Reeps One doesn’t do introductions and he doesn’t do labels. Put simply, he likes to let his music do the talking as evidenced by his unique take on performing at festivals wherein the environment allows him to surprise crowds at the end rather then during his performances. “When I played Arcadia at Boomtown, I played a one hour set with no introduction as on that stage you can’t actually see who is playing” begins Reeps drink in hand after delivering a blistering show for Ballantine’s True Music series in London. “I came directly out of Roni Size’s set and went straight into doing what I do without any intro or explanation. It was only at the end that I let the crowd know that it’d been a human voice that they were listening to and you could hear their surprise from their reaction – I want to prove that what I do iof the receptive crow more than a trick or skill.”

It’s this quest to escape the stereotypical confines of what we can expect from a – forgive us Reeps – ‘beatboxer’ that has seen the Londoner raise himself up to a level beyond that of his many contemporaries, his ability to craft music with his voice rather than replicate it marking him out as an artist rather than beatboxer to watch. So why does the Walthamstow native think his ambitions are so much loftier than the majority of his peers within beatboxing?

“Well I’m from a different background musically from most ‘beatboxers’” he explains. “If you look at where the scene comes from, if you say the word beatbox the most common preconception people have is that you have direct association with hip hop. But I’ve never ever been a hip hop head. I was raised within grime, garage and the many other genres of electronic music that have their roots here in London.”

“That’s been my foundation for a long time and I’ve always said if you take techno, dubstep and a lot of other early examples of electronic like it Aphex Twin and then try to envisage that being created though a human voice then you’re imagining my aims. This is my love. And those people don’t bend to rules of traditional songwriting. People like Aphex Twin they are complete anomalies – they behave in their own way and even though it’s extremely rare this really is my line of thinking. I’m thinking, can I create something that’s never happened before? I’m looking to control and manipulate entire spaces, create entire new experiences and my voice is a medium rather than me being part of a scene or industry I don’t recognize.”

So where does the blame for beatboxing’s currently limited appeal lie? For Reeps the answer is simple, its practitioners.

“Too many beatboxers just don’t think about production. It should be about being a music making tool rather than anything else. You have one chance. One life. We only get one opportunity to be here so what is your absolute potential? What is your maximum capacity? Do you want to be an entertainer or an artist? Because there’s a massive difference between the two. If you’re going to do it with just your voice I think you need to be thinking about production and what other elements you need to be able to control to create music that truly represents yourself.”

“I’ve proven I can do solo sets.” Reeps continues. “I’ve done hour long solo sets in clubs all around the world and within the beatbox coomunity that’s not something that happens so for me the main thing is I feel no need to have to explain myself or what I’m doing. It’s all about what allows me to make the best music I can as freely as possible and right now that involves me – I am a virtuoso, I can control a number of different elements in very much the same way someone might use ableton to create a minimal techno set so there’s a stripped backness to it but that is the trunk of what I do. I do create a lot on my own but I am now more than willing to add more elements to my productions and performances. As long as all of the content has been crafted by me in some way or another then I’m happy. I just want my work to be able to shine in its own right”

And if he keeps delivering performances and music of the caliber we were fortunate enough to catch at the Printworks then we’ll be happy too.

Not lucky enough to have joined us for Reeps genre defying journey in London? Fear not, you can heck out Reeps in full flow below. Prepare to be amazed. 

The post Raising The Bar: Reeps One Talks Artistry appeared first on Data Transmission.

If it weren’t for his eccentric sense of dress and disarmingly friendly demeanor, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Renato Ratier for a prize fighter. A towering figure both in a literal sense and in regards to the Brazilian electronic music scene, the D-Edge and Warung founder is extolling the virtues of playing an extended set in a clubbing environment in this the age of the festival, his broad TV-ready smile breaking out on his face as he talks. “The importance of clubbing is as great as it ever was. Festivals and clubs are both vital parts of electronic music and the development of one doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other” he says in an accent somewhere between Sao Paulo and London. That smile again.

It’s midnight on a warm Thursday night in Salvador and the pop up club assembled by Ballantine’s and Boiler Room in the coastal city’s marina for the first leg of their new Seth Troxler helmed True Music series is packed. The low lit open air club reverberates with the sounds of Lil’ Louie Vega as our conversation begins in earnest. The beats rain down, drinks flow and the crowd moves as one. “Festivals and clubs offer very different experiences and together are driving the scene forward in ways that people would never of imagined 30 years ago” he says. “They compliment each other with clubs providing artists the platform they need to go on and become festival artists and festivals acting as a gateway for people who might not be really aware of the scene to discover electronic music and then head back in to the clubs as they wish to hear more!”

