Beats People Movement

Experimental producer and live laptop musician Flying Lotus is playing a confirmed NZ show in Wellington on January 7th at Sandwiches. There is also talk of a possible Auckland show the following night, big!

For now here’s a little background on the man they call “FlyLo”..

Flying Lotus, (born Steven Ellison) is an experimental music producer, DJ, and laptop musician from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006. He is most famous (yet also uncredited) for the music in many of the segues of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, and he has also contributed remixes to fellow Plug Research artists, including Mia Doi Todd. Tracing a distinctly Jazz heritage, Flying Lotus is the great-nephew of Alice Coltrane and a cousin of Ravi Coltrane.

He signed to Warp Records in 2007, and, following his Warp-debut - the six track Reset EP - released his second album titled Los Angeles on June 10th, 2008.

With comparisons made to DJ Shadow, Madlib and more often J Dilla and similarities to the wonky Dubstep-esque beats of Scottish producer Rustie or Hyperdub label boss Kode9. Flying Lotus is essentially a producer of future beats. Add to this the live element and its a foregone conclusion that anyone who is interested in electronic music in general needs to know what this guy is up to. Official remix work spanning just the past few months has seen him collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne as well as Martyn and King Midas Sound. Likewise his beats have recieved the remix treatment from Ras G as well as Japan-based Dubstep producer Quarta330. Taking in so many of the styles we love the BPM family are definitely amped to have the one like FlyLo visiting our shores this summer!

A few quotes:

“There are moments of absolute brilliance spread across this long awaited 17 track album, and its those tracks that refuse to settle comfortably into any recognisable genre that give credence to the assertion that Steven Ellison is one of the most gifted and interesting producers operating in hip hop at the tail end of the noughties. […] Flying lotus joins the dots between the lo-slung loop edits of J Dilla, the low-end ruffage of some of the most interesting dubstep/2-step producers, and the de-tuned, frayed sounds of old pirate radio cassettes that are so worn out they’re starting to lose pitch. At it’s best, the album marries an aesthetically open mind with ridiculously impressive production savvy..”

Boomkat.com review.

“..showcasing the unsteady breaks and choppy noises that are leading people such as Portishead’s Geoff Barrow to mention his name in the same sentence as Public Enemy, EPMD, Marley Marl and Madlib.”

Remix Magazine.

“As he played, Ellison bobbed furiously, with an enormous smile on his face, twisting knobs but looking as if he wanted to dance as much as physically possible without abandoning his equipment. The set segued into his own gentle, loopy remix of Lil Wayne’s ubiquitous “A Milli” and then settled into several brutish, heavy tracks from the dubstep genre—rough-cut slabs of bass and drums that bully the listener into dancing. Then Ellison guided the music back through more rapping, and ended with the susurration of the Radiohead remix. At no point did Ellison feel compelled to make sense. At no point did the crowd stop dancing.”

Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker Magazine.

Links:

http://www.flying-lotus.com/
http://www.myspace.com/flyinglotus
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Flying+Lotus
L.A. EP available for purchase on Bleep
L.A. EP available for purchase on iTunes

Free Kayne West Remix here.

Click through for the recent Essential Mix tracklisting and download link.

Read the rest of this entry »

Beats People Movement are very happy to be involved with bringing you a one-off Auckland show from the serious duo that is The Bug (UK) and Warrior Queen (JA). Running tings with a unique blend of Dancehall, Dubstep and future soundscapes this will be the final show in thier Australasian tour and we can not wait. Full NZ tour schedule as follows:

Wellington - Thursday 29th January @ Garden Club

Christchurch - Friday 30th January @ Double Happy

Auckland - (with Rhythm & Sound feat. Tikiman) - Saturday 31st January @ Toto Bacco Room

Check this mix broadcast on BBC Radio earlier in the year, perfect for the iPod while holidaying around the country over the next few weeks and getting everybody ready for a night of deep pressure sounds..

THE BUG – SHOWCASE MIX on BBC Radio, March 22, 2008.

Featuring exclusive Bug versions and tracks off of the album ‘London Zoo’ released earlier this year on Ninja Tune..

