Digital Soul July 2015 by Digital Soul

SONI C aka

Verax

CONTENTS

INTERVIEWS

MONTHLY 1 Editor 's Note

The Jack Rolling Dandy's

The Sell Outs

Soundlanguage

Mountain Thief

Ru De La Vega

Dead M3at

P DYNO

2 How to... 4 Miss Infor mation

REVIEWS 24

Vaselinetjie

National Ar ts Festival

The Natives Compilation

Photos Boxer - Henry Engelbrecht Ottoman Slap - Hewitt Wright P Dyno - Nick Jagger COVER - METAFOX

FEATURES 6

RED ROOSTER ACADEMY

8 The Swingsetter s 9

BOXER

28 Austin Rose 34 To advertise, kindly request our rate card via email - digitalsoulsa@gmail.com

OTTOMAN SLAP

41 The Pedestr ians

Digital Soul cannot guarant ee the accuracy, reliabilit y and validity of any inf ormation or content which appears in this digimag. Furt hermore, reviews, articles and f eat ures ref lect the aut hors?const it utional right to f ree speech and are not intent on def amat ion. The owners, writers and users of t his digimag are not liable or responsible f or any loss or damage of what soever nature, howsoever arising, as a direct or indirect result of t he inf ormat ion, content or usage of t his digimag. Anyone who f eels that an article or press release is object ionable is encouraged to notif y the Edit or immediat ely.

Wr iting this note is almost sur r eal. When I decided to take on this ventur e, nothing could have pr epar ed me for the countless YouTube tutor ials on Adobe CS, the complexities of domains, hosting and other IT r elated myster ies, or the ludicr ous obsession I would develop with typogr aphy. But delays and deadlines apar t, we can finally exhale as we give you Digital Soul Magazine in the pr over bial black on white. On the cover we showcase Sonic aka Ver ax, a psychedelic tr ance / pr og DJ fr om Cape Town. Our cover image shot by boundless photogr apher , Metafox. We also featur e Boxer , the indie band you should be listening to, have a quick look at the upcoming National Ar ts Festival, and the hypnagogic ar t by Andy Neur o, just to mention a few. For digital content i.e. music videos, tr ack downloads, ar tist websites and social media links, visit our web page. To my Editor ial team ? Much Appr eciation and Respect. We have gotten by on nothing mor e than happy thoughts and fair y dust for the past 6 months and counting, yet, they r emain motivated - each only an IM and vir tual high-5 away. I tr ust you will enjoy this, fir st issue of Digital Soul as much as we enjoyed wr iting it!

Mar vin Char les

Chantelle Hattingh

Camer on Ander son

News Writer & Contributor

Sub Editor & Rock Liaison

Psy Trance & I ndie Correspondent

Johnny on the Spot, endued with a keen eye for the X-factor , Debor a Patta-like inter viewing style and incr edible wit. Follow him on twitter for updates @Mar vinchar les17

Back when cigar ettes and petr ol wer e affor dable, when we walked 25km to school, bar efoot, in the r ain, uphill! It all star ted with Bar ney Simon's 'The Night

Wr iter hopelessly lost in an affluent genr e pr efer ence, spanning fr om Psytr ance to Zeppelin & claims the small town of Geor ge as home.

HOWTO...

COMPILEAN EFFECTIVEPRESS-KIT

Ever y ar tist, band or gr oup r epr esents its own br and, and must be sold as such to the public and to the music industr y. Ever y br and needs to be packaged in a way that will effectively showcase its str engths and mar ketability. As a musician you need to under stand the impor tance of your pr ess kit it is your br and, your image, it is you in a package and it is the key to landing gigs, needle time as well as r ecor ding deals fr om both major and indie labels. Your pr ess kit needs to convey a clear and concise, yet enter taining message that you will br ing in top dollar . But just making a pr ess kit isn?t enough. In an industr y with such a low bar r ier of entr y, anyone can make and submit a pr ess kit, and they do; subsequently decr easing your chance of actually getting r ecognized by the r ecipient in question. Your objective is to submit a kit containing all the necessar y elements and pr esenting it in a memor able, r emar kable package. Ther e ar e two basic types of pr ess kits: - Tr aditional, physical pr ess kit - Electr onic pr ess kit (EPK) While you may be tempted to just use one or the other , it is r ecommended that you always cr eate a physical pr ess kit. Not only ar e these mor e likely to be r eceived by booking agents and r eps fr om r ecor d labels, but they can be customized in a way that an EPK cannot, which is key to making a lasting impr ession. EPK?s ar e gener ally r eser ved for the media and helpful tool when pr omoting your music to blogger s and other publications.

Sherene Hustler Photography

The Essentials - Biogr aphy - An inter esting back stor y is a ver y mar ketable thing. All the same though, keep it shor t and to the point - no one wants to r ead 5 pages of your musical histor y. If you have nothing special to say, get the bio over as quickly as possible. - Demo ? Include a high quality r ecor ding, with accompanying lyr ics, of your most r ecent music, music that may be r ecognizable or has become a fan favour ite. You have, at the most, 30 seconds to make an impr ession. - High r esolution images ? low quality or r esolution images don?t pr int well. Relevant tour or gig dates - Past shows or gigs (when applicable) - Pr evious pr ess r eviews or inter views (when applicable) - Contact infor mation ? Ensur e your contact infor mation is cor r ect and that the designated r epr esentative of the band (even if this is a band member ) can be r eached via multiple channels - ?RYI L? Recommend if you like - a listing of ar tists of similar styles or genr es - Website and social media links

The Competitive Advantage Once you have all of these elements r eady to go, ther e ar e some techniques that can and should be employed in or der to make your pr ess kit mor e appealing than all the other s: Take off the shr ink wr ap fr om the CD: This may seem insignificant, but by r emoving the shr ink wr ap, you ar e saving all of those looking at the pr ess kit the headache of having to r emove it themselves, keeping them in a good mindset as they listen to the fir st few seconds of your CD. Do you r eally think you will stand a chance if the per son puts the disk into the player after str uggling with the shr ink wr apping? No? you won?t.

Cover Letter : Just like with a r esume, ther e should be a cover letter in your pr ess kit. A cover letter is a for mal and per sonal intr oduction to the band and the music. NOTE: A poor ly wr itten cover letter can do mor e har m than not including one! Put Your Contact Info On Anything and Ever ything: Just r emember , your pr ess kit will most likely be one of many in a pile. Just as school teacher s give constant r eminder s to put your name on all of your wor k, make sur e you put your contact info on ever ything you can. Pictur es get separ ated, CDs get r emoved and displaced fr om their cases, cover letter s get separ ated fr om the r est of the pr ess kit, you get my dr ift? Put it on ever ything! Pr oper Packaging All of the contents of your pr ess kit need to be put together into one clean and pr ofessional package, as it not only r eflects how ser ious you ar e about the oppor tunity at hand, but it is a sign of r espect to those r eceiving it. A manila folder is most likely the best option, but no matter what kind of folder you use, make sur e you have the band name pr inted onto it, not dr awn or wr itten, but pr inted. Again, pr ofessionalism is impor tant and will go a long way when tr ying to make a fir st impr ession. Also, make sur e that ever ything stays nicely inside the folder - your pr ess kit will be in a pile with other s, if something impor tant fr om your pr ess kit falls out, such as your demo CD, you can kiss that oppor tunity goodbye. At this point you have ever ything you need for cr eating an effective pr ess kit. Just keep in mind that you r epr esent a br and, and an over all image, and you ar e attempting to convince a pr ofessional that your music is mar ketable and WILL be pr ofitable if given the oppor tunity.

OPINION

HIPSTER HOGWASH Wor ds by Miss Infor mation

W h y Hi p st er s ar e not hing m ore t h an sh eep 4

MISS INFORMATION After a laughable encounter in the Water fr ont yester day, I got thinking... Hipster s - what a bunch of hypocr itical, unor iginal, nar r ow-minded sheep! But befor e I go off on my r ant, let's assess the definition of "hipster " as per Google "hipster 1 h?pst?/ noun informal noun: hipster; plural noun: hipsters a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream. " Did you r ead the definition? Let's all take a moment to r ead it again. Car efully. "follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those r egar ded as being outside the cultur al mainstream..." Really? Hipster s in their sheer r epugnance r ebel against social nor ms by paying way mor e

attention to them than anyone else, ther efor e they have tr ied so har d to be "differ ent" and to oppose the mainstr eam, that they have become the mainstr eam! And they ar e simply too ar r ogant to admit it. Although, ther ein lies our next debacle, to quote the Standar d itself: ?as with psychos, if you admit to being a hipster , you?r e not one.? Unlike its counter -cultur e pr edecessor s, like the punks or goths, the hipster exists in a univer se of utter denial. "I don't believe in labels". Yes you do. Your s is "hipster " But besides for the (fake) Bill Nye glasses, the mindless slang such as "deck", "totes", "awks", "cr ay cr ay" - ar e you fucking ser ious? - and, my favour ite - amazeballs; (Amazeballs? What is wr ong with you people?) and the silent pr otest against the wear ing of socks, let's shoot str aight and get to the point. In actuality, most of the cultur e boils down to judging. Judging items, activities, bands, companies, clothes, oneself and most impor tantly other people. If someone else is less savvy, cutting edge or knowledgeable than you, doesn't that mean you ar e a better per son? It saddens me as I scr oll down my list of fr iends on facebook and I har dly r ecognise so many of them as their once beautiful faces ar e now hidden behind those goddamned glasses or a bear d that you could take out for a beer . I see how my once, intelligent, or iginal, stylish fr iends all confor m to a standar d by which it isn't only acceptable but a r equir ement to be a complete dickhead, who doesn't even bother to use pr oper gr ammar and abbr eviates wor ds to the point of sounding like a 4 year old!

