Insufflation Nation?
Art by Roo
What's Tony Blair For?
Careless Whispers - Some Things Are Still Illegal
Documentary Review: "Lost in a K Hole?"
An Interview with Belinda Barnett (director of "Lost in a K Hole?")
We Speak with a G20 Attendee
Art by Roo
Strawberry Un-Fair
Control Yourself
Music Reviews
Movie Reviews
Alexander Shulgin
K Heads!
Ketamine was first introduced to parts of the UK drug culture in the early eighties, where for several
years it remained very much underground, albeit retaining a small but
loyal following within certain subcultures. Yet more mainstream drug
users were much slower to join the
party, perhaps partially due to the media’s oft-repeated “horse tranquiliser” line (it’s actually a dissociative anaesthetic). However, it’s
recently exploded in popularity,
accelerated by factors such as
its relatively low price, potency & spectrum of effects on the brain & body. It may also be more attractive as a recreational drug due to the apparent lack of concerted
police action to tackle its use & sale (although this situation has
been rapidly changing since k was reclassified from a medicine to a
Class C substance in January 2006).
The rise of k as our nation’s drug of
choice is particularly disturbing
considering its high potential for
dependence (it’s not known as
“psychedelic smack” for nothing!) & also the serious health problems
that can be incurred by regular use.
Worryingly, the majority of government “drug awareness” information seems to know little or nothing
about the substance, whilst most
drug dependence charities seem
unprepared for dealing with ketamine addiction.
* We apologise for the title of this article; rest assured that notes shall roll...
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Things that I’ve seen openly displayed recently on social networking sites & forums: incriminating photos, arrangements of drug deals, sound system / party line info, lists of substances consumed last weekend. And so what - the internet is a big place, right? With millions of global citizens posting a slew of inanities every second of every minute, no-one gives a shit about little old me... Well, here’s a guilty party who begs to differ!
After a brief correspondence via email I was recently lucky enough to be invited to a private viewing of the new documentary, “Lost in a K Hole?”.
It’s a sunny June evening when the crew & I set out for the plush screening venue in Leicester Square... Directed by independent filmmaker Belinda Barnett, the film is a 13 minute look at the UKs rising use of the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine, intended to stimulate debate & raise awareness. Comprising a series of brief interviews framed by some quirky animations, it covers “the basics” only, albeit presented in a slick & easy to digest format. The first interview is with Gijsbert Stoet, a cognitive scientist based at (Leeds?) University, who has conducted research into the effects of ketamine on primate brains. Stoet explains that users often experience “typical schizophrenic behaviours” while under the influence, resulting in delusions of grandeur & the like. We’re then introduced to Leeds club promoters Ketaloco, who don’t have much to offer except that some of their DJs try to replicate the k hole through music. Moving on, we’re introduced to (Gibbo?), a former user from (Bristol?) who talks about the dangers of mugging, sexual assault & the like resulting from the loss of physical & mental co-ordination induced by the drug. He also touches on the risks of dependence & mental health issues arising from regular use. The final interview is with Matt Whitton, a drug worker from Leeds charity Multiple Choice. He voices the opinion that “there is help” for those finding themselves with a k habit, though more should be provided, as the current support system in place is geared towards more “traditional” addictions, e.g. to heroin & cocaine. In closing Belinda mentions that she would have liked to have also covered the rising use of ketamine amongst Eastern Europeans, more general social consequences of use & profitability. To this end she is hoping to secure backing for an expanded, feature-length documentary (see interview).
Overall I feel that this is an admirable attempt to both document & raise awareness of the issues at hand - if you’re a total k head then you probably won’t learn much from this, but it’s well thought out, produced & edited. Definitely worth 13 minutes of your life.
More info, discussion & trailer > BBENTERTAINMENT.WORDPRESS.COM
Explain a little about your background?
I am a graduate of music from the University of Leeds. I have always had an interest in documentary & in the future I would like to make documentaries about the universality of music & its evolutionary benefits versus inexplicable effects on the brain and body. I have however, been told to do what you know, & fortunately or unfortunately I have been exposed to the ketamine scene in Leeds for some time. In making this short documentary, I have uncovered a whole world of ketamine, which is largely unknown to anyone not inside this subculture. I would like to therefore make a longer feature length documentary film which covers this more thoroughly & analytically.
