Whanganui Overground Underground Pt. 1 - The Stink Magnetic Story

The Stink Magnetic Record Co. Guide to Global Music Domination

For New Zealand Music Month, we tracked down, Dylan Herkes, musician, svengali and head-honcho of the multi-national, Stink Magnetic Record Co. Our mission to find out just how a normal human being, with no clue, little talent and plenty of energy can form a band, make a record and start a record label, from literally, nothing.

For Art and Design student Dylan, the path has been a long and determined one. With Stink Magnetic Recording Co. in its 12th year, countless gigs around the country and beyond, several of his own releases and a whole host of other heroic, unsung NZ bands released through his label. The Stink Magnetic Record Co. has proved that with grit, guts, spunk and style, even the un-dead can make sweet music and become primitive rock-stars.

Dylan and Stink (As it is known to aficionados) have a strong aesthetic style, formed, re-hashed and over-heated from the remnants of B-Movies, crude garage punk records and the sound of surf music crashing on NZ’s shore in 1965. Think of werewolves, ghosts, and zombies from outer-space, guzzling hard liquor for the first time, abusing vintage instruments and expressing their raw urges in public. It sounds scary and it is…why? ... Because it works!

Over the years Stink Magnetic Record Co. has not only released many records by NZ garage, surf, Hawaiian industrial, experimental country disco, Spaghetti Western, esoteric trash, rap and stone-age punk bands but promoted countless gigs and events, which have strengthened the local scene. By helping these peripheral, wild characters achieve their dream and perfect their art, the primitive rock underground of New Zealand has flourished, far away from the fickle frippery of the mainstream.

It is this D.I.Y attitude and the idea that, ‘You can do it, because you want to, not because you can’, that fuels this most kiwi approach to making music. We tracked down, Dylan at Stink Magnetic H.Q to ‘cut the tape’ and find out where he comes from, where he is going and how we too, can blaze like an Asteroid, through the musical heavens.

Interview with Dylan Herkes, CEO – Stink Magnetic Recording Co.:

Tell us why you got involved in music and what was it like for you when you first started?

I started playing guitar just for fun. I just got interested in the instrument when I was a kid and started mucking around without any idea of how to play it at all. Before that it was a tennis racket. After pissin' about for a while some family members showed me a few chords and a riff or two. When I eventually started playing with some friends who could hit a drum and pluck a bass it was too much fun and I got hooked.

When did you first realise that D.I.Y was going to be the way to go?

I don’t know. I just like doing stuff. I don’t really enjoy been told what to do. Who does? I also saw a lot of amazing ideas happening and then going away quickly so I wanted to document things that I thought may not have otherwise been documented. I did meet a friend when I was about 16 who was dubbing tapes out of his bedroom and he gave me an example to start a record label.

What was your first band / act?

My first band with a name was playing bass for a high school band called Vendetta. I must have been shit cos I was fired after the first jam.
What was it like playing your first gig or releasing your first record?
Playing live almost every time is nerve racking for me. But there’s a massive adrenaline rush during and after a performance that I still love. The best thing is seeing an idea come in to reality and hearing your ideas come to life. Every time it’s done it’s great.

What is the biggest difficulty faced by bands starting out, particularly in New Zealand?

The only difficulties are the ones that you make up in your head. I don’t think it matters if you’re from New Zealand or from anywhere in the world. Sure, it may be better for some places rather than others for this or that but you don’t need much to get going if you take the preconceptions about how to do things away. You don’t have to measure success in terms of popularity, record sales, competency or gear at all. I’ve seen some of the coolest things happen with no money, shitty gear and 3 people in the room. It’s just about having fun and the less pressure you put on yourself, like anxieties about all that crap the better. You’d be surprised by how much fun you can have and how far you can go without all those preconceived ideas about how things “should” be done.

How have you dealt with those challenges?

One way is by playing music with people that you know really well. Because it takes a bit of guts to get up in front of strangers it helps to have the support of your mates with you and also when it comes to advancing your playin' abilities, you tend to respect the opinions of your peers the most (and also they are likely to have similar taste in music to you so you know if they think it sounds like arse then it probably does!). It’s more fun with friends and you all pick up on things faster.

