Police (CCN) interrogated Ballentine, then charged him with the murder of Ricardo Johnson aka “Ricky Trouper” (not Trooper the soundclash deejay), plus conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Members of the MITask Force are still looking for the 2 other men Ballentine allegedly conspired with.

In 1999, Ballentine was charged with unlawful firearm possession and spent a year in jail.

Ninjaman is notorious for gun-related dancehall and soundclash tunes like “Murda Dem” and “My Weapon” but in the last few years he’s presented himself as The Preacher. According to his my$pace bio:

In 1997, Ninjaman re-invented himself as a born-again Christian under the name Brother Desmond, and enjoyed a brief stint as a Gospel Dancehall performer, before returning to his ragga Dancehall roots.

Dressed in white from head to toe, he told fans that he had put down the guns in order to promote peace under the One Umbrella Movement. BIG words coming from one of the most lethal sound killers Jamaica has ever produced! Ninjaman’s words once had the power to shut down competing soundsystems with tunes like:

“Permit to bury and a license to kill” (Permit To Bury)
“Nobody Buss Gun Like Me”

And lines like these from “Bad Man”:

What ya think all my guns are for?
.45 in control just to explode on a bwoy soul
Times changing, things rearranging, more guns bussing
More man dying from back in the days of pure mass murdering….

Of course, being the baddest of the bad man inna dance doesn’t mean a deejay carries the violence out into the streets. Ninjaman can kill a sound with ease (and mad mad mad mad style), but only as long as Desmond Ballentine stays outta trouble!

As a MAJOR fan of Ninjaman, I’m hoping he’s innocent. But, if he winds up in The Tower, I’ll probably ask the lovely and talented DJ Ripley if she can hook us up with an interview or visiting pass. She’s inna di area now, “conducting dissertation research into Jamaican creative musical practice as it applies (or doesn’t apply) to copyright law” as 1 friend succinctly described it… This gal rules on so many levels, yuh dun know! I think she worked with the prison directly last year, or hopes to this year. I’ll ask her for more info, but in the meantime, read more here:

DJ Ripley blogs about sampling, copyright, intellectual rights, reggae, jungle, breakcore and more

Deets:

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14th… it’s that time again… time to unleash the bay area’s finest audio mutants, bass warriors and space/time annihilators upon an unsuspecting populace. time to let your emotions come to a boil…

MONSTERS OF LOVE 2009

room one.. disaster area: earth shaking, pulse pounding dancefloor excitement…
zanbai dJ megabitch amandroid exillon dJ .0000001 being1 d-syn spukkin’ faceship kid kameleon solstingr staypuft dJ dJ hadji lux aka rodman brad electro marin rtype fishstix stapler dJ white trash

room two.. final showdown: unearthly, catastrophic, panic inducing insanity…
squid eye blipvert 2xintheface laskfar vortok david8 kon396 heartworm crackhouse dJ anethtesist jen blum dimentia filthmilk prion mC subzero djynnx murdasloth

installations and art from:
absurd research labs, deadpedal, the nikki, johnny ace and more
visual stimulations by:
vJ kevlar, crackhouse, dvd8
herbal elixer lounge by max salamander refreshments from zobotnik enterprises

10 dollar donation at the door… no one turned away for lack of funds. 9pm until we’re done…
415.762.3616 for directions the day of the event…

Press play because the tune is wicked. But don’t be afraid to turn off yr monitor, close yr laptop, close yr eyes and just enjoy the audio onslaught…

Does this video remind anyone else of the all-natural “Christian” lifestyle the Manson family embraced right before going Helter Skelter on the world?

Mashit astutely points out Zebbler’s most interesting factoid to date: that he’s THE dude (nee Peter Berdovsky) who was arrested in connection with the “Boston Mooninite ‘Bomb’ scare” aka - the Adult Swim cartoon displays that appeared mysteriously one day and were immediately mistaken for terrorist-planted bombs. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You say “terrorism,” they say “performance art”:

The video Get To The Truth was created by Zebbler Encanti Experience, a Boston-based audio-visual immersive performance duo. We are generally known to use heavy a/v effects in our performances, which makes this piece remarkably restrained. Get To The Truth instead uses human body and nature as its central focus. The video itself reflects on the magnetic effects of human culture/flesh to our individual psyche and the perennial attempt to reach beyond the box we are confined to.

It was shot in various spots in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with the final mountain shot taking place on the morning of the US presidential election (Nov 4th, 2008).

Zebbler Encanti Links:

http://www.myspace.com/zebbler
http://www.myspace.com/bencantil
http://www.zebblerencantiexperience.com/

Excerpted from the reggae episode of the Aquarius tv show circa 1976. (Imagine the 1980 cult film Babylon if it were a BBC documentary and you’d have the reggae episode of Aquarius.)

To The Sopranos:

Laurent Garnier - “Crispy Bacon” video

More here:
Roni Size and Pendulum Remedy DJ sets.

Azzido Da Bass - Lonely By Your Side (Feat. John)
Van She - Kelly
S’Express - Stupid Little Girls (Original Mix)
Fischerspooner - Danse en France (D.I.M. Remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Armand Van Helden Remix Edit)
Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons [Tepr Remix]
The Count & Sinden Ft Kid Sister - Beeper (A-Trak Remix)
South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again (Fake Blood Remix)
Grand National - By The Time I Get Home (AC Slater Remix)
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back (Patrick Alavi Remix)
Cutting Crew - Died in Your Arms (Drop the Lime Remix)
Sugababes - Round Round (Soulwax Remix)
Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKFRFT Remix)
Sneaky Sound System - UFO (Van She Tech Remix)
Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction (Wideboys Bassline Remix)

More info, download here:

soquitcherbitchen.blogspot

Terrorbird Day NoisePop Party @ Apple Store in San Francisco, Feb. 28, 2009

Bang Face Weekender 2009 Lineup

In the meantime, be sure to catch DrumCorps aka Aaron Spectre at the next Bang Face party:

Bang Face my$pace