Glastonbury 2010

A Review for http://www.4clubbers.net/

Early June 2010… Glastonbury Festival 2010 was impending and apprehension loomed as to whether it was going to chuck it down or not. We all know that UK weather is unreliable to say the least, (we’re probably one of the only countries in the Europe that consider wellies a festival fashion staple) and granted, most of us at some point have slipped and slid through mud and sludge clutching cups of warm booze, be it at Global Gathering, Glade, Bestival etc…

Glasto is great fun whatever the weather, but it was called into question just how willing punters were to have a good time when faced with the storms of 2005 and floods of 2007, and the sheer size of the place really made attendees prove their resilience against the elements.

The usual pre-Glastonbury ritual had begun some weeks prior to this year’s festival: many had Metcheck.com bookmarked on their computers and were worriedly inspecting the ‘changeable’ forecast every half an hour. The pessimists out there announced that following a few years of decent weather, a wet one would almost certainly be in store - law of averages and all that.

This year at Glastonbury however was gloriously far removed from these concerns. A heat-wave took over the country leaving dusty ground, dry, scorched grass and cloudless skies. Waterproofs and wellington boots were a distant memory and from the opening of the gates on Wednesday morning, the festival site was a parade of feathers, face-paint, giant sunglasses and smiling, ever so slightly smug faces.

The first ‘official’ day of Glastonbury was Friday, when the main stages opened and acts spanning the highest end of rock, dance, hip hop and everything in between were billed to play across the site. The heat and sunshine was intense even before midday, with artists on stage shouting to the crowd to make sure they “drink water! Cover up! Get some shade!”
Pink flesh and sunburn was on display from many, confirming the fact that we Brits really are rubbish at hot weather. A set from French outfit Phoenix in the afternoon provided musical relief and shade as they played tracks from their latest album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus’ , and of course earlier tracks such as ‘If I Ever Feel Better’, the perfect summer record.

It was then off to the Pyramid for a blinding hour from the excellent Snoop Dogg. Arriving on stage in a white vest and his trademark swagger, he hollered out classics such as ‘Gin and Juice’ and ‘What’s My Name’ whilst the crowd bounced under the sweltering 5pm heat.

Once again at the Pyramid, previous ‘virtual-band’ Gorillaz performed an epic Friday night slot, with the ‘characters’ merely background images and Damon Albarn gracing the stage as a front-man for the second time in two years, having appeared with Blur in 2009. Despite some unnecessarily sombre and lacklustre album tracks, Albarn’s stage presence and the ridiculous array of guests featuring on stage; from Shaun Ryder to Lou Reed and a finale cameo from Snoop, (gracing the Pyramid for the second time that day) made for some particularly special Glastonbury performances.

Saturday saw more blazing sunshine with little relief, but after food, rehydration and welcomed showers which dispelled the myth that being at a festival equates to being a dirt bag, it was time to get involved in Glastonbury day two. The highlights of Saturday’s shenanigans were the deliciously camp Scissor Sisters, looking fabulous and joined by the sublime Kylie for a rendition of their record “Any Which Way” from their new album ‘Night Work’.

It was a toss up between the epic Muse and the superb sounds of George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic later on that evening. The latter were chosen, and as the mass on stage belted out the unforgettable “We Want the Funk’ across the West Holts field, it was clear that the right choice had been made.

As things were in full swing, what better time to go and explore the weird wonderfulness of Arcadia, Shangri La and The Unfair Ground. Once the hundreds of party seekers had shuffled along at a snail’s pace down the winding paths and through the trees, an assault on the senses awaited that left people confused, amazed and wondering how the hell someone had thought of such lunacy.

