K-Punk
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john eden
male pale and stale
That's a fair enough question I guess. I never liked CCRU at the time although some of the people were nice. It seemed a bit smug.
Obviously there is the link with Nick Land and that has turned out badly. A lot of Nick Land's schtick now is evident in CCRU.
Many of the philosopher bloggers around Mark have gone up their own arses and whilst that isn't entirely his fault there is definitely a line between the erudite quoting of european names and being all intense and shit which means that this pathway is laid out...
In terms of left wing activisty stuff it is more of a mixed bag. I shudder to think about young people reading his stuff about Zizek and Lenin and all that. Cold-rationalist Leninism - what could go wrong with that eh.
Things like Capitalist Realism and his involvement with groups like Plan C were OK to a point. But Plan C's dalliance with Corbynism (which I believe Mark went along with) was not good from my point of view.
Things like vampire castle and Mark's tragic early demise have played a large part in his current status as a legend. Neither of which is good. There is a dimming of critical faculties involved and a bit of Kurt Cobain syndrome going on. It would be better if he was still around although less people would be quoting him excitedly.
The trajectory reminds me of Genesis P-Orridge in some ways - Gen was always a bit of a dick but in the UK he had people in his circle that went way back that would take the piss out of him. When he moved to America that was no longer the case and he kinda needed that to become this globally recognised presence.
And people forget really that Mark's taste in music became dreadful as time went on. Hauntology, his terribly unconvincing dalliance with UK funky, the centre of gravity being increasingly the music of his youth like a BBC6 presenter.
Possibly this is all unfair. It seems a bit mean reading it back. Probably it falls to people who knew him when he was on here (and before) to at least be honest about this stuff in the face of how ever many books / tributes / inspirational quotes etc there are.
john eden
male pale and stale
I think it depends how you do it really. If you describe yourself as Communist or Kommunist or whatever and do what Mark did then that is the sort of thing that puts a lot of people off but does get you a fanbase for being kind of extreme I suppose.
I'd reluctantly describe myself as a communist (lower case) but that would be tempered with some other things like anarchism / thinking Lenin was a dick / humanism / realising your own irrelevance etc.
Obviously it's not something I bring up when talking to people in my community or workplace. This is mainly because they are simply not interested but also because most people think communism = Stalin and it is hard to get beyond that. And there is little point really as communism seems like a very very long way off, so you are better off just cracking on with small things than harping on about the revolution.
sufi
lala
was th illustrious Martin there? I have been looking forward all this time to meeting him up one day and now you tell me this??
craner
Beast of Burden
That declaration was a watershed moment. Luke and I both found it hilarious but we also knew it doomed our friendship with Mark, albeit from his side not ours. It was just a question of counting down the days to excommunication.
I entirely blame that Lenin book that Zizek wrote and Mark read. That was the precise moment he decided to "become a Bolshevik" -- after reading that stupid book!
luka
Well-known member
there was certainly a palm tree meeting with Martin. he was trying to goad me into playing those infamous drums but i wasnt having it cos Craner had got me kicked out of that same pub only a week or two before
craner
Beast of Burden
k-punk: Soviet goth
k-punk.abstractdynamics.org
craner
Beast of Burden
k-punk: Abi Titmuss: Stakhanov of Kapital
k-punk.abstractdynamics.org
version
Well-known member
Someone recently uploaded an interview with him where he looks like one of those ex-hooligans publishing their memoir.
john eden
male pale and stale
The fact that it has to be a declaration is quite telling. And Zizek's whole thing was basically nudging people into thinking that the absolute worst aspects of something were actually the best ones.
Interesting to see Hatherley being bang into Zizek in the post below the one Mark linked to also. Proper little scene.
craner
Beast of Burden
craner
Beast of Burden
k-punk: Psychedelic Fascism
k-punk.abstractdynamics.org