Consumption

Re: Mote Observer vs Consumer Whore

This is very different from my usual ccmixter contributions – which I guess underlines the strength of the whole secret mixter idea. Kirkoid’s Big Phat 80s Synth mix of Kara Square’s Consumer Whore jumped out at me. The contrast between my very detached re: Mote Observer and Kara’s Consumer Whore – a desperate and very well crafted rant about the guilt associated with excessive consumption – produced a bipolar mix which I hope reflects the constant emotional ambivalence associated with just “buying stuff.”
I went back to Kara’s original samples and used snatches of them before building up to Kirkoid’s Big Phat production. Thanks to both Kirkoid and Kara for such fine material to work with!


rob’s words:


Re: Mote Observer *

wandering a shopping mall
purposeful
as motes of dust in sunlit shafts

the young here to be seen
to wrap their nakedness
in this months’ social skin

the aged to complain how much
has changed
since last they came




old man clothed
in grey and dirt
harvests empty cans



my needs are met
my stomach full,
no one to impress



just
remote
observer
status…



* Originally written around 2003-4. A shameless pun on “mote observer” and “remote observer.” I was aimlessly ambling around a shopping centre when it occurred to me that I wasn’t a very good consumer as I had no immediate needs or wants, other than to watch everyone else!
This one appeared on David Barnes’ Numbat Poetry Website Vol. III and a great pioneering poetry website called Indie Journal (US) back in 2004 – sadly defunct and unarchived.


Kara’s words:


once a consumer whore, always a whore.
once a consumer whore, always a whore.

i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
i could keep blaming how i grew up, the government, or tv
but that’s not what i see in the mirror looking back at me
looking back at me
it’s just me
it’s just me

so i’m tired of my job, working for the man
tired of scheming with all of my plans to make money
fucking paper money
it doesn’t grow on trees, it just replaces trees

so i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
whore
whore

so i’m tired of the sky when i look of for some hope
all i see is chem-trail smoke and i choke
what are chem-trails? i don’t know.
that’s the governments show.
we can guess but we don’t know.

so i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
whore
whore
so maybe i should eat right
refrain from refined sugar
stop drinking alcohol
stop smoking marijuana
but i don’t wanna
stop smoking marijuana
no i don’t wanna

i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
so i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
whore
whore

i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore
so i’m angry at myself cuz i’m the one thing i control
i’m angry at my life cuz i live it like a consumer whore
whore


Originally written around 2008. Appeared on Kara’s band’s (Team Smile and Nod) first album.