My favourite Places in the world and the songs that sum them up

Naples - this city is nuts. Like really nuts. It is even crazier than Sicily which is saying a lot. Things you will find in Naples - a motorino with a father, mother carrying a baby, and a child standing at the front holding the handlebars. A ten year old child chaperoning his girlfriend on a motorbike around the streets. Young Italian couples kissing at lookout points with tacky graffiti strewn across the pavement. Old people sitting watching the world go by out their windows. Shrines to Mary on every street corner. 1 billion churches. And, wherever you look is Vesuvius. This city is, in short, the bomb.

This song is by a group called Spaccanapoli and the song is appropriately called Vesuvio (Vesuvius) It was used in the Sopranos and represents everything that is Naples. Crazy, tribal, authentic, mysterious, exotic, rich and beautiful.

(Close contenders La Nostra Storia by Raffaello and Macchina 50 by Rosario Moraggio)

London - the trendiest, coolest, most indie, rocking, griming, underground city in the world. Most music movements, or at least the good ones, found their pride in London. Especially most electronic dance genres, from the acid house days, to the hardstyles and happy hardcore days to the funky house and street music days - they all we're at their best in London. And that is not to mention indie rock, punk, britpop and the Urban genres which have been in a better place since the year 2000 than what is being produced in America. Now you probably will hate my choice for the song that reminds me of London, especially given the artist seems to have given up hey British-ness for a more American sound. But I love M.I.A. unashamedly and one of her best songs was Galang. She wrote it about surviving in London. It is a bit grime, a bit electronic, a bit hip-hop, a bit dancehall and in true M.I.A. style, reworks the spirit of Indie legends The Clash to a whole different audience. She may have lost her way slightly with her new album, but when I went to London last year, all I could think of was "London Calling, Speak the Slang".

(Close contenders The Prodigy - No Good (Start The Dance) and The Chemical Bros - Hey Boy Hey Girl)

Berlin - this city is just so diverse, so respectful, so free. Its as if the history of Berlin has oddly helped it become a liberated city. If you want to be anyone in the world, then go to Berlin. It is creative, historic, trendy, underground, fun and open. An awesome city that everyone should visit once in their life. It is relatively cheap as well, and they have some of the coolest night spots you will find in the world. Its museums and tours are also the most captivating that I have ever attended. This song actually reminds me of Milan more than it does of Berlin, but since Digitalism are German and Milan isn't one of my favourite cities in the world (only just though, I do love it) I thought I'd throw down this track as my pick for this incredible city.

Digitalism's only LP was probably the best electronic album to be released in 2007. I listen to it religiously even in 2010 - it doesn't get old. They haven't released another album since, and frankly, I just have no idea how anything they could do could top the incredible tracks that made up their first album.

This is Zdarlight - one of the best electronic songs of all time. This song was huge in the clubs and festivals of Sydney, but I'm sure it was the most incredible fucking song in Berlin as well when it dropped.

(Close contenders Boys Noize - & Down and Deichkind - Remmidemmi)

Morocco. The land of the spiritual awakening. I have never felt so inspired in my life as when I visited Morocco. It is just a beautiful place, somewhere where you feel connected to the land, the people, the sky and yourself. I don't know if it is just me, but I felt like I belonged there. It was as if the land spoke to me, like I was on a journey. Forgive me for sounding cheesy, but I nearly lose my shit at the thought of going back there. I must have been from there in a past life or something. An interesting culture, the Berber people are the original nomadic people. They are the epitome of free people, their symbol and their name Amazigh, means free man. It is so easy to adopt these traits when you are there. From the Dades Gorges to the Saharan night sky.

