Solipsism ‘MK Ultra’ (promo). Been a fair old while since Mr Murphy featured in these pages, the workaholic visual / sound artist seems unable to stray past a home recording studio without being possessed of the need to nail a track or three in either of his Shoosh, ch.pm and Solipsism guises - while finding his remaining time taken in heading up Herb recordings imprint. Anyway an email received in our inbox invited us to tune into a taster cut from his currently worked techno based set soon put paid to our embarrassed silence in reporting his ever evolving and cross weaving genre bending cache of aural adventures. ‘MK Ultra’ is a fat n’ spongy slab of hyper driven mind weaving oblivion, the regimental like pulsing and precision honed pushing and shunting trip hop / technoid beats underpin a quietly hypnotic widescreen sounds cape of whirring drone swathes, cosmic swirls and an all round sense of spectral wooziness. Embraced of elements of a classic era Detroit techno scene albeit as though relocated to some distant space hub opining ominous SOS transmissions into the far reaches of the cosmic wilderness - this cerebral cutie mushrooms with a stealth like grandeur to literally bathe your listening space in something that you’d be forgiven for assuming was crafted by the collaborative hand of a secret rendezvous between 808 State and Apollo 440. That said what truly puts the icing on the cake is its busy employment of sonic sub texts running barely out of earshot in the background - like for instance the brief and subtle tropicalia flurries at approx. 4.34 in.
Losing Today
Solipsism
Showing posts with label craig murphy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craig murphy. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Gordon Brown & Cannabis Reclassification
Gordon Brown and New Labour today, once again changed the status of the Cannabis plant from a Class C to Class B. Brown recently stated that the changes were needed because of the new "lethal strains" of Cannabis available on today's market. Cannabis has no toxicity and there has never been a single death in history attributable to its use. The reclassification of the Cannabis plant will criminalize countless individuals whose only crime is to grow their own medicine, instead of taking the toxic lucky bags you get prescribed from the Doctor. This isn't a criminal issue and it's not a dangerous plant. Up until the 1930s it was the active ingredient in over 50% of all the prescription medications available from licensed chemists at that time. In fact, the plant was considered so vital to the American Economy, farmers in the USA could be penalised for not growing it!
The real reason Gordon Brown and his counterparts in the USA won't legalise it, is simply because you cannot patent a plant and the Drug Companies and their voracious investors won't allow for that. The Cannabis plant and the oil it produces is the best natural fuel we have on the planet. Totally bio-degradable and unlike other crops being used for bio-fuel, it's not harmful to the soil. In fact, Cannabis plants can be sowed continuously as their deep roots till the soil so much; it doesn't need time to recover. The real criminals in the Cannabis issue are the politicians, the drug companies (including alcohol) and the investors. We've heard so much recently about the plight of investors thanks to the Global Credit Crunch. What they don't tell you in the news is that these investors are happy to profit from anything, even if it includes denying people the only medication that can make them better. They're happy to invest in poisonous tablets that people can buy over the counter and kill themselves with, if they take more than a handful. They're happy to invest in petro-chemical companies who have polluted the earth to such an extent, we're now on the brink of a global catastrophe, in fact we're seeing them happen now as a direct result of the greed of these people. But what they're not happy about is people being able to treat their conditions for free.
Take the recreational aspect of Cannabis use out of the equation for now and purely focus on the medicinal benefits. And I say this in the firm belief that the recreational aspects of Cannabis are purely beneficial also. But I understand that some people can't see past this aspect of it, so please allow me for now to focus on the medical side only. Below you will find some information relating to the use of Cannabis to treat a wide range of conditions. I will be including some statistical info along with links to research carried out by Universities. I will also use links to elaborate somewhat on historical reasons for the illegality of Cannabis and the government cover ups that have led to its continued status as an illegal drug.
http://www.eldoradocountyaamc.com/condtreated.htm
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Anxiety Disorders
• Autism
• Aversive Memories
• Can Cannabis Help Multiple Sclerosis?
• Can Cannabis Kill You?
• Cancer cachexia and cannabinoids
• Cannabidiol anti-inflammatory activity
• Cannabinoids and Memory
• Cannabinoids in clinical practice
• Cannabinoids treat skin cancer
• Cannabis and Depression
• Cannabis and Migraine
• Cannabis and Neuroprotection
• Cannabis and Treatment of Chemo Related Nausea
• Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program
• Chronic Pain
• Control of the cell survival/death decision by cannabinoids
• delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in clinical oncology
• Diabetes
• For the Sake of the Children
• Hepatitis C
• Lymphoma may be slowed by cannabis
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Neuroprotection by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol
• Pancreatitis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis(Letter to physician - 30K .pdf file)
• Sickle Cell Disease and Cannabis
• Sleep Apnea
• Smokeless Medicine
• Tourette-Syndrome
• http://www.phoenixtears.ca/
From Rick Simpson, Director of Run from the Cure
My name is Rick Simpson. I have been providing people with Hemp Oil medicines, at no cost, for about 3 years. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Throughout man's history hemp has always been known as the most medicinal plant in the world. Even with this knowledge hemp has always been used as a political and religious football.
The current restrictions against hemp were put in place and maintained, not because hemp is evil or harmful, but for big money to make more big money, while we suffer and die needlessly. Look at a proposal such as this; if we were allowed to grow hemp in our back yards and cure our own illnesses, what do you think the reaction of the pharmaceutical industry would be to such a plan? Many large pharmaceutical companies that still exist today sold hemp based medicines in the 1800's and early 1900's. They knew then what I have recently found out. Hemp oil if produced properly is a cure-all that the pharmaceutical industry can't patent.
Two years a go I contacted the Liberals, the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party about this situation. I also provided them with evidence to backup what I was saying. No one lifted a finger; in most cases I was lucky to get a reply. I contacted the R.C.M.P. along with many other organizations and Public Interest TV shows, with little or no response.
Why are all these people trying to avoid such a simple truth? If I am in some way wrong in what I have been saying then I invite the system to come and prove it. I would be happy to put on a public demonstration of what this oil can do. That would answer this question for the Canadian public once and for all. It seems unbelievable that we have a law in Canada that will not allow us to cure our own diseases with a natural herbal remedy.
While much of the evidence for the effectiveness of Hemp is reports from patients and doctors, it is important to realize that this reporting leads to restrictions of drugs and their withdrawal from the market. Such was the case with doctors reporting the birth defects from Thalidomide and heart problems with the Fen-Phen combination of drugs. Further reports led to new uses for Thalidomide as a drug to treat leprosy rather than morning sickness. Anecdotal evidence (reports and observation by patients or doctors) usually indicates to a doctor that a treatment or drug should be altered, discontinued or changed.
In addition to the evidence, much research has been done and a list of a few of the researchers and their papers or publications is here. [Penicillin was approved for use with less experience and data than is available on the effectiveness of Hemp - only six patients].
The results of the cases can be readily replicated by any practitioner, medical or otherwise, anywhere, to cure malignant melanomas and more importantly, save lives. The topical application of hemp oil salves or balms helps to control or cure various skin conditions. Taken orally, the oil tends to seek out and destroy cancer cells in the body, but as with any drug, too much can cause side effects; most notable with hemp oil is drowsiness. Unlike opiates and their derivatives, hemp oil is not addictive.
For those who may find it incredible that the medical establishment would ignore or even disdain such research we remind the reader that the history of the medical establishment includes examples of mule-like stubbornness, incompetence, mediocrity, greed, arrogance, and stupidity. Consider the case of Dr. Ignas Semmelweis:
In 1847, Dr. Semmelweis, a respected Hungarian physician who was concerned about the high mortality rate of women giving birth in hospital, instituted a procedure at one hospital whereby doctors washed and disinfected their hands before delivering babies. Immediately, the mortality rate dropped from THIRTY percent to near zero. Seven other hospitals followed suit with similar results.
The European medical establishment recognized Dr. Semmelweis's achievement by blocking his applications for further research funds, vilifying and ostracizing him, and, ultimately, causing him to lose his prestigious positions at maternity hospitals. In America, the newly formed American Medical Association added insult to injury by threatening to revoke the license of any doctor caught washing his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was so distressed that women continued to die that he suffered a mental breakdown that eventually led to his death in 1865.
Don't expect a doctor working inside the system to buck the system. The risks are still too great!
The advice she or he offers you is controlled by the large medical industry that makes its money from expensive cancer fighting drugs and treatments. It is an industry that doesn't look favourably on natural supplements or other cancer treatments that they cannot patent or make a large profit from. Years from now the current conventional cancer treatments used by doctors will on the whole be viewed in the same light that we view the old medical practice of blood letting to cure illnesses.
See the movie here
http://www.phoenixtearsmovie.com/
http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/ford_and_diesel_never_intended_cars_to_use_gasoline
Ford and Diesel Never Intended Cars to Use Gasoline
Center for Research on Globalization - Canada, 29th August 2005
When Henry Ford told a New York Times reporter that ethyl alcohol was "the fuel of the future" in 1925, he was expressing an opinion that was widely shared in the automotive industry. "The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumac out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust -- almost anything," he said. "There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There's enough alcohol in one year's yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years."
Henry Ford's first Model-T was built to run on hemp gasoline and the CAR ITSELF WAS CONSTRUCTED FROM HEMP! On his large estate, Ford was photographed among his hemp fields. The car, 'grown from the soil,' had hemp plastic panels whose impact strength was 10 times stronger than steel; Popular Mechanics, 1941.
Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, designed it to run on vegetable and seed oils like hemp; he actually ran the thing on peanut oil for the 1900 World's Fair. Henry Ford used hemp to not only construct cars but also fuel them.
As an alternative to methanol, hemp has at least one glowing report: the plant produces up to four times more cellulose per acre than trees. And a hemp crop grows a little quicker than a forest.
As for an alternative to petroleum...
Hemp grows like mad from border to border in America; so shortages are unlikely. And, unlike petrol, unless we run out of soil, hemp is renewable.
