Georgia is a collaboration between Brian Close and Justin Tripp. On their own Georgia Sounds imprint, they have previously released one album, 'Asemic Club ', a collection of sound recordings from the previous 5 years, woven together into a dizzying stew. 'Like Comment' is their latest offering of polyrhythmic and wayward grooves, a stuttering and strutting exploration of edited improvisation and a comfortable confrontation between playful nonsense and deeper meaning. The album slides across a varied palette of sporadic rhythm pulses, ethno-tourist grooves, spiritual murk and 21st Century
electronics, looking decidedly forward while nourished by the bounty of the past. In light of the group's extensive work in film and video for artists such as David Byrne, Lee Perry, Julia Holter and many more, the music on 'Like Comment' often feels intended as an environmental accent or cinematic accompaniment, seemingly inspired as much by a location or visual as by other music. As the first full length album released by the Belgian meakusma label, 'Like Comment' is a highly original and sophisticated take on modern club music. www.ggeeoorrggiiaa.com
For the second edition of Foyer we are proud to present the unique live performances of Going and Sun Papa & Lawrence Le Doux.
Going is the Belgium-based modern jazz quartet of Pak Yan Lau, Giovanni Di Domenico, Joao Lobo and Matthieu Calleja. This original line-up of two percussionists and two keyboardists produces a soft-spoken poly-rhythmic jazz that references the sound of the Norwegian Rune Grammofon label whilst conjuring up their own highly original and personal take on jazz and electronic music in the process. They have famously collaborated with Belgian jazz musician Philippe Blondiau. Joao Lobo has performed with people like Evan Parker, Nate Wooley, Marshall Allen, etc. Giovanni Di Domenico has collaborated with Arve Henriksen, Jim O'Rourke and many more.
Sun Papa & Lawrence Le Doux is a project of Laurent Baudoux, known for being a member of Fan Club Orchestra (of Sonig fame) and a slur of other projects. His type of cosmopolitan micro-music takes influences from jazz, science fiction soundtracks and underground hiphop and electronica to produce a warm, heartfelt kind of stream of broken consciousness. Baudoux's talent lies in musically aggrandizing the unnoticed, sometimes even the silly, into an appealing, focused and even humorous amalgam of modern jazz-drenched electronics. When playing live, he is accompanied by his musical partner Sage Ann, who also played on Fan Club Orchestra's 'An Insane Portrait'.
Records before, in-between and after by Ryus and Brice Dreessen. Ryus and Brice are two bright young musical talents in Belgium. They run the Varech project for Brice's production work and have both of them DJ'd at several parties and events all over Belgium.
Foyer is a new concert series, hosted, in the early evening, in the congenial foyer of the Juenglingshaus in Eupen that ten years ago was the home of the renowned hoerbar events. Guests for the first edition are High Wolf, Karin Gwyer and Will Bankhead.
High Wolf's recent and acclaimed 'Kairos: Chronos' album on the American Not Not Fun label is an incredibly engaging trip into psychedelic and dubbed-out ambient-ish grooves. His music a brooding reflection on his eclectic influences, these influences the result of him traveling extensively and performing all over the world, High Wolf is one of these very few ultra-modern music producers that seem to grasp today's musical spirit at the flick of a switch.
Karen Gwyer is a relatively new name in electronic music. Her debut album 'Needs Continuum' on the English No Pain In Pop label has quickly solidified her reputation as a unique producer and performer. She also contributed a remix to the 'Interpretations on F.C. Judd' album on the Public Information label, alongside Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle fame, and has a new release coming up on Opal Tapes. Her intuitive and exploratory production methods give her music a daring intimacy that references classic house music and electronic psychedelic music, cozying up to the work of people like Arthur Russell, Cabaret Voltaire and Fuck Buttons.
Will Bankhead is best known for running the essential The Trilogy Tapes label, being the designer of some of the most iconic record sleeves of the legendary Mo Wax label and nowadays designing for 4AD, R&S, Honest Jons and James Blake. He is also behind the essential internet broadcast Knyx Radio where he plays records from all parts of the musical spectrum, which is something he will do on this first edition of Foyer as well.
Lars Stowe is mostly known for his work as Anstam, releasing his very own brand of avantgarde bassmusic and IDM-flavored intense electronic music on his own Anstam label and on Modeselektor's 50Weapons imprint. His new Anno Stamm moniker sees him take on house and techno with the same eclectic and open-minded stance. The first Anno Stamm release on All City Records, earlier this year, was welcomed as a refreshing, ultra-modern yet rootsy take on techno. On this new release for meakusma, Stowe once again injects his tracks with fervour and eclecticism, breaking open their mould and giving them a sense of direction shaped into a relentless groove that slowly but surely opens up time and again. Here are four tracks that pay homage to Berlin's techno roots. Just as much well-timed as 'out of time', these four tracks are underground slabs of raw but sophisticated, daftly funky techno power!
Right in the middle of the summer, meakusma organizes an edition of the Recyclart Holidays. Don't mind wearing shorts, but nevertheless brace yourself for a night of intense and special club music.
Svengalisghost has only released two 12inches on the revered L.I.E.S. (Long Island Electrical Systems) label, but he is quickly building a reputation with his intense, Sci-fi drenched live sets. This is House music, but not as you might know it. In any case, when some of your main influences are Ron Hardy, 70's electronic Disco music and the rougher side of Chicago House and Acid music, you're always going to end up with something that breaks expectations. The roughness of Svengalisghost's music attributes greatly to its mystique. Get ready for some of the freshest club music around these days. Intense and mystical, this is House music as it was intended to be, remorseless but gracious, conjuring up an energy that touches upon the bare essence of dance music.
Anno Stamm is the new nom de plume of leftfield bassmusic producer Lars Stöwe alias Anstam, who has released his own take on breakbeat-driven electronic music on his own Anstam label and on Modeselektor's 50 Weapons label. He has famously remixed a song for Radiohead and recently played a warm-up concert for the Atoms For Peace launch party at Berlin's Berghain club. As Anno Stamm, he now takes on his Techno roots with the same open-minded and eclectic stance. As his latest release on meakusma shows, Stöwe injects fervour and a rootsy eclecticism into his music. This is daftly funky, yet sophisticated Techno music that plays with and defies repititions and expectations.
Sensu has for years been one of the underground DJ's of Brussels. His intense and informed Dj sets always intend to break open the mould and introduce people to unheard sounds. He is a frequent meakusma collaborator as a DJ and writer, he co-runs the electronic music label Testtoon records and has organized and co-organized a slur of parties and concerts, often bringing artists to Belgium for the first time. Something of a soft-spoken agitator, Sensu's sets touch upon House, Techno, Disco, Industrial and experimental and avangarde electronic music.
Sofa has made a name for himself with eclectic and intense DJ-sets that can touch upon Asian grooves, but just as easily switch to banging Rave sounds. His basic stance on music is driven by Hiphop and Jazz, but he carved out a niche for himself with his informed 'anything goes' stance, interested only in fresh and unexpected sounds. His considerable DJ-skills give his sets the necesary flow, explicitly updating his audience and making them move to what they would never have moved to before. He also runs the acclaimed Lamadameaveclechien label.
Presale : MEA010 Harmonious Thelonious - The Malag EP
Stefan Schwander has been releasing his heavily processed and sequenced take on African music and American minimalism under his Harmonious Thelonious moniker since 2008. His new EP on meakusma is only the second one on a non-German label. On two tracks, Schwander takes his trademark rhythmically and melodically repetitive sound into straightforward Techno territory, although some heavy phasing gives the raw power and stoic repetition of these tracks an ambientish, post-club feel. Two other tracks further develop his typically eclectic and informed sound, playing live organ on one of them, displaying a jittery and jumpy rhythmic style that looks for a groove that until now did not exist. Jesse Hackett, a.k.a. Elmore Judd and Rowan Park, delivers a remix that takes the original firmly into 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' territory, giving melody and rhythm a more open sense of space, and layering it with vocal samples to further add to a sense of Funk alienation. This is serious and exhilarating music!
Goethe-Institut Brüssel & meakusma night at Brigittines & Recyclart
The Goethe-Institut Brüssel and meakusma once again join forces after two successful collaborations in as many years. February 16, 2013 will again see them dissolving boundaries between different musical genres and linking various musical eras.
Further claiming electronic music's relevance outside of any club context, two audiovisual concerts in the Brigittines chapel in Brussels will be the starting point of this year's collaborative effort, followed by an eclectic club night at Recyclart.