Far fr om shuffling off this mor tal coil, the hipster - or at least what is per ceived as hipster cultur e - has per meated our cultur al psyche. Like a zombie apocalypse slowly taking over the wor ld, the hipster s walk among us.

A beautifully balanced blend of r eggae, folk, jazz and the blues, sentimental and nostalgic - Red Rooster Academy. The type of music memor ies ar e made to. Nic's husky voice cr oaks over the slow gr oove set by the two soft guitar s. Matur e and r ough, pained, distinct; possessing a Joe Cocker-esque depth and r ange. Ar med with an Afr ican dr um, he joins in and lifts the tempo to a typical r eggae r hythm. The fir st few bar s soothe me blissfully back into the summer of 2004

Natalie's clear , confident voice completes the tr ack, effor tlessly har monising in per fect synchr onicity . The lyr ic r esonating within my soul: "...The future is tomorrow The future is tomorrow Live for today..." Words by Yolande Gypsychild

Photo by TMY Photography Opposite page Charne Nel

The Roosters have mastered the daunting task of writing songs which appeal to a wide audience and carries their distinct fingerprint. Leaving your soul with a yearning for sunsets on green grass with good friends at music festivals....

MUST SEE

"Write that name down... Two guys and a girl, two guitars and an A frican drum and they blew the whole place away. Totally original material..." Joh n Robbi e 702 Tal k

Red Rooster Academy is the lectur e you bunked at var sity in exchange for Moj ito Happy hour at Cool Runnings; or that pivotal moment you ar e tr anspor ted to whenever you hear tr acks like Every you Every me (Placebo) or Children (Robert Miles). Nicolas Lansdell (32) and Phil Keye (30) star ted a comedy band some year s ago. Sean Dar r ol (34) joined the band, they changed genr e and stumbled upon Natalie Baxter (23) in 2013, who spontaneously br oke out in song dur ing a jam session at a fr iend's house. Without hesitation, they insisted that she joins the band and the ver y next day Natalie appear ed with them on stage. The boys wer e booked for a gig in Botswana, Natalie joined them full time - the hen amongst the r ooster s. "I have been a shower singer all my life" Natalie laughs. However , unbeknownst to most, she got thr ough to the final r ound befor e live appear ances in Sweden's I dol. "... [ our] big plan is to record, it is very important to us... we have a few bits and bobs but it's very rough"

. Phil r esponds when asked about plans for the immediate futur e, dr eams and day-jobs. "Everybody is asking for CDs" Sean smiled and Phil adds that they have the wor ld of contacts to make it happen but the band's nemesis at this stage is "? time. Time-time-time. Finding the time to record is..." his sentence fades and dies with a sigh. These guys ar e the type that you'd like to take home to intr oduce to your par ents: Phil - a child/teen life coach who r uns Kids' Empower ment Wor kshops and manages outdoor adventur e camps. Nic - a childr en?s cr icket coach and still finds the time to make and sell an instr ument called a "hank". Natalie offer s cour ses and cater ing ser vices in vegetar ian, vegan and r aw foods and Sean's focus is on a new boar d game which he has developed, called Max Money . "? it is basically a way of financially empowering our youth through a board game?, he explains.

SHORT

words by Marvin Charles

The Swingsetter s' power ful combination of jazz, funk and r ock and r oll and unique styles cr eates an effective sound that is sur e to get you up and dancing. For med in 2009 this gr oup fr om differ ent demogr aphics and successful musical backgr ounds br ings something differ ent to the table, an electr ic solid sound which appeals to those who fancy the sounds of Stevie Wonder , Benny Goodman and the sounds of the Andr ew Sister s. The gr oup member s include Chr is Haw who is the fr ont man and lead vocals; his voice is effective and sexy. Jackie Kwenda is a vivacious vocalist, her voice is shar p yet power ful likethat of Ar etha Fr anklyn. Dave Br yant is on dr ums and vocals, he is the anchor behind the gr oup's str ong sound. Tim Mosh played the piano at fir st, but after getting bor ded with the black and white keys he tur ned to the saxophone. Keyboar d sensation Nathan Woodman also star s on vocals and har monica. Mike Davison is the added half the exciting hor n on the tr umpet. Camer on Nyce is hot on the bass Last and by no means least Jess van der mer we a familiar face in the Cape Town music scene and her infectious laugh is well known too. A few of their most notable gigs thusfar e, ar e - Mer cur y Live - Old Biscuit Mill - Pepper St Clubs - Council Chamber s Cape Town Civic Center - Syner gy as well as a tour to the Seychelles. The Swing setter s ar e known acr oss south Afr ica as a gr oup who will set a dance floor on fir e, using the power of their unique inter pr etation of iconic music that still echoes thr ough the cr acks of the gener ational bar r ier .

SHOULD BE LISTENING TO

THE INDIE BAND YOU

Words by Cameron Anderson

I caught up with the Jobur g boys fr om Boxer dur ing one of their Thur sday night jam sessions, and not once did they feel the ur ge to feed each other snack food as the music video for their fir st single; Exagger ator , suggested they would. In fact I found out that singer Ar i (dubbed ?The Sleeve? by his Bor at enthusiast band mates) is a film student, guitar ist Jake is a pr omotions coor dinator , dr ummer Justin is in location ar chitectur e and bassist Tyler wor ks for a mining company (although he is descr ibed as

?a pr ofessional douche-bag? by band mates). They live by a motto of Justin?s that they put wor k fir st so that they can continue to make music at night. Besides for Tyler who was voted by his fellow band mates as the har dest joller (and seemed quite sur pr ised by this) Ar i descr ibes the r est of them as ?passive out goer s.? Whether we can believe this or not, the jur y is still out . In addition to playing alongside big acts such as; Shadowclub, Jer emy Loops and Shor tstr aw at events like Par k Acoustics and Smoking Dr agon, Boxer took the

Sherene Hustler Photography

FEATURE

Sherene Hustler Photography

initiative to star t cr eating their own events like; ?Dank? at The Bohemian, usually on the thir d Fr iday of the month and is just R10 to get in. This evening is aimed to appeal to all the fans that need their indie fix, but have too much month at the end of their money. The evening also helps local bands meet each other and gather connections and exper ience. Since star ting in 2014 Boxer ar e still new to the scene, but show no sign of intimidation with Ar i?s sweeping vocals combining with Jakes smooth lead guitar a technique so r eminiscent of Jimi Hendr ix?s bluepr int. Although labelled as indie, Boxer go far beyond that to what they descr ibe as ?Box and Roll? a genr e that is; ?Punchy and in your face.? They flaunt their talents and don?t hide behind any str angeness, as we so often see with new indie bands that tr y and incor por ate the tr iangle into their latest tr ack or the meowing of a cat. ?Exagger ator ? is their fir st single which Jake descr ibes as ?fast paced and dancey? fr om the almost Rap like singing in the chor us that shows a little bit of a Chilli Pepper s influence, or Ar ctic Monkeys even. The song is playful and matched by and equally boyish video of tom fooler y that includes embar r assing dance moves and upside down wine dr inking. Boxer ?s other song; ?Six Feet Under man? is a mor e ser ious song that combines a catchy opening r iff with a soar ing chor us that manages to stay in your head for a few days.

Philip Smit Photos

Logo design by Jonny Smith

Foot-stompin', head bangin' good ol?two piece band Jack Rolling Dandy's will be blowing your mind with their Jack Rolling Har d Rock. Cur r ently tour ing all ar ound South Afr ica, coming to r ock out your town for some hip swayin', big bass r ock and r oll. Always har d, mer ciless yet stylish and never caught without their top-hats...

Words by Chantelle Hattingh

DS: How did you come up with the name Jack Rolling Dandy's? JRD: The name is old I rish slang for guys who hang around outside bars and rob people who are too drunk to defend themselves. The look was incorporated from the 1840's style, shown in the movie Gangs Of New York, where the term was used. 'Your j ust a couple of Jack Rollin' Dandy's!' DS: Why ar e you only a two piece band? JRD: We started out as as j ust a solo recording proj ect, but still recorded in a 4 piece format. So when we started performing we were a 4 piece, but

DS: What is t he most memorabl e show you've had as a band, and why? JRD: Our first show at Raggies in East London last year. The show set us up really well on our debut tour, but our bakkie was broken into the previous night and we had to rebuild our canopy that morning, drive from Grahamstown to East London to set up and do a double show with the Dandy's as well as The Sell Outs. That gig will always stay with us. DS: What is the best moment in The Dandy's

car eer ? JRD: Playing on the 5FM rock show with Jon Savage was definitely a big moment. When I was younger I used to listen to the same rock show with Barney Simon and it was the highlight of my week. To play on that show was something special .DS: Your top song, The Jack Rolling Dandy,

was fir st on the Mk top 10 for two weeks befor e the station shut down. How did that push your music car eer ?

