1. It’s been five years since your last studio album ‘Original sounds of the Zion’ was released in 2002, where have you been and what have you been up to since then?

Mainly relocating to the fine city of Cologne, Germany where the Zion Train studio is now based, but also working on the Zion Train side project Abassi All Stars, which has now both a vocal and dub album released on Universal Egg records. I (perch) also managed to produce an album with UB40 (Homegrown) and another with the singers of 99 posse – a well known Italian band.

2. Zion Train was formed in 1990, and your first albums were written at your studio based in north London. How did you all meet, and what bought the Zion Train together?

We first met on the dub and roots circuit in London in 1990 although Zion Train was born out of the ashes of a sound called the Train which was resident in Oxford from 1986 – 1989. What brought Zion Train together was a mutual love of underground dub and roots music combined with a love of underground dance music and the desire to marry these two schools of music to create a new powerful sound that we felt defined the urban sound of 1990’s England.

3. Zion Train’s founder Perch, was later joined by Dave Tench, Cod, and brass player Hake. Where does the fishy theme come from?

We adopted fish names as a partial antidote to the ego problems so many people in the music business seem to face during their careers. Our rationale was that if we did not use our real names then our personal ego-attachment to our projects would be reduced. The reason we chose fish names rather than anything else was that we like fish ;-) Not sure to date if it worked but it makes for good fun all the same.

4. Zion Train have a long 15 year history of performance, with an impressive ten album releases under your belt, and have launched and managed two prolific Dub/Reggae labels Deep Root, and Universal Egg. What would you say is the highlight of your career so far and why?

Hmmm, tricky.
Nothing really surpasses first hearing your music on the radio or a well known sound system. Both of these things happened for Zion Train in the space of a month in 1992 when Kiss Fm started playing our first single ‘Power One’ whilst our second single ‘Power Two’ was debuted on the Jah Shaka sound.
However, each day brings new challenges as independent musicians and so in a way each day presents new career highlights.

5. ‘Live as One’ is your forthcoming studio album due out in September, the first album produced solely by Perch. Can you tell us about the new album, and who will be featuring in the new Zion line up.

The new album has a great musical diversity and features many talented studio musicians such as our well established brass section of Dave Fullwood and Sebastian Harzmann alongside guitarist P. Lush, keyboard player Paolo Polcari, drummer Vedran Meniga and melodica player Chasbo. There are seven vocalists featured which is more than on any previous release, they include Earl 16, Tippa Irie and YT alongside the less well known Lua, Dubdadda, Marlene Johnson and Raiz. The musicians mentioned above hail from the UK, Italy, Croatia and Jamaica so we have a really diverse crew.

The live line up for the 2007 tour features Dubdadda on vocals, Dave Fullwood on trumpet, Sebastian Harzmann on Trombone and perch on electronics and live dub mix.

6. What’s your favourite piece of equipment or software to be found in your studio right now?

Korg SDD1000 analogue delay unit – transcendental magic in a metal box…

7. For the sound system heads, tell us a bit about Abassi Hi Power.

Abassi is my custom 12kw rig. It features 12 x bass scoop bins driving precision device speakers and powered by Jah Tubby’s hand built bass amps. It has JBL mid range and hand made treble boxes all powered by crown amps and it is phat ;-)
It is a hi fi sound system running in stereo (most of them run in mono)

A full list of all the gear is available at;
www.wobblyweb.com
there are some pics of the sound there also

8. With gigs and tours in Japan, South America, Russia and all over Europe, the Zion Train word has spread on a global scale. Has this had an effect on your music, and how?

Of course, we reach these amazing places and are introduced to rich and diverse cultures, both musical and otherwise that go on to influence our world view and hence our music. We are deeply privileged to be able to travel in this manner and like all experiences these ones seep into our being and permeate our sound. An honest musician’s work is a reflection of their state of mind at the time of composing the music – our collective state of mind is hugely influenced by visiting Aztec ruins, Brazilian favelas and Japanese Bhuddist temples and so, therefore, is our music.

9. You recently got deported from Moscow at gunpoint – what happened there?

Well, its not the first time I have been mistreated by presumably racist government officials – I have been stripped, beaten and bullied in the UK, Belgium, Africa, Italy, Bavaria and Russia – but that is just a demonstration of the evils we try to fight with our vibration so it merely strengthens me.

In Moscow, my passport was taken from me at immigration, taken into an office and vandalised without my knowledge. I was then lead to a ready to depart plane by an armed soldier who handed my vandalised passport to the pilot of the plane saying my documents were not in a fit state to enter Russia - that was the first chance I had to see the damage to my passport – not ONE WORD was said to me by any of the Russians during the whole procedure. The soldier stayed at the plane door until it was closed!! The pilot of the plane (a German) said he had never experienced such a disgrace in his career (I said I had ;-)

10. What is your most bizarre gig experience to date?

Could be playing under Mount Fuji in the bright sunlight, playing on a squatted boat in an LSD factory in Amsterdam or playing in the African bush during a full solar eclipse – they all felt very bizarre to me at the time…..

11. The Zion Train sound and releases on your Universal Egg label have touched on many different genre’s over the years from Dance and Techno to Folk, Soul and Blues as well as the stable Dub and Reggae vibe. Which musicians, and artists have most inspired and influenced you over the years.

