Wildelf

Yup, I know... I pop up here randomly from time to time and promise to visit more. Well, I shan't make promises I can't keep but I will stroll through here as and when I can. More often in the future, of like, just 'cause. Facebook has lost its luster for me and other sites are... mostly meh.

I'm back in Ottawa. Land of ice and snow. Forgot how much I hate winter.
I moved home for several reasons.
Since my mom passed six months ago dad has needed a hand staging the house for sale [it sold today after three days on the market for more than asking - huzzah!], prepping his move to a smaller home, settling things and just to have company. As my sibs are both family-wrapped and busy as hell and as I tend to be the independent one with few ties it was me that the family looked at to move home.

Additionally, work in Toronto wasn't at a great point. There are more and better jobs in Ottawa. I was a few days from getting a solid, well paying job in Toronto but my room mate's fiancee was being a prime bitch on the date of my moving out with no possibility of working towards something that was beneficial to everyone... it was all about her. Four days... if I had had four more days in Toronto I'd have been set but... oh well.

So away from the bright lights and the high energy into the sleepy capital of this country.

On the upside the employment possibilities look good. On the downside the dating opportunities look very, very poor.

Of course the first thing I began checking into once I landed in Ottawa was the various alternative scenes... gamers, goths, fet folk and the like. It can take a bit of digging but there's a LOT more here than I had expected. The burlesque scene is reasonably large even if it's not got many decent performers. It's likely more my own preferences... I like the classic tease burlesque, the more traditional style. I am not a fan of the current 'humourous and sarcastic' burlesque that focuses more on costumes and punchlines than on dancing. But we'll see...

The biggest issue I've noticed in various alternative scenes in Ottawa is that the communities are actually fairly large but are made up of small, fractured groups and cliques. It's a lot of politics and drama.

The goth/industrial scene is at least four different groups and there isn't a lot of overlap. There's more movement between the small g/i groups and the rave scene than there is between the g/i groups themselves.

The fetish community appears to be made up of three or four small groups with a whole host of 'private, at home' things.

So things are done as they're done. There is no growth, very little community building, very little attempt to try anything new unless it's first proven in Toronto or Montreal and often not even then... people would rather travel to Toronto or Montreal.

I haven't even checked on the pagans yet.

The Steampunk crowd seems to be one small group and a lot of individuals with the small group running the show.

I am getting a lot of 'warnings' of various people and groups *chuckle* Politics and drams. There seems to be a lot of ego running around this city... more than a city this size should have.

So... my advantage? First of all that I'm willing to try new stuff. I know how to network, how to work with others, and I'm always focused on the community. I've experience and knowledge in how things work. And I'm old... I don't give a fuck. People can come out and have fun or stay home and whine... and I'll make sure that the events I'm involved in are so much fun that those who DO stay home will be more angry for missing them.

And thus begins a new stage in my journeys, a new set of adventures... the plan IS to spend a few years here, build my life back up, make good coin at a good job, and then move back to Toronto in time. But we'll see.

If nothing else it'll be entertaining!

My. It has been a while. Wow. I wonder why I don't visit here more save that my life in the offline world has been majorly busy.

I've been working as an extra for tv and movies. While sporadic it IS exhausting and fun. I get paid to play dress up.

My mother passed in mid August. I still have moments, as do the rest of my family. She will be missed every day of my life.

This Thursday I begin a month long adventure. I joined a band as a keyboardist [okay, less laughing, if you'd please] and we're on tour in the US of A. You can find all the dates and locations here:

http://theoryofrevolution2012.com/

Apparently we'll also have a video blog of much of the trip. Yay, video *sigh* I shall have to look good ALL the time, darnit. That's problematic.

There is more, of course. And less. Life is, at times, the same as it was. In other arenas I am doing things that apparently a 50 year old shouldn't be or something *shrug*

I hope you are all doing well and I will try and get back here periodically... and by periodically I mean "not every couple of months or more."

Y'know, I keep meaning to come back here... regularly. Eventually things may settle enough for me to do so. Or I'll move to Ottawa where I'll be so damned bored that I'll be here constantly.

Speaking of which... I'm in Ottawa for the next couple of days to job hunt and DJ. This weekend is a fun masquerade and bazaar put on by the Ottawa Goth Society. I'm looking forward to spinning Friday night. Ottawa does have a fairly good crowd who do like to dance and who do dress damned well. I'll have to step up my game so's not to look bland.

