Art from Dave Stitch
Forward Your Culture
British Drug Classifications Aren't Appropriate
Ayahuasca Recipes
Profile: Random Artists
Philip Morris / Altria Products
Electronic Music Reviews
If you often find yourself fed up with the soulless generic crap that’s piped continually into your cerebral multiplex, why not pull out yer finger & Do It Yourself? Don’t be a passive consumer any longer! With new-fangled technologies now available to us, any idiot (with sufficient effort) can be a “self-facilitating media node” & so here’s a very brief guide to help point you in the right direction... For most projects the creative process can be much assisted by computer technology, although it’s no substitution for a wicked idea! The Adobe Creative Suite range of software is particularly handy for DIY production in a variety of media, with Photoshop good for a wide range of photographic editing / fuckery, Illustrator for vector design, InDesign for laying out zines & books, After Effects for video compositing, FX processing & motion graphics & Audition (used to be Cool Edit) for audio editing, mastering & CD burning. Other cool programs include Cinema 4D (powerful but relatively intuitive 3D modelling), Cubase & Logic (two of the more popular audio sequencers), Audiomulch (experimental music performance / production tool), Dreamweaver (web design), CD Architect & DVD Architect (CD / DVD authoring), Vegas (video editing) & Toon Boom Studio (2D animation), to name just a few. Better get on the download! While many of these programs may seem daunting at first, most are pretty easy to figure out (mainly) by trial & error, although the ability to google stuff / hassle people more knowledgeable than you is a definite plus. For cheap/sustainable short-run printing & stickers, a quick online search will turn up a host of eager companies & individuals. Some recently recommended to us include Sticker Monkey (one monkey & his sticker printing setup) & Footprint, a four person co-op run from a basement in Leeds (offering posters, zines, booklets, flyers & inlays). One of the most important things to remember is distributing your finished (whatever) to the chosen few, either by hand, through a third party or via the web. As always, pick the brains of those around you, have a nose around the internets or invent your own pathways to global multi-media pollution, subversion & destitution. Who knows, you may even get to become that fabled golden “sell-out” we hear so much about...
Hands up if, drug-user or not, you have any faith in/respect for the current British drug classification system? The recent outrage over the Government’s own scientists stating that “taking ecstasy is safer than horse-riding” (an opinion ignored by senior lawmakers) combined with the ongoing debates about the relative dangers of Skunk versus “normal” Cannabis has reminded me just how patently ridiculous our laws are. If we’re (and by this I mean those in charge of our country) going to insist upon legislation concerning drugs, surely it would be wiser to order them by real scientific concerns rather than political scaremongering? Glaring examples of this disregard for actual scientific evidence include the status of the aforementioned MDMA, (definitely a lot safer than most substances it’s lumped into class A with, despite what Mr & Mrs Betts might insist), the recent decision to move Cannabis back up to Class B and good ol’ Ketamine, only raised from a controlled substance to a class C in the last few years, whilst arguably posing more risks to mental (& possibly physical) health than the majority of other recreational chemicals in that category. And I’m not even going to begin to mention the newer research chemicals requiring consideration either!
Recipe One (Traditional):
Source plants and quantities are given in one dose measurements, so adjust accordingly:
Mimosa hostilis from the Amazonian region. If pure root bark is used then 8 grams finely ground to a powder or stringy fibre is sufficient. If some of the root is mixed with the bark, then adjust the dosage to 12 grams. The magic is more concentrated in the root bark although the whole root does contain some.
Syrian rue; 3 grams finely powdered via grinder or mortar and pestle. The seeds are difficult to grind and much effort is needed. The finer the powder the better.
Distilled water treated with the juice of a lemon and 250 mg of crushed ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is sufficient to produce an acidic aqueous solution.
Place the bark and seed powder in a small stainless steel pot and bring to a low boil (barely 100 degrees C) over an open fire (with careful attention and prayer) or a hot stove (also with careful attention and prayer). Stir the brew frequently and allow to boil for about 20 minutes. More prepared acidic water should be added as needed to keep the liquid from completely boiling off. Then decant the brew and strain through a fine wire mesh. Coffee filters are too fine, but cheesecloth, panty hose, or ‘permanent coffee filters’ work well. Press the mush and try to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This can be accomplished with cheesecloth or an old fashioned rag, like a cloth diaper. Boil the mush again in the prepared water and repeat the process for a total of three times. Combine the liquids and slowly simmer to a reasonable, drinkable amount. Observe the usual dietary precautions before drinking the brew. Some prefer to sip slowly, others to down the beverage as quickly as possible. The slow sipping probably reduces nausea although it prolongs the onset and lessens the intensity.
Recipe Two (Western):
20g Mimosa hostilis
Lemon Juice
3g Peganum Harmala
1. Take 2g of ground P. Harmala (no preparation needed) orally.
2. Grind 20g M. hostilis in coffee grinder to a fine, purplish powder
3. Mix 30% : 40% Lemon juice & water. 4. Stir in Mimosa Hostilis and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Filter the resulting purple liquid through a colander or mesh strainer.
6. Add remaining plant matter to a new lemon juice & water mix & stir for 15 minutes.
7. Take remaining 1g P. harmala.
8. Drain off liquid into cup (should fill it up about halfway) and drink quickly.
9. Wait 15-20 minutes. Retch. Retch more.
10. Try to regain your composure and balance after dry-heaving.
11. Lie back and listen to some weird music.
12. Begin to think you’re dying, being devoured to the clean-picked bone by a school of rainbow piranhas, submerged in the hell-realms suffering brutal tortures and repeated dismemberment at the teeth and claws of the blood-dripping minions of Lord Yama and various ferocious Mesoamerican deities like Tezcatlipoca simultaneously.