The main names would have to be;
King Tubby
Ravi Shankar
Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn
Jah Shaka
John Coltrane

All for the same reason – their constant, unbending application to music which they believe lends a higher purpose to their existence and helps free the hearts and minds of their sisters and brothers alongside their disassociation from conventional music business which any honest musician would tell you just corrupts the pure beauty of music.

12. What are you listening to on your Stereo/MP3 player at the moment?

Daghast systems – Classical music of Iran
Ital Horns – dub music from London
The Creator – Aisha (produced by Mad Professor)

13. With music now firmly rooted in the digital domain, people downloading and copying music more than ever, and mainstream artists giving away their albums free with newspapers, what do think the future holds for the music industry, and how will it affect Zion Train and Universal Egg?

Major labels and media companies have been panicking for 10 years already – they are monolithic money grabbers and it is no surprise they try to swamp the music market with their crap freebies and ridiculous marketing schemes. True music lovers will always find the music they love, through whatever means are available and enough of them will pay for the music to keep the musicians in work, I am completely confident of that. The advent of widespread web use and the copying/downloading of digital music formats only serves as free advertising for those independent labels and bands brave enough to embrace it, hence I hope it will help the future of Zion Train and Universal Egg immensely.

14. What plans do you have on the record label front, and what future releases can we expect to hear on Deep Root, and Universal Egg?

On Universal Egg there will probably be a remix album partnered to Live as One with remixes from Vibronics, Rob Smith, Digital & Lutin and many many more. There will also be our 3rd volume of the Lead With The Bass Dub Compilation as well as the debut album from Dub Terror – our most promising up and coming artist. Abassi All stars Showcase Volume 2 is in the works also.

Deep Root will feature singles from Abassi All stars, System Error and Dub Terror during 2008

15. Zion Train will be performing live at Plug n Play Studios in Reading on September 5th as part of the ‘Live as One’ tour. Where can we catch you on future tour dates?

Below are our winter tour dates so far
We will follow these with trips to Mexico, Brazil and Japan, all being well ;-)

31-Aug The Maze Nottingham - UK
01-Sep Camelots Doncaster - UK
02-Sep Trades Club Hebden Bridge - UK
04-Sep Soul Cellar Southampton - UK
05-Sep Plug and Play Studios Reading - UK
06-Sep Concorde 2 Brighton - UK
07-Sep Trinity Bristol - UK
08-Sep Fridge London - UK
09-Sep Bestival Isle Of Wight - UK
11-Sep Siar O Thuaidh, Kane's Bar Dingle - Ireland
12-Sep Club Isobar Cork - Ireland
13-Sep The Bailey Enniscorthy - Ireland
14-Sep Voodoo Dublin - Ireland
15-Sep The Afterlife Festival Galway - Ireland
16-Sep Trinity Rooms Limerick - Ireland
20-Sep Kulturfabrik Esch Sur Lazette - Lux
21-Sep Soundstation Liege - Bel
22-Sep Shake it Easy Festival Brussels - Bel
23-Sep Melkweg Amsterdam - NL
26-Sep Tivoli De Helling Utrecht - NL
27-Sep Vera Groningen - NL
28-Sep Fenix Sittard - NL
29-Sep Kulturhuis Bosch Arnhem - NL
30-Sep Yaam Berlin - GER

Zion Train website
For more information please contact: Tom on 01189 581 447
or email info@plugnplay.tv

He also discusses the mood for changes within the music, and how promoters could be more adventurous. Personally, I’ve noticed all sorts of previously unheard influences appearing in the music, such as punk, world music, and rock, for starters. Although the author has his roots very firmly in the underground scene, (which you’ll learn if you check his book) he has left, in my opinion, some important names out of his writing (for example, artists and labels featured on www.unsound-system.org).
Maybe he just doesn’t think they’re any good.

I guess it’s impossible for anyone to be totally comprehensive about every branch of the D&B scene, but he is so obviously totally into the music, that reading his descriptions of the parties just makes me wanna drop everything, check out what’s happening, and get out there now.

It’s also very inspiring to read how the music has spread so widely around the world. D&B has gotta be one of our best exports in the last decade or so!

The full 2006 update of All Crews is absolutely essential reading for anyone into what’s new on the D&B scene, and will only be published in the next issue of Knowledge Mag

All Crews Update Extracts...

**I’m strolling up Tottenham High Road. A Merc pulls alongside. Smoked black window scrolls down. Pendulum reverberates. Colin Knowledge beckons. “Alright B.” We chat and catch up. Then comes the question. “It’s a couple of years since All Crews came out. People wanna know what’s been happening since ‘04.” “Apart from me ‘n’ Kate getting married?” “Fancy writing an update? Here…” Throwing me the keys to the company car. “Take the ride. Hit the road. See what’s gwannin’.”**

You’ll be shocked to know that Knowledge’s budget doesn’t run to a company Mercedes. So Colin just e-mailed me. But you get the metaphor. And I’m always up for travelling through Our music; meeting All Crews.

The road’s familiar. But the land is always changing. What’s new with the music, clubs, DJs, pirates, producers and on the streets? Who’s on the up? What’s going on back stage? Which tune will people always remember? And are there still global unknown soldiers ruffin’ it out for the love of Jungle Drum & Bass?