In thinking, which I do all the time 'cause my brain NEVER. SHUTS. UP. I believe that there are five main areas of one's life [among middle class Canadians, anyways... and while I do not currently really belong to the middle class it is where I was raised and with whom I identify so...] that are of primary focus and have the potential to cause the highest stress: personal health, employment, living situation, family and primary relationship.

I've gotten a place in Toronto that I can call my own, though I'll be with a room mate for a year. He's a great guy, which is a good thing, so no issues there. The place is a titch small but still doable. Near the subway, utilities included... space for my stuff and cats... so if I DON'T end up with a job in Ottawa and actually find employment in Toronto, this takes care of the living situation heading. That stress is done.

My family has been going through a lot lately. My folks are old and with age comes issues. My mom is not in the best of health though of late she's been in good shape *nod* It's her third round with breast cancer and it's gotten into her brain so... but my family are down to earth, farm type folk and this is being handled. She has improved of late and things are going much better than they were before the holidays. So the family stress is way down [helped, in part, by alcohol, no doubt *heh*].

My personal health is never an issue. I just don't stress it. Though I'm tired of arguing with vegans and vegetarians... why do I need to defend my decision to eat meat? This is why us right wing, imperialistic bastards don't like arguing with the left types... it gets all loud and emotional and irrational. True, that does happen on both sides but methinks the left just has greater skill in the emotional side of arguing. So personal health is no stress.

That leaves employment. I'm getting so very tired of job hunting. I need a job not just for the income and the future but to feel that I'm contributing, that I'm doing something. I looked at volunteering and may yet, but the job hunt takes up so much of my time I don't have a lot left for other things... beyond the odd DJ gig.

And the fifth focus... well, we'll just leave that one alone, shall we? It is what it is.

2012 has some promise... we'll have to see where it goes from here.
But Ottawa? Really? Back here? *sigh* Yeah, yeah, it's an okay city... but it's not MY kind of city. And the women are so damned conservative that I don't even need to open my mouth for them to know I'm strange... *sigh*
Well... we'll see.

I've been watching, listening, thinking... and now I'm going to be unpopular because I'm going to write what I think. Do keep in mind that as far as politics go I'm a right-sided, imperialistic bastard. It's why I don't open my mouth about politics often... I get tired of the leftists gushing tears and invective all over me while I wait for them to make a point.

OWS. Yeah. Well, good luck with that. I don't count on it doing much at all.

The first week or so I watched a lot of people whine about the establishment, the media censoring them, that their protest wasn't making the news. Well, think about it: a mass of people hanging out in a park or the sidewalk for a protest. They kept it peaceful. They didn't use bullhorns or get in anyone's face. They were just there. That's not news, that's boring! But things have picked up since then...

I have heard people compare it to Ghandi or the Vietnam era sit ins. Both are horrible comparisons.

Let's look at Mohandas Gandhi first, shall we? Yup, he employed peaceful, non-violent protests. But he organized the workers, the folk actually producing in India at the time, costing Great Britain time and money. How many of the folk out at OWS are taking time off work? How many have walked away from their jobs to protest? How many have left the banks to sit down and have a negative impact on their production? I'm betting... a whole lot of none, considering that in today's economic climate if you walk away from your job you'll be fired and replaced so fast you won't even see it happen. Ghandi also enacted a policy of Swadeshi: a boycott of British goods. This is a very important step towards change... "HIT 'EM IN THE WALLETS!" Unfortunately people can't do this with the banks. Sure, you can go into the bank and close out your account, taking your couple of hundred dollars away but then the bank is gonna ask you to pay off your credit cards, your loans and mortgages. End winner? The bank. North Americans are hugely in debt so unfortunately this strategy is not gonna work. Which is rather too bad as it WOULD have an impact that sitting on a sidewalk just isn't gonna have.

The antiwar protests of the vietnam war, and by this I mean the nonviolent ones, didn't really have any impact on the involvement of the US overseas. Yup, the US of A pulled out in 1973 after NINE years of protests, and they pulled out for a lot of reasons not JUST public opinion. So if you think the OWS is like the anti-vietnam stuff, well, buckle in baby... you're five months down and eight and a half years to go. And you'll have to bring a lot of other things to bear such which you're just not connected to right now.

The OWS movement is also lacking a spokesperson and a coherent, solid message. I've heard a lot of interviews of protestors and wow, they're a confused bunch. And no one's offering any kind of solution, they're just tossing out problems. They're crying "It's broken, fix it for us!" to the people who don't think it's very broken at all.

