Dimensions Festival Annual 2015/16 by comm•une

Folio

Annual 2015/16

Contents 42 / Sound System Introduction /6–11

36–41 / Ten Of The Best comm·une traverse a wide range of themes to bring you a varied arrangement of top 10 lists, from books to apps.

10 / Introduction

8 / Credits 10–11 / Introduction

42–49 / Sound System As a festival that holds sound quality in the highest regard, we pay homage by commissioning Dutch illustrator kwills to bring the famed sound systems to life.

12 / Amphitheatre

50–55 / Broken Beat Britain Dego, Alexander Nut, Henry Wu and K15 consider the highs and lows of working within music in modern Tory Britain.

56 / George Clinton

Place / 12–35

Sound / 36–55

People / 56 –78 56–65 / George Clinton After a lifetime spent dedicated to the funk, Conor McTernan speaks to Mr George Clinton about his colourful career, in the process discovering why he’s more prolific now than ever.

17 / The Fort Guardians

12–15 / Amphitheatre From Gladiator contests to spellbinding music performances, take a look at the 2000 year old Pula Arena. 17–20 / The Fort Guardians The story of Fort Punta Christo, as told by one of the dedicated few who helped bring it back to life.

66–67 / Autonomously Anonymous: Paranoid London A profile of the mysterious Techno duo, featuring their illustrative contribution to The Warmduscher & Friends adult colouring book.

22–28 / Mala Mark Lawrence, better known as Mala, takes a look back over the past decade of his career and his continued love for travelling the world.

68–72 / Digging Deep With 22a One of the most potent musical crews to emerge in recent years, five members of the 22a family talk us through some of their most cherished records.

30–35 / Global Partners From Amsterdam to Zagreb, Montreal and beyond - seven partners from this year’s Dimensions Festival discuss their various endeavours and the cities they call home.

74–75 / Festival Essentials As the UK’s leading voice on streetwear and men’s style, who better to select those festival fundamentals than THE DAILY STREET.

22 / Mala

76 / Rising Up

76–78 / Rising Up Our friends over at Hyponik take a look at some of their favourite emerging artists on this year’s bill.

Contents 42 / Sound System Introduction /6–11

36–41 / Ten Of The Best comm·une traverse a wide range of themes to bring you a varied arrangement of top 10 lists, from books to apps.

10 / Introduction

8 / Credits 10–11 / Introduction

42–49 / Sound System As a festival that holds sound quality in the highest regard, we pay homage by commissioning Dutch illustrator kwills to bring the famed sound systems to life.

12 / Amphitheatre

50–55 / Broken Beat Britain Dego, Alexander Nut, Henry Wu and K15 consider the highs and lows of working within music in modern Tory Britain.

56 / George Clinton

Place / 12–35

Sound / 36–55

17 / The Fort Guardians

66–67 / Autonomously Anonymous: Paranoid London A profile of the mysterious Techno duo, featuring their illustrative contribution to The Warmduscher & Friends adult colouring book.

22–28 / Mala Mark Lawrence, better known as Mala, takes a look back over the past decade of his career and his continued love for travelling the world.

68–72 / Digging Deep With 22a One of the most potent musical crews to emerge in recent years, five members of the 22a family talk us through some of their most cherished records.

30–35 / Global Partners From Amsterdam to Zagreb, Montreal and beyond - seven partners from this year’s Dimensions Festival discuss their various endeavours and the cities they call home.

74–75 / Festival Essentials As the UK’s leading voice on streetwear and men’s style, who better to select those festival fundamentals than THE DAILY STREET.

22 / Mala

76 / Rising Up

76–78 / Rising Up Our friends over at Hyponik take a look at some of their favourite emerging artists on this year’s bill.

Credits

Editor

Josh Thomas

Art Director

Alex Powis

Designer

Chris Benfield

Advertising Manager

Will Edge

Photographers

Alex McBride Wilson Alex Powis Ben Whelan Dalibor DabiÄ&#x2021; Dan Medhurst Ilja Meefout James Clothier Jody Hartley Johannes Moser Laurel Daily Lewis Khan Maja DabiÄ&#x2021; Maya Manwaring Mehdi Lacoste Trinity Ellis Willem Govaerts William Thoren

Illustrators

kwills Paranoid London

Writers

Alex Powis Christian Murphy Conor McTernan Hugo Laing Josh Thomas Louis Cook Luke Pinot Noah Ball Will Edge

