Ian Brown - Dublin, 24th November 2009

Sipping on the crispest cider we’ve ever had, Connected joined an almost empty venue in the Olympia just as the warm up act took to the stage.

Support came from the sharply dressed Dublin outfit The Chakras, who showcased some raspy indie lifted from their forthcoming album. It was received well enough to pull the masses out of the bar and in front of the stage. Result. Throughout the set, the theatrical front man gained confidence as the band finished up with their album title track ‘Build me a Swan’.

After a quick stage shuffle, the lights dimmed and the crowd started chanting in anticipation. Iannoooo! Ianonooo! Iannooo! Iannooo! After a short while, swaggering on stage in shades came the aforementioned Iannooo who promptly launched into ‘Love Like a Fountain’. Mayhem.

Sparring and shaking his tambourine, using every inch of the stage, Brown charmed the crowd up with favourites ‘All Ablaze’, ‘Longsight M13’ and ‘Keep What You Got’. Although Brown is often criticised for the ‘weakness’ of his vocals, he is undoubtedly a first class performer and his live band are tight and versatile. After easing us in with the favourites, Brown and band then worked through tracks from his sixth solo album. ‘Stellify’, ‘Just Like You’ and ‘Own Brain’ made appearances, accompanied by himself on harmonica.

Audience banter was short and sweet, but he did say (to a predominantly male crowd) that the best thing about Dublin was the ladies. Before quickly adding the men aren’t bad either. Good save.

It was back to the classics as Brown broke into ‘Sister Rose’, although accompanying strings were courtesy of a laptop, which wasn’t ideal. A bongo solo followed by the mysterious and moustachioed man in the turban, before ‘Marathon Man’ and of course, ‘F.E.A.R’ which closed the set.

The pause before the encore fuelled speculation. What could he pull out of the bag? He’d all ready used up ‘F.E.A.R.’ He wouldn’t…. Would he? Sauntering back on stage, the famous bass line and beat that heralded ‘Fools Gold’ saw the place erupt. The pit was heaving. This was how it’s meant to be. Cider, dancing and ‘Fools Gold’. We felt young again.

The crowd celebrated afterwards by collectively singing ‘Ole Ole Ole’ on the way out and invaded Brogans en masse. Happy days.

www.connected.ie

Plain Daft

It’s Ireland’s most popular fetish website. It’s a place to imagine and fantasise. It’s a portal to live vicariously through. No, not that one your filth bag, we’re talkin’ about Daft.ie.

Countless man hours have been sucked into this virtual vortex. It’s more addictive than any social networking site. Forget Facebook, toss Twitter and move over MySpace, scrolling through the endless possibilities on Daft.ie is far more satisfying than stalking any person.

How many people do you know have a new sofa, ample parking space, three TV points and Neff kitchen appliances? Zero? That’s what we thought. And you don’t feel like a creep perving over Daft. Mostly.

The site itself claims that 85 million pages on it are visited each month – seemingly an outlandish statement but even if this statistic isn’t entirely accurate, it does give us some indication of the extent of Daft addiction.

As a largely unspoken taboo, these statistics give weight to the personal stories of the constant refresh, the sweaty palm that holds the phone as ‘the call’ is made. Before the crushing defeat of hearing the words; “I’m sorry but it’s already been leased.” The devastation…

Followed by the anger, the questioning, “Why don’t they take the ad down then?!” The paranoia, “Maybe they just didn’t like the sound of me? The ad is still up...” Acceptance and hope are the next phases, generally accompanied by spotting a new potential home.

There is the sinking feeling that you’re turning into your parents - scoping out similar gaffs in the area, how much they’re going for, what additional features they have and so on. It is inevitable. You can’t fight this, so don’t bother trying.

Even for those with no intention of moving, the site provides a form of escapism and launches so many 'what ifs'. It’s easy to fantasise about living in a cutesy cottage on Long Lane with the soundest of housemates, all beautiful, all successful and preferably all from different countries.

It is the ‘Sharing…’ section that gives the most insight to the human condition and provides the most laughs. Daft has a language of its own but it takes little interpretation to decode it. It’s like personal ads, but with houses.

As a general rule, if your new housemates have to say they’re “nice and friendly”, they’re probably not. If the tenants include this sentence, “we like socialising and there is always a friendly atmosphere in the house”, prepare yourself for all night sessions and finding a puke point in the corner of your room. Two words are guaranteed to elastic band you away from a potential house share. These are: owner occupied. This directly translate as “living with your menopausal mam - again”. Avoid.

On a side note, the only entries worth poring over are the entries with pictures. Who bothers with the ones without photographs and why? Answers to Oh Francis on a SAE please. But that’s assuming you’ll admit to be being a Daft addict.

* Published in Season 1, Issue 4 of Oh Francis
www.ohfrancis.com

Orbital - Dublin, 14th November 2009

Hopeful faces lined Hatch Street on Saturday night, anxious to get in to the second night of Orbital’s first indoor Irish gigs since 2001. The news of last minute tickets released this week and stellar reports from the previous night saw an impressive turnout, the resulting outcome saw many of these hopeful faces turn disappointed as Tripod soon reached full capacity.

Connected arrived just after ten bells, quickly dumped our coats in the corner and ducked and dived our way through the mob to the front row. Seemingly half the crowd were stuck in the cloakroom queue, but a heaving horde were still able to welcome the world's most famous head lights on stage as the Hartnoll brothers launched into ‘Impact’.

Phil ‘n’ Paul energetically pumped the crowd and seemed to be enjoying it as much as the fans. Known for their high production aesthetics at gigs, the lads were elevated on a mini stage on the main stage with flowing visuals forming a frame behind.

Team Connected were dubious of the 10pm matinee time slot for the two hour set, but the crowd were already lubed up nicely after the days sport and were brought through Belfast, Chime, Satan, Halcyon and On and On, Bigpipe Style, Lush and One Perfect Sunrise.

The cheeky sampling of pop anthem ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ by Belinda Carisle, although established in their sets, met a mixed reception as the tone of the set became lighter. For some it was jarring, but other die hards raved on regardless.

Bodies of all ages pogoed and pointed non-stop until the music reluctantly died and the lights went up. Although my companion voiced irritation at DJs who do encores [“Why not just play through?, she asked], no one was complaining when the head lights returned to the stage for the Alison Goldfrapp stamped, ‘The Box’.

