http://cargocollective.com Fibre Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:56:08 +0000 http://cargocollective.com en http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Paul-Woolford-February-2009 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Paul-Woolford-February-2009 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:56:08 +0000 Fibre 320149 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320149/FIB_WOOLFORD_MAIN_02.jpg" width="670" height="330" width_o="759" height_o="374" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320149/FIB_WOOLFORD_MAIN_02_o.jpg" data-mid="1392229" border="0" align="left"/> Paul Woolford Scott McCabe Samjay Doug Cooney David Fitzsimons Jason Kane Doors 10:30 - Admission only €12! Advance tickets >> tickets.ie __ Through his work as Dj, Producer, Dancefloor experimentalist, Remixer, Collaborator and label owner, Paul Woolford has succeeded in bringing a rare level of artistry to the world of modern dance music and in doing so, made an enduring global impact. His name is synonymous with high-quality. Early 2010 will see Woolford push his creativity even further with a with Renaissance Platform double CD release cultivated from a large amount of the finest quality original material from right across the house & techno spectrum, some brand-new material solely produced for this release, exclusive re-edits, exclusive takes on Woolford remixes and all lovingly crafted, spliced & diced using modern technology. As 2010 begins, the projects through Woolford's Intimacy studio in 2009 alone include Depeche Mode (the single "Hole To Feed" released December 7th on Mute), Simian Mobile Disco featuring Jamie Lidell ("Off The Map" forthcoming 2010), Morgan Geist "The Shore" for Environ (for which Beatportal awarded a 'Bomb Alert' and DJ Mag included in their 'Killers'), remixes on the Ewan Pearson-produced band Delphic for R&S, The Juan Maclean "Happy House" for New York's DFA, DJ Hell feat P.Diddy "The DJ" for Gigolo in Berlin, and Chelonis R. Jones "The Cockpit" for Systematic, also in Germany. On top of these remixes, there has been a fierce release schedule for Woolford's own singles on his Intimacy imprint which began in April with "Pandemonium", followed in May with "Timebomb" and continued into Autumn with the "False Prophet EP". These tracks sparked feverish dj reactions from the global elite of house & techno including the likes of In the cannon for early 2010 is a Renaissance Double CD Compilation consisting of many exclusive tracks, re-edits and remixes and brand new Bobby Peru material to include James Zabiela's re-working of "Knives" as well as a series of singles for Intimacy and other cutting-edge European labels. Aside from these projects, Woolford has worked on production and remixes for the Mercury Music Prize-nominated act Maps for Mute Records, and is also working with the band Delphic in various capacities, having sequenced their Minimix for Annie Mac's Radio 1 show. The quality of each of these projects speaks for itself. Initially inspired by the constant throb of the radio throughout his childhood, the seeds of his future direction were sewn by the time a record-collecting addiction kicked in properly during his teenage years. This insatiable appetite for musical stimulation has driven Woolford to explore far beyond the cutting- edge house and techno that is his stock-in-trade, and led him down more experimental paths, embracing aspects of improvised jazz through his collaborative work with Paul Hession, and taking huge inspiration from the modern composition of Steve Reich. All this is distilled within the techno dynamic that Woolford has made second-nature. Paul Woolford tours the world constantly as a guest dj of the finest clubs and festivals, and in keeping with this made his peak-time saturday night debut at Spain's esteemed Benicassim in summer 2009 and also at Glastonbury. Both shows are more famed for their rock acts and it's testament to Woolford's wide-range and inclusive values that he is as much a viable option to these events as he is to a 500 capacity underground sweatbox such as D-Edge in Sao Paolo. Other events have included Warung in Santa Catarina, Womb in Tokyo, Goa in Madrid, Panaramabar in Berlin, Il Muretto in Venice where he held a 6-week summer residency, Chicago's Smartbar, Paris' The Mix, Manchester's Sankeys & The Electric Chair, Buenos Aires and Sao Paolo's Pacha, Riccione's Cocorico, Dusseldorf's Tribehouse, LA's Avalon, Las Vegas' Jet, Milan's Amnesia, Zurich's Q Club, a career-defining performance in 2007 at Serbia's Exit Festival, Buenos Aires' Creamfields event twice, Global Gathering, The Glade Festival, Glastonbury ) and has a frequently exhausting schedule that runs into overdrive in the summer when his main weekly residency at WeLoveSpace on Sundays in Ibiza starts. He was awarded 'Best Newcomer' in Ibiza's DJ Awards in 2006 and nominated for one of DJ Magazine's 'Best Of British' Awards in 2007. In addition to this, he now holds a monthly UK residency at Matter London at which he can approach things in a different manner more appropriate for this worldwide hub of dance music. It is with this highly personal and chameleon-like ability that Woolford makes his mark, creating bespoke re-edits built purposefully for each