Thomas Köner, born in 1965 and a pioneering multimedia artist, will open the festivities. Having been involved in numerous experimental film projects, sound installations and given his experience as a producer in the experimental Techno project Porter Ricks, he has an incredible ability to subtly connect sound and image, be it suggestively rather than explicitly.
Equally groundbreaking is the new collaboration between Wolfgang Voigt and Jörg Burger, Mohn. Voigt and Burger have long been the masterminds of what is commonly described as the sound of Cologne. Voigt's Gas and Mike Ink projects are amongst the most revered electronic music projects of the last two decades and Burger's The Modernist alter ego has seen him developing his own humorous version of minimal Techno music. Mohn encompasses pop music and experimental music into a highly charged, sometimes dissonant, sometimes soothing type of ambient music. They call it opium for the people and by lack of a better description, that is exactly what it is.
After these two concerts, the night continues in Recyclart, the old train station that is still the most exciting venue in Brussels, right next door to Brigittines. The musical focus will shift towards more club-oriented music. Without losing its informed eclecticism, the club part of the night promises to be a subtly anarchic overview of some of the most relevant DJ's and producers working in contemporary club music.
Barnt, responsible for the revered Magazine label, is the appropriate DJ to warm-up and make a link between Brigittines and Recyclart. A musical freethinker, equipped with a seldom seen diversity, Barnt focuses on experiment and emotion. His take on music is utterly unique, even stubborn, but seems to reach people, a rare feat for someone not interested in hiding his experimental interests.
Groupshow is a collaboration between Jan Jelinek, Andrew Pekler and Hanno Leichtmann, for this occasion accompanied by legendary Can vocalist turned drummer Damo Suzuki. They are conceptually non-conceptual, a certain musical democracy firmly embedded in their philosophy. Their performance is about music, improvised music and not about presentation, in an effort to avoid any distance with the audience. The result is a direct, almost unfiltered music, highly dependent on the chemistry between the musicians and its openness towards the audience.
Having gained notoriety for their uncompromising analogue sound, the KM/MM project of Kassem Mosse and Mix-Mup from Leipzig is heavily based on improvisation, but combines this with skill and a relaxed ease. Their fleet of vintage synthesizers and drum machines produces a raw, in your face yet beautiful musical aesthetic that seemingly goes against its own roots. For a few years now, Kassem Mosse has been manifesting himself as one of the most important producers in the business. His highly imaginative live sets have been breathing new life into House music, so much so that he is now reaching an audience outside of the clubs as well.
Closing the night will be the legendary, yet still underrated Anthony Shake Skakir. His adventurous take on Detroit Techno and House music has made him one of the most important producers of club music of the last 25 years. He has worked as a producer or engineer with people like Derrick May, Carl Craig, Moodyman and many others. His own own Frictional and Puzzlebox labels have brought his own productions to a much wider audience. Not interested in flawless DJ mixing, Shake's choices as a DJ are eclectic. He always unassumingly takes center stage, but invites his audience to boldly go with him. Sometimes described as a DJ/producer for the 'heads', this depiction does not do him justice. Anthony Shakir is one of the most genuine and open-minded people in the music business of today. Give up on hype and circumstance and you will no doubt be enthralled by his musical vision.
There's presale tickets available in Fnac, single tickets as well as combi-tickets for both nights.
Brigitinnes can host 250 people, so make sure to get your ticket in time.
Concerts in Brigitinnes start at 8 pm.
The club night in Recyclart starts at 11 pm.
In their own words, like a radio-controlled mechanical, electro-mechanical and multifunctional musical instrument, Berliner Ring build up relentless and relentlessly different grooves in a characteristically non-direct way. As if playing around without focus they layer their tracks and slowly position them into form. The tracks featured here were originally released on CD on the Art Yard label. Melodies are fragmented, often even sparse, the groove never stops, but does so with intervals and while changing focus. Berliner Ring references similar bands in the krautrock and post-rock genre, but it's subtlety, the originality of their self-built instruments and their songs that shift from downright groovy to more atmospheric explorations of ambience and texture guarantee them a unique voice and perspective. Essential stuff.
In September 2012, we are releasing a 12'' compilation to coincide with our party at Katakomben in Eupen. Four artists from the line up each deliver two tracks. Tase, linked to Atelier and Sex Tags Mania, delves deep with one ecstatic Industrial track that references weird Pop music and one slow, challenging and remorseless club track. Dreesvn, aka Dynamo Dresden and SVN, continue their by now famous eclectic production style with two dark, yet playful tunes that reference the darker end of the nineties Electro sound. Ssaliva, aka Cupp Cave, is a Belgian project that released a critically acclaimed mini-album in 2011. His two contributions are poppy and fun excursions into psychedelic dance music where melody, texture and rhythm always contradict and reinforce each other. Bepotel is a promising young band from Belgium, producing a hybrid between House, Ambient and Jazz. Their music is weirdly organic and wildly convincing.
Artwork drawings by SVN.
Join us on September 23 at sunset and skip the night until sunrise as we create Indian summer inside the Katakomben in Eupen with an extremely exciting line-up featuring Cristian Vogel, Kassem Mosse, Roger 23, Τase, Dresvn and more.
Cristian Vogel just released his new and amazing album on Shitkatapult. He is one of the only producers in today's electronic music to be able to fuse true avantgarde sounds with club music. His long career shows an incredible focus through all the very diverse projects he has worked on. You cannot call it Τechno, Dubstep or Ambient, because his productions are always more than the total sum of their parts. Kassem Mosse has become a household name in the scene through his releases on Workshop, Mikrodisko and Nonplus and his numerous critically acclaimed remixes. His live sets have also already acquired legendary status for being extremely moving, surprising, fresh and crisp. One of the meakusma regulars and fresh from his seminal house record on Neurhythmics, Roger 23, returns to Eupen for one of his captivating House DJ sets. Researched, yet spontaneous, Roger knows what he wants and he's happy to share it. Support in room 1 comes from Belgian DJ's Eklektiker and Mandrax.
Room 2 centers around the spirit and musical philosophy of Τase and Dresvn, both involved in the Sex Τags Mania and Sex Τags Amfibia labels. Τase will play live. His music can be either like a dark, moving Industrial-like thud or move into the almost ecstatic. Dresvn have released some of the strangest but also most important club records of the past few years. Τonight, they will DJ, playing some of the tunes that make them tick. Sex Τags Mania and Sex Τags Amfibia are partly responsible for House music taking yet another path, reinventing its past and making it sound once again like something unheard before. Ssaliva, aka Cupp Cave, has released one of the best Belgian records of 2012 on the Vlek label. His unique sound is informed by Hiphop, House, Disco and spacey, even abstract Electronica, with texture, melody and rhythm continuously contradicting and reinforcing each other. Bepotel, one of the most promising young bands from Belgium, will play live and DJ as well. Τhey are influenced by House, Ambient and Jazz and their live sets are quirky, energetic and organic. Support in room 2 comes from Mars Blackmon.
Τhere's no curfew for this party!
Sound provided by Soundsystem.be .. Funktion-One of course!
On May 12, meakusma returns to the amazing Alter Schlachthof building in Eupen. Two rooms, two different atmospheres, but one spirit. The main room focuses on club music, but as always with an edge, while the second room aims more for the mind, listening music from some very exciting artists.
In the main room, Tolouse Low Trax will be presenting his new album 'Jeidem Fall', just released on Karaoke Kalk. Detlef Weinrich, known primarily as a member of the band Kreidler, has been producing music for a few years now as Tolouse Low Trax, music that incorporates experimental sounds and atmospheres into a club-oriented context. Unique, daring and extremely engaging, his tracks nod to the past, but are essentially futuristic. This is mysteriously vibrating drum computer music that will hypnotize you on the dancefloor. Romantic in the old European sense of the word, but universal in its result.
Also playing live is Harmonious Thelonious, the critically acclaimed project of Stefan Schwander, most famous for his minimal techno productions under his Antonelli Electr. and A Rocket in Dub monikers. Basically a fusion of live African percussion with the syncopated sense of melody and rhythm of American classical minimalism, Schwander's new productions have an explicit sense of investigation, of continued research.
DJ support comes from Golden Pudel resident Helena Hauff and local boy Lari Fari. Helena Hauff is an up and coming DJ from Hamburg, running her own special nights in the Golden Pudel club. She plays Acid, Chicago House, Electro and Wave in her inimitable style. Eclectic and intense, she's already a force to be reckoned with. Lari Fari has been a music collector and DJ for ten years. He focuses on mood, sound and substance . His open-minded sets have a unique forward motion to them, never caught in just one style or sphere, but eclectic at the heart.
mea007 // Madteo - Recast by Marcellus Pittman, Shake Shakir and Kassem Mosse // Out Soon !