When the final house lights came up with shirts sticking to backs and smiles all around, euphoric fans made their way to the merchandise stand like zombies, anxious to capture the memory in something concrete.

Online this month

Cardigan-clad Grizzly Bears invade our annual staff picnic, kicking off the month at www.connected.ie with aplomb. Although by neatly squashing our Victoria sponges and knocking over our French lemonade in the process. Dagnamit!

The fearless and moustachioed Dan Ryan valiantly braves the wilderness of Vicar Street to bring you tales of stupefying adventure from the front line of the Brooklyn band’s latest gig. Follow Dr. Ryan’s chronicles in our lovely online review section.

Elsewhere on the review front, Connected stall down to the intimate Orbital gigs in Tripod - epicness guaranteed. Or your money back. Probably. And Gary Numan flies in to educate us in electric pleasure on his Pleasure Principle tour and reports from John Vanderslice, Yngve and Gatsby gigs and more, will be sent down the wire and hastily pasted to connected.ie for your viewing pleasure.

Teenagers in Tokyo, no not porn, but a quick Google search will lead you to that if that’s what you’re after. No not us, thank you very much. Our Teenagers in Tokyo are gothic grungers from Sydney who play the Academy thi month. We’ll be chatting with them before their gig, not to mention Cave Singers and Woods from the Shred Yr Face tours, now in its third year. We know, we know, they grow up so fast.

Get ready for your close up as Connected photographer at large, Sara Devine continues to get snap happy around the pubs and clubs of Dublin town giving us some beautiful shots to adorn our sexy online gallery. You might be there. You might not. Better check just in case. You don’t want the panic of someone innocuous work mate who casually drops “Oh I saw that picture of you on the internet” into convo without batting an eyelid. Leaving your panic stricken face to mentally scan all potentially incriminating scenarios you’ve been in that may or may not have been photographed. Hell you don’t know. How are you meant to remember? Or maybe that’s just us.

Some say spoiling a child is a form of child abuse. Consider yourselves spoilt and abused you brats.

Stoke Newington International Airport

Ping pong, pirates and wooing.

These are just three elements that arts collective Stoke Newington International Airport bring to the Fringe this week, with their shows Ping Pong Pub Quiz (PPPQ), The Lost Pirates and Live Art Speed Date.

Oh! Fringe speaks with one of the collective’s five founders, Greg McLaren and also Captain Porkbelly who heads up The Lost Pirates to find out more.

“How is your Ping Pong on a table that has pints of Guinness to avoid, or whilst being poked by a long stick, or while having to sing?” asks McLaren.

This question follows a boast of receiving the very prestigious ‘Table tennis player of the year’ award in school nine years ago.Touché.

And it turns out I’m not alone. “We have noticed that many people have hidden ping pong skills, but those skills are aggregated by players being asked fiendish questions which they have a limited amount of time to answer - during which they are loosing points for their team”, McLaren explains.

So it’s not as easy as you might think. “We have been practicing like demons and so when you come to play one of us in the Ping Pong final championship-or-death heavyweight match-up, you had better be ready”, he adds.

The consequences and forfeits as a result of loosing are still being defined. McLaren says, “These are still being thought up in our lab. Loosing at Strip-Pong could be pretty bad, or having to endure the horrors of the William Tell Offal Round. But there are some pretty attractive bonuses to be won too.”

Worth taking your chances on so.

The same could be said of Live Art Speed Date, an evening that sees the group creating four minute one-on-one dates for you to experience, incorporating “performance, music and strange spectacle”.

McLaren elaborates on the show, “It's a beast. The concept is simple; each of our contributing artists, performers and comedians create a one on one ‘date`. Some very private, some more public. Some will endeavour to woo you; others want to be wooed by you. Indeed sweet dreams are made of these, while others may be the stuff of nightmares.”

It is grounded in reality then, so we asked how can participants tell if their date is ‘faking it’? He advises, “Look deep into their eyes and tell them you want it for real. Although I don't think any of the daters will fake anything, it has a kind of free-fall feel to it, you just get sucked in to whatever's happening. A well known journalist turned up at Edinburgh's Speed Date and proclaimed it a 'mad house', he stayed all night.”

Stoke Newington International Airport has had its fair share of bad dates too.“Once we tried it on with Heathrow, but she was too big. Gatwick is a stroppy little so-and-so, JFK is ugly, and so hopefully we can hit it off with Dublin, you've got such a lovely runway...”

On that note we move on to The Lost Pirates, claiming to be ‘deadlier than heart disease’, the show is a sort of pre party for ‘International Speak Like a Pirate Day’ which falls on 19^th September this year.We know, we know, it rolls around so quickly each year…

The Lost Pirates mark the holiday with celebrations that are theatrical, unusual and set off by pirate shanties, ska, disco and punk.Captain Porkbelly rejects the idea that they are cashing in on the pirate trend, “We are pirates. We are responsible for the explosion in the popularity of pirates.”

With that cleared up, Captain Porkbelly tells us more about the show.We ask, since you’re seeking ‘hot booty’, should we lock up our daughters?

Captain Porkbelly responds, “Yes! [pause] No. I mean ‘no’. Bring them to the show. Damn is it too late to take back the 'yes`?

Yes it is. “I'd just stand back if I were you. Don't want to damage the locks. Pirates have always held a romantic place in the hearts of wenches and men of a curly persuasion”, he says.

As a concept gig, The Lost Pirates features original compositions, “We wrote every last note of it, almost. When we're not maintaining ramming speed or preparing to board, us Pirates love little more than a good dance and that is all we's demanding from our fans. To which end our show is hand crafted disco gold. We take the finest cuts of Ska, Funk, Sea shanty, and Klezma and boil it in the fine oil of disco.”

Sounds delicious. On that note Captain Porkbelly asks, “Is that it then? Can I go? I’ve got a ham cooking.”

And with that, Captain Porkbelly followed a star towards the morning.

*Published in Issue 10 of Oh! Fringe, September 2009

http://www.ohfrancis.com/Web_Issue_10.pdf

Madame Butterfly

Peering through the butterfly framed window, a sex swing hangs nonchalantly.

Samurai swords hang from meat hooks overhead; the sex swing is all leather and chains.

These props are playfully at odds with their womb-like surroundings.

A warm pinkish hue lights the set, familiar symbols of suburbia and childhood, the white-picket fence and the Wendy house, frame the scene while a girl-on-girl porno flickers in the corner of your eye.

