The Propagandist

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Your country needs you. Your country needs you to buy. Your country needs to protect itself and its foreign interests. Do not ask questions.
I’m not great with money - most of the time I’m short of it and when do get some, it slips through my fingers like water. It would seem I’m not alone on that front as the government keeps telling me they are short too. Well, if you sell your country out to global corporations who hold no allegiance to any country, don’t be surprised when they chew you up, spit you out and leave your citizens to deal with the mess.
Too many dodgy politicians have taken bribes, election campaign donations and private holidays from corporations wanting to de-regulate the way they do business all over the world; did we not think that they had a goal in mind? Are we shocked that these banksters and corporations would now hold our governments and people hostage?
Our corporate leaders created an attractive lifestyle for us to buy into propped up on the shoulders of other poorer nations. The scales have never been level, however now it would seem the tables have been turned on us. Unemployment is skyrocketing, British trade and manufacturing is almost completely gone and the price of food, petrol and utilities are the highest they’ve ever been. Although we get told the wars are over, the price of fuel continues to rise and our wages and working hours diminish.
As a thirty year old who has worked throughout all of his adult life and still lives with his parents, I can tell you when the 2011 riots happened, I have to admit, I got excited. Don’t get me wrong - the majority of the events were indeed detestable, but it’s nice to see the ninety nine percent still have a fucking heartbeat and we haven’t become numb to the changes are occurring around us.
To quote Winston Smith: “If there was hope, it must lie in the proles…”
We must remember we are in control of this situation, we can choose to stop all of this at any one instant and we have the power to change the world right now. We are the willing servants of this system and if there were enough of us focusing on the same problem at the same time, we have the power to change anything. We need to stop separating ourselves from one another and realise we have a collective consciousness that connects us all.
As we start to see waves of discontent rising in cities and countries all over the world, we should remember that these people are us in only slightly different circumstances. There is a limit of how much we can take and if the government cross it, they should know what will follow. The country will only take so much before a general consensus sweeps across our nation, causing blood to flow in the streets and heads to roll through Westminster.
These out of touch talking heads that represent us have made the biggest financial black hole in modern history and we are all surfing the wave down the plughole. Our true enemy has no allegiance to any country, does not fit a certain stereotype and will never be tried in a court of law. Our true enemy is economic terrorism and it is being committed by corporations and banks all over the world. If there ever was a time for change, for boycotting, for a revolution in the way we see ourselves and a united ninety nine percent, it is now!

Your country needs you.

Dark Matters

Tonight I’m sat in my room with a glass of Faustino VII, listening to the final version of our EP which at 5pm 26/03/12 was released on the internet for free.
It’s hard not to get sentimental as, during the (very) long process of creating it, we have met some wonderful people and had some amazing times.
I have been constantly amazed and humbled by the effort and man hours people have been willing to put into the making of this EP, often for free or for next to nothing.
The creativity, professionalism and commitment to their craft have been, in equal parts, an inspiration and a wakeup call.
There are a lot of people I would like to personally thank who helped us in the making of this EP but I want to firstly say that none of this would have been possible without undivided support from James Tiberius Midas Boom Routh, who has been my producer/friend/band mate since day one. The impact our friendship has had on me is immeasurable. Just sayin’.
I would also like to thank my co-workers at The Party - Luke, Scummins and Punkins - for making this process as fun as possible. The professional approach to your work keeps us all in check and the commitment you’ve shown has been unquestionable.
A heads up to Samuel Staff for his part in the creation and recording of the EP and for his time in the band - we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
Massive shout goes out to James Bragg for the hard work he put in on the EP, one of the nicest guys I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and his character is imprinted all over the record.
Huge thanks to Katy Tavini for her work in mastering the EP at such short notice and flooring us with the results. You have done an amazing job.
Big thanks to Ioana Barbu for her pro bono work on the EP and the mastering for the This Is Britain video, we all really appreciate your input.
I want to thank Edwin Firminger and Samantha Parker for their part in the EP artwork and for making me look that creepy… that was a crazy day guys.
I want to thank Sonic Boom Six for all their opinions, advice, help and for giving us our first shows at The Brickyard in Carlisle and 53 Degrees in Preston!
A personal shout out to long time co-conspiritor James Dunkley for all the help over the years.
All of our friends, families, loved ones, anyone who has leant us cash, loaned us equipment, anyone who encouraged us with kind words. We now give you “Dark Matters”.

