw Stop on June 8th. Featured along side Rob Smith will be The Worker and Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional dropping the very best in outernational beats. Check this link for more info. Reach early. Stay late. Miss it at your own peril.

STATELESS @ Rickshaw Stop V. 1.2

2007-03-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Men and Women, Young and Old…All of them are ready for Chapter Two of the Stateless crew’s run at the mighty Rickshaw Stop coming this Saturday, March 10^th.

Hot off the heals of our successful party featuring Stateless stalwarts Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional and the Worker along side SF favorites, Lemonade, and Rio’s Magabo, Chapter two only increases the heat as we move into the spring months.

This time around we have very special guests and Soot Records recording artists DJ Rupture and Filastine.

Barcelona based, DJ Rupture will be bringing his trademark sonic clash of global beats mashed up inna 3-turntable fashion. Audio alchemy through a 21^st century filter!

Filastine, in his second performance at a Stateless event, will be dropping his politically charged sounds siphoned through a laptop and stitched together with hip-hop backbone and live percussion. Postworld sonic grit aimed straight at the World Bank’s head!

…And just in case you thought it ended there, Roots and Wires will be playing their trademark blend of original productions and outernational beats from dubstep to UK steppers. Of course, Special Agent K and Andy G will be running it all through their wide array of sound banks, effects units, and secret sonic weapons inna dubwise fashion! Roots and Wires’ highly individual take on visuals will also be omnipresent throughout the night…So open your eyes and ears for the sounds and sights of the Roots and Wires!

Rounding off the bill will be the Worker with his always tight and tip-top minimal house, ragga breaks, and international hip-hop vibes.

As always reach early and stay late for this musical dispensation meant to rock the nations!

For more information check these links:

www.rootsandwires.com
www.myspace.com/stateless

Serious Sonic Pressure a Gwaan!

2007-02-18T13:05:00.001-08:00

Attention all music lovers…

Thank you for the massive attendance at our inaugural Rickshaw Stop event. Maga Bo (from Brazil) and Ustaad Vishal Nagar (from New Delhi, India), alongside the Worker and resident soundsystem Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional, dropped some serious sounds that night... It was a truly outernational event. There were 500+ people and such warm, sweaty and beautiful vibes that night. People were even moved to tears at certain sonic moments and quite a few told us it was one of the best events they had been to in some time - I kid you not!

You can see some video footage of our set, with Tabla Virtuoso Ustaad Vishal Nagar dropping vicious tabla bhols over original Indian Classical Dubstep, at our myspace site:

www.myspace.com/rootsandwires

The next STATELESS will be even more massive, but first:

This Friday night all roads lead to Madrone Lounge (500 Divisadero at Fell).

Six Degrees records presents Casa De Degrees: A Night of International Music featuring Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional dropping tunes hotter than lava and heavier than lead. Your auditory nerve will be blessed with original digital dubplates produced in the firmament of the Roots and Wires studio as well as a serious selection of roots reggae, dub, dubstep, junglist rhythms, and beyond.

Roots and Wires….Serious Dubwise Pressure….Seen?

Featured along side Roots and Wires will be The Worker (Stateless, Six Degrees) serving up International hip-hop, hard-hitting Brazilian beats, and global techno sounds.

Reach Early! Stay Late!

And, just in case you haven’t been taking your recommended daily dose of sonic vitamins you can mark your calendars early for the next chapter of STATELESS at the RICKSHAW STOP. Coming up March 10th the STATELESS crew will once again be bringing in a unique blend of sonic sculptors and knob twisters for an outernational sound conference.

This time around, DJ Rupture and Filastine, two premier beat blenders from the SOOT record label, will be blessing SF with their transnational mash ups and jarring effects.

As usual, Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional and the Worker will be holding down the foundation and turning the tastemakers’ heads with a unique set of sounds unlike any other club night in San Francisco. Believe.

Warmly,
andy g & the special agent k
http://www.rootsandwires.com/
www.myspace.com/rootsandwires

The Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional - Stepping Forward into the New Year!!!

2006-12-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

With year 2007 around the bend Andy G along side the Special Agent K have been deeply immersed in the Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional Audiovisual Laboratory. We have just completed our new logo and updated our website. We've been working on new musical matters which are getting airplay across the globe, via digital dubplates. To top it all off, we have been gearing up for an exciting year of STATELESS.

Our first event of the new year will be 1.12.07 at the Rickshaw Stop. Topping the bill is Rio's rising underground star Maga Bo (Soot Records). Maga will be mashing it up with borderless beats - from Capoiera to Drum & Bass and beyond.

The Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional will be dubbing tabla virtuoso (from New Delhi, India) Ustaad Vishal Nagar over fierce original dubstep productions and ragga jungle riddims inna raw session style!

San Francisco band, Lemonade, will be playing their own brand of experimental punk sounds that sit somewhere between the sounds of CAN and Tropicalia.

Rounding it out will be the mighty Worker with a dancefloor ready set of tasty selections.

It will be massive no doubt.

Finally, in case you have not peeped it yet make sure you check the new Roots and Wires website:

www.rootsandwires.com

More content soon come.

On the Blog sides, Special Agent K will soon be breaking down the origins and archetypal significance of the labyrinth and the squared mandala which have been incorporated into our new logo:

So sit tight, listen, and look keenly as Roots and Wires Sound Dimensional high steps it into the future 2007 style!

The Stateless Pounding System - 9/30/2006

2006-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Sun was just dipping under the tree line of Golden Gate Park. 6:00 PM, Saturday 30 September 2006. Darkness would soon descend over San Francisco City and yet another chapter of “Stateless” would unfold deep in the Mission at Club Amnesia. As I walked down the way premonitions of sounds filtered through my sonic mind’s eye…Blink forward…Sound check…1, 2, 1, 2…Just right? Maybe not, but no reason to fuss and fight. Just sip a whiskey and let the stress digress and the night progress…

And progress it did. This particular evening of sonics went down in serious fashion. Marking his first appearance at “Stateless” was DJ Vanka. The Belgian born Vanka dropped some serious Afro-Beat-Brazil-Poly-Rhythmic-future funk that reached a boiling point by the end of his two hour set. Having never reached his legendary “Misturada” sessions at Club Six, his aura preceded him in my eyes. I, along with the bubbling Amnesia masses, no doubt were fully engaged by Vanka’s set. Big. If you ever see that he is playing in your neighborhood, check him out! You won’t be disappointed.

By the time Vanka was done, the warm glow of Amnesia was burning just right. Next up was the “Stateless” foundation, the man that holds it all down, the Worker. The big beat pieces of plastic selected by the Worker bounced from rough ragga-tinged breakbeats to full force techno. The Worker rode the energy Vanka laid out early on and pushed it up a notch even so.

In keeping with the “Stateless” mission, the night switched it up to a live vibe. The Wailing Junktet, a Brazilian influenced drum ensemble pounded some serious poly-rhythms that landed somewhere between São Paulo, San Francisco, and a stateless commune run by Orishas from outer space. Echoes of DJ Vanka’s set took on a live presence through this very talented ensemble. Kinetic and propulsive to the core.

Check an audio clip here:

link

Closing out the night was Roots and Wire Hi-Fi. Our set ran the gamut from vintage dubwise evergreens from the Tubby’s, Bullwackies, and Yabby You stables on through uptempo ragga jungle tunes and two blazing Roots and Wires exclusive dubplates with production by Special Agent K.

You can check our set here:

link

A big thanks goes out to Amnesia and especially Ben who did double duty as sound man and bartender. No easy task given that the club was corked with dancing bodies working up a healthy thirst.

So hold tight until the next “Stateless” storm comes your way. If you missed this time, make sure you reach next time.

Peace,

Andy G

Roots and Wires Hi-Fi

Stateless - 8/25/06 - Grey Filastine Meets the Roots and Wires Hi-Fi!