Growing and harvesting the stuff has much less environmental impact than procuring oil.
Hemp fuel is biodegradable; so oil spills become fertilizer not eco-catastrophes.
Hemp fuel does not contribute to sulphur dioxide air poisoning.
Other noxious emissions like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are radically slashed by using "bio diesel.
Hemp fuel is non-toxic and only a mild skin irritant; anybody who’s ever cleaned out an old carburettor with gasoline can confirm the same is not true for petrol.
Growing hemp for fuel would be a tremendous boon for American farmers and the agricultural industry, as opposed to people like, say, the Bush family.
And that's why hemp might not go anywhere as a fuel alternative. Oil interests are big and donate likewise to politicians, and selling a man on an idea that will cost him more than he'll benefit requires an amazingly skilled orator -- or a gun. Unfortunately, unless you're the federal government, gunpoint conversions are usually illegal. Ergo, PR is about the best bet right now.
There are many people working hard on this front, including the Hemp Car and its intrepid crew. Currently ginning up for a trans-America evangelism tour, the Hemp Car plans to spread the good word of hemp-fuel viability at stops in both the U.S. and Canada.
For whatever good it will do, they should make sure to stop by Washington, D.C., and have a word with President George W. Bush. The current oil crisis and our nation's dependency on sometimes-pernickety foreign sources might find the new chief executive with an open mind to fuel sources other than Texas tea -- regardless of his oily bank accounts. And, while salvaging his dad's legacy is not Goal 1 for Dubya, it might also help him look more forward thinking in terms of energy policy and the environment.
Of course, hemp fuel may never take off. It might dry up like all those hemp crops left unattended after the feds banned their cultivation in the 1930s. One way or the other, Bush should consider freeing up the market to innovate with alternative fuels like hemp oil -- it couldn't hurt, and it stands the chance to help. In so doing, he'll end his term with a far better moniker than the "environmental president." For, if other policy decisions he makes go in a similar direction, we can perhaps call him the "free-market president."
Fuel of the Future
Ford recognized the utility of the hemp plant. He constructed a car of resin stiffened hemp fibre, and even ran the car on ethanol made from hemp. Ford knew that hemp could produce vast economic resources if widely cultivated.
Ford's optimistic appraisal of cellulose and crop based ethyl alcohol fuel can be read in several ways. First, it can be seen as an oblique jab at a competitor. General Motors had come to considerable grief that summer of 1925 over another octane boosting fuel called tetra-ethyl lead, and government officials had been quietly in touch with Ford engineers about alternatives to leaded gasoline additives. Secondly, by 1925 the American farms that Ford loved were facing an economic crisis that would later intensify with the depression. Although the causes of the crisis were complex, one possible solution was seen in creating new markets for farm products. With Ford's financial and political backing, the idea of opening up industrial markets for farmers would be translated into a broad movement for scientific research in agriculture that would be labelled "Farm Chemurgy."
Why Henry's plans were delayed for more than a half century:
Ethanol has been known as a fuel for many decades. Indeed, when Henry Ford designed the Model T, it was his expectation that ethanol, made from renewable biological materials, and would be a major automobile fuel. However, gasoline emerged as the dominant transportation fuel in the early twentieth century because of the ease of operation of gasoline engines with the materials then available for engine construction, a growing supply of cheaper petroleum from oil field discoveries, and intense lobbying by petroleum companies for the federal government to maintain steep alcohol taxes. Many bills proposing a National energy program that made use of Americas vast agricultural resources (for fuel production) were killed by smear campaigns launched by vested petroleum interests. One noteworthy claim put forth by petrol companies was that the U.S. government's plans "robbed taxpayers to make farmers rich".
Cannabis reclassification is all about denying people their basic liberties of freedom and happiness, while simultaneously enriching the greediest, most self-centred people on the planet. What gives any politician the right to declare nature is wrong! It’s probably a reflection of how far society has disengaged itself from nature and from spirit, but that’ doesn’t make it right. All around us, we’re witnessing the world falling apart as a direct result of greedy people dabbling with nature. Men of evil intent and please don’t read any religious significance from the evil reference, this is purely down to humans and their unbridled greed. So far removed have we become from nature, that we’re happy to sit and watch people starving on the TV, while we invest in companies who strategically cut back on crop production to keep the prices high on the global market.
Not only is the continued prohibition of the Cannabis plant a crime against nature, it’s also a moral crime that directly leads to people suffering and dying more on a daily basis and I would urge you to write to your MPs to express your disgust at the daily practice of the injustice. Please don’t forget that the Government has taken this drastic action, despite the Advisory Panel they asked to investigate the issue of Cannabis Reclassification, advising them that it should remain a Class C. Therefore Gordon Brown and New Labour have spent untold amounts of Taxpayer’s money appointing a body to investigate this, only for them to ignore their recommendations.
The only reason for this has to be, that New Labour are taking the decision to further criminalise millions of people, in the hope that it will take our mind’s off the shattered Economy. Please don’t accept this from your Government and please be vocal in your disgust at this complete and utter breach of civil liberties and social justice.
American users of Cannabis are already being charged under The Patriot Act in the USA…that’s right, The Patriot Act!!! A law designed to stop the onset of Terrorism, is being used by the American Government against their own people! The truth sadly though, is that it has nothing to do with Terrorism and everything to do with Corporate Capitalism and protecting the profits of the alcohol and drug companies. Alcohol is directly responsible for 4,000 deaths a month in the UK alone and you won’t be surprised to discover that the Whisky and Beer industries in particular, are among the biggest investors in the Anti – Cannabis movement. It seems so ridiculous, bordering insanity even, that the drug and alcohol companies responsible for the highest number of deaths are the same people that are so vociferously targeting users of a plant that has never killed anyone!!
To me this is a solid indication of how far removed our politicians and our business leaders are from reality. Furthermore, it’s an indication to me of the incessant greed ordinary people have now. Their greed is so bad, they’re willing to profit from the misery and death of countless millions of people, while at the same time restrict millions of people from having access to the most beneficial plant in the history of mankind.
Craig Murphy
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2008/04/study-in-spain-underlines-therapeutic.html
Recent study carried out by the Catalan Department of Health and Spanish Health Ministry endorses the efficiency of cannabis in combating the effects of chemotherapy
A pioneering study carried out by the Catalan Department of Health has demonstrated the efficiency of a medicine which contains cannabis in treating sickness and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy. At present cannabis is available in a medicine form throughout the Spanish health service for patients being treated with chemotherapy if other drugs fail to be effective.
Yesterday, Marina Geli, the head of the Catalan health service said that a pilot programme using cannabis to treat those with multiple sclerosis, cancer and other illnesses had shown that sickness in 67% of the patients in the study had decreased. There were 207 patients in the study suffering from various illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, neuralgic pain and other serious conditions associated with chronic pain.
The study which cost 500,000 euros and was carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Health is the first to respond to public opinion which supports the therapeutic use of cannabis.
In the case of patients suffering from anorexia-caquexia associated with Aids up to 53% of these regained their appetites. The number of patients in the study suffering from multiple sclerosis who went from having unbearable pain to suffering tolerable pain went down from 66% to 35% and the number of patients who suffered almost no pain at all increased from 11.40% to 27.70%.
The drug containing cannabis called Sativex comes in the form of a spray. Each container has 50 sprays which covers one course of chemotherapy. In the case of patients suffering chronic illness being treated with Sativex costs around 300 euros per year. Sativex is owned by GW Pharmaceuticals, and will be commercialised in the rest of Europe by Almirall laboratories.
Labels: society
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x668861
In 1971 Richard Nixon launched the War against Cancer. In 1974 research being done on cannabis led to the discovery that it could prevent several types of cancer. And what did the government do in the initial phases of the war on cancer when its most promising leads turned out to be marijuana? They buried the information because cannabis prohibition was more important than any thing that might prevent cancer or limit pain.
Steve Kubby was a Libertarian candidate for governor at one time in California and helped write what is the Compassionate Use Act that the biased papers call Prop 215 even though it says in the opening of the short act that it shall be known as the Compassionate Use Act. He is now a resident of Canada seeking asylum because without marijuana his adrenal cancer will kill him. It is no joke and it is unquestionably true.
Anyway, this is a big article as it shows the government has practiced deception in sustaining its policy of total cannabis prohibition and the article appears at http://www.sierratimes.com/03/11/07/article_kubby.htm It is also reproduced at http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17748.shtml The comments at cannabisnews make it the better link to read this important article.
This is my first thread at DU. By the way, I am not a democrat but I will never vote Republican again in my lifetime. You can do a Google search for "The Great Right Dope" and it will probably take you to one of my comments at cannabisnews. I cannot believe no one else besides me calls Bu$h, The Great Right Dope. Maybe DU can change that.
This is your government on drugs- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17748.shtml
Solipsism
The real reason Gordon Brown and his counterparts in the USA won't legalise it, is simply because you cannot patent a plant and the Drug Companies and their voracious investors won't allow for that. The Cannabis plant and the oil it produces is the best natural fuel we have on the planet. Totally bio-degradable and unlike other crops being used for bio-fuel, it's not harmful to the soil. In fact, Cannabis plants can be sowed continuously as their deep roots till the soil so much; it doesn't need time to recover. The real criminals in the Cannabis issue are the politicians, the drug companies (including alcohol) and the investors. We've heard so much recently about the plight of investors thanks to the Global Credit Crunch. What they don't tell you in the news is that these investors are happy to profit from anything, even if it includes denying people the only medication that can make them better. They're happy to invest in poisonous tablets that people can buy over the counter and kill themselves with, if they take more than a handful. They're happy to invest in petro-chemical companies who have polluted the earth to such an extent, we're now on the brink of a global catastrophe, in fact we're seeing them happen now as a direct result of the greed of these people. But what they're not happy about is people being able to treat their conditions for free.