Making music is a lot of work, often for a brief reward, what do you enjoy most about it?

I enjoy bringing ideas to life. It defiantly is very hard work writing and practicing music but when you go to play it just once live, it can be magic. If you enjoy making music then you’re probably a music lover which means you’re focus will be on the content rather than all the peripheral stuff. Enjoying what you do shows.
What advice would you give someone starting out from the very bottom?
Don’t be too concerned about how it should be done, get together with mates who are keen as well and just start jamming. You’ll figure things out quicker than you think.

The Tape Man Illustrated Guide to Making Music (Available as a series of lectures on 8-Track Cartridge Cassette, from all good stores)

After a long and tiring search, from graveyards to forgotten repositories of obsolete adhesives, we tracked down, the legendary Tape Man, one of Stink Magnetic’s most enduring, and elusive and esoteric stars, to give us the Tape Man Guide to Making music. (Actual results may vary)

“Howdy folks, here’s a few tips to blow the roof off your world with the mystical powers of sound.”

Step 1 – Choose your weapon
“You’re instrument could be anything. Don’t worry if you can’t play it. It could be more fun and entertaining if you choose something that you have no idea how to play for instance this shitty keyboard sliding across this stolen guitar…… Then make up a few little ideas that you can call your own”

Step 2 – Tidy up
“Now you’ve gotta show someone else, so do what you gotta do like take a shower, brush your teeth and find some flash clothes or “something a little special” to really make an impression on your audience. What are you gonna call yourself?”

Step 3 – Do a show
“It don’t matter even if it’s just your little sister in the room just rock the hell out like there’ll be no tomorrow! Hell it’s more fun than being a boring hi-tech, know-it-all muso wanker like all those other sissies!”

Step 4 – Document your band
“Make sure you get a couple of cool photos to chuck on the net and get out whatever recording devices you can find lying around. Because it’s got sound involved you wanna get a recording of that so use a digital camera on movie function, Uncle Steve’s old tape deck, headphones plugged in to the microphone input on the computer or whatever! Think; The more creative - the more ORIGINAL.”

Step 5 – Make a record
“Now release your thing on any format you want to. Don’t care if it’s digital or analogue or any of that crap just OUT IT OUT THERE! You could make a cassette tape, a CD, a DVD, a book….ANYTHING. Now take it down to most appropriate outlet in town or put it up on the internet and see what happens! “

“Good luck and all the best”
Lust, Tape Jerk

Stink Magnetic Record Co.
The Studio is situated in the Old Chronicle Building, cnr. Rutland and Drews Ave. Whanganui.

The office is open to the public every Wednesday from 12-1pm, with an amazing clutch of original records, and CD’s of all of your favourite NZ garage, surf, Hawaiian industrial, experimental country disco, Spaghetti Western, esoteric trash, rap and stone-age punk music!

Stink Magnetic Record Co. Artistes.

Golden Axe, Space Dust, Boss Christ, Full F***ing Moon, Double YAD, Knifefight, Wrongdoings, Hi_tone Destroyers, Pro-Drag, Delaney Davidson, Voodoo Savage & His Savages, Mr. Slackjaw, Bad Evil, Sheville and Tapeman.

The Continuing Adventures of Tapeman

Due to be the feature of the next blog-post from the Whanganui Overground Underground, The Ghost of Tapeman can be seen playing with his freshly resurrected esoteric trash-surf combo, “House on Haunted Hill’ at the following hip locations:

June 4th – Stink Magnetic w/ Golden Axe
June 18th – Stink Magnetic w/ Boss Christ

Stink Magnetic Record Co. Contact:

stinkmagnetic@gmail.com

Written for CREW magazine - N.Buddle 2010

Easy Rider - Opening Credits

RIP Dennis Hopper

Rolling Stones Cocksucker Blues Movie Part 1

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Walk & Don t Look Back - Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger

The choon that launched a longtime fascination with the Caribbean and more particularly Jamaica. Mick looking mighty mithered, I dare say he got collared by some heavyweight collie weed.

Proud Scum - Live 1979 - I am a Rabbit

Hey hey one of the first gigs I ever attended at the YMCA, in pure D65 Kelvin and not a village person in sight.

