On the radio with PolarVoidX

PolarVoidX Interview with Vinnie Grist for the Old Wave New Wave Show, Phonic FM 16 September 2023 Listen to the show here: Old Wave New Wave Show 

Dark Equilibrium Album Release Sept 23 on the Solstice on all streaming platforms and  Bandcamp

I was lucky to be invited onto the Old Wave New Wave show on Phonic FM hosted by Vinnie Grist, and a lovely experience was too.

Vinnie sent me some great questions before the show about my music and related topics. The answers are below and you can listen to the show on Mixcloud, link above. Also tune in to the show every fortnight on Phonic FM at noon, guaranteed a great listen.

Tell us a bit about PolarVoidX – how would you describe PolarVoidX’s music to others and how did the project get started?

PVX started September 2019, Ghost Hands my band had split, so I had to find a way of having other instruments to play along with. I’d always wanted an analog synth,  I I’d toyed with the Wasp in the 1980s in a band called Bermuda Triangle, (needless to say they disappeared without trace). I could have used a computer DAW, but instead opted for analog, so I could really learn about synthesis. I chose the Korg Minilogue XD. As it happens my learning curve was very steep, but covid gave me a bit more time. I’ve always been absolutely fascinated with synths and electronic sound manipulation. But not on a computer as I find that tedious. Up until recent years synths we’re hugely expensive, thankfully now that’s not so much the case.

Where did the name PolarVoidX come from?

Whilst I was looking for a name, I was looking at a book of Polaroids by Taschen that a friend gave me, coincidentally the first image on the page I opened was of the polar ice shelf collapsing. Polaroid, polar void. I was reminded of a scientist saying we had ten years to the tipping point for the planet. Hence the X for ten.  it was a play on words. Sadly, by my reckoning that gives us 4 years.

The album Dark Equilibrium has a very dark sound, what was your inspiration behind the album?

I love dark sounding music, I listen to a lot, so I’m thrilled that comes across on the album. The inspiration was mostly about the long dark period that the planet and humanity is going through right now. The rise of populism, the limitation of protest, poverty, and above all the ignorance of the climate emergency and what it’s already doing to people around the globe, combine that with the threat of war and pandemics, you’ve got the perfect environment for a dark album. There’s also a whole lot of personal reflection, which I think everyone feels at certain stages in their life. And some quirky sound experiments.

The name of the album came from Daryl, my friend, he described Solstice für Letze Generation as the sound of dark equilibrium, which I loved. So he takes credit for the name. You can read full explanations of the tracks by track elsewhere on this blog  

It’s an Instrumental album, did you find it easy to convey the themes/commentary you wanted to through instrumentals?

Not easy at all, I’m dyslexic, but I love words and even more so images, describing things in sound was a real challenge. I’m in absolute awe of people like Eno, Hannah Peel, Johann Johannsen, Hildur Gudnadottir, Helene Vogelsinger, people who can convey an atmosphere and paint pictures with sound.

All the tunes are like mini films in my head, so I’m basically making the soundtrack to each one. I’m not a massive fan of rigid traditional song structure, even in guitar bands my songs never went verse chorus verse chorus etc. This is why I love Bowie’s Low album, side two so much. sometimes I don’t know how to end my songs, so preparing for performance was a bit challenging in that sense. I note that Bowie’s instrumentals often just peter out. 

You write on your blog that you're fascinated by the concept of hauntology, could you give a bit of an explanation of what hauntology is and why it fascinates you and acted as a source of inspiration?

So hauntology, ‘Hauntology is a range of ideas referring to the return or persistence of elements from the social or cultural past, as in the manner of a ghost. The term is a neologism first introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1993 book Specters of Marx.’ (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauntology_(music) )

I read a lot of Mark Fischer’s writings in lockdown he writes a lot about futures that were predicted but never happened. If you grew up in the seventies, like me, then you believed the world would really look like BLADE RUNNER now and we’d all be in flying cars. When I was making the tune futures, it occurred to me that at any given moment there are an infinite number of possible futures available to you. That blew my mind! That small choices and decisions could completely change your life, and yet it seems we have so little control.

