The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts

Like many podcasters and listeners to eclectic music genres, the late John Peel (pbuh) is hailed as the champion of musicians and true music lovers everywhere. Without him many great bands would never have been formed, never have been heard, and never would have become successul. Without him I would not had the audacity to start a podcast, be the person I am, and have the friends I have today.  Although not everyone liked everything he played there’s always something out there that made it to everyone’s ears because of John.  His passing is still mourned, 7 years after he left us.

Now, in his beloved suffolk town, Stowmarket, there is a new venture that bears his name, and provides a way of keeping his legacy alive.  The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts is based in the old Corn Exchange, built in 1872. The building has been semi derelict for many years, but now it’s being re-imagined as a venue for the community, providing space for concerts, exhibitions, practice and workshop space along with a cafe & bar.

It’s also hoped that the centre will also be able to house John’s impressive, priceless and totally unequaled record collection, and make it available to the public. Imagine being able to pick up some Vinyl handled by the man himself and have the equisite please of being able to play it for yourself:  maybe even play it at the wrong speeed!

John’s widow, Sheila, is patron of the centre, and she is hoping that some grants may become available to help with the project. However, will all grants there are strings attached, and the Centre needs to raise £25,000 on it’s own by Christmas.  My wife and kids have been asking what I want for Christmas. Now I know. A donation to this centre will be more valuable than more socks, jumpers or a bottle of sweet sherry.

If you can donate this Christmas, please give what you can at Angelshares.

Here’s a video about the project:

The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts2018-04-20T12:45:54+00:00

PCP#376… Home From Home…

with tracks by … Libra, Delhi 2 Dublin, Mutate Now, Coney Island Sound,  Messian Dread, Grunemusik & To-Den,  Brandy Alexander Project and Laps, Franco &TPOK Jazz, I & Crisjah, Ohmega Sir.

PCP#376… Home From Home…2018-04-20T12:45:54+00:00

TDZ#113… Dub Bus…

With tracks by…. Volfoniq,Tribuman, Delhi 2 Dublin, Messian Dread, Rolling Lion Studio, Shan-A-Shan, DuBoLoGy, Eccodek, Steve Steppa.

TDZ#113… Dub Bus…2018-04-20T12:45:54+00:00

Volfoniq – Ernest [LCL30]

It’s no secret that Volfoniq holds a special place in my heart, because his collaboration with Organic on Volforganic Dub was the first track I played on the first ever Dub Zone way back in May 2007. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, combining traditional tunes with dub mixes that delight and inspire.

His new album, Ernest has just been released by the excllent LibreCommeLair netlabel, also home to other great artists such as Arrogalla, Volatil, Mastermind XS & Mildtape, to name just a few who have featured in other Dub Zone mixes.

The new album features collaborations with Volfoniq’s listeners, who were encouraged to submit their own greetings via a soundcloud dropbox. These have been incorporated into the “Bonjour” and “Au Revior” tracks.

Aside from collaborating with listeners, almost the whole album is a series of collaborations with the best of the best in the online reggae community. The opening track is “Autobahn Garten”, featuring Tribuman, which starts with Volfoniq’s trademark accordion, with a nice rootsy groove and classy horns, which is augmented by a lovely wobbly bassline. Tribuman, Control Tower and Benjamin Leska collaborate later on the fabulously jazzy/rootsy “Magnesium”, and Benjamin Leska returns on the penultimate  track  “Memori”, & Control Tower returns later with “L’amour Est Enfant Dub”, both of which are delicious accordion-led grooves.

“Taiwan Massala” is a collaboration with Kou Chou Ching and Jambassa, mixing up bhangra-style tablas with raps from the Taiwanese masters.  “Libre Comme Dub” is a love affair with the LCL label featuring Mildtape and Ebsa, with some more wobbly basslines.

The track called “Balkan Banghra” was always guaranteed to get my attention, and it’s the only track on the album accredited only to Volfoniq. It delivers exactly what the title says, augmented only by another great wobby bassline, and it’s magnificent!

Perhaps the most exotic “collaboration” on the album is on “Hypnos”, which features Jean-Paul Sartre (yes the long-dead French Philosopher), which has a great driving beat.

All in all, it’s been a long wait since the last full-length Volfoniq album. In fact he says on his website that it’s taken 7 years to gather together all the fragments to make this musical diary. It’s definately been worth the wait. This album already makes it into my top 10 albums form 2011, and I strongly encourage you to download it.

Volfoniq – Ernest [LCL30]2018-04-20T12:45:54+00:00

PCP#375… Down By The Sea

with tracks by …  Katalina Kicks, Dubmatix, Foldplop, Andreia Dacal, Citizen Sound, Murkertrer, Burhan Öcal, Triple Drop, Rudy Alba And The Trinity All Stars, Ras Amerlock, Eccodek.

PCP#375… Down By The Sea2018-04-20T12:45:54+00:00

DSZ#43… Mad Dub…

WithTracks by… Mr Chimp, Illocanblo, Ain’t You, Dubbassjay, Fiery Air, Indidginus, Mad Radiogram, Fleck.

DSZ#43… Mad Dub…2018-04-20T12:46:00+00:00

NO PCP Today…

There’s no PCP today, but why not try listening to one from the same day 5 years ago, and see if anything is a little different?

