Last month the Argentinean band Reynols appeared on the front cover of The Wire magazine. Miguel Tomasin has Dawn Syndrome but this was not an impediment to becoming an extremely talented musician, improviser, lyricist and drummer. According to Miguel, their frontman, the band was born in 1967 when he was three years old and started banging pots and pans in his mother's kitchen. He met Alan Courtis and Roberto Conlazo in 1993 and they started this amazing musical journey which has attracted the attention of thousands of listeners from all around the world. Their collaborations with extraordinary musicians such as Acid Mother Temple and Pauline Oliveros and their musical work have made them be considered by Tony Herrington, publisher of The Wire Magazine, as "one of the most interesting groups to have emerged over the last 25 years" (Daniel Dylan Wray, The Guardian, 16th May 2022).
Our radio presenters Labake, Mc Top Richie and 2Decks interview them to know about the secret of their success and their relationship with the media. Please seat, wear your headphones, relax and listen to this marvellous interview.
The background music is Pauline Oliveros & Reynols "Half a Dove in New York Half a Dove in Buenos Aires" sides A & B.
Wire Magazine front cover May 2022.
Miguel Tomasin wearing Poncho Metal a piece of clothes designed by Reynols
This episode is devoted to the release of the c46 cassette by Sly & Family Drone and Jamaica!! ‘Celebrating The End Together In The Good Time Swamp' issue on the 27th August 2021. Labake, Richie, Duane and Darren (2 Decks) discussed and remembered the live gig at the ICA on 28th February 2019 where this event was recorded.
Sly & The Family Drone present this special art edition of our collaboration with Jamaica!! With
the aim of raising money for The Gate, an arts centre for adults with learning disabilities located in
Shepherds Bush, London.
For more information visit and to buy the c46 cassette please visit:
‘Celebrating The End Together In The Good Time Swamp’
c46 Cassette
Having released a few CDR's of these sessions and played a few well received gigs on London's experimental
scene Jamaica!! were asked to host a night at the ICA as part of Morag Keil's solo exhibition there (Morag has
a long-term relationship with the Gate) and thinking that Sly & the Family Drone had a history of communal
music-making and a similar musical ethos they were an obvious choice for collaboration for us and we were
extremely pleased that they took us up on the offer we presented them .
A late edition to the ensemble was Alan Courtis, another long term friend of the Gate who just happened to be
in London and expressed an interest in joining us.
Sly & The Family Drone present this special art edition of our collaboration with Jamaica!! With the aim of raising money for The Gate, an arts centre for adults with learning disabilities located in Shepherds Bush, London.
The night itself, the recording of which is presented here,
was a glorious affair with much fun being had by all involved and for me personally was testament to the power
of a truly inclusive embracive "joyful noise". – Arlo Yates 2021
There is a distinct symbiosis between everyone onstage, and not only when there are eight drummers conjuring an acoustic barrage of Boredoms-level intensity’ – Wire,2019
Hey Gate Kickers!!
This special edition episode is devoted to the music of two great musicians Lizzie Emeh and the now-defunct band Fish Police, which are based at Heart n Soul in Deptford, London.
Labake also talks about the Gate Video Game Project "The Gate Station" which will be launched this 9th July 2021, at the Arcadia Missa Gallery.
Lizzie Emeh is an award-winning artist based in Deptford who writes her own songs which are very eclectic and she has collaborated with songwriters and other well know musicians such as Charles Stuart (musical director for Grace Jones) and Robbie Fordjour (drummer for Courtney Pine’s band), Arthur Lea, Bobbie-Jane Gardner, JB Rose and Grace Savage.
The Fish Police were a four-piece band from London. They are made up of Dean Rodney on vocals, Matthew Howe on guitar, Charles Stuart on bass and vocals and Andrew Mclean on drums. They had several influences from Kraftwerk, Ramones to De La Soul. They had taken part in several gigs and events such as The Beautiful Octopus Club organised by Heart n Soul in Deptford.
