Friday, March 19, 2010

DJVJ RAW INTERACTING PROCESSING: COLDCUT

ROBERT ANTON WILSON and the DJVJ Revolution.


I dedicate this writing to Ken Campbell and the Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool, and Ole'England, to the creative artists who use music, theatre, and multimedia inspire others to interpret and spread the wisdom and ideas of Dr. Robert Anton Wilson across all four corners of the metaphorical, toast.

Approx. three years ago, Matt Black and Mixmaster Morris spearheaded a multimedia tribute to Robert Anton Wilson held at the Royal Queen Elizabeth Festival Hall in London. This event set the vanguard for a new decade of technology and cyber-culture directed toward expanding consciousness and connecting the emergent 'hyperintelligent' social newtworks into a comprehensive praxis of edutainment.

I played a small role in this event by way of my relationship with Deepleaf productions and Maybelogic that helped link up Matt B. and Dr. Wilson for some of the exsquisite video material used in the 2.5 hour extravaganza. With some help I also managed to find an independent host for the entire show, and have been ruthlessly promoting the event since March 2007 together with other sharable RAW related projects.

Over the last three years a lot has happened for the characters involved with this show and here I hope to touch upon some of these events and build a cultural map, with Dr. Robert Anton Wilson firmly in mind.


Ken Campbell
On the 31st of August 2008 the great British writer, comedian, actor Ken Campbell passed over, the comic-glue who pulled the whole RAW tribute event together as the ring master and master of ceremonies for that evening. Not afraid to follow in RAW’s footsteps and explore the 'Chapel Perilous' of his writings; Ken preserved the biting wit and information rich satire that I find budding in RAW and that seems to me desperately missing from the popular conspiracy movement and the alternative social network revolution. Equally, if studied and carefully extracted from these great exemplary figures and their works, what might be missing can indicate the ingrediants for a new synthesis.

There have been a number of fitting tributes to the life of Ken Campbell and I hope that someday, maybe somebody will produce an equally stunning multimedia tribute to Ken, like that which was made for Bob (RAW).

Jung’s Dream & Number 223
On a personal note I, like RAW have traced most of my reasoning for being here to Jung’s dream (Page 223 of Jung’s Memories, Dreams, Reflections) situated in Liverpool, a dream that inspired the creation of the science fiction theatre Liverpool, the theatre which the ‘science fiction group inhabited’ first opened on the day Jung died (6th June, 1961) and is the theatre where John Lennon and the Beatles first sang Yellow submarine, you can read about this on page 223 of Cosmic Trigger by Dr. Wilson.

The fact that Jung called Liverpool the ‘pool’ of life may be due to this dream he had that I found of particular interest as it concerns the discovery of a swimming pool. More than approx. half of the dreams that have come to me, and I have wrestled into the waking world concern bodies of water.

I should add that I first came across the works of Robert Anton Wilson in the mid 1990’s while living in the UK and the sources of my discovery lead me to deduct that Bill Drummond and the KLF, who were the rich cultural icons carrying the RAW flame in the UK at that time, probably led to my coming across Cosmic Trigger. Bill Drummond leads back to Liverpool and 1976 when he was working briefly alongside Ken Campbell, and in the RAW tribute video describes how he first came across the book Illuminatus Trilogy!

Bill spoke of his new seventeen project and ‘no music day’ that also came up on radio show (2009) on the 'late late breakfast show' that also featured my friend John Sinclair, who admires 'Wild' Bill Drummond, which brings us by a commodious vicus of recirculation back to the JAMS. The JAMS!

Word to the wise: Bill Drummond Burns a Million Quid.

RAW attracted me to the United States in 2000 A.D and led me on a five year journey acriss-cross the United States and back to Europe (2005). In fact, the day after the Royal Tribute to RAW I flew out from London to Amsterdam and have lived here since then up to 2010. I once caught up with Matt Black and Mike Ladd andColdcut when they played the club 'Paradiso' in 2008.

When I ask myself the simple question ‘why am I here’ the best short answer is because of Jung’s dream, that Ken Campbell start's off his fantastic and perfect choice role as narrator and ring-master of the Robert Anton Wilson memorial concert.

