The Launch PadThe Launch Pad
This page contains a collection of links to other pages,
sites and services related (mostly) to the alternative electronic arts
scene both here in Australia and elsewhere. If you know of any site
which deserves a link here, please email me with the details.
You can cruise down the page at your leisure, or jump directly to the
section that interests you using the following index:
The OpenDVD.org site serves as a
comprehensive resource for developers looking to implement DVD technology,
and for users to take full advantage of all the benefits that DVD's have to
offer.
It's important that these emerging technologies are not restricted in
their application, as the DAT (Digital Audio
Tape) standards were, by bodies such the RIAA, etc...
One place I have had very good dealings with is CSV Audiovisual which is a small business located here in Sydney that's owned by Joe Breen. Joe sells a range of high-quality DVD players and he can advise you on what's best to suit your requirements.
One site which carries a swag of DeCSS information (and source
code!) is David Fisher's Australian DeCSS Resource
Centre.
If you have an interest in region-free DVD players, check out my Apex/Hiteker DVD player info page. These players are the exact same ones that are being sold in North America under the Apex brand name. The Hiteker/Apex players are a hackers dream, as some of the sites linked from the Hiteker page will show! [Apex no longer re-badges using the Hiteker name, but there are other brands which use exactly the same inards]
A good source of region-free DVD players here in Australia is Frenetic, who are based in Glebe, an inner-city suburb of Sydney. There are also some good foreign suppliers, but you would need to check first and make sure that they can supply the version(s) you want.
The
!!!
The Dilbert Zone is
a legendary comic strip that satirises life as we know it. Created by
Scott Adams, the Dilbert Zone provides an escape from reality with a
unique ability to humour in a way that anyone can grasp.
Features of the Dilbert Zone are an archive of the last 4 weeks worth of Dilbert comic strips, an expanding collection of 3D Zonimations developed using VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language - colloquially called Very Ridiculous Marketting Lingo!), and the Dilbert Store.
[ As a side-note, the main reason for my trip to the US was to
meet these two lovely ladies in person, and also to DJ at
their combined birthday party called Jenerator! It was such a blast meeting
all the wonderful ravers from the US and Canada all in one place - most of
them I know from the now-defunct Vrave talker. ]
During my time in and around the rave and alternative
electronica scene I've made a number of very good friends, both here in
Australia, and in other countries. The following are links to as many of
their home pages as I can track down:
Friends
The best place to find out what's going on in an around Australia in the
rave and alternative electronic music scene is to subscribe to the
Ausrave mailing list. To subscribe to the mailing list, you need to
send some email to
'ausrave-request@ausrave.net.au', which contains a line like this: Ausrave
subscribe ausrave name@site.name
Replace 'name@site.name' with your email address, and any message
posted to the Ausrave list will be delivered to your emailbox. If you'd
rather receive each day's postings in digestified format, send your email message to
'ausrave-digest-request@ausrave.net.au' instead.
There is also an Ausrave web site with all sort of cute things to explore.
SPRACI, the Sydney
Party, Rave And Club Information guide,
is a site maintained by Michael Dagn.
SPRACI contains a complete guide to everything that's happening in the
electronic dance music scene in and around Sydney, as well as oodles of
links to other party guides, mailing lists, record stores, etc..
SPRACI is also home to tekno World. Techno is the
frontline style of alternative electronic music. This site covers the
complete picture, from labels and artists to a myriad of hypertext links as
well as a DJ toolbox.
Telnet-based
Online Chat Services
BPM Records opened its doors in 1993 with DJ's Milo and
LN at the helm. The main goal of the store has always been to import
underground dance music from around the world and combine this with the best
customer service possible via an eager team of professional staff (who are
all DJ's themselves).
They stock a big collection of music on both vinyl and CD, especially
locally-produced US material, and a good selection of European house, techno
and other styles.
Here are some links to community radio stations in Sydney and other cities
that devote a lot of time to promoting alternative electronic arts:
Only members are able to take part in all on-air giveaways and
competitions, as well as being entitled to take advantage of a huge
range of discounts at various stores and other organisations across
Sydney.
2SER's main feature of interest to us is the extensive support of
alternative music and related culture. Weekdays afternoons are
dominated by dance-music programs until 1600, and there are other
related programs at other times and also on weekends.
Financed by sponsorship and membership, FBi relies on the
enthusiasm and commitment of volunteers to produce its 24-hour,
seven-day-a-week programming.
Like FBi, Radio DEX is currently performing a series of test broadcasts with
the aim of securing a full-time community radio license. By bringing
together the best dance music talent Sydney has to offer, Radio DEX has
created a unique format that appeals to a wide range of people.
The unit also features MIDI in's and out's to hook the unit up to all manner
of MIDI-connected gear.
The Concussor system is a series of interlocking modules that can be
linked together in numerous ways. The system consists of modules covering
the three main aspects of electronic music creation - percussion,
sequencing and synthesising.