2006-08-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

first off, we've finally joined in on the myspace thing:

http://www.myspace.com/rootsandwires

it's still sparse and basic, but does host initial drafts of some of my own works in progress...

thanks to all that came out to last month's stateless. this was a serious soundclash - stateless sound meets the roots and wires hi-fi - featuring the special agent k and andy g (roots and wires hi-fi) and the worker (stateless, six degrees), dropping some wicked tunes... andy g and i closed out the night with some thundering UK steppers and soulful roots and dubwise sounds for an appreciative dancefloor, who were whistling and hollering for more. i really enjoyed my debut with the video manipulation as well - this will continue forward with stateless episode 8...

so please mark your calenders for STATELESS, this august 25th (friday) at amnesia (voted best dive bar in the bay guardian) in san francisco's mission district (853 valencia, between 19th and 20th) starting at 9 PM and continuing until 2 AM. for this next event, we return to our model of guest dj, resident soundsystem, and live act. for our live act, we will be flying in grey filastine from seattle, to debut material off his new album... grey will be playing a live set and will be featuring music off his recent release on DJ rupture's soot records. the album has already been receiving top ranking reviews:

"filled with both with jagged edges and moments of sad sweetness... Burn It is sure to win fans across multiple scenes" - XLR8R

"worldly field recordings, sound collages and electro burners line a tracklist with concealed explosives that loom in the splitting beats and impending ruin of cuts... promising paranoid sleeplessness for all in earshot" - Remix Magazine

'It’s a news clip you can dance to, a “report from the frontlines” given a beat'... a distinctly inclusive style of music" - PopMatters

"reminiscent of the murky drama of Ninja Tuners like Amon Tobin and DJ Food, and throughout the album the lines between live performed contributions and meticulously contextualized samples is slurred and burnt... feels like a thrillingly tense interaction between these ideological factors and the gold-toothed, whip-riding luxury of hiphop culture" - The Stranger

"easily one of the best records that will be released this year, electronic or otherwise... a thinking-man’s record, assembled by the thinking-man’s DJ" - Slug Magazine

"This is grit. This is raw. This is...actually...a bit spooky... One of the more interesting releases to land on our desks in quite a while." - Kotori Magazine

"a hypnotic variety of both sequenced and live percussion. Murky hip-hop beats melt into rapid tabla workouts and then further transform into intricate patterns... a musical tincture that’s simultaneously aggressive and lovely" - Missoula Independent

wow - some serious soundbwoy business! the night will start out with guest dj cyan, who will drop a downtempo, dubwise, and dubstep set. the worker will follow and drop his mix of microhouse, electro and ragga breaks, as well as other outernational sounds. headliner grey filastine will play next. finally, the roots and wires sound will close off the night, with the special agent k and andy g manning the turntables, laptops, dubwise sirens and effects units, analogue delays, melodica, and perhaps even some tabla. also, prepare for more original dubplates from the special agent k - steppers, dubstep and drum and bass meets sarod, sarangi and classical indian vocals... so please join us for a night of bass heavy, diverse and eclectic sounds, spanning roots, lover's rock, dub, dubstep, UK steppers, electro, asian underground, bhangra, old school bollywood, ragga jungle and drum and bass, with a touch of baile funk and afrojazz...

My Operator, My Selector: White Mice in the Area

2006-08-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

As Khenu a.k.a. the doctor, and many others, well know there are very few conversations about music in which I do not utter the words “Roots,” “Steppers,” “Shaka,” or some such dubwise variation. So keeping with form, I have to give my 100% Roots and Wires sound-dimensional props to the basic channel crew for their hotly anticipated recent reissue of four purely wicked 7” singles.

All serious selectors take note: These singles from the mid-eighties Jamaican singer White Mice are pure worries. The Basic Channel site tells the story so:

“Born in 1970, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Allan Crichton aka White Mice is a graduate of three sound systems - Sugar Minott’s Youthman Promotion, Jammy’s Hi Power, and his hometown Ticka Muzik. His first break came at Sun Splash in 1985, when he and Little Kirk were called on stage to perform with Tenor Saw. Recording at King Jammy’s and Channel One studios, with Junior Delgado at the controls, over next the few years Mice let off a series of records amongst the very deadliest of digital reggae - nearly all on his brother Blemo’s Intellitec imprint, out of Miami…”

The four singles that make up this particular brace of White Mice tunes are “It’s A Shame,” “Try a Thing,” “Youths of Today,” and “Tallawah.” Each one is a slice of serious mid-80s computer riddimized roots. Like Little Kirk’s “Ghetto People Broke” from the same era, these singles retrospectively bridge the gap between the anachronistic roots-steppers vibe of the 70s and the nascent UK digital roots that was soon to give birth via such artists as Dred and Fred from the Jah Shaka stable and Nick Manasseh/Sound Iration via the Mr. Modo imprint.

I first heard White Mice’s minor-key digital classic “Youths of Today” on a Jah Shaka sound tape from around 1986. With Shaka chanting over the dub I was hooked. Since that time, the mythology around these White Mice singles only increased as my luck in finding them hopelessly decreased. Soon come…

About a month ago, I received the four singles in a printed white paper bag. Crisp, solid pressings ready made for pushing bass bins in a dance. They have been rotating on and off my turntable ever since.

“It’s Shame” starts with a wicked digital drum roll before White Mice wails “Oh it’s a

shame, oh it’s a shame to see my brother’s blood running down the drain….” From there White Mice licks lyrical shots at world leaders that build nuclear weapons to ghetto youths that kill one another. Sub-bass lines rumble under the propulsive digital riddim. The version accentuates the snapping snare in counterpoint to the rolling bass line. “Oh it’s a shaaaa…..mmeeee” echoes out, guitar and keyboard licks bounce around the echo chamber in fine fashion.

“Try a Thing” is a 4/4 mid-paced marching stepper with the Mice once again singing lyrics dedicated to all those sufferahs trying get by in the ghetto – “Just try a thing… Brother and Sister try a thing…” The guitar evokes Black Uhuru circa “Red.” The version on the flip, is proficient if a bit unadventurous. The kick drum and staccato guitar dominate with snare shots echoing in and out alongside shards of White Mice vocals.

“Youths of Today” is the tune that brought me to White Mice in the first place. It is, to my mind, the centerpiece in this serious brace of reissue 45s. “So the youths of today will be the man of tomorrow, but when your old and getting grey…and we are the youths gonna lead the way… and try and try youth to get a bly…” The riddim on this one hits harder than hot iron to anvil. The drums move back and forth from full-fledged digital roots riddim to pared down kick-kick-snare dancehall roughness. The dub version begins with an unorthodox skipping echoed shard of White Mice vocals before the strident riddim kicks in. From there out it is dubwise marching time.

“Talawah” in Jamaican parlance means sturdy and strong. On “Talawah,” White Mice comes in a strong fashion. Over top of yet another blistering minor-key steppers, the Mice warns all upstarts not to judge a book by its cover. By this point, they should know White Mice a come in “Talawah.” The version is a rudimentary dub unhindered by major studio trickery. The marching riddim is given space to breath. Time to clear out the living room and start stepping.

So once again the reissue folks at basic channel/basic replay come with pure sound quality. For all folks interested in a few 7" singles of serious minor-key mid-80s digital roots reggae these White Mice tunes are for you. Check them and support the labels that tread the lonely waters of diminishing record sales to uncover beautiful music such as this.

In coming installments of the Roots and Wires blog I am going to highlight more of my favorite recent roots-dubwise reissues. Likewise, in the coming months make sure to stay tuned to these pages as Roots and Wires Hi-Fi spreads the word in the San Francisco-Bay Area and beyond.

Peace,
Andy G, Roots and Wires Hi-Fi

Stateless Six Month Anniversary - Photos & Audio

2006-07-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a nice, deeply synchronistic flow during these first 48 hours in Seattle, my first return to the Pacific Northwest in three years... I'm taking off tommorrow early morning for a four day backpacking trip into the "Enchanted Valley," in the Olympic National Park, and pretty excited about this (as long as I don't get mauled by bears).

Thanks to everyone who came and made a special six month anniversary of Stateless... Our two live acts were great, a nice contrast to one another. Micropixie was ethereal, dreamy and wonderful. MC Rai producer Jeff Stott composed some amazing beats, played oud, and had two guest percussionists.

