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Jan/Feb Issue
The Flying Post Jan/Feb 2012
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Politics Arts Music Culture
deceit issue Endless Webs of Deceit, Ten Years of Two Nights, Urban Legends, The Computers Dogging in Devon + More!™
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Welcome Back!
the Flying Post Issue 06
ue
The deceit iss
Contents
02 endless webs of deceit 05 interview with
kathryn bolkovac 09 Ten years of two nights 13 urban legends 17 the computers 19 dj food 21 dogging in devon
Somehow it seems strangely fitting that for this edition we explore the theme of deceit; even by our own considerable standards in the West, this has been a decidedly deceitful year, and the media (does that include us?) have dutifully contributed. We begin by considering this fact, with a short piece outlining the dubious media portrayal of the Occupy Movement. A fascinating piece follows as we explore the dreadful industry of human trafficking in Bosnia. But deceit, for all its depravity and virulence, can also be a thing of intrigue.
Without deceit, there would be no Urban Legends (no Christmas?) for us to ponder, and certainly no assassins. To complement these considerations, we have interviews with Ninja Tune mainstay DJ Food and Exeter Rock n Roll foursome The Computers. Not to forget independent film in Exeter, and a satirical look at one of the nation’s favoured deceitful pass-times; Dogging, of course.
Managing Editor: Gustavo Navarro Editor: oliver tolkien Photography Director: Robert Darch Art Director: Nia Gould
Advertising: Claire Bryden Web Editor: Dan Wiseman Intern: Imogen rossi Front Cover Illustration: Patrick cullum
As ever, we hope you enjoy reading. TFP
Contributors: Mark Arnold, Whitey Fisk, Karrie Ann Grobben, Jack Cunliffe, Patrick Cullum, Sean Neagle, Ben Borley, Jed Hart, Sam Way, Neil Snowdon, Philip Harris, Ben Aslett, Nathan Blaker, Will Cooper, Kel Varnsen, Benny Gromadski, Michael Goffman, adam shaw. Special Thanks: No Guts No Glory, Andrew Oxley, Two Short Nights and the people of Devon for their Myths & Legends mail@exeterflyingpost.com | www.flyingpostmag.com | Printed by cowdallsprinters.co.uk Full length articles available online.
The Flying post welcomes all editorial submissions. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All letter and submissions will be treated for publication and copyright purposes and subject to TFP’s right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved on entire content; nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author. Any similarities between persons or places mentioned or alluded to in the fiction and real places or persons living are purely coincidental.
“Endless Webs of Deceit:
Are our Political Grassroots being Undermined by the Mainstream Media?” “We live entangled in webs of endless deceit, often self-deceit, but with a little honest effort, it is possible to extricate ourselves from them. If we do, we will see a world that is rather different from the one presented to us by a remarkably effective ideological system… But there is a brighter side” - Noam Chomsky Deceit is used reflexively by centres of power and the ideological systems (the media, public relations, and so on) that subserve them. Recent challenges to the tight nexus between the British government and private power have made this behaviour evident. Two major grassroots challenges to this nexus have come from UK Uncut, an anti-austerity movement campaigning against tax evasion and avoidance, and Occupy London, part of a global movement for greater social justice, equality and democracy. Whilst UK Uncut’s repeated exposition of questionable tax deals between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and big business has recently been vindicated, global Occupy movements have been subjected to relentless smears and misrepresentation by mainstream media coverage. The Occupy movement opposes the corporate hijacking of democracy provoked by neoliberalism. As a result it has faced concerted attacks from governments and mainstream media worldwide. Initially the media tried to ignore OWS: “There was little coverage at first, and as it expanded, much of it consisted of snide dismissals of demonstrators’ ignorance, hygiene, and so on” (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting). As the movement gained pace and the media could no longer ignore it, most of the attention focused on attacking the supposedly “Starbucks-sipping, Levi’s-clad, iPhone-clutching protesters [who] denounce corporate America even as they weep for Steve Jobs” (Washington Post). More favourable coverage focussed on how the Democratic Party could co-opt the movement, harnessing people’s anger and frustration, but essentially stultifying it by bringing it inside the confines of traditional US party politics. The ubiquitous misconception is that the movement has no achievable purpose. The purpose is clear: a fairer society. The means to achieve this are also clear: people are coming together to share ideas, form organisations and develop strategies to give people real democratic power; they are experimenting with non-coercive, equitable, self-sufficient forms of social organisation, and they are reclaiming public space in order to do so, radically stepping up the public debate about critical social issues through education and free discussion. The Public Relations industry has also joined the media assault. A recently leaked memo from lobbyists Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford to their clients, which include the American Banking Association, outlined the need to “undermine” the Occupy movement in the media and in Congress through PR that spreads “negative narratives”. It warned that if the Democratic Party
can be influenced by the movement, “it has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bull’s-eye.” Similar attacks have been launched against OLSX. In October The Telegraph reported that most of the tents outside St Paul’s Cathedral were left empty overnight. Picked up by The Times and The Mail, the story led to public and parliamentary derision of the so-called ‘phantom’ protest. OLSX have since launched a complaint with the Independent Press Complaints Commission, citing the fact that the heat sensitive cameras used by The Telegraph to supposedly reveal the camp’s after-dark desertion can’t actually pick up the body heat seeping out of most tents, as OLSX’s own experiment with an identical camera, rented from the same company The Telegraph used, shows.
