Camera Phone and iPod

Yes, thanks to Strathfield, I've got a new Sony Ericsson K700i and iPod!!!

Sure the phone model is a year old, but it takes decent photos, some of which are already up on my Flickr site, and it sure beats my VERY old nokia 3310!

Plus my iPod is already full of ninjatune goodness with the latest Solid Steel and Pest albums, plus my own podcasts

Oh, and this weekend I'm off to wonderful Sydney for ParkLife 7, which has so many breakbeat acts I think my head may explode trying to see them all!!!

Best of all, it looks like it's going to be PERFECT weather for the entire weekend... YES!

Albums that Made Me Who I Am

I saw this on another blog whist searching for lyrics, and thought it was a pretty neat idea.

So, here's my list of albums that Made Me Who I Am today... in no particular order...

1. Cure For Sanity - Pop Will Eat Itself.
   The incredible PWEI burst into my life in 1990 with their 3rd album Cure For Sanity. At this time I was a miserable little twat, but these guys exposed me to a music that was high energy, full of wicked samples, and full of life. This album actually led me to seek more "dance" style music which has led to me DJing breaks today
   
2. Stone Roses - Stone Roses
   Are the Stone Roses the greatest ever alternative band? Their dreamy lyrics and layered guitars still do my head in. We used to joke that the songs on this album went for so long because they got too stoned and forgot to stop playing, and that was something we could relate to.
3. Beat Street - VA
   I loved Beat Street as a kid. I used to try to breakdance and scratch on my mum's record player, and get in a heap of shit for wrecking the needle. I still can't scratch, and I definately can't break, but this was the formative piece of music that led to me liking hiphop today.
4. Power - Ice T
   This album along with Public Enemy's Yo! Bum Rush the Show introduced me to the political side of hiphop & rap and the fight against opression through music.
5. Joshua Tree - U2
   Although I don't like to admit it now days, U2 used to be one of my favourite bands. Again, this album raised my political awareness, and I really like Bono's voice on these early recordings.
   
6. Back in Black - AC/DC
   Ok, I'm showing my bogan roots here, but AC/DC simply rock.
7. Ill Communication - Beastie Boys
   Although ALL the Beastie Boys albums have helped form my musical tastes, it was this one that cemented them in my heart. Sabotage is still one of the greatest filmclips ever, and SureShot will always get me in a good mood!
8. Experience - Prodigy
   What kind of raver would I be if I didn't have this album listed? Although the Prodigy have declined in worth over the years, their tunes such as Out of Space and Everybody's in the Place are true classics that DJs still crank today, either in original form or through remixes.
9. AWOL - VA
   A Way Of Life, the drum and bass album based on the legendary club / rave blew me away when I first heard it, and led to a love of dnb that lasted from 1994 to about 1997, when dnb went dark and boring. This 'oldschool' sound I love today, and would much rather hear this than say, Pendulum's take on dnb.
10. Freestylers - We Rock Hard
    Even moreso that Fat Boy Slim's Better Living Through Chemistry, it's this album which influenced my move into nuskool breaks. The funky beats, the wicked samples, the dnb / ragga style MCs, and just the sense of fun these guys dish up on this album made me move away from dnb and into the arms of breaks.
11. Refried Food - DJ Food
    The first NinjaTune album I remember hearing, and I loved it instantly. The funky ass beats, scratched up samples over fucked up noises grabbed my attention fully and led me into a love affair with "trip hop", which then led to nuskool breaks.
12. Sgt Peppers - Beatles
    They were on drugs, and so were we. Also, as I studied music and art, it impressed me that they were taking concepts such as cutting and looping tape into pop music when it was essentially experimental, artistic wank.
13. Exit Planet Dust - Chemical Brothers
    Another album which impressed me with the mash of samples and funk beats, and led me into playing the stuff I play now.
    
14. Judgement Night Soundtrack - VA
    Although the movie wasn't very memorable, the soundtack was awesome - hiphop and heavy metal including Cyprus Hill with PearlJam! I guess this was my first introduction to the concept of "mash up" or "booty", and I still enjoy it.
15. Thriller - Michael Jackson
    Although I was shit scared of the video clip, Thriller was a great album. As it turns out, it's actually Quincy Jones' production I like more, as I'm not a big fan of Jackson's latest works, although this and BAD still rock

There's tonnes more, but that will do for a brief look at the music which has led me to be the person I am today =)

Guess what?

I'm a socialist!

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

No surprises there...

Interview with a Naked Woman Wrestler

I can't believe I haven't posted this on my blog yet...


I interviewed "Ninja Chops" from the Naked Women's Wrestling League (NWWL) for dB magazine the other week.


It was an interesting experience to say the least, and possibly my best article to date. I may put the audio online soon, but then again I sound like a moron on it as she totally threw me by being in character (she appears as 'herself' on bonus section of the DVD)

A positive article on games

From a Jewish paper no less!

This researcher has been looking into games over a fairly long time, within a multi-disciplinarian field, and has discovered games aren't all that bad...

What a surprise!

Haaretz - Israel News - Games of life