Check it for yourself and post some comments:

Micropixie Set

stream (pending)

Embarka Soundsystem Set

stream

Special Agent K Set

set one (check out the electro set!)

stream

playlist:

punjabi mc - jogi

asha bhosle - chura liya (from yaadon ki baaraat 1973)

special agent k feat. kishu nagar (vocal) and preetam ghosal (sarod) - dubstep 13

e.m.s. - close encounters

freezie freekie - flow (with an original recording of ghanshyam sisodia on sarangi mixed in)

errol davis - path i have taken

irration steppas - rasta headquarters

irration steppas - revelations dub

irration steppas - rejection remix

special agent k feat kishu nagar (vocals), preetam ghosal (sarod), ghanshyam sisodia (sarangi) - classical roller

set two (some ragga jungle in this one!)

stream

playlist:

navdeep - amrit

bally sagoo - tum bin jina (strobe's drum and bass remix)

andy c and dj hype - potential bad bwoy

congo natty feat. top cat - over u body

chopstick dubplate feat. general pecos - got the lovin'

mighty three's - nearer to dub

The Worker Set

stream (pending)

Ok, there's more audio to come soon...

Peace,

khenu

Outernational Travels through the realms of pounding Percussion

2006-07-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

The early hours of June 22nd saw my brother and I make our way to LAX on course to catch a flight to Toronto, Ontario. My recollections of this great metropolis were informed by the bitter winter I experienced there in January 1997 so I was looking forward to landing during the summer. June, no doubt, would be a mellower affair. What was not mellow was the security we had to navigate as we checked in at the desks of El Al, the national airline of Israel. The tension was palpable as security eyed our passports intensely. They peppered us with questions pertaining to our intent to carry nefarious cargo aboard. The experience offered a brief window into the negative human costs of the perpetual Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ironically, the history of diasporic displacements experienced by the Jewish and Palestinian peoples would find parallels in our outernational travel through the realms of pounding percussion.

Our central reason for journeying to Canada was to attend a two-day percussion retreat outside of Toronto co-sponsored by the wonderful people of the Tanglefoot Lodge and Mountain Rythym drums. The Tanglefoot Lodge is part yoga studio and part retreat house run by Russ and Nicky Hazard. Nestled in the woods Northeast of Toronto, the lodge made for the perfect zone to commune with nature and the nature of sound. These two know how to run a retreat space. Their tranquil and positive vibe was apparent in all of they did during the weekend. The vegetarian meals they cooked were some of the best I have ever experienced. Ital and pure! I highly recommend checking their website and definitely encourage one and all to visit them.

The other sponsor, Mountain Rythyms, is one of the premier makers of high quality hand percussion. They innovated the “simple twist” tuning system. For anyone who has tried tuning or retightening an old style Djembe this system is a godsend. Mountain Rythyms very own resident percussionist and teacher Ray Dillard, along with Russ, created a two-day introduction to “rhythmic teachings from around the world.” Entitled “Rhythms of the World”.

As the lattice of coincidence would have it, Ray is originally from Texas. Fresh from leaving Houston for San Francisco, I could only smile when he told me. Mirroring Khenu’s previous posts, the synchronistic moments that mark beginnings and ends; births and rebirths never ceases to amaze. While living in the Lone Star state Ray spent much of his time as a member of the Music and Audio Engineering faculty at San Jacinto College Central in Houston. He spent three years studying tabla in India. He has studied and played in Cuba. He has toured throughout Europe. He can jump from a Samba to an Indian Tal before he ends with a Cuban Clave. More importantly, he can teach it. Ray’s ability to convey his knowledge and passion for rhythm makes me wish I knew him ten years ago. I would be much further along in my own musical journey no doubt.

Outside of Ray, the organizers brought in two other superb instructors. Along with being an instructor at Humber College of Music, Rick Lazar is the creator and artistic director behind Samba Squad, one of Toronto’s main Samba schools. Rick was a seriously feisty cat. He had twenty people who had never met and even some complete novices like my brother and I playing serious samba in unison. The sound we created rivaled the sonic dominance one hears in a sound system dance. Our ears were pounding after Rick’s session on the seminar’s first night.

The following day Andy Morris connected the diasporic dots from Brazil back to Africa. He dedicated his session to various aspects of Ghanaian drumming. As would become a theme throughout the weekend, there were numerous points of overlap; a kind of sameness within differentiation that penetrated through the various sessions. Rick’s Afro-Brazilian lessons bled seamlessly into Andy’s discussion of West African traditions. The West African session provided a kind of centeral axis around which the other African diasporic traditions coalesced. Moving out of Andy’s session into Ray’s lesson on Afro-Cuban percussion gave one the sense of a resonant connection between the rhythmic patterns we were playing and their historical roots in the forced dispersal of African-descended peoples.

The serious mental work came when Ray broke down the some of the most common Tals in Indian music. As Ray states, “Tabla repertoire is traditionally taught orally, so no standardized notation exists.” This lack of a written musical nomenclature presents many difficulties for most western-trained musicians. Indian classical music’s eschewing of 4/4 time in favor of 7,10, or 16 beat measures, to name just a few possibilities, also had many of the participant’s looped. Asian massive cut-and-paste tabla this was not.

More could be said about all of the nuances present in the various percussive forms we experienced over the weekend. Suffice it to say, throughout the two days I was trying to work out basslines in my head that might fit over top some of the rhythms presented. With the unfolding and always synchronistic flows of the roots and wires I have no doubt that new rhythmic and musical discoveries will unfold in a home studio or two somewhere in the city of San Francisco…They will no doubt be partially influenced by my experiences over this weekend in the rolling hills northeast of Toronto…stay tuned

...But before I go let me give one last shout out to all the crew of the Tanglefoot Lodge and Mountain Rythym not to mention all of the great warm and welcoming Canadians that we met at the seminar and while wandering the streets of Toronto. Big up to the Canadian crew...

Endings and Beginnings

2006-06-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

I might brave potential moments of dripping wax, to check out Jah Shaka at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival this Friday. I’m expecting a different experience than when I last checked him at the Africana Center in London, in the mid-90’s. It was such a powerful experience then to see, hear and feel the "mighty zulu warrior's" sound – especially that feeling of his mighty tube-powered soundsystem thundering in my chest…

Transition and synchronicity have been strong in the air. I was at Maneesh the Twister's wedding last weekend, witness to the creation of a wonderful union. The next morning, while still in San Diego, we learned that my wife's grandmother had transitioned into the Mystery. Of all days, the funeral happened to be the same day as my entrance into the San Francisco Jung Institute, as a preliminary psychoanalytic candidate… So beginnings, endings, and beginnings again…

On another note - the last Stateless was wicked – mad props to Kush Arora for a next-step ragga-bhangra set! Friday, June 30, we will return to Amnesia (b/w 19th and 20th on Valencia, in SF's Mission) with our six month anniversary of Stateless. This should be an extra special event – first off, we have two amazing headliners. Micropixie will be playing with a live tabla player. Then, Jeff Stott, MC Rai producer and founder of Embarka Records, will be performing beats and oud, with a violinist and arabic percussion. Michael (The Worker) and I (Special Agent K) will be dropping opening and closing sets - spinning roots, dub, bhangra, outernational breaks and jungle, afrojazz, dancehall, dubstep and so on... I'll be doing my usual soundsystem business, with siren unit and analogue delays. I’m also planning on dropping some dubplates of original south asian dubstep and drum and bass. Finally, we will have visual art by Sue C. and live visuals by Yasi (Flaming Lotus Girls). Make sure and check it!

Stateless - Come Again!

2006-05-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Join us for the fifth Stateless this friday, May 26th. Our featured guest will be Kush Arora, a talented Bay Area producer and multi-instrumentalist who has been blowing up recently. One testament to this includes a b-side track on an upcoming Alpha and Omega release - featuring Juakali...

Check out this special dub - an exclusive to the roots and wires hi-fi:

audio stream

Kush's unique sound draws together Punjabi and Jamaican elements, with fierce programming and Kush on tumbi, algoze, double flutes, melodica, and percussion (as well as multiple other guest instrumentalists and vocalists)... On this particular track, Kush collaborates with MC Daddy Frank - Kingston meets Jalandhar dubwise!

Resident DJ's The Worker (Six Degrees, Stateless) and special agent k (Roots and Wires Hi-Fi, Stateless) will also drop extended sets. Expect some roots, dub and lover's rock from me early on, some afrojazz somewhere in the middle, and some dubstep and drum and bass as the night gets thick and sweaty...

A little further away is our 6-month anniversary - this Stateless will be an extra-special one... We will be featuring two live acts: Micropixie and Jeff Stott, founder of Embarka Records... We will also have video art from Sue Costabile, a photographer and video artist who works with a combination of analog and digital processes, doing "live improvisational video performances using a custom built system in the max/msp/jitter software environment"...