I also studied cultural theory for my MA which had a profound impact on how I see the world. Coincidentally, Mark Fisher interviews John Foxx in his book ‘Ghosts of my Life’, I was reflecting on life as a series of small films, then I read this interview, and John Foxx describes it perfectly, it was a spooky moment for me, like hearing my own thoughts played back to me. Tiny Colour Movies is fantastic. Both the concept and the music. Oddly, as I was reading about it and JF’s connection with Harold Budd, Maryanne Hobbes played The White Arcades, by Harold Budd on BBC6! Spooky once again!!

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/mark-fishers-k-punk-and-the-futures-that-have-never-arrived 

What’s your writing process/how do you go about writing tracks?

Haha, usually I get an idea when I’m reading, looking at art, or most inconveniently when I’m in the shower. I think about the feel and pace of the track and what I’m trying to convey, then I put myself in the scene in my head and see what follows. I have a grasshopper mind, so I have to get things down as a musical note as quickly as possible. Sometimes I’m intrigued by images or numbers, like Si’s Mystery Water Meter, I literally programmed the sequence of numbers on the image, thanks Si.

In another life I’d have studied composition so I could score the music from my head. As it is I carry a notebook or use my phone notes for ideas on the fly. I love museums and art galleries. As a hint of what’s coming next, I spent a whole, very weird, afternoon with Egyptian mummies recently! Eerie!

I’m also very interested in the seasons of the year as experienced by pagans, the changes in the light, times of the year etc. it’s amazing to imagine that people have experienced those things in the same way as we do since humanity existed. That’s fascinating to me. When I was writing Solstice Für Letze Generation, I imagined watching the sun rise on the last solstice, it’s a very sobering image.

Also, I find periods of change in history are resonant with me, moments at which we have faced great crises in different parts of the world, revolution, financial crashes, poverty and famine, and now climate emergency. These things must not be ignored.

You record your music at home? What’s your home set up?

I use four main synths, Novation Mono Station, Korg Minilogue XD, Korg Modwave, Korg MicroKorg XL+ and an Arturia Drumbrute Impact, drum machine. I also have a few other synths and sequencers, like the Roland under my bed, but I like to play and record ‘Live’, so I can’t play them all at the same time. In some respects this limitation is good, otherwise I’d spend all the time tinkering. I also use an iPad for effects patches such as voices, explosions etc. I’d like to find a more intuitive way of doing this, but for now the iPad works.

I mix the recordings using a Zoom L12 mixer, this means I don’t have to turn on a computer to mix and record, because it has a record each track to an SD card function. 

Most times I record just one or two takes, ironically, I had to relearn them to play them live. As a result I’ve got way better at documenting what I’m doing.

I only use a Digital Audio Workstation DAW on the mac for final mix down, panning etc. I find computers and all the notifications and complexity a total distraction from creating sounds.

The tracks on Dark Equilibrium were mastered professionally by Antony at RedRedPaw. He’s a genius and has worked with a lot of famous people. Coincidentally, at the same time he was mastering the epic Vangelis tribute for charity, which includes one of my tracks, Futures.

You've been in other bands in the past, what’s different about working on this as a solo project and also playing live? 

I love playing in bands, and playing live, and collaborating with others, and I really want to do that again before too long. Playing solo is fun but has it’s limitations, when PolarVoidX played at the Phoenix, my pal Daryl was my co-pilot, because I literally couldn’t easily trigger and play all of the instruments at the same time. It’s a bit more complex to reproduce things live, that’s why I try to simplify things when recording. I recall that David Byrne said that it took nine or more musicians to reproduce Remain in Light live.

To be honest the fewer people I play live with, the more terrifying I find it is, but also rewarding too. I quite liked Creep Show, PVA and Fever Ray for their live set up, enough people and performance to keep the music interesting.