Proudly printed in London by

Credits

Editor

Josh Thomas

Art Director

Alex Powis

Designer

Chris Benfield

Advertising Manager

Will Edge

Photographers

Illustrators

kwills Paranoid London

Writers

Alex Powis Christian Murphy Conor McTernan Hugo Laing Josh Thomas Louis Cook Luke Pinot Noah Ball Will Edge

Proudly printed in London by

Introduction

Welcome to the Dimensions Festival Annual 2015/16, created by London-based collective comm·une. This year is our fourth exploration into the world of music we love, taking place in a setting unlike any other. We are so happy that you are able to join us here in Pula, Croatia, this summer on the beautiful Adriatic Coast. And for those who weren’t able make it over, we hope you can join us next year. Drawing direct inspiration from the key elements that make Dimensions Festival unique, the Annual is presented with three accompanying themes: Place, People & Sound, with each theme explored in a variety of ways. This year’s Annual not only features some of the most interesting and celebrated names in the electronic music community, but also pays homage to the local Croatian people who make all of this possible. Last summer’s festival was an incredible week of music, with a lovely crowd from across the globe sharing a love of underground sounds. We are truly excited to be returning again to share some more good times. The response to this year’s programme has been overwhelming, and just like you, we cannot wait to submerge ourselves in the music. At last year’s event we were lucky enough to have one of the friendliest, multinational crowds around - this year’s event seems set to be more of the same. Once again, a massive thanks

to the City of Pula and the people of the local region for hosting us. Very few festival sites can offer a 2000 year old Roman Amphitheatre and a 19th century abandoned fortress; an intimate labyrinth of spaces and passages, of nooks and crannies, leading to an incredible array of environments. Day times spent swimming, dancing or simply lying in the sunshine on a beautiful stretch of beach. Awe inspiring sunsets. Crazy evenings in Fort Arena 1 and The Clearing. A moat where you can lose yourself completely. And, of course, the boat parties. All equipped with the finest sound systems we can source to create the best possible setting for experiencing live and recorded music. For everyone involved behind the scenes, the Dimensions ethos has remained the same from the very first event. It’s all about putting together the finest line-up of music from across the world, but without making concessions to transient fads, to the mainstream, to the obvious. We like to think we partly take a purist’s approach, one which seeks out not only the key players in each respective scene, but those who bring something new, something dynamic and something fun to the festival too. We hope you like what you find this year – we are sure that you will. Bring smiles, make your first choice love and happiness. Dimensions Festival

Introduction

Amphitheatre

Words: Hugo Laing

Built around 2000 years ago, the Pula Arena is a classic 1st century amphitheatre and one of the six largest Roman arenas standing in the world today. Built entirely from limestone, it overlooks the harbour northeast of the old town, situated on the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula. Known locally simply as The Arena, it was originally built for gladiatorial contests with a capacity of around 20,000. The top of the walls contain a gutter used to collect rainwater and the slabs used to hold in the fabric canopy that would shade spectators are still visible. In the 4th century a Christian known as Germanus was famously martyred in the arena and in the Middle Ages it was used to host tournaments by the Knights Of Malta. Having been continually restored and used as a space for pop and classical concerts in recent years, it also hosts the Pula Film Festival every summer, with seating for around 5,000 spectators. There’s also a small museum in the downstairs chambers exhibiting ancient olive-oil equipment. This summer the amphitheatre will once again host the Dimensions Festival opening concert on August 26, with the main festival taking place in nearby Fort Punta Christo. The night will be held in collaboration with Boiler Room,

with live performances from two of London’s most celebrated producers in Four Tet and Floating Points, as well as Swedish four-piece Little Dragon. Electronic mastermind Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet this year released his brilliant two track album ‘Morning/ Evening’ having previously treated us to a swathe of LPs on labels like Domino and his own Text Records imprint. Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points continues to be one of the most treasured innovators in UK club music as well as spearheading his own imprint Eglo. He recently dropped a collaborative 12” with James Holden and Moroccan musician Maâlem Mahmoud Guinia entitled ‘Marhaba’ and will perform new material with a live band at this year’s opening concert. Formed in 1996, Little Dragon have grown into one of the world’s most popular leftfield pop acts, having unleashed their fourth album, the Janet Jackson-inspired ‘Nabuma Rubberband’ in 2014.

