Exit Festival started as a youth freedom movement in 2000 that brought down the oppressive regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Since then, it has grown into one of the leading festivals in the world with previous bookings that include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, Guns’n’Roses, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, and Motorhead, to name just a few.
Taking place in Novi Sad, Serbia from July 5 to 9, this year’s edition is fast approaching—and organizers are continuing to announce headliners for the ‘Dance Arena.’ Added now are Nina Kraviz, Rødhåd, and Nicole Moudaber.
Kraviz, who will be closing the arena, is known for her musically uncompromising and energetic DJ sets. The final night at the ‘Arena’ will also feature the modern techno sound of the Berlin hero Rødhåd, Nigerian-Lebanese DJ star Nicole Moudaber, internationally acclaimed selector Tijana T, and the duo of rising domestic techno producers, Scalameriya and Ilija Djoković.
The techno bill on Sunday, July 9 will be rounded by one more global headliner whose name will soon be revealed, together with the rest of the lineup at this year’s ‘Dance Arena.’
This year’s edition takes place in Novi Sad, Serbia from July 5 to 9. For more information, tickets and the current lineup, please click here.
Meanwhile, a video of Kraviz’ 2016 performance is streamable via the player above.
The Aula Magna label will soon present a 10th release, titled Rom by Seph, and featuring a remix from Cosmin TRG.
The EP is described as “modern and energetic,” kicking off with the title track “Rom,” an “epic breakbeat cut that twists its sounds progressively through distorted percussive and melodic riffs.” For the remix, Cosmin TRG gives a tribal take on the opening cut, creating a wonderfully hypnotic reinterpretation.
Ahead of next week’s release, grab Cosmin TRG’s rework via the WeTransfer button below.
Tracklisting
01. Rom 02. Rom (Cosmin TRG Remix) 03. Inner 04. P+1
Dario and Marco Zenker Zenker (i.e. Zenker Brothers) have a new EP on the way, titled The Schyren.
The duo’s last releases came in 2015, namely Pollioni on Index Marcel Fengler and the Immersion LP on Ilian Tape. According to the duo, The Schyren EP consists of “theatrical loose Munich vibrations.”
Tracklisting
A1. Randat A2. Subklet B. Monoptahras
The Schyren EP is scheduled for May 23 release, with clips streamable below.
Mano Le Tough is set to release a new EP titled Arganol ‘N’ All.
The three-track dancefloor-ready EP will be the Irish DJ-producer’s first release of 2017, and his first on Maeave—the label he runs with Baikal and The Drifter—since 2014’s Tempus EP. Last year he released an LP in Permanent Vacation.
Tracklisting
01. Big Words From The Small Mouth 02. Arganol
Arganol ‘N’ All EP is scheduled for May 12 release, with streams available below.
Mister Woo will soon release their debut LP, titled Beyond Light.
Mister Woo is an experimental electronica collaboration between UK producers Reset Robot, Jon Gurd, and Tom Powell. They have previously released EP on Derelicht and Ear Rot Records, a label conceived as a creative outlet for the Portsmouth-born trio and a new platform for the close-knit and diverse mix of experimental electronic artists based in the area.
The album, too, will land on Ear Rot, scheduled for May 29 digital release. A limited edition seven-track 12” is already available online.
Meanwhile, “Crust” a cut taken from the LP, is available to download below.
One year after his San Francisco debut, Barac returned to play at a much-hyped and sold-out daytime warehouse event in the Castro for underground curators and party collective Aftertouch—who have previously brought the likes of Raresh, Petre Inspirescu, Rhadoo, and Barac to the city.
Warming up the event were the exciting talents and SF locals Lily Ackerman and Ivana Karpierz, followed by Luis Delgado back-to-back with Petko Nikolov; all of whom delivered an assured and seamless selection of groovy house cuts. Sadly the latter pair’s set time was a little short due to the event’s delayed start, it would have been great to hear more from these two; any sorrow was quickly dismissed, however, when Barac arrived and effortlessly worked his magic to the collective delight of the packed warehouse. A thoroughly enjoyable intimate gathering of friends with a complimentary barbecue on offer, we certainly hope to see more warehouse events like this in San Francisco and this crew is definitely one to keep an ear out for.
All photos: Stephanie Garcia
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Following the wide-spread acclaim of the album, Modern Obscure has announced the forthcoming BTYLUFM Remixes, an EP that includes remixes from Animal Collective collaborator Eric Copeland, Swedish producer Peder Mannerfelt, Chicago producer and DJ Tevo Howard, and Escapismo, an anonymous project from a well-known producer. The package looks to unite Vian’s stunning originals with each remix artist’s stylistic interpretation, in turn translating the tracks into more club-based territory.
BTYLUFM Remixes will be available on vinyl and digital at the start of next month and can be pre-ordered here. In support of the forthcoming release the label has offered up Tevo Howard’s rolling acid-drenched remix as today’s XLR8R download, available via WeTransfer below.