In some sense Ratier, is emblematic of the new musical energy pulsing through 21^st century Brazil and part of the reason it now boasts a number of the world’s most celebrated clubs – the aforementioned D-Edge and Warung – can be directly attributed to the passion and perseverance of Renato and the close knit team he surrounds himself with. So what’s the secret behind the Sao Paulo selectors success? “Residents” he tells us without hesitation. “Locations, systems, designs… they don’t build clubs. Residents build clubs. Sure those other factors are important but the residents are lifeblood of any club. They shape its personality. To build a specific style or develop a specific kind of music and build a kinship with local people you need to support local talent. I can’t think of a favourite club of mine wherein the residents are not local guys. Fabric has Craig Richards and Terry Francis, Berghain has well, Berghain has about ten so you can see what I mean!”

To understand the electronic explosion in Brazil you have to first understand the multi-national history of this South American sleeping giant. From the get go it was a nation founded upon immigration, leading to arguably the world’s most multicultural society. Thus with such a variety of cultures within the mix should we be that surprised that Brazil has taken to the welcoming bosom of house and techno in such a big way in recent times? Or should we be surprised that it took the samba state this long to join the party? “Brazil is such a mixing pot of cultures.” Renato explains. “If you go to the south then come here to Salvador then you’ll notice the music, food and architecture are completely different. This is why we don’t as yet have a unified ‘Brazilian electronic sound’ as of yet. We’re more regional than that. Countries like Chile or Argentina have more singular cultures and that lends itself to being exported as a definite product whereas our variety is our strength. Brazilian culture rewards those who look deeper in to its roots and history and that’s arguably truer for music than anything else so befriend some locals and get ready to dig deep!”

So how can we get involved in the localized scenes that make up Brazil’s rich electronic tapestry and more importantly how can, we as outsiders do so with upsetting these regionalised eco-systems? “Well the growth of the Brazilian scene has to be organic if it wants to stay in touch with its roots” says Renato. “Some of the faster growing, more manufactured sounds – EDM etc. – they don’t have such a history and so have relied on marketing because they do not have the same heritage. There is simply not as much to learn about or take in and whilst this makes it accessible it also makes it feel a lot more disposable. House and techno have always been welcoming spaces for those who want to join a community. They’re tribes where passions run deep so it’s great to see these movements being adopted here in my homeland and continuing to grow whilst staying true its origins. Sure, new ideas and concepts are introduced to give the scene a Latin flavour but the feeling remains the same and that’s so important as it’s the very essence of what makes the underground such a special thing to be a part of.”

Speaking of supporting the ‘underground’ – in itself a hot topic of debate considering the scale of some of the followings amassed by artists who would describe themselves as such – talks turns to the importance of independent labels and their role in retaining the credibility of the scene. “It’s is not easy to run a label these days” Renato admits looking slightly less cheerful. “It’s certainly something you do for love not money! That said, I’m opening up two more labels to compliment the existing two I already run [] so I must be some sort of musical masochist!

“Before D-Edge would range all over the electronic landscape which was great but I think it will be easier to separate different genres onto different labels as then we can provide a greater focus on what we were trying to showcase.”

And how does expect these South American flavoured releases to go down in the rest of the world?

“It’s not easy as Brazil’s problems aside, Europe remains the center of the electronic music industry so everything we’re doing here in South America feels like it might go unnoticed unless we’re really pushing it there. If you look at the biggest South American names operating in electronic music you’ll notice they all live in Europe so if you have a label and want to do something then it still feels like you have to make the move to Europe. We hope to change that whilst still continuing to work with our favourite DJ and clubs in Europe.”

Not lucky enough to have joined us in Salvador? Fear not, you can check out Renato’s full blooded debut Ballantine’s x Boiler Room’s True Music platform in full below.

The post To D-Edge and Back: Renato Ratier Talks Brazil appeared first on Data Transmission.

