Forums > Social Chat > Who? done what? with a block of cheese?

Posted: 24th Jun 2001
1. I get enthralled with drum n bass; im very particular though. I dig atmospheric d n b, like Bukem or off of Good Looking at least. Im very particular about the trance I listen to... some of it is sooo bad. I like a fast trance/house mix. But I was dancing to swing music last weekned... When I catch a good vibe with music, Im all over the place. 2. I am most comfortable at this beach spot our group goes to. I have a lot of memories of it from growing up, and it is an attraction site, so there is plentiful energy. 3. I definitely think poi has an effect on my day to day life. I practice to relieve stress at work; I go to bed thinking about it sometimes. I have developed some skills and coordination. I catch myself thinking somewhat differently. It has added more artistic flair that I previously did not have. ------------------We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.~Edgar Cayce

Wow

Posted: 24th Jun 2001
1. For spinning, I especially like music with a South Asian or Middle Eastern flavor, but I've had fun twirling to many different kinds of music.2. Comfort for me isn't so much a matter of place, it's a matter of the people around me. I feel most relaxed with a small group of fellow twirlers. When I'm performing in front of civilians, it isn't relaxing, but I do get a rush, which is also a good thing.3. Firedancing has definitely had an effect on my everyday life. Everything that Shibaki said is true for me too. Also, firedancing is the only form of artistic expression I've ever really been involved in. And it's very different for me in that it puts me at the center of attention.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy

Posted: 24th Jun 2001
1 I have found it nearly impossible to even hear the music around me once i have lit up and started spinning. For me the rythem of the spin brings out my fullest emotions. All i hear when spinning is the flames rushing through the air and its glorious.2 I much prefer to spin in my our a friends yard. that way i'm not proccupied with the worries of a bust. Hariman state park in ny/nj also has this entense beat to it. 3 spinning fire has deffinately had an effect on my life. It has made me smarter stronger and has boosted my self esteem. just the other day i was giggling to myself thinking about what ever anybody chooses to think about me wait till they see me spinnning my fire!

bring yoself cause you always need it.

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
nice questions (probably been asked before but hey ), here goes:1: I, like shibaki am really particular to the choons i poi to. MY music of choice is Trance (not the shite Ministry of sound type variety), but good, deep, psychedelic stuff.(platipus records, flying rhino, etc)Also, i love atmospheric drum and bass (Jacobs Optical Stairway etc ).BUT, the d'n'b and trance/techno are normally only for when i'm doing some serious poi, if i'm only having a quick spin i buzz off quite dark speed garage, jungle, and more bouncy stuff rather than dark tunes.2: i feel most comfortable doing fire poi in the depth of nature (country-side, forest, etc)3: yes. it has given me clarity of thought (not just through doing poi but also through the tunes i listen to, and my whole outlook/way of life how about you?----------------------------------"easy now" < ALI G >

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
3) Only to shock ppl when they think they've got me sussed.2) ANYWHERE!!!1) I would've said any kind of music is cool a few months ago but lately (after a couple of Trance dance parties) I've found *any* electronica is so good for twirling or juggling. Though I find drum 'n' bass a little too erratic for me.As a follow up has anyone experienced spinning to a live DJ when they seem to go up and down too quickly to keep in tune with or (as happened to me recently) I was doing some glowsticking inside a party (indoors so no fire ) and the DJ took SO long to build up at some points. I'm there trying to match the vibe for visual impact and start low key and work towards a faster/technical peak with the music and it took forever for this DJ to get a solid phat beat going. In the end when he did get there he brought it straight down and did it again. I ended up just going *pfft* and giving up till later on.Anyway, any one else experience similar?

