Audiopleasures

Wednesday, 5 November 2008

Let's Dance,Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald,SCSI-9,Quantec,The Present,The Boats,OFFF,Sergey Podzolkov,State-X New Forms,Sarah Sze,Speaking Out Loud

Carl Graig / Moritz Von Oswald
" Maurice Ravel & Modest Mussorgsky -
Recomposed by Carl Craig & Moritz Von Oswald "
Deutsche Grammophon - 2008
Classical / Experimental
Buy

At their most pure and powerful, the Detroit and Berlin techno styles can share an almost classical aesthetic and execution that combines a sensuous textural and rhythmic approach with a cool and futuristic attitude to musical structure and architecture. It’s an aesthetic that leads to sonic art with a sense of transport and transcendence that is at once spacious and inclusive: dub and DJ and adventurism combining in a democratic and utopian music for dancing and dreaming.

Carl Craig and Moritz von Oswald have been at the vanguard of efforts to extend techno into collaborations – with other artists, in other styles and genres – that go much deeper than just adding beats and filters to pre-existing approaches. Thus, their collaborative move to “recompose“ by deconstructing, rebuilding and expanding upon orchestrations by Maurice Ravel makes utter sense: Ravel himself was a master of modernist texture and surface who aligned cool and considered classicism with his passions for the more emotional expressions he found in American jazz and the ancient reach of Spanish/Moorish music. That Craig and von Oswald would choose to work with master tapes from the Deutsche Grammophon label featuring Von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philarmoniker makes sense, too: These are some the most glossy- surfaced, lush-yet-powerful orchestral recordings ever made. Kevin Macneil Brown - Dusted

Mp3 | Maurice Ravel and Modest Mussorgsky - Intro
Mp3 | Maurice Ravel and Modest Mussorgsky - Movement 1

SCSI-9
" Easy as Down " - Kompakt - 2008
Techno / Minimal
Buy

Their fourth full-length and second for Kompakt, Easy as Down, sees these talents spread over eleven tracks of lava-lamp minimalism, with subtle nods toward slippery electronica and cozy chillout fare. SCSI-9 forge an effervescent comfort of sounds that blurs the fore- and the background. With its cheery synths and chugging rhythms, "Tu Eres Mas" resembles the permasmile pop of the likes of Lemon Jelly or Underworld's "Born Slippy," while the aptly named "Waterglide" resembles the opaque ambience and strobe-light synths of a label like Traum. Resident Adviser

Mp3 | SCSI-9 - Waterglide
Mp3 | SCSI-9 - Together

Quantec
" Unusual Signs " Echocord - 2008
Dub / Techno
Buy

Following a succession of very well recieved 12" cuts for the likes of Styrax Leaves, Meanwhile and Millions of Moments, Sven Schienhammer returns to the home of some of his best work with a studied album of dub techno variants for Echocord. Sven's agenda is made clear with the title of the first track 'Amanita Muscaria', a familiar term to the trippier readers out there (Fly Agaric mushies to the more straight laced), signifying a love of or respect for psychedelic substances and sounds which are echoed in the esoteric dub depths of the opening cut. Boomkat

Mp3 | Quantec - Panaleous
Mp3 | Quantec - 2082 (bonus cd-track)

The Present
" World I See " - LOAF - 2008
Electronic / Experimental / Drone
Buy

The Present is the new music project of legendary New York musician
and producer Rusty Santos (Panda Bear ‘Person Pitch’, Born
Ruffi ans ‘Red Yellow & Blue’, Animal Collective ‘Sung Tongs’). Described
by one band who worked with him as a hyper boy genius,
Rusty has always fi xed his attention on producing music that is
experimentally rich whilst remaining accessible. By attempting to
create music that arises unconsciously through improvisation, The
Present’s debut album ‘World I See’ hauls this ethos over its shoulders
as it tramples on musical boundaries and preconceptions, whilst leaving an album that is still capable of relating musically and emotionally to a wide audience.