Hopefully I will also have my tablatronix setup in effect by then as well...

Coming back to the present, please join us this friday, May 26th, at Amnesia (853 Valencia, between 19th and 20th in SF's Mission District). The event starts at 9PM and goes until 2AM. The cover is only $5...

Stateless - 4/28/06 - Photos and Audio!

2006-05-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

Mad respect to Tim Barsky, for playing an amazing battle-flute set! It was one of those nights filled with many memorable and even moving moments... At the end of the evening, Tim and I were outside chatting about sound and mysticism (check out Hazrat Inayat Khan's "The Mysticism of Sound and Music"), as well as some particular cross-cultural instances of sound and healing (check out "Dancing Prophets: Musical Experiences in Tumbuka Healing"), while The Worker was dropping a solid set inside the warm, cozy walls of Amnesia. While we were chatting, a woman approached Tim and told him that he had "made their evening." She even jokingly added that if they ever decided to become groupies, they would be his! It was a sweet moment and just nice to see people enjoying the night's sounds... Hopefully the sonic dialogues will continue, with indian classical meets beatboxing collaborations to come later this year - keep tuned...

In the meantime, here are links to the evening's music:

(1) Tomas (XLR8R, Votage Music) - audio stream pending

(2) Special Agent K (Stateless, Roots and Wires Hi-Fi) - stream set

-there are some technical glitches (including a sound guy that dropped the levels a few times during my set), but I'm pretty happy with it otherwise. check out the second track for some original, digi-dubplate pressure (but also still a work in progress)...

i'll have the playlist up soon...

(3) Tim Barsky - stream set

(4) The Worker - audio stream pending

We'll be coming at you with Stateless 5 this May 26th, again a friday at Amnesia. Our live performer for the night will be Kush Arora - bringing his unique and edgy original dubwise, bhangra productions... I'll also be unleashing some more dubplate pressure - classical indian sarangi and sarod cradled in some fierce junglist breakbeats. We're also hoping to get some visual artists on board... It just keeps on getting bigger!

Stateless - Rewind Selecta!

2006-04-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the made it out to the last Stateless (a part of Dhamaal's Sights and Sounds Festival) - Amnesia was once again packed with thick sonics and a diverse crowd of revelers and music afficiandos. MC Rai played a beautiful arabic set and the DJ crew (Radiohiro and DJ Warp) from Chicago was solid... We'll be steppin' forward with the fourth episode of Stateless on Friday April 28, again at Amnesia. This go round will feature this following line-up:

Tomas (XLR8R) will open the night with dubwise and minimal techno sounds...

Special Agent K (Roots and Wires Hi-Fi, Stateless) will drop a set of diverse sounds, spanning from bhangra, ragga breaks, asian massive to drum and bass - all with his live dubwise samples, sirens, and effects... He might even bring his tabla/MIDI controller setup which he has been developing...

Tim Barsky is our featured live act. He's self-described as a story teller, folk-historian, and battleflutist, he will bring his combination of hip-hop, street theatre, and Jewish folklore to Amnesia on Friday April 28th. He beatboxes, scratches, manipulates beats, drops classics with the aesthetic of a battle DJ while integrating it into the flute... You folks have seriously got to check him out... You can check out some samples of this and his other projects at his website.

D Wurker (Six Degrees, Stateless) will close out the night with his ecletic sounds - from breaks to baile funk...

We have good things in store for you this next year, so make sure you come out and represent!

Psychoanalysis Meets the Inner City

2006-03-22T00:08:00.000-08:00

Big up to Roots and Wires Hi-Fi selector Andy G for a wicked set of UK Roots - make sure you check it out (see the link below)!

This saturday, March 25th, Six Degrees Records and Roots and Wires Hi-Fi bring you the third round of Stateless. I'll be out of town, so won't be dropping my dubwise antics, but the lineup looks stellar:

MC Rai performing live with Jef Stott (Embarka Records) and Omar Fadel...

Guest dj's from Chicago's 'Bombay Beatbox' crew: Warp and Radiohiro

and a dj set from resident dj, D. Wurker

"Psychoanalysis Meets the Inner City," refers to a UCSF Department of Psychiatry event I've organized. This thursday, March 23rd, there will be a special two-part presentation and clinical case conference at the San Francisco General Hospital - "Psychoanalysis Meets the Inner City." Neil Altman, author of "The Analyst in the Inner City: Race, Class and Culture Through a Psychoanalytic Lens," and co-editor of "Psychoanalytic Dialogues: a Journal of Relational Perspectives" (a major journal for contemporary psychoanalysis), will be visiting from New York City to speak on the value of modern psychoanalytic perspectives in public-sector work. The lunch and evening events will be open to providers and trainees throughout the city, so send me an e-mail @ bruceleehifi@hotmail.com if you're interested in checking it out...

The emphasis will be on the value of contemporary psychoanalysis in inner city work - let me paraphrase some perspectives from Dr. Altman's book:

Classical psychoanalysis emphasized the need for analytic anonymity and abstention from action, which isn't really possible in most public sector settings where there are multiple domains in which the therapist needs to be more active. For example, the therapist often also provides active case-management functions such as working towards housing and government entitlements (such as SSI). These far from neutral actions would have been considered incompatible with a classical psychoanalytic approach, but are not incompatible when the analyst's subjectivity and presence are acknowledged and revisioned in the contemporary, relational psychoanalytic frame.

The classical criteria for "analyzability" often excluded most patients served in the public sector, since there was an emphasis on the capacity to tolerate frustration and on verbal intelligence. Relational or intersubjective psychoanalysis, focuses more on the capacity to utilize relationship, so this opens up new and less exclusionary possibilities for "analyzability."

In intensive case management programs, case managers often visit patients in their environment, which can intensely pull for enactments of object-relations related to early attachment figures. Thus "case managers may appear to their patients as omnipotent rescuers, controlling and punitive intruders, potential rapists, lovers, friends and so on." Contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives can help make sense of these enactments and the various countertransference/transference manifestations that can arise. This is one example in which these perspectives are useful clinically in the public sector, even outside of psychoanalytically informed individual psychotherapy...

Classical psychoanalysis has been described as a "one-person psychology," where the analyst was a considered a blank slate for the patient's transference projections. This gradually developed into what has been referred to as a "two-person psychology," where the analyst is acknowledged as a subjective being with his own presence in the relational field. Finally, in a "three-person psychology, " the "third," refers to the systems and sociocultural context in which the therapeutic dyad is embedded, allowing us to more reflexively take into account things such as race, class, and subculture/culture...

... As I write this a Heptones song ("World") comes to mind, bringing us back to roots music:

World, for everyone…
But somethings are shared only by some…

... And we'll leave this post with some words, a fitting invition of sorts, from Aswad ("Pass the Cup"):

And yes my friend I know it's not hard to see,
What's good for you is so good for me...
Pass the cup,
Pass the cup,
You let it touch your very very soul,
Pass the cup I beg you, pass the cup around from one to another...

2006-03-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

Respect to all who listened. Here is the play list and the link for those interested in a stream. Should be up for about two weeks. I'll try to get it permanent on my site.

Respect the UK roots legacy...everytime...

http://archive.kpft.org

Just scroll down to "Music Beyond Borders: Tuesday, March 21, 2006, 4 am" and forward the roots...

1) Groundation – Juggernaut
2) Bagga Matumbi – Daughters of Zion/Version
3) Aswad – Its Not Our Wish (Disco)
4) Reggae Regular – Black Star Liner (Disco)
5) Black Slate – Live Up to Love (Disco)
6) Delroy Washington – Cool Dubbin
7) Human Cargo – Carry us Beyond (Shaka Cut)
8) Mystery UK – Kunte Kinte Dubplate
9) Ras Imhru Asher – Cali Bird (Disco)
10) 4th St. Orchestra – Half Way to Za-Ion
11) Matumbi – Jah Movement
12) Pablo Gad – Reggae Music
13) Danny Henry – African Gold
14) Dambala – Zimbabwe
15) Misty in Roots – Earth
16) Misty in Roots – Zapata
17) Johnny Clarke and Dub Band – Guidance
18) Black Slate – Live a Life (Disco)
19) Junior Brown – Jah Find Babylon Guilty
20) Sons of Jah – Psalm 72 (w/Ranking Rueben)
21) Aswad Dub Charge
22) Alan Kingpin – Little Jimmy

Andy G
Roots and Wires Hi-Fi

Roots and Wires Presents Classic UK Selections

2006-03-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

Roots and Wires Hi-Fi Presents Classic UK Selections:

Once again, another installment of Roots and Wires on the radio will hit the FM airwaves and the internet audio streams. This Tuesday, 21 March 2006 I will be presenting a two-hour special consisting of 100% ever green roots and culture classics culled from the late 1970s/early 1980s UK reggae scene. Rare sides from the likes of Pablo Gad, Aswad, Black Slate, Capital Letters, Matumbi, Misty in Roots, Delroy Washington, and Sword of Jah Mouth will be the order of the day.

