Wanted: Sinner Deejays written by Dimitri Cologne in: festival

Tags: sinner's day

The Red Bull Elektropedia Team

Red Bull Elektropedia Is Taking A Break / Working On Something New written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: red bull elektropedia

In about 48 hours Tomorrowland kicks off a three day victory march at De Schorre in Boom near Antwerp. The festival is well-nigh completely sold out. That means approximately 60.000 clubbers a day for a couple of hundred of the world's biggest deejays and electronic live acts hosted on seven different stages. Troubles composing your personal line-up? Check out our 10 hard-to-ignore picks for Tomorrowland 2011.
- by Dimitri Cologne

01 - HENRIK SCHWARZ (Friday July 22 - We Play House Recordings)

Currently German DJ and producer Henrik Schwarz is mainly performing at jazz festivals and clubs together with Norwegian musician Bugge Wesseltoft. But on July 22 he’s doing what (we think) he does best: balancing smoothly through atmospheric house and Detroit techno added up with some jazzy interludes and soulful vocals.

02 - 2MANYDJ'S (Sunday July 24 - Main Stage)

It's been almost ten years since the Dewaele brothers released their groundbreaking bastard pop masterpiece "As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2". But at the moment 2ManyDJ's are hotter than sliced bread thanks to their creative cover art shows and their recently launched online radio station.

03 - KiNK (Sunday July 24 - Café d'Anvers Invites Ovum Recordings)

Last summer the Bulgarian producer re-jiggled Jeff Mills' classic "Changes Of Life" and got picked up by the likes of Pete Tong who put the tune in heavy rotation on BBC Radio 1 and every other respectable jock - except the junglists - promoted KiNK's jam all the way from Ibiza to Australia. Typical story of a one hit wonder? Hell no. Stream his dazzling FACT mix and guess again!

04 - BREAKBOT (Saturday July 23 - Forma.T)

Along with SebastiAn, Breakbot is one of the headmen of Ed Banger Records' second wave of computerized filterdisco and electro. Catch him together with other frenzy French blokes (such as Brodinski and Panteros 666) at the Forma.T stage.

05 - THE ODDWORD (Friday July 22 - Blue Flame)

In 2010 A-Town's Boy & Ylli were one of the many revelations at Tomorrowland, this year it's time for The Oddword to confirm its status of the country's hardest going DJ-act of the moment.

06 - BAREM (Sunday July 24 - M_nus)

Buenos Aires native Barem is one of Richie Hawtin's youngest lieutenants but his producer talents can only reveal a bright future, starting with an excellent first album called "After The Storm" which he'll present on Sunday in the M_nus tent!

07 - SVEN VÄTH - (Saturday July 23 - Café d'Anvers Invites Cocoon)

Herr Väth celebrates 30 (!) years behind the decks with a 3 hour set at Tomorrowland and since he's already spent some time at Ibiza (for the annual Cocoon summer) we can expect a Sven Väth in the best possible mood and shape. 

08 - NETSKY (Saturday July 23 - Star Warz)

No electronic music festival without bagpackers and headnodders. Star Warz is once again hosting the drum & bass area with top of the bill Belgium's biggest producer of the moment Netsky.

09 - CASPA & ROD AZLAN (Friday July 22 - Untitled!)

Dub Police chief Caspa wasn't able to perform at Dour last week because he broke his heel after one of his trademark stagedives. Luckily no plaster bandage can't stop the London bred and his loyal MC Rod Azlan from wrecking the stage with bassheavy dubstep. (Update: a plaster bandage CAN stop Caspa from performing in Boom. He'll be replaced by Artwork from Magnetic Man).

10 - JAMES ZABIELA (Sunday July 24 - La Rocca Invites We Love)

La Rocca on Sunday: perfectly cut out for UK's James Zabiela who gained a lot of buzz with his mix albums for the legendary Renaissance label. On stage Zabiela is a busy centipede whose skills on the CD-J players and mixers are just mental. So, DJ gear lovers and bedroom deejays who could still benefit from a few lessons. Make sure you're in the front row!

Tomorrowland 2011: Our 10 Picks written by Dimitri Cologne in: festival

Tags: tomorrowland

Requirements:
- A passion for nightlife and Belgian electronic music
- A camera
- Knowledge of audio and video editing tools

Offer:
-  A remuneration of your efforts
-  All area access to events, showcases and parties
-  For students this could be an interesting extracurricular activity

Interested?
Please contact Dimitri Cologne and send along your motivation, resume and if possible some links to your work. Deadline: July 21.

Red Bull Elektropedia Is Looking For A Freelance Video Editor written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: red bull elektropedia

"We concentrated on bringing quality live performances that would hopefully be perceived as more than a ‘Selah Sue vehicle'."

When did you come up with the idea to launch AKS?
AKS was conceived around 2004, originally being a ragga influenced jungle and drum & bass soundsystem set up in our garage. Back when I was a teenager I used to go to attend a lot of raves such as the ‘It’s A Jungle’ parties in the AB in Brussels. Back then I got caught by the energy and vibes that came along with the genre. Also other styles like reggae and soul had a great influence on our early work. The live bits came a few years later. 

Why the transition to dubstep?
We rolled into dubstep because of its obvious link with drum & bass and reggae. After spinning and producing d&b for a while, we were really getting into this new sound called dubstep. The rhythms were fresh, they emphasized different elements and the sound was just big!



A large number of people got know AKS through Selah Sue. Was it somehow difficult to profile yourselves as an act without her standing on the forefront?
At first AKS was mainly a collective of deejays and producers. Then Selah and myself came to the idea of taking it a step further and started building a live environment. She used to be ‘one of the guys’ at that time. As her solo career started to grow it also gave AKS (as a liveact) a decent platform. Obviously the Selah Sue phenomenon was a great jumpstart for us, but from another perspective it also made it difficult to stand out for ourselves. We concentrated on bringing quality live performances that would hopefully be perceived as more than a ‘Selah Sue vehicle’. All of that somehow worked out for us. 

Just a few months ago AKS released its first single ‘Give It Back’, a bit surprisingly without Selah Sue but with another talented vocalist, Lola, behind the mic.
Selah’s latest album dropped somewhere in March so we knew her touring schedule would be very intense. And since our summer shows wouldn’t be too attractive without having a singer on stage we started looking for new collaborations. Since our hometown Leuven has a lot of talent to offer, it wasn’t that hard to find a new great voice. The track with Lola started out as an experiment, but it soon became clear that the sound we produced together showed a lot of potential.    



So what does this mean for the future? Is Lola replacing Selah Sue? 
Right now we’re working on a number of new tracks together with Lola, she really adds an extra level to our productions. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be releasing material together with Selah in the future. We wrote a lot of tracks together and we’re not planning to park on our hard drives forever. We also just finished a remix for Selah Sue so lots more to come with both singers! 

Who have been AKS’ musical inspirations? The Prodigy could be a logic choice judging from their high energy performances.
This has always been a very difficult question for me to answer. The Prodigy is indeed a very big inspiration, but actually all music I like has had a major influence on AKS: going from Lauryn Hill and The Wailers over Roni Size and Aphex Twin to current big shot producers like James Blake and Rusko. It doesn’t really matter if it’s Jazz, trash, rap, rock, reggae, funk or soul, we just have an enormous appetite for music. 



You sum up a large spectrum of musical inspirations. Doesn’t it bother you then that a large part of the audience sees AKS as a dubstep outfit?
I think we don’t just limit ourselves to a one genre. We bring electronic music in general and not a small part of it.  

How far do your ambitions go when you notice that more and more foreign promoters and bloggers are picking up your music?
I hope we can grow musically in the studio and on stage and eventually see a bit of the world… Playing Tokyo for instance would be nice. Well maybe not after the recent events in Japan, but you can catch my drift.  

Let’s compare AKS to Wu-Tang Clan for just a second. You give away the impression of being the RZA, the musical backbone that coordinates several different forces. Is that comparable to what’s happening in AKS?
Yes, that is actually very close to the way we work. I try to unite all band members in order to push all of their individual talents to the max. I mostly write the music together with Mattias. More recently Mathijs, our guitar player, participated in the writing process. Of course all members have their input in the studio, good ideas mostly come from many different directions.  



And what’s the task setting on stage like?
All individuals in the band fill in a segment during the live show. Lenny occupies our DJ and percussion section, Mattias operates as our front man, Lola sings, Stef plays the saxophone and handles the finances and I control the keys.

AKS became more than just a hobby for you guys. Is it still managable with other things like school or work?
AKS indeed absorbs a truckload of time. I’m currently working at Poppunt, a very enthusiastic organization that supports young and semi professional musicians. This means a lot of overtime in the studio after my working shift. You can say I combine two full time jobs, much to the disgruntlement of my girlfriend. The other band members are also working class heroes and some of them are still in college so I can speak for all of us that AKS sure is more than just a hobby!