So Seat, Relax and Listen to this marvellous episode!!!
Photos; Lizzie Emeh; Fish Police and Heart n Soul headquarters at Deptford, London.
Hey Gate Kickers!!!
MC Top Richie, 2 Decks, Labake and Mr Amazing are looking forward for the British Summer... our weird mix of all seasons in just one day ... hahaha, now we should stay local enjoying this beautiful island remembering the uninterrupted sunny days abroad. 2 Decks also paid tribute to his friend Leon aka LM Dubz who passed away last year 2020, so we listened to their famous track Coffee Dub with Leon on bass and keyboards at the legendary Sausage Studios.
After the lockdown everybody is getting back together so we played couple really beautifulL tracks "REUNITED" and "POSITIVELY DELIGHTED" by Labake, MC Top Richie and Mr Amazing. We suggest you to wear your shorts, socks and sandals, grab a cold beer, go to your front or back garden, take a seat under the sun put headphones on your ears and have a trip into you mind for 30 minutes listening to another HOT episode of Gate Kicks!
Photo: An English man wears socks with sandals during summer in a domestic garden setting, England UK MODEL RELEASED
Contributor: Deborah Vernon / Alamy Stock Photo
Hey guys,
Gate Kicks presenters MC Top Richie, Mr Amazing and 2 Decks tell their stories involving computer games.
We travelled in time from Fifa 1998 to mobile games talking about the recently inaugurated Nintendo's Mario Bross theme Park in Japan, X-Box's Halo, Play Station's Metal Gear Solid new version, the multi-console Mortal Kombat, game shops, tips, gaming addiction, etc
A Big News!! is that The Gate is developing its own computer game called THE GATE STATION, which will be released at one point this year 2021, we are very excited regarding that. Enjoy the show!!
Hey guys,
this is the last episode of Gate Kicks! where MC Top Richie, 2Decks, Arlo and Javier made an spontaneous improvisation mainly with anything that they found in their houses from a Precolumbian ocarina, a book, a glass of water, ringtones, Spanish guitar, accordion, samplers of french hip hop to Grace Jones and The Gate improvisers, plus unknown and mysterious objects. Jamaica! transforms every time it revives in different bodies as many lives matters!!!
Let it be, relax and enjoy!!
Jamaica! sent to them a file with their latest recording released by
Cafe Oto record
label
Takuroku
called
Leon
and Les Harry's made a wonderful improvisation over it, the voice and music
reminds me of many works by my favourite British avant-garde musician Robert
Wyatt from Soft Machine and his solo career from The End of an Ear and
Matching Mole. For further information about Radio Tisto please click
here.
Since 2003, Sonic Protest Festival has been the epicentre of the avant-garde, experimental and inclusive music scene in Europe. The festival is mainly based in Paris, France, and since its beginnings has been inviting extraordinary artists with learning disabilities such as the pioneering inclusive band Reynols or Les Harry's and 2Decks plus musicians from the underground such as Peter Brotzmann, Tony Conrad, Joelle Leandre, Einstürzende Neubauten and Keiji HAINO.
Today our special guest is Franq de Quengo, the co-director of Sonic Protest, who talks about the festival and brings new music made by different bands with members with learrning disabilities such as Les Harry's and L'Orchestre De Nous Mêmes. Enjoy this super edition of the programme!
Left to right, top row: Duane aka Mr Amazing; Javier; Franq de Quengo Co-Director Sonic Protest Festival, France. Bottom row
L-R: Richie aka MC Top Richie; Darren aka 2 Decks and Labake Anisere.
This is a special programme because in the next episode we'll have a guest from France, Franq de Quengo, who is the co-producer of Sonic Protest Festival which is the biggest neurodiverse music festival in world, it combines the best of experimental and avant-garde music including musicians with learning disabilities as our presenters who are accomplished musicians by their own means, so why not to show their music before this honourable guest is coming? Anyway, we also play an excerpt by the wonderful French band Les Harry's. This episode includes some unknow works by Mr. Amazing and MC Top Richie. Discover something new...you will be amazed!!!
