Microphonically Speaking

Megger PAT320 recall notice

2010-06-14T08:27:00.004Z

Very happy when I purchased my Megger PAT320
Very happy when it did everything it said on the can
Not so happy to receive a product recall notice
Not so happy when the recall takes double the estimated time
Not so happy when I reschedule work and wait in for it not to arrive
Not so happy to have to write a complaint email

The saga continues... watch for updates

Rodigan finally wakes up and smells the coffee!

2010-06-13T11:48:00.008Z

So finally David Rodigan goes on record to vocalise what real reggae fans have been aware of for decades. The real vibe and creativity of the music and the qualities that firmly placed reggae indelibly on the world music map began to fade when electronic 'sampling' instruments and computers became the dominant factors in Jamaican music. However, Rodigan like many others have been happy to take the dancehall dollar for so many years. By this I mean the practice of only playing 10 seconds of any particular record/dubplate and screaming obscenities down a microphone like demented frogs on crack. What do they think this dancehall culture/style of playing did to aid real reggae music? Instead of championing the traditional values to enhance the original creativity and spiritual vibe they chose to push the mindless envelope destroying years of good work before. Excellent interview by TheMunchieTV crew check out part 1 below and follow the youtube link at the end for part 2 and much more Munchie media and Swedish patios.

Return to blogger - Swansea bike theft

2010-06-13T11:31:00.003Z

Hi Folks, been off this thing for some time now but boiling blood has me returning to spleen venting mode again. My daughter locked up her Merida bicycle in Swansea university yesterday and somebody thought it would be a good idea to completely dis-assemble all the parts (yes everything) that was not secured by the lock and cable. So now she is left with a frame and two wheels and tyres. So mums and dads, brothers and sisters of the Swansea petty crime family. If your son, daughter, sibling, partner came home with armfuls of shiny new bike parts yesterday (Saturday 12th June), now you know where they came from! Just hope and pray that I never catch up with you or them...

On the bench today

2008-02-28T17:20:00.002Z

One of my tasks today included diagnosing the faults on this 'anonymous' active/powered wedge/floor monitor. The main problem I discovered was that someone who also will remain anonymous for the purpose of this blog has inflicted breakage of the volume and gain controls by either (a) dancing on or (b) trying to adjust the controls by foot while playing (tut tut... to both). For some reason the manufacturer of this product has gone out of their way not to put their mark on it (inside and out) apart from calling it a K-100PM and stating that it is 'designed and manufactured in the UK'. It looks like a Carlsbro-esque product to me, can anyone confirm?

I would like to send out a huge commendation and thanks to Omeg who have been extremely helpful far beyond the call of duty to me with this repair.

Microphonic movement

2007-05-09T18:16:00.000Z

I am very pleased to announce that Microphonic Limited has moved from its former base in Waterfront Studios to a bigger premises in the Royal Docks area of East London. The company telephone number has also changed. For full contact information please visit the contact page of our website - click here.

Charlie P - Four Policemen

2007-03-06T17:49:00.000Z

On the 25th of June 2006, Southend's own Charlie P got the crowd dancing at the Leigh Folk Festival. You can see a small video sample of this performance below or by visiting our relevant YouTube page. Charlie P backed by the Goldmaster Allstars can be booked through Microphonic Limited.

Goldmaster Allstars - Colt 45

2007-03-06T17:42:00.000Z

On the 25th of June 2006 the Goldmaster Allstars performed a forty minute set at the Leigh Folk Festival. You can see a small video sample of this performance below or by visiting our relevant YouTube page. The Goldmaster Allstars can be booked through Microphonic Limited.

Reggae Debate - City Hall Style !

2006-12-01T18:34:00.000Z

Following on from my previous 'Reggae gets Mayors attention' post which reported a pilot reggae debate that was organised by Jeffrey Lennon of the Urban Enterprise Network.

On 25th October 2006 the reggae fraternity (approx 250 in number) descended en-masse at City Hall the London Mayors business abode described by some as resembling a 'testicle' in its architectural design style.

The evening started with a reception where Jeremy Collingwood's vintage sound system played some wonderful music as gatherers looked at photography supplied by Urban Image photographers. Drinks on tap were Red Stripe, Guinness and ital orange juice while Jamaican inspired canapes were handed out generously.

About 30 minutes later than expected we were shepherded up to the assembly chamber where five tables were arranged to receive the panel 'experts.' Namely Blacker Dread (Coxsone), Caroline Williams (Sista), Clive Dickenson (Greensleeves), David Katz (author), Dotun Adebayo (BBC London), Hugh Francis (Jet Star), Jazzie B (Soul 2 Soul), Jena Davis (Sista), John MacGillvray (Dub Vendor) , Lesley Lyrics (former Saxon DJ) , Lloyd Bradley (Bass Culture author), Martin Skitsel (last.fm), Mikey Dread (Channel One), Mykal Riley (Steel Pulse), Nicky Ezer (Culture Promotions), Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz), Trevor Sax (Saxon founder), there were also another member of Sista and a dubstep producer whose names I did not find out. Conspicuous by their absence were uk rhythm twins Mafia & Fluxy and also veteran reggae selector David Rodigan.

The debate was kicked off by Jeff Lennon who brought on Lee Jasper the mayors Director of Equalities & Policing who after doing a reasonable stand up routine actually blessed the debate by calling the rather astonished audience to chant 'Rastafari!' after his second mancunian cry of 'Jah.'

Jeff Lennon then fired subject matter at the experts who each gave their opinions and argued their corners. This went on for quite a while until the last 20 minutes or so where the audience were given the opportunity to fire questions at the expert panel. A lot of subject matter was debated and a lot of hot air expelled by the experts. Of all that was said it was members of the audience that raised two points worthy of mention in my opinion;

Considering we were debating the rich heritage left by reggae music and the sound system culture why is it that todays policies set by government and local authorities are doing much to oppress that culture by not providing or actually excluding sound systems from suitable venues? Also another member of the public asked the panel experts when they were going to debate or demonstrate the one important message of the music and culture being that of 'unity?' This was also mentioned by Mykal Riley (ex Steel Pulse) who looked round the panel of experts saying that whilst he recognised and could name 75% of them. He questioned why he/they had not been in touch with each other for around 10 years?

So the big debate mirrored the previous pilot meeting in that it is obvious that the reggae and sound system fraternity needs a unifying organisation to bring it together under one protective umbrella that will support and nurture it for future prosperity. How will that now happen?

For pics from the event click link below;

Musicians Survey - the biggest ever ! (uk & eire)

2006-12-01T17:23:00.000Z

The Musicians Benevolent Fund have launched the Musicians…Have your say survey, which they say "is the biggest ever survey of professional musicians and music students across the UK and Eire." They plan to use what musicians tell them to help determine what they will spend their money on in the future.

Amazon vouchers to the value of one hundred and fifty pounds are up for grabs, the Survey closes on 7th January 2007. Voucher winners will be notified by 19th January 2007.

Goldmaster Allstars at the Colchester Institute

2006-10-08T17:22:00.000Z

On the 27th of September 2006 the Colchester Institute's Centre for Music and Performing Arts was rocked to the foundations by the Goldmaster Allstars. You can see a small video sample of this evening below or by visiting our relevant YouTube page. The Goldmaster Allstars can be booked through Microphonic Limited.

G.T. Moore on MySpace / YouTube

2006-09-26T23:53:00.000Z

Veteran of all things musical G.T. Moore can now be found on the ever increasing web-sites of MySpace and YouTube at last! The video below was part of his performance at the Leigh Folk Festival in June 2006. Watch this space for more to come...