“The ubiquitous misconception is that the Occupy Movement has no achievable purpose. The purpose is clear: a fairer society” The City of London Corporation, who are attempting to evict the protesters from their encampment, has made plans to bring in a PR firm to assist them, according to The Guardian. Their latest tactic has been to argue in court that the protest site is a “magnet for crime and disorder”, attracting alcoholics, drug addicts, the homeless and other sordid types. As far as I can discover, no media outlet that has reported this claim has qualified it by referring to the reply written by Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility (PCSR) to a similar earlier accusation made by The Express. PCSR argue that the “smear campaign” by the media and the representations by St Paul’s and the City of London’s social services supporting the eviction plans in court have “demonis[ed] the most disenfranchised of the protest camp’s community”, not recognising the duty of care that some protesters have taken on by working with “counsellors, psychotherapists and psychiatrists, mental health and youth workers, GP’s and social workers… to support the social and psychological welfare of the whole tent community.” Do not be deceived: Occupy is the most important political movement we have at the moment. The government’s recent indictment of HMRC shows that the politics of the street can influence power from the grassroots. The “brighter side” to which Chomsky refers is that a movement which can free itself from the “webs of endless deceit” could provide fertile ground to spring forth a newly empowered citizenry, capable of squaring up to corporate and financial power with increasingly organised people power and, ultimately, changing the world. This is the role that Occupy must play.
Words by Mark Arnold
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k at h r y n bolkovac “Ironically, one of the reasons Bosnia was a breeding ground for human trafficking was the very presence of so many international police and peacekeeping forces”
In her incendiary true-life account, The Whistleblower, author Kathryn Bolkovac describes discovering foreign currency and women’s passports behind the bar during a raid of a seedy club in Bosnia – and a door even her fellow officers appeared reluctant to open. Not long before, an unidentified Ukrainian woman’s body had been found dumped in the river, apparently murdered. Another young girl had been found wandering the streets, beaten, who reluctantly admitted to having been held captive. With this in mind, Bolkovac kicked the door down. Behind it were seven young women and girls, their faces “smeared in slept-in makeup” with nothing but two “bare, stained mattresses” to furnish the otherwise empty room. They had been smuggled across borders, beaten, starved, raped and taken to live in one of numerous clubs like this one. Simply abducted or tricked and enticed into believing they could make a better life abroad, they were forced into sexual slavery in order to ‘earn back’ their passports. When Nebraska policewoman Kathyrn Bolkovac joined private military contractor DynCorp to support UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia in the late ‘90s, she discovered a thriving underground human trafficking industry. In attempting to police this industry and seek justice for its victims, she soon discovered the universal resistance with which her efforts would be met. Despite having been told by a superior that ‘accidents’ happened to people who asked too many questions in Bosnia,
Bolkovac persevered, and ultimately ‘blew the whistle’ on complicit employees of DynCorp and the UN who raped underage, captive girls and took bribes to keep the “well-oiled machine of human trafficking” running. She was repeatedly threatened, demoted and eventually fired for a trumped-up charge of falsifying time sheets. After a fellow international police officer advised her that her life might be in danger, she fled to The Netherlands – with a duffel bag full of evidence. Bolkovac told me that while at the time, she’d “never intended to write [The Whistleblower], in the end, that became a good basis.” In the time between the events in Bosnia and our interview, she not only wrote the book, but had a film made (also titled The Whistleblower, starring Rachel Weisz) and sued DynCorp for wrongful termination and won – all while raising awareness as a political activist. In person, she is surprisingly warm and unpretentious, saying, with a laugh: “I live and work in Breda [The Netherlands]. I have a real job and a real life and I do all this on the side.” I meet Kathryn in a small bookshop in Breda, where she describes what brought her from Nebraska to Sarajevo, Bosnia. “I had just recently been through my second divorce and was just ready for a change. Some of it was for financial reasons, but a lot of it was because that’s where my roots were because my grandfather was Croatian. And I always wanted to go to Europe. It was an adventure.”