environment, ensuring that you KNOW it is Woolford and Woolford-only in the booth when you hear them. Many know Paul Woolford's name through the 2005 slow-burning hit "Erotic Discourse", released on 2020 Vision, the Leeds label with which he made his name initially. The success of this proved he has the ability to create a genre-defining sound and led to sales of over 15,000, capturing the imagination of DJs across the board from The Chemical Brothers, Richie Hawtin and DJ Hell to Francois Kevorkian, Laurent Garnier, Trevor Jackson and Erol Alkan. It was Erol Alkan that described the track as "a modern day psyche record" and the track became a classic, spawning a legion of copyists intent on imitating the studio technique at the heart of the track. Rather than replicate himself with a swiftly produced facsimile of the track as many and most djs and producers do, Woolford sharply turned left and his next 3 releases were EPs of detroit-inspired techno and deep house for UK stalwart NRK. The tracks '313', 'Sealed In Amber' and 'Demons' proved to be amongst Woolford's best work, and perfectly encapsulated that mood of integrity, rather than cashing on the previous success of 'Erotic Discourse'. Since this time Woolford has given birth to his Intimacy label which is now his first home to explore the myriad of different facets from across the house and techno divide, occasionally dipping into heavy experimentalism as with the collaboration with world-class free-jazz drummer Paul Hession on 'Vanguard', and also releasing the work of other artists such as Jet Project and Mat Playford. Intimacy is set to step up a gear in 2010. Magazine Covers have included DJ Mag August 2006 (with Nic Fanciulli), One Week To Live October 2006, IDJ in January 2008 with a photo shoot from Tate Modern's Doris Salcedo installation "Shibboleth" (after a personal email from Woolford, Salcedo gave her express permission) and an exhaustive 5 page feature to mark the release of his "The Truth" album on 2020 Vision. Irrespective of your position on the dancefloor or listening at home, Paul Woolford's tropes and idiosyncrasies are unmistakable and he has become a force to be reckoned with in modern dance music. Paul Woolford Scott McCabe Samjay Doug Cooney David Fitzsimons Jason Kane Doors 10:30 - Admission only €12! Advance tickets >> tickets.ie __ Through his... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Weekend-Wars-2011 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Weekend-Wars-2011 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:55:39 +0000 Fibre 1048449 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/1048449/WW_A52.jpg" width="670" height="1177" width_o="1748" height_o="3071" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/1048449/WW_A52_o.jpg" data-mid="5033297" border="0" align="left"/> Competition Information – Email Mixes / Name and mobile number to weekendwars2011@gmail.com – Mixes must be uploaded to Soundcloud.com and download enabled – All mixes must be no more than 60 mins – Entrants must be able to get themselves to and from venues / sites for gigs. – Entries close on Friday 18th of April – Music policy: Quality House and Techno – Open to over 18's only – Contestants will be decided by online vote – Each heat will have one winner decided by audience vote – There will be four heats and one final Rules and competition info is subject to change without prior notice. All rights reserved Fibre and Neutronyx Competition Information – Email Mixes / Name and mobile number to weekendwars2011@gmail.com – Mixes must be uploaded to Soundcloud.com and download enabled... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Phil-Kieran-August-2010 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Phil-Kieran-August-2010 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:14:13 +0000 Fibre 529518 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/529518/FIB_PHIL K_A3 AW_1.jpg" width="595" height="841" width_o="595" height_o="841" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/529518/FIB_PHIL K_A3 AW_1_o.jpg" data-mid="2423187" border="0" align="left"/> Fibre, Traxxed and The Underground present: Phil Kieran [Cocoon, Soma] Scott McCabe Samjay [Fibre] Skamp Stephen H Patrick Pryor [Traxxed] Visuals by VJ Hydra Admission e10 Doors 11pm _ Phil Kieran has been in the upper echelons of the electronic music game for more than a decade, but is only now releasing his debut album under his own name. Known for rocking clubs and releasing a string of killer twelves, Belfast-based Phil has hooked up with German powerhouse Cocoon in recent times. Sven Väth’s label is now about to release Shh, a groundbreaking piece of work that will undoubtedly gain Phil plaudits across the board. Shh seems to not only reference every sound Phil has ever loved in music, but is formulated in a completely fresh and futuristic way. Listen carefully and you can detect elements of dub reggae, old hardcore like LFO, hip-hop, early 90s electronica such as Autechre/Black Dog and other Warp staples, as well as the futuristic techno that Phil excels in. For the album Phil went back to old sound lab recordings dating back to the 1950s and 60s. Utilising some of these sounds in the initial construction, he built up tracks using a combination of old samples