Jan’s back and we are more than happy to have him.

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Peter Nasmyth reports on ‘E’ for The Face in October 1985, taking in stories about The Ranch, a gay club in Dallas, where you could apparently get the drug over the counter for $20 plus $1.23 sales tax. If you had a coupon you got $5 off. It then got banned. Which leads you to think – surely banning something is the best way to tell a nation of people about something? Anyway, the hug drug was about to get known…






Thanks to Matthew J.
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We are happy to have Andy M on board writing for us on his life in Jamaica as I’ve always loved the island and the music. A few years back we got to go on a trip to JA and ended up in some pretty interesting places. I’ll try and post a few more pictures but to start here’s Horace Andy’s studio (super nice chap who sat there singing for us with his mates and girl all sat about the place) and Miss Thing flexing. Mellow times.




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Design: Art History Poster

February 8, 2010

If you like music there is a fair chance you are a follower of design. I am guessing that other people probably have an interest so will start posting bits and bobs up around the music stuff. It all joins up. First up is this history of art poster.



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No 2 in our producers series focuses on the work of Brian Eno. Tim H has compiled and has chosen to use primarily productions of his own music. Next up in the series – Andy Weatherall’s early years.



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Well, we get a mention on the Music Weekly podcast.. It’s a good listen if you want a general round-up on what’s happening out there. You can listen here.

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Lexx’s ‘Lovers Lane’ mix was many peoples favourite mix of 2009. He’s back.

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Test Pressing’s Tim H and myself spoke to a few labels a while ago about doing a series based upon producers. As we never got it off the ground it seems Test Pressing is the perfect home for these. First up is Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound fame.

The world needs more Adrian Sherwood. He’s a legend and apparently a gent to boot. His work moves from the expected heavy reggae vibes to a melting pot of music and influences that is hard to pin down. I guess reggae and delays are always at the core but for me it’s the raw (and sometimes random) mix, and his work running the mixing desk itself, that are key to why I never get bored to listening to what he does. Next up Brian Eno.

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Andy M moved to Jamaica in 2007 and will be sending occasional postcards from the land of wood and water to Test Pressing on music and island life.

Today marks the start of reggae month in Jamaica. An odd concept in an island where music infuses life 365 days a year, but a fitting way to honour the birthdays of the Crown Prince and the King of reggae. Dennis Brown would have been 53 today and Bob Marley would have become a pensioner on the 6th.

Dancehall is now the jittery heartbeat of the nation’s youth and Mavado and Vybz Kartel the new heroes. Graffiti proclaiming ‘Gully’ or ‘Gaza’ covers walls across the country, scrawled by the partisan followers of the two rival DJs (Mavado comes from Cassava Piece a poor community on the banks of a gully, and Vybz Kartel was brought up in an area in Portmore known as Gaza for the high level of violence). Whether this tribal loyalty is just a natural expression of teenage identity or something much more dangerous is a heated topic of debate. What’s clear is that many schools are divided into Gaza and Gully gangs and there have been countless violent incidents between rival groups if not any deaths as yet. Politicians and commentators bemoan the hyped feud between the DJs as a symbol of moral decline and the negative role of dancehall music in society.

At first this reminded me of the hysteria a few years ago over the alleged role of gangster rap in youth violence in Britain. But in a significantly more violent society with widespread illiteracy and few alternative role models for young boys, the posturing of DJs can have a much more insidious impact – this is no suburban fantasy for middle class kids. The Gaza/Gully conflict got such media attention that the Prime Minister organised a summit in December that brought together the two artists to sign a peace treaty.

Too much ism and schism as the old song goes. Last year 1604 people were murdered in a country of just 2.7 million citizens. The police say gang violence was responsible for two thirds of these deaths. Many of these gangs have political links and receive state contracts that sustain them. All this is nothing new. In 1978 in a bid to quell the political violence, Bob Marley organised the One Love Peace concert and brought together onstage the leaders of the two main parties. It may not have succeeded, but it was a noble effort. How Jamaica needs a reggae star now that will stand up for, rather than manipulate, the youth and urge action to sever the ties between politics and organised crime which is holding this great country back.

SONGS FROM ANDY’S HI-FI


Bob Marley – Rainbow Country

A joyous skank. Play loud, shut your eyes and feel the sun.

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Dennis Brown – Why Seek More (aka Give A Helping Hand) 12” Mix
A two-part rocker from Dennis Emmanuel with Niney the Observer at the controls. Amazing bass and drum work-out.

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Quick review on the new Four Tet album, ‘There Is Love In You’ (nice hippie title!) here. There are some fantastic tracks ranging from mellow electronica through to some quite uptempo 4/4 business all very much in the chopped and fx’d mould of music that Kieran Hebden specialises in. My favourite track is the rolling ‘Circling’ which builds, stops, then builds again. Think it could be a grower as an album and another quality release on the Domino label who along with XL are ticking the ‘doing it right’ box at a major label level.

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