A very sunny morning in East London, about to head off to work. Thought I'd briefly have a look at who's currently making waves and who's currently setting trends in the world of electronic music. Bon Appetite.
For the first course I generously serve a slice of broken beat/garage with Randomer & Fife. Smart synth stabs, super-smooth vocals and a very tasty bassline have seen their track Too Many Times see early support from Giles Peterson and Mary Ann Hobbs. Released on May 24th on Fat! Records. For Fans of Joy Orbison.
Next up bringing the noise, like a double macchiato, is Girl Unit. Finding a cheeky niche somewhere between sireny-techno and bubbling post-dubstep, new track IRL is hot property. MP3: Girl Unit - IRL
Also check out the French Fries remix - and buy the original on Beatport
A couple of tracks recommended by Girl Unit in his interview with The Big Chill :
As the funky smoothie of the breakfast buffet, probably with sparklers stuck in the top, is Maluca, who's blowing up at the moment, with Mad Decent's backing.
She was born in the Bronx to Dominican parents, and after a chance meeting with Diplo in a karaoke bar the two started working together, resulting in her debut single El Tigeraso. Fast, aggressive yet sassy, with B-More influences and Spank-Rock like delivery, it has spawned a number of big-name remixes.
Here the above mentioned NGUZUNGUZU take on the remix duties.
FINALLY, to exhaust the already overstrained metaphor, for the Eggs Royale of what has now become mega-mega-brunch, if you listen to one person this week, or hey, this month, make sure it's Hudson Mohawke. Already given a shout on Lofi a while ago when discussing 'Aquacrunk', Hudson Mohawke feeds intelligent hip-hop beats through an Autechre-esque filter, really driving the limits of modern dance music, but simultaneously managing to always keep it soulful, usually accessible and often raveable. Comparisons to Outkast, Funkadelic, Timbaland and Pharell seem more than fair.
His debut album 'Butter' was released October last year. Get hold of a copy here. seriously.
Since inception NYE 2001, clubnight Together has put on an undeniably quality lineup of electronic and indie acts. From The Chemical Brothers to Roni Size, Justice to Fischerspooner, they've kept it diverse and big-name.
Their spring-summer line up has now been announced and its looking quality.
May 7th sees world-superstar Kelis, showing off her new, dancier sounds, joined by the legendary reformed-gangsters Afrika Bambaataa, plus Tinchy Stryder and room 2 action with Lee Mortimer, in what is a slightly bizzare but probably wonderful line-up.
May 14th Alex Metric, Joker and Friendly Fires join Disco Bloodbath for an eclectic night of electronic destruction.
21st May finds Moda, fast becoming the UKs hottest party hosts, brought in to rock the joint, bringing with them Jack Beats, who's unveling his new 2 man audio-visual show; Switch - who needs no explaining; Popof who's brooding yet bouncy minimalist electro productions and remixes has seen him become a majoy player in dance music, and nu-disco big-name Aeroplane, who has remixed of the likes of Friendly Fires with universal appreciation. Also on the line up is Riva Starr, Grum andModa frontmen Jaymo & Andy George.
WIN 2 VIP tickets with Lofi Hifi. To enter just email your full name to georgewigzell AT hotmail.com. Competition closes 15th May.
I will pick one name out of a hat and they get the two VIP tickets.
June 4th they have Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, DJ Yoda and Stereo MCs.
June 11th Electro phenomenon and poney fancier Vitalic plus rhetorical DJs Joe and Will Ask?and a DJ set from Mystery Jets - who, having DJed Lofi, I can testify are rather excellent.
18th June – DIM MAK Records will be taking over the evening, bringing with them Fischerspooner and Steve Aoki.
25th June – The BIG Finale with Kode9, Joker, and the very exciting Hudson Mohawke.
All are at the Coronet Theatre, 28 New Kent Road, SE1, 1920s art deco playhouse, which now boasts the capital's biggest main room, with a capacity of 2,600.
Got an email from a man named Devin Madgy, a one-man band, making lovely lofi-indie with a quirky edge. I think this is really promising stuff - check it out. Hopefully some mp3s will follow:
A timely reminder of what you'll get if you vote Tory. Remember kids, don't let the fuckers get in!
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
ColuringIN (photographer unknown - sorry!)
First off more free music from Scatterblog - the high-quality-no-cost label - and this time it's some heavy sounds from Mexican duo Dirty Beats. This is club-orientated, good-time electro.
If you're at a loss on Friday the 30th April then definitely check out new London based/ Berlin-K7 affiliated label Cool In The Pool's launch party at The City Arts and Music Project.
They're putting on a more than tempting buffet spread of musical morsels, including indie-disco from Friendly Fires DJs; Uk Funky/Dubstep from Brackles;psychedelic guitars, jacking drums and soaring synths from 3 piece Plugs; "future romantic pop" from oh-so-hotly-tipped, LfHf favs ColouringIN; and joyful post-dubstep art noise and intrigue from new superstar Kwes.
Plus it's all FREE.