The prevailing opinion amongst the majority of reggae aficionados is that singers and players from the UK never quite hit the high water mark that their Jamaican counterparts did during the so-called “golden era” of roots reggae’s global ascent. When I first heard Aswad’s “New Chapter of Dub” and its vocal companion “A New Chapter” back in the 1980s my ears told me otherwise. Since that point, I have been on the constant hunt for UK roots productions from this era.

Nearly twenty years on, I hope this two-hour radio foray into all things UK roots reggae dispels some of the myths that the only good drum and bass comes from JA.

Musical pleasure without measure...True

You can tune in live from 4 to 6 AM Central Time on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston or stream it 24/7 by visiting this link and scrolling down to “Music Beyond Boarders Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:00 am”

Stateless - 2/24/06 - Photos and Audio!

2006-03-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

Announcement:

The third installment of Stateless Version 2 comes to you 3/25/06 (again on a saturday). We are a featured act in the Third Annual Dhamaal Sights and Sounds Festival. I will be away for the weekend but the lineup looks stellar:

DJ Tomas Palermo, DJ Warp and Radiohiro (from Chicago), DJ D. Wurker

and as the live act: MC Rai w/ Jef Stott and additional percussionist (with kit drum set up)

Back to the blog posting...

Yes Yes Bredren! Another wicked round of Stateless has come and gone. Thanks to all that showed up for a night of diverse sounds...

(1) special agent k - opening set

The special agent k brought in his trusty (and newly repaired!) analogue delay box for this round of heavyweight sounds, dubbing out his set live (with some nice, new samples from "Life in Debt"). He started out with some sublow sounds, progressed through some roots and steppers, took a turn through some bhangra, and ended with some dubstep, breaks and drum and bass! No pictures of him, but see above for a photo of L'emiere who dropped some melodica and live percussion over his set... And here is the audio and a playlist to match!

link to audio

playlist:

loefah & skream - fearless

linton kwesi johnson - dread beat an' blood

jacob miller - roman soldiers of babylon

various (from african roots act 2) - journey rock

creation rebel - mountain melody

jacob miller - land called home

sugar minott - war is inna dance

kenny knots - watch how the people dance

eight frozen modules - low bite riddim

bandish project - electronik dausa

punjabi hit squad - nachie moranie

punjabi mc - sarwan phuter

saqi - bolian

punjabi hit squad - hai hai

al haca soundsystem - screw

visionary underground - urban uproar

skream - acid people bass

artwork - round sound

jacob miller - forward ever

grooverider - c funk

fernando porto - sambassim

(2) d wurker

Next, D Wurker rocked a packed dancefloor with his usual buttery smooth mixing dancefloor selections. Again, L'emiere dropped live accompaniment. Unfortunately, we couldn't get my dubwise setup to work over as planned.

link to audio

(3) maneesh the twister, ferhan, and MC daddy frank

The headliners played a diverse and unique set - with Maneesh on the turntables, Ferhan dropping some wicked tabla bhols, and MC Daddy Frank toasting and freestyling over the mix...

link to audio (soon come!)

(4) tomas palermo and nada

Closing off the night with some nice sounds. Nada dropping samples skillfully over the DJ set. Wicked Lion!

link to audio

Stateless - 2/24/06 - Soon Come!

2006-02-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

Trodding forward with more thick and serious sounds to rock the foundations of Babylon, Roots and Wires Hi-Fi and Six Degrees Records present another round of Stateless:

Friday, 2/24/06, starting at 9 PM, again at Amnesia (853 Valencia, between 19th and 20th)...

The special agent k (Roots and Wires Hi-Fi) and D. Wurker (Six Degrees Records) will be dropping opening sets. As usual, the special agent will be playing a wicked selection of roots reggae, lover's rock, outernational dub, UK steppers, bhangra, dubstep, and south asian breaks - all while dropping rootsical samples, playing the siren unit, and tweaking the mixing board in his usual dubwise style... D. Wurker will once again work the crowd into a dancing frenzy, this time with the special agent providing dubwise treatment to his set. As well, Alex (Lemonade), will be playing kit drum and electronics for parts of both their sets.

We also have a special guest for our live performance this go around. Maneesh the Twister (Dhamaal) will be spinning his usual wickedness, with Ferhan on live tabla, and MC Daddy Frank in from NYC on the mic.

Finally, Tomas (XLR8R, Voltage Music) will again join us as guest DJ, but this time with a special guest providing dubwise sounds on keyboards and via effects units.

We will continue in March, this time as part of the Dhamaal Sights and Sounds Festival - stay tuned for more details!

Roots and Wires Hi-Fi Delhi Recording Session

2006-02-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

More details are soon to follow, but we have another round of Stateless coming to you Friday, 2/24/06 @ Amnesia. We again feature DJ Tomas (XLR8R) as the guest DJ. Maneesh the Twister (Dhamaal) will also drop serious beats, with Ferhan on tabla and MC Frank on the mic. L'emire (Alex from Lemonade) will be playing kit drum and electronics over D. Wurker's and the special agent k's sets. The special agent k will continue to drop rootsical samples, play the siren unit and dub his set live on the board...

Get ready for another evening of raw, bass-heavy, experimental (yet dance-floor friendly) sounds from the Stateless/Roots and Wires Hi-Fi crew... Be sure and check it.

On with the blog posting... The special agent k was married this winter in India. The joyous occasion was itself full of music, with live dholak and bhangra a constant pulse throughout the several days of ceremony...

The last day in India was a perfect conclusion to the trip, a significant sonic thread that wove together as part of the larger, synchronistic tapestry of events. We had a full-night recording session with some of India's finest classical musicians... In 2006, Roots and Wires Hi-Fi will be coming to you with original tracks that incorporate dubstep, grime, breakbeat, UK steppers, and dubwise elements - organized around virtuosic classical Indian compositions... This won't be any lightweight business (e.g. the usual sample of an instrument looped ad naseum), but will instead aspire to highlight the classical compositions in a deeper manner...

The recording experience itself was a truly wicked experience. My tabla guruji, Vishal (above, on the right), and I have been dialoguing about this project for a few years. I've introduced him to everything from Asian Massive artists such as Karsh Kale, to UK steppers artists like Jah Warrior, and even grime/dubstep/sublow producers such as Vex'd and Skream. These sounds have been percolating between us and led to the selection of specific musicians to create the mood we're aiming for with this project. Vishal picked a truly gifted selection of musicians - I felt deeply honored to be in their company and will introduce them now (though wait until you hear the recordings)... We were blessed to have Ghanshyam Sisodia (above, left) record sarangi with us (over dark and gritty grime beats!)...

Preetam Ghosal (above), a top disciple of Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, brought tears to our eyes with his sarod work. Stay tuned for some wicked jugalbandi between Preetam and Ghanshyam floating over two-step drum and bass breaks...

Finally, Ujwal Nagar, brother to Vishal Nagar recorded some moving classical vocals. Prepare for the next step in classical vocal vs. breakbeat riddims...

As well, I definitely have to give mad props to sound engineers Dhiman Bhattacharya (above) and Tapan Roy for staying strong until 4 AM!

Anyway, stay tuned for the first Roots and Wires Hi-Fi dubplates. I will probably drop some at the March edition of Stateless... If all goes well, we will then shop the tracks around to various labels afterward... Soon come!

Stateless - 1/28/06 - Audio Snippets!

