binarystatic

So yeah, no posts in several months. Been way too busy with work and frequent trips to Chicago (Lady Sovereign twice, Nine Inch Nails, Fischerspooner, Crystal Method, and DJ Icey still to come). Maybe I'll take some time to write up some quick blurbs about these concerts... Maybe not. Though you can check out some pics of both SOV and Fischerspooner on my Flickr. But hey, can't get enough "random digital noise"? I'm on Twitter now and it's a lot easier for me to post insights 140 characters at a time these days so check me out at www.twitter.com/binarystatic. See ya there.

Posted by statik at 09:08 AM | Permalink

Well, Lady Sovereign's Chicago appearance was two weeks ago now, and I'm still suffering through withdrawals... The self-professed "biggest midget in the game" put on a great, albeit short (approximately 45 minutes), show at the Logan Square Auditorium. First off, that was a really odd venue for her -- she herself even said it felt like a Jewish wedding or a prom. I wish the show could've stayed at it's original venue, Empty Bottle, as that's an intimate little neighborhood dive with great vibes and a sufficiently enclosed space to really capture the energy of a true performer. Plus I hadn't been back to the Bottle since I saw Adult. there on my birthday a couple years ago and I was looking forward to a return visit.

Anyway, it started off with a couple hours of DJ Skyler spinning one of the most eclectic sets I've heard in a long time, including lots of old-skool jams for us long-time scencesters. Lots of unexpected tunes and quick cuts kept everyone on their toes.

When it was time for SOV to make her appearance, in a "funky little panda with the tiniest ears" hat, she of course came out on her latest floor-filler "I Got You Dancing." Great track and it also heralds in a slightly new direction for Lady Sov towards even more danceable tunes. Although she did a few of her top tracks of old -- "Love Me Or Hate Me," "Public Warning," and "Random" -- she focused most of the night on her new stuff from her upcoming album "Jigsaw". If I remember correctly, she did "Bang Bang," "I Got The Goods," "Pennies," "Let's Be Mates," "Student Union," and "So Human." Although "Jigsaw" doesn't drop in the U.S. until April 7, both "I Got You Dancing" and "So Human" are already available now and you really owe it to yourself to pick these up if you have any interest in the always innovative British dance scene. All the songs are top-notch and "Jigsaw" should rocket up the charts both her and in the U.K., if not elsewhere. Since both "I Got You Dancing" and "So Human" are already out and in heavy rotation on my iPod, the next new track I'm looking forward to is "Let's Be Mates." How can you not love a song who's chorus goes "I'm weird, you're weird, let's be mates." If you need more SOV and can't wait for the release of the album you could always grab the "Jig-raw Mixtape" mix that's posted over on iLike.com. It's a great 15 minute mix with teasers from her new album mixed in with some of her older tracks and helps to tide me over until the full release.

I'm really looking forward to a full U.S. tour. Wouldn't it be great if she could do a tour here with The Streets and/or Audio Bullys?

"U.K. on the way now give us a beat"

Posted by statik at 12:50 PM | Permalink

Well it looks like my dreams of seeing a 2,000 ft tall monument to the Phelps-ian pursuit of the pleasures of the puff are delayed for the time being... The spiraling residential tower know as The Chicago Spire, which I lovingly dubbed The Joint due to it's hand-rolled stylings, has apparently become yet another casualty of the global financial shit storm. $1.75 billion is needed to finish the tower, which now sits as a seven story hole in the ground. The developer is supposedly waiting to see if Chicago gets the 2016 Olympics which he believes could turn his fortunes around. Maybe all the dope-smoking Olympians could pony up a few bucks to get the project moving again.

Speaking of Phelps, it's sad he couldn't man-up, embrace the situation, and take the reigns as a new stoner hero for the modern world. "Yeah I can win 8 gold medals in a single Games and still enjoy a toke on my off time, what of it?" Unfortunately celebrities are the only real forces of change in the U.S. and what the pro-legalization movement needs is a beloved national figure to stand up and tell the truth about marijuana. Phelps you could've been our man but instead you pussyed out. That makes me a sad panda.