Mp3 | The Present - The Hunt
Mp3 | The Present - Heavens On Ice

The Boats
" Faulty Toned Radio " - Flau - 2008
Electronic / Ambient / Experimental
Buy

The 6th outing onto waters uncharted for the enigmatic Boats. Uncharted waters simply because The Boats refuse to be channeled into the niche so easily assigned to them.
Having been kindly approached by aus and the Flau stable from Japan, for a statement of their musical intent, The Boats obliged.
True to hearfelt form, they have generously delivered their most accomplished, and highly personal ships log to date. But listen closely, and dont get too comfortable with your dividing fencelines of genres as the horizon is blurred from on the ship's deck by the haze of distance from familiar isles. Flau

Mp3 | The Boats - Harry, Stop It Please
Mp3 | The Boats - The Boats Can't Save You Now

Now that 2008 is coming to its end , time to prepare 2009 .
OFFF 2009 , 7-9 May Lisbon.
International Festival for the Post-Digital Creation Culture

Super early priced tickets are on sale until next November the 30th. This time each ticket comes with the official catalogue + an exclusive CD compilation by Raster-Noton specially published for OFFF with artists like Alva Noto, Byetone, Signal, Frank Bretschneider, COH, Kangding Ray, Pixel... If you want to join us, we encourage you to get your tickets in advance in order to avoid last hour sold-out surprises and, of course, to get advantage on the exclusive items we are giving out with our early-price offer. Hope to see you around!

Roots
Is the heart of the festival: the main stage where presentations, keynotes and live performances take place. More than 20 artists and collectives that represent the cutting edge of contemporary visual culture, commenting on their ideas and creative process, and inspiring the crowd with their words.

Loopita
The place for experimental electronic sounds. A comfortable area to listen to live performances of electronic music by the most important and innovative names in the internacional digital scene. Essential for music lovers who enjoy getting lost in sound, and of course for those creative professionals, -from filmmakers to motion graphic artists- who find in audio an essential component of their design projects.

Openroom
The area for the new names in the digital scene who are developing inspiring independent projects on the web or through digital technologies. A unique opportunity to use OFFF as a platform to grow and promote your work.

Cinexin
Screening room showing the OFFF Film Festival selected films, special sessions and retrospectives from the best names in animation, motion graphics, microfilms, opening credits...

Showplace
Is the main exhibition of the festival, where the audience has the chance to explore and interact directly with the latest projects from the participants in ROOTS and other big names in the international scene of digital arts. From interactive installations to generative software pieces to playful tools, sound art, illustration...

Mercadillo
The festival area for independent collectives and artist who want a space to sell their works, and other products like books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, merchandising...

Machina
Computer Room freely accessible to members of the audience to log on to the Web and check out the selected pieces in the OFFF Film Festival.

Chillax
The ideal place to chill out, relax and meet other visitors. A comfortable space with bar and restaurant where everything that happens is made by the OFFF audience.

Greetings, my name is Sergey Podzolkov. In the childhood I liked to play, instead of doing any serious things. Therefore, when I grew up and my friends became doctors, engineers, firemen and cosmonauts, I have continued doing different unserious stuff. For example Graphic design and Directing. Now I live in Moscow. I'll be glad to hear any interesting, creative offers.

Watch | Sergey Podzolkov Showreel

State-X New Forms 12 en 13 december in Den Haag , a festival for Avant-Rockers , Cutting Edge electronics and Nu-Art

Antistrot, Banditos, Black Dog, Bonne Aparte, Bruital Orgasm, Bumper, Church Of Music, Faces: 'Tijdlus', Ignatz, Inferno, Jack Rose, Jazzsteppa, Lau Nau, Lawn met Fries Symphonie Orkest, Midi Fanfare, Mugison, Peter Broderick, Present, Red Snapper , Rhys Chatham, Shit & Shine, Soap&Skin, Sobchek, Subtitle, Technician, Tiger Counter Of Drog Orkestar, Yuri Landman

Sarah Sze (born 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American artist and sculptor based in New York and Cambridge. She is known in particular for site-specific ephemeral sculptures, in which thousands of small everyday objects are assembled into fragile, sweeping forms.

Netherlands Media Art Institute
15-11-2008 / 24-01-2009

Speaking Out Loud centers on the processes of both “thinking out loud” and “speaking out.” Thinking out loud describes the associative, dynamic and rather uncontrolled process of simultaneously thinking and speaking about a particular topic. We think out loud to make a suggestion, to put forward an idea or a thought rather than to make a claim. Speaking Out Loud advocates this free and creative process of thinking out loud through artworks that enable a playful and surprising experience of language. This happens in the form of what could be summarised as experimental language exercises or canny transformations and alternations of language.

