ART IS RESISTANCE

ART IS RESISTANCE

By C.B Love and Joanna Whitby

A storm is brewing and a revolution is on its way.

The name: A.I.R., ART IS RESISTANCE
The perpetrators: EVERYONE
The method: ART!

The Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero album is a concept album with a difference and that difference is that the artwork isn’t just contained in the music or the album cover and insert. No. The artwork extends way beyond those parameters. It’s a multimedia, conspiracy theory web-trail of which the album is but a part. The A.I.R. movement came to light with a NIN tour T-shirt bearing the url (web address) iamtryingtobelieve.com. That web address opened onto a website concerning a “mind control” drug: Parepin, found in water. The fan checkpoint echoingthesound.com also reveals that Year Zero is a gloomy vision of the future, 15 years from now, 2022 to be precise, portraying a society threatened by extinction.

The NIN fans have already embraced the message A.I.R. and used their artistic abilities as a means of expression, following in mass the slogan “You have a voice, use it”. Tags, stickers, markings in any shape and form of the slogan and of the logo (a raised fist) are appearing on the walls of every street, on the wall of everything to be correct!

Trent Reznor has once again tapped into a powerful stream in that he has increasingly been feeling something needed to be done with the state of the world, especially in its western part, and that that something needed to be done through action by and with the people. So it’s no wonder the youth of today has taken to his message and that of his art like a fish to water.

Inertia is no longer an option, prayers are no longer an option, lightness is no longer the only option. The shift is mainly focusing on finding more efficient ways of “getting things done”, “getting things moving” – through action and art, a non-violent path but nevertheless a pro-active one. The success of the movement will reside in the balance of the joining of forces – be they light or dark, meek or strong, relaxed or self-disciplined.

I am a child of the 70s and I have felt for many years that my generation and the ones after mine are facing a bleak future where values and institutions have all crumbled and chaos is king. Somehow the doings of our elders, done in the belief they were creating positive changes, - i.e. marriage, divorce, abortion, free expression, capitalism, growth and expansion, democracy – have turned sour due to misinterpretation, abuse and greed.

Corruption and power-struggles with a total disregard to humankind and any type of society for that matter have now become daily currency. A.I.R. is telling us to react against it now and fast if we want to curb the line our future is taking.

"If there's some art-resistance movement happening in L.A., I'm down for it. I think it's about taking art and making a political statement with it. Because there's not a lot of that going on these days," NIN fan Natalie Potell said. "So maybe it's making people open their eyes a bit. It's an album, but it's more than an album. It's got its own little movement behind it."

The movement is fast growing. The resistants are all acting and are curious to see if you’re going to take part in the change.

More info here:

NIN’s official website: http://www.nin.com
http://www.ninwiki.com/Main_Page

Accident and Emergency – Patrick Wolf

CD review by Jo Whitby

Back in 2004 a promotional CD dropped through my letterbox, this was a regular occurrence as I had just started a music webzine but unlike many of the other promos this particular disc proceeded to live in my CD player for the next 2 years. The album was called ‘Wind in the Wires’ and the artist was the young and incredibly talented Patrick Wolf.

Patrick Wolf is truly a musical wizard capable of playing almost any instrument you’d care to thrust upon him. As a musician myself, and also a player of a number of instruments, it was wonderful to discover a fellow artist who wrote and produced all his own music. At the time I received ‘Wind In The Wires’ (which was in fact his second album) I was struggling with my music composition, I had the dreaded ‘writer's block’! Patrick’s music reached deep inside of me and seemed to pull out all the creative sparks and ideas that had been hiding from my sight for quite some time.

I very quickly picked up a copy of his first album ‘Lycanthropy’, which I discovered was a far more electronic affair in comparison to the more folk-like second album but still a fantastic effort considering it was recorded when Patrick was 19. Friends and family will know that if they play the track ‘Paris’ to me from ‘Lycanthropy’, where Patrick exclaims “you must come, come to joy!”, they’re guaranteed a sobbing wreck by the end of the song, it’s that powerful.

So, let's bring things a little more up to date – Patrick Wolf is now 23. It’s October 2006 and the first single from Patrick’s third album ‘The Magic Position’ - ‘Accident and Emergency’ has finally been released.

In the track we’re treated to bleeps and electronic samples, much like his earlier work only far more controlled and simplified. The lyrics are on top form: 'If you never lose/How you gonna know when you've won/And if it's never dark/How you gonna know the sun/When it shines’
Really great stuff, another song that will find me in tears if it catches me in the right mood.