Freedom at The National Maritime Museum

2006-08-24T14:58:00.000Z

Last night I ventured 'south of the river' and surfaced in Greenwich which is home of the National Maritime Museum. I was there mainly because I had heard that Jah Shaka would be playing a part in an evening which was to commemorate the 'International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition' - The evening started with a debate titled "Freedom." We were greeted by the Director of Research & Collections Margarette Lincoln who raised eyebrows and a smile with her eloquent pronunciation of 'Jah Shaka' as part of proceedings. The debate was chaired by Bonnie Greer and she was joined by presenters Godfried Donkor, Keith Piper, Sonia Boyce and Faisal Abdu'Allah. Each gave a presentation all of which were clear concise and thought provoking, the only criticism being the failure of audio visual systems or timing of such. The debate ended with a question and answer session which raised a lot of intelligent comments.

We then ventured out of the lecture theatre and could immediately hear something vaguely resembling music coming from somewhere; it was difficult from this position to work out what it was due to the reverberation of the venue. We were then led up to a raised terrace, courtyard for want of a better description. It was huge in size and surrounded on three sides by glass cabinets full of maritime treasures and artifacts. At one end was a snack/bar in the middle was Jah Shaka setup on the edge of a square that was roughly the size of a professional boxing ring. He had 4 stacks of speakers setup in the four corners two facing away and two facing towards him. This square was roped off by a blue band leaving just Shaka, one of his crew who was happily dancing and another of his crew manning a video camera on a tripod.

Above this terrace was a huge curved glass ceiling. When Shaka who was playing at levels quite restrained at this point lifted the arm from a record the reverb decay time was something along the lines of 5 to 6 seconds. Unfortunately this location within NMM was probably the worst place of all to set up a sound system. When the music was playing the reflections just mudded up the music and was not enjoyable to my ears at all. Shaka was drawing a wicked selection of vintage roots tunes each with their own appropriate lyric content for the night. Industry characters I spied on the night were Jonah Dan, Terry Gad, Jah Surr Zema and Leroy Mafia.

I did take my camera along but while I was trying to find a vantage point to get some good shots I was approached by one of the Shaka crew and told not to take pictures. The single out of focus picture that I did manage to take is the one above. This is kind of ironic at an event called 'Freedom' and is even more ironic when you consider that the picture of Malachi on the flyer for his next gig at the Telegraph is actually one of my pictures from the free festival event at Brockwell Park 2005. I am happy to share that picture and would have supplied it to them at a better resolution than the web image it was taken from if only someone had asked!

Cargo re-unites dub clubbers

2006-08-21T14:37:00.000Z

I popped along the Dub Club Reunion Party at Cargo last night organised by Culture Promotions. It was sponsored by rum distillers 'Wray and Nephew' as part of the Overproof 'rum and reggae' series of events. Sounds were provided by Entebbe sound system and they were joined by Mafia and Fluxy, Iration Steppas, Manasseh and JNR International. The climax was an amazing one for one session where every tune had to be caught short due to the midnight curfew but at the same time left everyone in attendance hungry for a repeat performance with no constraints! To view some pics from last nights event please click on the link below.

VOIP phenomena

2006-08-19T16:08:00.000Z

Been watching the voip (voice over internet protocol) scene for some time now and it has to be said - it is a very effective low cost way to communicate especially for friends and family but no reason why business shouldn't take advantage of the technology either. I have been using 'skype' for a while now and give it the thumbs up enough to recommend it on here. I am currently using the Tesco internet phone handset which I picked up on ebay for less than a tenner (£10). NB. If you do have the tesco handset and wish to use the buttons on the phone for skype then download the US Robotics software here. I'm sure Tesco's own software and service is just as good as skype but at this point in time I don't need to use the call-out to landline service I am just looking for free calls between contacts. So feel free to contact microphonic at no cost through skype* (* if we are online NB. see status icon in the right hand section of this blog). Download skype, add us to your contact list and chat away!

Fantasy funtime - join the microphonicship

2006-08-10T08:49:00.000Z

Join in with some premiership football fun in the 'microphonicship' - the league of champions.

Go to http://fantasy.premierleague.com. Register and create your team. Once you have created a team click on the 'Leagues' button on the right hand side and enter the code below. Its free and will be a lot of fun!

478056-76893

Microsoft calls the Zune

2006-07-24T16:08:00.000Z

Microsoft has confirmed that they are developing a brand/music and entertainment project under the banner 'Zune.' I notice that nearly every domain name under Zune has been registered already. However in the UK there is no company registered as Zune Limited and the domain name .ltd.uk is also still available... for how long I wonder? So... If you now go off and register this company and name and make some sheckles in the process I hope you will remember where you heard it first and reward me handsomely!

Reggae gets Mayors attention

2006-07-20T17:22:00.000Z

Went to a discussion about Reggae at the Gramaphone Bar in London E1 last night. The event was organised by the Urban Enterprise Network and was entitled 'The History of Reggae and Sound System culture in the UK.' (click here for more info). The panel of experts comprised of David Rodigan, Jazzy B and Stuart Baker founder of Soul Jazz Records. There has been much discussion about this event over at the B&F message board but what I thought was the overwhelming point of the night was that all that encompasses "reggae" in the UK needs to unite. Maybe under a banner organisation so that collectively it can be nurtured, grown and archived for the enjoyment of current and future generations. Some pics from the night can be viewed by clicking the title post or link below.

Doing the Lambeth skank !

2006-07-18T17:42:00.000Z

Travelled across the river for the second of my annual pilgrimages to Brockwell Park to bask in the sun and let my ears be subjected to the wonderful Reggae beats going on at the Lambeth Country show. It was a glorious day, very well attended and there was something to interest everyone. Main acts on stage were Willie 'Armagideon Time' Williams and the legendary Twinkle Brothers (albeit just the Norman half,) other acts included Prince Malachi, DJ'ing by Nick Manasseh and PA's by Ras Negus, Jahn Konoo and local food vendor King Atarney.

Google Checkout - hot on the heels of Paypal

2006-07-03T14:31:00.000Z

Google have launched a new online payment system called "Checkout". They are offering very competitive rates initially as an incentive to sway people away from using Paypal. However, in the short term it is only available to sellers or merchants who reside and have their bank account in the United States.

Photographic Exhibition - Punk Aid 24/25th june

2006-06-24T17:56:00.000Z

Photographic Exhibition 12noon till 8pm

Photos by David Apps, Mark Oliff, Sigma and Phil Watts

£3 on the door, £2 concessions includes complimentary plastic cup of wine (its a posh do)

All profits to raise funds for Dame Vera Lynne trust for children with cerebral palsy

Location:
British Academy of New Music
Unit B, Sugar House Yard
Sugar House Lane
Bromley by Bow
London
E15 2QS

Myspace gauntlet thrown...

2006-06-18T17:01:00.000Z

Microphonic have created a myspace page and have thrown the gauntlet down to see if we can find any Roots and Culture vocal artists with Conscious lyrics to ride our new "Herb from Africa" rhythm. A sample of the track is up on the myspace page along with the planned second release on the Microphonic label "Row Fisherman."

Movements - Back a Yard style

2006-05-25T17:02:00.000Z

About backyardmovements; Today Disciples consists of Russ D. producer, musician, engineer on the uk reggae and dub scene since 1986. Originally Disciples were brothers Russ and Lol who produced music for legendary uk sound system man Jah Shaka, it was Shaka who gave them their name, they recorded 4 albums for Shaka from `87 - `91. Later Russ formed his own labels Boom Shacka Lacka and Backyard Movements, the former for uk dub styles, the latter for roots vocal styles. In `91 they also built a sound system which they ran for 5 years before packing away the boxes for good. Lol pulled out of the music biz and Russ continued forward in the studio and productions as well as continued dj`ing around the world with long time friend and micman Jonah Dan. For more check the link...

New photo software from Google - Picasa

2006-05-16T18:14:00.000Z

Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organised by date with folder names you will recognise. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. Picasa makes sure your pictures are always organised.

Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your pictures – you can email, print photos home, make gift CDs, and even post pictures on your own blog.

To get your hands on (download) Picasa scroll down the right hand navigation menu on this web page and click on the Google photo link button.