Influences 

Which bands have influenced the PolarvoidX sound? 

Oh my, I’d love to nail this, but I just listen to so much music of all genres new and old, in fact I actively seek out music I haven’t heard before.  Hence going to Rewire Festival, among others. That was an eye opener. so much fabulous experience.

Most of the people whose music I really admire have some form of classical training or background, but I also love it when people experiment, cut up tracks, use real life sounds and field recordings, this requires infinite patience. I have done a little bit, on Aviator for instance. But it takes courage and patience to be Delia Derbyshire. 

I also love when musicians play very unusual electronic instruments, or traditional instruments, combined with electronics.

I literally fall in love with different musicians, bands, and tracks every day. Some stay with me of course, like Bowie and Eno etc, but I’m a musical gadfly. I’m often intrigued and influenced by soundtrack or incidental music for film or TV, particularly when it isn’t recorded anywhere, just used for the programme.

This week I listened to Lankum (and bought tickets to see them in Bristol), also Jockstrap, Agnes Obel, Alto Arc, Heilung, Ziur, and an album of Real raw Rockabilly. as well as Phillip Glass and a Doom Folk playlist, plus Helene Vogelsinger on YouTube. If I had time I’d share more of what I’m listening with everyone.

This being the old wave/new wave show – what part did post punk/new wave play in forming your style?

Wow, yes, post punk/new wave, like many people I think it gave me permission to have a go at a time when working class kids didn’t really have a musical education, or access to decent instruments, and also allowed a very broad church of music to emerge in a short period of time. Luckily I played bass initially, as synths were astronomically expensive, in the tens of thousands. When I started playing. People like Bowie, Eno, Pete Murphy, John Foxx, Siouxsie, Midge Ure, but also Hendrix, John McGeoch, and some proggers were very cool, they gave you encouragement to express yourself. But they could also afford instruments that were out of my reach.

Who are some of the recent bands acts you are listening to/excited by

Alto Arc, Fever Ray, Lankum, Jockstrap, PVA, Creep Show, Kaelen Mikla, Ziur, and lots of dark doom folk from Scandinavia, like Heilung and Wardruna also some fabulous new classical stuff on the BBC Proms, and prog guitar, like Animals as Leaders. I caught Heathen Apostles live at the Cavern recently, and was very struck by their performance, they are musically superb, but they also act and dress the part, which I love to see. I’m drawn to anything with an element of performance, or some compositional component that goes beyond the usual band structure. Take Lankum for example, they use 30 or more instruments and experiment for hours to get a song or an idea. I’d love to see Laibach and Animals as Leaders live. I’m very intrigued by Goth festivals After reading John Robb’s excellent book.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good grunge thrash, or metal gig, so I’ll be at the Phoenix Tonight for Freak by Wire.

What was the last album you bought? 

This week, Alto Arc’s EP on Bandcamp, and before that, probably Fields of the Nephilim boxed set. But loads of charity shop classical, and some others. 

Synths

How did you get into Synths – both listening to and playing synths

My first awareness of synths was seeing Brian Eno in Roxy Music, I thought he was so cool (LoL) and later Simple Minds and Ultravox, who I saw live early on in their career. I was very taken with the way they combined synth, guitar and vocals, which I still think is hard to do well. I love John Foxx’s music, and am going to see him later in the year, playing piano unaccompanied, which I’m very excited about. His catalogue and career is phenomenal.

I love Wagner, Bach, and many other classical composers but I can’t imagine playing with that degree of skill, but when I first heard Tangerine Dream for example I thought, my goodness it’s electronic Wagner or Bach! So maybe it’s possible. I’m massively impressed by the lengths they go to to get their sound.

Like John Robb, the first synth I laid hands on was the wasp, it was plastic and had a stick on keyboard. There were three of us, 2 wasps and me on bass, hence the Bermuda Triangle! John Robb drew a wasp synth in my History of Goth book when he signed it. 

What some of the synths/equipment you use on this album? 

