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BIO: Some stuff you wished you didnt
Author: Zanf on June 21 2006 Viewed 3757 times. 25 people liked this blog. You can rate it below if you haven't already.
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...know about me.
When I began to write this, it wasn't my intention for it to be so long. Please accept my apologies if you get bored very rapidly and lose interest. I feel for you....no, really.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.....
I was born, rather swiftly on January 1st, 1970 at 10.30pm in North Middlesex hospital, Enfield, London.
As was told to me, my mum was being examined by the doctor after calling for him, claiming she was about to deliver and being rebuked that she had 'hours to go yet'.
He got no more than 15 feet away from the bed before my mum called him back to say that I was born.
I was the 6th child (4 boys, 2 girls) of, yep, a catholic family. Strangely enough, my dad is the youngest of 13 of a protestant family and my mum was the only child of an Irish catholic midwife. Work that one out. I also have a younger (half) brother who is now 26. I still see all but the oldest 2 of my fellow siblings.
I grew up with music constantly around me. My dad was into big band and jazz. My mum was into c&w. She did actually have records of the mormon tabernacle choir and the pipe organs that they used to have at fairs. My brothers and sisters were into allsorts with them going through various stages of puberty. (my oldest brother is 13 years older than me).
I used to mental every time I heard 'Popcorn' by Hot Butter on the radio until my mum relented and brought me a copy (I still almost lose the plot every time I hear it to this day). I have a memory of being brought a plastic 'fisher price' style turntable and playing various records on it. (I did used to have a copy of Sparky the magic piano as well).
It was by then that I was hooked by synthersizers - these magical space age instruments that could create any sound, mostly unworldly ones and, it was said, would eventually replace musicans and write all the songs themselves. They also said that we would be eating dinners consisting entirely of 'pills' and that we would be doing this on the moon or even in another solar system, in shell suits made entirely of teflon.
Also around this time I developed a fascination for assembling a huge drum kit out of all my mums pots and pans and beating the crap out of them with wooden spoons. My mum didnt share this fascination. She also didnt share my fascination with sticking knifes into the plug socket. Thankfully, one of my other obessions saved my life - constantly wearing these yellow wellington boots, even in bed. I also used to wear a hardhat all the time for some bizarre reason.
When I was about 5 or 6, I pestered my mum for piano lessons but was told that "we've been down that path with your brothers and sisters and none of them kept it up so we're not wasting the money".
Being the 6th child, you sort of learn quickly that when your mum is resolved about something, nothing will change her mind - shes had more practice over the years of asserting her will than you have and is as hard as nails with it, no matter how much or hard you cry and no amount of promises to be a 'good boy' will wash.
Over the years, music being played in the house went through disco and funk to punk and early synth pop/new wave with pretty much all chart music in between.
When I was 9, my friends and I were hanging outside the youth club one summer with no money to get in. An older lad told us to come in and told the guy on the door it was cool - my first guestlist!
It turned out he was a guitarist in one of the bands and as soon as I saw him on stage and that when he thrashed chords out, people danced and moved, I knew I wanted to do this. I also had an inkling that I might be mediocre and a bit too shy to really get into the performance but I was 9 so reality could fuck right off.
I lived in a very multicultural area so at school from 11, I mixed with kids from all over, who listened to everything you could imagine. It was then I first heard electro and fell in love instantly. It was the energy of disco, the rawness of funk and the breaks of soul all thrown in the melting pot and through a synthersizer and then spewed out, talking with a robot voice.
From then, it became my mission in life to create this futuristic sci-fi soundtrack. I used to get the latest tunes I had brought and do 'pause button remixes' where I was dropping a break, pausing the tape, spooling it back slightly then dropping the next break whilst releasing the pause at the right time. We would play these tapes to each other at school, all trying to break and bodypop to them.
A couple of kids had ZX Spectrums or Commodore 64's and so I would hangout with them after school, messing with simple drum machine software they had.
I left school in 1986 and was all set to go into an electronics engineering apprenticeship in the army but didnt make the final selection. It also created pressure at home (my parents having been divorced for 6 years by now and I was living with my dad) and culminated in my leaving home within 2 months of leaving school.
Another 3 months later, I was living in Welwyn Garden City (a town 25 miles away) and was given a cheap bass guitar as a moving present. I soon found that the town had a healthy music scene and went about checking out bands, trying to hangout with some of them over the next few years. I jammed with a few others forming loose 'bands' that either were crap or never gigged.
