Regarding how we roll
I was in the office on Wednesday and people were smiling more than usual. Many were paying an American girl who works there a visit, to congratulate her, and also to say thanks
What happened in the US Presidential elections wasn’t just the end of what will be probably remembered as some sort of dark age of imbecility and ignorance that has impacted us all, but also a reminder of what people can achieve when working together towards a vision of the way things should be, a movement of change, a hope that spills beyond borders and over vast oceans. The sun came out from the West on Wednesday, hopefully one day will also shine from the grey and jaded edifices of power of this old island.
The 20jazzfunkgreats are hardened cynics very aware of how the grim concrete walls of Realpolitik never fail to encroach upon the dreams of the rookie stalwart that lands in the public office. But right now it’s all about that warm feeling inside us, this was the way Wednesday sounded, this song goes to all our U.S. pals who have kept fighting the good fight, 4 years after we damned the second term of that man who shan’t be named with Sonic Youth’s ‘Youth Against Fascism’, we welcome the new guy with effervescent exultant gloriously off-kilter joint poppin’ disco funk of The Bombers, rejoice in the street kids, this occasion deserves a fierce dance!
The Bombers- Don’t Stop the Music
That reminiscence of the days of yore (4 years!) has made me think about something I read in the last Wired, as well as a comment left in the Halloween post, which I reckon pertains the motivations why we do this thing. Exhibit A, our dear reader was wondering how could we keep our level of commitment in spite of the absence of comments or other ‘kinds of popularity’. Exhibit 2, The Wired article contended that blogs are dead and Twitter is the new thing.
Why? Because these days it’s too hard to earn sufficient attention through blogger, there are too many professional web-sites out there posting stuff constantly, monopolising the top spots of the ‘folksonomy rankings’ (what the fuck happened to those?), glimmers in the eye of our Google overlords. Twitter is where it’s at because it is in the 50 words snippet where the lone digital gunman has a chance to shine in a time (cost) efficient way. Of course we all know that Wired is rubbish this days, and that you can squeeze it out of content in the time you get from London Victoria to Haywards Heath (the rest is techno-babble and a gadget shop). But regarding their argument, I wonder if what the world needs is even more attention grabbing headliners and quirkiness devoid of substance. Most blogs (including this one) tend to be quite bad at in-depth analysis, so let’s move to fucking Twitter, totally natty.
But I am meandering here. Let us examine what connects exhibit A and exhibit B, this is, the assumption that, somehow, the motivation for running this kind of joint is a reward at the end of the pixelated rainbow, some twisted internet version of ‘celebrity’ at the top of the digital soapbox, glitz and fame. Yes, climb on the back of those artists whose music we are giving away for free and get a prize for it, the individualistic rent-seeking utility maximising posse scores again, it’s like Margaret Thatcher had never had that sharp stake driven through her putrescent heart (if only).
Well, I guess we don’t do what we do for those reasons, I have said it before and I say it again. We have day jobs. It’s not that we don’t want to be read, and we love it when people leave comments, but if I have to be honest I have not been to our Google Analytics site for years, I don’t know how many hits we get and how many hits our ‘competition’ gets, I don’t give a cat whiskers for the web pseudo-economy, if you have e-mailed us to swap links, you probably have received no reply, nada. If we ever stop doing this, it won’t be because we aren’t being rewarded by you, or someone else, it will be because we don’t have enough time or energy to put into it the effort that we think the artists we are posting, and you too, deserve, this isn’t about us, we don’t sign this thing.
Because what we are about is the moment of discovery when something that you didn’t know existed slides into your radar like some fucked up U.F.O. of psychedelic goodness and the whole emerald reticle folds itself into a pyramid at the top of which shines a field of a thousand weird flowers blooming glorious, a field of hope for the future and continuation of unbridled human creativity, ensuing pleasure and subsequent feelings of inspiration which are not individual but communitarian, sharing is caring, nuff said.
Believe it or not, my house doesn’t smell of patchouli, kid, and I have a degree on Economics.