Mixtape from Friendly Fires to get juices flowing:
LCD Soundsystem, Missy Elliott, The Horrors, Bad Brains (!), DJ Shadow, Placebo (if you like that sort of thing, which I do), Suicidal Tendencies, Hudson Mohawke, L-VIS 1990, Crystal Castles, Chromeo, We Have Band, plus an amazing dance line up including Erol, Boys Noize, Brodinski, Crookers, Josh Wink, A-Trak, Laidback Luke, Busy P, SebastiAn, Mehdi, Zinc and Ms Dynamite plus a ridiculous amount more. Where else do you get a hardcore stage, a dedicated dance stage and an up-and-coming band stage at the same festival? Plus the chance to see LCD Soundsystem? (ok maybe at Leeds/Reading, but look at the sheer amount AND quality of bands here, although I confess I wouldn't mind seeing Blink headlining Leeds)
Tickets still £85 + bf, and camping is £20 + bf (tickets available here: www.exitfest.org)
The question now is: can I afford to go? Well if you can, then do. Just don't rub my nose in it if I don't make it.
It was a collaboration between the London Film School and the National Gallery, where students picked a painting in the gallery to write and a direct a 3 minute short around. Sohail, who wrote and directed it, chose Bartolomé Bermejo's painting Saint Michael triumphs over the Devil, painted in 1468. In his words: "I was intrigued by the way the Devil is depicted by the painter. A small helpless figure who, even pinned to the ground, seems to laugh at man´s attempt to defeat him. The painting tackles the classical theme of good versus evil, and something with evil at its centre is always very dramatic. I therefore wanted to translate the image to a disturbing supernatural thriller. In my film, the Devil takes the shape of a child. The juxtaposition of human innocence and mythological evil is perhaps an equally classical element from films of this genre. In this form, the demon child taunts the protagonist through his pictures. Photographically I explored the contrast between light and darkness, mixed with fiery red light in the dark room where the Devil prevails."
32yr old Italian, making experimental indie-electronica. Was really impressed by this. Nice and gentle, with a sense of fun. And he sings in Italian, which is how it should be!
And because he is such a supporter of free music, you can download the whole album here: (although you can own a physical copy for just 3 Euros ,contact via MySpace, below):
01. Traccia 1- artista sconosciuto 02. La disciplina delle fermentazioni 03. Ratio me fugit 04. Ho un gatto nel cervello 05. The darkest side of the dark 06. Ho bisogno di qualcosa di cui non ho bisogno 07. Tu non sei normale 08. Nero 09. La mia donna è un pagliaccio opulento 10. Talking to Van Vera 11. Perché la cattiveria è enorme 12. Questa non è una canzone 13. Phantazomai 14. La ballata dell'elefante suicida 15. Piccola perdita di sostanza polpastrello 16. Veronica ha un virus 17. Kisstarsky http://www.myspace.com/elephantsuicide
On a different note,
also introducing Mendel:
Paris/Tel Aviv based producer, making heavy electro-fidget-filter-hip-hop. Definitely one to watch, this guy has proper management, and a sound that is attractive enough to move more into the mainstream.
People in The Sky, a label started in the back of an East London rcord shop in 2006, release the compilation "And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Avant Pop" on the 16th of Nov.
Featuring label mainstays Friendly Fires and Plugs, People In The Sky describe this as an 'Audio Manifesto'.
They explain:
"From Dada to Disco, the commodification and recuperation of all popular culture has been accelerated via ever faster means of communication until we reached this point, the edge of no return.
The musical avant garde, armed with cheap electronics and half forgotten dreams, fights on sporadically. Fresh battlelines are drawn in the subcultural sand, but from 20 jazz funk greats to Reg n’ Fearn in a fortnight, things move fast . Fires are quickly doused , and it’s back to Saturday repeats of Come Dine with me as the hacienda crumbles around us."
1) Wax Stag - Folk Rock (Bibio Remix) 2) Colouring In - Intergalactic Romantic (Radio Edit) 3) Telepathe - Chromes On It 4) Plugs - That Number (Video Edit) 5) Architeq - Sleeping Bear Lament (James Pants Remix) 6) Oko - Can't You See 7) Nightwaves - She's Electric (Vega Italo Dub) 8) Ghostape - Many Stars (Ste Mix) 9) The Time and Space Machine - Children of the Sun 10) Friendly Fires - On Board (Nightmoves Remix) 11) Ghostape - In Your Eyes (Remin Remix) 12) Ecce - Control (Pharao Black Magic Mix) 13) Plugs - Downtown 14) Foto & The Bolton Tadcaster - Love Will Break Her 15) Nuuro - Avila
To promote the compilation they are hosting a launch party, featuring the excellent ColouringIN and Matt Waites (Nightmoves). ALL ARE INVITED ;;;;;;;;;:
People In The Sky presents "And You Will Know Us by TH Trail of Avant Pop" Launch Party @ T Bar
Thursday 19th November | 9pm - 3am
Free Entry + Free Promo CD Giveaways
T Bar, 18 — 22 Houndsditch, Aldgate, London EC3A 7LP
Line-up:
These New Puritans (Domino/Angular) DJ Set
Ipso Facto DJ Set
Matt Waites AKA Nightmoves (Future Flash/This Is Not An Exit)
EuroSonic Noorderslag is Europe's biggest music industry conference and showcase. Every year a selection of Europe's new musical talent get a chance to strut their stuff in front of industry pros, including promoters from Europe's biggest festivals, as well as hoards of music lovers. All will be eagerly scouring 100+ gigs to discover the next big thing.
