Various Assets 2010

Music Created At The Red Bull Music Academy in London

It’s one thing to bond with someone who uses the same software. But it’s another to share a studio with a drummer who builds instruments out of tin cans, an analog funk apostle let loose on digital synths for the first time, a budding Brazilian bossa nova composer or a Grammy-nominated anti-pop singer from Mexico. The thirteenth edition of the Red Bull Music Academy in London saw an incredibly diverse musical output. The resulting sampler, Various Assets – Not For Sale 2010, pays testament to a once-in-a-lifetime set of musical circumstances: collaborations between people who’d never met before, but who found contrasting keys next to Tower Bridge.

The sixth in a yearly series, this double CD is not for sale, but is instead sent out to all the musicians who’ve ever been a part of the Academy, as well as music lovers in 32 countries. The comp is a snapshot of what goes on in the Academy studios – and also provides a unique window into diverse scenes & sounds from the places these musicians hail from.

For the two South African participants who attended the Academy in London, the young urban house ambassadors DJ MP6-60 and Jullian Gomez, Various Assets – Not For Sale 2010 is an amazing showcase of not only their brilliant musicality but also their ability to collaborate with the best in their field. Both artists had the opportunity to work with the extraordinary Robin Hannibal whose rich, future-soul released on acclaimed labels like Ubiquity, has received wide-spread praise. “I Need Your Love” by Robin Hannibal and Jullian Gomes fuses the stylised sounds of house and techno with the classic feel and groove of soul  music with ease while “Rocking All Night” by Master MP6-60 and Robin Hannibal imagines a world of low-slung synthadelic funk ruled by George Clinton and Dr. Dre.

Ultimately, this compilation is a freeform expression of music celebrated and pulled apart in sleepless studio time. Collaborations between like-minded folks, with the excitement of what tomorrow might bring.

Various Assets – Not For Sale 2010 is available for download on www.redbullmusicacademy. (click here to read the post) CD copies can be picked up at record stores and clubs, music festivals and local Academy sessions worldwide. The application phase for the next edition of the Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo will kick off in early 2011.

www.redbullmusicacademy.com

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^5!

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Music Academy, Various Assets 2010, DJ MP6-60, Jullian Gomez, Various Assets – Not For Sale 2010

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On the up and coming are 7ft Soundsystem, a digital-dub music duo with an insatiable passion for Jamaican roots music channeled through the sound-channels of software synths, beats and effects. The end result is liquid electronic reggae, perfect for club-soundsystems and iPod headphones alike.

Their debut album which came out toward the end of last year, “God Shuffled His Feet” has already garnered rave reviews. A heady brew of rolling bass, skanking rhythm and sci-fi sounds, the album features collaborations with a host of like-minded musicians including the amazing Zolani Mahola from local super-group Freshly Ground. Big things agwaan for these bwoys.

The tune, “Dred Bull Dub”, produced at the studio is an example of these guys at their best. Pon-da-rewind bassline dub that goes down on any occasion.

7ft Soundsystem – Dred Bull Dub by Red Bull Studio CT

Sticking to Dub, arguably the forefather of electronic music, here’s a RBMA Radio show with the godfather of the genre, the mad genius Lee Scratch Perry. Recorded live at Primavera Sound 2010, its absolutely crucial.

Technorati Tags: 7ft Soundsystem, Red Bull Music Studios Cape Town, God Shuffled His Feet, Zolani Mahola

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So you all know the Red Bull Studio Cape Town blog as you see it now is going to change. In a good way. It will look nicer and have added features. Just so you know.

Before that happens lets keep loading up music shall we not? This mix is one of the most exciting DJ mixes to come out on the this blog. Not because the other DJ mixes have been bad in any way, we wouldn’t have posted them if they weren’t the South African equivalent of a Resident Advisor mix. Its because most of the tracks on this particular mix are produced by the DJ himself, with several others being other local songs and some international bangers thrown in for good measure.

