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PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!
Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.
 
Please email lucy(at)musichqmedia
(dot)com if you’re interested in getting involved, cheers!
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January Download Watch: Part 1
January Download Watch: Part 1
06/01/2009
tags: | foals news | foals download | foals album news | the black lips news | more...

Liverpool Music Week: Rob Da Bank Interview!
Liverpool Music Week: Rob Da Bank Interview!
21/10/2008
Liverpool ; 2008 European Capital of Culture. Steeped in history and drenched in Scouse; naturally. Not to mention home of the annual Liverpool Music Week (LMW), brimming with big events and even bigger names. We’re talking Vampire Weekend; Dizzee Rascal; Noah and the Whale; Wiley; The Fall - and that’s just for starters. Anyways, as part of the week long celebrations, the irrefutable Rob Da Bank, master of Bestival and ever-popular Radio1 DJ, will be putting on his very own Bestival Reunion Tour. PN caught up with Rob to shoot the shit in 60 Seconds. Well, it was about 2 minutes actually… Anyways, here are the results: It’s been a busy year for you, what with the DJing and Bestival and the general workload that goes with the whole shebang… how did the ‘Bestival Reunion Tour’ at Liverpool Music Week come about? We had such a great time doing our Bandstand party in Liverpool this year that we wanted to come back with the Bestival gang and finish off the party! Liverpool’s always been an important city for me for clubbing, ever since the glory days of Cream! Ah, the good old days. But what specifically attracted you to Liverpool Music Week? Has it always been an event you’ve admired and if so, why? It had more to do with when we were planning on coming really – it was just good timing, and the Mystery Jets weren’t playing Liverpool so we wanted to get ‘em on there with us... The rest of the week looks great, and I just hope everyone’s got the energy to come to our party after all the other shindigs! So what can we expect to see on the night you’re playing? Some amazing live music; DJs who aren’t scared of playing something a bit different and some crazy fancy dress no doubt! One DJ that particularly caught my eye - who’s playing with you guys on the night, was Kissy Sell Out. Big things are expected of Kissy at the moment. What does he bring to the circuit that’s fresh and new? A weird haircut! Seriously though, Kissy is one of the most up for it, energetic DJs out there - without being cheesy, and he has a massive fanbase, so that’s a help too. Kissy’s also joined Radio1. Is everyone there pleased to see him on board… what does he bring to the station? Yup, he plays music no one else is championing, and probably knows clubland better than most of us too, so he’s keeping us up to speed nicely. Who else, in the way of DJs and acts, should people be keeping an eye on at the moment? An act called La Roux, who are gonna be massive next year – think Lykke Li meets Salt N Pepa and Spank Rock – kinda... Also Little Boots, Ramadanman and Ebony Bones. Are there any surprises we can expect from the Bestival Reunion Tour at Liverpool Music Week? You know, any surprise inclusions or exciting plans for the night - that may not be too surprising if you let the cat out the bag, like, now? That would be telling! How did this years Bestival compare to other years? Have you seen a consistent improvement as it continues to grow? Much muddier than previous years due to the 10 inches of rain that fell in 36 hours; aside from that an amazing crowd bang up for it whatever the weather, and some supreme performances from the likes of Grace Jones, George Clinton, Chromeo and My Bloody Valentine. And finally, what can we expect from Rob Da Bank in the future? Any exciting plans you’ve got in store, either for yourself or for Bestival? More of the same! I’m loving Radio 1 at the moment, with my two shows there; Camp Bestival, our new family show, had a great start this year and I’m enjoying DJing more than ever, so watch out! O and is there anything you’d like to add, some pearls of wisdom maybe? Say what you mean and act how you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter; that was Dr Seuss who said that... so there! Rob Da Bank performs at Nation on Friday 31st October with The Mystery Jets, Kissy Sell Out LIVE, The Cuban Brothers, Sombrero Soundsystem & special guests The Presets, as part of MTV Liverpool Music Week. Tickets on sale now: £15.00+BF / www.ticketline.co.uk / Tel: 0151 256 5555 / Info: www.liverpoolmusicweek.com
tags: | rob da bank | rob da bank news | rob da bank latest | rob da bank interview | more...