The reputation of Madteo as an original, even leftfield club producer deservedly keeps on growing. This new release on meakusma is an essential collection of previously released and unreleased tracks, re-interpreted and remixed by Anthony Shake Shakir, Marcellus Pittman and Kassem Mosse. The A-side features a deep and intense Detroit House re-jam by Marcellus Pittmann. Punishing and soothing, sweaty and sophisticated, Pittman again delivers and his unique vision on House music fits Madteo's original like a silk glove. Kassem Mosse's remix takes the original track on an Electro-like trip. His by now famous and unique sound successfully confronts the song with a much more European feel. Detroit legend Anthony 'Shake' Shakir molds the track into a mixture of Hiphop and Downbeat. Its starkness gives the remix a futuristic, out-of-this-world feel. As always Shake aims for the mind and the legs of adventurous dancefloors.
The record is distributed via Clone and is planned to be released soon.
On February 18 2012, meakusma and the Goethe-Institut Brüssel join forces for the second time to bring you a night of cutting edge electronic music.
For the first time in many years, Monolake is coming back to Belgium. He will be presenting his new album "Ghosts". Equipped with a Funktion-One soundsystem, with the speakers set up around the audience, Monolake will perform in the middle of the room using a six channel surround sound setup. Ever since Robert Henke started releasing music as Monolake in 1996, his name has been at the forefront of musical innovation. His take on musical composition and his unique sound and musical technique have made him a household name amongst many of today's electronic music producers and fans worldwide. Because of this reputation and the fact that he does not often perform live, this performance is a rare feat, not to be missed.
Jan Jelinek is also reknown to constantly reinvent himself musically. His Farben project is his personal take on house music. With subtle and indirect grooves, built on obscure micro samples, Farben's music goes beyond normal expectations without resorting to hype or overstatement. His music sometimes feels light and easy, but always has a deeper and different meaning that strays it away from just being deep house. Since 2008, Jan Jelinek has also been running his own and very successful Faitiche label. This will be the first performance of Jelinek in Belgium under his Farben moniker.
Also a first for Belgium is the performance of Anstam. This mysterious project from Berlin has been releasing records now for a few years on their own label and on Modeselektor's 50 Weapons. Their high tech mix of dubstep, grime and techno makes Anstam one of the most essential acts in today's club scene.
Closing off the night is Actress. In only as much as the blink of an eye, Actress has become one of the leading producers and DJ's of the new generation of club music cognoscenti. His album Splazsh on Honest Jon's Records, released in 2010, was hailed as one of the best dance music albums of the last few years. As a DJ, he takes his audience on an ultramodern Afrofuturist trip.
Warming up the event will be Sensu. This DJ from Brussels has for years been working on his own eclectic brand of electronic music DJ'ing. Incorporating avant-garde sounds into his always expanding musical universe, Sensu conjures up a futuristic mix that is not afraid to nod to the past.
A limited amount of tickets is available in all Fnac storesand via Residentadvisor. The rest will be sold at the door, the evening of the event itself. Be sure to be early, because Monolake plays at midnight already.
The 'Carte Blanche to Moritz von Oswald' Documentary by Caroline Lessire
+ An Afterparty with DJ Pete (Hardwax, Scion Versions, DE) and DJ Sensu
A documentary about the 'Carte Blanche to Moritz von Oswald' event, organized by the Goethe Institut Brussels and meakusma in February 2011 in Recyclart. This half hour film was directed by Caroline Lessire, known for her work in video and photography, focusing on the many aspects of music. She has curated the photo exhibition "Step Across The Light : a journey through music photography" and directed documentaries about Anti-Pop Consortium, Laidback as well as music videos.
An afterparty with DJ Pete and Sensu.
For almost two decades, DJ Pete has been at the vanguard of Berlin's Techno landscape. As a producer (under his Substance moniker and with the Scion project), remixer and international DJ, his work comprises a wide range of the most important currents of the last 20 years. These days he spices up his DJ sets with a lot of Dubstep. For this event, he will play a more experimental set, especially tailored to the night and the location.
We have made our new bandcamp site, where you can stream our entire catalogue of music in full length and purchase the releases in what ever format you like too.
If you buy the vinyl release, you will get the possibility to download the digital release for free as mp3 320, FLAC, AAC, Ogg or ALAC.
Unfortunately bandcamp doesn´t offer wav as format.
SPECIAL: Both Madteo releases (mea002x and mea006x) have a free digital bonus track only available trough our bandcamp site
Please take note that some physical releases are sold out, so they will only be available as digital download.
Enjoy!
On September 24th, 2011, meakusma and Patience go back to their roots, organizing a deluxe release party, without curfew, occupying the two rooms of the legendary Katakomben in Eupen. That night, meakusma also celebrates the release of the Timesmithing EP by New Yorker Madteo.
Top of the bill and making his debut in Belgium is Detroiter Marcellus Pittman, studio partner of Theo Parrish, member of the so-called 3 Chairs (next to, again, Theo Parrish, Rick Wilhite and Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann) and running the Unirhythm label. Pittman is a frontrunner of the Detroit Downbeat House and Soul music scene and has earned himself the reputation of being one of the most exciting producers and DJ's around today.
DJ Pete was part of the nucleus that started the Techno scene in Berlin and is still one of the driving forces behind its underground club scene. He is an internationally acclaimed producer, remixer, DJ, Resident at Berghain and a member of the Hard Wax record shop. His DJ sets combine Techno, raw House music and recently Dubstep as well, city-hopping from Detroit to Berlin to Birmingham and so on. As part of Scion, he released some essential material on the Basic Channel affiliate Chain Reaction. Under his own Substance moniker, next to releasing some of the most acclaimed early examples of Berlin Techno, he has remixed artists such as Juan Atkins, Robert Hood and Rhythm & Sound.
Also on the bill is New York resident Madteo, originally from Padua in Italy, presenting his new releases on meakusma. His music always explores unearthed paths, touching upon House, Hip Hop and Electronica, but choosing a continuously leftfield and deeper way to express his musical ambitions. A collaboration with Joy Orbison will be released soon, next to a record on the essential Finnish Sähkhö.
Mandrax is a DJ hero in the east of Belgium and beyond. He is a founding member of Klangforschung Ost and his DJ sets benefit from his large and diverse record collection. A trip through the wide and infinite world of electronic music with a master at the wheel.
Lari Fari from Eupen is a music junkie pure and simple. He has been collecting records for 10 years, oblivious to genre-definitions, his focus is on mood and substance, choosing timeless records to play a set that entrances without ever stating the obvious.
This party does not have a curfew, so we can see the sun rise together.
For the second year in a row, meakusma hosts a stage at the annual Eupen Musik Marathon.
On June 25th, a plethora of artists with a penchant for deep, mystic grooves, often inspired by different musics from the southern hemisphere, will grace the meakusma stage. Also, organized together with Patience, there will be an exclusive afterparty, featuring DJ sets by Morphosis (aka Ra.H), Lari Fari and Mars Blackmon.
Headliner Sam Shackleton has for years been the voice of experimental Dubstep. His own Skull Disco label lay a different foundation for the new genre, linking it to oriental music, Techno and experimental electronic music. Although the Ricardo Villalobos remix of Shackleton's "Blood On My Hands" is his most obvious classic, his whole oeuvre is quickly gaining classic status, his mix CD for Fabric being a case in point.
Also on the bill is Harmonious Thelonius, the new project of Stefan Schwander, mainly know for his work under the Antonelli moniker. This new project mixes American minimalist influences with African rhythms and a distinctly European, slightly clubby view on sequencing. As a live experience, Harmonious Thelonious is original, emotional and hypnotic. Distinctly new and highly accessible at the same time.
Also playing live is the Upperground Orchestra, a four-piece Lebanese-Italian Jazz-Fusion band consisting of Rabih Beaini (Ra.h, Morphosis) playing synths and electronics, Tommasso Cappellato on drums, Alvise Seggi on bass and Piero Bittolo Bon on sax. Although heavily influenced by Sun Ra, Upperground Orchestra effortlessly manage to mark out their own path through the cosmic maze of Jazz and everything beyond.
DJ support comes from Will O'Brien, founder of the Antwerp based Sub-Scape party and DJ Walrus, one of the brightest new Belgian talents of the last few years.
