Next Stop: Mercury
by Andreas Boettcher on June 24th, 2010
After hitting DJ Charts with Remixes for LeLe, DJ Mehdi and Munk it’s time to focus the World of Mercury. Ex-Audioporno member Mel and his companion Simon are playing and producing neoclassic House Music and are throwing parties at Club Bonsoir in their lovely hometown Bern. Recently, one of their remixes is featured in the new Karl Lagerfeld movie. Let’s see the recommendations for their essential records:
Hercules & Love Affair - Classique #2
(DFA Records 2007)
“Andy Butler the chief first caught our interest in 2007 with this amazing House stomper. This is exactly how you expect House to be in the 21st century. Stripped down to the minimum, classic Roland Sounds tweakes to the maximum. Ever played since 2007.”
The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys - The Flood
( Mercury Records 1957)
“Currently in high roration is everything from Old-Time Music to Bluegrass and Country , especially The Flood from our favourite Stanley Brothers. Listen to the harmonys and how they play their instruments. Check the video to see what we’re talking about.”
(Columbia Records 1970)
“Miles Davis always kept moving on, he never stopped. Many Artist keep on repeating his thing once he has success. Miles Davis is one great exception. He was a hip cat, drivin’ tasty cars, always up to date not just music but also in fashion. And with Bitches Brew, he continued his experimentation with electric instruments, went from traditional jazz rhythms to looser rock-infuented styles and still was able to sell more than half a million records of that weird shit! And: The harmonic concept of this record was one of the important influences for later techno culture.”
Keep your eyes open in joyful expectation: Mercury will release their first EP on Gomma this autumn. This is going to be huge. And these charming guys know how to keep you interested. With permission, we have their remodelled Munk Summer-Beach-House-Tune “La Musica” for your Download pleasure! Already great response and it is featured on Busy P’s first ever Mix-CD. Mercury - favourite planet now!
Munk - La Musica (Mercury Remix)
“Simply and clean - that´s the way I like it”
by Jan Schimmang on May 10th, 2010
This guy doesn’t like vocals but loves music. His flat is full of records - and sneakers. Together with his colleague Stefan he spins records as DJ team Nosed & Botev playing electro funk and synthie boogie from the eighties.
“Because the night” by Nosed
Here are his recommendations for essential records (and a good pair of sneakers):
Prince - “Purple rain” (album)
“Backed by The Revolution, these were also the glory days of Wendy and Lisa. The album is packed with synthesizer sounds, drum machines and sweet pop melodies which makes it so special to me, because deep in it’s heart it´s a true electro funk album, but you can also hear his R&R and rock influences. As far as being a fabulous album, it’s also the soundtrack to Prince’s first film, which is a legend on it´s own.”
World premiere - Share the night (12″)
“One of the first releases on the easy street records label. It´s from 1983 and as far as I know the only release of world premiere. Forget about the ‘Club Mix’ and the instrumental. It’s all about the ‘Breakdown Mix’. Electric boogie with a feel of house music. Call it protohouse or whatever it’s definetly classic New York stuff!”
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes feat. Nikko - Today´s your lucky day (12″)
“At the beginning of the seventies Herold Melvin & The Blue Notes released their first records on Kenny Gamble’s and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records and they have been covered by Simply Red and Jimmy Sommerville amongst others. This vinyl is from 1984 far away from their early soul days. It’s more electronic funk with a really good piano. As always I prefer the instrumental side, because I’m not so into vocals. No peaktime track, but it really creates atmosphere.”
And the sneakers?
“One of my favorite model is the Nike Tennis Classic. First released at the beginning of the eighties this shoes is as clean as possible, and that’s what I like about this shoes. There are tons of different colors and materials, but despite the classic white and orion blue colorway I like the ones from 2008 by Hiroshi Fujiwara the most. Simply and clean, that’s the way I like it.”
Both photos of Nosed by Stefan Botev.
Short answers from Tiga
by Jan Schimmang on April 28th, 2010
His last album “Ciao” was an imposing missing link between track and song, clashing the feelings of hedonism and melancholy. A few questions to Tiga about being a musician.
Do you think that the borders between artist and DJ are melting?
No. I think DJ land is a seperate world from the rest of the music industry. Sometimes it overlaps. Almost everybody is a DJ.
Is it important in these days that artist work together and organize theirselves?
Yes. Everyone is touring, there is a lot of competition - and people want a special show.
Are you working on a new album? What can we expect?
No not yet, but expect me to start at the end of the year. It will be very romantic.
Please name three records which chanced your life?
“Techno Trax Vol 2″, a compliation that came out in 91. It changed my life, literally, I dropped out of school and decided I wanted to dedicate my life to techno. Deep down I think “Non Stop Erotic Cabaret” by Soft Cell was a very big influence: you can hear everything I love on that album. More recenty, I think every LCD Soundststem album inspires me to try and be better.