ATFC Interview!
ATFC Interview!
10/10/2008
ATFC is one of the biggest names in dance music; a household name who has tasted chart-topping success and is greatly admired by those around him; DJs and dance fans alike. Despite the fact you may think certain countries haven’t heard of him or any other DJs in his field, Defected Records has recently been introducing dance to India. Yes indeed, the power of the dance now has one more country under its euphoric control! Defected Records’ brand new compilation, Defected in the House: Goa 09, has been remixed by Simon Dunmore, DJ Pearl and ATFC himself. It marks Defected’s commitment to India, and highlights the fact that the label and ATFC will be visiting Goa during the New Year for the Sunburn Festival. We caught up with ATFC to discuss life in sunny Spain, his love of House music and what the big man has in the pipeline. Tell me a few things about ATFC that I wouldn’t necessarily know? I was a model for a knitting magazine when I was 4. I appeared on Record Breakers, but only to ask Norris McWhirter a question in 'On the Spot'. My inside leg measurement is only 29.5 inches and no, this has nothing to do with my appearance on 'Record Breakers'. I thought House Music was rubbish until I was 23. And my real DJ idols are Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay and Trevor Nelson. You’ve experienced a bit of a renaissance lately – would you agree? What’s inspired this? A lot seems to have happened since I moved to Spain a year ago. The pressure of living and working in the UK was lifted and I started having more fun with music. I'd left my fancy purpose built studio back in England and began working from a spare bedroom, trying new sounds and arrangements, not caring if something was thrown together in a few hours. My mix of Dubfire's 'Roadkill' attracted a lot of attention and it marked a slight change in style for me. It came together in a couple of hours and its sound gave me inspiration for a number of other successful records that followed… Ya Killin Me, my remix of Speed Up… Tribute to the JB's… Overall though, I'd like to think the sound I've fallen on is peak time house that can stand up to most Electro and even some Techno, but with a touch of funkiness to make it accessible to a wider market. How is the house scene different now to that of the 90’s? It's a whole lot broader musically. The boundaries are really very blurred and as DJ's we have the luxury of being able to play Techno, Electro, House and even Breakbeat in one night. The change in the way labels sell and release their music has also made the scene a lot more democratic. It's no longer possible to get ahead as a DJ by being 'upfront' or playing music that has yet to be released; unless it's your own of course. Another massive change is the shift in attention from the US to Europe. In the 90's, the States pretty much dominated the House market, both in sales and DJ's. Obviously we always had our own stars as well, but there was a time when any American could buy 50 records, call himself a DJ and tour Europe. Now it's becoming much more global; the Australians are doing really well and it won't be long before Asia starts making waves on the dance scene as well. Do you still have the same burning passion for music and clubs? It's always been more about the music for me rather than the whole clubbing experience. When I first started going to clubs, it really was down to who was DJing rather than whether there were hot girls there or if it was a really cool venue. When my friends and I used to go clubbing, we would simply dance, trainspot and listen to the music. I have the same burning passion for making music that makes people dance and see the music work. I wouldn’t be doing what I do if I were a millionaire or unemployed, so I guess the answer is yes, I do have the same burning passion for music. ‘Praise to the JB’s’ is a fierce track, a Beatport no.1! What is the reaction like when you drop it? It's great! The track has been in my CD wallet for about a year now, and I originally made it as a backing to The Jungle Brothers - I'll House You Acapella; it was something just to play out and give to a few friends. When I made 'Juss-A-Beat' for Defected, we were looking for something to include on the EP and decided to take the Jungle Brothers vocals off and simply release it as an instrumental bonus track. It's crazy that an after-thought got to Number 1 on Beatport, and even crazier considering it's just a one note samba. See kids, it only takes an index finger and a keyboard in this game! What other things is ATFC interested in apart from music? Being a Husband and Dad and the associated pastimes that go with that. I'm in the studio Monday to Friday and then DJing Friday and Saturday. I guess my closest other interest is Photography; I love taking good photos of my kids and I’m learning Photoshop. I went to Art College too - I guess I have an eye for these things - as I also collect paintings and sculptures from our travels. We've run out of wall space now so we’ve had to slow down. Moving to Spain has also meant that we’ve suddenly