Take the recreational aspect of Cannabis use out of the equation for now and purely focus on the medicinal benefits. And I say this in the firm belief that the recreational aspects of Cannabis are purely beneficial also. But I understand that some people can't see past this aspect of it, so please allow me for now to focus on the medical side only. Below you will find some information relating to the use of Cannabis to treat a wide range of conditions. I will be including some statistical info along with links to research carried out by Universities. I will also use links to elaborate somewhat on historical reasons for the illegality of Cannabis and the government cover ups that have led to its continued status as an illegal drug.
http://www.eldoradocountyaamc.com/condtreated.htm
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Anxiety Disorders
• Autism
• Aversive Memories
• Can Cannabis Help Multiple Sclerosis?
• Can Cannabis Kill You?
• Cancer cachexia and cannabinoids
• Cannabidiol anti-inflammatory activity
• Cannabinoids and Memory
• Cannabinoids in clinical practice
• Cannabinoids treat skin cancer
• Cannabis and Depression
• Cannabis and Migraine
• Cannabis and Neuroprotection
• Cannabis and Treatment of Chemo Related Nausea
• Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program
• Chronic Pain
• Control of the cell survival/death decision by cannabinoids
• delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in clinical oncology
• Diabetes
• For the Sake of the Children
• Hepatitis C
• Lymphoma may be slowed by cannabis
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Neuroprotection by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol
• Pancreatitis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis(Letter to physician - 30K .pdf file)
• Sickle Cell Disease and Cannabis
• Sleep Apnea
• Smokeless Medicine
• Tourette-Syndrome
• http://www.phoenixtears.ca/
From Rick Simpson, Director of Run from the Cure
My name is Rick Simpson. I have been providing people with Hemp Oil medicines, at no cost, for about 3 years. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Throughout man's history hemp has always been known as the most medicinal plant in the world. Even with this knowledge hemp has always been used as a political and religious football.
The current restrictions against hemp were put in place and maintained, not because hemp is evil or harmful, but for big money to make more big money, while we suffer and die needlessly. Look at a proposal such as this; if we were allowed to grow hemp in our back yards and cure our own illnesses, what do you think the reaction of the pharmaceutical industry would be to such a plan? Many large pharmaceutical companies that still exist today sold hemp based medicines in the 1800's and early 1900's. They knew then what I have recently found out. Hemp oil if produced properly is a cure-all that the pharmaceutical industry can't patent.
Two years a go I contacted the Liberals, the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party about this situation. I also provided them with evidence to backup what I was saying. No one lifted a finger; in most cases I was lucky to get a reply. I contacted the R.C.M.P. along with many other organizations and Public Interest TV shows, with little or no response.
Why are all these people trying to avoid such a simple truth? If I am in some way wrong in what I have been saying then I invite the system to come and prove it. I would be happy to put on a public demonstration of what this oil can do. That would answer this question for the Canadian public once and for all. It seems unbelievable that we have a law in Canada that will not allow us to cure our own diseases with a natural herbal remedy.
While much of the evidence for the effectiveness of Hemp is reports from patients and doctors, it is important to realize that this reporting leads to restrictions of drugs and their withdrawal from the market. Such was the case with doctors reporting the birth defects from Thalidomide and heart problems with the Fen-Phen combination of drugs. Further reports led to new uses for Thalidomide as a drug to treat leprosy rather than morning sickness. Anecdotal evidence (reports and observation by patients or doctors) usually indicates to a doctor that a treatment or drug should be altered, discontinued or changed.
In addition to the evidence, much research has been done and a list of a few of the researchers and their papers or publications is here. [Penicillin was approved for use with less experience and data than is available on the effectiveness of Hemp - only six patients].
The results of the cases can be readily replicated by any practitioner, medical or otherwise, anywhere, to cure malignant melanomas and more importantly, save lives. The topical application of hemp oil salves or balms helps to control or cure various skin conditions. Taken orally, the oil tends to seek out and destroy cancer cells in the body, but as with any drug, too much can cause side effects; most notable with hemp oil is drowsiness. Unlike opiates and their derivatives, hemp oil is not addictive.
For those who may find it incredible that the medical establishment would ignore or even disdain such research we remind the reader that the history of the medical establishment includes examples of mule-like stubbornness, incompetence, mediocrity, greed, arrogance, and stupidity. Consider the case of Dr. Ignas Semmelweis:
In 1847, Dr. Semmelweis, a respected Hungarian physician who was concerned about the high mortality rate of women giving birth in hospital, instituted a procedure at one hospital whereby doctors washed and disinfected their hands before delivering babies. Immediately, the mortality rate dropped from THIRTY percent to near zero. Seven other hospitals followed suit with similar results.
The European medical establishment recognized Dr. Semmelweis's achievement by blocking his applications for further research funds, vilifying and ostracizing him, and, ultimately, causing him to lose his prestigious positions at maternity hospitals. In America, the newly formed American Medical Association added insult to injury by threatening to revoke the license of any doctor caught washing his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was so distressed that women continued to die that he suffered a mental breakdown that eventually led to his death in 1865.
Don't expect a doctor working inside the system to buck the system. The risks are still too great!
The advice she or he offers you is controlled by the large medical industry that makes its money from expensive cancer fighting drugs and treatments. It is an industry that doesn't look favourably on natural supplements or other cancer treatments that they cannot patent or make a large profit from. Years from now the current conventional cancer treatments used by doctors will on the whole be viewed in the same light that we view the old medical practice of blood letting to cure illnesses.
See the movie here
http://www.phoenixtearsmovie.com/
http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/ford_and_diesel_never_intended_cars_to_use_gasoline
Ford and Diesel Never Intended Cars to Use Gasoline
Center for Research on Globalization - Canada, 29th August 2005
When Henry Ford told a New York Times reporter that ethyl alcohol was "the fuel of the future" in 1925, he was expressing an opinion that was widely shared in the automotive industry. "The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumac out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust -- almost anything," he said. "There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There's enough alcohol in one year's yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years."
Henry Ford's first Model-T was built to run on hemp gasoline and the CAR ITSELF WAS CONSTRUCTED FROM HEMP! On his large estate, Ford was photographed among his hemp fields. The car, 'grown from the soil,' had hemp plastic panels whose impact strength was 10 times stronger than steel; Popular Mechanics, 1941.
Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, designed it to run on vegetable and seed oils like hemp; he actually ran the thing on peanut oil for the 1900 World's Fair. Henry Ford used hemp to not only construct cars but also fuel them.
As an alternative to methanol, hemp has at least one glowing report: the plant produces up to four times more cellulose per acre than trees. And a hemp crop grows a little quicker than a forest.
As for an alternative to petroleum...
Hemp grows like mad from border to border in America; so shortages are unlikely. And, unlike petrol, unless we run out of soil, hemp is renewable.
Growing and harvesting the stuff has much less environmental impact than procuring oil.
Hemp fuel is biodegradable; so oil spills become fertilizer not eco-catastrophes.
Hemp fuel does not contribute to sulphur dioxide air poisoning.
Other noxious emissions like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are radically slashed by using "bio diesel.
Hemp fuel is non-toxic and only a mild skin irritant; anybody who’s ever cleaned out an old carburettor with gasoline can confirm the same is not true for petrol.
Growing hemp for fuel would be a tremendous boon for American farmers and the agricultural industry, as opposed to people like, say, the Bush family.
And that's why hemp might not go anywhere as a fuel alternative. Oil interests are big and donate likewise to politicians, and selling a man on an idea that will cost him more than he'll benefit requires an amazingly skilled orator -- or a gun. Unfortunately, unless you're the federal government, gunpoint conversions are usually illegal. Ergo, PR is about the best bet right now.
There are many people working hard on this front, including the Hemp Car and its intrepid crew. Currently ginning up for a trans-America evangelism tour, the Hemp Car plans to spread the good word of hemp-fuel viability at stops in both the U.S. and Canada.
For whatever good it will do, they should make sure to stop by Washington, D.C., and have a word with President George W. Bush. The current oil crisis and our nation's dependency on sometimes-pernickety foreign sources might find the new chief executive with an open mind to fuel sources other than Texas tea -- regardless of his oily bank accounts. And, while salvaging his dad's legacy is not Goal 1 for Dubya, it might also help him look more forward thinking in terms of energy policy and the environment.
Of course, hemp fuel may never take off. It might dry up like all those hemp crops left unattended after the feds banned their cultivation in the 1930s. One way or the other, Bush should consider freeing up the market to innovate with alternative fuels like hemp oil -- it couldn't hurt, and it stands the chance to help. In so doing, he'll end his term with a far better moniker than the "environmental president." For, if other policy decisions he makes go in a similar direction, we can perhaps call him the "free-market president."
Fuel of the Future
Ford recognized the utility of the hemp plant. He constructed a car of resin stiffened hemp fibre, and even ran the car on ethanol made from hemp. Ford knew that hemp could produce vast economic resources if widely cultivated.
Ford's optimistic appraisal of cellulose and crop based ethyl alcohol fuel can be read in several ways. First, it can be seen as an oblique jab at a competitor. General Motors had come to considerable grief that summer of 1925 over another octane boosting fuel called tetra-ethyl lead, and government officials had been quietly in touch with Ford engineers about alternatives to leaded gasoline additives. Secondly, by 1925 the American farms that Ford loved were facing an economic crisis that would later intensify with the depression. Although the causes of the crisis were complex, one possible solution was seen in creating new markets for farm products. With Ford's financial and political backing, the idea of opening up industrial markets for farmers would be translated into a broad movement for scientific research in agriculture that would be labelled "Farm Chemurgy."
Why Henry's plans were delayed for more than a half century:
Ethanol has been known as a fuel for many decades. Indeed, when Henry Ford designed the Model T, it was his expectation that ethanol, made from renewable biological materials, and would be a major automobile fuel. However, gasoline emerged as the dominant transportation fuel in the early twentieth century because of the ease of operation of gasoline engines with the materials then available for engine construction, a growing supply of cheaper petroleum from oil field discoveries, and intense lobbying by petroleum companies for the federal government to maintain steep alcohol taxes. Many bills proposing a National energy program that made use of Americas vast agricultural resources (for fuel production) were killed by smear campaigns launched by vested petroleum interests. One noteworthy claim put forth by petrol companies was that the U.S. government's plans "robbed taxpayers to make farmers rich".
