Hello, hi how r u đ¸
I never know if anyone gets that reference, but Iâll keep at it just in case. HELLO! How are you? I hope youâre good. Whatâs new?
First of all, thereâs a bunch of lovely new people, so if youâre new here, then hello! I hope you like it here, youâre in good company, and Iâd love for you to say hello đĽ°
Iâm trying to keep the introduction a little shorter than the last one, given the rest of the Letter is bumper. Thereâs a new section below that highlights the exciting things that some of you are up to. Thereâs a Notes section (my review of the sublime new book from Emma Warren). And there is some excellent music this week - lots of percussive stuff, lots of bass, UKG, some wonky techno, some ravey stuff, some jungle, a few classics youâll know, and hopefully a bunch of new stuff that you donât!
Finally, before I let you go, I have to give you allll another nudge on the Love Will Save The Day community. This group of people is incredible; super diverse, but all united by a love of culture, community and music. Itâs a very welcoming place, and Iâd love you to come join us. Click here to give it a whirl (and if you donât like it, thereâs no grudges with people who leave!).
There was an incredible quote in an interview that Emma Warren did, referencing All Crews, by Brian Belle-Fortune, where Brian found a sign at an early 90s rave that simply said âif youâre here, you belongâ. That is a sentiment that I want you all to feel. This is our space.
Anyway, on to the good stuff.
See you on the dance floor,
Jed x
PS. If you're new here then this is how it works. Hereâs what youâve missed so far.Â
PPS. Oh, and come join our lovely little community, youâll love it â¤ď¸
The Love Will Save The Day crew đŻ
As mentioned above, this is a new section to talk about what you and your fellow Love Will Save The Dayers have got going on! Just reply and let me know if youâd like to be includedâŚ
Becca OGT has invited Cosmic Bob into her excellent One Great Track show this Saturday. Theyâre going back to back 11-1pm on AAJA Radio.
Martynâs excellent newsletter Four Things is back and on a hot streak
Emma Warrenâs new book is going down a storm - and rightly so. Iâve written up a full review below
One of our newest crew, Daudi, has an incredible new single out - utterly spine-tingling stuff
Jumi is on fine form, with this piece on cringe DJ names for The Face
Miche has a new newsletter thatâs part diary, part recommendations - get locked!
The Machine Soul parties in Sheffield are must-visits for our Northern contingency
Bill Brewsterâs new DJHistory podcast has some incredible interviews that are chocka with gems and wisdom
The wonderful crew at Warm Street have got a new book out on how brands can support culture
Gabeâs new After Daft newsletter is an incredible extension of his much-anticipated new book
Collectivism now have two full glorious hours for their excellent Come Collect show!
Iâve been listening back through Eamon and Debâs What Goes Around podcast on my long runs, and urge you all to do the same
Scrimshire has got a glut of new work out - his own, and a bunch of stuff on his excellent label Albertâs Favourites too
Get yourself down to Jelly Records in Clapton
Jim Ottewill is extending his excellent Out Of Space book on Deeper Into Out Of Space
And finally, if youâre from a working class background, and youâre in (or would like to be in) the creative industries, come join Common People
TL;DR Section đŞ
Things to listen to
Listen to Naina and Sherelleâs Hooversound show on NTS
Ready yourself for new Beverly Glenn-Copeland music
Listen to Ryuichi Sakamotoâs final playlist
Things to do
Buy I Thought I Heard You Speak, by Audrey Golden
Book tickets for FreeRo at The Causeâs new venue
Covet this new field recording gadget from Teenage Engineering
Things to watch
Watch this excellent documentary celebrating twenty years of Secretsundaze
Watch this James Brown show from 1968 (24 hours after MLK was murdered)
Things to read
Articles
Books
Just readâŚ
Dance Your Way Home, Emma Warren (full review below)
The Runner, Markus Torgeby (not really about running, more a meditation on life, highly recommend)
Next upâŚ
The Body Keeps The Score, Bessel van der Kolk
Renegade Snares, Ben Murphy and Carl Loben
Why Buddhism Is True, Robert Wright
The Crown Ainât Worth Much, and A Fortune For Your Disaster, Hanif Abdurraqib
Capital Is Dead, Is This Something Worse?, McKenzie Wark
The notes đ
I've just finished Emma Warrenâs Dance Your Way Home, and I am bereft, uplifted, and inspired all at once (it's a heady cocktail). If you only read the first paragraph of this, here's my tl;dr: Warren has written what I think is one of the greatest books on music and culture of all time. It's a deeply effecting book, that's inspiring, and it is *important*. I urge you to buy and read it as soon as you can, your life will be immeasurably better for it.