Spurs new shirt sponsor - untold information

2006-05-16T17:06:00.000Z

Wanna know more about the Spurs sponsorship deal? then click here

BUT!!! while you are here I have another shirt sponsor story which may interest you. My mate 'Smiffy' a lifelong Spurs fan is about to embark on yet another two wheeled adventure (wonder which part of his anatomy will take a beating this time?) and in doing so is trying to raise money for a very worthy cause. If you wish to part with a small amount of your folding stuff to motivate his pedal pushing ability then please click here.

Jah Works Promotions on Reggae-Events.com

2006-05-04T13:52:00.000Z

Found this international reggae events portal site where you can post information about your reggae events for the whole world to see (and its free). Nice to see that the forthcoming dance at the Stratford Rex by Jah Works Promotions is there on display. Click on the link below to see more.

Musicians wanted for record deal with a major label

2006-05-02T16:19:00.000Z

Management Company of young band newly signed to major record label are looking for 1 male bass guitar player and 1 male drummer aged between 18–24. The band currently consists of lead vocals, keyboards/BV’s and lead guitar. Musicians must be proficient players and will be required to perform at an audition to be held in London in June 06.

Please go to www.myspace.com/thevacancyuk to hear the bands music, and if you are interested in auditioning then please call Susie on 020 8741 9365 for more details.

Goldmaster Allstars Live Gig on Google Calendar

2006-04-13T14:35:00.000Z

This could be a great way to promote your gig to your fan base if it works... Go to http://www.google.com/calendar sign up for a free account and when you get to your calendar type "Goldmaster" in the Public Calendars search box. If it is too soon then try pasting the link locations below into the "Public calendar address" tab.

Access To Music - UK training centres

2006-04-12T13:47:00.000Z

Access to Music is the UK’s leading provider of popular music education, training and consultancy. It provides dynamic vocationally-related services inspired by direct involvement in the music industry.

The result is exciting music solutions for students, musicians and education providers alike. Access to Music is able to offer these services by being a young, vibrant, energetic organisation with a real passion for music.

Since 1992, the company has been providing music training to thousands of musicians across the country. As well as music, it has equipped these people with valuable life skills which can be transferred to any occupation.

Music Promoter for London Mayor

2006-03-12T18:21:00.000Z

Interesting article surfaced in the Guardian on Friday 10th March. It seems music promoter Harvey Goldsmith has designs not only on sculpting the olympics in 2012 but even ousting KL to become mayor for London. Well on that note he has my vote already!

NB. Dooley new to blogging - URL syntax is critical!

Microphonic signs with G.T. Moore for debut release

2006-03-10T08:56:00.000Z

Microphonic have signed with veteran musician G.T. Moore for their debut release. The first offering will be a brand new song entitled "Herb From Africa" composed and sung by G.T. Moore backed by the multi-talented Goldmaster Allstars. This traditional style fast tempo reggae track with full horn section will be available soon on a 7-inch pre-release vinyl format, to be followed on other formats in due course. Keep an eye on our website for further news and information as it breaks.

Zest for a bit of Reggae

2006-03-08T13:36:00.000Z

Zest Group PLC proposes to aquire Reggae specialist Greensleeves Records Limited for a consideration of £3.25 million. In addition and as part of the deal Greensleeves will purchase their current property in Isleworth for approx £662,500. Greensleeves has an established presence in a number of the specialist reggae markets throughout the world and, in particular, the UK, the USA, Japan, France, Germany, Benelux, Canada and Scandinavia. The report on the link below makes for very interesting reading. The Zest Group PLC are based in Radlett, Herts, UK.

Red Red Wine-ski comrade!

2006-03-07T12:17:00.000Z

I was pointed to an article in the Independent yesterday by Music Weeks 'Dooleys Weblog' which tells how UK Reggae act and Birmingham's own 'UB40' were once spied upon by the security service as being suspected as having communist tendencies. The tales came from a former MI5 employee David Shayler, who also lists Ewan MacColl and John Lennon amongst others who were also under 'special observation.'

Music biz newspaper Music Week joins the blogging ranks

2006-02-17T18:57:00.000Z

Music business newspaper and subscription only website 'Music Week' has finally entered the ranks of the blogging masses this month. They kick off their blog with about 15 hot topical posts (wonder if they will be able to keep that up?). Kind of shoots their subscription only website in the foot as I'm sure the topics they choose to post will be the same stories as the ones your expected to pay for? Maybe there is a method in their madness? Time will tell...

Orthodox Reggae - Hasidic stylee

2006-02-15T02:04:00.000Z

Gaining lots of airplay currently is Matisyahu, an Hasidic Jew who has developed a career toasting his way to notoriety in a reggae dancehall style. His roots stem from growing up in Berkeley, CA and later settling in White Plains, NY. He spent time in Israel during his late teens and developed a new 'connection' with Judaism. Later a chance meeting with a Lubavitch rabbi in a park brought him to explore and adopt the lifestyle of a Lubavitch Hasidic. He already seems to have two websites through which he is promoting his art; HasidicReggae.com and Matismusic.com which has a link to the a promo video of his single 'King without a crown.' I first heard about this song via my daughter who had been hearing about the single through friends at college. It was then played by Robert Elms on BBC Radio London a few days later. A real mix up and blend culture shock for eyes and ears, check it out through your nearest hole in a ceiling.

Reggae Music Store - Website Re-launch

2006-02-01T13:24:00.000Z

'Reggae Music Store' the UK based one stop online store for roots and culture music has re-launched with a completely new look website. Not only has the look changed but the range of products they sell has also been expanded. One thing to look out for is the new 'Dubplate download' section. Here you can buy exclusive mixes of various producers new offerings or older songs exclusively remixed for sale at RMS. At first inspection the site seems to be a lot more user friendly than its previous incarnation. Wishing the best of luck to RMS with their new website.

Do you DJ Digitally? Legal or Outlaw that is the Question

2006-01-17T16:38:00.000Z

The BBC reports that DJ's who rip or copy tracks for playing directly from their digital devices may be doing so illegally unless they have taken out a special permit which is administered by the royalty collection agency 'PPL'. You can read more about this by following the link below.

Make a million pixel by pixel

2006-01-12T17:35:00.000Z

Don't you just wish you thought of it first? The ingenious money making idea thought up by Alex Tew a 21 year old student consists of a webpage containing one million pixels of advertising space. He has sold the lot at a price of $1 per pixel. He calls his money spinning creation "The Million Dollar Homepage" and you can view it by clicking the link below. NB. The website has been so busy that now you can hardly get through to see what it looks like, I reckon their server has gone into meltdown. However, if you want to see an example of how it works then look here and click on the demo button.

Fuel prices creeping up - use technology to keep costs down

2006-01-11T13:54:00.000Z

I notice that fuel prices are creeping up again. It is unlikely to get better noting todays news "Britain recorded its worst-ever monthly goods trade deficit during November as the oil account slipped into the red for the fifth month running." An article in Martins Money Tips points out a new website where you can sign up for free and easily locate the lowest cost petrol stations in your area. You can even opt-in to receive email alerts for your desired postcode. Check it out - click here

Coldplay record label DRM leaves customers out in the cold

2006-01-03T18:36:00.000Z

The warning to potential Coldplay album buyers is 'caveat emptor.' Their new CD is fully loaded with new and up to date Digital Rights Management on board and lists the rules and regulations on a 'usage guideline' sheet which you do not get to see until after buying the CD and opening it. Only then do you find out that you might be unable to play it on many standard players. Or might not be able to transfer tracks to your mp3 player for instance. They then go on to tell you that "Except for manufacturing problems, we do not accept product exchange, return or refund." Click here for more info. There is also an interesting Skype linkette to be found in the linked article.

Seasons Greetings to all our visitors

2005-12-22T13:49:00.000Z

Peace, Love and Prosperity to all... click here
(shockwave flash player required)

Colin

Sony and the rootkit - know your digital rights

2005-12-01T13:49:00.000Z

As the season of goodwill approaches many people will be thinking of handing out CD's to their friends and relatives - but BEWARE...! you might be handing someone a computer security risk without knowing. One that doesn't ask your permission to be installed, won't be detected by your normal security software and one that is almost impossible to remove without starting from scratch. Sony have sold CD's with whats known as a 'rootkit' software which will install their 'Digital Rights Management' protocols onto your PC when you insert the disc (whether you want it or not). For full info on this developing saga check out the Sony Rootkit Roundup: Part I, Part II, Part III. To see how some people are standing up for their rights click here.