Passages will arrive in a beautifully packaged 4-vinyl bundle, complete with cover art designed by Hessel Stuut—the art is inspired by the duo’s live audiovisual show, which invites the audience to travel through unearthly landscapes as the music progresses. The music on the release is a dynamic and lucid strain of house, shimmering, otherworldly cuts that match the concept perfectly.
You can find the album’s tracklisting below, alongside images of the vinyl bundle and a stream of album cut “Mareokey.”
This week’s podcast is distanced somewhat from many of those more recent contributions to the series.
Samuel Rohrer, for those unaware, is a percussionist and electronic music producer—and one of the influential improvisational musicians of his generation. Born in 1977 in Berne, Switzerland, and living in Berlin since 2003, Rohrer grew up in a musically connected family and began playing the piano at age seven before switching to drums around his 14th birthday. Later on, after studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Berne and Boston, he began touring Europe as a sideman with a diversity of small ensembles and was, by this point, one of the leading drummers of his generation.
Since then, Rohrer has diversified his musical output and involved himself in a range of new projects. As a leader and solo artist, Rohrer focuses in the field of acoustic/electronic music and has released two LPs, the latest of which—Range of Regularity—landed towards the back end of last month and was constructed almost entirely upon electronically-treated recordings of acoustic instrumentation, with a bare minimum of synthesizer voicing. “The way I worked on this album was a huge change in how I usually created music so far,” Rohrer says. “I went from a live musician—composing at the piano, writing lead sheets—to a sound sculpturist with a focus on production.”
As a collaborator, his list of artists with whom he has worked is a long and impressive one: alongside Max Loderbauer and Claudio Puntin, Rohrer has released two LPs as AMBIQ, a beautiful collaboration that blends classical instrumentation and electronics. He also has recorded several albums for ECM and built his own label arjunamusic records in 2012, on which he implements his idea of improvised acoustic/electronic music. In addition to this, he collaborates with Ricardo Villalobos, Nan Goldin, Soundwalk Collective, Burnt Friedman, and has shared the stage with, among many others, Sidsel Endresen, Laurie Anderson, Eivind Aarset, Nils Petter Molvaer, and Jan Bang. It is a remarkably impressive résumé.
For this reason, Rohrer´s contribution to our series was a much-anticipated one—and it doesn’t disappoint. Blending some of his newest material with various unreleased cuts, live recordings, and unperfected studio cuts, Rohrer has compiled a cinematic studio mix that is sure to be enjoyed by many.
Samuel Rohrer will be performing alongside Max Loderbauer and Claudio Puntin as AMBIQ on June 15 in Barcelona. Also performing will be Kassem Mosse (Live), Lawrence (Live), Shackleton (Live), and The Orb (Live).The event is presented by 510k Creatives and Arjunamusic Records. More information and tickets are available here.
Could you tell us about the idea behind the mix—was there a clear concept in mind?
It is recent work, only a few tracks are from older albums. I was trying to touch all the different corners, from solo work to different ensembles I am working with, including some tracks by AMBIQ. Some of the material was recorded live, some of it is unreleased, and some of it is actually raw and unfinished; there are a few tracks that are sketches of my latest solo work in my studio where I am about to prepare some sort of live version of my latest album. It is a combination of fully acoustic and improvised music and some music that is electronically produced. There is also a lot of minimal, abstract material. I tried to become more melodic towards the end of the mix.
Where is the mix supposed to be listened to?
A lot of it is quite cinematic, so it might work in the car or anywhere on the road. Or at home, of course. It is music to sit down and listen to, I suppose.
You’ve just released your new album, Range of Regularity. How does this compare to your previous work?
The way I worked on this album was a huge change in how I usually created music so far. I went from a live musician—composing at the piano, writing lead sheets—to a sound sculpturist with a focus on production. I worked a lot on details and filtered out certain atmospheres and ideas that I liked. It feels like the complete antithesis: in one way you first compose and then bring it to live in a performance; in the other you record and then rework the material and compose with it. I like the qualities of both ways of creating and would not want to miss one of them.
The LP is constructed almost entirely upon electronically-treated recordings of acoustic instrumentation, with a bare minimum of synthesizer voicing. Talk to me about the production processes behind this release.
It took me quite a long time to find out the musical direction that I wanted to go in with this album. The process became more clear after a while when I knew what the content would be and where I wanted to go. All the pieces came out of long improvisations. Once I had recorded lots of material, I had listening sessions and chose the moments where I felt that there was something to work with. After I reworked, edited, arranged and designed the sounds, I then added whatever I thought was needed and tried to find the right moment to stop. The biggest challenge for me was to keep the overview and not get lost in details and not lose the flow and the form.
You also run the arjunamusic label. What’s the focus of the label?
