RenaissanceRox's Blog

Jun. 1, 2008

Over Armin?

Are you over Armin?

I sure am.

There are literally thousands of amazing DJ's out there. This hype is just over a guy with a crossfader (albeit a very good looking guy,) and its just ridiculous.

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Feb. 15, 2008

I have my own property! (ACHTUNG: Fun Game inside!!! :-D)

MEGAw00ty!!

My boyfriend has just introduced me to an awesomely cool game online called "My Mini City." You just register the name of your city (mine's "SEZWAH" of course), no signing up, no emails, no spam or anything, and tell all your mates to visit the site.

Each time someone visits your city, you get new inhabitants and your city grows! Right now I only have one tiny, little, crappy house, but my mate Steve has a few little cottages and some farms happening. If you get shitloads of traffic, your town is built up with skyscrapers and bridges. The more traffic to visit your website, the more your city develops itself.

It's THE most pointless game, but i'm so into it! I'm trying to beat my boyfriend at the moment, so if you go to http://sezwah.myminicity.com hopefully I can build it up a little more. ;-)

I'll make a deal with you. If you start your own city, and leave the link in my comments box, i'll click the link a few times a week if you click mine - cool deal huh?

WOOOO.... free property!!... WOOOO!!!

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Jan. 14, 2008

"Tuna Problem" - My political dance track about tuna

My boyfriend was telling me all about Alec Empire, about how political he is. I was completely inspired and I told him I wanted to write political songs too.

This is the result of that inspiration.
(Click the Tuna to download my political song about saving the Tuna)

I chose Tuna as my topic because my boyfriend has vowed never to eat Tuna again unless it's necessary, as the numbers of Tuna are apparently dwindling due to over-fishing. I figured this was as good a reason as any. All the lyrics, production and vocals are by me. I played it to our friend who doesnt understand English very well and he thinks it sounds like Peaches.

For your amusement, here are the lyrics

TUNA PROBLEM - by Renaissancerox

Save the tuna - save the tuna,
Save the tuna - save the tuna

Enjoy that bite, that tasty fish,
Help yourself, take as much as you wish,
Don't even consider, try to forget,
That in a few years we'll have no tuna left,
I know it's hard because it tastes so fine,
Especially with dill or a squirt of lime,
Just take care not later but sooner,
Otherwise in a few years we won't have any tuna.

Woooah yeah - save the tuna,
Woooah yeah - save the tuna,

We got a tuna problem in the world right now,
If you stop eating tuna we can solve it somehow,
So put your hands in the air if you think its unfair,
And maybe we can work it out by making others aware,
When you go home tonight have noodles instead,
Or a piece of salami or a bit of bread,
You'll be doing your bit, when you snuggle in your doona,
At night you can sleep happy cause you saved a tuna.

We got a tuna - a tuna problem (x8)

Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it, wait, wait, wait,
I think there's something you need to do.

In a few years time there's really not going to be a whole lot of tuna left,
So if you're thinking about having some tuna casserole,
And you're going to go down to Safeway and get tuna,
I think you should reconsider, you need to (save it, save it, save it, save it...)

Maybe I should just stick to blogging...

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Jan. 10, 2008

Cocktail dresses = cool, Banks = not cool.

Isn't it great? That's the dress I just bought on eBay for a "whopping" $52. I have to say I was suitably chuffed at the time of purchase, and I still am, but one thing has soured my mood just a tad and that's the bank. Banks really are the root of all evil. Allow me to elaborate.

I paid via Paypal, which is something I never usually do because I prefer to just deposit directly into peoples bank accounts with cash. (It's just a personal preference.) I have my bank account and my credit card linked to my Paypal account. Because I'm still in Germany all of my cash is in my German bank account, only about $10 remaining in my Aussie one to cover fees. When I payed with Paypal I made the mistake of assuming that because there was no money in my Aussie account that it would simply deduct from my credit card instead - what a dickhead I am - it just deducted more from my bank account instead.

And then the bank gave me a $30 FEE for being under $0. I understand that I was the one making the mistake... but a $30 because you "Don't have any money"? Isn't that a little bit like kicking you while you're down?

I'm a fool, but i'm trying to look at it from a different perspective.
- I only paid $52 for the dress, my highest bid was $111.69, so really I still came out on top paying only $82
- The dress was originally $899, so I still made a saving of over $800

- Booyah!
- I made the mistake of assuming, and when you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME...
- My 21st birthday is only one week away from today (it's still the 9-1-08 here in Germany,) so i'll probably get some kind of birthday money from the grandparents that should cover my idiotic error.

I wish things would happen like in "Monopoly": "Bank Error in your favour - Collect $20." Pfft... Like that would ever happen these days.

So in short, eBay is fantastic, banks are shithouse, but a bargain is a bargain, so I shouldn't complain ...