Kathryn Bolkovac
During her time there it became clear that many of her colleagues spent more time enjoying the privileges of diplomatic immunity than enforcing the law. Ironically, one of the reasons Bosnia was a breeding ground for human trafficking was the very presence of so many international police and peacekeeping forces. They were the only ones in the region with enough money to keep the ‘business’ running and frequented illegal brothels with no fear of consequence. Should these individuals ever be caught, Bolkovac explains, they’re not accountable to their own country’s laws, let alone those of Bosnia. So, “nothing happens, unless the company chooses to prosecute you for some reason. You know, they can either fire you or call the police and get an investigation started. I mean can you imagine if this was about money? What if a British DynCorp employee implicated with human trafficking had been embezzling money? You can bet your bottom dollar charges would’ve been filed and there would have been prosecution. But because it’s about raping women or young girls, or forced prostitution, that’s not really a crime, in their eyes.” In a country without consequences for such actions and with no way for anyone at home to discover crimes committed abroad – unless their employer chose to prosecute – it became a criminal free-for-all. Bosnians smuggled in victims and sold them, as Bolkovac describes in her book, “like cattle”, to willing international buyers from countries like the U.K., the U.S., France, Holland and Nigeria. Bolkovac claims that this was and is “life as normal. Everybody’s doing it. That’s the mentality of these employees that DynCorp has working for them.” The sheer enormity of the consequences of international police and UN forces being perpetuators of human trafficking on human suffering and global relations is astounding. Yet, as Bolkovac points out: “That’s what these [private security] companies are counting on, you know? If there’s world peace, where’s that money going? I mean, look at the big picture: DynCorp goes away if there’s world peace.” Over coffee in the bookshop café, the existence of human trafficking seems remote to the point of being unreal. Yet it is this very lack of awareness about human trafficking
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that Bolkovac maintains must be addressed in order to combat it: through education of the public, in schools and most of all of law enforcement personnel, because they’re “the first line of people who are going out and actually finding this and have the authority to investigate and deal with it. For me, it’s about education at the front line and also curbing the demand. And I think the demand side is prosecution – finding a way to prosecute the demand.” “Every citizen in every country needs to be at the point where they can discuss these things with their police officers,” Kathryn says, adding, “contact your police chief and ask what is being done in the police academies to train police officers about human trafficking and how to investigate [it].” The investigation itself, she maintains, is not the difficulty: “It’s the psychological part that people need to be prepared for. If you’re not prepared and you don’t already have some background and training in the abuse of women and things like that, you’re not actually going to be able to do it.” More than anything, Bolkovac tells me, establishing trust – through open dialogue between police and citizens – will make the difference. “If you don’t have that trust between the community and the police, you’ll never make that progress.” She speaks from experience. Some of the young girls in that locked room in Bosnia, although perhaps more fortunate for having been found by a trustworthy police officer, never made it to their rescue destination. At least “a third of the time”, victims who had been rescued were picked up by mafia or even police before ever making it out of their local airport, and delivered straight back to their captors in Bosnia. That’s why Bolkovac bristles at the term ‘whistleblower’: “I never considered myself a whistleblower, because it was my job, as a police officer, to do the right thing.” Now, years later, the consequences of doing the right thing continue to shape Kathryn’s life. “You get back, but you don’t really get back. I lost my retirement...” Then, suddenly smiling, she looks at me and says: “It’s been an amazing journey but I’m not sorry I did it. I mean, I’ll be poor the rest of my life. But that’s okay; I’ll be happier poor, than if I hadn’t done it.”
Words by Karrie Ann Grobben Photo Credit: Whitey Fisk
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Jack’s Ways of the Word
Assassin This edition’s word drips with deceitful images of smoky adventures and double crossing banditry. What could be more devious than a highly organised, narcotic-fuelledoxymoronic murder for political gain? Etymologically, the misdirection is as many layered as a sack of onions. In the 11th century, the Middle East was a fragmented yet beautiful beast with rival tribal factions vying for power and Christian crusaders attempting invasion. Geographically the whole region was a complex and potent mixture of geo-political, religious and social conflict: completely unlike today’s Middle East. History has shown that, for those of a Machiavellian slant, from chaos cometh opportunity; and in this case it was an ingenious individual who took his opportunity. Al-Hassan, known as ‘The Old Man of the Mountain’, lived in the mountain fortress the ‘Alamut’, south of the Caspian Sea in Persia. Al-Hassan had an army of trained killers of legendary loyalty. These killers were the first purpose-built faction of assassins and against them no leader was safe. In effect they were a mother fudging game changer. But how did Al-Hassan keep his followers so loyal? According to Marco Polo, he found fit, naïve young men and spiked them with serious quantities of liquid hashish, lulling them to sleep in his arms. Upon waking they found themselves in a hazy paradise full of the swimming faces of beautiful women and their dry mouths teased with fine wine. The gullible youngsters believed that Al-Hassan had the keys to paradise and at will could bridge the schism betwixt heaven and earth; letting them exist amidst the untouchable fantasies that frustrated their youthful desires. They were
Words by jack cunliffe Illustration: Patrick Cullum
actually just hanging out in his garden. Paradise lost. I have a theory that similar strategies exist today; the link is tenuous, but I feel history will look kindly on me. This theory also explains the particularly challenging image of a certain David Cameron’s ‘hug a hoody’ campaign. The question we all asked is why? Now we have an explanation. As the highly respected academic David Icke has proven, we live under the rule of space lizards; among us in human form as influential figures in our society. David Cameron has evolved into a master Lizard of the Fifth Order of Lacerta – giving him the ability to emit pheromones from a gland on his neck and leap onto walls. Think carefully on this; when David Cameron strikes he holds an unsuspecting youth close to his smooth chest (or ‘hugs’ said ‘hoody’), close enough for them to feel the jilted, syncopated rhythm of his grey and withered heart. It beats to Mozart’s Dies Irae (Day of Wrath), reverberating through their tracksuit-clad form as they tremble obediently into the ranks of his hidden army. He forces them to riot and uses the backlash for political gain. Lizards are infamous for using all major events, good or bad, for political gain. I would like to assure the reader that this article involves quite a lot of exaggeration but almost no lies. In fact it is true. David Cameron’s name can be swapped with almost any leader of the major parties, they are all Lizards anyway.