Why did you decide to make a documentary about k?
Ketamine is a very interesting drug. Unlike the highs that users feel when taking ecstasy & cocaine, ketamine is an introspective rather than social drug. From what I have seen in Leeds, the ketamine scene is huge & has totally superceded other drug cultures, due to numerous reasons – some financial, others I think are a reflection of the zeitgeist of the time. Individualisation or “‘reflexive biography’” whereby people seek to share their identity has become a feature of contemporary society – in reality TV, Ipod culture (a soundtrack to someone’s life). Ketamine is the “it” drug because it allows people to experience themselves & find their identity through that. The fact that it’s use has increased so rapidly “The popularity of the sedative has almost DOUBLED over the last decade” (*) and yet hardly any media coverage has documented this is also very interesting. This is what I’m trying to address. It’s demographic pull is also interesting. Heroin & crack cocaine is usually abused by a certain demographic, same as ecstasy & cocaine. However ketamine is used by all ages, all social networks. The attitude towards ketamine has also changed recently – originally seen as a hard drug, it is now seen as harmless & is itself a gateway drug. I believe this transition of attitude should be challenged through education, as ketamine is a strong drug which should be taken with caution.
What, if anything, did you hope to achieve by this production?
I hope that information gaps will be closed & that education & information about the drug should be more readily available than it is now. People will always take drugs, but as ketamine itself is what young drug takers seem to be experimenting with before anything else, educational literature should be available. I also hope to provide a social commentary on the course of “it” drugs of the time & explain the reasons why people are turning to this drug now. Did you come across any users with medical issues arising from use? Yes many. I have spoken to many people & heard many stories. The most common physical damage is that of the bladder & kidneys. Many abusers have had to have a catheter fitted due to bladder collapse. In terms of the brain, I have spoken to people who endured temporary (4 weeks) psychosis from one instance of misuse. Long term and permanent psychosis has also been documented as a result of ketamine misuse. I have also met with Gijsbert Stoet, a leading researcher into ketamine who, along with other cognitive neuroscientists has discovered links between ketamine and schizophrenia (#).
Do you feel that users were on the whole well informed of the risks of the drug?
No – there is nothing in colleges, universities, drug abuse centres, which are specifically for ketamine. The government targets cocaine, ecstacy, skunk in their Frank adverts, but ketamine is the most rapidly increasing drug & is being used excessively abuse centres, which are specifically for ketamine. The government targets cocaine, ecstacy, skunk in their Frank adverts, but ketamine is the most rapidly increasing drug & is being used excessively.
What is your take on K (& drugs in general); is it “just” a drug or are users sometimes accessing “unknown” spaces (e.g. OBEs / NDEs)?
Many drugs allow humans to access “unknown” spaces, that is probably why we have always & will take drugs, to seek the unknown - we are naturally curious. However, traditionally this type of search for the unknown is not taken lightly & not done frequently & is done indoors & carried out through ceremony. Ketamine is a powerful drug in allowing its users to traverse time, space, reality etc. however, it is not always respected. There will always be people who abuse drugs, & taking ketamine to “get fucked” & not necessarily to access unknown spaces, can leave people very vulnerable.
Why do you think that humans have altered their states of consciousness throughout history?
Humans are wonderers. Through voyage & discovery, we have mapped the world, created trade etc etc. We are also spiritual in our quest to know the meaning of life. Music, drugs & quest for knowledge are things that are found in every culture & are inextricably linked. Humans in society also feel many external pressures. Psychology dictates that we all seek to escape from time to time – drugs help people to do this.
What did you find out about the positive use of k (i.e. treating alcoholicism, depression, pain management, etc)?
