In preparation for New Year's DJ-ing in Barcelona, I decided it was long overdue to get my ears tested and buy some custom-molded DJ-ear plugs. Like any club-DJ or live gig-pig, I'd had bouts of temporary tinnitus and worried about further damage; thankfully when the specialist gave me my results he said my hearing was excellent, "Like a baby's". That was it, no turning back on using the plugs!! After my 1st try-out of them on New Year's Eve in Barcelona for Razzmatazz, they worked a treat. If you are a DJ or frequenter of loud venues, can't urge you enough to take care and protect ya ears!!! Later that evening, I popped in to a "Tinsel & Tiaras" party with Kate, then it was off to the country to chill.
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Time was spent generally relaxing, eating excessively and unhealthily (!) and, as the picture suggests, loads of lazy late nights lounging in bed, catching up on some magazine reading (including vintage Vanity Fairs - divine!) and savagely rinsing out YouTube. Oh sure, in true OCD/ADD-style, I watched and enjoyed lots of traditional TV's end of year clip-countdown styled shows like BBC3's "Most Annoying Moments Of 2007", Channel 4's "The Big Fat End Of Year Quiz" and AFI's Top 100 Movies (where was 12 Oscar-winning "Ben Hur"?) but actively derived more pleasure from the less-passive, instant gratification of YouTube's clip-culture. On Cable/Satellite, Sumo.TV comes quite close to YouTube with its random bizarre mashed media-morsels and I enjoyed some of its longform pop-culture compilations like "Cult TV" with an episode that looked at the post-humous "Bruce-ploitation" of martial arts king, Bruce Lee. Similarly, I was drawn (not the first time) to Channel 376 on Sky, "Bedroom TV" with in a nutshell, is home-made fan versions of viewer's favourite tracks. Some are so awful, out of sync and shabby efforts, simply diabolical but that's riveting in a karaoke-d car-crash TV way. Others on the other hand show sparks of creative visual genius.

Anyway, back to the YouTube rinsing (sorry if some of the hyperlinks are broken when you read this and click on them; tends to happen, usually for legal reasons). I got seriously nostalgic and never ceased to be amazed by user's uploading the geekiest of visual treats. First off was the "Alpha Video Logo". I remembered the mad disco-synth track on it but unless you had old school VHS tapes of films with it on e.g "Creepshow", "The Exterminator" etc., the logo would be erased by new companies on the more recent DVD format. Lo & behold, here's "Alpha Video Logo" in FULL effect!!! Respect to everyone who bothers uploading this stuff and I equally love user's comments along the lines of "Thanks dude, I've searched for this for 20 years.....blah blah...etc. and you're a LEGEND etc.!!" After "Alpha", I continued the 80s obscurity with a f*cking PHENOMENAL Wrangler Jeans ad with superb electro-robotic dancing. Then it was onto Maxell's 'Memorex' classic with Pete Murphy. This led onto hours of 80s indulgence, encouraged by the "related" searches that can send you even deeper. So I marvelled at Sigue Sigue Sputnik videos then Sigue Sigue Sputnik being interviewed on The Tube by Muriel Gray. 80s pop videos like Alexi Sayle's "Ullo John", Haysi Fantayse's "John Wayne Is Big Leggy" and "related" 'live' performances. I found pop videos I'd produced/edited at MTV that I'd almost forgotten about like Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax" (Ollie J Remix)", Ultramarine's "Hooter (Carl Craig Remix)" and loads of video megamixes under my "Party Zone Massive" moniker for labels like Trevor Horn's 'ZTT', Logic, R&S etc. Digitally digging went deeper with a Rod Serling documentary (Rod was just phenomenal; believe!), re-visits to classic clips from cult horror movies like "Phantasm" and "Salem's Lot". The spin-off linkage went crazy as I moved onto DJ Noise at the DMC Mixing Championships plus his incredible DJ battle with 8-ball and a Wogan interview with Max Headroom. Not enough Max Headroom stuff up there methinks, particularly his TV chat-show which featured brilliant obscure pop-vids that weren't always top 40 driven. Talking of cool 80s' clip-show formats, more fan devotion with loads of 'The Chart Show' uploads, again, check those crazy user comments like this one from February 1991 where the 'Indie' countdown was featured with no Nirvana video for "Sliver". In similar stylee, plenty helpings of bits from "Night Network".

Then there's right raw postings where people love a tune so much they simply upload a still picture or the vinly on a spinning deck (this seems to be commonplace with old skool rave/hardcore tunes, love it!!!) Some things, I was suprised not to find but on second thoughts, again, probably legal reasons prevent them from being up there like the video I produced for Prince's "Pink Cashmere" and the Magician's Code where ??? reveals the amazing illusions behind big-time stage tricks. After OD-ing on YouTube, I moved onto some Hype Machine sessions, again big up all the blogs it lef me onto like " Audio.Out".

New Year's Eve I got up and travelled to Barcelona, managing to finish off the two inspirational Malcolm Gladwell books I'd been reading, "Blink" & "The Tipping Point" - faultless, well researched analysis of 'Gut instinct' (Blink) and 'Social epidemics' (The Tipping Point). Arrived, short rest, then an amazing multi-course dinner with posse in effect (Javi, Wendy James, Amber, Johno, Rex The Dog, Christina, Christian ???, Sergi, Pete Doherty, sorry Ben, Paul Bricks, Michael, Kate etc.) which ended with Spain's tradition of "???" where you eat 12 grapes very fast (each bong of the gong)!! Another short siesta, then a 2-hour set to a rammed Razzmatazz with backroom bizness around 5:30AM till around 7AM then mid-afternoon flight home.

As I write, I'm slowly back into a bout of YouTube whilst thinking and planning/preparing an exciting 2008. Wishing you all a happy, healthy year ahead.
x

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