For a couple of days I was pretty sure the election results were supposed to be in yesterday. However all is supposed to be revealed by 2pm on Saturday, although the people in charge of counting aren't making any promises. I am very wary of being optimistic over this but from unofficial accounts through their scrutinisers both Labour and the Green's are happy with the way things are stacking up. So fingers crossed.

The other big news for the weekend is Base Base FM's Musical Cherrr's party (well big news if you live in Auckland and listen to Base). Nabeel and I decided to sign up taking our talents beyond the studio. We come the warning that we are not so much mixers as selecta's which has helped us secure the opening spot for the night (see below). Half and hour between two people is not that much, and it kind of rules out me playing 90% of my Fela Kuti catalogue, but will try to deliver something interesting nonetheless for all the souls who desperately want to be at the party as soon as the doors open.

That same evening I am actually attending a dinner to celebrate world vegetarian day. This promises to be interesting if only to see how many vegetarians actually show up. I have meet a few people overseas who have remarked that they thought NZ would be a vegetarian paradise. I hated to be the one to dispel part of the Clean Green image that PR agencies have poured millions of dollars into, but we live in a country that still very dependant on meat. Perhaps the ongoing mutation of animal to human viruses will have an impact on this, but I won't hold my breath (will need something more industrial to stop the flu anyway). So to help celebrate the veggie day I am trying to put together a list of hip-hop tracks that deal with the subject. Any suggestions between now and the show are welcome.

Also upcoming are both DJ Nu-Mark and Manaia Toa's second Axis gig at the Grand Circle in the St James. There is a slight personal dilemma in choosing between the two, if only because Nu-Mark promises to bring the rare 7" madness. But for those who have not checked out Manaia Toa, Paddy, Simon and Wolfpack spin before, they great DJ's and super cool people. On a personal level I have to say that Galatos gets a bit much when it is busy. Damn bottleneck design.

Looking back, I had a lot of fun at Roots Manuva on his Thursday night show. Talking to one person who went to both nights, the feeling was that Wednesday was more of an energetic performance, while Thursday was more "laid back", perhaps as a consequence of sampling some natural product. At the gig I was approached by a woman who swore she knew me asking if my name was Wade. I am now slightly fearful that nature has played some cruel duplication joke. Am hoping her comments were in line with the natural product thing.

Lovely to hang out with Amber last week at Roots Manuva and beyond. Big ups to Anand for dropping by the studio last week, hope your trip back to Welli was OK. Also not sure who the guy was who was sleeping in the studio throughout our whole last show (didn't think this was actually possible), but hope you found yourself a better spot to catch some Z's.

Peace y'all

Nick

MUSICAL CHERRRR’S LINEUP

Upstairs 420…Hip hop, soul, reggae…

10pm – Nabeel & Nick

10.30 – Scott Doughboy

11.00 – Big Sene & Alepa

11.30 – Big Stuff

12.00 -  Kirsty

12.40 – ¼ Time 

1.00 – Dino

1.30 – Penfold

2.00 – Tuff Enchant & Bamba Sound System

2.40 -  Sgt Benji

3.20 – Finn

4.00 – Black Reign

4.40 – Selecto & Parks

Downstairs Rising Sun…Dope beats, jungle and breaks

10pm – Sey

10.30pm – Pauly Who

11.00 - Chip

11.30 – Ota

12.00 – Manuel B

12.30 – Bobby Brazuka

1.00 -  Edd G

1.30 – Manaia Toa

2.30 – Getafix

3.30 – Omen

4.30 – Carnage

5.20 – Delta Mutoid

Nick:

Jackson & his Computer Band—Utopia

Autechre—Basscadet

Saul Williams—List of Demands

Kelis feat. Andre 3000—Millionaire

Prince Paul—And the Winner is?