The set is full of aesthetic conflicts and playing with established societal myths is a trait that permeates the piece performed in this space.

This year, the inconspicuous Crane Lane in Temple Bar hosts one the Fringe’s most intriguing acts, as Aideen McDonald debuts her show Madame Butterfly.

The set is a site of contradictions in many ways.

McDonald says, “It is the womb of the show. It glows and pulsates. It’s like a crazy little nursery that sprang out of a Japanese jack-in-the-box. As a whole it has the feel of a magical, heightened, in every sense of the word, playpen.”

Yet at the same time, the set is a highly sexualised environment.

“The set is both a contemporary red light district window in full, if slightly skewed, swing and a take on an imagined, contemporary Geisha’s private salon,” she says.

To the fore, Madame Butterfly, as a prostitute in the window, has two personas (the flyers for the show advertise them separately), the virgin and the whore.

For all intents and purposes they are very similar to the eye, they both wear dildos, or dongs, to the initiated, one only slightly less intimidating than the other.

“The penis is a power symbol. The dongs speak to issues of gender construction and power relations,” McDonald elaborates.

It is in the background, the private salon space that Madame Butterfly invites you, on a one-on-one basis, to engage in a performance that will stimulate your ‘visual, oral and aural’ senses.

Men, if you’re thinking “I’d like to be stimulated visually, orally and aurally”, don’t get too excited: there is a catch — these tickets are for women only.

McDonald, who also works in the applied arts field, defends the move as she considers “working with single identity groups, in this case women, to be a productive means of addressing societal issues with a clear focus.”

‘Women only’ is also a comment on the context of the show.

“The less transparent establishments on this lane, the Boilerhouse sauna and the Emporium lapdancing club have been set up for the sensual enjoyed of men.”

Madame Butterfly only services women, engaging her female clients with a view to provoking self-analysis around issues of identity and intimacy.

“The process offers up a little sensual enjoyment for good measure”, McDonald assures.

She also adds, “I want to engage with women from across a broad section of society who work with or live with, issues directly affecting women. My hope is that the experience will be thought provoking through arousing all the senses.”

The show aims to raise questions. How do we feel about ourselves? What is our role in society? To what extent do we create our identity? What of femaleness? What of maleness?

But McDonald acknowledges, “Just as there are no new themes, there are no new questions. I don’t have the answers, only an active interest in the issues. These are questions I believe it is important for women to be asking themselves and each other.”

Pedestrian voyeurs will encounter and undoubtedly be engaged by the red light district act, the virgin and the whore in the window, “with a twist”.

Admittance is limited so individual “guests” willing to remove their shoes, enter the scene and enjoy Geishaesque acts of hospitality must book a ticket quickly.

Only the brave, the lucky and the fairer of the sexes will get to experience the full Madame Butterfly experience.

* Published in Issue 11 of Oh! Fringe, September 2009

http://www.ohfrancis.com/Web_Issue_11.pdf

What Style Means to Me

Twirling around watching the tiered ruffles rise and fall with the movement, I should’ve known then. This was the beginning of a serious love affair.

It was my First Holy Communion. I was six. And like so many landmark events, it was all about the dress.

I had a knee-length frilly tiered lace one, accessorised with fresh flowers in my hair. Natch.

Fast forward almost twenty years and open the doors of my wardrobe and behold: rails of garish ra-ra mini skirts, dresses and tops held together by delicate lace and the frilliest of frilliest French knickers.

The ties are clear. A tomboy through and through, this dress was the catalyst for a different side of me to emerge. A side expressed through style. Albeit, at this time, only at very special occasions.

Today, every time I wear a dress or skirt, my mother sighs with a defeated sadness, “And you’d never wear them for me…”

On an everyday basis, I was a jeans, t-shirt and trainers girl. A girl who rejected all the pretty dresses she was given, the dresses she now wishes she had in adult sizes.

There was the black velvet one with the round collar and red ribbon tied in a bow. There was the blue floral tulip dress and the ultimate! A ruched navy cord mini with a white blouse tucked in, topped off with a navy beret.

If I could time travel and wear these outfits every day, I would. But failing this, I relive the fabrics, textures and colours in my adult wardrobe.

As a tomboy in childhood and teenage years, jeans and t-shirts won out. Throughout teenage wilderness, like everyone, a personal style began to develop as a means of sharing my identity with the world.

Cue band t-shirts that screamed: “Hey look at me! I like this band. I got it at their gig. Do you like this band? Do you think they’re cool? Do you think I’m cool?”

A teenage diary reveals in the most cringeworthy manner, titled and swirled with glitter, a ‘1999 Style File’, which listed the fashion items of my desire - complete with magazine cuttings.

Objects of desire included: anything by Coca Cola ware, anything Paul Frank or Hello Kitty branded, stripy socks, tartan, band patches and band badges.

Embarrasing? Yes. Mostly. But saying that, my love of tartan lives on. A love lived vicariously through D&G’s autumn/winter 08 family of tartan campaign and perennially in Vivienne Westwood’s collections.

These days my wardrobe has plenty of space to accommodate new things, following ‘The Great Wardrobe Cull of 2009’.

The cull was a sort of cleansing event that happened this summer. After leaving college I decided that it was time to weed out the laddered tights, the tight band t-shirts and baggy skater jeans of my youth.

According to ‘the rules’ espoused by all fashion editors, anything that hadn’t been worn in two years was ruthlessly put in a black bag for the charity shop, ready to be loved again.

Like so many love affairs, it wasn’t that I stopped loving them; just we’d grown apart over the years.

It was a painful experience, but necessary for the long term.

An obsessive mental listing had begun in my head of the key items that it seems are absolutely necessary to function in society.

Firstly, two designer blazers (one navy, one black) were acquired from charity shop rummaging; a good white shirt was enlisted alongside high waisted skirts, plain t-shirts, converse trainers, gladiators, classic green Hunters, a cashmere cardi, a Breton top, Wolford tights, skinny jeans and city shorts.

A pretty safe bunch I admit, but a penchant for the silly and travel helps to inject some personality.

Chavvy dress jewellery, detachable bows that surface everywhere – Hair! Dresses! Collars!, old lady earrings, outrageous nail polish colours and chunky bracelets add a personal touch to the reliable staples.

Items found whilst travelling carry extra value, for their rarity and also for the pomp of saying, “Oh this old thing? I picked it up in Ibiza’s hippie market/Marrakesh/SoHo (delete where applicable) last month.” So very smug.