I use the same four synths, Novation Mono Station, Korg Minilogue XD, Korg Modwave, Korg MicroKorg XL+ and an Arturia Drumbrute Impact drum machine.

I also use field recordings made on a zoom H2n recorder, and I manipulate them using the micro korg, then turn them into patches for the iPad.

What’s your favourite synth? 

Difficult, I love the minilogue XD for its analogue coldness and the way the sounds are developed using a really logical analog system, but I also love the Modwave as it works in a very different way and has an unpredictable randomness.

How much of your gear did you take with you for the live show? 

All four synths and the drum machine. It’s all pretty portable and we got into a good pack down set up routine during rehearsals at the awesome Tazma rehearsal studios.

Visuals 

Visuals/videos were an important part of your live show, and you’ve made videos for a number of your songs – where do you get your ideas for your videos from?

I love visuals and I’m a visual thinker, so most of the tunes have a visual mini film story already in my head. I try and find images that tell the story. For Example, Dietrich’s Ghost is about a recurring nightmare, and it makes much more sense combined with visuals than as a stand alone piece of music. I personally think Aviator is the same. I probably see all music as images, although I’m not sure?

You’ve also used AI in imagery – what’s your thoughts on the potential of AI in art/music? 

Yeah, I used it to make some photos into a comic, it worked really well. I think AI could be a wonderful tool, some people like Holly Herndon have used it to good effect, but I’m terrified that it will take over from some real life skills and be manipulated ruthlessly by commercial interests. We’re already seeing this sadly. It’s hard for musicians to make a living as it is.

I don’t want the day to come when AI scores a movie instead of Vangelis or Hannah Peel, I’d be really sad. Movie scores are among my favourite music of all time.

In fact because of AI I’m considering putting together a performing collective of musicians to play live (I did this before with the Lullaby Collective), this is something AI can’t replicate (YET). Like many creatives I’m looking at ways of making things that AI CANT do yet. 

I was talking to a print maker recently, they were using a subtractive process that could only be done once. As a result each print was absolutely unique. I love this way of thinking. I’m thinking of applying that to musical performance. I saw a lot of that at Rewire, ‘one offs’ that will never be replicated exactly ever again. 

Aviator story

What’s the story behind the aviator song?

I don’t know why exactly, but the tragic story of my uncle Terry, told to me when I was a small boy, stuck in my mind. A kind of moral warning not to behave irrationally. I have a tattoo on my arm, as part of a montage, its the aviator.

Sadly, just as with my grandfather who died between the wars, I never met uncle Terry. He tragically crashed his aircraft between the wars in a freak accident. Try as I might I’ve never found any details of the crash, or of his military service, or very sadly where he is buried. (Also strange is my grandfather’s story from the navy, but that’s for another time).

Hauntology again, the Aviator song and the video are all about that sad lost future that uncle Terry might have had, and also the sadness in forgotten graves and loved ones. Of course I never met him so I can only imagine what he’d be like (more hauntology. The full story of Aviator is in this blog elsewhere and on YouTube here

What next for Polarvoid X?

I’d love to collaborate with more people from folk and classical music worlds, as well as world musicians with traditional instruments. I’m interested in doing more cover versions, but ‘way out’ ones. 

The most important thought idea is an epic one off performances, something that people will remember for a long time. Like Hanna Peel’s Fir Wave or Rival Consoles Now Is. 

I’m not sure I could ever reach their level of excellence but I’d love to work with others who can. I have plenty of big ideas, but not enough time or cash.

Probably more recording, but it’s time consuming, costly and sometimes feels a little futile considering how much music is out there.

“I’m always torn between more beautiful and composed, or more experimental and challenging” 

Follow PolarVoidX here Links PolarVoidX

JKB talking to  Vinnie Grist for the Old Wave New Wave Show Sept 2023 

The Organisation is dead! Welcome to the gig and gadfly economy

The organization is dead and this is why 

Competition in the same field will inevitably lead to organizational death for some

I sat at a conference recently listening to representatives from organisations trying to work out how to work together to save the planet and it's endangered species. It was painful, a bit like listening to dinosaurs trying to work out how to avoid extinction. The future of conservation organisations is dire. This is also reflected in the future of many other large institutions. 

