Tuition Fees Protest: London 10/11/10 by Tom Brook

On Wednesday, I was one of over 50,000 students and staff demonstrating against higher education cuts and higher tuition fees in London. The protest was huge; I came down from Manchester University on one of 14 coaches organised jointly by my student union and Manchester Metropolitan's union. There were over 600 of us.

We joined the protest at Trafalgar square, and started walking, joining in with chants of "No ifs, no buts: no education cuts" and "Education is a right, not a privilege". This was amazing; if you looked back you couldn't see the end. This was new to me, I've never been on a student demo so big.

At one point we saw people breaking off from the main march - following a sound system attached to a bike - so we went with them, running down sidestreets next to government ministries, singing, dancing and chanting. Then we came near Westminster Abbey, and people started leading off towards another building. This turned out to be the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills  - the people who control the Higher Education budget - so naturally we tried to get in. Unfortunately the riot police stepped in too quickly for us, waving their batons, but we had a bit of a rave anyway a few steps away from armoured police ready to hit us. By this point, I was having a hell of a time.

This demo was brilliant! Huge and militant. One of the best protests I've ever been to. After our rave at a government building we rejoined the main body of the crowd. I thought that would be it, the route was quite short and we'd already done half of it. But then we came up to this building with thousands of people in its courtyard. As it happened, this was the tory headquarters - people had already started breaking windows and getting inside.

I went into the courtyard but couldn't really move much as there were just so many people. There was a bonfire of placards (it was freezing, so that was a good idea) and more singing, dancing, music and chants (consisting of a lot of "tory scum!" shouts). This was awesome; I saw some of my friends heading upto the front, so I joined them but trying to get through the crowds was difficult. We made it in the end and got to the entrance of Millbank Tower. The windows were nearly all smashed, there was graffiti everywhere and riot police were lining the entrances. People were on the roof far above us, and got massive cheers from everyone around whenever they waved.

We tried to get in by pushing against the riot police, but we kept falling over and got a bit battered. One of my friends was hit over the head and looked very faint, so we took her towards the back. We stood around surveying the crowd, cheering the people occupying the roof.

"These are the students that ruined it for the rest".
http://twitpic.com/35njg4

Looking around were normal students and staff. They were not masked anarchists. They were college students, university students and lecturers. There were thousands of them and they were angry; they cheered whenever windows were smashed. But they weren't a bunch of mindless goons cheering violence for the sake of violence.

When some idiot (I cannot emphasise this enough) dropped a fire extinguisher off the roof, aiming for the riot police (and only narrowly missing them), people did not cheer. They booed and shouted, "Stop throwing shit". They could have supported this act of violence, but they didn't; they were shocked.

Tory HQ was smashed up, all its windows were broken and it was looted. A friend of mine came out with a cricket bat, while hundreds of people occupied the building, and thousands supported them outside. Any violent behaviour, any smashed windows, any looted chairs do not compare to the violence being perpetrated by the Coalition government.

It is violent to throw 500,000 public sector workers onto the dole.

It is violent to stop people reaching higher education.

It is violent to have people thrown out of their homes because their housing benefit has been cut.

A few smashed windows is nothing in comparison. I cannot condone someone throwing a fire extinguisher off the roof, but that was one idiot. There were at least 5000 people at Millbank showing the Tories what they thought of their cuts. As a friend said to me, the "Big Society" all turned up at once: 50,000 people were on the streets and they were angry and militant. The rooftop occupiers released a statement, it is well worth reading.

"We oppose all cuts and we stand in solidarity with public sector workers, and all poor, disabled, elderly and working people. We are occupying the roof in opposition to the marketisation of education pushed through by the coalition government, and the system they are pushing through of helping the rich and attacking the poor. We call for direct action to oppose these cuts. This is only the beginning of the resistance to the destruction of our education system and public services."

They are completely right, this is only the beginning.

Article contributed by Tom G Brook (Twitter: @redbrooker).

Introducing ICU Audio- Free Download

Milton Keynes only serious export comes in the form of the ICU Audio crew.  Consisting of producers, DJ's and promoters, they have been slowly but surely bringing about bass weight awakening en masse in an otherwise awfully shit town.  