For summer we have a range of men’s wear collaborations and exclusives including an Original Penguin SMU Collection inspired by the Californian Surf and Skate scene of the late 60’s/70’s and the bright and bold street wear exclusive ‘Dickies x Urban Outfitters’ collaboration. Men’s wear introduce brands Eleven Paris, PRIM.I.AM and APC Madras for their first season which sit alongside our own brand ‘Shore Leave’ designed in house for Urban Outfitters exclusively, ‘Shore Leave’ draws on quality and simplicity aiming to create thoughtful, classic clothes.
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Ten Years of Two Nights:
Ind ep e nde nt F i l m a n d t h e Str u ggle for Funding. December always delivers the opportunity to look back at annual cultural offerings, yet celebrations towards a decade of creativity were present at this year’s Two Short Nights Film Festival at Exeter Phoenix. The festival reached its 10th anniversary in honouring short film talent with screenings, panels, workshops and awards. Furthermore the milestone gave a retrospective opportunity for filmmakers and Exeter Phoenix Digital to discuss changes, challenges and prospects for today’s independent filmmaker. A striking characteristic of Two Short Nights is its unique ‘48 hour challenge’ in which filmmakers register to shoot and edit in 48 hours according to an assigned brief where a certain theme, a prop and a line must be included within the short film. Team Mosaic Machine from Reading took this year’s award having to use the theme of ‘hero’, a key as a prop and the line “Keep watch for further signs of them. Hopefully a further sighting will occur in the not too distant future”. The festival isn’t isolated or strictly localised. In addition to local commissions, international screenings exhibit a selection of films that originate from the film boards of Bilbao, Prague and Singapore among others. Max Sobel was the first Two Short Nights winner of ‘Best Film’ in 2001 and is currently working on feature film ‘Chilean Moon’, and has seen the quality of screenings at Two Short Nights rise through the years: “The standard has grown since I won the first award…and when I look back at my first film it just seems a bit shit, you know? Cameras and the democratisation of technology in independent film have advanced the quality of entries I
think”. Filmmakers like Max sense there is an incredible opportunity of access today. Exeter Phoenix Digital provides camera and editing hiring facilities for local filmmakers and, according to Max, Technology doesn’t necessitate quality. “You can create something meaningful and worthwhile on low end lenses and cameras, yet you can have people using £2000 HD lenses filming rain drops fall into a gutter, without amounting to much”. Access to technology may have opened up for independent filmmakers but one prominent challenge remains: funding your film. Proposing for a bursary from film organisations can be a competitive, exhaustive process. However, to an enthusiastic independent filmmaker it is more than money. Ashley Thorpe, whose 2008 post-World War 1 horror ‘Screaming Skull’ was screened at this year’s festival, believes bursaries deliver the important gift of time. “It’s rather hard just to work on a project full time without funding…yet when someone offers you a pot of money for a project the first thing I think is ‘that means I can really knuckle down with these list of things for about 2 and a half months and get them done’”. Experienced local filmmakers such as Sobel and Thorpe are used to the writing and proposing routine. There is a realisation, especially pertinent within this economic climate, to be realistic with your funding proposal. Whilst newcomers may be over-ambitious with funding, veterans at Two Short Nights suggest planning to write something that would cost very little money. Using the resources that you’ve got independently is creatively healthy rather than merely considered a cynical strategy. The screenings at Two Short Nights illustrate how the bursary is not the sole option when it comes to having
Until The Dawn - Film Still - Ben Borley
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10 The Grobbler - Film Still- Jed Hart
Clement Van Sea
your ideas monetised into action. The screening of Singapore sci-fi ‘Potable’ uses product placement; whilst the protagonist is investigating the origins of a waterborne-killer-virus, he must check the time regularly with the aid of a certain high-class wrist watch. Whilst such tactics may be bemoaned for soiling the independent artistic aesthetic, this could be due to cruder examples of product exposure in Hollywood (see ‘I Robot’, ‘Casino Royale’ and Michael Bay). Tanya Morel, who produced the dark comedy short ‘Miss Lustleigh’s Fancies’, also mentions the rise of online funding platform websites such as Indiegogo. The website allows artists to advertise their project globally for contributions. In return the website accrues a small percentage of what money is raised. The site has helped fund 50,000 campaigns (many of them including independent film projects) in 208 countries. Whilst the funding of bursaries, product placement or Indiegogo may help projects get off the ground, the support from friends, family and the Devon/South West community is paramount. Morel, who formerly lived in London as an actor before moving to Devon explains the help of volunteering local actors: “There seemed to be an idea that if you move out of London to somewhere in the South West you can’t be taken seriously…but there is a huge amount of talent in the South West who offer to get involved in projects, which really helps when making a film”. Family and friends of the filmmakers regularly relish getting involved with the projects as they (technically) fulfill their dreams of making it onto the big screen – the feature screening of commissioned
films from the past 10 years revealed many familiar supporting actors and extras from around Exeter. The picturesque Devon landscape provides a great setting for local filmmakers. Exeter Crime Comedy ‘Cops & Joggers’ makes use of the scenic runner’s domain of the River Exe. Even those outside of the area see the region’s visual worth, with Guildford based Richard Standen directing ‘The Beach House’ using North Devon’s Putsborough Beach to stage a man’s reconnection with his deaf siblings following their parents passing. Whilst festivals such as Two Short Nights provide a primary outlet to distribute and screen films, using the Internet as a cheaper and wider facilitator is both supported and rejected within the independent film community. Tanya Morel argues, “Sometimes you pay more to get the film exhibited than to make the actual film”. However, what else does the festival circuit offer? The expertise and advice from networking in festivals across the country is important, especially to those working within niche genres such as Ashley Thorpe’s (horror). According to Thorpe, Festivals are the opportunity to bring what he has learnt to the local film community that might be missing. It can be argued that streaming sites such as Vimeo can bypass the elite festival gatekeepers, making short independent film easier to share and exhibit to more people without loosening the purse strings. Quality control is essential though. Exhibiting your film on streaming sites for free may well be pushing your project out to obscurity in a sea of mediocrity.
