Progress Report

It is not enough to merely make a comment or to express a thought. Art must be inspired AND inspiring. It must provoke a response, inspire thought and creatitivity in others, thus 'art begets more art'. There may be an essential human truth in here, love begets love, violence begets more violence - a vicious and delicious circle of life and progress, all of which make us human. If something claims to be art and does none of these things, it is not art, merely an outpouring of comment, a heamorrage of emotion, one more voice raised above the rabble, but saying nothing.

I see zombies parading outside my window, high on whatever they can get their hands on: alcopops, cheap wine, white powders and tablets, curries, burgers, trendy clothes, high heels, miniskirts, foolish hats, concert tickets, VIP guest lists, everything, anything that makes them feel like they belong where they are. To what? Society? Culture? To be part of a Zeitgeist?

Our ability to communicate far outstrips anything anyone has to say. Forget telephones and the printed word - web chats, text messages, IM, blogging - we speak before we know what to say; if we have anything to say at all.


If I were a thousand years old I would say: "remember when if you wnated to read and write, you'd have to find someone to teach you. And you had to REALLY want to learn. Publish a book? first create a machine with which to do it. Then set every page by hand and all at enormous cost - and it better be worth the trouble. It better be good".


Cut to the 21st century: i've got a book, but no-one wnats to publish it. Doesn't matter, I'll do it myself on the internet; they don't understand it, no-one understands me. i've got a band, make a record, a film, do anything you want. But it better be good - please make it good.


What about the audience, the great general public - lets talk about them. Desensitised, distracted, unexpectant, undemanding. Too caught up in their own reflection, comparing their boots to Kate Moss' boots, their car to David Beckhams' car, wanting everything, sacrificing nothing. They, we all, have forgotten what it means to mean anything.


When an underground MC talks about guns and cars and crime and living in the ghetto, what is he really telling that I don't already know? That they don't like it, that it sucks, that they'd rather live in a big house with a big car? What does that inspire in me?
Absolutely, resolutely nothing.


Give me a landline over a cellphone, a cinema over a home entertainment system, a desk instead of a wireless workstation, a typewriter over a fragile, needy laptop, and vinyl / cassette tapes / CDs - ANYthing over MPfucking3s. When did the technology take the place of the art? It means nothing what brand of music device or cellphone you carry. Isn't it more important what you listen to, or what you have to say?

Give me something I can feel, I can touch, or see. Technology has brought us this far but where is it taking us? We depend on it, becoming trapped by the very tools we developed to help us progress. There are many questions here - too many. And here's one more: what are we leaving behind us? what have we created recently, besides corrupted hard drives, millions of vaccuous websites and society dependant on nothingness.



Yes, I this reads like the ramblings of a deranged lunatic, but look for the truth in there.

I am.

New Pornography

I love finding new bands to love. Like last night, I walked all of the 20 metres from my flat to 93 feet East to see the New Pornographers , which is a band I’ve loved for years. ‘Electric Version’ is in my humble opinion, right up there with The Beach Boy’s ‘Pet Sounds’ for sheer vibrant, giggle-making pop. You know when you don’t want to go in to a show too early because the support invariably sucks and by the time the headline act comes on you’re a little deaf and feel sick? (maybe that’s just me)

Well anyway, I missed the first half of Immaculate Machine’s set, which I deeply regret, but was so taken with them that I immediately went to the back and bought their new CD – ‘Ones and Zeros’. I say immediately, obviously I waited for the New Pornographers to play their blisteringly fantastic set too. No Dan ‘the Destroyer’ Bejar, and no Neko Case either. I had been looking forward to hearing Neko sing live, but her replacement Kathryn Calder was excellent. Better than excellent even, especially considering she played two sets back to back as she is also in the Immaculate Machine. Way to go Kathryn!

Highlights of the Pornographers set were Mass Romantic, Slow Descent into Alcoholism, Testament to Youth in Verse (fuckin' awesome). And from the Machine's set, Invention '77 and So Cynical are still buzzing through my brain like mad flies.

Currently listening to: Immaculate Machine – Ones and Zeros