Spoonfed chats to Dickon Stone about Greenlandic Shamen, the duck-billed platypus and what world music means to Curriculum.
Curriculum is a new club night at Public Life; and world's the word. It's bumping, thumping tunes crawling onto the decks from all corners of the globe – an education to say the least. Dickon Stone aka Beat Takeshi tells us what it's about and why I should lend an ear to Brazilian house, Ugandan hip hop or Afrikaans rap – well, apparently it's all about discovery. Stone and co-resident, Shooting Horses, were enthused by listening to Daniel Haaksman's Latin flavours and Riva Starr's La Conga tunes. Action followed as they immersed themselves in mixing and began, "moving away from the likes of fidget, and trying to find something a bit more organic".
So, what to anticipate from Friday night? Well let’s just say that if we were jumping on a jet plane, there would be more than a handful of destinations. The concept is better illustrated through grabbing a globe, spinning it with great fervour and "that blue and green blur would probably be pretty close to Curriculum's sound". In short, expect sounds from anywhere and everywhere. To get to grips with the aural image of a spinning sphere, you can listen to their weekly podcasts; it's anything from a "Greenlandic shaman hitting sticks together, to sambass, to baile funk, Indian London jazz, to dub, reggae, dancehall, and then the more upfront dance music".
Curriculum residents will whip out world tunes, and expect a dash of ska, reggae and dancehall beats from Trol 23. Although the club night developed first, the podcasts have now become inextricably linked to the concept. Stone describes it as a "constantly growing beast" and when asked to liken the evening to an animal, the duck-billed playtpus is his answer. Reason? Well, it's "cute, cuddly, a total mish-mash of constituent elements, and just a little bit poisonous...with plenty of intrigue". I’m content with that imagery.
According to Stone, Curriculum has a "specific energy and rhythm" that makes it viable for London clubbers, but it manages to keep originality intact. You could begin your evening with "some Ugandan hip hop, or an Asian aria, and end it bouncing off the walls to South African house or some twisted bassy Lambada". Basically, Dickon reckons they’ll “make you sweat, but it won't be to the stuff you would expect”. I ask why the fascination with world music, and what grips him is “simply hearing noises that are new”. It is not a revolutionary desire, we see it throughout history; borrowing from other cultures and appropriating what we learn. It all leads to a bit of growth, appreciation and understanding. The extraordinary fascinates, and the extraordinary is usually that which is different, in this case it's an aural break from the somewhat stale western music surrounding us. Plus, “it's just fun to hear how other people do it”.
Friday sums up what Stone wants for Curriculum; a get together of people in search of a good time, minus all things pretentious. They are merely playing music they love in an atmosphere everyone can enjoy. Big dreams follow; a label by 2011, and continuing to bring Londoners music from sound waves least travelled. Tasting different tunes could be good for you. Without exposure our minds stay small; imagine the English had never come across the French; forget champagne and caviare, it's the jacket potato that features as chic cuisine. It's not that there's anything wrong with a good jacket potato, but variety is the spice of life, is it not? Well, Curriculum is just that – a little variety.
Check out Curriculum's Blog and Podcasts.
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Image courtesy of Ayngelina.
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