Response To Michelle Dee's Review Of Phonic Voices At Urban Artz Festival By Paul Rush

I just read your review of Phonic Voices at the Urban Arts Festival: 'Today it came in the form of Nicky a didgeridoo player from Phonic Voices music collective, with a uniquely special sound. It was a moment not to dissimilar to the one in the town of Hamlyn when a certain piper enticed all the rodents away, from the town. Nicky began to play her instrument and al (sic) the children were entranced just as they were when the townsfolk refused to pay the pied piper.

'She created dance beats and techno breaks that reminded me of the chilled out house music of Café Del Mar Ibiza. She transformed the usual antipodean sound to create a platform to add layers of sound that captivated all within earshot of the acoustic stage. Through circular breathing and I'm sure a number of beat-boxing techniques she produced sounds from a didgeridoo the like of which I have never heard.'

Firstly, Niki spells her name Niki. Secondly it would be more useful to talk about what Phonic Voices is (Visit our website) than to compare a single member of what you rightly call a 'collective' enterprise to the Pied Piper of Hamlyn, who I can assure you sounded nothing like Phonic Voices - he had absolutely no beatboxing talent, nor keyboard experience. His violin playing was atrocious and I never heard of him using live visuals. In short: there are many members of Phonic Voices but only one message - that of a political message, and of artistic freedom, not the reduction of the group to a multitude of individuals.

Anyone wishing to hear the sound of progress can come to the Freedom Centre on Preston Road East Hull from 7.30 pm on Thursday 27th to help raise money for Global Hip-Hop Exchange, a Leeds - based project allowing teenage rappers from Brazil to stay in Britain and some of our own talent to be sent out in exchange; or the New Adelphi for our monthly night on Sunday the 30th.

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