The Vasque terrorist group ETA has been expiring for a while now. However, there is no doubt it will try to kill again before finally extinguishing. Killing is the only kind of life its fanatic members are familiar with.

Well, they kill to bring about freedom in the Vasque land.

This “freedom” demanded the life of nearly 900 people, whose crime was not to agree with the fascist ideas of the radical nationalists, or to defend the constitutional rights and liberties of all the Spaniards (Vasque or otherwise), or simply to be in the wrong place in the wrong moment.

Freedom and equality have always been paramount for ETA. Its quest for freedom in the Vasque country required liberating it from the imaginary opression by a Spanish democracy that actually granted it the most comprehensive political, economic and cultural autonomy any European region has ever enjoyed. Its fight has been very egalitarian too, as among the victims we find all kinds of people, national and local policemen, members of the army, politicians from all parties (but specially from the non-nationalist ones), businessmen, workers, housewifes, journalists, children… All of them had to die for the Vasque land to be free. Nearly 900 people, but it might as well have been 9,000. There are no limits when we talk about freedom for the Vasque tribe, that travesty of the real Vasque men and women.

ETA is dying now, and it does because the Spanish democracy chose the only possible moral and practical way to fight its terror: enforcing the law and putting all the captured terrorists behind bars after a due process. ETA is dying thanks to the police and the judges, something more questionable shorcuts never achieved.

And finally all the political actors (at least the democratic ones) asumed there can be no political concessions to ETA for it to stop killing. No political party would ever go that road. Mentioning this possibility would amount to a political suicide.

However, we often hear something like this: “ETA has to dissolve itself, and perhaps then the Spanish democracy could be magnanimous”, presumaby meaning that when ETA disappears there could be some kind of amnesty for its convicted members. This idea has become a commonplace of the Spanish political life, as if that was the necessary finale of these tragic years in Spanish recent history, or even a morally appropriate one.

Why should the victims show any magnanimity? Why would the Spanish democracy be (even more) generous? The termination of the radical nationalist terror should be a synonym of justice, not of mercy, which has no moral or practical role in here. No one can seriously contend that demanding the terrorists serve their full sentences even in the case ETA disappears is inmoral or unfair.

Unlike other regimes based on a sort of institutionalised revenge, the Spanish criminal justice system aims at the rehabilitation of offenders. The ETA terrorists in prison should be able to benefit from the same opportunities for rehabilitation the system offers to any other convicted criminals, but not more.

It is not enough to rule out the possibility of political benefits for the terrorists in exchange for peace. Rewarding them with a special status is unfair and is not needed to bring about peace. This is not revenge, but justice.

We own it to the victims.

Photo: Blood, 2006 © pukka21

The Cuban president, Raul Castro, announced this week measures to reinforce the socialist nature of the Cuban revolution. The “experiment”, in the words of the Cuban rulers, will consist in letting some Cubans to offer haircuts or taxi services privately… Of course, we cannot call these measures “reforms”, said the Cuban finance minister, Marino Murillo, since there is nothing to “reform”. They amount to just an “improvement of the Cuban economic model”. We should not worry, because Mr. Murillo guarantees us that “this improvement is being considered carefully”, because, and it strikes me as odd nobody paid much attention to this part of the sentence, “we don’t have the right to make a mistake”. Good. No right to make a mistake.

It seems to me the mistake in Cuba is called “Communist regime”, and the experiment “socialist revolution”, which have crushed the lives and freedom of the Cubans for more than fifty years now.

You may think, “well, just another pronouncement from a despot. No big deal”. However, in this precise moment, while you are reading these lines, there are men and women dying in prison just because they demanded a change, peacefully, or called for freedom, or because they read something forbidden, or talked to the wrong person, or expressed his or her solidarity with the oppressed. And there are many other men and women lining up for hours to get the rationed, insufficient supply of calories from the government stores, the only ones available to the average Cuban. And many more who go to bed with fear and despair every night in this Caribbean prison called Cuba.

Ah, only a little mistake.