Cannabis reclassification is all about denying people their basic liberties of freedom and happiness, while simultaneously enriching the greediest, most self-centred people on the planet. What gives any politician the right to declare nature is wrong! It’s probably a reflection of how far society has disengaged itself from nature and from spirit, but that’ doesn’t make it right. All around us, we’re witnessing the world falling apart as a direct result of greedy people dabbling with nature. Men of evil intent and please don’t read any religious significance from the evil reference, this is purely down to humans and their unbridled greed. So far removed have we become from nature, that we’re happy to sit and watch people starving on the TV, while we invest in companies who strategically cut back on crop production to keep the prices high on the global market.
Not only is the continued prohibition of the Cannabis plant a crime against nature, it’s also a moral crime that directly leads to people suffering and dying more on a daily basis and I would urge you to write to your MPs to express your disgust at the daily practice of the injustice. Please don’t forget that the Government has taken this drastic action, despite the Advisory Panel they asked to investigate the issue of Cannabis Reclassification, advising them that it should remain a Class C. Therefore Gordon Brown and New Labour have spent untold amounts of Taxpayer’s money appointing a body to investigate this, only for them to ignore their recommendations.
The only reason for this has to be, that New Labour are taking the decision to further criminalise millions of people, in the hope that it will take our mind’s off the shattered Economy. Please don’t accept this from your Government and please be vocal in your disgust at this complete and utter breach of civil liberties and social justice.
American users of Cannabis are already being charged under The Patriot Act in the USA…that’s right, The Patriot Act!!! A law designed to stop the onset of Terrorism, is being used by the American Government against their own people! The truth sadly though, is that it has nothing to do with Terrorism and everything to do with Corporate Capitalism and protecting the profits of the alcohol and drug companies. Alcohol is directly responsible for 4,000 deaths a month in the UK alone and you won’t be surprised to discover that the Whisky and Beer industries in particular, are among the biggest investors in the Anti – Cannabis movement. It seems so ridiculous, bordering insanity even, that the drug and alcohol companies responsible for the highest number of deaths are the same people that are so vociferously targeting users of a plant that has never killed anyone!!
To me this is a solid indication of how far removed our politicians and our business leaders are from reality. Furthermore, it’s an indication to me of the incessant greed ordinary people have now. Their greed is so bad, they’re willing to profit from the misery and death of countless millions of people, while at the same time restrict millions of people from having access to the most beneficial plant in the history of mankind.
Craig Murphy
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2008/04/study-in-spain-underlines-therapeutic.html
Recent study carried out by the Catalan Department of Health and Spanish Health Ministry endorses the efficiency of cannabis in combating the effects of chemotherapy
A pioneering study carried out by the Catalan Department of Health has demonstrated the efficiency of a medicine which contains cannabis in treating sickness and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy. At present cannabis is available in a medicine form throughout the Spanish health service for patients being treated with chemotherapy if other drugs fail to be effective.
Yesterday, Marina Geli, the head of the Catalan health service said that a pilot programme using cannabis to treat those with multiple sclerosis, cancer and other illnesses had shown that sickness in 67% of the patients in the study had decreased. There were 207 patients in the study suffering from various illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, neuralgic pain and other serious conditions associated with chronic pain.
The study which cost 500,000 euros and was carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Health is the first to respond to public opinion which supports the therapeutic use of cannabis.
In the case of patients suffering from anorexia-caquexia associated with Aids up to 53% of these regained their appetites. The number of patients in the study suffering from multiple sclerosis who went from having unbearable pain to suffering tolerable pain went down from 66% to 35% and the number of patients who suffered almost no pain at all increased from 11.40% to 27.70%.
The drug containing cannabis called Sativex comes in the form of a spray. Each container has 50 sprays which covers one course of chemotherapy. In the case of patients suffering chronic illness being treated with Sativex costs around 300 euros per year. Sativex is owned by GW Pharmaceuticals, and will be commercialised in the rest of Europe by Almirall laboratories.
Labels: society
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x668861
In 1971 Richard Nixon launched the War against Cancer. In 1974 research being done on cannabis led to the discovery that it could prevent several types of cancer. And what did the government do in the initial phases of the war on cancer when its most promising leads turned out to be marijuana? They buried the information because cannabis prohibition was more important than any thing that might prevent cancer or limit pain.
Steve Kubby was a Libertarian candidate for governor at one time in California and helped write what is the Compassionate Use Act that the biased papers call Prop 215 even though it says in the opening of the short act that it shall be known as the Compassionate Use Act. He is now a resident of Canada seeking asylum because without marijuana his adrenal cancer will kill him. It is no joke and it is unquestionably true.
Anyway, this is a big article as it shows the government has practiced deception in sustaining its policy of total cannabis prohibition and the article appears at http://www.sierratimes.com/03/11/07/article_kubby.htm It is also reproduced at http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17748.shtml The comments at cannabisnews make it the better link to read this important article.
This is my first thread at DU. By the way, I am not a democrat but I will never vote Republican again in my lifetime. You can do a Google search for "The Great Right Dope" and it will probably take you to one of my comments at cannabisnews. I cannot believe no one else besides me calls Bu$h, The Great Right Dope. Maybe DU can change that.
This is your government on drugs- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17748.shtml
Solipsism
Monday, 27 October 2008
Ed Drury & Craig Murphy On BBC’s Asian Network
Thanks to Pathaan's Musical Rickshaw Show on the BBC Asian Network for playing A Tree On The Tundra last night!
Pathaan's Musical Rickshaw - BBC Asian Network
Daler Mehndi Dholna [Arc]
Jef Stott Faqir [David Stafire Remix] [Six Degrees]
Thievery Corporation Radio Retaliation [ESL]
Feel Good Productions Knock Knock [Haaksman Haaksman Remix] [CDR]
Max Pashm Klezmernaki [Elektrikos Organikos]
STOPOVER: NEW ZEALAND
Bongmaster Brothers & Sisters [Kartel]
Salmonella Dub Dancehall Girl [EMI]
Blue States Hello Kombai [Survival]
Nitin Sawhney Days Of Fire [Cooking Vinyl]
Riz Mc Radar [Loco In A Box Remix] [Crosstown Rebels]
WORLD ODYSSEY MIX: SNOWBOY
Snowboy and the Latin Section Snowboy's Special [Ft Eddie Palmieri] [Freestyle]
Super Allstar Ban - Con - Tim [Caiman Record]
Fantastica Bateria Das Escolas De Samba 3 Fantastica 1 A [Top Tape Musica]
The Perceptions Inside Outside[Freestyle]
Roy Ayers Evolution [Polydor]
Lonnie Liston Smith Expansions [Flying Dutchman]
The Sound Stylistics The Players Theme [Bruton 7"]
4hero Hold It Down [Bugz in the Attic Mix] [Talkin Loud]
Badeshi Love Song [Other Brother]
MC Yogi Be The Change [Niraj Chirag's Swaraj Mix] [White Swan]
Dub Gabriel Cheree Ft Michael Stipe [White]
Bassnectar Dubuasca [CDR]
CLASSIC NOT FORGOTTEN
Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 Day Tripper [Dj Fu & DJ Dinho Remix] [Universal Jazz]
Kasbah Rockers with Bill Laswell Kasbah Rockers [Vocal Mix] [Barraka]
Michael Franti & Spearhead The Future [FreQ Nasty's Otto Gives Thanks Mix] [Beats For A Better Future]
Rabitza Manipura Chakra [CDR]
Issa Bagayogo Fimani [Six Degrees]
BOMBAY CONNECTION
Shankar Mahadevan & Mahalaxmi Tumhe Aaj Maine Jo Dehka [Eros]
Johan Soh & Myagi Still [Stefan Goodchild Remix] [Sound Of Habib]
DJ Drez Breath [CDR]
Natty Bedroom Eyes [Prince Fatty Remix] [Atlantic]
Asian Dub Foundation Bride Of Punkara [Naive]
Mariza Rosa Branca [EMI]
Ed Drury & Craig Murphy A Tree On The Tundra [Ambidextrous]
Solipsism
Pathaan's Musical Rickshaw - BBC Asian Network
Daler Mehndi Dholna [Arc]
Jef Stott Faqir [David Stafire Remix] [Six Degrees]
Thievery Corporation Radio Retaliation [ESL]
Feel Good Productions Knock Knock [Haaksman Haaksman Remix] [CDR]
Max Pashm Klezmernaki [Elektrikos Organikos]
STOPOVER: NEW ZEALAND
Bongmaster Brothers & Sisters [Kartel]
Salmonella Dub Dancehall Girl [EMI]
Blue States Hello Kombai [Survival]
Nitin Sawhney Days Of Fire [Cooking Vinyl]
Riz Mc Radar [Loco In A Box Remix] [Crosstown Rebels]
WORLD ODYSSEY MIX: SNOWBOY
Snowboy and the Latin Section Snowboy's Special [Ft Eddie Palmieri] [Freestyle]
Super Allstar Ban - Con - Tim [Caiman Record]
Fantastica Bateria Das Escolas De Samba 3 Fantastica 1 A [Top Tape Musica]
The Perceptions Inside Outside[Freestyle]
Roy Ayers Evolution [Polydor]
Lonnie Liston Smith Expansions [Flying Dutchman]
The Sound Stylistics The Players Theme [Bruton 7"]
4hero Hold It Down [Bugz in the Attic Mix] [Talkin Loud]
Badeshi Love Song [Other Brother]
MC Yogi Be The Change [Niraj Chirag's Swaraj Mix] [White Swan]
Dub Gabriel Cheree Ft Michael Stipe [White]
Bassnectar Dubuasca [CDR]
CLASSIC NOT FORGOTTEN
Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 Day Tripper [Dj Fu & DJ Dinho Remix] [Universal Jazz]
Kasbah Rockers with Bill Laswell Kasbah Rockers [Vocal Mix] [Barraka]
Michael Franti & Spearhead The Future [FreQ Nasty's Otto Gives Thanks Mix] [Beats For A Better Future]
Rabitza Manipura Chakra [CDR]
Issa Bagayogo Fimani [Six Degrees]
BOMBAY CONNECTION
Shankar Mahadevan & Mahalaxmi Tumhe Aaj Maine Jo Dehka [Eros]
Johan Soh & Myagi Still [Stefan Goodchild Remix] [Sound Of Habib]
DJ Drez Breath [CDR]
Natty Bedroom Eyes [Prince Fatty Remix] [Atlantic]
Asian Dub Foundation Bride Of Punkara [Naive]
Mariza Rosa Branca [EMI]
Ed Drury & Craig Murphy A Tree On The Tundra [Ambidextrous]
Solipsism
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Orpheum Circuit Out Now At Boomkat
Hi Everyone,
just a quick note to let you know that the debut album by Shoosh titled Orpheum Circuit, is now available in digital formats from Boomkat.
