Desert Storm SUMMER '96 ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SQUALL Ally Fogg meets Desert Storm the sound system who took techno to the front-line in Bosnia. Sound systems do not have to seek trouble these days. Under attack from a parliament which considers them criminals, they work with the constant risk of arrest and seizure of equipment. Most party crews have sought a quieter life on the more hospitable Euro scene, Glasgow's 'Desert Storm' have found welcoming crowds in the unlikeliest venues of all; the war-torn cities of Bosnia. On a recent 'legit' tour of British venues to raise money for their forth trip in eighteen months, in Manchester's New Ardri club they shared with me a little of the World according to Desert Storm. Although their home base is still in Glasgow, the five crew members I met each come from different cites. "Desert Storm isn't really a crew," explains rob from Sheffield "it's more of a ...thing." "A bubbling blob." offers Danny. "Yeah people drift in and out." At the centre of the blob is Keith, the only remaining founder member. He talks enthusiastically about the origins of Desert Storm throwing 'afterparties' in Glasgow in early '91 against the backdrop of the Gulf War.. The name was his idea, representing not only their 'beats not bullets' message, but also their desire to be seen as part of an army: 'It's an anti-estabishment thing, we want to show them we're organised, but for our own ends not for theirs'. Desert Storm decor does not follow the usual style of techno nights, all trippy fractals and tie-dye wall hangings. Instead they prefer a mass of camouflage netting with khaki and black the dominant colours. The effect is powerful, Desert Storm gigs feel like they are taking place in a bunker with a civil war going on outside. The visual impact of a Desert Storm gig drives home the concept of a revolutionary culture boiling under the surface of modern Britain. In the beginning the parties had an entrance fee, but this was attracting problems.