The organisation is dead! you heard it here first. 

The point that they seem to have missed is that people are no longer joiners. They no longer want to be part of the grey horde that subscribes to, or works for some archaic behemoth. If you look at social media behaviour people are predominantly gadflies. Yes, the demographic that currently supports environmental organisations might well join them. But the generations following behind them flit from one issue or campaign to the next in the click of a mouse button. What those organisations need to ask is how should we work together within the emergent gig economy to capture the wave of clicktivism? They need to harness the enthusiasm of social movements, they need to be lean and agile in other words adaptable, they need to go where the action is. The modern workforce will abandoned the traditional organisation. More than a third of Americans are already freelance and loving it. They move happily from gig to gig, they do not spend a lifetime devoted to a one trick pony job. If you extrapolate this idea for the modern charity or trust, people do not choose one and stay with it for life. 

Do this now!

When I was a humble undergraduate I joined the green movement at University of Plymouth. It contained and was courted by many of the popular charities and trusts eager to harness the enthusiasm and idealism of youth. To their credit, what came to be known as 'Green Umbrella' took them all onboard, allied itself to none of them and instead campaigned on a new issue each month. Each organisation could put forward a topic, members of the umbrella would vote on which to take forward that month. Serious campaigns followed with a great deal of energy for the month. Students loved it, the variety and currency of issues keep the group fresh and excited.

Is this a way forward for the big organisations?

Maybe but I think they need to drop some old adversarial practices, stop competing and think about how they will work together. I think the big single issue organisations will die, just like Kodak was defeated by digital photography. In many respects this will be a good thing. Diversity is after all what many of them are campaigning for. Lets focus on the problems, prioritise them and then put all of our energy in to a month of serious campaign effort. Could this happen? I suspect not because at present they can't even agree who should be in the room, let alone the issues. RIP organisations, you're too stale, too big and faced with decisions you choose inertia. Stricken by fear of offending the current member demographic and obsessed with staying part of the establishment.

How much reality can we cope with?

 

There it was! One minute I was responding to a post about Pokemon Go suggesting that its a  stepping stone to full Virtual Reality and a way to get people interested in Augmented Reality (I'm totally surprised it doesn't yet have AR adverts. Then good old Google (speculation alert) are alleged to be working on, get this, a mixed reality version of Google glass!
Well I never. The question is how much reality can we take? It seems to me that people aren't yet ready for full on VR, unless they're queuing for a Japanese VR porn convention that is. So the middle ground is as ever to get people interested/addicted via a game. Well done Nintendo, you've certainly achieved that. Wish I'd had a few shares in the old Wii factory but alas I don't. Apparently it's been so successful it's outstripped Sony!
So what next? Well careful what you wish for, a number of commentators have been fixated about the internet of things, smart cities and augmented advertising. But they have taken their eye off the good old smart phone as the vehicle for this. Also of course the possibility of wearables if Google gets it's way.
TThis video from Hyper Reality thanks to Keiichi Matsuda (Above) gives a sneak preview of what might happen to your phone or indeed your glasses. Is it a case of glasses half empty or glasses left full? You tell me...

Hyper Reality 

Making an impact - Back to the future of work

So back to the subject 'future of work'. 
Why you might well ask am I so obsessed with this topic?

After all for some the future of work is already happening. Coworking, sharing apps, digital tech and home businesses are all right now.