What is the idea behind your label?
Get all the turbo artists and friends to travel and tour together with our own stage set and visuals: take the crowd on a journey. Honestly.
Starting on 29th of April Tiga is on worldwide tour with friends like Erol Alkan or Boys Noize. All dates and video content from their gigs soon available on Planet Turbo.
Mr. Brett Anderson, just one question …
by Jan Schimmang on February 2nd, 2010
Photo by Joachim Zimmermann for Popmat.
WHY IS LEO ABRAHAMS A GOOD PRODUCER?
Brett Anderson: „He is a very talented musician. I found it incredible inspiring to work with him. He is fantastically complex and I never met him before. My idea was to make an album that was influenced by film soundtracks. And he had worked with people like Brian Eno or David Holmes. I wanted to get some of that energy and that meditative quality that sountracks have. So I gave Leo a call and we made this record. We started to work on a new album since January. It will be gonna improvised. No Songs were written beforehand. Just jam sessions. We will edit it and cut it up and turn it into songs. It´s all live.“
The third solo album “Slow attack” by Brett Anderson was released in October.
Beppe Loda: “If I Weren’t Italian I Wish To Be German.”
by Andreas Boettcher on January 18th, 2010
Beppe Loda was resident DJ at famous Typhoon Club in Gambara, north of Italy beginning in 1980. He claims, that he is not a Cosmic DJ. It was more an Afro Movement, Freestyle, and he helped keeping this music in mind of a lot of people, even in the new millenium. A real charismatic person behind the decks. So it’s fashion week in berlin and if you are lucky and own the invitation for the Diesel Aftershow Party, then you will witness him and Daniele Baldelli on one floor - titan clash. Beppe was so kind to answer a few questions.
Do you remember your best gig last year ?
“i done a lots of nice gigs in 2009, but my favourite was at synch festival athens benaki museum, i played with my project EGOTRYA !”
Do you have any rituals before djing?
“i haven’t particular ritual before djing.”
How many records do you own?
“i’m very selective with music wich i wanna play, so today i have as 15.000 records.”
Do you have any relations to berlin /germany except djing?
“the only relation which i have to berlino except djing it’s simply that i love germany and germans! i started to play in south germany MUNICH and AUGSBURG in the early 90’s and i have a lots of friend in bayern. and a lot of german djs over there took inspiration from my dj style. like in westfalia , dusseldorf where i usually play 2-3 times each year at “Salon des Amateurs“ , or in hamburg.
i love german electronic music and artists like Udo Hanten and Meskens “YOU” , Michael Mertens “PROPAGANDA“ , KLAUS SCHULZE , Arald Grosskopff . ecc..ecc.. there are a lots of arists i would like tell everybody but it’s really impossible. i love german rock (rongly called kraut ) like birth control and others. german JAZZ etc … etc… if i weren’t italian i wish to be german!”
Your personal blueprints?
“there are 5′000 records at least , so i’ll say you! first three arrived in my mind :
Schalktreis Wasserman - Psychotron
You - Live Lines
Egotrya - Egotrya”
What’s your floorfiller track?
“i’m playing a lots of space disco rock at the moment so i’m able to say you immediately:
Rockets - On The Road Again”
What is hot in 2010?
“i’m sure in the 2010 will be hot:
Egotrya - 4 elements (cd and album)
Beppe Loda - Portait Of Electronic Years 2 (compilation cd and album)
MC1 - new album (we are working on )
Beppe Loda - Spazio Virtuale (cd and album) and many others of my new productions”
Ckeck some footage here and there and don’t miss Beppe in Dresden this friday and Munich on saturday.
Joachim Zimmermann: Eine Abmachung mit der Atmosphäre
by Jan Schimmang on January 4th, 2010
Update: Joachim wurde für den Lex Rossen Award 2010 nominiert.
Der Fotograf Joachim Zimmermann bettet seine Sujets gekonnt in ein akzentuiertes Farbspiel. Seine Fotos verfügen oftmals über den Glam und die Hipness einer hedonistischen Disco-Nacht. Scheinbar prädestiniert für den Hochglanz des schnellebigen so genannten Lifestyle, gerne mit dem Schwerpunkt Musik. So portraitierte er u.a. bereits MGMT, Nina Persson oder Art Brut. Sein oben gezeigtes Foto von Zoot Woman stellt der gebürtige Schwarzwälder übrigens für Popmat zum Download zur Verfügung (1200×800 Pixel bei 72 dpi / Desktop MacBook). Er kann seine Inszenierung allerdings auch dem Kontext entsprechend reduzieren, bespielsweise für seine Landschafts- oder Architektur-Aufnahmen. Weil er modemäßig einer der stilsichersten Figuren des Prenzlauerbergs ist, wird diese Tatsache dementsprechend auch in seinen Fashion-Shootings transportiert. Auch wenn er beides wahrscheinlich verneinen würde. Es ist schon einige Jahre her, dass Joachim zweimal vordere Plätze beim Deutschen Jugendfotopreis belegte. Anschließend arbeitete er nicht nur für viele Pop-Magazine, sondern auch für den Suhrkamp Verlag oder Die Zeit - und fotografierte die Arctic Monkeys für das der Visions.
