So it has been a long time since I last blogged. Basically the closing happened and then it seems I went into deep freeze for a little while. I needed this break. Problem is it looked like I disappeared from the industry, pulling my gig and retiring to the beach.

One of the albums I have been listening to over and over this summer is Parts Unknown III, Subject Detroit by a DJ called DJ Bone. It is pure Detroit electronic music in a sense, melody is usually great and soulful, wrapped in some of the hardest beat driven music. If you are new to techno, this isn’t exactly the easiest stuff to listen to, but if you like electronic music and want to hear what I believe is one of the best albums of the year, then buy this one. Warning: it is not for the faint of heart, but an album that REALLY grows on you, good luck it is a candy in store and a great techno compilation.

Anyhoo, the reason I am talking about this is that one of the songs on there made me think about our situation and whether people thought that we had sold out and gone to the beach. Not all of the lyrics apply one to one obviously but this is pretty good. The song is “music” by DJ Bone #28 and #29 on CD2. It is read more than it is sung on a wonderful background track by a guy called “A guy called Gerald” (serious) and if you guys remember him he was one of the early techno pioneers in 1988 with a seminal track called “Voodoo Ray” (wow, 20 years ago... I am getting old). The track he wrote here is unreleased and was specifically written for DJ Bone, it is one of the many great passages of the album.

Here are the lyrics… Mr Darryl Taft, I would like to dedicate this to you. Not only does DJ Bone physically remind of you (check out the pictures above) but one can draw so many parallels from the “music” to “the code” and what you call “being a JBossian”. Be passionate about what you do. As you guessed, Darryl I DO own a lot of Sly and the Family stone records, love the guy, and the mood may very well be “thank you for letting me be myself… again”. Thanks Darryl for the great coverage you have given us over the years. Here goes.

The music,

It was all about the music
we used to listen to music
I remember how we used to love music

it was our escape, our sanctuary
it was a good times
it was soulful
it was funky

what happened to the music?

I remember all this dance
no lights
no fights
just soul
all soul.

Surrounded by friends
strangers were friends
we didn’t care
it was all about the music.

No worries no troubles
no problems
no drugs
just music

what happened to the music?
what happened to the soul?
where is the soul?

True art form..
bastardized
reshaped, repackaged
watered down

sold out.
What happened to the soul?
It sold out….
He he he
The soul sold out.

Soul makers,
We are still here
we still here
we still here.

We live for this shit
this is our SHIT
this is what we feel
this is how we work
It’s an expression of why we act the way we do.
It is not a gimmick, this ain’t no hype,

Are you funky with the machines?
or do the machines make you funky?
who programs who?
do the machines program you?

This is our life
this is our love, our passion
this is history

Ignore it … history
ignore it and insult it
disrespect it
for fame, short fame
and short money.

Hope it was worth it.