This year the particular focus is on Norway. So expect a strong presence of indie-dance, death metal and great facial hair. (Ok so this was the best cultural stereotype I could muster. Blame Lordi.)
Past success stories include Blood Red Shoes, Goose, Lykke Li, Yelle and, last year, White Lies, who clocked up an impressive 15 European festival bookings after appearing.
Blood Red Shoes had this to say:
""EuroSonic Noorderslag is one of those weird showcase things you do but feel uncomfortable about because it's crawling with music industry types and not many real people, a bit like SXSW. But much like SXSW, if you do a good job of it, you get some way cool stuff out of it."
...which makes it all sound a bit cynical, but adds some weight to the SXSW comparison. Although the guy from White Lies had this to say:
"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what job title each member of the audience has, they are still potential fans and still have the ability to be moved and excited by your music".
...and get you way cool stuff....
Sliimy
The line-up is all new to me - but after a preliminary listen my ones to watch are, in 3 categories:
I Think I Might Like You: Bands With Promise Joensuu 1685 - Psychadelic, lofi rock. Lucy Love - Electro, dancehall and dubstep beats with assertive female MCing. Loads of potentially good tracks and catchy riffs. Still lands a little short of brilliant, yet. Though check out the OK Formula rmx of No VIP on her Myspace. Sliimy - Synthy indie-pop-soul, with impressive voice and and one eye on radio play. Plus a few good covers. So I Watch You From Afar - Intelligent and progressive heavy-ish instrumental rock. Swapping from emotional (small e) Post-Hardcore riffs to fantastic african rhythms and a sense of the Epic. Bits of ATDI, Mogwai and QOTSA (I'm not using all these acronyms just to take the piss, I promise). BIG sound, stirring, yet never outlandish. rockettothesky - can't tell if I like this, but I might do in time, so have included it. Very strange sounds, lots of synths and some guitar, lots of reverb on the minimal drums. Twinkly and gentle music with floaty female vocals. Makes me think of snow.
Will Probably Be Big, But Shouldn't Be Lee Everton -Singer songwriter plays rootsy reggae meets rhythm and blues, easy on the ear. Average, unimaginative, coffee table.
I'm Already Loving It , Get Your Orders In. Svjata Vatra - Bagpipes, accordian, trumpet, djembe and amongst other instruments something called a duduki make up this weird-and-wonderful-sounding band. Primarily a Ukranian and Estonian folk band, but embracing elements of "Tango, Polka, Punk, Rock, Funk, Soul, Ska, Jazz and Reggae." Adventurous and exciting music, never losing its sense of fun. My only criticism being I wish it would kick off a little more often. Personal taste perhaps.
On a different note the Evening Standard published their list of 1000 most influential people in London. Apparently I'm not on there. I can only assume I came in at 1001. Bastards. Don't they know who I am?
Plus this cheeky number: DON DIABLO - TOO COOL FOR AMSTERDAM BITCH (HUGO VAN DYCK BOOTLEG) According to the press-release, "'Too Cool For Amsterdam Bitch' is a cheeky bootleg by Hugo van Dyck based on Don Diablo's 'Too Cool For School', which proved to be quite the DJ weapon during the recent Amsterdam Dance Event, where it spread like wildfire among many of the world's biggest DJs and became one of the festival's biggest tunes. As a result, Don Diablo has now asked Hugo van Dyck to do an official remix of his forthcoming dancefloor smash 'I am not from France'."
Just to make sure I don't miss out on the bandwagon this week, and nor do you, two bands getting me excited this very second:
Boys Noize. New album. New song, Gax. Brilliant. I feel like I've just heard sweet sweet filter-house for the first time. And it's very exciting and beautiful.
In fact I haven't heard anything getting me this excited in a couple of months. It's just ace.
Clever, shiny, big pop music. This will go very far.
He is giving away several songs, including remixes of Animal by Crookers, Fake Blood and Punks Jump Up. Plus a wicked remix of Black and Blue by Tiga. Go here.
Teengirl Fantasy bring their dreamy electronica, for one of only a handful of London dates. Arch M, plays a bleepy shoe-gaze psychadelica, with a clever Motown flavour, and Trailer Trash Tracys are first on - a band I really like - bringing a classic shoe-gaze sound - distant vocals and thick, ethereal sounds, with a very London-now sound.
" Boys Noize will be playing a two hour set that will include many of the albums tracks played on CDJ’s using separate parts for live edits – a more kinetic experience preferred by Ridha than using a laptop. He has also picked fellow Germans Smith’n’Hack to play live alongside his mate and BNR artist Housemeister. Room 2 is helmed by Riton and Stopmakingme."
