The BBC considered personality traits common to successful dictators such as Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein and Caligula this week, interviewing US psychology professor Fred Coolidge, an expert who’s studied leaders including Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler.

Singling out sadism and narcissism as common characteristics, the University of Colorado professor said many autocrats also ‘have a tendency for paranoia’ which he said is one of the key requirements for long term success.

“Their traits can help keep them in power,” he suggested, “For example, if you are hypersensitive to threats and plots then you can effectively eliminate your [real or imagined] competition.” (BBC: http://bbc.in/JcDzT7 )

Quite how applicable his findings are for superstar DJs remains unclear, though the BBC report appeared just as Forbes published their annual ‘World’s Most Powerful Celebrities list’, which included for the first time Tiesto and Skrillex as well as proudly paranoid business guru Donald Trump.

While Skrillex made 92 on the list (off the back of reported earnings of US$15million) and Tiesto 84 (US$23million), Trump landed at 16, earning $63million from ventures including his TV show and new aftershave range ‘Success by Trump’. http://onforb.es/Kt5HR0

Success by Trump cologne; click to buy

Chatting about his business principles in his 2004 book ‘How to get Rich’ he admitted ‘I often say it’s good to be paranoid’ and emphasised the same point in a speech made four years later for ThinkBigSeminars.

“While it’s not pleasant to talk about by any means, it is a reality; people can be bad at heart,” he warned.

“Be very careful when you hire or place somebody in any sensitive position of trust. Rose-colored glasses while pretty can have harmful effects on our lives and businesses, be paranoid and careful when it comes to your assets,” he advised. (http://bit.ly/KHfSAj )

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Westway Records boss Carl Loben unveiled details of Essex band Dirty Rich’s upcoming single ‘F**K The Jubilee’ this week, though insisted that despite its title, he and fellow label co-conspirator Barry Ashworth are ‘ardent monarchists who love the Queen’.

“We figured there was going to be a lot of media coverage of the Queen’s Jubilee in the coming weeks, and so for the sake of balance thought that there should be something out there that didn’t wholeheartedly support the flag-waving Royal pageant,” Carl explained.

“As well as taking a pop at the United Kingdom’s hereditary monarchy, the track also targets the corporate exclusivity of the London 2012 Olympics,” he added.

“Specifically the IOC – the International Olympic Committee – who have allowed the global athletics event to be dominated by big business in recent times. In attendance at the Games will be a large proportion of supposed VIPs, while ordinary Londoners are shut out – and facing transport and security lockdown.”

In more punk rock/ Jubilee news original Sex Pistol Glen Matlock joined forces with John Lydon in saying he wasn’t supporting the campaign to make God Save The Queen number 1 during jubilee week and also reminisced about his replacement bassist Sid Vicious.

Recalling sharing Vicious’ last ever pint of beer in England (before he left for America, was arrested for murder then overdosed and died), Matlock said Vicious was suprisingly self conscious about his image.

“He was worried about losing his hair,” he claimed.

“I’m fortunate in that respect, but if there was a bald Sid Vicious going around these days, his stature in the world of iconography would be a bit different.” (Telegraph: http://tgr.ph/KYIAJ9 )

Punk Rock’s spirit was vigorously defended by Berlin cupcake shop owner Daniel Bader, this week, who told ExBerliner ‘“Anybody who thinks I’m not a punk because I sell little cute cakes can really fuck off’.

“Selling cupcakes is actually the most punk rock thing I could do,” he explained, “I didn’t sell my soul; I didn’t start working at a bank or selling insurance. We did our own thing.” http://bit.ly/JB1pbk (Ex-Berliner)

http://cupcakeberlin.de/

Click to watch the video

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Legendary disco singer Donna Summer has died from cancer after a long battle with the illness. She was just 63.

Scores of stars including Nile Rodgers, Beyonce, Armin Van Buuren and A-Trak immediately paid tribute via Twitter and Facebook.

“Damnnn, Donna Summer too? Wow, RIP,” A-Trak tweeted, “Our culture is so indebted to her.”

“For the last half hour or so I’ve been lying in my bed crying and stunned,” said Chic superstar Nile Rodgers, “Donna Summer RIP.”

“In shock that the person who made my favourite record of all time has passed away,” Jagz Kooner added, “RIP Donna Summer”.