The first place encountered was Arcadia, where an enormous and eerie arachnid style metal construction shot noisy flames high into the sky, whilst suspended contortionists and fire eaters spun around at speeds that made spectators dizzy. Moving onwards, more bizarre areas were waiting: from a rave in a caravan to a club to into which entrance would only be admitted to those with a tattoo. A construction was stumbled upon with a sinister gigantic baby’s head above the entrance. This was Bez’s Acid House. Here revellers were treated to loud techno, strobes, and Bez himself jumping about behind the decks slurring incoherencies.
Another small bar full of rickshaw bicycles saw a manic character ringing the bell and enticing passers by to come in and take a seat. Popping in for some cheap beer, to pedal furiously on the spot for a bit and listen to a bit of minimal techno is evidently a standard Saturday night at Glastonbury.

When Sunday came around there was almost an air of sadness that the best festival in the country was coming to an end. There was still, however, another 24 hours of fun to be had, and with the sun still beating down, many threw themselves into one last day of music, cider and partying. An afternoon was spent wandering around the smaller tents in the Green Fields, observing the craft stalls, eating tasty food and listening to diverse types of music; anything from growling rock and folk bands to an Irish Gospel Choir singing pop music covers, the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The most exciting event of Sunday evening was a set from the legendary Stevie Wonder, who claimed the coveted spot of closing of the Pyramid Stage. Prior to his appearance, the field in front of the Pyramid became a sea of people craning their necks to see the man himself. He appeared on stage playing the intro to ‘My Eyes Don’t Cry’ on a keytar to deafening cheers, then his honeyed familiar tones ensured that the crowd were locked in for the next ninety minutes. He rolled out the classics - from 'Superstition' to 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered', and for the finale, invited Mr. Glastonbury, Michael Eavis himself, to join him in a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’. It was truly a magical moment.

And so the final acts finished on the main stages and those who didn’t want to think about tents, packing or going home scurried off to Shangri La to squeeze every last bit of fun from the remaining few hours of the festival. The past five days had rendered people sunburned, exhausted, dehydrated and hoarse, but what an adventure it was. Until next year Glastonbury, it’s been a heap of fun.
Photos by Andrew Turner

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Alexander Technique - An Interview

Written for www.4clubbers.net - 31 May, 2010

Alexander Technique is a Brooklyn based DJ, producer and head of the DJs Are Not Rockstars record label and parties. He has had a very successful remix career and DJs all over the world.

Hey there! How are you doing today and where in the world are you?
Well hello…I’m doing just fine and right now I’m in Brooklyn working on a crazy new track!

There have been various collaborations between yourself and other artists throughout your career, namely and more recently Larry Tee and Kassiano… Is there anyone you would like to work with whom you haven't already?
I would actually really like to do a collaboration with MK & Todd Terry.

What inspires you to come up with the tracks that you produce? Do you and whoever you are working with just get some beers and get into the studio or is there more of a formal process to it?
It’s actually pretty spontaneous; if I’m working with someone we usually get into the studio and listen to a couple of tracks that we love, get inspired and just take it from there, nothing to it really.

What was your vision when starting up your label 'DJ's are not Rockstars'?
My vision was to start a label where I could release some really awesome electronic music with no boundaries; a label where I could release House, Techno, Dubstep, Progressive and Downtempo all under one umbrella. I really thought there was a need for this because most of the labels popping up are limiting themselves to one type of sound, which is cool as well but why limit your self when there are so many other great forms of music out there.

Any artists on the label whom you are tipping for big things this summer?
For sure; I think Lauren Flax is gonna hit hard, or hold on, let me re-phrase that, "hit even harder" this coming year. She is mega talented and mega sweet and you can't beat that. Wait til you here her track with Kelli Scarr, it’s so amazing! Then we have my boys from Paris "Perfect Loosers", and they’re bringing some really insane tracks as well, I’m also really excited about having Beckwith - this guy is pure fire, that’s all I have to say!

You have worked on remixes for some pop records by artists like La Roux and Little Boots, is there anyone else from the pop world you would like to work with?
I would really love to work with Madonna one day even if it’s just doing a remix for her.