Also, a mention for the brilliant, funny and deeply charming No Cars.
Kyoko, wife of Ben, ex-St Francis, plays drums for them.
No Cars means 'farmers' in Japanese, and they have an obsession with songs about food.
Their cleverly faked bad English doesn't hide the gravity of their wit, as they play off of the Japenese stereotype. Oh, and they have synchronised dancing.
When they supported us a few months ago they wore kimonos, had a music stand with wacky illustrations for each song, and were pushing their merchandise, No Kazoos :
I have a No Kazoo. It was worth every penny of £2.
Their music is a delightful mix of bubblegum rock and roll and chaotic 3-chord punk. The music is simple. The lyrics are simple. The tunes are fantastic, catchy and bloody fun. Then they will throw in a tender post-punk number, and break your heart. "No Cars, we are No Cars..." I challenge anyone to dislike this.
Like all good entertainers, you feel in the presence of people wittier and more inventful than you are.
T-shirt label MILLIONHANDS was launched this July by Berlin based music producer Tom Mangan, fusing his two long held passions: music & T-shirts.
He has collaborated with the likes of Chicago acid house hero Adonis and the shirt 'We're Rocking Down the House' is a salute to Adonis's seminal 1986 track of the same name.
Quality looking Ts - and isn't it always the case that when you come to buy T Shirts you can never find any that are half-decent, or indeed have a Chicago acid-house reference on them?
With cited influences as diverse as Public Enemy, My Bloody Valentine and Al Green, DJ Koze is something of an electronic music maverick.
Since emerging in 1999, the Hamburg jock has applied his defiantly different outlook to an unfathomable number of musical styles. He has recorded for heavy hitting labels Kompakt, Warp and Freude-Tanzen, and is famous for the deeply danceable cum swerveball mantra of his live sets.
His ability behind the decks is impressive too - he actually came second in the DMC championships during his hip-hop years - undoubtedly summoning a unique electricity when channelling this dexterity into his true love of techno.
DJ Koze is appearing at Future Flash @ Cable, SE1, on Saturday 22nd August, with support from fellow out-the-box-technosmith Lawrence, and residents Will Saul, Dave Congreve, Sean Johnston and Matt Waites.
Lofi Hifi has 3 pairs of tickets to give away for this event. To win, simply email georgewigzell [at] hotmail.com with your name. Entries must be received by 3 pm Friday 21st August. First three names received win the tickets.
Polychromatic! force together the polar opposites of fast/slow beats, lofi/hifi production , clear/distorted sounds and IDM experiments/sickeningly catchy riffs, with generally a very not-unpleasant effect.
Weighing in somewhere between The Postal Service and Aphex Twin, with a generous dollop of Hellogoodbye, this simultaneously takes 3 steps towards cheese as it takes 3 steps back to unclassifiable electronica.
Some summery, riffy hip hop from LA sent my way. PM Cool and Mr Keyz describe themselves as "the modern day Run DMC with a blend of rock star, a tone of conscience, and universal swagger".
Copyright The Guardian 2009. Their excellent coverage here.
Tues 11.00 Get on megabus at Victoria. Meet 'Nutzo' who is also sharing a lift with friend-of-friend Yasir from Reading. He's lovely, of course. 12.30. Wow. Reading Sainsburys is massive. No inflatible pillows though. Port or Rum? Both. Oh and a token bottle of Old Perculiar. Food bill (Apples, Cereal Bars, Shortbread): £6. Booze bill: £39. 14.00 On the road. Stop for punnet of Strawberries. First swig of pear cider for the weekend (yes it's Tuesday I know) 15.30 Arrive at Glasto. Sun's out. Hooray! 15.34 Carrying stuff from car. Bought too much beer. Heavy. This hurts. 16.00 Set up my mini tent in 5 minutes, in the time my neighbours have read the instructions for their Presedential Suites tent apartment. 20.30 I am working on the Lockups for Yorkshire CND, so we go for a briefing. Meet all the friends I see once a year working on the lockups, and some very old friends from Leeds. I try really hard not to volunteer for roleplay. I volunteer for roleplay. 21.00 Only the workers are on site yet. It is beautiful; incredibly tranquil. Reminds me of some sort of camel-trading festival in the Rajistani desert. The sun setting over the Dance Village made the roofs of the tents look like the sillouhettes of ornately crafted spires. And there's still grass on the ground by the Other Stage. You almost want it to stay this way. 22.00 First random 'I had no idea you were here' encounter. Excellent. 23.00 Cider. 00.00 Bed
The Yorkshire CND Lockup Crew. Actually looking freshfaced.And grass on the ground.