Was war das erste vernünftige Foto, das du gemacht hast?
“Das war im Jahre 2003. Ein schwarz-weiß Portrait in Südfrankreich. Ich mag es deswegen, weil ich später auf dem Foto in den Augen der Portraitierten etwas sah, das diesen Moment, die Gefühlslage, die Jahreszeit, den Ort und auch mich selbst widerspiegelte.
Welche Fotografen schätzt du und warum?
“Martin Parr für seine Liebe zu nationalen Klischees und Ticks und seine Einzigartigkeit diese abzulichten. Tim Walker beeindruckt mich mit seinen großartigen Inszenierungen. Und Sibylle Bergemann wegen ihrer zeitlos poetischen Portraits.”
Was zeichnet deiner Meinung einen guten Fotografen aus?
“Die ideale Mischung aus Hard- und Softskills, Talent, Technik, Organisiation, Konzentration, Einfühlungsvermögen und das Sehen sollten feinstens abgestimmt sein und sich bei jedem Shooting ideal miteinander arrangieren.”
Wer sollte mal von dir fotografiert werden?
“Chloë Sevigny. Ich spüre eine Abmachung in der Atmosphäre, dass es irgendwann dazu kommt beziehungsweise kommen muss.”
Zukunftspläne?
“Ich fotografiere natürlich weiterhin viel und plane derzeit einen Bildband mit meinen Arbeiten aus dem Musikbereich.”
The silence is golden
by Jan Schimmang on November 19th, 2009
Just excellent remixes for Cut Copy, Little Boots, Peter, Bjorn And John or Empire Of The Sun. And more than that: The Golden Filter have released their second official single “Thunderbid”. You can download it for free via their label Dummy. The 7″ vinyl features their cover “The hardest button to button” by The White Stripes on the B-side. The Golden Filter is a bit mysterious, just a few photos without any face and hardly any information about them. It´s seems they are a duo based in New York. Penelope and Stephen. And three short answers via mail in June this year …
Your important experience with the remix culture?
Penelope: “The good experience was stumbling across The Scientist. The bad: ‘Mix Up’ by The Cure. A lesson on how not to remix. A remix should reinvent. One particular song which inspired us were ‘Doctorin’ The Tardis’ by The Timelords aka The KLF.”
Will you release an album soon?
“We are working on our full-length and we will do a few singles before. We hope getting people to remix us instead of vice-versa. Plus making small films and taking pictures.”
And the future?
“The silence is golden.”
Florian Kolmer: Look & Feel - weniger Technik ist mehr Leidenschaft.
by Jan Schimmang on September 17th, 2009
Er arbeitet am liebsten ohne großes Tamtam. Mit einem kleinen Team und geringem technischen Aufwand am Set, konzentriert sich Florian Kolmer auf das Wesentliche: die Persönlichkeit. Seinen Ursprung nahm diese Entwicklung vor acht Jahren, als Florian (im Bild oben mit Hut neben Eric D. Clark und Hugo Capablanca) regelmäßig für die iD arbeitete: 50 Pfund pro veröffentlichtes Foto lassen keine Extravaganzen bei der Produktion zu. So schonte er nicht nur seinen Geldbeutel, sondern schärfte auch sein fotografisches Auge. Im Laufe der Jahre standen schon viele Prominente vor seiner Kamera - Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Daniel Brühl, Pharell Williams, Boy George oder Jarvis Cocker wurden von ihm fotografiert. Für den Stern portraitierte er gerade Charlotte Roche (siehe Foto oben). Gelegentlich legt Florian Kolmer als DJ in diversen Berliner Clubs gute Platten auf. Mit viel Leidenschaft und kreativem Mut. Genau so wie er fotografiert.
Was war das erste vernünftige Foto, das du gemacht hast?
“Im Sommer 1997 fotografierte ich eine Bademoden-Strecke in einem Freibad, in der Nähe von Hamburg. Das Syling war mittelmässig und die Modelle zickig. In einer Pause knipste ich nebenher eine Gruppe von Kindern, die dort spielten. Die Modestrecke verschwand ein Jahr später aus meinem Portfolio, die Kinderfotos zeige ich immer noch.”
Welche Fotografen schätzt du und warum?
