Hasta La Ideas

An insider’s perspective on London’s clubland 1976-1984

There’s a seductiveness that surrounds the London club scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. It was an era that spawned a host of new music, a few new drugs, some serious fashion and Boy George. With his new book, “We Can Be Heroes,” Graham Smith packages the nostalgia for those who romanticize or actually remember it.

As a young man, the untrained photographer got his hands on a 35mm Praktica and began snapping friends and musicians in the early punk scene. He started out processing them at home in a cupboard, storing them away as mementos. Later, when the media caught on to the trend and began reporting on what they called “The New Romantics,” Smith and others felt that it was misrepresented. The photographic coverage was always from an outsider’s perspective, and attracted poseurs who flocked to be part of the scene’s cool factor.

Smith’s intensely personal photos depict his cohorts, many of whom went on to become major icons. Among the book’s 400 images are stills of Gary Kemp, the Sex Pistols, Boy George, Iggy Pop and Robert Elms. Smith conducted 60 interviews with artists and club regulars and wrote the book with Chris Sullivan, a friend and fellow ne’er-do-well. “We Can Be Heroes” offers a glimpse into the interiors of legendary old spaces like Billy’s, the Mud Club, the Blitz and Le Beate. The book also includes DJ set lists, club flyers, magazine covers and other paraphernalia of the bygone era.

Due out on 8 December 2011, “We Can Be Heroes” is raising funds to get made through the donation-based site Unbound, and still needs supporters. To help bring the book to life, head over to the site and make a pledge. There are a range of donation options—£50 will get you a signed first edition and the satisfaction of knowing you helped record a pivotal moment in music history. In the meantime, the book’s on display through 23 December The Society Club in London.

A classic anthology from the masterful mind of John Cage

Best known as an avant-garde composer, John Cage spent his entire life writing, a fact often overshadowed by his achievements in music. “A Year from Monday,” an anthology of lectures and poems originally published in ’67, proves that genius is never bound to medium; his written work gives a glimpse into his creative mind.

Much of “A Year” is in the form of a ‘literary mosaic,’ Cage’s method of essentially compiling diary entries into a somewhat cohesive, visually-striking composition. Every fragment serves as a single thought or anecdote, sometimes referring to others but more often not. What results is a clear train of thought, laid out on a beautifully constructed page, allowing the reader to follow his ideas not as something he is telling you, but as an ideology that he is guiding you to find for yourself.

Perhaps most valuable to fans of Cage’s music, his lecture to the Julliard class of ’52 serves as a manifesto of his understanding of sound. The piece, metrically arranged in columns to time to David Tudor’s piano playing, uses Buddhist anecdotes to attempt to explain his profound understanding of everything musical.

Pick it up on Amazon to curl up with some brain food.

Custom molded earphones deliver pro-level sound with up to six speakers per ear

In the ongoing quest for the perfect earphones, I gladly accepted Ultimate Ears’ offer to try their custom program recently. The resulting UE18 earphones are by far the best-fitting and sounding pair I’ve experienced so far.

Like any bespoke earphones, the experience starts in the office of an audiologist, who takes impressions of your ears. I visited Dr. Julie Glick from Musician Hearing Solutions and the process was fast and easy. Conveniently, Dr. Glick had samples of the different Ultimate Ears models (from those designed for acoustic gigs all the way up to multi-speaker versions better suited to stadium shows) made in generic shapes to give a sense of the differences between each of them.

Once Ultimate Ears received the impressions from Dr. Glick, it was time to spec out my pair. The customization options are endless—colors, patterns and logos are all fair game—but I decided to keep it relatively simple by using translucent Cool Hunting green, adding a little glitter for fun. A few short weeks later, the earphones arrived in a personalized protective case.

Since Ultimate Ears were developed for professional musicians, their sound capabilities are top-of-the-line. A six-speaker sound system (in each ear!) drives the UE18s, with wiring designed for durability and minimal distortion. The buds also feature three acoustically-tuned sound channels and multiple passive crossover points, “creating the ultimate in separation, detail and clarity.” Even though I’m not a musician, I can attest that the sound quality is top-notch. And the custom fit not only makes them very comfortable, it also helps block out surrounding noise.

Ultimate Ears custom molded earphones range from $400-1350. For a more affordable, but still high-quality custom earphone solution, check out Etymotics Custom Fits.