A blog on alternative culture and other random happenings.
If you wish for anything to be taken down from this blog, let me know and I will remove it ASAP.
Arriving somewhat out of the blue, and under a shroud of mystery (the vinyl has an all black case and contains no liner notes or any information other than the artists names and the names of the two tracks, Wolf Cub and Moth) which should be expected as Burial is in the picture, Burial and Four Tet's 12" was always going to be something else.
Initially people were unsure as to exactly how the split was made - were both tracks collaborative, did each only make one, or was one worked on together and the other worked on separately? The last could have been a good guess, with Wolf Cub containing signatures from both artists, though not in an entirely cohesive manner (not, in anyway, implying that it is bad), while Moth sounds like what could have resulted with both artists sitting in the studio together. Kieran Hebden later confirmed that both tracks were, in fact, created collaboratively.
But all that really matters is the music. And it is phenomenal. If you are a fan of either artist (or both), or just a fan of alternative electronic music in general, this is one of the must hear releases of 2009.
Getting to see Kode9, owner of the awesome Hyperdub label, and a pioneering dubstep DJ/Producer in his own right, in Perth was something to look forward to indeed. And the night did not disappoint.
Arriving late and thus only catching the very end of Harmonic 313's set was to be the only disappointment of the night, as Kode9 took all present on a dark journey. And I mean literally dark. What was initially thought to be a mistake on behalf of the lighting crew later turned out to be a request of Steve Goodman, to leave him surrounded in darkness, which definitely added to the mystique of the night.
Kode 9 likes to keep it dark - his decks can just be made out here.
Playing a range of bass heavy tracks, including not only dubstep but also oldschool jungle and UK garage, the Villa dance floor was rife with stepping the whole night long, as Kode9 delivered an absolutely banging set.
Big ups to local boy Rekab who came on after Kode9 and continued the hectic pace, right up until sunrise.
Runner up: Low:Fi Festival @ Aberdeen Street, 25/10/09
Setting an alternative boutique festival in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge seems to be such an obvious formula for success, it's a wonder it took until 2009 for it to happen.
Perth's inaugural Laneway Festival took place in 2009, and had an awesome line-up, that allowed me to see Stereolab, The Hold Steady, The Drones, Four Tet, Buraka Som Sistema, Pivot, Born Ruffians, Still Flyin', and Daedelus. All in the one day. Amazing.
The location was beautiful, with stages set up amongst heritage buildings and the art gallery, the vibe was amazing, as being a more boutique festival, the crowd actually went to listen to and watch some amazing artists, rather then walk around with their shirts off until they were at an adequate level of sweatiness to begin rubbing up against other punters.
There was not a bad act the whole day, and none of the dramas witnessed at the Eastern States shows (where the laneways containing the stages became too crowded, so people missed the acts they wanted to see) were anywhere to be seen.
And although not technically part of the festival, the after party was amazing too - walking in to the Bakery to see Daedelus jamming with Pivot is a memory I will never forget.
Runner up: Of Montreal @ Becks Music Box, Perth 28/2/09
At the start of the year, Belvoir Amphitheatre played host to Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds, touring off the back of their album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The fact that he is now over half a century old has not slowed Mr. Cave in the slightest, as he and his spectacular band tore through a set of not only great songs from Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, but a whole host of other classics, including Red Right Hand, The Mercy Seat, Tupelo, Deanna, and Into My Arms, enthralling the audience for over 2 hours.
Most shows at Belvoir are usually quite special, due to the intimacy of the venue, but this show was just amazing, as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds proved not only that they definitely still have it, but also why they are one of the most critically acclaimed Australian groups of all time. Adding to the mystique of the night was the announcement just 2 days later that Mick Harvey was leaving the Bad Seeds after 25 years, meaning this was his last ever show.
I can't wait to get the oppurtunity to see this band again, hopefully sooner rather than later.
December is officially upon us, so I have decided now is the time to start compiling a list of my favourite music related happenings from over the course of the year.
The categories will consist of best (and a runner up for each):
- Concert - Club Gig - Festival - Collaboration - Local Release (Perth) - Australian Release - 12" - EP
And culminating in my favourite top ten albums of the year (of which are not in previous categories).
