Jeez I really chose the wrong time to start the series. Music is sooooooo boring at the moment, bloody hell. I’ve almost given up on listening to the new releases completely. I’d being waiting for this release to come out with such excitement and then it came out and I didn’t bother posting it up till now because everyone and their aunty has probably already featured this. Music is in such a dire situation at the moment that press must really be struggling.

Anyway, this release is amazing, especially the first track but you probably already knew that. We got an initial 200 copies in at work, 200 at one store, as an initial order, wow, most labels only press 300 copies per release in total, never mind 200 for one store.

Well done to Marquis, we await your next releases with anticipation.

Buy vinyl.

Not so long ago Germany played host to some of South Africa’s favourite artists namely Jullian Gomes, LiquiDeep, Lazarusman & 2Lani.

The Worldtronics 2012 festival had a floor named ‘House Nation South Africa’ at Haus der Kulturen der Welt and we decided to interview Jullian & Lazarusman on their experience.

Did you know the curator prior to the show?

Lazarusman: No I did not, so you can image my surprise when I suddenly got an email from the man, utter shock and euphoria.

Jullian: No, I heard of him before though. Heard that he runs Best Works Records with Andre Lodemann and that he does Jazzanova’s bookings etc. He’s a good guy.

How did you prepare for your performance?

L: I find it difficult to prepare for shows in general as I only have an idea of what I am gona do hours before I go on stage, So in this instance what I did was just jam to Andre Lodemann’s music and freestyle some ideas off of that. It worked well I guess.

J: I don’t prepare for my performances, I normally vibe out to the records I’m feeling at the moment and react to the crowds energy. I like to drop a few of my own productions in there as well.

How do international dance floors compare to South Africa?

L: I think people in Europe and the world over are really excited to dance to music they don’t know, that element excites them where as crowds here kinda expect to hear music they know at some point. So it makes international crowds open and perceptive to newer stuff. Not to take anything away to South African crowds though.

J: Every country has its sound and every event has its following but at the end of the day its all about music, which is the most important thing.

South Africans seem to think the scene is better is Europe or internationally- what’s your opinion?

L: Yeah well it is if you look at the artists who reside in some of these countries the sound systems, organization and the level of professionalism. Every time I have performed in Europe I always get this good feeling about doing what I do because those homies take care of you, they take you seriously and expect you to do the same.

J: As South Africans we have the tendency to think that everything is better internationally but its all about opinions and how you view the scene in the sense of the word. There’s no such thing as South African club culture, the laws that have been put in place by our government and the lack of creativity from the clubs have contributed to its death.  Every club looked & sounded the same as the next. Night clubs need identity that’s what separates the international scene from us. All we left with now is ”lounges” and outdoor & underground events. The most important thing for the scene right now is the music. We need to keep it going. Keep being creative, keep breaking barriers .

What advice do you have for young people trying to make it in music?

L: I think from perspective of things you need to take every chance you get, don’t make everything about money, if you wana make a quick buck then your career will end just as quick, oh and the internet, use it market post, share speak, it’s the best platform at the moment, so use it don’t spam artists as well with your work hahahaha that’s the worst.

J: Do it cause you love it, nothing else matters. Keep the reason why you fell in love with music close to you at all times.

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Thanks Lazarusman & Jullian, and thank you to Worldtronics for exposing South African music & giving these talented young artists such an amazing platform.

De:bug said of Worldtronics: “In recent years, the Worldtronics Festival has brought diverse and unusual styles of electronic music from all over the world to Berlin and has succeeded in creating a much-sought-after alternative in the day-to-day party scene.“

Worldtronics on the South African music scene: It’s a long way from Chicago to Cape Town, but House music actually has a long tradition in South Africa. By the late 1980s, tracks by DJ Pierre, Larry Heard and (above all) Frankie Knuckles were part and parcel of the soundtrack to the Township speakeasies and played an important role in resistance to the Apartheid regime. A slowed-down adaptation became a national musical specialty going by the name of “Kwaito”. Today, House is the dominant youth culture throughout the region, with countless producers, MCs and DJs.