Tommy Guerrero w/ Lyrics Born—Getting it Together

Company Flow—Friend vs. Friend

Nabeel:

Love Unlimited Orchestra—Strange Games and Things

Unidentified Irate Preacher—I’m Gonna Strap It On

Freddie Hubbard—Little Flower

John Holt—Strange Things

Boards of Canada—In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country

Dromed—Retro Dub

Sister Rosetta Tharpe—Strange Things Happening Every Day

Ty feat. Bembe Segue—Groovement 12”

Nick:

The Herbaliser w/Latyryx—8 Point Agenda

Roots Manuva—Clockwork

Cage—Hell’s Winter

Aesop Rock—Food, Clothes, Medicine

Jaylib—Champion Sound

Mos Def—Katrina Klap

Nabeel:

K-Otix—Georbe Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People

Quasimoto—The Front

King Britt w/Bahamadia—Transcend

The Revolutionaries—Earthquake Dub

Dr Alimentado—Poison Flour

The Clash vs. Peaches—Fuck Em Boyo

Burro Banton—Politicians (Siren Riddim)

Sister Iona Locke—Let’s Get It On

The Perceptionists—Black Dialogue

Mutamassik—Mawlid

Whenever I get down to do the blog, I try and consider whether this particular forum should be mostly about music. After all its derived from our show on Base. I pretty much conclude that we often bring politics into our music, so hope that you indulge me. When we played our selections this week we had an election theme (the track titles should allude to something in case you missed it). However we were conscious of the fact that on election day, no one in the media is supposed to say anything that would influence anyone's vote (there was not a note posted in the studio but we are a responsible pair). So although both of us were extremely nervous that there would be shift to the right, all we could encourage people to do was to get out and vote. But I am pretty sure that the Base listenership is not made up of a lot of Brash supporters (although if there are we do not want to exclude you from our mainstream).

I think there is about a week to go before we know the final tally of the special votes. I want to be as optimistic as possible and believe that the previous election trends will continue, so that the Green Party will get Nándor Tánczos back in. He is after all the only MP I have ever seen at a dance party. More seriously his voice is important in getting some well needed drug law reform underway. And an extra MP for the Green's puts more weight on vital issues that seemingly get ignored by virtually everyone else, namely doing our best to avoid environmental chaos.

Before the election I thought that the biggest problem to the country was Winston Peters. He had consistently run on essentially a racist platform throughout NZ First's political history. However, after Saturday a new contender stepped up to the plate, Peter Dunne. Not that I held a lot of respect for United Future in that past, I thought that the fact that they had won as many seats in 2002 was bizarre. Their stance against civil unions was absurd and thankfully failed. But despite all that I just thought of them all as a nuisance at best, knowing that this time around their support base would drop. Thankfully I was right, and United Future lost more than half their ministers. Unfortunately it was not enough, as now Dunne wants to act high and mighty proclaiming he cannot work with the Green Party despite the fact that they have a much stronger base than he does. My big hope now is that Labour does the right (or should that be proper?) thing and leave him out of government all together. Although this clip by Bill Maher is refers to the American state of mind, it alludes to Dunne's idiotic position against the Greens. I am not going to go into too much more local analysis, mainly because other sites have done some very comprehensive breakdowns, including the wonderful Frog Blog.

Bringing in the musical element to political issues, there have been a couple of Hip Hop response tracks to the devastation of Katrina. K-Otix have released a song built on Kanye West's comments called George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People. Mos Def has also busted out with Katrina Klap. This might signal a shift away from endless rapping about materialism back to attacking authority (I try to be optimistic). Also nice to see Hugo Chávez offering aid to Katrina victims. Maybe that is why Pat Robinson wants him dead? Finally what is up with the right wing Christians claiming that The March of the Penguins supports the concept of intelligent design? Hopefully it will make them more concerned about the disappearing ice caps (still trying to be optimistic).

peace y'all

Election Day Special

Nabeel:

Unknown artist—Survivor (Tribal Council Theme)

South Park—Vote or Die

People’s Choice—Do It Any Way You Wanna

Chris Rock—Taxes

Pedro—Vote For Me (from the film Napoleon Dynamite)

Bauhaus—Bela Lugosi’s Dead

Rodney Rude—John Howard

Mutamassik—High Alert A’Ala Teta (Interlude for Granma)

DJ Food featuring Ken Nordine—The Ageing Young Rebel

Nick:

