Category: Culture of Resistance

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Soom T’s “Bullets Over Babylon” Album: Tribute to Resistance

HouseofReggae.de  

Dubstep, Reggaeton and Electronique Gives Voice to Culture

Soom T (Sumati Bhardwaj) is an Indo-Scot from Glasgow who is known for her musical melange of DubStep, Hip Hop, Electronique, Reggae and Reggaeton. She’s created her own distinctive style and genre to accompany her eclectic, poetic, socio-political lyrics and versatile vocals. She also adds in other modern and world influences with her music. The genre is called several different names and hard to reduce to one label, but one that fits accurately is “Digital Laptop Reggae.”

Even more unique about her lyrics and sound are all the other musical acts she has collaborated with. Her writing, producing, recording and worldwide touring schedule is constant and rigorous and her global fan base is already huge and still growing. She is probably one of the hardest working women in the music industry in Europe and has produced more than 50 releases since 1999. She currently is signed to Renegade Masters.

MySpace.com

To get the music out, Soom T uses all the tools in the toolbox. She is online everywhere, with uploaded videos, sound bytes, photos and a presence on viral sites such as YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Spotify, Last.fm, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and more. Her upcoming recording, “Free as a Bird” is due to be released on November 13th, 2015.

“Bullets Over Babylon” was recorded as a collaboration and produced by Monkey Marc, released on April 20th, 2015. This album surprises with lush instrumentation and dedicated lyrics, multi-layered synth, keyboards and electronique. No two tracks sound the same:

  1. “Aliens in Jars” — driving rhythm, looped drums, electronique, rapped lyrics, special effects with the vocals, reverbed keyboards.
  2. “Bullshit” — world rhythms in the intro, rapped angry socio-political lyrics, lots of instrumentation, synth.
  3. “Complex Simplicity” with MC Karma — Far East sounding strings and chord progressions, MC Karma rapping lyrics, chorus done by Soom T, yearning and melodic vocals, world music sound, some vocal parts sound Middle Eastern. Another standout track.
  4. “Drill”
  5. “Boom”
  6. “Slave” — darkness, slow, minor keys, rhythmic, synth and special effects, jazzy vocals.
  7. “Rebellion” with Combat Wombat — rapped lyrics, electronica, mix of dubstep and reggaeton, layered vocal riffs.
  8. “Under the Bubble” — organ/keyboards intro and throughout, rapped and sung lyrics
  9. “Sick of it All” — spoken intro, rapped lyrics about corporatism and resistance, great special effects, vocals about the corporate culture.
  10. “Storms Come” with Marina P and Solo Banton– slow rapped reggae by Solo Banton, dancehall rhythms, Soom T’s lyrics are soft and beautiful used in the chorus and as a backdrop for Marina P’s soul voice in the verses. Outro with the sound of rain and thunder. Definitely a standout track! This writer’s favorite.
Review by Anita Stewart of Deep Green Resistance Florida, originally published at Rock at Night.

Deep Green Resistance in the news

A reporter for Fusion recently interviewed Dakota, the youngest member of Deep Green Resistance, for a story about militant resistance. Fusion is a media company focused on a young demographic of activists, so they drew on Dakota’s perspective to discuss the necessity of immediate and serious action to confront climate change. Unfair though it is, the threats of ecological breakdown weigh the heaviest on our youngest generation, as does the responsibility to fix the messes made by those who came before. Dakota articulates why he’s felt so moved to get involved in activism, and why he chose DGR.

Please read and share this article; hopefully it will inspire more youth to take up resistance!

Meet the teen member of Deep Green Resistance, a group that supports paramilitary action to confront climate change

Blockades in British Columbia and Western Canada

In the past year, we're seeing a surge of land defense actions in BC and elsewhere in Canada. Zoe Blunt of Victoria Forest Action Network compiled this list to help keep track of current, ongoing, and flying blockades, along with ways to get involved and support the actions.

