"Postmodernism, the meta-narrative, an abstract idea that is thought to be a comprehensive explanation of historical experience, or knowledge of... a global, or totalizing cultural narrative, 'a schema' which orders knowledge and experience" -- John Stephens.

Postmodernism towards a global cultural narrative, a meta-narrative, one ever so bland, shined and polished of all its intrigues and idiosyncrasies. Take for example my new website design: to be one less with the arts, and more with packing boxes into boxes, squeezing life between tags, as we do metacontent. Two tiresome days formatting something to become better compatible, here and there, and with the bigger picture.

One has to grasp boxes, more so... lots of boxes, design closer and closer to the margins, become, a conformist to the theory of their craftsmanship, a metaphor for stagnation, the concept is, a box. Life as a meta-narrative: Postmodernism, the story of the box within the box.

Once upon a time there were three farmers who lived in a little village. They were all flat out on their farms and needed some help to clean-up the bullshit from their back paddocks. It was agreed that each would use a different method to find a worker, so as not to become competitive with one another, in their small village.

The first farmer did try ringing his friends: firstly, he called Alice. He once serviced her up the back passage, behind the cow sheds - she purchased the oil - and he did all the work. He gave her a call, and was sure for some assistance: "I'm sorry, I must take the children to soccer practise," she said, apologetically. Not to worry he thought, I'll try Andrew, his friend from the Halfway House, a public house in the village: " Sorry, my shovel is broken, but, I'm up for a beer," he said, eagerly. Well, that's no good, the thought. How about, little Tommy, his second cousin once removed? Tommy, would be interested! "Can you give me some numbers?" he asked. "Hourly rates, holiday entitlement, heath and accident insurance, etc?" But, the farmer just wanted someone to shovel shit, and had made no provision for such...

The second farmer was a little more savvy in his approach, he would use an employment agents to work for him. They only needed a small fee, and he could make up the lost margins from the methane he would produce for the villagers over winter. A meeting was arranged, and the wheels were set in motion: There would be a blanket advertising campaign; Facebook pages, media and recruiting drives - advertisements of every type. The girls from the agency seemed professional - they used every resource at their disposal. Soon there would be hundreds of applicants, and reason enough for the girls to make some type of completion out of it - so they did. The farmer was a little uneasy, as over a week had passed by, and time gave him the feeling he was knee deep in it. He needed not worry however, as the girls were extremely efficient. Soon, they return with three interviewees for the position. They looked smart, and professional, too. The farmer asked the first of the interviewees: "Have you worked with BSE before?" ... "I've had lots of office experience," he replied. That was no good the farmer said, he needed a laborer, not a pencil pusher. "What's your experience with cows?" he asked the second. "Did you just call me a cow?" the second, replied... before shouting out, 'sexual discrimination,' and storming out of the room. The third must be of better pedigree he wondered as they wheeled him in...

The third farmer wasn't a bright man, he'd seen it all before though. The best approach he mused was an advertisement in the fishing shop window, so off he set, into the village. Several days had passed before he got a knock at the door. "Hello, my name is Jenny, and this is my daughter, Eve." Eve was a little retarded you see, but she said, "Hello..!" and, "...nice to meet you." "Hello," the farmer said with a smile.And invited them in for tea. "We have come about the job, for Eve... she's a good worker, and doesn't mind getting her hands a little dirty; she thrives on repetitive, task orientated work." She was just what he was looking for... her mother was also very lovely, with a cumbersome bosom, and three years widowed...

A short play by yours truly, written as a stop motion script for Tim Burton.

If I was to tell you National Geographic approached me to do a photographic exposé on Pattaya, Thailand, it might grab your attention: My animal instinct suggested however, Pattaya and the surrounding area is not best known for its picturesque landscapes, flora and fauna. By definition: and from local T-shirt fashion design: "Good Guys Go To Heaven, Bad Guys Go To Pattaya" and my favourite: "No Money, No Honey". Unless of cause you're a Russian tourist. Through their eyes, Pattaya is seen as a healthy family holiday resort destination where little Boris, his sister, mother and father work digital cameras overtime, while taking in the ambiance of topless dancers on Walking Street. Nevertheless, assignment in hand, I fired up the 125cc Suzuki Step with Shopping basket, to bring a rather more impressionable portrait of what this wonderful region has on offer.