List of works:
Insults and Praises by Tim Etchells (UK) and Vlatka Horvat (CRO)
A New and Exciting Experience by Mukul Patel (UK) and Manu Luksch (AT)
Good and Evil by Charles Sandison (UK)
Interpreters by Christoph Keller (DE)
Time Based Text by Jaromil (IT) and Jodi (NL)
Gate peepin' and Misspelling Generator by Linda Hilfling (DEN)
Horde by KH Jeron (DE), in collaboration with Dr. Dominik Kuropka
A Conversation Piece by Tudor Bratu (RO)
Text and Semiotic Collider by Michael Hoepfel (DE)
The Voice Knitting Collection by Trikoton (DE)
Explicit Content Only by Evan Roth (US)

Sunday, 2 November 2008

mY Indie Soul # 27

mY Indie Soul # 27
for " Kikas "

Electronic | IDM | Hip Hop | Electroclash | Punk | Post-Punk | krautrock | New Wave | Electro

Listen | Download

Christian Fennesz & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Mono
" Cendre " [ Touch 2007 ]

Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christian Fennesz blend the unstructured and imaginative qualities of improvisation with the satisfying sculpture of composition. Sakamoto's piano, his style reminiscent of Debussy and Satie, perfectly complements Fennesz with his powerful blend of shimmering guitar and passionate electronics.

Kangding Ray - A Protest Song
" Automne Fold " [ Raster Noton 2008 ]

David letellier aka kangding ray was born in france and is today based in berlin, he evolved as a guitarist and drummer in various bands whose influences ranged from rock and pop to jazz before moving into electronic music. his first release is STABIL on raster-noton.

Flying Lotus - Tea Leaf Dancers [ Ray Davies mix ]- [ Warp 2008 ]

You may have heard the original version of this track on Brownswood Bubblers Two or the Flying Lotus single "Reset". This mix by Exponential Records artist Rae Davis opens up the sound and pushes the deep, bassy, glitchy, dreamy, hip hop goodness even further. The sweetness you here is the voice of Andreya Triana.

Anthony Rother - Nature
" Super Space Model " [ Datapunk 2006 ]

"The melting of electro with other genres is what makes the electronic scene and its music more interesting than ever before, even at a time where economically speaking it is difficult to proceed in music business. Some might not survive it, but I feel it is a time of innovation, sort of a consequent building of the next level - and not a time of antitraditionalism." (Anthony Rother, 2005)

MIT - Gebaut
" Coda " [ Aute Areal 2008 ]

MIT recorded their first album "Coda", Namosh Arslan produced it. Of course, the attitude is punk. Of course, the drumkit of Felix Römer is still rattling. Surely, the moog-arrangements of Tamer Özgönenc define the sound. And logically is, that Edi Winarni's crowing voice still dominates the vocals. But it sounds different!

Duchess Says - La friche
" Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs " [ Alien8 2008 ]

Montreal’s Duchess Says fuses the fury and intensity of a punk rock comprised of screaming guitars, moaning bass and relentless drumming with keyboards and the explosively sexy stylings of vocalist Annie-C. There is something breathtakingly original about Duchess Says and one listen to Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs will cement that impression.

These New Puritans - Numerology aka Numbers
" Beat Pyramid " [ Domino 2008 ]

These New Puritans' debut album arrives on a wave of excitement. Angular, brash and unashamedly intellectual - the band are seen by some as exemplifying a 'New Eccentricity' in guitar music. A movement away from luddite, retro indie. TNP sound great on paper. They cite all manner of bizarre influences – from Elizabethan magician John Dee to rap legends The Wu Tang Clan, minimalist composer Steve Reich to King William the Conqueror. They hail from the same Southend scene that spawned The Horrors and posses an accomplished producer in Gareth Jones (Wire, Liars, Einsturzende Neubauten).

Cloudland Canyon - You & I
" Lie in Light " - [ Kranky 2008 ]

It appears there is a second "kosmische musik" period in full bloom around the world at the moment, not so much "kosmische" as in "krautrock" but instead "cosmic". Just here at kranky we have the celestial symphonies of Stars of the Lid, the guitar circle prog-psych of White Rainbow, the astral folk explorations of Lichens, the cut and splice electro-motorik of Andrew Pekler, the alien space-blues of Valet, and now the half German, half American duo Cloudland Canyon who actually bring the full-on "krautrock" on.