Patrick describes the track as a ‘Pop’ song and I can understand why. It’s quite accessible unlike some of his previous work and now with a major record company backing the release maybe the musical genius will finally get the recognition and success he deserves.

Visit www.patrickwolf.com for more information.

When I loved myself Enough

By Kim McMillen With Alison McMillen

By Gill Whitby

This unique little book was written by a woman who one day realised that her innermost thoughts and opinions were valid and worth recording. When Kim died her daughter Alison decided to put these thoughts and opinions into print as a tribute to her mother’s life. I for one am so glad that she did.

In recent years I have kept Kim’s book by my bedside and every night I randomly pick one thought to read and think about. Kim McMillen has helped me through some difficult times, made me laugh, wonder and cry with the beauty of her words, for example:-

“When I loved myself enough

I would sometimes wake in the night to music playing within me”

I feel her close to me, a friend offering support, guidance and a few laughs along the way. I suppose when I loved myself enough Kim’s little book found me.

Thank you,

Gill.

Something to think about.

By Gill Whitby

There are times in our lives when we all need ‘Something to think about’, something outside ourselves that can help to put us back in touch with our beliefs in a gentle, reflective, loving way.

This is a special little book with a big message. The writer and illustrator present us with the wonder of everyday life. They remind us that within the hustle and bustle of the world today there is time to stop, listen and find peace and joy. They have thought about what they want the reader to think about and it works!

I found one or two of the poems uncomfortably familiar, others such as ‘Letting Go’ a coming home. With its thought provoking words, lovely artwork and breathtaking simplicity this is a book to return to again and again.

Thank you.

Learning to Fly

Give me wings to fly
so that I can rise above these trivial worries.

Help me to get a real perspective on what is going on around me and not be simply drawn in to the unimportant things that I get so precious about.

Let me see things as others do – help me to understand their world first instead of trying to make it like mine.

As I circle overhead let me breathe and pause before I say anything else.

Let me absorb your peace that passes all understanding and slowly feel the difference of the pause,

the break in the ping- pong conversation,

the opportunity to pull back from the heat and let your love break in.

And then I come back down.

It’s only been seconds up there, no one saw but you have enabled me to move beyond where I was and now I can help everyone else move on as I behave differently.

O God, can I keep those wings now?

Dr. Cat’s Helping Handbook

By Gill Whitby

The day this book came into my life I was at a very low ebb. After several days of extreme arthritic pain and horrendous global warming high winds I was definitely in need of a helping hand.

Upon opening this treasure I was immediately aware of a sense of empathy and understanding from the author and an awareness of the beauty and strength of her vulnerability.

It is a very difficult thing to be honest and open to those around us about the dark places we have visited in our lives. Now and then though the heavy clouds of confusion and despair a shaft of sunlight can open our eyes to the endless possibilities and choices that lie before us.

This book says ‘pick me up and see if I can help’. It will appeal to readers at whatever level they find themselves on their life’s journey.

For myself I found it has an easy flow about it and does not stick rigidly to beginning, middles and end. It contains many short anecdotes and some amazing quotes by some famous and not so famous people that help to drive it forward.

The book is full of practical exercises and useful insights to help ease the way through any day. For those who desire a good companion and a wise friend it is a must read.

One of Cat’s ideas is to use a five-minute pause before doing a compulsive or addictive habit, which can be a break from smoking to interrupting obsessive thoughts. Once the five-minute break has become a habit she also introduces ideas that can be used during these breaks, for example:-

The Compassionate Thought Game.

When you pause for a five-minute break, imagine the most compassionate thought you could have about yourself. Play with this thought for a few minutes, and see if any images come to mind. Can you see yourself and your situation right now with accepting eyes and a tender heart?

If you have trouble feeling compassionate toward yourself, pretend that you are one of your best friends – or perhaps a favourite sweetheart, a companion animal, a special teacher, or a saint. When you have switched perspectives, imagine that you are looking at yourself though his or her eyes, the eyes of someone who unconditionally loves and accepts you.

Practice having this feeling of compassion for yourself until it becomes second nature. After you’ve mastered it in small ways, extend this kind-hearted perspective to situations where you may be judging yourself in other ways. Remember that five-minute breaks can be used not only for substance or behaviour addiction, but also for addiction to compulsive ways of thinking.

Personally, I can usually recognise my most compassionate thought by noticing my body’s reaction. When such a thought enters my mind, my body relaxes, and I may literally breathe a sigh of relief. Find out how your body feels when you have compassionate thoughts, then cultivate those thoughts. When you treat yourself with openheartedness, you will naturally treat others in the same way. Kind thoughts are contagious. Spread them around!