Get your petrol for 5-10p per litre less...

2005-11-23T16:40:00.000Z

...Well maybe! At the moment the idea is just a twinkle in someone's eye and something I noticed in the latest e-newsletter from Martins Money Tips. It costs nothing to register your interest in participating, and we all know nothing ventured = nothing gained. If this organisation gets enough interested participants then the idea may well get the green light to offer those registered discounted petrol. Check it out by clicking here and see the FAQ section for answers to the obvious questions.

Bob Marley unknown demo gets new release

2005-11-07T17:29:00.000Z

A never before released Bob Marley song believed to have been recorded in a Miami bedroom in 1979 will be found on the upcoming compilation "Africa Unite: The Singles Collection." Due Nov. 8 via Island/Tuff Gong/UME, the set features "Slogans," the master tape of which was revisited in 2003 by Marley's sons Ziggy and Stephen. Chris Blackwell the former Island boss and Marley producer gives an intriguing insight into each track click here. Meanwhile Bob's son Damian was cristal clear when he recently had a puff with 'Diddy' click here.

John Peels 7" box of specials - Reggae flavoured

2005-11-04T15:26:00.000Z

I found 8 reggae flavoured tunes in the John Peel much favoured singles box list (did I miss any?) Click here to see the list in full.

8. Arthur K Adams - Wildwood flower + It's a wild, wild, wild, wild wildwood flower (JETSTAR)
56. Lee Perry - Bafflin' smoke signal + Black smoke signal (BLACK ARC) 1978
60. Max Romeo - Sipple out deh' Lee Perry + Revelation (UPSETTER)
75. Paul Blake & The Blood Fire Posse - Every posse get flat + Flat out (STUDIO WORK) 1984
117. The Upsetters - Bucky skank + Yucky skank (DOWN TOWN)
118. The Upsetters - Key card + Domino game (DL INTERNATIONAL)
121. The Versalites - Cutting rasor + Black belt Jones (DL INTERNATIONAL)
141. Yami Bolo - Richer than Cory (JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL)

Nice article in the Sunday Times click the link below to read.

Alpha and Omega Dubplates available online

2005-11-02T13:40:00.000Z

Veteran Reggae/Dub producers/label Alpha & Omega now offer limited exclusivity dubplate mixes of some of their productions via their ebay store 'Dubshop.' You can listen to a sample of the track and then buy an mp3 download of it instantly. As well as their own productions which currently number 30 dubplate mixes they are also offering some dubs from Disciples (6), Jonah Dan (10) and Vibronics (3). The mixes are priced very economically. I havent yet seen any statement about how exclusive they will remain i.e. once three mixes sell, will they be listed again... and again? Very enterprising of A&O to provide this online facility. I will watch closely to see if this is something microphonic can exploit in future and in the meantime hope they have lots of success, they deserve it.

Mika meets son of Lee Perry across the border

2005-10-27T17:48:00.000Z

Received this CD single promo earlier this week and just finished enjoying listening to all 4 tracks. Mika joins the ranks of "girls/women in reggae" with a roots/dancehall fusion title track "Borderline." The dancehall part of this track features Omar Perry son of the legendary Lee 'scratch' Perry who interjects in a DJ style. Track 2 is an ambient haunting dedication style vocal entitled "To my sister." Tracks 3 & 4 are "Borderline remix and Borderline Dub." The work on this single is highly competent, topped off by the mixing skills of 'Gussie P'. Click here to go to the discography page of her website where you can listen to a sound sample of this single (click on the image).

Pama International Review

2005-10-06T18:05:00.000Z

I missed the start of the Goldmaster Allstars set which was a shame as it included the vocal offerings of their new protégé 'Charlie P'. Young Charles is the son of one of the members of Southend's pioneering sound system "Simba." Goldmaster were in full swing when I entered 93 feet east the small-ish stage just about accommodating the 12 man ensemble. The nicely balanced horn section was a treat to hear. Despite comprising only four of the original line up since my association with the band changed it was good to hear that the older songs still had the original Goldmaster flavour. Then reggae veteran GT Moore stepped up and the vibe immediately became more serious, two of the tunes 'africa' and an enchanting adaptation of the congoes 'fisherman' were notable for their brilliance and young Charlie P joined in on backing vocals.

Between Goldmaster and the Headline act 'Pama International', Trojan Sound System had a go at entertaining the sparse crowd. I would have expected a better attendance considering that quite a big push was given to make people aware of this gig. Personally I thought the DJ'ing was embarrassing (and there was no sound system in the real sense of the term) the DJ marginally improved when two sing jays and an MC mounted the stage with riders in hand to entertain the people. I didn't catch the names of the trio on stage but they were competent at their craft.

Pama International are described as 'dub fuelled, ska, rock steady and reggae.' The dub influence is there to experience and the six piece band wasted no time in firing straight into their energetic and big sounding musical menu. My ears kept getting seventies funky flavours and smatterings of late sixties psychedelia mixed heavily amongst the ska, rock steady and reggae beats. The charismatic vocalist holds your attention as he effortlessly flows through his set list. They were joined on stage in the later stages of their set by TJ CHILL of Afrika Bambaatas Zulu Nation fame. Catch them if/when you can - you won't be disappointed.

NB. Venue management - The lighting at the back corners of the stage would be much better if not directed into the eyes of the audience for sooooooo long!

Speed humps cause premature tyre failure - official

2005-10-03T13:45:00.000Z

I have just had my car MOT test done. Only doing approx 6k miles per year because I choose to cycle to work most days. The examiner asked "do you go over a lot of speed humps?" I said I try to avoid them like the plague but my local authorities are making it impossible to avoid completely. He then pointed out very nasty wear on the inside edges (chamfers) of all four tyres. He said that he is seeing a massive increase in this problem and in his opinion it is all due to drivers straddling the speed humps which are described as "cushions" by some local councils. These are the square type humps with angled edges. He pointed out that one of my tyres is worn to a dangerous degree will have to be replaced due to this abnormal wear pattern even though the flat part i.e. circumference of the tyre is 2-3mm above the normal wear indicator. Worst case is that due to location of the wear (inner edges which are not in normal view) you might not realise you are wearing thin until a catastrophic failure or blow out occurs.

To try and reduce abnormal wear on your tyres don't straddle these type of humps - try to drive one wheel in between and one over the top part of the hump. Apart from that write to your local councillor / MP / and the Lft Hon Dictator Livingstone for a change of speed hump policy now!!!

Cherie loves Tuberculosis?

2005-09-28T12:37:00.000Z

I noticed an Evening Standard article yesterday which sported a picture of Mrs. Blair wearing a "I heart TB" badge. I assume the picture was probably taken somewhere near the Brighton conference where yesterday Mr. Bliar was praising himself for his current policy regarding the NHS and his future plans. Would this be the same 'superbug' NHS that we all know and avoid for fear of catching the plague? No wonder waiting lists are dropping, people stand more chance of surviving if they keep away from the place! So we can see that Mrs. Blairs badge really is very apt after all, she really does!

Nano flaw acknowledged

2005-09-28T12:27:00.000Z

A disgruntled customer who purchased an iPod Nano and discovered a problem regarding the screen finally got his dispute settled and acknowledged but had to publicise the problem via a website he setup (in fact two) before he was eventually listened to. I saw a space sample of the new 'Nano' in the gadget section of the recent "Weekend at Dave's" exhibition in docklands Excel centre. I have to say it is very pretty and very petite. However it seems that body armour is a must for potential purchasers. Just goes to show technology can easily be employed to enforce a dispute argument when large organisations decide to 'cop a deaf-un' - "power to the people!"