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
I like to spin to Trance (and not that club trance either - I like the big outdoor doof sound (or even the small outdoor doof sound)) - Trance sounds better when its heard outdoors I also like Dub, and other chilled electronica.this is turning into another music thread Twirling has given me an appreciation for the circular nature of the systems that govern our movement through life. No longer do I limit myself to movevement in straight lines - I mean this on a physical, spiritual and mental level.I feel relatively comfortable swinging poi just about anywhere. I'm more comfortable twirling around friends of course, but moving through a series of movements flawlessly in front of a group of strangers can bring a sense of comfort (inner stillness) in a similar vein.When its working for me, its all about the mental focus. The better its working, the more focussed (co-dependent of course). Josh

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
1. I still have to say that I still prefer no music, just the sound of the fire. 2. Anywhere that energetically cool. I love spinning in small groups of friends. I love crowded dance clubs. I love parties where you can see everyone up close. The only thing I don't like is where the energy isn't to critical mass. Like I did this club in Las Vegas, big club but the crowd wasn't thick enough and there were lots of folks standing around like waiting for a party to happen. I'm on the stage above a dance floor with not many people on it. There's a bunch of people further out, but the lighting keeps them in shadow. I had ear plugs in and couldn't get much aural feedback from the audience. It was a really hard gig in that respect. 3. In every way imaginable. Diana

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
Hmm. I'm always finding new music to spin to. I'm a big fan of drum&bass, jungle, and tribal music. A few months ago, I got turned onto an euro-asian band called "Joi" that has moved me is ways no other music has in quite some time. The last time I was out, someone popped in some Massive Attack while I was playing with the staff... Whoah, that was some cool stuff. I would never have thought of it, the beat being way to slow for poi, but it is *amazing* for staff, especially in the wee hours of the morning as you are winding down.With regards to places, I like in the woods with a whole group of fire peeps. Out of view of society we can completely cut loose and not worry about getting too crazy. The beach, near a great big fire, is good too.It is important to be able to combine music and location. At our first few fire parties, we has just a boom-box for music, which as other people have pointed out gets completely drowned out by the woosh of the fire. The most recent time, a friend brought out a full-size car battery with a 12V car amp and trunk speakers. Not the greatest in high-fidelity, but *worlds* better than any boom box. This setup is driven by two portable CD players and a battery powered mixer.And, there is no question that poi and other fire arts have had an *unbelievable* effect on my life over the past six months. I could ramble on for paragraphs, but I'd be willing to bet that the feelings are shared almost verbatum with *anyone* else who spins fire. I think it is this, often unspoken, feeling that brings all fire spinners so close together. There is no question that fire spinning has brought me even closer to people who have been friends for years. The story there continues to unfold even as I speak...-p.

Posted: 25th Jun 2001
1. All kinds of things, as long as they've got a good beat and soaring spirit. This past week or so, I've been really grooving on a piece called "Lovers of Light", by Afro-Celt Sound System. It's sort of an Irish jig set to a killer beat that I can't really describe. It's fast as hell, cool and beautiful, and breathtaking, and fabulously spirited.My girlfriend recently observed that the range of music I can spin to seems to have expanded greatly as my skill improves. So I'm branching out a lot in terms of what I'll spin to. But my favorites at this point are mostly melodic trance and fun world-beat things.2. So far, I've only done poi in a few places. But I think the best has been out in a couple of broad, open, parklike areas where there was sun and lots of people to watch. (Obviously, that doesn't apply for fire -- but so far, all my fire experiences have been in fairly industrial areas; not enough variety for me to express a preference.)Sun, grass, and good music have so far been the key elements of my best practice sessions.3. Absolutely -- it's really broken me out of a rut I was in for some time. It gets me off the computer, out of the house, more active... and it's gotten me taking much more joy in life. (This is completely aside from the way it's been building up my arms. But I can't deny that's also been good for my self-esteem!)And doing it with fire is, of course, a very transformative experience!

Posted: 26th Jun 2001
Hey PJ!I tried to email you, but it was an incorrect address, so my server said...Do you have anymore info on the group Joi? I am interested in them now... label, year?Check out this group: www.lostatlast.comIt is supposed to be really tight; I read an article in Remix on them. Many thanks------------------We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.~Edgar Cayce

Wow

Posted: 26th Jun 2001
I don't really know a lot about Joi -- I was turned onto them by a friend of mine. There is a pretty good write-up on them at https://www.allmusic.com
which you should check out. Actually, everyone should check out this site because it completely rocks. (If I had to list my picks for ten best web sites of all time, this would be in there.)Btw, my email address is peter(at)ps(dot)baltimore(dot)md(dot)us -- replace the (at) with @ and (dot) with . since I don't need any more spamm address harvesters finding my mailbox.-p.