Roadtripping

Merc and I used to make many road trips together. We never had any Particular Place To Go. He usually drove, me looking for photo Ops and him seeing symbolism in every grain of sand. Much water has passed over the iron beach since those days, yet there is a collective memory in each of our workings secreted away against tide and time. Merc always said don't hide your bushel and Dali said Life's too short to go unnoticed, so I've been reshooting/resurrecting notebook doodles in an effort to create some continuity of process in these quietish days.

Since I was a nipper I've always been on the road. I lay no claim to being either world weary or a road warrior. I'd like to kid myself and say I was both but if I'm honest, I am nothing more than a tourist. Just passing through, here or overseas.

Ok, as part of my work I do get to indulge in some pretty long-winded postcards home, but hopefully they are true reflection of a place.

Sometimes said notes get filed in the journals to be Dada'd by endless layers of ephemera and idle scribbles that I paste in, in moments of reflection, doubt and projection.

And sometimes great imagery gets defiled and derailed by endless experimentation and the only tenuous link I can make between this picture and what I just wrote, is that it is a shot of a steamroller nose, that built a new section of the North Western Motorway in Auckland, a stretch of bitumen that has launched all number of travels.

©burgseye 10

Dig 2: the lost files

With the first edition of DIGzine under our belts way back in the early naughties, the Rev n I thought we'd go large on issue 2 with an all colour second edition. HA! That is until the print estimate arrived. Not wanting to take advertising dollars we decided to shelve the project until we could we afford to release it. But now we're gonna revisit it on the web and post some pages from all the peeps who contributed. But first we'll begin with the cover that never was. Above is the Rev's beautiful Dia de la muerte cut, cos we were originally looking at an All Saints Day release.

These two are my sketchy sketches doodled in an old note book for further exploration at a later stage. The one above pretty much sums up the Rev and I's attitude to self publishing back then and below a kind of back cover ad for herbal inspiration.

Needless to say none of the above made the cut and I'm still racking my brains as to what did. It was a Reverential piece as I can remember. Rev?

©DIGubet

No-Yeah!! by spikedevildisco

an electrocumbiaspace take on the kiwi Yeah-Nah! Sit back, relax and close yer eyes....

Captain Beefheart documentary (Part 1 of 6)

In the spirit of Whanganui's current backdoor blues scene thats blowing up at Stink Magnetic and particularly the Rev's new beat at the House on Haunted Hill- I found this fantastic six part BBC doco -with John Peel narrating- on one of the dirtiest of all the white boy swamp monsters, Don Glen Vliet aka Captain Beefheart.

Picasso's Guernica Deconstructed

the roadrunners - lsd

while doing a quick bit of research for mr mal macca sporran, I came across this wonderful version of the pretty things tune LSD by a Lower Hutt posse called The Roadrunners on the mysterex blog. This version just thrashes the bejeebers out of the original. Hard arse punked guitars, 1966 fuzz the Cramps would be proud of.

Anyway I send the link through to Malheureuse and this is his inimitable response: I knew Chaz Burke-Kennedy(guitar/vocals on the roadrunners cut of lsd)when he was Blerta's lead guitarist...in fact, on the occasion that keyboard/sitar playing legendary casualty, Chris Seresin lost his mind, he and Chaz had arrived at my Coromandel house,tripping. It was 1973. They left for our commune at Colville, crashed the car, Chris flipped...and never came back. He has been a dero around Wellington ever since. And I remember the uproar when the Pretty Things toured NZ in 1965. Drummer Viv Prince was sufficiently out of it at departure time for the TEAL Electra pilot to have him arrested and taken from the plane. The good burghers of Napier - where I was at school - and other provincial outposts, were outraged. We loved it. I didn't go to Wellington for the concert but my mate, Colin Lum,did (later to die of an od in an Auckland motel,1974. A doctor and one of those bright young ones I referred to...in 1969 he won a scholarship to do his post grad thesis at Stanford on...wait for it...LSD. We all took our first trips that year with Owsley acid he sent back). Memories...mammaries. And I bought Chris's sitar for him in Calcutta in 1970 while undertaking phase 2 of the great ginseng scam...talk about the endless highway...

