Checked out Buraka Som Sistema at The Scala last night. The live show was amazing. They ingeniously blend techno, rock and african beats. Song of the night? It has to be Kuduro – the crowd went crazy!
Tag: music
Seth Troxler
Seth Troxler is my sound of now. He’s wicked Detroit DJ, now resident in Berlin whose tracks have appeared on labels including Esperanza.
His talents belie his youth (he’s only 22). I came across him via a mention in Earplug, a weekly music email bulletin. It’s worth subscribing to.
Paris crowns Jeff Mills king of the DJs
Was having a chat last night with Boy about whether it’s possible for Euro DJs to make it out of the underground and be commercially successful in the mainstream.
With the exception of Daft Punk and the Chemical Brothers I struggled to think of any who’s blown up in the pop charts and still managed to bring their original underground audience with them.
Even the Basement Jaxx who I was wild about ten years ago left me cold with a number of their post Rooty albums although more recent tracks like Nifty and My Turn are trés hip.
He cited the example of David Guetta, who admittedly has done well for himself. While I’ve never seen Guetta DJ, I really am not a fan of his tracks. Love is Gone, for example, makes me want to projectile.
All this preamble goes to explain my pleasant surprise to read in today’s Figaro that Jeff Mills is exhibiting at the Pompidou Centre in Paris as part of an exhibition on Futurism in Paris.
An American DJ, heralded by the French??
Well yes, although being Gallic the Pompidou has managed to make Mills’ work sounds sufficiently artsy:
A visual and sound installation by the artist Jeff Mills offers a contemporary extension of the works presented.
The visitor finds himself immersed by a giant mechanical hive made of many videos which accumulate themselves in a frantic and pulsating rhythm, as a reference to the machine cogs that the Futurists praised and glorified.
The installation includes a soundtrack and videos specially created by Jeff Mills.
Critical Arrangements is on view at the Pompidou from October 15 2008 – January 26 2009
UK premier of Bassweight, dubstep documentary
The word dubstep first came to my attention at an artistic salon I went to at the Bethnal Green Men’s Working Club back in 2006.
It was, admittedly, an unlikely setting. Chatting about writing for Rolling Stone Italy to a Dutch DJ sharing my table, I mentioned that I was on the look out for hot new bands and new musical trends.
He was appalled when I admitted that I had never hear of dubstep, a sound which originated in deepest, darkest Croydon but which had spread to Holland, Brazil and even Japan.
Imagining that I had come across this hot new genre, the next I whacked the term into Google to see how much had already been written.
To my dismay, the Telegraph had got there first (has anyone else noticed how, despite having the reputation for being the paper of choice for right-wing wrinklies, the Torygraph has a pretty avant-garde culture coverage.)
In the years that have followed, I’ve always been tempted by the idea of a night of dubstep. To date the closest I’ve come is listening to Annie Nightingale’s show on the BBC iPlayer, which I don’t think really counts.
Plastic People, one of my favourite clubs in London seems like the perfect venue – small, dark, underground and with a wicked sound system.
But the idea of spending the night with a load of moody teenage boys wearing sportswear has never really appealed.
Now it seems like I may have the perfect excuse to dig a little deeper into the scene.
My weekly journey (round the corner into the graphics suite) for creative inspiration has come up with a little gem.
The Whitechapel Gallery, which is round the corner from my gaff is hosting the UK premiere of Bassweight, the first documentary about dubstep.
The screening will be followed by live music from MEMORY9, The Open Sauce Soundsystem and KULTURE.
Bassline debuts on Friday 24th October 2008 at the Whitechapel Gallery
Riva Starr on Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show
One of the perks of my job is that I get to sit at my computer with my headphones on. The assumption is that I’m quietly editing away packages of breaking news that come to me via the news wires.
In reality I’m actually plugged into the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Last fm or Blip.fm (i’m delicious) listening to the latest tunes around.
One of my must have shows is Pete Tong’s Friday night dance music show that religiously welcomes me into the weekend every fortnight.
Only problem is that I’m sitting here pretending to cut packages on the Senate vote on the bail-out of the US economy when the most ridiculous track comes on. The base is so heavy I can’t help but let out a squeal of excitement.
The media managers gave me an odd look but I have to share this discovery. Check out track 11 on the mix I’ve posted above. Rockafella Starr is a sick remix of an old Fatboy Slim tune.
Riva Starr is definitely a name to watch. Details to follow on where he’s spinning next…
Ornella Vanoni
This post has nothing to do with anything important – I just want to make a note of the track that sums up my mood today.
L’appuntamento is beyond hip or square. It’s a timeless love song that soothes bruised hearts. Vito – I owe you for this one uagnone!
The Hip + The Square 