Enter SFR: South African Drum n Bass legend, who has recently taken on the fresh sound of Dubstep as his passion and master-craft as well. This mix, recorded at the studio, is everything a good Dubstep mix should be. Equal doses cosmic, skipping half-step rhythms and an artillery of basslines designed to tear all asunder.

01. SFR – Apocalypse Then [Forthcoming Hollow Point Recordings]

02. SFR & Mix ‘n Blend Ft. EJ Von Lyrik – Tantrum [African Dope]

03. Mr. Boogie & ill Bill Bachelor – Monkey Spank [Forthcoming Rottun Recordings]

04. Mix ‘n Blend – Out of Town (Hyphen & SFR’s cherries and berries remix) [African Dope]

05. Boltan – Nine to Five (DZ Remix) [Party Like Us]

06. SFR – Mozambican Smile [Forthcoming Hollow Point Recordings]

07. Breakage – Open up [Digital Soundboy]

08. SFR & Mr. Boogie – Moments in Time [Forthcoming Stroke Audio]

09. Turboweekend – Trouble is (Joker Remix) [Mermaid Records]

10. Skream – Minimalistix [Nonplus]

11. SFR – Babylon Beware Now ft. Farrell [Forthcoming Grid Recordings]

12. Mix ‘n Blend & Narch – I got Bitches [Forthcoming Muti Music]

13. SFR – Hideous Sound [Forthcoming Hollow Point Recordings]

14. Bassnectar – Basshead (SPL’s Alpha Juno rinseout remix)

15. SFR – Absolutely [Forthcoming Hollow Point Recordings]

16. Twelv ‘n Thesis – Games (Mix ‘n Blend’s Wreckin Like its Tekken Remix) [Forthcoming On a Break]

17. SFR – Binary Crunch [Guinea Pig Records]

18. Emalkay – When I look at you [Dub Police]

SFR – Red Bull Studio Cape Town Mix by Red Bull Studio CT

A very recent Red Bull Music Academy Radio show is a mix by Kode 9, prolific Dubstep pioneer and the man behind Hyperdub, arguably the most progressive and influential Dubstep labels since the genre’s inception. The mix is actually a kind of retrospective of all the music released on Hyperdub over the years and for me, it serves as a overview of the deeper sound of Dubstep at its absolute pinnacle. Definitely a blueprint for the future of bass music.

^5!

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Studios Cape Town, SFR, Kode 9

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Enough Weapons are a production and DJing duo comprised of Dave Love and Hiyarant who make knock-your-block-off nu-skool breakbeat.

When not busting the beats these two are very active members of Cape Town’s ever lucrative and popular psytrance scene, making music that really does make more sense when combined with hallucinogens and throwing those massive outdoor parties that are all about the stomp. Psytrance is in itself a helluva technical genre, all about never-heard-before layers of sound, so when we locked the guys in the studio with the Moog and Virus synthesizers we knew they would deliver the goods.

Dave Love incidentally runs the independent label, On A Break, featuring a host of artists such as Audiophile 021, Zim Dollar Bill and Biscope. Check out their website here where you can grab links to buy tunes on Beatport and the like.

Ok enough talk, Enough Weapons – Take the Bull by the Horns, probably the biggest floor tune on this blog ever, it will make you need to hit the club tonight! And it even has a cheeky product placement sample in it…

Enough Weapons – Take The Bull By The Horns by Red Bull Studio CT

Then onto Red Bull Music Academy Radio, this show is a selection of fine cuts from the kings of breakbeat, the Stanton Warriors.

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Music Studios Cape Town, Enough Weapons

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Steve Elsworth, aka Audiophile 021, is the head engineer at the Red Bull Studio in Cape Town and he is only part human. His human half is the friendly get-along guy that everyone knows and respects. You know the type; a stand-up chap, with a constant smile on his dial always willing to extend a helping hand.

But his other half is pure robot, automaton if you will, pulsing with mechanical energy, a stream of consciousness at several thousand megs a second and a river of our favorite energy juice flowing and pumping through his system. How else would he be able to have held down a 20 hour recording session for the Skillz That Paid the Billz project (more info on this to follow)? How else would he be able to spend his days in the studio from seven in the morning to seven at night, engineering sessions, and then head off to clubs and bars like Waiting Room and Fiction to play sets of downtempo dub and bashing minimal tech? And how else would he be able to produce “Triola”, downloadable below, a piece of genre-morphing swinging digital dub tech?