Set times from the Deen back room, where the dubstep went down.
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, it was finally time for the only dedicated hip hop, dubstep, and drum and bass festival in the southern hemisphere. Promising a block party vibe, featuring an amazing line-up and set to be staged on Aberdeen street, the Deen and the Shed, I (along with everyone else) had extremely high expectations.
First up for the day was Ta-Ku, in the Aberdeen main room. Playing to a nearly completely empty room, he didn't seem to mind and dropped classics from Gang Starr, Biggie, Dilla and, of course, Nas. He also appreciated my Madvillain T-shirt, but did not indulge us with a track.
The next act I wanted to check out was Naik, but due to "unforeseen circumstances" resulting in my bottom lip being split, and subsequently it pouring blood for the next 45 minutes, I was unable to see his live show, of which I have heard nothing but good things. On the plus side, the paramedics were extremely friendly and helpful in patching me up.
Hench AKA Jakes showed us his Warface
With a newly acquired band aid for my lip, it was time for the first round of dubstep goodness, from Hench (Jakes' dubstep alias). After the initial confusion caused by finding out the Shed stage (where the majority of the dubstep was to take place) had been shut down, we found out it had been moved to the Deen back room. This man has his finger in just about every bass related pie at the moment, and played a good, solid set. Unfortunately there were some slight sound related technical difficulties, though they were overcome quickly. His set included some of the dubstep joints from his album The Jakes Project, including the Full Metal Jacket sampling Warface, and In Tha Place to Be.
Zed Bias made us feel Good, Yes Wonderful Good.
Taking over seamlessly from Hench was the one and only Zed Bias. This man has been in the game for some 15 odd years, and he is well known for his broad range of styles. Starting off with some classic UK Garage, the crowd were dancing, but a little more chilled than the reactions brought on by Hench's set. My plan was to watch Zed for a little and then go and check out Commix. However, due partially to the closure of the Shed stage, there was a line to get into the Deen main room, so I decided to give Commix a miss. And I am so glad I did. Returning to the back room, Zed was still spinning Garage, but then dropped Skream's remix of La Roux's In For the Kill, which got the dance floor (and myself) quite excited. This was to be the beginning of an awesome few tracks, as he proceeded to play a dubstep remix of his own classic Neighbourhood (exactly what the remix was I am not sure, but would really like to know!), Caspa's remix of TC's Where's My Money, and then topped it all off with Benga's 26 Basslines. Amazing. Zed's experience really shone through, giving the crowd exactly what they wanted.
Excision brought his Swagga
After Zed Bias wrapped up, it was time for the dubstep I had been most hanging out for, Excision. And he really delivered. Right from the word go, he played an absolutely relentless set, during which it would have taken all of one's willpower to not cut loose on the dance floor. His set was pure banging dubstep, with some of his own awesome tracks thrown in for good measure, including Wasted and Serious Business, as well as a track from his collab with Datsik, the excellent Swagga. Due to wanting to secure a good spot for Nas, we left Excision's set before it was over, but what was witenessed was pure dubstep dopeness.
TC & Jakes' set was on fire, til their last track.
Over on the main stage on the Street, TC & Jakes were approaching the tail end of their set, and the crowd seemed to be pretty into it. Haters By Jakes feat. TC went off, however they finished their set in a very bizarre and somewhat disappointing manner, choosing to drop a D&B remix of Sex On Fire. Absolutely horrid, and I hope it is something that is never inflicted upon my eardrums again.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones: half man, half amazing.
And before I knew it, it was time for Nas and his touring band, Mulatto. This man has 9 studio albums to his name, as well as other assorted tracks, so a carefully constructed setlist is a must. Opening with Hip Hop is Dead, things looked promising from the outset, and only got better as the set progressed. He soon asked the crowd if it was alright if he took us back to 1994, meaning only one thing: Illmatic. Jumping into somewhat of an extended medley of Illmatic tracks, we were treated to the sounds of N.Y. State of Mind, It Ain't Hard to Tell, Represent, One Love, The World is Yours, and Life's a Bitch. The rest of his set featured tracks spanning his entire career, all of which Mulatto pulled off without a hitch, except for Get Down, which came off sounding somewhat different, but still awesome nonetheless. Made you Look was great, and near the end of his set a very passionate rendition of One Mic wowed just about everyone present. The only criticism would be that he came on a little late, and finished a touch early, but quality over quantity I say.
