A Ringing In The Ears

Artrockers,
Back in 1990 Orbital's single Chime did an amazing thing, it charted. And suddenly the radio-waves were home to a sublime piece of rave culture, a wonderfully light interpretation of church bells pealing.

I don't know how much time you've spent listening to bell ringers, but the sound they produce makes Gamelan sound simple, and compared to traditional British bell ringing it is. It all starts out sensible enough, cascading notes and back to the top again, but at some point it goes completely nuts and everything seems to crash into everything else and the whole becomes a swirling cacophony - lovely but nuts.

Whenever I hear it my first thought is: 'What are these guys on?' (My second thought is: 'Where can I get some?', but that's another story.) So, if you're really into some weird shit I'd recommend popping down to St. Jude's this Sunday and tripping out to the weirdest shit ever.

What we need is more bell ringing at the festivals, it would remove the need for mind bending substances completely, so we wouldn't be constantly harassed by people who think they're unicorns, it's such a bore. Wether it's churchyard or field, it's time to don the wellies once more and head out for fun. And I got all the way to the end without a campanology joke - quite an achievement!

Tom Artrocker