Want to know how to get a free iPod? Click here and find out!

Nigerian Reggae

2005-09-21T13:09:00.000Z

Found a great website/music blog entitled 'naija jams' today. Their 'about us' info says "Naijajams is a group project of like-minded Nigerians that share a common interest in Nigerian music." They have two objectives;

1. Expose Nigerian music, musicians and artists through a location-independent medium(i.e. the web/internet)
2. Share music that moves us

There are music clip links, however these links seemed to be down when I visited. Check out the link below for the Reggae category.

Riddim Version - UK Stylee

2005-09-21T12:28:00.000Z

I have just learned from John Eden's 'uncarved' blog that the magazine "riddim" is now printed in English and for sale in the UK. See link below for full details.

Pama International take steps on October the 5th

2005-09-19T11:32:00.000Z

Watch out for Pama International "a soul-injected ska, rocksteady & dub sensation for the 21st century." People in East London should not miss a forthcoming night of entertainment at 93 Feet East on the 5th of October 2005. On this night Jamdown presents a dub fuelled ska and reggae sensation 'Pama International', the mighty Trojan Sound System plus Goldmaster All-stars. Doors open at 7pm and rate on the gate is £9 (£7 in advance). Check the bands link below for further details and other information.

Tapper Zukie signs Silver Kamel download deal

2005-09-18T20:03:00.000Z

I read today "Tappa Zukie (MPLA) Makes Agreement With Silver Kamel To Download Reggae MP3s." I read this with some interest as it was only recently discussed that Tapper Zukie had signed a new contract deal with Trojan Records where it was rumoured that the said contract covered Tappa's entire catalogue of recordings. Surely they didn't exclude the download rights on those contracts? Or did they? Maybe the Trojan contracts covered Tapper's output and Silver Kamels are for Tappa's tunes? Be interesting to see how this unfolds... if indeed it unfolds at all.

Google blog search launched today

2005-09-14T17:10:00.000Z

Google launched a new search tool at around lunch time today. Entitled "Google Blog Search beta" it is as always with Google quite an intelligent tool. For instance if you put in my company name "microphonic" and click - it returns about 6 pages of information on blogs which have mentioned the word 'microphonic' mostly they are postings from this actual blog but a few others get listed in there as well. Also they provide a link to related blogs (of which this one is the only one mentioned and also a link to my flickr site which they call 'microphonic's photos). A good way to find other blogs that might mention you.

Excel arms fair protest finally gathers pace

2005-09-14T15:45:00.001Z

Having seen the police setup a massive marquee control centre near City of London airport about 4 days ago I was getting slightly disheartened at the lack of peace protestors who threatened to turn up en masse and blockade all entrances to the DSEI arms trade fair currently being held at the Excel centre in London docklands - until today! Finally they have arrived bringing with them much merriment and mass disruption. I have been out and about on my trusty bike collecting images of the fun and games (click link below for slideshow). Enjoy...

Nano Nano - Apples new iPod weapon in store wars

2005-09-08T15:28:00.000Z

Apple annouce the iPod nano just as UK stores launch their own in store digital downloading facilities which are not necessarily compatible with the iPod hardware. I say this because as I write software developers are writing not strictly legal "patches" which will enable iPods to play such file formats. If you are not worried about getting the new nano then click the link below for a chance to get a free 20Gb iPod.

Arms Fair Action

2005-09-06T10:37:00.000Z

The Arms Fair to be held at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London Docklands and previously reported on this blog is rapidly approaching. Click the link below which will take you to a pdf leaflet which outlines some of the planned peaceful protest action which will take place.

Sonic weaponry technology sent to US disaster zone

2005-09-04T16:16:00.000Z

I found this article which tells of a demonstration of new sonic related equipment which can beam audio communication information for easily a mile in distance or when used in unfriendly mode can be used to transmit certain fequencies at high enough SPL's that can upset the human inner ear causing dizziness and nausea. It seems that some of this new sonic equipment is being sent to The New Orleans disaster zone where communications systems are completely wiped out but also where mass public disorder is also being reported. Which mode will the equipment be used in I wonder? Friendly or Unfriendly?

Call for Justice - Kirsty MacColl

2005-09-02T14:42:00.000Z

Kirsty MacColl was an English singer and writer who was killed by a power boat at the age of 41 whilst scuba diving with her sons in a restricted diving area off Cozumel, Mexico on 18th December 2000. Almost 4 years later, no-one has been made accountable to the satisfaction of her family and friends. Her mother Jean is seeking justice for Kirsty's tragic and untimely death. She is seeking funds in pursuit of her case. There is a letter and email campaign which supporters can use to raise awareness of the issue. Please follow the link below for the campaign website.

King Earthquake raises the bar - enter with caution

2005-08-28T16:08:00.000Z

I popped along to the Jah Works Promotions dance at Tottenham last night. In session were King Earthquake alongside Sista Gad from Station FM 89.8 (Ghetto chat show Tuesday nights 8-10pm). The reports I had previously heard were true its possible that King Earthquake sound may well be producing the loudest low frequency sound waves in the UK at the moment. How much of these sound waves actually exist in the music played is questionable. However, there is a massive potential problem that needs airing in that people attending a dance with a sound system that can generate such SPL's (sound pressure levels) are risking damaging their hearing. I witnessed a number of people having to cover or close their ears and a couple of people walked out of the door with a screwface when the levels went up.

So how is he doing it? Well there is nothing new or secret going on here other than his choice of loudspeaker design. He is using a full folded horn design in favour of the much loved ubiquitous reggae sound system front loaded "scoop" design. The benefit is gaining a significant increase in the length of the horn giving louder SPL at lower frequencies for the same power as that pushed into a "scoop" design. The downside is that the boxes are slightly larger than other low frequency designs and in this instance because of the venue's low-ish ceilings King Earthquake couldn't fit his usual stack configuration in. You can see some photographs of his speaker stacks by visiting The Falasha Recordings website gallery where they have a number of pics from the 'University of Dub' Brixton recreation centre sessions.

I only stayed for a short time after the controls were wound up to verging on 'painful' as this is not my idea of entertainment and I value my hearing far too much to risk it in this way. I would recommend anyone thinking of attending a King Earthquake session should visit a website such as Etymotic Research and invest first in a set of these;

Operation sound system

2005-08-26T14:39:00.000Z

Operation sound system
Originally uploaded by microphonic.

Got some CD's in the post today a live recording of "Operation sound system in session." This sound hail from Blackburn. From information gleaned from their website they are well organised and pretty impressive. Have only had a brief listen to the discs so far but first impressions are "nice sound" very well recorded.

Sugden Connoisseur Vinyl Recording Lathe

2005-08-24T18:05:00.000Z

lathe_front_sml
Originally uploaded by microphonic.

This is a mono vinyl disc recording lathe which can cut a fixed pitch microgroove record at all the standard speeds. I purchased it from a dealer in North London who back in those days were called "Tam". It was part of a closing down sale. They closed their business when everyone started thinking that the CD format would make vinyl a thing of the past. I restored it to working condition but more work needs to be done on the cutting head before it will give consistent high quality results.

Garbage In - Garbage out - A Solution, No Sh*t!

2005-08-24T16:22:00.000Z

An American war veteran yesterday paved the way for future generations when it comes to listening to speeches made by the majority of the current generation of politicians and world leaders. A version of his fashion statement can be downloaded in D.I.Y format from the website link provided below. There is even a "PG" version for underage deflection.

Sanctuary buy-out talks collapse

2005-08-23T15:38:00.000Z

It might be prudent to snap up those desirable Trojan Reggae titles now, or if you are a speculator, wait a while and get them even cheaper than they already are. Parent company Sanctuary look to be on shaky ground as their buy out talks collapse. This might mean label sales galore in the short term as they seek to stabilise their financial position.

I want one! and you will too...

2005-08-23T11:28:00.000Z

This might be the best example of viral marketing that I have seen so far. The link takes you to a video of the "Butterfly - living room flyer" enjoy!

