Last of the Summer Wine

Sorry Phil, but I'm jacking your photos. This was a great party.

The Neues Museum

The Neues Museum reopened last weekend after an 11 year restoration by British architect David Chipperfield. When I went to have a look, there was a cue so large the city had thrown in a marquee to protect the assembled hoardes from the rain. It does look pretty special though.

Lolek and Bolek

One of the weird and beautiful things about childhood is that memories from that time often induce a physical reaction. The smell of my grandmother's Irish lamb stew, or of the tropics - all diesel and briney palms - when the door of the plane was first opened after a long haul flight, still manage to cast me back in time, make my toes curl and the seams of my mouth crease up. The same is true of Lolek and Bolek. A Polish cartoon created in the mid-sixties, it bears all the flair of Soviet arts and crafts, but with anti-establishment lashings of innocence and a joy of play in its most sincere form. Brought back to my childhood home by a friend of my parents who was posted to Warsaw at the time, these silent ten minute epics still captivate me in a way that few other works of art have EVER managed.



Imagine my surprise however upon entering university and mentioning to a Polish friend about my love for the series, that his grandfather, Władysław Nehrebecki created the show, and that it was based on his two sons, one of them being the father of my friend (I'm not sure which). I mean, I know a few Polish people, not hundreds, but a few, yet even so, what are the chances of that happening?

In all honesty, I haven't thought about it for a while until I came across a track which is also quite obviously endebted to this seminal series, the Polish Catz N Dogz' 'Lolek and Bolek'. Cue a slew of hazy memories: rainy days in spent watching a worn out Soviet VHS, dreaming of these surreal and alien Polish landscapes and yearning for the freedom to explore the woods, derelict fairgrounds, and mountain lodges, that these two adventurous lads were able to.

The weird thing is that the track is about a million miles away from my notion of what Lolek and Bolek stand for. It's quite literally a ghettoisation of their agrarian adventures, full of inner city attitude, shuffly samples, and a complete disregard for the pre-lapsarian sanctifying of the outdoors. Which is a shame really. But here it is nonetheless. I wonder what Darek will make of it all?

Tentative Bidding

Now that all that 'Hyph Mngo' clamour has died down (?), it seems like the right time to point you folks in the direction of 'Tentative Bidding', the best thing Herr Orbison has put his name to so far, although I must say I'm looking forward to hearing 'The Shrew would have cushioned the blow'.

Tokyo Calling

My mate Tommy's latest. Favourite bit?

'The lack of camping and the proximity to Tokyo kept away all the usual urban hippy kids, and apart from the usual few irritating poi "practitioners," there was a much darker feel overall.'

God I hate those "practitioners".

Oilsands

Phunklarique -Oilsands by andreablufin

Another absolute groover from Phunklarique. Their best release yet?

El Bandido

Great piece by Philip Sherburne on Nicolas Jaar in RA. Great track by the frustratingly young man himself.

Benoit and Sergio

Song02 - Benoit & Sergio "What I've Lost" by thesongsays

Described by Seth Troxler in our interview as New Order meets Perlon, I think Paul Simon is more fitting, but how lovely is this minimal molecular mollusk?

Saturday

Phew. It's Saturday. And we're throwing a party tonight in our wonderful Berlin residence. The invitations have been sent, the bath filled with beers and ice, and all that remains is for people to arrive. Well, almost. I'm actually in bed writing this and have just woken up. But that will be the case in a few hours.

Firstly though, a quick heads up. Aside from posting interviews and tracks, not very much has made it onto the page about what's going on chez Gab. So basically, this is how it stands. In December, I will be returning to the UK for a month, before going on to spend the next six months in Colombia, Barranquilla to be precise. Home to the second best Carnival in South America don't you know? The aim is to return to Berlin in June 2010, hopefully having bagged a foreign correspondent gig for some top Latin American broadsheets.

This blog, it now seems clear, is so very much a product of this city, that I couldn't possibly tell you how it will mutate after six months in the tropics. However, in the interest of continuity, I have chosen not to end it and start another but carry on, and see where it heads to next. I imagine less house and techno, more cumbia. Nonetheless, it has already survived one move from London to Berlin so why shouldn't it survive another?

In the meantime, everything will carry on as usual. I have been asked to write for Inverted Audio, so you can expect more writings from there and from RA. There will also be more interviews, and even my first mix for the site which is very exciting. Then, I am very proud to announce the first mixtape as well which will be premiering soon from a very special guest.

Here, everything carries on apace. Days consist of sweating into my capacious messenger bag or getting pissed on by October showers whilst evenings have tended towards the culinary and contemplative. That is of course all set to change. Tonight: party. Next weekend: Bish (et al?) Two weeks: Tangiers. Four weeks: The Scolt Head. Six weeks: London. Twelve weeks: the Caribbean.

NOMAD

Vainquer

Nice essential selection by Levon Vincent.

Firenze

Someone's been listening to some Todd Edwards.

I think we've found autumns first 'Let's get ravey' tune. Has this hit already?

Nose Dive

Sascha Dive has taken the route well-travlled and it's not done him any favours whatsoever.