become very popular with our friends and family! We need to get revolving doors on the guest room… I enjoy a good glass of wine on the Naya and simply spending time with them. What are the other tracks that are hitting the spot for you at the moment? Are there any on the compilation? There are three or four of mine, including one that's forthcoming on Strictly Rhythm. I'm excited about that as it's my first release for the label that’s a cornerstone in house music history. I love Mark Trophy's ‘The Ripper’ and I've combined it with a Mike Dunn acapella that gives it a real modern day, Hip-House vibe. Also, the Laidback Luke mix of TV Rocks’ ‘Been A Long Time’ is massive for me in the clubs. Oh and not to forget my new mix of Bad Habit! Again, I did a little dub edit to play out and gave it to the Shapeshifters. They requested it for their ITH album, which has precipitated an entire re-release - including 6 mixes by myself. Are there any plans for you to play Goa or India in the near future? It looks like I'll be playing for Defected at the Sunburn Festival in Goa around New Year. I'm really excited as it's a whole new continent for me and I've heard great things about the dance music-scene over there. Copyright came back from a tour earlier this year and were blown away by the parties and vibe they experienced, so I have it on good authority that I'll enjoy myself. How have you designed the mix to sound? It had to strike the right balance between a current club set from ATFC and a CD that translates well into other environments. In the club I don't play that many vocals but a CD of banging beats just won't do. I'd say it's a pretty rounded perspective of where I'm coming from as both a DJ and a producer. I guess my track-listing is naturally going to reflect my personal taste, and therefore you'll be able to hear a little bit of me in each track, even if it isn't my recording. What are you working on at the moment and are there any gigs you can tell us about? I have singles coming up with singers including, Mone, Yasmeen and Rae. A collaboration with Seamus Haji featuring KC Flightt - also sideline projects with Paul Harris. This week I'm remixing Chris Lakes next single and will be starting the promotion for Bad Habit - pretty soon no doubt. Toolroom Records are due to release my ‘Bad Weed’ EP in the next few weeks. And on the DJ front, I'm away every weekend from now until January visiting, amongst others, Egypt, MOS London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Cardiff, Belfast, Liverpool, and hopefully ending up in Goa around the New Year!
tags: | atfc | atfc news | atfc latest | atfc interview | atfc defected records | more...
Royal Treatment Plant Interview!
Royal Treatment Plant Interview!
02/10/2008
If I were to dissect Royal Treatment Plant and pull back the layers, I’d probably be faced with many things. But what ? With steel handle pressed nervously against my sweaty palm and secured against the base of thumb, I extend my index finger along the scalpel, ease my hand forward and - with the gleaming metallic blade, make an incision. As the blood slowly seeps, the first thing you notice is a tender and fragile heart beating at the centre; one of lyrical heartache and defiance. Underneath a confident and bolshy exterior, lays a fragile skeleton that has been broken before; now rebuilt and resolute. Through the veins pump elements of Throwing Muses’ ability to create shifting melodies, the rushing of Pixies’ quiet/loud dynamic and the poised, nonchalant elegance of The Duke Spirit. Royal Treatment Plant’s background is a little more unconventional than many bands. Singer and guitarist PP was brought up in New Guinea, an Island just north of Australia, to a devoted church going family. Studying classical music into her teens, she talks about her childhood, reflecting that, “my background was very religious, we wasn’t allowed to listen to any new music”. So, having been sheltered from the larger world, she decided to leave that behind and come to London. Here enters DJ. When he isn’t slapping the bass for RTP, he’s a teacher, dancer and Musical Director/Arranger, for the Phil McIntyre approved ‘Into The Hoods’ show. At 18, a career as an opera singer beckoned; until a stumbling block appeared: “There was something about having to wait until you were 27 to do it, so when I went to Uni I thought, ‘sod that’ and ended up trying lots of stuff out”. And thus, discovering Guns ‘n’ Roses and Nirvana was the fire in the belly needed to propel him into RTP. Beefing up the cannon is Sam on Guitar, Tommy T on Keyboards and Chris beating the heck out of Drums. XFM have jumped on their wagon, whilst the mighty rock titans at L.A.’s KROQ have been belting out RTP since they got their grubby little mitts on their debut single, Get Played. But the attention didn’t stop there, one Mike Chapman (Blondie) popped up into view, as PP explains: “(He) found us on MySpace - we thought it was a joke - and said he really liked us and just kept tabs on us. “ Having been sent rough mixes, Chapman worked his magic, producing ‘Hope Is Not Enough’ and ‘Undercurrent’ from RTP’s debut album ‘Hope Is Not Enough’. Musically the album sweeps from all directions, cascading with taught rhythms and boisterous melodies. ‘Get Played’ drips with sensual and fiery energy; unforgiving riffs charge relentlessly forward, stopping only to whiplash you into a painful jolt. Scornful vocals utter, ‘you didn’t come here to make a new friend’. Then you have ‘Hearts and Minds,’ where the tempo slows down into a dreamy and melancholic acceptance, ‘Undercurrent,’ a bittersweet frenetic journey, twisting through pinball melodies, and the punky new-wave of ‘Carry Me’. DIY to the core, the band put out their own records, direct and film their own videos, and book their own tours; like so many other bands, they’ve become disillusioned with some areas of the music business. The album title itself sums up their experiences and attitude to date, with PP softly saying: “Sometimes it’s true, hope is not enough; you can’t hope things will be ok”. Lee Puddefoot
tags: | royal treatment plant | royal treatment plant news | royal treatment plant latest | more...
Keith Reilly has a natter about Matter!
Keith Reilly has a natter about Matter!
19/09/2008
By now you’ve probably heard about London’s new super-venue, Matter. If you haven’t, I can only presume you’re a recently cured agoraphobic, or you’ve had your cock stuck in a coke can for the last two months or something. Everyone who likes their bass BIG, their nights MENTAL and their music supplied by the front-runners on the DJ circuit and live scene, has been talking about Matter. It’s going to be absolutely friggin’ HUGE! We’re talking an Elvis burger HUGE! We’re talking Dolly Parton’s latest breast implants HUGE! We’re talking a 32,737 square foot, 2,600 capacity venue - housed within London’s O2 - HUGE! We’re talking the same crew who brought you London’s Fabric HUGE! We’re talking a body kinetic dance-floor, a super sound-system and cutting edge visuals HUGE! We’re talking UNKLE, Ian Brown, Ian Astbury, Gavin Walker, Joel Cadbury, Late of the Pier, Iglu and Hartley, and Carl Cox playing across the opening 2 nights HUGE! We’re talking… we’re talking… we’re… we’re… Fuck it, we’ve done enough talking. We caught up with Matter’s founder Keith Reilly, so that he could do some talking and let you know just how HUGE Matter's going to be… Having been a co-founder of Fabric, how did the challenge of opening a venue like Matter compare? They were very different projects. Fabric was more difficult in the development stages because there were immense structural and engineering problems associated with the conversion of a structure so old and awkward. Matter has been built from a flat plot of land, so the problems related to design and the scale of the project; almost twice the size of Fabric. But to be totally honest neither of them felt like a challenge. They both felt like glorious opportunities to create the spaces we’d dreamt of. If you could imagine that you were redesigning your living room to install the very best sound and visual system available, would it feel like a challenge to you? Of course not. You’d be stimulated, excited, and enthused throughout. That's exactly how it feels to me. With so many huge clubs and club-nights scattered around the capital, it must be a pretty competitive market; especially if you're a new venue. How will Matter keep ahead of its game? Matter isn't there to compete, and we never make those market or benchmark comparisons to stay in or ahead of any thing or game. Matter is simply there to create. Both Fabric and Matter are almost experiments in self-indulgence. We do exactly what we want to do and what we believe in when it comes to music. If people love it we’ll pay the rent, if they don’t then we’ll fail. It really is as simple as that. That might sound clichéd or pretentious to some, but if you think about it, it’s entirely logical. Observing our self-indulgence ensures that the integrity and sincerity of what we do is never diluted or distorted to fit anything else, least of all market conditions or trends. If people love what we do, that’s fantastic. If they don't, there’s little value in us changing what we do because we’d be playing a guessing game, making things up as we go and adjusting it in accordance with external forces; and that’s not a game we could play well. The objective is not to compete with others. Many of them are doing wonderful things. The purpose here is to explore the perceived boundaries of what’s possible in terms of live performance and production levels and transcend them. These aspirations are based on personal fulfillment, not the desire to excel in any given market or supersede the efforts or achievements of others. By melding live acts and DJs with artists and bands, you're basically targeting two niches. What was behind the decision to include bands in what many conceive, perhaps wrongly, as being a club venue? How will the concept operate? Perception is very often misleading. Firstly, this is not a club venue… It’s a live music venue that is better equipped in terms of sound and visuals than any other that I’m aware of. Fusing