I read that your musical roots are steeped in hip hop, funk, soul, disco and your parents got you your first set of turntables! Who was your idol when you started DJing etc? Who do you look up to/respect/admire?
I would have to say Todd Terry, Green Velvet, MK, Armand Van Helden, Roc Raida, Mix Master Mike, Red Alert, DJ Premier, Pete Rock & Stretch Armstrong, my biggest idol was Q-Bert - he was nasty, nobody could do what he was doing at that time.



The new compilation album 'DJ's are Not Rockstars Vol 1' fuses together a diverse range of genres, and it seems that you have been pioneering the 'mash-up' mentality for many years...these days it is a lot more likely to hear a wide range of genres within one set, where do you see your musical direction going over the next few years?
I’m gonna have to wait and see that myself!

What do you think of the state of producing today?
I love the state of producing we are in today. There is just so much technology coming out that the possibilities are endless. I do all my tracks on my laptop with tons of plug-ins; there is really no need for a big studio anymore, you can do it all while flying to your next gig, which is awesome.

As so much music can be found pirated online – this is surely killing things he industry, what are your thoughts on this?
It is what it is and it’s only killing the majors that never let any of the little guys shine anyway!

Where do you think it will lead the music industry?
I don't think it’s going a bad direction at all; it’s definitely changing but I see more positive then negative things coming out of all this!

There are a lot of new producers, a lot of new music released everyday, but do you think things will over saturate soon?
I have seen a lot of producers and DJs come and go. If you believe in what you do, you play your cards right, you’re loyal and you have a good solid team behind you, then you can definitely make it in this industry - good teamwork matters! Sometimes it may take longer then others but steadiness will get you where you want to be. I don't think it will over saturate at all, no matter how much technology we have you still need talent in order to put something good together.

Do you try to keep up with new music releases? And if so how do you find the time?
Yes, I get loads of new music in my inbox and usually take an hour out of my day to listen. Hype Machine keeps me well informed as well!

Any plans to tour the UK any time soon? Where is the craziest place you have ever played?
Oh yeah, I have my eyes on the UK - watch out! The craziest place I ever played was for my good friend Joost Van Bellen in Amsterdam - that dude knows how to throw a party!

Where have you just played and how was that?
I just played in Paris last week for the "Perfect Loosers" release party with Buraka Som Sistema, Larry Tee and Tombstone. It was out of this world!

Technology is moving fast, and in the world of the DJ it seems to move even quicker, how have things changed for you, and what pieces of technology are you loving at the moment?
Well for one, I don't use records anymore. I never thought in a million years that would happen, but it did and we have to move with the times or stay behind and try to convince a bunch of ravers that there is a big difference between vinyl and digital… lol! I heard that Serato is going to release a new version of the software with Ableton Live integrated in it… now that excites me!

What's your ideal DJing set up these days?
2 Pioneer CDJs, a Pioneer Mixer and Serato…that’s all I need!

What are the best and worst things about being Alexander Technique?
The best thing about being me is that I really love my life and love doing what I do, I tend to find a positive side to everything. There is no worst thing about being me really… lol!

You seem to have a lot on your plate with the studio work, the label and DJing, do you get much time to chill out? What do you do to relax?
No matter what I always try to spend time with my family at least once a week, and for relaxing, I like to sleep long hours and get massages.

Technasia - An Interview

An interview for www.4clubbers.net

During these last 8 years, Technasia has extended his activities to artist and label management, conducting artist performance bookings and executive music production (through his own structure Sino/Technorient Music) for artists such as Joris Voorn, Renato Cohen, Steve Rachmad, and more recently Dosem. Charles just finished the latest Technasia album 'Central' which came out in May 2010.

Hey Charles, hope you are well... how's it going? Where are you at the moment?
I'm very good thank you. Just extremely busy in Paris at the moment, working the promotion campaign of my forthcoming album "Central". Lots of interviews everyday, loads of podcasts to record and of course the tour dates every week ends. I've also just finished a remix on Spectral Sound to be out before summer.