We are ALL BEING CALLED to support these land defenders. To answer the call, email Zoe at wildcoast@riseup.net – she can help set up ride shares and give advice for fundraising.

Current and ongoing blockades

Also see a November 15, 2015 addition of two blockades on Vancouver Island.

  • Injunction and arrests at Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island: Community residents, including members of the Cowichan First Nation, are seeking an injunction to shut down toxic soil dumping in their drinking watershed. The dump overflowed during heavy rain November 13, 2015. Meanwhile the company is seeking an injunction to shut down the protestors, two of whom were arrested Noveber 13.
  • Walbran Valley blockade: Members of the Pacheedaht First Nation and non-native environmentalists have built a camp to stop the clearcutting of ancient cathedral forests just outside a park boundary. The Walbran has been the site of massive protests, civil disobedience, and sabotage for twenty years.
  • Ongoing: Coastal First Nations vs. Grizzly hunters. For two years, the Coastal Forest Guardians have been patrolling the central coast of BC and "educating" grizzly hunters and guides about the ban on hunting on their territory. The province continues to issue trophy hunting permits and now the Guardians say they are escalating their enforcement of the ban.
  • Happening now: Ahousaht First Nation on Vancouver Island is using boats to stop a new salmon farm in their territorial waters. Media reports here.
  • Ongoing: Gitdumden Clan of the Wet'suwet'en (neighbours to Unist'ot'en) in Northern BC. They are occupying their territory to block pipelines, logging, and mining. 
  • New: Likhts'amisyu Clan of the Wet'suwet'en (neighbours to Unist'ot'en), Northern BC. They are occupying their territory to block pipelines. This is Chief Toghestiy's camp. FB page.
  • Ongoing: Lax Kw'alaams First Nation vs. LNG pipeline terminal, near Prince Rupert BC. The drilling platform was barged into position near Lelu Island in a bay that holds millions of young salmon. The community is mobilizing to occupy the island and surround the barge. News story here.
  • Occasional: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island: The community has been trying to blockade a contaminated soil dump in the drinking watershed for Victoria and the south island. It is largely symbolic but it has potential. News report.
  • One-day blockade near Powell River to protect wildlife. In May nine women surrounded a feller-buncher to stop it from working in a sensitive habitat area. They are demanding logging stop during nesting season, and an end to clear-cutting on the Sunshine Coast. More protests are expected.   
  • Nicola Valley Chiefs and locals are blockading a biosolids dump near Merritt, BC and preventing sewage sludge from being trucked into their community. No shipments have made it through the blockade in over a month, and the companies responsible are preparing for a court hearing to have the protestors removed. Fundraising link here.
  • Ongoing: Voices of the Voiceless camp is an Indigenous re-occupation of Junction Creek area, St'at'imc Nation, 50 km north of Lillooet and about 250 km north of Vancouver. This camp was set up March 2015 under the direction of Xwisten elders to stop logging. The site is near a heritage site and the Junction Creek summer village, a traditional meeting place where people hunt, gather and process food. Video: Re occupying Junction Creek, Christine Jack's Welcome – YouTube
  • Victory: The Heiltsuk First Nation is fighting for the recovery of herring stocks on the Central Coast of BC. After the feds opened their territory to commercial fishing in March 2015, they occupied offices and set off solidarity rallies.  UPDATE: Their blockade is now over and the government has caved in and closed the fishery.
  • The Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in Manitobais protecting sacred sites by blockading workers cutting trees for a hydroelectric transmission line.
  • Ongoing: Burnaby/Langley – KM pipeline: 120 locals and allies were arrested in two weeks at a tarsands pipeline test drill site near Vancouver. In 2015, drillers and surveyors are trying to do their work in various locations but people report their whereabouts and they are confronted and prevented from working. The Kwantlen First Nation is leading the charge for the next round of resistance, which shows signs of escalating further (workers threatened, truck vandalized, equipment stolen).
  • The Nuu-chah-nulth Nations have closed the spring herring fishery in the strait off the west coast of Vancouver Island. They are promising to intercept commercial vessels with their own boats. 
  • Blockade down: The Northern Trappers Alliance, a traditional Dene group, was blocking forest roads near  Ducharme, Saskatchewan to push back against the loss of wildlife and land to drilling, pipelines, and gates. The protest camp and picket line were moved to the side of the road  after an injunction was issued and RCMP seized a trailer.
  • Victory: Tseshaht Nation, Port Alberni, Vancouver Island:  Blockade down and victory – the province has agreed to stop timber sales in old-growth forests of the Nahmint Valley. The Tseshaht are monitoring to make sure this agreement is respected.
  • Blockade down: Klabona Keepers, Talhtan Nation (near Iskut) Blockade removed after injunction issued. They were blocking Imperial Metals mine in Sacred Headwaters and other projects in various locations. They are still seeking volunteers, rideshares, donations, and legal help. These traditionalists boycotted the injunction hearing and withdrew for now.
  • Victory: Penelakut (Grace Islet, near Salt Spring Island) Development site on burial ground. Blockade down: The province is moving to intervene and purchase the development site.
  • Sabine Channel (between Lasqueti Island and Texada Island) Oct 4: One-day blockade of coal tanker traffic.
  • Ongoing: Unis'tot'en Camp, (near Smithers) Permanent camp – blocking tarsands and gas pipelines for five years. Get info about the Caravan.
  • Ongoing: Madii Lii Camp (Gitxsan) New permanent camp – blocking tarsands and gas pipelines.
  • Ongoing: Sutikalh (near Lillooet) Permanent camp on St'at'imc territory, blocking resort development for over ten years.