We have been following producers Rowl and Versa for a while, and their brand of Dub meets Distance meets El-B is one that is sure to garner major attention very soon.

After an appearance from Dough and N-Dread on Get Darker TV we thought we'd give you a taster of things to come, so we've got an exclusive free download from Versa to give away, and its an absolute banger.

Download Versa - Lucid

Apologies for the mix up before, wires got crossed somewhere, somehow. The tune definitely belongs to Versa!

Alternative download on MediaFire

Ashes 57 Show at The Arts Corner MCR

The Art Corner Gallery in Fallowfield has announced it will be hosting a collection of original work by the supremely talented graphic artist/photographer Ashes 57.

The show, entitled 'The Message' runs from the 18th November-12th December and will feature a selection of Ashes work, including her brilliant portraits of Hip-Hop luminaries such as Ghostface Killah, RZA, and Public Enemy, as well as some of her UK photography.  Her vibrant action shots of the Swamp 81/Deep Medi crews at work behind the decks re-define club photography.

Her illustrations may be better known in Manchester, the forward thinking club night Format recently collaborated with Ashes to create a brilliant series of flyers for their most recent event, check the facebook page for images.

Prints, photos, and posters will be for sale during the exhibition period, which kicks off with a special preview evening on the 18th with a DJ set by feted UK lyricist Jehst with backup coming from Format resident Braille.  

Check the photos below for a quick taster, don't forget to check the Facebook event for more info.

 

Free Mount Kimbie Download

The next batch of cuts due to be released from the beyond superlative Mount Kimbie album 'Crooks and Lovers' form the 'Blind Night Errand' EP, scheduled for release at the end of this month on Hotflush.  

The EP features a 'Dayglo' edit by the duo William, a truly spine tingling live version of Maybes recorded at Berghain, and the eponymous 'Blind Night Errand'.  The digital version will also include 'Before I Move Off' - full review to follow shortly.

To celebrate, and spread the love for the most innovative producers to make dance music for a long time, we've got a brilliant live version of 'Ruby' to give away for free! 

Link below...

Review-Eliphino Undivided Whole EP-Free Download Added!

London based producer Eliphino comes with an absolutely breathtaking four track EP, and one of my favourite releases of the year so far, on culture magazine somethinkblue's offshoot label somethinksounds.  Flawlessly blending elements of garage, house, two-step and dubstep to create emotionally steeped sounds, this EP far surpasses the tired preconceptions associated with the inevitable 'future garage' tag that this release will be undoubtably be given.

 

A side 'You'll Know' is a slice of pure goodness, melancholy female vocal samples sitting atop a light garage beat brings to mind recent output from fellow high achievers xxxy and Synkro, whereas 'LF', my favourite track on the EP, retains the rising synths and well worked samples but adopts a refreshingly different beat structure. 

B sides 'Condensation' and I Just Cant' lower the tempo and break into straight up house territory.  'Condensation' strips the formula right down to the bare bones, with lo-fi drums complimenting a synth pattern oozing fuzzy warmth.  'I Just Cant' builds beautifully, adding layers upon layers of ever changing synths, bleeps and samples over shuffling drums and a hefty bassline.

Listen to a sampler of the release here. 

Download I Just Cant  here.

Release date is 29th of this month, do not miss this one.

    

Prisoner's Votes

You may or may not have heard of John Hirst. I'm not sure I agree entirely with the way he presents his argument here, but the case he brings forward is nonetheless bang on. For the past few years (starting with Jack Straw when it was first implemented), the UK has been circumventing EU law that says prisoners are allowed to vote; in fact, "allowed to vote" (as if it's some kind of privilege) is a bit of an understatement - it's stipulated as a human right.

As Andrew Neil (the big guy with glasses) mentions in the video, does it not seem morally "correct" that someone who's taken the life of another person - surely the ultimate breach of human rights - should be denied theirs? I suppose in a black-and-white world that might make sense, but life is a lot more complex than tit-for-tat; to revoke the rights of tens of thousands of non-violent offenders - many of whom shouldn't even be behind bars to start with, and in direct contravention to the European Court of Human Rights - because a percentage of the prison population has committed crimes deemed by society as too heinous for them to be viewed as people, is vile.