Put simply they don’t make ‘em like Al Green anymore. Having first toured America with Source Direct fresh out of his teens, back in 1999 – carrying little more than a bag full of records and a head full of dreams – it wasn’t long before he was rewriting the rules of what a drum and bass track could be as one half of game changing duo Instra:mental before morphing into Boddika, a no-nonsense techno producer looking to put his considerably weighty stamp on the genre.

Having operated primarily as a DJ in recent times – in addition to running his Nonplus imprint, which continues to go from strength to strength – we caught up with the straight talking Londoner just after a rare b2b set that saw him team up with Israeli techno don Shlomi Aber for the final leg of Boiler Room x Ballantine’s True Music series in Madrid.

The first show he’d performed at since New Year’s Eve, we find Bod in a talkative mood, amped up on the adrenaline of his set and so jumped straight in to get his thoughts on one of the biggest talking points at the Boiler Room forum the day before – the importance of independent labels in protecting the spirit of the underground.

“Things have already changed more than I’d liked them to have. The way I see it, you’ve got a responsibility to protect something you want to be a part of. That should be standard procedure for everybody but for some people it’s not. It’s been eight years since we founded Nonplus Records and for me it was all about what we could add to the scene rather than take from it as a label.  I remember many years ago now, hearing Kassem Mosse and from the off I knew there was something about his music I loved, and that I wanted to release some on Nonplus and help introduce him to a new audience, an audience that I was building on Nonplus in the UK. He was making sick shit and I wanted other people to hear it; that was enough for me.  There has never been a real thought process behind what I’m doing and there doesn’t really need to be as I know I’m doing it for the right reasons – that’s just who I am.”

So having such a commitment to shining a light on underground talent, how does he feel about other independent labels serving pretty much purely as vehicles for their founder’s releases?

“People will always start labels to push their own music,” he responds. “That’s not a money thing, that’s a labour of love thing. I guarantee, that 9 out of 10 of those people will have sent their music to other labels who didn’t want to release it first. The bigger labels simply aren’t taking the chances that they used to on new artists and other people just want to keep it as a collective of tight knit friends and I love and respect that because that’s when you get unfiltered creativity. It’s when you start letting outside influences come in that shit changes. And then money comes in and things are never the same again!”

With so much money flowing in to the scene at the moment it certainly feels like he has point.  The event calendar might never have been more full, there might never have been so many breakthrough artists, so many ‘huge’ tracks or so many apparently game-changing landmarks, yet DT is arguably more worried about the long term future of electronic music than ever before. It’s a concern Boddika shares.

“Look at what’s happened to DJing” he begins. “I can’t say I agree with people who claim to be DJs but don’t mix!? I toured America when I was 20/21 with records and I learned to DJ properly because that’s what a DJ is, someone who spins records. Now, I haven’t spun a record in a club for about ten years but I came up doing that, I earned my stripes doing that, I toured doing that. I’m a DJ and I’ll rip any club when I mix.  Each track, depending on what program it was written in, is generally a little bit different timing wise from program to program, which means I still have to concentrate on what I’m doing on the CDJ’s and that’s important to me. I’d feel like I was robbing people if I was up there not doing anything but that’s just me. There are plenty of people who, through clever management are enjoying huge success but it’s part of the industry these days. I just it see it for what it is.”

“If you look at it from the perspective of a veteran like myself, you wonder if anyone actually gives a fuck about the underground anymore – I still give a fuck about the underground,” Boddika continues, now in full flow. “I could have done so many more things than I have done but I chose to keep it real.  The are people who claim to be underground DJs and producers who have zillions of followers on social media and I’m like, what the fuck? That’s the biggest contradiction I’ve ever heard. The electronic music scene is a very different game these days, but thankfully there are a lot of good people, likeminded people, that aren’t just out for money or just pretending not to be just in it for the money. That’s where the best music comes from, its always been like that. Money is the route of all evil. Standard.”

Real talk. So what does Boddika and Nonplus have lined up for us to help stop the rot?

“The next release on Nonplus Records is from Henning Baer and then we have a Polish producer called Michal Wolski serving up a wicked EP for us after that. His work on Eerie Records (a label run by Marco Shuttle) blew my mind, so I approached him and he was very happy to write me a record – which has turned out amazing. It’s deep, deep, otherworldly techno that I’m really excited about, so look out for that.”

