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.
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.
Kode 9 likes to keep it dark - his decks can just be made out here.