Here's some further reading about the "scandal" and it's implications:

• Tony Newman: Bong Hits for Phelps: No Apology Needed
• Maia Szalavitz: Marijuana Blues: If All Americans Had Phelps' Press Experience, The Drug War Would Be Over
• Paul Armentano: Why Are We Condemning Michael Phelps' Pot Use?
• Michael Phelps: Puppy torturer!
• Fake Outrage Junkies

Posted by statik at 09:29 AM | Permalink

So I got another chance to see DJ Icey, as well as Keith MacKenzie, spin this past Saturday night at Therapy Nightclub in Indianapolis. Of course they and all the other breakbeat dj's rocked the house. There were actually two different dj areas -- the "breakbeat" main floor, and a separate lounge which was the "drum and bass" area. I only ventured into the drum and bass side once at the start of the evening, but it was there that some anonymous stranger paid for my first vodka red bull of the evening. Thanks whoever you are!

Therapy was a pretty decent club, and this was my first time there. I'd say the night had more of an old-school rave vibe than that of a dance club. First off it's a large converted warehouse. Though that huge warehouse swallowed the sound and so it wasn't nearly as booming as my favorite club, Smartbar in Chicago, but it got the job done. Secondly, everyone was so friendly and happy -- it felt just like those early days of the rave scene when it was all about love, peace, and good beats and less about posturing and being "cool."

I snapped some shots with my iPhone, and as you can imagine I didn't get many good shots in the club lighting. But at the end of the post are a couple shots of Icey and MacKenzie that I managed to Photoshop into something fairly decent... Next week I'm supposed to be seeing Lady Sovereign at Empty Bottle in Chicago and I hope to bring an actual camera to that show so I can get some better pics.

Posted by statik at 10:39 AM | Permalink

It's 5 AM and I can't sleep... Too much cocaine? No, I don't do that shit, but I do have cocaine on the brain thanks to the new Audio Bullys' song "Dope Fiend".

Do you really understand what I say, what I mean, I'm a fiend from the club scene?

It's one of those songs that just gets in your brain, shakes it about, and just won't let go. Damn you Audio Bullys!

I must not be the only one such afflicted -- you can actually buy a limited edition comic book based on the lyrics at www.thedopefiend.co.uk.

Posted by statik at 04:57 AM | Permalink

bahamas zen

Posted by statik at 01:11 PM | Permalink

Posted by statik at 11:13 PM | Permalink

Mounds vs. Almond Joy—the time is now! Choose, vote, eat! On one side we have a dark chocolate exterior with a palatable, chewy white center. On the other side we have a white core encased in a milky shell surrounded by nuts. Yumm-o! Never has an election been so delicious.

Posted by statik at 11:57 AM | Permalink

is anyone still not totally in love with Supernatural's Jensen Ackles? if you've yet to be convinced then check out this outtake from last week's episode. the episode itself was pretty funny with Jensen's Dean character getting infected with a "ghost sickness" which turned him into a huge pussy (and also explains the otherwise odd arm scratching in this clip), you know, as in scared of anything and everything -- a total reversal of the uber-manly Dean. Jensen always does a good job of walking the line between serious drama and slapstick comedy, testosterone-fueled action and sentimental emotions. here we get a behind-the-scenes look at Jensen's own humor as he delivers a rousing lip sync performance of "Eye Of The Tiger". woof.

punKpup

Posted by punKpup at 11:38 AM | Permalink

It's been quite a while, about 10 years—way too long—since I last made a DJ mix. Something about entering into a full-time wage-slave existence erodes away all the simple pleasures that once seemed so crucial to your sanity... Despite losing access to the over-abundance of time and energy I felt I needed to make a good mix, I never lost my love of good beats and the spiritual connection I get from rockin' out to some hot tracks, especially when those beats are booming out of a slamming club system through the heart, mind, and fingers of a like-minded DJ. Seriously DJ Icey, you'll never realize just how big an impact your set at the Smartbar recently had on my emotional well-being—experiences like that are far too rare these days. So after my recent re-invigoration I decided I needed to spend some time getting back to my more tribal instincts and celebrate my musical heritage. Although my dance music collection goes back about 20 years through many different genres (New Beat anyone?), I decided to concentrate on some more recent breaks for my latest outing. I hope to do some "retro techno" mixes in the future since there was plenty of good stuff from the early days of the scene. But for now enjoy this quick 42 minute breaks mix I titled "Break The System." Although there's some technical issues that could definitely be improved upon, I'm pretty happy with my first try in 10 years and I think the strength of the tracks themselves carries it through.