Members of Les Harry's on the left with purple t-shirt Anla Courtis, at the back on the right wearing sunglasses, Franq de Quengo, co-director of Sonic Protest Festival, France.
In this episode, our former presenter and Hip Hop artist Darren aka 2 Decks is back to our show, along with The Nigerians' band drummer Eddie Gaga, Duane aka Mr Amazing, Labake Anisere and Richie aka MC Top Richie sharing their stories with Hip Hop music bringing interesting surprises. Enjoy!!
Left to Right: Matt, Francis Gravity, 2 Decks and Leon (Rock House at the Green Door, Brighton, 24th July 2017).
My Name is Darren aka 2decks and I'm a rapper and producer with mild learning disabilities. I started rapping between the age of 13 and 14 and learning to make my own music when i was 18 at a project called Big Bang to the Music Scene which was a project set up in Hammersmith and Fulham for young people in the borough who were interested in making music. I started coming to the Gate in 2003 and have been making music there ever since. The fist album I released was breakdown in 2009 and in 2012 I released the Wacky Baccy EP. Over the years i've played the Southbank Centre, The Albany, Brighton Dome, the Sonic Protest Festival in Paris and many others and at a festival attached to the 2017 olympics which was something I always that I always wanted to do so I could represent the disabled community.
Mainly by music is Hip-Hop based but I've also set up a band with other musicians from the gate (Leon, Josh and Roberto) and that's a bit more of a rock/rap crossover.
I think black history month is important because I live in the UK where history is mainly stuff like the battle of Hastings and the victorian times but you never really hear much about black historical people. And one of the things I think black people have contributed to a lot is music and also politics like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King but i'd like to talk about mainly about some of the black musicians. I think music has been very important for black people because It's been a way that they can make an impact on the world and have our voices heard because it's how we express our culture and our way of life.
The first artist who inspired me was MC Hammer and Public Enemy and last and not least OutKast and british hip-hop artists from Back in the day like Overlord X , silver bullet and MC Duke and also other artists outside of hip-hop like james brown.
I'd like to talk about these and give a favourite track from each and why I like them.
MC Hammer was the first ever artist I heard and when I heard it for the first time i had never heard Hip-hop before and I really liked his baggy trousers and his music videos. The song I heard was turn this mutha out which was released in 1988. Compared to how rap sounds now it's still a old school classic. MC Hammer sounds a bit like a preacher when he raps and he does things from his own point of view and I think a lot of my rapping is quite similar to his.
Public Enemy are another inspiration to me and a great band because they're very powerful and politicaland they tell the truth about what happens to black people. They talked a lot about the oppression of black people and I definitely think they had a positive impact on raising awareness of black issues. My favourite song of theirs is Don't Believe the Hype. I think the main way they've inspired is the power they put into their music because they really let people know they're there and they're not going anywhere. I went to see Public Enemy in Camden and it was really cool because i met Chuck D outside of the venue and that was really cool.
Outkast i really like because I especially like their album Skantonia which mixes up singing and rap and I remember watching a video of theirs where they mixed up a choir and guitars and rap and this way they mixed up different styles of music was very influential to me and also how they present themselves in a larger than life way. My favourite song of theirs is BOB.
Of the British rappers Overlord X is my favourite and the reason why is one day I was going through my brothers records and I stumbled across a record called X versus the world with a sick cover with him holding a ghetto blaster and with loads of aliens and stuff in the background and I listened to it and it blew my mind and I thought is was really cool the choices they made to sample because they were slightly weird and not too obvious. Overlord X was the start of the whole Grime scene in the UK and it sounds different now but I definitely think he was a big influence. He was the first uk rapper i ever heard and this was important to me because it was cool hearing someone rapping with the same accent as me so that made me think that I could do hip hop too.