Innovation Centre Cafe Exeter University

Well in a nutshell I want people to benefit from my experience and that of my father and peers. Lets start with Dad, I loved my dad but like many kids I knew I didn't see him much during the week. He drove lorries, he did it well, but the hours were long and arduous. Basically 6 o'clock start every morning and never home before 6 in the evening or later if the traffic was bad. Dad provided well for the family and the net result was that I grew up able and landed a job to help out with the family income at 16. The trouble was that I worked a similar pattern, shifts for a print shop. Got paid exceptionally well and was in a hamster wheel type honey trap that I couldn't get off. Strangely subsequent redundancy gave me the oxygen I needed and resulted in my gaining an MA. Following that I got a job in comms for the Govt. Sadly this isn't satisfying me either! the problem is that 9-5 5 days a week is a treadmill! Not one that I'm prepared to accept any longer, and not one I want for anyone else either. That's why I halved my working week.
Why is it a treadmill?
Treadmill, the word itself describes it all to well. How many of us go to an office or factory, head down, same routine every day? Don't get me wrong this possibly works for some people. If you're one of them fine carry on. But for me the monotony of routine work, routine location and same old faces is a killer. In fact I can't really sit still for more than 5 minutes!

What is the solution?
The antidote for me is variety.
The good news is digital technology has enabled this. Anywhere with a decent internet connection (or indeed a phone connection) is fair game as a workspace. I'm writing this right now from my favourite 'Boston Tea Party' cafe in Exeter. Accompanied by fab coffee and a bap! Awesome!

The advent of coworking hubs such as the Generator in Exeter have facilitated a boom in happy accidents. People coming together by chance to produce amazing things.
This connectivity and co creation is a by product of escaping the 9-5.  But also it's a bonus for home workers. As I've learned homeworking isn't all it's cut out to be. I find if I start at 9 I'm climbing the walls through lack of human contact by 2pm. This has truly confirmed for me that coworking hubs are the future. Especially if they have good coffee and state of the art wireless, both de rigeur in a digital society.
Coworking, alongside the new penchant among hipsters to desire experience over material things is well documented. Douglas McWilliams book 'The Flat White Economy', a must read for anyone as fascinated by this topic as I am. It confirms what I already predicted using nothing but guesses and instinct. The Flat White Economy.  Highly skilled young tech people, living out of tiny rooms. Driven by desire for experiences not possessions. Many of whom are well trained digitally savvy immigrants (in my opinion a huge positive).  Is driving London's and therefore Britain's economic recovery. Hurrah, but not just London.

What can people do about it?
Hey yep, I've got a plan people! Right here in Exeter. I intend to bring an 'Impact Hub' to the city. Yes big and brave, it may have to start small but I've signed up here! Create an Impact Hub in your City.

You can join me! 
In a few weeks I'm going to blog from Impact Hubs in London and Berlin. You'll be able to see what they are and how they offer so much more than just a coworking space. Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking or disparaging existing coworking efforts. The are fab. Nope, I  just want to go further. An all singing, all dancing space for the community. Where artists, entrepreneurs, musos, architects, students and just about anyone can come. Pitch their ideas, run an event, launch a product, cowork, rent offices, make art, make music. And hopefully all of the above.
Wouldn't it be amazing to have such a space? Together we could fill it with events, all designed to support and nurture creators and entrepreneurs. All designed to facilitate future working in a way that is. Spontaneous, not time bound, not anchored to one place, not associated with the same old faces. Just really inspirational. Somewhere that makes you want to go running off to work in the morning with real joy!

Come to the revolution!
You've heard the expression come the revolution? Well now is your chance to come to the revolution! Sign up for the Impact Hub journey. Set your location as Exeter and I'll find you. We'll work together to change the future of Exeter and possibly the world! Well our world that is. At least if nothing else you'll escape the hamster wheel of 9-5. Are you with me? Join now here.

Also read this Blog! Thanks Chris Lorimer for some great insight!.

The long slow death of high street England and how culture could win itback

With time on my hands due to my shorter working week I'm struck by how the High Street varies at different times of the week. And indeed the day. there are times when it has a completely new complexity.

In his recent TED talk Dave Troy maps journeys in big cities and shows how the phenomenon I've observed plays out. Basically people and ideas don't mix much. I've observed similar and I believe the result will be the death of high street shopping. In many ways this could be a good thing and I'll explain why and what glimpses of this I'm already beginning to see.