sourced from original and weird places and some live new instrumentation as well. There are live drums, some electric/acoustic/bass guitar and live keyboard playing as well as some choice guest vocalists. “I tried to use all my knowledge from when I first got into music to try and make an album that captures everything I’ve ever loved about music,” Phil says. Phil has synthesized his myriad of influences into one radically beautiful whole: blissed-out vocal samples, space age electro, cavernous bleeps, fizzy technoid 4/4 beats, glistening glitches, crackers crackles, early R&S sounds, warm keys, acerbic bassline undertows, dense echoes, Orbital cinematics and randy robotics all feature, but really this is an album far greater than the sum of its parts. It’s very much a home or car listening album, perfect for post-club play, although plenty of the individual tracks contain discerning dancefloor dynamics too. Cutting his clubbing teeth at Shine in Belfast, Phil now has over 100 dancefloor releases to his name on quality labels like Skint, Soma and NovaMute, and is widely respected throughout the industry among the technoscenti. He’s also recently broken into movie scoring, creating the soundtrack for recent Steven Soderbergh film The Girlfriend Experience with fellow Irish compatriot David Holmes. To exorcise some demons a few years ago he created a live techno punk band Alloy Mental, variously melding Joy Division basslines onto pummeling punky T.Raumschmiere-style technoid power-drivers. He also has an impeccable DJ rep that’s won him placings in DJ magazine’s global Top 100 DJs poll, and a guarantee to promoters that he’ll inevitably rock the joint to its foundations. But now Phil has just entered the next phase in his career. Shh won’t be a secret for long: it’s almost certain to take its place amongst not only the albums of the year, but as one of the landmark releases of the last two decades. Fibre, Traxxed and The Underground present: Phil Kieran [Cocoon, Soma] Scott McCabe Samjay [Fibre] Skamp Stephen H Patrick Pryor [Traxxed] Visuals by VJ... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Yousef-March-2009 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Yousef-March-2009 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:48:46 +0000 Fibre 321334 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/321334/FIB_YOZ_MAIN.jpg" width="670" height="330" width_o="760" height_o="375" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/321334/FIB_YOZ_MAIN_o.jpg" data-mid="1396912" border="0" align="left"/> Yousef // Fibre @ The ThinkTank Temple Bar, Ireland, Dublin Cost: €12 // advance tickets >> ticketsmaster.ie Yousef (Circus , Cream) _Residents Scott McCabe / Samjay / Danny Alonso _Room 02 Rubio / White Trash Djs Doars 10:30pm / ROAR __ Where does Yousef stand in 2009? As he approaches his third decade in the business, nearly fifteen years of acid house dedication that has seen him throw his life into dance music, there’s still room for growth artistically and professionally. Completely comfortable in his own skin, yet itching for progress and further creative empowerment, Yousef has strode headlong into the year with increasing maturity and prowess. Perhaps the talking point of the year so far refers to the imminent arrival of his artist album, his first proper. Whilst 2005’s ‘Friends’ EP saw a collection of collaborations extend the usual club format of single, this is Yousef tackling that tricky beast completely on his own, finally laying down on wax a watermark of his effervescent personality. It showcases the different dynamics to his sound as a performer alongside material more reflective of the man away from the booth, with the club tracks already seeing some heavy support from the usual rag tag ensemble of dance music greats; Sasha, Nic Fanciulli, Carl Cox, Steve Lawler, Radio Slave and Nick Curly among them. ‘A Collection of Scars & Situations’ is more than just your typical DJ led collection of bangers though. They are catered for of course, most resplendently by the pulsating tech house monster ‘Legacy’ (bolstered by a superb archaic vocal from Derrick Carter and recently premiered to devastating effect on Pete Tong’s Essential Selection and now picked up by renaissance recordings) and the Beyer - esque ‘Equilibrium’. But it’s the haunting electronica of ‘Birthday Thoughts’ and ‘A Moment of Clarity’ that give the album it’s gritty edge, two bleak almost dystopian efforts which channel the darker undercurrents of electronic music perfectly, much better than the standard ‘chill-out’ fare posted by DJs when they turn their artistic efforts into a long player. The album comes in June, with Circus Recordings in itself notching up a year of releases one month earlier, churning out eight Yousef singles which have illustrated the madness and hedonism of the club he has created. That celebrated six years at the apex of Liverpool’s club scene in September last year and his still pulling line-ups together that makes the accountants balk and the clubbers froth at the mouth. Its house music at its kaleidoscopic best, the more accessible names such as Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada and Eric Prydz competing with the heavyweights of the underground like Laurent Garnier, Luciano and Dubfire. And