“I’m also writing new music but nothing has solidified yet. I’m focusing on different forms of synthesis I’m not used to using and also trying to establish a distinct sound for myself  again, which is pretty hard these days – as my own biggest critic it’s important for me to get it right!”

Never change Al.

Not lucky enough to have joined us in Madrid? Fear not, you can check out Boddika’s heavyweight session with Shlomi Aber for Boiler Room x Ballantine’s True Music platform in full below.

The post Boddika: “I wonder if anyone actually gives a f*** about the underground anymore…” appeared first on Data Transmission.

Cord Labuhn is going it alone. Whilst probably still best known as one half of dancefloor destroying duo Robosonic – the pairing are currently ‘geographically displaced’ but fear not fans, are still very much committed to their work together – Cord has been embarking upon a number of solo projects of late, crafting sounds designed to stir the soul rather than moves the soles for his new outlet OUTTAKES.

Billed as a series of “musical compositions – songs, beats, tools, recordings and sonic fragments designed to encapsulate a time, vibe and feeling” these collections see Cord open up a selection of his personal folders and archives to give listeners an intimate insight into his mindset and creative processes whilst simultaneously showcasing the talents of some his closest friends and supporters.

Launching with a golden-tinged, therapeutic mixtape titled ‘Sleep Out’, the specially curated set of selections aims to frame the most meditative of tracks into one warm, sleepy package. Clocking in at 3 hour and 48 tracks, we asked Cord to talk us through six tracks that define the mix and reveal what makes him tick.

Kangding Ray / Sub.Res / Raster-Noton

Years ago I was at “c/o pop” – a festival with a conference, workshops and panels in Cologne. The label Raster-Noton, which I had only heard of before, had their stand or rather a room at some sort of fair area. I liked their abstract artful CD packaging so much, that I decided to buy a CD, which I almost never did at that time. So quite randomly ‘Stabil’ by Kangding Ray became my most listened-to album of that year I think. It was an absolute sure shot for certain moods, situations, people and it unlocked the Raster-Noton spirit and catalogue for me. So you find more stuff like Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto in ‘Sleep Out’.

Robag Wruhme / Anton II / Pampa

A perfect example how artists mostly known and booked for house and techno sometimes seek balance in the most calm and meditative music. In this case, the cut was even released on Pampa, a label also rather known for dancefloor compatible output.

Nils Frahm / Familiar / Erased Tapes

This man needs no introduction, but let me pay some homage. I’d say Nils is one of the greatest music performers of my own generation. A humble genius, he has everything in his arsenal: vision, vibe, skill, everything and nowadays he receives all the attention he deserves, playing extraordinary venues across the globe. We got to know each other briefly between shows and at chance airport meetings in New York, Barcelona and Berlin. Hopefully we’ll collaborate for my OUTTAKES series or some other project.

I couldn’t really decide which track to feature in the Sleep Out because there are so many that I really dig. ‘Familiar’ always stood out as a beautiful piece, which instantly calms my mind, body and soul.

Stimming / The Train / Diynamic

And another example of someone that spends a lot of his time touring clubs and festivals playing dance music and at some point branched out to record a whole different album some years ago. Much love and respect for Martin Stimming, who created his own signature sound, which retains its well crafted consistency whilst remaining creative. Having supported quite a lot of his house tracks over the last decade, I was especially happy this tune fitted in here so well. Released on Hamburg’s visionary house label Diynamic, it feels a bit like a nod to my own past having landed a Robosonic hit with our friends Adana Twins on the outlet a few years ago.

Drilling and the Club of Gore – Sympathy

I have some family ties in West Germany’s Ruhr area and when I discovered this band I felt home somehow. Bohren is an outstanding band from Mühlheim rooted in dark and death metal and from what I know these musicians decided to slow down their music drastically and play a form of super slow motion snail Jazz, with their signature ‘düsternis’ (darkness). Much of their stuff is actually more depressive than I am but this tune, ‘Beileid’ (condolence) is so calm, patient and decelerated that I can fall asleep in peace and say goodbye to any restlessness of the day.

Cord / Gone Love / Outtakes

My self-fulfilling prophecy. I got lost in a stoner loop a long time ago, when I recorded some piano through guitar effect pedals, and flipping samples on a NI Maschine. I knew it would become more or less this piece, but it took me a light year to finish it off. I did work on it often as the last thing of the day to calm down after producing Robosonic’s trademark blend of house and techno. I would become tired immediately and leave the track alone after just a few minutes zoning – or maybe record a take playing my Mom’s accordion or so to add a subtle layer or two. I thought it was a good sign that it made me tired and lazy and I didn’t want to lose that approach by overproducing or overthinking the final product. I knew I wanted to have this either as the first or last track in Sleep Out, so I had to put elements in order at some point.