INTERVIEW JRD: I t was great getting the exposure that MK gave us. MK really do a lot for musicians in SA, especially the ones who work hard on their visual presentation and the brand image. DS: What makes you stay in music business? JRD: We love music and making music. I t's one of the most challenging industries in the world, so it'll keep challenging us ?till we're at the top. DS: Being a Potch-based band, how has that influenced you as a band? JRD: While we were based in Potch, most of the music we perform now and everything on our album has been written on the road. I think that your surroundings influence your music immensely and I think we'll always have a bit of Potch in our music. DS: What ar e your musical influences? JRD: I nfluences of ours that we reckon you can feel or hear in our music are Chevelle, The Raconteurs, Rage Against The Machine and Korn.

DS: What sets The Jack Rolling Dandy's apar t fr om other bands in the genr e? JRD: We have our own style of music, combining old school elements with massive, massive bass elements while staying truly Rock and Roll. We also combine band and brand, with an awesome 1840's look and a well developed hard work ethic. DS: Can you give me one inter esting fact about The Dandy's? JRD: We do what a five piece band does, with only two members. DS: What do you have waiting for us in the futur e? JRD: We'll be on tour in SA for the next two years, so can expect us to come round to your town soon. We're also working on our new album and planning on recording again in June of 2016, until then we'll be releasing live audio and footage, gigging non-stop.

INTERVIEW

THE SELL-OUTS

Words by Chantelle Hattingh

On a mor e acoustic level, The Sell Outs ar e a sub-band or alter ego, if you wish, to the Jack Rolling Dandy's two piece phenomenon. With laid back tunes, they ar e sur e to get the dr inking star ted. DS: The sell Outs ar e completely differ ent to the Dandy's style. Why did you star t the band? TSO: We started The Sell Outs as our second band because we realized that the music we were making with the box guitar and drum kit was so far removed from what The Dandy's are that it would be unfair to Dandy's fans to market the gigs as The Dandy's acoustic. The

Sell Outs give us the ability to play shows in any venue, on any night of the week, which also isn't always possible with a hard rock act. DS: Do you collabor ate with other ar tists? TSO: We have had Marnelle Niemandt from Vin Christine playing a couple of shows with The Sell Outs. We've started doing duets with her. That gives the shows a little something extra and it?s a lot of fun. DS: What is your message for The Sell Outs? TSO: Have fun and enj oy life

DS: The gr eatest Sell Out moment? TSO: We do a cover of a Tidal Waves song called Lekker Lekker Dans and when we played it at Mystic Boer Potchefstroom, we were asked to play it again as an encore and the whole bar was dancing and j iving. DS: What has your gr eatest challenge been with this band? TSO: Knowing which songs to play to which crowds; reading a crowd is always challenging, but with each new song we write and learn, we have another weapon in our arsenal. DS: What is the gr eatest str uggle, being a two piece band? TSO: Having to carry the same amount of equipment that a 5 piece band needs. DS: Do you have a set time each week in which you pr actice or ar e r ehear sals mor e spontaneous? I can imagine it is har d with the tour to r ehear se ever y day. TSO: We are in different towns and in different houses at least every week these days, practices are fit in when and where we can. When we need to work on specific songs we

make time and space to practice them, otherwise a quick run through in a sound check or playing the song a few times between setup and sound check will have to do. DS: Tell us mor e about the r ecent tour . TSO: I t was amazing! I t was the first time either of us did something on this scale. We started in Potchefstroom, then going through Welkom, made our way to East London. From there we performed along the coast all the way to Cape Town. After two weeks there, we took the same route back and ended up back in East London for an amazing New Year?s show. Some other towns on our j ourney included Grahamstown, Knysna, George and Somerset West. DS: Is ther e anyone you'd like to thank for offer ing financial or emotional suppor t? TSO: Our families have been incredibly supportive, also our close friends are a continuing source of encouragement and motivation and then the people at the venues who are helpful and friendly really make it so much easier for us.

INTERVIEW

SPEAKING Words by Yolande Gypsychild

I Fir st met Dom Benigno and Hugo Gr avito some twelve year s ago. At the time they wer e known as "Bazooka Boy and Bob", apar t fr om other solo and collabor ative acts with other musicians, DJs and ar tists. Along with Ric Benigno, Soundlanguage was bor n and it has developed and metamor phosed into a spectacular live act which consists of hypnotic vocals over a "melodic pr ogr essive style techno and live synth" and can be descr ibed as auditor y ascendancy. With Dom cur r ently on tour in Eur ope and Ric and Hugo both wor king as fr eelance audio engineer s, r egular ly getting booked for gigs all the while maintaining a r esidency at ERA Nightclub in Cape Town, I was r elieved to say the least when they agr eed to do this inter view.

DS: Please descr ibe your sound as you would to someone who has no fr ame of r efer ence of your music.

SL: -Hugo began mixing at 17, Dom began with a piano at 4 and Ric started playing around with a guitar at 10.

SL: SOUNDLANGUAGE is a combination of sound, ranging from deep melodic house to progressive techno, and language, a live vocal act casting a unique magnetism toward the audience, giving rise to a vibrantly animated dance floor.

DS: Do you pr e-plan your sets?

DS: Was ther e a pivotal moment / epiphany when you r ealised that this is what you want to do?

DS: Have you ever been moved by a piece of music?

SL: Hugo rave 1996 electronic have been

Gravito ?When I went to my first at the age of 16, I fell in love with dance music and that is what I doing ever since.?

Ric Benigno ? I t was October 1997 Michael Jackson performed at Johannesburg's newly built athletics stadium and from when that space ship launched through the floor I was hooked.? Dom Benigno ?No pivotal moment. I t's all I 've ever wanted to do since as long as I can remember. So you could say birth? DS: How old wher e you when you fir st star ted playing?

SL: We are in two minds about planning. On the one side it is hard to tell what kind off crowd you can expect so rather go with it and on the other side if we perfect the combination it is magical :)

SL: REALLY???? DS: Your biggest gig played to date? SL: There would be a fight between Synergy Live 2014 and CTEMF 2015. Two absolutely insanely incredible events with two magically inspirational crowds. DS: Which ar tists have you been listening to lately? SL: Michael Jackson, Agents Of Time, Max Cooper DS: Do you have an "old faithful" tr ack? You know, a cr owd pleaser that you'll whip out whenever you'r e playing to a "tough cr owd"? SL: Max Cooper's Autumn Haze ( Coming To

DS: Which well-known pr oducer who you admir e or dr aw inspir ation fr om? SL: Nils Frahm the incredibly talented producer based in Berlin, has a lot of influence on us, as well as John Digweed and his English consistency and the of course Valentin Stip's French texture DS: Who, in your opinion, is the wor ld's gr eatest DJ of all time? SL: We j ust do not know, there are to many great DJ's. Why can't we all be the best? DS:Lets talk about the "scene". In your exper ience, how have things changed over time? Then and now, what is differ ent? SL: The ?good old days? a phrase to remind us of the past but what is happening right now is incredible. The South African music scene has grown immensely and the electronic music scene has never been so good. DS: Has there ever been a moment that you thought: "This is what life was made for?" SL: Yes very often. At synergy we were heads down so into our set, only to look up and see a couple thousand heads moving, it was magical. DS: How did you switch fr om using har dwar e to softwar e for making music ? and maybe back again? Has that changed the way you wr ite music? SL: We still use hardware.

INTERVIEW

Photos by Adam Heyns Phtography

I joined Char lie, commonly known as; Mountain Thief, at a quaint little coffee shop in Cape Town. I just managed to catch him at the end of his Cape Town tour befor e he made his way back to Pr etor ia. We got talking about ever ything fr om music to the Loch Ness monster . For those of you that have never hear d of Mountain Thief, his music is of the tame folkish kind. The kind you can

plug into your car on a long jour ney it?s the kind of music that makes your hangover a little mor e bear able. Char lie has this idea of cr eating music that is honest and tr ue. He told me that not a day passes when he doesn?t have a pen and paper on him, just in case. Char lie is most definitely a music infatuate. For him it?s all about r aw emotion, not bad bitches.

Words by Cameron Anderson

DS: What is your day job? MT: I ?m a programmer. I t?s a lot of business stuff so it tends to get a bit boring. DS: Talk to me about your self; Char les Kr uger , and how did he become a convicted Mountain Thief? MT: I ?m still on the loose. Well, I started out playing guitar about ten or so years ago and went through all the phases. All the rock and roll, grunge and heavy metal. So I went through the whole, let?s be in a band for a few years, probably about four years and um it wasn?t working out so I decided screw it, a lot of stuff needs to change. I went from heavy metal to folk music. I miss it sometimes, I do but uh it?s much more my thing right now. So for the last two to three years I ?ve been working on Mountain Thief, playing new songs and I ?ve been gigging for about a year or so. I t?s good I ?m in a really good space. DS: What about the whole one man band thing? Is ther e mor e

fr eedom? Do you get lonely? MT: I do, I do haha. There are some shows where I do feel very lonely on stage, especially at some bigger venues. I ?ve had a band with me as well, which is really cool because it kind of boosts you, especially when you?ve got a really good rhythm section behind you. When it?s j ust me I do get a bit shy still. I t?s growing pains really. I t gets better when I have a shot of tequila though, let?s j ust be honest. DS: One shot? MT: Two is fine, two is good. DS: What is the most played song on your phone/ipod? MT: At the moment I ?m listening to Shakey Graves. I ?m listening to last year?s album, I think it?s called: when the war came. I ?ve j ust been j amming that way too many times? there?s one specific song called: Family in Genus, it?s got a bit of an electronic vibe to it, but it?s done really well, I don?t know, it just gets me.