New Urban Developments

A recent shot (through a window reflection) of a colossal wall of graff colouring up an otherise grey section of Auckland's CBD by a crew known as Urban Development .

Check here for a little on one of the protagonists and some choice cuts from the wall itself.

Bukowski Stamp

One Week Left To Sign Petition Supporting Writer Charles Bukowski's Postage

Stamp

LOS ANGELES- In 1969, when the 49-year-old underground poet and columnist

Charles Bukowski quit his job at the Terminal Annex US Postal Service

sorting facility, he was one step ahead of a pink slip. Offered $100 a month

by an editor who believed in his work, Bukowski took the leap to become a

professional writer, and in just a few weeks produced his first novel, the

autobiographical "Post Office."

Bukowski never held a day job again. He would go on to write six more

novels, the screenplay to "Barfly" and thousands of poems, and to find

international acclaim as one of the truly distinctive voices of Los Angeles

literature. Although he died in 1994, his literary output continues with

posthumous anthologies, and he is widely known among American booksellers as

the most shoplifted author on their shelves.

In 2006, Bukowski's archives were acquired by the Huntington Library, and in

2008 the modest East Hollywood cottage where he wrote "Post Office" was

named one of the Historic-Cultural Monuments of the City of Los Angeles.

But one perfectly apt honor still eludes Bukowski: shouldn't the second most

famous American postal worker after Benjamin Franklin have his own postage

stamp?

Richard Schave and Kim Cooper of the L.A.-based literary bus tour company

Esotouric think so, and have launched a petition asking the Citizens Stamp

Advisory Committee to consider recommending that a commemorative Bukowski

stamp be released on the 20th anniversary of his death (March 9, 2014).

Currently containing more than 350 signatures, the online Charles Bukowski

Stamp Petition will remain active until March 1, 2010, when it will be

printed out and submitted to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, the

volunteer group that advises the postal service on appropriate choices for

commemorative stamps.

To view or sign the petition, visit:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/bukowskistamp

If you're heading to LA any time soon check with http://www.esotouric.com

Esotouric's celebrations of Bukowski's life and work include the bus tour

"Haunts of A Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's LA" (next scheduled on April

24), working on the campaign to have his home landmarked, and inviting

journalist Marco Mannone to host a Bukowski Salon at the October 2009

Downtown LA Art Walk. They also spearheaded the successful campaign to have

the corner of Fifth and Grand, at the LA Central Library, designated John

Fante Square, after the writer who Bukowski called "my God." (Fante Square

signs will be erected sometime in Spring 2010.)

Sourced from http://www.explosivepr.com

A New Dawn for Old Work

A New Dawn
Oil on Canvasboard
1994-95?

Another one from the vaults. This was the last oil painting I did before I went to Art School (When I still enjoyed Oil Painting)!

The Sky was done from the memory of a particularly vivid sunset I saw with a friend, one evening coming back on the train from London to home. The figures depict, idealised, early-human forms, communing with nature and seeing the dawn as if for the first time. So a bit hippy and a bit colourful, but still quite pleasant and hopefully it is still in the safe hands of a good friend.

Not Half-Hearted

Well back from holidays and imagine my suprise when I find myself included in an excellent local exhibition ...






Half Heartedh
WHolehearted
WHanganui



Jan 16 - Feb 19? 2010
WHMillbank Gallery
Whanganui



An impromptu exhibition to celebrate the historic decision to recognise the 'H' in Whanganui puts the issue to the fore in an eclectic and substantial show. Featuring artists such as Matt Pine, Emma Camden, Marty Vreede and Michael Tuffery and a host of locals, the show includes print, glass, paint, sculpture and photography.

It is my privilege to be included in this show. The work featured is 'Read it in the Paper' a one-off unique print featuring the 'H is of for History' series andother elements on handmade 'Wanganui Chronicle' paper. Only exhibited at the Serjeant Review Show 2008.... and on my living room wall! It will be a welcome opportunity to show this work again in a relevant forum, especially considering that the change the decision earlier this year to recognise both spellings has made.

Kia ora

Read it in the Paper
Neil Buddle 2008
Lino print and collage on handmade paper (Whanganui Chronicle)

Art Attack in LA

Kim Cooper and Richard Schave

Esotouric and Downtown LA Art Walk instigators.