We've all seen the footage of that great live session at Stubru which has probably been an important turning point. What else has been vital for AKS' career?
That session has shown a more intimate and accessible side of our work and it has extended our audience big time. Another key moment has been the live show at Pukkelpop last year. The energy of the band and the crowd was just amazing and as it turned out a lot of promotors and bookers were also paying attention to our performance. Another memorable thing was the remix we did for an Icelandic band called Steed Lord. Apparently Laidback Luke played our it in his set at the EDC festival in L.A. last year. We saw on YouTube video’s of how a huge sports arena filled with partyheads blew up on the sounds of AKS!  

You're rolling along with good company such as the Forma.T crew and the Beatz & Bleepz agency. All people with ambitious plans. 
It’s great having these guys on board! They are all young, very talented and professional in their own field. I love to work with people who have that same drive and mindset as we do. The future looks pretty good, for starters, we’re expecting an awesome festival season: Les Ardentes, Tomorrowland, Feest In Het Park and Laundry Day, just to name a few. After the summer we’re planning new releases and remixes and do a few gigs abroad. And besides all of that we just keep wasting our weekends, that’s for sure!

'Give It Back' is out on Forma.T Records
and available on ITunes

Interview: AKS written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: addicted kru sound, aks, forma.t records

Exclusively for Red Bull Elektropedia and Red Bull Music Academy Radio, Raoul Belmans mixed up 20 of his favourite tunes in order to celebrate his two decades behind the decks!

20 Years Raoul Belmans written by Dimitri Cologne in: DJ set

Tags: raoul belmans, red bull music academy

Line-up & timetable:
20.00 – 21.00: Partyharders
21.00 – 21.20: Amanda Blank Live
21.30 – 22.15: Spankrock Live
22.35 – 23.25: Les Petits Pilous Live
23.30 – 01.00: Noisia

All info:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194896147214232
http://www.botanique.be

Les Nuits Botanique With Noisia, Les Petits Pilous And Many Others written by Dimitri Cologne in: party

Tags: botanique, party harders

"I can't read a single note of music but I enjoy making it very much"

You earned your stripes with Villa and Clashes (together with Starski). Nowadays your main focus is on solo productions. What suits you better, working alone or with others?
Moonlight Matters - As a matter of fact I’m still making music with Starski. “Sunstruck”, his first EP, has just been released on BMKLTSCH Records. Besides that I’m working on another project called SHINDU of which the first single will drop next month on Kitsuné. Then there’s also the production work for Montevideo, out now on Headman’s Relish label. As you can see, I’m doing a lot of stuff with others but Moonlight Matters is my own little project and I do enjoy doing something by myself, a lot!

What are the advantages of working alone in the studio? 
Moonlight Matters - The advantage of working alone compared to projects with others, is the fact that you only have to satisfy yourself instead of several individuals. In my case i can work a lot faster. But I do have to note that working with several different people is a great contribution to my perception of music in general and in many cases a very welcome gift to my social life. Therefore I enjoy both.

Why did you actually leave Villa? 
Moonlight Matters - Despite the fact that I’ve written and produced all of Villa’s material up until right before their Digitalism remix, Fredo and Thang (the two other original band members, RBE) chose to move on without me. Irreconcilable differences in taste, vision and approach led to that decision. In the meanwhile Fredo has also left Villa and has been replaced by a new band member called Francois, who’s producing the music now.

No hard feelings after leaving Villa?
Moonlight Matters - Not at all. I'm delighted to see Thang and Francois doing well!

This Summer you’re confirmed to play at 10 Days Off and Laundry Day. Will you perform live or drop a DJ set?
Moonlight Matters - I haven’t had the time yet to concentrate on a live set because of the massive studio work I’ve done in the last 2,5 years. Therefore I hit the road as a DJ, playing a lot of my own productions combined with other relevant tunes that perfectly fit my vibe! As from the moment I got some own EP’s and maybe an album ready I’ll probably start working a live show.  

What's your musical background? Did you grow up playing an instrument or have you thoroughly been checking out your parents' record collection? Moonlight Matters - I’ve always been attracted to everything music related, from my dad’s classical records to my mother’s soul collection and my Uncle’s DJ gear. At an early age I already picked up a lot of instruments but the spark really got lit when technology kicked in and when I got introduced by my neighbours’ computer with music software on it. To be honest, I can’t read a single note of music but I enjoy making it very much!

Which are your favourite studio tools?
Moonlight Matters - As far as synths go, I really dig my Omega 8, the Banana synth and the System 100. But my absolute favourite piece of equipment is the Memorymoog! Every single tweak, every bit of sound is just right, nothing more, nothing less, pure efficiency! Next to that, I love to incorporate all kinds of organic sounds into my music: percussion, guitars and of course an orchestral section which I consider to be one of my signature sound pallets.  

Does the name “Moonlight Matters” indicate that you’re more productive at night?
Moonlight Matters - I tend to be creative when I notice that the rest of the world is asleep and I’m all alone exploring the boundaries of my brain and my studio. The sense of being isolated seems to hold the potential of being very free, that’s why moonlight really matters to me. I try to balance it out with well thought out sessions during the day, quite essential for not becoming a vampire!

You’ve been remixing a lot of vocalists lately: Ellie Goulding, Clare Maguire,… Is a good vocal the blueprint for a great Moonlight Matters track?
Moonlight Matters - I think that a good vocal can be the key to a universal sounding hook of a song. Therefore I love working on strong vocal performers: Ellie Goulding, Clare Maguire and more recently, Adele and Alex Winston. 



How do you get in touch with those artists and their management?
Moonlight Matters - So far I’ve made about 30 remixes, edits and covers in a period of 2,5 years, so I guess the word is beginning to spread. Next to that I have a really great and well connected manager who’s helping me achieving my goals and pursuing my ambitions.

Do you have a certain direction in mind when you produce a tune? The Ellie Goulding remix could’ve easily been inspired by The Immortals’ “Ultimate Warlord”. 
Moonlight Matters - I love “The Ultimate Warlord”, it’s a stone cold classic and one my all time fav’s, thanks for reminding me of it. Now, if you hear any similarities it must’ve came from my sub-consciousness. When I do a remix, I don’t really have a standard template ready but I try to feel what my favourite elements in the original track are and I just try to re-interpret those into the right fitting format. 

And when it comes to composing own songs? 
Moonlight Matters - Then I might have a clear vision of what I would like to make and how I’m going to do it.  

So, speaking of own material. When are you going to release your very first Moonlight Matters production?
Moonlight Matters - Right now I’m finishing the first EP and I can’t say much about it except that I’m bringing back an icon on vocals and an orchestral section to die for. Stay tuned!  

Some say spacedisco, others say Balearic, how can you best describe your music without being too poetic?
Moonlight Matters  - It’s a style of emotional and organic sounding pop music which you can dance to. I love to think that I just make faster, longer and dancefloor material with a hint of synthpop and disco, I hope that’s not too poetic for ya!

Check out Moonlight Matters:
On Facebook
On MySpace
On Soundcloud

Interview: Moonlight Matters written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: moonlight matters

"To call something post-dubstep while dubstep itself is still gaining fans all over the world is not only a poor choice of words but completely missing the point of how dubstep started out and what it stands for"

For those who still don't know about Belgium's and Europe's biggest indoor dubstep event. What's Untitled! all about?
Kastor - We started out in 2006 in Scheld’Apen, a small venue in Antwerp that always encouraged young people to think outside the box. We tried to uphold that mentality throughout the years, whether we have 200 people attending (our first edition) or sell out 2.500 tickets in advance (our last edition). 


How did Untitled! become this big?
Kastor - Untitled! reached a certain level thanks to a devoted fanbase in- and outside Belgium. We always keep our ear close to the ground and learn a lot from the fans' feedback. Whether it’s booking certain artists or looking at the production of our events. As long as they are happy, we are happy.





Untitled! is more than just throwing parties.
Kastor - Indeed. A couple of years ago we launched our very own record label with the fourth release from 501 coming out this Spring. We also just printed a limited amount of t-shirts, it's a collaboration with Kid Vanilla which is an exciting Antwerp based clothing brand.


When and how did you decide to start boosting dubstep in Belgium?
Kastor - Untitled! is the brainchild of Sim (who back then organized the Soulshine festival) and myself. We felt the Antwerp nightlife around 2005 and 2006 was pretty dull, people weren’t taking any risks. So we provided a very needed platform for fresh and exciting bass music in general. 


Did Kastor & Dice, your DJ project, came to surface at the same time Untitled! did?
Kastor: Dice and myself were pretty active in the drum & bass scene around 2000 but after a few years we became tired of the small pond most artists were fishing in. You can say dubstep was there at the right place and at the right time. Also BunZero can take a lot of credit for our devotion to dubstep as it were his mixtapes we were listening to in the beginning. Also the first Stainage parties in Brussels really opened up our eyes and ears. Between the second and third edition of Untitled! ‘Kastor & Dice’ was born. To be honest it felt quite natural playing out together as we knew each other already for years and had the same style and ideas when it came to dubstep.