2006-02-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are some audio snippets +/- playlist info for the last Stateless Event:

(1) Special Agent K (Roots and Wires Hi-Fi) - opening set

link to streaming audio

playlist:

Kazufumi 'Echo' Kodama - Cloud Rack
Karukaya Makato - Family Plan (HAV remix)
Unknown - from Roots and Culture We a Deal Wid
Bitty Mclean - Tell Me
Iration Steppas - No War Dub
Kenny Knots - Run Come Call Me
Selah Collins - Pick a Sound
Manasseh - Bonafide
Kazufumi 'Echo' Kodama - Light and Wind
with Jawaharlal Nehru - Speech
The Mighty Three's - Sinking in the Mist
Kode 9 - Dislokated
with Winston Rodney - Jah no Dead
DJ Abstract - Boozey
with Jawaharlal Nehru - Speech
Freestylers - Bad Boy Love
Horsepower Productions - Special 131

(2) DJ Tomas Palermo (XLR8R, Voltage)

link to streaming audio

playlist unavailable

(3) Lemonade - Live Act

link to streaming audio

recorded off the board - unforunately the drums and bass weren't mic'ed, so the mix is off

(4) DJ D Wurkur (Six Degrees)

link to streaming audio

the minidisc recorder turned off after 30 minutes, so this and my closing set (south asian and ragga drum and bass) are recorded only as memories...

Stateless - Mashin' Down the Walls...

2006-01-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all that came out and rocked Amnesia this past Saturday - a packed house was treated to some serious beats and live sonics. I will be posting some audio over the next week, so keep checking back...

The special agent k started out with an early set, starting with roots and lover's rock, progressing into UK steppers, and then ending with some dubstep. All with his usual dubwise soundsystem approach - dropping siren sounds, reggae vocals, and even a speech by Nehru, (India's first prime minister) and dubbing it out with tape delays and spring reverb... Hold tight for his dubwise tabla sets which will be coming your way soon...

Tomas took the stage next as our featured DJ, and played some deep and dubby techno and house. I've never been much into house, but this was some spatial and soulful business here. Big up to DJ Tomas for a wicked set.

Lemonade came on next, our featured live act. They are a three person project with vocalist, bassist and kit drummer. It was a sort of Liquid Liquid meets Systemwide type of thing. I seriously enjoyed their set which was nice and raw, both noisy and thick with soul...

D Wurkur played a great set next, one which made the packed dancefloor dance and holler like crazy. I'm bummed that the minidisc player cut off halfway through his set, but it's still a tasty 30 minutes to listen to.

Roots and Wires Hi-Fi selector special agent k closed the evening with some drum and bass, mainly with south asian and reggae elements - including some killer more rockers tracks.

Make sure and make it out to the next Stateless in Febuary. We will have a soon to be announced guest DJ and live act. As well, we are working on getting some visuals going, so stay tuned as 2006 is going to be a good year for the Roots and Wires Hi-Fi sound!

Khenu

Peter Broggs & Dub Creator - Igzabihier Yakal

2006-01-31T06:44:00.000-08:00

Carrying on from my Music Beyond Borders show, I wanted to drop a post to highlight a recent album by Peter Broggs and Dub Creator.

For those who are not familiar, Peter Broggs is one of many reggae journey men who have been quietly blessing the world with their beautiful music despite very little in the way of monetary gain. Broggs has been recording since the late 1970s.

I was first exposed to him way back in the mid-1980s when I came across his 1982 album "Rastafari Liveth." It was a revelation to my young ears. More recently, music lovers have been able to hear the reissue of his debut album, 1979's "Progressive Youth." A cracking Roots Radics backed set with Scientist at the mixing boards.

Peter has been championed by the UK digital roots movement as well. In the early 2000s he recorded with the UK's Steve "Jah Warrior" Mosco. Out of this creative firmament came the brilliant vocal album "Jah Golden Throne."

A dub set, "Jah Golden Throne Dubwise," followed on the now defunct BSI records out of Portland, Oregon, USA.

Unfortunately, hard times have befallen Peter as he had a stroke some time ago. All of the revenue from his latest set backed by Amsterdam's Dub Creator and released on the King Shiloh Imprint will go to pay for his medical bills in Jamaica.

I would encourage all lovers of strong digital roots stepping time dubwise to check for this album. At the time of writing EBreggae and ReggaeMusicStore have it in stock.

Peace,
Andy G

Music Beyond Borders Playlist

2006-01-31T06:22:00.000-08:00

I am writing this one on a heavy dose of coffee after two hours of sleep. The old 4 AM to 6 AM radio slot that used to be so easy back in the university days is rough in this time.

The show went smooth despite the youth "Quieto" having some problems with his alarm clock. He awoke from his slumber and got to the station just as the second hour began.

The playlist went as follows:

Brian Eno & Harold Budd - Lost in Humming Air
Sacred System - Amrita Flux
Rootsman - Cheb Ragga
Alex Haley - Spoken Word
African Head Charge - Some Bizarre
Orlando Julius & the Afro Sounders - Alo Mi Alo (pts. 1&2)
Mitsuhiro Toike - Landing
Eddie Hazel - California Dreaming
Bollywood Brass Band - Gur Nalon Ishk Mitha
Peter Broggs - Signs of the Times
Dub Creator - Warning Signs dub
Can - Halleluhwah
Bembeya Jazz National - Sina Mousso

And than Quieto's set:

2/5 BZ - Kurtulus Yok
Cameron de la Isla - Al Verte Las Flores Lloran
Daara J - Boomerang
Immortal Technique - Peruvian Cocaine
Nettle feat. Aziz Aridi - Cancion Hip Hop Arabe
Ove Naxx - Man Man Man Man!
Super Etoile de Dakar - Cely
Welmo - La Causa
Ifang Bondi - Saya

You can check the set out by clicking here. Just scroll down to "Music Beyond Borders Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:00 am." Hope you enjoy the set.

Peace,
AndyG

Roots and Wires Returns to the Radio! Yu Learn!!

2006-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

Roots and Wires return to the airwaves!

On Tuesday 31 January 2006 Roots and Wires sound dimensional selector Andy G will be returning to the airwaves of 90.1 KPFT FM Houston Pacifica radio’s Music Beyond Borders show.

This two hour session will find Andy G selecting a broad range of dubwise and global sounds along side a former student of his. The teacher meets the student in educational sonic conference. No doubt the teacher will become the student when the rolls reverse and Carlos Delclos a.k.a. “Quieto” drops a varied selection of tunes culled from somewhere between Barcelona and the blogsphere.

Quieto is a progressive youth with roots in Spain. Folklorist, activist, travel writer, and cultural commentator are just a few of his many guises. He is an active writer having contributed to Fait POUM! Magazine as a scribe and editor. He also regularly posts on his blog, La Mancha (http://lmncha.blogspot.com <http://lmncha.blogspot.com/> ).

He will be sending plenty of ruff sounds out into the ether: Camaron de la Isla, Ove Naxx, Liebert, Pau Riba, Ghislain Poirier, and Welmo are just a few.

So check it. You can tune in live from 4 to 6 AM Central Time on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston or stream it 24/7 by visiting this link and scrolling down to “Music Beyond Boarders Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:00 am”

2005-11-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sonic Dominance, the Demise of Vinyl, the Mathematics of Bass, and Echoes of “Batty Bwoy” Lyrics in my Head:

Some Disparate, Disconnected, Dubbed Thoughts on the Power of Music

On a recent wander through the shuffle mode of my iPod my ears landed in the middle of a song from an album long lost in another shuffle – that of my CD library. “Bass is Maternal” from Smith & Mighty is a breakbeat dub jaunt through the early 1990s Bristol sound. “Bass is maternal. When it is loud I feel safer” the mc intones repeatedly.

The warmth of bass and its all-encompassing experiential quality have been at the core of many key moments in my and countless others’ everyday experiences. One need only take a quick look at the world of blogs to see its importance.

Khenu recently contributed some reflections “on the nourishing, restorative effects of music and on the various shades of our psychological response to sound and rhythm…”

No doubt, the variegated qualities of sound represent an abiding theme of root and wires.

It is in the spirit of contributing to this thread of musical thought that I run through the following disparate ideas sufficiently open ended for your comments…

>>>>>>>

Julian Henriques writes in his article “Sonic Dominance and the Reggae Sound System Session,”

“Sonic dominance occurs when and where the sonic medium displaces the usual or normal dominance of the visual medium. With sonic dominance sound has a near monopoly of attention. The aural sensory modality becomes the sensory modality rather than one among the others of seeing, smelling, touching and tasting.”

