Nitrous oxide, also referred to as Laughing Gas has a particularly interesting history, being one of the only drugs beside cannabis & alcohol that people still use in similar forms/dosages to centuries ago. It’s on the WHO Model List of Essential medicines because of its use in surgery & dentistry, it’s what the NoS tanks in Fast & the Furious cars use for that video game style speed boosts & it’s been used recreationally by half a million people in the UK alone. Nitrous has been shown to be relatively harmless from a neurotoxicity perspective. The issue with most users developing hypoxia is related to their using “whippets” instead of medical grade Nitrous. While medical grade Nitrous has oxygen mixed into it, chargers do not. Hence the potential for harm if you’re getting the stuff you can get at Zabars instead of having it be administered by someone with medical or dental training. But here’s the crazy part, it started out just as a party drug for the British upper class & academia.
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Tag Archives: UK
Midnight Music: The Prodigy – Wild Frontier (Wilkinson Remix)
The remix game is just heating up when it comes to The Prodigy’s new album. The Day Is My Enemy is going to spawn a gigantic wave of bomb-ass remixes and this first volley is no exception. Wilkinson bursts out of the gate with this massive release on RAM Records. This is one of those tunes that you just kind of want to flip your hood up and get down with your bad self. It brings out some of the heart inside the amazing Wild Frontier track and adds a fresh dollop of big bass d&b on top of it. Get it now that it’s live on Beatport as well. If you’re into spinning D&B, this track is going to be a must-have this summer. Once The Prodigy starts to get into full swing, these kinds of reworkings are going to be worth their weight in gold. He who remixes best, will win. Now if we could only get The Prodigy to play somewhere on this side of the pond in 2015.
PM(A), PMMA, Who Got The Keys To My Bimmer
This week, Ravelrie, Stay Safe Seattle, NY DanceSafe & I are talking PMA/PMMA. Just like the rap joke in the title, this topic is as old, and potentially devastating. PMA In case you weren’t paying attention, fake pills killed some people in the UK over the holiday season. When The Guardian is taking time to talk about this, you should be paying attention. To stress, this stuff has been killing people since 1973. The USA, Canada & the UK have dealt with this stuff, even the Netherlands & Denmark has had its problems with it.
Now remember, it’s not like we don’t know how to get information out to the public. Mixmag reminds us that in the UK people, will call out the gov’t for not issuing safety warnings about pills. That’s right, the Warehouse Project gets information out about this stuff, and even local newspapers in Bristol were getting the word out. Isn’t that really what we should be trying for? Using this crazy security & surveillance apparatus they’ve built under the guise of protecting us, and using it to like…tell us when there are things out there that might hurt us?
But I digress. You may be wondering why I’m bamboozling you with UK statistics when you, dear reader, likely aren’t reading this from Brixton (BIG UPS BIG APPLE RECORDS!). Here’s the really scary reminder that ties this little post of mine together. Anyone who has been in the scene for more than the last couple of years will remember the Superman pills here in NYC. These pills are seen as the like, the dope shit. And they really are dope. They will ruin your night/life, and we need to be cognizant of the fact that reputations when it comes to MDMA can be used against users. This is DanceSafe advocates drug checking if you’re really brave (stupid) enough to use these things. To note, besides a random trip report or two, this drug doesn’t have a recreational following. No one is trying to score PMA, they just get it because their dealer is a terrible person. Be safe, don’t take drugs that will kill you & join us at 4:30pm on Twitter using #PMMA.
Music I’d Forgotten About: Space Monkey [UK Psytrance]
Ah Space Monkey. It had drifted out of my mind for a while, as psy-trance isn’t something we get a whole lot of these days in the Tri-state area. Psycheground & others are still holding it down, but the days of the all night forest raves several times a summer are gone, never to return. I’d needed to explain what this kind of thing sounded like, so I decided to send this to a friend. This, is some of the best UK psychedelic trance you can find ladies and gentlemen. 3min in, we get the greatest sample in the history of trance. JFK’s inauguration speech slammed into ridiculous trance music, and as you can hear, it totally works. Throw this on for your friends who think they know how to rage. I like it so much there’s some extra from him for you below. Enjoy!