Weds 11.00 Cider. 12.00 Shower. Which feels a little wrong. I haven't even done anything suitably murky to deserve such cleansing yet. But inevitibly feels great. 14.00 Two of my friends are in a play about bullying in the Green Futures Field. An opportunity too good to miss, despite my friends' protestations. On the way, second random encounter, with the lovely Evan and Jodie. They come to the play too. The play is quite obvious, but makes its point (Bullying boss, who bullys the speccy four-eyed geek underling with such snarling enthusiasm he makes Alan Sugar look like Alan Titchmarsh). 15.00 First cold pint of Brothers'. PieMinister Pie. Ale, Steak. Feels a little luxurious. 15.10 Feels a little woozy. Crikey, had forgotten how strong this stuff is. Pokey. 16.00 Work. 20.30 Housemate Ciara and her bf Ed have arrived. Me and Ed wander into Shangri-La. Our wristbands get us access into the temporarily cordned off , wierd tunnels of what I think were called the Badlands. Mad max meets Bladerunner meets depressed small-town shopping arcade. Green-glowing shop windows revealing mutilated taxidermy. Stuff like that. And a big open area surrounded by battlements and lazers. Looking good. 22.30 Sunset by the stone circle. The spiritual sound of balloons being dispensed. Slightly more congruous sight of candle lanterns rising into the sky . 00.00 Well into the bottle of port. Lots of different groups of friends around. Feeling marvellous.
01.00 Attempt to climb a giant wooden dragon. 04.00 Don't know how it got this late. Rapping down a megaphone with a group of Northern Irish boys from a gospel choir (flamboyent lie or delicious truth?) 06.00 Oh dear. It's only Wednesday. Sat in a tea tent sipping lumpy chai (yes, I didn't chai could or should be lumpy) as a Manc with his bottom lip gurned so far up his face he looks like a fish from the deep tells me he's friends with Oasis. 07.30 Bed.
Pics nicked from Jen Conneely.
Thurs
9.30 Too hot too sleep. 10.00 Ian tells us that yesterday he needed two poos, but only did one. The thought of what happened to the second one, plus sleep deprived delerium sends me into a fit of giggles. 10.09 Rolling around on floor, still laughing. Getting silly now. 12.00 Shower no2. Curry for breakfast. Feel vaguely better. Practice teddybear rolls.
13.00 Walking through the farm house (which provide some of the best loos on site) we see Michael Eavis himself. Wow! Just stood there! 3 feet from me. With manual labour gloves on. Never mind The Boss, ME is my man of the people. I want to call him Mikey and give him a playful knock on the arm. I don't. Though I think he could take it. He's looking very healthy, and relaxed. 16.00 Work. which actually invloves some work this time. Blistering sunshine, glad of the shade
18.00 The band 'The Momeraths', a boy and girl in red and white stripy shirts, check in a glockenspiel, a bag of coloured material and an ironing board. 21.00 Head to canteen. Cloud the colour of Gordon Brown's eye bags groans towards us. Grab dinner and shelter as the skies open, and claps of doomful thunder ring out.
21.20 Amazingly, by the time we've finished our lacklustre burgers, the storm has cleared, and the sun reappears, like a naughty puppy pretending it's done nothing wrong. 22.50 First music of the weekend. Squeeze into The Queen's Head for Kap Bambino, at my request. The atmosphere is incredible. Ebony Bones had just whipped them into a frenzy and they want more. French Boy/Girl duo KP dive fearlessly into a relentless 40 mins of their indie-happy-hardcore, accompanied by a stunning light show. It is fantastic. I was reminded how exciting music can be. 23.00 Metronomy continue the good work, though they are cut off before they can triumph with 'You Could Easily Have Me'. 00.00 We dance the night away to Rock n Roll in The Diner, Shangri La. Mine and Maddie's keen, if unrefined jiving sees us invited to Conga across the dancefloor. We find ourselves by the bar. Seems rude not to indulge in a couple of tequilas. Find my friend Kate and promise I'll meet her for Bjorn Again in the morning. 02.00 Stumble home. Workers camping: nice toilets, quiet showers - very far from everything else. It's a long stumble, softened by some tasty free garlic bread from Manic Organic.
Friday
10.00 Wake up feeling surprisingly fresh. 11.00Yes, Bjorn Again it is. A perfect hammy start to the festival. They kick off with Waterloo. Sunshine, lots of smiles all round. They seem to exist soley to please the middle aged man who pretends not to like ABBA, but is tempted to them by the flashes of thigh on the 30 something ladies, who sing and dance with bored slickness, as well as the outlandish guitar solos and smutty humour from the men. Plus they somehow get a cover of Status Quo and a very silly hip-hop pisstake in there too.
12.00 More chai. 13.00 Jazz World Stage. Speed Caravan - driving arabic dance-rock. 13.30 Eat best meal of festival - North African goats cheese and spicy lamb bourek (filo parcel) with pepperonata (something like that).