Download Dark Matters for free from:-
www.thekarmaparty.co.uk
Soundcloud

Its Not The End Of The World

As we watch the sunset on an eventful 2011, we get to see the dawn of a new day in 2012.
We are all aware now, thanks in part to Hollywood, that 2012 holds a certain significance to many cultures around the world past and present.

It seems everyone’s got an opinion about this subject. Hell, some people have made a lot of money out of the mystique of 2012 and what might be in store for us in the next year.

We know about the Mayans and their devilish plot to end the world with their dastardly calendar… c’mon, you all saw the film. We’ve heard about the pole shifts from the Scientists, Pseudo Scientists, Geologists and Pseudo Geologists and their… wait for it…topsy turvy view of the world. (Whey.) We’ve heard from the Green corner about Mother Nature’s fiendish plan to end all life on her planet because we’ve been drilling that bitch too hard. We’ve heard about Planet X Nibriu from The Believers which is on a collision course with Earth and will wipe out all of civilisation… if it is lucky enough to locate any.
And we’ve heard from the New Ager’s about a spiritual awakening that will sweep across the globe changing the planet from Space Time into Time Space and back as the planets align and our hollow Earth creates full toroidal energy for the first time in 25,000 years and will “wake people up”. Yeah, I love that phrase – “wake people up” - like I’m asleep. That term is such a badge of honour for those guys. You’re asleep and I’m awake. It’s not your fault, it’s just I know more than you. Do one cretins. I probably know more about movies than you and that’s a real subject!

Now, I want to make it clear that it’s not my intention to poke fun at anyone’s personal and private beliefs - those I believe are sacred to man’s attempt to make it through this jungle we exist in. So whatever your crutch is - Religion, Money, Drugs, or even WOW - I’m cool with that. My point is merely this: Fear sells. It can be quite addictive for people. People can get carried away with bad science and internet rumour.

It’s almost impossible to have a conversation with anyone about the Mayan calendar. Thanks to Roland Emmerich, these theories are an almost write-off now in the public view. I mean, that man has ruined all sorts of talking points for me… Aliens, Area 51, Global Warming, 2012, Godzilla, the possibility of massive jumping spiders and, of course, the credibility of Will Smith’s acting career.

Thanks to the leaks from the University Of Anglia and “Climategate”, we now know that the Earth has indeed seen a cooling trend for 30 years and terms like “Man Made Global Warming” were of course Pseudo- and fake Science made up by Al Gore - the man who invented the internet in an underhand plot to bore us all to death with films that use a wicked mix of lies and celebrities to further their careers, like Polar Bears are becoming extinct because they are drowning due to Global Warming… Oh shit, we can’t actually use the term Global Warming anymore as its name erroneously infers that the planet heating up. I believe the correct term is now “Climate Change”. You see what they did there?
We know that Pole Shifting is in fact normal but, then again, I don’t trust Scientists much after they potentially got it wrong on the speed of light. I mean, after getting that wrong, it’s almost like being asked to trust a Catholic priest with an altar boy.

The Green corner has, for all their good intentions, been taken over. Hi-jacked, whoopsied and confuddled by the suit wearing, Carbon Tax-er politicians who want to play on their fears and use them to their own ends. It’s a shame that such good intentions could lead to disastrous consequences. Let’s hope the UK companies which have to abide by very stringent, expensive Carbon Tax regulations manage to keep enough business in the New Year to save their employee’s jobs - not like Corus who shut down a steelworks in the Northeast that had been there for 160 years but couldn’t afford to take on the carbon taxes. It was bought by a foreign company, who didn’t have to abide by the same carbon regulations. The punch line: one of the largest shareholders of Tata Steel, Rajendra K. Pachauri, also happened to be the chairperson of the IPCC. That’s the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; those who helped set the rates in the first place.

The believers are looking to the skies. Still waiting. Still watching. You think those guys have your backs? They’ve prepared for this for years. They’ve built a “quake room” under the house with 4-inch-thick reinforced concrete walls, gas masks, enough food to last nearly 5 years and a seed bank so they can even make food when it’s safe, you know, to go back up. They don’t care about you. Let’s be honest, they love it down there… They sure as hell won’t be inviting you in if Planet X comes to take us out.