© Burgseye 08

Kim Cooper and Richard Schave run bus and walking tours like no other in their native Los Angeles City. Their celebration of LA captures the imagination. Not only do they bring history to life, they bring a rare sense of place to a town whose repute extends largely to Hollywood and fast buck makers. Along the highways and bi-ways they uncover literary and cultural heroes that endow the basin with integrity and a richness of life beyond the glass towers and theme parks. Their portrayals of the bizarre, the ludicrous and the myriad quirky denizens -that manifest exponentially in the City of Angels- are as important to the social fabric as stories about high flying exec's or movie stars. Equally the access they provide into the studio's and creative minds of arty Angeleno's is a rare gift for any stranger to a new place to be a party to.

But apparently even the worthy and good are not immune to the likes of the over zealous Russell Brown whose civic profile, ego and weight of power he brandishes is particularly scary, especially since Kim And Richard set their attentions to exposing the double standards and duplicity of roles he performs and calling for his resignation also backed by a local newspaper.

Check here how their non-profit labours of love -restructuring and managing their own initiative, a Downtown Art Walk- has landed them in a potential lawsuit with a man who has a wealth of big business funds, big budget lawyers and the LAPD at his disposal.

If it moves you get behind them here and express yourself.

By Order El Presidente

on his way to the beach

so there the Rev was, pre xmas dreaming of the waves lapping the beach, his kids dipping and diving, running amok with other campground kids, him cooking dinners of fresh caught snapper on a solitary outdoor gas stove and him gently nodding off to the inner tuneage that abounds deep within his soul. as it happens it all panned out but on his way to the beach the Rev's ailing motor coughed one least time and spat the dummy on the hill over to Tairua pulling short before the crest.

of course no amount of rapid response was going to move it. he was puckerooed and in the summer heat, the kids fried from a previous six hours of driving on such a blistering day. the first car he waves down is a beamer with a lady driver who wouldn't know a jump start from a false start, she's never had to learn. she doesn't want to appear unfriendly, thats why she stopped but she doesn't want to crack the bonnet cos she doesn't know where the hood lift is. thats the way of this planet. she accelerates onwards towards her holiday home and the rev stands jumper leads in hand awaiting and praying to his funk god for a kindly soul...

as is the way with the rev an extra strength saviour rolls into frame, Pauanui's very own "Builder With The Bedford." not only is this godsend the salt of the earth, he's also got some machine nouse, driving skills and practical know how. his verdict is not great. needless to say a dubious looking tow rope is produced -barely two metres in length- and suddenly the rev finds himself freewheeling within a gnats breath of a '78 CF Bedford's towball. For the next 20 or so perilous clicks up and over the Coromandel Range the Rev holds his breath until the crippled mazda is delivered to a workshop and is given the once over by the local mechanic who pronounces it dead, one of five that died the same way this day and he wants to take no responsibility for any of the carcasses. so it's off behind the CF back to the BWTB's homestead, where the murdered mazda now lays awaiting a wrecker with a sense of humour. and as if the call of duty wasn't already exceeded, the Rev and family are invited to camp the night in the BWTB's orchard (its camping they're here to do) and then the next morning the Rev hits the dog and bone desperately seeking solace on the end of the BWTB's handset. then the BWTB transports the Wanga Family Reverend to the hallowed sands of Hahei (a sixty plus Km roundtrip) where the Rev gets to make real his daydream and rekkie some fresh ideas for 2010 projects. and the BWTB goes home and carries on like none of it happened. goodwill is alive and well on the Peninsular and he's best known in them there parts as the BWTB.

pics © burgseye 2010

stories are all the rev's.

Kia ora, key aura, quay oarer!

The Reverend is going ol' school and lo-tech for the holidays, which means I dont have a PC at home, so I wont be able to communicate for a few weeks.

So in lieu of next time......

Seasons Greetings to Hamilton Taight, Mercurius Bradburn, Dr. Benway, all DIGloggers and friends, family and followers of the Reverend Y El Presidente.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported DIG and Neil and Jase as individual artists throughout the year, whether by support, encouragement, inspiration, networking or buying some of our creative outpourings - Kia ora

We look forward to next year, meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones, ranting, raving, making peace, makingh war and making some new art for this ol' world.