15.00 N.E.R.D. on the main stage. They start late. Pharrel oozes with hip-hop arrogance, claiming misguidedly that '200,000 people had paid $100 dollars' to come see them, which at first just doesn't work to this relaxed Galsto crowd. But his absolute committment to his music, and the barrage of heavy-hitting hits, sort of wins us over. He gets down into the crowd, he sparks a stage invasion, and absolutely refuses to leave the stage despite being told his set is almost over. He reminds me of Axel Rose at Leeds who told us they hadn;t come all this way to be cut short. Unlike Axel, though, Parrel has the PA cut, as the opening shouts of 'All the Girls Standing In The Line for the Bathroom' ring out. But he stays down in the crowd, trying to whip the crowd into a mini riot, acoustically. He only half fails. 17.30 Lamb on Jazz World. Trip-hop hasn't been fashionable for about a decade right? I certainly haven't heard their name uttered once in the last five years. But this most un-scene of cats win me over with their soothing yet deep sound, haunting vocals and joyous exuberance. Jazz world sees its first and possibly only stage dive from their keyboardist. 20.00 I go to work, gutted I'm missing Neil Young, The Specials, The Horrors and Animal Collective. 21.00 But I do sneak out for half an hour with friends for the comforting sure-bet of Crookers, who push all the buttons. 22.00 A man spends 10 minutes checking in a can of cider, only for his girlfriend to come along, as he finally hands it over, to declare 'That's my can of cider!'.
01.00 Spend an hour getting into Shangri-La, half an hour queuing for a beer, dance for 30 mins back in the diner, then decide to call it a night. V tired.
Sat
10.30 Woken by the blistering heat in my tent. Eat an apple and cereal bar. 11.00 Sit and watch VV Brown, who's much-discussed hairspray-heavy fringe is looking fine in the morning sunshine. Good, fun soul music. 12.00 Work. I miss Spinal Tap, and their 14" stone henge. 14.00 A man has lost his ticket. I spend 10 minutes being very officious filling in forms and explaining that without any ID he can't claim items until he manages to butt(y?) in and say it's just a sandwich he's checked in. I still ask him to name the filling. It is egg mayonaise. 16.50 Sit in the sun on the park stage to watch Horace Andy. Do some dozing and some skanking as he soothes with his distinctive vibrato vocals, Massive Attack songs and cool yellow traditional dress cum PJs. Find my voice sings out quite nicely to 'Big Wheel'. A minor miracle given the chain smoking occuring over the last 4 days.
18.50 Shuffle down to the John Peel tent for last songs of Passion Pit, who sound a bit fluffy for my liking, but none-the-less encourage a sort of warming euphoria in the crowd. 20.00 Florence and The Machine storms it to the loudest crowd response I've ever heard at any gig ever. They go crazy for her as she provocatively climbs the scaffolding in her flowing black dress. An incredible reaction for a singer yet to release an album, and in between songs, when she lets her sassy persona drop, she is unbelieveably touched by the response, all nervous charm and near-tears. It did strike me though just how much she looks like Noel Fielding. A video of her performance.
21.00 Is that The Boss arriving in his tour bus we see by the John Peel tent?
22.00. We head down to see The Boss, who is actually pretty amazing. Despite knowing few of his tunes, he was a winner as the seasoned showman I expected. His soliloquay about building a house of love and sexual healing was great fun. He just looked so much like he was having the time of his life. And genuine or not (and of course the beauty of headlining the Pyramid Stage is that everyone is humbled, no matter how big they are. This really is one of the few gigs that everyone is desperate to play) you just loved him.
Pics nicked from Jen Conneely.
23.00 Sneak off early to catch 2 Many DJs. There's never been a safer festival bet than these guys. And once again they wow. Best of all is the visuals. For every song they have the record artwork projected. It means you find out what every song is, a rare treat. Even better, the artwork is then animated, so that the characters on the cover of 'Rock The Casbah', 'Ciao' and'Windowlicker' etc, come to life dancing. All in time to the music as well. Mind blowingly tight. They also had a camera permenently fixed over the decks, so us geek-massive could tech-perve on the incredible skill used in the 4 CDJ setup. The only thing to top this was the climax of Nirvana mixing into Fischerspooner and the skys opening up with confetti and streamers. 00.00 Try to get all our friends to meet in one place. 01.00 Still trying. 01.30 Still trying.... oh wait... no.... we're all here..... hang on...no..... someone's gone AWOL 01.32 Are they in the loo? 01.35 They've gone to meet some other friends and bring them here? 01.38 Told off for smoking in a tent for the umpteenth time. "Oh sorry! I didn't realise you weren't allowed." 01.42 They were just at the bar. Despite all this having a great time. 01.55 Ed is spun round in a wicked chair on a chain by some crazed Irishmen. 02.00 Finally arrive at Trash City. 02.10 Which 'club' shall we queue for? "Do you have to pay in?" 02.15 There was a whole tent dedicated to Shitmat and Scoth Egg? Next year more research needed. Sotch Egg is just finishing. 02.20 Get into a 'club' in time to catch the last few songs of Ebony Bones. Seen her a few times before, but she and her band suddenly make sense in this madcap, hedonistic setting. Everything is chaos. Their dance moves are so so tight. 02.21 At the Bones's command we go left. 02.22 We go right. 02.23 We go forward (you get the idea...) 02.30 They finish. All getting a bit intense, so we bee-line for some Tea. 03.00 Tiny Tea Tent. How Chai should be. We find they have a womb. We climb through the 'vagina', into this incredible, cosy make-shift tent, complete with lush sofas, and little sperm paintings. We cuddle up with hot tea and feel safe and soothed after a rather hedonistic night. The desired effect. We giggle unashamedly at our womb puns. 'Womb with a view'. A highlight. 04.00 Crawl home to bed.
