808 State
Pacific (12")
Tommy Boy
If you ever found yourself listen-
ing to a vaguely stimulating house
tune, finding even a trace of your
own psychological heartbeat within
that endless bass thump and perhaps
even connected those two hardlines
with the big scheme of things: the
universal heartbeat that we all at-
tempt to dance to; if you ever lis-
tened to that mechanical orgasmatron
and decided that you could learn to
like this in time... then unquestion-
ably, beyond a reasonable doubt, you
will come in your pants as I did
when I first heard Pacific, the new
groove by this five-man unit - an
irresistible pacemaker that I have no
reservations in calling some of the
best dance music to ever move these
feet -
"Pacific" features a wonderfully
quirky twist on the standard pulse of
bass by syncopating a snare at the
end of each measure, then doubling
the bass. This small release of con-
temporary dance tension is more
than enough to groove you.
the dance subculture gives free
reign to drug use, what with ecstacy
being the vitamin for all-night disco
infernos - BURN BABY BURN.
ever since "It Takes Two," the
senseless wall between hip hop and
house has been breached - dance is
the bottom line, no matter what.
my dancing companion collapsed
onto the dance floor, totally ex-
hausted by 808's addictive sound. Ei-
ther that, or she'd overdosed on
something. I headed back to the bar
in back of the club, soaked in cold
sweat, and there was my contact.
"How much, man?" I asked.
"Eighty for the one."
"You've got it," I said, exchang-
ing my currency for the package -
a fresh new sex packet with a photo
of Margaret Thatcher on the wrapper.
Tonight would be a blast...
-Forrest "pretentious" Green III
808 State
90
Tommy Boy
If Barry White had slept with
Sylvester and Kraftwerk this is what
he would sound like. 808 State'is a
group of two djs, two entrepeneurs
who decided to name themselves
after their analog Roland 808 syn-
thesiser/drum machine. These are
just ordinary blokes without what
geriatric Rolling Stone critics call
"musical expertise;" these fellows
love disco dancing, and 90 is one of
the first full-length, techno-acid
house dance records that can be heard
privately in the bedroom and still be
completely satisfying. Along with
Coldcut and Bomb The Bass, 808
State is the Do-It-Yourself punk
ethic brought up to date. 90 was
recorded in a week.
90 isn't as harsh as Juan Atkins'
Detroit techno; this is the sound of
Manchester acid which has more of a
feel for the textures of the Gamble
and Huff's Philly productions. There
are barely any lyrics to speak of on
this record, just a phrase or sample
repeated from time to time. Peppered
with single lyrical motifs, "Ancodia"
and "Cobra Bora" are lush polymor-
phously perverse grooves that are as
fluid as any new age jazz record.
If Bowie had been doing ecstasy
rather than smack when recording
Low in downtown Berlin,
"808080808" is what would have
emerged. If Donna Summer had con-
tinued heavy breathing with Munich
Machine god Giorgio Moroder in-
stead of slagging off gay people,
we'd have something like "Sunrise."
If the snoozesome Philip Glass had
skanked with New Orleans
funkmeisters the Meters, interna-
tional hit "Pacific State" would have
been the result.
If you don't check out the reso-
lutely erotic hypersyncopation of 90
may you vogue in hell.
-Nabeel Zuberi
MANZAREK
Continued from page 9
combines the two in a hazy mixture
of both arts allowing for a sharp
artistic vision to which most people
haven't been exposed.
Since the shows are on Earth
Day, ecological themes can be ex-
pected. As Manzarek attests, one can
certainly expect "something or-
ganic."
Nevertheless, the shows won't be
limited to these concerns. In fact,
much like Allen Ginsberg's "Howl,"
the work of this duo seeks to expose
the neurosis and oppression in
American society. "The paranoia ex-
ists within the military-industrial
Judeo-Christian establishment that
runs America. We're attempting to
dispel the paranoia to put you in
harmony and in touch with the uni-
verse. That's the goal ultimately of
all mankind," Manzarek says.
Other rebels of the '70s will be
on hand also, most notably John
Sinclair. who was busted in Ann
Arbor in 1971 and sentenced to ten
years in prison for giving away two
joints.
But the verse will be the main
focus of the day. "I play the poetry,"
Manzarek says."Whatever the poetry
is, I try and equate my music to it. I
try and capture the same emotion.
Even though there's some confusion
as to what we're going to do when
they first come in, the audience re-
ally gets into it. We've had standing
ovations."
Manzarek says that there is essen-
tially no difference between what he
and McClure are doing and what he
and Jim Morrison were doing in the
'70s. "The Doors were electric and a
rock 'n' roll band," he says. Other
than that there's no difference. Po-
etry and music. It just wasn't called
that."
RAY MANZAREK and MICHAEL
MC-CLURE will perform Sunday at
4 and 7:30 p.m. at Club Heidelberg.
Tickets are $11, available at Tick-
etmaster. ARWULF ARWULF
AND THE MODIFIED STARCH
ORCHESTRA open the 4 p.m. show;
JOHN SINCLAIR and the BLUES
SCHOLARS open at 7:30.
The devices in both films, di-
rected by Claude Berri, are simple:
the need for water, the importance of
family heirarchy. More than once it
has been pointed out that Jean and
Manon bring to modern film the
drama of ancient Greek tradgedies.
Unlike traditional plays, film has the
ability to draw in the life and magni-
tude of the French countryside. The
land is deceptively quiet, but owner-
ship of that property holds enormous
strength forboththe protagonists
and antagonists.
The language barrier crumbles in
Jean de Florette and Manon des
Sources as it does in all great for-
eign language films from Au Revoir
Les Enfants to Women on the Verge
of a Nervous Breakdown. The vi-
sual power of Jean and Manon tells
a story of its own.
-Wendy Shanker
Read
Ihincoln's Minutes
in the Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 20, 1990 - Page 11
CINEMA
Continued from page 9
-IM-1
C
C
0
T H E M I C H I G A N T R A D I T O N
A CLASS ACT
1 9 9 0
Seniors-Please come to the
Wrap-Up Party for the 1990 -
Senior Pledge Program!
Sunday, April 22nd,
8p.m. to 1a.m.
University Club in Michigan Union
Music by "The Difference"
Refreshments and beverages availableo3s*
Admission is FREE for all seniors who
pledged.
Be sure to bring your invitation and
student I.D. for admission.
$5 cover charge for all others ' .'
who wish to attend..
Questions? Call 998-6050
The University Club is a private club for UM students, faculty, staff,
alumni and their invited guests. Only members of legal drinking
age may purchase alcohol. I.D. required.
RESERVE OFFICERS'
TRAINING CORPS ,
YOUR FIRST STEP TOWARD SUCCESS IS THE ONE
YOU COULD TAKE THIS SUMMER.
At Army ROTC Camp Challenge, you'll
learn what it takes to succeed - in college
and in life. You'll build self-confidence and
develop your leadership potential. Plus you
can also qualify to earn an Army Officer's
commission when you graduate.
Army ROTC Camp Challenge. It may be
just what you need to reach the top.
AMW ROTC
THE SMARTEST COLLEGE
COURSE YOU CAN TAKE.
Find out
more. Coentat Captain Alicia O'Rourke.
131 North Hall 764-2400
_ 1
THANK YOU!
It could not have been done without your help!
Over $2.8 million raised so
far this fiscal year...
Many thanks to the student callers of Michiga
their efforts, unrestricted funds from alumni,
were raised for the schools, colleges, and reg
I* iJA Q . } iM ir:
n Telefund. Through
parents, and seniors
jional campuses of the
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