A TALE OF TWO NIGHTS

**Fabric Friday night. Pendulum are inside. Outside the queue’s around the block. Big beefy bouncers greet us. “Yeah. Jho Oakley’s guest list.” Stairs are filled with tiers of ravers sitting, hugging, chatting. Beyond double doors, it’s rammo in the main room. Feet are stomping, hands reach up into cascading purple haze. Pendulum’s digital rasping guitars cause a frenzy outside that caged DJ box. No wristband. No entry. Up next is Annie Mac. They chant, ‘Tarantula’, moshing in room one. Hype’s rinsin’ room two. And bodies wallow horizontally in the chill-out space between the two. Room three’s across the bridge. The intimate club within a club’s heaving. Beneath the bridge, above the musical melee, mobile screens float through the throng. Lasers bounce off chrome. Fingertips tease apart scraps of Rizla. “Got any water?” Feels like Freshers week. Smells like teen spirit. It is Fabriclive.

Herbal Friday night. Shy FX the Digital Sound Boy is inside. Outside the queue’s manageable. Big beefy bouncers greet us. “Yeah. Jo’s guest list.” She appears at the door. “Alright B. You’re late.” It’s rammo in the main room. Vibes are supercharged. Industry headz appear and dissolve in the throng. Inside the DJ box – no wristband necessary, Roni Size packs away his laptop. Breakage spins tunes. Navi’s voice syncopates. Shy circulates. Tie-dye T-shirts hug multicultural bodies rebounding in heavy b-lines. Speakers bear down on the groove corner. Loki raps, “All crew muss big up.” And Bryan Gee pours champagne. Heads, shoulders, minds all grooving. Two bredahs one dreaded, one shaven move their limbs dancing Wu Tang stylee. Opposite the DJ box, Breakage’s afro covered head floats in the flat screen above all our heads. The air’s Herbal. And Bryan Gee pours champagne. **

PRODUCERS

Pendulum blew up as All Crews was going to press. They’ve been riding high ever since. Crissy Criss: “There’s definitely a change in the music with people like Pendulum changing the sound. They do techy, commercial, rocky, jump-up; all combined into one track – pretty amazing. Producers are upping their game. G Dub have blossomed. Flight’s championed many, many producers whose turn it is to shine; notably Marcus Intalex, D Bridge, Amit, Logistics and the whole Cambridge posse.

Chatting with L Double: “Production is on fire. Producers are getting to understand the whole computer thing. When it all kicked off it was all musical equipment. But now it’s all soft sims and soft samplers. A lot more music manufacturers are getting on board making software versions. There’s a lot more access to equipment nowadays. New producers coming in are like, “Raas! This music’s difficult.” It’s not just that we’re fussy. But we’re getting so much well made music, that you got to come with something good to get in that record box.”

On the downside, there have been complaints about producers making beats using clichéd sounds that they think will sell. Origin’s DJ Massacre appreciates hearing tunes by producers who love music, rather than those who try cashing in on the latest catchy sounds. “Twisted Individual made that ‘waw, waw’ sound and everybody jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t know if it’s more about money nowadays. Flight agrees: "There was a phase where I was getting so many samey tunes of the liquid variety. It was almost like 'liquid by numbers', but the music’s got much more interesting over the last 12-18 months."

Jho Oakely of the Echo Location agency agrees. "I don’t know how anyone can describe the music as ‘same-y’. There’s so much of it and it’s so different. You can get tunes that sound like Pendulum or Sub Focus but that’s just kids being inspired. In that process of making tunes they’re learning. Perhaps too much makes it onto vinyl. Some should stay as ideas or DJ tools." True. Fresh produces a ton of tunes that he’s not releasing. He’s not satisfied they’re ready. One of the most original and biggest tunes around has been TC’s & Jakes’ ‘Deep’ with its quirky Ian Dury-esque vocals. Promoting ‘Deep’ Jho’s press release read: "If you don’t get it, play it again”. On Radio One Fabio & Rider did. Annie Mac and Zane Lowe caned it…

All Crews Update
Knowledge Mag

Some backstory: Pandora is an offshoot of the Music Genome Project, which was formed in 2000. The initial idea was that the characteristics of individual songs could be described and encoded. Pandora takes this pool of information and turns into a recommendation service and streaming music service. The first 10 hours are free, it never plays commercials and then it's $36 US dollars a year.

So instead of reading music magazines, hanging around obscure punk stores and so forth, I can sit at the end of a broadband connection and use the recommendation system. You start the process by creating a station based on a track or an artist. Create 'A Certain Ratio Radio' and the service throws up a track by Cybotron -- on the basis that they share 'prevalent use of groove, trippy soundscapes and many other similarities identified in the Music Genome Project'. Ahem.

It is a little hit and miss, but then taste in music is very individual. Seeding with the Cocteau Twins and Lali Puna results in drivel. 'Two Lone Swordsmen Radio' throws up some cool stuff like To Rococo Rot, only occasionally veering into Ninja Tune cheese.

So far, putting in the band Numbers produces the best results. I get to hear bands for the first time like Asobi Seksu, Melt Banana, Deerhoof and The Organ.

Best of all, it then begins serving up classic tracks by The Fall & Talking Heads.

Whoops. Back to square one again...

This 3, 000 capacity event will undoubtedly sell out as organisers stuck up on exotic performances of awe and wonderment and promise electric atmosphere to tingle your senses to say the least.

