Electrochemy is an online video magazine for Electronic music and the culture surrounding it. I don't care too much for genres; I think genres limit the possibilities given by awesome music software!
Showing posts with label ELECTROCHEMY TV NEWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ELECTROCHEMY TV NEWS. Show all posts
That’s a good question… What the heck is going on with Electrochemy TV these days, huh??? Well, for the past couple of years I have been dealing all sorts of issues from institutions that are supposed to have impeccable filing systems. I have had to contend with bunch of real incompetent people, I’ve never witnessed anything like this before… People in important positions are actually proud of being utterly dumb! These people revel in being totally unhelpful! It is unreal! Yes, the Tax Office is a pain in the ass!
GOOGLE/YOUTUBE If it’s not one thing, it’s the other! Now, YouTube has stopped monetizing the Electrochemy TV channel! I have tried communicating with Google/YouTube to no avail. Monetization is essential in order to keep the channel going! Creating videos is a huge task and in order to produce programmes on a full-time basis monetization is essential! IN THE MEANTIME Electrochemy TV will continue with reviews and Free VST instruments and effects! In the meantime, I will look for an alternative to YouTube! Stay tuned!
Above: The latest episode of ELECTROCHEMY TV If you have been following me, Al McDonald, and my project, ELECTROCHEMY TV you will understand that I have had some personal issues (that I won’t go too deeply into) which have affected the video production therefore episodes were sporadic to say the least. The beginning proved to be very, very rocky indeed! Lately? 2015, I was getting back into the groove so to speak... I managed to produce a couple of episodes and from there I wanted to up my game some more! Around September 2015 I invested more time, my own money and money from a sponsor to make everything better! The website had an overhaul and come October I was getting ready to drop another episode when I got a notification from the Tax Credits Office to say that I had been getting money under false pretences. In other words I had committed fraud! WHAT!!!??? I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I called the Tax Credits Office to find out what the hell they were on about... When I managed to get through – it’s an automated voice activated service that requires certain phrases – it is a bitch – I could not make head or tail as to what was being said to me. The Tax Credits Office representative seemed amused at my distress; obviously, I could not see her face but I got the feeling that the woman did not give a shit about what I was going through.
I was told that I would have to give back the money that I had received in Working Tax Credit and I was told in a way that felt like it was a personal attack – albeit a sly one! Once again I was in shock from what I was hearing over the phone. I was told a whole bunch of nonsense including the total fabrication that I was working for another company. WHAT!!!??? Nothing that was said to me made any sense and I went down in a spiral of shock and disbelief. When I came off the phone I was shell-shocked! I kept saying, “Why now?” over and over again. After about 20 minutes I pulled myself together and I started to investigate this so-called company that I was said to be working for and I couldn’t find out anything. I then called up the main Tax Office to find out more and they had an accurate record of my employment history. I was relieved but I know this fucked up system in that they are all interlinked but each department are separate entities and essentially what that means is that the Tax Credits Office was not going to lift a finger to find out whether what they were telling me had any foundation; I kept refuting all the allegations against me but it did not matter to them as they kept repeating the allegations all the more as if they were true. I had little option but to fight against these allegations myself. I had no legal representative so that meant that I had to research everything I could in order to defend myself. I tried going to an organization called Citizens Advice Bureau but nobody there could offer any solid help. In fact the CAB volunteers get 99.9% of their information over the Internet and, sadly, the interpretation of the information is not always understood and therefore cannot be applied effectively. I had to do and I am still doing everything on my own. I was so angry and frustrated that I had to shelve my plans for video meant for October 2015 and for the Winter Holidays. I guess I went through a mini depression feeling that I had once again let all the people down who were looking forward to the next ELECTROCHEMY TV episode. Not only was my audience growing I had also managed to regain the confidence of companies that give me stuff to review. I hate feeling that I let people down. I hate what had happened to me as I had put so much effort into it. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
TODAY, FEBRUARY 2016
Well, I say today but the whole picture is that I was sent into another bit of depression to learn that David Bowie had passed on. One minute I was listening to the music of his latest album, Blackstar, the next I could at least wish the Music Icon a Happy Birthday – despite all the shit I was going through and come the 10th of January 2016 I woke up to the alarming news of Bowies death. I was seriously depressed for about a week. In an odd way the Tax Credits Office crap that I was going through helped me to get over Bowie’s death in a more constructive way. Needless to say that Bowie felt like a family member as he gave me a soundtrack for just about every important era of my life. I felt like I taught myself to sing by singing along to Bowie’s albums. When I was recording my own Electronic music album all the studio engineers and I would talk about was the ‘Low’ album – such a great influence. Anyway, my fight against the Tax Credits Office continues. If I didn’t know better I would say that what I am going through is a personal attack. Everything that has happened just does not make any sense at all. I have a strong sense of right and wrong and I have to continue to fight these ridiculous allegations. My position has stabilized somewhat but I am still far from being on solid ground. Still, I managed to finish off the episode that is currently online! My battle to find out what is behind this deluge of nonsense from the Tax Credits Office is ongoing; I do hope that I can get to the bottom of it quickly as I do not want to spend unnecessary time on it. I want to get back to making more episodes very soon! I want regularity. I want to put out ELECTROCHEMY TV episodes on a regular basis like clockwork! This will happen soon! If you are a viewer and beloved subscriber I thank you for your patience and I want you to know that I am working hard on a release schedule! If you are one of the many companies sending me products to review I thank you for your patience and I ask you to continue working with me. My audience like my nontechnical reviews because they get to the heart of the matter: the essence of your product. If it works we recommend it and if it doesn’t ELECTROCHEMY TV will let you know too! ELECTROCHEMY TV has a key part to play in product reviews. Thank you so much for sticking with me, Al McDonald and ELECTROCHEMY TV! Here’s to a great 2016! Best wishes, Al McDonald Director / Producer of ELECTROCHEMY TV YOUR YouTube channel for all things Electronic music and more! Visit: ELECTROCHEMY TV DOT COM
LONDON, 11th December 2015: The survivors of one of the world’s most horrific cases of child abuse have joined forces with music industry establishment to create a powerful new music video as part of a groundbreaking campaign that is hoped will encourage more witnesses to come forward so that justice can be brought to the hundreds of victims and a 100 year restriction order on the victim’s files can be lifted. The track, entitled “Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine” will enter the Christmas charts when released on iTunes on Friday 11th Decemberhttp://smarturl.it/DontTouchItItsMine.