Y'know, there are ways to effect change and peaceful protests don't tend to work very well, if at all. The two that work best are the previously mentioned "Kick in the Wallet" and the "Change from Within." Get into the system and work it from there... that's how a lot of things have been changed.

Yes, I agree that there is financial inequality. Hell, I'm unemployed and having a bugger of a time finding a job and when I do, I have to grit my teeth and watch those who've risen to the levels of their incompetence and play the damned game until I get someplace myself. I get right miffed at the massive bonuses that the upper crust give themselves for mediocre results. I think unions, if they could focus away from the money making business themselves for a moment, could have an impact. It's greed... sheer, stupid greed, but that's what fuels our world and that's what capitalism rewards.

Here's a quick stat for you... globally speaking, Canada IS the 1%. We have 2% of the world wealth and only 0.6% of its population. Think your life sucketh? Check out a contemporary in India, Africa or most of the Middle East and Asia. What annoys me on the other side is that many of these 'third world countries' are babyfarms, really. But that's another argument.

I wonder why people aren't camped out in front of the homes or businesses of the 1%. Why not go protest in front of Apple. Or at the Gates'. Ah, yes, they didn't get a handout... they just took your money in exchange for product or service and rewarded the top guys. But you don't think they're part of the system that includes the banks you're angry with? Think again.

There are two very easy ways to maintain constant growth, which is what the moneymakers are always looking for. The first, and easiest, is war. The second is to destroy the middle class. In both instances people are getting fugged hard, over a barrel, without lube. In both instances there is continuing growth in technology, in finances, in profits for the people in control. And that's what capitalism is about, after all.

This period of financial difficulty pales compared to 1929-39, aka The Great Depression. And people back then didn't whine so much they buckled down and lived with it. They tried. And those what protested did so with votes [in our last provincial election less then half of the province voted *pfeh*]. And what got everyone out of the depression? World War 2.
And just for some quick facts, unemployment in Canada hit 27% during the depression. The US hit 25% unemployment.

People need to learn history and think about it rather than just reading a little bit or seeing a movie or two.

Now, alla that said, I'm not against the OWS. Hey, it's giving some people a hobby. I don't think it'll be very effective as it is right now. I'm not getting involved because while I believe in change, I don't believe in the OWS movement. And I'm too busy trying to put food on my table and effect a little tiny bit of change from inside somewhere.

I also see it as just the have-lesses being greedy and wanting more. Hell, EVERYONE wants more. Find me someone who doesn't.

By request *chuckle* the Polaris set list for the Saturday night dance. We had... we were figuring roughly about 500 people in the dance at peak, with 300 to 350 on the dancefloor. When we wrapped at 3amish, there were still 70 or 80 folk tearing it up to the music.
Every year the flavour is a little different. This year it was heavy on current radio play stuff, which we're fine with [honestly. we CAN DJ anything]. We were inundated with requests. Flooded. Buried in 'em. If we didn't get your request.. I am sorry. Next year, with luck.

But first, a short rant. At one point, a friend [who is not really IN the scene, but dances on the fringes of it] said to me "Say what you want about geeks, but holy F*CK do they know how to party!" And they do. But this is about the tag, the label, the name 'geek'.

When I grew up [Yes, yes... just after the era known as B.C. - "Before Cliff"] it was nerd... but it was the same thing. And it was NOT a cool thing. It wasn't good, being a nerd. Nerd or geek or dork or whatever got your ass handed to you frequently by the jocks and the townies and the popular kids and... all the 'normal' people. And I've watched it change... watched the progression until nerd or geek is now a 'cool' thing. It's something people aspire to. But they got it wrong. Honestly. As one of 'em from the beginning... follow me here.

These days too many wannabe geeks think it's about knowledge. They know EVERYTHING about cartoons or scifi shows or music or what have you. They wear the retro geeky tshirts with skinny jeans and high tops or keds. And they're now a geek. They can talk authoritatively about the science of Star Trek or the programs used in shooting the entire Star Wars series or all of the drum machines that were ever named Dr. Avalanche. And now they're a geek. They can wow and confuse you with how much miniscule trivia they know about the Doctor's companions, or Siouxsie, or Linux. And this makes them geeks.