Climate Change Painting Series

Andrew Carr has painted a series depicting weatherpeople of the 2010-2014 era reporting on extreme weather events. Each painting links to further details on the event depicted.

Broken Records reveals many faces of climate change – from the slaphappy smiles of our weather prophets to the extreme weather events afflicting nations across the geographic and political spectrums.

Broken Records is a time capsule of inaction, circa 2010-2014. In 50 years, as the children of both believers and disbelievers face the long term consequences of climate change, they will wonder how we could have forecasted our doom with such sexually-infused, hyperactive ignorance.

Aesthetically, weather reports provided another opportunity to use “my colors” – the vivid, intense hues also seen in Game Shows and Prom Girls. I did not paint from still images, but rather clipped together the most apt elements of various weather reports to convey a time, a culture, and a missed opportunity to panic.

View the paintings at Broken Records.

Always see Deep Green Resistance Facebook posts

For a while, even if you “liked” the DGR Facebook page, there was no guarantee that our posts would show up in your news feed. Now Facebook has introduced a way for users to always see our posts. To enable it:

  1. Go to Deep Green Resistance Facebook
  2. “Like” our page if you haven’t yet
  3. Hover your mouse cursor over the “Liked” button on our page, then select “See First”.

Thanks for following our page!

The Desert Star

by Unblind

There once was a little boy, who lived in the Middle East.

His family had been murdered when bombs rained in the streets.

He huddled silent upon the rubble of his crumbled home,

Suffering, starving, terrified, he survived there on his own.

Fire lit skies from ravaged landscapes burned into the night,

But when the smoke clouds cleared a lonely star came into sight.

Deep from within his broken heart, the boy wept out his wish;

End the massacre of his people by the hands of the Western Rich.

There was something magical in that star,

No one could understand it.

Even the boy didn’t realize that his wish would soon be granted.

What then followed was not what he had perceived,

Something far more incredible would make the world believe.

An army of one million spirits taken by the war,

Rose up from their graves that night to walk the earth once more.

They marched in silence hand in hand, mother father, child,

Through the endless battlefields that spread for miles and miles.

When the invaders’ outposts had finally been reached,

The spirits simply stood there until the gunfire ceased.