What have you been upto over the past 5 years? Your new album 'Central' is due out on 31st of May...why such a long break since your last album?
I think it's important to leave some time between two albums. They are the angular stone of an artist career and this is what artists will be remembered for in 20-30 years from now. It's not just a normal single release. These 4-5 years between each of these projects are very important, because they give me time to make my composing skills evolve. They allow me to offer something better and different to the listener in every new project.

I also think most artists release way too much music today anyway. It's the triumph of form over the content. Many artists dumps loads of music every month not by passion for it, but just because they're scared the public won't notice them anymore or forget them if they don't. It's really pointless I think. I've always been in electronic music to make a lifetime career. I have all my time and i take all the time to work properly on my projects.

What has your inspiration been for this album?
It's pretty diverse really. The actual production of the album took about a year. There are clearly two distinctive moments when working on an album project. There's first the experimenting phase, the moment where you look for ideas, and start to design sketches of how the album will sound like, and what will be in it.

Then there is the second phase which is very technical, arranging, mixing and mastering the tracks. I like to work on both phases a lot, but I also work with a professional sound engineer in Paris to finalize the tracks. The first phase is indeed the most crucial. This is the moment when you need to look deep inside your oneself and take it all out. I like when music is harsh, I like when music is melodic and deep, when it's funky, when it's raw or sophisticated.

I wanted this album to contain it all, like a colour palette from which the listener can make his own drawing. If I would mention albums that inspired me in the process of making "Central", I would say Carl Craig's "More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art", Bauhaus' "The Sky's Gone Out" or the Legendary Pink Dots' "The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse". It's not necessarily always easy music, but they are all albums designed as a whole, rock solid, where each track is a brick that makes the whole house.

The tracklisting becomes a sonic voyage and not just a collection of singles. The listening experience is one of the most important thing in an album project I think, even more than having one or two hit singles in it. The melodic aspect of "Central" is just one thing, it's got many other facets, especially the club and energetic feel of it. But what I like the most in it is probably the flow of the album, the way each track melts into the other.

Is there anyone you draw inspiration from in the non electronic music world? Guitarists, vocalists, visual artists etc?
Yes, indeed! There's a whole life outside of electronic music. I actually listen a lot of to Jazz, like Jacques Schwarz-Bart for example and 70's Funk/Soul. I love the 70's albums of Stevie Wonder a lot. I always liked Gothic Rock a lot, in the likes of Bauhaus, Joy Division, Sisters Of Mercy and so on. I'm also a lot into 80's experimental music and New-Wave, stuff like Coil, Legendary Pink Dots, Einstuerzende Neubauten… Visually, Vaughan Oliver inspired me a lot since his early works in 23 Envelope and 4AD.

Who were your earlier influences? What or who made you decide that you wanted a career in music?
That would be my father. He was a music lover, a complete eclectic listener, from classical music to 80's rap, funk, soul, jazz, electronica and so on. He's the one who gave me the passion for music. As a kid, I had the chance to be surrounded by quality music all the time because of my father's gigantic vinyls collection. That really put me on the right trail of doing a career in music. At the age of 10, I started taking piano lessons and got my first synth when I was 12. That's the momentwhen I made my first melodies and recorded my first tracks. I had to wait until 1996, when I met my former partner Amil, to become a professional musician and start releasing my music to the public.

The new album is extremely diverse; the tracks seems a world away from 'Acid Storm', 'Evergreen' and 'Force' from all those years ago and it shows a natural progression of your musical style. Do you ever feel pressured to follow 'trends' in order to sell more records? i.e. minimal, electro etc.No I don't feel any pressure at all. Actually I never really cared or followed trends and I'm not gonna start today. Trends all come and go, and these days it's rather soon than later. It brings quick money to the one that follows it but it never lasts long. I actually quite dislike all those artists switching sound every two years or so just to be sure they are doing the music style the most popular of the moment. It's quite ridiculous and very opportunist.

