Antibothis Occultural Anthology
Volume 4 is now available, with contributions from myself, Chad Hensley, Polly
Superstar, Crimethinc, Z’ev, Trevor Brown, Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Ewen
Chardronnet, Joe Coleman, Karl Buechner (Earth Crisis’ lead singer), Júlio
Mendes Rodrigo, V. Vale (RE/Search Pubs), Robin Rimbaud (Scanner), Francisco
Lopez, Mason Jones (Charnel Music), André Coelho (Sektor 304), Joe Ambrose, DJ
Balli and Adolf Marx.
As usual with this excellent Portuguese
anthology, we find ourselves positioned in a gap between the old and the new on
many levels. The occultural, post-industrial (as in the music/subculture, not
as in general history), avant garde environment swings easily between play and
philosophy, between genuine transformation and abstracted discourse, between
pure experimentation and thorough thinking. Most of it is still fairly fresh, I
have to say. If there’s some kind of code that unites these disparate voices,
it’s an antithetical stance against the passive collective, expressed in
eloquent experiments. Single voices spewing out disdain or frustration in
honest, poetical and sometimes scary bursts.
What’s the point? Well, perhaps to
reflect that even stern individualists need to be in touch with similars. As
fodder for continued thinking and as an example of this kind of outsider
networking, Antibothis does a great job. In a fragmented world like ours,
that’s not a bad thing at all.
My contribution to the stew is A Mega
Golem Official, written for Vicki Bennett’s Radio Boredcast project in 2012.
It’s another limb (actually a very special kind of gristle) in the magical
being that is evolving entirely out of art. By reading the text, you also
contribute to its birth. I cannot guarantee the result but I applaud your
courage in partycipating.
”Now, what exactly is it
that I do? Am I in the right position? Well, I look and see and then I recount
in my own way. This has happened, take it or leave it. I used to think this was
escapism or a psychological-emotional fulfilment, but it’s not. It’s about
making a contribution to the unlimited collage, the Quantum Quilt, that is the
overall human existence on this planet and in this omniverse. History writing
in four or even more dimensions. Yes, I write, I read, I cast an occasional
spell, I aspire, I inspire, I take pictures, I make pictures like reflection
surfaces, I’m the Mega Golem’s cock and balls – a really privileged position to
be in, I should add – and I enjoy it more than I dare to even admit (probably
for superstitious reasons).”
You can listen to my friend Thomas
Tibert’s aural magic treatment of this text c/o the wonderful entity WFMU. Our
collaboration here actually makes this the latest/last Cotton Ferox
transmission… Ever? We shall see, you shall hear.
The CD compilation that comes with the
anthology is curated by Philipe-Petit from the innovative French record label Bip-hop
and includes: Scanner & Sci-cut.db, Murcof, Bela Emerson reworked by Same
Actor, Israel Martinez, PAS & If, Bwana, The Stargazer's
Assistant, Michel Banabila & Philippe Petit, Cindytalk, Xambuca, Kk
Null, Mark Beazley, and Machinefabriek.
Scanner’s trip-hoppy, slowmotion-paintballing
anthem ”My Lip Cam” is my current favourite. Very simple in structure, yet very
atmospheric and intense. Xambuca is also truly great. A very edgy and electric
track, increasing in energy as it progresses onwards. On the whole, this CD is
pretty predictable and symptomatic of this environment: a mix of (dark) ambient, musique
concrète and experimental electronics. But it’s all enjoyable stuff and
definitely a good soundtrack to the textual material, which is basically (dark)
ambient, musique concrète and experimental electronics in word form. Dive right
in!
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