Photo: Havana, Cuba, 2009 © Michaelsdonovan

In the late 1960s, a photographer roams the streets of the London in his Rolls Royce, stopping here and there to take pictures. Then goes to his studio, where models await him, then is off again. On the way he meets people, comes across a group of noisy mimes riding a jeep, visits an antique shop… He is looking for something, or someone, but what? Who? There is sex, there are relations, conversations, drugs, music… Everything plays a role but, at the end of the day, nothing seems to be interesting, or real enough. In a park, he takes pictures of a couple. The woman runs to him. She wants the film, begs for it, follows him to the studio. When he develops the film, and after blowing up time and again the pictures, he realizes he photographed a murder, or he thinks he did. The park at night. The corpse is still there. Now it is not. Driving around London again. He follows the mysterious woman of the park. Ends up in a psychedelic-rock concert, then at a party. He comes across the mimes again. The imagined becomes reality. Or is the other way round?

Fascinating, absorbing, mind-boggling, but… what is Blow-up about?

Blow-up (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

Photo: Blow-up, 1966 @ eatenbythemonster

Tracklist:

01 Sascha Funke ft Nina Kraviz “Moses (Stimming mix)” (Bpitch Control)
02 Tina Valen “Colors (Terry Lee Brown Jr dub)” (Young Society Records)
03 Markus Schatz “Good vibe” (Highgrade Records)
04 Motorcitysoul “Vivid (Roman Fluegel’s desperate dub)” (Simple Records)
05 Sascha Funke ft Nina Kraviz “Headphones” (Bpitch Control)
06 Maya Jane Coles “No simpathy” (Elite Records)
07 Markus Schatz “Dope on plastic” (Highgrade Records)
08 Timid Boy “Ha ha ha (Okain mix)” (Time Has Changed)
09 Maya Jane Coles “Breathe” (1Trax)
10 Oliver Koletzki ft Pyur “These habits (AKA AKA mix)” (Stil Vor Talent)
11 Timid Boy “Hold on (Acumen mix)” (Time Is Now)
12 Christian Fischer “Black coffee (AKA AKA mix)” (Definition Records)
13 Oliver Koletzki ft Fran “Hypnotized (Goldfinga & Pure Kaozz mix)” (Stil Vor Talent)

Download
[01:07:11, 92,3 Mb]

Photo: Abstract Blue Lights, 2010 © Darren Hester

“Dubai: Alleged victim of gang rape sentenced to one year in prison”, reads the newspaper headline. We’ve read it so many times. In most Arab and muslim countries, women who are sexually assaulted are nearly always victims of two consecutive crimes, and not just one: first, the men who rape them; then, the courts which condemn them to jail and/or to lashes for “enticing men to have sex with them”, “being in the pressence of men who are not family members”, engaging in “consensual sex”, or having an “extramarital relation”. Of course, none of the crimes commited on them ever deserve any justice or reparation worth of that name.

I won’t engage myself now in an easy condemnation of Islam as a whole, or even of certain extreme understandings of Islam. I am just thinking now, why these barbaric and widespread practices are not denounced by the muslim masses in the countries where they take place? I could hear the usual answer: we’re talking about very traditional and conservative societies, they never knew anything different, they don’t know any better. What about the more illustrated groups or the emerging middle class there ? Again, free speech, individual liberty and rule of law don’t exist in any of these countries, and criticizing well entrenched practices may be quite dangerous. Then, what do you say about muslim communities in the Western world? Why are they not denouncing these and other practices we all rightly associate with Islam? Information is not censored here, and is easily accesible; critique is valued and encouraged; freedom and different lifestyles can be compared to a life of oppression and tyrannical social hierarchies. Why we never, ever hear of significant campaigns in the Western democracies, lead by muslim organizations themselves? Why are there no ambitious, comprehensive and combative muslim strategies here to change this state of affairs? I’ve got an answer that, sadly, I don’t think I’ll reconsider in the short term: tacit and widespread approval.

It doesn’t matter most muslim people in a free society would somehow be lukewarm or non-supportive if asked about the well established violence in islamic sacred books, ruling elites and social structures alike against women and children, against dissenters male or female. The truth is they, as a collectivity living in a free society, as theoretically free citizens themselves, are not willing to stand up for freedom, thus voluntarily locking themselves up in the jail of tyranny, violence, indignity and hopelessness.

