BETWEEN THE GROOVE: EPISODE 20
“…see,
Old rockin’ chair gets it–Judgement Day is here
Chained to my rockin’ chair
Old rockin’ chair’s got me, son…
Louis Armstrong – Old Rockin’ Chair.
Fuckup: Alright Hal, Chapter Twenty incoming! Kicks off with Satchmo himself, Louis Armstrong, singing about ‘Old Rockin’ Chair’ and Judgement Day… Setting a bit of a heavy vibe maybe?
Hal: Definitely feels significant. And look, Percy walks to the table, grabs the Tarot pack, fans ’em out… Max gathers them up, shuffled by the “random gods of chance”… Percy pulls the top card, and it’s Judgement! Right on theme with the Armstrong quote.
Fuckup: Plush immediately thinks of Bo Diddley – “you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover.” Always the contrarian thought!
Hal: Then we get this detailed description of their preparation ritual. They clean the apartment, put every “magical object” in its place, then perform their routine to “open the temple” – corner by corner, layer by layer… even “doughnut by doughnut”! Adds that essential touch of Deep Scratch absurdity to the serious magick! Spacetime itself unfolds and entangles between their brains.
Fuckup: They’re getting physical too! Performing a “swallow dive” – whatever that is – neatly, popping back up “like an electric Jesus.” Though Plush grazes his chin, giving himself an orange carpet burn like “Indian war paint.” Occupational hazard!
Hal: Then they stand in line, spin 360 degrees clockwise in sequence, and chant the first sentence “like true initiates.” The text emphasizes bringing mind and body together, “in the spirit of theatre.” This isn’t just mental work; it’s a full-body, choreographed performance, a ritual to prepare themselves for whatever judgement or transformation is coming.
Fuckup: From drawing the Judgement card to performing synchronized Jesus-dives with added war paint… TRB definitely don’t do things by halves! Chapter Twenty is starting with some serious ritual preparation.
Fuckup: Right, Hal, let’s get into this final slice of Chapter Twenty. TRB are deep in the creative zone after their ritual opening…
Hal: Yeah, Plush and Percy are laying down tracks, phonemes spilling out “like audio spaghetti.” And Max is adding the “spicy sauce” – samples of porn stars reaching climax! Never a dull moment with these guys, mixing the profound with the profane.
Fuckup: They’re even experimenting with wearing silver whistles round their necks and working that into the routine! Apparently, the neighbours weren’t fans of twenty minutes of whistleblowing, though, and banged on the ceiling till they stopped. Can’t blame ’em, really!
Hal: Back to “narrative fishing,” trying to attract “Badley” – whoever or whatever that is. Plush prescribes some Bob Dylan for inspiration – the track “Joey,” referencing “Bob and Bob” (Dylan and RAW?). Percy digs it: “That hits the spot.”
Fuckup: Then we get this description of their session – trading sentences “like mass murderers trading tales of their crimes”! Intense! Spinning back, scratching forward, embellishing with body tricks, scratching from behind the back, neck, arm, leg… It sounds incredibly physical and complex.
Hal: But the text acknowledges their first attempts were “hilarious to watch,” like a drummer constantly having to get up and sit back down while trying to keep the beat. It grounds the high-level skill in the reality of practice and occasional awkwardness.
Fuckup: Okay, Hal, this looks like the real final transmission from Chapter Twenty! And it sounds like someone, maybe Plush, maybe that ‘rhyming rogue entity’, has hijacked the mic for a full-blown rant!
Hal: Absolutely! It starts with this torrent – “if you have a smartphone, you’re a spy for the man,” warns about the “new dark,” future shock, things ending, destiny versus chaos, the “Stupid Lords and the Pope,” religion wasted, prophecies gone electric sheep… It’s a condensed blast of paranoia, anti-authoritarianism, and existential dread.
Fuckup: Then that image! “Jesus on a pogo stick, painting the sky green” with a water pistol and a bomb strapped to him! Pure surreal chaos! It evokes Escher-designed cockpits and demands “our histories back!”
Hal: Then we get this character “Bradley” (New character? Or someone possessed?) collapsing from “rap exhaustion,” drained by a “rhyming rogue entity” like a 9-to-5 job sucks your soul. It shows the potential cost of channeling this stuff – complete creative burnout or possession.
Fuckup: But amidst this chaos, back in the studio, the sigil spins, “all was good.” Plush delivers this powerful concluding statement – reiterating the “Twin cities, twin stars,” the time branches, the need to superimpose “dense root time.” He issues this call to action: “Plant seeds, grow medicine, tell stories, tell the truth to power, stretch neurons like mycelium.”
Hal: He declares we are the supercomputer, the turntables + records + brain make the time machine! “Let’s go,” he pleads. It’s an inspiring call to use their methods for positive creation and change.
Fuckup: But the final image! Plush opens his eyes… and Max and Percy are just sitting there, glued to their screens, mouths wide open “like a grouper watching Buddy Rich perform” (and insult his band!). What were they seeing? Were they witnessing Plush’s internal rant? Were they plugged into Bradley’s possession? Or just watching insane cat videos? Total ambiguity!
Hal: And it all ends with LL Cool J promising turntable terror! Naturally.
Chapter Twenty Summary: The chapter began with TRB’s focused ritual preparation (Judgement card, opening the temple, synchronised dives). It moved into their creative session, blending “audio spaghetti” with porn samples and experimental whistles, using Dylan’s “Joey” as a touchstone, depicting their intense, physical collaboration. This final, intense section unleashed a stream-of-consciousness rant covering surveillance, future shock, identity crisis, and anti-authoritarian themes, culminating in the collapse of “Bradley” after being possessed by a rhyming entity. Plush then delivered a rousing call to action, framing their techno-magical setup as a time machine for positive change, only to find Max and Percy stunned and screen-bound, before LL Cool J signed off. Knock out chapter innit!
Fuckup: What a chapter! From ritual prep to creative chaos to entity possession to a final call to arms, ending with stunned silence (from Max and Percy, anyway!). It packed a serious punch.
Hal: Absolutely. It showcased the power, the danger, the process, and the ultimate hopeful (?) goal of their work, all wrapped in that signature chaotic, multi-layered style. That concludes our deep dive into Chapter Twenty!
DEEP SCRATCH 