x-x-x-x-x. Politics of Sex, Noise and Depression

| | | — | | Fear and Desire Biographies. Mike iLL is an aging has-been wanna be, who never recovered from a Warner Brothers record deal he had about ten lifetimes ago with his teenage band, an early Red Hot Chilli Peppers knock-off. He migrates from one hustle to another, preferring to rely on talent than work, charisma to a career, working just enough to almost survive, suplementing his income with donations and “loans” from friends, family members and “suckers” who think they want to be in the entertainment industry. He keeps up the appearance of a music career through tenacious harassing of small time club owners who are either too weak of heart to flat out decline a booking, or their venue has standards so low, they consistently book bad music, serving a poor, depressed clientelle who feel they deserve no better. These venues are either labors of love, tax write-offs or vanity projects that soon go out of business. Mike spends most of his time, when not begging performance opportunities, complaining to his wife either about his pathetic career or the fact that she never fucks him. When they do have sex, it is usually interminably long and frustrating and only serves to gratify Mikes huge ego and quell his sexual insecurity. When he gets out of bed, usually after about 12 hours of nightmarish, tooth-grinding sleep, Mike will write down some new “song ideas”; generally a single “cool riff” in the style of whoever he’s currently enamored with, accompanied by some strained, pompous, deep-sounding lyrics to cover for the fact that there will be no musical development whatsoever. Mike often whines that he hopes he dies soon and brags that he’s ready. Fortunately his pride and utter lack of courage prevent any “cries for help” or suicide attempts. Avoid getting involved with him. Sooner or later you will realize that he is only making you feel listened to and respected so that he can add you to his collection of admirers. Eventually you will realize there’s really nothing there.

Mike iLL is one of the most important American artists of his generation. Through his life-long partnership with Zef Noi$e, he has been on the cutting edge of music and occult spirituality since the age of twelve, when he first mastered the arts of poetry, music and astral projection. At sixteen he was performing with numerous New York Jazz legends, including Perry Robinson and Herbie Hancock. By nineteen he was finished with studies at the prestigious New England Conservtory, and landed a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records for his act, Sweet Lizard Illtet; an avante-garde / political / industrial funk band. The evil, conservative, imperialistic approach of Warner Brothers did not appeal to iLL, who had already done the rock star thing in his last lifetime as Hank Williams, so he and Zef Noi$e formed their own underground recording company, Mutiny Zoo, named for a character in chilhood friend Robin Shamburg’s first novel, and spent much of the nineties recording and producing, and inventing new styles of music, as well as mastering numerous forms of Yoga. Mike eventually felt he needed to spread his wisdom and has ended up in high demand across the country with his wife, Rivka in their electro-pop/hip-hop duo, Mad Happy; respresenting yet another stylistic innovation; bridging rap, vaudeville, antifolk and industrial funk, as well as demonstrating a lifestyle where lovers, love and work support both the individual and the community. He spends most of his time writing, meditating, practicing breath retention in the Gulf of Mexico or waking the neighborhood up with his wife’s exstatic screams as he makes love to her for hours on end in the afternoon. He sleeps about 3 hours a night, usually between 3 am and sunrise.

Everything is true, Nothing permitted.Mike iLL |

18/09/2004