Ketamine was developed in the 60s to use in hospitals & vetinary science. When administered in small doses, it is a fantastic tool in treating alcohol withdrawal & to lull animals into anaesthesia. Ketamine in recreational use, is administered in much higher doses (up to 500 times the recommended dose or more). The desired use is that of hallucination or accessing unknown spaces, not medical. The 2 uses of the drug are therefore ncomparable. Its like making an analogy between using alcohol to clean wounds & getting smashed on a Saturday night with a bottle of vodka.
What do you feel are negative aspects of the drug?
Introspective, insular, psychologically addictive, unsociable, easily mistaken for cocaine- leading to dire consequences, leaves people very vulnerable.
Did you research famous users (John Lilly, D M Turner, Marcia Moore, Timothy Leary)? What is your view on these psychonauts?
Yes. Each person can choose how they spend their lives. Ketamine can aid the philosophical leanings of some people, allowing them to reach superconsciousness. However, the squalid tale of each of these famous psychonauts demise & death or near death, brings back the question of freedom. Although ketamine gives them freedom in exploration, ultimately they were enslaved by their very own “Goddess ketamine”.
# www.volition.leeds.ac.uk/~stoet/pdf/Stoet-Snyder-Neuropsychopharmacology-2006.pdf
* www.journal-online.co.uk/article/5315-rave-drug-ketamine-targeted-for-reclassification
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said that “policing demonstrations in the capital has hindered officers’ efforts to combat violence & knife crime”.
Why did you go to the London G20?
I went to observe more than to march, although I do support a lot of the causes represented there. I also thought that it was a good chance for some photographs.
How did the protestors behave?
I felt that there was a massive division between people who had turned up for the various peaceful protests and the ones who had attended expecting confrontation with the authorities; the latter being clearly identified by the scarves covering their faces. At first it felt almost like a party, but protestors grew increasingly unhappy as the police got more aggressive, attempting to separate them. Some protestors tried to push through the police lines. We saw a policeman smash a peaceful protestor in the face with his shield, breaking several of his teeth. We also saw an advancing police line trample a fallen woman.
How did the police behave?
It was very clear that they went in looking for a fight, almost egging each other on. They were beating people indiscrimately, herding them into controlled areas
Do you think that the police acted reasonably?
No, I thought that their actions made the situation worse. Initially there was a peaceful feeling, interrupted when the police stopped people gathering. From there they started to herd them like cattle. It was like they were trying out their control techniques and just generally asserting themselves, lashing out as they saw fit. They repeatedly charged with the shields raised, screaming at us to get back. Even those trying to escape were targeted. So violent. If someone was bolshie they carried on beating them when they were down. I think that there must have been a lot of corporate & government pressure on the police to make it clear not to mess with their business. There probably would have been a lot less trouble if the police had actually let the march go ahead and had also approached the whole thing in a sensitive fashion. (interview with an American tourist).
It seems that Cambridge’s popular Strawberry Fair may be on its way down, at least according to my experience this year... Held annually on a common in the centre of the city, the fair has been going since 1974, regularly attracting up to 80,000 visitors with a mix of live music & stalls. For the last few years the police have taken a harsh view of the event, last year forcing people disembarking at the station to undergo a police “checkpoint”, complete with sniffer dogs. Now I can understand why they wish to be seen to be tackling drug use, especially in such a public venue, but this year they appeared to be taking a different tack. What I would consider to be a disproportionate number of officers were present, clad in fluorescent vests & paramilitary style boots & combats. Many seemed to be videoing the public indiscriminately, blatant drug users being particularly targeted but rarely actually challenged (e.g. I witnessed them filming people snorting stuff by the main beer tent whilst waving dodgy bags around in the air, without any apparent intervention). The planned (legal) after party was also stopped the morning before it was due to take place, leading some present to suggest that this was because they expected illegal parties to then take their place, assisting the police / authorities to build up a dossier of negative evidence intended for future use against the festival. Aside from the legal considerations, the general tone of the festivities seemed unfortunately commercial compared to past / similar events (personal peeve: plain white rice was £2!).
It began with a progressive increase of insufflation; hours into days into weeks, months, years...