1. Erykah Badu - Twinkle
2. The Bug ft Tippa Irie - Angry
3. The Bug ft Ricky Ranking - Mad Up The Dance
4. The Bug ft Warrior Queen - Insane
5. The Bug ft Spaceape - Systems
6. The Bug ft Flowdan & Killa P - Skeng
7. The Bug ft Ricky Ranking - Murder We
8. The Bug ft Flowdan - Bad Like That
9. The Bug ft Seanie T - Bring Life
10. King Midas Sound - Cool Out
11. Coki - Road Rage (exclusive Bug refix ft Ricky Ranking)
12. TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn’s DCM Mix)
13. The Bug ft Flowdan - Jah War
14. The Bug ft Warrior Queen - Poison Dart
15. The Bug ft Ricky Ranking - Tonight
16. The Bug ft Flowdan - Stampin’
17. Darkstar - Need You
18. Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum

Download Link (26MB / 160 kbps)

More Links:
The Bug and Warrior Queen on Hearing Test
Warrior Queen - Things Change (produced by The Heatwave) - Free Download

Tyler Cassidy, a 15-year-old Melbourne boy was shot dead last week after threatening Police with a knife in each hand, he was up to 14 meters away when the shots were fired.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Police in the southern Australian city of Melbourne fatally shot a 15-year-old boy in a skate park after officers said he threatened them with knives.

Police said the teen, Tyler Cassidy of Melbourne, continued to approach them Thursday night even after they fired warning shots and twice hit him with pepper spray. Several officers fired at him, hitting him in the chest. He died at the scene.

The shooting comes less than a week after police in Athens, Greece, fatally shot a 15-year-old boy, sparking massive riots. Cassidy’s death did not immediately prompt similar outrage among Australians, although the boy’s family condemned the shooting and the Victoria state police union renewed its calls to arm officers with Taser stun guns.

“The entire family and friends of Tyler Cassidy are appalled at the actions by Victoria Police last night,” the boy’s family said in a statement. “Their heavy-handedness and lack of negotiating skills at the scene of the shooting contributed to the untimely death of our beautiful 15-year-old.”

Police in Melbourne were called to the park after several people reported seeing a young man behaving erratically, Victoria state police Assistant Commissioner Tim Cartwright said.

Cassidy had stolen knives from a nearby department store earlier in the day, Cartwright said.

“He was irrational. He was yelling and screaming and, as far as we can tell, armed with two knives at that stage,” Cartwright told reporters.

The situation was a tragedy, but police acted appropriately, Cartwright said.

Homicide detectives will investigate the shooting on behalf of the state coroner, under the supervision of the police’s ethical standards unit, Cartwright said.

Although the full circumstances of the shooting were not immediately clear, a Taser may have helped prevent the boy’s death, Police Association secretary Senior Sgt. Greg Davies said.

“Using a Taser would have meant he wouldn’t have had to have been shot,” Davies said. “He would have been temporarily disabled and handcuffed.”

Source: AP.

The jury has come back with an “open verdict” in the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest being heard in London this week. Given only the options of finding the killing “lawful” or returning with an “open verdict” since ex High Court Judge and acting Coroner Sir Michael Wright, QC  effectively banned or “gagged” them from finding the killing unlawful.

The Met Police have already been found guilty of breaches of health and safety law in the operation in 2007. The force was fined £175,000.

Mr de Menezes, 27, a Brazilian national, was shot seven times in the head by armed police who mistook him for the failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman. The shooting took place on board a London Underground train in July 2005 in the wake of the 7/7 bombings. Over 100 witnesses were called during the recent inquest including the two specialist firearms officers – known in court as C12 and C2 – who shot De Menezes at point-blank range.

Jurors were told that police surveillance officers … were sent out the following morning without a picture of the man they were looking for… [and that] de Menezes was never positively identified as the terrorist suspect.

One of the armed officers, [C12] claimed that he had shouted “armed police” and opened fire only after Mr de Menezes had stood up and advanced towards him. None of the passengers on the carriage recalled hearing a warning shouted or seeing Mr de Menezes stand up before he was held down in his seat and shot. One woman said that she thought that the police officers were “out of control”.

Source: Times Online.

In a series of answers to a list of crucial questions, [the jurors] dismissed the testimony of the senior firearms officer who shot De Menezes – suggesting they did not believe the officer was acting in self-defence.

The jury found that the firearms officer, C12, did not shout “armed police” before shooting De Menezes and that [he] did not move towards him aggressively, prompting the fatal shot.

Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the De Menezes family, said the officers who claimed to have shouted warnings should be investigated for possible perjury. “There was certainly evidence of perjury by certain officers and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) should look at it again at this stage and I am sure they will.”

The conclusions of the jury leave Scotland Yard in turmoil. Sir Paul Stephenson, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner, said the force needed time to give “proper consideration” to the verdict.

“In the face of immense challenges faced by officers on that day, we made a terrible mistake – I am sorry,” he said. “Our duty then as is now is to ensure that this organisation learns from the events to minimise the chances of it ever happening again.”