Which tracks or albums lit the fuse for you guys to play out bass music?
Kastor: I’m grateful to the second wave of Detroit techno for sparking my interest in electronic music. Artists and labels such as Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, Underground Resistance and Plus 8 got me into DJ’ing. Later on it was Reprazent’s “New Forms” and “Mysteries of Funk” by Grooverider that moved me onto drum & bass. I became interested in playing out dubstep after hearing the 2005 ‘Summer Mix’ by Skream which was packed with classics: “Midnight Request Line”, “Glamma”, “Rutten” and “Tortured Soul” all were on it. Just thinking back of those tracks in that period send shivers down my spine. 

Dice (kicks in for just a moment): I found my love for bass music within the surge of 90s dance music. From house and techno in the early nineties, being touched by releases on Belgian mainstays Wonka or R&S and the influx of UK rave music. Later on I really digged the technoid sounds of Moving Shadow through the urban grit of Streetbeats or Metalheadz. But most of the attention came from Skream's 2005 ‘Summer Mix’ as well. It showed what would take the world by storm over the next four to six years.

Jaydee - “Plastic Dreams”
C'hantal - “The Realm”
Nightmares On Wax - “Set Me Free”
Photek - “Rings Around Saturn”
Goldie - “Angel”
Reprazent - “Brown Paper Bag”
Skream - “Midnight Request Line” 


Let's talk about dubstep in general. When you read some of the topics on discussion boards, quite often people say true dubstep comes from the likes of Mala while producers such as Doctor P only commercialize the scene. Untitled! has had both artists on its parties.
Kastor - The most important aspect of us booking certain artists, and I can’t stress this enough, is that we need to believe in what they do. Whether it's the deep and tribal vibes of Mala or the epic tear out synths from Doctor P. Both artists have put their mark on the scene and will be remembered in few years time. But what is “true” dubstep anyway? We all started out from the idea that dubstep couldn’t be boxed in. You had the tempo (around 140 beats per minute), a big bassline and that was it basically. So I can’t help but smile nowadays when I read people commenting on Doctor P or Skrillex and claim they don’t produce “real” dubstep. Those guys took their idea on dubstep and turned it into something new, this is how dubstep started out in the first place. 





In the same spirit as punk, dubstep is already breeding a subgenre preceded by “post”. 
Kastor - Suddenly you have a new generation of producers like Mount Kimbie, Joy O and James Blake and certain people decide to group them as post-dubstep artists. But to call something "post-" while the main genre itself is still gaining fans all over the world and growing exponentially is not only a poor choice of words but again completely missing the point of how dubstep started out and what it stands for.


At our last local Red Bull Music Academy lecture we discussed the future of dubstep. How do you see it?
Kastor - I wasn’t at the lecture so I have no idea of what has been said there but when it comes to the music we are at a very exciting place right now. Everything is still evolving so rapidly, some kid could be making a different kind of beat at this moment in his bedroom and thanks to social media blowing up in only a few months time. I’m sure we’ve only explored 1/10th of which direction this music can go to. But while the music will continue to become more popular I’m quite sure there will be a lot of events that will have to close the books.


Like with every other hype does the popularity of dubstep bring along negative things?
Kastor - There are too many copycats operating at the moment, people keep booking the same international artists over and over. It’s become a running joke in the UK that some artists are moving to Belgium as they play out more here than in their home country.  





After dubstep reached its peak, how will you manage to keep on expanding the Untitled! legacy?
Kastor - Untitled! started out as an event that focused on drum & bass, funk, dub and dubstep among others. The last couple of years we focused more on dubstep than anything else but we’re slowly expanding our horizon again with the addition of the second room. Just as dubstep and their artists evolve into something different in a couple of years we will evolve as well.


Untitled! has massive Summer plans, right?
Kastor - We received a lot of requests the past few years to organize an event during the Summer but as with everything else we do we wanted to kick it off with a bang! So now we start the Summer with a stage at Dour Festival featuring Joker, Doctor P, Trolley Snatcha, Dirtyphonics, Digital Soundboy Soundsystem, True Tiger label, Reso, Pariah, Skepta and ourselves. Then we set up camp at the first day of Tomorrowland with performances by Caspa & Rod Azlan, The Others, Cookie Monsta Vs. Funtcase, Kito, Hijak Vs. Kastor & Dice, Girl Unit, Piro, Goldorak & Solpher, Baselab Sound and Jonas Lion). We’re also working together with the people of the Croatian Outlook Festival as we will be DJ'ing there this year as well. 


After all these years being scene experts, ain't the time right to gear up and produce some bangers?
Kastor - Well to be honest, we’ve both been producing for a while now. You can spot some of our tracks in our sets when we play out to test them on the floor. And there’s a couple of tunes that have been getting good crowd response. But again, we want to be sure of ourselves when we go public.





Final question. What's the deal behind these bagpacks dubstepheads always seem to bring along to parties?
Kastor - Well I haven’t got the slightest idea. Maybe it’s some extra padding for all the mosh pits they create. I know one thing, those bags can’t be filled with cans of Red Bull, they're being sold quite cheap at our venue!

On Saturday April 30: Untitled! teams up with Outlook Festival at
Trix. Click here and/or here for more info.

Interview: Kastor & Dice written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: kastor & dice, trix, untitled!

So far the line-up includes:
Richie Hawtin, Jesse Rose, Nicolas Jaar, Matias Aguayo, Laserkraft 3D, Greg Wilson, Martyn, Zomby, Aeroplane, Discodeine, Tocadisco, Moonlight Matters, Carl Craig, Agoria, Blawan Space Dimension Controller, Robag Whrume, John Digweed, Max Cooper and Maxim Lany

All info:
Homepage
Twitter
Facebook

Carl Craig, Tocadisco And 8 Others Added To 10 Days Off Program written by Dimitri Cologne in: festival

Tags: 10 days off, maxim lany, vooruit

The Red Bull Music Academy 2011 will be held in the unique surroundings of Matadero Madrid. Set in one of the most remarkable architecture sites of early 20th century Madrid, the industrial complex is currently being transformed into the Spanish capital’s biggest centre for contemporary creation. Application deadline is now April 26!

The Red Bull Music Academy – to be held from October 23 to November 25, 2011 – will lay the foundations for the music at Matadero Madrid. Through our collaboration with the City Council’s Department of the Arts, it is ensured that the Academy space will live on as a cultural hub – and that the music won’t stop in years to come. This extraordinary opportunity will also allow for a new level of set-up and design at the studios built for the Academy 2011.

Matadero Madrid aims to foster an integral approach to culture and to become a vibrant laboratory for the development of new cross-disciplinary projects in performing & visual arts, design, music, dance, architecture, urban planning, landscape design, fashion, literature, cinema, and thought.

While we are happy to announce that we have found an exceptional location for this year’s edition of the Red Bull Music Academy, we would also like to emphasize again how difficult the decision was not to hold the Academy main event in Japan.

Setting up the Academy is a year-long process of establishing links with local artists and cultural institutions, creating a dedicated local team of about 100 people, securing international lecturers, dealing with authorities regarding permissions, booking nights in conjunction with local promoters, as well as building studios and refurbishing a building as an inspirational space.

Although the kick off date is set for October, our work on the Tokyo edition started back in April 2010, and the most crucial phase for all of the above is now. When the terrible events of March 11 struck in North East Japan, we had to make a timely decision about a potential relocation, and it quickly became apparent that going forward with these plans in Tokyo right now would not be possible. Furthermore we received a lot of cancellations from people who had already applied. The very same goes for artists who were requested to lecture and perform in Tokyo. These are the people who make the event what it is, and we had to respect their current concerns.

Our involvement in and contribution to the musical landscape in Japan will not stop. To the contrary, we will build on the strong networks and close ties that have evolved throughout the process of preparing the Academy. We will continue to host workshops, gigs, RBMA Radio sessions and festival stages as we did at SónarSound Tokyo, as well as setting up international showcases for Japanese culture: in Madrid and beyond.

RBMA Goes To Madrid written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: 2011, madrid, rbma, red bull music academy

About 8.000 people's prayers

House Clubbing - Torhout written by Dimitri Cologne in: festival

Kozzmozz Presents Peep written by Dimitri Cologne in: party

Tags: dj prinz, kozzmozz, peep, vooruit

"The main objective was a dancefloor record, but in the end a lot of different styles snuck in the album, that's typical Glimmers" - Mo Becha

Q: You chose the German label Gomma Records to release your latest album. Why no releases at Eskimo anymore? 

A: We left Eskimo in 2006 to start pushing our own imprint called Diskimo. We dropped three albums on it but unfortunately releasing music is a time-consuming and money eating business. It would’ve been a sin to invest a lot of time and effort in making good music and then promote it with a lack of know-how. Therefore we decided to release the album on Gomma. We follow the label since its very first days and the owners Matias and Jonas are two of the nicest chaps you can imagine!   




Q: Can you tell us more about making the album?  

A: After our Disko Drunkards adventure and dealing with real musicians, we wanted to go back to the lab working with machines again. You have much more opportunities working that way and in a nick of time there's a whole stack of new material ready. Without even knowing it, we produced the backbone for a whole new album. We just had to let it out.  


Q: Was it clear at first that “Whomp That Sucker” would be a dancefloor record? 

A: That was the main objective yes. But in the end a lot of different styles snuck in it, I guess that’s something typical about the Glimmers.     


