Act like you know

by SCOTT C

Those of you who have been known to pick up a copy of the U.K.-based magazine Straight No Chaser should know that the mag with the tagline “Interplanetary Sounds—Ancient to the Future,” which has been on newsstands since 1988, is getting ready to close the doors on its printed arm. Having been involved in the early days of acid jazz, SNC has grown to represent the truly international flavour of individual global scenes, artists and musical movements. Touching on everything from drum & bass, house and hip hop to Latin, African and Brazilian, broken beat, jazz-funk and soul, SNC has done much to make the musical world we inhabit much smaller over the years. Publisher Paul Bradshaw wrote in a SNC message-board post on June 27, “Initially, we plan to step up and extend our interactive web presence—which to our shame we’ve pretty much neglected. The aim is to continue to maintain our unique and ongoing relationship with that wealth of global talent consistently producing music both in those home studios and live onstage.”

I can personally attest that SNC has had an invaluable influence on my own musical tastes over the years, introducing me to artists from Goldie to Roni Size, Seu Jorge and Bebel Gilberto, while giving names like Masters at Work, 4Hero, Slum Village, Sa-Ra, Herbert and Cinematic Orchestra their proper due, eons before many properly financed publications could catch on. Look out for a super-sized special edition of SNC later this summer or early fall to round out your library, and keep checking www.straightnochaser.co.uk for the ever-changing face of this instrumental magazine.

Vancouver-based producer/musician/DJ Aklimatize rolls into town this Saturday, July 28, with his DJ partner Chris Lima for the Goods at la Sala Rossa. Aklimatize represents Vancouver’s Future Elements Recordings, and this rising star has both played and recorded with some of the best. He’s remixed Bugz in the Attic’s Daz-I-Kue, played at CO-OP in London and recorded Mark de Clive Lowe and Bembe Segue’s upcoming Politik LP at his studio in Van City. The two will be playing on four turntables and two MPC 2000s on Saturday night, so don’t miss this rumpshaker if you can make it. Tix are $10 at the door.

Take a minute and hang out with the cool kids this evening, Thursday, July 26, over at Off The Hook (1021 Ste-Catherine W.), where they’re presenting an installation by Paris-based artist and designer Akroe. Known as the man behind the eye-catching designs found on TTC album covers, Akroe has been at it for years, building a solid reputation in the street with the impossible imagery, as well as soothing lines and angles without edges, in his design work. The exhibit runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and all interested parties should email vincent@offthehook.ca and let him know you’ll be attending. You can check out more of Akroe’s great work at www.akroe.net.

End of an era… fathead@videotron.ca