December, 2012
Joe Ambrose: Literary Editor (2005-2018)
Joe Ambrose was described by Booker Prize nominee Patrick McCabe as a "word guerrilla". Drug smuggler, and author of Mr. Nice, Howard Marks said "When I want to know what is happening on the street I go to Joe Ambrose. He invariably knows what is happening. Sometimes he is making it happen."
Joe's hip-hop group Islamic Diggers was described by The Guardian as "the grooviest and newest of the new and groovy".
Joe was the author of 14 books including the novels Serious Time and Too Much Too Soon. Tangier Tsunami a collection of short stories. His nonfiction includes Gimme Danger, the notorious biography of Iggy Pop, Chelsea Hotel Manhattan (extreme travel writing), and Moshpit Culture. He co-wrote Man from Nowhere, a study of the creative relationship between William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, which features additional texts by Burroughs himself, Paul Bowles, Marianne Faithfull, Iggy Pop, John Cale, and others.
The Guardian said of his novel Serious Time: "A Romantic to his bones, he gets down and dirty with an episodic, discursive novel that's a paean to the drug-fuelled psychosexual excesses of eighties Rave culture and the hip-hop club scene. Arrogance, ennui and motiveless acts of vulgarity rule out redemption. Inexhaustibly nasty and unputdownable."
Joe has written for The Guardian, Time Out, The Idler, The Irish Times, and Metal Hammer. In 2007 he was invited by Iggy Pop to write the sleeve notes for an Iggy and the Stooges DVD, Escaped Maniacs.
He has appeared in numerous anthologies including Shenanigans, a collection of fresh Irish fiction. The Independent said that Shenanigans owed: "more to the Chemical Brothers than the Christian Brothers, the characters in these low-life tales have more to fear from a drug squad dawn raid than a guilt-racked confession with a moralising curate."
As a live artist, he shared the stage with John Calder, Lydia Lunch, John Cooper Clarke, John Giorno, Daniel Figgis, Zadie Smith, Richard Hell, Howard Marks, Iain Sinclair, The Stranglers, Julee Cruise, Tav Falco, Suicide, and Harold Budd.
As a DJ/musician he worked with The Gnoua Brotherhood of Marrakesh, Anita Pallenberg, Scanner, Billy Childish, Marianne Faithfull, Lydia Lunch, Paul Bowles, John Cale, The Master Musicians of Joujouka (whom he managed), Chuck Prophet, Herbert Huncke and Bill Laswell.
He organised cultural events at venues such as London's ICA, Dublin's Project Arts Centre, and London's Horse Hospital/Chamber of Pop Culture, which featured the likes of Gerard Malanga, Anita Pallenberg, Genesis P. Orridge, Hakim Bey, Howard Marks, and Hamri the Painter of Morocco.
He co-directed the movie Destroy All Rational Thought featuring William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and the Joujouka musicians. He co-produced the 2CD 10%; File Under Burroughs, a homage to William Burroughs which includes contributions from Stanley Booth, Bill Laswell, Bomb the Bass, Paul Bowles, Burroughs, Brion Gysin and John Cale.
In 2010 he participated in the London gallery show, Dead Fingers talk - The Tape Experiments of William S. Burroughs. This marked the commencement of his musical collaboration with Portuguese duo Alma on an ambitious project inspired by his Chelsea Hotel Manhattan book. The Alma/Joe Ambrose single Radio E/He Also Took That Boat was released in October 2010 with vocals by Arthur Baker and Ira Cohen.
Joe divided his time between Tangier, Morocco, and his native Ireland.
More information can be found at Joe's website, JoeAmbrose.co.uk
Joe Ambrose sadly passed away in 2018
Adventures in the archives
What Readers are Reading Right Now
- Outsideleft Week in Music is all about Me and Thee
We're hearing from... Me and Thee, Michel Moers, Still House Plants, Guy Hamper Trio, Infinite River, Leæther Strip, Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD, Mike Watt and Papa M, Nas & DJ Premier, Brainstory, Applied Communication, Scott Robertson, Principe Valiente, Esther Rose, Rebecca Karpen, Nina Soleil, Jim Jones Allstars, Dead Kennedys, Lu Warm and Ornette Coleman - Elza Soares: Beyond Boundaries
Sofia Ribeiro Willcox traces the incredible life and career of one of the all time great, Elza Soares - Outsideleft Week in Music: The Night Coming After the Vulture Prince
We're hearing from... Arooj Aftab, DYW, Basement Letters, Reviser, Belle and Sebastian, Sadistic Force, Craig Benedict Valentine Badynee, Oloff, Lu Warm, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Flesh Field, Cigarettes After Sex, L'Imperatrice, The Slits, Allman Brothers, English Teacher, Stephen Bluhm , The Pull of Autumn and The Wesleys - Industrial Revolution
A new publication aims to catalogue the UK industrial underground through the voices of those who were there - Maddening Genius
Dead Voices On Air's Mark Spybey's new biography (of sorts) details the revolutionary act of making music - Bass Communion. Perfecting Imperfection
Steven Wilson's solo act Bass Communion are releasing their first album for 12 years. He explains why, and how imperfection and flaws are at the heart of his creating unique new music. - Dry Cleaning Hare
Duncan Jones' Temerity: Spring Clean those guitars please - David J: Chats from the Attic
Alan Rider sits down with former Bauhaus and Love and Rockets founder David J to ask him about ritual magick, exhuming his old demos, and whether Bauhaus really is finished. - Short Story Orgy #2: Genocide
Charlie Hill adds to Outsideleft's Short Story Orgy Series - Be Silent No More
Attrition's 17th studio album may have taken almost a decade to arrive, but it was well worth the wait
All About and Contributors
HELP OUTSIDELEFT
Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]
WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT
If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]
WRITERS thru' the Years
Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Lee, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Burns, Paul Hawkins, Paul Mortimer, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Rick Casson, Ronan Crinion, Rowena Murphy, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Toon Traveller, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & LamontpaulWEEK IN MUSIC
Me and Thee: new single, School of BlackbeltsThe Week in Music - see/hear it here every week →
OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE
outsideleft content is not for everyone