Years ago I made a mixtape called “Heart Ship Home” and produced the opener ‘Heartships’ myself, which was dedicated to my beloved girlfriend. Over the many years we spent together the term (and title of a Mark Knopfler song) ‘Go Love’ became a symbol for giving each other space and individual freedom based on deepest trust, to go abroad, travel, to worship life and love to the max without losing the feeling of a safe home and being rooted. Last year – really just when the track was finally arranged and produced and hence, also when Sleep Out was finished with its last missing ingredient – this tune and title became a symbol for that whole story, as my love had suddenly gone. Spending most of her time in a whole different place and space, allowing too much of a contradiction, and love to tear us apart.

So I had compiled the most cosy selection of music to rock myself to sleep – which was the initial idea: a tool for whenever I have to rest between club gigs, airports, hotels, trains – but I became awfully insomniac over the situation. I felt I had to wait with this release (relief!) until I had recaptured my ability to rest in peace. Meditation, rational reflection and an incredible amount of appreciation and love by my realest allies was key. You know who you are, dream on.

Like what you hear? You can download your copy of ‘SLEEP OUT’ now here and keep up to date with all things Cord over on his respective Facebook and Soundcloud pages. You can also find the full tracklist to his mammoth mixtape below.

Tracklist
Cord / Gone Love / Outtakes
Gregor Schwellenbach / Kaito’s Everlasting / Kompakt
Stimming / The Train / Diynamic
Addison Groove / Locked Groove / 50 Weapons
Flying Lotus / Intro / Brainfeeder
Guillaume And The Cotou Dumonts / Intermde / Circus Company
Nils Frahm / Familiar / Erased Tapes
Nonkeen / The Invention Mother / Erased Tapes
Robot Koch / Love / Project Mooncircle
Matias Aguayo / Walty / Kompakt
Kangding Ray / Sub.Res / Raster-Noton
Dimlite / Yes Welcome / Now Again Records
Hudson Mohawke / Star Crackout / Warp
Sigur Ros / Ba Ba / Geffen
Jon Hopkins / Breathe This Air / Domino
Noisia / Paper Doll / Vision
Dimlite / Stromausfall / Sonar Kollektiv
Charles Atlas / Demus / Ochre
Robag Wruhme / Anton II / Pampa
The Genle People / Superstar / Rephlex
Kollektiv Turmstrasse / Dazwischen / Connaisseur
Prefuse73 / Simple Loop / Warp
Arovane / Ten Hours / City Center Offices
Kangding Ray / Altiz / Raster-Noton
Philip Jeck / Anatomy / Touch
Loscil / Mistral / Kranky
Raz Ohara And The Odd Orchestra / Love For Mrs. Rhodes / Get Physical
Nikita Quasim / Ghost / Clown_And_Sunset
Robag Wruhme / Anton I / Pampa
Roman Fluegel / Pianopiano / Dial
Jacaszek / Dale-gale / Ghostly International
Donato Dozzy / Vaporware 01 / Spectrum Spools
8GB / Vingt Mille Lieues
Burial / Forgive / Hyperdub
Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto / Naono / Raster-Noton
Jon Hopkins / Abandon Window / Domino
Greg Gives Peter Space / February Space Duet / Erased Tapes
Alva Noto / Monophaser / Raster-Noton
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto / Logic Moon / Raster-Noton
Dadub / Endless / Stroboscopic Artefacts
Triangleline / Chronon and Echo / Other People
Darkside / Sitra / Other People
Valentin Stip / Sigh / Other People
Ezekiel Honig / Drafting Hindsight / Other People
Bohren und der Club of Gore – Beileid
Olafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm / a2 / Erased Tapes
Cord / Unter Deck / Outtakes

The post 6 Of The Best: Cord Labuhn Invites Us To ‘Sleep Out’ appeared first on Data Transmission.