The city of Eupen is located in the east of Belgium, close to the German and Dutch borders. There is direct trains every hour connecting Eupen with the Oostende-Brussels-Liège axis. The train station is at less than one kilometer from the festival stage.
Presale tickets are available at Fnac for 10€. With this ticket, entrance to the afterparty is free.
mea005 // DJ Yoav B. - Wisdom Traxx EP (incl Protect-U remix)
After releasing some highly acclaimed records on Delsin and Wabi Sabi, Tel Aviv-based Yoav B. releases three new tracks for our label. Gently rubbing shoulders with Detroit Techno (the way Anthony Shakir produces it) and HipHop, built on crazy loops and raw rhythms, the tracks are enhanced with psychedelic and playful sounds, that give them the feeling of being in continuous flux and movement. The mood here is absorbing yet ambivalent. On top of this, Protect-U, from the fantastic Future Times camp, delivers a remix, pulling the music away from reality, firmly aiming it for the universe. With a mid-tempo House feeling, a crispy bassline and abstract synthesizer pattern, they take the listener beyond the infinite.
The record is distributed via Clone and is planned to be released in Week 19.
Also on the line-up is the Brussels-based band Different Fountains. Their blog of the same name is one of the most essential music blogs today and their small label focuses on beautifully crafted limited releases, often based on jams organized in their studio in Brussels. The eclectic Gwelmine draws influences from Pop, Rock, Electro and classical music, topped up with vocals in many different languages. A solid shot of post millennium Trip Hop, but more versatile and open-minded than the genre allowed when springing up in the nineties.
DJ support comes from Brussels-based DJ Sensu, for years one of the voices of underground DJ'ing in Belgium, Brisquez, an architect, producer and DJ born in Venezuela, but based in Brussels and Hallo Kosmo, the bass player of "Girls in Hawaii" and an eclectic DJ in his own right.
The Goethe-Institut Brussels and meakusma are honored to present a club night curated by the legendary Moritz von Oswald (Basic Channel, Maurizio, Rhythm & Sound, Palais Schaumburg), one of the godfathers of what came to be known as the Berlin Techno sound and still one of the most important contemporary producers of electronic music. We have of course given him "Carte Blanche".
He will be performing himself, with his trio, featuring Vladislav Delay (Luomo, Uusitalo) and Max Loderbauer (Sun Electric, NSI). Exploring the possibilities inherent in live, collaborative improvisation, with von Oswald playing electro-acoustics, Loderbauer on analogue synthesizers and Vladislav Delay again taking up drums, his original instrument, the trio aims at creating an "endless groove" of sorts, de-emphasizing melody and harmony and putting the rhythmic pulse of percussion firmly in the foreground. Call it deconstructed Techno if you must, the result of this way of working references legendary Krautrock band Can and, at the same time, puts them at the heart of what musically is most relevant today. Continuously fluxing their rhythms, they shrug shoulders with Electronica and Afrobeat, layering and re-thinking music for today and the future.
Also, he will be playing a DJ set accompanied by vocalist Tikiman, aka Paul St. Hilaire.
Tikiman has for years been closely linked to Moritz von Oswald through his collaborations with Vos Oswald's legendary Rhythm and Sound project (which he ran together with Mark Ernestus). Next to this, Tikman has leant his unique voice to projects with The Bug, Deadbeat, Moderat, Stereotyp, Jean-Marie Aerts, Vainqueur, etc. Since 2000, he has been running his own False Tuned label, home to his own productions and a few collaborations as well. Organically fusing modernity and tradition, Tikiman directs a pulse of spiritual light through the unity of his voice, production and performances.
Mala is part of Digital Mystikz and one of the people behind DMZ. Digital Mystikz have long been considered to be one of the prime movers and shakers of the Dubstep scene. Their tracks "Pathways", "Haunted" and "Anti-War Dub" are considered to be some of the most essential tracks coming from the genre so far, establishing Dubstep as the force of inspiration and creativity it still is today and also forging cross-genre collaborations.
Peverelist is the lynchpin of the Bristol Dubstep music scene. His championing of home grown talent has made his label, Punch Drunk Records, the defining contemporary label of one of the world's most influential musical cities. His own productions have proved crucial in shaping the second wave Dubstep sound, citing influences from Reggae's sound system culture and European and American Techno and House. His "Jarvik Mindstate" album, released in 2009, is already a classic.
Independent label Honest Jon's is run by Mark Ainley. For twenty years, they have been releasing inventive non-Western music. Mark Ainley will play a warm up DJ set for the Moritz von Oswald trio.
For this very special occasion, Recyclart will be equipped with a Funktion One Soundsystem.
The airwaves fill with crackling sounds, bursts of ideas, music and opinions, all loud, yet all temporary.
Noise in the Ether presents two new voices, new ideas and, above all, MUSIC!
Music before all else, the voices made secondary. What kind of music? Any and all. There'll be subtle jazz and improv meanderings followed by bursts of hysterical noise; rock'n'roll animals will duel with ancient bluesmen and folk singers; guitars will unleash sheets of metal before making way for delicate ambience or insistent drone. Pop will dance to its insistent tune or minimalist composition will subsume our senses. This is the beauty of music. Music before all else. Noise in the Ether.
Enjoy!
Following their show in Amsterdam for the Rush Hour Disco 3000 night (headlined by Detroit legend Theo Parrish), the upcoming American label Future Times comes to Belgium for the first time, presenting Beautiful Swimmers and Protect-U.
Beautiful Swimmers is the production duo of Andrew Field Pickering and his friend for long and DJ partner Ari Goldmann. Using samples from forgotten records picked from flea markets and mixing them with parts played on analogue synths, they have released some epic tunes on Future Times already, the Electro Boogie masterpiece 'Swimmers Groove' for example and the Cosmic Reggae Disco tinted 'Big Coast' that got them international praise for a.o. Roman Fl\ügel of Alter Ego. Next to this, they also run a party in Washington DC called 'The Whale' that has featured Tensnake, Tim Sweeney, Hunee, Aeroplane, Damfunk and Lovefingers. Their blog 'Heal Yourself and Move' sees Andrew Field Pickering write about the state of present day dance music and club culture.
Next to the DJ set by Beautiful Swimmers, Protect-U, a project by Michael Petillo and Aaron Leitko, will perform live. After playing in different Punk and Hardcore bands for a few years, they founded Protect-U and last year released their debut EP 'Double Rainbow', a playful fusion of Talking Heads, Arthur Russell and Trax Records influences. Together with Andrew Field Pickering, Michael Petillo runs the Future Times label and Aaron Leitko is a contributor for the cultural column of the Wasington Post.
This night will take place in the event room of the La Rocca youth club in the lower part of Eupen. Doors open at 21.00 and the entrance is 7€.
MEA004.1 + MEA004.2 // [sic!] ñ [sic!] EP + ëOrange Skyà Remixes by Errorsmith, LowLow & Quarion
[sic!] is a modern disco band with members Jules Etienne, Alessandro Tartari (from gui.tar and Snax and Snakettes) and producer and DJ Massimiliano Pagliara (Rushhour, Needwant, Balihu). They all share a passion for warm synth sounds, poignant melodies and groovy structures. Far beyond typical or retro-kitsch, [sic!] have composed 4 wonderful disco songs with timelessness firmly stamped on them.
In addition to this EP, we will release a special record with remixes of the 'Orange Sky' track.
This heavy duty remix ep features reworks by Errorsmith (MMM & Smith'n'Hack), Lowlow (Mathematics, MoM) and Quarion (Drumpoet Community, Plak).
Errorsmith remodels Orange Sky, in his inimitable style, into a bouncing bomb, solely focused on making the dancefloor explode in delirious delight. Lowlow's version explores the darker side of the track, conjuring up a syncopated nu disco rhythm that sounds claustrophobic and ecstatic at the same time. Quarion takes 'Orange Sky' to the beach and gives it a balearic house feel.
[JJ + RS]
Videoclip for the track "Orange Sky" from the [sic!] EP by Mauro Chiarello Ciardo and Valeria Palermo.
[sic!] is a modern disco band with members Jules Etienne, Alessandro Tartari (from gui.tar and Snax and Snakettes) and producer and DJ Massimiliano Pagliara (Rushhour, Needwant, Balihu). They all share a passion for warm synth sounds, poignant melodies and groovy structures. Far beyond typical or retro-kitsch, [sic!] have composed 4 wonderful disco songs full of summer, with timelessness firmly stamped on them.
The video has been created with the kind help of the Cera Foundation.