John Carpenter - Arrival at the Library layered with Garcia, Caro & Franck - Far Away.
Booka Shade DJ-Kicks - [ K7 2007 ]

Mashup of soundtrack " Escape from New York " by of John Carpenter with Far Away from Garcia, Caro & Franck.

The Last Atlant - Going Nuts
" Cloudburst Of Colours " [ Global Underground 2008 ]

After releases on major labels such as Proton and Bonzai, The Last Atlant has also become a solid choice for the Global Underground A&R team, leading to the inclusion of his tracks tracks on several GU compilations including Afterhours, Digitized, and the GU Mixed series. .

Guillaume's debut album, "Cloudburst of Colours", reflects his shifting style and magnificently strong song writing; the record is at once eclectic and un-definable, and is built upon his preference for producing music that reflects life and personal experiences rather than aping styles or pigeon holing tastes.

Ascii Disko - Black Metal
" Alias " [ Ladomat 2006 ]

The associations that come to mind with the new album tracks, from which there is already an EP “BLACK METAL” are clear. The music’s foundations are impossible to miss: from Heavy Metal all the way to Punk Rock. However ALIAS cannot be easily put into a clichéd category. It isn’t Rock that puts on electronic clothes for a day. The Rock was once there and could be characterized as a stain that you can’t get out anymore. Electro-Rock? Why? Above everything else, it is Techno that delivers every tenor, regardless of whether it is Electro or Rock, through Techno.

Housemeister - In order to Dance [ Boys Noize mix ]
" Who is That Noise Remixes " [ All you can Beat 2008 ]

Electro, space, ghetto - techno! Housemeister doesn‘t equally shy away from pushy
dancefloor bangers, from battered experimental odysees that skilfully stumble back into perfect beat or from melancholic but comforting twilight tunes that touch base
with the darker side of the soul.

Shinichi Osawa - Star Guitar [ Streetlife DJ's DJ's mix ]
" Star Guitar " [ Data Records 2008 ]

Shinichi Osawa (大沢伸一 Shinichi Osawa), also known as Mondo Grosso, is an artist currently signed onto Avex Trax's "Rhythm Zone" label. Previously he was signed to Sony Music Japan's FEARLESS RECORDS division and released albums under the title of 'Mondo Grosso', which is is Italian for "big world". He was born on February 7, 1967. Over the course of his career he has worked in genres from Acid Jazz to House, with strong influences of underground club music, though his recent work has been in the genre of electro house. HMV Japan rated Mondo Grosso at #95 on their "Top 100 Japanese Pop Artists".

Kap Bambino - Night Vision Ocean
" Zero Life Night Vision " [ Alt Delete 2008 ]

the incomparable French 8 bit experimental electro-punk outfit Kap Bambino is comprised of two members, laptop whizz Orion Bouvier and singer / shrieker Caroline Martial, two very different artists that collided together. Having been the most respected band internationally in this genre for three years, 2008 is when Kap Bambino’s 8bit / electro / punk sound finds mainstream popularity.

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Let's Dance,Woolfy Vs Projections, Calder,Jacaszek,Psychic Ills,Vladislav Delay, Intermittenze , Advanced Beauty,Justice, Mogwai

Mp3 | Alex Gopher - Belmondo [ Just A Band mix ]
Mp3 | Bomb the Bass - Black River [ Gui Borrato mix ]
Mp3 | Daft Punk - Something About Us [ EASTAR mix ]
Mp3 | Foals - Olympic Airways [ Ewan Pearson's mix ]
Mp3 | Ian Pooley - Chord Memory [ Daft Punk mix ]
Mp3 | Johannes Heil & Extrawelt - Erdbeerfeld
Mp3 | Lindstrom - I Feel Space [ M.A.N.D.Y. mix ]
Mp3 | Moulinex - Breakchops [ GRUM mix ]
Mp3 | MSTRKRFT - Bounce [ The Bloody Beetroots mix ]
Mp3 | The Rapture - House of jealous lovers [ Morgan Geist mix ]
Mp3 | Yuksek - Everywhere In Town [ Cosmo Vitelli mix ]
Mp3 | Zombie Nation - Forza [ Housemeister mix ]

Download full Let's Dance

Woolfy Vs Projections
" The Astral Projections Of Starlight " Permanent Vacation - 2008
Disco / Dub
Buy