Should I?...

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Dec. 26, 2007

A Quality (Deutsch-style) Christmas

This was the first year I have ever spent Christmas away from my family, and although I missed them very much on the day (actually, I mean, today, but in Germany they celebrate Christmas a day early, so things are a bit mixed up here,) I still had a really good quality Christmas, containing all the stuff good Chrissy's are made of.

- Quality Food
- Quality Gifts
- Quality Boyfriend

The German Christmas usually consists of the whole family gathering at dinnertime, for a scrumptious meal - usually a traditional German meal with Blaukraut (purple Sauerkraut,) all the knodel you can eat (a gooey potatoey ball,) and some kind of bird as the main course with gravy or something. We had "Ente", aka Duck, with a wicked berry sauce. This was all served not with wine (unfortunately, as I really enjoy wine at Christmas,) but with Beer, (which made up for the fact, as German beer is second to none.)

This was topped off with Tiramisu which was just wicked, because Tiramisu is my fave. Here are a couple of snaps from the night. As you can see, this was a really, really low key event with only myself, my sweetheart, Lisa (the mother of my sweetheart,) and her Mum, Oma, (German for "Gran.") I figured it would be fun to dress up, as Christmas is a special occasion.

The children, (if any,) at a German Christmas dinner don't usually finish their meals, as presents come straight afterwards. As adults, we were much more foreward thinking, saved the waiting, and gave all our presents out beforehand instead

My baby had already given me an amazing pair of wheels with flashing LED's in them that you attach to the backs of your shoes so you can skate around if you lift your toes, (what can I say. I will always be a candy raver), a pair of green JVC headphones for my iPod AND a subscription to my favourite German magazine "NEON", so I can continue to read German all through the year. After receiving this loot bag of goodies a weekend before when we were in London, I really wasn't expecting anything else but Oma and Lisa had both gone to the trouble of buying me a little something and I have to say, I was blown away. Oma bought me one of those perfume, body lotion and shower gel triple sets, of which I will probably use all of the lotion and gel (I already have a full bottle of perfume that I like,) so not a bad score there at all, but Lisa really left me speechless with the most beautiful Pandora bracelet. For those of you who don't know, a Pandora bracelet usually starts with one bead, and you and your loved ones can add to it over time. It's like a charm bracelet. I can't wait to start filling it up and I'm so proud of my one little bead! Best of all, i checked online, and they actually have TWO stockists in Ballarat. Unbelievable. I've already alerted Mum to the shop as my 21st is just 3 and a half weeks away. (Coinciding with my return from Germany, which thinking about makes me sick in the stomach.)

And so, that was Christmas - short and sweet, but really good quality. It was hard for me being away from my family, but sometimes I feel like Davie and I are our own little family. This is certified when we curl up in the afternoon with only a few candles and the fairy lights glowing silently on our very own Christmas tree, the TV showing ridiculous christmas specials of "Viva La Bam" and "Hogan Knows Best". In these moments of peace and perfection, I feel home.

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Dec. 13, 2007

"Leaving London... "

As Team SR say, "I'm Leaving London"...

But first I have to get there, so i'm not technically leaving just yet. I'm leaving FOR London!!

Yay!! I'm so freakin excited! My Boyfriend has booked us a room at the Hilton at Hyde Park (I know, can you believe it?? My god!!) and as I mentioned before in previous blog, we'll be dining at Jamie Olivers restaurant "Fifteen" on Friday. Wow. Wow. Wow. We also have plans to visit Harrods and Camden Markets. If anyone knows anything really awesome that I should check out, please leave me a comment or send me a private message, because I would love to hear your suggestions - this is my first time in the UK so bring it on.

I'm also facing a little dilemma - I have a great digital camera which i'll definately be taking with me, but the other day i found that my boyfriend has a really chunky, great little polaroid camera! I figured it would be so much fun to take it with us, as we're only going for 3 days, but I heard the film is kinda expensive, and it does have a bit of weight to it. So i really dunno - but it still sounds like a tonne of fun. I can just see us running around taking snaps of us doing dicky poses and stuff like something out of "Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me."

Oh man oh man... i'm so pumped!!!! I return on Sunday, so maybe when i get back i'll write a little blog about it, or post a photo :-) YAY!

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Dec. 10, 2007

Back to Shkool... back to shkool...

I'm thinkin' about goin' back to shkool.

While most people my age (almost 21,) are finishing up their diplomas after 4 years of solid partying mixed with stress and hard work, i'm doing the exact opposite. And what's more, i'm thinking about moving back in with my family. Eeek!! Scary thoughts.

But after a whole year in Germany with the absolute love of my life, i'm starting to get physically and emotionally very tired. I think it's time for me to take a few steps back, and just... chill. And what better way to chill than by enrolling in a Bachelor of Fine Arts! :-D I've only applied though. Only time will tell if i actually get in.