Moog moves to synthesise heaven

2005-08-22T12:03:00.000Z

Moog; A man whose name is known to very few people outside of the circle of musicians who may have seen or heard of one of his keyboard creations yet millions of us in the mass market have probably heard one or more of the many records which include sounds created by one of his synthesisers. Robert Moog who is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the analogue music synthesiser passed away this weekend. Mr Moog died on the afternoon of 21st August 2005 at his home in Asheville, N.C. He was 71. Check out the Moog Music website if you are interested in his legacy.

The weapon is mass distraction

2005-08-19T17:31:00.000Z

The London borough of Newham will again be hosting DSEi 2005 (Defence Systems and Equipment International) at the Excel centre during 13th- 16th of September. Not that you will find the trade show listed in the programme of events on the Excel website I wonder if they are ashamed to include it in their publicity? It is reported that policing the last two events cost around £2 million and increased local taxation as a result. DISARM DSEi are an orgnanisation who intend to co-ordinate a week of action and resistance to the arms fair. I personally believe that this sort of event should be banned along with anything to do with manufacture, sale and use of products designed to kill or maim humans. You can find out more about DISARM DSEi by clicking the link below.

Sinead returns in search of the Roots

2005-08-19T11:40:00.000Z

Sinead O'conner aka Skinhead O'Conner aka Sinead O'Comeback has sprung out of retirement and has made an album of Reggae cover versions. She retired back in 2003 claiming that she no longer wanted to be in the media spotlight.

She was previously ordained a Latin Tridentine Church priestess by a rebel bishop and adopted the religious name Mother Bernadette Mary. In 1999, O'Connor abandoned her vow of celibacy about three months after becoming a priestess she said "I meant well by doing the celibacy thing but it doesn't work for me because I need love and affection."

Declaring that her latest mission was to "rescue God from religion" she also expressed gratitude to the Rasta people, "because I am one of those human beings who would not be alive today if it was not for the teachings of Rastafari." That would be interesting to decipher in depth, methinks!

The Arizona Republic remarks; 'Sinead O'Conner embraces the Rastafarian faith; Rastafarians wonder what they did to annoy the Almighty.' That just about sums it up for me, I am now wondering just how long will it be before she is ripping up a picture of Selassie on TV?

Black World TV: Caribbean Connection

2005-08-14T15:18:00.000Z

During this month there is a series of screenings taking place at the National Film Theatre. Entitled 'Calypso and Ska,' 'Jamaican Reggae,' 'Reggae and the British Connection,' 'The Two-Tone Community' and a special event called 'Celebrating The Beat' these shows promise some great entertainment for Caribbean music fans. You might be able to win free tickets for these screening events at Culture Reggae's website.

Peugeot admits defeat to small minded town planners

2005-08-11T12:54:00.000Z

So thats it then! Peugeot are about to release their new model 1007 which in turn admits that town planners are never going to get it into their thick skulls that we need wider car parking spaces so that we can actually open our doors when we park. Their new design features electrically operated sliding doors, very nice too. All we need now is for Supermarket trolley designers to incorporate cushion bumpers and satellite navigation autopilot return to base capability. After which the only thing to complain about will be the price of petrol (or at least the amount of profit and tax generated by the oil companies and government respectively).

This is truly amazing!

2005-07-28T15:59:00.000Z

Well in the last five minutes I have put myself on the map, flown to Baghdad and then jaunted over to Half Way Tree in Kingston, Jamaica. No I didn't win the lottery, I just discovered "Google Earth." They describe it as a 3D interface to the planet. It is actually a program navigator/browser which you download and run on your computer. It then streams satellite images of earth to your screen. Tap in a location, do a search and find places, business... Dont take my word for it, download and enjoy!

Mobile equipment database - double check

2005-07-25T14:15:00.001Z

I posted about 'MEND' the mobile equipment national database way back in January see "Technology - get on the MEND" It seems to offer a convenient way logging your mobile device serial number and if it gets stolen you report it as such. All this came flooding back into my mind this weekend when a private function my daughter attended suffered a gang of gatecrashers who appear to have robbed up to a dozen people of their belongings and ransacked their bags and wallets in the gents toilet before casually leaving.

Well now they have "CheckMEND." If you are being offered a piece of mobile equipment for sale you can check to see if it is flagged as stolen for the price of a text against the database register. At least then your conscience is clear and you won't subsequently be done for receiving or handling stolen property. Sellers can even obtain a "CheckMEND" certificate to enhance their 2nd hand items saleability. Click the link below for more information.

Doing the Lambeth walk

2005-07-18T15:25:00.000Z

Popped down to the One Love Festival at Brockwell Park on Sunday 17th July. It was a massive event with a funfair, food stalls, craft fair, alternative health marquee, childrens rides and a mammoth open air field stage for a music concert. It seems that the commercial side of this event pays for a free music festival. Mafia and Fluxy were the backing band, artists on stage were Winston Reedy, Savana, Chukki Starr, Prince Malachi, Dennis Alcapone, Dave Barker and topped by the Mighty Derrick Morgan. DJ'ing in between sets was DJ Malachi who is the son of the legendary Jah Shaka. Follow the link for some pics of the music event.

Two Sevens Clash

2005-07-08T16:20:00.000Z

I remember not venturing too far from home around the 7th of July in 1977. Why? Quite simply because being a reggae fan I had a suspicion that Reggae Trio Culture might well have been "in the know" when the released their landmark "Two Sevens Clash" single back in those days. I slept peacefully for a while after that date imagining it must be meant for another century and not something for me to be worried about. Not realising that its impact would be felt alarmingly close to me some 28 years later. Destruction eventually came by synthetic man-made forms of lightning, earthquake and thunder in London yesterday. Can't actually relate it to Mr Hills startling vision way back in the 70's but it does make you think. Lyrics

Live 8

2005-07-07T17:40:00.000Z

It doesn't matter how you viewed the events of the Live 8 campaign or whether you did or did not support the events the underlying message has to make sense to conscious people. Don't sit back and think the leaders will automatically change their policies. We need to maintain constant political pressure and participate in demanding a change. Lending your support to the 'make poverty history' campaign is easy just follow the link and "sign up" all it will cost you is a moment of your time.

G8 Summit

2005-07-07T17:23:00.000Z

The G8 summit starts and is disrupted by a coordinated bomb attack targeted at London transport systems. Who suffered? So far as I write this the death toll is reported at 37 people with up to 700 people injured. The vast majority of these people will be normal everyday people going about their normal everyday existence. Probably none of them have any direct influence in the systems of oppression and are just travelling to their everyday jobs to provide and maintain food and shelter for themselves and their families. What is the result of these acts of murder? Absolutely nothing! The attacks will achieve nothing except more contempt towards the perpetrators and more confusion and probably retribution towards other innocent people whom the perpetrators pretend to represent. My thoughts go out to the innocent victims and their family and friends.

Stratford Class of 2005 meets Olympics 2012

2005-07-06T16:04:00.000Z

I waited at home before venturing into work today. I decided to watch the announcement of the Olympic bid to host the 2012 games. London were victorious, I was not too surprised about this as I travel past Stratford and its surrounding areas several times a week and have witnessed mountains of earth moving and mass scale development going on around the area for a long time.

However, today I was on the bus. As I reached the Halfway House junction on Leytonstone High Road I saw the little urchin who regularly stops passers by in this manor and tries to sell them expensive looking fake watches (well I think they are fake)! They are boxed and look something like a Tag Heuer or Breitling. When the bus reached Maryland it got held up in traffic. It took ages to get past Stratford obviously traffic delays because of the celebrations. Ken and fellow cronies take note - organisation means here and now and not to wait until 2012 to get it right!!! So anyway while we were waiting in traffic one young upstart gave everyone on the upper deck of the bus an impromptu "true tone" concert. Four or five full tracks of the most mindless break beat music played at annoying level direct from his mobile phone (no headphones). I have observed this is becoming a trend on the upper deck of the buses lately.