live acts with DJ's is not new to us either. We’ve been doing it for 9 years at Fabric. There are nights at Fabric where we present anything from up 20 full live shows in one night. Matter gives us the opportunity to present very different shows and raise the production bar. I’m not sure I accept the premise that a split between live and DJ represent niches either. I’ve always loved and attended both and I think that isn’t too dissimilar to the outlook of others. The necessary distinction is between good music and bad music, not the style of performance. I couldn’t agree more… Okay, what about the technology and the travel to and from Matter? To put things into perspective, just how advanced is Matter compared to other venues? Sell it to us… Technology… This is a subject that most find boring or confusing. I could rattle out endless data regarding tech specs and innovative equipment, but to many that will be meaningless terminology and model numbers. It’s something you have to see and feel. The purpose of equipping the venue with cutting edge technology is not to impress people with stats and large numbers related to power, it’s to touch other parts of the psyche with its beauty and capability, and to leave people utterly breathless and overwhelmed by the moment. A tech spec can't do that; you really need to see how we use it in the performances we present. As for travel, there is nothing unusual here either - save the inclusion of riverboat facilities. We have always provided safe taxis which we operate ourselves at Fabric. The Jubilee line is a fantastic link. Drops you right at the door and only four stops from Bank Station. I really hope that people take full advantage of the river though. It’s a truly enchanting way to arrive because the river is so spectacular at night. It's a venue that many believe will be one of the biggest in the world. You've got UNKLE and Ian Brown playing the launch night, and DJs including Kissy Sell Out and Carl Cox in the opening month alone. Have you had any artists, DJs or bands personally approach Matter to play at the venue? How huge has the interest been? The interest has been amazing. Many of the artists have been incredibly receptive and supportive. Fortunately we have existing relationships that have been built over years between parties that respect and value each others respective commitment to music and promotion. It's usually more difficult with a completely fresh project of this nature. Most artists and agents prefer a suck-it-and-see approach, but our history at Fabric has made it much easier to communicate our performance productions objectives. David Levy is one of the most respected and professional agents in the business. He has had the courage and foresight to book a Deadmau5 show at the venue before it has even opened. David knows us well enough to understand that we’ll do anything required to ensure this venue will be everything we promised and that the show will be stunning. David visited the venue during its development and understood it immediately. It's encouraging that we have agents like him, with the experience and foresight necessary to bring all these things together. Although Matter's a completely different entity to Fabric and if the rumours are to be believed, do you feel that following Fabric's closure next January, supporters of the club will see Matter as their next port of call? I have heard this rumour several times recently. Let me make it clear that Fabric has no intention of closing its doors this January or any other. It will close when the party is finally over. I think this has been confused with the closure of The End, in January. Fabric and Matter will be doing different things and will be exciting alternatives to anyone who truly loves their music. Seeing Sasha or UNKLE at matter will be a different experience to seeing Sasha or UNKLE at Fabric. I see no reason why people who want to see this artist in Matter wouldn't wish to do so again is six months time at Fabric. There are a lot of people who’ll be well chuffed that you cleared that up for us. Finally, what plans has Matter got for the future? Any big names you can reveal who’ll be playing the venue or large celebrations worthy of note? No plans. I want it to evolve and find its own path, devoid of premeditation. It will blossom as fabric did, as a consequence of the collective contributions of the many artists we work with. It’s exciting and intriguing not knowing exactly what will happen. All we’ve created so far is a cradle in which beautiful things may grow. As for announcing future acts - you must be kidding! My press department will lynch me if I disclosed that. Matter opens its doors with a Live Launch Night on Friday 19th September, featuring the likes of UNKLE, Ian Brown, Late of the Pier and Iglu and Hartley. Saturday 20th September marks the venues Club Launch Night, featuring the likes of Carl Cox, Yousef and The Field. Everyone from Reverend and the Makers to Kissy Sell Out and Simian Mobile Disco will be heading to Matter over the next month. For further information, visit Matter’s website by CLICKING HERE!