Words by Sean Neagle
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Dead Dog in the Suitcase
urban legends
creatures by Philip Harris
A woman is asked by her neighbour if she could look after his dog while he is away. She is to feed the dog twice daily and take him out for a walk every other day. A week passes and she does as she was instructed. On the second week she slacks every other day, either forgetting to feed the dog or neglecting to walk him. Later on that week she arrives home to find the dog dead and sprawled on the bathroom floor. Panicking she calls her neighbour abroad, who says the dog was old and it was probably down to natural causes, and asks if she’ll take the dog to the vet. After hanging up she realises she has no carrier for the dog, so stuffs the animal into a suitcase (classy) and makes for the train station. She tries lifting the suitcase into the train but the case is too heavy, so a nearby gentleman helps her. When she arrives at her destination the same man helps unload the case, but, as she turns to pick up her hand bag, the helpful stranger makes a run for it, suitcase in hand.
Beasts Whilst not an urban legend in the traditional sense, the stories of beasts in the Devon area pertain to the recurring notion of animals appearing in incongruous places – like the famous alligator sightings in the sewers of New York. In Devon we have big cats living in Dartmoor, Exmoor and even Eggesford. Aside from the occasional blurry photograph a la Bigfoot, there is no concrete evidence, but around the time that the sightings began the Dangerous Animals act of 1976 was passed, making possession of any animals such as big cats illegal… A study into the likelihood of the existence of a wild cat living on the moors from 1995 though, concluded that it was highly dubious, considering the unsuitable climate and resources available to them. Nevertheless, the stories persist. One account tells of an experienced rambler camped overnight on the moors who heard noises they couldn’t attribute to any native animals, waking up the next day to find claw marks on their tent. My mate also swears blind he saw a black panther on East Hill.
Foxes
Join the Club
I heard this from a guy I met when I was working at a Service Station on the edge of town. He was working on his own at the petrol pumps one night when the winter fogs closed in. There’d been an accident on the roads that day. Twelve people died. The cars had just been cleared away. The hush that seemed ‘unnatural’, he said. He found himself with nose against the plate glass window staring out into the fog... convinced that there was something staring back. A fox came darting out the fog. And then eleven more in quick succession, heading for the motorway. Burnished fur and golden eyes, running fast across the forecourt. One of them stopped. Stood between the petrol pumps and stared... And then was gone again. The guy said that he didn’t know how scared he was until the fox was gone and he let go a breath that clouded up the window. He didn’t know he’d not been breathing, and he wasn’t sure how long the fox had stared. But he gasped as if he’d just been saved from drowning. And for no reason he could think of, he began to cry. “Something in its eyes,” he said to me. “Just looked so human...”
After a night out, a man takes a girl home with him. Waking the next morning, he finds that she’s already left. He gets up and makes his way to the bathroom. The woman has written a message on the mirror in lipstick. It reads: ‘WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AIDS’. After going to the doctor, the results come out positive. The story of a person diagnosed with AIDS who maliciously seeks to spread the disease has taken on several guises. Aside from this story, which seems to be the most well known version, there are also stories of people in crowded public places, such as clubs or cinemas, who feel a scratch on their arm and later find a note in their pocket saying ‘welcome to the AIDS club’. Another story relating to the intentional spreading of disease include heroin addicts placing used needles in the coin return slots of public phones or in some cases, petrol pumps. Nasty…
wildhunt by Philip Harris
Wild Hunt A Farmer was walking home from Widecombe one night, much the worse for wear, when he got caught in a storm. The thunder rolled around him, seemed to follow him. Coming closer... Getting louder... Seemed to shake the ground beneath his feet. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by huntsmen on horses and a pack of baying dogs, all huge and black. Emboldened by the beer, the farmer did not tremble. He asked the lead huntsman – a man in a wide brimmed hat that cast a shadow on his face– if he might share the spoils of his hunting, “My walk is long, the night is cold and the beer has made me famished”. The huntsman laughed, took a bulging sack from the many that were tied to his saddle, and threw it at the farmer’s feet. In a moment the men were gone, riding wild across the moors into the night. Thunder rumbled after them. The farmer bent down and fumbled with the rope that tied the sack. At last he got it open, and he gasped. Before him lay the bruised and crumpled body of his infant son… When finally he turned back, the body was gone, the path was empty. Sober in an instant, he ran all the way home. His wife was waiting for him when he got there, with their dead son in her arms, howling her grief into night.