Knowledge never made anyone a geek. Knowing so frickin' much and sharing it loudly only made you a snob. A know it all. A stuck up wannabe out to impress people. Geekery is all about PASSION. It didn't matter if you knew the intimate details of the NCC 1701... it mattered that you'd spend hours arguing Kirk vs. Picard. It wasn't important if you could quote the lineage listings in the Silmarillion... you'd die before ever accepting ANY other quest series as being better than the Lord of the Rings. It wasn't critical to know all the bands that Peter Murphy was in... but you'd move the earth to get that rare studio recording of "Bela Lugosi". Even if no one else heard it.

THAT'S being a geek. It's passion. Love. The energy that builds up in your chest until you feel like you're going to burst. The addiction to your chosen field of dorkiness. The NEED to NERD.

Personally speaking, I have never been cool 'cause I've been a geek. I am occasionally told I'm a cool person [I'd argue it, but cool is something given to you, not claimed by you... and apparently you don't get to argue it] and I know I'm a geek... and though they're both me, they're not because of each the other. I spent years visibly ignoring my geekiness and keeping it to the shadows... didn't make me any less me. I still kept the passion burning.

So yup. I'm a geek. And if you think you're one 'cause you know so much about the ThunderBirds or because you wear those kitschy 80s tshirts... guess what? Without the passion, you're just another scenester.

By the by, I've forgotten how to do cuts so... here's the playlist [yeah, it'll make a long post. I don't care].

DJ J-Man

Bare Naked Ladies - Big Bang Theory
Backstreet Boys - Everybody
TransX - Living on Video
Far East Movement - Like a G6
Sly Fox - Let's Go All the Way
(r) Lady Gaga - Pokerface
Sean Paul - Dance Hall
Eskimo Disco - Final Countdown
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus
MC Chris - Hoodie Ninja
Fast Old Rockers - Song for Kylie
Gary Numan - Cars
Cameo - Word Up
Will.I.Am & Niki Minaj - Check It Out
Rihanna - S&M
Lonely Island - I Just Had Sex
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
Jace Everett - Bad Things
Glee - Physical
Morris Day - Jungle Love

Th'Elf

RHPS - Time Warp
(r)Meatloaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light
(r)Boney M - Rasputin
(r)The Beatles - Twist & Shot
(r)The Proclaimers - 500 Miles
(r)Bowie - Rebel Rebel
(r)Black Eyed Peas - Time of My Life [Dirty Bit]
(r)Green Day - Dr. Who on Holiday
(r)KLF - Doctorin' the Tardis
Weird Al - Perform This Way
(r)Peter Schilling - Major Tom
(r)Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters
(r)Weather Girls - It's Raining Men
(r) Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
(r)Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Evanescence - Missing
(r)Enrique Iglasias - I Like It [X-Mix]
(r)Katy Perry - Last Friday [T.G.I.F.]
(r)Rednex - Cotton Eyed Joe [Full Mix]
Michael Jackson - Thriller
(r)Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer
AC/DC - Shook Me All Night Long
Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
(r)Lonely Island - the Creep
(r)Kiss - Rock & Roll All Night
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
(r)NIN - Closer
(r)Dee Lite - Groove is in the Heart
(r)New Order - Blue Monday
(r)Duck Sauce - Barbara Streisand
(r)Lady Gaga - Telephone
(r)Rihanna - Please Don't Stop the Music
(r)Spirit of the West - Home for a Rest

And now I must get dressed all in white and go clubbing!

Yup, it's about time, innit? Okay... well, I could go with something recent or something old again and the coin came up... old-ish!

One of the biggest problems with Steampunk music is finding stuff that will draw to the dancefloor. It's not easy. A lot of the music is atmospheric or theatrical, with a few exceptions... or just not bloody dance-able [and I can dance to nearly ANYTHING!]. However, there are exceptions and one of the most notable is Cinderella Effect's 2006 release Pearls.

Cinderella Effect is the solo project of Blutengel female vocalist Constance Rudert. Blutengel, for those who don't know 'em, are a German electronic/industrial band that has had several members come and go. If you are familiar with the harsher sounds of Blutengel, worry not - Cinderella Effect does not offer the same sound.

All of the tracks will sound familiar as they're ALL covers interpreted with Rudert's own style, and generally incorporating familiar Steampunk instruments/sounds [strings, horns, woodwinds, piano, harpsichord, and on and on] dancing with the electronica.