that’s not forgetting the young blood; Circus has Jamie Jones, Sebo K and Davide Squillace to name a few. There’s nothing predictable about the clubbing powerhouse Yousef has created. As ever it’s a stylistic snapshot not only of the modern house music climate, but that of Yousef himself. Whilst he shot to fame in the late nineties countering the main room trance and progressive of Cream with US house flavoured beats in his famed Annexe residency, Yousef has evolved and taken much more on board into his stylistic remit. Whilst his techno renaissance has been underway for a while, this year the style has continued to take more twists and turns into differing realms of the electronic sphere. The deep disco of producers like Prins Thomas and Mark E has recently found itself an integral part of Yousef’s musings, enabling him to give another edge to the swaggering groove and swing that has always been at the forefront of his sound. It’s this process of constant evolution rather than reinvention which has characterised Yousef’s career, and kept him at the forefront of promoters’ thoughts across the globe. He’s played in pretty much every nation the world over, marking one first last year as the first western DJ to play the troubled nation of Syria. Ibiza, with its arcane hedonism and wild party ethos has always served as an adequate stomping ground for his cross genre grooves. Last season he was the only DJ to be asked to play at all three of Space’s marquee nights, both Danny Tenaglia and Carl Cox’s promotions and of course the jewel in the island’s crown, We Love... Sundays. And of course he’s back there this year... with a vengeance. He’s also clocked up his first London Residency by inking a monthly deal at Matter, the brainchild of Fabric impresario Keith Reilly. And there’s the small matter of him running the London marathon, raising cash for CALM and showcasing his serious edge to the party reputation he’s always encased. Record Label Owner and Internationally renowned club promoter, it’s a far cry form the excess which defined wilder youth, confirming his professionalism and dedication to the acid house dream. Following on from previous work for CR2, JBO, Skint and Underwater and Berwick street his productions are still getting to outlets beyond Circus Recordings. This Year He’s already remixed Stu Hirst, Fergie, Tobii and Onionz to devastating effect. Not stopping there, this year he has remixed two UK legends, Xpress2 classic “say what” see’s the “circus rework” treatment from yousef, whilst Fatboy Slim’s brand new single with rasp voiced rudeboy Jamie T ‘Local Town’, will feature a stonking Yousef remix. Nic Fanciulli asked him for a single from the aforementioned album’ “i suggest” drops on Saved Records in september 09 with an equally as strong “firecracker” as its flip side. The albums lead track “Legacy” was picked up for single release by renaissance. Leading to plays all over specialist dace radio world wide (most notabley john digweed, carl cox and bbc radio one’s pete tong), as well the coverted DMC single of the week where legacy was described by kiss needs as “one of the stand out track of 2009. Deeper into 2009 Yousef stepped into Germany, the hub of worldwide electronic music by singing two new ep’s Mannhiem premier league label “PLASTIC CITY”. More recently after season long support from Sven Vath, Yousef has a single release on the worlds most followed electronic music brand COCOON. Whether criss-crossing the globe with his arsenal of varied sounds or impregnating his own individual aural histrionics on wax, Yousef is stamping his identity on dance music and leaving a lasting impression. There’s few who come close in terms of dedication or in the variance of approach, Yousef hits each and every base with alarming regularity. And the best part yet? The journey has only just begun... Yousef // Fibre @ The ThinkTank Temple Bar, Ireland, Dublin Cost: €12 // advance tickets >> ticketsmaster.ie Yousef (Circus , Cream) _Residents Scott... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Spencer-Parker-May-2010 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Spencer-Parker-May-2010 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:12:56 +0000 Fibre 320090 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320090/FIB_Spencer Parker_horiz_1.jpg" width="670" height="490" width_o="841" height_o="616" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320090/FIB_Spencer Parker_horiz_1_o.jpg" data-mid="1390469" border="0" align="left"/> Spencer Parker (Rekids / Buzzin Fly) Barry Dempsey Scott McCabe Samjay Visuals by Hydra Admission: €10 Earlybird tickets – €6 / Small allocation www.eventelephant.com/spencerparker The Underground, Kennedys, Westland Row Dublin Doors 10pm __ Spencer Parker is one of Europe's leading dj's, his unique style of house music is in demand the world over and with his productions, remixes and re-edits being supported by such names as Radio Slave, Luciano, Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin, Ben Watt, Nic Fanciulli and Pete Tong, the future looks bright. Spencer's style is simply best described as underground electronic house music. Preferred record labels range from the techno stylings of Oslo, Planet E, Liebe Detail, and Rekids through to the uber-cool house of