Amazigh music is also very unique. Whilst in Morocco, our tour guide played one CD over and over. The music is kind of electronic, kind of auto-tuned even. There is an omnipresence of a country/electric guitar, mediterranean drums and a distinctive African call and response thing going on. Plus it has very Middle Eastern/Arabic sounding elements as well. The music is a hybrid, like the place. After hearing these songs 500 times in our tour guide's car, I asked him what one song that I had absolutely fallen in love with was called. He said it was called Rawa 3 and that he would give us a copy of the CD. This song was incredible, but unfortunately we never received the CD and Google and YouTube can't find this gem of a song. Aaaahh well, it set me off on a mission to discover other music from Morocco that I have since fallen in love with. This is a song by the last M'Bark Aysar. I don't know what its called, but it doesn't matter. It is Morocco to me.

(Close contenders - all music from Morocco)

Sydney - yes I put it on the list because it is my home and I have so much pride for this city. There isn't much to say about Sydney other than the fact that it is just the best. I love it and will always call it home. In the hey-day of my partying, I went to all of the festivals and clubbed my little heart out. I miss those days, but am ready to say I am well and truly over them. So many classic songs, but I guess I have to choose an Aussie one. So I will choose The Presets, since they are from Sydney and they really were the hottest shit back in 2006.

Close contenders Tomas Andersson - Washing Up (Tiga Mix), Buy Now - For Sale, Till West and DJ Delicious - Same Man, The Futureheads - Worry About It Later (Switch Mix), Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah (DJ Ramirez Mix), Mason - Exceeder, The Presets - My People and a whole lot more.

Baaria - La Porta Del Vento Review

Giuseppe Tornatore's Baaria is an exploration of three generations of change through his native town Bagheria, in north western Sicily.

Beginning in the early 20^th century, the story follows three generations of a Sicilian family, but focusing mostly on the middle generation in that of Peppino Torrenuova (Francesco Scianna) the son of a shepherd Ciccio. After growing into adulthood, Peppino joins to the communist movement and becomes a almost Robin Hood type figure in the town. Peppino meets and falls in love with Mannina, who is a stikingly beautiful Siclian woman played by Margareth Madè. From here, the complicated love story begins, as Mannina's family has already betrothed her to a rich land owner. This is overcome, in typically Italian style and their relationship progresses with many children.

The film is full of memorable scenes that accentuate the always fascinating and often bizarre nature of the Italian character. The humorous scenes roll in one after another and paint a vivid and true picture of the cultural practices in Sicily through the last century. Every scenes offers a smile at the expense of one of the many memorable characters who so beautifully fit into the situations. The costume design and reconstruction of historical periods in Sicily make the movie even more enjoyable.

However, these continual emphasis on charming and bizarre scenes also tend to overplay and take away from any sense of story structure and plot meaning.
Gradually, the viewer grasps that the film is a mere commentary on the unique and captivating life of Italians, rather than a story on the hardships of Southern Italian life during the 20^th Century. Ennio Morricon's score teases that the film will take a dark and meaningful turn, however these moments are short lived, as a generational shift and further chucklesome scenes give life to the next generation of Sicilian modernity.

The love story and communist side plots never outweigh each other, but you almost wish that one would. This was probably the point of Tornatorre. but the viewer almost begs for a critical point in the movie. There is an eerie nature of some scenes, such as the arrival in town of a psychic and her disabled son who seem to predict the future events for the protagonist family. And the ongoing resistance against the mafia of the communists in the town is not given enough attention as the potential for plot development through conflict is always outshone by the comedic nature of the dialogue and situations.

The film lacks the substance of other historical accounts of Italy through the 20^th century, who manage to provide and meaningful point and immaculately portray of the darkness and beauty of Italy and Italians.

The film is also around 45 minutes too long, and Tornatorre walks a dangerous line with employing dream like narrative so late into the story.
Regardless of the critical moments, people who are fascinated with Italy and its history will be in awe with the perfect casting and cinematography. The journey through World War II, Fascist Italy, US occupation of Sicily and the growth of the communist movement play second fiddle to the nature of the family members, who are depicted as kind and fair purveyors of communist political ideology. The film is a perfect example of how Italians seem to overcome an incredibly complex history and unhinged political system by maintaining a high quality life by a sense of family and community.

All in all, this is a light and honest film about Italy that ignores tragedy in favour of celebrating personal identity.