Concertnight at Hertogenwald w/ Tussle,Publicist,...
As part of their European tour, San Francisco based band Tussle is coming to Eupen (their only stop in Belgium), accompanied by The Publicist (the solo project of Sebastian Thomson, drummer of Trans Am). DJ support comes from Herrmutt Lobby and Lalai Drama.
Tussle is a great live band, a polyrhythmic rhythm-machine that links to Krautrock and Post Punk, while adding a uniquely modern sense of experimentation and song writing craft. Their last album 'Cream Cuts' was universally lauded as an electronic pop music record that crosses boundaries between today's rock and dance music scenes. They have played and toured with bands like Hot Chip, Ratatat, Yacht, Cluster, Faust and Gang Gang Dance. With a throbbing bass sound and their disco-influenced drumming, they are now a mainstay on the underground music scene already, prone to becoming a household name in the ever expanding niche occupied by such bands as LCD Soundsystem and !!!. Tussle has released a total of three albums and a handful of 12 inches on labels like Smalltown Supersound, Troubleman Unlimited, Rong/DFA and Tomlab. A soundtrack for the summer or the summer that was, seeing Tussle play live is a must!!
Support act The Publicist concentrates on the beauty and magic of beats to create a warm, disco-drenched pop sound. Like listening to Funk from outer space, aimed at people with interplanetary ambitions themselves.
Eupen-based DJ Lalai Drama will provide a fitting mix of new and old records, coherent as well as surprising. Bretzel Zoo, the DJ project of Herrmutt Lobby, will close off the evening with a mix of Afrobeat, Hiphop, Dub and Electronica. They aim for the dancefloor and you should pitch them their coffee black, no sugar.
Visuals by r\üts DVD contributors Dirk Ignoul aka Zuper! and Kris Clijsters.
For the first time, meakusma curates the ëGospert 42à open air stage, fully dedicated to electronic music in all possible shapes, at the Eupen Musik Marathon. From 2pm till 9.30pm, a select group of artists (many of them linked to the meakusma label) will make your ears buzz with their intense and intensely beautiful sounds on a state of the art Funktion One Soundsystem. At 10pm, thereÃs an after party at the Atlantic Restaurant, a nice restaurant/cocktail bar close to the Josephine Koch park.
[sic!] will be headlining the outdoor part to present their upcoming release on the meakusma label. This ëyoungà band can work up a Disco storm that goes far beyond retro kitsch or the immediate necessities of the dancefloor. Jules Etienne, Massimiliano Pagliara and Alessandro Tartari use analogue synths, drum machines and bass guitar to produce a sound that references sci-fi film music, the sound of the 80Ãs in the Paradise Garage and Italo Disco.
Juju and Jordash are forerunners when it comes to performing electronic music live. Echoing Detroit Techno, Dub, Jazz, Krautrock and Postrock, their performances have a Free Jazz feel, leaving options and solutions wide open. They have released on Psychostasia, Real Soon and Dekmantel, releases that have brought them worldwide acclaim and a big following, with fans digging their open minded approach towards music production and performance.
DJ Morpheus, a.k.a. Sammy Birnbach is a legend. In the 70Ãs and 80Ãs, he acquired notoriety as the singer of the seminal New Wave/Post Punk band Minimal Compact. In the 90Ãs, he worked as A&R man for SSR, where he was responsible for the essential Freezone Ambient Music compilations and also brought Carl CraigÃs masterpiece More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art to the labelÃs roster. Still as vital and in tune as always, Morpheus still travels the world, spinning his inimitable brand of eclectic dance music aimed at your head and feet.
Madteo also releases on meakusma. His music is a subtle mixture of Hiphop, House and Electronica. Genre-bending and abstract, his releases have an understated feel that bring their message to you in fragments and whispers. Less is more for this New York resident, although his subtle approach can just as easily entrance an audience that is up for it.
Julian Jˆckel hails from Darmstadt and has for years been one of the favourite DJÃs of the meakusma camp. As half of the Immer.Chic project, he has released on Altered Moods and meakusma and is going to release a track on the next Workshop compilation. His Midnight Opera mixes are full of rarities and weird finds and have gathered him a following of people looking further.
Sensu is an old school DJ not interested in old school things. As the son of a classical singer, he has always been surrounded by challenging music. His own DJ sets combine many different styles and genres that are or either feel electronic. He has been a resident in Recyclart, CafÈ Belga, Wax Club and plays all over Belgium and sometimes abroad as well.
A distinctly cosmic theme runs through Terrence Dixon's new outing for our label. The two original tracks are two deep space jams with and from a Detroit mindset, the remixes on the flipside by Upperground Orchestra take the "Room 310" track into deep Jazz territory. The original "Room 310" has one filtered and repetitive synth melody at its core, Dixon's own voice marking a conflict between the reality of everyday life and the expanded reality of what he sees in the sky. The few poignant sounds around the center of the track filter in and out of focus, creating a melodic counterpart that on the one hand enhances the track and on the other hand makes it reflect upon itself. "Who Is That" explores the same territory. Equally repetitive, it sounds a bit more earthed, at once ironic only to blast beyond the rings of Saturn a moment later.
The Upperground Orchestra remixes function in a different way, but aim to arrive at the same goal. Ra.H's Jazz ensemble from Venice Italy re-interprets the track, but stays true to it's intentions. In fact, the two remixes function as one whole track, taking up 15 minutes. Continually changing and evolving, the track features off-key synth stabs on the Polysix (in true Detroit tradition), double-bass played by Seggi and a Techno-y vibraphone played by Pasquale Mirra contributing melodic as well as rhythmical stabs. Tommaso Cappellato's gentle background drumming flows over the TR808. All this conjures up a 70's Jazz feel that fits Dixon's albeit jazzy Detroit wanderings like a glove. Seemingly organic, the whole atmosphere in this Jazz rework is equally cosmic and "far out" as in the original tracks. Part two sees more live drumming step into the foreground. Here a feeling of the musicians jamming prevails, but still all musical information always nods back to the synthetic and only when the last note has been played, the voyage is over and the universe conquered. Cosmic insanity!
meakusma returns to Recyclart with an all-star line up of legends and new super talents.
Expect deep, relentless beats, grooves and textures that move forward, however still earthed in the rich tradition electronic club music has built up by now.
The collaborative effort between the legendary DJ Pete (of Scion, Substance and Chain Reaction fame) and Sleeparchive has been going strong for a few years already, but is now firmly moving into focus with a mind-blowing appearance at last year's landmark "Hard Wax XX" party in Berlin. For the first time in Belgium, these two Techno deities stand for a seductive and deep Techno music, that avoids the obvious and intents on further developing Techno as a cutting edge genre.
Ra.H hails from Lebanon, but has been living in Italy, where he started up his already seminal Morphine Records label in 2005. The Morphine sound uses a House music template but broadens it with subtle experimentalism, creating a deep and modern analogue sounding club music that is highly original and that breathed new life into a club scene dominated by made-to-measure minimal House or Techno.
Kassem Mosse's sound is also based upon analogue synthesizers and drum machines. Call it Techno, but he often surprises with sounds that seemingly do not fit into any category. Releases on Microdisko and especially on Workshop have cemented his reputation as on of the most original and daring producers around today.
Immer.Chic has had a few tracks released already. He warms up the night with an amalgam of stranger, deeper tracks, the result of years of crate-digging and looking for the unexpected.
Note: Please don't waste your time taking pictures. You can just dance and let us provide you with digitized memories. Our website will feature pictures of the event afterwards, for you to be used and abused.
This special event, curated by meakusma, will take place in the beautiful Studio 1 in the Flagey building. It is a meakusma event outside of a club context, in which you can sit down, listen to the music and watch the visuals. Shackleton and Robert Seidel will perform some of their finest and unreleased work together for the first time. Yko will premier his new audio/visual show, especially for this opportunity.
The evening kicks off with a lecture by Robert Seidel, guiding you into this audio/visual journey.
Also worth mentioning is that Herve Jungblut's (aka ego) video for Bachel's Casualty 606 track off the "rüts" DVD compilation has been selected by the Anima Film Festival in the section National "Competition - Panorama".
Tickets can reserved by calling this number: +32/2/641.10.20.
meakusma starts a new series of special, limited releases. On 10" vinyl and CD, a number of different artists will be contributing tracks, leftfield from the demands and expectations of any weekly release schedule.
Kicking off the series is Madteo, who already prickled initiated ears with his releases on Morphine and its sublabel Lanquid.