After Nas finished early I thought I may get a chance to get a little Coki & Loefah action, as I had been extremely disappointed to find that they and Nas were on at the same time. But alas, entry to the Deen was refused and so we left, after what was an amazing day of dubstep, hip hop and a little D&B.
Something else pretty cool I recently found was The Weird Girls Project, the brainchild of Icelandic concept artist Kitty Von-Sometime. It involves a series of "episodes" each of which has a different theme, and utilises the skills of a range of photographers, costume designers, and film makers. Kitty plans the episodes for up to three months in advance, while the members (none of whom are professional actresses or models) are completely unaware until the day of the shoot, with the element of surprise being the catalyst for the weird and wonderful results. Each episode consists of both a photo shoot and a short film.
Here are a few shots I think are pretty great (click the images to view them in a larger size):
Episode 4: Bunny Revolution
Episode 7: The No Seeing Eye
To check out all the episodes, head over to The Weird Girls Project website here.
I recently stumbled onto the artwork of Todd Schorr, and I must say I really, really like it. What can only be described as twisted cartoon art, Schorr's creations embody what I imagine as being the anti-Disney. What could have been a cute, innocent cartoon is transformed into one resembling a cartoon dystopia: the bright colours and cartoon characters are present, but the characters themselves, the way they look, and the actions undertaken are very sinister. While one could read further into the messages his pieces convey (possibly including criticisms of consumerism and organised religion), I must admit I really just enjoy them for what they are - a very individual style of art.
Anyway enough words, check out some of his stuff (click the images to view them in a larger size):
Into the Valley of Finks and Weirdos
An Ape Allegory
The Egg Hunt
And to check out more, head over to his website here.
2009 was definitely the most mainstream Parklife since its inception in 2006, even selling out in Perth at the eleventh hour. Luckily the Perth leg of the tour appears to have been managed better than its Brisbane counterpart, where stages were closed off as they were too packed, which meant people either had to stay at the same stage all day, or risk missing their favourite act. This obviously lead to fights. The crowd here was massive though, but lucky for me, most acts I went to see were on at the same time as some of the headliners, meaning I enjoyed good spots and didn't have to deal with very much of the electro-flouro-scene crowd.
Walking in, Art vs Science were taking to the Air Stage to quite a large early crowd. And they rewarded those who came early with an energetic set. After grabbing a drink, it was off to the Fire Stage where Bertie Blackman put on a very rocktastic performance.
The Cool Kids
After Bertie Blackman finished, it was time for the first major act I wanted to see, The Cool Kids. The tent at the Fire Stage was absolutely crammed, and the Cool Kids really delivered. Their rhymes were tight, the setlist choice was good, and their laidback style really exuded just how Cool they are. The only issue was that the vocals could have been a bit louder in the mix, but that was a minor problem. Highlights: A Little Bit Cooler, Champions, Bassment Party.
After the Cool Kids, it was back to the Air Stage to catch some of Busy P, who was bringing the party vibes. I was chilling at the back of the crowd, so wasn't fully feeling it, but those in the front definitely were. Then it was back to the Fire Stage, where Sampology was mixing some crowd pleasing tunes together.
Metronomy
Then, it was time for Metronomy. And wow. 2008's Nights Out is an excellent album, but hearing its tracks live was amazing. Listening to Metronomy recorded, one could be forgiven for presuming (as was initially the case) that it may be the work of one person, and would not translate well live, which thankfully was not the case. Each member of the band was adorned with a dome light on the right side of their chest that would flash at preset times. This gimmick was actually quite effective due to its DIY nature. Highlights: My Heart Rate Rapid, Heartbreaker, A Thing For Me.
Back to the Air Stage to see Crystal Castles and the seemingly organized chaos that they bring. Frontwoman Alice Glass came out with what appeared to be a strobelight swinging from her neck, that looked as though it may be used as ammunition to be thrown at the crowd. While her onstage antics were quite impressive, the same can't be said for their sound. However, I was again quite far back, so I think that may have had something to do with it.