Orpheum Circuit is the debut album release for the inventive, electro-folksters Shoosh. Fronted by 90s' indie pioneer Neil Carlill, who was formerly the lead singer with Delicatessen (rough Trade) and Lodger (Island). Their sound is a unique blend of american folk, modern ambient and surreal, dadaist lyrics, that are delivered in a highly distinctive and thoroughly compelling style. Carlill is backed up on acoustic guitar by Ed Drury, a composer with over 60 titles to his credit and Craig Murphy on synthesizers. Murphy has released under various names including Solipsism (Electronica) and ch.pm (Ambient).
So far Shoosh have one release to their name in the critically acclaimed 2007 Awkward Silence 3" Split, mini CD, currently available from Boomkat, Bleep etc. This release has seen the band likened to such luminaries as Pink Floyd, Animal Collective, Mercury Rev, David Bowie, Current 93, Bob Dylan and Neil Young to name a few! Despite these welcome comparisons, Shoosh have undeniably managed to carve a new niche out all for themselves.
Tracklist
1. Elastic Soil Video
2. Snake Eyes
3. Come In From The Cold
4. Mock Table Rakes
5. Boo Ssh
6. Peddle Picnic Wires
7. Space & Thyme
8. Pestilence
9. Overthrow Turn
Shoosh - Elastic Soil by Myppa from Myppa on Vimeo.
The video for Elastic Soil is by Myppa
www.shooshmusic.com
www.myspace.com/shooshmusic
www.herbrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/herbrecordings
Shoosh - Orpheum Circuit Out Now At Boomkat
Solipsism
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Alien Genome Project Review At Textura
Textura
ch.pm: Alien Genome Project
Ambidextrous
Craig Murphy is a man of many projects: the Herb Recordings founder tackles electronica under the Solipsism guise, electro-psychedelia in Shoosh alongside band-mates Neil Carlill and Ed Drury, and deep ambient under the ch.pm name. Alien Genome Project finds Murphy fashioning a three-part opus that's about as immersive as ambient gets with the album's eight sections featuring multi-tiered synth swells and billowing masses so immense you could disappear within them altogether. The material's galaxial feel and trippy ambiance intensify when distorted voices echo across the limitless expanses of deep space, and nowhere is that epic pitch achieved more intensively than during the title piece which unspools over ten trance-inducing minutes (the sound is so huge, it reduces the voices that occasionally surface to indecipherable mumbles). A thirty-six-minute work of varying moods, Alien Genome Project takes its inspiration from the “Panspermia” theory—the idea that “micro-organisms or biochemical compounds from outer space are responsible for originating life on Earth and possibly in other parts of the universe where suitable atmospheric conditions exist”—but the work can be experienced just as easily on purely musical terms as an engrossing exercise in synthetic dronescaping. If anything, its unapologetically pure synth-based sound has more in common with ‘70s-styled ambient recordings (early Tangerine Dream, say) than a more current release where granular static and other noise might accompany the drones. That Alien Genome Project leaves such a strong impression is due in part to the forceful intensity of its presentation.
September 2008
Solipsism
ch.pm: Alien Genome Project
Ambidextrous
Craig Murphy is a man of many projects: the Herb Recordings founder tackles electronica under the Solipsism guise, electro-psychedelia in Shoosh alongside band-mates Neil Carlill and Ed Drury, and deep ambient under the ch.pm name. Alien Genome Project finds Murphy fashioning a three-part opus that's about as immersive as ambient gets with the album's eight sections featuring multi-tiered synth swells and billowing masses so immense you could disappear within them altogether. The material's galaxial feel and trippy ambiance intensify when distorted voices echo across the limitless expanses of deep space, and nowhere is that epic pitch achieved more intensively than during the title piece which unspools over ten trance-inducing minutes (the sound is so huge, it reduces the voices that occasionally surface to indecipherable mumbles). A thirty-six-minute work of varying moods, Alien Genome Project takes its inspiration from the “Panspermia” theory—the idea that “micro-organisms or biochemical compounds from outer space are responsible for originating life on Earth and possibly in other parts of the universe where suitable atmospheric conditions exist”—but the work can be experienced just as easily on purely musical terms as an engrossing exercise in synthetic dronescaping. If anything, its unapologetically pure synth-based sound has more in common with ‘70s-styled ambient recordings (early Tangerine Dream, say) than a more current release where granular static and other noise might accompany the drones. That Alien Genome Project leaves such a strong impression is due in part to the forceful intensity of its presentation.
September 2008
Solipsism
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Alien Genome Project Review At Leonard's Lair
Leonard's Lair
Review: ch.pm - Alien Genome Project
Published August 9, 2008 Reviews
ch.pm is the solo project of Craig Murphy, perhaps better known as one half of electro-psychedelic outfit Shoosh. ‘Alien Genome Project’, however, is like listening to an old-school ambient record, where melodies shift extremely slowly. Indeed, Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno would certainly approve of Murphy’s work.
Although consisting of eight tracks, the album could be viewed as one long instrumental piece. As the title implies, it does recall a journey in to a world of alien lifeforms but one where said life forms are peaceful beings and no danger is ever threatened. Fragments of dialogue can be heard but they’re so buried under ambient drones, it’s hard to ascertain what’s being said. ‘Replicate’ could be accused of being a Boards Of Canada cast-off but otherwise it’s a warm, slowly shifting journey; content to drift along at its own pace.
It’s true to say that ‘Alien Genome Project’ belongs to a group of any number of records over the last thirty years which follow a similar space/alien/ambient theme For those post-midnight listens with just the headphones and a bed for company, though, this atmospheric music is the ideal solution.
Web Sites:
Craig Murphy MySpace
Musiz Zeit Download Shop Site
Further Listening:
Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Avrocar, Boards Of Canada
Solipsism
Review: ch.pm - Alien Genome Project
Published August 9, 2008 Reviews
ch.pm is the solo project of Craig Murphy, perhaps better known as one half of electro-psychedelic outfit Shoosh. ‘Alien Genome Project’, however, is like listening to an old-school ambient record, where melodies shift extremely slowly. Indeed, Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno would certainly approve of Murphy’s work.
Although consisting of eight tracks, the album could be viewed as one long instrumental piece. As the title implies, it does recall a journey in to a world of alien lifeforms but one where said life forms are peaceful beings and no danger is ever threatened. Fragments of dialogue can be heard but they’re so buried under ambient drones, it’s hard to ascertain what’s being said. ‘Replicate’ could be accused of being a Boards Of Canada cast-off but otherwise it’s a warm, slowly shifting journey; content to drift along at its own pace.
It’s true to say that ‘Alien Genome Project’ belongs to a group of any number of records over the last thirty years which follow a similar space/alien/ambient theme For those post-midnight listens with just the headphones and a bed for company, though, this atmospheric music is the ideal solution.
Web Sites:
Craig Murphy MySpace
Musiz Zeit Download Shop Site
Further Listening:
Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Avrocar, Boards Of Canada
Solipsism
Friday, 25 July 2008
Some Nice Photos
here's some photos i've taken recently, most were from our holiday in the highlands, but some are local pics too.
Find more photos like this on The Ambient Workshop
Solipsism
Find more photos like this on The Ambient Workshop
Solipsism
Thursday, 24 July 2008
The Ambient Workshop
Hi,
Just to let you know about a new network that's been set up to promote ambient music and it's many offshoots. It's called The Ambient Workshop and it's free to join. You can upload as many tracks as you like and benefit from excellent playback. There's also a video and photography upload section allowing you to really express yourselves.
I don't know how successful it will be, it's a completely new venture for me, but it looks promising. There's already an excellent selection of music on there from many different artists, so come along and have a look and if you like what you see, then just click to join. It's really that simple.
http://ambientworkshop.ning.com
The network isn't exclusively for musician. There's opportunities for anyone to express their art, be that writing, painting, film, music, drawing...whatever.
cheers
craig
Just to let you know about a new network that's been set up to promote ambient music and it's many offshoots. It's called The Ambient Workshop and it's free to join. You can upload as many tracks as you like and benefit from excellent playback. There's also a video and photography upload section allowing you to really express yourselves.
I don't know how successful it will be, it's a completely new venture for me, but it looks promising. There's already an excellent selection of music on there from many different artists, so come along and have a look and if you like what you see, then just click to join. It's really that simple.
http://ambientworkshop.ning.com
The network isn't exclusively for musician. There's opportunities for anyone to express their art, be that writing, painting, film, music, drawing...whatever.
cheers
craig
Friday, 4 July 2008
Alien Genome Project Review
Music Miscellany
I'm old enough to remember Erich Von Daniken and his potty theories about how earth's civilizations were brought about through alien contact. There was quite a hoo-ha about it all when I was a kid, and his books flew off the shelves. I've just glanced at Wikipedia and was surprised to learn that he's still with us, and only the same age as Leonard Cohen! Bizarre. Panspermia is the hypothesis that the seeds of life exist all over the universe, and that life on earth is nothing unique, nor even originally from here. Nice theory, but it hasn't a whiff of evidence to support it (nor to discount it – it's one of those hypotheses which are simply acts of faith). Exogenesis is something else entirely – the theory that life originated elsewhere and came to earth during the asteroid bombardment of the Pre-Cambrian era, before the planet had an adequate atmospheric shield. Anyway I digress. The reason I brought the topic up at all was that the panspermia theory is the inspiration behind Alien Genome Project, a self-released album by Craig Murphy (whose band Shoosh are featured on the Phantom Channel compilation) under the moniker ch.pm.