We are doing a music which has always been based on the passion of it, the passion of doing it and living it, and I really do not adhere to these recent style of DJs who care just about being fashionable and in the spotlight, whatever the costs. Artists don't really need to sell their music principles for a few thousands dollars, or at least they should be honest about it and don't pretend they actually dig what they are doing. I understand not everybody as the talent to develop an original sound that please the public, but the speed at which new trends come and go these days is just crazy.

People should understand that trends are just invented for labels and management companies to sell you their new shit over and over again. This takes us all go away from the actual quality of the music production. Artists could just do the sound they believe during many years, and be quite successful at it. I'm the living proof of it.

Where do you want to go from here? Do you think you will be making music as a career for the rest of your working life or are there any other avenues you want to explore?
I will work in music all my life, that's a certainty for me. I've been in it professionally for 15 years, develop unique skills at making it and performing it, experience in producing mine and other's and running record labels and management agencies. Why would I suddenly change and restart from zero? Do doctors become butcher when they reach 40?

I've been building little by little a community around me, with the people working for my labels and my agency, and the DJ/producers I have collaborated with, produced and helped settling their careers throughout the years. It's been a long and hectic work, and I have no will to change it all, at the moment when I collect all the fruits from it. Music has always been a decision of a career for me. I actually studied cinema at university because I originally wanted to become a movie sound editor.

The great thing about our electronic music world is that we have all been able to share an amazing experience with the whole planet for these last 25 years, without having the downside of the pop-rock and hip-hop star systems. It's really the best of both world and I'll work my ass off all my life to be constantly part of it.

You worked as a duo alongside Amil Khan up until 2008 but I understand he left to concentrate on family life. How does your approach to producing differ now you are on your own as opposed to working alongside someone else?
I was always been the one the most involved in the Technasia music production. Amil was more the label manager and the projects leader when we were still working together. So in terms of music production working process, it's still quite the same for me. The main difference is that today I have to make choices about everything I do on my own, whereas I used to decide everything with Amil before. It's a bigger responsibility and more stressful as well, but I guess I'll overcome the problem sooner or later. It anyway gives me a lot more freedom to do the things the way I want to. I don't need to find compromises anymore.

You have held residencies at some of the world’s most high profile clubs such as Womb in Tokyo, Fuse in Brussels and Rex Club in Paris. Do you have a favourite country/city/venue? You have toured a lot over the years, can you tell us some techno gossip from your travels?!
Favourite country? Yes many! That's the great thing about electronic music, it can be amazing absolutely everywhere! Of course there are certain countries which have a more regular and prolific scene, such as Japan, Brazil or Spain. I really dig Nitsa in Barcelona for instance. I've been running a DJ residency there for nearly 10 years and it's been amazing every single time. Monegros in Spain is also an amazing festival.

As for techno gossips, well I could tell you that not all festival are good… There was one 30 or 40 kilometers away from Paris where the promoters were so fucked up on drugs that they all passed out and the festival was running on his own. When i finished my set, there were nobody to drive me back. So i had to go on the road with my record cases and hitchhike…The guy that actually drove me back was a fan so I gave him a few vinyls to thank him hahaha

Your record label - Sino seems to be booming at the moment, with a colaboration between yourself and new artist Bension, is there anyone else on your label you think we should look out for?
Yes, Dosem! He's an amazing young artist from Girona, close to Barcelona. I believe he will become a very successful artist in the future. It's very hard for me to be turned on by music today, but the first time I had the chance to hear Dosem's live performance, I was just blown away. He has this unique way of combining emotions and energy in his music, but in a very efficient manner. We have become very good friends in the last two years, and we started to work on different projects together, including the "Sino Live! Technasia & Dosem" performance, which is a kind of combination of our both live performances. 2011 will also see Dosem's first album release on Sino, and I'm really looking forward to it. He has so much to express in so many different ways.