I thought it was bliss when he switched it off but then I noticed that 4 other young upstarts had got onto the bus and sat near to him so his mobile had been quickly hidden away for tax avoidance purposes. These four youths then conversed openly but in heavily disguised street language. In the bits I could understand they discussed the drugs they take, places they had been breaking and entering, a list of associate hooligans who were all inside and "coming out" anytime during the next 2 weeks and up to 5 years and finally one reminisced about an assault that he recently took part in and wished he had filmed on his mobile but failed to. They got off along Hermit Road which is sort of sandwiched between Plaistow and Canning Town. Wonder what this rabble will have graduated to by 2012? Out on the street they call it - Welcome to Stratford!!!

Blogsport for London

2005-06-14T17:30:00.000Z

Found a great weblog directory for London yesterday. It is based upon the London Underground tube map and you can search for blogs who have registered on the site by line or station. See who is blogging locally near you.

Soul Syndicate on DVD

2005-06-11T13:41:00.000Z

Word, Sound and Power had its premiere at the 1980 San Francisco International Film Festival. During that time it also toured the "art-house" movie circuit and played to sold out audiences worldwide. Broadcast in the States only a few times on the CINEMAX' "Nightflight" series, the film spawned a devout following and a growing reputation among reggae lovers who passed around worn-out VHS dubs. After over twenty years it is now available for the first time on DVD. This is a documentary about 'Soul Syndicate' band and was filmed in the 70's. They are charging $24.95 (USD) for the DVD plus $7 (USD) for shipping and handling.

Ja-Man Store now open

2005-06-08T16:01:00.000Z

I was embroiled in conversation with Manzie the legendary producer of the Ja-Man record label today. He was telling me about his new ebay store selling reggae and dancehall DVD's. Check him out for the latest and greatest DVD's in his online store. Bookmark this URL : www.jamanreggaedvd.com

Natty Dread Magazine

2005-05-31T14:19:00.000Z

Expected to open for business tomorrow is the brand new website of the excellent French magazine "Natty Dread." Anyone who has seen this publication before will know that a ton of hard work and effort is put into it. Expectation is high that the website will continue with the same quest for excellence. Makes learning the French language a pre-requisite too... j'ai souhaité

MusicMoz - Get volunteering !

2005-05-31T14:02:00.000Z

If you are either a music enthusiast or have a much darker deeper interest into the inner workings of website search engine optimisation and rankings then this could be the site for you. A comprehensive directory of all things music, edited by volunteers, listing music-related reviews, articles, factual information, biographies, and websites. Why not get involved and influence the accuracy of website search engines biased towards the smaller ventures amongst us? Volunteer to be an editor of your chosen specialist subject.

Gone Phishing

2005-05-25T15:30:00.000Z

For those of you who have had the wisdom to switch your internet browsing to Mozilla's Firefox there is a clever new extension called the Netcraft Toolbar. "The toolbar runs on any operating system supported by Firefox and displays the hosting location, country, longevity, popularity, and an abstracted risk rating for each site visited." "Additionally, the toolbar blocks access to phishing sites reported by other members of the Netcraft Toolbar community and validated by Netcraft." In other words a form of Neighbourhood Watch for web-surfers.

Microphonic gets a mention... Music Week

2005-05-25T12:14:00.000Z

Music Week has been the weekly guide to Europe's most influential music market for more than 40 years. In this weeks issue they have written a three page article on Reggae entitled "Feelgood factor is flooding back."

Microphonic gets a mention; "The strength of the reissue market has led Blood & Fire A&R director Steve Barrow to set up two new labels - Hotpot and Microphonic. The former will focus on artists without previous exposure on labels; the latter will concentrate on reissuing the early works of Jamaican deejays. The first output will be a Glen Brown album on Hotpot and a Peter Rankin release on Microphonic."

Its great to get some PR. However, for accuracy, Microphonic will not be releasing Peter Rankin as a debut release. We currently have contracts for two albums and Peter Rankin is not featuring in either of them. More on these releases will be published on our website when we have mustered enough fuel to get this venture off the ground and actual release dates are known.

Music week is available from most high street news agents at a cover price of 4.25 (GB pounds). There is a link to Musicweeks website below but it is a subscription service and most articles cannot be viewed unless you are a subscriber.

Analogue heads breathe a sigh of relief

2005-05-24T15:24:00.000Z

Seems that analogue tape heads will soon be stroking a fresh coating of oxide. Quantegy the worlds "only current manufacturer of professional audio tape" have resumed manufacturing tape at their Opelika manufacturing base. This follows a troubled period where the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of 2004.

Siberian Satta

2005-05-23T15:35:00.000Z

Greetings to our reggae brethren in Siberia namely the 'Satta Sound System.' I have been checking out their pages and I am impressed by what I see, even more impressed by what I hear (check out the ЗАПИСИ section) for some of their bands output from 2004-2005. There is loads more on this website if you dig deep enough and it is obvious that these guys like a good party. Больш до siberian экипажа Satta, Как о соединении к microphonic.biz?

Warrior Re-charged

2005-05-23T15:19:00.000Z

For those of you who havent been there for a while check out the website of Jah Warrior Records. His website has recently been overhauled, updated and relaunched in a new look style. Details and sound samples of new releases on the Jah Warrior label are in abundance. New sound clips from some veteran Jah Shaka dances have been added. I think we may well see a similar exercise on his e-commerce website Reggae-music-store dot com quite soon... keep em peeled!

Eurovision in Reggae

2005-05-23T14:45:00.000Z

I got an email from Dadaman today making me aware of a website that covers the reggae scene in Montenegro. He is doing a grand job promoting the reggae vibes although complains about never getting paid for his works (now where have I heard that before)? Welcome to the club Dadaman. You should check out this site for very sweaty pictures of Rodigan if nothing else. I was looking forward to seeing the 'Mr Bobby' section but unfortunately that link does not seem to work, neither does some of the pictures (Rasta section) or sounds (Downloads section). Well I suppose thats what happens when you dont get paid... C'mon guys get your act together!!! Oh and BTW how about a link to 'Microphonic' (Linkovi section)???

Jah Bull R I P

2005-05-13T13:01:00.000Z

Sad news from Jamaica is that foundation DJ 'Jah Bull' has passed away. He is a veteran of the early days of sound system and used to DJ for the system called 'Emperor Marcus' out of the Papine district. He made relatively few recordings but his most notable recordings were made in collaboration with and produced by the late Augustus Pablo. There are interesting interviews in issue no.30 of 'Natty Dread' magazine and also in a previous issue of Ray Hurfords 'Small Axe'. More information will be posted in the DJ Directory in due course.

Ahmad JAMAL at the Barbican 6th May

2005-05-09T10:56:00.000Z

I've been a fan of the great Pittsburgh pianist since the early 1960s, when his records were released in the UK by Pye - first one I bought was "Listen!", and I swiftly graduated to many of the others he recorded in the period for Chicago-based Argo [a division of the legendary Chess label].

I don't know what it is about pianists from Pittsburgh, but they all seem to share a certain refinement and a distinctive clarity of 'touch' - the city has produced many of my own personal favourite pianists, including such Mary Lou Williams, Errol Garner, Billy Strayhorn, Dodo Marmarosa, Sonny Clarke, Horace Parlan, and of course Mr Ahmad Jamal.
In the far-distant past, Jamal wasn't a darling of the 'critics' - probably because he was popular, and was often characterised by those same 'critics' as a 'cocktail' pianist, which he most definitely is NOT, a fact underlined by the endorsement of Miles Davis, who dug him greatly and proved it by covering Jamal's "All Blues". [Another pianist who also recorded for Argo, King Fleming, also suffered from the same stereotyping.]

What we got on friday night was a beautiful exposition of straight ahead jazz piano, no obvious 'grandstanding', just definitive post-bop style, with the maestro delivering mostly selections from his recent albums on Verve/Dreyfus, although he did give us a piece of"Poinciana" [first recorded on his mid-fifties Epic debut, and a brief "But Not For Me" [most famous from his "LIve At The Pershing" album]. I enjoyed it very much, and it was also a great bonus to see Idris Muhammed, Jamal's regular drummer for a few years now. In short, friday night was a real treat for lovers of genuine jazz piano - a full house, decent sound and although the trio played for an hour and three quarters, it seemed to pass all too quickly.