Los Angeles 1999 D- Hastie and Simon "Woolfy" James meet in a run down bar in downtown LA ..a pint? aayy a pint will do fine .. you make music , I make music , let's make music .. The two embarked on what's become an eight year adventure.
Their first release on Chicago's Guidance Recordings was Kingsburg , a track that's appeared on many compilations , including house legend Tony Humphries at Fabric. From there, the full length , Between Here & Now was released , which made serious waves on the electronic scene and put Projections on the map. The lads have become well known in Los Angeles for their knock down drag 'em out parties. Dropping a concoction of spaced-out house , dubbed disco , funk & beard rock. the dancefloors last forever. As well as Dj'ing , Projections keeps busy in many other projects such as the disco-rocker outfit Woolfy on Rong Records (NY) , and the supa heavy funk band Orgone on Ubiquity / Nuff Rope Records (CA/UK). Projections and Woolfy has recently released 12"s on Rong , which received heavy rotation by DFA frontman James Murphy and all the other bearded disco warriors. They also produced a remix for LCD Soundsytem together with dj harvey for their latest single all my friends.

Mp3 | Woolfy VS Projections - The Chase
Mp3 | Woolfy VS Projections - Carry On

Calder
" Lower " - Make Mine Music - 2008
Ambient / Drone / Post-Rock
Buy

Olafur and Larus met by chance in iceland and exchanged some music before starting to improvise together on two electric guitars in the countryside of Iceland. The resault was the album Calder recorded on an analogue 4track tape machine. The album was self-released on Vogor Recordings in about 200 copies and sold at record stores in Reykjavik. In 2006 the UK based label Unlabel ddid release it officially as part of the it..s Series 52 and it was a limited release. Olafur and Larus have been working on new material on and off for the last 2-3 years, whenever they find time to meet up and record. In 2008 a new album is ready and will hopefully see it..s release worldwide late in 2008. The new material is more acoustically composed with mix of guitar drones and electronica.

Mp3 | Calder - vast
Mp3 | Calder - calc

Jacaszek
" Treny " - Miasmah - 2008
Electronica / Experimental / Classical
Buy

Marsen Jules, Arvo Part, Zbigniew Preisner's soundtrack work for Krzysztof Kieslowski, Deaf Center, Max Richter, Erik Satie, Alberto Iglesias - if you are familiar and in awe of any or all of these names then this latest album on the exceptional Miasmah label will no doubt end up on your essential listening pile for the foreseeable future. Jacaszek has managed with "Treny" to assemble an album so heart-stoppingly beautiful and personal that we've been stunned into silence for its entire 55 minute duration. With string arrangements provided courtesy of Stefan Wesolowski, the foundations of the album are set with Cello and Violin painting fragile outlines coloured by subtle electronic manipulations, harp, piano and reduced, haunting operatic voices. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Michael Jacaszek doesn't make use of any samples, with everything on the album assembled by the musicians on hand (notably Maja Sieminska, Anja Smiszek-Wesolowska and Wesolowski and Jcaszek themselves) - and the subtle grandeur of the album is almost impossible to take in over one sitting, even if the impact is absolutely immediate.
We absolutely implore you to check this album out, one of the year's most important releases thus far. ESSENTIAL PURCHASE. Boomkat

Mp3 | Jacaszek - Orszula
Mp3 | Jacaszek - Zal

Psychic Ills
" Dins " - The Social Registry - 2006
Psychedelic / Alternative / Experimental
Buy

The smirking paradox of almost all derivative music is that in a certain sense, the more you reference something, the easier it is to stand out or deviate from it. So when reaching for influences for Dins, the debut record from Brooklyn’s drone-rock up-and-comers Psychic Ills, it’s hard to reconcile the distinct stamp of Spacemen 3’s skuzzy ether or even My Bloody Valentine with Sonic Youth’s cavern of heavy petting and narcotics circa Evol; the former sounds are skyscrapers, the latter is a sewer, but both have a kind of stoned romanticism to them. Psychic Ills fall between, which makes a whole lot of sense: they’re a street-level band for street-level styles. Psychosexual Sonic Youth all of the sudden seems too murky and Spacemen 3 too religious to actually stalk the urban nocturne tints of Dins. Mike Powell
- Stylus Magasine

Mp3 | Psychic Ills - i knew my name
Mp3 | Psychic Ills - another day another night