James Brown is one of those guys who is really funky and when I first heard his music from back in the day like soul power i just thought it was amazing because it really grabs your attention and it's really in your face. James Brown uses a style of music he called "rhythm of the one" which is the way the band all work together and do things in unity and synch up with each other really quickly. I really like how he interacts with his band and his audience and I really studied how he performs on stage and how he uses the stage and how he get the crowd going and have definitely worked some of that into my own performances.
Following on from yesterday's profile here is Darren's Quarantine Radio Hour Episode where he talks about his thoughts about the current situation and presents some of his favourite tunes including bangers from DJ Shadow and Public Enemy and also of course sneaks in a couple of his own -
In order to access cash and continue working with Gate artists while the gate is closed and they are locked down we have set up a gofundme to purchase materials - please click following link if you would like to contribute - https://www.gofundme.com/f/54-the-gate-covid19-lockdown-fund
Darren is a key contributor to the Gate and is largely focused on the music side of things though has important input elsewhere too. Going under the name 2Decks Darren has been an active part of the learning disabled music scene in the UK for over a Decade, playing primarily in London and the South East but also appearing last year at the Sonic Protest festival in Paris (where he was also due to appear this year on the same night's billing as Lee Scratch Perry but this was unfortunately cancelled as a result of the current ongoing situation) and anyone who has seen him perform can attest to his power on a stage, as natural a performer as there has ever been with a commanding stage presence and an innate ability to work a crowd. Darren's main love is Hip-Hop music, particularly the UK originators such as Overlord X and much of his music takes that form with the odd bit of James Brown soul and showmanship thrown in for good measure.
Currently Darren's music takes 2 main forms; the solo output which Darren produces at home laying down the instrumental tracks on his laptop and most often then laying over vocals (though sometimes not). An example of this is the "soundtrack" below recorded recently whilst locked down.
The other form Darren's music takes currently is his band set up, joining up with other Gate members, Josh (guitar), Roberto (Drums/Backing Vocals) and Leon (Bass) to form a Rock/rap hybrid that brings the house down wherever it plays. See below for a prime example of this:
Darren says he is doing ok during the lockdown, he's playing on his Playstation 3 and has plenty of data on his mobile so can watch video's on youtube and browse the internet when he's bored or phone his sister when he needs anything.
In order to access cash and continue working with Gate artists while the gate is closed and they are locked down we have set up a gofundme to purchase materials - please click following link if you would like to contribute - https://www.gofundme.com/f/54-the-gate-covid19-lockdown-fund
Stay Up Late’s big annual fundraiser for our Gig Buddies project enabling people with learning disabilities to have active social lives. This will be a night of awesome live music featuring acts with and without learning disabilities.
Optional 'bedtime' fancy dress to help us promote the launch of our #nobedtimes campaign.
Italia 90 - "Very much rate this, and certainly don’t think that Wire, Alternative TV, Sauna Youth and Institute’s Catharsis LP are excessively flattering reference points." - The Quietus
Asbo Derek - Asbo Derek get annoyed about things they shouldn’t really get annoyed about and then turn their annoyance into great art.
2 Decks – lo-fi hip hop bangers from London to get you jumping.
The Golgis - Quirky foot tapping acoustic absurdist pantomime rock from a band unafraid to celebrate the eccentricities of everyday life?
No funds raised will go to any marketing executives!
Yesterday (26.10.19) the Gate Kicks crew headed off to the Tate Modern to do a live broadcast as part of Resonance FM's week long series of broadcasts from the gallery. Much of the show was concerned with the current Nam Yung Paik exhibition which is being held there which the Tate kindly gave us free tickets to attend. You can hear an archive of the broadcast and see some pics of the day below.
Many thanks to Resonance FM and the TATE for hosting us.