Let’s face it 2016 wasn’t the greatest year. Set to be remembered for political turmoil, the advent of post truth and the passing of some of contemporary music’s greatest icons, few will be too saddened to fall into the arms of the new year. That’s not to say that the last 12 months wasn’t without its bright spots as the world’s creative communities came together in this time of turmoil to craft some amazing work. Hardship often breeds great art.

One of the groups to particularly impress us this year was Brooklyn based trio Twin Wave who having bewitched the DT office with their distinct mix of meditative dream pop soundscapes and ruminative vocals are now firm fixtures on all of our teams playlists. Retaining a contemporary edge whilst utilizing so many retrofitted motifs is no easy task but one the group seemingly manage effortlessly, blending classic elements with forward thinking production values for a sound that’s distinctly now.

This almost oxymoronic approach is perhaps best realized on their new single, Roll With It, which as the title suggests rolls along through the lower gears before breaking down into something surprisingly danceable. Melancholia meets melody, it’s a number worthy of repeat listening – we seemed to pick up on something new each time – and a track we’d love to catch live. As it stands the Atlantic Ocean stands between us making that a reality but if the outfit ever touch down in the UK you can expect to see us right at the front mouthing the lyrics whilst attempting to channel the spirit of 80’s through dance.

Check out Twin Wave’s ‘Roll With It’ below.

The post Twin Wave ‘Roll With It’ appeared first on Data Transmission.

Is Lee “Scratch” Perry the world’s coolest octogenarian? We think so. We mean, our dear old Grandad is cool and all but he struggles to lay it down on wax quite as hard as he used to in his salad days.

That’s not a problem for Mr. Perry, who at 80 years young is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Having been at the forefront of dub and reggae since the late 50’s ska movement we’re fans of his both his work behind the decks – he pioneered the ‘scratch’ technique which has since been used by DJs the world over – and in the studio wherein he worked his magic on the for the likes of The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs and The Clash.

Thus it is with considerable excitement that we welcome the Grammy-winning dub music pioneer back to London for a couple of intimate shows at the Jazz Café. Performing alongside his full live band Sunday October 9^th and Monday October 10th, it’s not something any of you serious music heads will want to miss out on. Cop a ticket here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj0LgquKfy4

The post Jazz Café Announce Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry Double Header appeared first on Data Transmission.

Have you ever been absolutely certain you know something only to find out you’ve been totally wrong, since like forever? We know we have. We remember being totally taken aback by the fact that polo players – you know, those posh people who charge around on horses – don’t hit the ball with the end of the mallets but rather the side and that enormity wasn’t a synonym of huge or enormous. Thus you can imagine our surprise in finding out that Oktoberfest actually starts in September. Mind blowing stuff eh?

Well, armed with a new festival to celebrate this Autumn we quickly looked at jumping on a flight to Munich only to see that at the current exchange rate, the entire office would have to club together for one of us to make our over to Deutschland. Luckily for us however, our good friends over at Oval Space have a covered, converting the East London venue into a German beer hall to bring a taste of Bavaria to Bethnal Green.

Promising the full Oktoberfest experience – we’re expecting a collection of rich foaming steins and delicious schnitzel – the soundtrack will be provided by the borough’s Hackney Colliery Band; with a unique mix of brass and beats set to get us loosening those lederhosen and get on the dance floor.

Running from the 28^{th of} September until October 9th, you can find more details of what’s on offer at www.oktoberfest-east.com.

See you there!

The post Oval Space Announces Oktoberfest Celebrations appeared first on Data Transmission.

Summer’s coming to a close and it’s with a heavy heart that we say that the festival season is closing with it. The last major event before the nights start to draw in, Bestival, officially marks the end of the allegedly warmer period we enjoy between May and September and for Blighty based music lovers serves as a final exclamation point for this year’s outdoor excursions.

Having downsized to a capacity reminiscent of its ‘boutique roots’, Bestival’s much famed interactivity felt a little sparse in comparison to previous years as we arrived on the Thursday night but with the bulk of the crowd yet to arrive and forming such a large part of the overall vibe perhaps we were hoping for too much too soon.

Once inside the festival and with our camp all set up, next on our agenda was choosing which acts to see and on the opening night that was very easy indeed. Shy FX’s ‘Party on the Moon’ had been dominating talk on the journey all the way from London and it was immediately apparent upon our arrival at that the Big Top that it was going to absolutely go off. With acts that would be topping many other festivals main stage it was obvious why so many were so pumped to be seeing such great acts on the first day. Highlights from initial salvo included the slickly driven agenda of DT favourite Redlight and expertly selected sounds the original nuttah himself, Shy FX who delivered set that won’t be forgotten any time soon. The night closed with a well received performance from the multi-talented Hot Chip for what can be certainly be chalked up as a win for the programmers.