Due to the tragic loss of the great comic 'Ken Campbell' I hope that in his memory others will research and continue his work, re-enact his plays and read his words aloud. My contributions so far are only within the synchro-mesh that surrounds Liverpool and RAW.


Coldcut and Ninjatune and Big Dada.
Since the London performance Coldcut and the constellation of artists that appear under that umbrella have produced countless ‘live’ shows, recorded and released ‘tracks’ ‘albums’ and even a conscious social green movement called energyunion, continuing their trajectory into the uncharted territory of multimedia manipulation and networked sound arts and activism.

As some of the first visual jockeys (VJ's) and inventors of the first VJ software that I am aware of: VJAMMColdcut and by extension Ninjatune have been the mainstay of my case for introducing some principles and methodologies from Dr. Wilson into the new cultural infotech-sphere.

I was first attracted to Ninjatune by way of the Jazz Breaks series around 1994 and some of the early releases from Journey's by DJ’s, Luke Vibert, DJ Food, Amon Tobin and Funki Porcini. This new sound together with the emerging Bristol-bass scene, some Drum and Bass brewing from both Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the sounds of James Lavelle’s 'Mo-Wax' imprint; more or less shaped my musical cultural leaning and inspired me to aquire turntables, a mixer and start sharing tunes with others and mixing em' together in a Novel way.


One sure fire sign that Ninjatune, or somebody at Ninjatune, had a respect for RAW came when they released NINJASKINS: Ninjatune signature rolling papers that came with a wonderfully intelligent fold out package describing various terms and phrases of Ninjatune philosophy.

A local encounter with a UK Graffiti artist CHU blossomed into a collaboration with another UK graffiti artist and music producer PART2 that was released on Ninjatune’s sister label ‘Big Dada records’ that was recently featured in a UK Hip Hop exposition. The track was called Quantum Mechanix’ from the album Equalibrium by New Flesh For Old, now shortened to New Flesh.

I should point out here that this was a one off release and I was a mere guest on the album, and that I played drums on the track while turntable scratching was provided by DJ Weston. But still I carried the album to the US in 2000 AD wishing to turn on Bob to Big Dada and Ninjatune, and my own ‘superstring theory’ recording, and perhaps collaborate on something, such were my naive desires as a 23 year old kid with his head in the clouds.

RAW Moving pictures album.
After spending some time with RAW at the Prophets Conference Palm Springs and in San Francisco, I was finally invited to his home to conduct an interview on September 10th 2002.

It was here he told me about a movie project he was working on with some locals tentatively called Maybelogic, and so like a good researcher; I got in contact with 'Deepleaf productions' and soon turned them on to Matt Black and Ninjatune, and some other musical entities I thought had an affinity with RAW such as 'Kosmic Renaissance' (The Supplicants). For this linking I was generously given associate producer credits on the finished movie, plus music I mashed-up featured on the DVD menu music featuring my mentor and Garaj Mahal bassist, Kai Eckhardt.

With the kind hearted and good spirited contributions to this DVD project from many sources it turned into my dream album in some sense, a movie all about RAW with a soundtrack by Ninjatune, more or less my favourite things.

Maybe it was all wishful thinking and I had done nothing more than send an email link, but for me after this spree of good fortune I would be a tireless promoter of this movie, of the Maybelogic Academy (that sprung up in 2004 to provide online classes with RAW himself) and of Ninjatune philosophy, although by no means representing Ninjatune officially, just by playing many of their records for over sixteen years and crediting them with inspiring me to experiment with 'psychedelic' DJ sets and mixing techniques. I simply resonate with their early philosophy of Funk, Jazz, Dub and Hip Hop mashups.

Since 2007 and moving to Amsterdam my musical diet has changed dramatically once again, almost leaving behind electronic music generally to develop 'live’ music and writing projects, greatly influenced by my encounter with the giant of music, poetry, activism, and the MC5: John Sinclair.

So today in March 2010, writing about Ninjatune lacks the original spark it first struck me with in the 1990’s, before I started writing, before Internet. Back then the new 'sample' sound hypnotized me deeply, but now has morphed into tones of Sun Ra, John Cage, Jimi and Miles... I am romancing Ninja to rekindle a flame in my heart and so pulling a particular lens gell upon COLCUT: a collective of artists on the Ninjatune label (and who appear upon many other labels of the independent persuasion) that happen to feature two members that instigated the imprint in the early 1990's.

