Still on the compost tip, here’s a good site that’ll give you some guidance what to add and what not to add to the heap. More information here.
More compost related stuff…
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Category Archives: Dub Gardeners of the world unite
Cutting straight to dub, are we Frank?
David Rodigan has told a story on this week’s show about the (late, great) UK mastering engineer John Hassell. Years ago when in a studio in America, he heard that the session before him featured one Frank Sinatra. He asked the production team how it went, and they said it was okay but they were amazed that the record company went for the take where Frank forgot the lyrics. Turns out the tune was called Strangers In The Night (and we all know that “dooby dooby doo” bit at the end.) Brilliant story and I’d love to believe it’s true.
His mention of John Hassell reminded me of a brilliant TV programme from many moons ago where it shows him at the controls (and his wife Felicity giving it a “reeeeewind”) and even has some nice petrol lawn mower and edging shear action at the start of it. What more do you want out of a TV clip? Dub it Mr Hassell!
Slow-mo seed tin business
A nice bit of slow-mo dancehall by Dolomite AKA Seeker called Heartache and Pain as heard on the New Year’s Day Rt Hon David Rodigan show. One to listen to loud when looking through the seed tin and wondering what to get in for spring/summer, and wondering why is there so many carrot seeds left from last year?
Reachin’
Big shout to The TurntableTerrorist Terry C out of Chicago for sending us this pic of his garden from a few years ago. As he emailed this evening “I especially long for it now that we’re in deep winter in Chicago.” We know what you mean, even though the snow and the frost aren’t showing their faces in the UK at the moment but they will.
Check out Terry’s excellent show “Echo Beach” that is a big 10 years old this year on WLUW 88.7 Chicago live here and on the Mixcloud site here.
As it’s says on the WLUW website it’s a “bass-heavy sonic journey through the world of dub, starting with old-school roots and covering dub and dub influenced music including new-school roots, ambient dub, dubhop, dubstep, digi-dub, Asian dub and more from around the globe. Rivers of bass flowing into oceans of dub…all from the shores of Lake Michigan.” A show well up our street and definitely one to tune in to. Cheers to Terry C for playing our tunes on his show. Appreciated!
And while we’re here, here’s a lovely bit of chilled out vibes to celebrate the winter solstice (it’s all uphill from here) as heard on the Rt Hon David Rodigan show this week. Tune!!!
Dub what you see
As played on the Rt Hon David Rodigan radio show this week, the excellent The Frightnrs out of NYC with a dub and a half of “Dispute” mixed by the great Victor Axelrod aka Ticklah. There’s some fine flyers too from the band here. Can you get that tinkering piano part out of your head? I can’t.
Big up the ‘bonnet!
Big shout to Craig from Mungo’s Hi Fi/Scotch Bonnet Records who pointed us in the direction of the chart they did for the excellent dubstore records out of Japan earlier this month. And what a chart it is, there’s some brilliant stuff on this selection.
It includes some corkers, from bass bonkers from Von D, some very very nice modern skanking business from Squarewave/Sukh Knight (what a tune!), some goodies from the Scotch Bonnet label themselves (including Prince Fatty’s The Model!), a nice Wailing Souls on Jammy’s and a whole lot more.
This is a mix to be cranked up loud when you’re getting over a nasty virus (and dreaming of being able to go out and tidy that garden) and one to blow those bad germs away to infinity! Cheers to Craig and all at Mungo’s/Scotch Bonnet and keep up the good work with those cracking tunes!