Audiophile 021 – Triola by Red Bull Studio CT

Then onto the Red Bull Music Academy Radio. “Electro” and “Minimal” have often been seen as opposites or even enemy genres, but both have their roots in the rich history of techno. Check out this radio show with the godfather of minimal, Richie Hawtin:

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Music Studios, Audiophile, Steve Elsworth, Cape Town

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“The Red Bull Studio Sessions” presented by DJ Low is a DJ mix featuring some of the best music to be made at the Red Bull Music Studio in Cape Town. It is the culmination of two years of trial and error in making the studio what it is today: a space that attempts to cultivate some of the best local music.

From the head-rocking sounds of the Little Kings, Popskarr and the Plastics, the glitch-hop infused beats of P.H.fat, Chamber Concept and Spit Munky, the soulful excursions of Fifi, Soulo Starr and Erefaan Pearce, the rumbling dubstep of Biscope and Fletcher, the slamming dancefloor techno of Grave Danger, Mervin Granger and Thibo Tazz and the unshakably catchy South African house of Audiophile 021 and DJ MX, the mix is a reflection of some of the best musical styles being brewed up in South Africa at present.

A lot of the music was made during a Third World Perspective, essentially a taste of what the famed international Red Bull Academy is like. For three days and nights, 20 music makers from around South Africa, covering all styles and genres, spent their days being lectured by international music giants such as Trevor Jackson alongside local music titans such as Sipho “Hotstix” Mabusa. But it was at night where the creativity came alive, as the participants got stuck into pooling their talents to make music.

Much of the live music on the Studio Sessions CD was recorded as the part of the RADAR project. Standing for Research-Assist-Develop-Acquire-Release, RADAR is an initiative aimed at providing up and coming bands with a space to record their music either as a demo or as an official release.

Some of the music wasn’t even completed at the Red Bull Studio. Rather artists popped in to use some of the gear and take the sounds home to complete the tracks in a space they’re more comfortable with.
To launch the CD and to commemorate two years of whirlwind creativity, the Red Bull Studio in conjunction with the Assembly, Cape Town’s premier music venue, will be hosting a meteoric line-up of artists, acts and DJs all of which have featured at The Red Bull Studio.

Hosted by dj low and featuring live performances from Soulo Starr, 7ft Soundsystem, Voicetag, Little Kings, Popskarr, Krushed & Sorted, Crosby, Spitmunky, Richard The Third and Audiophile 021 a night of mashed up musical mayhem is guaranteed.

To have a listen or to download the actual Red Bull Studio Session as a DJ mix, check out the Soundcloud player below:

Red Bull Studio Sessions presented by dj low by Red Bull Studio CT

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One of the great things about the Red Bull Studio is that is has an open door policy. Everyday all sorts of creative types, mostly musical, wander in and out. Sometimes we know who they are and other times we’re pleasantly introduced to someone new to the scene.

I know nothing about Oltak except that his real name is Katleho Makhale and he makes sick spacey hip-hop in the vein of Flying Lotus, Sa-Ra, Dizz 1 and the like. He dropped off a gang of beats to listen to and I kindly asked if I could upload the track “Red Moon” for all to hear because it’s just so fresh. Take a listen or a download below and if you like, head over to his Myspace page by clicking here.