One example of what I am talking about are ridiculously awesome Gyratory System, one of those outfits who, when we heard them for the first time, made us think of strange configurations of alien technology known as The Process spreading across space to capture the sub-atomic vibrations generated by the spinning cycle of things that hide in the void, then reconfigure them into glorious progressive symphonies which are the sound of a total conscience playing with the colourful toys which are time life and matter beyond a black veil inside which our senses are not designed to see. This is the music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra captured by a SETI cluster, processed through a myriad deluded wobbly synthesisers and spit in your grimacing face, it shouldn’t exist but it does, we are always wondering about whether everything that can be created existed already, some time ago, and then holy shit like this happens, and we are re-energised, inebriated, joyous, exhausted, take a deep breath and go deep inside, keep searching.
Gyratory System- Party Unlimited
‘Party Unlimited’ is named after a disused shop underneath the Gyratory System headquarters in Bloomsbury, London. It comes from the album ‘Utility Music’. Hansard Records are their custodians. We await for more.
And then, to start the weekend on a loop that tips our proverbial hat to all the Chicagoans who partied hard on Wednesday, here we have Mahjongg. We care so much for Mahjongg, they are one of the reasons why we started doing this thing in the first place, and we are very sorry we missed them when they played in Brighton, apparently they were totally incredible. But we are so busy these days…
Alas, their music blowing us away will have to do, and in what way, just check out their new Free Grooverider 7 out in K records, bizarro tropical waves like Gang Gang Dance voodoo loas riding a 2-step coruscating Arabian horse. Today we are leaving you with the flip, a haunted Jamaican remix put together by the mighty Selector Dub Narcotic, enough reverberation to blow a hole in the perception walls of the nation, bewitching melodica flourishes a la Augustus Pablo and a rattling percussive finale which sounds like an acid house aligator crushing your hips with merciless jaws of rhythm, there.
love to xxjfg
Friday, November 7, 2008 1:05 amhogswine
I kinda suspect that the comment that prompted all this soul searching was from a spammer. Don’t sweat it and keep doing what you do. XXJFG rules, OK!
Friday, November 7, 2008 1:07 amMister 1-2-3-4
Oh yeah: and Obama rules too!
Friday, November 7, 2008 1:07 amMister 1-2-3-4
Bring back the draft.
Friday, November 7, 2008 5:10 amNixon's dog Checkers
xxjfg, you have brought much musical enlightenment to mine old dusty brain over these years. thank you! yr the best.
Friday, November 7, 2008 8:33 amben
Hear, hear!
Friday, November 7, 2008 8:42 amI add my thanks to ben’s: you have over the years introduced me to forms of music I had forgotten existed. You kids rock. Keep on keepin’ on x
marcwuh
u have no idea how happy we americans are. the last 8 years have been an embarrasment. and the scariest part was it seemed we all had no way to stop it. they silenced the media and they made examples of rebels who questioned them by jailing them. everyone i have talked to in the last few days has had one remarkable thing in common to say about the outcome of the election…and that was that we all cried tuesday night. many still shed tears. maybe tears of relief and a sort of acknowledgment of all the horrible pressure weve been enduring with this past administration. also tears of joy and certainly tears of hope. im serious…i watched grown men cry openly in public that night standing at a packed bar watching Obama’s speech on tv. it really is the beginning of a new time in america, and i hope the rest of the world knows how appalled we are over what has happened in the last 8 years.
Friday, November 7, 2008 9:28 ammaynard
at the risk of missing the point of your last post, i was reminded of how often my day is brightened by blogs like yours, delivering new fresh sounds to me and re-introducing me to forgotten jems…and how infrequently i bother to leave a comment to acknowledge the hard work that goes into maintaining a blog of this level of quality. it is beautiful that you can carry on this endeavor so devoid of ego and need for reassurance. but know, however, that we are out here reading and listening and feel blessed to share in your knowledge and passion for the music.
um forte abraço do brasil–>tee…
Friday, November 7, 2008 1:08 pmtee
as a long time visitor to this site, I thank you for being patient with us Americans in hopes that we could finally get it right. Well, we have…and I’m disturbed and still disgusted that it took so long.
Chicago is my home and I was in attendance in for the victory rally on Nov. 4. I can say with no reservation — it was the most important event in my lifetime. I’m heartwarmed to see the international community’s pleased reactions to our spasm of aptitude! Here’s hoping we can re-establish our good name in the coming years. Our dark cloud has lifted.