This page has been accessed
If you're a DJ, electronic music enthusiast, or just a general underground
electronic music devotee, you need to know where the record stores are at.
Here's a collection of links to various record stores both here in Australia
and around the world that I've visited and can vouch for: Record Stores
BPM Records is a specialist record store for the
serious DJ. The BPM crew help to provide a comfortable and friendly
environment for you to shop, have fun and get what you want - good
tunes.
Reach'n Records is one of Australia's
most established and well organised record stores that stocks a very wide
range of mainly-underground dance music (both vinyl and CD's) from around
the world (especially UK and German material). The Reach'n
crew also operate their own record label, as well as organising an
assortment of club nights and parties plus tours and DJ bookings.
Central Station Records are Australia's
largest dance music supplier. They have stores in all major state capital
cities, as well as a few other locations. They stock a very wide range of
dance music, ranging from very commercial to very underground, as well as DJ
tapes, plus clothing and accessories in their Flipsidecompanion
stores.
World Records are a great record store located
within the grounds of Ohio State University
in Columbus, Ohio, USA, which I visited during my holiday to Ohio
throughout the first two-thirds of August, 1997, when I was a special guest
DJ at Jenerator.
Contrary to popular opinion, and popular (read tacky) music, video
has not killed the radio star. In fact, community radio here
in Australia is thriving and is at the forefront of promoting alternative
electronic arts and related culture. Video didn't Kill
the Radio Star
Radio 2SER broadcasts on 107.3
MHz from the roof of the Tower Building at the University of Technology, Sydney. 2SER is
Sydney's premier community radio station, and is jointly funded by UTS and
Macquarie University, along with
funds raised through donations, sponsorships, and most
importantly, the station members.
FBi Radio (FBi means Free
Broadcasting inc.), is an independent non-profit organisation
lobbying the
government to give it one of the last Sydney radio frequencies. Sydney is
the only state capital without a radio station dedicated to music and
arts - a void FBi wants to remedy!
Radio DEX is a community radio
station that is committed to the support and development of Australian and
international dance music.
Both of the above stations are sharing two frequencies (94.5 Mhz, and
96.9 Mhz) with a group of other community stations for the duration
of these test broadcasts.
This section is full of links to sources of really saucey, mostly-analog,
music gear. If you know of a piece of gear which is not covered here, please
let me know the details so I
can investigate! Sources for some
Excellent, Mostly-Analog, Music Gear
A well-known maker of quality
analog audio products is UK-based Novation Electronic Music Systems.
Novation designs and manufactures state-of-the-art, high-tech electronic
musical instruments. The Novation name is recognised as an industry leader
in the area of analogue modelling synthesisers.
Novation's products include the original BassStation (in keyboard and
rack-mounting versions), Super BassStation (pictured) and the
DrumStation.
One of the most spooky but really
gorgeous pieces of gear I have discovered is the FilterBank from Belgian
manufacturer Sherman Productions!
The FilterBank is a powerful analog filtering and distortion unit
with a huge frequency range and an awesome tube-like overdrive
behavior. It's a small, compact unit which is easy and fun to use, both live
and in the studio. All sorts of filtering and modulating effects are
possible!
Something else I have discovered,
but haven't had the chance to explore in-the-flesh, is the Concussor
modular synthesiser from Analogue
Solutions in the UK.
What other places are there to look at if you're interested in electronic
arts? Well, try some of these out.... Exploration
Station
I've been known to pen some poetry and other short verse in my guise as Zonavar.
You might like it - you might not - I'm not sure if that's the question...
Hmmmm... 8-) 
Don't forget the Clan Analogue site. Clan is an
Australian collective of people who work with and develop alternative
electronic audio and visual arts. One of the best alternative
electronic art and culture sites I've ever come across is Hyperreal, which is based in the USA.
Hyperreal was also the location of the server for Vrave. The frontline style of
alternative electronic music is definitely techno. This Australian site
covers the complete picture, from labels and artists to a myriad of
hypertext links and a DJ toolbox. I am heavily involved with
workstations made by Sun Microsystems
that are running versions of Solaris. Audio
software and support for Unix systems is a rare commodity, but slowly
there is more audio support appearing. For a diverse range of Australian
techno, trance and other related sounds, check out the site of PSY Harmonics, a record label
that is based in Melbourne, Australia. If you're a DJ, and the majority
of your music is on vinyl records instead of CD's, check out the SL-1200 FAQ for
lots of tips and handy information.
For something
completely different, check out Xtacy for some wicked
X-windows-based eye-candy software. It's written and maintained by Jer Johnson.
Ever noticed how the directors,
actors, etc. in any sort of cinematic production (be it video or film)
almost never give any mention of all the people who work in the background?
230volts.net aims to change that...
times.
If you have any suggestion for places which deserve links here,
please send me some email with
the details. If this link doesn't work for you, my email address is
'zonavar@lios.apana.org.au'.
back to
my home page as Zonavar