tags: | matter | matter fabric | matter o2 | matter tickets | matter at the o2 | more...
The Shapeshifters Interview!
The Shapeshifters Interview!
14/08/2008
The Shapeshifters are Max Reich and Simon Marlin, the DJ duo that catapulted themselves to the dizzy heights of stardom in 2005 with their No.1 hit: Lola's Theme. Now they’ve signed to Defected, they tell us about their new single ‘Chime’, why a change of record label feels good, why Knuckles and Morales are such good mates and why mixing the next in the ‘Defected In the House’ compilation series makes them feel. “ Chime - a few people may have felt you cannot touch that record, it is sacrilege, but Orbital love it and that means more to us than anything else ”. Max Reich. You’ve known each other for a long time - I bet you feel like brothers now, but what was life like before the Shapeshifters got together? Max: I didn’t have a life (laughs). Simon: He didn’t know anybody before he met me! No, it’s funny, I guess we do have a brotherly relationship. We work and travel well together, but we have our own set of friends and lead our own lives without being in each other’s pockets. It’s a pretty good balance actually if I think about it. Max: It’s a healthy balance and probably a testament of why we’ve been together for twelve years. The life before the Shapeshifters we were fairly successful individuals, I was releasing a lot of Techno and Electronic music and we were both DJing over in Europe. So it’s not like we came from nothing and then suddenly did Lolas Theme. What’s the pressure like for you now that you’ve had various hits? Are your intentions always to make big radio records for your fans? Simon: We’re just going to make the records we want to make. It’s that simple. If something slips over into the more commercial side of things, that’s fine. We don’t knock commercial success, because what is commercial success? It just means it’s something popular that people in their thousands enjoy; but for some reason in dance music it’s frowned upon. I do believe that there are people out there making records for the masses… that’s not we want to do but if the masses end up liking what we do anyway then that’s very cool with us. That’s pretty much how it was with Lola… we didn’t set out to make a huge record…. We just knew it was good. Max: We feel that if we do something in the studio, that has commercial potential, Defected is capable of delivering it. If we do want to do something like Chime, just for the DJ and the dancefloor, the label can also deal with that scenario as well, so it’s perfect for us. Simon: Pressure wise I don’t think we’re under much pressure today – if you are going to be releasing good dance records we don’t need to make tracks with a format song, verse, bridge, chorus - it’s just going to be a good dancefloor track. We love writing songs, but after writing so much over the past few years, it’s natural for us to go the other way for a while and it’s in our time rather than the record company’s. Saying we need this track now for the radio is when it starts to become wrong and you begin to think: “Hold on a second who are we making these records for, us or the company?” And having your own record label enables you to have that scope? Max: What it enables you to do is get stuff out and have the freedom to choose whatever you want to release, because it’s your own choice to sign whatever artist you believe in. Simon: In terms of opening up avenues, you look at labels like Defected, Toolroom and CR2 - they have the 360 model; but for us we just want our label to be a vehicle to push the music which we hear and like. You’ve said many times that Frankie Knuckles and David Morales are big inspirations to you, do you look at their careers in order to guide your own? Simon: Ironically, Frankie has partly helped from a guidance point of view and is more of an inspiration to us. We love what both of them have done and you just have to look at