Not looking forward to doing the whole "long distance relationship" again, but the boy already has plans for the first visit, and he's moneybags at the moment, so maybe if everything goes well he can squeeze in 2 visits. Who knows, maybe i can make some money and come over too.

Seriously though, moving back in with the folks won't be so bad. My old room is semi-detached from the whole house. I can turn the volume up really loudly while mixing up a storm on my shitty Stanton decks and nobody complains. Theres a back door, which acts as the front door to my room. It's an old hayloft, which has a tonne of character. I love it. It's in Ballarat though, which is a bit shit, but only really a train ride away from Melbourne. Even taking the latest train to Melbourne on a Friday night will still get me to 3D before the doors open.

Phew... It's gonna be a rough year, but at least I can experience it from the comfort of my own room.

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Nov. 24, 2007

The Renaissancerox Damn Fine Art Gallery

Remember not long ago when I said I was having a little trouble with art?...

Well, i've had a lot of time to work on it and concentrate, and I think i'm finally starting to develop a style of my own :-) I still have a long way to go, but here are some photos of some pieces i've been working on recently. Feel free to comment on them, I certainly don't consider myself to be a real artist just yet, but feedback is greatly appreciated.

So without further ado, I am proud to officially open...

"The Renaissancerox Damn Fine Art Gallery"!*
Click pics to see them in LIFE SIZE!!!

For starters, here's "Lucky - Life in the Land of the Happy Nacho Cat". It supposed to represent my ability to overcome sadness and desparation with humour. (The sadness and desparation is those brown and blue lines in the background - they're my brainwaves. The humour is the lucky cat wearing a sombrero. Its an art thing.) It's also mighty cute :-)

Next up is an untitled scribble I did on canvas while watching German "Popstars on Stage". That's why its half German, half English - I was only half concentrating. Its not my favourite, but its kind of a cool colour sceme don't you think?

Unveiling, for the first time..."Bavaria"! A collage of some of the fun stuff my boyfriend and I have gotten up to this year. (Thats us in the middle having a cuddle.)

"Ice Scene" - I looove sea animals, especially walruses and seals. Killer whales are also cool, but they eat seals, so I dont like them as much.

This is a work in progress, and probably my favourite so far. Its McKillop st in Melbourne, thats the alley that my favourite club, 3D, is hiding in. The Slender Lorises are parodies of all the nocturnal speed and pill freaks and lost ravers that hang around in the wee hours of the morning. They're going to have ruby bejewelled eyes when the painting is finished. I've stuck some tester jewels on so far. I'm going to give it to Loopi when its finished because she inspired me to do a painting with a "Nocturnal" theme. So I think that's what i'll name it.

*Free Admission

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Nov. 18, 2007

Happy 200th Blog, Renaissancerox!

I haven't written a blog in a while because I haven't known how I should be celebrating, but I finally have an idea and it's time to unveil... Blog #200!

Here is a collection of 34 of my favourite quotes from the past 3 years that have graced the pages of my blog, in a fitting "Armin style" megamix. A big thanks to everyone who has left me comments over the years - you are the reason i'm still writing here today.

The Turbulant 2005

1 - "Hey wait a second... 18 year old female dj, what am i worried about! They'll be sympathetic to me because i've got boobs! " - 06/05/05
2 - "My german friend has a psycho girlfriend who thinks that by him talking to me he's thinking about cheating on her when it would cost him upwards of 2000euros to try and fool her." - 18/05/05, (talking about my now current boyfriend!)
3 - "The keys on this keyboard are covered in pickle + chocolate sauce, so that when you hit them they dont bounce up straight away, they kind of pause a little bit, come unstuck, and then slowly rise... like a loaf of bread in an oven..." - 20/05/05
4 - "i'm beginning to stress out a little about Information Systems for business. I just got a whopping score of 1.7 out of 6." - 26/05/05
5 - "IT'S EWAN PEARSON WEEK! That's right, it's the week that i put a picture of Ewan Pearson on all of my blogs to raise awareness for Ewan Pearson. Feel free to help me raise awareness this Ewan Pearson week by putting his picture on your blog, on your desktop, or in your wallet!" - 07/06/05
6 - "I've noticed a severe lack of support for Ewan week, a disappointing number of people pasting photos of Ewan on their blogs, [ie: 0.] How the hell is this year's Ewan Pearson week going to take off without the support of the people?" - 09/06/05
7 - "I am the oligopoly king. Ask me anything. Seriously. Ask me anything about Oligopoly. I am the king. " 20/06/05
8 - " Other highlights of the night include a bloke going up to DJ Dean who must have been pilling or something, and saying: "Are you DJ Dean??" and him saying: "Yes!" Then the hypo guy saying: "I love that track of yours man... that tracks its like... ohhh what is it CALLED you know that track you do?? i just LOVE THAT TRACK!" - 24/06/05/
9 - "Usually in a situation like this i just start singing Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side and that gets rid of ANYTHING. Or that Ski yoghurt ad where they sing: "How does it feel when you eat it oop?" instead of the real lyrics to Pass the Dutchie." - 31/06/05
10 - "Yoji - the putting the Asian back into looking Caucasian." - 30/08/05
11 - "I had to get up to go to the toilet and as i did my boyfriend threw a packet of butter at my face. He was so bored he was going to peg it off to another table but instead it hit my face. He was shocked that i'd moved in the way just in time. I got a little pissed off that he couldn't wait for me to make my announcement to leave the table, followed by wiping my face with the napkin and standing up and taking my bag and pulling my chair back in before he threw the butter but he couldnt stop apologising which was nice. He paid for the cab ride home." - 22/09/05
12 - "We made phonecalls to friends suggesting orgies, we were SO loud, we talked so much shit i couldnt contain myself and had to go to the toilet twice from laughing too hard." - 04/11/05
13 - "There are 2 types of people who check their reflections in the window, and everyone can be defined by one of the types.
Type 1: Those who check their reflections to see if they still look good.