Q: You borrowed the album title and record sleeve from American cult band Sparks.  

A: We’ve “recycled” an existing record sleeve for the third time now. During the release of our first album, “The Glimmers Are Gee Gee Fazzi”, we came up with the recycling-idea. Our previous victim was no one less than Swiss electronica pioneer Carlos Peron who was a member of Yello. Back in the mid 80s we were very into Yello, their music was very popular at Boccaccio in Destelbergen. Along with Carlos' great "Nothing Is True" record came a fantastic sleeve. Together with graphic designer Quiten Tytgat we have put our faces on the original sleeves and that’s becoming sort of our trademark.  




Q: How do these artists react? Well informed sources claim that Bryan Ferry was not pleased about Tiga’s whole ‘Sexor’ idea years ago. 

A: We haven’t heard anything from Sparks yet but Carlos Peron sent us a message through MySpace. To be honest, our knees were trembling while reading it, but he liked the idea a lot and he even invited us over to do something together.   


Q: Once again you worked together with Ray Mang. What’s his role in the studio? 

A: You can think of Ray as the third Glimmer. He’s actually the one who persuaded us to make music. When we started out with producing ten years ago he gave us a helping hand and a necessary push. A decade later he’s still around and we became good friends.


Q: You mentioned the Disko Drunkards project earlier in this interview. How big was the change from DJ'ing to performing live, soundchecks etc.  

A: Rather big. We were amazed to see how much work and dedication there’s involved in being part of a live band. Okay, you can say The Glimmers is a band that’s been around for 25 years but the difference is gigantic. Whenever we have to DJ somewhere, we’re there an hour ahead before we kick off our set. A band on the other hand has to do rehearsals, carrying a lof of stuff, driving to the venue and do soundchecks. During our first Disko Drunkards shows we struggled getting used to it. Sometimes it happened we got drunk or dog-tired before we had to go on stage. Luckily performing live makes all the weighting and waiting worth it.     




Q: Some deejays spend a whole career in the same scene and in the same club. You guys easily travel from ID&T Sensation parties to Nothing Hill's Carnival. 

A: That’s something we’ve always done. We aren’t afraid to try out new music at new places, that's robably the most important recipe to do this job for such a long time. The last years we’ve been playing mostly abroad and everywhere we went there has been a grateful audience supporting us, we’re blessed!   


Q: Your schedule is quite impressive indeed. But when people talk about Belgium’s greatest export products you always hear names such as 2ManyDJ’s, Aeroplane and Netsky. Are The Glimmers to modest?  

A: Good question. We don’t think it has to do with modesty but it’s more a question of timing and the right moment. Things started working out very fast around 2003 and that's eight years ago, in this business already a long time. It was a golden era: we’ve done some great compilations together with Dirk De Ruyck on Eskimo Recordings which got well received by the international press. On top of that all eyes were on Ghent thanks to 2ManyDJ’s groundbreaking mix album which gave everyone a great boost: The Glimmers, Culture Club, Eskimo,… All of that lifted us to a spot in the international scene where we still maintain ourselves today. And maybe people don’t see us as one of Belgium’s greatest export products because of the fact we mainly perform as deejays. But no worries, promoters worldwide know how to find us to have a party.




Q: Compilations on R&S and Eskimo and mixes for Fabric and DJ Kicks… Could there still be anything to add up to or even outshine these institutes?  

A: When we have a look at the stack of the 22 compilations we’ve done, we truly get a warm feeling, especially because they still sound so fresh and diverse after all these years. Recently one of our songs appeared on a compilation of Parisian hipster store and record label Colette. They’re building up a nice catalogue featuring mixes by Vitalic, 2ManyDJ’s and The DFA, we’d be honoured to be a part of it. 


Q: A Glimmers set is always a great trip through memory lane but often you’re programmed at festivals alongside today’s most popular names. Do you guys stay in close tough with everything that’s new? D’you know who Magnetic Man and Chase & Status are? 

A: We do. Every weekend we’re on the road so we hear a lot of new stuff and we also get hooked up with tons of new material. Whenever we have the time we check out other acts that are playing at the same parties and festivals so no worries, we know the year is 2011!    




Q: Not that we want to talk you into something but, suppose The Glimmers would call it quits one day, where would your last DJ set be? 

A: Hard one to answer. Maybe they still have to build that place.

"Whomp That Sucker" is out now on
Gomma Records and is available on iTunes

Interview: The Glimmers written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: 2 many dj's, culture club, dirk deruyck, eskimo recordings, r&s records, the glimmers

We have been in close contact with our Japanese team and friends since the terrible earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11 and the severe problems at Fukushima nuclear plant began. After thorough evaluation, we decided to relocate this year's edition of the Academy, which was set to take place in Japan this fall.

A new location for the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 will be announced as of Monday, April 11. As a consequence, we have decided to extend the application period: applications will now be accepted until April 26 (date of postmark).

The dates of the workshops (October 23 to November 25) will remain the same, as will the application form and jury process. All applicants will be notified by July, whether they have been accepted to join the Academy or not.

Throughout the past months of preparation for the Tokyo Academy, we have gotten to know Japan as a country immensely rich in spirit, beauty, tradition and innovative energy. We are honoured to have been introduced to so many interesting people and to have been allowed to experience some of their creative vision. We truly admire and respect their strength and courage in the face of this terrible situation.

We at the Academy also wish to show our solidarity and support for the Japanese music makers who have been part of our journey. Hence, the Red Bull Music Academy floor at SónarSound Tokyo this weekend will go ahead as planned. All profits from the festival will be donated in support to those affected by the horrific events of March 11 and their aftermaths.

We will continue to maintain strong links with the musical and creative scene in the country, and hope to bring the full Academy experience to Japan in the not too distant future.

Infos & FAQs

Red Bull Music Academy 2011
Workshop 1: October 23 – November 4, 2011
Workshop 2: November 13 – November 25, 2011
Announcement of new location: April 11
Application period extended – New deadline: April 26 (date of postmark)

Will the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 be postponed?
No, the dates of the actual event will remain as previously announced. It's just the application period that has been extended by three weeks.

So, by when do I need to hand in my application?
All applications must be sent, i.e. postmarked April 26, 2011, or earlier. Please note that, despite the postponement, there is no need to send your application on the last day.

Will there be any changes to the selection process?
No, the procedure of picking our participants, as well as the rules and regulations for applying to the Academy will remain exactly the same.

Should I still reply to the Japan-related questions (44-48) in the application form, despite the fact that the Academy is not going to happen there this year?
Yes, the whole questionnaire needs to be filled in. We want every single applicant to face the same conditions and have the same fair chance to get in.

When will successful applicants be notified?
All applicants will be notified via email by July 15, whether they were successful or not.

Will the Academy happen in Tokyo next year?
We can't say at this stage but as stated above, we do hope we will be able to bring the Academy to Tokyo in the not so distant future.

Any more questions regarding the relocation and application process?
Please don't hesitate to send an email anytime.

Red Bull Music Academy Is Moving written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

"The Pope of Dope was a one night stand" - The Subs

Q: First things first. Highbloo joined the band. 

Papillon: We’ve been doing a lot of studio work together with Highbloo (rightside of the picture) recently and It didn’t take long to initiate him as a new band member. For a minute we thought about The Subs as a foursome but that wouldn’t work out in the end. Anyway there’s no conflict involved with changing the line-up. We’re still good friends with Stefan and he wanted to pursue other projects such as a rock band.

Q: So this means there won’t be any more guitars on stage during a Subs gig? 

Papillon: There aren’t any guitars on both albums either... From now on we only perform live with synths and drum computers. But no worries: the rock attitude will remain. You don’t really need a guitar to be punk!  

Highbloo: Actually on stage we use the “keytar” and, less familiar, the “zendrum”, both look like a guitar but are in fact midi-controllers, triggering any sound we like.

Q: Who actually does what on stage?

Papillon: We all play whatever equipment is on stage. There are three units and we go round during the show. In a way, The Subs live is perfectly comparable with what we’re doing in the studio: a healthy mix of analog and digital gear.


Q: Since you’ve become member of a very busy band, how will you manage to combine the tight schedule with your school studies at the Brussels Jazz Conservatory? 

Highbloo: I dropped out of school. It was good for getting familiar with instruments, but jazz isn’t my kind of music so it didn’t work out. Plus on the other side, doing my own productions and working with The Subs I felt more creative compared to just sitting at school learning how to play an instrument.
 
Papillon: Most great talents quit school, don’t worry!

Q: On the album sleeve Highbloo is mentioned three times as a guest. Did you only work on those three song? 

Highbloo: Correct. But as from today I’ll be fully working on every Subs production.  




Q: We can’t avoid this question: “The Pope of Dope” is not on the tracklist. Why not, being your most successful single to date? 

Papillon: Honestly. Do you think this song would still push the album forwards after it has been in everyone’s iTunes and featured on a dozen compilations? It was also more of a Partyharders track, we had fun doing it but that’s really it. 

DJ Tonic: Plus, listening to the album in its whole, “The Pope of Dope” just wouldn’t fit on it.  