By Friday morning most of the crowd were in full festival spirit, starting early and ending late, and with a group of people we met there (new friends are made easily at Bestival) we stumbled into forest hangout The Blind Tiger. The Blind Tiger, a secret venue with live music was a great place to both chill and party; ending up a personal favourite of ours. So much so that we actually ended up taking a few other people we met on site over to the hideaway to show them just how fun it was. We would go into more detail but well, it’s all a secret see?

By evening we found ourselves once again drawn to The Big Top to see a number of Grime legends do their ting at the Eskimo Dance. Scene godfather Wiley and East London duo Newham Generals served up particularly rambunctious fare, whipping up the crowd into a 2-step fuelled fervor like few else can. With the Space Port then open for business we were never going to miss out on the chance to check out Carl Cox, Diplo and Barely Legal ending each night and whilst all three impressed, it was old stager Carl Cox’s House Classics set that will stay with us. Still running the game after all these years, we can’t recommend seeing the Londoner enough.

Saturday afternoon saw us make a jaunt over to the Invaders of the Future stage to get a feel for the rock music on offer and experience Bestival from yet another angle. Having enjoyed a bout of crashing drum beats and guitar solos, we went further afield to see what other attractions the festival could provide and ended up at a wedding. Bestival weddings are certainly more fun than your average one, complete with inflatable church, dressing up and the funkiest priest you’ve ever seen.

Having been inspired by a very energetic performance from Vant, we felt in the mood for some more rock music, knowing that we would be back in electronic music’s loving embrace later on with performances from Minus boss Richie Hawtin and Leftfield still yet to come. Thus we ventured over to the mainstage for the first time to catch The Cure, who, to nobodies surprise captivated the audience from start to finish.

Having enjoyed Robert Smith and co.’s intergenerational musings, we made a triumphant return to The Spaceport to find Richie Hawtin in full flow. Leftfield and Crystal Fighters topped the night off and we have to say, Saturday at Bestival 2016 was one of, if not our favourite nights of any festival ever.

By Sunday the atmosphere had understandably become a lot more mellow, with many attendees’ limits catching up to them. That’s not to say that the party had died out, it was just taking a little breather in anticipation for the big send-off. Purple Rave with Heidi, Rob Da Bank and Tayo showed both tact and emotion for the passing of one of music’s great innovators and we’re sure Prince himself would have loved to see how many people turned up to pay tribute.

As darkness descened upon the Isle of Wight the crowd seemed to be moving towards Bastille, a band that we have seen numerous times before and just do not get. Once again we were hit with the same feeling. Their popularity flies in the face of our criticisms and yet again they seemed to please an enthusiastic crowd with their forgettable tracks.

A post Sean Paul dash during the fireworks display saw us round out our weekend with a set from the ever iconic Fatboy Slim. Having fortunately already battled our way into the crowd before the masses tried to force their way in, we felt lucky to see Mr. Cook do his thing.

Having spent a weekend in the future, complete with the gigantic Love-Bot, many smaller robots, cyborgs and outfits from 2089, our journey back to London felt somewhat quaint, as if we were travelling back to a more conservative past. If the future is as crazy, friendly and happy a place as this we think it’ll be then we all have a lot to look forward to.

Words: Sonny Bruin

The post Reviewed: Bestival 2016 appeared first on Data Transmission.

Colour us excited. Yep, we know we’re an excitable bunch of guys and gals here at DT towers but few announcements have set our office above like news that Dizzee Rascal would finally be performing his groundbreaking debut album, Boy In Da Corner on home turf.

Yep, having previously treated New Yorkers to an extra special airing of the LP earlier in the year the Mercury Award winning grime don will now be revisiting the album in London as part of the Red Bull Music Academy UK Tour October 22nd.

Tickets for the show to go on sale this Thursday 15th September at 9am. Location details for the show will be announced at the same time.

Grab your tickets here

The post RBMA Announce Dizzee Rascal’ ‘Boy In Da Corner’ London Show Ticket Sale appeared first on Data Transmission.