Type 2: Those who check their reflactions to see if they don't look bad." - 07/11/05

14 - "Everyone uses shampoo, not as many use conditioner, but why is the conditioner bottle smaller, when people who use conditioner use more conditioner than shampoo?" - 09/11/05

15 - "Urth Corrr. That's what happens when you're a tired candy raver with only a few vowels left in her bag of glow in the dark loose beads and letter candy." - 29/11/05

16 - "[My friend answered in response to the question: What�s your name?] �It�s BE-RAD!... DJ BE-RAD!!�" - 16/12/05

The year that was 2006

17 - "I'm constantly baffelled as to why my blog is so popular... all i do is talk about Armin Van Buuren.... aaaaand naturally today will be no exception." - 16/01/06
18 - "Last night i got drunk and went to see Curtis Jackson's latest masterpiece, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'". I'll try not to spoil it for you too much but the plot is very simple: Basically, Curtis has 2 choices..." - 20/01/06
19 - "I spent the day on the couch watching Orgazmo. it was a pretty good day." - 07/02/06
20 - " In my training team [there are 2 training teams at the moment where i work,] we each had to think of a name so that we wouldn't just be called: "Group 2." My name was picked, so now we are: "TEAM KICK AAS", AAS being the name of the company i work for." - 16/02/06
21 - "...a line of my super poem:
"Heres a thing I should give a mention,
It's the shizz - its called a pension!!" - 22/02/06
22 - "Mark (Dynamix) - he got smashed on Heinies and lifted my skirt up at Two Tribes for all the world to see, in front of my boyfriend, and then continued to do it, about 3 or 4 times in 5 minutes, when it wasnt even funny the first time." - 27/02/06
23 - " I spy a laptop on Piro's dashboard. I go to use the mouse but my hand just whacks the dashboard. "WHERE's THE MOUSE??" i cry. I realise that there is no mouse. There is in fact no laptop. MEMORY STOPS HERE" - 14/03/06
24 - "I'll put a picture of PVD up here soon because you shouldnt write a blog about a DJ and then put a photo of 2 similar but ultimately unrelated German DJ's and no photo of the DJ you're actually talking about... in this case, its just not fair on the Dykster." - 02/04/06
25 - "Any one of these options sounds like it could end with hillarious consequences! Imagine if you mixed 2 of the above options together?

* Jump in bed with James Holden going hard [he he he!]

* Go home and jump in the toilet with Lab 4

* Get a good nights sleep in the Yarra wishing i was getting a good nights sleep with James Holden and jumping on Lab 4 in the toilet..." - 11/04/06

26 - "I'll be meeting my long-time pen pal Davie Grosser in Munich or Nurnberg airport." - 20/04/06 (my 'long term pen-pal is now my boyfriend :-)

27 - " I think it's time i told everyone why i'm going over to Germany. I'm in love. " - 18/06/06

28 - "One of my newest blogs is about "Nutshack." In fact, it just has a picture of the nutshack logo, with the word "nutshack" as the heading. I've decided to take the minimal approach in my new blog." - 22/10/06