Q: So for those who are wondering about it, you’re not working in the studio on another sing-along festival anthem? 

Papillon: Not really. “The Pope of Dope” was a one night stand.  


Q: Jeroen, in the press text of ‘Decontrol’ you stated that The Subs make music for the shuffle generation. What exactly do you mean by that?

Papillon: It’s not that we make music for people to just listen to it for a few seconds and then skip to another one. The shuffle generation moves from one style of music to another, very diverse and without any boundaries. 



Q: What’s great about The Subs is that you’re still one of the few acts that keeps on building further on the sound which you became appreciated for instead of just going along with the flavour of the month.

Papillon: True. We could’ve done dubstep but it would’ve been more interesting doing that a year ago. We stick to our sound because it’s one that allows itself to keep evolving. We can add a flute on a scorching electro beat and it would still sound awesome. 


Q: If you had one ambition with this second album; What would have been that and did you succeed in it?

DJ Tonic: Making The Subs sound like a real band… I personally think it’s going the right way.  


Q: A great band album sound diverse and “Decontrol” manages to do that. One of the standout tracks on the album is the epic “Hannibal and The Battle of Zama”. You have been listening a lot to Giorgio Moroder?

Papillon - We always do, being suckers for old school. 


Q: What’s actually the story behind making a track with a title that refers to a great battle of ancient times?

Papillon - I started working on it the day after a massive argument with my girlfriend, I just had to let it out. The melancholy and switching to upfront rhythms, it all makes sense. I might’ve felt like Hannibal at the time.  



Q: Hannibal lost the battle.

Papillon - I probably lost it too, but luckily it was that kind of argument which involves drama but passion as well!  


Q: “Decontrol” is released on Lektroluv Records, never thought about moving on to a bigger record label while aiming for a worldwide breakthrough?

Papillon: Not really. Why hook up with a major if you can work with a well organized label that knows what it’s doing. And just have a look on what’s happening on Lektroluv Records now: Sound of Stereo, VNNR, Mumbai Science, G-Tronic,… It’s a seed-bed for talent and we’re happy to be a part of it!


Check out The Subs:
On Facebook
On Twitter
On SoundCloud
On iTunes

The Subs - Decontrol (previews) by lektroluvrecords

Interview: The Subs written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: lektroluv records, the subs

"Honestly, there's nothing I can think of that could make me more happy than I am today" - LeFtO

Q: The term "Worldwide" is becoming synonym with your name. Last weekend you've been dj'ing in Estonia, the day after in Paris and a few weeks earlier you've been in Asia and the US. Is this just an exceptional month or do you often play abroad? 

A: I think that the turning point has been the Worldwide Festival in 2008. Gilles Peterson discovered me in Belgium, shared the turntables a couple times with me in Ghent and Leuven and invited me to come and play at his festival in France. From there I met a lots of other artists from different countries sharing the same "Worldwide" state of mind.
It's all about creating networks and sharing ideas and music that helps you to get further and staying in touch and connected to the world. People in the business need to see you active, that's very important.


Q: Travelling for you is more then checking in at airports and hotels?

A: Since 2008, I've travelled more than ever, and offers still come in on a regular basis to play abroad. I feel blessed to get so many attention and I can't just go to places, play and come back. Usually I try to stay at people's house, learn their way of life, put it on film and deliver it to the web so that everyone can have a little piece of what I've experienced going to these places, that's my job! Being a deejay going international is not only having fun and visit great places, but it's also a learning process, to better understand how our planet turns, how human being is connected to the sound we bring and to realize how small this world is.

Q: You get bookings to play in Estonia without having a management pushing you. On the other hand you put a lot of effort in communicating through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook and you have a great personal website. Is having a good network more important than having an agent nowadays?  

A: I think that if you have the chance to use all possible weapons you should do that. But up till this point I don't have an agency that manages my bookings on a worldwide scale yet. A big agency asked me though but I wasn't ready to leave all my contacts behind from day one so I refused. Social networks, especially Twitter and my blog, are very important to me, it keeps me busy.  Sharing is my favorite hobby and I think Twitter is probably the best network so far.  I don't have a Facebook page - just a fan page - and I don't feel like having one. Social networks are there to be in touch with your loved ones. My loved ones all over the planet are linked to music, some are artists, some are managers and others are bloggers. A good network nowadays can be very important if you don't have an agent and sometimes it can be good to have both.

Q: Let’s talk about radio. You're a household name at Studio Brussel for more than a decade now. In the beginning "De Hop" was a show that reached a select group of hiphop fans, today a varied audience is tuning in at LeFtO every Sunday evening. Can you explain the success of it? 

A: I've entered my 11th season on national radio, that makes our show the longest running specialized program on Studio Brussel. It's something I could hang up on the wall. You have no idea how good it feels to be appreciated for something you do for such a long time on a high level. I think the success has all to do with evolution. Apart from rap I always loved music that influenced the hiphop culture. Electro, soul, funk, reggae, dub and jazz inspired me to go wider, it took me a lot of time. I started a hiphop show at a time when the genre was big, in its golden age and it had its weekly quality releases so it was easy to give the audience two hours of quality hiphop music. When the decline of hiphop started I thought it was time for something fresh and large. It took time to make people realize the show changed and for some to discover it, but so far I'm happy so many people tune in every week and start to give it some importance.

Q: Eventually you started playing more electronic music during your sets. Was that because hiphop became less interesting for you? 

A: If you dig into my vinyl library you will realise that I've been buying electronic music for quiet some time. I always thought it was interesting but when you're stuck in a movement, especially in a hiphop movement, it's hard to disconnect from it.  But it's true that at some point I started to be dissapointed in a lot of artists. That probably gave me an electric shock to think large, look for more influences and move on. 




Q: But apart from the decline of sharp lyricism, hiphop beats really evolved in a good way.

A: The 90s gave us lots of good rap music but with the internet I think a new generation of beatmakers stood up, all got the hiphop background but brought us next level hiphop beats with Flying Lotus pioneering this new wave of electronic "hiphop" beats.    


Q: You’re not scared to sometimes playlist chart material from Magnetic Man, Lil Wayne and Kid Cudi. Does that mean you almost check out everything that’s moving from the underground to the top of the industry? 

A: I don't really want to put music on different levels. Underground, top of the industry, mainstream,... It doesn't really matter to me as long as the sound is what I'm looking for. The year is 2011 and more than ever mainstream artists have been searching for a new sound and many of them are looking for producers who are making it on a smaller scale: the underground. I think the internet helps people to get closer to music in general, it's a perfect platform to discover unsigned, unhyped and unknown artists. Therefore I listen to everything and have no problem to play something big, as long as it's good in my opinion, for example Jamie XX' take on Adèle.


Q: At the moment things are looking very bright for you, judging from your busy schedule, but I suppose things haven’t always been going this smooth for an eclectic DJ such as yourself. 

A: I've always believed in myself. I'm a capricorn, we're good at that. I also think the timing was good too. Being blessed for working at the local record store without a doubt helped me to get my radio show, and everyone knows you get more opportunities once you're on national radio, you get more credibility, more followers and a few haters too.  




Q: Apart from your MixCloud profile you also have a SoundCloud page with own productions, remixes and edits. How’s that production thing going for you? 

A: 2005 Was the year I released a remix album for Blue Note Recordings together with Krewcial (who was my partner during my radio show's first 3 seasons). That's like a dream come true; My father was a big fan of jazz and collected many records from labels such as Blue Note, Impulse and Verve to name a few. So being able to release something for that label was a real blessing. After that I released an EP called "Eargasm" with our local DJ Shadow called Jerboa and did a few remixes. During the last couple of years I released some 7 inches on different white labels and I also have a never released album ready.


Q: Which tools do you prefer in the studio?

A: I'm trying to step away from the hardware and use software. But I'm still in a learning process and I hate to start from scratch so it takes me a lot of time to get on the level I want to reach.  


Q: You've had good times with the likes of Q-Tip, Madlib and Mos Def, the Worldwide events, the radio shows, so many other things. Without thinking too long: what's your biggest highlight so far?  

A: I can't really come up with just one highlight, I've had so many great experiences in my life: spin in reknown clubs all over the globe is a highlight, all the Worldwide Festivals are highlight as well, meeting so many good people is a highlight, being the deejay for artists I respect is a highlight... Honestly, there's nothing I can think of that could make me more happy than I am today. I've been lucky and blessed to meet the right people at the right time. Life seems to know how to make a puzzle and that's why I take everything that comes with a smile, never spoiled and always grateful.   




Q: You're born, raised and living in Brussels. Would you ever trade the capital city life for a place by the sea or in the woods? 

A: I definitely could, as long as the city is not too far. I could live on the countryside right next to the city but I'd need a car and I don't drive. I've been thinking of moving to another country a couple times but every time I leave for some time I'm happy to come back. Europe is a good place to be for music, doesn't matter where you go on this planet, Europe is still the best when it comes to party and openminded people.


Q: Which cities would you consider to live in?

A: I really love Japan, and would love to live in Tokyo for a couple years just to experience the real Japan. Same thing for California; San Francisco is definitely a place I could stay for some time, there's a European influence and I feel good being there. I will probably move closer to the sea one day.    