“Horst P Horst für seine Portraits von Jean Cocteau, Coco Chanel, Luchino Visconti und den jungen Yves Saint Laurent. Annie Leiboviz, weil ihr Werk die grösste zeitgeschichtliche Relevanz aller lebenden Fotografen hat. Und weil sie - genau wie ich - nicht mit Geld umgehen kann. Außerdem noch Jürgen Teller, weil er mit seiner Fotografie den Weg für eine ganze Generation von Modefotografen ebnete.”
Was zeichnet deiner Meinung einen guten Fotografen aus?
“Was einst Negativ und Labor war ist heute Digi-Back und Photoshop. Ich finde ein guter Fotograf sollte nach wie vor in der Lage sein, einen Plus X Pan ordentlich zu belichten, ihn selbst zu entwickeln und schliesslich einen sauberen Baryt Print zu machen.”
Wer sollte mal von dir fotografiert werden?
“Dolly Buster.”
Zukunftspläne?
“2010 soll das Buch “Les Disc Jockeys” erscheinen. Eine Mischung aus Fashion-, Portrait- und Backstage Fotografie über DJs und Clubculture. Und irgendwann werde ich mal in der Panoramabar auflegen.”
Andreas Mühe: Der Fokus des Raumes
by Jan Schimmang on July 2nd, 2009
Mit spartanischer Inszenierung verleiht der Fotograf Andreas Mühe seinen Bildern einen konzentrierten Effekt. Oder wie F.C. Gundlach formuliert: “ein Werk von außerordentlicher Konsequenz”. Für den Spiegel fotografierte er neulich die Bundeskanzlerin und portraitierte viele Charaktere aus Kunst, Lifestyle und Pop. Ab dem 22. Januar wird seine Ausstellung über die Galerie Camera Work in Berlin zu sehen sein.
Was war das erste vernünftige Foto, das du gemacht hast?
“In meiner Serie über das Seebad Prora gibt es drei Motive, die ich als zeitlos bezeichnen würde. Sie sind 2004 entstanden für die FHM Collection. So ein richtiges Schlüsselbild gab es nicht.
Welche Fotografen schätzt du und warum?
“Jeff Wall. Er vermittelt in seinen Fotos die gewisse Leichtigkeit und beherrscht den gekonnten Umgang mit den Dimensionen des Raumes.”
Was zeichnet deiner Meinung einen guten Fotografen aus?
“Wenn er etwas von seinem Handwerk versteht, dann ist er in der Lage, mit den Objekten zu spielen und seine Bilder können mir etwas mitteilen.”
Wer sollte mal von dir fotografiert werden?
Dave Gahan.
Zukunftspläne?
“Ich bereite gerade meine eigene Ausstellung vor. Und ich werde auch bald meine Arbeit hinter der Video-Kamera fortsetzen.”
Patrick Longstreth: “Reality TV did not kill the music video star, it just pushed him onto the backstage for now.”
by Jan Schimmang on May 11th, 2009
He is the director of the excellent clip “One Day” by The Juan MacLean: below Patrick Longstreth gives answers about the music television today, good work in videos and his next projects.
Are there cinematic references in your work for “One day”?
“A lot of their new album is a repackaging of 70s and 80s sounds, but it still looks toward the future. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to visually reference Tron and Logan’s Run, two movies from the past that look far into the future. The narrative is losely based on a short story by Kurt Vonnegut called ´A Long Walk to Forever´. Its about a young military man who finds out that a girl he had a crush on in high school is getting married. He tries to win her back. Its a beautiful little story. You can read it here.”
What is your opinion concerning the meaning of videos for songs after the death of the classic music television these days?
“I think we’re witnessing the death of all classic television as we know it. In the next ten years everything is going to be owned by Google and we will watch everything on-demand from our computers. Content, as a reflection of our society, will continue to get more fragmented and specialized. People still want to watch and make music videos. They may never reach the mainstream peak they had in the early 90s, but they are quickly carving out a niche on the internet. Reality TV did not kill the music video star, it just pushed him onto the backstage for now.”
Please name three music videos which are brilliant.
Beck “Girl”, The White Stripes “Dead Leaves in the dirty ground”, Fatboy Slim “Weapon of choice” (starring Christopher Walken) and recent honorable mention: Chairlift “Evident utensil”.
How was it to work with Nancy and Juan - how do you come together?
“They were really great to work with! I e-mailed their band manager and we hit it off from there. They gave me a general idea of what they were looking for and then let me go wild with my vision. They came down to DC from NYC and we shot the whole thing on green screen in one day (photos here). We had a crew of about 10 people that worked really hard to get it all done. We also had a lot of fun though. Juan and Nancy gave a great performance on set. We agreed that we wanted their expressions to be sort of melancholy and mysterious, and I think they delivered perfectly.”
What are your next projects?
“I have some storyboards out there, but there’s nothing in production right now. I’m actually going to grad school for visual effects at Savannah College of Art and Design in September. I’m hoping to leave there with some pretty radical short films and music videos.”
Next Page »