THANK YOU DAVID FURE FOR FILMING THESE PERFORMANCES
After a hugely successful 8-Bit showcase last year (with my friend Sabrepulse!), Folklife had to do it again. This time at the EMP Sky Church.
Spamtron – Melodic superhero
http://www.myspace.com/chipdisko
Folkife 8-Bit showcase for 2011? Anyone? Anyone?
DJ Phantom
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Enjoying this abrasive music. Stylish, messy, Afro Punk.
INTERVIEW FOR DISCODROPPINGS.
1. How were you introduced to electronic music?
I was brought up in a house were music was very important, my mother was a jazz and blues singer, my dad a fashion designer, who loved his rock and roll, so i was always around music, but not really electronic, this i discovered when i started DJING, i got my decks for my 14th birthday and at the time garage music was all the rage, so 2-step was my first electronic experience, over the years I started listening to more pirate radio and started hearing more electro and was hooked, from there on I was a bass fiend, anything that would make my gut shake , I would buy. as i got older I started getting into the techno, tec house stuff and now my sets consist of it all.
2. How has your music creation process developed over time?
Well I started getting into music production before the dj’ing, I was always writing music as a kid and when i was 12 , my dad put me on a logic music tec course for two months, I was lucky enough to be in a school which specialized in music, so I had the means to keep at it, before , after school in between classes, when ever I could, I was in the computer rooms using the old cubase program, messing around with sounds and samples. When I started dj’ing professionally at 16 i started making money, so I put all of it into buying my own set up, really basic at the time, pc, midi keyboard and cubase. I then went on to study this at uni , and really got into live and acoustic music, now my production is a mixture of electronic and live, I love melody so alot of my stuff is melodic, but sometimes a fucked up distortion is all that I need , it depends on my mood.
3. Currently, who are some of your favorite artists?
That’s hard, I listen to so many different things, from my parents old beatles, areatha records, to boys noise. but a few current artist who I really love at the moment would be, MGMT , MAJOR LAZOR, DIPLO, CYBERPUNKS ARE FUCKING CRAZY, also more alternative stuff like the SANTO GOLD, that record was fat, THE EDITORS, AND DEFTONES are my favorite band , there a heavy metal group, so you can see im a bit all over the place with my musical taste.
4. What is the electronic scene like in your part of the UK?
It’s pretty huge in london, there are a massive variety of clubs, bars to choose from all playing electronic based music, there’s brick lane for the tec house heads, old street for the electro kids and shorditch for the dubstep massive..
There’s always some thing happening be it monday or friday, its pretty cool. some promoters are putting on nights with 3 floors 25 djs, and 10 genres, so theres something for everybody.
5. What’s in the works for Afro Punk in 2010?
It’s already been a busy year for me, I’m lucky enough to be djing at least 3 nights a week, I’ve been to South Africa , Amsterdam and Turkey already this year, and summer is gonna be even crazier.. I have the “lets talk about it EP coming out in june on a german label, plus a feature with my mates HOAXX coming out later in the year on the label BOXON RECORDS so its all good.. check out my myspace for gigs, releases and free beeies..
http://www.myspace.com/afropunkno1
keep at it girl.
DJ Phantom
A label based in Melbourne/ Toyko. I like it, I bring it to you.
Little Nobody – Metropolis How? by Little Nobody
Head over to the IF? Records site..
Label runner Andrez, has music under the name Little Nobody- check this
http://www.myspace.com/littlenobodymuzak
Here’s 2 songs – listen
Remember Radio.mp3
Old Skool Gangsta Slap.mp3
INTERVIEW.
1. How has your label direction developed over time?
Wow. Well, it’s been 15 years since we started; back in 1995 the artists we loved and respected were usually using real Roland TB-303s or Devilfish mods of same, along with stacks of analogue rack-mounted gear. These days most of our people are digital-based and using laptops, which makes live gigs a helluva lot easier.
Additionally 15 years ago we were mostly CD-based, living in Australia, whereas these days we’re exploring vinyl (still) and digital. CDs have gone the way of the dinosaur.
While a lot of people are complaining about the new medium, digital itself gives us a lot of freedom to release more experimental stuff – which traditionally doesn’t sell well – thanks to the extremely minimal overheads.
2. Tell us a little about your artists..
We work with a lot of people, and most of them are – first and foremost – producers whose music we really dig, and also they’re good mates. It’s vital to work with people you actually like. We’ve continued to do stuff for years with Australians like Steve Law (Zen Paradox), Isnod and Son Of Zev, and more recently with some cool Melbourne-based people such as Ben Mill (Bitch Shift), Koda, Enclave, Alkan, Craig McWhinney, and Kultrun.
We also have some great Japanese cats we’re dabbling with, chief among these Toshiyuki Yasuda, DJ Wada (Co-Fusion), Takashi Watanabe (DJ Warp), Cut Bit Motorz, and Tatsuta Oe (Captain Funk).
Then there’re Luke’s Anger, Dave Tarrida, Justin Berkovi, E383, Si Begg, Dead Agenda, BCR Boys, Jason Leach, James Ruskin and the Dead Channel crew in the UK, Jammin’ Unit in Germany, and other internationals like Wyndell Long, Paul Birken, Bas Mooy, Steve Stoll, Patrick Pulsinger, Bill Youngman, etc, etc.