The best year of my life 2007

29 - "The rasta mc kept saying something like: 'Lissun Hee-yah... Lis-sun!... Aah-Luhvalee sam-pool!!... Lissun to de sam-pool!!...Luhvalee won...' followed by 'REEEEEWIIIIIND!!!!... Dis track is so nice we play it twice!!!!' We left soon afterwards." - 12/02/07
30 - "As a long time blogger on ITM i can comfortably say that somehow, an amazing community of bloggers has been destroyed." - 02/07/07
31 - "If you're anything like me, there's nothing like a good squid to brighten up your day." - 05/08/07
32 - "Jumpstyle. The new dance craze sweeping Belgium, [Yep, just Belgium,] by storm." - 07/10/07
33 - "We've reserved a table at the oh so famous Fifteen restaurant!! Thats right, the original! IN LONDON!!! THE REAL THING! (oooh maoh ma-maoh-maoh, oooh maoh ma-maoh-maoh....)" - 17/10/07
34 - "Regardless of how I look, and how uncomparable I am to those incredible female specimins, i've got an unbelievable, gorgeous, honest cameraman who loves me, who I get to wake up next to every morning... So I guess that makes me the real winner." - 04/11/07

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Nov. 11, 2007

The first snow of the season

One of the *coolest* things about living in Europe is, quite simply, snow. For those of you who don't know, I relocated to Germany from Melbourne, where there is little to no snow at all, and if it ever does snow it's that crappy icy-mud type of snow, that looks more like the gunk you scrape out of your freezer when it's over frosted. Here in Germany, the snow is really something else. It's just... magic.

This is a photo I took taking a peaceful morning stroll, listening to a bit of trance by the Denube (Donau) river. (This was back in January but you get the idea.) The little houses in the background remind me of something out of a novel, or a Disney movie. And really, this is not much more than a 5 minute walk from my house.

Looking at photos like this make me want to go home less and less. Right now it's just me in this house, occasional snow falling silently outside, no sounds except the hum of my computer and the click of my keyboard. My belly is full of sweet potato, one of the key ingredients from my lunch that I cooked just for myself, chicken poached in coconut curry. It's only 6:00pm, but its already pitch black outside. It's a freezing cold Saturday night, and i'm so lonely.

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Nov. 8, 2007

Sezwah

These days i've had a lot of time to myself to gather my thoughts, and really get in touch with my inner self.

In doing so, i've created a disturbingly detailed zine entitled "SEZWAH", which is available upon request. (Free subscriptions are also available). The whole zine is completely hand drawn by me, using only a Uniball Eye Micro pen. It contains drawings, poems, book & movie reviews, fun page, and coupons for free hugs from yours truly! Also, they're in beautiful black on white on a single sheet of A4 paper, so you can colour them in! My god! It's more fun than a Lab4 track pitched up to twelve!

So email or message me for your personal copy/subscription, and i'll post you one in the mail all the way from Germany. :-)

See pics below for a sample of the genious. (Featuring Sezwah #2, in all its unfinished glory.)

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Nov. 4, 2007

Who will be Germany's Next Top Model? (and who really cares?)

Dating a cameraman has it's fair share of ups and downs. For example, getting to see the circuis for free = Up! Having to participate in a street protest = Down. Out of the 8 or so clips that my boyfriend has had to film in the past two months, two of those clips have been about beauty contests. I'm undecided as to whether i'm up or down about these.

The two contests were "Miss Regensburg," the predecessor to "Miss Germany", and "Germany's Next Top Model - Regensburg Auditions," (and lets face it, when it comes to contests, it doesn't get much bigger than "Miss..." anything or anywhere's "Next Top Model.")

Today's episode was the "Germany's Next Top Model" auditions. Upon arrival I instantly begun scanning the room with my mind-of-a-bitchy-schoolgirl, and separated the proffesionals from the woefuls. "Ah, she's a model... oh god, she's too wrinkly, too old... she's got no bum... oh thats a helper, no wait... ugh, she's entering??... she won't be so tall after she takes her shoes off..." etc. I suppose this is kind of a defence mechanism for my own ego and pride. Normally out on the street I don't feel the need to wear high heels and tight clothes because I believe I look damn good regardless. But when you're surrounded by long, flat freaks of nature, who are way too tall for their age, you start to build up little barriers for yourself. It makes me feel better to notice all the "uglier" girls than me with entrant-number stickers, because I can then retaliate in my head: "Pfft... if she entered, even I could have entered... I just chose not to exhibit myself because I don't have to!" Ok. This may seem like a shallow way of coping, but as I mentioned before, it can be very damaging to one's sense of pride, when you're literally submersed by towering seventeen-year-old blonde sticks. (Okay, so there was only two in particular, but... god damn!)

I pointed out to my boyfriend how perfect some of these girls were, (and believe me, Germany really does breed them perfectly.) and his response was an educated. "Models are different, and everyone knows it's not about beauty." He was far more interested in getting the perfect shot of a particular blonde subject being interviewed than personally scouting out the 'talent' in the room, and this statement really gave me some food for thought. Later on as we were leaving he told me "I'm just not into models." I could have taken this two ways. 1) He's trying to find a man's way of saying "I love you even though you're not a model" or 2) He's genuinely not into wafer-thin chicks that hit the ceiling, he prefers them short, curvy, and cute - like me! :-) Fortunately I was in a pretty good mood today, so I went with the second option, and that put a real smile on my face.