For Henriques the reggae sound system is not only his favorite site to experience sonic dominance, with which I concur, but also the epistemic example of this phenomenon:

“The first thing that strikes you in a Reggae sound system session is the sound itself. The sheer physical force, volume, weight and mass of it. Sonic dominance is hard, extreme, and excessive. At the same time the sound is soft and embracing and it makes for an enveloping, immersive and intense experience. The sound pervades, or even invades the body, like smell. Sonic dominance is both a near over-load of sound and a super saturation of sound.”

For those who have experienced a roots reggae sound system in action it is a feeling like no other. Personally, my encounters with sounds such as Jah Shaka and Entebbe have completely rewired my ears such that even if I listen to music at low volumes sonic dominance is implied. Is this akin to the sensory magnification a blind person may feel as hearing becomes their predominant sense? I like to think so.

The predominant format with which sound systems convey sonic dominance has been the dub plate and vinyl record. Time will tell if the eminent demise of the petroleum by-products used to produce LPs will change this…which brings me to another musical matter on which my ears have been meditating...

>>>>>>>>

This fall I completed a huge project of ripping upwards of 18,000 songs from compact discs to external hard drive and subsequently to an iPod. I am old enough to have experienced every format from LPs To 8-tracks, cassettes to CDs. As such, the novelty of having immediate access to such a sheer quantity of music in the palm of my hand is nothing short of amazing. However, I cannot help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the touch of the CDs and LPs that get a bit less attention as I patch my iPod in and press play. And the sound? Is it the same? With each listen I strain while trying to discern a difference. What has your experience been with this?

>>>>>>>>

The second low-end modality I have been navigating over the course of the last three months is playing bass. I commenced with the process of taking bass lessons in late August. My relationship to and interest in music up to this point in my life has always been one of feeling, emotions, tones, textures, and historical contexts. Since taking bass lessons, I have come to a greater appreciation of music’s connection to mathematics. The tyranny of a metronome teaches you this quickly. Tyranny is too strong a word, for indeed, timing in music is a meditation of sorts. I wake up every morning before work at approximately 5:30 AM. I proceed to strap on my lovely Fender J-Bass and finger pick away. As I roll through the exercises, the previous night’s sleep washes away and the rhythm takes over. The process is frustrating at times, but grounding and calming at its core. I am reminded of Khenu’s mention of the mathematician Pythagorus in his blog post of 19 October. No doubt, as I crack the mathematical code of Louis Bellson’s Modern Reading Text in 4/4 I can see what Pythagorus’s disciples were getting at when they “employed music as medicine, with certain melodies composed to cure the passion of the psyche, as well as ones for despondency and mental anguish.”

>>>>>>>>>

Music also renders its power in the field of culture. In between the ripping of CDs and the playing of bass I have been working on my masters thesis in media studies. I am attempting to analyze the narratives that various claimsmakers utilize in the current global debate over the presence of homophobic lyrics in dancehall reggae. By claimsmakers I am referring to individuals who or organizations that have a vested interest in influencing the debate whether they may be against such lyrics or apologists for the artists that sing the contested songs. This subject is not new to most readers here. However, I perceive a large gap in the current discourse. Too much of the current debate is based on staid narratives that do not open up cross-cultural dialogue. Groups like OutRage often carry on certain racist assumptions that mirror colonial narratives of the past. Meanwhile, some in the so-called reggae fraternity cling to conspiracy narratives that perpetuate a “Naw Bow” position. Ultimately, both sides digress into what Carolyn Cooper characterizes as a “border clash.” I see the opening of a more nuanced cross-cultural dialogue as central to the process of ameliorating the situation for gay and lesbian Jamaicans and, indeed, all homosexuals who are adversely affected by lyrical calls for their death. This will require a much more far-reaching dialogue than is currently being engaged.

A blog for another day….

What is your opinion on the nature of this debate?

>>>>

Post-script: All lovers of heavy Drum and Bass Rub-a-Dub styles must check Mr. Spaulind’s “Twelve Tribes of Israel.” The dub chamber selection of the week! Go Deh!!

Peace,

Andy G

Roots and Wires Set and Sound

Shamans, Individuation, Death and Dying

2005-11-14T02:11:00.000-08:00

"All life is bound to individual carriers who realize it... every carrier is charged with an individual destiny and destination, and the realization of these alone make sense of life..."

Carl Jung, from "Psychology and Alchemy"

But first, some ROOTS AND WIRES HI-FI event news – STATELESS will be returning as a monthly next year, this time with a regular live component. The first will be January 28th at Amnesia in the Mission (San Francisco). More details to come soon…

Now back to the main themes - I just returned from a week-long shamanic “pilgrimage” in the Arizona Desert – it was a profound experience, one which deepened my awareness of certain transpersonal realities and also provided a moving appreciation of the Huichol healing tradition. In case you are wondering, there were no hallucinogenics or other drugs involved – in fact, these were strictly prohibited by the two shaman elders who led the workshop (Jaichima and Rutury - check this link to their website)...

Regarding Native American Shamanism, there are some fascinating accounts in Carlos Castaneda’s books, as well as in Alberto Villoldo’s material, but these stories, read from books, were initially hard to believe literally, especially when filtered through my skepticism and scientific training. This trip, as well as the personal shamanic work I have been doing over the last few years, has given me experiential validation with regards to some of these accounts. As a simple example of such "transpersonal" experience, there were certain images and symbols that had come to me during my personal meditation. These images hadn’t made sense at the time they were experienced, as they were images that I couldn’t recognize or place. Some of these images, experienced remotely in my minds eye (up to several months ago) literally came into my outer experience during the week.

Fortunately, this wasn’t a become-a-shaman-in-a-weekend thing, but rather a deep meditation on our shadow aspects and experiences, with ritual and ceremony to negotiate them. These were led by Huichol shaman elders and at their request, I can’t share most of the stories or details from the week. Part of this relates to the private, sacred nature of what transpired, and part relates to their experiences of being exploited over the years. This cautiousness is also superimposed on the deeper exploitation experienced by the Native Americans and Indigenous people. It was infuriating to hear some of their stories of violence directed towards the Native American people, as well as their ongoing experiences with racism (being called primitive, and even spat on).

As Jaichima shared, one theme that was especially touching is best expressed by the first words spoken by Huichols to their newborn: “Please teach us who you are.” How beautiful an ideal is that, to try to learn what the child's path is on its own terms, rather than trying to impose something from parent to child! This is closely paralleled by the Jungian idea of Individuation (see the quote at the top of this posting). The timing of learning this parallel ideal was especially synchronistic for me. Intending to apply this Fall for psychoanalytic candidacy, I had just attended an “open house” at the Jung Institute. The main theme expressed at the "open house," was that the Institute really supports the analysts-in-training in finding their own voice - not on becoming a “Jungian,” or rigidly internalizing certain theories. It really made it clear to me that this training is going to be part of my own path.

Another touching theme, was the Huichol's deep reverence for the earth, with a deep connection with animal and nature spirit in both physical and transpersonal realms. I remember once, when I was being led in ceremony (to the rhythm of a kaicha or rattle), I started to see a certain animal in my mind’s eye. Later, when I was discussing this experience, I was told that the animal I had seen was associated intimately with that particular ceremony. I didn’t know this beforehand, which gave me the sense that this was some sort of autonomous entity in the collective psyche. It reminds me a bit of Carl Jung’s position on ghosts – at first he viewed these solely in terms of projected complexes, later as “autonomous complexes” in the collective psyche, and finally as actual entities. There were also plenty of stories which involved powerful direct contact between human and outer, physical animals…

Music and rhythm came up as a major component of the healing work – the incantations were sang in melody, the kaicha’s (rattles) and drums provided rhythmic soundtrack, and there was also the sound of silence, at times when we weren’t speaking, at least verbally. In the Huichol belief, the Earth spins on a musical axis - it amazes me how many creation myths and cross-cultural cosmologies identify music as foundational.

During the week, I also had many conversations with the Elders and with other participants (many of whom were more a family than anything, with most having come regularly for 15-20 years), about working with the dying process…

A sad and ironic deficit in most allopathic medical training, at least in my experience, is that we don’t get much training or modeling of how to deal with death and the dying process. There are the impersonal and mechanical “morbidity and mortality” conferences in which the deceased are discussed primarily in medical terms. The emotional experience of providers is dissociated – the personal stories and the human experience often aren't part of the mix.