[Aldous Huxley] Huxley: At least two-thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity: idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political ideas. Protagonist: ...and I shall add, if I may...? One would best advise: pray God, the Pope and Lord Buckingham, go interfering with another's Chastity, and I shall hereafter look to myself... and therefore, I over others, we and them, unless they doth corrupt the situation with money, I refrain. Huxley: The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude. Protagonist: And, it is there so, I feel; for to be mindless, is to be the other not in solitude; so one not in solitude, the other can be shepherded into folly, at the whim of servitude. That is not for I, for I, the artisan create... Yes? Huxley: ...abused as we abuse it at present, dramatic art is in no sense cathartic; it is merely a form of emotional masturbation. It is the rarest thing to find a player who has not had his character affected for the worse by the practise of his profession. Nobody can make a habit of self-exhibition, nobody can exploit his personality for the sake of exercising a kind of hypnotic power over others, and remain untouched by the process. Protagonist: It is true, so then we return to the parody, and pontification; the fluffer of religious and social ideology, the dogma, alas. Can you up the cards, Sir? Huxley: That we are not much sicker and much madder than we are is due exclusively to that most blessed and blessing of all natural graces, sleep. Protagonist: That, I do concur, my friend. Ha! yes tis true, sleep be a leveller. Huxley: The most distressing thing that can happen to a prophet is to be proved wrong. The next most distressing thing is to be proved right. Protagonist: My God man, you leave me with little to say, must not I think for others to warn them? Or, am I to only point and wink an eye in insane silence? Then why art others determined to profess the ways of righteousness, in the name of corporations to the lord? Although, I see your... then I should find an elf... about trying to lead anothers, under-duress, someone must be blamed, even the winner. Here being the point to it: Gods speed has wings, and with the mind to employ others? Mere mortals do hang for it. Huxley: To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs. Protagonist: Yes, a man and his dog. Huxley: The impulse to cruelty is, in many people, almost as violent as the impulse to sexual love – almost as violent and much more mischievous. Protagonist: Yes, I have found this in rather a lot, in those less virtuous, those whom prefer cats to be the truth, give and take... not to profess... and, that they might also be affected by lack of sleep. Huxley: Specialised meaninglessness has come to be regarded, in certain circles, as a kind of hallmark of true science. Protagonist: That we can agree.

Music to inspire::Chemical Brothers - One Too Many Mornings::

[Friedrich Nietzsche] Friedrich Nietzsche: A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything. Protagonist: One might look upon faith like a narcotic in any social network, controlled by an administrator... and much like alcohol, it has a euphoric effect on man. Pray tell me, a drunk does not suffer delusions from practising his religion regularly? Friedrich Nietzsche: Before the effect one believes in different causes than one does after the effect. ...insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Protagonist: I have a story of a wise man; a wise man did see a religious type fall to his death, while fixing a Vicarage gable... does prove his righteousness? Does prove gravity over his faith, and to make better use of a ladder, one suspects. Friedrich Nietzsche: Does wisdom perhaps appears on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion? Protagonist: hear-say, to be the truth of it, religion has its vultures. Although, the wise man after his watching of it, did, when chance arose, recommend a sturdier pair of hands support such a future venture. Friedrich Nietzsche: On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. Protagonist: One foot at a time I say. Friedrich Nietzsche: The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. Protagonist: The wise man did feel a little cold and left out, after his insight to the Vicar. Nevertheless, for observation sake, the proceedings made for lively jest, at a distance, over his coffee and sandwiches.

Music to inspire::Egyptrixx - Bible Eyes::

[Elvis] Elvis: A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It's my favourite part of the business, live concerts. Stephen Christophers: I enjoy them, how did your movements evolve, was it the natural progression of dodging all those dirty knicker? [Audience Laugh] Elvis: I don't do any vulgar movements. My movements, ma'am, are all leg movements. I don't do nothing with my body. Stephen Christophers: A true creative. Elvis: I like entertaining people. I really miss it. I sure lost my musical direction in Hollywood. My songs were the same conveyor belt mass production, just like most of my movies were. Stephen Christophers: You might not feel it now, although, you got out when the going was good - it's all going down hill these days. I mean, we have Lady Ga Ga and you'd plow her furrow with a tune feat. Eminem or a duet with Nicki Minaj, I'm sure. But her suits, they're just cutting edge, they really are... I could see problems in that department for you. How about when you pop out for a burger. Does fame do anything for the appetite? Do you get recognised these days? Elvis: After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake, I'd just like to be treated like a regular customer.Stephen Christophers: Well, thank you for your time, really, it's been a pleasure. Elvis: I did the Ed Sullivan show four times. I did the Steve Allen show. I did the Jackie Gleason show... Stephen Christophers: Now you've done the Stephen Christophers Show, you've made it. Elvis: I hope I didn't bore you too much with my life story. Stephen Christophers: Elvis ladies and gentalmen...[Audience Clapping]