These little one-offs highlight the simple truth that style is inherently personal.

Clothes are beyond function, they signify something about us to the world. It is how people choose to channel these signs through personal style that sparks my interest.

I love people watching in all social settings, the variety in the way people present themselves through posture, clothes, make-up and hair never ceases to fascinate me.

I live this voyeurism virtually through beautiful style blogs like Garance Doré and Liebe Marlene, escapist magazines, and through the influx of TV shows and films that seem to centre specifically on fashion. Gossip Girl is my ‘clothes porn’ du jour.

Growing up, style was a means of forging a sense of identity, but mid-twenties (and somewhat grown-up) the meaning of style has changed.

As responsibilities gather, style seems to becoming more fun. In your twenties, you have the confidence to take a few risks, with good and bad results - harem pants anyone?

Mostly the meaning of style for me, correlates to memories. The dress I wore to my sister’s wedding, the heels I tripped up on at my graduation, the dresses from my childhood are all snapshots of the past and some just can’t be parted with.

Ok, so I admit I wasn’t completely ruthless… I still sleep in a faded Metallica t-shirt. So sue me.

Alice Stands

Who the fuck is Alice, you ask? Alice Stands hails from Roscommon town and creates high-heeled electro pop for people who like to dance. Admittedly, it’s an unusual combination. Citing her influences as 90s dance tunes, rave and Sonic Youth, Alice speaks with Connected before she scampers off to San Francisco in the fall (as her new homeland might say).

How would you describe your sound?

If I had to pin it down I’d say acid pop – but that’s open to interpretation. I love dance music, I’m interested in taking the classical traits of a pop song – catchy riffs and simple lyrics – and combining them with a more sculpted sonic edge.

How important is style and image to you as a performer?

I think style and image is an extension of personality, which is very important as a performer. It’s another way to express oneself.

Are your stage outfits any different to your civilian clothes?

I don’t have costumes, though I’d very much like to with time! I dress up on stage; I love shoes, particularly stiletto heels.

Have you any recording plans?

I’m writing and producing songs in between gigs, expanding my live set all the time. I’m getting ‘The Game’ professionally mixed by Ger McDonnell, who has worked with Def Leppard, Manic Street Preachers and Martha Wainwright.

What kinds of synths do you use?

At the moment I use soft synths with a midi controller. I love vintage synths and there’s nothing I’d love to collect more when I have the time, space, money and roadies to carry them!

Your sound isn't very "Irish". Have you spent any time abroad?

From talking to people, there’s a very vibrant music scene all around Ireland. I’ve experienced Dublin first-hand where there’s a diverse music scene and lots going on. There are great opportunities for bands and DJs to play every night of the week. Independent festivals are cropping up more and more. Growing up, Knockcroghery in Roscommon had its own version of Woodstock called ‘Knockcroghstock’ – that wasn’t very “Irish” but it was a lot of fun and very colourful. Those two elements are very important to me when writing music. I have lived abroad. I lived in New York on a J1 one summer of college. I would be influenced by the New York music scene. There’s a certain edge, an attitude, a frankness that captivated me growing up. My music would be influenced in that way.

Describe a live Alice Stands show.

The show is constantly changing. I’m solo at the moment, where I play synth live, trigger drum beats and samples and sing with treated vocals. I’ve had guest vocalists join me and I’m very interested in collaborating with musicians, artists, dancers and DJs. I’m building up towards a theatrical performance, influenced by cabaret, dance and the circus – an ‘Alice Stands Tea Party’. I’m very interested in dance music, but feel where a lot of dance music lacks is the visual appeal of the performance. There’s nothing more electric than seeing live musicians on stage playing off each other and this is what I’m working towards.

How does your song writing process go?

An idea comes to me in some way, I start singing lyrics off the top of my head or a musical riff. Other times I could be practicing the piano on a song and get bored and start playing around with chords and land on something I really like. Different synth sounds inspire me – I might write a riff because I love the sound. After that, it’s trying to get as many ideas down as possible and arranging it as best as I can. Then leaving it for a while and coming back to it with no expectations.

Thoughts on Lady Gaga?

I think she’s a really interesting character. Growing up in New York and experimenting in the Downtown music scene there has to be something worth sharing in that. It would be amazing to tour with her sometime!

Alice Stands has a weekly residence in Eamonn Doran's on Wednesdays and is playing Upstairs in Whelans on 15 August with Heathers and Hooray for Humans.

www.myspace.com/alicestands

The Shed, interview with Eli McBett

The use of the words ‘spaces’ and ‘collectives’ amongst Dublinese creative types seems to be rising by the day. No longer is it acceptable to just get off your tits and have a dance on a night out, it is now part of the course to engage in some kitsch organised fun in the process.

But The Shed on Henrietta Lane is once ‘space’ that sticks to what it knows: art. Since their initial ‘Stranger than Paradise’ call for artists in 2006, The Shed has involved more than 130 artists in around 80 events all with Eli McBett at the helm.

Connected caught up with the founder/producer/artist to learn more... McBett attributes the establishment of The Shed to what she calls “Deformazione Professionale”, that’s chronic professional syndrome to us non-Italian speakers.

“I discovered to be affected by this syndrome many years ago, at the beginning of the 80's, when the urban context I was soaked in Roma, was dull and dry and all the past reference points were lost. Something like the Celtic Tiger was spreading sickness at that time in Italy.”

The globalisation or Americanisation of culture was a particular influence on the syndrome,“A shame for older forms of culture and heritage pervaded people, and developers took inspiration from the worst of American standards. This provoked in sensitive individuals, the positive deep wish to change the world with unique alternatives to collective suicide.” McBett says, “I was young at the time, but this environment was deeply influential in my development.”

The dominance of this syndrome for McBett led her to rejecting traditional academic institutions and “dusty bureaucratic infrastructures” and getting involved in independent cultural centres.

“We did Auto-Productions, producing off site theatre festivals and art activities that offered at the time a different way of expressing vision and perspective for cultural and political operators.”
In 1998, McBett arrived in Ireland and developed her views while working in ordinary jobs and creative projects on the side.

For a series of 14 installations aimed to Kilmainham Gaol, McBett required people participation, “I started teaching in jails, creating workshops with children travellers and in other contexts, and so, I went around interviewing individuals approaching them mostly through the community centres”, she explains.