I was so convinced that 'the model' was the type of girl that guys would prefer, given half the chance.

But you know what? Regardless of how I look, and how uncomparable I am to those incredible female specimins, i've got an unbelievable, gorgeous, honest cameraman who loves me, who I get to wake up next to every morning... So I guess that makes me the real winner.

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Nov. 2, 2007

"Bonkers 17" a very heartfelt review by Renaissancerox :-)

The new Bonkers collection has finally been released and this is number.... hmm... 17.

For those new to the whole situation, the Bonkers boys have always been notorious for their definitive cd series that act as the hardcore fan's only necessary purchase for the year, to keep them up to date with all the best hardcore tracks, and constantly remind that the buyer that they need not go further than that single purchase - when you buy Bonkers, you know its all there. The series has always been evolving, but keeping up with its own consistently good standards.(And, in keeping with the tradition of almost every hardcore album ever released, has always had the most consistantly stupid cover art. You should not let the dumb cover art be a deterrent of any of the Bonkers albums.) However, not long ago Bonkers set themselves an extremely high standard with the release of #15 - "Legends of the Core" - A massive quadruple pack featuring two djs mixing back to back on each cd (ie: 8 djs in total!) - a huge variety of styles from that really bouncy happy stuff, to freaky freeform, and of course, that dirty, dirty gabber - a true feast for the fans.

Bonkers 15 "Legends of the Core" & Bonkers 16 "Maximum Hardcore Energy"

Skip forward to the next chapter; #16, entitled "Maximum Hardcore Energy". Bonkers took a bit of a nosedive from its usual cavalcade of outstanding hardcore productions one after the other and perfect mixing, to offer not much more than a handful of standout tracks. Some of the songs were even downright annoying. One such song featured an excoriating monotonous wailing siren for its entire 4 minute duration. A hardcore song with a siren in it . How very original indeed. But its not that Bonkers #16 was all that bad, it just that the expectations set by its predecessor cast a shadow over the new album, and left the rest of us wanting just a little bit more. The checklist looked something like this:

Fresher sounds, and tight innovative productions,

Better lyrics, (enough with rainbows and shit. This is 2007.)

Discs that "take you on a journey", and not such repetitive mixes - average track, after average track, after average track

In this day and age, and certainly in the Happy Hardcore genre, for some reason these requests seems to be big asks. So now its time for another Bonkers cd, and the fans are all waiting with bated breath, praying its not another (whizz)fizzer like last time. So... the question is, "Does Bonkers 17 "Rebooted" meet the super high standards set with Legends of the Core?" Quite simply, it does. Yep - It's awesome again. Thank goodness, boys, a return to form!

Yet another dicky cover art: Bonkers 17 "Rebooted"

There are too many good tracks from each of the three discs to mention, although the opening track on CD2 mixed by Sharkey & Kevin Energy, "Today's The Day", sets the mood so perfectly for the rest of the album, with its laid back lyrics, simply proclaiming that "Tomorrow it might rain / but don't think about it too much / don't waste the day away." A guitar is gently strummed, and before you know it, SLAM! Massive breakdown, then vocal - "A beautiful day!" And with that the album explodes into motion. It's just a fantastic moment. Also it's a relief to see a bit of exposure for up-and-comers such as Darwin. Hopefully, with a few tracks on the afformentioned Sharkey & Kevin Energy disc, Darwin's profile (and others,) will be lifted and continue to bloom in the industry. There's also a DJ Weaver remix on there. (For the Aussie HHC train spotters!)

Many people are wondering about a strange twist in this episode with the absence of Hixxy, the worlds favourite hardcore dj who has been ever present in the Bonkers series. The supposed reason for his omission is that apparently his commercial sound is more appealing to the new Hardcore Extreme Clubland chapter, which is to be released in only a few months time. Some fans are debating whether his absence is in fact the reason why Bonkers #17 is so excellent, but surely this is not the case. Hixxy has contributed so much to the Bonkers collection that it can hardly be concluded, after one release without him, that he was the sole cause of the downfall of number #16. This is a pretty lazy assumption.

With or without Hixxy, for the first time since #15, the listener feels as if they are actually listening to the future of Happy Hardcore. The title "Rebooted" could not have been more appropriate. It's like they've cleaned out all the cobwebs and polished it 'til it shined like a brand new pair of reflector phatties from Inacoma. It's new, it's innovative and to be quite honest, damn exciting to hear just how far HHC has come. It's almost a new genre in itself, something along the lines of "Uplifting Hardcore", because all the garbage that you hated from that Happy oldskool stuff is just gone. It's been replaced with complete innovation. And it gives you a warm feeling inside to know that while it's holding on respectfully to its rave roots, it's most definitely not dead - its evolving.