Together with Mixmaster Morris, and Juxta, Coldcut produced the Robert Anton Wilson Tribute show in London that I have picked as the centre point for this writing, and in my opinion is the most information rich multimedia event to date.

"Although the circumstances for this event were somewhat rare and the resources to reproduce such an event based on donations for the most part, I still feel it stands as an testimony to Multimedia edutainment at its most terse and best, almost fully formed in its experimental launch that night the video teaches by example how educational lectures may look and sound like over the new decade.--Matt Black."

Royaley RAW Edutainment
Although the show is 3 years old it has not picked up dust, only moonlight, and seems more relevant each day that passes, it stands as a great experimental interface between cinema, music, theatre, comedy and poetry that I feel culturally binds America, Britain and the rest of Europe and the entire World due to its shared global web presence and open source offering's.

All schools, colleges and University programs would benefit from such an interactive DJ VJ interface to present artistic interpretations of intellectual topics and biographical data.

Alan Moore.

For me Alan Moore produces consistent work that secure his place as the greatest living Britain; one of the best, a genius in fact, and a widely celebrated creative interpreter of 'art and reality engineering', buttered with RAW’s maps and recipes.

To see and hear Alan reading from ‘Masks of the Illuminati’ and his wonderfully bright ‘eulogy’ for RAW, was a heart thumping highlight of the evening in London, listening to Alan’s Northern accent made me feel at home and really proud to be British, and to be honest I don’t often get patriotic feelings like that. A propa warrior mystic Midlands monk, I rekon. He performance was alike RAW performing 'cameo' in the Black Mass scene of the Illuminatus the stage performance in Liverpool, directed by Ken Campbell 31 years previous.

And with the added ambiance of the occasion (that of the passing of Robert Anton Wilson) Alan really put five cherries on top of the Escher cake, his first words from Masks included “A watchmaker in Amsterdam...” The following morning, as I said, I flew to Amsterdam and the 'Jam in the Dam' festival to meet with the band Galactic from New Orleans.

I have a long list of thanks and wish to add some extra names to those on the E-flyer’ Matt Black, Lance Boucher, Nigel Blunt, Nick Larson, Part2, Ninjatune office staff, Juice Aleem, John Sinclair, Galactic, Mixmaster Morris, Mike Ladd, Propanon, Toby Philpott, Chu.

Steven 'Fly Agaric 23' Pratt
Amsterdam NL.























http://raw.maybeee.com/




And now for something a little different...




PART II Jung’s Dream Revisited.

A constellation of synchronicities surround a dream that Carl Jung had, twas based in Liverpool. A dream that led to Robert Anton Wilson visiting Liverpool and Ken Campbell producing the Illuminatus Stage paly and, Bill Drummond coming into orbit with the Northern renaissance, but not in that order.

John Lennon and the Beatles first performed yellow Submarine at the Cavern, also on Mathew street, Liverpool, and Jung died on the day it opened on June 6th, 1961. Please note Jung visited Lucia Joyce in Northhampton and Jung prescribed James Joyce's Finnegans Wake to the Western World as good medicine. Alan Moore writes about Lucia Joyce and the Northhampton 'Intersection points' and 'syncro-mesh'.

As a student of synchronicity, by way of RAW, best explicated in his book ‘Coincidance: A head test’ I'm somewhat familiar with this synchromesh around Carl Jung and his Liverpool based dream. And was happy when Ken Campbell reignited my interest when describing the events at the ‘Coldcut and Mixmaster Morris Tribute to RAW’ held in the Royal Festival Hall London.

Three years after that memorable occasion I have been steered back to Jung’s dream, partly due to the writing of my own dream book ‘Shannanigums Wave’ over those three years, and my continual reading and re-reading of RAW, James Joyce, my personal favourite writers whom I feel wonderfully complement one-another.

The opportunity to present my independent research in this area has arisen due to Evolver and the ‘Dream’ theme of the planned April 21st ‘Evolver Spore’ or (art and edutainment salon). I hope that in combining a mixture of RAW inspired dream content based upon a Jungian’ framework, and with a plash’ of Joyce thrown in I can capture the ‘reality’ of some dreams, and provide sharable tools for others to interpret their dreams and dream-states, or those of others.