My absolute favourite, and you'll have heard this if you've made it out to any of the Steampunk nights I've DJed, is her cover of VNV Nation's "Standing." An absolutely awesome version and one that constantly gets people asking me where it's come from. Here... go listen for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPo…

Coming in a close second is a very difficult song to cover well: "Zombie" by the Cranberries. A little slower, a little more... depressing... but a gorgeously done version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYq…

I'm not a HUGE fan of Rudert's "Clone Your Lover", originally done by Zeromancer, nor her cover of Covenant's "Call the Ships to Port" as I find neither song fits well with the slower beats per minute, particularly during the chorus. But the layers of sound are exquisite in both cases and I still like 'em:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwI…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7W…

And the same pretty much goes for her version of Project Pitchfork's "TimeKiller" which is all about the piano in a kind of cabaret nightclub fashion [with a touch of jazz tossed into the undertones]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58J…

But honestly, if there are only three tracks out of sixteen that I have any personal issue with, it's a strong album. Toss in excellent covers of "Black Hole Sun" [SoundGarden], "Isreal" [Siouxsie], "Black No. 1" [Type O Negative] and an absolutely AWESOME cover of "Butterfly Dance" [Diary of Dreams] that mixes the old and the new, the classic and the modern just... well, I shiver when I hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSy…

You can find several [if not all] of Cinderella Effect's videos on YouTube, naturally. And there is something on this album for everyone whether you want a more pop-ish song to bounce around to or an offering that's more swirly or just a piece or three to listen to while reading.

But if you're collecting Steampunk Music, you NEED to go get this album. Right now. Go... do it. Y'know you're gonna kick yourself if you don't.

Rating: 5/5 as Rudert covers it all from sound to feel and back again, throughout the entire album. The weakest tracks are still extremely well done. This is a Steampunk Must Have!

I keep meaning to get back to this place, this LJ... but FB keeps eating my skull. MMmm crunchy skull. Now with added something something.

Some quick notes from the last few weeks:

- Toured with a few bands out to Halifax and back. Will explore a west coast tour with them in the future. It was... fantastic. The band members were all great, the bands sounded awesome, the crowds were low to middling but good... [I will post a rant about the Toronto live scene and why I hate it soon]. Twelve people shoved into a van and a truck, sleeping on floors and couches.. y'd think there'd be explosions in the ten days we were on the road but overall they were great people. Nothing blew up. Nothing broke down.
Have been invited to DJ Ottawa for both Halloween AND New Years now. This is just the AWESOME!

- Went to a High School Reunion. Hadn't seen most of these people for 30 years. I was hesitant to go... but once there... well, it was great. Seeing these old friends again, chatting, hanging out... it was truly amazing. And damn but we're a good looking bunch for 50 year olds *laugh* I've hooked up with a few on FB to keep up on things. It was truly an awesome event.

- STILL apartment hunting *sigh* That's been a bugger the last few weeks. And considering jobs currently as well. DJing is just not paying enough at the moment to keep me living in any style at all, forget about the style to which I'm accustomed. Dammit.

- I owe you people a few music reviews, particularly of the steampunk type stuff.

- This weekend is Polaris, one of Toronto's longest running SF cons. Going as a redshirt, as it's all about the Trek this weekend. Booze is bought, music is packed... ready for the party.

- I need to travel more.

Everything here is my opinion. You're allowed to disagree. Heck, you're encouraged to.

Looks like a LARP rules book... feels like a LARP rules book... you'd almost think it was a LARP rules book but actually it's the "Steampunk Bible" by Jeff Vandermeer and S.J. Chambers.

Author and editor Vandermeer has won a pair of World Fantasty Awards as well as other huzzahs and applauses and is likely best known locally for editting [with his wife] the pair of Steampunk Anthologies that have appeared on bookstore shelves. Chambers is also an editor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. At about 25$ for 220+ pages the "Steampunk Bible" is definitely well worth the money.

You have to be careful calling something a bible as that name brings with it a cart of luggage large enough to require a half dozen bellboys. Given that... I personally don't think it's a bible. I do think it's a fantastic read, a great book and a wonderful introduction to the beginner, with parts that will entertain and educate all readers no matter how long you've been in the Steampunk community. I know that it gave me several points of good thought. It is an excellent guide.

It's well laid out in an intelligent and logical manner. The first two chapters deal with the subculture's definition, popularity and history. The roots of Steampunk are examined in depth through Wells, Verne and Poe and the modern movement is explored though the emphasis is on the far past rather than the recent.

Chapter three looks at the literature which is truly the foundation and fundament of the Steampunk subculture. This is where it began and where it's still going strong. They do cover a fair range of books and comics with enough delights to please any reader.