The album consists of drones, cosmic synth chords, and disembodied, distorted vocal samples. It has echoes of Kosmische Musik acts like (early) Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze as well as their spiritual descendants such as Pete Namlook. But there are equally nods to Stars of the Lid, Brian Eno's Apollo and Murcof's Cosmos projects. The eight tracks unfold slowly. Some are short and fragile; others, like the title track, have a suitably cosmic grandeur. "Hybrid", the closing section, has a slowed down echoing voice that has the rhythm of whale song, and sounds like the last, fading sounds of a dying civilization. It's quite a spooky end to a seriously trippy suite of music. Only it isn't quite the end. There is also a bonus 36 minute mix of the album entitled "Alien Genome Project (Full Blown)". The album is available from Musiczeit at the address below.
Tracks
Part One:
1 Source Of Light 1:33
2 Junk Code 7:20
3 Transference 5:19
Part Two:
4 Replicate 1:36
5 Mystic Structure 6:33
Part Three:
6 Source of Light (Reprise) 1:52
7 Alien Genome Project 10:18
8 Hybrid 6:29
Bonus Track:
9 Alien Genome Project (Full Blown) 36:07
Websites
http://www.musiczeit.com/directory.php?artist=439&title=ch.pm
www.myspace.com/solipsism
Solipsism
I'm old enough to remember Erich Von Daniken and his potty theories about how earth's civilizations were brought about through alien contact. There was quite a hoo-ha about it all when I was a kid, and his books flew off the shelves. I've just glanced at Wikipedia and was surprised to learn that he's still with us, and only the same age as Leonard Cohen! Bizarre. Panspermia is the hypothesis that the seeds of life exist all over the universe, and that life on earth is nothing unique, nor even originally from here. Nice theory, but it hasn't a whiff of evidence to support it (nor to discount it – it's one of those hypotheses which are simply acts of faith). Exogenesis is something else entirely – the theory that life originated elsewhere and came to earth during the asteroid bombardment of the Pre-Cambrian era, before the planet had an adequate atmospheric shield. Anyway I digress. The reason I brought the topic up at all was that the panspermia theory is the inspiration behind Alien Genome Project, a self-released album by Craig Murphy (whose band Shoosh are featured on the Phantom Channel compilation) under the moniker ch.pm.
The album consists of drones, cosmic synth chords, and disembodied, distorted vocal samples. It has echoes of Kosmische Musik acts like (early) Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze as well as their spiritual descendants such as Pete Namlook. But there are equally nods to Stars of the Lid, Brian Eno's Apollo and Murcof's Cosmos projects. The eight tracks unfold slowly. Some are short and fragile; others, like the title track, have a suitably cosmic grandeur. "Hybrid", the closing section, has a slowed down echoing voice that has the rhythm of whale song, and sounds like the last, fading sounds of a dying civilization. It's quite a spooky end to a seriously trippy suite of music. Only it isn't quite the end. There is also a bonus 36 minute mix of the album entitled "Alien Genome Project (Full Blown)". The album is available from Musiczeit at the address below.
Tracks
Part One:
1 Source Of Light 1:33
2 Junk Code 7:20
3 Transference 5:19
Part Two:
4 Replicate 1:36
5 Mystic Structure 6:33
Part Three:
6 Source of Light (Reprise) 1:52
7 Alien Genome Project 10:18
8 Hybrid 6:29
Bonus Track:
9 Alien Genome Project (Full Blown) 36:07
Websites
http://www.musiczeit.com/directory.php?artist=439&title=ch.pm
www.myspace.com/solipsism
Solipsism
Monday, 30 June 2008
Alien Genome Project Out Now At Musiczeit
Hi,
Just to let you know that my new album, Alien Genome Project is now available from Musiczeit
Craig Murphy is a musician, composer and producer of experimental music and a multimedia artist working with abstract music videos. Having established the rising Herb Recordings imprint in his native Scotland, Murphy's own output resembles that of a musical odyssey. An obsession with Frank Zappa has seen to a fascination with experimentation and Murphy's many projects span several genres. From the mechanistic, yet poignant electronica of Solipsism, his electro-psychedelic band shoosh with Neil Carlill and multi-instrumentalist Ed Drury, to his recent ambient outlet ch.pm. Murphy's distinctive sound is often abstract, yet retains a rich, melodic and emotional edge.
Alien Genome Project is Craig Murphy's latest foray into the realms of deep ambience and sonic experimentation. Based loosely on the "Panspermia" theory of life on earth being seeded from space, it's a deep and hypnotic journey from one end the universe to the other. Droning soundscapes rich in texture are laced with discreet melodies to take the listener on a rollercoaster journey, that's emotional, breathtaking and strangely reassuring. Murphy's deep understanding of sound and texture has enabled him to deliver an album that could warm the coldest reaches of deep space.
Solipsism
Just to let you know that my new album, Alien Genome Project is now available from Musiczeit
Craig Murphy is a musician, composer and producer of experimental music and a multimedia artist working with abstract music videos. Having established the rising Herb Recordings imprint in his native Scotland, Murphy's own output resembles that of a musical odyssey. An obsession with Frank Zappa has seen to a fascination with experimentation and Murphy's many projects span several genres. From the mechanistic, yet poignant electronica of Solipsism, his electro-psychedelic band shoosh with Neil Carlill and multi-instrumentalist Ed Drury, to his recent ambient outlet ch.pm. Murphy's distinctive sound is often abstract, yet retains a rich, melodic and emotional edge.
Alien Genome Project is Craig Murphy's latest foray into the realms of deep ambience and sonic experimentation. Based loosely on the "Panspermia" theory of life on earth being seeded from space, it's a deep and hypnotic journey from one end the universe to the other. Droning soundscapes rich in texture are laced with discreet melodies to take the listener on a rollercoaster journey, that's emotional, breathtaking and strangely reassuring. Murphy's deep understanding of sound and texture has enabled him to deliver an album that could warm the coldest reaches of deep space.
Solipsism
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Alien Genome Project
Hi,
Just to let you know about my new ambient project that i've just completed. It's titled Alien Genome Project and is under my new artist name of ch.pm
Download
Part One.
I. Source Of Light
II. Junk Code
III. Transference
Part Two.
IV. Replicate
V. Mystic Structure
Part Three.
VI. Source Of Light (Reprise)
VII. Alien Genome Project
VIII. Hybrid
cheers
craig
www.myspace.com/solipsism
Solipsism
Just to let you know about my new ambient project that i've just completed. It's titled Alien Genome Project and is under my new artist name of ch.pm
DownloadPart One.
I. Source Of Light
II. Junk Code
III. Transference
Part Two.
IV. Replicate
V. Mystic Structure
Part Three.
VI. Source Of Light (Reprise)
VII. Alien Genome Project
VIII. Hybrid
cheers
craig
www.myspace.com/solipsism
Solipsism
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Monday, 28 April 2008
Important Changes
Hi,
I am no longer running the solipsism page on myspace exclusively for solipsism material. I have a number of different projects and it made sense to have them focalised on the one page.
The new material on the page will now be taken from my 6 difference projects, namely shoosh (band), solipsism, weird fields (audio-visual), Alien Genome Project, The Partisan and my soundtrack project with ed drury, ed drury & craig murphy.
cheers
craig
I am no longer running the solipsism page on myspace exclusively for solipsism material. I have a number of different projects and it made sense to have them focalised on the one page.
The new material on the page will now be taken from my 6 difference projects, namely shoosh (band), solipsism, weird fields (audio-visual), Alien Genome Project, The Partisan and my soundtrack project with ed drury, ed drury & craig murphy.
cheers
craig
Interview With Craig Murphy At Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers Interview
Craig Murphy
Interview by Sean Butze
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those who don’t know, Craig Murphy is a British composer of ambient electronica and IDM, as well as the founder of Herb Recordings and Ambidextrous Records. He records under two different projects, Weird Fields and Solipsism, and is also a member of the experimental folk band Shoosh. While preparing to release his next album, Craig was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to fill us in on his roles as a composer and record label operator.
----
SF: As a music artist, you’re involved in several different projects. Could you talk a little bit about your role in each, as well as what significance they hold for you?
Craig Murphy: The three main projects that I’m involved with are Solipsism, Shoosh and Weird Fields. Solipsism was always my main project, but over the past 6 months or so, I’ve been slowly winding it down as I don’t plan on doing any new Solipsism material for the foreseeable future. However, I won’t rule it out permanently. Weird Fields and Shoosh both grew out of the Solipsism project in many ways. I always did ambient tracks as Solipsism, usually between one and three on each release. However as time went on, I felt more and more that these tracks didn’t really flow with the main solipsism material and despite the fact that I often preferred these tracks personally, I couldn’t see where they fitted on the Solipsism project any longer. Therefore, Weird Fields in the first instance was simply my outlet for doing more ambient material.
There was interest in Weird Fields quite early on and that inspired me really to expand the project beyond what was originally planned and give it more focus. My first Weird Fields EP “Destruct Science” was meant to be released on an American label, but things never worked out as planned and I decided to start Ambidextrous Records, simply to give it a platform. Both of the Weird Fields EPs are now being released on the American netlabel Zenapolae, www.zenapolae.com. Who incidentally are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year or next, I’m not 100%. I’ve known the label since I first came online almost and I’m very pleased with the development.