Binarystatic -- Break The System (download link—high quality MP3, 57.4MB)

TRACKLIST

1. Who's Your Daddy? (David Guetta & Joachim Remix) -- Benny Benassi
2. 4 Bit -- Uberzone
3. Supercrazyillbomb (Original Mix) -- Rennie Pilgrem
4. Gimme What You Got (Alex Metric Remix) -- Black Daniel
5. Torque Of The Devil (Subs Remix) -- Plump DJs
6. I Love To Move In Here (Crookers Bass In Here Mix) -- Moby
7. More (DIM Pop Em All Dub Rework) -- Junkie XL
8. Dynamite Love (12'' Version) -- Freestylers & Krafty Kuts feat. Dynamite MC
9. Electronic Battle Weapon 9 -- The Chemical Brothers
10. Handz Up (Stanton Warriors Remix) -- Ed Solo & Deekline w/ MC Flipside
11. Beats & Rhymes (Original Mix) -- Napt feat. G-Double
12. Push Up Word Up (Stanton Warriors Remix) -- Freestylers
13. Down Low Radio (Curtis B Remix) -- Attack & Chunk

Posted by statik at 01:37 PM | Permalink

Well I finally got to see DJ Icey live, yip yip! He, Baby Anne, Keith MacKenzie, and Local Hero rocked the Smartbar in Chicago Friday night and kept me dancing for four hours non-stop. And I got to meet Icey himself before his set and give him a shirt I designed for him (see the shirt at the bottom of the post). Everybody looked like they were having a great time, including the DJ's themselves. I couldn't have had a better time dancing in front of the DJ booth while Icey laid down some slamming beats. Much fun and I left the club a huge ball of sweat. It was about as close to a religious/spiritual experience I'll ever get... I can't wait until he comes back to Chicago—hopefully I won't have to wait a whole year or more. But he does have a new mix CD called "Amplified" coming out October 14 on top of his latest album "Offshore Jedi" which is an amazing work of funky breaks.

Some good beats and good weed is all I really need.

—ancient proverb

And don't forget this mash-up I did of Dennis Kucinich's speech at the Democratic Convention and DJ Icey's new song Bass Electrix from "Offshore Jedi":

Bass Wakes Up America (mp3 download)

Posted by statik at 07:04 AM | Permalink

holy shit batman! Supernatural is back with a vengeance. first up we got the standard "the road so far" montage, and what a great one it was. anyone not watching this show should take the time to just view this 30-second intro and then tell me you're not hooked.

on to the new. we start up right where we ended last season—Dean in hell, chained down and squirming. but wait, what's this? now he's waking up four months later in the dark... in a coffin... in his own grave! he's forced to claw his way up through the dirt and emerge reborn. i'm sure most of us have seen similar scenes in movies or on tv by now, but watching my boy Dean poke his way up out of the ground was just downright painful to watch. and although we find out it really is him, and not some demon or revenant, there's definitely something powerful at work as the trees surrounding his grave are all blown over away from the site and some force is following him turning on electronics and blowing out glass. Ruh-roh! and not only does he have a hand print branded on his shoulder, but his hellhound mangled torso is completely healed. and looking hotter than ever, i must add. Jensen Ackles must have used his time off working on his form because he is supernaturally sexy this season and they wasted no time getting him to lift up his shirt and show off his abs. woof!

once Dean is able to reunite with Sammy we start to get more hints that all might not be well between the two. First Dean says he doesn't remember anything about his Hellish experience, but we do know he's seeing some sort of flashbacks. also Sam insists that per Dean's dying request he hasn't been using his powers, that is until we find out he has. he's been working with their demon nemesis Ruby (in a new body) and is able to exorcise demons with the power of his mind—by making them barf up their soul nonetheless. and although Sam gets Dean to promise he won't call for the entity that saved him, he does so anyway. and what omnipotent presence was able to rip Dean out of hell (and burn the eyes out of anyone who looks upon his true form)? it's none other than a heavenly angel here to set Dean on a righteous path. and with Sam working with demons it looks like we're setting up for a good vs. evil showdown with Dean on the side of light and Sam in the dark. another hint at this could be in the scene when Sam psychically forces the demon to vomit it's way back to hell. it's eyes were burned out when it viewed the angel and when Sam asked what it was she replied, "it's the end. we're dead. we're all dead." is Sam included in that "we"? only time will tell...