This led to teaching people in rehab, in institutions and schools, with people with disabilities, teenagers in jail, children travellers, women in jail and people with mental disorders or disabilities.

But McBett is keen to stress that these were not groups, but individuals, “The creation of my art events includes individuals of various backgrounds, but they are all included on the same basis as whatever other collaborator. I adapt my actions to the individual personalities and avoid hierarchies.”

Government funding for these projects is at a minimal. The Shed received just €2,000 by the City Council art grant, which funded the centre for less than one month, and also got some flyers printed. In the past she got founded by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura only, despite being an Irish artist.

McBett says, “All the costs are covered by my personal money, my free non-stop work and other participant donations. I am repaying a personal loan with the bank that will bond me to this project unless some other source of income will help. Now an office team from Italian universities is temporary helping thanks to EU project Leonardo and Erasmus Placement.”

At the time of going to press, McBett is still applying for funding from the Arts Council, as she has every year - for the last decade.

But McBett says, “The real difficulty is finding individuals keen to participate in long term no profit projects. To have some regular supporters from the same audience would facilitate our independence from institutions and the possibility to equip the space and facilitate the artists in presenting their work for free. The more we are independent the less we need to waste time on bureaucracy.”

Irish pub culture is cited as one hindrance to The Shed, “My main hope is to start a proper artist/art-operators resident collective. There are plenty of difficulties in finding individuals so focused and also prepared in experimental performance and installations, such as the local culture and custom which pushes people mostly to socialise and meet in pubs.”

McBett encourages everyone to visit, “Come and introduce yourself, tell me what you usually do, what you would like to do here, and let's bring in whatever you like to exchange with others your creative experience in a once-off night.”

The Shed hosts international residences, monthly events, daytime workshops and classes, and a resident collective. www.mcbett.net

"The music I use is already timeless to me, when you're already using a lot of classic sounds already, another 10 years on top of that isn't very much really. I'm not one for trendy gimmicks. I prefer solid, simple ideas."

Ten years on from his breakthrough album Mr Scruff is still Keeping it Unreal, playing his trademark six hour sets, creating his own distinctive potato head visuals and generally, causing a ruckus. We caught up with the rumoured fish affectionado ahead of this month's Button Factory gig and found no truth behind those Troy McClure-esque rumours. Dang.

You're playing here on the 12th of June, what can Irish fans expect? Will it be a 6 hour set?

Yeah, whenever I play, I always play all night. It’s a lovely venue with pretty decent Guinness, a good sound system and great crowds, so I’ll just build on the last time. I always play a wide range of stuff and I’ve played a few times at the Button Factory and feel very comfortable there. So just have fun and let loose really. The usual Scruff thing ― just lots of different kinds of music and a really good party vibe.

You seem to have a lot of eclectic influences from almost every genre, is there any music you don't like?

Yeah loads! There’s a lot I can’t stand. I don’t like really hard music like Pendulum, drum and bass, trance, really hard house or that kind of thing. I like music with a bit of space and a bit of swing to it, so anything that’s really full on isn’t really my thing. But other than that, my ears are pretty open. I think it’s a bad idea to say I’d never listen to that. I always check things that I don’t like, just to see if there’s been any development or any way for me to get my head round it. But generally, hard aggressive music isn’t my thing, but at the same time I love my bass and very heavy music. But I do like it to have a bit of a swing to it too.

What’s with the sea-life references?

It just came from charity record shopping and that sense of humour. I just happened to have a lot of under water references. There’s no particular obsession with the sea. It just what the charity shops were giving up to me at the time. People seem to think I’ve some obsession with whales and fish but it could’ve been about any subject, it just happened to be about the sea. It was just nice to give a bit of focus to those tracks by making them about a specific subject, rather than having just random daft spoken word. It was a sort of geeky comedy challenge to try make a story about a specific subject of hundreds of snippets from different records.

You've done a lot of musical collaborations, have you ever collaborated on the visuals?

Yeah I have done previously when I did a single with Fingathing. A lot of my videos have been in conjunction with a Manchester company called The Soup. I do enjoy that and it’s good fun. Although my cartoon style is quite limited, in terms of how far it can develop as it’s so simple, we do enjoy trying to push it in different directions and seeing what happens.

Why did you choose the World Development Movement as benefactors of 'Make Us a Brew'?

I work with a lot of different charities, but World Development Movement especially. I’ve been working with them for about 13 years, since they asked me to get involved with a compilation they were doing. Myself and my friend Guy used to DJ at a world music night called One Tree Island back in the 90s, and they asked us to compile a compilation album for them, the proceeds of which went to their charity. So I think the fact they approached me for my music, meant that from very early on we had a great connection. So we’ve just stuck with them really. We have moved the charities around, if we’re travelling and someone asks ― we give the money to a local charity instead. We must have supported 40 or 50 charities over the years, but WDM is the main one. They campaign for awareness for a lot of important issues that are neglected or people don’t know much about. I think it’s really important.

You studied art at Sheffield Hallam, did you come up with your potato head visuals there or was cartooning discouraged?

Those cartoons are a lot older than that. I was in my early teens when I started drawing in that style. When I was 15, I was pretty much drawing as I am now. So it came out a long time before I studied for my degree, and I’m still doing it now. So I just hit on that style and carried on, it’s almost like my handwriting now.

Sheffield is a city pretty renowned for its musical output. Was the scene there an influence on you?

Not really. No more an influence that any other place. A lot of electronic music came from Sheffield like Human League and Cabaret Voltaire and that kind of thing. Then later on the Warp label, which started in 1990, and all their output ― a lot of that crazy electronic music was hugely influential to me. But I think that would’ve had an influence anywhere. I was listening to it before I went to Sheffield. I was never a proper student there, I was working and studying part-time so I didn’t ever live in Sheffield or go out in Sheffield. I never really absorbed any of the cities’ musical culture in a direct way. It was all from records.

You’ve allowed your music to be used in a good bit of advertising. Have you taken any flak for it?

