If You Find The Earth Boring...

I’m really enjoying the DRC Music record, Kinshasa One Two, that is out now on Warp Records. Here’s a video to give you a little background on the project: [youtube a2nZ4zOJ_Ig 550 350] …and here’s a blog about news related to the project.  Proceeds from the DRC Music project go to support Oxfam’s work in the Democratic Republic of Congo fighting poverty, repairing infrastructure problems, and establishing humanitarian aid.  I was hooked  minute into the first track on the record.  This track, “Hallo”, is the focus of a DRC Music Remix Competition.  Listen here: [wpaudio url=”http://ifyoufindtheearthboring.com/media/DRC Music Hallo.mp3” text=”DRC Music (Featuring Tout Puissant Mukalo & Nelly Liyemge) - Hallo” dl=0]

Best Jansch has passed on after a long struggle with cancer.  See here, here, here, here, and here for more information, and see here for loving tribute from Roy Harper.  I know what I am doing tonight: it’s gonna be a Bert Jansch and Pentangle tribute night.

When I started working at my college radio station, I was 18 years old and getting into Jazz and other “out” music.  Thankfully, a veteran DJ – one who was a faculty member at the University and who had hosted a radio show for years – took me under his wing.  He passed many records my way – and he lent me actual LP records – and to this day, that’s the main way I listen to music. One memorable pile he let me borrow, if I remember correctly, included a couple of McCoy Tyner records, Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structures, and John Coltrane’s Sun Ship.  That pile in particular was a lot more memorable than other piles, because it had a record I never got around to listening to: Steve Reich’s Music For 18 Musicians (on Manfred Eicher’s ECM record label, a label I already mentioned here).  When I returned the records to him, I admitted to not listening to it and he scolded me and told me it was my major loss. His words ran through my head for a few years, until I caved in and purchased Music For 18 Musicians for myself.  That piece has become one of my all time favorites and the music of Steve Reich has been very important to me for many years.  Happy 75th Birthday Steve Reich – To celebrate, see birthday tributes at NPR and Nonesuch.

Here’s a video (basically a University of Helsinki propaganda video - which is a great University I might add) that really exemplifies the incredible solidarity and socialism held by the Finnish people.  Apart from being a very well produced video, it focuses on the Finnish people’s desire to place social equity, health, education, and sustainability as pillars of society.  People are willing to pay taxes for these things because they know it leads to a better life. I just don’t understand how some people (I’m talking Tea Party people here, people) in the United States can be so ignorant, especially in striking opposition to the high regard the Finnish place on such things that better society.  Some people in the United States attack “Socialism” like they know what it is.  Others argue that the United States is too diverse and large to achieve the same sort of solidarity as the Finnish, but I can dream, can’t I? [youtube rU232NPDVtQ 600 365]

Touch Records released today a live recording of Philip Jeck on their Touch Radio site. 22.09.11 - Live at The Brücknerhaus – 32:58 - 192 kbps From the Touch Radio Website: “Philip Jeck in performance was recorded on 6th September 2011 at The Brücknerhaus, Linz, Austria for Prix Ars Electronica, at which Philip Jeck was awarded a Distinction for his LP ‘Suite: Live in Liverpool’.  The multi-channel recording (2 channels off the desk, two in the room) was mixed for TouchRadio by BJNilsen.”