Source: Guardian Online.

The de Menezes Wikipedia page is throughily researched and a good place to read more on the subject.

An alternative view on the 7/7 bombings highlighting possible political motivations behind their alleged orchestration are outlined in international activist Alex Jones’ Terrorstorm documentary. Jones covers similar material in a shorter recorded interview with Daniel Obachike - passenger, survivor and witness of the suspicious number 30 bus bombing that also took place on 7/7/2005. Part 2 of the interview is here. Daniel has since written a book on the experience and keeps a blog titled ‘The 4th Bomb‘.

A showcase of Bristol bass and Dubstep music recently aired on BBC Radio1’s Rise Up series hosted by Mary Anne Hobbes. The audio below runs through 12 of the big names in the Bristol sound. Check a 9+min video of the show with interviews here.

Tracklist:

Hyetal - ‘We Should Light A Fire’ (Dubplate)

Pinch mix
Moving Ninja & Pinch ‘False Flag’ (Dubplate)
Pinch ‘Attack Of The Giant Robot Spiders’ (Dubplate)
Pinch ‘Motion Sickness’ (Tempa)
Pinch ‘Teleportation’ (Edit) (Dubplate)
Pinch & Pavel Ambiont ‘Poison-Remedy’ (Dubplate)

Joker mix
Rsd ‘Trample’ (Joker Mix) (Dub)
Joker ‘Untitled.Rsn’ (Dub)
Joker ‘Digidesign’ (Dub)
Joker ‘There She Go’s’ (Dub)
Joker ‘Do It!!!’ (Dub)
Joker & Ginz ‘Purple City’ (Dub) Pimp Style

Gatekeeper mix
Gatekeeper - ‘Slow Motion Dub’
Gatekeeper - ‘Event Horizon’
Gatekeeper - ‘Ignite Feat. Grilza & Dread MC’
Gatekeeper - ‘Which Way’

Komonazmuk mix
‘Music for Mary Anne’ [Exclusive tracks written especially for the show]

Jakes mix
Jakes - ‘Part Of Me Part Of You’ (Hench Dub)
Jakes - ‘Forgotten’  (Hench Dub)
Jakes - ‘Justice’  (Hench Dub)
Jakes - ‘Paper V.I.P’  (Hench Dub)
Jakes - ‘The Mysteronz’  (Hench Dub)

Appleblim Mix
Hector - ‘Tension’ Al Tourettes & Appleblim Remix (Forthcoming On Phonica Records)
Appleblim & Le Ruffiant - ‘Ravenous’ (Unreleased)
Sideshow Ft. Tikiman - ‘If Alone’ Komonazmuk & Appleblim Remix (Forthcoming On Aus Music)

Headhunter Mix
Brendon Moller & The Spaceape - ‘Strangers’ Headhunter Remix (Deep Space Media)
Aligning Minds - ‘Way Back When’
Headhunter & Djunya - ‘El Presidente’
F - ‘Night Drive’
Headhunter - ‘In Motion’ (Tempa)

Gemmy mix
Gemmy – ‘Kodama’ (Dub)
Gemmy – ‘Johnny 5’ (Dub)
Gemmy – ‘Temptations’ (Dub)
Gemmy – ‘Shanti Riddim’ (Dub)
Gemmy – ‘Rusty Tin’ (Dub)
Gemmy – ‘Wata Dwn’ Sound (Dub)

Peverelist mix
Hyetal - ‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ (Peverelist Mix)
Peverelist - ‘Bluez’
Peverelist - ‘Clunk Click Every Trip’

RSD mix
Henry & Louis – ‘Rise Up’ RSD Mix (Edit) (Forthcoming On 2 Kings)
RSD Feat. G.Rina – ‘You To Know’ Versatile Mix (Dubplate)
RSD – ‘Good Energy’ (Dubplate)
RSD – ‘Naked Mariocart’ (Dubplate)

Wedge mix
Wedge And Aesoteric – ‘If Symptoms Persist’
Wedge – ‘Bequest’
Wedge And Rasha Shaheen – ‘Backward Puzzle’
Wedge And Aesoteric – ‘Detachment From Reality’

Forsaken Mix
Forsaken Feat. Ben Blackmore - ‘Sagrada’
Forsaken Feat. Ben Blackmore - ‘Cross The Border’
Forsaken Feat. Ben Blackmore - ‘Evening Star’
Forsaken Feat. Ben Blackmore - ‘Learn The Hard Way’

Download the audio over here. Dubstepforum thread here.

