The events coordinator, aka “Party Guy”, told us a story about an emergency room doctor wearing a Screeching Weasel t-shirt. The punk rock ER doc used his thumbs to keep a multiple gunshot victim’s heart beating.

Satin Jackets “Party Guy (demo)”

Percussion is the next phase toward finishing. After skimming through the Thomas Melchior interview on RA, I thought I owed it to myself to take a breather and come back to the percussion, even on a dumb synth track. Expect handclaps, and maybe - just maybe - even a silly vocal.

There’s a guy down the street I never recognize. We once spoke at length after a shooting occurred on our street, and he is the oldest of three brothers, the youngest of whom I am on especially good terms with - we “stop and chat” many times a week. The oldest, though, I never recognize him until it’s too late to shout a greeting. Today, in the thick of a quick but gusting rainstorm, I failed to recognize him again as he pushed a child’s stroller down the sidewalk. The stroller was covered with a blue tarp, to keep the baby out of the rain. I would have offered them shelter under the veranda, but it was too late.

Finishing up with a track I started a few days ago. Been a somewhat emotionally tumultuous time for me lately, and the nascent stages of this track signaled the beginning of good / new things. Week so far’s been capped off by a great Wednesday night, the result of which was a totally necessary clearing of the head.

James Kartsaklis “1 Million O’Clock (Mr. Somewhere’s Concerned Citizen Rework)”

Played some records at a party, impromptu-like, this weekend. Will be spinning at another party  Labor Day weekend. Details to come, but it should be more of a low-key thing than this past weekend, which was a classic rager.

Also coming up this month: Sept 4th @ Cafe Lura w/ Steve Mizek, as well as the Renegade Craft Fair, in which the lovely Caitlin will be selling her wares in the NICE booth.

Today is the birthday of Brandon Kitchens.  A memorial post will be going up later on a friend’s mom’s blog, located here: http://ellieisanewthing.blogspot.com.

I didn’t know him as well as many of my friends, but I knew him well enough to know that he was truly a great guy who was on his way to great things. It pains me that someone so full of life could have had his cut so short.

Rest in peace, Brandon.

Today I watched a news report broadcast on the television station that’s carrying the Olympics. The report focused on the type and amount of advertisements being carried during the Olympics by the same television station. A broadcast news report about the advertising purchased around the broadcast station’s main product. I don’t even know how to express this, but it made me feel a little sick.

In passing, after the report on the advertising, it was mentioned that a gunman had opened fire upon and killed some politician somewhere. It could have been in Indiana but I’m not even sure, such was the fleeting nature of the report.

Just read a pretty intense write-up of the GAS reissues, “Nah und Fern,” by Simon Reynolds @ Frieze. Chock full of context, it is, and easily the best of the prose spilt over the box-set I’ve read thus far. Still need to pick it up, and may do so tomorrow.

Not much else to report. Slow going on some music, trying to break an addiction to FIFA 08, and looking forward to September 4th. Oh, I saw a cardinal today. I guess that’s news.

Thursday, 4th of September @ Cafe Lura, Chicago - 3184 N. Milwaukee Ave.

9pm or so start

DJ’s:

Thunderous Olympian (Think2wice)

Steve Mizek (LWE, RCRDLBL)

James Kartsaklis (that’s me!)

Nick D.

Drink specials, good times, etc. etc.

It’ll be the first time out for me since The Body Politic closed out. Should be a fun time, hope to see you there.

another sketch of a track.

130bpm? i think? getting ideas down for future reference. haven’t had time to work anything out in full. hope to change that with a new schedule (if you will).

turntable lab monday newsletter had a bunch of rad stuff in it, most notably something i’d been totally unaware of - a collab called FORCE OF NATURE by some dudes called KZA and DJ KENT out of Japan. wild stuff, right up my road. new collection is called “III” on MULE MUSIQ with a 12″ kicker… track called “kontinents” that is very hi-gloss, ultra-compressed moroder arpeggio groove. i’m a sucker for this stuff and i can’t believe i’m only hearing them now… better late than never, i guess.

He told the police that the barbecue sauce, taken from the couple’s refrigerator, was “an urban disguise, if you will.”

doing battle with a vicious sinus infection / head cold of some kind. throat feels as if it’s been abraded by sandpaper and i’ve downed my weight in iced water today.

140bpm experiment