Jagz was one of 50 DJs and producers who voted Donna Summer’s I Feel Love as the 2^nd most influential Dance record of all time, in a poll for Skrufff last year and speaking about the track at the time was equally enthusiastic about Patrick Cowley’s ground-breaking 15 minute remix.

“It’s the art of the remix defined- in 1978,” Jagz enthused, “Built from one of the greatest tunes ever made and turned into an epic 15 minute version with more cool synth riffs and arpeggiators than pretty much any tune that has been put together since. Still gets me every time.”

“Some record are years ahead of their time, ‘I Feel Love’ was decades ahead,” Horse Meat Disco’s Luke Howard declared, a point echoed by Jez and Tim from Utah Saints.

“This track showed you didn’t need a guitar to make exciting music,” they told Skrufff, “and kick-started bedroom producers around the world!”

https://www.facebook.com/donnasummer

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

British electronic auteur Richard Aphex Twin James is re-releasing his seminal experimental album ‘Selected Ambient Works Vol II’ as an ‘extremely limited’  triple gatefold record.

The occasionally unlistenable Brian Eno-esque album established James’ credentials as being one of dance culture’s most innovative and critically acclaimed producers, which he further enhanced by launching pointed attacks on 90s era EDM.

Chatting to genre overlord Simon Reynolds in 1993 he was right about drum & bass (then known as ‘jungle’) though signally wrong about the longevity of the already much mocked mainstream genre of trance.

“I hate trance and I hate jungle, but I’d rather listen to jungle cos at least it makes me laugh,” he quipped.

“But I can totally see why people get off on jungle. Trance is more of a trend thing, whereas jungle has its roots. It’s broken off its own branch of rave music, and it’ll probably always be there, cos there are enough people who like it,” he predicted. (The  Quietus; http://bit.ly/KYGR7j )

‘Selected Ambient Works Vol II’ is out now (on vinyl) on 1972 Records.

Windowlicker: video:   (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!!):

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Paris in Ibiza (2010); click for more

Billionaire party girl Paris Hilton announced this week that she’ll soon be joining the ranks of pop-dance superstar DJs David Guetta, Tiesto and Afrojack, kicking off her career with an 1 hour set before 30,000 revellers in Brazil.

Promising that her show at the Pop Festival will be ‘the first of many’, she told reporters she’ll be spinning ‘custom-made remixes of the best tracks’ (presumably made by boyfriend Afrojack or regular collaborators Manufactured Superstars) and told Billboard she’s ‘very excited to share all of my hard work with the world.” (http://bit.ly/KYGR7j )

“Electronic music is a huge passion of mine and I’m finally letting the world experience it with me,” she told reporters.

“I have been working in the studio for a long time and ready to take deejaying to the next level. I chose Brazil for my debut because it is the country of music and dancing.”

Somewhat predictably, deep house legend turned Twitter scourge of Swedish House Mafia, DJ Sneak was unimpressed.

‘PH sucks at everything, she is wealthy she should stay out real DJ business. this is 4 pros,” he advised.

“Like once PH realizes how much work this really is she’ll give up,” he predicted, “she doesn’t belong in this business this is for grown folks.”

https://twitter.com/#!/PARISHILTON

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Traci Lords (click for more)

Bruce Wagoner unveils his new documentary based on interviews with former porn stars asking ‘What happened next?’ While Traci Lords (not in the film) went on to make music with psy-trance legends Juno Reactor not many of the other actresses appear to have fared so well . . .

Kreuzberg, Berlin

DJs and artists in Berlin will be amongst hundreds of thousands of self employed people who could soon be forced to pay €350 a month pension contributions on top of mandatory health care costs plus taxes meaning each will have to earn at least €600 before earning one cent.

“These mandatory contributions will be hundreds of euros per month for a basic social security which they can’t live on. For many freelancers, this could signal the end,” freelance news portal Deskmag.com predicted.

“From July 1st 2013, many self-employed workers risk enduring significant financial burdens that threaten their professional existence, especially for those who have inconsistent or precarious sources of income. The creative economy is likely to shrink as a result,” they suggested. (DeskMag.com: http://bit.ly/IJmMlJ )

Expat news portal columnist Seymour Gris of ExBerliner was similarly alarmed.