It was also around this time that I developed a great hatred of playing blues due to the +30 minute lead solo that was seemingly necessary. I was listening to bands like The Cocteau Twins, Gong, the Swans, MBV, The Wedding Present and a shedload of other indie stuff alongside old faves of Gary Numan, Japan and Talk Talk and so wanted to 'do something' other than tired old covers and predictable shit.
It was in 1991 that my friend and one time musical collaborator, Kevin Sharp, killed himself. He had got me into the cocteaus, brian eno, the smiths, william burroughs, birthday party and so much more. The music we made I would describe as the most freaky stuff I had heard but also the most free I have ever made.
Some of the conversations we had have only unravelled themselves over time due to the one sided intellectualism in the relationship. (and you can guess it wasnt on my side of it). There was a group called S*M*A*S*H* who we knew that wrote a song about him called 'Real Surreal': link Their page can be found here: link
I ended up in a band called 'The Herbsmen' who were of the same mind - noisy, unruly, messy and unapologetic. We played a few gigs about the place and started to build up a bit of a name. We gave prankster interviews to the local newspapers and managed to get good reviews. Our demise was sealed with the inevitable ugly head rearing of egos. I still have tapes, some newspaper cuttings and a video which I intend to digitise at some point.
Not long after, I had tried ecstacy for the first time and found that my attention was drawn away from live bands and back into club music. A friend had an Amiga 500 and some tracker software and so we played around with that in between partying every weekend.
I soon took up messing around with decks and then for the next 12 years brought vinyl and played out with increasing regularity, culminating with a residency at a word of mouth party in south london for 5 years.
I started writing music with a couple of friends from Harlow in 95, Billy and Paul (who runs a successful party now & still dj's) calling ourselves 'Repetitive Beat Syndrome'. We played a few live gigs, mainly to friends but gave tapes out everytime we went clubbing. (I also have some tapes from around this time as well)
I moved to south east london in 98 and ended up working at a studio and writing music with a flatmate, culminating in a release on kickin records. (on possibly the worst named compilation ever: link )
About 5-6 years ago, I knew I wanted out. The scene I was in had changed and had lost its edge in the process - Key people were no longer around and the music had become 'safe'. Playing any experiemental music that would have previously had people whooping and cheering, would now only draw weird looks and clear dancefloors.
For the last 5 years, I have hung out here. I am back in love (deeply) with music and now even feel the same excitement and inquisitiveness about stuff like I did when I was 10.
I have played gigs through some excellent people I have met through here, in Manchester, Glasgow and Weimar.
I havent been in a relationship for 2 years as I came to understand that I wasnt in love with any of the women I was dating and had the distinct feeling of constriction, a bit like trying to swim in the bath.
I have been vegetarian since I was 18, havent smoked for nearly 7 months after nearly 20 years of it and no longer take drugs except the occasional puff.
I am the only one in my family not to have any children.
I eat poached eggs on toast or porrige for breakfast most mornings.
My favourite colour is green...no, purple, no...its definitely green and I love the taste of pecan pie and the smell of freshly baked bread.
I am allergic to penicillin.
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06/21/06
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Zanf
Also, I can really fucking ramble when given the opportunity.
06/21/06
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bleen
awesome! thanks for that, z!
06/21/06
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jdg
06/21/06
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jdg
i didn't edit the title, i promis
06/21/06
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jdg
also, this is too long. you'r boring
edited: Jun 21 2006
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Zanf
Im surprised someone with such a short attention span as yourself, even got to this far enough to post a comment.
What you could have said is "BOOOOOORRRRIIINNGGGG This blog sucks ass" link
06/21/06
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sprouts
this was enjoyable to read.
06/21/06
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minisystem
Zanf said: "Also, I can really fucking ramble when given the opportunity."
lol. yeah, i remember that about you. ;)
but  's all round, really.
06/22/06
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yghartsyrt
all s out to you.
06/22/06
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bla
id love to hear them old tapes- can you do us some copies?
06/22/06
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Raaphorst
great story!
you know Green (Scritti) lives on White Bread, Black Beer? more or less and he's in good shape. a non-smoker I believe. haven't seen him smoke when I met him in London and Amsterdam. Did see him drinking Guinness though 
06/22/06
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Bluermutt
yeah, bad title for a comp...
06/22/06
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Bluermutt
love you for that pics you posted
06/22/06
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pierlu001
man... i'm halfway thru it... this is looooooooonnnnngggggg
haunted by memories?
Recent blogs: first blog!
06/22/06
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mapmap
I am also allergic to penicillin.
the doctors are always stupid and try to give me things that are related to it...
then I say "could that be bad... I just told you that I was allergic to penicillin."
then they always switch it to something else.
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