6.5/10

DJ ZInc Blunt Edge

Crunk house garage banger and my top tune of the week



Makes me want to party in London, where all the cool kids are from.

Rory Philips Remix The XX Crystalised

Oliver Sim's has one of the best voices.

This remix is so chilled, so cool without even trying.

Love to listen to this track a lot. Man, the cunt even likes TLC and Aaliyah which is so awesome for an indie kid. Coolest guy ever? Maybe just.

Anyways listen to this and dream

Are you out there?

Throw it all in
take the chance
see what is to be seen
and what needs to be equal


Believe that it is not just how it is
put it all together


Fight through the doubt that there is no meaning
and cling to every sign that you are now exalted


Cast your mind back 
and face what you know


I see you more in this the 9th month
I feel even more after each encounter


I suffocate my thoughts with dreams of life forces
I beat myself by voicing what will happen 
right before it does


Take five and five
and I quit the pain
but not the struggle
not to stop growing


Transcend


Bypass the aid
do it yourself
Nobody arrived that didn't once doubt
didn't once ponder 
so much so they broke at every second


but it was really a dove, disguised as death


So can you please cling to my being
I called for you and now you're here
Push spirits through and read my thoughts


This is a message for me and for you


Living in the world that comes to you


The one that picks up your heart
stretches all that is not physical 
making the hybrid of being


So until the day I die I'll know its there
because if I only wonder
I will be defeated


So I write this because I feel and cos I'm free


Now I wait for you to understand 
reach out to me and all that I have, if you don't then 
do not give up as I still value what it means to you


The most and lonely spirits have the greatest opportunity
for only once have they nearly pulled black horizons together
that they are thrust back into this life
transformed from the falsity of death




So go tonight and dream, pine for the moment when it will hit you next
or when someone understands what you are seeing is complete


When it does, I hope it is me 
and we will glance our spirits together
igniting the magic of life
                          
                      I
                      I
                      I
                      I 
                     V
 ME ~*~*~*~* # *~*~*~*~YOU

I need to post so I'll write about feeling

Need some inspiration for my blog why can't I think of anything to write? I am now just experimenting writing every word as it comes from my brain to my fingers. 

I ache for those moments when I feel as though my consciousness transcends the physical world and I am complete. All I want is to be able to share that with someone. 

Can I share it with you?

I just want to find somebody on my wavelength. I don't really know where I am headed but I will make it somewhere remarkable. 

Do you believe in being more than just another person in the system? 

Maybe that is what makes each of us so fascinating. The fact that none of us are really that special. We are all stuck in this predicament or gift of life - which ever way you think of it.

Look around you. Every person you see in your life lives. They cry, the wake up, they have pondered their own existence. Doesn't that make you feel something inside? Knowing that each of us is so uncertain about what is real and what isn't? 


We are all just living organisms on earth. We may have spirits, I believe we do. But nobody knows for sure. So everybody must feel insignificant and scared at times. But we continue and live and that is the most fascinating thing of all. That people don't take for granted the fact that they feel something. Because if they did, nobody would see out the rest of their days. So to us, the people. For always hoping that something better will come tomorrow. 


No matter how little your impact, you touched the earth. It made you born and you will die and return to the earth. But your spirit, is alive when we look at your photos and see how you were. And that is something that nobody can take away ever.

________[--------]____________


I WANT TO GO AND LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BECAUSE IT IS THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING. SO EVERYBODY WILL WONDER WHERE I AM AND WHY. 
I WILL SIT AGAINST THE BROWN MUD BRICK STRUCTURE IN THE VAST OPENNESS AND LOOK AROUND ME. THE BARE ROCKY VASTNESS, THE FEW PALM TREES AND THE DISTANT MOUNTAINS. ONLY THEN WILL I BE COMPLETE.
I WANT THEM TO ASK THEMSELVES WHY I WENT THERE SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND MY CONNECTION TO PLACES I FEEL I WAS MEANT TO BE. 

WHEN DO YOU GET THAT FEELING INSIDE OF YOU? TELL ME PLEASE.