The Antidote to Apathy

Federal Elections are at last upon us in Canada. As grateful as I am to live in this magnificent country, there is always room for improvement within our government.

Yes, it is possible to be simultaneously grateful for what you have and at the same time strive for more. Let's not forget that we all have a responsibility to protect our rights, and to keep our politicians in line.

We live in a world where many will face threats of punishment or even death in order to vote. I live in a country where the right to vote was granted to women less than 100 years ago. Personally, I cannot take my ability to vote without fear of intimidation or violence lightly.

Indeed we have so much to be grateful for in Canada. Let's keep it that way.

Dave Meslin offers some well-timed and inspirational words via TED Talks:

Food Fetish: Samm'iches!

Sandwiches.

The ultimate lunch food, the ultimate finger food, the ultimate fast food.

Simplistic in design as it may be, there are a thousand variations upon the theme.

People's preferences are as intimate and unique as ones' choice in music.


Luckily we have local Drum and Bass Royalty, Kir Mokum, an aficionado of both sandwiches and music, to give us the low down.

Kir Mokum began to perfect his craft in the hey-day of 1995, and is now a member of the esteemed SHAH DJ crew in Vancouver, as well as an up-and-coming d'n'b producer in his own right.

Despite his hard Junglist veneer, Kir Mokum is a gentleman at heart. He is not the type of man to tell a woman to make him a samm'ich. Not only did his mama raise him better than that, in all honesty he just doesn't trust many people, man or women, to do the job correctly.

To Kir, sandwich making is an art. As such it should not be rushed. Nor should it be over-thought, done without design, intent, or precision. Surely, a sloppy sandwich is indicative of a sloppy mind. And who could possibly want to consume such a gross indiscretion? Lunch food or not, there is always room for perfectionism. And a little Wu Wei goes a long way.

Yoshinori Tanaka captured Kir Mokum as he sat on a patio to enjoy a dinner sized sandwich, two or three Guinness, and a golden hued sunset over charming East Van.

V: Describe the perfect Sandwich.

KM: [bread]toppings[/bread]

V: Does your vision of the perfect Sandwich extend to other areas of your life?

KM: I think one's personal philosophies inevitably permeate every aspect of one's life. So yes, I am just as particular about my music whether I'm DJing or producing. I don't want to say I'm a perfectionist as that implies a certain amount of obsession with the unobtainable, but I definitely strive for excellence and integrity.

V: Your talents extend to music graphic design and visual art. As an artist, what inspires you?

KM: I'm really inspired by artists doing amazing and moving things. There's a lot of cross pollination in those influences too ie: films influence my graphic design; visual art influences my music, etc.

I've never been content to just be a passive observer. I need to experience creative processes to understand them. I get excited not just with the end result, but with the process itself and trying to understand the more esoteric traits of an art.

I get inspired by the idea that I have a vehicle with which to push the envelope and introduce new sounds to the audience, and by reminding them what's come before.

V: Does d'n'b in particular allow you to do that?

KM: Yes, but not always. Like any genre, there is a wide range within it. There will always be the Pop version of d'n'b that is all about being as crazy as possible, appealing to the audience on a very base level. I'm not saying that mainstream d'n'b doesn't play a role, it's just not the role I've chosen.

For me it's about digging deep into the emotive niches of the genre while keeping the audience engaged and moving. The idea of music being equally effective on the dancefloor as it is on a home stereo has always been a measure of quality for me. Striking a balance between moving, feeling and thinking is my MO.

There is a lot of really inspired music out there right now that is made to evoke a dynamic range of emotions. Artists like Blu Mar Ten, Calibre, d:bridge, Seba, Rockwell... they're all producing music that I feel people need to hear.

V: Name some of your top favourite shows you've played.

KM: Overall, I love playing outdoor festivals. Especially early morning, when I have license to play some really deep music that the audience isn't as receptive to at peak time-slots.

More specifically, I recently played a benefit for Japan's earthquake and tsunami victims hosted by Vancouver's Lighta! crew.

Not only was it for a good cause, it was also very exciting for me because I wasn't playing to a strictly d'n'b crowd. I chose to play a deep and dynamic style of minimal d'n'b that I like to call Liquid Chunk. It brings back the experimental aspects of the genre that were big in 1995/96. It's big in the UK, but no one in Canada seems to be really pushing it right now. I took a risk playing something new, and people loved it. Bam!

V: Kir, what is the meaning of life?

KM: Wash your bowl.














KIR SAMM'ICH

deep house / deep techno / or deep d'n'b mix
3-4 Guinness
hearty bread
mayo or pesto spread
avocado
tomato
porter cheddar / smoked gouda / havarti / or lightly baked dulse


Latest tracks by Kir Mokum

Special Thanks to Yoshinori Tanaka