Kind of. ‘Get a Move on’ was in a lot of adverts in the late 90s. I’d probably think twice about doing that these days, now I know what these big companies get up to. I’m not used now in adverts in the last few years. It is used on telly a lot, but I don’t get say in that, like if its used in the background, when you release a record you relinquish that say in what people do with your music Sometimes it gets used in really average situations, but sometimes it’s like ‘Wow, that’s brilliant’. There are really cool people who say you’re a sell out ‘because more people hear you music, but in America, advertisements get people into my music as my music wasn’t played on radio. It’s an odd situation. Aphex Twin has this as well, when he advertised Pirelli tyres in the 90s. So you were getting quite experimental electronic music on mainstream TV, but all the radio stations were saying: ‘This is far too specialist, we can’t play this in the day time’. But you’d switch the telly on and there it was. I think telly is rubbish, I hate and I don’t watch it. But television adverts are one of the only ways that an independent electronic artist is gonna get their music heard in the mainstream. In one way you’ve got to get your music out there in any way, but I’m a lot more considerate of how the music is used nowadays, now I definitely think twice. You learn from experience.

‘Kalimba’ was used for Windows 7, was that a good experience?

I think so. All the web advertising is an odd thing. Oh, that was given out with Windows, wasn’t it? All that kind of stuff I just hear about it, I’m not really into computers or television, so these kinds of things seem to pass me by. But it’s one of things where someone buys a computer and the track is there, in one way it’s giving it away but how else are they gonna hear it? They’re not gonna hear it on radio. Unless I find it really offensive I kinda let my music be used for stuff. Windows was quite a good way of reaching people, and it’s not really tied to something. Your music isn’t being used to advertise a particular brand of sausage roll, it’s just there and people can share it with their mates or whatever.

Your earlier stuff like 'Keep it Unreal' haven't really dated. Why do you think this is?

I think because I’m not really that bothered at what’s going on at any particular time. I don’t really make tunes that sit neatly in any particular genre. A lot of the music I use is already timeless to me, when you’re already using a lot of classic sounds already, another ten years on top of that, isn’t a very much really. I surround myself by so much music that I don’t make the mistake of trying to make it sound too current or too trendy. My production style is very open. It’s a real mish-mash of stuff, so it can’t be pinpointed so easily, and hopefully has a bit more longevity. I’m not one for gimmicks; I prefer solid, simple ideas.

What are you listening to at the moment?

The new album by Quantic is really good. I managed to blag a copy of that a few months back and I’ve been playing incessantly. That should be out in a few months. He’s been living in Columbia for a few years, working with some incredible musicians. So that hasn’t been off my stereo. I went to Chicago last week and bought a load of mad, old, obscure disco records too, so that’s been great fun. I listen to a lot of old and new music all the time. I make sure I’m constantly hearing music that’s new to me so I can get excited about it and hopefully pass some of that enthusiasm to the people on the dance floor.

Hen Party

Feather boas, L-Plates, willy straws, pink cowboy hats and ass pinching.

Hen parties have a habit of dividing women into two camps; those who relish the absolute freedom that comes with wearing a silly hat (you can do anything - fact) and those who shy away from penis paraphernalia, preferring to wile away the hours looking embarrassed, but dutifully holding back the maid of honours hair.

But Henparty, the band, do not incite the same divides. If you like pop music, can jump around like a loon to, you’re welcome to the Henparty party. Woody Harrelson’s 1982 mug shot greets visitors to www.myspace.com/henparty, an inconspicuous choice you might think. He is a handsome man after all.

But knowing that the mug shot is the result of an incident concerning Harrelson’s drunken dancing in the street (no lie), reveals some part of what Henparty are all about.

Packing more mystery into an interview than Scooby Doo manages to stuff in the Mystery Machine, future pop stars Henparty chat with Heineken Music — leaving us more confused, yet more intrigued than ever.

From the outset the band cite their influences as, “Dutch post-punk combo The Sit, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, Halo Benders, Guided by Voices and Beat Happening”, Henparty are adamant they make “pop music, and no mistake.”

Their MySpace hosts no actual pictures of the band, unless the band is comprised of two chickens, two bin bags, Ross Kemp, Danielle Westbrook, Steve McFadden and a bear. We can only dream.

According to group, the band is comprised of “Omar Plastic and Bear McFlurry”. So there really is a bear at least.

The duo say they look like Woody Harrelson “only during the month of October”. Adding, “We resemble two black spar value bin liners more. Eye of the beholder stuff, y'know?”

Questioned on where they’re from, the band try to explain. “It’s hard to say. We're definitely not from the north of south, anyway. It's an east-west deal.”

Galactic City Heard and Mc Donald Islands are cited as their hometowns. But the trees are not made of chips on Mc Donald Islands as you might expect, “It's barren. Zero nutrition and it's full of thousands of teenagers in tracksuits being dicks.”

The band got together on “One hot sticky drunken night” in 2009. But they insist they “can't really get into it here.”

Being of 2009, Henparty embrace technology when it comes to song writing, “We take a cut and paste attitude towards making our music.” Literally it seems, “We use e-mail, which we feel is underused on the modern music scene.”

A live Henparty gig can get a bit rowdy, “It gets pretty full on. Very cathartic. If it's been a bad week, we'll just beat the hell out of each other for 35 minutes and leave any music to chance.”

The bottom line is, if you like “blob-rock guitar chops and electrifying ride cymbal work”, and you know what that is, you might dig Henparty.

Omar Plastic and Bear McFlurry requested it is noted that no animals were hurt during the creation of the band.

Catch them while they still look like Woody Harrelson.

Hen Party tracks are available to download from www.myspace.com/henparty

Straglers

"A lot of our finest work has come from drinking sessions yeah. There’salways a new song created when the cans of Tuborg are about."

Hailing from their self-proclaimed ‘cultural home of Europe’, that’s Coolock to you and me, Straglers have returned from a brief hiatus as a foursome with a new single and an album release in the pipe works. Connected caught up with founders Colin and James to chat about pushing live boundaries and creepy convents in Cavan.

Where have you guys been all my life? Or the last few years even.
Colin: The album has taken quite a while to record, mix and master. We produced it completely ourselves, and after recording we needed a little break, a chance to step away from the album and attack the mixing stage with fresh ears.
James: The hiatus was just that we needed to re evaluate where we wanted to be as a band, and how we where going to do that. We never stopped writing, or fell out, just took a step back had a look at things. But it feels like a new band now, so everything is sweet.

How have Straglers changed since we saw you last?
Colin: We’re now a four piece, with an extra member on board. The live set up has changed quite a bit. New gear, new techniques.
James: We’re working closely with a visual artist he's gonna incorporate a live visual set into our gigs. Also, we will be recording a closed room live DVD with this visual show included; we think it’s very important to keep pushing the boundaries in the live environments.