The future congress of like-minded ‘dream’ evolvers looks to create an environment where dreams and thoughts about dreams can be shared and openly discussed. My idea for a ‘Jung’s dream’ spore here in Amsterdam is only my first thought on the matter, and I hope to share the available time and resources available so that everyone has an opportunity to interact with the group if they wish. My choice of a RAW inspired glossing of the event reflects my affiliations with the Maybelogic Academy, something else I would encourage people to bring any questions or queries about to the spore.

Two or more audio/video presentations:

  • 1. Ken Campbell introducing Jung’s dream, taken from the London Raw tribute.
  • 2. RAW speaking of Synchronicity and Isomorphism in Finnegans Wake
  • 3. ‘Jung’s Dream’ DJ set by Fly Agaric 23

Other activities and fields of resonance include Hyperbolic Crochet, pancakes, live theatre, comedy, meditation, live music, smoking, dancing, sharing mixed and mashed media, magic truffles.

Recommended reading list:

  • 1. Coincidance by Robert Anton Wilson
  • 2. Mankind and His Symbols by Carl Jung
  • 3. Cosmic Trigger by Robert Anton Wilson
  • 4. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce.
Ken Campbell: We did it in Liverpool because Peter O'Hallaghan had come across a dream in Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections. The dream changed Jung's life, persuaded him to buckle down to the Unconscious for the rest of his life. Anyway, on page 223 he says something like: I was in a dark and grimy city. It was clearly Liverpool. It goes on . . . And this began to obsess Peter who was a proud Liverpoolophile. - http://www.frogboy.freeuk.com/ken.html
At O'Halligan's venue, known as the Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun, artists became immersed in readings, performances and bizarre experiments. "It was the inspirational talking shop, where dole-queue dreamers developed their big ideas," Bill Drummond says. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2007/feb/21/europeancapitalofculture2008.liverpool




A Tribute to Robert Anton Wilson www.rawilson.com
www.maybelogic.org
www.coldcut.net
www.soundphotosynthesis.com
www.blunt1.com

Robert Anton Wilson - Maybe Logic: The Lives And Ideas Of Robert Anton Wilson

Catalog#: none
Format: DVD
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Non-Music
Style: Interview, Political, Education, Speech

Tracklist

001
Tuning In

002
Childhood Mysteries

003
Discordian Infallibility

004
Quantum Gamble

005
PPS Pain

006
Existential Maps

007
PPS Medicine

008
Conspiratorial Responsibility

009
Magick Science

010
Sirius Pookha

011
E-Prime

012
Green Donkey

013
Forgiveness

014
Santa Cruz Protest

015
Optimism

016
Infinite B.S.

017
End Credits

Credits

Artwork By [Package Design] - Propane Studio
Directed By, Written-By - Lance Bauscher
Executive Producer - Timothy F.X. Finnegan
Featuring - Douglas Rushkoff , Ivan Stang , Paul Krassner , R.U. Sirius , Tom Robbins , Valerie Corral
Music By - Amon Tobin , Animals On Wheels , Boards Of Canada , Cinematic Orchestra, The , Funki Porcini , Ognen Spiroski , Pullman , Rick Walker , Supplicants, The , Tarentel
Music By [Dvd Menu] - Fly Agaric 23
Narrator - Robert Anton Wilson
Other [Associate Producers] - Amanda Dofflemyer , Fly Agaric 23 , Katherine Covell
Other [Best Boy] - Robert Anton Wilson
Other [Camera] - Amanda Dofflemyer , David Allen , Ivan Stang , Katherine Covell , Lance Bauscher , Robert Dofflemyer
Producer, Edited By, Artwork By [Designed By] - Cody McClintock , Lance Bauscher , Robert Dofflemyer

Notes
Contains over 3 hours of material including Maybe Logic feature, expanded interviews with all the featured RAW cohorts, maybe logic exercises, and original, non-simultaneously, DVD-randomized footage of the best of Pope Bob.

More info available from http://www.maybelogic.com/.

Jung as a writer
By Susan Rowland