Written by music magnate and founder of the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA), Raymond Stevenson who discovered Jessie J when she was 15 and was himself physically abused at Shirley Oaks1, with input and melodies by X Factor / Alien Uncovered star, Temple Praise, the track features haunting testimonies from the victims and expresses the fear and horror suffered by vulnerable young children during decades of abuse at Shirley Oaks through the medium of dance. Directed by Giles Borg (Flutter, 1234, Home) and choreographed by Ryan Jenkins, one of the UK’s most sought after choreographers, the vocals are by girl group Ether Mia who were selected based on their suitability to understand the subject matter and to empathise with the victims. All funds raised from the single will go towards helping SOSA track down victims from across the UK and around the world.
The already high profile campaign has attracted the attention and support of MPChuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham, who has publically called for a reinvestigation into the case stating that: “By the police’s own admission, previous investigations were ‘of the time’ and did not meet the standards we would apply today. The police owe it to the survivors group to reopen the investigation”. The campaign is also backed by former senior detective Clive Driscoll who said: “The people that matter in this are the people who were in the care system at the time and a reinvestigation will mean we can try and deliver the truth”.
Raymond Stevenson2, SOSA founder, said: “I have spearheaded many campaigns and they have always been motivated by personal circumstances and issues that blight communities. Maybe because I survived the hell of Shirley Oaks I believe it’s my duty to help others. I say this not just because I was a victim but because there can be no greater crime levied at humanity than paedophillia. Then add to that these were abandoned children in the state’s care, already unloved and frightened, some already victims and others whose parents had died. Then add the lies, the cover-up, the conspiracy and now we learn that this could have all been prevented. This video will enable victims to tell their story through a medium that cannot be tampered with or edited. The chorus in the song simply says, ‘you don't know what they done to me’. The video will show the fear horror and abuse through art. A line in the song that asks the question, ‘what happens if it was your child?”
Chair of SOSA, Alex Wheatle MBE, himself a victim of abuse at Shirley Oaks added: “We, the Shirley Oaks Survivors, are proud to launch this music video and hope that it will encourage more witnesses to feel they can come forward and speak out.”
Shirley Oaks, at the time the largest children’s home in the world, has been named as one of 20 children’s homes in the Lambeth borough to be investigated as part of The Goddard Inquiry3, the biggest ever public inquiry into cases of child sexual abuse by public and private institutions in England and Wales. Justice Lowell Goddard announced3 that the investigation, which is expected to last five years, will examine claims, counter claims,conspiracies and cover ups, scrutinizing former and current MPs, advisors, civil servants and the security services.
Amongst the alleged abusers areJimmy Savile, as well as former Lambeth Labour councilors, Toren Smith and Susan Smith, who have been convicted.There have been two major police investigations into abuse at children's homes in South London and a total of three people have been convicted of offences; one relating to Shirley Oaks, swimming instructor, William Hook, and the remaining two including Michael John Carroll who ran Angell Road children’s home and Les Paul from South Vale Children’s Home.
SOSA is demanding answers for one very specific matter – the sudden death of 15-year old Peter Davis in 1977, found hanged in a toilet with a cord around his neck. Following signs of sexual acitivy, a coroner ruled “death by misadventure“, but friends who grew up with him believe he was the target of paedophiles. Peter was the chief witness in a rape trial at the Old Bailey two years before he died where he gave evidence in regard to both his and his sibling’s rape. When the BBC looked for court documents from the time, they found that in 2003 they had been made secret for 100 years.
Singers for the “Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine” campaign include 23 year old Millie from Essex, 21 year old Sophie from West Sussex and 21 year old Royal Opera House ballet dancer, Lucy from Stoke. The group known as ETHERMIA were selected based on their suitability to understand the subject matter and to empathise with the victims. When Urban Concepts4 played the track, the girls burst into tears and demanded to be part of the project. Taking their roles as ambassadors for victims seriously, the girls did their own research and went toShirley Oaks and also accompanied the victims as they made a presentation to Lambeth council.
Principal crew for the music video will include: director, Giles Borg (Flutter, 1234, Home) with over twenty years of experience in music, film and television directing music videos, full length feature films, commercials and TV programmes; Jospeh Crone, a multi-talented fashion stylist and costume designer with a diverse list of clients and credits in the music, commercial and film sectors of the industry, from James Blunt to Dizzee Rascal, Investec to Innocent; and Ryan Jenkins, one of the UK’s most sought after choreographers, recently appointed creative director by UK government to represent and create work for Great Britain National day at Milan Expo 2015.
Lambeth Council is supporting the Shirley Oaks Survivors' Association in their campaign to identify further victims and offer counselling to those who have not already received it but feel they would now benefit.
“Don’t Touch It. It’s Mine” is available on iTunes now at:
