"Grant Wakefield's extraordinary audio project was completed nearly two years ago but is only now released after negotiating the red tape of track licensing. This may have been a blessing, as the album is more relevant, more essential now than ever.

The is the story of the conflict raging between Iraq and the West, incisively and intelligently narrated by Wakefield, with hundreds of original spoken word samples, mostly from war reporters and political and military leaders. The musical track which accompanies it - brilliantly - is drawn from the cream of British electronica, including original tracks and remixes by Orbital, Aphex twin, Higher Intelligence Agency, Soma, Bola and Amba.

The CD begins with a reminder that the country that we are now threatening to bomb "back to the stone age" was a thriving, literate civilisation 4000 years ago, while the inhabitants of western Europe were still living in caves. From there we are led through a step-by-step history of the US-inspired rise of Saddam Hussein, the long-forgotten background to the Kuwait invasion, the devastating slaughter of the Gulf war (in which, we are told, more bombing sorties were conducted during the first 24 hours than in the entire two years of the Allied offensive on occupied Europe of 1942-1943). At least a quarter of a million Iraqis, many of them civilians, died but that was only the beginning. Punitive sanctions have killed at least a million more. As the CD fades to silence with the beautiful, haunting ambience of Tom Middleton's Amba, we are left with the echoing words of Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State, responding to the deaths of 600,000 children: "We think the price is worth it."

THE FIRE THIS TIME is unashamed agit-prop; it is not intended as a balanced debate but as a call to peace. On its own terms it is a masterpiece of research, presentation, musical curation and mixing. For all its attention to detail, the most awful, profound postscript is that we may yet need a sequel."

"THE FIRE THIS TIME is an unusual album in that it mixes some excellent pieces of music by a diverse range of artists with a large amount of spoken word taken from news pieces and dialogue concerned with the Gulf War. The album movingly charts the downward spiral into war, the manipulation of news reports to the advantage of the west and the terrible consequences that ordinary Iraqi people suffered and still suffer to this day.

Bravely tackling a very heavy duty subject that many people would normally shy away from, this album, by cleverly mixing well crafted and atmospheric music with hundreds of cut up sound bites both educates and stimulates thought on the terrible realities of political propaganda and modern day warfare.

In a time of vacuous consumerism, where most music projects steer as far as possible from any kind of political comment or stance, this album stands out like a beacon for a time gone by, when music was considered a positive force for change. I challenge anyone to come away unmoved or unchanged after listening to this album."

"The sanctions regime imposed on Iraq is a devastating attack on its’ civilian population. It is demolishing the civilian society and probably strengthening the leadership. The fact that the criminal enterprise continues, whatever its’ human cost, is a severe indictment of the political culture of the US and Britain, whose people need not accept what is being done in their name. A project such as THE FIRE THIS TIME, which should focus popular attention and arouse deep concern, is greatly to be welcomed."

"As George W. Bush Jr draws his country ever closer to war in Iraq and the anti-war movement heats up to historical levels, musicians don’t seem to be making much noise. Until now.

An audio document that advocates free thought about the sides of the war we don’t normally see through the media, The Fire This Time was conceived originally as a film by Wakefield and writer Miriam Ryle in the mid 1990’s. Both of them had been privy to seeing the physical, psychological and spiritual destruction that U.S bombing had done to the people of Iraq and wanted to present these horrors to the world. Ryle was among the first westerners to visit post war Iraq. In 1994 she made a documentary called Voices From Iraq about the terrible plight of the countries citizens. Five years later Wakefield and Ryle returned to Iraq with the intention of updating the documentary.

The problem was they had no outlet whatsoever for the work. No mainstream British media outlet, including the BBC, would show their footage. The response of the outlets ranged from simple ‘We don’t show rant pieces’ to 'Don’t you have any fluffy stuff about families in the mountains_’ to 'did you film any executions_'

The CD begins with a brief history of pre-war Iraq, working very much like a radio play, intercutting Wakefield’s narration with audio from the film footage and samples of news broadcasts from all over the world. Picking up speed, the second chapter of the CD runs head long into the Gulf War and its effects. Wakefield says this second act was cut specifically to make you think of the hyperkinetic editing of the today’s TV generation. Listen to the track ‘Say Hello to Allah’ and note how it reaches a peak of aural ferocity akin to the jump cut editing of many of today’s high speed MTV videos. It takes your breath away the same way looking at footage of war damage does. Politicians, military advisors and a complicit media all indict themselves as wrong-headed, duplicitous or just plain evil with just the flip of the switch or indeed, a sample.

"Remember the Gulf War_ Are you sure_ I thought I did until I heard this extraordinary album. Meticulously compiled by Grant Wakefield out of innumerable media sources, and soundtracked by a wide range of electronic artists, 'The Fire This Time' tells the story of how the West came to rain destruction on their former allies, the Iraqi people.

Obviously this does not make easy listening - and I'm not talking about the Orbital and Aphex Twin remixes included here. It's a sordid and shame-making tale that lays bare the utter hypocrisy of the West in its quest to ensure that the Middle East remains an underdeveloped and war-torn region... so that we can enjoy the benefits of their oil. And with a warmonger oilman in the White House, it couldn't be more timely.

What 'The Fire This Time' also shames is the mass media. It's a curious fact of our times that the increased reach, range and sophistication of our news sources has been accompanied with a diminution of their actual power to inform and educate. On the contrary, the sheer weight of media would now seem to block our eyes and ears with just so much eye candy and white noise. By listening instead to this kind 'musical history' - with no images and anchormen at all to distract you - the mind is able to engage imaginatively with what otherwise might be dismissed as just another news story. In other words, it makes you think.

In particular, it made me think of Timothy McVeigh. It was what he saw in the Gulf, on his tour of duty there after the war had ended, which initially turned him against the US Government. When you hear the details - a country left $190 billion in debt, with around 1.5 million dead, and 1 in 4 children now suffering (and dying) of malnutrition - you can't help wondering in what other ways the US is eventually going to find itself paying for its disgraceful overseas policies. For history is never going to forgive cold-blooded genocide easily, however many dissenters are silenced and put to death.

The whole project has obviously been a massive labour of love, from the sourcing of archive news material and vocal samples to their careful compilation and editing. Indeed, the way in which the musical soundtrack - which also includes Tom Middleton's Amba, Soma and Pan Sonic - is used to soundtrack and counterpoint the verbal material is quite masterful. The question now is, are you listening_"

"Disc one takes monologues on the finer details and real reasons behind the hostilities and the Gulf War, and lays them over the likes of Pan Sonic, Orbital, Aphex Twin, Bola and Speedy J. Fuck what you heard on Sky News, this is a political hot potato far more complex than dispersing the “axis of evil” or confiscating weapons of mass destruction.

Anyhow, this is about some seriously thought-inspiring music too, which is where the quote-free instrumental disc two comes in. [....] The Higher Intelligence Agency modem and glitch into your consciousness with ‘Lines In The Sand’, while Soma up the stakes via the Arabic stuttering bass electro-sophistication of ‘Get Thee Behind Me’.  ‘The Box’ by Orbital is hotwired into smooth but vibrating drum ‘n’ bass patterns by Bump ‘N’ Grind, always threatening to morph into full-on old skool rave action, but skating the divide eloquently.

The real excitement comes, almost inevitably, when one of only a handful of official remixes of electronica pioneer Aphex Twin drops. ‘Come To Daddy’ (or ‘Say Hello To Allah’ on disc one) finds itself cut with military precision into the backing track for George W Bush pressing the nuclear button – nasty, brooding and bristling with fascist brutality. Black Lung, responsible for the modifications, even coax the screams of a ten-foot alien from the original and magnify them to chilling levels; it could almost be the pained shrieks of slaughtered and maimed innocent Iraqi civilians.

Skam Records’ Bola follow close behind with some mournful Autechre-style atmospherics that weigh your heart down with lead and then gently blow it to pieces, while contributions from the lesser known artists are just as effective in conveying the mood.

In addition to being packed full of some great tunes, this album is the most informative and politically educational resource on the background and flipside to the Iraqi conflicts this side of researching it yourself."

"Grant Wakefield's thought provoking audio project, featuring the vanguard of British electronica is an ambitious double-disc blast of out and out electronic agit-prop that deals with the West's obsession with Saddam Hussein.

The same caveat as offered when reviewing Godspeed [You Black Emperor's] 'Yanqui UXO' must be applied here to disc 2. Enjoyable as it is, atmospheric, ambient sounds lack political punch. This is particularly clear as disc 2 is mostly just the music of disc 1 but without the additional layers. The real power of this project however is all on disc 1, where soundbyte is heaped upon soundbyte is heaped upon soundbyte in a wall of noise that eerily captures the time and emotions of the first Gulf War.

'Let me describe briefly what happened. There were 114,000 separate aerial sorties in 42 days. That's one every 30 seconds. 88,000 tons of bombs were dropped. Only 7% of the bombs that fell upon Iraq were guided. 93% were free falling bombs that hit where chance, necessity and no free will took them. There were 38 aircraft lost by the United States in this slaughter. That number is less than the number of accidental losses in war games where no live ammunition is even used [...] The United States claims to have lost 148 people. It concedes that the majority were from accident and friendly fire [...] We used fuel air explosives, and it incinerates people and it crushes people, and we used it against civilians and military personnel. We had missiles fired from submarines in the Eastern Mediterranean for sport - just to see how they worked [...] There was no ground war, name one battle, there wasn't a battle: there was a slaughter [...] The chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff of the United States army, when asked how many casualties he thought we had inflicted on Iraqi military and civilians said: "Frankly, that's not a figure I'm very much interested in." [...] We killed at least 125,000 soldiers. We've killed to date more than 130,000 civilians. We killed as many as we dared.'

But the Gulf War didn't end then. Sanctions have added at least another 500,000 civilian deaths (a price then US Secretary of State Madeline Albright claimed was "worth it"). UNSCOM arms inspectors were put in and pulled out and information gleaned by the CIA spying on them was used to identify targets to be bombed during Operation Desert Fox. Today the arms inspectors are back in Iraq. The war one George Bush began the other George Bush is continuing as he attempts to join Saddam Hussein to his Great War on Terror.

History repeats the old conceits, as Elvis once put it. Grant Wakefield has here put together a potent reminder of what went on in Gulf War 1 and a taste of what we can expect with the sequel to that fight looking likely to kick off soon. Easy listening music this is not but if you are at all politically conscious then essential listening this just might be."

"Tip of the day: Get this album in your CD player for the next anti-war demonstration. It's quite unsettling. It starts off like a strange BBC documentary narrated by smooth-voiced Grant Wakefield and soon evolves into a collage of historical facts, news bites, speeches and testimonies from the first Gulf War, layered on top of ambient and electronic tracks by the likes of Bola and Orbital. It slowly draws you in, exposing the evolution of the 1990 conflict, but by the time you hit track eight's Aphex Twin soundtrack, Apocalypse Now seems like a long boring boat ride down a river. The music transforms information into emotion, and it's really hard to endure the onslaught. You're trapped in a bunker, you're being fired upon, there is no escape, but you can't stop listening. The Fire This Time is probably one of the most-timely political and artistic statements about Iraq available. It deserves full marks for its courage, depth of knowledge and research. But like your worst political science class, though you will have learned more than you were willing to absorb, being subjected to it once more is inconceivable (which is probably why it comes with a second instrumental-only disc). Want "shock and awe"_ This is the real thing." 