Do you think it is still possible for a producer to survive as just a producer in this digital downloads, pirating and sharing, digital age?
No it isn't, and that's really a shame. there's a big difference between today and the ten years ago's industry. At the time, many artists could just make a proper living out of releasing music. they didn't need to perform to earn money. They could vie from their art. Today it's just basically impossible. But who's to blame really? I don't personally think it's the public and piracy, but it's more about where the whole electronic music industry took this whole thing to.

Why are so many producers lack so much of originality and copy one each others all the time? Why don't they even bother learningDJing skills and use computer and auto-beatmatch softwares instead to do everything for them? Why everybody sees in Beatport some sort of savior of the whole scene, whereas sales on that particular shop are drastically low for 90% of the artists and they want to focus more on commercial music anyway? Why do everybody believe that you can learn how to be a producer in a month by getting some cracked plugins and this lame piece of software called Ableton Live? As far as I know, being a musician, being an artist, create and express your art requires A LOT of sacrifices from the person who wants to be it. Financial sacrifices, time sacrifices.

One needs to take time to develop skills and originality. But go and tell that to our fast-living/fast-consuming society, where it's all buy fast, eat fast, and shit fast… It's indeed impossible for producers to survive today and it's not gonna become any better in the future, so I forecast that somehow this whole scene will collapse sooner or later.

Where do you think the electronic music industry is heading? There are a lot of new producers, a lot of new music released everyday, but do you think things will over saturate soon?
Things are already over-saturated. That's one of the reason why nothing sells today. The global amount of sales is actually quite big at the moment, but it's just soooo much music out there that it's spread in little pieces for everybody…

My biggest worry is that the global and individual image of the labels and the producers have quite taken over the actual attention of the public towards the music production. You now buy a brand, not the music. In an ever growing internet and information based society. Too much information becomes no information. The public needs references and standards to find their mark. So when you label things, it makes it easier for people to understand it, but at the same it pushes people away from discovering and understanding it by themselves.

If you call a track 'Detroit Techno', most people actually heard of that name, without even knowing what it actually means and what it refers to, aside the fact that it's a style from Detroit. Not many actually know Octave One's 'I Believe', Jay Denham's 'The Calling', Carl Craig's 'Galaxy' or Underground Resistance's 'Amazon'. People went crazy in the last years for whatever Ed-Bangers or Cocoon labelled items, whether it's music or not.

Things are gonna go further in that direction, for the financial good of a few, more and more based on the look, the brand, the appearance, with new recycled styles popping up every few years, and the whole industry jumping for it, until everybody's bored and jump on a newer one. The cycles will get faster, the life-span of a track and a genre shorter and shorter, until the moment it will become completely empty and the general will get away from it once and for all. That's unfortunately quite inevitable looking at how things have developed throughout the last few years. But I'm not a witch doctor so I could also well be totally wrong…

There's another factor which is actually important but at the same time the most unpredictable, it's the technological advances, and the way the general public absorbs and uses them. The future of electronic music goes together with whatever technology becomes available and what producers and people will make out of it. But it could also well be that producers and DJs will soon or later be replaced by algorithms able to produce something to entertain crowds at least better but at cheaper value for the club and event promoters.

Technology is moving fast, and in the world of the DJ it seems to move even quicker, how have things changed for you, and what pieces of technology are you loving at the moment?
I'm quite old-school. I don't like to invest too much in all these new Native Instruments toys or others. It seems to me that the more toys they make, the more musing made with it becomes boring… I like simple and efficient music. I like when music has a story to tell and when it's organic, alive. Music done today by these softwares that everybody uses sound all the same, with no originality whatsoever… I use pretty much the same setup as in the beginning. I've always been recording with Cubase, and using some external equipment as well as some plugins for mastering. The only things I have changed is that I'm not using my Akai sampler anymore but several different sampler plugin instead. Anyway, there is a universal truth about music. Your best gear, your best technology, will always remain your own ears!

Finally, any summer plans?
Enjoying the sun, we all need more of it.