“In a new package of proposed laws beautifully entitled “Rewarding Life’s Work” planned by the Merkel government, the self-employed will be required to pay a monthly “retirement contribution” of around €350 to help fill up the coffers of the bankrupt German pension system which is already subsidized by €80 billion in taxpayer money beginning in 2013,” he said.

“Berlin is especially susceptible to this legislation, as it will kill off myriad microcosms of entrepreneurism in every imaginable field from culture to food to IT. Or else drive more small business people into the tax-free black market,” he predicted. (http://bit.ly/KmzHNp )

Brighton based freelancer and DJ/ promoter Nick Titchener also ridiculed the proposals branding them ‘ridiculous’.

“If a similar thing was brought into play in the UK, many, many freelancers wouldn’t be able to afford to eat, or pay their rent.  Where do the lawmakers think the money is going to come from, especially for start-ups or those going through a bad time – as every “freelancer” or self-employed person does? Anonymous benefactors? Donations from big business?” said Nick.

“It will be a medium term nightmare for the German economy, particularly with mobility of labour in the EU; why would anyone start something up in German? You know those little innovative “we can start by building it in the garage” business like, say Apple or Microsoft . . .”

New 5 star hotels on the Spree

http://bit.ly/J739cf (Click here to sign a petition protesting about the bill)

http://bit.ly/IrJOCl

Seymour Gris: Killing off the Creative Class http://bit.ly/KmzHNp

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

The Bulldog Amsterdam; click for more

Amsterdam based British DJ Dave Clarke welcomed the imminent introduction of a cannabis café pass system designed to prevent tourists from buying pot in Holland this week, telling Skrufff ‘I think it is a good thing.’

“Holland and Amsterdam is much more that the stereotypical view of smoking and poking. Most Amsterdam-ers are quite OK with the ban, to be honest,” Dave suggested.

“What impact do I think it will have on the club scene? Absoluely none,” he predicted, “Though Easyjet sales might be down for a while.”

Moving from Brighton to Amsterdam some years ago, the infamously single-minded techno star settled in the heart of Amsterdam’s touristic centre and painted a sorry picture of the smokers he encounters around town.

“I’m sorry to say it, but most of them seem to be English and German idiots who cannot control themselves, they think they can fly and then throw up at best or fall out of windows at worst,” Dave complained.

“I very, very rarely smoke, maybe a few times a year at the very most,” he added. “The last time I went to a cafe was a long time ago in the winter maybe two years ago, but I went because they did a killer hot chocolate to go with a steaming hot olliebal.”

“Come to Holland for the culture and the architecture, Amsterdam is, for me, the most beautiful city in the world,” said Dave.

His approval of the foreigner weed ban, which was implemented in Dutch border towns including Maastricht last week, came as police reported that buyers are simply driving further into Holland, with some popping up 90km from Maastricht in Nijmengen.

“In recent days, we are spotting cars with Belgian plates in the city center, who are clearly there for the coffee shops,” Nijmegen police spokeswoman Florian Vingerhoeds told reporters. “Before, we never saw Belgian plates.”

The futility of using laws to crack down on drugs was also emphasised by former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski who writing in the New York Times this week admitted his attempt at total zero tolerance with heavy prison sentences for users was a total failure.

Leading Poland between 1995 and 2005, the ex president admitted they expected the prospect of fierce prison sentences for people caught with even ‘minuscule amounts of drugs’ would deter users and catch dealers but said neither goal happened. Instead tens of thousands of otherwise law abiding young people were criminalised. he said.

“The vast majority of those individuals were not drug dealers,” he added. “Some of them, however, were adolescents whose prospects for careers as lawyers, public officials or teachers were suddenly blighted.” (New York Times: http://nyti.ms/LokREY )

http://www.thebulldog.com

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

click for more; including festival details

Financiers have bought the brand name of legendary New York punk institution CBGBs and hope to establish a music festival, the New York Times reported this week, almost 6 years after the infamous Bowery club closed its doors.

Opening in 1973 in the then semi-derelict and distinctly dangerous Lower East Side neighbourhood, the down-at-heel bar rapidly became the key venue where seminal punk and new wave bands including the Ramones, Blondie and Television started their careers, in the process crystallising a scene that spawned punk.