The soldiers were all dumbfounded as they looked on in disbelief,

There they stood hand in hand the spirits of their casualties.

One by one the soldiers dropped their heavy guns,

Staring at the ghostly faces, they realised what they had done.

Thinking of their own families and of those who they loved best,

The soldiers stripped off their uniforms, turned and headed to the West.

War machines stood empty, with weapons in the sand,

Smoke cleared to blue sky as peace fell upon the land.

The little boy stood there smiling, for his wish had come true,

Now he stared up at his mother’s face and asked;

“Can I come with you?”

The spirit embraced her child and gave him one last kiss,

She took his little hand in hers and granted him his wish.

His soul followed the others as they floated to the light,

Free from their deaths misery, they each glowed with renewed delight.

Wide-awake the world now sees,

Through the eyes of others new found empathy.

also see Unblind’s “Older But Not Wiser…”

Deep Green Resistance “After Dark” short video

This short video gives a glimpse into social interactions in the life of a Deep Green Resistance member, friend, or family member. There’s a lot of good food, talking, laughing, good food, playing, learning, and some good food. This footage was taken after the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) in spring 2015, and shows a group of DGR attendees and presenters relaxing after their days of sharing and learning.

DGR After Hours from KITTYHAWK on Vimeo.

If you’re interested in joining us as we build a culture of resistance, please visit our website: Join Deep Green Resistance.

Lierre Keith on “Peak Moment” discussing The Vegetarian Myth

In March 2011, the popular video series “Peak Moment” interviewed Deep Green Resistance author Lierre Keith about her book The Vegetarian Myth. Keith summarizes, with well-researched eloquence, some of the primary myths of vegetarianism:

  • Eating vegetarian is good for our bodies
  • Eating vegetarian is good for the earth
  • Eating vegetarian will stop world hunger

Keith, formerly a long-time vegan herself, explicitly acknowledges and honors the morals, values, and passion that vegetarians and vegans bring to the struggle against factory farming and unethical and destructive food production. But she asks them to examine these “vegetarian myths” to get to the root causes of our horribly dysfunctional systems. Throughout the conversation, she stresses the primary problem of civilization and its prerequisite of agriculture, which requires a shocking amount of energy to fight nature. Maintaining monocrops is a never ending war. Whether to feed caged animals on concrete, or to directly feed humans, this is a war we can’t afford to win.

Read a transcript of the interview or watch the video below, and if you’d like to learn more, we highly recommend reading the full book: The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith.

For more videos featuring Lierre Keith, the other DGR authors, and DGR members, visit Deep Green Resistance on Youtube or our Member Appearances page for both audio and video.

DGR NY on Guy McPherson’s Nature Bats Last

Pauline Schneider and Guy McPherson interviewed Frank Coughlin of DGR NY for the March 3rd episode of the Nature Bats Last podcast. Coughlin gives a basic overview of Deep Green Resistance: our philosophy, our strategy, our campaigns, and our goal of building a culture of resistance. He speaks, from his perspective as a health care practitioner and his experiences abroad, about the need for resistance in the heart of empire, rather than leaving the responsibility for revolution solely to those most oppressed and with the fewest resources. He also ties this exploitation of global capitalism to social injustices at home, and to ecological devastation.

Coughlin helped organize a workshop in New York City in late February featuring McPherson, and explains how the recent event grew out of a successful partnership the year before. McPherson presents a sober assessment of the state of climate change and the dire circumstances for all life on earth, including humans. Deep Green Resistance presents a strategy based on such a realistic assessment, proposing action on the same scale as our predicament. This sort of eyes-wide-open learning and decision making is likely to lead to more effective action than analyses and approaches oriented towards feel-good personal actions.

Listen to this episode as a good introduction to Deep Green Resistance with a personal spin: Frank Coughlin on Nature Bats Last, and visit Deep Green Resistance New York if you live in the area and would like to get involved.