:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Saturday, December 23, 2006 ::

Jason Asato

Artwork by Jason Asato

Miss Becky LaMarre. I think I'm in love.



Bearze. This little fella looks like some sliced open ripe pink fruit or a juicy leg of ham. If he wasn't so cute I'd take a bite outta him.

:: Dan 23.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Excelent collection of stange and alternate Christmas ditties over on the BBCs DNA collective site. If nothing else check out The Fall's Hark, The Herald Angles Sing and Chevron's Rudi The Techno Pioneer

Snack & C'mish "Lemon-Red X-Mas Mix 2006" [MP3]
Tracklisting in comments

Two Christmas themed comps from the Hicc collective

Purevolume Holiday Sampler

Grom collects the mixes

I'll add more as I find them.

Edit 25.12.06:
It's the traditional Cheven Christmas Mix 06! [59MB MP3 on spread-it]

:: Dan 22.12.06 [Arc] [2 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Spotted in the blurb about Prada perfume:

"The ultimate expression of a woman's self which re-expoloes the spirit of amber"

Well, that clears that up then. I was wondering what it was going to smell like until I read that.

:: Dan 22.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Evening Standard
Price: 50p



More like a national than any other local paper, with political commentary and a business section that's about the markets rather than local entrprnous. Obssion with "Black Monday on the Tube" (the central line was closed and the busses were on strike) is only a mild example of the extream reactionism its famous for. This is a perfect example of how, if not why, Londoners think the world outside the M25 doesnt exist. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd, who also own the Daily Mail and the Metro. Enough said.

The London Paper
Price: Free



A more gossipy read with non-stories about Girls Aloud HMV store apearences and the like. Being free it is of course ad heavy, with many of these descuised as stories. A story about a protest against KFC’s abuse of animal rights is presented mearly by a one sentence caption under a picture of some scatily clad woman. The sad thing is the protesters know that without that they wouldnt make the papers at all. Includes an example of Tube Foot. It sees itself as a peoples paper, with the leading stories all about cost to the tax-payer of badly run public servies, but is it really only worried about the big money lineing the fat cats pockets? Published by Rupert Murdock's News International.

London Lite
Price: Free



Don't think there is a real news story in here. A couple of local interest photo stories are borrowed from the Standard. A paper for the visually minded, with lots of blocks of colour and five cartoons captions. Better typography and layout could easily make it appear as if some though had gone it it, but it clearly hasn't. Again, published by Associated Newspapers Ltd.

:: Dan 21.12.06 [Arc] [2 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

I had to go to Edinburgh for a meeting yesterday and had to wait hours for a flight back. What a shitter being stuck in the centre all afternoon!



Photo Set
Tourist Advice

:: Dan 21.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Blogger is now out of Beta.

Tags please.

:: Dan 21.12.06 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Single: The Knife – Christmas Reindeer (Brille)

Novelty Sweedish electro stompper with breathy and accented female vocals. Seems heavily Goldfrapp inspired but the production is not up to the same glittering standard. The pitch change on the chorus is horrible and it really could do with being a little faster. Nothing inspiring. Out now on Brille.

Single: Husky Rescue – Nighless Night (Catskills Records)

Also a tad glam, but done a lot better than the above. Simple two note Chas and Dave knees-up bassline drives it along nicely, catchy vocal tune (chorus reminds me of one of Leonnie Law's licks on the Breakbeat Era album), and builds well. Fink and Black Grass remixes are also good and the Justus Köhncke one is simple and effective but over long.

Album: 4Hero – Play With The Changes (Raw Canvas Records)

Over-orchestrated coffee table bollocks. Apart from Awakening – which I almost like; Ursula Rucker's softly spoken streaming rant on this is like a mellow version of Ani Difranco – and Why Don't You Talk, this is like coming across a "Worst of Stevie Wonder" compliation in Pundstrecter and thinking it might be a good idea for a dinner party, but you only realise too late that your guests are trying to extract their chochlea with chopsticks. Due for release 22.01.07 on Raw Canvas Records.

Single: Mr Hudson & The Library – Too Late (Deal Real Records)

Ska band decide it might be a good idea to try and sound like Artic Monkeys doing Lilly Allen covers, and pretty much pull it off. Sounds like great summer festival music, practically warmed me up listening to it. Really nice bass on the remix too, although I’d tone down the steel drums a little personally. Due for release 22.01.07 on Deal Real Records.

Single: Seth Lakeman – King & Country (Relentless)

Singer-songwriter with acoustic guitar and some nice harmonies. What could have been a good metaphor for the political situation in Iraq seems to be a simple love song, unless I'm missing something? Pleasant, but says nothing to me about my life. Due for release 29.01.07 on Relentless.

:: Dan 21.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Oh dear.

:: Dan 19.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Starting what he called a countdown to the introduction of ID cards, home secretary John Reid announced the government is scrapping plans for a new computer system to run the scheme

It's a start I guess.

:: Dan 19.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Hey, music producers,
Find you just cant keep up with the ever-changing trends?
Can't afford the latest synths?
Can't find the samples you want on SoulSeek?
The VSTs you want aren't on Limewire?
No-one seems to have cracked the latest version of Live yet?
Nerdy internet friends laugh at you 'cus "your tunes are, like, soo 2005 dood"?

Then why not subscribe (yes, pay money) to have new software made available to download to you every month?

Pure Magnetik
"Professional & Affordable Sounds - Delivered to You Monthly
Your Synth is Thirsty. Give it Some JUICE This Month!"

To my mind the output he/she/they are generating exactly what user groups should be doing, supporting others who use the same software and helping each other out. The idea of charging for it is fairly ludicrous, especially considering how many people don't even pay for the host software in the first place and the amount of free material competing. And if I were paying a monthly subscription I'd expect more than a limited time download, I'd want the files sent directly to me. Having said that, they do have an rss feed so presumably you could use a podcast receiver or similar to pick them up.

As I see it the issue at the root of all this is that the whole field is too competitive and too reliant on the latest tricks. Ironically, that's coming from someone who has volunteered to enter a Laptop Battle. So I think I better make a stand. Assuming I pull my shit together and have some worthwhile contribution for this Battle, I will put all of the files used online for free download.

:: Dan 18.12.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...