The ABCs OF ANARCHISM 1999 (Seeland 020) CD
FASTER THAN SHEEP That's right kids, it's now time for our favorite new EP "The ABCs Of Anarchism". If you relate the notion of anarchism to lawlessness, chaos and unrest, then you need to educate yourself to the tunes of the always informative Negativland, and that pillar of anarchistic leanings ( bet you didn't know), Chumbawamba. However odd bed-fellows these two bands make, the result is nothing short of highly entertaining. Both are apparent proponents of anarchism and both attract completely disparate musical audiences, which can only be the reason that this project came about. Long standing Negativland listeners will immediately recognize the literal barrage of found sounds and nasally Weatherman dialogue ( from his very own kitchen). Chumbawamba fans will recognize snippets from their most popular radio fodder, especially the " I Get Knocked Down" song. All three songs on the EP address anarchism, smelly water and copyright infringement ( a never ending Negativland topic) via the wonderful world of sampling. The favorite of guests for whom I've played this CD is inevitably "© is for Stupid". Anytime you sample the Cookie Monster, Teletubbies and Noam Chomsky on the same song, you're bound to please the people. And speaking of people, this album and the anarchy it espouses are all about people: people making an honest effort at being responsible, respectable individuals that practice the most noble of all notions - self rule and human good-naturedness. So let's all be anarchists, if only for a day we can make the world a better place through the virtues of true anarchism. In the meantime, I'll take a vodka drink, I'll take a lager drink, I'll take a cider drink... -JP
ADDICTED TO NOISE Negativland Team With Chumbawamba Sonic deconstructionists Negativland claim to have teamed up with "Tubthumping" anarchists Chumbawamba on the new joint three-track EP The ABCs of Anarchism. The album lampoons the British anarchist collective by looping both "Tubthumping" and several other Chumbawamba tracks amidst snippets of songs by rapper Ice Cube, soul legend James Brown, the Spice Girls, Elvis Costello, numerous movie and television soundtrack songs and kiddie faves the Teletubbies. In addition to the 13-minute title track, the CD features the tape-looped songs "Smelly Water" and "© Is For Stupid (ABCs re-mix by DJ Dr. J. Land)."
SPLENDID E-ZINE In addition to being a collaborative sample collage from two of the most interesting music/art/terrorism groups of the eighties and nineties, ABCs... may go some distance towards restoring Chumbawamba's anarchist/indie cred post-"Tubthumping". Said single appears here, as does much of the album that bore it, albeit (thankfully) in cut, pasted, chopped and otherwised abused forms. You'll also find a wealth of familiar film, music and television samples here -- most notably from the Teletubbies, who have also been co-opted to star in the mock children's story told in the CD booklet. Negativland's Weatherman is recognizable throughout, often reading from Alexander Berkman's 1929 book "ABC of Anarchism" in his trademark stressed-out warble. This is scattershot tape-loop terrorism at its finest. -gz Back to PRESS US Back to NMOL 
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