This is a luxury party set up with accommodation ranging from traditional camping to tipis, beach huts or double decker bus. Guests could also book a tent to be erected and in place on arrival. Pampering doesn’t stop here as one can swim in open-air swimming pools (complete with electric palm trees), enjoy game of croquet or to be a guest of honour in specially commissioned geisha house between many other titillating attractions including oddly satisfying glowing field of Electric Corn.

Richard Mauger, co-founder of A Rum Do, says: "We'll be making sure that at every opportunity people are comfortable. At the event, people will always have somewhere to sit and relax, from parasol shaded seats outside in the daytime, to cozy, clean lounges where relaxing horizontally doesn't mean getting your back covered with mud."

Festival will showcasing for the first time in UK electrifying fun masters Jingu in what promises to be a visual feast of electric fireworks (staying up as long as desired as opposed to traditional ones) and other electric mesmerising installations

There are three main stages: the Saddlespan open air stage, the Crystal Palace Spiegeltent (a ballroom of mirrors, stained glass and waited tables) and a huge double peaked tent, Madonna’s bra, hosting live music and acoustic sets during the day, and DJs, top comedians, and cabaret performances in the evening. Music will focus on breakbeat and hip hop from artistes such as Bugz in the Attic, Babyhead, The Nextmen, Ben Westbeech, MC Wrec, Quantic, and Skitz, Kid Carpet, Rodney P, Toxic Sound System and one and only DJ Mr Scruff.

In cabaret, the emphasis is on fully produced shows, including comedy from the likes of Rufus Hound and Alex Horne.. Saturday evening is Showtime and extravagant or (even vaguely flamboyant) garb is invited, but not expected.

A RUM Do will also reach for the metaphysical with The Paranormal People to explore the space where everyday normality is torn apart and bizarre visions of ultimate human potential are exposed.

A Rum Do has been fortunate to secure the rogue yogi, Sheshah, and the breathless Underwater Man, both of whom will execute logic-defying achievements. Rogue yogi Sheshah is the last living descendant of Sheshal, the Brahmin of the Air, who first demonstrated his levitating ability nearly two hundred years ago in India.

Before an awestruck audience, the yogi will float almost four feet above the ground, completely unsuspended, as a sitar plays calmly in the background. By contrast, and in an exploit that far exceeds the achievements of the great Houdini, Underwater Man - capable of sustaining normal body and brain functions under water for extended periods of time - will be submerged into a locked, clear Perspex tank of water and will remain there voluntarily for a full half hour, without any tell-tale bubbles or air tubes. This is the first time this feat has been attempted in the UK.

The keys to A Rum Do's success are meticulous planning and organisation. Richard Mauger continues: "Essentially, we want to make the festival a self-indulgent experience, rather than a survivalist one. There's been a lot of careful, intelligent thinking behind our production - it goes far beyond sticking bands in a field and just asking them to do their thing. We have very high production values and a strong love of comfortable surroundings AND we really love a good party!"

Tickets are £85 for the full event with day passes available from £35.
Accompanying children up to 14 years old will get in free.

Full info and line up
Press inquiries

If you log on to www.knowledgemag.co.uk/remixcomp you will l find that Don Jon has seperated all the audio samples you’ll need to get going on the remix, leaving the rest of the process in your hands. Knowledge felt it was best to start everyone on a level playing field to give them a chance to peek into your warped minds to see how well you can mutate the basics into a mind bending new version.

So if you think you can transform the old elements into a brand spanking new track then you could be in with a chance of getting a one-page interview in Knowledge and your remix featured on the cover CD before 2007. It really is that simple.

There are a few nuggets of information to bear in mind before you spend hours slaving away in front of the comptuer:

Firstly, you can use as little or as many of the included audio parts as you like but remember they are all copyrighted so don’t go incorporating them into your own music as if the Knowledge security team find out, they will hunt you down and drop kick you into next week.


It also goes without saying that it has to be suited to Knowledge so shelve any plans to make that techno / polka crossover track you’ve always dreamed of doing.

The winner is likely to be someone who embellishes the vibe of the original well.

Finally, make sure you send the completed remix via AIM (Aol Instant Messenger) to ‘kmagremixcomp’ or on CD via snail mail before the 31st September 2006 to

Remix Competition
Knowledge
1 Trafalgar Mews
London, E9 5JG

The winner will receive a one-page interview in Knowledge plus have their remix featured on the cover CD before 2007.

"It's nice to be able to boost someone's confidence and give them props in a respected magazine," adds Don John "The Bastard", in a distinctly un-bastard-like tone. "That's what this competition is all about."

Knowledge Mag

Dress for Rio and dance your way into a wired world of gravity defying aerialists, top bands, circus oddities, lovely ladies and dapper gents. Dust off your throw-back slacks, unpack your fancy hats, step into your dancing shoes and await a night like no other.

The program of entertainment, running from 10pm until 3pm, will begin in the streets, a la Hackney Mardi Gras, with an almighty sound clash between the thirty-two piece Carnival Collective and the fourteen piece Balkan Brass Band Orkestra Du Sol. These two huge bands will join forces in Town Hall Square and parade into Hackney Empire to battle it out.
Then the night will go on to feature: Cosmics (ska supergroup, original members of Lee Scratch Perry’s band); Stamford Hill Gun Club (DJ set), playing a sexy mix of Brazilian beats and accompanied by an inverted guitar player hanging from the ceiling; Divine Acts, a Hackney based dance group featuring ballet dancing stilt walkers; Layla Rosa (Shunt trapeze performer); Flybionic, a triple rope routine in homage to Dolly Parton; and a festival finale from Russ Jones, world music DJ legend.