PlayPlay

All the artists featured on this podcast have given permission for me to play their work, either because the pieces have been downloaded from the Podsafe Music Network, Magnatune, IODA Promonet, through Creative Commons Licenses, through their record label, or directly via email.

This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike2.5 License.

NO PCP Today…2018-04-20T12:46:00+00:00

TDZ#112… World Of Dub…

With tracks by….Dubtrak, Earlyw~rm, Mackadub, Eccodek, Dubosmium, Baby Arm Sound System, Phoniandflore, Shan-A-Shan.

TDZ#112… World Of Dub…2018-04-20T12:46:00+00:00

Moop Mama!

Thanks to a great article by Peter Withoutfield over at Blog Rebellen, I’ve started listening to a great album by Munich based “Urban Brass” band Moop Mama.

The album is called “Deine Mutter” and it’s a really clever combination of sounds with 7 wind instruments, 2 drummers and 1 MC, playing in a jazzy, funky, hip-hop stylee that is just excellent.  Granted, I can’t understand a word the MC is rapping about, but that doesn’t really matter to me (as listeners to PCP will know!). I really think you should check them out.

If you want to hear what a glorious noise they make, then listen to the track on soundcloud below:
Geh mit uns – live @ Cirkus Krone München by MoopMama

Moop Mama!2018-04-20T12:46:01+00:00

Netlabelism Podcast

Just before I left, the team behind Netlabelism were brainstorming better ways to serve their readership. That brainstorming has now resulted in the first Netlabelism Podcast, which I think is really good.  You can get the M4A (Apple) format feed here, and there’s also the Mixcloud version here.  You’ll have to download the MP3 version manually from Archive.org (or click below).  Hope you enjoy it.

Netlabelism Podcast2018-04-20T12:46:01+00:00

PCP#374… Stars?

with tracks by …  AleX Tune, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, DJPoliSM, Rafael Aragon, The Roast Beef Curtains, Great Skies, Mastermind XS, Garaj Mahal, Dubmatix, Seventh Gear.

PCP#374… Stars?2018-04-20T12:46:01+00:00

H2Z#9… It’s Showtime…

With tracks by… Lucid Music, Ears, Coehn & Foehrb, Mr Moods, Burning Bright, Phunny Money, MC Yogi, Anitek.

H2Z#9… It’s Showtime…2018-04-20T12:46:01+00:00

BBC 6Music John Peel Lecture: A lesson in disappointment

Having just listened to Pete Townsend give BBC 6 Music’s inaugural John Peel Lecture, I’m moved (as are several of my podcasting buddies) to respond.

I’m not sure what the BBC had hoped involving Townsend. If they hoped that the 66 year old guitarist would prove to be as eclectic and enlightened as the late John Peel (pbuh) who sadly died at the age of 65, then they were clearly wrong.  Townsend delivered an incoherent ramble explaining why it was impossible to find good music on the internet, why Apple was a “Digital Vampire” and how the internet was “destroying copyright as we know it”.  These are not the cogent and coherent arguments of an experienced musician delivering a lecture fitting of the late John Peel, these are just the public house ramblings of an surfing novice.

Agreed, if you just search for “music” online, you’ll be bombarded with sponsored links to iTunes, Spotify and other sites, which don’t offer the best returns to professional musicians.  But if that’s what Townsend believes the internet user is doing then he’s more of an “old fart” than even I expected.

For example: If I wanted to buy the latest surround sound, hi-fi system, would I just wander into a large electrical outlet and ask them to sell me what they recommend. Well, maybe a man who likes to be parted from his money easily would, but I’m looking for more insight.  I want to know what each button is supposed to do, and why I need it. In other words: I need to do some research.  So, I pop down to my local specialist, spend an hour or several in the soundproofed room and chose a system that the local specialist knows will give me pleasure for years to come.

The same is true with all things, music included. If you want to truly enjoy your music, then seek out a good guide. This is what John Peel was. So the real question is: who are today’s guides?  Obviously it’s not Apple, or Spotify. They’re out to shift volume products.  So why is  Townsend expecting them to deliver?  The old record labels are dead: they have no more A&R staff, but we already know this.

The guides have always been: Late Night Radio DJ’s, Record Show Owners and Independent Labels.  These are people you can trust.  You won’t like everything they recommend, but that’s your loss. They have great taste, and you can acquire and influence that taste by joining in.

Add to that, today’s guides include podcasters, along with the music bloggers, netlabels owners, and any independent artist who is brave enough to license their work using creative commons licenses.  We are the modern guides, and there are plenty of people listening to what we say. Some of us have been doing it for 6-7 years.  And where will you find podcasters?  iTunes of course.  It’s not all evil in the iTunes store.

In my view Townsend just didn’t do enough research before he gave this lecture. The BBC didn’t do enough research before appointing Townsend to give the lecture.  Myself, or any one of my podcasting, blogging, netlabel or musican buddies could have done a better job. If you’re reading this post then I believe YOU could have done a better job.  You’ve done your research to find this blog, and John Peel would be proud of you.

Next year’s lecture needs to be so much better.  I won’t get fooled again.

Lecture HERE

BBC Report HERE

Secret Archives report HERE

Dark Compass report HERE

BBC 6Music John Peel Lecture: A lesson in disappointment2018-04-20T12:46:01+00:00
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