Devil by Ben Aslett
pump by Ben Aslett
pram by Philips Harris
Devil in Devon
Bike Pumps are a Gateway Drug
The Pram
Sometime in the 19th century, when asking for more at the canteen was a no-no, snow fell all the way through this Devon-Shire. During the foggy white night a mysterious creature traveled through these lands. At sunrise, locals awoke to find strange hoof-shaped tracks stretching 100 miles throughout the shire. Most thought it just a stray animal or simply a cross-dressing faun. What caused alarm was the route taken by the hoofs – which led through a 14-foot wall, a 4-inch drainpipe and finally, Jesus-like, 2 miles across a river. Lacking C.S.I technology, muddled theories and explanations thrived amongst the villages. Unimpressed by the theories and explanations presented by the general public, the church suggested, later imposing, that the Devil, Beelzebub himself, took a casual stroll through Devon. Sterling detective work – Angela Lansbury would have been proud.
A teenager stumbles upon a new craze plaguing Thai street kids – getting high off bike pumps by jamming them into your anus. Intrigued (and bored), he runs down to the shed and grabs the pump. He locks his door and inserts the nozzle. The air gushes through his rectum and he feels a light-headed rush; the high is fleeting but pleasant. During the next year his visits to the shed become daily routine. Unsatisfied with the high that he was getting off the pump, he seeks a more thrilling buzz. He pumps his bike tires (same pump) and rides off into the night in search of a petrol station air hose. Lurking in the shadows, he crouches behind the station, inserts the hose and fills up. His body parts were later found spread all across the station. The Autopsy revealed that the pressure was such that the air trapped inside him had caused his insides to inflate and instantly pop. Lesson learned.
It was late and she was alone. As she weaved through the dark, barren country lanes, she sought comfort by imagining herself in bed, the heating on and the soothing tones of Radio Two’s Terry Wogan lulling her to sleep... She looked up ahead, the engine still running. Her path was obstructed by a pram. She stopped and, cautiously stepping out from the warmth of her car, she briskly moved to the pram and looked inside: nothing but an old-looking blanket. As she walked back to her car another vehicle started driving towards her. She ran back to her car and took off. The car pursued her, picking up speed. The driver started flashing their headlights at her as it got closer. She kept ahead until she got to the nearest village pub, scrambling in and asking to use the phone. At this point a man ran in and explained to her that he had followed her when he noticed someone getting into her car as she moved the pram out of the way. She returned to her car to find the back door ajar…
words by sam way, neil snowdon & gustavo navarro A special thanks to ngng designers for illustrations Find more of their work at www.ngngdesign.com.
2012 b e f 12 n a 19 j
8 venues across the city, with some of the biggest names on the current comedy scene.
www.lolfestival.co.uk
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Exeter Flying Post
Content
You first started playing gigs at the Cavern and a few of your first singles were through Exeter’s Freakscene Records. Now you’re with One Little Indian Records? How was the transition? We were with Fierce Panda as well. So we released a single and we only had about four songs on Freakscene. We soon signed for Fierce Panda and released an EP. Then One Little Indian picked us up through our connection with John “Speedo” Reis from Rocket from the Crypt who recorded our record. Must be exciting, not only working with John Reis but working with some of the other artists on One Little Indian like Dan Sartain, Kill it Kid and BjÖrk? We’ve played with Dan Sartain a few times. BjÖrk is of course a bit aloof but I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility. And how was it working With John “Speedo” Reis? It was great. It’s obviously great to work with one of your heroes. Is it fair to assume you will soon be wearing the Rocket from the Crypt Bowling Alley style shirts?
Ha. A band called face to face does that as well. That is too diffused for today’s audience, they would just think that it’s what you dress like, if you look at Rocket they were not always dressed as you thought they were at the time. Having said that I love those spangly satin shirts, I wouldn’t rule it out (laughs). You released your Debut Album in May, 2011. It was recorded in Stereo – Direct to Tape. What does that mean? I don’t know if you’ve seen an old Beatles recording, it was just like that, an old fashioned recording with old-school tapes. It was part of the reason that it sounds like it does, but also part of the reason we could do as quick as we did. So there is no computers involved. What we recorded is as exactly as it sounds. It was John’s decision – he said ‘ yeah we are going to do it all live, and do it all at once’ so that is how we did it. It is great seeing a South-West band doing well. Here is a curve ball. What is the most outsideof-the-box thing you guys have done? I think everything we do is fairly bizarre. As far as stupid stuff on
tour goes, I guess I could mention something that happened recently. Our merch guy is sort of a tattoist. We were at the hotel after playing a show in Offenbach near Frankfurt, Germany. We go back to the hotel and we had these great big bottles of Bacardi, when we had drunk them we thought - let’s get tattoos. Our bass player Nick got a tattoo of an egg saying eggy which is a nickname we call our drummer and he hates it, there is no reason for it we just decided one day that we were going to start calling him eggy because is literally one of the worse nicknames you can have. Then Aiden “eggy” (drummer) is even more pissed at the Hotel, five minutes before, De la Soul was playing and he says ‘turn this thing off ’ – half an hour later he has a De La Soul tattoo on the bottom of his leg in a big heart with a big cannabis leaf underneath – he doesn’t even smoke or like De la Soul. It’s actually quite a good tattoo except for the content, but he can’t even name one De la Soul song – he thought they did that ‘Groove is in the heart’ song. The weiderdest thing is that the merch guy was bollock naked only with a hat on.