"If I could leave this year with one thought for each reader to hold, it would be to consider how lucky you are. How lucky everybody reading this is to have access to a computer and is literate enough to read, because, even if you're not reading these words on your own computer, you're probably living in a society where you can voice your opinions, vote, read, work, and educate yourself. It's ironic that after three years in the making, Grant Wakefield's project is finally available just as the USA and Great Britain are making plans to wage war again on Iraq. Facts, samples, quotes and narrations alone usually end up in a sea of public radio, where the words rarely fall on ears that aren't already somewhat aware of some of the tragedies that have been carried out through bombings or years of sanctions and inescapable radioactive aftermath. What Wakefield has done is piece the words together with exclusive music from Aphex Twin, Bola, Speedy J, Orbital, and a number of others. The story is arranged chronologically, from the pre-European history, through the early 20th century, through events that lead up to the Gulf War and its aftermath, the music underlines the narration and climaxes at appropriate points of tension. While the messages at times feel somewhat force-fed through hip techno music, it almost feels like it needs to be at this point, since the gung-ho messages from the war-mongers is being even more force-fed through the media as news. Its goals, as described by the full title, are "deconstructing the Gulf War - a permanent record of the fate of Iraq and a guide to the language of mass media propaganda."

The story is, unsurprisingly more horrific beyond imagination, with an angle not entirely unlike Michael Moore's in "Bowling for Columbine," where the media is clearly exposed for being manipulated by superpowers and driven by capitalism rather than focused on facts and humanity. But don't rely on Wakefield's words alone: guests include President Bush (senior), Madeline Albright, Oliver North, comedian Bill Hicks, and numerous world leaders, unidentified soldiers and victims in their own words. It succeeds as a commentary and should be recognized as such. Wakefield isn't crying out against evil Western empires nor is he providing solutions for individuals who do not wish to support the campaigns of their own governments. Thankfully, we're fortunate that one of the benefits of US military funding gave us the internet, and Home picks up where the recordings have left off, providing more information to read and links for people to get involved. If you love the bands but feel this is a glorified public service announcement, a second CD has been provided with instrumental versions. Hopefully you will take the time to hear the first disc out and make up your own mind for yourself."

"Several British electronica acts such as Orbital and Aphex Twin provide the backdrop for this 77-minute primer on Middle East history and politics narrated by Grant Wakefield. It's dispassionate, not shrill or ideological, and devastating in its detailed indictment of U.S./British involvement, whether that means manipulation of the Kurds, destruction of Iraq's advanced free-to-all health care system, or arming Saddam Hussein. Henry Kissinger sums it up: "Covert activities should not be confused with missionary work."

"Released in 2002, as the second war between the USA and Iraq began to take form, "The Fire This Time" is a very particular project, at the same time a documentary about the history or Iraq and a compilation of cutting edge track from mostly electronic artists. Released by Hidden Art, who have also released in the past some Muslimgauze material, it is clearly articulated on two CDs. The first one contains a long spoken word (and sample) section, on top of the tracks, while the second is just the music. The whole thing comes with a 12 pages booklet full of quotes from politicians, soldiers and journalists from the first gulf war, an epurated version of the originally planned 72 pages document that could sadly not be printed with the CDs but can be downloaded from the "The Fire This Time" website.

Not so much a political manifesto as much as a well documented lesson on the history of Iraq, the first CD is clearly the main part of "The Fire This Time". Starting quickly with an overview of Iraq in the antique era, it then explains how and why the Ba'ath party took control of the country, and what (and who) lead Iraq to invade Kuwait. Then follow the preparation of the first war, the conflict itself, and the consequences of the sanctions on the population. The documentary stops without talking of the second war, as it was released before this one took place.