A selection of music videos and short films from the r¸ts DVD will be screened at the Plateaux festival in Poland and the Cimatics festival in Brussels.
On Friday the 20th of November, the DVD will be presented in the cinemas of Torun and Bydgoszcz. One week later, on Friday the 27th of November, another
screening will take place during the Sound On/Off night at the Brigittines chapel in Brussels.
meakusma pres. Live Pa by Hieroglyphic Being "I LOVe U DanCer Dj edits" on samurai.fm
Is it strange to talk about space when you talk about Jamal Moss? Not space, mind you, in the sense of space travel or futuristic house music that aims at nothing else but being interstellar, at surpassing the rings around Saturn and going beyond the infinite. But simple, concrete space, space between beats, space between sounds. Jamal Moss' brand of urban, but equally de-urbanized house music has tons of space, which is perhaps a strange conclusion when thinking about his jacking, remorseless sound. But he can drop space into his music, his dj sets or his live sets. Space does not mean silence, for silence in his music is affected. It is not without consequence. It might be a drum computer that seems to not want to start a rhythm, but does so in the end, twisting expectations, but sounding just right. It might be a pause between two vocal snippets that are so strong, they push everything else to the background. Early house music and European new wave filtering through to America are two focal points in his music. He started his career producing experimental, industrial soundscapes for a club in Chicago and then moved on to innovate the basic rhythm of house music, looking hard at where he could take it, updating people's perception on what the possibilities are of a genre that is mostly associated with a sweaty dancefloor and some harmless feel-good fun with your friends. His productions as Hieroglyphic Being, The Sun God, IAMTHATIAM and under his own name are not harmless. They don't destroy, but they stand for an ongoing musical research. Jamal Moss is not a purist. His sources do not allow him. His music is as glorious as the magic and mystery of an unanswered question. "Rafael Severi"
This Live Pa gets you an idea what to expect from him on our event in collaboration with Sub-Scape in Antwerp on November 6th. For more info about the event with Surgeon and Jamal Moss please have a look here.
meakusma presents Upperground Orchestra live @ Elefante Rosso on samurai.fm
Elefante Rosso is the brand new music club in Venice,
mainly focused on the research and the development for
experimental music in the local area. Hosting many
international and local premium musicians, it's soon
becoming a crossing point for many cultural and musical
acts. Upperground Orchestra, appearing regularly at Elefante
Rosso, is formed by Rabih Beaini, Alvise Seggi, Max Bustreo
and Tommaso Cappellato, alongside guests and occasional
performers. On June 23 2009 the band hosted Pasquale Mirra,
an avant-garde and underground jazz vibraphonist, with a
totally improvised and free session publicly recorded.
Leading the band with electronic analog synths and drum
machines, Rabih Beaini aka Ra.H delivered cosmic deep beats
and spaced out sounds, joined by drummer Tommaso Cappellato
with raw drum jams and abstract patterns. Alvise Seggi
pushed the bass lines to the limits of sound creating a
psychedelic fusion with the key notes and pads of Max
Bustreo. Pasquale Mirra, first time with the band, made some
strong musical statements with space-jazz loops and chords,
creating unconventional effects and sounds with those steel
bars. The overall result is packed in a fusion between funk,
jazz and contemporary music, experiments and sound exploits,
keeping the jam solid and straight while being crafty
mental. The show was recorded on a 2-track recorder with no
post editing.
Check Upperground Orchestra "Solaris Eremit" on Morphine
Records, soon a (..) remix on our label.
Massimiliano Pagliara & Roger 23 // H-EA-L EP // mea001
Following up on the r\üts compilation and DVD manifesto, comes our new release, a collaborative effort of Massimiliano Pagliara (Balihu, Rushhour, Live at Robert Johnson) and Roger 23 (Playhouse, Baud, Swayzak Soundsystem, 240 Volt). Two exceptional tracks, aimed directly at a demanding and sweaty dancefloor.
On the A-side, Berlin based band 'Sic!' (with Jules Etienne, Alessandro Tartari from gui.tar and Massimiliano Pagliara) have their track 'H-EA-L' remixed by Roger 23. A 10 minutes, moody Dub, this track pounds its way gracefully to the center of the dancefloor. Literally out of a thunderstorm, Alessandro Tartari's breathy voice emerges, sprurring on the track. Roaring subbass and an ever increasing amount of little chords, rhythmic elements and effects give the track a profound and dislocating spatial deepness. Right in its middle, the track reconsiders and breaks open into a warm, string-laden soundscape, restarts again but sounds as if reinvented. This is an epic piece of music fusing a relentless robotic structure with a warm sound production.
The track on the B-side sees Massimiliano Pagliara and Roger 23 offering an even more dislocating piece of dance music. Filled with contrast and contradiction, this is a Disco House track for lovers of Dub and Techno music, a slow motion House track for DJ's not afraid to slow things down and take the dancefloor to the next level, a functional track for everyone willing to take it on and twist it around. The dub chords, which sound as if coming out of some gigantic echo chamber, the pounding bass and the piercing and catchy synth line are all mixed completely to the foreground. A track without physical heart that is all about heart. A beautiful contradiction.
Something special.
After astonishing DJ sets at Recyclart and Katakomben in 2007 and 2008, we are pleased to again present Anthony Child, aka Surgeon, accompanied by Jamal Moss, aka Hieroglyphic Being.
Since exploding onto the Techno scene in 1995, DJ and producer Anthony Child has been remoulding his version of contemporary techno with a mind- and body-blowing discography of releases on his own Dynamic Tension and Counterbanlance imprints as well as leading techno labels Tresor and Downwards. Oblivious to current trends, his work continues to be deep and expressive, yet equally effective in a club environment. A perfect dynamic tension: balance and counterbalance. Surgeon will again play a DJ Set that will encompass his diverse range of musical styles and influences.
Jamal Moss has long been a part of the Chicago underground House/Techno scene as both a producer and DJ. Renowned for his unique raw sounding slow and rough, yet soulful, analogue acid house jams, he has recorded for respected labels such as International DJ Gigolo, Spectral, Cr\ème Oganization and Axis sublabel 6277. He has also worked closely with Techno legend Steve Poindexter and Chicago House pioneer Adonis. Jamal will perform a special live set, mixing analogue drum machines with his own re-edits and samples.
DJ support comes from Sub-scape's Escalators team, as well as from meakusma soundsystem.
Together with the drummer of Dizzy Ventilators, Daniel Jodocy, meakusma returns, once again, to their common home turf. Presenting another "party-embedded concert" at esscobar on September 18th. DJ support comes from no other then legendary DJ Morpheus.
Dizzy Ventilators is the brainchild of Yusuke Yamamoto and Daniel Jodocy. Yamamoto, on keys and dub, is known as one of NYC's finest multinstrumentalists. Jodocy, on drums, is the inventor of the "musical suitcases", built from materials found on the streets of New York, that make the Dizzy Ventilators sound so inimitable. The suitcases have also been featured by John Zorn's finger pocket concierto as well as recorded for Zadic with Kenny Wollesen's band Wollesonic. With their debut album, Service Check In, Dizzy Ventilators are making a name for themselves as a duo both abstract and simple, extraordinary and the same. There is no real genre of music that can define what they play, because each track is composed of many different textures.
Morpheus was the lead singer of cult band Minimal Compact, producing a string of 12"s that became anthems in underground clubs in Europe and the United States. In 1994, he took on his Morpheus moniker and started compiling the Freezone series, while also being responsible for projects on SSR such as Carl Craig's legendary More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art album, the Telex remix album, etc. Almost by surprise, he started his DJ career in 1995 when he was invited to play at a big R&S party in Ghent. Since then, Morpheus has been playing major clubs, fashion parties, festivals around Europe and has staged a successful reunion with Minimal Compact. He has built himself a reputation as an eclectic DJ and crate digger, highly respected in many different scenes and subgenres of the electronic music world and beyond.
Also, we took inspiration from a Forwart event in Hasselt, where a painter painted live to the music. At esscobar, former flyer painter from "Jazz im Foyer", Boris Nyssen, will be drawing his lines, projected via an overhead projector. Not to be missed!!