Place

Amphitheatre

Words: Hugo Laing

Place

Amphitheatre

Place

Amphitheatre

Place

Amphitheatre

The Fort Guardians

Words: Josh Thomas & Maja Dabi´c Photography: Maja Dabi´c

Mungo’s floor (Before).

Dimensions Festival is staged in one of the most unique festival settings in the world. Even after repeat visits to Fort Punta Christo, it’s impossible to not be taken back by the sheer scale of the structure that spans over 10,000 m2. One of over a dozen forts situated on the Istrian peninsula surrounding the city of Pula, its walls are steeped in history and provide extensive views of the Adriatic Sea and the surrounding areas. Around the time of the turn of the millennium, a group of friends stumbled across what appeared to be ruins whilst out on a Sunday walk – at that stage Fort Punta Christo had been abandoned for a number of years with many parts falling into complete disrepair, all of it veiled in a tangled mesh of trees and bushes. This group (now known as the Fort Guardians) instantly fell in love with the Fort and decided to take on the mammoth task of bringing it back to life, initially carrying out restoration work at weekends before eventually moving in to live on-site and work full-time. Through a long string of introductions we tracked down Maja Dabić, one of the original Fort Guardians, to find out the full story of their remarkable journey. Today, alongside her husband, she owns Hostel Step in Pula and the Konoba tavern in Stinjan. I spent a number of weeks in contact with Maja who kindly recollected stories and shared photographs with me, a selection of which can be viewed throughout the following pages. Read on for a first hand account of life as a Fort Guardian and how a group of devoted friends resurrected a stone treasure with only their bare hands.

Mungo’s floor. Picture taken from the other side (Now).

Arena 1 (Before).

Arena 1 (Now).

Place

Party floor above Mungo’s floor (Before).

“Fort Punta Christo was built on the cape at an altitude of 27 meters during the Habsburg Monarchy, to defend the city of Pula from sea attacks. It was one of 52 forts and artillery batteries that were built at that time. Pula was one of the biggest ports in Europe and these forts were built to keep the city secure. In the 19th century the first activities were undertaken to start the construction of the defensive structure. First off the Martello tower was built in 1836. In 1857 the Martello tower was integrated into a larger circular tower that included an inner courtyard and four loopholes – 40 years later an armored fort was built to complete the structure you can see today. At that time Fort Punta Christo was the biggest and most robust modern armored fort of the Habsburg Monarchy. All the forts built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire were crafted with stone from local stonepits and the material that was removed while digging defensive trenches in the rocks. A Sunday walk around 15 years ago changed our lives for good. In the woods we found this huge structure that couldn’t really be been seen because of the overgrowth of trees and bushes. The only way we could enter was through a narrow path at the first entrance of the Fort (Fort Arena 1 stage). The view was enchanting: the sea, its breakwater, the entrance of Pula Port, the Brijuni Islands on the one side, Stinjan on the other. We started to imagine how the structure would look like if we cleaned away the bushes and the trees. And here our story of Punta Christo starts. We started to clean the Fort at weekends. With every square meter cleaned our love for the Fort started to grow. A year later we moved in and lived there for two years, starting to do little parties for friends after cleaning small sections. When we cleaned another area we’d have a party there. We cleaned it all day, from morning till evening. Our tools were hacks, shovels, a wheelbarrow, lawnmower, chainsaw, saw, hoe, broom and other tools we needed for the renovation process. It all started at the first entrance and moved on to the central part of the building. After cleaning this part, we

The Fort Guardians

Party floor above Mungo’s floor (Now).

”With every square meter cleaned our love for the Fort started to grow.”

The path that leads above Arena 1 (Before).

The path that leads above Arena 1 (Now).

Words: Josh Thomas & Maja Dabi´c Photography: Maja Dabi´c

Mungo’s floor (Before).

Mungo’s floor. Picture taken from the other side (Now).

Arena 1 (Before).

Arena 1 (Now).

Place

Party floor above Mungo’s floor (Before).

The Fort Guardians

Party floor above Mungo’s floor (Now).

”With every square meter cleaned our love for the Fort started to grow.”

The path that leads above Arena 1 (Before).

The path that leads above Arena 1 (Now).

The path that leads above Arena 1. Photo taken from the other side (Before).

The terrace of the VIP bar (Now).

Our first bedroom.

The tools that we used to clean the fort. This photo is taken at the time of cleaning Mungo’s floor.