DS: Who ar e some of your influences, music wise? MT: Obviously I have the whole clichĂŠd thing of starting to play electric guitar because of that one Nirvana album. Everyone has that story so I ?m j ust going to add mine. From there I sort of went into more heavier stuff. A lot of the technical stuff comes from my prog side, I still have my Prog influences and stuff. I play that when I ?m at home alone, where no one can hear it yet. The folk music aspect is more like; Lumineers, Tallest man, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash type of thing. DS: What songs do you sing in the shower ? MT: I sing a lot of White Lies in the shower because he?s got a very operatic type voice and a lot of their songs are j ust anthemy? I sing a lot of Tallest Man on Earth really badly in the shower as well. I ?m more of a thinker in the shower than a singer. Q: Do you believe in the Loch-Ness monster ? A: I ?d like to, I ?d really like to go see it sometime. I wanna believe, I don?t want to be a sceptic. I think life?s too cool and full of shit to be a sceptic and ruin it for yourself. DS: Alive or dead who would you like to sit down and have a beer with? MT: I ?ve never thought about that actually ? I really wanna sit down with Curt Cobain, I ?m not gonna talk to him I j ust wanna sit next to the guy and have a beer, j ust be like: ?Yo man.? Maybe like John Lennon, j ust for like an afternoon, hang out. Even Hendrix, but I don?t wanna be clichĂŠ. DS: Beatles or Stones? MT: I almost wanna say Z epplin. DS: What got you star ted on Folk? What conver ted you fr om your Heavy Metal days? MT: I t was a very big mind set change to start off with. I was a very angry teenager? I j ust wanted to rock out, break shit, have long black hair, scream and be crazy. Then at a certain stage of my life things j ust got way too much. I had like a sort of tipping point where everything j ust got too much and I was like you know what; fuck it, I can?t live like this, I need to look at different aspects of life. A lot of my anger when into, not sadness per say but like a desire to be more raw and pure and honest. I j ust started listening to a lot more Folk, even

even Country and Blues. I t j ust got me into a better space mentally. DS: Tell me about your love of hats, is it bor der ing an obsession? MT: I do love hats. I ?ve got a couple that I left at home for this Cape Town tour because I was afraid they were going to blow away.

DS: Who do you think would win in a fight between Batman and Spider man?

the Cape Town music scene?

MT: I ?m a very big Spiderman fan. Batman is cool and he?s got money but I think Spiderman is cool? and obviously Spiderman has got Mary-Jane and she?s is j ust like the hottest character from comic books ever.

MT: I ?ve found that Joburg peeps are much more interested in getting their shit done and if there?s, music playing then that?s cool, whereas Cape Town people would rather j ust chill out and listen to the music and really appreciate it. I t?s flattering actually.

DS: Tell me about some of your favour ite gigs in Cape Town

DS: How would you descr ibe your music to someone who has never hear d it?

MT: I really like Tagore?s because it was such a casual one. Even the layout of the place is very nice? it?s this little corner where you chill with your music stuff and whatever and people j ust wander around. I think that might have been my favourite so far. The thing is I really like a venue where it feels homey. I love having a carpet on stage for instance and I ?ve noticed this now. I ?m keen for carpets and hats. Pretty soon I ?ll be Aladdin.

MT: My take on it has always been about experiencing and travelling and seeing places and meeting people. I t?s an accord of things happening in my life? I try to keep a broad perspective of things. I like to be an observer rather than in control of a situation? I want to be a fly on the wall and I think that?s what a lot of the music is about. I f you can imagine this tiny little character travelling the world and being at these amazing little views and vistas and things and j ust sitting in the corner with his guitar, writing about his travels

DS: Coming fr om Pr etor ia, what is your opinion on

INTERVIEW

RU DE LA VEGA The Prince of Deep House Words by Yolande Gypsychild

Sherene Hustler Photography

If you lived in Jobur g ar ound 2003 and found your self immer sed within the House scene, I am confident that you would be familiar with (what was then known as) Barfly in Banbur y Cr oss? If this r ings a bell, you may agr ee that Ru is somewhat of a veter an. Ru de la Vega has been thr ough the motions, playing at four H2Os, and r esidencies both at ESP and Sugar under his belt. Over the past 16 year s, Ru has established himself as a (deep-)household name. Having launched his online r adio station, Static Phusion (staticphusion.com) at the end of June and welcoming his fir st bor n son into the wor ld, it would appear that the Univer se is smiling upon Ru and his per sistence and dedication is becoming appar ent. DS What can we expect to hear dur ing an aver age Ru de la Vega set? RV I like to call my genre "Feel good music". I f it's good, it will be play, as long as it's not mainstream. But I do prefer Deep/ Tech House. DS You also pr oduce your own music, have you r eleased any EPs or albums? RV Yes, so far I have released 2 EPs and 2 singles with my record label "We Scream Records" (UK). The 2 singles are titled "Song for Jane" and "Welcome", and the 2 EPs are titled "Are We Responsible EP" and "Opposites EP". DS Please descr ibe your sound to us? RV Sexy and organic. DS Do you pr e-plan sets befor e gigs? RV I never EVER pre-plan my set. I j ust listen and get to know my music very well, because preplanning a set at home and playing live at a club are 2 different things. I go with the feeling, the flow and the dance floor tells me what to play. DS How has your style and tr ack selection changed since you fir st star ted playing? RV What I have improved on is my DJ technical ability and skill, and I try out new things with every set to keep people on their toes. Music selection, I can say it hasn't changed much from when I started playing,

music j ust keeps on evolving. DS "Being able to beat match is all ther e is to being a good DJ." What ar e your thoughts on this statement? RV Track selection, yes. Beat matching?!! Here is the first rule about being a DJ: You can teach a monkey how to beat-match but you can't teach it how to feel the music... But beat-matching on the other hand, is also important. Why?? Because not all DJs are good at it, or they wouldn't have designed a "SYNC" button. DS Why? Why do you do it? RV We, as the human race, have been put here to co-exist with each other. But no matter what our background, skin colour, language, culture, Music is our number one language. I like to think that my reasons for what I do are to unite and connect the world, and music is the way I know how DS What ar e your feelings towar d mash-ups? RV Mash-Ups. My dead grandmother still makes those... True test is making something from scratch, hence I don't do mash ups, but I do have a music folder with acapellas, that I love to use when playing live DS People ar e always talking about "the good old days" What was so good about them? In your exper ience, how has the scene changed over time? RV My good old days, were rave days. The party scene was quite serious. Going out to buy outfits for big events was an event in itself, luminous colours, whistles and smiles everywhere. Not that the scene is worse now, because, j ust like music, the scene evolves as well. I t j ust seems people don't really make an effort these days

REVIEW

Words by Marvin Charles

VASELINETJIE

THESTORYOFAYOUNGGIRLBEINGSENTTOAN ORPHANAGEINPOST-DEMOCRATICSOUTHAFRICAIS ONEOFTHEMOSTLEGENDARYSTORIESTHATTODAY SPEAKSTOTHEHEARTANDMIND. Words by Marvin Charles

The stor y of Helena Bosman nicknamed Vaselinetjie is a stor y South Afr ican?s will never get tir ed of. The book is based on Vaselinetjie, r aised by an elder ly couple in the vast expanses of the Nor ther n Cape. When Vaselinetjie is ten year s old, two officials fr om Welfar e step in and she is sent away to a boar ding school in Gauteng ? the or phanage wher e Madiba?s r eject childr en have to live.Vaselinetjie speaks and looks differ ent which makes her an outcast among the other childr en. In the childr en?s home Vaselinetjie is over whelmed with the lives of childr en and adults with differ ent backgr ounds, values and cultur es. With all these influences ar ound her she must str uggle to find her own individuality. The fr amewor k of the fiction book is both hear tbr eaking and uplifting. Patr icia De lille, Mayor of Cape Town attended the Launch of the play , and descr ibed it as a ?beautiful stor y?. She also str essed the impor tance of making pr ovision for childr en as they ar e the futur e. On Apr il 22nd to 25th the Vaselinetjie show was sold out completely at the Ar tscape Theater in Cape Town. ?It is ver y r ar e for a dr ama [to sell out]says Alfr ed Reitman, r esident stage manager at the theatr e. The show's dir ector , actr ess and pr oducer , Shir ley Ellis star ted scr ipting the show last year mid-November when she meticulously concluded that the theme that stood out to her the most was Identity. ?It is a stor y about Identity we can all r elate to it at some point - who am I, what is my pur pose and how can I establish my identity?? Shir ley tells us. Shir ley Ellis took out the time to meet with me dur ing the Launch of Vaselinetjie at the Ar tscape Theater . ?Visually getting ever ything r eady and br inging a lighting concept to a play, that is wher e we r eally wor k beyond space and time., Being able to move ver y quickly thr ough time but not get stuck on stage? ? Shir ley r esponded when I asked her about the challenges in dir ecting the play. ?...I designed the set ar ound over coming that obstacle and as a r esult we wer e able to move in an out of year s and space as seamlessly as possible.? Mar i Bor stlap designed the lighting and of cour se her husband Wilken Calitz cr eated a beautiful and fitting scor e for the play. Vaselinetjie addr esses sever al sensitive issues such as gang activity, pr ostitution and sexual