The fourth chapter is a good sized chunk on the makers among the subculture and though they don't cover a broad range of artificers they do hit all the heavies and discuss the creators as well as the created. The focus here does tend to be on the complex and large but they offer an insert of several pages explaining how to do your own Home Etching on tins; something fairly simplistic and detailed sufficiently for the everyman.

Then comes the section on fashion, accessories, music and the subculture as most of its participants see it. They could have done a whole book on this particular chapter alone and it shows, but you have to cut it somewhere or you end up with volumes 1 to 42. They explore the history of the fashion and offer some great pictures though I felt that they could have shown more diversity. I don't agree with their "Four Styles of Steampunk Fashion" but I've always found that different regions use different labels and definitions so fair is fair... this is theirs. Doesn't need to be yours. Nor did I find the pictures for the "Street Urchin" and the "Tinker" styles to be all that indicative of the styles. They didn't have a lot to say about the accessories but honestly, there isn't a lot to say so they did cover it reasonably well. The Bible's "Eight Ways to Raise Your Steampunk Fashion Game" lacks a bit as well.

The part of chapter five on Music... now there's where I had my major sticking points but then again, as a DJ and ob-com music guy, I would. They missed a couple of very important bands/artists. The quote from Evelyn Kriete about what Steampunk music is, is a mouthful of steam... it's a chunk of big words that really doesn't mean anything much. When I read it for the fourth time I thought to myself "Just what the hell does that really mean?!?" Of course it's not easy to define Steampunk music [though we do keep trying] and that could make for a chapter of its own. And the traits of Steampunk music that are listed are... well, rather generic and again without much meaning as far as the music itself goes.

The final section of this chapter on events was entertaining but mostly fluffy followed by a fun little five page "whatever" tale about a group of Steampunk folk and their imaginary airship. I'm not sure how that translates to 'events' but it does offer a glimpse into the fun that can be had with imagination and how building a group world can keep people together even when they are geographically distant.

Chapter six is about movies and television and is a little confusing. They begin with the old films, the history done in a page or so touching upon a few of the gems before sliding into television with a lot about a little. I think this might be the 'historic media' section. The Bible then offers a good sized write up about the Japanese Masters before returning to Hollywood for a few more pages. The section called "Demented One-Offs" is mislabelled, merely taking the reader out of Hollywood into other parts of the world as well as a single example of You-Tubery. "New Steampunk TV Trends" is pretty much about "Warehouse 13" with a mention of some Steampunk aesthetic showing up in an episode of NCIS. From most of the date marks, the book was written primarily in 2008/09 so of course they're going to miss a lot of stuff, particularly as Steampunk continues to swell and grow with erratic leaps.

The last chapter on the Future of Steampunk I found interesting but, in the end, mostly a 'hey, we could kind of LIVE this way and in our own way make the world a better place through green-ness and sustainability' sort of thing, which won't appeal to everyone. They do get international in this chapter though the Bible primarily looks only at France and Brazil. The Steampunk Manifesto made me wonder why the subculture needs a manifesto and how many [outside of the maker population] will really pay attention to it.

Do remember that the authors are Floridians so the focus does tend to be on the U.S. of A. and yet I found they tripped to other countries enough to keep me reading [though the Great White North, naturally, doesn't seem to exist anywhere in the Bible... but we're fairly new on the scene even if we are big and enthusiastic]. Some of the inserts were annoying - requiring the reader to either stop midsentence and jump topics for a page or three, or read ahead and then come back and remember where to pick it up from. The number and type of photographs and sketches were great, though lacking in the Fashion section [again I repeat "it's own book"].

Overall... I'll give it a solid 7 out of 10 with a sliding scale making it an 8+ for beginners and people looking deeper than the clothing and the toys... and a 6 or so for those who're solid Steampunkers.

Available at Hairy Tarantula in downtown Toronto, I haven't seen it on the shelves of Chapters/Indigo yet. I'm sure it's available from Amazon.

And mine can be borrowed on request.

I'm going to kick off these reviews with a band that was doing Steampunk music even before the subgenre was a 20th century revisioning. I was introduced to this group in the late 1970s by a friend in the small town of Kemptville and had the positive joy of seeing them play live on their ONLY tour in late 1981/early 1982. If you're old enough you may remember the Carpenter's hit "Calling Occupants." Well, that was a cover. The original performers were Klaatu, a band that has a very curious history.

