Dancecult: journal - special issue on the DJ, was released on 16 June 2011. Dancecult is a peer reviewed e-journal specializing on EDMC (electronic dance music culture). This issue has articles on DJs at NYC's "The Saint" nightclub, the changing roles of the DJ in Vienna, the "maleness" of drum'n'bass in London, DJs and cyborgs, psytrance DJ Goa Gil, part one of the Nomads in Sound series, a couple of articles on turntablists and hip hop DJs, the techno scene in Stockholm, a look at the EBM/Industrial DJs, as well as book reviews. A bumper issue!
DANCECULT | Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture
==================
Volume 3 * Number 1 * 2011
================== http://dj.dancecult.net/
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE DJ
with Guest Editors Anna Gavanas and Bernardo Alexander Attias
Hunter & Mortar - Fear and Loathing—a few words with Hunter SBX about his new album with Mortar—this was originally an article for ozhiphop.com : article in forum & on http://officialozhiphop.tumblr.com. by AliaK 31/05/2011. Thanks very much to Hunter for taking the time to answer my rambling questions
:::
Hunter and Mortar released their new album "Fear and Loathing" in May 2011—the guys seem a perfect match to release an album together. Written over a few years, there's a range of styles, and fans of either of the two will not be disappointed. My personal favourites are the more introspective songs, such as Mortar's "Expecting to Fly" and Hunter's "Love and Fear" but there are also plenty of hardcore rap songs for the fans to play at parties and bars around Australia. Hunter answered a few questions and replied to comments about the new release. You can find the album in all good stores supporting Australian Hip Hop, and I'd encourage you to buy all of Hunter's and Mortar's albums, including this one—the latest chapter in the Hunter SBX story.
I was really excited to hear that Brisbane band Step It Up had a new EP, "Push", out in 2011 on Zyl Records, as I'd loved their earlier work on their self titled album released in 1996 and I'd seen them perform in Brisbane when I lived there in 2000/2001 or so. The new EP has different versions of the song "Push"—which includes a sample from their popular song "Flex" with mixes by Obese Bass Beast and Unison Sound System. There's also a new song called "Nudge" by Blunted Stylus (aka Geoff "Jigzaw" Blunted/ex Resin Dogs/Hydrofunk). The musical lineup has changed slightly over the years, but there's still a range of music styles and techniques explored on this release—from house, to jazz, to drum'n'bass, to bass-music and beats'n'squelch styles. All in all, it's a pleasure to listen to and I'm looking forward to hearing their future sounds, as well as the cache of songs yet to be released. Des Reid was kind enough to answer a few questions about the band and its future directions. Keep an ear to the ground for their live gigs in Brisbane and elsewhere—you'll be in for a treat from these talented musicians!
>> for the "borrowed moog and juno mix", song #1 on Push—what's the story here? who'd you borrow the moog and juno from and can you keep them for a while?
> The Moog Prodigy belonged to Manny, our old keys player. I should have bought it when he sold it. The Juno 60 was DJ Damage's. They're both killer synths. I've since acquired a Juno 60 and JX-3p.
>> are there any favourite gigs, or memories of them that you'd like to share?
> The "Vibes on A Summer Day" festivals were always great. They were before festivals became commercial and unaffordable. Bondi Pavilion was a great venue. It's always nice to see a thousand people jumping up and down to your music in the sun from the stage.
>> for your live set: "Their new show has wide variety from instrumental hip-hop through Asian and Arabic influences to banging house". can you talk about some of these influences? particularly, the Asian and Arabic ones
> I have been learning some Arabic music and playing with some great oud players. We have an unreleased track called "Ïntefada" and a new one called "Free Gaza". I've always been interested in Indian music since seeing the Mahavishnu Orchestra, although I haven't studied it thoroughly and authentically. One of our best new tunes is an Indian groove tune called "Only One I know". That's partly because it's the only raga I know properly! Rohan plays in proper Indian ensembles in recitals at the Hindu temple in Virginia up here in Brisbane.
