The Beat is The Law (80’s) is screening as part of the Noise, Affect, Politics Conference at Salford University on 1st July 2010 and will be preceded by a lecture from Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire) entitled ‘White Heat, White Noise: Ambient Noise in Pre-Punk and Post-Punk Music‘

“…what exactly is noise and what conditions these relative thresholds in which sound crosses over into noise? Or are these more organised and polite sonic phenomena merely varieties of noise that have been tamed and civilised, and yet still contain kernels of the chaotic, anomalous disturbance of primordial noise? As a radical free agent, how is noise channelled, neutralised or enhanced in emergent cityscapes?

Such questions are particularly applicable to contemporary forms of music which, based as they are on a variety of noise-making technical machines, necessarily exist in the interface between chaotic, unpredictable noise and the organised and blended sounds of music and speech. Does modern noise seek to lead us to new, post-secular inscapes (as with psychedelia and shoegazer), or defy the lulling noisescapes of processed background muzak with punitive blasts of disorientating, disorderly noise? And why the cult of noise – in term of both volume and dissonance – in which low cultural practices (metal, moshing) meet those of the avant-garde (atonalism, transcendentalism)?”

“Imagine a shop as a vial in which more or less volatile substances mix to release energy. Ultimately, walking into Magma should be like walking into a thermometer, an instrument indicating ‘where things are at’ at a certain point in time and space.” – Magma

We are pleased to announce that The Beat Is The Law DVD is available to buy in the wonderful Magma design shops in Manchester and London’s Covent Garden.
So if you want a day out then drop by the Magma shop for a great browse but don’t forget to by your BITL DVD!
Here are the Magma shop addresses www.magmabooks.com

If Manchester and London is too far then go to the following independent shops in Sheffield: Rare and Racy – Division Street, Record Collector – Broomhill, The Sheffield Music Shop – Ecclesall Road, The Print and Design Shop – Sharrowvale Road.

Of course you can always buy from our ONLINE SHOP

It is a 6 page digipack design lovingly created by Ian Anderson and his Designers Republic team
(these photos don’t quite do justice to the colours. Top right image is best idea of colour of packaging)

Here are some of the articles/reviews you can read online:

captured with great power (Simon Warner – music journalist Leeds)expertly puts Sheffield back at forefront of the great musical adventure (John Robb – presenter/journalist/musician Manchester)Compelling Viewing (Adrian Carter – 020 Magazine London)City that found a new musical heart as political reality hit home (Sarah Freeman – Yorkshire Post)City music beat goes on into new decades (Ian Soutar – Sheffield Telegraph)Fascinating (Owen Anthony – BBC Online)City spawned music of a generation (David Dunn – Sheffield Star)Off the city’s beaten track of music (Pippa Moore – Forge Today)Interview (Article Magazine)fantastic archive (Anne Thompson – IndieWIRE New York)Film Of The Day (Matt O’Grady – Factory 25 New York)Den nya stadens ljud blev film (Mattias Oscarsson – Sydsvenskan Sweden)

I, me, mine: Sheffield’s rock outcrop and the pit dispute

“Any British cities possess a distinctive musical character but few have seen their rock’n’roll evolution shaped so profoundly by the prevailing political climate as Sheffield’s was during the early 1980s as the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire took on the might of Thatcherite Whitehall…”

Read more of this article about The Beat is The Law – Krushed by The Wheels Of Industry

Russell Senior (Pulp) and Eve Wood attended the The Beat Is The Law (Krushed By The Wheels Of Industry) film screening at Leeds University Conference examining the Miners Strike and its cultural legacy.  Prior to it, Russell was interviewed by Radio 4’s Today programme and The Yorkshire Post discussing the Miners Strike, his role in it and Pulp.
All of this is of course featured in the film – release date 29th April 2010. Preorder now from the SHOP

Listen to Russell on the Radio 4 Today programme
Read about Russell in The Yorkshire Post

Its official! The date for release of the Beat is the Law 80’s special edition on DVD available to buy from this website is … 29th April 2010
Pre-order the DVD from our SHOP before the release date for discount and entry into prize draw.

To celebrate this glorious occasion, there will a launch event held at The Leadmill, Sheffield on 29th April featuring:

RuthJoy (Krush)
Winston Hazel (Jive Turkey/Forgemasters)
two Sheffield artists who played an influential role in the birth of the UK House movement, playing House Arresting tracks that shaped their own sound and in turn playing tracks by current UK artists influenced by the Fonetic beats mastered all those years ago that continue to resonate to this day.

Ralph Razor (Razor Stilleto/Space Cabaret) will also be in the mix playing more essential 80’s tunes.

Sensoria folk will also be joining us to celebrate the closing night of what will no doubt be yet another successful festival

We hope to see you there dancing your socks off!

Ticket details from www.leadmill.co.uk

The Beat is The Law will be screened at Leeds University (25th-27th March) as part of a 3 day conference discussing the 84/85 Miners Stike including a rountable discussion about the film and the broader issues associated with the strike, Thatcher and the role music played in that period. This conference coincides with the 25th anniversary of the end of the strike.

Hopefully Russell Senior (Pulp) will be attending the conference. Others include David Peace (author  of The Red Riding Trilogy and Damned United) and the photographer Martin Shakeshaft (who’s work we have incorporated into the film – see photo above)

Here’s a clip of Russell talking about the NUM leader Arthur Scargill:

Pulp on The Miners Strike from thebeatisthelaw on Vimeo.

From Sheffield Vision to everyone who has supported us in 2009 a big thank you.

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

Eve and Richard x

The Showroom Cinema in Sheffield will be screening for one week only The Beat Is The Law Part One from the 9th to the 12th November. Click here for times and to book online

There will be a special Panel discussion on 12th November after the screening chaired by music journalist John Robb with special guests including Russell Senior (Pulp), Jake Harries (Chakk), Eve Wood (director) plus live music

So if you can’t make to the DocFest Screenings then here is a great opportunity to see the film in all its full screen glory.