This really reflects a larger existential anxiety when it comes to death. It’s something we’re really not comfortable sitting with in much of “Western Culture,” if you allow me to use this construct and generalization to make a point. We don’t often celebrate people’s passings with dance and song (in addition to the necessary mourning). Instead, in a culture often focused on maintaining and prolonging our lives, it makes us anxious – we distance ourselves from reflecting upon death and engaging with those in the process of dying. Thus, patients that are dying and have no families to visit, can easily end up ignored at a time that human contact is vital.

So it becomes easy to rationalize walking by the room and doing “rounds” quickly. There’s seemingly nothing changing, so the team often steps in briefly once each day to ask if there’s any pain, and if the person can answer clearly, this physical pain is hopefully addressed (but how about psychic pain or existential distress?). If not, perhaps you step in and out in a minute or two. There’s such an emphasis on ‘doing something’ in terms of administration of medication or mechanical intervention. Maintaining life often becomes the only outcome designated a success. When there is nothing to offer in terms of mechanical intervention and when the condition becomes terminal, there can often be a sense of failure or helplessness.

When working with people who are dying, it also forces us to reflect on our own mortality, or personal experiences of loss. This causes anxiety and often leads to distancing – if you run away and don’t have to face it, the anxiety drops, but with a huge cost to those who are dying (as well as to their families). Anyway, I’ve really appreciated how important it is to offer some substantial human presence and listening at the end of life. This is even more true for those who have impoverished social networks, as do many of the homeless seen in the public hospital setting. In addition to simply offering your presence, it is often important to explore the fears and fantasies around death and the mystery afterward…

With regards to music, I think that offering personally significant music can also be valuable. I remember one man who had requested a certain CD, to play on a CD player we had checked out to him. He became delirious towards his life's end and was no longer responsive to conversation. He was incredibly agitated. When I brought him that CD, played it through his headphones, he calmed down and had a smile which he carried into his transition. It was really moving for me…

Anyway, with all this in mind, I'm thinking that it would be great to organize some sort of seminar/conference, with a strong experiential component, that addresses cross-cultural approaches towards death and dying. It’s a culturally diverse city, and our public hospital, public health care system, and medical training need to encourage more dialogue and training around these issues, as well as implement more of a system to address these often neglected psychospiritual needs of the dying and those caring for them... Let me know if you all know of anything along these lines in the public hospital setting, or if any of you have any thoughts!

- Khenu

Sonic Rejuvenation

2005-10-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been held together by wonderful and deeply synchronistic threads. (I've also seen some wicked shows - big up to the Al-Haca Soundsystem for a killer set, featuring mad poetry by the mc and thundering basslines that would make Shaka proud). Much of these interwoven experiences have related to creativity and music. As part of this, I've been reflecting a bit on the nourishing, restorative effects of music and on the various shades of our psychological response to sound and rhythm...

Let me set a bit of context. As part of my UCSF faculty appointment, I work as a psychiatrist in an outpatient program serving a population that is primarily homeless. These individuals are pretty much considered among the most challenging to engage with - beyond the destabilizing effects of homelessness itself (and as part of its etiology), many of them struggle with severe trauma histories, multiple major losses, major psychiatric conditions, drug addictions and years of being unemployed...

The program itself is person-centered and offers medical care, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, help with housing and financial entitlements (as well as meaningful relationships). It's nice to actually look forward to work (not that I don't ever get weekend blues on a monday morning!) - I feel rather blessed with this opportunity to work with this population (and also with a spectacular group of social workers and other providers). In the midst of this program, we've started a weekly Music Therapy group, which has evolved into the program's most popular group (which more than anything, seems a testiment to a central role of music in our lives, even when we've forgotten this)...

Let me circumabulate a bit, starting with a quote:

Pythagorus considered that music contributed greatly to health if used in the right way... He called the method musical medicine... In the spring he would sit in the middle of his disciples who were able to sing melodies and play his lyre... His followers would sing in unison certain chants which were melodious and rhythmical... At other times his disciples employed music as medicine, with certain melodies composed to cure the passion of the psyche, as well as ones for despondency and mental anguish. There were melodies for anger and aggression and all the psychic disturbances...

As quoted from Iamblichus, 4th century Greek philosopher

My tabla ustaadji was in town recently, another wonderful thread in the mix. I've been studying with Vishal for some years, he's a virtuosic player who even dreams in tabla bhols (the object-relations of tabla playing will be the subject of another post!)... He lives in New Delhi for most of the year, but comes to Seattle for 2-3 months to teach and perform across the US (check a stream of our own non-classical soundsystem collaboration here!). In resonance with the quotation above, Vishal told me the older generation of Indian classical musicians would share stories of specific raga's being used to treat specific physical diseases and psychological conditions!

Even in contemporary scientific literature, Music has been shown to have multiple positive effects - it's been shown to improve a variety of psysiological parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, etc...), enhance immune functioning, reduce anxiety, improve mood and it's even been shown useful in a spectrum of psychiatric illness. Of course, these studies miss the more nuanced, personal ways in which music can effect us - including the capacity of music to connect us with repressed or dissociated affect and even as a pathway to communicate with some core aspect of our Being or Nature (check this great article for a Jungian perspective - "The Goal as Process: Music and the Search for Self").

This may be a bit hard for some to digest, but let me share a few examples from the literature (with links to abstracts): In one study, music was shown effective in augmenting conventional treatment for people hospitalized for depression. There is a study which has demonstrated improved outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer's Dementia treated with Music Therapy, with decreased agitation and even improved cognitive measures. If you're interested in reading more along these lines, I would definitely recommend "Sounds of Healing," written by the Cornell Oncologist, Mitchell Gaynor.

Now back to the Music Group... Though each person (I don't like either "client" or "patient" when referring to the individuals engaged with our program) relates and draws from the group in their own way, an overarching goal has been to cultivate a mindful awareness of how different sounds, rhythms and music effect us. We've also aspired to create a space where participants can cultivate a sense of play, as well as nurture their creative aspects. We've also attempted to cultivate the idea of music as active imagination, or a means of dialogue with our Self, or Soul.

The format has been pretty improvisational, initiated by a few brainstorming sessions, and then drawing from ideas and inspiration that find us through various avenues (an overall process that is not too unlike the approach to jazz and indian classical music performance). Over the 10-12 sessions we've had, some structure has evolved and now we usually start each group with an open invitation to share experiences with sound and rhythm in the prior week. This is followed by a mindfulness meditation, which focuses on the breath and also incorporates humming/toning.

The remainder of the group varies. We've done a good amount of listening - covering Soul, Jazz, Delta Blues, Indian Classical, Western Classical, Roots and Dub Reggae, Hip-Hop, Afrojazz, and even Breakbeats and Ragga Jungle! We've done visualization and toning meditations that focus on compassion and forgiveness. We've held rhythm circles with found objects (as there is potential for sound in most everything - as well, most of the client's can't afford actual instruments). People have been invited to put music or emotional responses into movement - with a hope of bringing soma, or body, back in from the margins.

Overall it's been moving. I've been blessed to learn from my fiance, who is studying expressive arts therapy! I certainly don't feel that we received much exposure to the incorporation of expressive arts modalities (such as music and movement) in my residency training. I feel pretty empassioned about integrating these into my work and have fantasies of playing some small part in integrating these approaches more and more into our public mental health system. I feel the same way about Jungian and contemporary psychodynamic work, which doesn't have as much presence in this public setting (in contrast to cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and psychopharmacology) - this will be the subject of a future post (and a paper I'm working on - "Jungian Dream Work in a Public Mental Health Clinic")!

- Khenu

Welcome Blog Massive!

2005-10-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Andy G from Roots and Wires would also like to extend a wide welcome to all who enter this blog.

In the background strands of Creation Rebel's brilliant late 70s album "Dub From Creation" bleed into the air of my office. For those interested seek out the recent Japan only reissue of this album with bonus selections featuring Prince Far I available at www.hmv.co.jp. Wicked!

More posts in the future. Keep dubbing.

Andy G - Roots and Wires Hi-Fi

Birth - Roots and Wires Hi-Fi Blog

2005-10-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

The roots and wires website (www.rootsandwires.com) evolves with this foray into blogging. We'll continue with our focus on rootsical sonics and soundsystem culture, cultural and media studies, psychoanalytic theory and practice, and Jungian and transpersonal psychology... Stay tuned!

Khenu S.