Q: You're known as a sneaker lover, what other guilty vices do you have? 

A: Sneaker lover for life. My addiction for sneakers probably comes from the hiphop culture, the most urban one. I'm a brand icon for Nike for more than five years now. I'm also supplied by Puma occasionally and some other brands as well. On top of that I have an enormous t-shirt collection, my girl hates it but what can I do? The problem is that I keep everything from everywhere I go. I like to have those things around me and I love to collect in general: music, clothing, gadgets,... I am also a Mac freak, people say I'm always the first one to get the latest Apple gear and honestly they might be right. I don't care though, that's just who and how I am and it's my life!

LeFtO & Simbad -Worldwide Family Vol. 1
out now on Brownswood Recordings

Check out LeFtO:
On Twitter
On Studio Brussel
On MixCloud
On YouTube
On Facebook

Check out LeFtO's Dour Festival mix:

Interview: LeFtO written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: brownswood recordings, lefto, studio brussel, worldwide festival

Q: Being well respected and well connected in the scene you have been vital for pushing Netsky to the top. Are you working with any other protégés at the moment?

A: Anyone that is serious about making music and in whom I can detect a hint of real talent, can count on my full support, even if his or her style isn't really up my alley. At the moment, I am really down with Belgians such as Atmospherix, Syndaesia, Grimelock and Science and UK producers AMC, Dubba Jonny and Stanza.


Q: Netsky's buzz has been good for your career too since the last year you’re going at a dazzling speed. 

A: The Netsky buzz has been really good to everyone who is involved in drum&bass. It has opened people's eyes to see the possibilities of the music and it has made the genre acceptable as the new peaktime music, even at non-dnb parties. 




Q: Along with the rise of Netsky and the re-establishment of d&b came a new label, your very own Radar Records. A lot of work? 

A: Not at all. Radar Records is... thinking of crazy ideas and turning them into reality, great fun! All you have to be is patient and be able to wait for the right track, which you can discover on SoundCloud, in a dj set, at a party or in your mailbox. And when you find it you got to set the wheels in motion to put it on the market. I have a deal with a distribution company that does most of the practical work for me, so I'm on easy street with the record label.


Q: Since the last couple of years you also spend some time in the studio, how's producing and remixing working out for you?

A: To be honest, I hate sitting behind the computer for long stretches of time on my own, so I'll never be the sound scientist that breaks the barriers and sets the new standards. But when I'm joined by someone that I can have fun with, I like studio time a lot. Working with Netsky, Ramon Tapia and Atmospherix, for example, has been a lot of laughs and good times. 


Q: Ramon Tapia and Murdock… Bit of an odd couple at first sight...

A: Ramon has a background in tech-house and in hardcore as well. Next to that his influences work well in a d&b environment. I guess you could say that   it sounds pretty old school, but with new school production values.   Apart from that, he makes a mean cup of coffee!  When can we expect to hear one of those collabs?  The tracks I made with Netsky will probabaly remain on the shelf forever, due to his exclusive deal with his British label Hospital, but they have started to live their own life online and people are chanting the lyrics at gigs, as far as South Africa! I'm working on a few things now that should see the light of day in the next six months, and those are starting to come together nicely. 




Q: Label managing, DJ’ing, producing,… As if that isn’t enough on your plate you push four (!) different party concepts. Let’s start with the longest running one.

A: That’s Breakdown: for over 7 years, Ed&Kim and I run the biggest night in Limburg. We have had editions that drew 2.500 people and we've pretty much sold out every party and every venue we ever set foot in. We now reside at Ritzbuilding Hasselt four times a year, at Rondpunt26 Genk once a year and we host stages at GenkOnStage and Houza-Palooza Bree.  


Q: Drum&bass is also hot at midweek. Judging from Starlight, your most recent party concept. 

A: That’s right! Starlight is the newest addtion to the list. It started out as a launch party for the second Radar Records release but in the meanwhile it became a firmly established midweek d&b party that takes place every first Wednesday of the month. The next one is on April 6 with Tantrum Desire, Netsky, Trei and myself. 




Q: Then there's the twin: Radar and Rampage. 

A:Radar and Rampage started off at the same time, respectively at Silo and Trix in Antwerp. The concept for both parties is the same: quality d&b and sometimes dubstep acts and preferably the new-bred heroes, not just the usual big names. Radar spawned the Radar Records label and Rampage went on to host the drum&bass room at Wasted, which drew 4.000 people at ICC in Ghent last February. 


Q: You’re celebrating Rampage’s third anniversary this Friday. What do you have in store for the visitors?

A: We take over two rooms at Trix. For the very first time we have an all-dubstep room added to the program. Dubstep has always been a small part of the Rampage formula, whether it was Sub Focus or Bassline Smith dropping their own dubstep tunes, or inviting Flux Pavilion and Funtcase for slammin’ dubstep sets. Therefore the d&b room will be 100% drum&bass. Both styles perfectly separated.  


Q: Before Rampage’s birthday bash you’re participating in the Red Bull Music Academy lecture as a guest speaker. The main subject will probably be dubstep. D’you think it will soon fade out the same way recent hypes such as “fidget” and “new rave” did? 

A: My contribution to the lecture will mainly be about d&b, Syndaesia is stepping up as the dubstep expert. But in answer to your question: the dubstep hype will die, because hypes always do. Dubstep has gone many different directions since it first came out: filth, pop, post dubstep and so on... It's atracting different people, that is the first requirement for the surival of any genre, so I'd say the future is bright. Which way, shape or form dubstep will grow into over the next years is anyone's guess though.
(Click here for more info about the Red Bull Music Academy lecture)





Q: You've achieved quite some things: played at the coolest spots, share friendships with some of the scene's biggest names. What's still on your to-do-list?

A: I've never really tried to achieve any of those things, to be honest. Most often the best things happen because somebody steps up with a proposal and everything else comes naturally after that. Right now, I'm focussing on getting the remixes in for my Radar Remixes project, getting the tracks with Atmospherix done and making sure my parties and dj sets are the best they can be.





Murdock on the web:
Murdock on Facebook
Radar Records
Radar / Rampage on Facebook

Contest:
Share this interview on Facebook. Make sure you tag Murdock and Red Bull Elektropedia and win a Brookes Brothers CD, a 3 Years of Rampage duo ticket or a Jungle Fever compilation!

Interview: Murdock written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: breakdown, murdock, netsky, radar records, rampage, red bull music academy

Concerning this year's Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo (in October and November), the Academy has released this statement today: 'We are deeply saddened and shocked by the recent events starting last Friday in Japan. Our thoughts are with the people of Japan, and of course, our friends, family, and team there. Regarding the 2011 Red Bull Music Academy scheduled to take place in Tokyo, the application phase will be continued and all Red Bull Music Academy sessions and Bass Camps around the globe will occur as planned. All applications sent in by April 4 will be considered independent of where the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 will be held. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more.'

Meanwhile, back in Belgium, both the Red Bull Music Academy session at N°13 and the Tokio Disco party at Avenue L on Saturday March 19 in Ghent are still very much on! Also still happening are the RBMA sessions in Hasselt and Antwerp. Moreover, we kindly ask everyone who visits the (free) sessions and party to donate money to help the victims of the massive earthquake in Japan. You are under no obligation to do so; we would however appreciate it. A collection jar will be present at all future RBMA events in Belgium.

Don't have a ticket yet? Then hurry up and try your luck here or here. We promise to be extra generous, if you do the same.

Tokio Disco Supports The Red Cross written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: croix-rouge, red bull music academy, red cross, rode kruis, tokio disco, tokyo

For starters, No°13 will play host to the Red Bull Music Academy session with Morgan Geist, Retro Grade and Fredo on Saturday March 19. If you haven't already enlisted for this session, you might want to do so now: 1) it's free 2) it's bound to be very interesting 3) it's your chance to find out more on how to get yourself on a plane to Tokyo 4) drinks are on the house 5) every participant gets two tickets for Tokio Disco that same evening in Avenue L 6) if 1 to 5 don't get you a little bit excited, we really can't help you.

But also be sure to watch out for deejay sets from Guy Ohm, Juice Blenders, Hermanos Inglesos, (JB), John Noseda, Fred Nasen, Ultravid, LSD Licks, Sacre Bordel, The Michael, The Fredo, Sam & Kong, Simon Hold, Gehörshade Kollektiv and many more!

No°13, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 13, 9000 Gent

RBMA Teams Up With N° 13 written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: n°13, red bull music academy

Could you describe how Forma.T came into existence?
Initially Catherine and myself wanted to invite the artists that we personally like: Justice, the guys from TTC, Boys Noize,… Back when we started to promote the first Forma.T parties most of these artists became famous all over the world and our concept started gaining a lot of buzz and visitors. We started to move from venue to venue which led to a unique party experience and created an awesome vibe. Our crowd is just one of the greatest you can imagine: an energetic combination of beautiful people and intelligent freaks!  