This email is to celebrate the 100th episode of Gate Kicks, the radio programme produced at the Gate Art Centre by people who attend this centre every week to do art, music, video and other artistic activities.
The programme started on 14th June 2016 and it has been broadcast on Resonance FM 104.4 (the first Art-Radio in the UK). It is presented by Darren (2 Decks) and Leon (LM Dubz). They interview people involved with bands, production, and promotion of music made by people with learning disabilities from all around the world. No long ago the programme was invited to take part in the prestigious French music festival Sonic Protest 2018, and it has been recognised as a bridge between music made by people with learning disabilities and general public.
I want to thank you Yarrow Housing and Resonance FM to support this initiative and of course 2 Decks and LM Dubz for to be our 5 star presenters.
Last week the guys from the Gate took over All Hallows Church SE1 to promote and sell our newest art book, various pieces of which were hung from the walls including a mural backdrop and guitar sculptures. The evening culminated in an epic live performance by our improv band Jamaica (conducted by 2Decks) playing some of our new bowed instruments controlled by Nintendo Wii controllers.
On the seventh of March 2Decks and myself (Javier) boarded the Eurostar for Paris, we were invited to talk about our radio programme Gate Kicks* at the Sonic Protest Festival 2018.
After nearly 3 hours sitting on the now vintage fast speed train, we crossed the English channel to reach Gare Du Nord. The bad thing was the exchange rate which in the station were paying just 45 euros for 60 pounds, unbelievable!!! But that was compensate with the cheap one day tube ticket for just 1,90 euros (something like £1.80).
When we reached Les Halles station we found this brand new building and shopping centre were the Mediatheque of Paris is located, the building design looks inspired by the London Aquatics Centre designed by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid for the London Olympics 2012.
This was the beginning of Sonic Protest 2018, a 10 day festival, which has been running since 2003. The festival mixes the best of experimental musicians from all around the world with bands formed by people with learning disability or menthal health issues. During the festival there are lots of different events like conferences, round tables, exhibitions, work shops, etc, giving an special place to the art and music made by people with learning disabilities which they call Art Brut, or Raw Art.
The first thing we saw was a photo exhibition where pictures taken by 2Decks were the inspiration for a French disabled artist to do some art. Also they were exhibiting a large collection of music, cds and vinyls produced by musicians with LD from all around the world.
That afternoon there was a four hours live radio programme called Radio Tisto & Bruits Coloir, they broadcast music made by people with learning disabilities, including some tracks sent by us like the Fuzzbomb flash band and 2Decks.
2Decks was invited to talk about Gate Kicks and his own music. We were amazed to discover the large number of 2Decks fans in the room , they told us that the track Whacky Baccy was a sensation among the listeners of Radio Tisto which is produced by Les Harrys, who are young autistic adults, from their nomadic studio for Radio Liberte.
After the 2Decks interview he performed some of his classic songs including "something new for the old school"
This marvellous evening finished with an amazing gig which included the talented piano improviser Fabrice Foster, Glenn Marzin and Les Troupes De L'Imaginaire, please check them out.
After a nice walk to our hotel the only thing we regret was not having enough time and money to stay the 10 days and enjoy more.
Gate Kicks which is broadcast every Tuesday at 10pm on Resonance FM104.4, https://resonancefm.com/
For more information about the festival: http://www.sonicprotest.com/
We've been stepping it up an inclusive gear in our improvisational music sessions; bowing resonating tins with springs inside, cymbals, and metal bowls. All pitch shifted by Graillon and controlled with the LK app on ipad...
Duane- "I used my hands and flicked them and pulled the strings up and used the bow violin thing"
Jason- "I was playing the cymbal like a violin and I was banging it with a stick and I made a noise, it sounded like a church bell"
Darren 2Decks- "I was just conducting it, by giving out signs and signals with my hands to each musician. I really don't know how to describe how it sounds"
We're looking forward to our live Jamaica performance at our "Gatorium" Art exhibition details below...