Very rich and documented, the first CD of "The Fire This Time" focus on both facts and the way they were reported in the European and American media (for example the blatant exaggeration of the impact of the Scud missile attack in regards to the bombing on the country). Of course (and thankfully), it definitely carries an opinion, but unlike a lot of those expressed recently about the second war, it doesn't attack the US-led positions, but rather states them coldly, before exposing the consequences they have had on the Iraqi population (from the rise of a dictator to the massacre of the El Ameriyah shelter, the radioactivity due to the weapons used by the USA, or the extreme distress of the iraqi people under the sanctions). Clearly read, well edited and once again very well documented, this first CD presents an extremely clear point against the war, underlining the outside manipulations that have lead to the present catastrophic state of Iraq. From political interest to public relation camouflage, the various processes that have lead to the present situation are detailled and denounced, in a surprisingly and cleverly apolitical and clear manner.

The second CD, on the other hand, presents most of the tracks used on the first (with the exception of some of the most famous acts, for example Pan Sonic or Speedy J), without any spoken words. The listener then realizes that not only has he listened to a intelligent documentary about Iraq, but also to a very good selection of unreleased tracks, ranging from an excellent Orbital remix to a great remix of Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" by none other than Black Lung (David Thrussel also appearring with Soma). Bass Communion, known for their work with Muslimgauze, are also present here, the very talented Cairo-based Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma. All in all, the whole thing stays relatively subdued and has a strong mid-eastern influence (of course), but isn't afraid in venturing into more accoustic or noisy territories, with a lot of coherency.

"If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war" say a 2000 quote from a Pentagon official in the booklet. While this wish will very probably never be true, "The Fire This Time" proves to be an mandatory purchase. Sceptics will get their fix of very good new music, but it is first and foremost for the lesson in Iraqi history and the document about the first gulf war that "The Fire This Time" becomes an extremely interesting and necessary compilation. It is intelligently done, very well produced, and most of all very helpful to decode the current situation. So, for once, don't just read this review. Seriously, get this disc, it is more than "just" music."

"Disc 1 features 77 minutes of political/social documentary regarding the history of chaos around Iraq with special emphasis on US involvement in the ongoing death and destruction there. Certainly the information is timely though, as these pages aren't meant for politicizing, I'll refrain from chiming in. I'll just note that the disc's agenda is set forth quite nicely, though at times the presentation seems (just) a bit too "gimmicky"; to me, the hip effects detract from the seriousness, even if they add MTV-news "mood". Informative liner notes with quite horrific text and photos speak of things most Americans don't care to acknowledge...

I'm mightily impressed; the ambient/electronic sounds used to sonically support its soapbox are well-chosen and gorgeously-produced. The circumstances in Iraq (and certainly elsewhere, including here...) are rife with things most folks don't want to think about... with such disturbing displays of human nature, no wonder some of us seek solace in "peaceful" ambient music... The Fire This Time is not peaceful, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't listen."

With sound-bytes like we killed as many as we dared this numbers game is completely manipulative and menacing. The opposition of Saddam Hussein is unclear, the middle eastern perspective is obliterated, except for the realities of bombings and devastation. On “No News is Good News” a woman states 'It brought everything ugly to your imagination, this is the real war.' This becomes one of the more emotional moments on this phenomenal recording with stringed ambience provided by Naseer Shamma and Bass Communion). Throughout we are reminded of a toll of shame that brought the mighty arm of governments into brute disparity, breaking down what could be united nations. The Fire This Time has revised our modern history lesson with the vibrant support of musicians whose work helps to shape an extremely visual component to this recording. Will there be a video..._"

Horror. Anger. Rage. Sadness.

The Fire This Time is something everyone should own, or at least, hear. 

"The CD is profoundly moving. All those horrors, those crimes, concentrated and sculpted like that are overwhelming. I am sure your listeners will want to channel the knowledge, the anger, the despair they will feel into working for peace. And justice."

"Terrific drama and deeply emotional. A wonderful surprise. I am proud to be associated with this project."

"I heard your recording and I couldn't turn it off.  I was spellbound by both the production and the story being told.  Growing up in the states, I had only ever heard one side of that story.  I think this album needs as much good press as it can get.  It needs to get out there to the masses.  Arthur Miller's words ring hauntingly like an old church bell, and I hate to have to live in a world like that."