Metric
Metric were up next on the Fire Stage, and armed with a tambourine, Emily Haines lead the rest of the band out for what ended up being an energetic and fun set. The setlist consisted primarily of tracks from this years Fantasies, although a few old favourites were thrown in. The new material went down a treat, and the band looked like they really enjoyed playing it. Highlights: Dead Disco, Monster Hospital, Satellite Mind.
After Metric, I thought after all the build up, I had to check out the Empire of the Sun live performance. And it was very disappointing. But with all the hype that has been surrounding the debut live shows, Luke Steele could have been mounted on a white tiger, bounding through the crowd while he performed, and I still would have been unimpressed. Again, I was a long way from the stage, and while it sounded ok, it seems that the philosophy was that an abundance of makeup, lighting and other props lead to a good set. Which is not the case. It was the complete over the top nature that made me appreciate Metronomy's subtle chest lamps even more.
The Rapture
Last but definitely not least it was time for The Rapture who were closing the Fire Stage. A band I have wanted to see for a long time, I was extremely disappointed to hear earlier this year of Matt Safer's amicable split with them. The Rapture's casual and unurgent nature could be interpreted as a lack of enthusiasm, however I do not think this is the case. While their set was excellent, I could not help but wonder how much better it would have been with Safer there. The set also featured possibly the least enthusiastic looking stage-dive from frontman Luke Jenner (whose playing of the guitar was actually quite impressive). And they closed with the song that all Rapture fans love to hate, "No Sex for Ben", which was extremely fun. Highlights: House of Jealous Lovers, Don Gon Do It, No Sex for Ben.
And so the 2009 festival season has officially commenced, and I personally could not have wished for it to start in a better way. Now all I need is to be able to afford them all...
Now I certainly would not be the first person to make this connection, but as I was listening to The Very Best of Prince today, with the lyrics in 1999 saying "The sky was all purple ", and the song Purple Rain, I began to think of Joker. Prince's obsession with purple was obvious, wearing all purple outfits while performing, releasing an album entitled Purple Rain, and even a feature film of the same name.
Joker is also completely obsessed with purple, releasing a track with Ginz called Purple City, and an amazing mix, the Purple Wow Sound Mix. He describes his sound as "purple music" and states he pictures purple as his inspiration for his beats. All of his promotional photos also see him dressed all in purple.
Joker is only 19 (or is he 20 now? He is such an elusive man), and is doing big things in the dubstep world, while Prince was only 19 when he released his debut album, For You. Both artists are praised as being innovative and bringing a fresh sound to their respective genres.
Coincidence? Probably. Stupid connection to make? Definitely.
But if Joker can go on to have as successful a career in the world of dubstep and beats as Prince has in pop, then we are all in for some great music for many years to come.
Hailing from London, Bullion is an up-and-coming producer who earlier this year dropped an EP titled Young Heartache.
And wow.
When people compare you to Hudson Mohawke, Samiyam, Flying Lotus, Boards of Canada and Dorian Concept, you know you are doing something right. And while all these comparisons are valid, Bullion manages to bring a fresh new style to the instrumental glitchy beats scene that is constantly impressing.
Sampling old pop records, adding hip-hop beats, and some garage and disco influences proves to be an absolutely winning combo, resulting in a very unique EP that will appeal to fans of the aforementioned artists, as well as fans of electronic music in general. The fact that Busy P, Mr. Scruff, Mary Anne Hobbs and the Gaslamp Killer are all fans gives an indication of just how good his music is.
While the stand-out for me has to be Young Heartache, a bumping hip-hop, electro, garage infused track that bangs along in a chopped up yet very coherent style, all four tracks are absolutely gold (no pun intended) and leave all that listen waiting with baited breath for a full album.
Bullion is definitely "the one, to keep your eyes on".
Arriving at a sold-out Amplifier, there was definitely an air of excitement for what was about to transpire, though unfortunately this excitement did not carry over for support acts Trigger Jackets and Epic Fail, who put on solid shows.
However, tonight was all about the man Sean Ray, who in the past year and a half has gone from relative obscurity, to bordering on complete mainstream popularity. On his first national tour in support of his debut album, Day One, the crowd were expecting big things. And they were not disappointed.