Sunday.
09.00 Sweat. 09.30 Sweat. 10.30 Emerge. Ouch. 10.32. Ed sums up the moment. 'I feel lost.'
11.00 But onwards. Lots to explore. Quite a quiet afternoon for music, so we decide on some mooching instead. Eat some of the great French sausages in red wine with potato grautin. Feel a world better. See some juggling. Wander through the theatre and circus fields, seeing a Ceilidh, a row of ladies in pink skirt-and-umbrella outfits dancing their way through the crowd, a kazoo orchestra, a man throwing an invisible flee across an audience. Wander in circles finding Ciara a pie. But it's ok, as going in circles sort of makes sense here.
A video I didn't make, but captures lots of stuf nicely.
12.00 Then cross over in the Green fields, and find the tranquility of the Green healing field. It is populated with masseurs from every possible real and seemingly fabricated discipline of healing plying their trade (lady demonstrating sucker-cup massage on a beaming, muscley man, oblivious to nasty purple bruises forming on his back), as well as a smattering of party casualties seeking wholesomeness and quiet. it's a lovely break from the more manic elements of the festival. Me and Ed sit with our feet in a pond in a little water garden. Wow. I feel like I'm being healed too! We unwind. Just great to get out of those wellies, I think. Little nap.
13.00 Wander next into the crafts field, and watch a man start a fire with sticks. Amazing to think that the night before, not far from this spot, we had been witness to a giant skull spewing forth rhythmical flames. We muse, with a wry smile, on how the back-to-nature environmentalism that the festival promotes fits with excessive, purely aesthetic fire cannons. We don't muse for too long, though. More tea to be drinking! 17.00 Much wandering later, we return to see some music. Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the other stage. They are great. Karen O dominates the crowd, shaking them from their hippy-dippy Sunday bliss. They fly back and forth across their back catalogue, from the early, angular art-punk, to raging rock-disco on 'A Date With The Night', the tender swells of 'Maps' and the gargantuan sound of their new electrock-n-roll material. They bow out by smashing up their instruments. Just what Glato needed. Hooray for rock n roll. Who needs healing ponds?
18.00 Madness play an irresistible set on the Pyramid Stage. I think Suggs is very hungover. Or very pissed. Probably both. Either way, he's feeling what I'm feeling. Some of the newer stuff inevitibly a bit lacklustre, but it's all forgotten as they squeal into 'House of Fun' and the saxophonist gets lifted into the air on wires and spins around. Lots of wild skanking ensues. 19.00 Roots Manuva is good fun. Bit of a dip in energy. We sit and contend with our strawberry cider, perhaps seeing about as clearly as everyone else around me. Though I did lose my glasses yesterday. I find a fake moustache, which sort of makes up for it.
22.00 The big event. Blur! I always find headliners difficult. I think I just feel an natural aversion to anything loads of other people scream and shout about. But I know what I'm dealing with here. I lay this cynasism well aside. And they turn out to be the best headline act I've ever seen, by a mile. They are so perfect for the end of the weekend. one massive, emotionallly charged, return-of-the-kings style pop singalong. You just know you are in the presence of pop gods. Opening the set is Boys and Girls. They play it like a runaway rollercoaster train. They then spend the next two hours alternating between the joyous upbeat hits and their spine-shivering tender numbers. Tender itself is a highlight. At the end, the entire crowd, and I mean the entire crowd, chorus back 'Oh my baby, Oh my baby, Oh I, Oh I' for a full two minutes as a stunned band stand in silent awe. They are blown away by the whole gig. Damon tells the crowd, with a barely hidden break in his voice, 'I'm so glad we decided to do these gigs now.'
Gleefully throwing aside hyperbolic self-awareness, this is what pop music is about, what Britishness is about and what Glastonbury is about.
I'm also lucky to be stood with my friends, who are happy to go wild, jig, pogo, jog in circles, lurch and throw their arms about. being able to feel complete abandon also makes the experience.
00.00 the only negative was having to leave a song short of the end to go to work. But actually nice to bookeend the festival with that experience, and then get to sit in a dry tent with Sam, Ian and Anna as the rest of the festival got drenched in the late night storm. And had a laugh to find out that our friend jacqui had got very drunk for Blur and after the first song shouted 'One more tune!' repeatedly. 08.00 A long night of work, with some bits of sleep on the hard wooden shelves, some amusing drunken punters. And searching for ages to find a girl's sleeping bag that she'd checked in only to find Tom asleep in it. Fortunately she saw the funny side. Goodbyes to Sam, Ian and Anna. Sad that our geographical distance (well, the M1) prevents us from seeing more of each other, but was reminded of how much fun we al have.