DIG!!!

Postcards from Aotearoa

The Reverend (Aka Neil Buddle) has completed a new set of 3 prints, for sale exclusively through Pauanesia Store, Auckland, New Zealand.

The 3 prints show contemporary New Zealand beach life and reference early postcards. Here follows low-res images and the accompanying blurb.

Postcard
The island nation of New Zealand is defined by its coast. From its location, between the mighty Pacific Ocean and the feisty Tasman Sea, to its native mythology, the power, and importance of the elements are celebrated and acknowledged.

The thin strip, where land, sea, and sky meet, is never far away. Here on the beach, New Zealanders are most at home. Whether fishing, surfing, swimming, or just relaxing, New Zealanders relish every opportunity to enjoy this ephemeral landscape; Where the big sky and the roaring surf are reflected in the shimmering sands and the headlands fade like a dream, into the distance…

These prints evoke this environment and the enjoyment of it, referencing the style of postcards, from the 19th and early 20th century – The 1st golden age of New Zealand tourism.

Beenie Man or Batty Boy?

Legendary dance-hall performer, Beenie Man, is in the news this week, having been excised from the Big Day out line-up. Groups and individuals, including Rainbow Youth protested at his inclusion on the bill, because old Beenie Man tunes contain 'homophobic' lyrics. This was further inflamed by an impromptu Facebook group, emerging to condemn the decision. The Facebook group, surprisingly consisted of many people, who did not look like dance-hall fans, or likely to have heard of Beenie Man or dance-hall at all, before this drama erupted .

The furore over these lyrics is old news, he has already given reasons for their misinterpretaion, apologised for any hurt and made a commitment to positivity in Jamaican music. Frankly what he said or his reasons are unimportant to this argument because we are talking about free-speech. The notion of which it seems has become greatly confused with the 'Right to say what you want as long as no-one previously disenfranchised gets upset, and as long as no-one disagrees', which is a far inferior right and frankly not worth having.

What is worrying is the move towards left-wing censorship of ideas, speech, acts that express anything resembling right-wing, intolerant or offensive notions, however deep and wide those notions may go. The idea that a civillised and democratic nation cannot allow certain combinations of 'words', because of their danger to society is both frightening and indicative of a grave insecurity in the concept and the realisation of democracy. Personally I want all ideas, notions and thoughts out in the open, however unpalatable, illogical or apposite to my own views they are. That is how I can learn to understand the issues, the motivations and sometimes the logic of other people who like the rest of humanity are only trying to refine their own instincts and look after 'them and theirs'. That is also how as a society we can deal with issues, through discussion, through debate, through intelligent discourse, not through censorship and definitely not through denial and ignorance.

New Zealand was one of the last western countries to legalise homosexual relations and even then it was opposed by a majority of the public. Homophobia along with racism is alive and well in New Zealand right now, are recalcitrant Jamaican musicians, really the best place to start the fight?

Of course like many of the Facebook group, I too have too much time on my hands at work, allowing me the opportunity to wax philosophical and critique events, as if I had a clue. Maybe this is part of the problem? We have become too used to knowing a little about lots and not much about anything. Now it is so easy, you're at work it's 10am, your friend forwards you some subjective rant about something really facile and PC to side with, animal cruelty, homophobic rappers etc. You are bored and in an effort to dissipate your own frustration at your own life and the world, you start a Facebook group before lunch and lo and behold by hometime, 1000 people have joined it, they've all spewed their guts out about how shocking, appalling, obscene, offensive etc. it all is and you have become an activist and committed leader of a powerful lobby group. Imagine the surprise the next day, when the lobby group gets it's man. No hand printing pamphlets and handing them out on cold Saturday mornings in the high street, no long letter writing campaigns to government, no actual effort beyond a bit of typing and a bit of cut'n'paste from Wikipedia (Cos' you've never heard the songs and wouldn't get the lyrics if you did). In the old days you had to really fight for your cause, pay some dues, walk the talk. Now with modern technology, we can all be activists, and all without leaving our desks, doing our bit to make the world a better place or at least able to dump our crap anywhere in the world but here on anyone but us!