Midnight Music: Archive – End Of Our Days [Indietronica]
Hat tip to The Joy of Violent Movement for becoming my go-to source for indie, alt rock, singer-songwriter, hip hop & all things that you could go hipster over. Tonight, I’ve got some dopeness from Archive, a South London group that gets it right. This group does some great work, especially balancing the organic & synthetic aspects of their production. The beats that come in halfway through the track add dimensions that I was not expecting. It’s an echoic fusion that gives me hope for the future. This is the kind of sound I keep coming back to, putting the best of both out there, for all to see. I am already terribly sad I won’t be able to catch them as they’re still only touring in the UK, but wait for them to go London Grammar on the pop world, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. (via Joy Of Violent Movement)
Midnight Music: The Prodigy – Nasty [Violent Big Beat]
It’s here! The first single on the new Prodigy album is here! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! They’re the best at what they do and they’re back. This punchy sound is exactly where it needs to be, while also upending some social order goodness lampooning the annual fox hunt thing the gentry in the UK have every year. This is them reminding the world they’re here, this is how to sound like that, and they can do it without truckloads of hardware. While some people have expressed being underwhelmed, this is is how they play. Any fan of The Prodigy know that their first release off of an album is usually a poppier, less aggressive choice. After Smack My Bitch Up became a nation-wide controversy, I’d imagine they may want to generate some furor, without being called terrorists. It’s a fine line when it comes to generating outrage vs. starting to be clamped down on, and The Prodigy have walked that line better than anyone. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this stuff, and if you grab the pre-order, you get the single tomorrow.
Midnight Music: Redial – Work It Down [Aussie Bass]
So, Redial is no joke. This took me totally by surprise, because it’s like, circus massive. There’s this gregariousness to the bass that’s almost Falstaffian (yea, I went there). For all of my people not up on Shakespeare, it’s almost a sloppy drunk bass, with some triumphant chords sloshing around there. This is what Mad Decent would sound like if diplo was from Brixton instead of Philly. And yea, I understand the gravity of those words. Ride along and see what I mean. Short, sweet & to the point, three minutes and it’s gone, and you’re left wanting for more. Exactly what’s needed to dive into the Soundcloud page and get more into the face. Dude doesn’t even play, so get up on this before it blows up.
Midnight Music: Izzard & Alicks – Looking Out With You (Strife II Remix) [Liquid DnB]
Strife II has returned, rejoice & be glad! The crown prince of liquid (in my eyes anyway) released an opus clocking in well over seven minutes. This kind of sound is totally rare, but Strife II proves once again that he can do it like no other. The soulful, melodic chords & quiet piano progression are at the core of my favorite sub-genre in dnb. The smooth, emotional vibe glides across your awareness, packing a punch without jarring one’s senses. I am at a loss as to why this kid isn’t one of the biggest sounds coming out of the UK, but I’m going to keep yelling about him as long as I’m able. This is the future, or at least, I hope it is. I think it would lead to a better world, Wyld Stallions-style, but what do I know. Take a listen and tell me what you think.
Jamie XX Is So Freaking Good At Music.
Jamie XX continues to blow me away. I’ve used the word lush before to describe music, but there’s a thickness, a richness to the soundscapes that Jamie XX creates. This is something I don’t think many artists in the scene approach, much less match. The samples intersperse a different UK scene in his music. This is equivalent for progressive house quoting Chicago House DJs discussing the Chicago House scene. If it was done by anyone less skilled than Jamie XX, it would be downright disrespectful. However, the massive & perfect use of bass and synthetic feels, provides this classic UK rave feel combined with these ragga drums. This jungle infused-garage is sophisticated but effortless. The massive beat seems to fill the spaces in your shuffling awareness, as the samples echo in your mind. Hardcore is a genre that seemed unstoppable, but now you’d be hard pressed to find someone old enough to remember it at a lot of NYC parties. Which, to me is bonkers, but just goes to show you. Nothing lasts forever. Carpe that diem y’all.
It’s A Long Journey To The Top. Get To Work.
This is a picture of the Beatles in Aldershot, England, in 1961. There were 18 people in the crowd. 18. In case you don’t believe me, there’s a picture below to provide further context. That’s right ladies & gentlemen. This is pre-Ringo, pre-Sullivan, pre-everything. Everyone, even the best, start somewhere. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. It’s a new week, what plans do you have for making your life/art better?
Terry Gotham 