Coldcut—Every Home is a Prison (Shut Up & Dance mix)

Radiohead—Fittier Happier

Ryuichi Sakamoto—Anger (Rare Force 2 Meg Mix)

Quasimoto—Tomorrow Never Knows

Lyrics Born—Stop Complaining

Talking Heads—Born Under Punches

Nabeel:

Marx Brothers—Rules of his Administration

Ella Fitzgerald—Vote for Mr. Rhythm

Kraftwerk—Aerodynamik (live)

Theo Parrish—Major Moments of Insanity

Review of The Hamburg Cell

Sabres of Paradise—Wilmot (Wilmot’s Last Skank)

Prophet Omega—I Am What I Am

Unknown artist—The Sensuous Black Woman

Boom Bip & Gruff Rhys—Do’s and Don’ts

Nick:

Femi Kuti—Fight to Win

Aesop Rock—Commencement at the Obedience Academy

Saul Williams—Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)

Irresistible Force—Power (Mix Master Morris mix)

CocoRosie—By Your Side

Well unless you live in a cave you probably know that the election is this weekend. Such is its impact that the cultish Exclusive Brethren have taken time out to try and convince us godless folk of its importance. I know this has been pointed out before but you would think that having spent half a million dollars to try and steer things their way they would also be inclined to turn up and vote. Apparently not.

Unfortunately this is just one of many examples that lend this election season perfectly into Hunter Thompson's phrase "Fear and Loathing". While watching all the horrible things that transpired during last year's American presidential election there was of course a sense of outrage (if only the world could have voted then).  But the biggest consolation of that outcome was that at least a stronger democratic system existed here. Similarly when the British system re-elected the Labour party, despite what should have been serious trouble for the Tony Blair, there was the feeling that at least our Parliamentary system was more representative of its population.

Sadly what has transpired is an extremely dirty campaign in which few - if any - of the parties can be applauded for their vote gathering tactics. Negative ads and smear campaigns seem to have become the norm. Statistics and promises are thrown from left and right, hoping to appeal to base instincts. There are a plethora of experts each standing up to claim why one set of numbers are right and others wrong. Empty phrases such as "traditional family values" and "mainstream NZ" are thrown around. And poll after poll has shown was a confused mess it all has become.

I honestly don't know what is going to happen on Saturday. I do have my hopes, hope that votes are not cast out of fear, ignorance, or greed. Perhaps this is naive, but then again we don't live in Kansas and don't have to worry about Fox News. Tune into the Basement on Saturday as Nabeel and I try and figure out how to construct an election special, but don't forget to vote.

On a quick music note, once again big ups to Professor Pitt and Jedi. Glad to get a chance to play some of Pitts organic hip hop down in NZ, and great to go back to Lyricist Lounge to check out Jedi (After the Show). Will get some of his Reggaeton soon. And if all goes well I think I finally found a good swap for my Roots Manuva ticket.

Peace y'all

Nick

I am going to do a proper post soon but just wanted to put a notice out, if anyone wants to go to Roots Manuva on  the Wednesday (the 21st of September) I am looking to swap my ticket for the Thursday show. If you can help me out just reply to this post and I will get back to you.

Peace

Nick

Nick:

Boom Bip & Dose One—Wishful Thinking

Busdriver—Happiness (C’s Unit of Measurement Prefuse 73 mix)

Rob Sonic—Shoplift (El-P remix)

Professor Pitt—Breathe

Subtle—The Hook

Apsci—Tirade Highway

Tes—New New York

Words, Rise, Punch, Jedi & A.L—After the Show

Prince Po—Social Distortion

Nabeel:

Glad that Nick is back safe and sound and happy birthday to Leith, his Moms. Looking forward to getting back in The Basement groove this Saturday and checking out all those wang dang doodley tunes Nick tracked down for me stateside. 

Anyhow, I’ve been a bit delayed posting the track listing from last Saturday due to marking around fifty essays on Bollywood films. All that’s done and dusted, yippee. Had great weather over this two-week vacation from teaching. The Waiheke wedding anniversary 24-hour chill-out was glorious. This was a welcome break from ongoing building work in my bedroom.