Buzzin Fly, Ibadan, Tsuba and Objektivity. A set from Spencer would include acid house and techno alongside some cool jackin' tracks and the odd trippy vocal. Spencer has held some highly successful residencies in his home town of London and continues to regularly guest at the capitals best clubs, including Fabric and The End, as well as being in demand worldwide, with recent visits alone including Russia, Germany, China, America, Australia, France, Italy and Romania. In 2005 Spencer began his production career with the release of his debut single "Open Your Eyes" and followed it up the following year with “Beautiful Noise”, on Radio Slave's newly launched Rekids label. Early copies garnered support from names such as Nic Fanciulli, Clive Henry, X Press 2, Ben Watt and Pete Tong. In addition to "Beautiful Noise" Spencer also released the much hyped single "Neon" in early 2007 on the London based Tsuba label. Already becoming an anthem for Nic Fanciulli after constant play at his Space (Ibiza) residency, "Neon" was supported by such names as James Zabelia and Laurent Garnier with both John Digweed and Hernan Cattaneo adding it to their latest compilations. In addition to producing original material, Spencer often remixes or re-edits some of the hottest tracks around to give himself an exclusive secret weapon to play and make his dj sets completely original. Recent official remixes include "Freaky Bleepy" for Ben Watt's excellent Buzzin' Fly imprint, the DC10 anthem "Alcoolic" for Cr2, the lead single from Nic Fanciulli's Skylark album, "All I See" and Spencer's well received remix of Foremost Poets' "Moonraker" for NRK Records. Also, although unlikely to see a release, more than a few people have been asking about his hot re workings of Ricardo Villalobos' "Enfants" and Akefe Iku's huge "Mirror Dance" track. In 2008, Spencer's production schedule has really stepped up a gear. First out the gates was his collaboration with Diesel (as co.Lab) entitled "Music Box" on Satoshi Tommie's SAW Recordings label. Techno influenced but with a definite house sound, "Music Box" garnered support from Riche Hawtin, Luciano, Ewan Pearson and Radio Slave. To follow this, Spencer released his second single on Tsuba entitled "e Lucia" and his debut single on Buzzin' Fly "Chiho". "The Dreamer EP" and "Romantic" single, both due on Rekids will be out at the tail end of this year along with the second co.Lab single, "Zanzibar", on Saved Records. Never one to rest on his laurels, February 2009 will see Spencer's debut release on Germany's uber-cool Liebe*Detail label. Spencer is an experienced and adaptable dj that knows how to warm up for big names intelligently as well as rock a main room in his own right, anywhere in the world. Now, with his production and remixing skills developing at a rapid rate, and releases on some of the worlds best underground house labels, the package is complete. Spencer Parker (Rekids / Buzzin Fly) Barry Dempsey Scott McCabe Samjay Visuals by Hydra Admission: €10 Earlybird tickets – €6 / Small allocation... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Weekend-Wars-2010 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Weekend-Wars-2010 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:21:53 +0000 Fibre 320229 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320229/WW 2010_Posters2.jpg" width="670" height="472" width_o="842" height_o="594" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320229/WW 2010_Posters2_o.jpg" data-mid="1458503" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320229/WW 2010_Posters_02.jpg" width="670" height="948" width_o="841" height_o="1190" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320229/WW 2010_Posters_02_o.jpg" data-mid="1595740" border="0" align="left"/> WEEKEND WARS 2010 BATTLE_Ø2 Ø1/Ø5/1Ø – CONTESTANTS: TRAXX DJ’S ALAN MURPHY SEAN WOODHOUSE GARY QUIGLEY PAUL DOLAN STEFF FAGAN – GUESTS: SCOTT MCCABE SAMJAY (FIBRE) – ANDREWS LANE THEATRE 10PM – 3AM €5 BEFORE 12 / €10 AFTER WINNER WILL PLAY AT: LIFE FESTIVAL + ELECTRIC PICNIC! PLUS: A LIVE MIX ON RTE PULSE AND A 100euro VOUCHER FOR STUDIOSOLUTIONS.IE _ Brought to by: Fibre | Neutronyx | RTE Pulse | Soundsolutions.ie WEEKEND WARS 2010 BATTLE_Ø2 Ø1/Ø5/1Ø – CONTESTANTS: TRAXX DJ’S ALAN MURPHY SEAN WOODHOUSE GARY QUIGLEY PAUL DOLAN STEFF FAGAN – GUESTS: SCOTT MCCABE... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/X-Press-2-August-2008 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/X-Press-2-August-2008 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:11:54 +0000 Fibre 320225 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320225/7573648890a8802060016l.jpg" width="354" height="500" width_o="354" height_o="500" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320225/7573648890a8802060016l_o.jpg" data-mid="1392295" border="0" align="left"/> IF it’s about anything, house music is about impact. It’s about hitting them where it hurts, in the groove, in the heart, on the dancefloor. It’s about that time of night when everyone wants to surrender to a delicious chaos, to shut out the world, to remember how to feel and forget how to think. Done properly, it is pop music at its most perfect and most pure. From the opening jet-plane whoosh, slinky percussion, and squawk of a scratched record that