some of their achievements; it’s mind boggling. Not many people have done more for the scene than those guys have, so to have a friendship out of it by default is great and we feel very privileged. You recently remixed Orbital’s ‘Chime’, of all the big rave tunes why did you choose that particular record? Simon: We’d been toying with the idea for a while so one day we just did it; then it turns out to be twenty years of acid house this year. I believe that record sums it all up; it’s euphoric with a great hook and a great record to remix – one of our favourites, which made it an easy choice to make. Max: On the whole the reaction has been brilliant and more people are beginning to recognise it now. In the beginning, when we first played it, I think people thought: “Yes this is a good record”; but now, each time, you get more and more reaction and I think it’s because more people are playing it. A few people may have felt that you cannot touch that record, that it’s sacrilege; but Orbital love it and that means more to us. You’re mixing the next in the compilation series ‘Defected In The House’, does that make you nervous? Simon: We only to want to do a great job, but then you always want to do the best you can, however sometimes it’s down to what material is available and what you can get licensed. We’re very happy with what we have now and we’ll have it finished this week. I believe the compilation sets out our stall as to where Shapeshifters are at right now, musically, and the groove we are on; for that reason alone, I’m very excited about the release. Max: There are three CDs; one is up-tempo, one deeper and the third is a reflection of tracks that have inspired us. You must have some selections that particularly stand out in the new compilation? Max: There’s that ‘ATFC bad habit 2008’ remix; it’s a brilliant mix which we’re pleased to have and also the ‘Fedde and Funkerman’ track that is a big peak time dancefloor record. Also, we’re quite proud of the remake we’ve done of Lola’s theme - Lola 08. I hear you had difficulty getting some of your inspirational tracks for CD3? Simon: There were a lot of records we couldn’t have, which was disappointing. When you start thinking about tracks you love and were inspired by over the years, the list gets pretty long and you want to share them with other people. Your inspirations are like a window to your own soul, so to miss out on certain ones, like Michael Jackson’s ‘Billy Jean’ - one of the first records I ever brought - was a shame; but hey, there are still some great records on there. We got the likes of ‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’, Al Green; it’s just one of my favourite, favourite records - the soul in that record just jumps out of you and sonically it’s stunning. There’s also Tears for Fears’ ‘Head over Heals’, which was from my school days and I just love the piano line in that record; it’s phenomenal. Max: The one thing I should say and will be mentioned in our sleeve notes, is that EMI won’t let us clear the Original Johnny Taylor: What About My Love . Obviously that was the basis for Lola’s theme, so we’re very disappointed about that and I think people will see our inspirations and think: “Where is it?” For the record, we tried it and it was first on our list, but due to politics and red tape it doesn’t look like we’re going to get it. What does the future hold now for the Shapeshifters? Simon: Does anyone know what the future holds? All we know is that right now it feels good and it’s funny because it’s kind of been quite a seamless transition into our new home with Defected. We feel more inspired now than ever before and we’re looking forward to getting back in the studio doing some more work. Words: Toni Tambourine
tags: | shapeshifters | shapeshifters news | shapeshifters latest | shapeshifters interview | more...
Planet Notion shoots the 'you know what' with Madcon!
Planet Notion shoots the 'you know what' with Madcon!