Some kind of impressionistic stance runs through the music and persona of Vakula. His releases on Quintessentials, Uzuri and Meakusma all shy away from explicit statement and subtly paint out patterns, textures and beats that are deceptively simple, but yet aim to arrive at the heart of any electronic music dancefloor. His take on house music is heavily influenced by the rich history of the genre, with subtle jazz influences floating about and gentle voices pulsing you on. There's more going on beneath the surface though, as Vakula brilliantly uses and abuses the expectation pattern of his audience and twists things around, almost inaudibly. This mix takes the same path and sees Vakula mixing a selection of recent highlights from some of the more adventurous house music producers. Tin Man's brilliant Wasteland track comes in as the second record here and it sets the mood perfectly for what is to come. This 'Narcotic House' masterpiece (where's the time that Chain Reaction releases were depicted as 'Heroin House') twists open the set with its ambiguous 'just relax man' vocal. "Just relax man, I'll get you in the end" Vakula seems to say and he achieves brilliantly.
As a special extra, Vakula has come up with a mix of unreleased tracks all produced by himself. Notably more upbeat than the first mix, the same aesthetic applies to it though. Slowly seductive, pristine tracks shuffle in and out of focus. A distinct eclecticism runs through it all, with the voices used, on the one hand, echoing his influences and, on the other hand, giving the mix a strange dislocated multicultural feel.
meakusma pres. DJ Morpheus ìSummer Chillout Mixî at samurai.fm
Legendary Belgian DJ Morpheus contributes a summery mix to the meakusma Samurai roster, referencing his acclaimed Freezone series on SSR both in spirit and selection. Next to compiling this series of electronic listening music in the nineties, Morpheus was the lead singer of cult band Minimal Compact, producing a string of 12\"s that became anthems in underground clubs in Europe and the United States. In 1994, he took on his Morpheus moniker and started compiling the aforementioned Freezone series, while also being responsible for projects on SSR such as Carl Craig's legendary More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art album, the Telex remix album, etc. Almost by surprise, he started his DJ career in 1995 when he was invited to play at a big R&S party in Ghent. Since then, Morpheus has been playing major clubs, fashion parties and festivals around Europe, has staged a successful reunion with Minimal Compact and has built himself a reputation as an eclectic DJ and crate digger, highly respected in many different scenes and subgenres of the electronic music world and beyond. This is his selection for the summer. Open your window.
Mark the first of August in your calendars, write down 'Midsummer Madness', because that is exactly what manna, our collaborative effort with plain and
forwart, is going to offer you with the Belgian debut of Levon Vincent, straight from New York, and our favourite starchild Roger 23.
Once again, not to be missed.
DJ'ing since 1993, Levon Vincent has had his big break in 2008 with his unique, pumping Techno sound. His Invisible Bitchslap EP, released in November 2008, contained about the catchiest bassline Techno has seen in a long time. This record is typical for the Levon Vincent sound. It is intense, merciless, it explicitly references Techno, but Levon leaves room for interpretation and play, resulting in a sound palette that is open-ended, malleable and edgy. He also runs the Novel Sound label, co-runs the Deconstruct imprint and has recently contributed a mix to the Resident Advisor site. A future classic!
Roger 23 needs no introduction. He has played in some of the most famous and cutting edge clubs around Europe, is the tour DJ for Swayzak and has released records and tracks on Playhouse, Volt Musik and Baud. His DJ sets are ecletic, incorporating House, Techno and weird 80's stuff. He is a true craftsman when it comes to Dj'ing, having an amazing talent to 'feel' the dancefloor, mixing in stuff from leftfield, being able to always surprise his audience, without ever losing the groove, although the groove in Roger's hands is totally his own unique voice.
As a small, special treat, manna members and residents MCK and Sensu will do a ping pong warm up set. Can you dig it?
manna, our collaborative project with Forwart and Plain, ventures into the night again with guests DJ Sprinkles, aka Terre Thaemlitz, Madteo and Massimiliano Pagliara.
DJ Sprinkles is the nom de plume of Terre Thaemlitz, one of the most prolific artists, producers, cultural entrepeneurs to ever rise from the electronic music underground. His brand a deep and politically charged house music, his releases on Comatonse, Mule Musiq and Mille Plateaux are all classics. Essential!! Massimiliano Pagliara, born in Italy, but these days residing in Berlin, is a star in the making. With a record on Balihu in 2008, an EP on Live at Robert Johnson, Rushhour and an upcoming collaboration with Roger 23 on meakusma, Massimiliano's first visit to Belgium will be a memorable one. Madteo's debut album Memoria was released on Morphine Records in 2008 to great critical acclaim. His sound is a fusion of hiphop and the deep end of house. Unique, deep and beautiful, futuristic stuff, that nods to the past.
After last year's promising edition with Shackleton, we are again going back to nature for another music marathon at the unique and intimate bunker location in the heart of the Ardennes, next to the border with Luxembourg.
There's a lot of camping space, so bring your tent. This is the event to kickstart the summer!!!
Back to nature - burning bodies in the sun
Back to nature - just like lemmings, every one
Back to nature - capitalist aircraft fill the air
Back to nature - aerosol sun breaks on air
'A dance is the devil's procession, and he that entereth into a dance, entereth into his possession.' St Francis de Sales (as found in 'Turn the Beat Around', Peter Shapiro's excellent book on Disco)
Massimiliano Pagliara is a future star, no doubt about it. Few people these days manage to be stellar from the get go, but his first release on Balihu was just that. A perfect mix of everything that moves him, whether disco, house, techno or electro. Call it house perhaps, but Massimiliano has the talent to make his tracks sound futuristic and deep, influenced by elements from the past, while updating them with the present and the future. Digging into pure sound and clubbing at the same time, he has a good shot at arriving once again at the dark side of the moog, or any other tool he might use. The dj-set here is at times melancolic, atmospheric and nostalgic, but never loses forward momentum. Electronic music, and house music in particular, is at its best when it suggests something outerworldly, almost glossy, while keeping in with an underground desire to keep the groove going and to change or update it at the same time. Listen to this dj-mix and find out for yourself that club music can be the most beautiful contradiction.
meakusma pres. Madteo w/ Sensational ìNaughtica Live setî at samurai.fm
'I'm a bit of a straight kickdrum and bass slut.'
Playing around with obvious and less obvious influences, mixing hiphop, house and techno, Madteo delivers a live set of downright future hiphop. Together with MC and his "brother from another mother" Sensational, on the wonky hiphop tracks featured in this set, he uses understatement as his artistic means of expression. Sensational and I go back from when, in the mid 90s, I used to be the one doing the (boring) mailings with his very first few solo LPs from my days helping out at the Wordsound offices in Williamsurg, BK...then he fell into some hard times, a young broken hearted uniquely talented MC with no place to sleep who wandered the streets of NYC 24/7 on the hustle for about 5-6 or even 7 years.....so for a period of a few years he ended up sleeping on my couch a lot and that's how our music collaborations jumpstarted.
With a basic set-up, without too much technological trickery, layering or anything like that, he focuses on the few sounds that he thinks work and then indeed makes them work. His acclaimed debut Memoria on Morphine Records is an essential record for anyone interested in the future of club music (we're all supposed to be, aren't we).
A self-confessed straight kickdrum and bass slut, this Madteo live set sounds like the past, integrated in some glorious future.
On Saturday 14 March 2009, meakusma returns to Recyclart, presenting their uncompromising take on electronic music.
Amsterdam based Newworldaquarium stands for grooves without end, slowly changing colour and shape, sneaking their way into your head. His 2008 "The Dead Bears" was hailed as a landmark album by top DJ's, producers and journalists alike. Newworldaquarium uses the Detroit legacy and gently twists it around, using records, samples, loops and beats to conjure up a low-tempo, deep and subtle Disco-like groove.
Of Finnish descent, but born and raised in California, Tin Man has two major musical passions: fragile, deep Electronica and Acid House. With acclaimed releases on the Finnish record label Sähkö/Keys of Life, Cheap Records from Vienna and Global A (his own imprint) his most recent "Wasteland" EP is his most bold so far, fusing chicago House with an opiated version of European Electronica and Indietronica. This is his first set in Belgium, not to be missed.
For the second time, Swayzak Soundsystem's renowned DJ, producer and musical magician Roger 23 comes to Recyclart with his sophisticated, spontaneous and energetic mix of Electro, House, Techno and futuristic ear candy. His magic touch will, yet again, transform the dancefloor into an intergalactic musical adventure.
Last but not least, Brussels' finest & first Electro DJ, Surreal Sound founder, producer for labels such as Nature & Roulette and a resident at the Fuse club's first season, Joost de Lijser will warm up the night with a 3 hour set of rare Acid House records.
Visuals by rüts DVD contributors Zuper! and Kris Klijsters.
Be there and be early!