For those of you that are still here, let me explain why.
I've been a huge fan of Warren's for a long time. Her essays, RBMA interviews, and the books she's published, are all deeply insightful, action-driving, and document our culture.
But I was reticent when I started to read Dance Your Way Home, because I'm an embarrassed dancer. In the Love Dancing tent at WOH last year, I watched as three friends unleashed an incredible array of moves - they looked so free, liquid, and natural. My shyness usually turns up randomly, but dancing is a definite trigger. I dance with fluidity of a breadstick. But - here's the kicker - I love dancing. When Iâm playing music, I find myself pulled to move. I have, as Emma would say, a "giddy hyperactivity", but I always feel embarrassed. Were I truly free, I'd dance all day. But instead, I dance a few steps and stop, or I dance for ages, but within the restraints of âthe small rectangular glass boxâ.
So I was nervous about reading the book, yet within pages I could feel myself climbing out of that box. Warren puts dancing within a cultural, communal, and personal framework that elevates our movements in a dance to be just more than immediate expression; that movement is important for the energy of everyone in the dance, as well as for our own mental and physical health, and for our sense of belonging.
As I read more, that freedom spread like a sound wave from a Function-One.
Warren repositions the role we play in the dance, moving us from thinking about witnessing the spectacle OF the musicians or DJs, to us participating WITH them. The dance is a collaboration, and we are all contributing to the energy; to transcendence.
Throughout the book there is a beautiful weaving of evidence-based thinking and anecdotes from the dancefloor. Warren writes in a deeply personal way, but still creates acres of space for diverse perspectives, and is so considered in both her approach and how she represents those she speaks to for the book.
Most of all I love how Warren talks about belonging, and the nuance of the space unlocking not the belonging, but instead giving you space to belong in yourself. True belonging. This notion that the dance is a commons for us all to discover ourselves and each other is really powerful, and is compounded by the idea that we move to belong.
But it isn't just the subject matter that's so impactful; what gives this book its bass weight is the way in which Warren writes. Emmaâs prose is like a dance, it âflows like waterâ as her friend would say, and the vulnerability she shows gives the whole book a greater sense of connectedness. By showing us how the dance has affected her, Warren does something profound; she builds *us* a space. While she's talking about the importance of those that create physical space for people to dance, she's creating a mental space for people to dance. She's building trust, confidence, and unity so we're all more prepared for the dance. She's giving us space to belong.
Shabaka Hutchings - who is one of the artists (alongside Emma-Jean Thackray) that I think we'll be talking about for decades to come - is referenced, and what struck me is the similarities between how Hutchings plays and how Warren writes. They are both masters of their art, and both create in a way that is tender yet powerful. Much like Hutchings and Thackray, I think we'll be talking about Warren's contributions to culture for decades. She is not just a key part of modern culture, but a keystone of the whole lot.
Thank you, Emma Warren, you're right, we all dance our stories, and we are all dancers. Preach.
Old notes home đ
âŚon the future
âŚon culture
Rebuilding culture: fixing the asymmetry of art, culture, and commerceÂ
A response to the argument that culture is boring these days
âŚon music
âŚon mental health
The tracklist đś
Jon Hopkins (ft Ram Dass) - Sit Around The Fire
Jon Hassell - Blues Nile
Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey On The Moon
Jon Hassell - Viva Shona
Marijus Aleksa - Mon Mon
Underspreche - Jarai
Altrice - Yoni
Alexander Robotnick - Problemes D'Amour (Kenny DIxon Jr remix)
Sound Factory - Cuban Gigalo
Juliet Roberts - Free Love ('98 Bumpy Sunday mix)
Jodo Kast - Give It Up
Sage Introspekt - Forlorn
Jook & Blumey (ft Logan_olm) - Shade
Cimm - Joint
DJ Swagger - Fingerclut
Adam & Steve - Fighting Fools
Amor Satyr & Siu Mata - Aquarius
Skee Mask - Bandprobe Dub
Paleman - 25mg
Dave Tarrida - Missing Low Rain
Rhyw - Salt Split Tongue
Om Unit - Prophecy
Avernian - Small Arms
Kode9 - The Break Up
James Bangura - Harrar
ITOA - Oh No
Coco Bryce - Want U (Breaka remix)
Flore - The Switcher
R-Zac - Y
Denham Audio - Outer Glow
Lavery - War Dub #3
Janaway - Inna The Dance
Tim Reaper - Give Me More (Sully remix)
L Double & Younghead - New Style
Underwolves - Redeemer
Two Shell - Home
Golden Girls - Kinetic (Morley's Apollo mix)
Jon Hopkins (ft Ram Dass) - Sit Around The Fire