It ranges from acoustic chamber-like music to electro-acoustic improvised music, from club music to electronica and alternative songwriting. Through improvisation you create moments which are probably not reproducible—this is what makes it so special: it creates textures and combinations of sounds you never imagined. With the label, I am looking for these moments, even in a produced album.
I am splitting releases into three different series, though these are not meant to describe a style or to put music into frames. The electronic series features electro-acoustic music, mainly improvised stuff, as well as techno-oriented work, often in forms of remixes. The acoustic series features more chamber-oriented ensembles. The extended series relates to music based on song structures and will feature alternative, song-oriented music, including voice and lyrics.
What else have you got planned for 2017?
I am just about to release two EPs with remixes of my album by Vilod, Burnt Friedman, and Ricardo Villalobos. Recently, we also recorded some new material with AMBIQ. On the label, there is a trio album coming out by a Portuguese pianist, Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva, including remixes by Max Loderbauer. Plus a trio recording by Italian pianist Luigi Ranghino, also with Max. And I still have an EP by AMBIQ and Ricardo waiting to be mixed and finished soon.
Tracklisting
01. Samuel Rohrer “Fragment One” (Unreleased) 02. Samuel Rohrer “Microcosmoism” (arjunamusic) 03. Samuel Rohrer NOREIA “Cor” (arjunamusic) 04. The Blip “First Encounter” (Unreleased) 05. AMBIQ “Meta” (arjunamusic) 06. AMBIQ (Live Recording) 07. Amiira “Flimmer” (arjunamusic) 08. AMBIQ “The Spur” (arjunamusic) 09. Amiira “Clouds Below” (arjunamusic) 10. Brightbird (with da Silva/Franco) “Improv” (Unreleased/to be released) 11. Samuel Rohrer “Sunclue“ (arjunamusic) 12. AMBIQ with Ricardo Villalobos (Live Recording/to be released) 13. Samuel Rohrer “Fragment Two” (Unreleased) 14. Samuel Rohrer NOREIA “Constant Sun” (arjunamusic) 15. Samuel Rohrer “Uncertain Grace” (arjunamusic) 16. Amiira “Fulminate” (arjunamusic) 17. Samuel Rohrer NOREIA “Back from Places We’ve Never Been” (arjunamusic) 18. Samuel Rohrer “Lenina” (arjunamusic)
Samuel Rohrer is playing on May 29 at the Roter Salon der Volksbühne Berlin, together with the Norwegian electronic musician Jan Bang. More information and tickets can be found here.
Valentino Kanzyani is one of the founding fathers of Slovenian techno having had a prominence since the 1990s. Playing regularly for FUSE and Cadenza, he was the driving force behind Ibiza’s legendary Next Wave parties and will make his Meadows debut. Shanti Celeste is one to watch for 2017 having caught many people’s attention with releases on Bristol-based Idle Hands. She’s just launched her new label Peach Discs and will be playing the coveted sunrise set at Meadows.
Also included are a number of less well-known acts, such as United Vibrations—a South London jazz collective. Affiliated with Yussef Kamaal and backed by Gilles Peterson, they’ve just released their latest record with singer/songwriter Jordan Rakei.
They will be joining over 50 more live acts and DJs to play across the weekend.
Full 2017 Lineup
AGBEKO – ALICE PHOEBE LOU – ANNA WALL – APORIA – BABY SOL – BAHIA HAZE – BEATFOX – BRIAN NOT BRIAN – BRUNO SCHMIDT – CASHMERE RADIO – CHVCK & PETKO – COMMIX – CW JONES – DAN DNR – DELAHEY – DJ DHL – DJ FELINE/MC EFEX – DUTCH MOB – ED WORD – ERNEST HERB – FADE TO ZAIRE – FRANCOBOLLO – GINGER & THE GHOST – GOLESWORTHY – GUS HARVEY – HANNAH HEARTSHAPE – JACK CHARD – JAKE THE RAPPER – JUST JACK – KALABRESE – KMLN – KONTROVERSI – KOTTARASHKY & THE RAINDOGS – LAYLLA DANE, GARO AND BOSHA – LIIV – LUCAS CROWE – LUX (JIM CASSADY & PABLO) – MARGARET SCRATCHER – MAXI STORRS – NICO STOJAN – REDON DJS – ROSS ALEXANDER – ROUGH DRAFT – RYAN O’GORMAN – SAOIRSE – SHANTI CELESTE – SUMMER PEARL – TARRAN THE TAILOR – THE MEADOWS HOUSE BAND – TWOSIXTYSIX – UNITED VIBRATIONS – VALENTIN STIP – VALENTINO KANZYANI – WASHING MACHINE SOUNDSYSTEM – WILDLIFE – WONKY DISCO – WUAAN – YOUANDEWAN
This year’s edition takes place from June 9- 11 in the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, with more information available here. A trailer for the event can be streamed above.