The seating will be taken out of the auditorium to transform it into an 800 capacity dance venue. And being Lost Vagueness, the night offers blackjack and roulette for fun in The Casino - an elite den accessible only to those in evening wear.
Leila Jones, co-producer of Lost Vagueness, comments: ‘It’s spicy, it’s Brazilian, it’s crazy, it’s carnival, it’s a wonderful mixture of music and performers and, like the rest of the Spice Festival, it celebrates Hackney. We’re looking forward to a hot, hot night.”

All guests are required to come dressed to the bananas. This is carnival.

Please note that because of space restrictions, there will be no Changing Room at this event.


Tickets cost £15 (concessions £12) plus booking fee from the Hackney
Empire box office on 020 8985 2424 or at www.spicefestival.com

The next Lost Vagueness event will be the Glorious Twelfth Hunting Party at the Coronet, Elephant & Castle, London on 12th August 2006.
www.lostvagueness.com

“The Spice Festival is a two week event, 9 – 12 July, 2006, celebrating the diverse talent and culture of Hackney and the East End. It is an independently produced festival. All events feature artists based in Hackney and it is promoted and organised by people living and working the borough. It’s a bit like a farmer’s market of culture – local produce that’s tasty and good for you. The fourteen day festival will feature over sixty events, in twelve venues, spanning the genres of music, art, comedy, drama, fashion, film, clubbing, literature, food,
cabaret, puppetry and dance.

more info on Spice Festival

Following sudden departure by AEGLive (one of Lost Weekend major financial backers) frantic negotiations ensued to secure a financial package to re-finance the festival but it came to no avail.

Lost Weekend organiser Roy Gurvitz said: "We were devastated when AEGLive told us they were pulling out. It was completely unexpected that they should leave us in the lurch like this at the 11th hour. We felt especially sorry for the artists and the ticket holders who were looking forward to a fantastic substitute to Glastonbury. We tried our level best to find alternative finance and we came very close but it's important to ensure a fair deal for our ticket holders. In the end, with so little time, it became clear that the right thing to do was to cancel."

For those who were planning to have a ball in the castle and now are left pondering what to do, there are forthcoming events that will come with the hallmark of Lost Vagueness quality.

The next Lost Vagueness event is on 14th July at the Hackney Empire, London.

And then it will be The Glorious 12th Hunting Party on 12th August and on 28th October the Halloween Horror Show at the Coronet (Elephant & Castle, London), which may feature artists listed for the Lost Weekend.
According to Roy Gurvitz talks are being continued with Zutons and New York Dolls about featuring at next Lost Vagueness events.

Kick on Lost crew!

If you have purchased your tickets already don’t panic as organizers promised full refund via agencies, which have sold them.

Tickets refund pls go to www.lostweekend.org

Main agencies:
AEGLive
Access All Areas

Over the years, Lost Vagueness events have picked up a reputation for being the most anarchic and culturally twisted location at the festival, a place where performers and guests languish together in the warped decadence of the surroundings.

The festival scene’s best kept secret will be pitching up for three days this June at the impressive home of the Earl and Countess of Devon, Powderham Castle, to bring fans all the lavishness that has come to be expected from the UK’s finest burlesque outfit. Confirmed headline acts so far include the Zutons, Julian Cope and the New York Dolls, plus all the favourite LV acts, performers and characters to host a weekend of Vague style decadence.

Other attractions this year include the legendary Lost Vagueness Ballroom in a 3,000 capacity big top, with dressed up decadence, live music, cocktails and cabaret. There’s also the 50’s style American Diner; the Chapel, complete with sexy nuns and almost-legal marriage ceremonies; a VIP piano bar; the inimitable Slip Disco, with flashing dance floor and guest DJs; and the Casino, with strict dress code, champagne, burlesque and comedy cabaret.

This is an ideal opportunity for those who were planning to go to Glastonbury this summer and will miss out as festival has been moved to next year. More to the fact, Michael Eavis (founder and organiser of “Glasto”) recommends Lost Weekend as the best option to all disappointed fans.They would need to hurry though as Lost Weekend is run on limited capacity of 10 000 places for a full 3 day event or futher 5000 for a final day of the festival on Sunday June 25th.
Tickets went on sale on Wednesday this week.

Lost Vagueness is remarkable in that it has literally evolved from pallets to a palace, in an evolution spanning over 18 years. The precursor to “Lost Vagueness” was a series of small surreptitious venues, hidden away in the madness of Glastonbury Festival and going back as far as 1986.
Lost Vagueness the casino was born in 1998, as a theatrical human backdrop to a small cabaret venue, visible only through glass behind the bar.
In the year 2000, people were astonished to stumble across a full casino, ballroom and restaurant, where you had to be dressed in evening-wear. This was in stark contrast to the muddy wastelands of the rest of site that year.

By 2003 Lost Vagueness had been well and truly found, with the field proving so popular that it had to be closed for heath and safety. This made it the first and only field to be closed, due to overcrowding, in 35 years of Glastonbury Festival history.
Year 2004 brought new additions including; The Big Brother Caravan, The Freak Show, The Launderette, The Meccadonalds Venue and Sculpture Park by The Mutoid Waste Company.