You can find more info here: http://www.hkw.de/en/programm/2012/worldtronics_2012/worldtronics_2012_69555.php

MOOMIN – A Day & A Night – Closer

Moomin is one of those artists that sells really well through juno. He also seems rather popular in South Africa which is cool in my books. The music is typical of the whole Smallville/Lawrence vibe … Lawrence being one of my favourite artists of all time … so by association that makes Moomin cool too. Not taking anything away from Moomin who is also pretty darn good & this release proves that again, especially in the title track ‘A Day & A Night’.

Buy vinyl.

Buy digital.

NOTFROMEARTH blogspot: http://2notfromearth.blogspot.co.uk/

NOTFROMEARTH – The First Contact – Prologue

I couldn’t find any info on this artist except as well as music they do video mapping, so I’ll just post the labels own words to describe them. Notfromearth is a passion for sound research with the strong desire to push cinematic sound in combination with electronic, ambient and techno.

My favourite track on this EP: ‘The Human Core’ it’s pure beautiful deep techno.

Buy the vinyl.

Digital

NOTFROMEARTH blogspot: http://2notfromearth.blogspot.co.uk/

SCOTT GROOVES – Bitter Sweet – Modified Suede

The name will no doubt conjure up nostalgic memories of your earlier dancing days, it certainly does for me. I hadn’t seen anything from this Detroit don for years but it turns out he has been releasing some great music. I’ve clearly been living under a rock, and it’s all deeper than I would ever have imagined as I know of him through, a dancier outing, Mothership Reconnection (below).

Buy this release

TROPICS – Popup Cinema EP – Svetlana Industries

Wasn’t so sure about this one, it’s good but perhaps not something that would go in my sets. If Shy was running this series he would’ve chosen Glenn Astro’s The Power EP, but he ain’t. This EP is almost pop but most of everything else the English Chris Ward makes is more on the deep dubstep tip. Rather beautiful.

Tropics’ Soundcloud

Tropics’ Releases

SKUDGE/DIFFERENT WORLD aka CLAUDE YOUNG/TAKASI NAKAJIMA – Lost Archives I – Indigo Aera

Both tracks are really strong here but I think there’ll be more chance of me playing (if I had got a copy) Different World’s Think Twice, a track recorded a few years ago by Takasi Nakajima & Claude Young but never saw release. Now Indigo Area is giving it a full release as the first record in the Lost Archives series.

 
This was limited to 377 pressings and it’s sold out.

Chez Damier Presents Purpose By Design

Everything Chez Damier touches turns to gold. He’s had a number of labels and releases all selling a giant number of copies through juno for years. Yesterday saw the launch of his latest label offshoot ‘Balance Music’ – the record has been flying out the store and after just 2 days I’ve had to order a repress which is a clear testament to his ability at picking music that sells… but is it any good?! Oh yes I say, Miruga’s “Midnight Theme” and especially Introspective’s epic “The Way I Feel When I Think Of You” are the reasons for me choosing this EP as today’s cut above the rest.

Click here to buy this record (vinyl only).

Cottam – Dawn Walk – Audio Parallax

The last two weeks has been pretty boring as far as deep house 12″s goes – the Jersey house thing is so played out and I hear so much of it on a daily basis that it’s difficult to even pick out a good one from a bad one. It was a toughy to find something that stood out, but luckily you can always rely on good ol’ Paul Cottam.

It’s the first time I’ve seen a tool as the main track but it’s totally understanding because for me this is the best song on the EP.

Click here for more of Cottam’s music.

Cottam’s Facebook page.

“I first heard this track played by the legendary Huggy from Back to Basics in Leeds. I remember being stood at the bar at Space, Bar Rumba with Kenny (Hawkes)…We were mid-conversation and I remember him stopping mid flow and literally running to the DJ booth.

Now Kenny wasn’t one for making public displays of excitement, and to be honest, I think this was the only time I ever witnessed it. But it floored him. He raved and raved on about it. Bought copies for me, and himself, over and over. I personally think it was the record that defined his sound and his style and sent him off on a mission…And the train sounds, well, those that knew him, knew what that led to……

It was his signature and his sound, and if there is one record that both Derrick and myself couldn’t be more honoured to re-release as a testament to his legacy, a record that defined Kenny as a DJ, and a record that keeps that light shining, then it’s this one. Viva the Dark Lord.”

Luke Solomon

Vinyl Release: www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/475747-01.htm
Digital Release : 28th Jan