"A very educational listen; I found out so many things that make sense of the jigsaw. Once I put the CD on it was impossible to take off. A diverse musical political lecture that should make students of us all."

"Bold yellow letters in the liner notes of this album read: "If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war." It was a Pentagon spokesmans justification for censorship. And that's just what The Fire This Time, a double CD set from Hidden Art Recordings, aims to achieve: the unveiling of decades of political deceit leading to a war so horrible that within the first twenty-four hours American and allied planes had dropped more bombs than from 1942-1944. [sic]

The first disc of this set is an unavoidably difficult account of the Gulf War, and the history that lead up to it. It begins in 1985 at the height of the Iran-Iraq war. A tape plays of then-Col. Oliver North talking with Iranian businessmen in Frankfurt: "One of the things we would like to do is we would like to become actively engaged in ending the war, in such a way that it becomes very evident the real problem to peace in the region is Sadam Hussein and we will have to take care of that."

Set to ambient music, an audio documentary unfolds, starting a long, long time ago, when Europeans were living in caves. A great city called Babylon rose between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The message is simple. Iraq, the enemy is no barbarian. From that civilization was born the first codes of law and the basis of modern mathematics. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I a cascade of events erupted thoughout the Middle East. Iraq, whose citizens for hundreds of years had lived under Ottoman rule, was colonized by the British. Though they won self government in the 1930s, the British remained the dominant economic force in the nation. This was the time period when oil was discovered and began to be exported. Foreign interference continued over the decades. Then came the Iran-Iraq war, a bloody battle in which the west backed the Iraqis against the Shah of Iran, and his fundamentalist rule.The War left Iraq a nation exhausted. Iraq started the war with a $30 billion reserve, free health care, food subsidies, and social services; at the war's end, it had a debt of $80 billion and massive unemployment.

What follows is an incredibly researched account on political manipulation and misinformation on the part of the United States that, despite Iraq's desire for a diplomatic solution before, during, and after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a war for the purposes of the rich would be waged. The disc goes on to describe in painful detail the war and its repercussions. How hundreds where boiled alive in water that filled a civilian bomb shelter in Baghdad which was deliberately bombed by the US. How the depleted uranium left scattered about the country caused horrible deformities to babies. How a million and a half people perished in a political swindle, a resource war arranged years before.

The disc is well researched, with a flood of sampled sound bites from talking heads of the day. It provides glimpses into the motives behind the war, and how it was portrayed [and] sold to the American public and the world community. The liner notes are a collection of shocking, provocative quotes, and scathing pictures. "Is there any man, is there any woman, let me say any child here, that does not know that the seed of war in the modern world is industrial and commercial rivalry_" it challenges, quoting President Woodrow Wilson [in] 1919.

This album is clearly bound to become a favorite among pirate radio stations, aiming to educate their audiences about the Gulf War, and the timing of it could not be better as we face the possibility of renewed full scale war with Iraq. It will doubtlessly also serve as an enormous archive of audio samples for DJs who want to bring an anti-war message into the mix.

The second disc is exclusively audio. It is generally trance music with traditional Arabic music flowing though trance beats, and in some tracks emerging as a lone oud (an Arabic string instrument). The disc is a compilation of several artists. Soma's track, 'Get Thee Behind Me', eerily mixes the two genres. Naseer Shamma stands out as the lead Arabic influence, his oud giving a beautiful pause for breath among the electronic beats. The most haunting, the most painful track on the disc is a vocal mix by Kait Gray, called 'Nails in the Wall'. It is like the howl of a thousand dying souls, and is a grim shadow of the horror of the civilian bomb shelter attack. This is followed by the real dance song of the album 'Come to Daddy'. Placed perfectly to dance a cathartic dance, to drive the images from the mind, to exhaust yourself and push back the wails of Kait Gray. Recorded by Aphex Twin, and remixed by Black Lung, this track has a hard and driving trance beat that forces bodies to move of their own will."