>> who are the band members of Step It Up?
> We've had some fantastic players in the past who have left town like Craig Hanicek, Darren MacPherson and Gavin Manikus on sax, Godoy and Steve Falk on percussion and DJ Frenzie. Terepai recorded the drums on "Flex" for us too.
The current line up is :
Steve Francis—drums
Steve is a great drummer and is in great demand in Brisbane. He tours with James Morrison too.
Neil Wickham is our great new sax player. He has a brilliant fusion type sound. The sax can't be too mellow in this type of music or it loses the edge and blands it out a bit.
Rohan Somasekaran is on keys. He is an awesome piano player and leads his own straight-ahead jazz outfit too. We're adding more synth to the live sound too.
I [Des Reid] play bass mostly live, but also a bit of guitar and guitar synth. I want to start contributing to the percussion too, but only in a support role—I'm only a simple player.
DJ Damage does the cuts on the EP. He's also in Terntable Jediz and The Optimen. He's one of the best turntablists I've ever seen.
Roger Gonzalez is our percussionist. He is a conga and cahon specialist, and a fantastic groove player. Marcelo, who played on the "Push" EP moved to Canberra unfortunately. We have loads of percussion recorded by him in the vaults though. Also heaps by his brother, Luis Schiavi—a killer timbales player.
Overall we have a giant backlog of tracks which we will be finishing and releasing soon. Although we haven't been playing out as often over the last few years, we never stopped writing and recording. We're sitting on a few albums really. The new label—Zyl Records will be our outlet now that we're organized.
>> do you improvise during the live sets too?
> There is a lot of improvising live. We follow the jazz tradition of arranged head—improvisation—head. We try to keep some tightly arranged sections too. One big feature of our sets is the breakdowns. We don't just have horn or keys solos—we have big sections where the drums, percussion and DJ are improvising together, feeding off each other. According to Cuban tradition, when two or more percussive players are resonating, that's when the spirits come. We're a bit tribal really.
some links on Bangkok sound art and digital art and other interesting blogs / media
art BAM - Bangkok Art Map - BAM is a printed art map available at galleries, hotels, art-cafes and various other places around the city. there seems to be a different issue each month. I found a copy of the 05.2011 version at the Kathmandu Photo Gallery off Silom Rd in Bangrak. the website has art listings and information also and is definitely worth checking out - you can even download a pdf version of the current BAM if you don't find one on the soi
Kathmandu Photo Gallery - there's books, art prints, and a gallery upstairs. it's a great old pre-war building, painted pale green - which reminds me of the smaller rooms in the old RSL halls in Brisbane in the 1970s where we did ballet classes - even the same pale green paint on the wall boards - it's very fresh and colourful. owned by well-known Thai photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom and artist/filmaker Ing K.
Reflections on Hunter's first three albums:
::: "Done DL" ::: Hunter and Dazastah (2002)
::: "Going Back to Yokine" ::: Hunter (2006)
::: "Monster House" ::: Hunter and DJ Vame (2010)
When Walter Benjamin stated in 1936 that, “the art of storytelling is coming to an end" due to the rise of the printed novel and the lowering value of experience, he hadn't anticipated the rise of the hip hop emcee to revive this craft in our modern world. In all his albums, Hunter shows his skills as a wonderful storyteller. There are tales of growing up, getting into trouble and later returning to his hometown of Yokine, Perth, in the songs "Adolescence", "Going Back To Yokine" and "Yokine (Drugs + Crime)". These are stories of self-discovery, and of changing his life, and of hope — giving up old ways that were not working for him to focus on music, rapping and living a hip hop-infused life instead. "What I Do Best" has the feeling of homecoming to a community of supportive people and finding his place in the world. There are stories of mateship and the value of community with his Syllabolix (SBX) family and crew. There are stories of having children and the specialness that can bring to one's life in "Ultrasound" and "Kids of the Future". Littering his rhymes in "Kids of the Future", "The Big Issue" and "Me Old Man" are stories based on his Dad’s advice, as he contemplates being a father himself.