Monday.
10.00 Had planned to sleep, but too hot, so we begin the long treck home. 12.00 And long it is. 16.00 Finally arrive home, as the post Glasto blues begin to kick in. The real world is not as fun. Console myself with a long shower, Glasto highlights on TV and begin to write....
As I've been a bad blogger recently (and have the attention span of a goldfish on ketamine) have decided to experiment with 'tweet' (shudder) sized copy for each track.
First:
Something Like Fire - supported us (St. Francis) at Camden gig recently. V. promising hummable indie meets LFO filter basslines and classic electronic drum sounds. Digitally re-hashed post-Libs hooks blasted from a bedroom-tech noise-core cannon*. (Obviously)
A band that I posted ages ago have apparently got quite a bit bigger (it was about time I scored a 'I recognise talent a furlong off' coup). Check out Robot Disaster's myspace, or go here to download 'Guitars are Overrated' for free (though, ahem, I think you can maybe still download it from one of my old old posts). They're getting lots of attention from radio etc, and you can buy their stuff on beatport. Plus they have a super-swanky myspace. Not all the tracks stand up to 'Guitars....', depending on what you're into, but they're def perky. (failing so miserably to maintain this 'tweet' haiku discipline already)
Check out this video:
On our recent Italian mini-tour we happened to be playing prior to the Italian equivalent of a guilty pleasures club night, with DJs playing brilliant 80s euro pop. This is one nugget they pointed us towards.
*****
Couple of remixes sent my way - the jury's still out, but worth a listen.
Secretsundaze Easter Thursday The Coronet Theatre, SE1
To win two tickets to this event email me,
georgewigzell[at] hotmail.com
and I will pick one name out of a hat. secretsundaze & friends present Innervisions & Horse Meat Disco Room 1 - secretsundaze meets Innervisions A Critical Mass – Live (Ame, Dixon & Henrick Schwarz – UK Debut) Ame (DJ set) Dixon (DJ set) Giles Smith (Dessous) James Priestley (Simple)
Room 2 - Horse Meat Disco Daniele Baldelli Horsemeat Disco Residents
* Plus exclusive AbletonLive Workshop with Dixon, Ame & Henrik Schwarz at 10pm *
secretsundaze are very proud to announce details of our Easter Thursday event at The Coronet Theatre in Elephant and Castle. For what is always one of the biggest party weekends of the year secretsundaze have pulled something very special out of the bag, having been approached by Innervisions to host the UK debut show of 'A Critical Mass.'
Two years in the pipeline after discussions in the studio, offices, on planes, in hotels and in the streets, Ame, Dixon and Henrik Schwarz' much whispered about live project finally saw the light of day in 2008 at Popkomm in Berlin and ADE in Amsterdam. After two hugely successful shows and a string of worldwide dates planned throughout 2009 the live project 'A Critical Mass' hits London in April. Together the live set-up sees all key members of the Innervisions crew - Ame (Kristian & Frank), Dixon and Henrik Schwarz play live together on Ableton Live with their unique Innervisions versions of stone cold classics, as well as their own twists on key Innervisions releases and remixes from the vaults! As ever, our trusty residents Giles Smith and James Priestley will be in support and the art deco auditorium at The Coronet provides the perfect grandiose setting for this show.
Easter Thursday – 9th April 2009 The Coronet Theatre, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6TJ 10pm to 6am Admission: £12-£14.50 Advance / £20 on the door Advance Tickets from residentadvisor.com and Phonica
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My Easter Punk, Hardcore, Post Hardcore and Ska-Punk Mixtape.
Decided today that I would raid my CD collection and have a little retrspective of what was making me tick when I was 15/16. Some absolutely classics here. Some of them are my favourite track from an album, not neccesarily the biggest song. All are tunes.
Welcome to Lofi Hifi... a club night, which has for the last 7 years brought indie/post-punk/disco/electronica/power-pop/dance sounds to the people of Exeter, with a variety of different DJ line-ups over the years. Your good host got involved in 2006, in his final year of university, and spent 2 amazing years putting on bands, getting joyously drunk on a weeknight and learning the art of DJing, and of fending off requests for obscure German electroclash and/or pendulum. The club night remains, under the wise leadership of Paddy and Alex - who will hopefully be guest blogging in the future. The blog is now run from East London, the electronic counterpart to a party which has always placed diversity, progression and a top f-in knees up at its core.
Please do send me lots of music to georgewigzell[at]hotmail.com.
Lofi Hifi is a weekly party at the Cavern Club, Exeter. ( and the blog now run from East London)
We play indie-electro-disco-new wave-80s-post-punk-a smattering of techno-fidget-bailefunk-rock n roll. Plus live bands of the highest calibre!
It is now a MUSIC BLOG too. The 9 of us will share our news, thoughts, mixes and latest musical discoveries.
The blog is intended to help you discover new music, which you should then buy!
Any artists or labels who wish to have material removed/send us mixes/tracks please contact us at georgewigzell AT hotmail DOT com.
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