2007: 12/1 - 12/8
By UR-061
I've just spent 8 days in Shanghai hanging with the VOID crew - Nat Alexander, Shanghai Ultra, DJ Fish and Ben Huang. They invited me as the special guest for the grand opening of The Shelter, a new underground venue in Shanghai. Its hard to imagine a place where underground music culture is considered a new thing, but this is the case in Shanghai. Western culture isn't anything new to China, but it usually comes in the form of McDonald's, MTV and Hollywood movies.
Upon arriving I was clued in on what was going on - various promoters of hip-hop, house and techno nights decided to come together and focus their energy on The Shelter. Although Shanghai's youth are experiencing file-sharing websites, all you can drink nightclubs and shopping malls, very few are being exposed to the alternatives in the west's mainstream culture. This is where the Shelter and the VOID crew come in.
In addition to promoting their nights to the resident expats in Shanghai, they are also nurturing the curiosity of Shanghai's youth. Not an easy task.
The grand opening of The Shelter had over 700 people with a mix of expats and Shanghainese in attendance. During my 3 hour set I got a renewed sense of the genuine cross cultural appeal of techno music. In between mixes I overheard conversations in Chinese, English and French. I saw a variety of skin colors getting down to the mix of P-Funk, James Brown, UR, Model 500 and Lil Louis classics. I received a thank you note from someone who had not heard underground house or techno music in Shanghai in their 8 years living in the city. Another guy told me he invited 10 of his best friends along to celebrate his birthday and witness the first appearance of UR in Shanghai. The VOID crew and I ended the night with an early morning search for some dumplings before heading back to the apartment for the deepest 12 hour sleep I've had in a long time.
I spent the early part of the week doing the usual tourist stuff. I checked out Shanghai's ever changing skyline and shot up 88 floors in less than 60 seconds to see it all. I lost count of how many dumplings I ate, but I think the crab and pork combination was my favorite. I witnessed just how professional the bootleg DVD business really is in Shanghai.
Later in the week I agreed to record a live DJ set at VOID's biweekly event at a spot called the Logo bar. Before the set I took some time to talk with DJ Fish. He's Shanghainese, 19 years-old and relatively new to DJ culture. We had a beer and watched Blade Runner on Logo's TV screens. He had never seen the movie! so I gave him a break down of the story and let him know that it is required viewing for him as a techno DJ.
In turn, he let me know that nobody buys underground music in China. The few people who are aware of it are downloading free mp3s and playing them on CDJs or a laptop. He confirmed my suspicions about the next generation - they have no mercy for producers of vinyl and will take the most efficient route to express themselves. Not too different an approach from some young producers in the 1980s using old drum machines and cheap gear to create house and techno.
It won't be long before Shanghai and other Chinese cities start to produce and make their own significant contribution to underground music culture. Their musical output will be an expression of the overwhelming changes happening in the country. UR identifies with the Chinese people, so we hope to return there and continue the revolution for change.
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"You will find the strength in the sound and make your transition."
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Underground Resistance always stood and still stands for more than just music. Please explain for those who don`t know yet your philosophy behind the label. How do you find new talent, what do you do beyond the label work?
The idea of "resistance" is very old. A more important question is what are the conditions that cause it? The spirit of resistance survived in us African Americans throughout the ages and manifested itself into me and Jeff Mills as kids as it did in many of our friends. Our parents were educated and had survived the turbulent 60`s and supported the "resistant" Dr. Martin Luther King`s Civil Rights Movement and anti-war campaigns. Consequently both Jeff and myself were AWARE.
We both had grown tired of seeing the 80`s era commercial media portraying African Americans once again as they were in the 70`s Black Exploitation movies as happy clowns who wanted nothing more than a big fat ass, Diamonds, Furs and Gold, a ridiculously flashy car and a pocket full of cash earned from "Hustlin". These same themes were and still are being broadcasted over the radio and television further spreading the stereotype. So we lived and grew up in an environment that was being bombarded by audio and visual sterotypes that are essentially a guide for failure. I still live in the results of this poison as we speak.
Read the rest of the interview here: http://www.de-bug.de/texte/4639.html
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Back in the day, African slaves were taught how to read in secret, risking severe beatings if they got caught understanding what was in books. People who read were undercover agents, infecting others with knowledge that could be used to create chaos in the outwardly orderly system of slavery. Today, the risks are more mental than physical, but there are still agents urging would be fugitives to pick up a book and read. To that end, we present the debut of the Interstellar Reading List. Fiction and nonfiction mingle to break the chains on your brain and awaken your inner R1 gene!!! |
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The following is a statement by Mad Mike himself. It was written to a fan who, in the name of his dedication to UR and the ?fight? said he was willing to kill himself. While not all UR fans are so extreme, Mike?s words are relevant to anyone involved in any fight for a better way of life. ------------------begin transmission------------------------
Do not put anything including UR ahead of your own personal well being. UR indeed a victim of yourself. UR indeed over FANATICAL about all things concerning UR. UR indeed out of balance w/life and your surroundings!!! There is more to life than UR!! Read between the lines................................your version of UR in your mind is wrong. UR was not designed to be your leader. UR was designed to help you find who.........................UR. Who are you man??? A mad fan ranting and raving about all things UR?? Ranting and raving about people you don't even know??? About a City (Detroit) in which you never lived in?? About concepts and theory's which you will never know?? It seems as though you are actually using UR to be SOMEBODY!!! This is wrong!! You know why?? Because UR already SOMEBODY!!! Quit using us as your crutch, your leaning pole, your reason for living and all your other excuses!!!
As I said before there is more to life than UR!! UR stuck in the 90's man!! People are moving on. Getting married, having children, taking care of their aging parents. What are you doing??? Still running around like a madman??? UR not making your transition......................sometimes in life you must move on. Even from things you love with all your heart (like a woman) if you don't UR stuck!! Ask yourself a question have you moved on??
Again I stress to you. UR was not designed to be your leader, your god or your anything!! UR belongs to no one.................................because UR simply asks you the question who RU??? Have you done all you could towards any of your aspirations?? Or have you let other discourage you??
Listen deeply & carefully to the words of "Transition" this is the true meaning of UR. It is simply.............."Inspiration"
"Find your strength in the sound and make your Transition"
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Troops your services are required. Juan Atkins has been nominated as a writer as part of the song "Losing Control" by: Missy Elliot. Tell everybody you know that owes they're ass to Juan Atkins to vote for Missy Elliot's "Losing Control" for best rap single. Lets show these motherfuckaz the power of what they cannot see.........................
Mad Mike 040....................UR
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Notes from the Frontlines 