Photo: State Sanctioned Abuse, 2007 © Dude Crush

Another tech house mix previously hosted on soundcloud.com/loudsoul. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

01 Guido Schneider · Moesko
02 Alan Fitzpatrick · Someone’s wrecked my car (Stallos mix)
03 Kriece · Skullduggery (Stallos mix)
04 Kornel Lemon · La leona (Alex Celler mix)
05 Stallos · Hamster
06 Cardo & Elia · Drink man
07 Stallos · Weasel
08 Jesse Voorn · Carlton
09 Ray Okpara · Brainows (Lauhaus & Boris Werner mix)
10 Simian Mobile Disco · Audacity of huge (Dangles mix)
11 Lützernkirchen · Yoh-Ka!
12 Empro · Running Man
13 Lützernkirchen · Prolly relaxed
14 Danny Tenaglia · D’Ibiza (D-Unity tribal mix)

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[01:12:40, 99,8 Mb]

Photo: Green Tear, 2008 © AkiMao

A tech house mix I made last January. Originally hosted on soundcloud.com/loudsoul.

Tracklist:

01 Atmosfear · Dancing in outer space (MAW rascal dub)
02 Oliver $ · Runnin low
03 Lützenkirchen · Linear sky
04 Pirupa & Pigi · Sweet devil
05 Angela K. · Ballad (Pirupa & Pigi dub)
06 Croatia squad · Electric masquerade (Daniel Portman mix)
07 Pirupa & Pigi · Gave U ass
08 Mikel Curcio & Noir · La musica (Pirupa & Pigi mix)
09 Gringo Gomes · Bilie Jean remake

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[46:07, 63,4 Mb]

Photo: Bulbs, 2010 © doo3

Sometimes you don’t need much to create a masterpiece in the kitchen. Just buy some very fresh blue fish, such as red mullet or sardines, flour it lightly and fry it in olive oil. Let it rest for a few minutes in a paper towel to get rid of the excess of oil, and serve it while still hot and crunchy. The fish will melt in your mouth. If you accompany it with a dressing made of parsley, extra virgin olive oil and lemon, the healthy, cheap and tasty chef-d’œuvre will be complete.

Photo: Pescaito, Valencia, 2010 © loudsoul

As far as I know, no country in Europe, not to speak about other parts of the world, has developed a culture of the aperitivo as Italy did. These days one could completely skip dinners, and go instead for this combination of drinks and early dinner, sometimes light, sometimes more substantial, in which you only pay for the drink and food arrives magically at your table. The closest practice could be that of the free tapas when you order a glass of wine or a beer in some Andalucian villages, but these would not qualify for a meal as the aperitivo does. Today, some Camparis with soda at the beautiful and a little figuetto (posh) patio of the Hotel Locarno deserved a series of small delicatessen dishes served twice without even ordering them, and yesterday, the funky Freni e frizioni, at the Trastevere, welcomed us with some nice cocktails and -courtesy of the bar- a delicious veggie buffet, plus the nice deep-house music of a guest dj and an animated terrace where a gorgeous crowd scattered to enjoy salads, mojitos and conversation. Could there be a better way of bringing to an end these warm days here in Rome?

Hotel Locarno

Freni e Frizioni

Photo: Ice cubes I, 2007 © Just in time

Waking up at dawn, opening the window and staring for a while at the roofs of the very old buildings at the Piazza Bologna. It is a quiet morning here, an otherwise noisy place, as one can only hear birds singing and an the occasional motorino here and there; of course, it is still early… When I think of my first impressions of the city, one word springs up: home. This is my first visit to Rome, but it feels I’ve been here all my life. Buildings that could be in Mallorca, streets similar to those in Valencia, faces seen so many times in Barcelona… And then there is the light. There is something very special about the Mediterranean light one will not find anywhere else. Except in Summer, when it is so hot you wonder why on earth you should have set foot in the street at daytime, sunlight here is like a human embrace, so affectionate, and it warms your soul more than your skin. It seems to me it is the sunlight that makes Mediterranean peoples to be so loud, direct, expressive and passionate. Tentatively, I would say no one can beat Romans when it comes to manifest all these qualities but, who knows… I realize I have been paying more attention to run down but lovable buildings than to the myriad churches popping up everywhere, to regular people more than to the super-beautiful guys and girls populating the Roman streets, to the flood of motorinos, to the many plant-filled verandas overlooking a small piazza here, a beautiful narrow strada there. At sunset, roaming the streets of Campo de Fiori, and not that much interested in the lively crowds of its terraces, I looked for a long time at those open windows and balconies, at the inhabitants of all these houses, cheerfully drinking a glass of wine, or quietly smoking and watching people go by in this Spring Roman night, and a cozy, serene and happy thought comes to my mind, something I always knew, and which adscribes to no country in particular, but certainly to this part of the Mediterranean: this is my people, this is the way I want to live, this is home.

Photo: Che l’Uomo, 2007 © Jody Art