We do recall one of those first Forma.T parties at Soundstation in Liège with Justice and DJ Mehdi playing back to back long before they were major. Crazy night! 
That party with was actually the very first one! What a night it was indeed, I’ll never forget it. The day after was great as well. Justice’s and Mehdi’s train tickets to Amsterdam weren’t valid any longer so we had to drive them. Then Xavier (of Justice) came back to Liège for two more days, we became good friends!

Any other ones you won’t easily forget?
Oh yeah. The first time when we had Boys Noize over for a gig. We threw the party in an old, classified house somewhere in Liège. I was constantly looking around if people weren’t damaging the building or tagging the walls with graffiti. Damn, we would still be paying for it. Other memorable guests are Switch and Chicago’s most notorious freak DJ Funk! More recently we were very thrilled to welcome James Blake for a DJ set, a few moments before he became this big. Actually I remember every single party and every single guest DJ. It has been a wonderful time and I hope to celebrate this along with everyone at Happy 5.       



It’s hard to come up with a cool artist that hasn’t performed at Forma.T. How big can your ambitions still be? 
We keep on trying to reach the highest level possible. On April 6 we throw an extra 5 Years Forma.T night with superstar producer Mark Ronson, who also turns out to be one of the greatest DJ’s I’ve ever seen.  

Forma.T is dropping parties at line speed. We suppose it became a fulltime job for you. 
It sure has! After my journalism studies and living in Paris for 18 months I returned back home with stars in my eyes. I had big aspirations to build up a career as a cultural journalist but there was (and still is) a lot of recession in the paper industry, so I decided to try out other things. Being from Liège, not a capital nor a metropole, I had two options: doing the things I wanted to do or waiting for things to happen. I chose the first one. 

How does a day at the Forma.T office looks like? 
A regular working day for me is a minimum of 10 hours coming up with line-ups and production sheets for the parties. I also put a lot of effort in our label Forma.T Records and when there’s some time left I do some studio work for my Surfing Leons project.  

Let’s talk about the label. What’s Forma.T Records all about? 
Forma.T Records is all a matter of no musical boundaries. If we like something whether it’s intellectual house, Swedish country or Japanese jazz, we release it. At the moment our main focus is on the first AKS release, and new EP’s by Panteros666 and Bad Dancer, an extremely talented producer from Liège. 

At Happy 5 you’re showcasing a lot of the label artists in the Red Bull Elektropedia Presents Forma.T Records room. Can you tell us a little bit about them?
Coming over from Montreal we have Jacques Greene in the house. He’s an amazing post dubstep and elektronica producer who’s signed on one of the biggest labels of the moment: Night Slugs. Another name to definitely check out is Panteros666, one of the four horses at Club Cheval. Also performing is Berlin DJ and producer Daniel Haaksman who’ll bring along a lot of South American baile funk vibes! I personally think he’s a legend. His label Man Recordings is the European equivalent of Diplo’s Mad Decent but way ahead of everyone. We’re also presenting Monsieur Monsieur, a French duo (Think of The Shoes, Yuksek and Brodinski). We released their last month, including a huge Canblaster remix. DJ Funk is headlining the room. He’s like our international resident and we’re very proud to have him over once again. AKS needs no further introduction: energy, good vibes and devastating dancefloor action! And last but not least the Forma.T residents are also playing in the room: me and my partner Gass as Surfing Leons and Raph, who could perfectly have been brought at the Berlin Berghain club!



Forma.T is omnipresent in the French speaking areas: Liège, Dour, Brussels and Paris. Any plans for a Flanders invasion?
This year we’re hosting a stage at Tomorrowland again and maybe we have some news for our fans and friends Flanders very soon. 

Many of our readers are young and ambitious party organisers.
Any wise words for them?
just follow your own lead not what the world says. You got to stay coherent and make sure that your integrity stays in tact.

Check out Forma.T and Forma.T Records:
On Facebook
On Twitter
On SoundCloud

Please note: Rusko cancelled his whole European tour and therefore he won't be performing at Happy 5. DJ Funk will switch to the main room and Les Petits Pilous are extra added to the line-up! All practical info regarding the Happy 5 event can be found here!

Mathieu Fonsny About 5 Years Forma.T written by Dimitri Cologne in: party

Tags: aks, bad dancer, forma.t, forma.t records, mathieu fonsny, red bull elektropedia, surfing leons

Sónar is one of the most celebrated international electronic music and multimedia festivals of the world and a perfect meeting point for music professionals. This year's program includes M.I.A., Underworld, Steve Reich, Nicolas Jaar, Magnetic Man, Boys Noize and a ton of others to be announced soon. The festival's homebase is the city center of Barcelona but since the last couple of years there have been spin-offs in Tokyo, Chicago and London.

San Soda is playing at Sónar at Friday June 17, the day after he's flying to the UK to perform together with Red D as FCL.

RBMA Invites San Soda To Play At Sónar written by Dimitri Cologne in: RBMA

Tags: red bull music academy, san soda

Alle deelnemers krijgen - naast food & drinks - ook twee tickets voor de (invitation only) RBMA-party Tokio Disco in Avenue L met Morgan Geist, Retro/Grade, Fredo en Sam vs. Kong. Tenminste, zolang de voorraad strekt!

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY SESSION #2

DONDERDAG 17 MAART
MUZIEKODROOM, HASSELT
19:30

DON’T LABEL ME (OF JUIST WEL?)

Hoe is de relatie tussen labels en artiesten vandaag?
Hebben labels nu wel of niet een toekomst?
Hebben artiesten zonder label überhaupt een toekomst?

Sprekers:

Sander Graumans is labelmanager bij [PIAS], een van de grootste independent platenlabels ter wereld.

Red D is niet alleen bekend als deejay (met of zonder Lady Linn), hij runt ook het internationaal gerenommeerde houselabel We Play House Recordings.

San Soda is een succesvolle producer uit de stal van We Play House Recordings die in 2008 werd geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Barcelona.

Ben Van Alboom presenteert Switch op Studio Brussel, schrijft voor Knack Focus, maakt deel uit van Angels & Ghosts en heeft ook een eigen blog.

Adres: Bootstraat 9, 3500 Hasselt
Schrijf je in via Muziekodroom. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

Red Bull Music Academy: Muziekodroom written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: ben van alboom, muziekodroom, pias, red bull music academy, red d, san soda, sander graumans, tokio disco, we play house recordings

Alle deelnemers krijgen - naast food & drinks - ook twee tickets voor de (invitation only) RBMA-party Tokio Disco in Avenue L met Morgan Geist, Retro/Grade, Fredo en Sam vs. Kong. Tenminste, zolang de voorraad strekt!

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY SESSION #3

ZATERDAG 19 MAART
N°13, GENT
18:00

FROM DISCO TO DISCO

Vanwaar die plotse discorevival?
Welke rol heeft Aeroplane daarin gespeeld?
Zijn discoliefhebbers nerds?

Sprekers:

Morgan Geist wordt door connaisseurs omschreven als een van de belangrijkste elektronicaproducers van de voorbije vijftien jaar.

Retro/Grade zijn topproducers Serge Santiago en Tom Neville. Ze scoorden de afgelopen twee jaar verscheidene (disco)hits.

Fredo is naast de helft van Fredo & Thang ook een van de bezielers van Villa en Avenue L. In 2005 werd hij geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Seattle.

Ben Van Alboom presenteert Switch op Studio Brussel, schrijft voor Knack Focus, maakt deel uit van Angels & Ghosts en heeft ook een eigen blog.

Adres: Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 13, 9000 Gent
Schrijf je in via Red Bull Music Academy Belgium. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

Red Bull Music Academy: N°13 written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: avenue l, ben van alboom, fredo, morgan geist, n°13, red bull music academy, retro/grade, tokio disco

Food & drinks are on the house, en nadien kun je meteen naar III Years of Rampage trekken met Brookes Brothers, Logistics, Delta Heavy, Murdock, AMC, Skism, Von D, Dubba Jonny, Inspector Dubplate, Gemini, Syndaesia & Harmony. Voor de duidelijkheid: de Red Bull Music Academy Session is gratis; voor Rampage moet je een ticket kopen. ;)

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY SESSION #4

VRIJDAG 25 MAART
TRIX, ANTWERPEN
20:00

DUBSTEP IN TIME

Hoe is dubstep zo kunnen exploderen?
Hoe verhoudt het genre zich tot drum & bass?
Hoe komt het dat Murdock zo’n coole gast is?

Sprekers:

Murdock is niet alleen de bezieler van het drum & bass-programma Jungle Fever op Studio Brussel, hij organiseert ook feesten als Breakdown, Radar en Rampage.

Syndaesia krijgt als een van de boeiendste Belgische dubstepproducers full support van onder meer Murdock en AKS.

Atmospherix maakt een heel ander geluid dan Netsky, maar is eveneens (goed) bezig met de internationale drum & bass scene te imponeren.

Bram Willems presenteert onder meer Select - het muzikaal avontuurlijkste programma op Studio Brussel.