The video for the new single Bitches in the Basement is a bit disturbing.
Colin: Yeah, the Director Russell Cooley had a lot of ideas. He was on the same wavelength as us. We wanted something a bit different, not the usual performance type video. That didn’t appeal to us. It’s more like a little mini film, a moody, dark piece of work.
James: We'd been chatting with Russell about the song for weeks and we just threw ideas around about what the song was about and we were clear that we didn't want a "band performance" video. So he just came back with a complete idea from start to finish of what the concept would be. The idea of "what comes around goes around" is the underlying message, so be careful and you have been warned!

The derelict gaff looks pretty ace.
James: It’s a convent in Cavan that been derelict since 1985. It’s a massive big gaff that’s in rack and ruin. Pretty eerie place.
Colin: There’s four storeys and literally hundreds of rooms, a church, boiler room. The place looks so amazing; it would be a shame if it was ever refurbished.

How’s the album progressing?
Colin: All wrapped up now. We’ve just the artwork to sort out now. It’s quite ambitious as a debut we’d like to think. Our influences are quite varied, and that comes across on the recordings. We like the idea of each song being different to the next.
James: We recorded fifteen songs for it but painstakingly whittled it down to ten. It’s quite schizophrenic in a way, because it chops and changes, yet the album flows really well. We approached it from a song to song basis, rather than trying to get a "sound for the album". That can get very boring. Too many albums after track four start to sound the same. Having said that, it definitely sounds like Straglers.

16 cans, 4am – is that the usual song writing process?
Colin: Sometimes! A lot of our finest work has come from drinking sessions yeah. There’s always a new song created when the cans of Tuborg are about. Songs can come from anywhere though.

‘Bitches in the Basement’ is available on iTunes, alongside a remix by Hugh People. ‘The Kids are Deranged’ album set for summer 09 release.

www.myspace.com/straglers

Dark Room Notes

"It helped change the atmosphere in the studio, it's amazing what the donning of a pair of speedos and an eye-patch can do for a song. There are some photos that will never see the light of day." (Ed: probably just as well)

Galway/Dublin/Wicklow hybrid, Dark Room Notes emerge from the er... dark room to bring fans and followers their debut album, ‘We Love You Dark Matter’.

Having relegated the pre-programmed beats to the sidelines, in favour of a real-life, living, breathing drummer (a move which the band say has brought “irreplaceable energy” to the group), DRN bring their blend of electro rock to the Academy this Thursday to throw the proverbial champagne bottle at the album.

Connected say ‘Godspeed’ and chat with the foursome, so tight they speak as one, ahead of the launch.

You recorded the new album We Love You Dark Matter in London, why so?
We wanted to get away from home and to leave behind the distractions of every day life in Dublin. Of course in London there are many, many other distractions, but the change of scenery helped to keep us fresh while going through an exhausting recording process. We also discovered that cost was pretty much the same as in Dublin, and there was access to far more toys.

Would it be fair to say the album is a little bit heavier than previous work?
Our previous output was recorded in a more sterile atmosphere and probably lacked a lot of the impact that we felt when we played it live. All of this album was recorded as live as possible, and the energy that this captures gives it more impact, which probably comes across in certain songs as heaviness. But the album does have it subtle, quieter moments too. We like to bust out the big riffs though.

What did producer Ciarán Bradshaw bring to the table? Apart from the obvious, that is.
Ciarán planted the tree, cut down the tree, carved the table with his bare hands, set the table, cooked the food, served the food, cleared the table and washed the dishes. All with a smile on his face. The album just wouldn't have happened without him. He brought a golden glow to the table, he has an insane amount of technical knowledge, an unquenchable thirst for adventure and exploration, a brilliant spark of imagination, the keenest ear possible, but it was the golden glow that allowed us to get into the space where magic could happen. He's been working with us from the beginning and I honestly don't think we would be the same band without him and it definitely wouldn't be the same album. Who else would dress like a warrior to help the vibe of a song?

Your recording process - one track a day - sounds very methodical. How was it really?
Well a day can be a curious thing, so while it might sound very methodical it really wasn't how it felt, being in the centre of crazy London and having our very own bike gang was great. We had some crazy adventures on our breaks. Having said that we did have a plan, there was method to our madness, it was mostly Ciarán though who took care of the method, we took care of the madness.

You used vintage synths on the album, any interesting previous owners?
Yeah! They've been studio synths since the Berlin days of Bowie and Iggy Pop so I'd say they are probably the most interesting synths in the world.

Did you use analog or digital synths?
We used quite a few old analogue synths (Moogs, Pro-One, Putney) in the recording of the album, but unfortunately our own collection of synths doesn't stretch beyond digital at the moment. We hope this will change very soon.

How important is it to get into character for recording?
We found that after a few days of intense heat and intense concentration, it was a real help to seek out new, sublime and ridiculous costumes from the markets of Brick Lane. It helped change the atmosphere in the studio. It's amazing what the donning a pair of speedos and an eye-patch can do for a song. There are some photos that will never see the light of day.

You supported Kraftwerk last year in Kilmainham. What were they like in person?
Unfortunately they were a little stand-offish and kept themselves to themselves. I can however confirm that at least one of them has a mickey. And they eat sandwiches.

You heading to Depeche Mode?
You paying?

I like your hat.
Hats are always on my mind.

www.darkroomnotes.com

Dreadzone

"Giving away music has become a necessity but the work of the musician or artist must have value, it's how you achieve that, the traditional role has reduced but others have sprung up so we must adapt and go with the flow. Download is the future."

Festival stalwarts Dreadzone return to Dublin for another expectantly energetic live show, on the rather dry stage of the Academy - weather not-permitting.

With a sixteen year history behind them, the group have just released their new single, which marks a stark departure from their previous work. We caught up with writer, producer, DJ, drummer and general 'holding things together' lynch-pin of the London dub-dance outfit, Greg Dread, to talk music, line-ups, USB sticks and other such ramblings.

In the last sixteen years, a myriad of styles and musical trends have come and gone, yet Dreadzone remain. How would you say your music has changed since you set out? How would you describe your music today?
The change has been more song orientated I guess, the first album was more linear, instrumental and sample driven, as we progress there is much more live instrumentation, lyrics and melody. We have always kept our principles of rhythm and sound pretty much the same. I would say we are more driven by writing the perfect pop song at the moment, and why not?