The Computers are Touring the UK & Europe in Jan/Feb.
Interview by gustavo navarro
Photo Credit: Nathan Blaker
the computers
Women’s wear welcome new boutique brands Antipodium and MW by Matthew Williamson to our designer floor with new and exclusive Parisian label Claudie Pierlot to sit alongside our already existing brands Carin Wester, IRO, Faster by Mark Fast and Whyred. Bold and colourful collections from Vaudeville & Burlesque, Mink Pink and Evil Twin highlight with clashing print dresses and cute 60s blouses with vintage inspirations.
- 229 HIGH STREET EXETER -
dj food
Exeter Flying Post
Content
Photo Credit: Spaceman - Will Cooper
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“The art of taking the best pieces from everywhere and constructing something new out of it is the heart of what I do: ‘Magpie Music’…”
The DJ Food project began in 1990 with the release of the highly successful ‘Jazz Brakes’ series on Ninja Tune; a collection of breaks, loops and samples ideal for mixing, remixing and producing – in other words: food for DJs. Hip hop duo Coldcut were responsible for the advent of DJ Food, a pseudonym which has featured many incarnations over the past two decades, including Patrick Carpenter (PC) of The Cinematic Orchestra to name but one, who was, according to Ninja Tune, “commonly misconstrued as the computer that they made the tracks on for a while”. The Flying Post caught up with current and sole incumbent Strictly Kev, to discuss the hotly awaited arrival of new album The Search Engine, which hits the shelves in January of next year.
It’s been over ten years since your last album release, Kaleidoscope, an album which showcased you guys at your darkly evocative and foppish best. Have there been any major events or emotional shifts that have occurred in the last decade that have shaped and inspired The Search Engine? Foppish? Haha, never been described like that before. A decade is a long time, a lot of music has appeared (and disappeared) since then but this album has roughly been in the planning for most of that time. No great emotional shifts; I’ve got a family now but you won’t find me recording the sound of my kids’ voices for the record or anything. The only thing that changes is that there’s less time for everything else. In earlier days you were very much synonymous with the jazzinfluenced sound of the Nina Tune
identity, but what can listeners expect from the new album? Ninja Tune themselves have noted that perhaps “the biggest surprise of all to those who associate the DJ Food name with the early 90s Jazz Brakes records is just how heavy The Search Engine is…” Yeah, well the first Jazz Brakes records were 20 years ago – any artist still pumping out the same sound for 2 decades is going to be pretty stagnant. Plus the early Food records had the input of Coldcut and my old sparring partner PC on production; this is more of a solo record so I’ve cut loose with a lot of influences that would have previously been kept in check with the others on board. For you, what is the standout single(s) on the LP, and why? Very hard to say – Prey with JG Thirlwell happened very quickly
DJ Food
and couldn’t have turned out better, The Illectrik Hoax with Natural Self was one of the first things I did with a guest vocalist and the lyrics kill me every time I hear it. Conversely, ‘GIANT’ featuring Matt Johnson from The The was a dream collaboration that I’d wanted to do as far back as the 90’s and I slaved over versions of that track for close to 4 years on and off and it finally paid off. Anyone need only listen to a few of your productions to notice that there is a plethora of differing influences at work on your tunes, from the cinematic to 1920s Jazz to hip hop, but who or what for you has been the most prominent musical inspiration to date? I can probably boil it down to hearing Double D & Seinski’s ‘Lessons’ trilogy in the 80’s which opened my ears to sampling, mixing, cut ups and the general ‘everything AND the kitchen sink’ approach. Hip Hop appealed to me because I could hear how they were constructing the songs because I was familiar with some of the elements already. The art of taking the best pieces from everywhere and constructing something new out of it is the heart of what I do – ‘Magpie Music’, to use a title from the new album. Considering your 20+ years of DJ experience, this is a broad question, but where’s the best gig you have ever played, and why? A: Difficult, but my gig of the year
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The Flying Post
so far was in Grenoble back in the summer with DK from Solid Steel that we played on top of a mountain. We loved it so much we asked to play longer and ended up doing 4 hours on 4 decks. The party was free and more and more people kept arriving by cable car. Eventually it all kicked off and people started moshing and pushing down the barriers – the promoters had a call from the city mayor who told them to turn the music down drastically as it was audible all over the city! Despite your many years in the production industry, your design portfolio outweighs your musical releases. Artists who (in your own words) you’ve had “the pleasure to cover in words and pictures” include Funki Porcini, Amon Tobin, The Cinematic Orchestra and many, many more. Has your artwork ever inspired your music and, indeed, visa versa? Are there any favourite album covers you’ve designed? I’m not sure my artwork has inspired my music; other’s artwork maybe in a weird way, but the process of making it is roughly the same, a mixture of collage and custom-made elements. When it came to designing my own sleeves this time I actually wanted someone else to take the lead, hence the collaboration with comic artist Henry Flint. My own favourites are sleeves like ‘Out From Out Where’ by Amon Tobin, ‘Fast Asleep’ by Funki Porcini and ‘Let The Night Roar’ by King Cannibal
although ‘The Search Engine’ is a new favourite too (which is handy). The cinematic element in a lot of your production is particularly prominent, which begs the question, what is your favourite film? It’s usually a toss up between the Director’s Cut of Blade Runner and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil – some examples of perfect film making where the soundtracks are integral to their overall appeal. What does the future hold for Dj Food? I’m currently putting together an audio visual show for the album launch at the Planetarium next January which I hope to expand and tour to other planetariums around the world if it’s successful. 2012 will be the year of touring I suspect, I’m overflowing with ideas for mixes as I’ve not done too many whilst working on the album plus there’s an exhibition of artwork from the album opening in London in January as well. Excuse the irreverence, but I have to ask… favourite food? Sushi.