Also got to see some DVDs (to be reviewed on the radio soon) and make some mix or rather compilation CDs that summed up the psychosoundscape right now.

In fact, last week’s show was really a response to Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans and various parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. My friend Matthew Bannister, who’s a former member of the Flying Nun recording artists Sneaky Feelings, and the Dribbling Darts of Love, and currently in The Weather, came along to play some tunes from the Dirty South and assorted tidbits.

Matthew and I also talked about Fred Wesley Jr., legendary trombonist with James Brown and Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band. Wesley Jr’s autobiography Hit Me Fred: Recollections of a Sideman was published earlier this year. Matthew reviewed the book and we discussed Wesley’s job as arranger for James Brown’s band. We also played some of the man’s work.

But the bulk of the show was our homage to New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi. I feel a mixture of sadness and anger about the response to the disaster. And you can be sure some of that anger will be directed at George Dubya (Go Kanye West!) in the next show. It’s going to be more difficult for the Prez to make political mileage out of the September 11 anniversary this year.

Many Baseheads will know that New Orleans has an incredible jazz tradition that stems from its Creole history (Kid Koala has been diggin’ in those crates recently). New Orleans gave us those rolling R & B piano rhythms in the work of Professor Longhair and Fats Domino, the definitive rock and roll drumming of Earl Palmer on the early Little Richard cuts for Specialty Records of New Orleans, the spacey almost dubbed out funk of The Meters, the psychedelicate soul sophistication of Allen Toussaint, the aching soul of Irma Thomas and the Neville Brothers, the shamanesque swamp funk of Dr John (Mac Rebennack) and so many other moments of pure weird hybridized musical bliss. The radio stations of the city were heard in the Caribbean and those cuts dominated the early Jamaican sound systems like Downbeat in the late 1950s. Jamaica’s Alpha School jazz musicians that went on to be the Skatalites and session men for countless recordings in Kingston were steeped in New Orleans music. More recently Nawlins has given us the Dirty South bootylicious hip hop sound. Louisiana also produced the swamp boogie of Cajun and Zydeco music and the crazy stylings of Jerry Lee Lewis.   And Mississippi and the Delta is the home of the blues. More southern tunes to follow this Saturday…

Nabeel and Matthew Bannister:

Tommy McCook—The Saint

Mac Rebennack—Storm Warning

Jimmy Clanton—Just A Dream

Tony Joe White—Swamp Boogie

Little Richard—Short Fat Fanny

Lee Dorsey—Little Ba-aby

Backyard Heavies—Soul Junction

The Meters—Joog

Dr John—Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya

David Banner—Mississippi

Wilson Pickett—Barefootin’

Robert Parker—Where The Action Is

Wilson Pickett—You’re So Fine

Jimmy Reed—Down in Mississippi

The Cookies—Don’t Say ’Nothing ’Bout My Baby

The Dixie Cups—Iko Iko

The Weather—Ask Anyone

James Cotton--When The Levee Breaks

Bootsy Collins—Hollywood Squares

Fred Wesley & the JB’s—Doing It To Death

Fred Wesley & the JB’s—I’m Paying Taxes, What Am I Buying?

Aimee Mann—4^th Of July

Coco Rosie—Jesus Loves Me

The Kinks—Lavendar Hill

Irma Thomas—It’s Raining

The Kinks—I Go To Sleep (demo)

Allen Toussaint—From A Whisper To A Scream

Lee Dorsey—Yes We Can Can

The Pointer Sisters—Yes We Can Can

The Platters—Twilight Time

Tommy McCook—Real Cool

I am now back in NZ, having had a fantastic time in Cali. The last few days in the states became a bit of a mad rush as more guests began to show up from around the country. I met an MC called Jedi who appears on the first Lyricist Lounge. Damn could he spit. He is now working heavily in developing his own label and getting lots of Reggaeton acts out there (I had not heard of Reggaeton before but it is sort of like Spanish Dancehall and is getting pretty popular in the Americas). I also met a guy called Professor Pitt who was kind enough to pass me some of his tracks where he rhymes of beatboxing and the sound of a harp. Tres cool. He has also done the first Hip Hop Kung Fu movie called Hip Hop Dynasty Vol 2: Mixture, which features a guest spot by DJ Qbert.  On the way to pick up Pitt, Jedi was kind enough to take me through Berkeley giving me a little more Amoeba time. But then we got a little lost and had to bust it back to Mill Valley to arrive just moments before the wedding ceremony.