Lost Weekend tickets are on sale from Wednesday 24th May and are available from the 24-Hour hotline: 0871 230 9855 or online @
www.lostweekend.org

More info on Lost Vagueness

Past reviews of Lost Vagueness events

Lost Vagueness 2005

Lost Elephant Ball

The golden era of Old Skool is to be celebrated with you; the raver young and old deciding on who were the best DJ’s, what were the best record label and club & rave of that time and who is still doing it best nearly 20 years on?
No doubt this event concept will cause many a debate and heated discussion as everyone has their own view on old skool and what it means to them.
Some people think of illegal warehouse raves around the M25 others think of acid house/house /hardcore & jungle breakbeat and even some people think of speed garage as old skool but we are predominately talking about the magic era of 1990 - 1993 just before the happy hardcore/jungle split, when the scene was one & peace love & unity was true to form.

The politics on the dance scene can often spiral out of control and everyone is entitled to their point of view - but the love for the scene will always remain strong in every true ravers heart!
Whether you are a new raver to the old skool scene or you have been clubbing & raving 15 years or you are a DJ/MC/Producer/Promoter/ or run a record label or radio station no doubt you want to have your say/rant/moan/ or even praise on this matter!
So here is your chance to put in your 2 penny worth!

If you think we have missed something or someone on the nominations or you want to nominate yourself as a DJ or MC or you just want to give us your feedback good or bad
email us - we want to hear your views!

Please note - some DJ's/Mc's & artists from back in the day no longer want to be associated with 'old skool’ - (since they either don’t play it now or prefer to focus and be known for a more upfront music genre). This applies to people like Grooverider, Goldie, Hype, Zinc, Carl Cox, LTJ Bukem, Guru Josh, Prodigy etc.
All of which do not play old skool and have not for some time now - but if you still want to vote for these artists you can still put their names forward & do so and if they win we will do our utmost to twist their arm to play a specially prepared old skool set!
So get voting now and come and celebrate the line up you choose at one of London's most original old skool venue's -KOKO (formerly Camden Palace) on Bank Holiday Sunday 28th May

Voting Disclaimer
Email confirmation of your vote is required along with your details etc to help eliminate any cheating or bogus or non-existent email addresses etc
Also your computer's IP address will be logged and time of voting to avoid spamming of votes.
Text votes are auto added to the results - one vote per category per mobile phone number.
Voting ends 21st May 2006 - and the lineup you create will be announced on 22nd May 2006

VOTE NOW
www.oldskoolawards.com

When you first walk in the shop, be honest. Go straight up to the counter and say, "Excuse me Mr. Recordshopman I have only recently purchased a set of turntables and I would like to buy some music. Can you help me out?" It’s that simple. Well it might be.

What is most probable to happen is something like this...
The moment you walk through the door you will immediately walk out again. The first thing you will notice about record shops is that they are very noisy places. If you have tinnitus or are hard of hearing don’t go into a record shop. In fact if you have tinnitus or are hard of hearing you should not be learning to DJ. Actually, if you don't have tinnitus and you are not hard of hearing then this is a good time to start avoiding record shops, DJ's and the like. None of these do the ears any good.
So, you take a deep breath and enter the shop once more. What you have inside is hard to describe to the innocent. There will be a counter. For the purposes of this article we will call this 'the counter'. Behind and in front of the counter will be lots and lots of records. We will call these the 'tunes', also known as the 'toons' and sometimes 'choons'. This is where the problems start. Somewhere behind the counter, very very rarely in front of it, will be the 'man.' Now this is the person that needs to be dealt with in order that you can walk back out the door with some tunes in your hand. It sounds simple but for the unsure insecure or unaware it is not. The 'man' will have lots of names but for now we will just call him DJ Brian.

To buy a tune you usually need to listen to it first. That is unless you are very lucky and have the rare ability to 'read' vinyl without touching it. To listen to a tune you will have to talk to Brian. Now Brain will have a slightly different language from what you may be used to. You wont be able to ask him a simple question like, "what do you recommend," or "can I have listen to some new stuff." Things aren't that easy. He will screw up his face and start asking lots of lots of confusing questions Words such as techno, house, remix or even gabba might pop up. Don't be scared he's not going to hurt you. Also, don't be thrown, at the end of the day a record shop is a very simple place. It is a shop full of music; don't let anyone make you believe otherwise.

Just say your not too sure what style your into at the moment, but could he give you a selection and you will let him know what tickles your ear buds. Brian may smirk or frown but worry not you are on safe ground. Now take your wobbly tower of vinyl over to one of the turntables. Choose well; avoid the one that has headphones covered in ear and dreadlock wax. Also avoid the deck that looks like it belongs in a Lego house. It will probably have a wheel on the side you have to turn to start it and may have an exhaust at the back. Once settled, check there is a needle/cartridge on the end of the arm. Brian will find it very amusing if you don't notice this old trick.
The secret of record shopping is not to buy everything. Even if you have all your Christmas/birthday/bank job money in your pocket, do not be tempted to buy all the music that you hear. Most of it will be shit, or at the very least not very good. One of the first skills a DJ must learn is spotting and recognising good, quality music. Forget beat matching, spin backs, slip mats and back flips if you got shit music you will be a shit DJ. End of story. Something that some people out there need to have pointed out to them.