At first it was just an occasional foray into those realms of unknown pleasure, a measured and controlled access to the sub-molecular levels of our multiverse, fractured splinters of shards of potential. Thoughts and action all placed out before him, there for the taking if only he dared push just that bit further. “Do you have a special plan for this world?” he said to himself as he stretched out his arm. Yes, he did.
After a long period of these glimpses of the whole, he was made aware of the nature of things when the universe decided to show him a part of itself, the microcosm / macrocosm, all points in time co-existent, a multi-dimensional network in a non-euclidean reality, located in hyperspace...
Ready? Open your mind as far as it can go and dive right in! Nature abhors a vacuum and this void gorged itself on every morsel - every third-hand piece of counterfeit evidence considered as possible proof, perused from every perspective and several more until his mind begged for respite, intervention or insanity, clogged withenough new data to fuck up even the most anally retentive worshipper of information. He couldn’t help it, didn’t know if by giving these things credence he was giving them a chance to creep in, seeking new entrenchments, furtively masquerading as verifiable experience...
How many times had he sat consumed for hours, reluctant to but determined to see it through to the end, although of the tale or of himself he did not yet know.
Fervently desiring to throw in the towel but still finding himself unable, he rallied his cohorts, snort the lore... & what a law! Every conceivable fragment & many that just would not tally - every little piece of half-remembered wisdom, every glimpse of synchronicity & deja vu. Was he relaxing his grip after all this time or simply beginning to truly understand? Half-muttered words, automatic actions, secret handshakes only he could understand. The pleasure he derived from these transactions disturbed him more than he liked to admit, even to himself.
HUE JAH FINK? & KIRSTY HAWKSHAW - “OUT OF REACH” (Binary Feedback, MP3 EP)
First release from Hue Jah’s new imprint sees him teaming up with well-respected singer Kirsty Hawkshaw (Opus III, Orbital, BT) to deliver 3 varied mixes of the title track. Vocal Mix- light & airy journey through chilled rhythms & lushly processed
vocals. Darkest Dub Mix - this is definitely
our favourite of the three - a confident, sparse arrangement combining an absolutely massive bass line with snippets of the
main vocal, some wibbly FX & well punchy snare action. :) HEAVY! Silent Partner Mix -
A relatively straight DNB mix here; atmospherics evolve into heavy duty bass before moving into some rinsin’ beats & sonic trickery. Another ultra-accomplished release from this criminally unsung producer.
PHILIP GLASS - “SONGS FROM LIQUID DAYS” (CBS, CD Album)
This 1986 release is a collection of six songs by Glass,”form(ing) a cycle of themes ranging from reflections on nature to classic romantic settings”. Originally planned to feature lyrics by David Byrne, the project later expanded to include those of Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon & Suzanne Vega. Due
to its relative accessibility, this is one of Glass’ most popular recordings to date, blending as it does some gorgeously plaintive vocals, piano-led orchestration, chamber music, minimalist operatics & more, all with
a polished, almost pop, production style.
VARIOUS - “FROGS 06” (Frogs Records, 12” EP)
Crystal Distortion - fun little mashup of some old pop funk slop who’s name I can’t recall. Edit - another light-hearted track; classical wonk & silly samples. Fred Stonka - Frogs boss brings the party vibe with a summery sounding blend of beats & bass, complimented by nicely varied samples. Ronin - swings his pants with a dementedly excellent reimagining of an old standard. Stitch - South Park provides the k-related vocals for this heavy duty beast of a breakbeat track. Another wicked Frogs release.
MDK - “WISH I HADN’T LEFT MY BOARD AT HOME” (Spymania, 12” Mini-Album)
Another well-kept secret - this out-of-print record was released way back in 2000 by the great Spymania label (home to Squarepusher & some other “seminal” producers). Starting out like a slightly wonky Radio One Friday night dance show, it soon lurches into some gorgeously distorted club muzak, cutup beats & well-programmed melodics, culminating in some ridiculously over the top SID chip flavours. One of the great British electronic records of the nineties & definitely well worth seeking out...