People are habitual
It's bizarre for me who has only ever seen the high street buzzing at the weekend to see the street so empty. Weekends its swarming with 'carousel consumers', desperate to spend their hard earned cash. Knowing that they'll be back on the hamster wheel on Monday. Not just that but during the week it takes on a much darker and foreboding complexion. With those who are not otherwise occupied looking for an 'angle'. You see the same characters cropping up in a limited number of locations centering around their needs. In the same way shoppers, cafe dwellers and other city users seem to follow habitual patterns. There are a few places where society interacts at all levels, e.g public libraries. At the weekend in this location there is a good social mix there, but in the week this is not so. Without the policing apparent in other places ( see The secret life of the library security guard) this feels distinctly edgy.

So how can this disjointed situation change?
Basically we need to rewire the way people interact and their reasons for doing so. Then we need to give them time and space by encouraging shorter working week (via a vis 21 hour week).

 In his brilliant book "can scorpions smoke" Steve Chapman talks about the self consciousness of people who call themselves artists. And how this manifests itself in very young children. They gradually lose the will or ability to admit to being an artist in public. My question is:  If we organise opportunity for people to interact around art and cultural events will this nervousness change? Can we change it?

I don't think so because people who aren't interested enough or who are too self conscious will avoid it.

But, if we take the events to them, guerrilla art, art jams, ninja art, geek ups then people can and do join in. Offer the average Joe a crayon and a blank canvas and you will tempt them! But the key is you have to go to where people already are. So in a semi engineered way can we subtly change society. Not just with art and culture but through bringing together a gentle more casual clash of civilizations (more on this later).

What are the chances?
I have begun to see this already happening. Retailers and cafes where I live are starting to offer a slightly different experience. Not only can you see the art in the cafe where you can also buy it (step 1). But you can see the artists making art in the cafe where you can buy and crucially commission it! Yes art to order my friends! And you can watch it being made, beautiful.
Also you can have a go, can you cook Italian? Well not very well perhaps so why not instead of just eating it, learn to cook it too! Like wine? Learn about it by joining a bunch of strangers for a meal and taste lots of wine, in a wine shop!

Update

Isn't it amazing when you discover an illustration of exactly what you're talking about! In Exeter yesterday I discovered the Glorious Art House Cafe. Not only does this quirky cafe have a gallery, but it also facilitates community events. I discovered Paul from Pocodrom.com (@pocodrom) just about to entertain lots of little children and their parents in the gallery. A great little cultural event aiming at bringing people together. I'm aiming to interview Paul about the cultural economy and what it's like to do this job in a future blog. The point is that many have created cafes where the children can play, but it's too exclusive. Here is an example of business diversification that can work. Not to mention lovely coffee and cakes.

Hipsters?

Amazing rote this Wednesday opened the Guardian app Sunday and spotted this article about Hipsters by Ed Cumming. Spot on article, written around a new book and very London centric, but resonates with me as a cycling evangelist for new ways of working. Who wouldn't choose experiences over accumulating things? Is this the way forward for the planet I wonder? And can it happen here in Exeter. Well as I've described above it's started. It just takes a fe more rave souls to join the party.


The changes detailed above are already happening but I'd love to hear about more. And I'd love to hear what you think is possible!  As I've said in previous blogs were on the brink of a work and making revolution. But how we get the world of 'carousel consumers' to engage with the new entrepreneurs. And how we break down our city silos by taking culture to the people that will be the challenge.

UPDATE
Now hear this!
As if by magic this fantastic TED talk illustrates exactly what I'm talking about!

Punk's Alive - Generation Z, your time awaits!

I believe the punk ethos prevalent in the 70s is alive and kicking in 2015.

The 70s punk spirit has spilled over into  entrepreneurship characterised by current business startups. Energised by the go get em, multi million pound results of the efforts of Jobs, Zuckeberg and co everyone is at it now, or so it seems. 

