Nowt to do with David Mancuso’s one

No 1. In a occasional series. Club Disobey Beermat

big up the bee!

Here’s the first in the series of artifacts which are festering alongside bad quality punk bootlegs, 1980’s reggae soundtapes and balearic mix tapes oxidising in boxes in my loft (or found between two 12″ singles like this one was) seeing as I couldn’t get out in the garden today. Man, it was like a different world temperature-wise compared to yesterday. I found it hard to go out to the shops let alone do any gardening.

Club Disobey was a top club in the mid to late 90’s sometimes held upstairs at the Garage in Highbury & Islington where DJ Beekeeper (Bruce Gilbert from Wire who has been known to DJ at other clubs inside a replica of his own garden shed) would play his bonkers selection (which might include the sound of fireworks amongst other daft things) and on one occasion where Richard D. James plugged in his Argos smoothie maker and Wickes power drill to compliment his DJ set. Giveaways were of the regular kind and here’s one of them, a lovely Bee themed beermat. Big up the Bee, gardening wouldn’t be the same without you!

The way I walk is just the way I walk

There’s a brill offer at Shannon’s Garden Centre in Forest Hill at the moment, they’re doing five herb plants for a fiver, that’s good isn’t it? It’s a great place, well stocked and the staff are always eager to help.

walk the walkI was around there as soon as I found out about the offer and for my fiver I got a Mint (I needed some leaves for a kebab recipe that afternoon and there was none in our garden, far too cold!), Coriander, Lavender, Rosemary and the very odd Tree Onion (aka Egyptian Onion.) If you’re around the Forest Hill locality and want to take up the offer click here for the form to claim your herbal discount!

Carnage on a sunday

Here’s an old tune that came to mind out the blue this morning, a lovely number from the late great Hortense Ellis (sister of Alton Ellis another reggae great) “Unexpected Places”. I thought this was written by Jose Feliciano but turns out it was penned by Kim “Dickie Davies Eye’s” Carnes. Well I never! (Said in a husky female Rod Stewart type voice.)

Another garden-related musical release

share the flameJazzmin Tutum – Share the flame – Universal Egg
A big shout to the dub poetess Jazzmin Tutum on her excellent new release on Zion Train’s Universal Egg Records called “Share the flame“. A great mix of bass heavy collaborations with Neil Perch (who also produces the tracks), Brain Damage, Hey o Hansen, Ralf Freudenberger and yours truly (Madtone). Respect to Jazzmin for working with “Calling live on channel” and “Message from Madtone”! A big thanks goes out to our good friend Dr Strangedub from KFAI’s excellent Echo Chamber for linking us up!

Gardening related tune of the week

Heard on this weeks Echo Chamber, a lovely middle eastern inspired slow-mo bass heavy track with squelchy acid overtones and available as a free download too! A track to listen to while out in the back garden on a warm summers evening sipping on some char of the Moroccan variety.

It’s a shame it’s February and zero degrees outside, roll on the summer!

A seedy sunday in sydenham

The London Charity Potato Fair and Seed Exchange
Sunday 27th January 2013
11.00am-3.00pm
Sydenham School
Dartmouth Road
Forest Hill
London SE26 4RD

A last minute news flash about a seed swap event a stones throw from the weeds up to me knees HQ tomorrow. It looks a great day out and I’ll definitely be wandering up there if the weathers okay and I have a spare tenner in me pocket.

As it says about the event on the web:
At all these events in addition to a huge range of seed potatoes, there will be our Heritage and Heirloom seeds, onion sets, shallots and garlic bulbs, fruit trees, soft fruit and other edible plants such as rhubarb and asparagus.

If you’re up there I’ll be the one trying to do deals with the stallholders with bags of small change and old washers!

Tripping the light fantastic

Dustin not justin, ok?

Andrew Weatherall – The White Light Mixes – White Light 74

Here’s a deep little mix to listen to while getting a little introspective reading the small print on the back of the seed catalogue/bank statements. A well ambient selection from the DJ who is also a secret radish grower so I’ve been told. Features a couple of nice tracks by Dustin O’Hallaran (above) and touches of Suicide and Morricone in there too, moody!

In a different stylee…