Very predictable... apathy won the election!

2005-05-06T10:43:00.000Z

So the predictable happened! I feel like the 3 dominant parties seem to be snugly convinced that they did everything right and are more than happy to re-assume their respective positions in the commons. I feel the same way when I look at Premiership highlights on a Saturday evening (or more often Sunday evenings these days). Maybe Politicians like Premiership footballers are just living far too comfortable lifestyles and are very happy with their lot to be really concerned? Tapper Zukie chanted "Time fe we av a revolution, man!" and I'm right there behind him with that ideology. The only good thing that spawned from this election in my opinion is a website that I found clunking around in the aftermath this morning -

Vote MICROPHONIC !

2005-05-03T11:08:00.000Z

I have been mulling over the whole election subject since the government chose to pursue activities in Iraq which in turn prompted me to write to my MP in protest. I have been trying hard to decide if I choose not to vote will it make any difference? I am now coming to terms that the only way to make a difference is to actually vote and not to abstain. If the two thirds of people who didnt bother last time actually get off their arses and vote against the current government then the government will change. I actually am fed up with party politics and cannot see any difference between any of the "big 3". What I see are politicians across all three parties who have good ideas and practice their profession with passion and efficiency. I also see just as many politicians across all three parties who have crap ideas, have no passion and are in my opinion "dead stock". Why can't we move away from party politics into an independent house of commons with a government made up of all sections of the community, no affiliations to political parties, doing the best job for each of their constituencies and the country/world overall? Just as their constituents vote them into the position we should also be able to vote them out of it if they don't perform or are discovered to be abusing their position of power. Why are no politicians/parties offering this as the main point in their manifesto? Because thats the vote I want to cast. Until this happens I want to vote for something different. What I have been forced to live with for the last 20 or so years as a potential voter is not something I wish to go back to. Time to try someone/something else. Bob was right, get up, stand up for our rights! Channel 4 seem to be giving good overall coverage to the election -

Hi Rhythm at the Barbican 22nd April 2005

2005-04-25T14:10:00.000Z

Friday night, 7.30 pm and it's showtime at the Barbican. First on stage is, naturally, the band Hi Rhythm, led by guitarist Teenie Hodges, with brother Leroy on bass. Teenie had on a black outfit covered in sequins, including the frames of his shades. Also present was organist Marvell Thomas, drummer Steve Potts [also the drummer for Booker T these days], another keyboard player whose name I didn't catch, and a trumpeter and tenor saxist.
After a couple of instrumentals - the second of which was 'Soul Serenade' - on came the first 'guest vocalist, the [fairly obscure] Percy Wiggans, who displayed a certain Sam Cooke/Johnnie Taylor influence as he delivered a set that was for the most part cover versions [of Al Green, and a particularly nice version of Shep & Limelites "Daddy's Home"] . Percy's best moment for me was when he launched into his 'big' tune, "Book Of Memories". Nice one Percy - I've had that record in my collection since 1968 on red UK Atalantic - and it was great to hear him do it live and direct.
After 6 tunes, Percy left the stage and there was a short intermission. When the band returned, Ann Peebles came on stage with an acoustic guitarist and electric piano player and did three selections in what she described as 'acoustic soul' style. Quite pleasant, but she never really got going until the full band returned and she did "Part Time Love". She looked and sang great - slim and well turned out in a black-on-black pants suit and high heels [she's quite short], and then did 'I Can't Stand The Rain", which got people up on their feet. After one more number, Ann went off and on came Syl Johnson. Apparently he's 69 [or 64] years old, but you'd never guess. He looked slick in a tan suit and silk tie, this latter being soon removed so Syl could get the 'high notes'.
He also played guitar and blew harmonica [notably on an excellent version of "Take Me To The River"]. Syl then took time out to display a couple of CDs [presumably his Twinight recordings] and lambast Ace Records, who he claimed '"haven't paid me a cent for 7 years". At that point Roger Armstrong of Ace Records got to his feet to remonstrate with Syl, but Syl wasn't having any, and went on to pose the question why he hadn't got any royalties: "Is It Because I'm Black?". To be honest, I felt a bit sorry for Roger, whose excellent label is known for its attention to issues of legitimacy. I notice Syl never displayed or mentioned the issue of his material by for example P-Vine in Japan - are those issues legit? Still, he went on to do a couple more numbers, including perhaps his biggest Hi label hit, "Back For A Taste of Your Love", and then left the stage with the band. The crowd got them back for an encore, which inexplicably turned out to be a rambling version of "Sweet Home Chicago", with all the vocalists getting a piece. The whole show ran for about two and a half hours. The sound could have been better - at times the voices were a bit buried in the overall mix which itself suffered from a slight lack of separation.

Overall, it was a good show, and great to see Ann and Syl, whose records I've enjoyed for over 30 years now. Percy Wiggans was a bonus ,a real journeyman of soul, and especially nice when he did "Book Of Memories". Next time, they should do it in a proper dancehall though - the concert hall is a bit confining, not necessarily for the artists but from the point of view of audience response.

Junior 'Jux' Delgado dies unexpectedly

2005-04-12T11:57:00.000Z

The reggae world is left reeling from the news that Junior Delgado (Oscar Hibbert) has passed away. The gruff voiced singer with instantly recogniseable yet unique vocal style voiced many classic roots reggae anthems such as Famine, Warrior, Storm is coming, Black mans heart cries out, Sons of slaves, Ticion not to mention the educational 'Dub School' as just a snippet from his multitude of recordings. I met him at the 'Dub Club' in Tuffnell Park when he was part of the entourage surrounding the late Augustus Pablo who was performing there that evening. He greeted me an admiring fan yet a stranger very warm-heartedly. To find out more about the man see link. RIP Junior Delgado 1954 - 2005.

Wayne makes a Direct Impact !

2005-04-05T11:37:00.000Z

Nice to see another specialist music shop appear online. Many record collectors who previously visited Daddy Kools shop in Berwick Street will be pleased to know that the friendly face of Wayne who worked behind the counter at DK's during that era is safely camped out and trading from behind the counter at his own shop in Walthamstow, East London. The name of the shop is "Direct Impact Music" and you can find out more from his new website.

Reggaematic information sources

2005-03-24T14:01:00.000Z

Here at Microphonic we have been doing lots of research for reggae information and the fruits of that research will eventually bear across our website especially in the DJ directory section. For great sources of reggae information you can check out the following;

Fabrizio 'Mr.Roots & Culture' Laganà website
Roots Knotty Roots website
Roots Archives website

Please feel free to post your own favourite reggae information websites in reply.

Catch a fire quick before the flame dies

2005-03-08T14:50:00.000Z

Bob Marley fans specifically and reggae fans in general can catch a glimpse of two photographic exhibitions featuring Bob. Both are free admission. One ends on March 11th at Blink Galleries in Poland Street, London W1. It features "Bob" Lively up yourself. Photographs taken by Dennis Morris click here for more info. The other ends on April 8th at Proud Galleries Camden in Greenland Street, NW1. It features 'Tek A Picture A' Dis.' Photographs by various click here for more info.

MTV to launch Caribbean channe

2005-03-07T15:14:00.000Z

Good news which will hopefully mean more coverage of Reggae music on television, bad news if you dont subscribe to an MTV broadcaster. Hopefully MTV will sub licence snippets of their shows to freeview channels and some of us non-subscribing TV viewers will get to see it eventually.

3, 2, 1 - Lift Off !!!

2005-03-01T17:30:00.000Z

I have just switched on the 'real' microphonic website after many months of leaving you with our overcooked holding page. The new look website hasn't got much to look at initially but sections will be switched on as the future days and weeks pass. Sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long. www.microphonic.biz