“BLUE SUNSHINE” (91 minutes, 1976, USA)
Now here’s a glistening jewel from my forgotten youth! People start to complain of
headaches, lose their hair & gurn about in a generally strange fashion, one geezer at a party going so far as to freak out (rather stylishly) like a demented bird. They soon turn psychotic& the fun begins with some random killing & then some self-extermination. All good so far! Things then slow down for some “plot development” featuring our lead, Zalman King (later a producer of some classic / shitty TV grot movies). After a bit of crime scene investigation, King gets into some kind of hippy-guru-doctors office, finding some generic “psychedelic” pictures, including a portrait of a dodgy political candidate labelled “Blue Sunshine”. I liked the paedophilic Uncle Sam / Richard Branson composite better, but then there’s no accounting for taste.... He then finds Mr. Politician, who claims no knowledge of picture or label. Cue: Stanford University alumni back story (spoiler!) & more staring eyed baldies going bezerk. Could the madness be related to a batch of chromosome-altering LSD taken years ago? Quite probably. Worth a watch? Definitely; a fun, stupid film for your perusal, which also pleasantly surprised me with nice Gamelan-type muzak, of all things...
"GLASS - A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS" (Dir: Scott Hicks, 2007, USA)
This beautifully crafted documentary offers a fascinating insight into the career, personal & spiritual life of one of the 20th century’s greatest living composers, Philip Glass. Mainly taking a “talking heads” approach (interspersed with some excellent archival footage); the film follows Glass through his daily life, from writing operas & orchestral symphonies to scoring for documentaries & features. Some time is also spent documenting his family life, including a separation from his wife. Apart from his obvious gift for composition, he comes across as an extremely calm, intelligent, modest & insightful person, with a demeanour that easily belies his seventy years. Demonstrating a keen interest in a variety of spiritual practices, he also discusses his Buddhist & Toltec shamanism leanings (although remains admirably close-lipped on the specifics of the latter). Essential viewing indeed.
Recommended Glass Releases:
“ANIMA MUNDI” - soundtrack for a gorgeous WWF nature film
“THE ESSENTIAL PHILIP GLASS” - a decent introduction to the mans work
“KOYAANISATSI” - soundtrack for the seminal film / documentary
“MUSIC IN TWELVE PARTS” - long, repetetive meditations
“SOLO PIANO” - self-explanatory! Gorgeous & lush
Dr. Alexander Shulgin is a well respected chemist who has studied the chemistry & effects of psychedelic drugs (“entheogens”) for over 30 years. Known affectionately as Sasha by his friends, he is most famous for discovering many psychedelic substances, including MMDA & DOM (a.k.a. the notorious STP), as well as rediscovering MDMA (& being a big influence on the late 1970s introduction of the drug to psychotherapy). Written in collaboration with his wife Ann, the books “PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story” & “TiHKAL” form another fascinating contribution to our knowledge of entheogenic drugs, comprising part-fictionalised biographies / part organic chemistry cookbooks. Shulgin has long been an active proponent of the need for reforms of current drug laws, citing the need for further research into some of these useful tools. He regularly appears on the conference circuit & for several years answered users entheogen-related questions in his popular “Ask Dr. Shulgin” column (http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/shulgin/blg/index.html).
“There is much talk of the use of psychedelic drugs as the means of understanding the body or the mind, but these views seem to always suggest that the drugs do things. More delicate are their roles as catalysts that allow things to be realized, things that may already be in the person’s reality but not recognized or appreciated. Here can be the gracious realization that there is something of the divine in each of us. This is the spiritual side of our psyches, always present but now revealed in some remarkable way. This is the concept behind the alternate name that has been used, entheogens. And this realization need not require a drug - it can come from any of a number of processes as varied as meditation or falling in love. ...the opening of that part of the inner person is of ultimate importance.” - Dr. Alexander Shulgin
Will Phuq is currently expanding his “Ketamine: A Primer” pamphlet (available from us shortly) into book form& needs your help. If you’re a regular or semi-regular user of k then please do something useful & complete a questionnaire (download from http://www.badsekta.com/kquestionnaire.txt).
You don’t have to include any incriminating details & it may even bring you a cold anaesthetising glow!