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Oct. 31, 2007

"2 Poems about how my life has no direction" by Sez

Poem the first

"What should i do when i grow up"

I dont know what to do with my life,
In terms of getting work,
I want to do something i really love,
Not just working for some jerk.

I like writing very much,
Its totally my thing,
But i dont wanna be some journalist,
For a crappy magazine.

I wish that i could just get paid,
To blog and blog alone,
I like that i can rant and rave,
About stuff thats goin on,

Oh why wont someone take me,
And show me the way with their hand,
In the form of a pointing finger,
Or a language i could understand.

Cause right now i feel helpless,
I've got no freakin clue,
"What will you do when you grow up?"
I don't know. "What can I do?"

Your suggestions are appreciated,
Before i go hit the bottle,
Please don't suggest prostitute,
Or life drawing model.

Only for the reason that,
My friend suggested those,
But i'd prefer a job where I,
Need not remove my clothes.

"The Trout"

My life is a trout
It swims about
With nowhere to go
But forward.

Trapped in a net,
Is a struggle, you bet!
But freedom is more boring.

The trout in my head has too many options,
It keeps moving forward regardless,
Soon my little fish brain,
Will figure out where its going,
And will smile at me from the future,
With a big fat paycheque,
And a new pair of jeans,
Or something else that a fish might like.

But for now that poor trout
Will keep swimming about
Around in circles,
Until it gets trapped in another net.

FIN

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Oct. 28, 2007

Missing Aussie fashion designers

Let me just start by saying I'm no fashion expert. I left the house the other day wearing a burgundy portmans coat with a fur collar (its winter here in Germany,) a purple and grey striped carhartt jumper underneath, a pair of absolutely destroyed Edwin jeans, and a bright white pair of K-Swiss shoes, just new, the first pair of new sneakers i've bought in 3 years.

I am something of a fashion catastrophe at the best of times. Maybe its because my whole wardrobe is that kind of streety-skatey cool wear, no brand too "brandy", no brand too boring, and a few bits and pieces that arent even brands at all. But i tell you what, this sorta stuff is hard to find where im living right now.

I find that brands are usually hell overpriced, and the ones i own were all bought on sale or given to me by friends-relatives. But a few that i will always fork out for (if i rrreeeeaaallly like them,) include One Teaspoon, anything from the Tomorrow Never Knows shop on Brunswick street, Lenko, and certain bits and pieces from the stores General Pants and Fat. And maybe a bejeweled accessory from Dangerfield. (Oh how i love my ruby diamante lips necklace and enormous white plastic headband with more gems glued on it!!) And just like that, it hit me just this morning. That's the reason i cant find any of the stuff i like here... These are all Australian!

I'm not looking forward to coming home, as i will miss it here very very much, but one things for sure - i'll be drowning my sorrows with awesome, original, and unique new clothes and accessories.

Oh, and i will say this... if nothing else, H&M rocks :-)

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Oct. 26, 2007

SELF RAISING FLOUR!!!

...

I FOUND SELF RAISING FLOUR!!!

It might not seem like such a big thing to you, but there is NO self raising flour in Germany... WRONG! There IS self raising flour in Germany, its just hiding in teh ASIAN GROCERY! Who would have thought it would be hiding away in there with some brand name like "Dragon Lotus Self raising Flour" or "Dragon Power Self raising Flour" I dunno, something about Dragons.

Oh man... the cakes i am going to cook!!... The muffins!!... THE BICKIES!

If anyone can direct me to a fantastic recipe online, or can even be bothered writing one to me, i will send you a photo of the finished product that i made. Just remember - it must contain SELF RAISING FLOUR!!

Woooo i cant believe it i've been waiting all year for this stuff!!

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Oct. 22, 2007

(The return of...) Dude of the week!!!

I just realised i havent done a Dude of the Week in a while, so here it is! This weeks dude is DJ Shantel - The Balkan Pioneer - The self proclaimed Disko Partizani!

DUDE OF THE WEEK!!

Shantel!

Ive seen this guy 4 times now and each time is wackier than the last. He brings duty free alcohol over and gets everyone in the pit pissed off their guts. Girls dance up on stage with him, but the guys get kicked off. I should know, one of them was a friend of mine haaha!!

The music itself is really bizarre, this new wave Balkan sound is really huge here, (think Borat style crazy music, clarinets, horns, and ay! ay! ay!) But when this guy spins, sings, dances, gets ya pissed, and gives out free cds, (i got one!!) that says to me that he deserves the Dude of the week title. Thank you Shantel!!

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Oct. 17, 2007

Sweet Fifteen

I'm jumping out of my very pants with excitement right now because this year instead of giving presents to each other, my boyfriend and i will be jetting off to LONDON at the end of the year!! And thats not all... We've reserved a table at the oh so famous Fifteen restaurant!! Thats right, the original! IN LONDON!!! THE REAL THING! (oooh maoh ma-maoh-maoh, oooh maoh ma-maoh-maoh....) How romantic...We're both very into food, and have spent most of our spare cash this year on great meals. This is the perfect way to end the most magnificent year of my life.