Thank you again. Long live CHANGE, prosperity, love, good will, trust, humanity and of course, XXJFG.
Finally… we’re back.
Cheers!
Friday, November 7, 2008 4:39 pmJude
Crying yes but mostly dancing and singing in the street until dawn, fireworks and music (Hendrix National Anthem never sounded so sweet, I tell you);kept waiting for the police to break it up but they were all smiling too…
Friday, November 7, 2008 7:49 pmnrh
I saw that comment and felt pretty embarrassed that i never leave comments. This is the best music publication on the internet or elsewhere, and quite probably the best looking web page on the internet.
Embarrassment seems to be a theme lately. 8 years of it are about to go away and hopefully soon everybody will stop associating Alaska with the Pallin debacle.
Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:57 amThe Wolfblitzer
This is my favourite blog. 20jfg has been routinely blowing my mind and opening up new avenues of exploration for a long time. This place has got some serious soul. Please never stop.
Saturday, November 8, 2008 2:57 pmHubert
I’d like to note that i enjoy your blog immensely, but as an American (who actually prefers Obama to McCain) this constant shilling for the new boss is irritating and downright Panglossian. Are DIY kids now so pathetic that they celebrate a President who not only supported the Bankers bailout and telecom immunity but also advocates the invasion of Pakistan?? Whose first act as president-elect, chooses Rahm Emmanuel (dual citizen, pro Iraq War, son of an anti-British terrorist)as his CoS? We have not gotten it right, and we will not until we demand constitutional limits on state power and control of our lives, the inverse of what Obama promises. Plus ca change…
Saturday, November 8, 2008 8:10 pmActon Ressurected
tuesday night was a beautiful moment. a mccain victory would have been terribly disheartening. i want to believe there’s something happening here in the u.s. that transcends whoever obama may actually prove to be. if obama fails to live up to expectations (which he inevitably will) people will just have to demand more. sure, the warmongers got all the money and power but they ain’t never gonna stop the flow.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 12:28 amben
me, running a 2 hours late show on a local uni radio frequency, knows what this post is all about (!)
(..always happy to ear a occasional “oh, this thing is YOUR show??? no way! you fucked my speakers!”)
keep on!
Sunday, November 9, 2008 4:15 amyou are pantatonemonus.
le désir de plaire - les cuistots du bal - pierre-et-le-loop
what the other commenters said. amen.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 4:48 ambutter team
The drum circle in BK was bumpin’. O Ba Ma in the air, U S A on the streets, but it was fuuuun. 20JFG4L you dig? You are so Cool and popUlar. Muah!
Sunday, November 9, 2008 4:55 amJazz
never change dear friend.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 6:09 ampikle
never change dear friend
Sunday, November 9, 2008 6:10 ampikle
xxjfg makes me ululate.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 12:41 pmkeep on with this.
isendyoulove&seeyousoon
angel
how’s that for weight of expectation.
i and every music-loving soul I know read your verbosity daily – it will be a sad day when you’re too busy.
Monday, November 10, 2008 12:15 amyou are walking in the shoes of john peel
woah. Thanks. You made an old hater smile.
Joking, I’m not a hater, it’s all about the love!
And I smiled…
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 12:53 am20jazzfunkgreats
I’m glad you all keep pushin’ 20jfg along whether people like me leave a comment or not! Seems like the only/best reason to do anything in this world is if you want to do it. Gives pleasure to you (most of the time, I take it), gives pleasure to me (sometimes!). Keep up the good work! Re: O: he’s not the second coming, but he’ll do in a pinch, which is what we’re in.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 4:55 pmeric
Verily and forsooth you are cosmic vigilantes, you may not always be popular with the digital elite! You strike behind the heart in the heat of a witches hour, feverish and precise. Toiling at furnace of words in the dead of a drunken night, mapping lipstick traces on a wine glass.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:11 pmsean orr
I’m late to commenting on this one, but after reading the post it made me want to write a quick reply.
Just have to say thanks to you guys and for the hard work you put into this blog.
You guys have exposed me to more interesting and sonically diverse music than any site on the internets I have come across. Plus, the writing is more than half the fun in visiting this site.
I hope you guys keep it up for a long time.
Thursday, November 13, 2008 5:42 pmZak