How does the new wave of entrepreneurial effort compare to the diy punk efforts of the 70s and how does it differ?

The thing that differentiated the punk mentality from the prior decades was it's 'you can do it' DiY approach. This didn't just apply to the three chord guitar riffs. It was all about a lifestyle choice, taking control. As the eloquent Inspiral Carpets front man Clint Boon expressed it in a recent BBC6 interview. "[it was about] carving out your own destiny, doing things your way. Not always following things the establishment tells you to do". Whilst this applied mainly to having a good time playing and pogoing to raucous music for most people, others made a career out of it. 

Examples of entrepreneurial spirit emerged in the independent record labels that grew and flourished. For example Indie labels like Rough Trade Records took on the giants in the 70s. Also, fashion was heavily influenced by punk at the time. Then mass marketed by those clever enough to see the opportunities. Writers, journalists, film and documentary makers had a field day. 

So what in the hell has this got to do with the startup culture that is currently taking the business world by storm? 

Many people who were around at the end of the punk era have been influential in shaping the desires and markets of post punk consumers. This has led to innovations in many walks of life. The way we consume music, books, the rise of the internet. As well as shopping, film, photography and many other areas of our lives. The spawn of the post punk mentality have shaped these developments. Not as is often assumed millennials. The odd thing is that some of the ways in which companies still do business carries offshoots from the old world before punk. The old school manners, morals and ethics of business have evolved. But not completely disappeared and the legality certainly hasn't declined.

I believe these old school practices are about to undergo a culture shock. The rise of the millennials will bring a new generation of traders who have completely shed the post punk morality. I have heard it said many times by people I've spoken to from this generation that if they can't do things one way then they will find another. Don't expect them to play by your rules. Don't even expect them to hold the door open for you as you leave. They are creating a 'no rules' business culture focused on the individual and profit. Manifestations of this are clear in those pre-millenials  [born just before 80s - 2000]  Zuckerberg, Parker, Dorsey etc. Not a day goes by without we discover they've violated some right or other. They don't seem to acknowledge they've done anything wrong. 

SO how should we, the 'punk era' businesses prepare to deal with this generation? Entrepreneurs who see these emerging behaviours as the norm?

James Burke author of Connections, legend in science communication says. [digital] “fragmentation will move people further and further away from what used to be a  common culture. [in the short term] into which everybody subscribed”. he goes on to say, “we've had a limited way of expressing ourselves in society”. “Explosion in fragmentation, in the sense of [online] tools. Becoming rapidly more available for individuals to indulge themselves”.  “People realising, because of new technology, that It doesn't matter anymore that people don't subscribe to the 5 rules that society requires of them. Be brilliant, go to a good school, go to a good university, get a well paid job etc.” With new technology you can express yourself as well as anybody else”. In a sense you no longer feel that those old fashioned virtues have a value anymore”. “Common cultural infrastructure held us together and kept us safe”

Listen here; You are not so smart podcast 020 The Future.

So it seems that people are deciding to ignore existing processes. If they don't like them they adapt their skills and go around them.  For example cutting a record having been in the recording studio for several months is a long distant memory. The advent of home studio’s and digital editing tools has revolutionised this. Combined with self-publishing and marketing the old way is seriously under pressure.

Maker spaces, such as Exeter Library’s FabLab:  http://fablabdevon.org/. Or Digital work hubs like http://www.atworkhubs.co.uk/ becoming the norm. I expect that home working combined with access to these will become the work pattern of the future. In many rural communities home working is revitalising the communities and their economies. A recent Guardian article features a blistering range of new ideas from the ‘startup’ do it yourself culture.  And its not just work practices that are changing, the traditional funding economy is imploding too. Present and future businesses will turn not to the banks and pound sterling. But’ to crowdfunding and bitcoin. People voting with their purses will enable these new ‘cosmopolitans’ to develop their businesses without encountering the; 'dinosaur says no' culture. 
The revolution is about to hit us! look out for generation Z!