Oltak – Red Moon by Red Bull Studio CT

Then keeping with the spacey 8-bit hip-hop vibes here are three shows from Red Bull Music Academy Radio. Both Hudson Mohawke and Samiyam are Red Bull Music Academy alumni, while Flying Lotus needs little introduction being one of the all time masters of mad beatsmanship. Take a listen on the RBMA Radio player below:

Technorati Tags: Oltak, Red Moon

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Both Popskarr and Gazelle are no strangers to Electrotrash. They are rather regular features, definitely two of the most prolific flag-raisers for local Electro. And certainly Gazelle is no stranger to the Red Bull Music Studios often popping in to collaborate with various artists and work on his much anticipated upcoming album. What you may not know is that pretty much all of Popskarr’s stuff was and still is being recorded at the Red Bull Music Studio. This collaboration was one of the most epic from last year, and the track itself a culmination of hundreds of recorded takes from singers Xander and Yannick. The title of the track, “Obsession” explains it in a nutshell: the feelings for someone that mutate from genuine love into something far more out of control.

Rather than feature a Red Bull Music Academy Radio show this week, I will direct you all to the Red Bull Music Academy website, as the Academy has been in full force in London for a week now. When I was at the Academy in Rome 6 years ago (and believe me I’m not dropping props for myself, I have a point), the likes of Goblin, Alexander Robotnick and Daniel Baldelli were speaking. I had no idea who these cats were, little did I know that they were of the main driving forces behind the scene that I would later embrace and the likes of Justice (who wholesale sample Goblin on “Phantom”) would not exist. My point is the Red Bull Music Academy guys are way ahead of the pack. So when you look at the list of lecturers you don’t often pick up on who the names are but you better pay attention.

As I walked into the Academy today I saw that the first lecturer of the day was DâM-FunK. Only a week ago Spoek Mathambo got me onto this guy, whose soul / funk / electro sound on Stones Throw sounds like Prince, Peanut Butter Wolf and Afrika Bambaata in a freaky menagois a trois. Who knows what other forward sounding ish is going to surprise me next. Keep your eyes peeled to the site: http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/london

dirtyoldman here. The guys from Popskarr also sent us another track entitled the finish line. Grab it below!

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On that note we head over to Red Bull Music Academy Radio to take a look at another french maître de la musique électronique, Djedjotronic who incidentally has also worked with Spoek Mathambo. This mix recorded live at the Pantiero festival in Cannes is a strong signifier of the current sound of banging electro: a mad tapestry of rave, distortion, afro-rhythms and the hype energy you expect when you listen to someone off Boys Noize records.

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Music Studios Cape Town, Toxic Avenger, Djedjotronic

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With Mujava taking the dance world by storm last year, there is a peeked interest in local SA dance-floor electronica. Lots of things are happening for local electro producers. In fact you should read this piece already written by Ol Dirty Man, about Gazelle’s Bloody Beetroot collab and a general encouraging message for local musical electricians.

The Red Bull Studio roundup for this week introduces a new act to the scene and hopefully a new Electrotrash artist (and they’d be perfect for the site). Zim Dollar Bill is comprised of two prolific Cape-Tonians, Naartjie and Liver (who already have several other side projects). They make pounding, pulsing, poes-hard electro. But there’s an African flavour in there as well, mainly in the rhythm. Off-beat snares and claps follow the tried and tested local house music syncopated drum sound, only rather than being set to mellow chords, they fight for space with dirty, filthy synths.

One of the synths used was the Moog Little Phatty, which is the main reason these guys came into the Red Bull Studios: to abuse our favourite little synth. My only contribution to this project was to set up the Phatty’s output through a side-chain compressor in Abelton, lock the studio doors and come back in several hours to see what the dastardly duo had come up with. You really need to hear for yourself by checking out their Soundcloud page:

Latest tracks by zimdollarbill

The RBMA Radio mix for this post comes from Djedjotronic. He is honestly my favourite producer on Boys Noize records right now, even more than the mighty Alex Rider himself. Djedjotronic’s style of music has been described as Ghetto-Tech. It’s a brilliant concoction of the electro sound that Boys Noize has made famous mixed up with cut up rap, afro-style syncopated rhythms and huge doses of ‘rave’ (trust me it works). His collaborations with Spoek Mathambo have yielded one of the best records of the year, the mammoth “Dirty & Hard”. Listen to this live mix at the Pantiero Stage in Cannes:

Technorati Tags: Red Bull Music Studios Cape Town, Liver, Naartjie, Zim Dollar Bill

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