Techno Lawn Party (Spin'n'Jam Reunion)
16 April · 12:00 - 18:00
East Brisbane Croquet Club (Mowbray Park), 19 Park Ave, East Brisbane, Australia
Join the Spin'n'Jam crew for an autumn afternoon of croquet and chilled beats at the East Brisbane Croquet Club (Mowbray Park) overlooking the Brisbane river .
Playing for your aural pleasure shall be:
Frogstar Millennium Experience Live (Melbourne) – worldbeat
Quazilocco (fresh from Rainbow Serpent 2011) – psy/dub/70s/funk/soul/disco mash
Geriotech – tech-house
Funkedub – breaks
Neon Princess – ambient
plus special guest Sally Allsorts & more to be announced.
Silly hats and outfits encouraged (especially Alice in Wonderland style) but not mandatory.
$10 at the door includes free croquet lessons!
Some snacks and refreshments available but BYO alcomahol.
What's Spin'n'Jam?
Spin'n'Jam was an underground community music venue that ran in West End from the mid Nineties to early Noughties, bringing together a diverse range of electronic and live, visual and acoustic artists. It was possibly Brisbane's first regular Open Decks session, and many DJs in South-East played their first public sets there. The original crew are organising this event as both a reunion for the old hands and an inspiration for new comers.
"Love Our Laneways Brisbane hopes to save the laneway precinct and beautiful old building (a 1920's printing warehouse) between Elizabeth and Charlotte Streets in the city, which has just been approved by the city council for imminent demolition. Reminiscent of Melbourne or even Barcelona, this area could be an incredibly vibrant addition to the cultural life of the CBD, instead a glass and steel office tower has been approved to be built for the Australian Tax Office. Amazingly this building is not heritage listed, so the only way to save it is if the developers or the ATO have a change of heart. We are not against the development per se, but respectfully ask them to consider the incredible potential of this site, and amend their building plans to integrate the laneway precinct and heritage building at its rear. It would be a shame to lose this building for the sake of a loading bay and AC plant to service the new development. If you're unhappy your tax dollars are contributing to the demolition of Brisbane's heritage then sign the petition now, and pass it onto your friends, enemies and lovers of laneways everywhere!"
Step It Up are a premier funk and new jazz band, creating music since the 1990's in Australia. Their releases include the classic self-titled first album, plus numerous compilation tracks on labels including Ubiquity, Creative Vibes and One Movement. The band have received much airplay on Australian national broadcasters JJJ and ABC, and also on UK Jazz FM. Their instrumentals have been found to be a perfect match for movies, tv and multimedia synchronisations.
Step It Up's live credits include supports for the legendary Gil Scott-Heron and Ronnie Jordan plus appearances at Vibes on a Summer Day festivals. You can catch them live around Brisbane.
They are back with a developed sound – more electro, more uptempo, more driven & danceable. Their new show has wide variety from instrumental hip-hop through Asian & Arabic influences to banging house.
At the MF Doom gig on Friday 1st April, DJ Sheep led a turntablist battle revival in Brisbane. Prior to this gig, there’d been words – DJ Butcher had posted “dude.. u know i’ll beat you on the decks.. ur an idiot..” on OzHipHop.com (24/03/2011). DJ Sheep, following the hip hop code he lives by, raised a challenge to battle on the decks. Unfortunately the challenge was turned down, so spectators only saw one side of the battle, but they left charged. I wasn’t there to see it in person, but I saw the video and on Sunday morning, DJ Sheep said on Ozhiphop.com, “I’ve never felt better in years after a gig, i got so many daps, and props from people, it felt like the old days again for once…”, so it sounded like it was a night to remember. The only way I could imagine it being better (in my head), is if there *had* been a battle, or if there had been two sounds (sound systems) on opposite sides of a fenced off outdoor basketball court or a Jamaican dance hall like back in the early days of hip hop DJ battles.