opens ‘Muzikizum’, the debut album from British house trio X-Press 2, it’s clear they’ve got all this sorted out. Sorted out enough to have hooked in two impressive collaborators - Talking Heads’ singer David Byrne and Yello’s front man Dieter Meier - who make up just part of what is as accomplished an album as British house has produced in a decade of existence. And yet X-Press 2 know that house music is often taken less seriously than pretty much anything else in pop music. As Ashley Beedle - who with fellow DJs Rocky and Diesel, makes up the X-Press 2 triumvirate - points out: "A lot of people have given house music a bit of a bad press. But compared to rock n’ roll or even hip hop, house is such a young thing." Perhaps that’s because it gives its listeners more immediate physical fun than most things - and consequently it’s assumed makes them think less. This album’s most obvious single - the muscular, yet euphorically melodic deep house number ‘Lazy’, with its vocals from David Byrne, efficiently dispels that that notion by the end of its first chorus. "I’m wicked and I’m lazy," Byrne drawls mellifluously. "Don’t you wanna save me?" It’s as if Byrne has picked up on the house music’s essential decadence in a simple phrase. There’s no doubt that he is one of the most thoughtful, even cerebral band-leaders 40 years of popular music has thrown up. It’s no coincidence he’s also one of its funkiest. X-PRESS 2 first burst onto the international club scene in 1993, with the demented sirens, typewriter-noise percussion and dance floor pyrotechnics of ‘Muzik Express’. The three DJs, all from unfashionable suburbs of London, had each played leading roles in the capital’s cooler, more influential club scenes: Flying; Slough’s famous Sunday afternoon club Full Circle; Soho record shop Black Market, where Ashley was the manager. Rocky and Diesel had been mates since 1986. They knew Ashley because they bought records from him. Their first studio session left them cold - they’d intended to sample an old Cloud One track but that typewriter percussion noise was all that survived. Everyone else disagreed. Muzik X-Press’ was an instant worldwide club hit. DJs as influential as Pete Tong and New York’s Junior Vasquez - then in his Sound Factory prime - loved it. Clubbers around the world declared it an instant anthem. Its follow up, the juddering, funky London X-Press’ with its exhortation to "raise your hands!" was just as monstrously successful, as was the daft dancefloor smash, ‘Say What’, that came next. It was also endearingly clear that X-press 2 didn’t take themselves too seriously. They parodied the Beatles by doing a silly walk across a zebra crossing for an early photo shoot and took the piss out of themselves constantly. But they took their music to heart ” so when their records began to get, as Ashley puts it, "more oblique", the three were content to put X-Press 2 aside and move onto other projects. Beedle had his Black Science Orchestra alias, Rocky his Problem Kids alter ego; and the three moved effortlessly into jazzier, funkier, more downbeat arenas with their internationally respected Ballistic Brothers team-up. It was this that first caught the attention of David Byrne. "I had contacted Beedle and co some five years ago after hearing Ballistic Brothers, which I loved," says Byrne, who offered them a slot on his European tour, thinking they were a live band. He’s glad this collaboration has finally happened. "I love the contradiction of a pumping dance track that is called Lazy’," he says. X-Press 2 are overjoyed ” and not just because ‘Lazy’ is memorable enough to become their biggest hit yet. Ashley Beedle met Byrne once in New York. "He’s very focused on art and how it integrates with society. He’s into painting, he’s into books, he’s into music," says Beedle, clearly impressed. It’s about the art and the magic, Ashley says. Dieter Meier, the eccentric and brilliant leader of Swiss electro-pop experimentalists Yello was equally amenable to a team-up. His unmistakably mustachioed growl sends threatening shards of kitsch vocal through the percussive groove of ‘I Want You Back’ ” a fascinating track that jerks between weird synth pop and pounding house. "We’re huge Yello fans and his voice is so eerie," says Diesel. "We thought, wouldn’t it be great to hear him on a house tune?’’ YELLO’S sense of the theatrical, it emerges, has always been a key influence on X-Press 2. "Their grooves are amazing. The drama in those records as well," says Diesel. "That’s what we try and do in our records. We try and arrange them so they have some kind of story. We’re trying to do make them more than just groove tracks. We enjoy doing arrangements where there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end." Last year’s vinyl-only club smash ‘AC/DC’, with its horror-house chorus, is a neat example. It’s one of three fabulous club instrumentals that also shine on ‘Muzikizum’ ” and it’s a sign of how rounded a house album this is that they don’t pale next to the celebrity collaborations. The merciless ‘Smoke Machine’ was inspired by the machines used at Danny Tenaglia’s Winter Music Conference, set at Miami’s Club Space, and it simmers with brooding, late night menace. The title track combines the raw funk of American house with the