misconduct, ?I stayed as tr uthful to the book that Anoeschka Von Meck wr ote, because she had alr eady dealt with it in an incr edible way. You feel the pain fr om these exper iences yet you ar e safe within the stor ytelling genr e. In the nar r ative ther e is some swear ing but it r emains scr ipt - something one should indulge in, however , i was ver y awar e of the fact that i was wor king with young people, so as a dir ector it is my r esponsibility to find the balance and keep them safe.? The Cast of Vaselinetjie includes well-known actor s such as Andr ea Str eso, June Van Mer ch, Cedwyn Joel and Dawid Louw. Some lear ner s who stood out at last 2014?s High School Dr ama Competition, wer e also cast in the play. I caught up with a few of the cast member s, David Louw, Dutoit Alber tze, Nicola Van Der Westhuizen and Nicolette Van Schalkwyk befor e their last show on the 25th. I asked them how they feel about being involved in the young adult book that has been ar ound for over ten year s ?we feel pr ivileged to be par t of this pr oduction. I mean, this is such a big par t of South Afr ica?s childr en?s upbr inging keeping the char acter s we studied at school alive is quite a pr ivilege? Nicola Van Der Westhuizen says. Anoeschka Von Meck, author of the book Vaselinetjie, was published in 2004. Subsequently it has won var ious awar ds including the Jan Rabie Rappor t pr ize. Vaselinetjie also appear ed on the 2006 IBBY Honor ?s Roll. Anoeschka is a r espected jour nalist and has a degr ee in Egyptology fr om Stellenbosch Univer sity, so i was cur ious as to what inspir ed this book. ?I wor ked in a childr en?s home in Rober tson as a Matr on fr om 1995-1998. When I left and I had to say good bye, this book gave me closur e. I was not going to see them anymor e, so I wr ote it for them? We all have those moments when we ask our selves ?why am I her e?? We all shar e those moments when we question our selves and our identity, when we sear ch for meaning in our lives. Whether we find it in the comfor t of our faith or elsewher e, often we sear ch long and har d but one thing is cer tain - Vaselinetjie will always r emind us to per sever e and be str ong thr ough tough times, to keep calm and car r y on.

INTERVIEW

Words by Yolande Gypsychild

DEAD

M3AT

DS What genr e do you play? DM The occasional prog set but more tuned into night-time fullon psy with a sexy twist of day-time fullons Bounciness DS Have you r eleased any EP's, albums or tr acks? DM I have release a hand full of tracks on Various compilations in the past? one or two tracks by my 1st real fast-pased alias, Dirty DiagnostiK with a track called ? Dirty Enough on VA-Convulsion (selected by Lock, Mastered by Acid Trooper) and another single called Fear & Loathing released on a Kaos Krew Records EP called VA-Pandora. I m currently working very hard in the studio & plan on releasing a DeadM3at EP, my latest/ current alias. This release is going to rock your socks off! J ! But a great selection of various artists are doing a few remix?s with me including a new goa based act which consists of myself & a longtime close friend of mine and

unbelievably talented Riaaz Cupido (aka Robotrix) and also a few remix?s with the one and only Militant (co-owner of Kaos Krew Records). More details on that soon enough, stay tuned DS If you met a deaf per son and they asked you to descr ibe your "sound", what would you say? DM I t wouldn?t help talking to a deaf person, hahaha! I would, however, wear my biggest smile and hope he/ she could feel the answer instead and not require the need to explain anything. Psytrance music has a mysteriously beautiful way of lifting people up and showing them who they really are through vibrations. DS Have you ever hear d a piece of music that r eally moved you? DM Yes, I think the first time I ever heard artists such as? Scorb, Concept, Prism, Outer Signal and a few other similar types of this type of fullon trance specifically, I felt overwhelmed with positivity. The music that ?moves? you is the music that your soul has been looking for all your life.

DS What inspir es you? What dr ives you? DM For the love of music. Music can connect you in so many more ways than even most people can? I do it for the love my trance family. DS Tell us about the best set you ever played? DM I most enj oyed a set I played at yet another Kogelbaai adventure, same beach location as my biggest gig, but for another production all together. I played a Versus set along side on of my all-time best buddies, Tyrel Slabbert (aka UnSub). I think I speak for many dj s when I say, it was one of those sets where you feel you and your partner are one entity, moving between each other effortlessly and flawlessly. DS Which ar tists have you been listening to lately? DM Antispin, Prism, Concept, D-Maniac, and of course my own DeadM3at tracks. DS Have you ever looked to the music to get thr ough a tough time?

DM Lyle Jensen? (also known as Dj Archive & Co-owner of MMD Records) here in South Africa. DM The last couple years have been very tough on This man persistently blows me out of the water me. I had to witness something that I believe no when it comes to mixing skills and his other person should experience and that is loosing knowledge on music is out of this world! To date, my father. He sadly passed away earlier this year I have not personally witnessed anyone else due to Cancer. This was one of the hardest things with more passion and love for the music than I ?ve ever experienced? but we tend to lock up and he has. become negative over these periods and always DS Whats your take on ?the scene?? seem to only find the negatives? This did DM I started going to parties when Vortex was something to me and changed me in a way that close to the Theewaterskloof dam. I t seems word made me see things as ?glass-half-full?. I did also spread fast about the secret society of trancers. unknowingly end up playing keyboard for hours on I feel that many people still don?t get what end j ust after something negative would arise. I these festivals are about. All you hear these think everyone gets that feeling one time or days is drugs this and drugs that, almost as if another during their life, but I feel that these are j ust obstacles in the road to bigger and better someone were battling over who was going to things. I am a firm believer in Karma and her kak first? I ts sad to see how many people have misconstrued the purpose of these gatherings ways. and seem to forget about the whole reason we DS Who, in your opinion, is the wor ld's gr eatest DJ? are there in the first place? the music! Thing is, we shouldn?t sit and stereotype every situation that comes our way in a bad way. BE THE CHANGE and change will come. A wise friend once told me: ?PULL YOURSELF TOWARDS YOURSELF!! DO I T! DO I T NOOOW!!!? and of course I almost wet myself laughing, but in turn, I learned something & I saw the meaning behind it. Times change, new situations arise all the time. Events may not feel the same from time to time? but change is not always bad. Sometimes the most overlooked things can be the most important and it reflects when you least expect it to. 27

SHORT

AUSTIN ROSE

Words by Marvin Charles

He has a look that would make ever y gir l swoon at his feet, his amazing smile that r eflects his per fectly pear ly white teeth is just some of the potent qualities of Austin Rose 18. Austin Rose also known, as Austin Gr iffiths is a young boy with many talents. His states include singer , actor and per for mer . He star ted his singing car eer at the age of ten singing in a Sunday school choir . As the year s r olled by, Austin?s singing car eer evolved and he was for mally known on stage as ?Mr Smooth? but that changed after Austin became mor e matur e ; ?I was chilling with a few ar tists one night we wer e discussing an event, then the topic about my stage name came up and just ther e and then we decided to change it to Austin Rose, because I would nor mally have a r ose with me on stage?. Austin has shar ed stages with Idols winner Jody Williams and hear t boxing hit maker Jimmy Nevis. In June 2013 he r eleased his single ?Now its our time? it was or iginally wr itten as a theme song for youth month.

South Afr ica was fir st intr oduced to Austin when the South Afr ican film, Four Corners was r eleased. He played the suppor ting r ole of Tyr one, the younger br other of the leader of the Amer ican gangs, or for mally known as the ?26s?. The movie won numer ous awar ds. However Austin Rose?s music is his number one pr ior ity. He confesses that his music is ?unique and br ings something differ ent to the industr y?. ?My fir st time acting like that on a film was amazing! I discover ed I love acting just as much as I love music. Ther e was something that intr igued me about acting?. Austin?s next acting ventur e is a new film set to hit South Afr ican theater s next year the film is called ?Noem my skollie?. It?s a film based on a tr ue stor y based on the life of John W Fr edr icks; ?It?s a beautiful stor y and it is a pr ivilege to play a lead r ole." But behind all the glitz and glamour , after the

cur tain call, when Austin puts down the micr ophone he admits he is just an or dinar y teen; ?I?m a typical teenager , I like being alone. Most of the time I listen to music or wr ite lyr ics. I like to dr aw also. I am quite spontaneous I think. Like any other teen these days I?m just tr ying to find my place under the sun and make an even bigger success out of my car eer ? Austin says. Austin has some r eally gr eat advice for teenager s who would like to per sue a car eer in music; ?Follow your dr eams as an ar tist and never for get wher e you come fr om or who your suppor t str uctur e is, the industr y is tough and its definitely not easy. If you ar e willing to go thr ough hell for your ar t you ar e deter mined enough to sur vive and become successful against all odds. Someone once told me ?Ther e is no need to compete against anyone in this industr y, ever y individual has his/her own place under the sun."