Words & Interview by Oliver Tolkien
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Exeter Flying Post
Dogging in devon
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Devon is famous for three things: rural areas of outstanding natural beauty, cream teas, and Dogging. Some, although admittedly not many, go as far as proclaiming these are the holy trinity of the South West and (excluding cream teas), it’s arguable that one would not be quite what it is without the other. Whilst frowned upon by many, Dogging has a noble and longstanding tradition, originating in 1970s England and enjoying a real post-millennium boom with the increasing use and popularity of mobile phone technology and social media. After decades of ‘keys in the bowl’ fun, the UK swinging scene was in dire need of a shot in the arm, and Dogging prescribed that shot. When Britain’s swingers made the move to our glut of rural car parks and lay-bys, they came upon a genuine goldmine of voyeuristic gratification. It was only a matter of time before the Flying Post gave in to the overwhelming demand for a Dogging review, so we thought we’d better send our boys Goffman and Gromadski with documenter Kel Varnsen on a field trip to assess East Devon’s best (and worst) Dogging districts. Woof.
We toss a coin to decide who will be the ‘bitch’ for the morning, although it would be unfair to reveal who this particular mantle fell to, as Benny would like to remain anonymous.
East Hill
Haldon Hill & Haldon Forest
Babbacombe Walls Hill
First stop on our early morning jaunt is East Hill. Despite arriving at 6am in cloaked darkness, it’s clear that the panoramic views of the Devonshire countryside are world class. Situated high on the East Hill strips overlooking Ottery St. Mary and the distant lights of Exeter, the strips are easily accessible from Ottery, Feniton and Honiton, yet retain a comforting air of wooded seclusion as one of the more rural spots on the circuit. Dog walkers ease off around 11pm, and arrive sporadically after 6am, so unless you’d like an audience (like we had) then prime dogging hours are between midnight and 5. With a choice of two car parks and endless woods, this area is right out of the top drawer. Think ‘Haldon Hill’s demure younger sister’. A truly charming spot.
The Mother of all Dogging in Devon. A massive stretch of Forestry Commission owned forest and woodland areas with endless car parks; I wouldn’t be surprised if every turn, nook and cranny of this Dogging dreamland is already being put to good use. Open lands with astounding views and handsome hidden wooded areas. Some spots require a tricky drive but with views like these, who cares? If dogging had a Sodom & Gomorrah (minus the negative biblical definition and leaving all the naughty fun) it would surely be Haldon Hill. I am getting excited just thinking about all those woods. One for everyone; a universally accommodating spot and the gift that keeps on giving. Note: Unless you want a high tempo and relentless soundtrack to your event, try and time visits around the woodland Psy-Trance raves.
I had high expectations for this one. All Dogging forums said that it was a must – a great spot for any avid Dogger. We drive down a few narrow lanes before reaching the small car park overlooking a valley. To one side is the car-park, to the other – a small distance away easily bridged with a decent pair of binoculars – are rows of houses and flats; a good spot for those who enjoy watching from the comfort of their homes. Beyond the car park is a public park and a little further down there are some bushes and shelter where any solitary Ninja Dogger could chronically masturbate whilst remaining suitably hidden in the darkness. Not one of the most idyllic of spots, nor much good for those who value seclusion. Again, more suited to the voyeur.
TotnesBridge End
Fellatio Sunrise
You’ve got two car parks here, one of them looks right over the Steamer quay boat dock and is thus located in a highly visible area often frequented by coppers driving by: for the thrill-seekers only. But a little further on lies the real jewel in the crown. We drive around the car park, and, whilst my fellow reviewer is unimpressed by our surroundings, I, being the more knowledgeable but equally inexperienced Dogger, point out the undeniable merits of the spot. It is hidden but, unlike the forest spots, it isn’t a nightmare to find. Placed near the river across boat docks the views, I imagine, must be astounding as you are being fully mounted and ridden from behind.
Although not originally on our planned itinerary, halfway between Teignmouth and Babbacombe we pass a car park straddling the edge of a cliff, overlooking Devon’s delightful Jurassic coast. With startlingly beautiful views of the English Channel, we decide this spot is worth turning around for. As the rising sun lines the silvery morning clouds, we are met with a scene of biblical splendour. As I stoop to fellate my companion, commuters on the main road toot their horns with voyeuristic delight. As such an exposed spot, this is certainly one for the show boaters among us, though, as the Dogging art is synonymous with exhibitionism, this is a must-stop-spot for all purveyors of dog-spotting traditionalism.
review by Benny Gromadski & Michael Goffman Photo Credit: Kel Varnsen