13. Experience a complete and utter ontological meltdown at the face of imminent death. Recognize if the ‘huasca kills you now you’ll be caught in one of the hell-bardos for a minor eternity due to your accumulated bad karma. Keep repeating your name to remind yourself that you have a body. Shower repeatedly to wash away the overwhelming forces of evil fighting over your soul in between rounds of projectile diarrhoea. Marvel at just how full of shit you are.
14. Panic, but try to remind yourself that time is your ally, even though each moment seems like an eternity of suffering. Remember that ”this too shall pass.” Believe this with the greatest skepticism.
15. Continue this way for several hours, wondering all along if you’ll actually be able to come out of the hell-worlds intact. 16. Wake up the following morning, swearing off psychedelics for at least a very long while, still fearful of inadvertently re-invoking this terrifying state of consciousness.
17. Go to bed the following night and reexperience this realm of consciousness during the hypnagogic state and nearly die of fright that you’ll wind up in an ontological cul-de-sac someplace, dribbling down your chin until your time is up.
18. Eat LOTS of red meat, drink alcohol, lots of Tamasic foods. Try to get grounded. The quotidian banality of three dimensions can be a sane human’s best friend.
19. Finally, several weeks later, look back on the experience without feeling a lingering sense of terror.
20. Begin to regain some perspective. Consider trying ‘la purga’ again under the supervision of a very experienced shaman able to help those less experienced to finally conquer these treacherous realms (as must ultimately be done). One must go into the breach again to be fully cured.
21. Maintain a VERY HEALTHY respect for the Vine of the Soul, recognizing that it can kill, regardless of what they say about tryptamine neurotoxicity. The tryptamines won’t kill you; the heart-stoppage from unmitigated terror can, though.
Note: Ayahuasca is powerful medicine and should not be consumed lightly or in combination with other drugs. Ayahuasca contains an MAO inhibitor, and should never be taken with an SSRI or any other prescription medications. Relative potency of ayahuasca source plants may vary, so please start with low doses to test for desired results. Use ayahuasca at your own risk. These recipes are only intended as guidelines, your mileage may vary.
* Report taken from http://www.Erowid.org
What is it? A loosely-knit but well established collective of artists & performers, with strong ties to free party & DIY culture.
Where is it? Events are mainly held in or around London, with occasional forays as far as Europe. The annual TAA event has now extended to (amongst others) Brighton & Manchester also. This year they were at Glastonbury too.
Why bother? Because they produce & incite some interesting art & collectively helped to initiate the Temporary Autonomous Art (TAA) movement, resulting in a number of similar events being held in several major cities of the UK (Brighton, Edinburgh, London & Manchester).
More Info? RANDOMARTISTS.ORG, TAAEXHIBITIONS.ORG
Everybody knows of the multi-national giant Philip Morris (now known as Altria). Formerly specialising in tobacco products & litigation, this massive company now owns & profits from hundreds of brands globally, including many European ones. Boycott if you like...
UK BRANDS:
Alcohol: Foster’s, Henry’s Hard Lemonade, Miller Genuine, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite
Biscuits: Oreo, Ritz
Cheese: Dairylea, Kraft Singles, Philadelphia
Coffee: Carte Noire, Kaffee HAG, Kenco, Maxwell House
Condiments: Kraft Mayonnaise, Vegemite
Confectionary: Cote d’Or, Daim, Milka, Suchards, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Toblerone
Desserts: Bird’s Angel Delight, Bird’s Custard, Dream Whip
Snacks: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Dairylea Lunchables
Tobacco: Benson & Hedges, Cambridge,
Chesterfield, L&M, Marlboro, Virginia
- Information taken from altria.com
DAN HEKATE - PIRATES UTOPIAS -
(frlp01, IOT) - 12” vinyl ep
Harship- laidback swathes of Dan’s signature robot noodling. Automatic Arms- jerky, surrealist fragments in that classic Hekate style. Ograz- standout track; nicely assured, toe-tappin’ electro/glitch wyrdness. Obitulant Pervert- a heavy & unapologetic track for the dance floor.
Buy: http://www.iotrecords.com
SCRUBBER FOX - FOOD HATCH -
(c005, Centrifuge) - mp3 ep
This Skam-affiliated Mancunian turns in a solid 4 track release for the Centrifuge net label, combining elements from acid, classic braindance, idm, noise & more to pleasing effect. All for free too! Check the label’s Gasman EP too...
Download: http://www.centrifuge.co.uk
VARIOUS - CONCRETE DUBSTEP - (rz098, Rus Zud) - mp3 compilation
Russian label I’ve not previously aware of offer a tasty free net release. Lastboss: standout track here- pulsing, adventurously varied stuff with some real nice production values and ideas going on. Heavy duty! Malevolent: quirky little tune with some cool melodies. Noizzzbreed: some nice vocal atmospheres but needs more going on. Look-In-Jah: wickedly dirty with some phat drums edits. Di-Bit: real heavy & pleasingly broken but could do with being leaner. Screen of Sorrow: 8 bit computer FX with hyper-percussive action.
Download: http://www.ruszod.com
HELLFISH - THE ANTI-CITIZEN - (t3rdm0149, Third Movement) - 12” vinyl ep
This new 12” from the ‘fish shows that he can still kick it with the best of them - best tracks are I Bring You the Future & The Anti-Citizen.
Buy: http://www.thirdmovement.nl/?sub=shop