INTERVIEW

ITCH?s sole intent is to get bodies moving on the dance floor . All tr acks thr oughout this live tech house / techno set ar e simple enough to be r emember ed as well as played / contr olled in a live fashion thr ough Ableton Live. Ther e ar e no fr ills or extr as, each is centr ed ar ound a pr ominent hook or gr oove with br eaks that distr act fr om the or iginal so it can be dr opped and dr opped again! To be r eleased over a ser ies of EP?s called ?We ar en?t inter viewing for mates?

not about exploring new sounds, textures or genres and it is certainly not art! I t is dance music as the good lord intended. Kick, Bass, Ooooompf! DS ? Wher e do you dr aw inspir ation fr om? ITCH - Ideologically; from the the entire modern day electronic music scene, the proj ect I guess you could say is ?anti? this. Musically; Boris Brej cha and the earlier content of Format B. Both for their, no frills, no fuss, j ust thumping music approach. DS - When did you r ealise that this is what you wanted to do? ITCH - Music Production wise, it became my hobby instantly from the first time I sat in front of Cubase. I TCH however is taken place after numerous depressing DJ sets while out on the town. Somehow clubbing has forgotten about

DS ? Please descr ibe your sound for those r eader s who may not be familiar with your music or genr e. ITCH - Have you ever been to a club and felt that the DJ might be playing more for himself or peers than the dance floor, maybe he/ she has j ust forgotten that their are hundreds of people waiting to get down? I TCH is all about club music, made with oxygen less, dark, dingy dance floors in mind. I t could be classified as Techno and in many cases Tech House or even Prog, more importantly though it is about whatever it takes to get a small to medium dance floor hi l d p syc to shake their asses. I t is not music y G de ol an that will change the electronic by Y s d r Wo music landscape, I t is

fartsy?, avant-garde nonsense... I n my opinion. DS - What inspir es you or gets you out of bed each mor ning to r etur n to it? ITCH - Making electr onic music is undoubtedly my hobby. This pr oject though is a somewhat sar castic appr oach to ?be the change you want to be in the wor ld?. Club music is not about huge stages, laser shows, pimping ar twor k, photo shoots, cr owd sur fing and the like. It?s about thumping music in a dar k r oom... or at least people dancing that is. DS - Do you have gr oupies? ITCH - I have the odd enthusiast or fan, although they are usually from my brief DJ career a few years back as the proj ect is fairly new. I TCH though is not about fans or groupies, which is why the first album is titled, ?We Aren?t I nterviewing For Mates?. Somehow the modern day artist has completely side tracked the audience's attention from the original purpose of, let?s call it ?raving?. I f you are giving it stick to the tunes on some dance floor at 2am and on, that is all that matters to me. DS ? Ar e you the only musician in your family? ITCH - Yes, well maybe the only working ?musician?. My mom tinkers on the piano (far better than me). I was also lucky enough to have an older brother who opened my ears to electronic music at an early age and my dad stockpiles rock n roll and blues like it is about to be illegal. DS - What would you say ar e the main differ ences between using har dwar e and softwar e for making music? Have you had to switch fr om one to the other in your own pr oductions? ITCH - I started out on software, moving through most of the sequencers (I ncluding: Reason, Ableton, Logic) before coming back to Steinberg?s, Cubase. They each have their own applications and somewhat colour one?s sound in certain ways but it always comes down to how much you know and how well you know your software. Hardware, although has a much stronger sound is very limited to the overall tone of the machine. I have Roland 808. I t is without doubt an amazing machine and piece of electronic music history however unless you have a clear goal with what you want to make on it, it is

pretty limiting compared to software. I personally only use it for techno and hip hop. You can hear a tune from it here:

https:/ / pro.beatport.com/ track/ leyaton-thick-originalDS - How many of the ar tists you have wor ked with ar e able to match live what they?ve done in the studio? Is this the nor m? ITCH - I think it should be first said that it is very difficult to sonically mimic one?s own studio work in the live environment. I think the guys who do it best work backwards. That is that it is made with live performance in mind and not j ust simply translated studio work into a live programme and played it out. DS - What was the fir st musical exper ience that r eally touched you? ITCH - Well the first concert I went to as a kid was Bon Jovi. I t really annoyed me that their songs weren?t exactly the same as on their album, no matter how much better or worse they were live. I now can?t get enough of finding the best performances of music I like by artist?s I like. I guess you could Jon Bon gave me reference to the possibilities and amazing results that can come about with a few rough edges, spontaneity and the right place and crowd. DS ? Have you ever consider ed thr owing in the towel, just giving up? What gave you the motivation to stay with it? ITCH - Yes, always. Although I ?m not sure quitting my j ob and hobby is the best way forward. DS- What ar e some of the biggest mental tools one can obtain to be successful in this field? ITCH - A: Persistence. B: Open to criticism. C: Willingness to adapt. (See Step A again) DS ? If you had to list one habit that could possibly r uin or stall a pr oducer ?s car eer , what would that downfall be? ITCH - Thinking their style or sound is going to be big forever and thus never exploring other possibilities. Once people move, they are left behind with nothing more than the skills to produce out of date, unpopular music.

DS - What do you usually star t with when pr epar ing for a live set? ITCH - Besides all the pre production in studio which needs to take place, it comes down to organisation through rehearsal. There first time I gigged with my 808 I had to bring exam pad with j ust so I knew where everything I had made was. DS - What made you decide to use your

cur r ent DAW? ITCH - Cubase is the bomb! I t?s greatest advantage (like Pro Tools) is that it is what is known as ?passive?. That is, it does not add ?colour? to your produced sound. With a few hours behind the controls you can start hearing songs that have come out of reason, fruity loops etc. Once again though, the better you know your software, the less of a concern this is.

GRAHAMSTOWN, THEHEARTOFART 2015 July is an insightful time for ar t lover s who ador e South Afr ica?s r ich local talent. South Afr ica takes immense pr ide in its ar t. It is home to some of the wor ld?s most iconic ar tists, singer , actor s and actr esses. July mar ks the National Ar ts Festival, a day elabor ately engr aved in our South Afr ican her itage. The National Ar ts Festival takes place in Gr ahamstown the town associated with car nivals and festivals for over 180 year s. Br itish immigr ants established this tr aditionwhen the town ser ved as a militar y base for the Br itish. The National Ar ts Festival is the lar gest ar ts and cultur e festival on the South Afr ican continent. In 2010 Gr ahamstown ser ved as an accommodation point for all matches played in Por t Elizabeth. Over the year s as the festival gr ew to appr oximately 50 venues scatter ed thr oughout Gr ahamstown. This year ?s ar t festival is a ver y significant, both for South Afr ica and the wor ld. In Januar y 2015 two ter r or ists for ced their way into the offices of Fr ench satir ical weekly newspaper Char lie Hebdo, they killed eleven people and injur ed eleven other s. The ter r or ists identified themselves as belonging to the Islamist ter r or ist gr oup Al-Qaeda. Since the attack the outcr y for

Words by Marvin Charles

fr eedom of expr ession has been r ife in the air . The National Ar ts Festival?s theme for 2015 is thus satir e; ?since 2013 the Festival has thr own the spotlight on a featur ed ar tist. In 2012, the featur ed ar tist was playwr ight Mike Van Gr aan. In 2014, theater dir ector Sylvaine Str ike. For 2015, we decided that instead of putting the spotlight on a single ar tist, we would shine the spotlight on the genr e of satir e. The ar t of satir e is a dynamic way to both celebr ate and challenge the limits of fr ee expr ession? Ar tistic Dir ector Ismail Mahomed said. Notably no censor ship or ar tistic r estr ictions has ever been inflicted on the wor ks pr esented in the festival. The festival ser ves as a platfor m for political and pr otest theater dur ing the apar theid er a. Sever al pr oductions will be pr esented at the festival and will all featur e satir e. Over the year s the National Ar ts Festival has shown significant gr owth and since its incision, the oppor tunities and exper iences have gr own. The National Ar ts Festival has also launched a new app that enables user s of either a smar tphone or tablet to br owse the National Ar ts Festival 2015 pr ogr am, book tickets, r eview shows and follow the festival twitter and news feeds.

Photo by Suzy Bernstein of Cargo Precious featuring Nosiphiwo Samente and Fana Tshabalala

PREVIEW

OTTOM AN SL AP

words by Marvin Charles

Cape Town based eclectic band Ottoman Slap is expected to gr ace Gr ahamstown with their middle-Easter n Balkan fusion. This ver y unique band, is famous for its mesmer izing Tr ibal fusion belly dance. Ottoman Slap is known for its ver y majestic per for mances featur ing dance, tr aditional instr uments fr om differ ent par ts of the wor ld and their unique integr ation of dance and music which makes for an unfor gettable exper ience. The band was for med ar ound a shar ed passion for ?exotic music?. Their style and deliver y is inspir ed by tr aditional Ar abic, Gypsy and Balkan music. Ther e is something in Middle Easter n Cultur e that they feel at home with and which feels like a natur al stylistic for m of expr ession to them. ?We ar e so excited about per for ming at NAF. Half of us have never been and we ar e all ar t lover s. We ar e also excited about showcasing our music amongst theatr e style pr oductions, as we definitely have a theatr ical and visual ar t element to our music and shows. We feel this festival is a wonder ful platfor m for us.? Ottoman Slap says.