futuristic power of European techno and it will fog any dancefloor with the confusion of a battlefield. Over the past year, X-Press 2 have been putting the drama back into DJing with six deck DJ performances that used effects-ridden mic performances from Ashley, CD-players and basic samplers to send crowds at London’s Fabric and Ibiza’s Pacha wild. "We like a bit of a challenge and it certainly creates something of a potent atmosphere," says Rocky. "It’s like a jam, really, it’s not rehearsed, we’re inspired continually by the shenanigans on the dancefloor. We play two records each and we go round like a tag thing. Whoever’s playing the tune coming out the speakers, the other two can cut in effects, beats, acappellas. It becomes like a wall of sound." These sets incorporate everything from deep house grooves to hard percussion to uproarious vocal tracks. This album does the same - threading innovation and originality amongst the rich rhythms. Exactly what house music, done right, is all about. Thinking and feeling on your feet. Marrying a schizophrenic’s range of moods to one relentlessly funky groove. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest. Just ask David Byrne. IF it’s about anything, house music is about impact. It’s about hitting them where it hurts, in the groove, in the heart, on the dancefloor. It’s about that... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Jon-Carter-November-2008 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Jon-Carter-November-2008 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:03:50 +0000 Fibre 320206 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320206/n1224421751.jpg" width="353" height="500" width_o="353" height_o="500" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/320206/n1224421751_o.jpg" data-mid="1392240" border="0" align="left"/> Jon Carter is a man who specialises in the unexpected, dropping tunes from the Scots' Guards to Glenn Campbell's 'Rhinestone Cowboy' into his volatile sets and exporting his particular brand of quality madness to the four corners of the globe over the last decade. Jon Carter rose to prominence as a resident of the era-defining Heavenly Social in ‘94, playing legendary weekly sessions alongside the Chemical Brothers and Death in Vegas at the infamous Albany pub in central London. He succeeded these sessions with a succession of monster dancehall influenced singles under the name 'Monkey Mafia' including 'Shoot the Boss', 'Work Mi Body' and the '15 Steps' EP, the later making No. 25 on Mixmag's end of year chart in 1997 and releasing his debut album 'Shoot the Boss', a year later uniting the critics in unbridled praise. Rolling Stone was just one of several major music publications praising Carter, describing 'Shoot the Boss' as a mix of "deep, dubby dance mixes, reggae toasting and puréed sample soups thick enough to clog a speaker with a ragged, street-smart edge too seldom found on the polished post-modern dance floor." In its live incarnation, Monkey Mafia developed into a loose collective of musicians with Jon at the hub landing them nationwide tour support slots for both Mercury prize winners Reprazent, Massive Attack and the Chemical Brothers. The same year, 1998, Jon played as a guest DJ on the Prodigy's 'Fat of the Land' tour, cementing him as one of the brightest young DJ talents around and bringing in the 21st century spinning his mantra as resident DJ at four of the UK’s biggest clubs: Bugged Out in Liverpool/Manchester, Shine in Belfast, Home in London's Leicester Square and The Boutique in Brighton. Sponsored by Radio 1 in 2000 the English version of 'Love Parade' was launched with Jon being selected amongst a small number of choice DJs who entertained a crowd of around 350,000 (the largest outdoor event attendance in the UK). Jon has also been turning his hand outside clubland playing live for a Stella McCartney show in Paris, mixing the likes of the Beatles 'Hey Jude' over a drum and bass beat with McCartney senior looking on inquisitively. 2001 saw Jon remixing contemporary musical heavyweights The Stone Roses’ ‘I Am The Resurrection’, The Manic Street Preachers' 'Kevin Carter' and commissioning U2’s ‘Elevation’ after he re-worked the band’s Last Night On Earth single in 1997 with Jon’s version being selected 10 years later for inclusion in the ‘Popmart - Live’ DVD released in 2007. Jon’s criss-crossing of the globe continued with massive gigs on Sydney’s Bondi beach (bringing in the Millennium), the Rio Big Beach Boutique (with Fatboy Slim and DJ Marky) in front of 300,000 people and the Soca dominated carnival in Salvador. The Brazilian influence was layered through his 2002 mix CD for his residency - 'Viva Bugged Out' - switching from chilled beats to tribal with the album also featuring his single for Bugged out - 'Everlasting Life. Later that year Jon recorded the well received 'Humanism" - the debut release for Shine Recordings, the label of the long running Belfast techno institution. Add to this annual trips to Ibiza for residencies at Cream and Manumission, regular dates in Singapore, China and Japan and a picture starts to form of someone who permanently lived out of a suitcase but Jon’s studio work kept the home fires burning. After recording ‘Go Down’ on his own Saville Row label, sampling the Coen Brothers ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ Ministry Of Sound in London handed Jon, and his nascent label, their own residency featuring, among others, acid legend DJ Pierre as a regular guest leading to another mix CD for the Ministry label - 'Saturday Sessions'. Around the same time, Jon was commissioned to remix Happy Mondays’ ‘24 Hour Party People’ which was such a success ending up as the theme music to the celebrated film. Recording with Wall of Sounds’ Two Culture Clash project in 2003 at Gee Jam in Jamaica on ‘Who Do You Love?’ Jon worked on another collaboration with the infamous graffiti artist Banksy on 'Irrational Anthem' - an alternative take on 'God Save The Queen' likely ending any knighthood chances. Moving from the streets to farm land Jon was part of the newly formed 'Lock Tavern' tent at Glastonbury in 2003, where he has played every year since 1999. Named after the cutting edge pub/music venue in Camden that Jon had been a director of since its launch , the tent hosted Hot Chip and Editors in its afternoon sessions whilst the evenings featured a more upfront line-up of Jon, guests and most famously a raucous set from Erol Alkan. Later in the year it was off to Taiwan where Jon marked another first, headlining the opening of the island's Ministry of Sound club. New residencies followed of the back of his massively successful year seeing him play regularly at the groundbreaking Chibuku in Liverpool, Basics in Leeds, Shine in Belfast and Ministry and Fabric in London. A year on, Jon was one of the first British DJs to play at another newly opened Ministry of Sound, in Singapore. Jon underlined his 'anything goes' credentials with his set at the opening night of 'Guilty Pleasures' at Koko in London whilst further afield, Eastern Europe has fallen under the Carter spell with roof-lifting sets in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. Currently a regular at Shindig, Fabric and the genre-defining 'Underwater' night at the End, Jon also has a not-too-shabby residency at the exclusive ski resort of St Anton and continues to fly all over the world. Closer to home and Jon has been equally focused on bringing new talent through at the Lock Tavern and its sister venue The Amersham Arms. The Lock Tavern has brought Rob da Bank’s famed 'Sunday Best' night north of the river and also gave birth to the likes of the Filthy Dukes and Simian Mobile. DJ, remixer, producer, recording, artist, pub landlord. And if all else fails he holds a fork-lift driver’s licence. One thing's pretty certain - if you're looking for him, he's probably not in... Jon Carter is a man who specialises in the unexpected, dropping tunes from the Scots' Guards to Glenn Campbell's 'Rhinestone Cowboy' into his volatile sets and... http://cargocollective.com/fibre/Kink-July-2010 http://cargocollective.com/fibre/following/fibre/Kink-July-2010 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:08:37 +0000 Fibre 183792 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/183792/FIB_KINK_A3 AW_.jpg" width="670" height="948" width_o="841" height_o="1190" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/16877/183792/FIB_KINK_A3 AW__o.jpg" data-mid="1469087" border="0" align="left"/> “Strahil Velchev a.k.a KiNK is an innovative, uncompromising producer and captivating dj and live performer from Bulgaria, incorporating the very best examples of underground dance music in his production. At the age of 12 he was jumping up & down to acid, techno and early rave tracks. At 20 he got his hands on the first modular software synthesizer and a couple of years later released his first record. There are a few things that shape Strahil’s accomplished, signature sound. “Take the soul of the 70`s music, the groove of house and techno, the futurism and detail of experimental electronica and the raw energy of acid”. This is how he defines his style. KiNK is a multi-style producer, but his first release on Chris Duckenfield’s Odori imprint placed him firmly in the frame of house and techno where his productions can be found in the catalogues of such labels as Rush Hour, Pokerflat, liebe*detail, Mule Musiq, Classic, Macro, as well as featuring in the dj sets and Essential mixes of Francois K, Josh Wink, Steve Bug, Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin, Derrick May, Paul Woolford, Jesse Rose and many more Important points in KiNK`s production career so far are the classic chicago house-style releases with Neville Watson on Rush Hour and his remix of early dance music legend Patrick Cowley on Macro, which showed the experimental face of Strahil`s work . KiNK`s stage presence is versatile and he performs both as a dj and live in all around the world, from Panorama Bar (Berlin) to Smart Bar (Chicago). At the same time Strahil is known in his hometown of Sofia for his broken beat / abstract hip-hop sets alongside artists like The Herbaliser and Jimi Tenor. Strahil`s release schedule for 2010 is quite exciting including labels like Ovum, Poker Flat, Liebe*Detail, Freerange, Dirtybird, Rush Hour and Mule and he is enthusiastic about his own sound more than ever.” “Strahil Velchev a.k.a KiNK is an innovative, uncompromising producer and captivating dj and live performer from Bulgaria, incorporating the very best examples...