It’s impossible to know where to stand with so many opinions and popular beliefs. The Karma Party do not buy into any of the above theories, but we would very much like you to buy into them. We would love you to believe that next year, 2012, the world is going to end. I don’t want you to be taken in by any doomsday freaks or slimy celebrity politicians or any internet sensations. I would, however, like to think that everyone on this planet lives this year like it’s their last one. Achieve all the things you’ve been waiting to achieve. Become the people you always dreamed of being. Take all the risks you’ve been putting off - tell someone you love them after its been on your lips for years, spend all your life savings in Vegas in a Nicholas Cage-esque drink to the death and afterwards, after the dust settles and we see in 2013, you might all know the value of each other and the meaning of your life and love. Then maybe we can change the planet for the better and burn this political system to the ground.

In celebration of the New Year, we present to you: It’s Not The End Of The World as a free download. Happy New Year. Merc x

Personal Recommendation

A friend asked me to give them some film recommendations based on thier facebook profile. Of course I went to town. I did this on the fly while my boss was walking around the office so not much time and thought went into it.

1) NEW BRITISH BLOOD
Source Code / Moon

Duncan Jones or as he should be called “David Bowie’s son” has been one of my favourite break through directors.
Moon for me re-invents the sci-fi genre, whilst Source Code brought an almost Hitchcock air back into mainstream cinema.
Both films are awesome.

2) NOT SO SUPERHERO
Defendor / Super

In the wake of Kick-Ass these two absolute gems got overlooked.
Both films bring ito question the mental health of the protragonist which makes them capable of anything.
Super is graphic and has one of the best Kevin Baacon roles ever.

3) I LOVE BRENDAN GLEESON
In Bruges / The Guard

If you haven’t seen In Bruges then shame on you, for me, the turning point in Colin Farrels career.
However good Farell is he is always in the shadow of Brendan Gleeson who is also in The Guard which has a very similar feel to it but adds a dash of Don Cheadle and Mark Strong.

4) ROGANS RUN
Pineapple Express / Observe and Report

Seth Rogans two best films. I love them both. Observe and Rport is so dark.

5) NOT SO FAMILY
Toy Story 3 / The Hole

These are the two of the best kids/family films of recent times. Make no mistake The Hole is a kids horror movie and does deliver and Toy Story 3 has a dark edge to take notice of.

6) WHATS THE MEANING OF IT ALL.
Tree of Life / Melancholia / The White Ribbon

These are the most pretentious and ponderous films on the list.
If you are in the mood these films are beautiful, engaging, heart felt and serve as three sides of the same coin.
If you are not in the mood you will not like these films. Both of them are high points in the directors careers.
Terrance Malick’s comeback and Lars Von Trier’s Opus and Michael Haneke oscar win.

7) TORTUROUS
The Woman / Red White and Blue

Torture porn at its best. The woman turns the genre on its head and tries to civilise its victim. Red white and blue is just a NASTY film.

8) I WILL KILLLLL YOU
The Assasanation of Richard Nixon / The Assasanation of Jesse James.

Both films have major performances by thier leading males.

9) DOCUMENTARIES
Restrepo / Dear Zachary

No doubt you will have heard something about this documentary. Its definately worth your time
However, Dear Zachary will eat away at your heartstrings. Harrowing. Essential viewing.

10) REC ONING
Rec / Rec2

I loved these films. They are making 3 and 4 so I would deffo get prepped by watching these back to back.They are almost like one film split over 2 parts.

11) I DONT DO SUBTITLES
Troll Hunter / Mic Mac’s / Rare Exports Christmas Tale

Three really quirky foriegn films

No doubt you will have seen the hype for Troll Hunter although we are getting it here almost a year after its release.

Trollhunter is a found footage film but delivers the goods.
Mic Mac’s is a Jean Pierre Junet (Amilie / Delicatessan) films so its very…..french.
Rare Exports is going to be a xmas treat for everyone this year I’ll leave it as a suprise.

12) CHEDDER, EMMENTHAL AND EDAM.
Fast 5 / Attack The Block / The Other Guys / Frozen / Red State

These are five films that set out to be cheese and absolutely NAIL it. These films will not make you a better person however they will entertain you and make you giggle a bit.

13) SUCH A DRAMA
The Road / Winters Bone / The Way Back / The Informant / A Prophet

The Road kills me, I’ve seen it twice and I promised myself I wouldnt put myself through it again.
Winters Bone, Sombre, beautiful and dark as anything.
The Way Back Ed Harris and Colin Farell show off thier abilities.
The Informant, Matt Damon in Soderbergs instant classic, criminally overlooked.
A Prophet, french prison drama with a stellar debut from the films lead actor

14) FANBOY REBOOT
Halloween and Halloween 2

Despite popular opinion I loved these fanboy remakes. Rob Zombie did a great job and really moved the Myers story onwwards

15) INDIE SCENE
Monsters / Buried / Triangle

Three of the best indie films I’ve seen in recent years.
Monsters is not a horror more of a character study.
Buried is a very intense film when you think its just one guy in a box for an hour and a half
Triangle will have your head twisting for weeks afterwards

16) STORY TIME
Thirst / I’m a cyborg / Vengeance Trilogy

Park Chan Wook is one of the best story tellers ever.
All of his films are worth checking out not one of them drops the ball.