14/07/2008
If you’re not from Norway, as in you’re not a Norwegian, there’s a strong chance you wouldn’t have heard of Madcon. They’re a hip-hop duo, Critical (Yosef) and Kapricorn (Tshawe), who cross over into R&B, African music, Latino, rock, reggae and, um, television. Yeah, they’re so huge in Norway that they have they’re own TV show. Anyway, now Madcon are set to conquer the world with new single Beggin, a rework of the classic song by Italian/American crooner Frankie Valli. On the back of the track being made Radio1 DJ Scott Mills’ ‘Single of the Week’, we caught up with Critical to shoot the shit… Who are Madcon? Madcon are me (Yosef) and Tshawe, children of exile who originate from Africa. Located in Norway we founded Madcon in the early 90s. What really sets us apart from the competition is how we put a lot of our own background into our music, which brings both originality and honesty to the table. Many artists are influenced by or copy music that comes out of the US, but Madcon don’t! We express our truth and address issues that people over here can relate to. Also we try to spread a positive message; the world needs it. What does the name 'Madcon' stand for? As young kids we used to ‘obtain’ what we needed in life by not paying for it. Not by being thugs or gangsters, but by being smalltime hustlers or cons; hence the name Madcon. It's such a fantastic re-working - where did the idea for Beggin' come from? Me and Tsahwe were out one night, and Tshawe was feeling broken hearted. The guys were sitting down having a heart to heart conversation, when all of a sudden Beggin by Frankie Valli came out the speakers. Tshawe really felt the lyrics, and the track was a banger. So we took the song and made a 2008 new and approved version, that even Frankie Vallie himself approved of! So in short it was a coincidence; we were at the right place at the right time. What can we expect from your album, 'So Dark The Con of Man'? The title ‘So Dark The Con Of Man’ indicates the state of mankind being in a dark place. But, despite the name, the album is very uplifting! It’s a melting pot of musical influences touching everything from reggae, to African music, to Latino music, to rock, to Motown, to hip hop, r&b - and the list goes on. We’re very unafraid to cross borders and break boundaries when it comes to music; why limit oneself to being just one thing? What's your biggest achievement? Beggin went 7xplatinum in Norway, and the album went 2xplatinum in 30 days; that felt pretty nice. What's next for Madcon? The UK baby! Here we come! If you’re not from Norway, as in you’re not a Norwegian, there’s a strong chance you wouldn’t have heard of Madcon. They’re a hip-hop duo, Critical (Yosef) and Kapricorn (Tshawe), who cross over into R&B, African music, Latino, rock, reggae and, um, television. Yeah, they’re so huge in Norway that they have they’re own TV show. Anyway, now Madcon are set to conquer the world with new single Beggin, a rework of the classic song by Italian/American crooner Frankie Valli. On the back of the track being made Radio1 DJ Scott Mills’ ‘Single of the Week’, we caught up with Critical to shoot the shit… Who are Madcon? Madcon are me (Yosef) and Tshawe, children of exile who originate from Africa. Located in Norway we founded Madcon in the early 90s. What really sets us apart from the competition is how we put a lot of our own background into our music, which brings both originality and honesty to the table. Many artists are influenced by or copy music that comes out of the US, but Madcon don’t! We express our truth and address issues that people over here can relate to. Also we try to spread a positive message; the world needs it. What does the name 'Madcon' stand for? As young kids we used to ‘obtain’ what we needed in life by not paying for it. Not by being thugs or gangsters, but by being smalltime hustlers or cons; hence the name Madcon. It's such a fantastic re-working - where did the idea for Beggin' come from? Me and Tsahwe were out one night, and Tshawe was feeling broken hearted. The guys were sitting down having a heart to heart conversation, when all of a sudden Beggin by Frankie Valli came out the speakers. Tshawe really felt the lyrics, and the track was a banger. So we took the song and made a 2008 new and approved version, that even Frankie Vallie himself approved of! So in short it was a coincidence; we were at the right place at the right time. What can we expect from your album, 'So Dark The Con of Man'? The title ‘So Dark The Con Of Man’ indicates the state of mankind being in a dark place. But, despite the name, the album is very uplifting! It’s a melting pot of musical influences touching everything from reggae, to African music, to Latino music, to rock, to Motown, to hip hop, r&b - and the list goes on. We’re very unafraid to cross borders and break boundaries when it comes to music; why limit oneself to being just one thing? What's your biggest achievement? Beggin went 7xplatinum in Norway, and the album went 2xplatinum in 30 days; that felt pretty nice. What's next for Madcon? The UK baby! Here we come! 'Beggin' Released 1stAug (Digital), 11th (Physically) 'So Dark The Con of Man' Released 18th Aug www.madcon.co.uk
tags: | madcon | madcon critical | madon kapricorn | madcon yosef | madcon tshawe | more...
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