On Saturday 6th of December at around 10pm, two Greek policemen were in patrol in a central street by Exarchia square, in the center of Athens. They had a verbal argument with some young people who were there. During the argument, one of the cops pulled his gun and shot a 16-year-old guy twice. The victim was moved to Evangelismos Hospital to be found dead. According to eye-witnesses, the cop had been swearing against the young man, showing his genitals, before shooting him.

Source: Indymedia article dated December 7th.

According to a Sky news report broadcast in NZ on 3 news, riots broke out after “police shot dead a 16 year old boy when a patrol car came under attack early yesterday evening”. He then goes on to talk about details surrounding the riots.

3 News video here.

This is important as it gives the first impression to viewers that these kids were attacking Police. There are however a number of eye witness accounts that outline only a verbal exchange took place before the shooting. There is also an eye witness cell phone video that shows no signs of the Police coming under attack.

Officer who shot teenager was a special guard; defense attorneys decline the case

Epaminondas Korkoneas, the 37-year-old police officer who is alleged to have shot the teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos is a special guard, a force that was created in 1999 but fully inducted into the police only this year.

Special guards were intended to take on more menial tasks, such as guarding buildings, so that regular police officers would be able to take up other duties.

Speaking to Kathimerini, the legal counsel of the Attica Police Officers’ Union, Vaios Skambardonis, said that police officers are advised that they should only use their revolvers if human life is in danger.

However, footage of Saturday’s shooting, captured by a witness on her mobile phone does not appear to show Korkoneas and his colleague coming under any kind of threat.

The blurred, dark images appear to show the police officer standing at some distance from the 15-year-old and other youths.

There appear to be no signs of the police officers coming under any kind of attack.

Korkoneas has been charged with murder and illegal use of a weapon while his colleague has been charged as an accomplice.

Their next appearance in court is in some doubt as the lawyers assigned to defend them have refused to accept their case. This has been interpreted as an indication that the officers’ argument that they were acting in self-defense was not convincing.

Source: Greek Newspaper Kathimerini (English Edition)

A young woman holds a heart-shaped balloon in front of police officers in riot gear guarding the Greek parliament during a peaceful protest in central Athens, Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

On Monday, about 2,000 youths confronted riot police outside Athens’ main police headquarters.

Students also gathered outside Athens’ main court complex, where four people arrested during last week’s riots were ordered to remain in custody. The policeman accused of killing the teenager, meanwhile, has been charged with murder and is being held pending trial.

Socialist opposition leader George Papandreou renewed calls Monday for early elections.

“The government cannot deal with this crisis,” he said. “It cannot protect people - their rights or property - and it cannot identify with the anxiety felt by the younger generation.”

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, whose party has only a single seat majority in parliament, has repeatedly rejected calls to resign, saying the country needed a steady hand in times of crisis.

AP

The photographer who took the above photo of a Police officer aiming a 9mm Glock (with no safety) at protesters apparently lost his job!

Amnesty International has also issued a statement outlining Greek police “engaged in punitive violence against peaceful demonstrators“. Their statement is a good source of further reading on events surrounding the issue.

A month or so ago a friend and I were talking over a glass of good old “plenty of water in the tap” when the topic of Fluoridation came up. He remarked “They put it in there to make you more docile”. This really stuck in my head and  I decided to look at what the problems associated with Fluoridation were for myself.

Here’s the results of a few hours looking around online:

