Bart Plantenga

Bart lives in the land of the free, namely, Holland. He writes a regular newsletter on spoken-word/world-music CD’s, and can be reached at ninplant@xs4all.nl.

BLABBERMOUTHS 1: Out of Mouth Experiences

[edited version of a review that appeared in Sept/Oct 2000 American=20

Book Review <http://www.litline.org/abr/>]

By bart plantenga <ninplant@xs4all.nl>

* "TICK" by Black Sifichi & Negative Stencil

on Noise Museum <www.zone51.com/noisemuseum> 19 rue Colson, 21000 Dijon, Fra=

nce

distributed in USA by Soleilmoon=20

<http://www.soleilmoon.com/index.html> 61 minutes, $17

Black Sifichi's debut contains a series of highly original=20

investigations into various cultural clich=E9s. Once inside these=20

parasitic cultural transgressions, he sucks them dry before blowing=20

them apart. The mind of this Paris-based performer-DJ-artist works on=20

the basic principles of plastic explosives: slap it to the side of an=20

issue or icon and watch it explode - icono-blast. Sifichi=20

corroborates my own suspicions of a serious disconnect between sound,=20

intent, and received message. This deterioration may be due to the=20

ease with which language constructs its "own" versions of realities -=20

language as inaccurate filter between human consciousness and=20

external world. We are all its cuckolds.

Sifichi works intuitively - heart as map, pulse as route. Language=20

tributaries pass through his spleen-shaped soul and emerge as a=20

manifesto that addresses the individual's right/responsibility to use=20

language effectively. This implies turning it against those whom=20

would debase or denature it. All is kinetic, instinctual,=20

pyrotechnical enthusiasm, sinister humor. Tick's sound, by Norsq (the=20

ambient/electronica producer of record in France right now) and Fagus=20

Sylvatica, (ex of the industrial flamenco band, Von Magnet) nurtures=20

the moods created by the various texts via jagged, kinetic,=20

reprocessed compositions. Sifichi just showed up with a "lot of=20

cassettes, ideas, home-made demos, atmospheres and frameworks=20

designed to enhance the texts." The result: a taut equilibrium=20

between sound and text.

Macho comes in for early broadsides. On "Tuff" - "he kills those he=20

hates, kisses the woman he saves / it's real simple he's a cop, a=20

super cop / one-man army ..." - Sifichi fixes his shit-detector on=20

the mediated ideal of the hardened and hardboiled, offering a topdown=20

stylistic deconstruction of the cop/mercenary and the public's=20

admiration of these sublingual cyborgs. Where does the sumptuous=20

pugnaciousness in "Tuff" come from?

"'Tuff' is just me taking shorthand while watching Rambo." Sifichi=20

explains, "I simply kept track of all the violence, its order, and=20

how it was done. Key scenes! 'Tuff' is a dark relaxed mirror of the=20

film itself. In some ways the film's violence, its everydayness,=20

shocked me. This police crap, this image of power and order that is=20

so prevalent in the USA is disturbing. Cops into Scientology!"

"Come To Where The Flavour Is" is a beautiful barbed shaft that=20

conflates the homoerotic with the homophobic and ransacks the=20

perpetual illusion of mediated macho - "then smoke me, ride me, hide=20

me, rope me, dope me to Marlboro Country ... tell me I'm a cowboy=20

=2E.." A homosexual come-on corrodes its way into a d=E9tournement of=20

deathwish macho. "Come" was reclaimed from "more movies, more=20

advertising. Brainwashing. Cancer in full frontal public view. It's a=20

Western capitalist version of Russian iconization. How big's Marlboro=20

Country? Is it recognized by the United Nations? Is his cock as big=20

as his horse's? Do the Village People smoke Marlboro? =8A All the KKK=20

stuff around the pack is sickening. I really wanted to attack the=20

brand. Like the French attack McDonalds today."

There's also a customized retake of Gil Scott Heron's "The Revolution=20

will (Not) be Televised." We all know it's their media and that if=20

there is some deflationary appropriational tactic to be applied then=20

the revolution WILL be broadcast and it WILL pull in ratings and it=20

WILL mean absolutely nothing. Rigid Us-Them demarcations have gone=20

fluid without vessel, identities wrapped around opportunity - a vivid=20

perception shift since the 60s - appropriation effectively=20

supplanting censorship as oppressive tool. Sifichi message: don't=20

bother with television, let's find our own informational (tele)paths=20

divorced from TV's built-in compromises.

There's also the blisteringly imagistic "Beat Trax," where Sifichi=20

savages the passive deification / commodification of the Beats. He=20

encourages people to stake out their own adventures and lives rather=20

than idolize those who've mad lived for us.

"I don't believe most people are living an adventure today. Instead=20

they've fallen into idolization of others from the past - the Beats =8A=20

Rimbaud ... Oscar Wilde. They should be respected ... But they=20

shouldn't be treated like the equivalent of the church. Make yourself=20

the sacred cow. Take risks. Detach yourself from the material world."

When this ex-pat last visited the US in 1997, he saw America as a=20

viral "homogenized police and prison zone with granite skyscrapers,=20

surveillance and roadways that lead from one shopping mall to the=20

next." An American photographer who recently photographed Sifichi=20

only wanted to talk "about money, work, corporate work, image banks,=20

and taxes. His identity was engraved on his platinum credit card. My=20

identity is engraved in my soul."

for more info: <blackroma@chello.fr> <http://webperso.easynet.fr/blkdix/>

bart plantenga: Amsterdam-born, U.S.-bred DJ, journalist, and=20

novelist. He has been a DJ for 15 years in Paris, NY, and Amsterdam.=20

He is the author of many radio / music / culture articles as well as=20

a short story collection, WIGGLING WISHBONE. His novel CONFESSIONS OF=20

A BEER MYSTIC will be published in 2000. More data:=20

<http://wfmu.org/~bart> BLABBERMOUTHS is an ongoing column devoted to=20

spoken word on disc.