Tom Tom Club’s Chris Frantz, who also started out at the club as the drummer with Talking Heads in 1975, welcomed the news.

“CBGBs was the one place in New York City where unsigned bands like early Talking Heads could perform their original songs, be applauded for it and make a few bucks, too,” he recalled. “I think it’s great!” Chris told Skrufff.

The investors bought the brand from deceased owner Hilly Krystal’s daughter Lisa Kristal Burgman and Chris suggested the legendary promoter would have fully approved.

“Before Hilly died he was trying to set up a new home for CBGBs, so I don’t believe he would have any problem with this deal whatsoever,” said Chris. “I hope it works out well for everyone.”

Chatting to Skrufff in 2004, Hilly recalled how the Lower East Side changed over the club’s 33 year tenure.

“When the club started there were a lot of artists, musicians and writers living here an there was an intermingling of different people. Lots of them were struggling in the arts and the rents were cheap, though right now no rents are cheap so you have an intermingling of lawyers, with all these people and the different ethnic groups.   The Bowery’s changed but it’s good, you still see a lot of younger people and musicians and artists but you don’t have the Bowery Bums anymore.”

He was equally positive about the mainstream recognition CBGBs belatedly received as the club’s merchandising business, particularly T shirts, exploded with the internet.

“The fashion thing has really taken off, it’s wonderful because I’m no longer struggling so much,” said Hilly.

“Through the years it’s been tough, and it’s not been as easy as people think. My rent now is 25 thousand a month, it used to be 700 a month.”

He also spoke poignantly about punk rock’s legacy.

“The legacy here is about people taking hold of their music and making it their own way. It’s a young people’s music, I’m not young, but it’s music for young people to spout off to say what they feel, to explain what’s bothering them. That’s very important and that’s what punk is.

It’s not necessarily deep thinking but it’s an emotion based on what they feel as an individual or as a group, that’s its legacy. When you think of rock, punk is less calculated and formularised, even though it seems to end up seeming with its own formula. But it’s punk’s simplicity that makes it clearer. It’s easier for young people to grasp, and it’s not pretentious, not in its best form. There’s a certain simple drive that touches people.”

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

OWS; click to listen

Hotly tipped California tech-house duo Climbers have called the standout track on their debut Culprit release OWS, which came out this week on the uber-hip Californian label.

The hauntingly dark but wonderfully funky original production fits seamlessly into the hugely popular ‘underground’ house styles popularized by the likes of Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler and looks certain to catapult the duo from relative anonymity to serious crossover success.

The release came just two years after they first connected with Culprit by sending the LA label rough demos. Their rapid career ascent contrasted markedly with the experiences of Jamie Jones, who chatting to Resident Advisor in 2010 recalled producing scores of tracks before he broke through seriously.

“Not to be negative [but], a lot of people these days, make tracks, they’re not really good enough to release yet or sound good enough to release. But today because of the digital age, a lot of them just get released,” he said.

“But I was of the persuasion where if it wasn’t good enough to release on some of my favourite labels at the time, which were Freak n’ Chic, Crosstown Rebels, Poker Flat, then it wasn’t good enough to release.

“So I sort of waited and waited and finally my first release was on Freak n’ Chic.” (RA: http://bit.ly/b9Mbf7 )

Culprit’s press release accompanying Climbers’ release made no mention at all of whether Jay Blakk and Kiko Deal are active supporters of OWS though their decision to at least name-check the protest movement suggests they at least support the grassroots political movement sweeping America.

The scale of the problems being raised by OWS were poignantly addressed by Simon Rogers in British newspaper the Guardian recently in an article headlined ‘Occupy protestors say it is 99% v 1%. Are they right?”’

“Now, one in every seven Americans lives below the poverty line – that’s a record 46.2 million people (although it might actually be higher). One in six Americans have no health insurance – 50 million people, a population twice the size of Texas (27m people),” He noted.

“Of every 17 Americans, at least one will be earning below the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. 14.5% of Americans households are defined as “food insecure”. That means for every seven households, one will have trouble putting enough food on the table“. (Guardian; http://bit.ly/vQutl2 )

https://www.facebook.com/CulpritLA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street

Climbers OWS: click here to listen; http://bit.ly/K4rvyo

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff