Thursday, 30th of January, 2003

Saul Williams, Ninja Tune/Big Dada beat poet/rapper, is releasing an anti-war EP as soon as Ninja Tune can get it out there. Williams and the Ninjas feel so strongly about the issue that they have released the entire EP for download (128kbps mp3s but very nicely encoded) from their website. Download it here.

It’s great stuff. The first track is a live recording of an impassioned “Pledge of Resistance”, in which Williams intones “Not in our name…” - “no more transfusions of blood for oil”, “not by our hearts will we allow whole peoples or countries to be deemed Evil”. I can find Williams anywhere from brilliant (see “Twice the First Time”, released on various releases including the Xen Cuts 3CD set) to bloody annoying (see the postmodernist gibberish in DJ Krust’s “Coded Language”). Here he’s great; stirring and poetic.
Next, “September 12th” is a driving rap version of the first track, with extra lyrics and a “No, not in my name, not in my life” refrain which should immediately become an anthem for the times.
The third track, “Bloodletting”, drops the pace to request us to “give blood” over an almost Boards of Canada-like synth riff. When the beat comes in it’s like DJ Shadow’s dropped by for a jam. Fucking superb stuff. And more Old Testament lyrics that give pause for thought - although I need to give it a closer listen before I work out what it’s saying.

And then, after a minute’s pause come the remixes (all of the live “Pledge of Resistance”). Coldcut are first cab off the rank, turning it into a party piece not unlike the jaunty yet chilling “Atomic Moog”. It’s ok but nothing special.
DJ Goo, who I’ve never heard of, goes for a more straightforward hip-hop remix, with minimal sci-fi soundtrack samples and all. Not bad, and looping the cheering crowd is a great effect, but the track gets rather monotonous.
Last up is DJ Spooky, who goes for a rather nice 2step beat. Spooky manages to fit Williams’ loose solo poem rather funkily on top of his beats. Somehow the “Lemme hear you make some noise!” samples and the like seem a bit inappropriate, but it’s certainly funky and has a great bassline… The best of the remixes, but Williams’ original tracks are the real highlights here.

All proceeds will go to Not In Our Name, a US activist group who are probably a good cause.

One Response to “Williams, Saul - Not In My Name”

1. Andrew Simons says:
   March 25th, 2003 at 4:20 am

   Dear Ninja Tune Big Dadas,

   I am interested in having Saul Williams’ “Not In My Name” preserved here at the British Library Sound Archive (our website catalogue: www.cadenda.bl.uk ) and would like to purchase a few copies for friends too. Please let me know if this will be released in the UK and, if so, who’s distributing it. Thank you.

   Yours sincerely,
   Andrew Simons
   British Library Sound Archive
   96 Euston Road
   London NW1 2DB
   UK