Music to inspire::Elvis - A Little Less Conversation::

At best, society is currently gravitating towards lost creativity; creativity, as a business model, for business sake - the machine that keeps the average humoured. And, for good reason, anyone who is anyone, can be found running for cover, to marginalize themselves from such social servitude: to skirt the underground, those catacombs where one hides quality, diversity and exploration of their art; and, a place mainstream culture fear not tread; and, where unlike their production based counterparts, true creativity bathes relatively undisturbed, away from the fluffy kitten pictures and social marketing techniques.

Perhaps, I have a gut feeling, and with it, I shall reveal to you some of the best of the best; musical talent, hiding beyond the reach of the mainstream media machine; that I expose some of their wonderful work, that which, tends to go hand-in-hand with contemporary politics, social psychology, not merely fluffing the construct; while producing absolute quality, and together forming a rather more powerful statement than that which is a Fox Moment. ... Oh, eyes peeled for the loser ... Beck, there you are!

I dare you to really explore the names I drop in this post. would you give them time, you should, they deserve it. And for your efforts, I suspect that you'll be rewarded tenfold. We never lost music, although somewhere along the road between creative dynamics and commercialism, quality and the gravy train parted company, leaving true practitioners out in the woods, to again be discovered.

So it is ... let us first turn our attention to Morcheeba, Bahamadia, Portishead, The Controls - Opium dreams, with an organic Hip-Hop influences. Then with our attention on, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service and Primal Scream, in some respects, the Pop/Hip-Hop/Trip-Hop Genre. Being groups of the nineties, and peripherally located in social latitude, their music has stood the test of time. And where times are changing, and remixing and sampling to Dubstep and Drum & Bass is gaining mainstream popularity by making the old new again - the layering effect. These bands are gaining popularity again with the growing Urbanist movement. Urban Decay for your ears is: remixes by Bachelors of Science (BoS) that bring tunes into a new era. A drop in tone Blue Foundation, and to the far extremities of goth-rock with Wolfsheim and a shift towards drum and bass. Flunk' and 'Dutch' the latter, a project by Stoupe "Jedi Minds", will see you at the cutting edge of contemporary urban sound, with roots in hip-hop and drum and bass.

In the land of the spoken word, the evolution of Hip- Hop and Drum and Bass, we seek out: Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five, Main Source and Marlena Shaw and witness the evolution of the genre through The Jungle Brothers, NAS, CunninLynguists, Beasty Boys to the UK sounds of Scrubious Pimp, The Streets, King Blues; globe-hopping now with, Wax Tailor, Lady of Rage, DubFX, The Last Emperor and Chineseman Records - Le Frenchman.

Dubstep: in its own right a 'Dubstep Mix' can bridge the gap between musical genres, its history in a nut shell can be examined by watching: Bassweight - A Dubstep Documentary (2010): "A feature length documentary that offers an unparalleled insight into the subterranean world of..." I will touch on Dubstep more later, for now checkout Syncro a fav... as a genre it can be better defined as the glue that adheres one to quality, and the evolution of the true creative New Urbanist movement, sometimes sick and twisted; an offering to the Gods, a herald for the downfall of middle class suburbanism, visualized by Banksy and immortalized in, Exit Throught the Gift Shop - extending to that otherworldliness... and a trend of creativity over the power of Dr. Evil (The Beaver) and Charice heart ache ... not being one to judge.

Although, with due respect to other genres of music yet to be added to this post. I'm sure however, you're beginning to realise by now quality in music, art and culture is being amplified far and beyond the mean streets of prime time viewing.

So, has mainstream music totally bombed out? Or, just more selectively produced around a specific demographic for consumption? The latter one suspects. Lets take a track from Lady Ga Ga, and Dub her... So, within every problem, we can find a solution? Not that I totally dislike mainstream music, it has relevance: take Nicki Minaj and add an 808 sample, and then some theatrics. I can live with that on a messy Friday night out - you might not agree. Although, remove prejudice for a moment, and you can sight back to the roots of this genre in the music we have already covered, and rather more easily than that of a Korean Pop group production, otherwise copying a sound rather than evolving it. For example: Save Me by Nicki Minaj who uses a beautiful sample from BoS, the origins of which can be found in a track by Death Cab for Cutie - Brothers On a Hotel Bed... Love.