My Mum's initial reaction was pretty funny remarking: "...you know they've got one in Melbourne now?" uhh... yes Mum. I didn't spend all of last year living under a rock. But surely they're not like McDonalds, these restaurants. Like, i'm sure the menus are totally different... surely? Besides, we're getting the tasting menu. Its like a degestation, they bring out the in-season meals. That should definately be different from one to the other, right?

I think this calls for a bit of practical exercise. I'm going to go to Fifteen in London and when I come home I reckon i'll drop in at Fifteen Melbourne. I'll do a full review of both the experiences!

One thing i've learned from the booking experience is that there is no harm in asking! The website said you would have to book 6 months in advance, but we took a punt, called at 3 in the afternoon (2 in the afternoon in the UK,) asked for a table in December and the nice lady said "Of course! Let me just see..." So we were fortunate enough to actually get a Friday night. Even though the booking was a little early at 6:30, i don't think thats going to matter when the anticipation of eating some ridiculously juicy meals by the worlds most naked chef sets in.

Can't freakin wait til December. Gonna be the best ever!!

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Oct. 12, 2007

How the Backstreet Boys cope with German language barriers

I've just seen one of the coolest interviews and performances i've ever seen. Being in Germany has given me the chance to observe life somewhat inverse. If i was in Australia, or any other English speaking country, an interview on TV with the 4 remaining Backstreet Boys probably wouldn't interest me that much, but something drew me to the idea of watching them on Germany's answer to Conan O'Brien, or Rove - Stefan Raab's "TV Total". I guess it was the idea of seeing how your typical popstar reacts in a situation where they have very little control due to language barriers!

Before the boys came out, Stefan announced that Kevin was no longer in the band, and then proceded to decorate his own face with big, black, fake bushy eyebrows like Kevins, and a little beard and moustache. See Below:

I cringed a little bit, thinking "Oh man... is he going to take those off before they come out?" But no - he left them on. I thought "Uh oh... is this kind of... taking the piss out of a boy band that's over the hill or something?" But the boys came out and shook hands with him, and one of them (I forget who,) couldn't stop laughing for a short time. This made me laugh too, reminding me that sometimes comedy knows no language barrier.

The interview began - this is what i had been waiting for. There was a bit of banter (totally in English,) between Stefan and the boys about Kevin not being there anymore because he had a baby. Stefan translated this briefly for the crowd, but everyone was laughing at the right times so their general English knowledge must have been excellent. There was no dubbing or subtitles or anything. When he spoke German and the crowd laughed, initially the boys looked a bit out of place asking "Wha....uhh.. what did you just say? Ahaha..." but Stefan remained very polite, informing them that he was merely translating what they had just said to him. They seemed relieved to know that the crowd was laughing at something they had said, and not something stupid he had said at their expense, because they didnt understand German.

The boys announced that later they planned to go go-karting. Stefan said to the crowd that there were only 2 go-karting venues in K�ln, again the crown laughed, Stefan translated, then the boys laughed. It was like the interview was on some kind of slight delay. I have a basic knowledge of German, so for me this was very fun to watch.

The best part of the interview was the performance afterwards. I couldnt believe it when Stefan announced he was going to be replacing Kevin for "I Want It That Way". I couldn't wait to see the boys reactions. Naturally he missed a few notes, but his solo was really a pisser, beacause his moustache kept falling off on one side, and Nick, the blonde BB kept pushing it back on.

From a shakey and awkward beginning, to a humerous finale that showcased the Backstreet Boys actual singing ability, all sewn effortlessly together (in both English and German) by an impressive host. I would love to see an Aussie host try and do the same.

If the interview appears on Youtube i will try and post a link. It was just great. :-)

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Oct. 10, 2007

TV Shows that are never on when you want them to be.

It's such a pain in the ass that I can't get "Daria" here on German TV. Actually, I don't remember the last time i saw it on Aussie TV. The point is I miss it a lot. I've had to resort to finding links to watch episodes - and theyre always broken. Dang. This got me thinking, what are some other TV shows that you wish would come on but never ever do? Another all time fave of mine is "The Adventures of Pete and Pete."

There were so many AWESOME quotes from that show, and each episode had a special little charm to it. I've never seen another show like it. Fortunately, now you can buy the first and second series on DVD, which is something i'll definately be doing when i get the cash. On the downside, theres no season 3, which contains one of my favourite episodes [featuring a cameo from IGGY POP,] where the climax features little Pete speeding around the school halls covered in Wax, being followed closely by Pitt-Stain. Wicked.

And the music was unreal.

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