OUR FARFLUNG LONDON CORRESPONDENTS DELIVER.
It can sometimes be a challenge to enjoy the musical offerings in London. At times things can seem really generic and stale. However, if you penetrate the surface therein lay an underbelly of people with dedication to match their wild imaginations as to how music should be represented. At the epicentre of London’s underground is a hidden network of D.I.Y. guerrillas; putting on shows, warehouse parties and releasing records. Of these guerrillas, none is more pervasive than Upset The Rhythm; a radical collective of friends who united in the most important agitator for change; BOREDOM! Founder Chris Tipton felt alienated at shows as the music he dug was not represented. Since it’s incarnation in 2003, UTR has now put on close to 200 shows in countless venues and has fought for its own niche in a fiercely contested battle ground. Its ammunition? Radical bands! Liars, Erase Errata, Black Dice, Mika Miko and Deerhoof have all provided the sound track for UTR’s war dance. Trade mark orange flyers pierce the streets and record stores like arrows, alerting their followers of upcoming freedom fights. They are anticipated and received almost as if they were full publications.
In 2005, UTR spawned a siamese twin in the form of a record label, releasing its favourite live artists, Trencher, Hands on Heads and The Sticks as well as providing UK distribution for US bands like No Age, Barr and Kit. The label possesses the same independent ethics as Dischord Records. Set up by Ian McKay (Minor Threat, Fugazi) in the early 80s to release friends as well as his own bands records. What Dischord lacks in business attitude, it makes up in punk attitude. It has continued to release independent music for pretty much the face value of the record for over 20 years. (You can still pick up a brand new copy of Minor Threat’s first LP for £5.)
The none profit making Upset The Rhythm is a contemporary continuation of these values. They do-it-all-themselves! They handle their own press, production, distribution, organise airplay and run the website. UTR are firm believers that independence should not impede on quality, so all records are carefully packaged with the bands aesthetic desires in mind, and then distributed worldwide.
Upset The Rhythm don’t do trends. Nor do they care for scenes or image. Be it record or live showcase, if it carries the UTR logo it has been selected for one reason; they dig it. The collective bring a sense of innocence and fun back into the music world. Their anticipation and excitement at every show they put on is like the first one they ever went to! Although they deny the prestigious title of arbiter of tastes, I contest they are the Fair Trade of the underground. Their quality merchandise represents the best in an exotic and diverse crop from around the world and promotes artist sustainability.
Check out upsettherhythm.co.uk for the real shit.
Three years before Chris Tipton and friends established Upset the Rhythm another group of bewildered kids were making waves in the small town of Maidstone on the fringe of London. In 2000 AD the Mentalist Association was born. What now represents a flourishing ‘collective’ of creative talent was spawned like so many great things, out of boredom. The ideology was simple “to inject some life into their local music and art world”, which at the time they “felt was lacking many exciting ideas”. They were to provide excitement in abundance.
At the heart of the Mentalist Association the do-it-yourself ethic prevails. From the beginning a solid bond was formed, like one big wonderfully creative family, throwing parties together, playing music together, creating artwork together, and writing fanzines together… pretty much everything was done together. It’s refreshing to witness such camaraderie in a city, which sometimes seems deficient of these qualities for the sake of aesthetics.
Aside from their D-I-Y ethics, what is really great about the Mentalist Association is that the imagination and ideas of those involved seem to have limitless creative boundaries. The tribal art punk of Yeborobo, one of the Mentalist Association most notable bands, epitomises the length of such boundaries. Their live shows are an awesome spectacle of frenetic noise and theatrical performance, dressed in animal costumes, war paint and mattresses?! This balance between music and performance allows for audience participation more “akin to the performance art of the 60s”. Not all of those attached to the Mentalist Association express themselves in this way, which is another great thing about it. In fact if you were to listen to each of the bands the Mentalist Association has released you would see that they all very different. I think Andrew of Yeborobo puts the Mentalist Association in a proverbial nutshell when he says it “houses many free-moving stars which come together in different constellations”. However, if you needed any clarity of the diversity amongst this ‘collective’ you only need to listen to the band Esiotrot who make charming and beguile pop songs about love, life and flailing romance. In contrast to the confrontational tribal noises of Yeborobo, Esiotrot are far moved constrained. They are seven friends who met through a love of ‘indie pop’ and ‘cardigans’. Taking the name from the Roald Dahl novel, their songs will evoke the same feelings as your first crush.
The Mentalist Association provide a source for people to channel their wild imaginations and the fact that they have no real restrictions provides for one of the most diverse and interesting collectives happening in London today. And, most importantly of all, they have fun doing this.
"In a vision, inner vision." www.mentalistassociation.co.uk
Here are some killer bands from these labels for y’all to check out:
