Soul Pittsburgh Scene Report Mid-October 1993

SLURP! Newsletter

“Pittsburgh” Scene Report

(Mid-October 1993) (USA) by Deadly Buda

Beats breaking down. every split second Bass tumbling through the air – wash after wash of synth waves climbing, climbing. dancing in mid-air richocheted from wall to wall so hard YOU can almost see them – Your body, a crumbling whirling dervish of DNA, repeating as if your vertical hold is on the fritz disintegrating into black nothingness…

Thus, was “Soul”-Turbo-Zen’s year-end underground jam. “Soul” went without a hitch and lived up to it’s name. Incredible amounts of Hardcore… While many claim tribal intentions – Our real tribal is right in front of us. or a part of us – this is music made by the participants and ravers, THAT is what hardcore truly is.

Whirling noises that sound like hammers are nice, but not necessarily “Hardcore”. Music made for the NOW, with a vision to the future – that is hardcore. Experimenting, trying, thinking, pushing the envelope – Hardcore.

Here a peculiar thing: while I was playing Urban Primitivism’s ‘Fuck” mixing It with T-Bone Castro’s “Bitches”. Unbeknowenst to me, there was some guy with his shorts pulled down, standing in a puddle, playing with himself. while about a crowd of 80 people cheered him on from an adjacent hilltop. As the beat pumped harder and faster you can well imagine what started to happen – the crowd built with wide-eyed anticipation – finally in one dramatic gesture – he CAME! Thunderous applause sprang forth from the crowd! At which, he promptly passed out. Now, before I go any further let me say that TZ does not condone this sort of behavior and/or encourage it – and I mean this isn’t by any means a usual thing. In fact. the reason I am even mentioning it is because, rather than people getting upset, and beating this person up, which would happen at any other function in America, people rushed to his aid in order to revive him gently. There was a genuine concern for his well being. If it wasn’t for Hardcore ravers and people who care, – this situation could have been disastrous. Someone went to the edge, and was helped back.

I honestly was debating whether to write about this – I mean. what if the wrong person read this and used it as an excuse to fuck with our parties? For days I wrangled with it. It was funny, touching, but also something that could be used against TZ in the future. I wiped out the information on the disk and felt like a real wuss. Fortunately, that night I received a call from DJ ESP in Minneapolis. Our conversation was candid and touching. We didn’t even talk about said situation. What we did talk about was how linear the rave scene had gotten. Where had the spirit gone? New Age High School Dances are all well and good, but the hardcore mission is much more complex. If you are not honest, how can you be creative? How creative had the scene been lately?

For those that claim that raves are dead, blah. blah, blah the joke’s an you. The mere fact that you are reading this right now is proof positive that the system has been set up, the virus is in order – If you think the lights and sounds are ruff at raves be prepared for the next innovation – truth. I didn’t help set up raves in my area just to have a bunch of back-stabbing dishonest bullshit float more freely – I set out to promote unity and caring for one another.

Black, white, yellow, straight, gay, male. female, house, techno. trance, tribal – these classifications are stupid and boring. Made up to divide us into little easily classified and manipulated groups. I will say what I see and feel and if it angers people, so be it, Maybe a little controversy about something other that who’s cool and who isn’t would do the scene some good The road to reconciliation within and re-acceptance of one another is going to be long and tough. All of us will be fucked over again in the process, but we must continue through it – change may be brutal – but unavailable if we do not dare to take the next step, what do we go back to? Look at how far we have come already. To throw it all away now is stupid!

It appears as if my soapbox here is straining from the weight of my convictions, soooo…… here is what else is happening in P-Burgh….

Turbo-Zen retail is in limbo right now as our lease ran out and I just don’t know if we could find a cheap enough space where we could just do about whatever we wanted to like before -having a normal old record store to support is not appealing to either me or Lisa. Now, if you think that is the end of TZ – HAI You must be some kind of weird owner of some bullshit club trying to peacefully lull yourself to sleep. TZ is now at double power! Despite a temporary lull in music service, we will be making it easier than ever for the local ravers to get music. Our weekly night will be called “Lizard Groove” and will start mid-Sept. Furthermore. we have already set up 3 events:: ALGORYTHM 1-2-3 on Oct. 9th (with Grandpa Techno. Scott Forbush) which is designed to bring us together with our sister city, Cleveland. Oct. 30th (The Halloween Coup! LENNY DEE, I mean what scarier DJ IS THERE?) and DEC. 4 – the most rock-shocking DJ possesion trance get-down of hardcore shamanic intensity – Adam X, myself. and DJ ESP. Woody McBride. This one you will not want to miss!

Three new rave crews have sprung up recently – all dope ministers of wicked vibes: Jolly Folk. ANA, and Little Good Vibe. Jolly Folk and ANA pulled out a real surprise last weekend “Simplicity” – while looking for a small space for about 100 people – they accidently found a massive skating rink. Most of Pittsburgh Hardcore was there along With the proprietors. They talked us into spinning some wicked polka tunes which I swear to God, got a really good response – Go Figure! If that isn’t Hardcore, I don’t know what is! Our little crew has now spawned 3 more that know the. score! Shouts Out to Lisa, Finger. Side 2. +FX. Terry Kicks, Stickman, Hannibal, Kay, Mariah, Controlled Weirdness, Automation, Bourbonese Qualk. Brooklyn. Cleveland. Cincinatti, Pawn, Drop Bass Network, the entire state of Wisconsin, Baltimore, Philly-Rock the House!