Vladislav Delay
" Demo(n) Tracks " - Huume - 2004
Electronic / Dub / Glitch
Buy

There’s rarely any stabilizing rhythmic anchor. Instead the music perpetually meanders and drifts, a fluid beatless reverie of abrasive, industrial noise. Awareness of Delay’s jazz drumming background helps one to grapple with the album’s rootless, restless style, as it unfolds much like an improvised free jazz session minus the grounding propulsiveness of a rhythm section and with electronics taking the place of acoustic instruments. Another aspect that lessens its accessibility is its lack of nucleus. There’s no central instrument to act as a unifying presence throughout and around which the other instruments might constellate, and its absence is alienating. The tracks are mercurial and amoebic, their shapes ever-shifting and unresolved, the sound impressionistic, hazy, aquatic, sprawling, and sketchy. Brief moments of gentle calm are leavened by clamouring blasts as the tracks develop unpredictably.Stylus

Mp3 | Vladislav Delay - kotilainen
Mp3 | Vladislav Delay - kohmeessa alt.

Julia Kent and Barbara De Dominicis are Intermittenze , a experimental performance , totally unique and extemporary . The main aspect of this " Act " its is open-ended nature , its unpredictability. Cello , Electronics and voice interact together experimenting a possible communication with the visual element.

Watch | Intermittenze

Thanks to S.K. Silos

Advanced Beauty is an ongoing exploration of digital artworks born and influenced by sound, an ever-growing collaboration between programmers, artists, musicians, animators and architects.

Watch | Advanced Beauty Directed by Robert Seidel

Hello,

We're currently working on the booklet for our next release,
A CROSS THE UNIVERSE (documentary + live) and would like it to be made only of images provided by fans (though if you hate justice but have good material it's OK).

Any fun (or dramatic) picture, image, or art related to justice ?
Please send them to justicematerial@edbangerrecords.com (all documents provided must be copyright free).

Thank you,

So-Me, Gaspard & Xavier.

Watch | Justice - A Cross The Universe DVD Trailer

This clip for Glaswegian band Mogwai is a sweet celebration of metamorphosis and the grotesquely beautiful.
A woman's tears run down across a table, through a child's loop the loop road set, and become little white globes of the earth, teapots, bottles, salt and pepper shakers.

Watch | Mogwai - Friend of the Night

Monday, 27 October 2008

Let's Lounge , Holland Animation Film Festival , Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam , Munk , Defasten , L'amie De Zoé, Lulu Rouge

First edition AAF Amsterdam big success

The first edition of the Affordable Art Fair Amsterdamdrew more than 9000 visitors and galleries sold for more than €1.2 million worth of art. With those numbers the first AAF Amsterdam can be called a success. Visitors are charmed by the AAF concept, that different, energetic atmosphere and the inspiring diversity of galleries.

Exhibiting galleries are most happy with the affluence of a young, enthusiastic public that doesn't hesitate long before going over to acquisition. ‘Again next year!' was what the organisers heard time and again. “The atmosphere was really terriffic!” , wrote Petra Leene, Kunst aan de Amstel Gallery. Galleries that partake in several fairs each year, call the character of the Affordable Art Fair unique. “The most fun fair to date, and I've done many fairs this year!” , was Gallery Noordeinde's comment.

AAF Amsterdam 2008: 30 October till 2 November 2008

After eight successful years in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne the Affordable Art Fair has been launched in Amsterdam in November 2007. After this first edition the Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam will grow in 2008: circa 80 galleries from the Netherlands and abroad will be seen at the Westergasfabriek terrain from 29 October to 2 November. The fair is fun, relaxed and with everything from €100 to €5,000, it is an art-buying opportunity that can not be missed.

The fair's friendly environment invites first time buyers to browse amongst the thousands of paintings, original prints, photography and sculpture, whilst seasoned collectors can seek out hot new artists. In short, AAF Amsterdam is a fair where you can look at contemporary art, love it and leave with your own piece.

This funky fair's stunning location is the 19th century gasworks, an impressive industrial monument on the Westergasfabriek terrain, close to Amsterdam Central station and easy to reach by bike, tram, car or foot from the town center.

Free workshops about art techniques will take place throughout the event. All ages are catered for with our wine bar, café and children's crèche making it a great place to meet up with friends or to bring the family.

On Wednesday November 5 the twelfth edition of the Holland Animation Film Festival kicks off with the impressive animated documentary Waltz with Bashir of Ari Folman and the world premiere of Thee Wreckers: No Place Like Home directed by Dutch animation director Rosto.

Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman Animations, attends HAFF as the Guest of Honour. He has compiled a special Aardman retrospective. The master will personally introduce the Aardman sections. They obviously include the famous Wallace & Gromit, but there is a lot more where that came from. In addition Peter Lord presents a programme at the festival featuring his personal animated favourites, covering almost one century of animation: from Willis O’Brien’s Prehistoric Poultry (1916) to Matthew Walker’s Astronauts (2005).

The whole selection of films, the special programmes, the international juryies and their competitions, the master classes and talk shows with hosts Paul Wells and Pierre Floquet, the workshops with open source software Blender, the Aardman retrospective, the hilarious festival leader directed by HAFF 2002 Grand Prix-winner Pete Bishop, the poster designed by jury member Richard McGuire, the Oscar winning Peter and the Wolf by jury member Suzie Templeton, the public animated installation Intra Muros by artist Rose Bond at the windows of the city hall and info of all films in the programme and the Audience Award Dutch Animation, the debate about the cross pollination between games and animation and so much more ….

New video from Munk , Taken from Cloudbuster , 2008 album out on Gomma.

Watch | Munk - "Down in L.A." Shazam Version

Defasten believes in remodernist ideals and the nihilist difference of our alleged unified society. In the future, the alphabet does not exist.

Focusing on digital animation, Defasten delineates parallels within information, space, and the urban landscape at the intersection of digital media practices. This direction reflects an interest in the fragmentation of media, contemporary society, and the post-modern condition.

Watch | Defasten Live

"L'amie De Zoé " is an animated short story about friendship. Life in Zoé's world is green and ordinary. When a red family unexpectedly lands on her planet, Zoé makes a new friend. While teaching her friend, Maho, all about her world, Zoé realizes that being green is not ordinary to everyone.

Working closely with illustrator Matthieu Roussel, MAKE created a wonderous moving world from Roussel's book "L'amie de Zoé". By bringing Zoé's green world from the page to the screen, the team at MAKE were able to add layers of interactions and emotions not achievable in printed form. Even the planet itself becomes a character. It affects the characters' lives and behaviours. Using Roussel's book and vision, MAKE brought "L'amie de Zoé" to life.

Watch | L'amie De Zoé

The Official Video for Lulu Rouge's first single "Bless You"
Directed by: Jimmy Falinski Kornhauser

Watch | Lulu Rouge feat. Mikael Simpson - Bless You

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Let's Dance,Rumpistol,Windy and Carl,Taylor Deupree,Gregor Samsa,Extrawelt,Stars of the Lid,Frank Jensen,Cotton Club,Cello Biennale,Museum Night

Rumpistol
" Dynamo " - Rump-Recordings - 2008
Electronic / IDM / Glitch

Rumpistol is a name that's hard to take seriously. As label head of the equally humorously-named Rump Recordings, Jens Berents Christiansen knows left-field, off-kilter, "poppy" electronica better than acts that have been active since the early '90's. His synthetic melody based style is refreshing in comparison to the hordes of musicians today who are craving dark, evil atmospheres. Rumpistol's glitchy chopped and skewered sound is less intense than Beneva vs. Clark Nova, but just as exhilarating. Eccentric guitar flushes could be reminiscent of Errors latest. Such a synth-heavy record is bound to be compared to Matmos' similar offering this year, and the lovely Dynamo (in my opinion of course) trounces the thoroughly unrefreshing Supreme Balloon. But enough said about this year's competition. Let's move onto what makes Dyanmo so great in the first place... Jack Britton - The Silent Ballet

Try | Buy

Windy and Carl
" Songs for the Broken Hearted " - Kranky - 2008
Drone / Shoegase

Alongside Stars of the Lid, Windy & Carl are in many ways the definitive Kranky band, having been with the label for well over a decade and been instrumental in configuring that signature sound that's somewhere between drone, shoegaze and modern classical. "Songs For The Broken Hearted" is their fourth album for the label and, despite sticking with a formula the band have long since established, it's truly a work of heart-stopping beauty. Album opener 'btwn you + me' drifts in with a harrowing, almost ghostly presence, marrying the stretched hum of extended chords and layered, cushioned distortion with a submerged vocal delivery that acts as some kind of aural prologue for the captivating 70 minutes that follow. Boomkat

Try | Buy

Taylor Deupree
" Northern " - 12K - 2008
Electronic / Drone / Ambient / Experimenal

The inspiration behind Northern (including its music, title and photography) comes from Deupree’s recent relocation from the heart of urban activity in Brooklyn to the tranquility of the forest in upstate New York. Inspired by nature and the winter during which it was created, Northern, like much of his recent work, explores Deupree’s interest in stillness and a slowed sense of time. Through quiet textures, subtle movements, faint loops and echoes, it was his goal to create the type of music that comes naturally to him while also highlighting the input from his dramatic new surroundings.