Shoosh is what I consider the main project now, the band I’m in with multi-instrumentalist Ed Drury and singer/lyricist Neil Carlill. That’s mainly because we’re working on a new album right now which should hopefully be finished for around March 2009. For those of you unfamiliar with the Shoosh project, it could loosely be defined as psychedelic folk music and it’s probably the most experimental project I’ve been involved with. It’s also the project I’ve enjoyed working on the most. We’ve had mild success so far, with the release of the Split EP on 3” CD along with Boltfish Recordings’ Cheju, available now on Awkward Silence Recordings which received good press if that’s anything to go by. We’re hoping that our first album titled “Orpheum Circuit” will be released this year, but can’t make any promises.
SF: When did you first get involved in composing electronic music? What is it about electronic composition that you prefer over conventional instrumentation?
CM: I first started recording electronic music about 6 or 7 years ago now, though I’d flirted with it briefly in my late teens/early 20s. I was a massive fan of techno when I was younger and like many electronic artists, techno was my first conceived output. However, as my listening habits evolved, so did the style and it simply developed from that. I don’t prefer electronic composition over conventional instrumentation, ideally these days I prefer a blend of electro and acoustic, hence the direction of Shoosh. But both have their pros and cons and it’s really best to work with whatever you are most comfortable and importantly, have available at your disposal.
SF: As someone who records under multiple project names, how do you differentiate between the music you compose for each? Do you sit down and say “Okay, I’m going to write a track for Weird Fields, or for Solipsism” or do you just write what you want and worry about where it will fit later?
CM: Solipsism and Weird Fields were always interchangeable. Mainly because Weird Fields really started as an ambient extension of Solipsism. Though 9 times out of 10, I know which project I’m going to be working on when I start it. Shoosh isn’t interchangeable with the other projects though, simply because it’s so different.
For people who listen closely, they may have noticed that the tracks "Sun Up" from my Solipsism EP Solarism and "Over The Horizon" from my Weird Fields EP Destruct Science are essentially the same melody. I took the melody from "Sun Up" in midi format and slowed it down to 70bpm. I then changed the dynamics of the sound on it and did the Weird Fields track with it. It wasn’t a conscious decision to do this, it just happened. But there have been maybe 2 or 3 occasions when I’ve done similar.
SF: In addition to composing music, you’re a video artist as well. The videos you’ve done for your various projects all feature a very experimental and abstract visual approach. How you go about creating these videos? What inspires you to create visuals in this way?
CM: I honestly don’t see myself as a video artist as such, I enjoy working on videos for people from time to time and I get a great deal of satisfaction from them but it’s really just a hobby that allows me to promote myself and artists/bands I like through another medium. I’ve always been fascinated by abstract artists and I don’t just mean in a visual sense. I’ve been heavily inspired by people who had strong abstract and psychedelic themes in their work, be that visual, audio or literature and anything in between. People like Frank Zappa, Ken Kesey, Aldous Huxley, Salvador Dali & Pink Floyd have all been a huge influence, though I’m certain many more have filtered in throughout the years, many of which will be purely subliminal.
I try to make the videos look like abstract/impressionist paintings coming to life if that makes sense, or moving paintings more bluntly. I’ve always hated the stereotypical music video as they became so clichéd over the years and I simply wanted to try something that was slightly different and visually appealing, something that other people would like and appreciate too. I’ve been surprised with how popular they’ve been though, the video I did for the Glasgow Shoegaze band Ursula Minor even got a mention on the radio!
The process itself involves taking everyday mundane footage mostly, then processing it through repeatedly filtering, layering and overlapping, while continually adjusting the colour and contrast. I use what I would consider, very basic techniques to be honest. But try to deliver them in an original and eye-catching style that will hopefully resonate with the person watching it.
SF: You also run two record labels, Herb Recordings and Ambidextrous Records. Considering both labels release very similar music, what are the distinctions between the two? How do you go about deciding what to release on each label?
I actually co-run Herb today, all decisions are reached jointly between me and my partners Mark and Gordon, who are better known to most people probably as Rubens. I founded the label in 2006 and Mark and Gordon came on board not long after that and together we built the label up from a small digital only operation, to the point now where we have physical distribution in Europe, North America and the Far East. More recently, we’ve also been joined by Mark Millar who does a fantastic job as our press officer and he’s helped us get exposure that small labels could often only dream about. Of course, the fantastic music we release on Herb is a huge help too!
Ambidextrous isn’t a label in any real sense of the word. As I mentioned earlier, I set up Ambidextrous originally as a small platform for my Weird Fields release that was meant to be going out on the American label. It was always going to be for promotion only and I expanded it slightly to include a few more projects…mainly more of my own projects, but Kingbastard, an artist I have great admiration for, recently did a release for us and there’s a couple of new guys going to be doing stuff too. It was and still is though for promotion only, I will try and help the artists get some reviews and I’ll post their music on last fm, myspace etc but that’s it basically, a small window of opportunity. There’s no policy with the releases I promote through Ambidextrous with regards to genre either. If I like the music and feel what the artist is doing is worthwhile, regardless of genre or medium for that matter (I’d gladly promote other art forms), then I would let them use ambidextrous as a promotional tool.
SF: Ambidextrous Records is what many would call a non-commercial “netlabel.” That is, you release all the music digitally and free of charge. As both a label owner and an artist, what do you feel are the advantages of offering music for free? Do you think all artists and labels should do the same?
CM: I don’t really consider Ambidextrous to even be a netlabel to be honest. In my opinion, netlabels are labels who operate along a similar structure to regular music labels with the only real difference being, they give the music away for free. All of the releases on Ambidextrous can be removed at any time by the artists, as it’s only for promotion. Ambidextrous isn’t about ambidextrous and creating a brand that people want to attach themselves too, it’s all about the artists and each artist can be as individual and diverse as they like as there is no release policy, other than me liking what they do. I have very diverse tastes, ranging from classical to 300bpm techno mayhem, so anything is possible.
Quite honestly, there’s very little advantage to serious artists by releasing free music, other than the small amount of exposure you may get through it and the satisfaction of knowing that people are listening to your stuff. But it must be the only job in the world where people expect you to work for free and frown upon you for expecting to be paid. The advantages of doing free releases are diminishing rapidly also as the market is completely saturated now and people are finding it harder to get music they like. The major labels have recently signed an agreement with a company called Q Trax which will see their entire catalogues be available for free download. So the age of universal free downloads is only around the corner anyway and then independent artists will find that the free download/promotional route is an even trickier path to tread, when they’re going head to head with huge bands and vying for people’s attention.
I would say though that when you are first starting out, releasing free music is really the way to go now as you have an instant audience in the internet. It’s something no bands in the past could ever have dreamed of and it’s the quickest and best way to get yourself some exposure and cut your teeth. Once you’ve spent a while developing online, you can then think seriously about taking it to the next level and decide whether you want to go for a commercial release or not. I don’t think however, that all artists and labels should just give their music away for free.
SF: What’s currently on the horizon for you in terms of upcoming releases, projects, etc.?
CM: On a personal level I’m currently busy working on the new Shoosh album and I’ve also started a new project that’s still in early development under a new name. It’s only going to be a one off project though, so I’ll let you know about it when it’s finished!
On the label front, I’m really busy with Herb as we have a lot of new releases coming out over the next few months, kicking off with Engine7 and then we have releases coming from Rubens (re-release of CD), Kingbastard, Shamanic Technology, Skytree and Zerova. We may have a few surprises in the pipeline too, so stay tuned!
Craig Murphy
Interview by Sean Butze
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those who don’t know, Craig Murphy is a British composer of ambient electronica and IDM, as well as the founder of Herb Recordings and Ambidextrous Records. He records under two different projects, Weird Fields and Solipsism, and is also a member of the experimental folk band Shoosh. While preparing to release his next album, Craig was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to fill us in on his roles as a composer and record label operator.
----
SF: As a music artist, you’re involved in several different projects. Could you talk a little bit about your role in each, as well as what significance they hold for you?
Craig Murphy: The three main projects that I’m involved with are Solipsism, Shoosh and Weird Fields. Solipsism was always my main project, but over the past 6 months or so, I’ve been slowly winding it down as I don’t plan on doing any new Solipsism material for the foreseeable future. However, I won’t rule it out permanently. Weird Fields and Shoosh both grew out of the Solipsism project in many ways. I always did ambient tracks as Solipsism, usually between one and three on each release. However as time went on, I felt more and more that these tracks didn’t really flow with the main solipsism material and despite the fact that I often preferred these tracks personally, I couldn’t see where they fitted on the Solipsism project any longer. Therefore, Weird Fields in the first instance was simply my outlet for doing more ambient material.
There was interest in Weird Fields quite early on and that inspired me really to expand the project beyond what was originally planned and give it more focus. My first Weird Fields EP “Destruct Science” was meant to be released on an American label, but things never worked out as planned and I decided to start Ambidextrous Records, simply to give it a platform. Both of the Weird Fields EPs are now being released on the American netlabel Zenapolae, www.zenapolae.com. Who incidentally are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year or next, I’m not 100%. I’ve known the label since I first came online almost and I’m very pleased with the development.
Shoosh is what I consider the main project now, the band I’m in with multi-instrumentalist Ed Drury and singer/lyricist Neil Carlill. That’s mainly because we’re working on a new album right now which should hopefully be finished for around March 2009. For those of you unfamiliar with the Shoosh project, it could loosely be defined as psychedelic folk music and it’s probably the most experimental project I’ve been involved with. It’s also the project I’ve enjoyed working on the most. We’ve had mild success so far, with the release of the Split EP on 3” CD along with Boltfish Recordings’ Cheju, available now on Awkward Silence Recordings which received good press if that’s anything to go by. We’re hoping that our first album titled “Orpheum Circuit” will be released this year, but can’t make any promises.
SF: When did you first get involved in composing electronic music? What is it about electronic composition that you prefer over conventional instrumentation?