In a world of carefully crafted press releases, micromanaged social media accounts and bland media friendly sound bites, talking to Phil Kieran is a breath of fresh air. “It’s important to me as an artist to have some weight to my music, I want to produce something that’s a little bit more than just a funky groove” the Belfast man begins. “I guess I’m a little bit different to a lot of other electronic producers in that regard as my music takes a lot of influence from outside of the realms of what’s considered dance music. Perhaps that’s why I feel the way I do about it. I’ve always had a kind of punk/post punk  attitude in regards to my productions and I hope you can hear that when you listen to them.”

And hear it we can. Having introduced himself to the international community at large in the early noughties with a series of  blistering productions for the some of the world’s most respected underground labels, Phil’s name has long been synonymous with quality music within discerning circles, even if his earlier work didn’t get the mainstream recognition it deserved due to promotional issues. That’s something he plans to rectify with the release of his new full length, Blinded By The Sun for Jamie Jones’ all conquering Hot Creations imprint.  “I released an album as Le Carousel before on my own label and it was an absolute disaster financially” the smiling Irishman tells us candidly. “Thus I had no desire to go through that process again. I realized I probably needed more muscle in getting my music heard and so working with Jamie, who I’ve been friends with for a number of years, seemed an obvious choice.”

So what went wrong last time out? Well, musically nothing. Le Carousel’s eponymous debut LP for PKR picked up plaudits from pretty much a who’s who of electronic music. “I was power hosing my back garden one day when Andrew Weatherall rang me, praising the album as one of the best things he’d ever heard” Phil chuckles. “And I was giddily like “Fucking hell, Andrew Weatherall really likes my album!” before realising that I had to get back to the power washing and that I still was absolutely skint!”

Preceded by the release of politicized opening single, Make A Change, Blinded By The Sun aims to connect with listeners on a deeper level than other albums within the same musical space; guiding the more intuitive listener through the world as Kieran sees it one sonic musing at a time.  “The single was very much a political statement,” he explains. “I don’t really like shallow dance music and feel it’s good for the scene for records to send a positive message; to try to empower people. People can achieve more than they know. If you listen to the music of Talking Heads or Depeche Mode, you can’t help but be inspired and I think there’s no reason why current electronic music can’t be the same.

“The single is for everyone and it was important for me to get that message of inclusivity across. I was in a taxi last week and the driver started ranting about the homeless, refugees and other vulnerable groups. I had to tell him that I thought he was wrong. We need to stop ignoring the ignorant. I think if you’re in that type of situation then it’s important to open up a dialogue with the person and explain to them why they’re wrong.”

“It feels more and more like the world we’re living in is becoming one of extremes and the single is my reaction to that. If you look at the rise Donald Trump and people like him, it is worrying. I grew up in Northern Ireland so understand why people want to sit on the fence and not say anything, as it’s usually the easiest option. But if we don’t find our voice as the moderate, considerate majority then we’ll continue to allow society to be dictated to by the ill informed and the unpleasant and I think we all deserve better than that.“

Very much the artist’s artist, that Kieran would have such courage in his convictions will come as little surprise to those familiar with his music, which being both passionate and thought provoking, serves as a stark contrast to some of the more shadowy recesses of the industry and those who lurk within it.  “Of course I get frustrated with dance music being so business like these days…” he laments. “ It is upsetting when you see people treating their work like a business endeavor rather than an art. It’s probably most pronounced when you look at clubbing or festivals. The likes of Fabric and Panorama Bar are a dying breed; we need more spaces that see beyond profit margins and put on nights and book artists because they genuinely want to support interesting new music. Going back to what I was saying about punk, techno and house used to be the same. It was crazy, rebellious counter culture music and so its sad to see it being used purely as a money making machine.”

Having established we share many of his concerns about the soul of electronic music, talk turns to the future. “I’ve been working on new material as Le Carousel for the last three years,” he tells an excited DT. “So that’ll be ready for release shortly after the arrival of Blinded By The Sun. Outside of my work in the studio I love DJing and so will hopefully continue to play wherever they want me!”

Having seen him work the decks at a special night in Panorama Bar alongside Dense & Pika and Scuba, we were left in no doubt that the former Shine resident will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. Until next time Phil!

Blinded By The Sun by Phil Kieran hits shelves and hard drives October 7th 2016. Pre-order your copy here

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