In contrast to the brazen repetition found on Stil., Northern more ephemeral approach to Deupree’s theme comes from looking at the stillness found outside of his studio windows: large, looming boulders, the softness of snow, and the hushed whisper of wind and fallen leaves; it is a world of countless tiny movements so active that an implied stillness results from the din it creates.

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Gregor Samsa
" Rest " - Own Records - 2008
Ambient / Indie

On their third full length, Rest, Brooklyn based Gregor Samsa expands on their affinity for minimal, classical instrumentation mixed with manipulated sound and male/female vocals. This album demonstrates a more focused and refined sound, with an emphasis on piano and the integration of new instrumentation such as the clarinet, vibraphone and celeste. Own Records

Watch | Gregor Samsa - Jeroen van Aken

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Extrawelt
" Schöne Neue Extrawelt " - Cocoon - 2008
Techno / Minimal

You have to be step-on-glass cautious in throwing the word "progressive" around in dance circles, but Extrawelt have a tendency to craft within the brainier elements of the term while slimming its bloat. With a background in trance as Midi Miliz and also Spirallianz, Extrawelt's Arne Schauffhausen and Wayan Raabe are certainly not strangers to thick, blitzkrieg techno music. While Extrawelt's past singles for labels like Border Community and Traum have seen the duo use the Extrawelt name for more refined tech-house creations, the duo's never completely shed the dark-corridor depths of their past. A welcome balance of those strains, Extrawelt's debut album, Schöne Neue Extrawelt, ain't Sunday Breakfast fare, flirting with the psychedelic ends of the spectrum without ever resorting to the lobotomizing or cheap libido typically associated with "trance" techno. Resident Adviser

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teaser for upcoming Stars of the Lid feature film
Thanks to robin liebenguth

Watch | Stars of the Lid . teaser 1

This afternoon while strawling in the Jordan Quarter in Amsterdam , spot this really nice exhibition from Danish Painter Frank Jensen

Frank Jensen was born in Denmark in 1956 and has been passionate about art from a very young age. Finding his first teacher in his father, a painter and violinist, he went on to study art at the School of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he held major one-man exhibitions in 1988 and 1989

He works in a wide variety of formats, using many different techniques and unorthodox materials (for example, marble dust) to create the extraordinary sense of texture and depth which are a feature of his harmonious and tranquil abstract works.

This afternoon went back to my favorite jazz crib in Amsterdam , Cotton Club , first time after the smoke ban , now the smoke as been replaced by the smell of a thousand perfumes , it doesn't seem right , there were less people than normal , but the Jazz , brilliant as usual.
Its a must stop for Jazz lovers , every saturday from 16.30 - 20.00 , rain or shine in the heart of Amsterdam , Nieuwmarkt 10 min walk from Central Station.

To finish this super nice sunny afternoon in Amsterdam , went to the final day of the Cello Biennale in the Musiek Gebow
Thought im not a expert in classical music , the appeal is tremendous .
Pieter Wispelwey , cello and Paolo Giacometti , piano performed a short programe with works by Karl Davidov, one of the founders of the Russian cello school.

A rough guide to the Amsterdam Museum Night
On Saturday the 1st of November 2008 Amsterdam will celebrate Museum Night. For the ninth year in a row 41 museums and institutions will open their doors and organise special events. Although the event focuses on a mainly Dutch audience, there is plenty to see and do for non-Dutch speakers. The programme includes DJ’s, bands, dance performances, film, food & drinks amongst the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the museums themselves.

Tickets will be on sale for €17,- (including service charge) at all Ticket Service pre-sale points. We recommend buying your tickets in advance, since last year’s Museum Night was completely sold out.

On the evening of the Museum Night itself, there will be tickets on sale (if still available) for €20,- (including service charge) until 10 pm.

You can buy them at three Amsterdam GWK offices (a.o. Central Station) and AUB Ticketshop (Leidseplein).

Pay attention: there are no tickets for sale at the participating museums