CM: I first started recording electronic music about 6 or 7 years ago now, though I’d flirted with it briefly in my late teens/early 20s. I was a massive fan of techno when I was younger and like many electronic artists, techno was my first conceived output. However, as my listening habits evolved, so did the style and it simply developed from that. I don’t prefer electronic composition over conventional instrumentation, ideally these days I prefer a blend of electro and acoustic, hence the direction of Shoosh. But both have their pros and cons and it’s really best to work with whatever you are most comfortable and importantly, have available at your disposal.
SF: As someone who records under multiple project names, how do you differentiate between the music you compose for each? Do you sit down and say “Okay, I’m going to write a track for Weird Fields, or for Solipsism” or do you just write what you want and worry about where it will fit later?
CM: Solipsism and Weird Fields were always interchangeable. Mainly because Weird Fields really started as an ambient extension of Solipsism. Though 9 times out of 10, I know which project I’m going to be working on when I start it. Shoosh isn’t interchangeable with the other projects though, simply because it’s so different.
For people who listen closely, they may have noticed that the tracks "Sun Up" from my Solipsism EP Solarism and "Over The Horizon" from my Weird Fields EP Destruct Science are essentially the same melody. I took the melody from "Sun Up" in midi format and slowed it down to 70bpm. I then changed the dynamics of the sound on it and did the Weird Fields track with it. It wasn’t a conscious decision to do this, it just happened. But there have been maybe 2 or 3 occasions when I’ve done similar.
SF: In addition to composing music, you’re a video artist as well. The videos you’ve done for your various projects all feature a very experimental and abstract visual approach. How you go about creating these videos? What inspires you to create visuals in this way?
CM: I honestly don’t see myself as a video artist as such, I enjoy working on videos for people from time to time and I get a great deal of satisfaction from them but it’s really just a hobby that allows me to promote myself and artists/bands I like through another medium. I’ve always been fascinated by abstract artists and I don’t just mean in a visual sense. I’ve been heavily inspired by people who had strong abstract and psychedelic themes in their work, be that visual, audio or literature and anything in between. People like Frank Zappa, Ken Kesey, Aldous Huxley, Salvador Dali & Pink Floyd have all been a huge influence, though I’m certain many more have filtered in throughout the years, many of which will be purely subliminal.
I try to make the videos look like abstract/impressionist paintings coming to life if that makes sense, or moving paintings more bluntly. I’ve always hated the stereotypical music video as they became so clichéd over the years and I simply wanted to try something that was slightly different and visually appealing, something that other people would like and appreciate too. I’ve been surprised with how popular they’ve been though, the video I did for the Glasgow Shoegaze band Ursula Minor even got a mention on the radio!
The process itself involves taking everyday mundane footage mostly, then processing it through repeatedly filtering, layering and overlapping, while continually adjusting the colour and contrast. I use what I would consider, very basic techniques to be honest. But try to deliver them in an original and eye-catching style that will hopefully resonate with the person watching it.
SF: You also run two record labels, Herb Recordings and Ambidextrous Records. Considering both labels release very similar music, what are the distinctions between the two? How do you go about deciding what to release on each label?
I actually co-run Herb today, all decisions are reached jointly between me and my partners Mark and Gordon, who are better known to most people probably as Rubens. I founded the label in 2006 and Mark and Gordon came on board not long after that and together we built the label up from a small digital only operation, to the point now where we have physical distribution in Europe, North America and the Far East. More recently, we’ve also been joined by Mark Millar who does a fantastic job as our press officer and he’s helped us get exposure that small labels could often only dream about. Of course, the fantastic music we release on Herb is a huge help too!
Ambidextrous isn’t a label in any real sense of the word. As I mentioned earlier, I set up Ambidextrous originally as a small platform for my Weird Fields release that was meant to be going out on the American label. It was always going to be for promotion only and I expanded it slightly to include a few more projects…mainly more of my own projects, but Kingbastard, an artist I have great admiration for, recently did a release for us and there’s a couple of new guys going to be doing stuff too. It was and still is though for promotion only, I will try and help the artists get some reviews and I’ll post their music on last fm, myspace etc but that’s it basically, a small window of opportunity. There’s no policy with the releases I promote through Ambidextrous with regards to genre either. If I like the music and feel what the artist is doing is worthwhile, regardless of genre or medium for that matter (I’d gladly promote other art forms), then I would let them use ambidextrous as a promotional tool.
SF: Ambidextrous Records is what many would call a non-commercial “netlabel.” That is, you release all the music digitally and free of charge. As both a label owner and an artist, what do you feel are the advantages of offering music for free? Do you think all artists and labels should do the same?
CM: I don’t really consider Ambidextrous to even be a netlabel to be honest. In my opinion, netlabels are labels who operate along a similar structure to regular music labels with the only real difference being, they give the music away for free. All of the releases on Ambidextrous can be removed at any time by the artists, as it’s only for promotion. Ambidextrous isn’t about ambidextrous and creating a brand that people want to attach themselves too, it’s all about the artists and each artist can be as individual and diverse as they like as there is no release policy, other than me liking what they do. I have very diverse tastes, ranging from classical to 300bpm techno mayhem, so anything is possible.
Quite honestly, there’s very little advantage to serious artists by releasing free music, other than the small amount of exposure you may get through it and the satisfaction of knowing that people are listening to your stuff. But it must be the only job in the world where people expect you to work for free and frown upon you for expecting to be paid. The advantages of doing free releases are diminishing rapidly also as the market is completely saturated now and people are finding it harder to get music they like. The major labels have recently signed an agreement with a company called Q Trax which will see their entire catalogues be available for free download. So the age of universal free downloads is only around the corner anyway and then independent artists will find that the free download/promotional route is an even trickier path to tread, when they’re going head to head with huge bands and vying for people’s attention.
I would say though that when you are first starting out, releasing free music is really the way to go now as you have an instant audience in the internet. It’s something no bands in the past could ever have dreamed of and it’s the quickest and best way to get yourself some exposure and cut your teeth. Once you’ve spent a while developing online, you can then think seriously about taking it to the next level and decide whether you want to go for a commercial release or not. I don’t think however, that all artists and labels should just give their music away for free.
SF: What’s currently on the horizon for you in terms of upcoming releases, projects, etc.?
CM: On a personal level I’m currently busy working on the new Shoosh album and I’ve also started a new project that’s still in early development under a new name. It’s only going to be a one off project though, so I’ll let you know about it when it’s finished!
On the label front, I’m really busy with Herb as we have a lot of new releases coming out over the next few months, kicking off with Engine7 and then we have releases coming from Rubens (re-release of CD), Kingbastard, Shamanic Technology, Skytree and Zerova. We may have a few surprises in the pipeline too, so stay tuned!
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Ed Drury & Craig Murphy - Music For TV & Film
Hello,
Just to let you know of a new project myself and Ed are involved with and it's under our own names for a change! We're now working on a dedicated soundtrack project with the aim of working in television or film.
Here's a little blurb
Ed and Craig have worked together for a number of years on various musical adventures. This is their new soundtrack project that is primarliy aimed at TV & Film work. If you are interested in working with Ed and Craig on any of your film or television projects, please get in touch through myspace, or by emailing speak@shooshmusic.com
There, that saved some time. If you would like to hear full length previews of some of our showcase pieces in HI-FI stereo, please visit the Ed Drury & Craig Murphy myspace page.
We can supply original music composed, arranged and produced by ourselves from our extensive library of finished works. Or we can do tailor-made soundtracks for any of your projects. Whichever is most suitable for you!
Just to let you know of a new project myself and Ed are involved with and it's under our own names for a change! We're now working on a dedicated soundtrack project with the aim of working in television or film.
Here's a little blurb
Ed and Craig have worked together for a number of years on various musical adventures. This is their new soundtrack project that is primarliy aimed at TV & Film work. If you are interested in working with Ed and Craig on any of your film or television projects, please get in touch through myspace, or by emailing speak@shooshmusic.com
There, that saved some time. If you would like to hear full length previews of some of our showcase pieces in HI-FI stereo, please visit the Ed Drury & Craig Murphy myspace page.
We can supply original music composed, arranged and produced by ourselves from our extensive library of finished works. Or we can do tailor-made soundtracks for any of your projects. Whichever is most suitable for you!
Monday, 4 February 2008
Ambidextrous Records
Hello,
Ambidextrous Records is a new venture set up by Craig Murphy & Chris Weeks, to showcase their multimedia projects including music, film and graphic arts.
The music previewed on the site is either available as free download, or Hi-Fi streaming from Last FM. The albums or tracks that are clips only, are currently licensed elsewhere.
Vist the music section to grab some free albums.
cheers
craig
Ambidextrous Records is a new venture set up by Craig Murphy & Chris Weeks, to showcase their multimedia projects including music, film and graphic arts.
The music previewed on the site is either available as free download, or Hi-Fi streaming from Last FM. The albums or tracks that are clips only, are currently licensed elsewhere.
Vist the music section to grab some free albums.
cheers
craig
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Some New Photos
Hello,
here's some photos I've taken recently. These were created by manipulating film footage with contrast and various effects and then exporting the individual frames as JPGs. I then took photos of the print outs of the JPGs at very close range, in the dark with the flash on. Sadly, blogspot has changed the dimensions of the images and I can't be bothered fixing them!
here's some photos I've taken recently. These were created by manipulating film footage with contrast and various effects and then exporting the individual frames as JPGs. I then took photos of the print outs of the JPGs at very close range, in the dark with the flash on. Sadly, blogspot has changed the dimensions of the images and I can't be bothered fixing them!
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Kingbastard Videos
Here's a couple of videos I done recently for Kingbastard.
[Luctisonousman]
[Inthemiddleofnowhereyouarestillsomewhere]
He never makes things easy for me with his titles but you need to live and let live! If you haven't heard Kingbastard's stuff before, go check it out on the link above, it's excellent.
[Luctisonousman]
[Inthemiddleofnowhereyouarestillsomewhere]
He never makes things easy for me with his titles but you need to live and let live! If you haven't heard Kingbastard's stuff before, go check it out on the link above, it's excellent.
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