A Toronto duo that came together in 1973, John Woloschuk and Dee Long named their band after, you guessed it, that alien from "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Two years later drummer Terry Draper was added. They initially kept their identities hidden from the public while struggling for radio recognition with a handful of singles first through Daffodil Records and then through Capitol. Because of their sound rumour had it that they were an anonymous project of the Beatles reunited and there was a lot of disappointment when their indentities were revealed in the early 80s.

While being defined as Progressive Rock [one will find that a LOT of Steampunk style bands are labelled either as ProgRock or World Music], and with some of their pieces definitely having a rock feel, Klaatu also produced some deliciously Steamy songs.

Their first album, released in 1976, was called "3:47 EST [another reference to that movie thing!] and contained the fantastic gems: "Sub-Rosa Subway" and "Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III".
"Sub-Rosa" has that very distinctive Beatles sound and tells the tale of the first secretive 1870 NYC subway attempt by Alfred Ely Beach. A bit of trivia that foreshadows where their Steamy flavour is going to head - at 2:50 one can hear a message coded in morse. Translated, the message is "From Alfred, heed thy sharpened ear / A message we do bring / Starship appears upon our sphere / Through London's sky come spring." The second piece worth noting on this first album, "Sir Bodsworth" is a perky, sing-along style of the like that would entertain in a pub or tavern. A taller than life tale of the titled hero, the "Only man who'd ever get to hell and come back alive", it's a bit of a flying dutchman story coloured with a touch of the Great British Adventurer, of a style of tall tale telling that has always been popular, done in a Victorian style with appropriate instrumentation and 'feel'.

"Hope", their second release, was a concept album [something very, very rare these days]. Winning a Juno AND a Canadian Music Critics award the album is a science fiction tale in the vein of the early SF writers of the Victorian era, the entire set of tracks has an indeniable Steampunk feel in the lyrics, the story and the instrumentation. With a strong nautical theme tied to the image of spaceflight, the London Symphony Orchestra contributed their sounds to several of the pieces [though the final piece on the album, the title track "Hope", was released with the Orchestral parts removed and finding the version with the LSO included is difficult, but worth the challenge]. At times bouncy and fun, alternating with moody and even depressively sad moments, "Hope" is an incredible album to listen start to finish. For me, the two individual songs that hit the high note in the Steampunk catalogue are "Around the Universe in 80 Days" and "Long Live Politzania" though the entire album is one big Steampunk musical story [call it a modern opera without the high notes, perhaps?]

"Sir Army Suit" is their third album, and this one aimed a little more at the 'Pop' kind of feel for the late 70s, with one track actually being out and out disco. But there are still a few fairly Steampunk sounding songs: "Everybody Took a Holiday", "Dear Christine", and "Cherie". A diverse mix of sounds, this is a fun album that displays their various skills and ability to craft different soundscapes.

"Endangered Species", their fourth, is exactly what a Contractually Obligated Album would sound like. It's all rock, as demanded by Capitol, using an outside producer and studio musicians. With no artistic control, Klaatu just isn't really part of this release at heart. While it's a good example of early 80s rock, that's all it is. Well... one DOES have to adore that they slipped in a song called "Sell Out" on an album specifically aimed at making them do that. A complete catalogue bomb, this album resulted in the label dropping the band.

Their final album, "Magentaline", released in 1981, has a wondefully Steamy cover but other than that it returns to the more rock driven sounds of their earlier releases.

Terry Brown, their producer, has also worked with Max Webster and Rush. In fact, Klaatu has shared several connections with the Canadian SuperGroup, Rush, through engineers, artists and other creative folk who work behind the scenes on albums from concept to release.

So focusing on the first three albums, with emphasis on that beutiful second release "Hope", I'm giving these hometown boys four cogs out of five, with a bonus plus (4+/5) for doing it right years before anyone thought of reviving the worlds of Verne and Wells and all of the rest of 'em.

http://www.klaatu.org/

So as I talk with people and dig around and learn new things with respect to Steampunk, I thought I'd begin writing the stuff that I've wanted to begin writing. And with that in mind, allow me to present a topic close to my heart: music. Particularly, I shall take a long look at Steampunk Music.

What is Steampunk Music?

That's a question that a lot of people ask [right after 'what books/movies/tv shows are steampunk?' and 'do I NEED to wear goggles?' and 'where do I buy such nifty clothes?' and, of course, the ever popular 'just what the heck IS Steampunk?' Among others].

The first thing to recognize is that music is subjective. Not everyone is going to be in love with your favourite artist or band or song. Not everyone is going to adore exactly what you do. BUT there will be a lot of people who WILL like what you enjoy.