17) COMING SOON
Kill List / The Darkest Hour / The Divide / Tyrannosaur

These are the best of whats coming up at the cinemas over the next couple of months.

Blowing off Stream!

A little known fact about me is that I like to watch a film or two….ok, maybe that’s a little bit of an understatement. Watching films has been a big part of my life since I was child. When I was young my mother soon realised that sweets held no real bargaining power with me and that the best way to shut me up was in fact not children’s TV but the power of cinema.
Now, my mother didn’t know the first thing about films, in fact to this day her top three films are thus:- 3) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape 2) Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistlestop Cafe and her number one film of all time….1) Gone With The Wind.
Due to my mothers lack of film knowledge I spent these dark days perusing my local video store (Ritz before Blockbuster took over) trying to blag the lady in the shop that I was old enough to rent 15 certificate films.
This video shop was my only access to films, I had no internet and it was either, use my money to rent a film or to buy a magazine about films….invariably it was always the first option. However I did research wherever I could and thus began my love affair with cinema.
I have often wondered why I have such a fascination with films, one that would last for so long and be such a big part of my life. I put it down to incessant feeling that has been with me as long as I can remember that I need to escape….from what, I don’t know, to where, I don’t know, but I have always felt like this.
Cinema provides me with an escape, to varying to degrees.
A good film can capture my imagination and make me feel things I’ve never felt before, teach me things about myself I didn’t know and if I allow it put me in positions which will then spur different emotions that my normal waking life might not provide. Obviously some films are just gash.
This fascination over the years has kind of turned into a habit / addiction to the point where I now never watch TV….ever.
After I while I started noticing that there was a massive delay in films from the cinema coming to VHS or those new fangled DVD’s.
So I started frequenting the local cinema….it was pretty much the same deal seeing as many as I could and blagging people that I was older than I was.
As I got older I started to notice that only the bigger budget films were coming out at the cinema and the smaller indie films (that I wanted to see) were only appearing in my small indie cinema…which got shut down because it couldn’t cope with the competition….I’ll give that cinema one thing….even on its death throws it never sold out. At this dark point my only options were to wait half a year for a film to go through the process to Blockbuster or go see mind numbing cack at the cinema. You can imagine my pleasure then when I discovered the wonders of online video streaming. Only here could I get up to date films which would never make it into the behemoth that is the local Vue cinema, only here could I see films that would take me away from everyday life and teach me emotional lessons a parent couldn’t find the words for, only here, on the internet……the only problem…..its illegal :(
I have an awesome set up at home with my laptop connected to my TV both of which cost me a pretty penny I would like to add.
I’m not afraid or ashamed to say that I stream films EVERY night and these films take me on crazy twisted journeys the likes of Transformers could never achieve.
There are those in society and the film industry that would aliken my viewing of these films streamed with love from the net to stealing them from a shop or even worse from the director. I have friends who are broke musicians who liken my view of these films to people downloading their back catalogue of the internet for free (a whole other argument). Some federal agencies in America would call me a criminal, or say that I supporting crime by streaming films.
I would say your all wrong and here’s why:-
Most directors get paid a set fee by the film studio that has put the film out.
Most films never lose money regardless of piracy.
The potential earnings of a bands album is incomparable to a film are and the albums that are comparable can afford to lose a certain amount of custom for free word of mouth publicity and the gaining of many fans who will pay money to see them live.
I believe there are hidden benefits to streaming that a director whose film is never going to make it to a mainstream cinema would appreciate i.e. the chance to build a fan base and have his film seen and loved in the way it was meant to be.
The terms cult classic / midnight movie was founded on crappy VHS copies of banned films being passed around.
This term “illegal piracy” is just another way of the corporate film companies controlling the market and competition for those films.
The last film I streamed was Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and even though I watched it illegally the film still made $54 million on the opening weekend…..to all those who say I’m a pirate (yarrrgh) try and imagine what $54 million looks like and then try and tell me that I’m a criminal.

Viva La Stream!