The for mation of Ottoman star ted two year s ago. Mar r issa Cuenoud Van Minnen is the dance backbone of the band she adds a special feel to the show and showcases her belly dance per for mances. Mar issa is the dir ector of Soma Fusion Belly dance Company based in Cape Town. James Van Minne who plays the dr ums has played pr ofessionally since 2000 and has played in other media pr ojects as well. James was alr eady playing for Mar r issa; ?We had a vision to combine dancing with mor e than just per cussion, and r ather cr eate a whole band ar ound the tr adition of dance and music?. The band member s ar e Raoul Spiegel, Doug Ar mstr ong, Simone Chiar a, Mar issa Cuenoud Van Minnen, Callan Wolff and James Van Minnen. The year 2015 mar ks a ver y successful year for Ottoman Slap. The band has just r ecor ded and pr oduced their debut album titled I diomatic and will be launching it dur ing their week of per for mances at the National Arts Festival in Gr ahamstown. The album featur es six or iginal compositions and thr ee adaptations of tr aditional number s. ?We have had Gr ahamstown as a goal, so it was fitting that we cr eated the album in conjunction with going ther e. We felt it was time to get these songs down and also to expand our audience to the r est of South Afr ica. It was r ecor ded in James and Mar issa's attic at home, and then sent off to the legendar y Simon "Fuzzy" Ratcliffe at Sound and Motion Studios for the mixing and master ing? Ottoman Slap says. Gr ahamstown can expect a mesmer izing per for mance in all shapes and for ms; ?We have woven a wonder ful stor y which thr eads thr ough the set and includes dance, some stor ytelling, some other exciting visual exper iments and a few sur pr ise instr uments? Ottoman Slap added. Upon r etur ning fr om Gr ahamstown they will be shooting a music video for their single ?Aquel? and they ar e also planning a Cape Town launch.

Photos by Hewit Wright

COVER INTERVIEW / FEATURE

Photo by Organik, Alien Safari & The Village - Tribe 2014 Opposite - Julian Graham / Aumega Photography Words by Yolande Gypsychild

Sonic - the name that Stomping Records . Alien Safari, Afrogalactic Records, Rezonance NYE, Nano, Origin. Vortex Open Source, Vortex Parallel, Village, Groovy Troopers, Altered States, Organik, MMD, Jungala, Redeye, FuCha and One Foot Groove all have in common. When I fir st ar r ived in Cape Town at Summer 's end some five year s' ago, dur ing my fir st visit to The Purple Turtle on Long Str eet for Mungus Fungus, I r ecall a DJ finishing his set and as he stepped out of the DJ box, USB Flash dr ive in each hand, he tur ned to me, and with a br oad smile he said: "Have you heard? Sonic is apparently recording his own samples these days?" I half-smiled and slowly moved my head fr om side-to-side, (hopefully) suggesting "No, I haven't"? I admit, I had no idea who Sonic was, and no concept whatsoever of what a sample could be. Would r ecor ding his own be odd, r idiculous or an achievement? I suppose even today I couldn't answer that with full conviction. I managed to catch up with Sonic, and although I never got ar ound to asking him about those r umor ed samples, we managed to explor e sever al topics i.e. the evolution of equipment, heavy-metal and imagined an encounter with a r hino...

DS: There are so many sub-genres of psychedelic trance being played, which is it that you play? SoNic: I have been into the ear lier Goa sounds fr om the late 90's and now with the new pr oduction sounds and styles that old Goa influence sound has had on pr oducer s wor ldwide. The old school flavour is now pr evalent in the new day time full-on psytr ance. I like to play the new wave of day time and night time full-on psytr ance. I was one of the har der twilight DJ's ar ound the late 2000's in SA but slowly moved into a gr oovier full-on sound. DS: Let's say you and I j ust met, I have absolutely no idea and no frame of reference of what psy trance sounds like. I f you were to explain "your sound" to me, what would you say? SoNiC: Ther e ar e many genr es in the psytr ance wor ld but what r eally gets me is the full-on and psychedelic tr ance as well as the Br itish night time twilight sound fr om ar tists like Trick Music. The SA twilight psy sound is good depending on the ar tist but as long as it is psychedelic, and not filled with the ?scr eechy?, ?stabby? sounds that have gener ally occupied the genr e. DS: Which event (world-wide) would you want to be the headliner at? SoNiC: I have never been a headliner act besides a few smaller club gigs. The SA DJ is never put into that categor y down south of the summer

season, as the festivals' headliner is usually an inter national pr oducer /DJ -unless the festival itself is pur ely a local line up. So the thought of being a headliner has never cr ossed my mind. In this ever expanding genr e and when I am DJ-ing ther e ar e always such good DJ's and pr oducer s that happen to be on the line ups that is impossible to say. DS: Can you remember the first musical experience that really touched you? SoNic: I went to a few Alien Safari's and Vortex's back in the late ?90's. A few that stood out was the Flying Rhino -Vortex festivals as well as the Silverstroom and Rabbit Hole Alien Safari festivals. The one that stood out and r eally changed my per ception was the collabor ation of Alien Safari/ Vortex and Etnica for the Kr uger Par k 2002 Solar Eclipse and the Solar Eclipse in Zambia in 2001! Those made me fall in love with this par ticular genr e of dance music. DS: How has playing psy trance changed for you over the years? SoNic: When I star ted listening and DJ-ing this style, the music pr oduction of psytr ance was in its infant stage but was showing r apid pace in the way it was being pr esented to the wor ld. In the mid 2000's the style was gr owing and the ar tists making this music wer e getting mor e and mor e r ecognised as each r elease made it to the ear s of the wor ld. This has changed quite

Photo by Metafox

consider ably as technology is moving at such a quick speed that music is made far quicker than in the ear lier year s and the albums and EP's that ar e r eleased ar e a far cr y fr om the ear lier sounds that wer e coming out in the ear lier year s. Technology has played an impor tant r ole in this aspect.

the hour or 2 that you ar e up ther e and the feeling of accomplishment once you have played the set then meeting the fans and dancer s fr om the dance floor as each dance floor is differ ent fr om the next.

DS: Do you think that some of your harsher or darker or more melancholic sets reflect a darker/ paranoid part of you, or do they j ust result from momentary moods?

SoNic: DJ's ar e a medium for the music coming out the sound system and even though I never knew that I would be one ear lier in my life, it sur e has made me love it mor e when I see the smiles it cr eates on the dance floor each time I play. I am sur e I speak for most DJ's when I say this.

SoNic: Dar ker and har der styles of tr ance ar e just like heavy metal genr es. Some ar e mainstr eam and some have a specific niche for specific people. Dar ker tr ance also has a faster tempo r ange 145bpm and up to 170bpm and even faster while heavily influenced with psychedelic sounds wher e mainstr eam has slow down tempo r ange of 138bpm and sounds often bor r owed fr om the club scene. DS: As you?re getting into a phase of your career where you?re finding yourself among often much younger DJs: Do you sometimes feel it is important to pass some of your ideas and techniques to those who are curious about them? SoNic: Yes the scene has evolved as quickly as technology and many tips for being in this industr y is at ones finger tips thr ough the inter net. One just has to simply YouTube something and they have the infor mation r ight at their disposal. My only tip I can pass on to upcoming DJ's and pr oducer s is to stay humble and be focused and you will get the exposur e you need to be able to become successful DS: Which relatively new musicians have you been listening to recently? SoNic: I have been listening to loads of music fr om ar tists fr om Expo Recor ds, 24/7 Recor ds and Nexus Media and Tr ick Music. Ther e is gr eat music out ther e you just have to find it and then get it into the sound system for people to lose their minds to on a musical level and jour ney which is the dance floor . As the dance floor is wher e it matter s most. DS: What do you feel as you play music? SoNic: I feel a wave of excitement each time I step up to a DJ box to play to an audience. I suppose it is the same as a band would feel when they get onstage. The build up to the gig,

DS: Have you ever thought, "This is what life was made for"? When?

DS: Have you ever been so moved by a song that you cried? I f so what was it? SoNic: I have never cr ied to a tr ack but have definitely felt goose bumps as it was played. That has happened in many differ ent genr es of music and not just in electr onic as per sĂ¨. DS: Your favourite track of all-time? SoNic: I have no favour ite tr ack as each year one comes out that makes me go, damn that is one fine song. I guess how the ar tist puts that song together and the key in which they pr oduced the tr ack, would define wher e and how the song is going and what jour ney it has mapped out for the listener . As long as ther e ar e fr esh sounds and some for m of melody, the way it is ar r anged deter mines the potential that a gr eat song or tr ack it may possess. DS: You have been in some rock acts as well, haven't you? Which instrument do/ did you play in these bands and do you draw inspiration from that for your trance productions? SoNic: I have played dr ums in many bands fr om the ear ly 90's till 2000. The bands wer e mainly on the har der side of music. I love heavy metal and its subgenr es and was exposed to it in my ear lier year s. It was a style of music that r ebelled against the cor por ate system and that r esonated with me in a big way. I got back into dr umming 3 year s ago and have been in 2 bands since then but in my exper ience the band scene in SA can be incr edibly fickle and the under gr ound scene itself needs a major boost - fr om r adio play to pr omoter s. The talent is ther e it just needs to be exposed on all levels within the enter tainment industr y.