A good idea for your first few expeditions is to limit yourself to just buying one or two tunes. However good the others sound leave them alone. Force yourself to make a choice. With practice you will know within two seconds if a track is for you or not. To start with you will probably find yourself listening to the whole thing. That’s ok, enjoy it. Tap your foot, close your eyes and reach for the lasers. Just be careful when you start hugging the people next to you. Some may not appreciate this too much. However you can guarantee Brian will be rolling around the floor.

There you are, you have made your choice. Take those you don't want back to the counter (never, ever leave them by the decks). Hand over your chosen, pay the requested amount, take the proffered bag, thank Brian and walk out. Whatever you do, do not get sucked into going for a hike on the flyer mountain by the door. This is reserved for partners who foolishly accompany their loved ones record shopping. There you are outside in the fresh air, listening to the ringing in your ears, with a strange feeling of satisfaction and self worth. All you have to do is repeat this several times, over many years and you might make it. You never know you might end up on friendly terms with Brian and he might end up inviting you to one of his mate’s squat parties. Don't. One thing, I can guarantee is that you will go home and mix those first two tracks from one to the other until the needles wear down. Choose carefully because they will be going around and around in your head until your dying day.

© Antony Lopez

The big news is that psytrance and breaks - two of the most vibrant underground dance music scenes in the UK are about to launch STIR:
a brand new night from Nano Records and Breaksday.

As the organizations responsible for bringing psytrance and breakbeats respectively to the UK’s Glade Festival, these dudes are now priming a brand new sonic bomb, in the shape of the country’s first ever indoor psytrance and breakbeats crossover night

So if you are looking for a pre-Glade fix, check out STIR - to be held at the Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall, London on Sat May 13th.

This is the unique combination and is born out the successful blending of the two genres at the Glade Festival and featuring big names on both scenes; namely on the Breaks Floor:

Rennie Pilgrem & Chickaboo, Hybrid, Dreadzone Soundsystem, Aquasky, Pendulum, Diverted & Diverted & 30Hz & Baobinga.

and on the Psytrance Floor:

Tristan, The Commercial Hippies, Allaby, Zen Mechanics, Ans and Edoardo

Plus making it 3 stages, ID SPIRAL presents a chill out, featuring:

Pathaan, Slack Baba, Nagual Soundsystem and Liquid Djems.

STIR follows on from the successful merging of the Breaks and Trance crowds at last summer’s festivals creating an indoor festival vibe, with two banging dance rooms supported by 2 other tripped-out areas, plus an outdoor chill, a markets space and lots of colourful nutters for a pre summer hit of festival feeling.

“There aren’t many genres that can successful co-exist these days but after the awesome vibe of the Glade we realized that these were two tribes that definitely weren’t going to war”. – Rennie Pilgrem

NANO RECORDS
Nano Records is one of the biggest names in the global Psy Trance scene and has been promoting psytrance parties all over the planet since the year 2000.
Aside from presenting psytrance at The Glade Festival and Glastonbury, the Nano crew have been instrumental in producing the now legendary Zambia and South Africa Eclipse parties, as well as the annual Origin Festival, South Africa’s premium Psy Trance 3 day gig. If there is anything that springs to mind about Nano events, it is simply the quality of production

BREAKSDAY
Breaksday started life as an idea by scene stalwarts Rennie Pilgrem, Pippa of TCR/HUM and Biff from Functional to help put Breaks on the map by putting on an awesome line up of producers and DJ’s to show what a vibrant and varied scene it has become.
The first Breaksday event was at the Winter Music Conference in Miami and they’ve followed that by having an enormously successful Breaksday tent at the last 2 Glade Festivals featuring the largest line up of Breaks DJ’s ever on this planet

"There’s not been anything like it before on that scale… Make sure you can say you were there for the first one."

Stir it up!

more info at www.stir.uk.com
full listings

By launch we mean that all of the elements will be working correctly. Praise the mullah for that!

Also it means end of holidays for Jam Gorilla who is hibernating at the moment and assessing unknown facts about human nature.

There would be fun and everything we can pack into Jacks - and since some of us remember happy vibe of years ago we will strive to do our best to emulate mood of older days.
Da is all. Let’s celebrate…

Will be spinning da old magic, innit?

Details below (just in case you didn’t notice)

Baboon - Bubble Jam website launch

Venue:

Jacks
7-9 Crucifix Lane
London Bridge
London SE1 3JW

Opening Times: 10pm-late

Entrance Price: £10 on the door,

Music Type:

Full on psytrance, funky house, tech house, acid old skool, acid house to celebrate completion of transition from one media to another.

Line-up:

Psychedelic Room
(uplifting, full on psytrance)

Xfader (Jajo)
Betty Bop (Elluminate)
Carlos Santan (Wildthings)
Kristian (Transient)
Marchello aka Cimi (Free Spirit, Neurobiotic Records)
Indigo Woef (Indigo Children)

Funky Room
(funky house, tech house, acid old skool, acid house)

Greg Prism (Clockwork Prism)
Jonty (Clockwork Prism)
Aztek (Teethout)
Tequila (Planet Angel)
Disco Patrick (Planet Angel)

Visuals and projections - Extra-Dimensional Space Agency
Punkvert dudes cannot unfortunately make it being somewhere else at the same time. Busy bees....