punKpup

Posted by punKpup at 08:38 AM | Permalink

Is democracy failing us? (No, seriously now, this won't be my usual light-hearted post, so get ready for the ride.) I may frequently demonstrate a penchant for alternative viewpoints and a general love of rabble-rousing, but things have gotten so out of hand that I no longer have confidence in our government's ability to pull us out of this mess any more than they were able to pull the residents of New Orleans out of the Katrina mess. Nor do I have confidence that the general public has the wherewithal to make rational, informed decisions concerning the upcoming election. How else can we explain the means with which the Bush administration was able to secure the presidency in 2000, and even more alarmingly, a second term in 2004? Maybe the people didn't actually vote him in, and it was all supreme court wrangling, blah blah blah. Unless we're willing to talk extreme conspiracy theories here (and don't get me wrong, I love a good conspiracy theory), there were still enough voters sufficiently enamored by his charms (really?) to get him close enough to make such events possible. And what the hell is up with the electoral college? Can your average voter (or even the above average voter) explain our election system with any degree of certainty? Maybe this goes against my screed that ignorance and apathy signal the death of democracy, but should the general masses really need to understand such a convoluted process? Isn't democracy supposed to be easy? You cast your vote, the votes are tallied, and the majority wins. Simple. No wonder only 60% of American's able to vote actually did so in the 2004 election, even if it was the highest turnout since 1968. The common refrain that "my vote simply doesn't matter" rings truer today than it ever has.

This is America and
you are being watched.

In the mid 19th century Karl Marx famously stated that "religion is the opiate of the masses." But if we view an opiate as that which sedates, calms, and mellows then maybe a truer phrase for today's world would be "religion is the meth of the masses." Religion is not placating the population, it's energizing them, pushing them to extreme views and teaching them to organize against anyone, any idea, different from themselves; energizing them to hate thy neighbor, covet thy neighbor's happiness, and push their morality on anyone who dares hold an opposing view. Let us not forget that this country had much of it's start with those seeking respite from religious persecution. Freedom of religion means the freedom of all religions, or even more importantly the freedom from the influence and oppression of religion in totality. You may discount my views based on the fact that I simultaneously embrace the labels "atheist," "agnostic," and "Buddhist," but there is something that those beliefs offer that I don't see coming from the major organized religions—that of clarity of thought, openness of mind, opinions formed through thoughtful reasoning, and the belief that we should individually be in control of our own destinies. I don't need you, your minister, or your God telling me what to do with my existence. You may wholeheartedly believe that I am going to Hell (with or without the designer handbasket), but at least allow me the freedom to chart my own path there. If my life is a gift from God then I reserve the right to do what I will with that gift—there is wisdom in childhood mores: "no take-backs." My life is my own, stay out of it.

Democracy is dead. Long live democracy.

Posted by statik at 07:20 AM | Permalink

Andy and Doug discussing the brewing shit storm that punctuated the Weeds season 4 finale:

Andy: I gotta go.
Doug: Wanna smoke out first?
Andy: I can't, shits blowing up.
Doug: How come you always have shit blowing up? Where's my shit? I used to have shit, it used to blow up all the time. Now nothing. Shit just sits there.
Andy: That's some tough shit.
Doug: Shit.

Posted by statik at 11:55 AM | Permalink

Dennis Kucinich. He's basically the red-headed step-child of the democratic party that makes a lot of noise but everybody ignores. It's too bad because he's consistently one of the most progressive politicians in the U.S. and hence I have a serious man-crush on his brain. His speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention was not only spot-on but engaging, energizing, and effusive. Thank you Kucinich for leading me to believe that all is not lost.

And here's a little mash-up I did of Kucinich's speech and Florida breaks god DJ Icey's new song Bass Electrix:
Bass Wakes Up America (mp3 download)

Posted by statik at 04:14 PM | Permalink