As he arrived onstage, Snob Scrilla was greeted by an absolutely packed to the rafters Amplifier main room, and he kicked straight into overdrive. Snob's stage presence is absolutely phenomenal, and with the intensity with which he performs, you can tell he truly loves doing his thing. Not since Roman Tucker of Rocket Science tore Amplifier a new ear hole last year have I seen a performance this full-on at this Perth staple.
Snob Scrilla just doing his thing.
Having a relatively limited, but solid, catalogue meant a good chance of hearing all the favourites, and the setlist on the night did not disappoint. Launching early on into single Houston, and one of the stand-out's off his album, King John, the crowd knew they were in for a good night. We were also treated to Snob's somewhat milder take on the "fuck the police" ethos, Mr. Officer (though obviously minus Del's verse). Favourites Chasing Ghosts and There You Go Again brought massive reponses from the crowd and were performed superbly, with great vigour.
Over the course of the frenetically paced gig, there were many stage invaders, which Snob seemed to love (though the same can't be said for the security guards), giving hugs and hi-fives. After asking the crowd if they wanted an encore, because he wasn't walking all the way out of the main room and back in, and getting a resounding "yeah!" from the crowd, he invited anyone and everyone to get on stage, much to the dismay of the security (and his keys player).
Snob Scrilla addressing the fans.
He then dropped his biggest single to date, Heartbreak Scorsese, accompanied by a 50-odd onstage crowd member choir (of which I was one), to wind up an absolutely amazing set, one which will be remebered fondly by most present for a longtime to come.
A blurry shot of crazy crowd onstage antics, with Snob still going.
After the gig, Sean was more then happy to pose for photos, and have a chat and a beer with his fans.
If you are anything like me when it comes to study, then it is impossible to sit there and concentrate with complete silence. The mind wanders, and everything becomes infinitely more distracting.
However, with the right music on in the background, it can help me focus on the task at hand and keep my mind from wandering.
With exams next week, thus studying being required, I present my favourite albums to study to. As lyrics can often be a distraction, this is predominately instrumental music, consisting of instrumental hip-hop and "post-rock".
Note: These are all absolutely amazing albums listed below, perfect for listening to at anytime. All of this music can be distracting for different reasons, usually due to its sheer brilliance, but I still find these albums to be a great study aid.
First the traditional instrumental music:
Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid Stars of the Lid are a duo from Texas who create what is most commonly described as "drone-based ambient music". This is their sixth album, a double album, and features long, slow songs that utilise a wide range of musical instruments, played in an unconventional manner, to produce their signature sound. The songs feature a very subtle progression, and thus are not to invasive to distract, rather perfect background noise to keep you focused.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven Probably the most respected band in the post-rock genre, who are sadly no longer creating music, this is GY!BE's third album (again a double album). It is composed in a very traditional "post-rock" sense, in the fact that it closely resembles a classical composition, and as such features cello, violin, horns, and a range of percussion, as well as the traditional instruments of a rock band. There are some, though unobtrusive, vocal samples, which will not distract one from their studies. The album features slow build ups in the music, culminating in a climax, and then it all comes crashing down, once again settling at a slower pace. It can be quite loud in parts, so you might not want to have this one as loud as SOTL.
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place From the most respected, to probably the best-known band in post-rock, Explosions in the Sky create a somewhat more accessible sound then GY!BE or SOTL. While this means in parts it can get quite fast paced and somewhat distracting it is still amazing background music to study to. Think film-score.
Now to the instrumental hip-hop:
MF DOOM - Special Herbs: The Box Set Vol. 0-9 This is the complete collection of underground hip-hop heavyweight MF Doom's Special Herbs series, which are different collections of his production work. There are vocal samples throughout, though no rhyming on these tracks, so the distraction is minimal. He samples a wide range of artists, including Quincy Jones, Whodini, Steely Dan, Isaac Hayes, BozScaggs, as well as TV shows and video games. This all culminates in a myriad of tracks perfect to stop the mind from wandering too much.
J Dilla - Donuts Donuts is considered by many to be the magnum opus of "your favourite producer's favourite producer". It was released just three days before his tragic death at age 32 of thrombotic thrombocytopenicpurpura, a rare blood disorder. Like Special Herbs, it contains an astonishingly wide range of samples, but has a much more traditional R&B sound. Artists sampled include Shuggie Otis, 10CC, Beastie Boys, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, amongst others. This is a must have, for both study and general listening.