1. Sir Spyro – Topper Top – Deep Medi Musik
2. Parly B, Danny T, Tradesman – Galang Riddim – Scotch Bonnet Records
3. Stalawa – Music with a Message – Foreign Mind Records
4. Von D, Egoless – Analog Sound / Bubble Beat – Scrub a dub
5. Squarewave and Sukh Knight – Way Of Life – Moonshine Recordings
6. Prince Fatty – The Model – Scotch Bonnet Records
7. Cornell Campbell – Nothing Don’t Come Easy – Jammys / Dub Store Records
8. Wailing Souls – Move On – Jammys / Dub Store Records
9. Michael Prophet – The Copa Come – Techniques/Dub Store Records
Faith in humankind restored yet again
Yesterday was spent in good company, with a couple of hours of gardening followed by a visit to this year’s Fordham Park festival. It’s on a smaller scale than when Orbital played there many years ago but it’s nice to hear on a Saturday afternoon some mad punk bands thrashing it out, entertainment on the lovely named “Recknaw” stage (what does it spell backwards?) and being with local characters in a packed tiny tent loving a sound system playing top tunes (who ignored from us here at weeds to dedicate one to “anyone who’s left their washing out.”)
Multimeters in the dance © Marc Bultitude
There was a welcomed absence of artisan flat whites, workshop tea, craft ales and ethically-sourced bagel sellers but they had their revenge in the end so we were told.
A bloke in his late 50’s (in an ill-fitting biker’s jacket with a faded Crass symbol on the back) explained to us that the estate agents, coffee companies and cupcake vendors who couldn’t get on site all got together the day before and with a bit of alchemy, influenced the bad weather we were currently having. He might have been right as it tipped it down most of the afternoon after a week of glorious sunshine. “Boo hiss” to them!
We’ve now gone back in our memory to festivals and fetes of old. Where the army motorcycle display team do that “pyramid” thing and the local police dog handlers let off big alsatians at sheepskin-wearing “villain’s” wearing big padding on one of their arms. Ah, those were the days…
It was officially summer on the 1st of June but you wouldn’t have thought it what with the cold blustery weather at the moment. Everyone still keeps on saying about this expected heatwave. Don’t hold your breathe…How do you make a Zen garden?
A big shout to Dr Strangedub and DJ Baby Swiss from the excellent radio show Echo Chamber on KFAI who every Wednesday from the crack of dawn play the best in reggae, dub and downbeat.
On this week’s show they played Dr Strangedub’s “In the garden of dub” mix (above) from a couple of years ago celebrating the “pleasures of gardening, the roots of life and the seasons of nature.” We here think it’s great stuff and includes Singers & Players (ft. Prince Far I), Madtone, Leroy Sibbles, Jah Wobble, Lee Perry and lots more, dedicated to the late great Peter Sellers (aka Chauncey Gardner). More proof that music and gardening do mix!
The rebroadcasting of the mix comes at an apt time where last week Graham Porter on Gardening with Tim Crowther on BBC Radio Leeds said that we’ve now reached the point where tender plants can be now put out. But that’s after the plants have had a period of being hardened off, a good watering and some slug protection has been put down first. But do keep that fleece handy just in case and watch those weather forecasts as you never know if/when those damn frosts will reappear.
Up on the roof
A couple of years ago we featured the great garden of Jochen from Splintercell Sound from near Bielefeld, Germany (more about Jochen and his garden here.) He grows veg and fruit in a greenhouse and various pots on top of his carport, how brilliant is that?
A big thanks to Jochen for sending us some pics the other day, the pots have been prepared and the gardening season over in Bielefeld has now started! 
Above, a selection of the potatoes that are going in; “annabelle”, red potato, “bamberger hörnchen” ( aka “Bamberger (City) Croissant,” a great name!) and a blue variety. A nice old array of potatoes. More on the different varieties of the ‘umble spud here.
In the greenhouse there’s peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. Also has peas, beans, potatoes, strawberries (around the greenhouse – below left,) rasperries, gooseberry, currant and a kaki tree (persimmon fruit) that’s got flower buds after four years (below right.) There’s a cherry tree and apple trees in the small yard between the house and the carport too.
Jochen is also involved in the club Feel Like Jumping (music policy, reggae from rocksteady, rub a dub, dancehall, ragga to modern roots) in Münster and looks like a great night with some fine flyers too!
A big up to Jochen for the pics again and picking this fine tune from Wayne Jarret. Further proof that good music and gardening do mix!
Weeds up to me knees 