30th January at Fabric will host what is to be the best night of techno and house London has to offer this year. Detroit techno guru Carl Craig will be playing with Jamie Jones and Lee Curtis in Room one, whilst in room 2 Ben Klock and Steffi will be playing until the early hours. Jacques Renault and Justin Miller will be spinning the disco house in room 3.
This following weekend Innervisions DJ’s will be playing at fabric with the Jazzy Henrik Schwarz taking center stage alongside Gerd Jansen and Marcus Worgull.
Just to wet your apetitie I have attached some videos of Carl Craig and Lee Curtis to give you a little sample of the 30th.
Metro Area will be playing at Matter on Saturday 30th January. The duo of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani that make up Metro Area will be playing in the main room, joined by Disco Bloodbath and The Italiens Do It Better Disco Collective. Matter is open from 10-6 and tickets cost £15 in advance and probably more like £20 on the door.
Metro Area is known for New York Inspired Disco-House that draws on elements of R&B to bring a smooth and sensual groove to the dance floor. January the 30th will be a live performance for Metro Area so it is likely that the guys will be using live as well as electronic instruments.
Metro area have toured together as DJ’s, as a live band, and also seperately as individual DJ’s representing the Metro Area sound. The band are due to release a new album shortly, with a bit of luck they may slip a few tunes out at Matter on the 30th.
Matter is likely to be pretty busy this night with Disco Bloodbath bringing their usual hefty entourage of Disco lovers. Book early is the word!
Henri Texier is a Parisian self taught double bassist who was a prominent player throughout the 60’s playing with many of the big US names including Donald Bryd and Bud Powell that were visiting Paris Jazz clubs during this period.
Texier went on to produce three incredible solo albums in the late 70’s including ‘Amir’ (75) ‘Varech’ (77) and ‘A Cordes Et a Cris’ (79). All of these albums were released on French label ‘Bleu’ and feature Texier playing flute and Cello both of which he taught himself in the early 70’s.
Below is a selection of modern Classical composers that have caught my attention recently:
Nils Frahm
Produceer and composer based in Berlin. His latest album ‘The Bells’ is a live totally improvised piano performance that was recorded in the Grunewald church.
Alvo Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Collaboration between German artist Carsten Nicolai (stage name Alvo Noto) and famous Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Moritz Von Oswald’s latest release ‘Vertical Ascent’ was described by Villalobos as ‘a frequency massage’. When Villalobos himself says something like this you know its going to be worth a listen.
My very first impressions of ‘Vertical Ascent’ were shaped by the mastery of its production; the richness and intricacy of which allows for defined layering which provides a solid foundation for improvisation to build upon. From the very begins of ‘Pattern1’ (the first of 4 patterns within this release) it is clear that Von Oswald and fellow musicians Vladislav Delay and Max Loderbauer have created a sound that is distinctive and far reaching. It is a record that never feels limited in scope. Although their sound is definitely rooted in techno, the live and improvisation elements make it sound more like futuristic jazz, rather than something that should be played in a club environment. Hopefully the music competition between hard bop jazz purists and electronic jazzers won’t be an aggressive one.
Art Blakely is a jazz drumming pioneer famous for infusing swing jazz with elements of blues and gospel music. His band the jazz messengers provided a platform for many aspiring jazz musicians over its 30 year existence between 1954 to the early 80’s. Art made a point of playing around younger musician to keep his playing fresh. When he was a youngster he played alongside the some of the great jazz musicians of the time such as Cannonball Alderly. Miles Davis, and Hank Mobley.
He’s taking a bit of a back seat in this song, Moanin, but his grove is impecable and says more than any solo.
John Roberts use of quirky back beats, rythmic illusions, intricate percussion and hard hitting house grooves are calving him a name as one of dial’s most exciting and innovating new talents. Roberts is pushing boundaries, integrating chicago house loops with cleverly placed jazz and blue note melodies, whilst at the same time adding his unique use of organic samples that are a staple in all his recent releases. .
Spotted by Carsten Jost and Pantha du Prince he has been hand selected by the heads right at the top. With the full force of Dial behind him Roberts is sure to have a huge influence upon the direction of things to come. Btw – if you dont like it thats because your not ready for it yet.
http://www.myspace.com/jrplaysthehits
Philip Glass is an American classical musician considered to be highly influential in the creation of consonant minimalist music. Inspired by Steve Reich who he studied alongside at the Juillard school of music in New York city, Glass went on to form an ensemble including Steve and another student at the school, Jon Gibson.
The ensemble played mainly in art galleries to free thinking artists within the New York scene. With songs such as ‘Music in the shape of a square’ and ‘1+1′ it was clear the ensemble was exploring and contributing towards minimalist ideas and the role of music in these developments.
The links to electronic repetitive structures are clear, and with Glass citing Aphex Twin as a friend an inspiration, who knows hopefully a collaboration may be on the cards? – just done a bit more research and it has already happened, back in 1995, Watch the bottom video.
Sure Im deviating from Dance music slightly, but sometimes a break from the straight is needed just to regain a bit of composer before forget where we are.
Coltrane is definitely one of my music idols. For me his music perfectly balances free improvisation and structure, creating tension whilst allowing for space and freedom within his melodies and rythms. In my mind this is an essential part of modern dance music. Just look at the way villalobos holds his crowd in a tight groove whilst simultaneously stabbing them with new sounds and rythms. This cycle of tension-apprehension-relief is something both these gurus have mastered.