The new download For a Reason is quite accessible and radio friendly, what kind of reaction have you had to it so far?
The reaction has been extremely good, everybody seems to be liking it and accepting that we can be diverse in our approach. There is nothing wrong in being accessible, we have fans of many ages and walks of life, as the income from music dwindles, we need to cast our net wider.

For a Reason is download only. What are your thoughts on downloading vs. more traditional modes of releasing music?
Giving away music has become a necessity but the work of the musician or artist must have value, it's how you achieve that. The traditional role has reduced but others have sprung up so we must adapt and go with the flow. Download is the future.

You released a Dreadzone USB with music, pictures, artwork and videos. Where did that idea come from?
I believe it has been done before by some people, it just seemed a natural idea to sell them as merchandise. We thought it would be good to fill the USB with decent Dread stuff. But we also found that people have yet to become used to this format.

Will you be showcasing much from the forthcoming album at the Dublin gig? Any hints of what to expect at the gig and on the album?
There are many new songs in the set and updated versions of older stuff, we shall always provide something new and exciting for the crowd. The songs have been developed during our shows and have been the better for it.

You've created music from a home studio previously. What freedoms or limitations have you found with working from home?
I did have a home studio for a while but this current album is being put together in a space we have rented in central London, I have found it rewarding to get up and go into work everyday and set out to achieve a certain amount. It has a great live room so have been capturing some good performances from people; it's a good place for rehearsing for shows too.

You've two new members in the band, Chris Compton and Chris Oldfield. What have they brought to the group dynamic?
Both have brought good ideas and a calm Zen like approach to what they do, they believe in the band and have given so much good stuff. We had to re-invent the band and were able to do that easily with these guys. There is a good feeling of positivity in the group right now.

You've had quite a lot of line-ups. Do you find it easy to slot in new members/energies?
We find it easy to work with people, as long as the chemistry and ideas are there. They haven't really changed that much, I'm still working with Leo from Bad Days, and can't imagine playing with another bass man, and Earl 16 has been with us for a long time.

Have you any plans to re-collaborate with any vocalists you've worked with before?
I am always on the look out for good people, we are currently using a very talented female singer called Marcie Arnold who has an incredible range and versatility, and found it hard not to use her on many tunes.

Are any future remixes under the alias Mafia Tone in the pipe work?
Mafia Tone was something that represented the work I did with Ben Balfonic in the earlier part of the decade so won't be doing anything under that name anymore.

Are you still running Dubweiser in Notting Hill Arts Club?
No, but we are thinking about starting another club night in London somewhere. We have some good ideas for it and we have great bunch of people who could come together and make it work. This would be another strand of what we do to keep the energies flowing.

You've become known for your obscure samples, particularly from film. Are you a big movie buff?
I do love movies and explore the many genres as much as possible, and always have my sample seek radar on. I just collect them and run through bits when I am looking for something in particular.

What's next for Dreadzone? Any ballpark date for the album release?
More new music (free and for sale) more shows, live and DJ, a summer full of festivals and a challenge to overcome the financial problems of all business, including our own. One thing sticks out for the future is utilising the internet. Watch this space for an expanded online version of the Dreadzone experience. We plan to get the album out for this year but as it's not finished yet so I can't really give an exact date.

Dreadzone play The Academy on February 20. Support by Breakology.

www.dreadzone.com

DJedjotronic

"I think it's easier to love a beautiful vinyl sleeve than a computer screen. But for a DJ set, it's not the same work. Playing with a laptop allows you to do some live editing and bootlegging. I guess, if you don't like computers, you have a problem with electronic music."

French electro head DJedjotronic is depressingly the same age as me. At the ripe age of twenty three, he has made a splash not only at home but further afield (or should that be asea..?).

Regardless of inane wordplay, DJedjotronic has made his mark in music since he ditched the guitar hero and hairy rock in his teens, and started showcasing his producing on MySpace. The Parisian is a big fan of the self-made element of the site, un-coincidentally perhaps, since it led to many collaborations and a platform on which to release new material.

Earlier this year, DJedjotronic released his curiously awaited second solo EP, Dirty and Hard, on acclaimed Boys Noize Records. It is quite a feat especially considering that Jeremy, to his mother (presumably), lost the hearing in his right ear. Despite doctors’ advice to quit music, he kept at it. ‘I had no choice, music is the only thing I can do. It's about vital need’, he explained ― and more, when we caught up with him ahead of his Button Factory gig.

Are you looking forward to playing Dublin?
I'm very excited about playing in Dublin; it's my first time there. For my DJ set you can expect that I won't be too drunk to play. More seriously though, I'll try to play more and more self made tracks and edits in my DJ set, in order to make something more personal.

Describe your sound in 5 words.
Rough, Romantic, Rave, Exotic, Cumshot.

How did you initially get involved in mixing and producing?
I’ve played music since I was a little boy. I played classical guitar for ten years, then during my teenage years I decided to buy drum machine.

Where does the name DJedjotronic come from?
Umm… It's my first girlfriend who found this crappy name. I decided to keep it, even though it's not easy to pronounce.

Aside from ex-girlfriends, who have you been influenced by?
My friends and family.

Dirty & Hard was released on Boys Noize Records, how did you get involved with the label?
MySpace magic. We were talking for a year about releasing something together and now it's real. But I'm a little bit of a perfectionist so I take my time to make something good.

What kind of reception have you had from the EP?
I received very good feedbacks about Dirty and Hard EP. People like Erol Alkan, Proxy, Acid Jacks or Jackson play the tracks. That’s really great. Even Benny Benassi play-listed it on his radio show.

Which do you prefer, music with words or music without words?
I really like to work from lyrics. I mean, sometimes a simple word could create a melody in my head. Then I just have to transpose it on my keyboard. Sometimes it's better without words, when the melodies speak for themselves.

You’ve done quite a few collaborations, is there anyone that you would really love to work with?
I would really love to work with Mirwais (Ahmadzaï) and Prince.

How did the collaboration with SPOEK come about?
We met on MySpace. I sent him a mail. He sent me some lyrics. We started to work on it. I really like his voice.

What do you say to vinyl-loving, laptop-haters?
I'm actually using CDs. I think it's easier to love a beautiful vinyl sleeve than a computer screen. But for a DJ set, it's not the same work. Playing with a laptop allows you to do some live editing and bootlegging. I guess, if you don't like computers, you have a problem with electronic music.

What do you think of the current electro scene?
Very exciting.

Any opinions on Lady GaGa?
I prefer Katy Perry.


www.myspace.com/djedjotronic