Adres: Noordersingel 28-30, 2140 Borgerhout
Schrijf je in via Trix. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

Red Bull Music Academy: Trix written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: atmospherix, bram willems, murdock, rampage, red bull music academy, switch, syndaesia, tokio, trix

Alle deelnemers krijgen - naast food & drinks - twee tickets voor de (invitation only) RBMA-party Tokio Disco in Avenue L met Morgan Geist, Retro/Grade, Fredo en Sam vs. Kong. Tenminste, zolang de voorraad strekt!

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY SESSION #1

WOENSDAG 9 MAART
DE KREUN, KORTRIJK
19:00

BIG IN JAPAN

Hoe zet je jezelf als muzikant (inter)nationaal op de kaart?
Of huur je daar beter iemand voor in?
En wie mag dat dan wel zijn?

Sprekers:

Hilke Ros speelt bij Amatorski, maar is als manager van de band (en via zijn bedrijf Musedash) ook gebeten door de promotionele mogelijkheden van het internet.

Nid & Sancy vieren dit jaar hun tiende verjaardag met een best of, een documentaire, een EP, een rerelease en een nieuwe liveshow.

Fredo is naast de helft van Fredo & Thang ook een van de bezielers van Villa en Avenue L. In 2005 werd hij geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Seattle.

Ben Van Alboom presenteert Switch op Studio Brussel, schrijft voor Knack Focus, maakt deel uit van Angels & Ghosts en heeft ook een eigen blog.

Adres: Conservatoriumplein 1, 8500 Kortrijk
Schrijf je in via De Kreun. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

Red Bull Music Academy: De Kreun written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: amatorski, ben van alboom, de kreun, fredo, hilke ros, kortrijk, nid & sancy, red bull music academy, switch, villa

Temposphere! At Tour & Taxis written by Dimitri Cologne in: party

Tags: temposphere, tour & taxis

Red Bull Elektropedia Presents Cocadisco written by Dimitri Cologne in: party

Tags: cocadisco, ed & kim, lefto, red bull elektropedia, san soda

Like every other year, the Red Bull Music Academy is taking over an entire city - not just limiting itself to its own premises but also effictively sweeping other venues (such as bars, clubs and fancy hotel rooms). Last year, we took London. This year, we’re flying to Tokyo AND we’re looking for talented young musicians and producers to come with us.

Follow in the footsteps of former RBMA participants like Aloe Blacc, Hudson Mohawke, Camo & Krooked, Flying Lotus, Compuphonic, San Soda & Fredo (Villa) and travel to Tokyo in October/November for two weeks of recording sessions plus lectures from top names in the music industry – last year’s ‘teachers’ included Mark Ronson, Jazzie B, Kode9, A Guy Called Gerald, James Holden, Roots Manuva and Modeselektor. Think your life and music can use a heavy dose of Tokyo craziness? Then apply before April 4 for this year’s academy. True, the questionnaire is long but we're looking for the best possible candidates.

In the meantime, the Red Bull Music Academy is also taking over Belgium - to give you a (small) taste of what Tokyo will be all about. So please join us in one (or more) of these cities. Not only are the lectures free, food and drinks are on the house + each participant will receive two tickets for our invitation only party TOKIO DISCO at Avenue L on Saturday March 19 with Morgan Geist, Retro/Grade, Fredo and Sam vs. Kong (Urgent.fm vs. FM Brussel). So make sure you register quickly - capacity is limited! (Alternatively, you can also try your luck at winning one of twenty duo tickets here.)

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY - BELGIUM TOUR 2011 (DUTCH ONLY)

WOENSDAG 9 MAART
DE KREUN, KORTRIJK
19:00

BIG IN JAPAN

Hoe zet je jezelf als muzikant (inter)nationaal op de kaart?
Of huur je daar beter iemand voor in?
En wie mag dat dan wel zijn?

Sprekers:
Hilke Ros speelt bij Amatorski, maar is als manager van de band (en via zijn bedrijf Musedash) ook gebeten door de promotionele mogelijkheden van het internet.
Nid & Sancy vieren dit jaar hun tiende verjaardag met een best of, een documentaire, een EP, een rerelease en een nieuwe liveshow.
Fredo is naast de helft van Fredo & Thang ook een van de bezielers van Villa. In 2005 werd hij geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Seattle.

Moderator: Ben Van Alboom (Studio Brussel & Red Bull Music Academy)

Adres: Conservatoriumplein 1, 8500 Kortrijk
Schrijf je in via De Kreun. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

DONDERDAG 17 MAART
MUZIEKODROOM, HASSELT
19:30

DON’T LABEL ME (OF JUIST WEL?)

Hoe is de relatie tussen labels en artiesten vandaag?
Hebben labels nu wel of niet een toekomst?
Hebben artiesten zonder label überhaupt een toekomst?

Sprekers:
Sander Graumans is labelmanager bij [PIAS], een van de grootste independent platenlabels ter wereld.
Red D is niet alleen bekend als deejay (met of zonder Lady Linn), hij runt ook het internationaal gerenommeerde houselabel We Play House Recordings.
San Soda is een succesvolle producer uit de stal van We Play House Recordings die in 2008 werd geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Barcelona.

Moderator: Ben Van Alboom (Studio Brussel & Red Bull Music Academy)

Adres: Bootstraat 9, 3500 Hasselt
Schrijf je in via Muziekodroom. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

ZATERDAG 19 MAART
N°13, GENT
18:00

FROM DISCO TO DISCO

Vanwaar die plotse discorevival?
Welke rol heeft Aeroplane daarin gespeeld?
Zijn discoliefhebbers nerds?

Sprekers:
Morgan Geist wordt door connaisseurs omschreven als een van de belangrijkste elektronicaproducers van de voorbije vijftien jaar.
Retro/Grade zijn topproducers Serge Santiago en Tom Neville. Ze scoorden de afgelopen twee jaar verscheidene (disco)hits.
Fredo is niet alleen een van de bezielers van Villa, hij stond ook mee aan de wieg van Avenue L. In 2005 werd hij geselecteerd voor de RBMA in Seattle.

Moderator: Ben Van Alboom (Studio Brussel & Red Bull Music Academy)

Adres: to be confirmed
Schrijf je in via Red Bull Music Academy Belgium. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

VRIJDAG 25 MAART
TRIX, ANTWERPEN
20:00

DUBSTEP IN TIME

Hoe is dubstep zo kunnen exploderen?
Hoe verhoudt het genre zich tot drum & bass?
Hoe komt het dat Murdock zo’n coole gast is?

Sprekers:
Murdock is niet alleen de bezieler van het drum & bass-programma Jungle Fever op Studio Brussel, hij organiseert ook feesten als Breakdown, Radar en Rampage.
Syndaesia krijgt als een van de boeiendste Belgische dubstepproducers full support van onder meer Murdock en AKS.
Atmospherix maakt een heel ander geluid dan Netsky, maar is eveneens (goed) bezig met de internationale drum & bass scene te imponeren.

Moderator: Bram Willems (Select, Studio Brussel)

Adres: Noordersingel 28-30, 2140 Borgerhout
Schrijf je in via Trix. Plaatsen zijn beperkt!

RBMA: Big In Japan written by Ben Van Alboom in: RBMA

Tags: amatorski, atmospherix, avenue l, ben van alboom, de kreun, fredo, hilke ros, morgan geist, murdock, muziekodroom, nid & sancy, pias, red bull music academy, red d, retro/grade, san soda, sander graumans, syndaesia, tokio disco, tokyo, trix, we play house recordings

You mentioned dubstep. It’s one of the many genres that became a hype during the last years. Do you try to keep up with everything new? 
As much as possible. Some things pass by without getting on my radar but other stuff I really dig. What really thrills me is the way young producers such as Nicolas Jaar come up with their own sound without copying ‘the powers that be’. Very cool! 

A bit like James Blake who released an EP on R&S last year. The label re-invented itself with a blend of next level dubstep and Detroit inspired beats. Do you think you’d ever go back to producing techno? 
The last two years I recorded a load of tracks containing samples of records I played in my ‘Liasions Dangereuses’ shows. Maybe one day I’ll release them under a moniker because I don’t think my ‘regular’ fans would buy them: pretty boom-boom in tha room!  



Some time ago you and CJ Bolland talked in a newspaper interview about the decline of the nightlife scene in Antwerp and the rest of the country. Do you think the quality of going out took a deep plunge? 
What I meant in that interview was the fact that you can’t compare today with back in the day. About a decade or two ago society didn’t had Facebook, Youtube or iPhone, you just went to a club to hear the music or to check out the women without any distraction. Today you can sit down in your easiest chair and stream a DJ set on your phone without eaven leaving the room. So it’s not a matter of quality decline but more a question of differences.  



Do you still go out a lot? 
After a DJ set it happens that I might stick around and once and a while I go to a concert. Maybe I should go out more but managing the label is really demanding.

This week you’re DJ’ing in your hometown in a brand new club. Looking forward? 
Very! I feel the need to break out because the last eight weeks I’ve been non-stop in the studio and there’s also a call for celebration, the real reason for that I’ll tell you guys later!

Check out Sven Van Hees:
On his website
On Facebook
On Myspace

Interview: Sven Van Hees written by Dimitri Cologne in: red bull elektropedia

Tags: sven van hees