Make your own mind up on the sanity of John Hirst; he's probably not the best representative for the whole scenario (going on the BBC and insulting the presenter's hair is never going to do you any favours), but just bear in mind that over 85,000 people didn't get to vote this year and now we're stuck with a government that wants to raise tuition fees, drop benefits, and let huge corporations get away scot free with billions of pounds.

Original video on the BBC.

Interview - Peverelist

Peverelist is a long standing godfather of the Bristol bass music scene.  Along with Pinch, Appleblim and RSD among others, he helped carve out a niche, from which those from the city defined, with their own adaptations of the sub-bass sound coming out of London. 

This in turn created a base from which the new wave of Bristol producers such as Joker, Guido, Hyetal and Superisk could further develop the sound of the city, under the tutelage and guidance of those who were there from the start. 

Out of of this unique spirit of bonhomie comes 'Worth the Weight' a two CD compilation of Bristol classics, past and present which is due out on the 8th of this month on Peverelists 'Punch Drunk' label.  He was kind enough to give us a few words ahead of the release...

 

PYC- Hows 2010 going for you?
 

2010 has been a really busy year, we've had a busy run of 12"s on Punch Drunk, the Guido long player and now the Worth the Weight compilation too. I have had a busy djing schedule and am putting the finishing touches to my new online web shop, punchdrunkmusic.com

 

Who are your inspirations, Musical, Literary, Film or otherwise?

I am mainly inspired by underground UK independent music movements, from UK Soundsystem to post punk to the many phases of UK dance music (acid house all the way through to grime).

 

I’ve always wanted to know, where did the name Peverelist come from?

I grew up in a town called Hatfield Peverel so it comes from that.

 

Worth the Weight works its way from the breakthrough of Dubstep in Bristol through to present day, what was your first exposure to the sound and what about it gripped you?

There wasnt any kind of first exposure, I'd been following late nineties dark garage and breakbeat garage sounds and it slowly grew out of that. Subloaded was the first club in Bristol dedicated to those sounds but the music was quite familiar by then.

 

How did the Worth the Weight compilation come about?

We've been building this thing in Bristol for a few years and it seemed like a good time to take a step back and try and tie it all together. Things move fast and so much has happened over the last five years, I have witnessed the entire shape of Bristol club land remoulded from a tribal segregated scene to a  plethora of multi genre events.

 

What is it about Bristol that has led to such a tight knit scene?

It's a small place so everyone tends to know each other. It doesnt have the agression of London and the egos that go with it.

 

How big a role has Rooted Records played in the development of the Bristol Scene?
 

It was definitely a way people got into new music and a place from where I could push new artists and recommend people try new music. I met most of the people I know in Bristol through the shop as well, it is crucial, really.
 

 

What’s your personal favourite track from the album?

I dont have favourites, that would be like choosing your favourite child.

 

The next Punch Drunk from Ekoplekz is quite different from previous output, does this suggest a change in direction, or was it just an opportunity to put out some great music?

It is different, but you can align similarites as well. I don't consider it a change in direction, I have always had a very open music policy with Punch Drunk and the catalogue is testament to that.
 

 

Any more plans to collaborate with Appleblim?

Appleblim and myself have remixed a track called 'Promises' by Bass Clef, which should be out on Blank Tapes before the end of the year.

 

What have you got coming up for the final half of the year?

It's been a busy Autumn with the Superisk 'Find Your Way' 12", the Hyetal and Pev collab 12", the Ekoplekz limited 12" and the Worth the Weight Comp.

 

Any up and coming producers from Bristol we should be watching out for?

Hyetal, Ekoplekz, Andy Mac, Kahn - all worth checking.

Any words of wisdom?

Vinyl is good for your health.

Protest Works.

Following on from our 'Wankers of the Month' piece, I felt compelled to try and strip back the humour and convey the danger of us as a nation adopting an apathetic attitude towards the cuts and corrupt government, that are being imposed on us.

However, Johann Hari of the Independant sums it all up much better than I think I could, and it is important that we read, and then even more important that we take action.  We are not impotent, we do have a voice, and we do (apparently) live under Democratic rule, so keep your eyes peeled for news of planned marches and protests. 

Protest Works