The terrace of the VIP bar (Before).

started to clean rooms for sleeping, the kitchen and a bathroom. The Fort was designed to supply drinking water by filtering the rainwater through the ground. There were no worries about water, but electricity we didn’t have. There were hand lamps and sometimes we connected a light to the car battery, but only if there was a job we needed to do at night or when working on indoor spaces. After cleaning inside, we started to construct windows and doors. All the trees we cut down were used for something: making fences, chairs, the bar and fuelling the fire in the winter. Eventually we got a little generator and then started to put electricity cables and lamps through the Fort. As you will see, there is a moat and 3 bridges at the entrance. Because of these obstacles there was no possibility to enter with any machinery – a dredge for example – so all the work was done with our hands. We also spent our free time there. We were lucky because we could leave the work and pick it back up at anytime. Our kids were also with us during the summer. After a long days work all you’d want to do is go to bed, tired but happy with what had been achieved that day. After 6 years there were 10 people involved in the renovation of Fort Punta Christo, all friends of ours. We set up the Association of Fort Punta Christo and Seasplash Association who remain in charge of the building today. As I just mentioned earlier, in 2002 we opened a little bar which stayed open from 10pm till needed. This was the only way of bringing in finances. During the day we cleaned and during the evenings we had the bar. The first parties happened 13 years ago, they were intimate with no more than 50 people, all friends. Through the years there were lots of little parties, but the first real party was the debut Seasplash Festival held on Fort Punta Christo in 2003. The Croatian authorities aren’t relaxed about this project, but the Association of the Fort Punta Christo has the support of all relevant institutions, especially the conservation office. Any work that takes place needs to be cleared with them beforehand. We also hold the concession for the parties, concerts and other projects that happen at the Fort. The Association of Fort Punta Christo in cooperation with all the relevant institutions take care of everything there. Even today, all through the year, there are a few of our friends living there – they enjoy life in the Fort and the surrounding nature. The Fort Guardians are a group of friends who stumbled across this beautiful building, and with a vision and persistence, proved all of this was possible without any investment or financial support.”

The path that leads above Arena 1. Photo taken from the other side (Before).

The terrace of the VIP bar (Now).

Our first bedroom.

The tools that we used to clean the fort. This photo is taken at the time of cleaning Mungo’s floor.

The terrace of the VIP bar (Before).

Mala

A lot can happen in ten years. From promoting their original sessions at 3rd Base in Brixton, to building life-changing, subladen dubs (some of which would eventually see the light of day via their own burgeoning label or the legendary Big Apple), becoming front runners for a community of producers who would provide a bookend to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grassroots club lineage, or spinning off into various fruitful music projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the DMZ stamp has counted for a lot over the past decade.

Mala

Words: Louis Cook

Most fans of bass-heavy electronic music will know the DMZ label, and if not attended any one of the South London events, will have heard the stories of chest-rattling, bass-driven unity. Dubstep fans of a particular age tend to become animated when discussing the intricacies of particular DMZ releases, or struggle to find words to describe the atmosphere at the best DMZ nights. Those of us that managed to reach any Brixton events at Dubstep’s breaking period will know the unique feeling created in those rooms where darkened lights, physically pounding sub bass and an at times off-key creative flair made for a galvanising club experience. It’s fair to say that the musical achievements made by Mala, Coki, Loefah and Sgt. Pokes are significant, both here in the UK, and now across the world.

Mark Lawrence, aka Mala, can happily sit back for the rest of his career and enjoy the spoils that come with creating history within the dance music spectrum, yet with two solo collections – 2010’s occasionally underrated ‘Return II Space’ and 2012’s traversing ‘Mala In Cuba’ – the former London resident continues to move forward with an uncompromising vision for a music he helped spawn. With the recent DMZ 10th birthday event, a new album on the horizon in the form of a companion piece to ‘Mala In Cuba’ (recorded with musicians in Peru), and numerous shows across the globe, we sat down to talk over the past decade, his love for travel and his unique approach in the studio.

Louis Cook: Ten years of DMZ is quite the milestone, both for yourself and obviously the night, but also the scene as a whole. What are your thoughts now we’ve rounded out on that fairly unbelievable decade, and how things have changed?

LC: I’m assuming the nights and the label are run pretty much in the same way as when you were starting out, but now obviously you guys are in your mid-thirties – when you started you were in your mid-twenties – has there been a dynamic shift maybe?