The second thing to keep in mind is that only in the total world of you is Steampunk a subculture: a segment of the population split off from the main and primary cultural identity. Like goths or country & western dancers or science fiction fen or pagans or SCAdians or civil war recreationists or all kind of other things, steampunks have their own subset of behaviours that are accepted in certain times and places, at certain events, as a 'spin off' of the general day to day cultural societal grouping. HOWEVER, in the "world view" of Steampunk there is no 'Steampunk Music' because it ALL music played in that world is. Thus there are subgenres of 'Steampunk Music' that are as different from each the other as are World Music from Punk, Classical from Metal, Raggae from Rock & Roll from Industrial.

Okay then [insert sound of cracking knuckles here], let's look at what makes music, on our over-world, steamy. There are three facets that people seem to focus on in their own definitions.

1/ The instruments played. Many people look for violins and other string instruments [bowed rather than plucked], harpsichords, organs and other 'classic' keyboards, banjos, calliopes, pianos, and brass.
Now let us look at the historic facts.
- Electricity was being used and was a growing concern during the later Victorian era. Tesla and Edison were both playing with the stuff well before the end of the commonly acknowledged Steampunk focal period [1901]. There is no reason that electrically enhanced instruments would not have existed and been used.
- Ensembles during the Victorian years were as varied as they always have been and as they are now. Duos, trios, quartets, small bands, large orchestras, they're all good. This means there is any combination of instruments and voices possible.
- Society was very stratified and thus musical tastes and styles of dance and entertainment were as well. Additionally, this means that there is the political and social pressures that have given rise to many musical movements over the ages [though more so in the last century than before]. Music has often been used to make a statement and there is no reason that would not occur in a Steampunk world. What a member of the gentry enjoys hearing in a salon will be different from what makes an ironworker stomp and dance in a dimly lit tavern.

2/ The lyrics. A lot of people look for this particular component though I give it the least emphasis from the three foci. In my opinion there is just as much to sing about in a Steampunk world as in any other, so the lyrics can encompass any story or emotion or fable or meaning that the artist wishes to. Given that, there is lyrical content that is very specifically aimed at the Steampunk set: the inclusion of airships or sky pirates being the most common.

3/ The structure of the particular piece. While some are easy to define [a waltz is always 3/4 time] there is a lot of blurring of the lines between many subgenres of music. Many people look for cabaret, dark cabaret, darkwave, industrial hiphop opera, experimental, classical [of various sorts] or brass & drum band as Steampunk. I, personally, don't find it as easy to stuff in a single box.

4/ And the honourable mention: the look of the artist/band. There are a number who are now dressing themselves up in fine Steampunk fashion, putting sepia-toned album covers on their CDs, putting zeppelins on their websites and the like. This is all part of the 'show', the live stage presence which is a valid Victorian consideration. I don't count this when I'm listening to music at home or spinning it at a club.

So, as Canada's only Steampunk DJ [I'm still waiting to find others so that we can discuss this among those what have the experiences in common] what do I look for in music that makes it sing 'Steampunk' to my ears?

The feel. The overall sensation. It's a bit of style, some instrumentation and perhaps a touch of the lyrics dancing together to give it that Steampunk feel. Yeah, not a great definition, is it? *heh* Well, a few things I have discovered in searching for Steampunk music [and, by my reckoning, I've got about 3 Gbs of it in MP3 format so there's a lot out there].

- Quite a number of artists and bands have a piece or two that is Steampunk, but do not necessarily identify as Steampunk nor focus their entire existence on this subculture.
- Some artists and bands that label themselves Steampunk are actually rather horrid and apparently hope that by focusing on the lyrical content they'll tap into this growing group of fans and fanatics. I've heard some horrid stuff.
- Steampunk music is oft not aimed at the dancefloor, but a lot of it is of the 'sing along with' variety. There are exceptions. Enough to do a three hour dance or so club night, and maybe more.
- Beyond the standard 'music FROM the Victorian Period' there are bands and artists that have pieces that fit the Steampunk form beautifully, scattered over the last fifty years.

So now you're likely wondering what artists, bands and songs I would classify as Steampunk music, non? Well, I'm not going to give you a list. Instead, here's a promise:

Beginning next Monday, once a week I will review and critique a Steampunk band, artist, album or song and tell you the good and the bad, the history and the meaning, and all the fun stuff.

Given all that, is there any Steampunk Music that YOU want ME to know about?