The wedding was great, really beautiful seeing two wonderful people commit to each other with all their friends and family surrounding them. Then the food was all vegan (super cool) with a vanilla bean wedding cake to top it off. Some time approaching midnight few of us started to fell the weight of a long day and set about trying to get home. Pat was kind enough to offer his car so that myself, Maggie and Mihoko could venture out into the night. This was all cool, but then we hit a flat tire. So I had to step up to the plate and do the big change. I still can't remember if I had done this before, but with a little help from Maggie “Muscles” got the spare on avoiding any trouble in the infamous Mill Valley. We then got lost and had a few problems figuring out how to work an American gas pump, but eventually arrived at home in once piece.

The next day would be my last in the country and kicked off with the final nice breakfast of coffee and bagels with avocado and tomato with Maggie (less than $5 for two people!) and a trip to the Bocce Ball court. I then was offered a ride to the airport from a guy called Mike. This meant leaving a few hours before I had planned, but beggars cannot be choosers. I did a mad rush to pack and say goodbye then set out South with Mike and a couple of other Howard's Beach guys. They wanted to go to the Marina in SF so I did my best to give directions making several mistakes, but still making it in time. From there was the trip to SF international, where in check in the I was advised that X-Rays could damage camera film forcing me to search through my suitcase. My good friend Lord also made a nice trip to the airport to keep me company before the flight (ISM!). Then it was back on United airlines, where upon the fruit juice in my carry on bag burst. It was the thick Spirulina kind of juice. Had to covertly use the airline blanket to try and soak it all up. When I got to NZ the sniffer dog came right up to me and the customs guy asked what I had. But as it was spilt juice he seemed not to care.

Anyway lots of shouts and respect to all those over there: Anthony and Liz (the wonderful couple), Lord (gotta do it again sooner than later), Maggie (super strong in so many ways), Shaggy (mad science), Mihoko (raw knowledge), Pat (lotta beans), Jedi (Reggaeton 2006!), Pitt (organic flows), Shaanan (write on), Jillian (will get your NZ fan club going), Francisco (thanks for the roll and hook me up with your doctor), Bridgett and Todd (thanks again for the ride, am ever in debt), Rob (hugs), Mike (take care of those animals), Jimmy (come surf in NZ), Antony (that's “celebrant”), Paula (Auckland or São Paulo?), Liz's parents (if I am in Seattle...), Liz's brothers (made it), and Anthony’s Grandfather (straight from Brooklyn). There are quite a few more but I am at a loss of how to spell their names so will not embarrass myself.

Finally I got some photos that I will try and post (I still operate in the analogue days) but Mihoko has put some up on her raw Japanese site. Tune in to the Basement this Saturday as I try and make a cohesive set out of all the new sounds.

(also a very big happy birthday to my amazing mother)

Peace y’all

Nick

Still in Cali. San Rafael is a bit further from the city than I had expected but have made some trips in for the music shopping. Lots of good stuff, but my mind was totally scattered so was running around Amoeba trying to think of everything I could possibly want. I should have made a list. I am hoping that I will get me a chance to go to the Berkley stores as well but time is running out.

The people here are fantastic. When they talk about red and blue states I am not sure if this area would fit into either. They are certainly not happy with what is going on, but would probably not be happy to support all the comprimises by the Democrats.

There is plenty of great food here (a few raw food resturants), and being vegan is no problem. There are lots of Yoga spots, but hardcore exercise early in the morning kinda freaks me out. Some people here do this thing called sun gazing where they stare at the sun as it sets. Haven't really given it a good shot as don't want to mess my eyes up any further.

Peace y'all

Nick