I also do stuff myself under aliases like Little Nobody, Funk Gadget, Nana Mouskouri’s Spectacles, DJ Fodder, and a swag of others.
I guess that’s not a little… that’s a LOT. Sorry!
3. What is the electronic scene like in your part of Tokyo/Melbourne?
It’s absolutely brilliant, and is one of the reasons I’ve lingered here for almost 9 years now. There are some cool large clubs, but I like the smaller venues where you can catch people like Ben Pest and the Ninja Tune crew, plus locals like the TTAK Collective. There are great live acts here like Hifana and Toshiyuki Yasuda, and often the best gigs are by people you’ve never heard of and never see again.
Grab some music
http://www.junodownload.com/labels/IF%3F/releases/
DJ Phantom
Feelin’ wave machines. Check out their nifty website! http://www.wavemachines.co.uk/
INTERVIEW.
1. How were you first introduced to electronic music?
I grew up listening exclusively to guitar bands and never really liked electronic tunes until I went clubbing for the very first time. It changed my perspective on music listening completely. I was suddenly aware of a completely new world and I loved it. I started to listen to glitchy electronica and became a huge fan of Autechre.
2. How has your music-making process developed over time?
By the time I was in my late 20s I had been deep into and back out of a number of scenes, but I still loved guitars and bands. Some friends were recording drum and bass tunes at home, pressing up vinyl and releasing them. It looked like a lot of fun and sounded immense, so I got hold of a Mac and a copy of Logic and started to work it out. My programming and songwriting developed side by side, slowly but surely. I made a lot of rubbish before I wrote what I considered to be my first decent tune.
3. Currently, who are some of your favorite artists?
I’m a big fan of Post War Years, a band from London who have a great knack for making melodies which they wrap in complex but very funky rhythms. They are about to record their second album and I can’t wait to hear which way it goes. They use Akai MPCs with guitars, basses and do a lot of sampling, it’s a great blend of organic and electronic elements – like a bionic arm.
4. What are you most excited to work on in 2010?
Another album, and a few collaborations we have in the pipeline. Mainly it’s a second album that interests me right now though. We have no real idea of where it’s going to go stylistically.
5. What would you say to anyone interested in going after their musical interests?
Stay focused and try to keep your head clear – things can get very misty once managers, labels, press, agents get involved. Have a good idea of what you want to do before you do it. And be prepared to make a few (hundred) mistakes.
http://www.myspace.com/mywavemachine
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until the morning comes,
DJ Phantom
Been waiting a while to bring this to you guyz!
The sounds coming out of the Netherlands-mmmmmmm!
It’s Like That (Grand J RMX).mp3
Blackbody Spectrum (Grand J RMX).mp3
INTERVIEW
1. What do you love about music?
Well, what is there not to love about music? To give a counter-question. The world would be a pretty boring place without it. For me, it’s my life, my work and my sorrow. I can’t imagine a day where I don’t have the need to create sounds or sampling the hell out of an old record and turn it into something completely new. It’s exploring without limitations and I guess that’s the core of music evolution.
2. You Netherlands people are just magical, the music coming out of there is so free and confident (The Century, Rubix; also featured on Disco Droppings)…how do you feel about the music coming out of your area?
First of all, thank you for the big compliment, but I don’t think it’s the Netherlands in particular. A lot of European countries produce big-time talents. Artists that also inspire us to create “new” music. I think it’s the outcome of the multicultural environment we live in. But besides that, I think the music produced in this area is great. Not all of it of course, but definitely the artists you mention, which I happen to know very well!
3. What do you use for your productions/live shows?
When I produce music I use whatever suits the song or my workflow at that time. I’m a big fan of Ableton Live, cause it let’s you handle and tweak samples in a fast and intuitive way. And what I really love about this software is that it feels very simple, but never seems to exceed my creative needs.
To record vocals or instruments I always use ProTools and for longer arrangements, like scoring a video game or a movie I use Apple’s Logic. Besides that I have tons of plug-in instruments and sound-library’s to create whatever I like.
4. Who are some of your favorite current artists?
This is the part where I promote my friends I guess, because I’m more busy making music than listening to it. If you turn on my Ipod it’s probably pumping some old skool favorites like “Ice Cube”, “Dr. Dré”, “George Clinton” or just some grunge bands from the Seattle area 😉 I like a lot of music; it’s never only just one genre.
But If I have to mention some music from out the area it’s gonna be, Concubine, Phonic Funk, Shook, Henzel&Disco Nova, Gourillia Speakers, Rubix, Don Diablo, Junkie XL, Dj Mehdi, Nobody beats the drum, Krause, Noisia, O.J. Symstem, FS Green, Mar, Full Crate, Andras Caron, Auxilary the mstrfdr, The Century, Estaw, Bastian, and a lot more if you check out there myspace’s friends links.
5. What is Grand Jackson planning for 2010?
I’m not so much of a planning person as it comes to my own music, I hope to come up with a great album this year, but you can’t force creativity, I learned that the hard way!
http://www.myspace.com/grandjackson
hollerrr
dJ Phantom
dd 