Lasers by Visual Reality

Fluffy, fluoro-trippy deco by Tombalina (Indigo Children)
& Flying Piglets massive

Lights by illuminating luminaries, atmosphere full of oxygen etc…
Burlesque and cabaret acts by artists featuring “The Dames of Burly-Q" Subterfuge Cabaret to delight you with a surprise act"
plus various spontaneous acts from Bubble Jam crew
plus bar serving chai, cakes, desserts, pukka soup, tea & coffee all night.

Miaow!

Info Lines:

0207 7040 143 - Jacks
07766485 426 – Baboon

E-Mail: editor@bubblejam.net

Web Site: www.bubblejam.net

Soulclipse Festival is organised by IndigoKids,party organisers who have a history of chasing eclipses across the planet combining with their passion for organising trance parties. Their goal for this festival is to ‘unite the tribes’ and throw a major 7 day event set amongst some of the most beautiful countryside that Turkey has to offer, ‘Soulclipse’ will be one of 2006’s major trance parties, you have been warned.

The music will predominantly be psychedelic trance but spread over two sound systems and the party will feature all types of music with a huge international line up of DJs and live acts to keep you dancing solidly for the duration of the event!
The full line up is yet to be announced but to give you a taste the live acts will include: Hallucinogen aka Simon Posford (Twisted) and one half of Shpongle, Protoculture (Nano), Eskimo (Phantasm), Rinkadink (Alchemy), Son Kite (Digital Structures) Wizzy Noise (Harmonia/Exposure) X-dream (Boshke Beats)Atomic Pulse(BNE) and DJ sets from Eduardo (Neurobiotic/Sonica Festival) Paul Taylor (Spun), Pena (Flow) Sally Doolally (Plastik Park) and many more! Keep checking the website for more as the event unfolds!

The festival is set to take place at Paradise Canyon, a site that has been secured on the path of the eclipse and is situated in a national park located on the banks of Koprulu River. 25km North and South of Paradise Canyon lie some of the most famous archaeological ruins in the world; Aspendos and Selge. This part of Turkey is also known as the ‘Turkish Riviera’ due to its mild weather with fresh water to swim in and plenty of room for camping the site will accommodate thousands of travellers from all around the world!

To help you get on the right vibe, in February New Wave Radio will be hosting a month long Soulclipse special featuring a live show with guest mixes from some of Soulclipse artists, interviews and plenty of give aways, for more info visit New Wave radio

Soulclipse A Total Solar Eclipse Festival

27.03.06 – 02.04.06

7 days and 6 nights

Koprulu Canyon River National Park, Antalya, Turkey

DJS live: Hallucinogen aka Simon Posford (Twisted) and one half of Shpongle, Protoculture (Nano), Eskimo (Phantasm), Rinkadink (Alchemy), Son Kite (Digital Structures) Wizzy Noise (Candyflip) X-dream (Boshke Beats)Atomic Pulse(BNE) and DJ sets from Eduardo (Neurobiotic/Sonica Festival) Paul Taylor (Spun), Pena (Flow) Sally Doolally (Plastik Park) and many more!
Keep checking the website for more as the event unfolds!

Presale Tickets go on Sale in November. Check the Soulclipse website out.

Nearest airport: ANTALYA

More info/tickets: www.soulclipse.com

For any press enquiries
Evy Magoulas
evy7@botpenworld.com
newwave_radio@yahoo.com
Mob: 07775648163

Arts, Healing and Living. They have a web site that tells their story, www.unityworks2012.org, and no, it's not to do with THE OLYMPICS!!
Suffice to say it's worth a look, there are activities going on there ranging from Yoga classes to Herbal Medicine, Dance workshops and Fancy-Dress Balls, [bring yer own gown], they also have a great shout-cast radio show, which happens once a month or more, and is archived so you don't have to miss anything!

Part of a recent radio broadcast, comprises Godesses and Gods, hosted by Becs the Goddesse, and Paradox the poet.
Godesses and Gods is an astonishing multimedia mash-up, an array of wildly entertaining juxtapositions of talent and thought, heart and trans-political comment. In a former version, it was called Gods and Goddesses, hey plus ca change!!

G&G has been providing a stage and a forum for meaningful entertainment for three years, and has put on shows in London, Bristol, Cambridge and Brighton, as well as touring the country with appearances at Festivals from Glastonbury to The Big Green Gathering. With audiences ranging from 30 to 400, G&G is about the show happening, not trying to become an EVENT! Dahling!

And so every year there has been change; an organic shape-shifting that has allowed it to breathe the fresh air of new performers, new audience-communities and to avoid the sterility of "tradition", and expectation............. it's current form is as vibrant as ever, and the recent show at Unity Works, on October 22nd was a delight. Ranging from full-on electro-eclectro, to comedians, Hoola Hoop balletic juggling, singer/songwriters, poets and DJs to new raw talent and conversationalist galactic agents, the show ran from 8pm until 2.30, performers on the floor with the audience as well as stage acts.

The key to Godesses and Gods is the focus each performer brings, by way of joy, and with that comes also a political awareness of the power of our joy, especially the joy we have discovered for our selves. Each to their hearts own, and all together.
Bio-diversity.

And by having a gentle laugh at the world of manufactured consent, that traditional consensus of AUTHORITY, a system of fear and repression which robs each one of us that succumbs, of that awesome joy, then the truth is confirmed. We all feel it, yet it goes unmentioned. Well SOMEBODY has to say it!

Unity Works says it. Gods and Godesses say it. Come and join in the fun!

Corneilius

"do what you love it's your gift to the universe!"