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... DJ Shadow's critically acclaimed debut is credited as being one of the first albums to be compiled entirely from sampling. Therefore it is not possible to list all the samples here, but they include everything from old and modern hip-hop, old R&B, grunge, 70s rock, jazz, movie samples, and different interviews. The result is a phenomenal album of instrumental hip-hop, with the above elements scattered throughout, that is again a perfect companion for study.
So these are my top choices to help you focus when study is the last thing you want to focus on. I hope they help you and give you as much joy as the have given me.
So on a random trawl across the interweb, a stumbled upon a little website called cubeecraft.
The site consists of many different designs on how to create a paper figurine of countless pop culture icons, ranging from movie stars, video game characters, real life celebrities, and of course, musicians. All you need is paper, a printer to print the design, scissors, and some patience. The designs are completely ready to assemble, with various tabs folded into cut slits, meaning no glue or adhesive is required.
Being the underground hip-hop head that I am, I could hardly contain my excitement when I stumbled up on an MF Doom cubeecraft toy (the design for which can be found here for the body and here for his head).
My attempt did not go 100% to plan, as shown here (excuse the dodgy phone photo): First, his skin colour printed out green on my dodgy ol' printer. Second, there appears to be a design flaw with Doom's head, as it is not a cube, meaning the bottom of the head could not properly connect to the body.
Still, I think it's pretty cool, and there are worse ways to waste one's time then listening to some beats and making a paper toy of one of their favourite MCs.
Now at the risk of sounding like a plug for an extremely well known application by a company who needs no advertising, there is a cool feature of iTunes that went unbeknownst to me for many years.
Whilst listening to a song, go to view --> visualiser, and make sure iTunes Visualiser (not classic) is ticked. Now go back to view, select show visualiser, and for best effect choose fullscreen. Press m on the keyboard to cycle through different visualiser styles, and you are in for a visual and (depending on the tune) aural treat.
I have found that while all songs look pretty cool, more bass heavy tunes (i.e. some good dubstep or DnB) make it do some wild things. Also, for those this way inclined, it is best viewed under the influence of your substance of choice.
Here are some shots of what it did while I was listening to this joint.
I hope you get as much enjoyment (i.e. wasted time/procrastination) out of this feature as I have...
Note: I thought this would be a good thing to have in the background whilst studying, but I soon found it to be extremely distracting. I have spent (wasted) many hours watching the different patterns.
Apricot Rail are an amazing band from Perth, Western Australia. Their music would most commonly be described as "post-rock" (aka alternative instrumental), with minimal lyrics. They utilise a range of instruments, from the standard guitar, bass and drums, to clarinets, trumpets, and electronic sampling.
Most post-rock groups approach their music in what could almost be described as a classical composition style, with tracks commonly clocking in at over ten minutes, utilising a build-up and fall to convey varying emotions. Apricot Rail have taken this, and adapted it to a somewhat more conventional style, making it more accessible to the casual listener. Now I am a massive post-rock fan (although I still use this term that most bands labelled as it despise), so I am in no way implying that this is a bad thing, or that they are less skilled then their more "traditional" post-rock counterparts, rather that they have put a fresh twist on it.
Their music definitely draws an emotional response from the listener, and is a must listen for fans of post-rock, instrumental, or alternative music in general. In fact, anyone could enjoy them.
And they have recently released their debut, self-titled album, available through Hidden Shoal Recordings Here
So... not too sure if anyone will actually be reading this, but if some actually do, I'll let you know what you can expect from me.
This blog was created out of boredom (procrastination), and will probably consist mainly of things relating to music, whether it be a heads up on a new release, a gig review (from Perth, Western Australia) or just amazing things that in my opinion more people need to hear.
I'm sure there will be other random things thrown in along the way, I hope you enjoy it.
If you disagree with something, cool let me know. If I am wrong on something, let me know and I'll change it.
And yes (if anyone was wondering) the title of this blog is taken from MF Doom lyrics from the Daedelus track, Impending Doom.