1. Around 55% of  all public water supplies in New Zealand are fluoridated.
2. Fluoride is an established topical treatment for the prevention of tooth decay. There is no good evidence that swallowing it brings any health benefit. There is a large body of evidence to support the opposite.
3. Fluoride is the only treatment added to water that is meant to treat people and not just the water (as with Chloride).
4. Fluoride is common component in pesticides so we ingest it from non-organic foods in our diet as well as by other means such as swallowed toothpaste.
5. Infants are more susceptible to damage from Fluoride. Do not make Baby Formula with fluoridated water.
6. Most of the developed world do not fluoridate their water. A 2004 World Health Orginistation report shows there is no evidence of increased dental heath in the younger population of countries where water supplies are fluoridated. A graph of the findings is shown here. The NZ Ministry of Health quotes a 1994 WHO study saying it “reaffirmed its support of fluoridation as safe and effective in preventing tooth decay”. They also state that “about 60 countries” have water fluoridation. One of the countries listed is Switzerland where one city, Basel, trialled the use of fluoride in water but found no benefit. This is nothing short of government level misinformation on an issue that affects millions of kiwis.
7. Areas of the UK in addition to Ireland may also soon have fluoridated water.
8. Scientific studies in China have found direct correlation between Fluoride levels in town supply water and lower IQ scores of children (around 8% lower in one study which compared two very similar villages). These are so far the best case studies using human subjects and make a strong case by themselves for the discontinuation of water fluoridation.
9. Over 30 studies have linked it to developmental problems such as lower IQ and behavior resembling ADD in animals.
10. Over exposure to Fluoride weakens your bones causing them to become more brittle and fragile. There is an increased risk of Bone Cancer and Osteoporosis.
11. There are serious concerns about the links between Fluoridation and the increase of Arthritis and Hypothyroidism. Common symptoms of Hypothyroidism include lethargy and depression.
12. It causes dental Fluorosis, a discoloring of teeth and breakdown of their enamel. Children are particularly susceptible to this. 32% of American kids (where 70% of the water supply is fluoridated) have dental Fluorosis.
13. Studies on rats have found Fluoride to be a powerful neurotoxin that causes learning disabilities, effects memory skills and motor function.
14. Fluoride accumulates in the Hippocampus, a key area of the brain active in short term memory, decision making and spatial navigation. It is the first area to show signs of damage from Alzheimer’s disease.
15. In animal studies fluoride at 1 ppm in drinking water increases the uptake of aluminum into the test subjects brain. High levels of Aluminum are also linked with Alzheimer’s disease.
16. Fluoride is a chemical by-product (particularly in the making of Aluminum). The Fluoride used in the US drinking supply is not pharmaceutical grade and contains other by-products such as heavy metals.
17. The Nazis were the first to put Fluoride in drinking water. Reportedly to increase the docility or “calm submission” of concentration camp detainees.
18. Sodium Fluoride is a main ingredient in many rat and insect poisons.

Excerpt from a letter received by the Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research, Milwaukee Wisconsin, on 2 October 1954, from Mr. Charles Perkins, a chemist.

“The real reason behind water fluoridation is not to benefit children’s teeth. If this were the real reason there are many ways in which it could be done that are much easier, cheaper, and far more effective. The real purpose behind water fluoridation is to reduce the resistance of the masses to domination and control and loss of liberty.” 

The NZ Ministry of Health website has an entire section dedicated to water fluoridation and states that:

Public health organisations encourage communities to adopt fluoridation because the benefits to everyone with natural teeth are such that the whole community should have access to those benefits.

The option remains for people who are particularly opposed to fluoride in the water to install a filter to remove it if they wish.

Check the emotive language, use of words such as ‘encourage’, ‘benefits’, ‘natural’ and ‘wish’. The US dental industry employed the father of spin Edward Bernays to help them market their fluoridation scheme to the public. Perhaps our Ministry Of Health have taken a leaf out of the original Propagandist’s book?

For those seeking an alternative to drinking fluoridated water there is always bottled mineral or spring water (currently around $6 per 9 Litres), natural spring water (if you have ready access to it) or rainwater (not recommended in cities where air pollution is a factor). Filtration options in New Zealand include:

1. Stainless Steel ‘Springflow’ Water Distillers are available on Trade Me for $250 plus shipping.
2. Wellington Water Filters can install around NZ offering Twin Sump systems from $345 and Reverse Osmosis Systems from $570.
3. Pure Water Systems also offer Fluoride removal systems and a good amount of content on the subject and other areas of water concern.

It would be great to see a referendum on this issue. The fact that we pay for water that has essentially been poisoned without our consent is just another level to the farce.

Recommended Viewing:

Professional Perspectives on Water Fluoridation (Google Video)

The Fluoride Deception (Youtube Video of interview with Author) Part 1

The Fluoride Deception (Youtube Video of interview with Author) Part 2

The Fluoride Deception (Youtube Video of interview with Author) Part 3

Beats People Movement are proud to bring you the second installation of a clubnight that is dear to our hearts. A true celebration of BASS music culture in its many forms.

DJs have been encouraged to bring selections spanning Dub, Roots, Dubstep, Jungle, Dancehall, Garage, Old School Hip Hop, Miami Bass, W.H.Y as long as it is BASS music.

One of the selectors Morning Steppa for instance letting us know he will be playing a set of “Digi Dub, Roots, Dancehall, Dub Hop, Dubstep and some good ol 90’s DnB mashed into one.”

Upstairs will be DJ Dubhead, Sandy Bay Social Club (represented by Dalai and Ed G), Morning Steppa, 00 Afro and Lady Jane. Downstairs will be the resident Dubstep Alliance DJs OoGuN, Seeka, Manaia Toa, Supper Club resident Jason George and a little later some propa jump around DnB vibes from the Upseta.

We did one of these in early 2007 and it went off, biggup to Evoke by Design for the artwork !