Photo by ShaktiLedi Photography

DS: I want you to imagine that our conversation is suddenly interrupted when a rhino walks into the room. What do you say to/ share with/ ask of him? SoNic: Really weir d question, but her e goes nothing. Rhino (Big animal lover that I am) get out the living r oom, find your home and take out a poacher while you ar e at it. DS: Any advice or tips for ?noobs? in the industry? SoNic: Get into it for the love of music and for all the r eal r easons - to make people smile and dance. DS: Where did fans see you for the last of the outdoor season? SoNic: I was DJing as SoNiC for the 21st celebr ations of Vortex Parallel on the 3 -6th

Apr il for the four th day and then again at the Village "Wondering Dreams" festival. DS: What can we look forward to from Sonic? Any upcoming releases? Anything big up your sleeve? SoNic: Ther e ar e cur r ently talks of a possible Eur opean tour , at the moment it's still unconfir med as negotiations ar e still being finalised. A VA compilation might be in the wor ks with my label, One Foot Groove, later in the year so keep an ear to the gr ound and an eye on the social media platfor ms. I have also been focusing on my other pr ogr essive psy pr oject, Verax, which has been cr eating waves her e in CT for its second year . I plan to push that quite heavily. ,

THEPEDESTRIANS CAPETOWNSVERYOWNBOYBAND

Words by Marvin Charles

Simon Van Har te, Rezah Sampson, Emillio Buckton, Br adley Pr ince and Jar r ed Ricketts A young, vibr ant and fr esh Cape Town based band. People tend to get mesmer ized by boy bands, how could they not? Who could for get the time we fell in love with the Backstr eet boys or One Dir ection? Boy bands have a cer tain appeal that gr asps attention and whisks gir ls away on a flight of fancy. One par ticular boy band r ecently caught my attention, The Pedestr ians. They wer e selected as the Suidoorsterfees Talent Search?ss best band and won over all. The Pedestr ians was for mulated when Jar r ad Ricketts was asked to MC and per for m at the Cape Town Summer Concer ts; ?I wanted to per for m with a live band, with the help of Lee-Anne Ricketts and Jody Engelbr echt, we managed to find the Pedestrians?band member s. It was a gr eat exper ience? Jar r ad Ricketts said. Jar r ad has been involved in the music industr y for over twelve year s, per for ming in var ious shows ar ound Cape Town, Johannesbur g and

Dur ban. He has also wr itten numer ous songs of which two have been played on both television and r adio. The Pedestr ians has become an over night success and per for med at var ious events such as the Huisgenoot Mandela Day Race, Mountain Arts festival, The I nternational Kite Festival in Muizenbur g and they have per for med on Hear t 104.9 FM?s DJ Launch. In May 2014 The Pedestr ians wer e asked to be a r esident band at the Cape Town Comedy Club in the V &A water fr ont; ?That was an amazing exper ience, we lear ned so much and gr ew together as a band. The r esidency allowed us to define our identity as a band and allowed us to meet and shar e the stage with some of South Afr ica?s best? they say. The Pedestr ians per for med ever y Sunday for six months at the Comedy Club ?It?s a lot of har d wor k, because we r ehear se twice a week to make sur e know what we doing on stage. It was awesome at the same time because it gave us a place wher e we could cr eate, expr ess and per for m? they added.

Simon Van Har te is cur r ently studying Chemical Engineer ing at UCT, Rezah Sampson and Br adley Pr ince study at the UCT School of music, Emillio Buckton is doing IT business analysis at CPUT, and Jar r ed Ricketts is an English teacher at an inter national school in Cape Town. The gr oup acknowledges the challenges of balancing their studies and wor k with their music but they fir mly believe that their studies come although they r ecognize the r esponsibility they have towar ds each other and their car eer s. These boys also admit that ?the biggest pr epar ation is knowing the music collectively, and under stand the language between band member s on stage. That?s what people don?t notice or see the musical pauses, solos, timing etc.? The pedestr ians have gained enor mous suppor t fr om the public, many locals have been following their jour ney, suppor ting them and cheer ing for them.

They also admit that they do feel pr essur ized having the public watch ever ything they say and do ; ?But we wor k har d at being positive r ole models and examples to the youth out ther e, showing what is possible if you wor k har d? they say. The band would like to also still accomplish var ious other achievements thr ough their music they would like to br each out of South Afr ica into Eur ope and wor k on an album and per for m. I also wanted to know what advice they have for people that want to be in a band or want to star t a band ?Stop compar ing your band to other musicians, do what you ar e good at, focus on your str engths and wor k har d on your contr ibution to the band. If you ar e a singer , be the best singer out ther e, if you ar e a guitar ist, come up with your own style of playing, be the best ver sion of your self, that way your band stays fr esh?.

ALBUM REVIEW

VOLUME1

THENATIVES

Words by Yolande Gypsychild

THE NATIVES VOL 1is a compilation of deep and/or (almost) funky house pr oductions br ought to you by Native Rootz, a r ecor ding lable founded by DJs/Pr oducer s Chad Naidoo & Eugiene Car r (Cape Funk Car tel). The album is a compilation of 10 singles (not mixed) pr oduced by 9 young Capetonian pr oducer s, all signed to Native Rootz Recor ds.

The album has a deep, gr oovy theme over all, r eminiscent of the "Deeper Sounds of..." fr anchise, with many ascer tainable samples. Some might wonder whether it is a compilation of or iginal pr oductions or r emixes. The two titles by Colour ed Black, named "Your light brings me closer to you" and "Eternal Summer", I found painful, to say the least, to listen to. "Eternal Summer" lacks a definitive bass line, or definitive anything for that matter , sounding disjointed yet mundane. "Your light brings me closer to you", is slightly mor e bear able. CB appear s to "get it" and then just goes haywir e again" - both exper imental pr ojects in my opinion. Per haps these ar e the r esult of an attempt at pr oducing br eakbeats or dubstep? However , I can see the album making its way onto r egular playlists in upmar ket lounges and cocktail bar s and ear ly evenings befor e the opening DJ set in clubs known to play deep-, jacking-, soulful house and the like. A good album to star t your evening with or wind it down.

As a whole, the album is well pr oduced and makes for easy, pleasur able listening. Guar antied to get any foot tapping and head bouncing. Light, fluffy, sexy house. The album is available and can be pur chased via the following links nativer ootzr ecor ds.gr eedbag.com/buy/the-natives-vol-0/ http://www.tr axsour ce.com/title/486439/the-natives-vol-1

alter natively, get the singles via beatpor t.

INTERVIEW I caught up with PDyno. Hip-Hop extr aor dinair e fr om Cape Town who, apar t fr om youtube, has been spotted per for ming all over the Mother city including Cape Town stadium for Winter Wonderland, as a guest ar tist and judge at an A3 Productions event and at sever al Cape Town clubs such as Dragon Room, The Loop, Chez Ntemba and in Stellenbosch at Entourage. Lyr icist to pr oducer s such as LorenzoBeats, D Beats, Keenan Lucian and signed to Volcanic Entertainment is r eady to br eak into the Jozi scene wher e he has a few gigs lined up in the near futur e. DS: We hear you don?t always solely stick to Hip-Hop, is this tr ue?

kidding. Dyno is an acronym for destroy your next opponent.

PDYNO: I do change it up sometimes by rapping to some country beat.

.DS: Why can?t we find you on Soundcloud, Rever bnation or any other music sites?

DS: Which ar tists do you admir e and r espect? PDYNO: Drake and Chris Brown DS: What can we look out for fr om PDyno? PDYNO: My new music video ?Everything new?, is officially on youtube. I currently have five songs on my CD. Check that out DS: Any quotes that you live by? PDYNO: I f it?s not free it?s too expensive, j ust

PDYNO: I used to do soundcloud and reverb but not anymore. I 'm building a fan base on youtube so I ?ll be releasing a music video every month for 5 months... the first one I released got over 1000 views in 2 days. DS: Wher e can one buy your CD? What is your CD called? PDYNO: I released a mix tape like a year ago titled: "Too much Pride to Care" which I sold at

PDYNO

DESTROYYOURNEXT OPPONENT

my gigs. Plus I had promoters in different areas in Cape Town selling it for me. I am busy with something new at the moment which will be sold online such as itunes. My manager told me recently that there is a distribution company in US that's interested in working with us . DS: If you could change the wor ld - what would you change about it?

PDYNO: I f I could change the world I 'd probably try and make things equal for everybody by means of how we living. I really don't know...don't really have an answer to that. DS: We hear d you mention the "str uggles of your hustle" - please elabor ate on this? What obstacles have you over come and which do you still face? PDYNO: The difference from when I started and now. When I started I used to attend a lot

Words by Yolande Gypsychild

of competitions and open mics. I tried my best to show people who I am and what I 'm trying to do. And I gave lots of money to people who promised me things. But right now I 'm getting paid to be places. I don't feel the need to do competitions anymore, Not ?coz I think I 'm a big SA hip-hop star but because I feel like I am already making an impact and an impression on my surroundings, and in time I ?ll expand. People in Cape Town know me now. I 've got people investing in me and I have a management team. I ?ve got a clothing line sponsoring me, club promoters promoting me. From an up-and-coming, which I still am, I changed people?s minds to start taking me seriously as an artist and keep an eye out. I 've earned respect and valuable supporters. Big thanks to my team as well. Young Stunners Over Everything (YSOE) and big thanks to my manager Nick Jagger and I can't forget my right hand who motivates me, pushes me and everything u can think of - .Mr. RedRyan

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