Kodwo Eshun, in his book “More Brilliant Than The Sun”, coined the term “Sonic Fiction” when writing about one of the pioneers of hip hop DJing, Grandmaster Flash, and his album “The Amazing Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel”. I suggest that the turntablist battles could also be thought of as Sonic Fiction on multiple levels – in the sounds produced and performances of the actual turntablist set, and also in the stories behind the battles – in some case they’re personal, in other cases they’re for competition and showcase. In all cases, they are related to the DJs career and reputation. DJ Battles are the opposite of “Fight Club” – everybody (in the DJ community) talks about the battle, and the rules are set. DJ Sheep commented, “the hip-hop code is that when you call someone out or get called out, you either step up or admit defeat. if you say you’re better and back out, you’re reputation goes down the drain, that’s hip-hop. It’s been like that since the inception”.
Now back to the set – in traditional style, Sheep gave props to the fallen, shouting out RIP to Angus, Jeeps (750) and Sabre (BWP) before he started. Then he got down to business with his message explaining to the crowd that DJs used real records. “In the history of beef, it’s usually the Butcher that slaughters the Sheep, but today we’re going to see the Sheep slaughter the mutherfuckin’ Butcher”. Sheep then launched into his set – beat juggling, chirps, transform moves such as flares and orbits, and the crab. From the video, you can see a brick and sandbag on the table – DJ Sheep and Brisbane beat-maker Tigermoth highlighted the large springs in place of the table legs which caused the table to move around, and some skipping of the needles during Sheep’s set. I think the crowd probably wouldn’t have noticed this had it not be pointed out. In any case, Sheep took advantage of the moments and paused, giving space to his set and acknowledging the crowd. They gave him plenty of love in return.
Monkey Marc's studio was recently broken into and his equipment was stolen. You can help support him replacing his gear by purchasing one of his albums.
As The Market Crashed, his 2009 release, is an 11 track album
Solo instrumental hip-hop, dub, future dub and dubstep by monkeymarc. Recorded on Solar Power.
credits:
released 01 December 2009
Mixed at Sumroom Studios Paris, France by Matthias Froidefond and at Headgap Studios, Melbourne by Rohan "Infernal Machine" Mansell and mixed by Monkeymarc at all the above and at Monkeys Solar Studio, Melbourne. Mastered at Transition Studios, London, UK.
via @jean_poole's tweet : Help the lovely Monkey Marc raise $ to replace music gear stolen from his solar powered studio. Donations get his album http://is.gd/3xrYIF
Hot off the press: The City of Sydney Library and Random House Australia invite you to join Terri Janke in launching Paris Dreaming, the latest sexy novel by the multi-talented author Anita Heiss.
Join Anita as she shares her inspiration for the work and her dedication to researching in the city of love. There croissants, culture and couture are all accompanied by distracting gorgeous men, cute baristas and smooth-tongued lotharios. Come along and have some fun, learn about Aboriginal art in Paris, and get a copy of the novel signed by the woman herself.
DIGICULT is an online/offline Italian platform, created to spread digital art and culture worldwide. It focuses on the impact of new technologies and modern sciences on art, design, culture and contemporary society. DIGICULT is based on participation of more than 40 professionals, representing a wide Italian Network of critics, curators and journalists in the field. DIGICULT is the editor of the magazine DIGIMAG, which focuses on some cultural and artistic issues like internet art, hacktivism, electronica, video art, audiovideo, art & science, design, new media, software art, performing art. http://www.digicult.it/digimag_eng
DIGIMAG 62 - MARCH 2011. The @digicult mag English issue is online http://bit.ly/bwZAS4 #digitalart #mediaart #artscience #electronica [via @digicult tweet]
![Subscribe to AliaK [filter] RSS](http://www.aliak.com/misc/feed.png){kind=small}