Mala: It’s difficult really to take it all in, as it’s been such an ongoing process, from even before DMZ. I’ve been doing music with Coki, Loefah and Pokes for a long time – we’d been doing this for many years before people started to hear what we were doing, so I guess it’s one of those things that’s really difficult to explain or describe as you go through so many different stages, so many different phases with it. Obviously, before anybody knows what happens and knows who you are, that kinda infancy that the movement had – and not just DMZ, but the Dubstep movement at that time – it had a certain feeling, and we took a certain approach to it. That changes over the years, but I’m not one of those people that necessarily gets nostalgic about things. I believe there’s always good happening, but it’s very easy to try and compare the old to the new, and obviously they’re two completely different things – they’re worlds apart. So I just try and enjoy the stages for what they are. I never would have thought when we started that we would have got to a ten year stage, so it’s all just so unexpected. You’ve got no other choice but to try and take it in your stride really. DMZ has always been a thing where we don’t really plan anything, and this party was almost the same – it was only because we had the opportunity come up to put a party on in Brixton that we thought that’s a sign to definitely do the ten year thing. In terms of the way we approach DMZ, it’s always been the same in that respect; it’s got to feel right, and when it feels right we go forward.

M: Well everything changes to some extent. Some of us have families, some of us have moved to different places, but DMZ wasn’t always about us four, it was about people that were contributing musically to what was going on at those events, so really it’s an evolution of many different factors that changed the whole dynamic, as well as the internal dynamic. In regards to putting out records and putting on the dances, it’s still pretty much the same – whoever wants to put out a record you can just kinda make it happen. We all speak, we all let each other know what’s going on, and we work forward in that respect, so it hasn’t really changed much in that dynamic to be honest with you.

LC: Do you think the development of the scene around the time of the third birthday and the following exposure within the media helped create milestones that can outgrow the event itself, or is it still something that the four of you can take stock of, look back upon and celebrate personally? M: Yeah definitely we can look back and celebrate, and enjoy the memories we have, and laugh about the things that happened purely by coincidence or chance – there’s definitely good memories to be had, not just for us four but for a whole unit of us that were together at that time. But I don’t think it’s any less or more important to “outsiders”, so to speak, I think they’re incomparable. For me, that’s what the beautiful thing about music is, it’s something that brings about a unity, but at the same time it’s a very personal, intimate experience you have with music, even though you’re in a room full of a thousand people or so, you know? It’s able to take you to so many different tones, and places and connections.

Mala

LC: Using music as a flagpost in history, almost marking out personal or cultural moments in time, do you naturally approach the music you create to pinpoint moments in your life as you develop yourself? M: Yeah I think it’s natural. Not being a musician, my process of making music has been one really based on feeling and emotion. Not to say that if you’re classically trained you’re not emotional about music as well, but I guess there’s another dimension and another perspective you can come at it, from being scientific about music and really understanding how notes work. Without that it’s always been a bit like a freestyle, it’s always been a natural process, but for me it’s always been about exploring, about trying to discover new things about myself through expressing myself. I think music is one of the only freedoms we have – no one can tell me what to feel or what to write – and I’m very privileged and lucky that, as a result of me being extremely militant about not compromising musically, it’s brought me to this place where I am now. So I have to continue going that way. [laughs] I actually find it difficult to do other things! For me it’s always been about that freedom to explore, and out of that freedom discover new things about yourself. The fact that I’m in a position now where I’m able to travel more, and the further afield I go, I still seem to bump into people that have an understanding of the movement that I was part of... It’s easier now to go to places and sit down with music that I’ve done and listen to music that they’ve done and try and meet those two, and that’s how the Cuba project came about. I’m now working on another project that will be like a continuation of getting out there, exploring new lands, cultures and people – trying to create something new, whilst at the same time retaining my old soundsystem ethics.

Words: Louis Cook

Mala

“I’d like to definitely go and explore some of the ancient Japanese music — I think that could make for a really interesting project.”

LC: So which places have you visited recently that have really spoken to you? M: I actually went to Prague, but it wasn’t musicians or a sound from Prague that I really listened to… It was [just] this really quiet show in a small house, and these five performers played for literally ten people in this room, and they played these old, ancient Japanese bamboo flutes alongside a silent movie, which I found really fascinating. The minute the music played I was totally blown away by it, and it went on for about an hour and a half, so parts of the session I thought “Oh I’m not really feeling what’s going on anymore”, so I’d drift off and start thinking about other things and go into what was happening in the film, then I’d think “Oh I’m not really enjoying the film anymore”, so I’d go back into the music again. I think I even fell asleep at one point, not out of disrespect, but more that you’re in such a relaxed zone you’d just float off and then you’d wake up and be slightly disoriented about where you’d be in the film and the music because it was so abstract.