Note: we will make sure there's a photographer around, covering the event with a set of pictures. These will be made available through our website. Contrary to today's trend of posting pictures on Facebook and other networking websites, we would like to ask you not to bother taking too many pictures and just enjoy the party. Posting pictures on Facebook has the averse effect of people being afraid of an embarrassing picture showing up somewhere. A party can be like a cocoon, protected from the outside, drowned, for a couple of hours, in futuristic music, not futuristic gadgets. Let's party!
Resonance Ghent 2009 ::: Day 2 ::: in collaboration with meakusma
On Saturday 28th of February, we are teaming up with Resonance in Ghent to bring you live performances and DJ sets by Efdemin, Claro Intelecto & Andy Stott, Peter Van Hoesen, Move D & Benjamin Brunn. On this second night of the three day Resonance festival, in the ballroom of Voouit, we will also focus on our recently released audiovisual rüts DVD, a collaboration with Scottish music collective ampoule. It features video's and short films with music by Peter Van Hoesen, Move D, Benjamin Brunn and many others. This event is a collaborative effort of two collectives, presented as a performance night co-hosted by meakusma.
After the three r\üts vinyl mini compilations, comes the first meakusma DVD. True to the collective's spirit, it functions as a mini-compendium of established artists and debutants of whom many have already been featured on the vinyl releases. 23 tracks by Move D & Benjamin Brunn, Kate Simko, Pub, Subjex, Terrence Dixon, Herrmutt Lobby, Roger 23, Kinora Viewer, Roebin de Freitas, Peter Van Hoesen, Immer.Chic, Trifonic, Rony & Suzy,… get a visual interpretation by, amongst others, man vs magnet, Chris Parks, Defasten, Kris Clijsters, Les agents Myop, Scott Pagano, Institut Goetze, Humanstudio, ego, miH, Ewo, Dirk Ignoul,… The visual contributions range in style from more straightforward digital visual design to cut-up pieces to short movies, whilst still having a distinctly understated feel. Trying to establish networks between musicians and visual artists, the results are often subtly surprising. The visual artists have been given total freedom in the development of their pieces and in their interpretation of the music. Created with the kind help of the Youth Education & Culture project and compiled together with the ampoule collective from Scotland (still to become absolutely notorious for their high quality electronic music output), meakusma has chosen quality over shock effect.
As bonus you can drag & drop all tracks as wav-files them to your hard drive. The DVD is distributed by several distributors and can be found in selected physical and digital recordshops around the world, on the ampoule website and in our own webshop. More info and individual snippets can be found in the release section.
You can get the DVD here
First of all we want to thank all volunteers, artists and guests for two fantastic events at Katakomben & Recyclart! It was a blast!
As little Christmas gift you can find in the media section one hour of Surgeon's more then excellent DJ set at Katakomben, as well as Aardvarck's refreshing, suprising and polarising set and Bachel's very fine close down at Recyclart! Special thanks to all of them!
Watch out for more exciting events, releases, Samurai shows,... in the next year.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
This special event on the 28th of November is presented within the collaboration we worked out with Ampoule over the last 20 months. With the kind help of the "Youth education & culture" project, we managed to establish a label platform with our first 12" vinyl mini compilations and a DVD including 25 music videos, 6 short movies and 1 poster.
From 9pm onwards, one of the most legendary locations in Scotland called "Club 69", with the support of Rubadub, will be host to an ampoule and meakusma label night featuring Pub, Peter Van Hoesen & Hermutt Lobby, accompanied by DJ sets from Rubadub's Martin & Euan.
So in case you are around, please come say hello and dance your socks off.
The third part of the r\üts vinyl mini compilation series features 4 tracks, searching for common and less common grounds between functionality and abstraction.
Immer.Chic kicks things off with a genuine Techno trip called "The End Of Eternity". A dark and futuristic track, with a stumbling groove that stands out because of its atmospheric density and its unconventional sound design.
Vakula is a man of rhythm, musically raised by his grandmother, who introduced him to African Aamerican Soul and Jazz music. This education has had its consequences, as is shown on "We Shall Dance". Basically an amalgam of jittering and spacy sounds, Vakula layers different grooves and soulful samples over a House rhythm that directly aims for the legs.
On the B-side, two more established producers step into the limelight. Paul David Rollmann is a man of many trades. Here, under his Even Tuell moniker, he delivers an easy but also unsettled track. "Thanden Strakk" is a mid-tempo shoegazer of a House track. Softly tapping beats, an organ playing chords in the background as well as a light but dissonant synth chord form the framework of this psycho-trip of a track. Move D & Benjmin Brunn are clearly soulmates. After superb releases on Smallville and Bine, they are featured here with a track that fully exploits the possibilities of stereo. A wonderful piece that communicates a spatial deepness, echoing Basic Channel.
Part two of the r\üts compilation again subtly touches upon different ends of the electronic music spectrum, with atmosphere and density right in the center of its throbbing heart.
The A-side features two new talents.
Morthen Kiang kicks things off with a driving beat, full of Groove and Dub elements.
Rezenio Kariem, a.k.a. Rezkar, is a young guy from South Africa. Over a varied House beat, Rezkar layers an abundance of strings-laden sounds, making for a fluid, almost plasma-like feel.
The B-side dives head first into more experimental territory. Belgian Techno producer Valyom\∞ surprises with a surreal and dream-like track. On "Mermaids", metres-high waves of sound collide with a bumpy beat, creating a throbbing surface.
The final statement comes from Roger 23. "No Movement In A Cycle" truely is a dark and chordish thunderstorm of a track that moves incessantly forward. Powerful and dystopian, no beats, with just a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
A selection of clips from the forthcoming r¸ts DVD are previewed at SMartival in Brussels on the 28th November 2008. The DVD has been compiled in collaboration with Ampoule records from Glasgow and contains musicvideos and short films from artists such as Move D & Benjamin Brunn, Pub, Chris Parks, Terrence Dixon, Roger 23, Kate Simko, man vs magnet, Peter Van Hoesen, Visual Kitchen, Les Agents Myop, Scott Pagano, Nick Bax, Ego, Herrmutt Lobby, Subjex, Roebin de Freitas, miH, Trifonic, Rony & Suzy, Ewo, Dirk Ignoul etc. It will be released on meakusma at the end of this year. After the screening, Ego (Ambivalence, Lmalc - BE) will be available to answer some questions
We are very sorry to have to announce that Monolake can not play a live set at our December event at Recyclart due to a mistake by his booking agency.
Luckily, we have found the perfect replacement in Berlin's Shed, presenting his new album 'Shedding the Past' for the first time in Belgium! Shedding the Past is without exaggeration the best electronic dance music album of 2008 so far, fluidly taking in influences of Techno, Dubstep, Electronica and Minimal and was released on the prestigious OstGut imprint, Berghain's very own label.
We are trying our very best to present Monolake in the near future and hopefully, after some years of trying, it will finally happen next year!!
Before releasing the rüts DVD in collaboration with ampoule records, we are happy to present the first of three 12" vinyl releases titled rüts.
On the A-side Peter Van Hoesen delivers another energetic and hypnotic Techno track while ampoule-head Pub comes up with one of his darker Electronica tracks. On the B-side you can find an un-released vintage Clatterbox track, which can be seen as a continuation of the Downtempo styles fondly remembered by Clear and Clatterbox fans; and another tripping masterpiece of old-breed Detroit-based producer Terrence Dixon.
The record is distributed exclusively by Rubadub and can be found in selected physical and digital recordshops around the world, on the ampoule website (www.ampoulerecords.com) and in our own webshop.
More info and snippets can be found in the release section!
Septic Heart live (Skull Disco - UK), Roebin de Freitas live (Curle - BE), Cupp Cave live (aka Kingfishberg - BE), Solariumface dj (Lamadameaveclechien - BE), Phoenetics dj (54Kolaktiv - BE), Lari Fari dj (Lamadamaveclechien - BE), Beatnologistz dj (Lamdameaveclechien - BE)
After a couple of months of delay, many discussions and hard work, we are happy to announce you the launch of our new website.
By browsing through the different sections, you will discover lots of new goodies such as the media section with audio/video streams and downloads from our past events.
Please also have a look in our releases section where you will discover our long expected output very soon.
So, in case you like what you see, please grab our RSS feeds, bookmark us, subscribe to our newsletter or just have fun by browsing through the site while listening to some excellent live performances of former events in the media section.
Thanks to Jo for your programming ideas and help !
Cheers
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![Videoclip [sic!] - "Orange Sky" - 10.09.10](content/releases/07_mea004/smal.jpg)
