INTERNET

Rip It Up, Issue 250, 1 June 1998, Page 7

INTERNET

RIPITUP@CLCRR.NCT. NZ

Online It’s been a while since I did one of these, so no screwing about, let’s get down to the serious strangeness. In an entertaining vein, you have netcom.conV~sleightZrabbitl.html which is hard to describe outside of saying it’s online magic that actually works and is pretty cool. I have absolutely no idea how it’s done (or why it’s done, to be honest) but that’s what unlimited access to information is about. While we’re talking about access, you might want to have a look at the ClA’s nice new ‘kids’ page. Seriously, ; it’s at www.odci.gov/cia/ciakids/spyguy/index.html and it answers all kinds of questions I’m sure kids are just dying to ask, like ‘what is intelligence?’ (“...intelligence is information needed by our nation’s leaders, also known as policymakers, to keep our country safe...’’). Maybe they’ll even track you down through the web for their files’ -1 can see hours of fun and paranoia here for all you X-Files nimrods. Equally surreptitious are the Illegal Art people. These are some ‘media artist’ types who made a CD of their own bootleg Beck remixes and cutups, then offered it up through the web. Within days they had more lawyers than God coming after them and there were all manner of arguments over sampling, info access and all that deal. Whatever you think, m sure it s a pretty interesting CD given the material they were working with (also interesting that a self proclaimed boho-alterno type like Beck seems to have corporate lawyers coming out his butt, although in his favour he’s never personally said he’s anti- the CD). Naturally the people involved are lying a little low at present, but word is you can e-mail them at illegalart@detritus.net. Lastly, we have the finest sporting site I’ve seen yet, but admittedly my tastes in sport don’t jibe with a lot of what’s out there. www.sumo.orjp/index~e.html is pretty much the primo sumo wrestling site on all levels. It has updated tournament results with quicktime movies of some of the decisive moments and keeps track of the relatively complex banzuke and table of standings. For more novice fans, there’s a pretty solid beginners guide to sumo, a nice online sumo museum and even a rikishi ‘who’s who’ so you can pick out favourites to bet on. Even if you’re not a fan of the noble art,

the site is so well designed it’s worth a look just to see how these things can be done right.WoMl KIRK GEE MP3 PIRACY The Recording Industry Association of America’s war against copyright infringement on the net has heated up as the near-CD quality MP3 technology has become more popular. There are currently law suits seeking between SUS7OO,OOO and SUSI. 3, million in damages against two sites — one for offering about 50 downloadable MP3s of artists like U2 and Garbage, while the other defendant’s site had more than 1,100 tracks from big name artists available for free downloading. Strangely, the fan-based Smashing Pumpkins Audio. Archive that housed about 900 mostly live tracks was shut down, not by the RIAA, but by the university whose computer network the host’s personal web server was connected to. The Michigan Technological University cited ‘computer misuse’ as the reason for the closure. The increasing popularity of MP3 may mean that it will become more difficult for the RIAA to keep tabs on the technology’s users, and what they are using it for. In other net-related legal news, Perry Farrell won a temporary injunction (until July 1) against Spy 7.com, a new pornographic site that was offering an alleged sex video of Farrell and his girlfriend. It is claimed the video shows Farrell injecting drugs and appearing ‘wasted’ in the back of a limo, and also engaging in sex acts with an unidentified woman. It is uncertain when the tape dates from. HELLO NASTY HhRBBHHH The Grand Royal website has previewed excerpts from the new Beastie Boys album Hello Nasty, due for release on July 14. This will con-: tinue up to the album’s release, but only on certain days so it’s worth checking back now and again. Also on the site you can check out some of the work of Sean Lennon, whose debut Into The Sun is released locally this month. www.grandroyal.com NETCASTING ‘ < JZ The annual Intel Festival is happening this year

from July 15-18, with over 300 performers at 20 New York venues. The line-up includes Jesus And Mary Chain, Joey Ramone, Sunny Day Real Estate and The James Taylor Quartet, and the event will be cybercast along with many others at the special Intel festival site www.intelfest.com Elsewhere, the Live-Online site is another perfect reason why there is absolutely no excuse not to have Real Audio on your computer. It hosts its own live shows, as well as providing links to “every webcast we can find." A random perusal of the archives reveals recent full-length live concerts from Bad Religion, Moby, the Melvins, and Rod Stewart, amongst many others. Plus current news, chats, and links to online (American) radio stations, all at www.live-online.com AROUND THE LOCAL The KiWiWeb Webring is currently being put together, and any New Zealand music or band website is eligible to join. There’s a “cute lil KiWiWeb banner awaiting your sites,” so send in your URLs (subject line: KiWiWeb).,breakfree@rocketmail.com MY IRANIAN BEETHOVEN ONCE UNWRAPPED A BREAD ROLL Can’t trust your own ears? The lyrics to more than 77,000 songs from all genres can be found on the International Lyrics Server, with comprehensive search options — even allowing a partial search to match a song to lyric fragments. But be warned — as many of these lyrics come from e-mail submissions, they may not be 100% reliable. • www.lyrics.ch URBAN PACIFIKA ?;:?/.?. This is where you’ll find the homepage of Urban Pacifika, the South Auckland based label run by Phillip ‘Phylpcyde’ Fuemana. There’s profiles and photographs of artists on the UP roster including Lost Tribe, Moizna, AKA Brown, and Dei Hamo. Plus, you can also join their mailing list, and see the "hot” photographs of the Urban Pacifika nightclub. httpy/members.tripod.conV-Phylpcyde/index-2.html

TROY FERGUSON