LC: I guess that’s a physical experience of music that you could attach to some Dubstep music maybe - that striving to create something that isn’t just a linear listening experience, but something physical as well…

Place

M: I’m always interested in listening to music like that and I think Japan would be a place that I’d love to explore more. I’ve been eight or nine times now since 2007, and I’d like to definitely go and explore some of the ancient Japanese music – I think that could make for a really interesting project.

LC: I could see that being really interesting if you look at how you construct melodies in your own music, some of which, as you say, are coming from a different perspective, that you can tell are a flowing, freeform thing… M: I got that from Augustus Pablo. If you listen to a lot of his music, and a lot of dub in general, the way that they’re mixing live on the board, you get a sense of that freedom in their music, that it’s not just a straight arrangement that you’re classically used to – whether it be pop music or generally a lot of electronic dance music – so from when I started making music I was listening to guys like Augustus Pablo a lot back then, and I’d always hear that freedom in the way that he played his melodica, and that’s something I’ve always felt comfortable to do. If something only happens once in your track, or only happens once five minutes in, if it feels right then it should be in [there], and people might say “ah you should’ve done that for another sixteen bars” or whatever, but then it wouldn’t have had that same effect. Everything’s relative, you know?

Mala

“I’d like to definitely go and explore some of the ancient Japanese music — I think that could make for a really interesting project.”

Place

Mala

“I’m one of those people that ends up getting affected by environments and energy — if the city’s moving fast then I’ll move fast with it.” LC: Going back to travelling – you no longer exclusively reside in London any more, though you must come back on a regular basis... M: Yeah I live between the two basically. You don’t find better music or club culture anywhere else in the world [than London] to be honest with you. I think London is one of those places. However, the intensity of London and the fact that the city moves at such a pace, I just found that I was feeling consumed by London. I’d go away three or four days a week playing shows, then all you wanna do is get back, go to the studio and relax, but then everybody is passing through, your phone doesn’t stop and you just end up going at the same pace all the time. I’m one of those people that ends up getting affected by environments and energy – if the city’s moving fast then I’ll move fast with it – so I just felt like slightly stepping away from it just allowed me to breath a little bit more, and appreciate it for what it is.

LC: On the performance front, obviously you have a busy Summer of shows ahead of you… M: Yeah quite a few festivals coming up – I’ve done a couple already – and you know what? I’ve been very lucky, I’ve been doing it for such a long time now I kind of understand my pace with it all. Obviously we’re doing a DMZ stage at Outlook, also the same for a Deep Medi stage and boat party, and at Dimensions I curate my own stage as well. Things generally happen the same way with the logistics of it all, and yeah alright I’m not 21 anymore so I’m not out caning it every weekend either, it’s just a different time for me, but I still have that hunger and still have that love within me to keep doing what I’m doing, so when I step into a dance with my records, I still feel like I’m eighteen and I’m playing my first set – and I want to attack it with that mindset. For me, it doesn’t really feel much different from back then, it’s just the recovery time takes a bit longer as you get a few more years under your belt.

Words: Alex Powis & Josh Thomas

Although hosted in Croatia and organised from London, Dimensions Festival transcends its well known homelands, reaching out to cities far and wide in order to connect with like-minded collectives and individuals, coming together to form a well curated list of global partners. From Melbourne to Montreal, the list of destinations that help define Dimensions Festival spans the globe. It’s this global influence and perspective that gives the festival and crowd an important part of its character, that ensures it not only showcases the best music from around the world, but also introduces you to collectives, creative families, individuals and brands to inspire and inform you. Whether it’s the educational standpoint of CDR, the DIY radio stations who are building their own communities both locally and online, or the clubs and promot-

ers who keep the party going all year round, the list of global partners is rich. Thanks to today’s digital world, it’s easy to explore each partner and familiarise yourself with what they do in their own right, and we strongly encourage it – but we wanted to give you access to some of the people behind these names. After all, what is a platform, a station, a community or even a festival without the people behind it? It’s these people and their collective experience that help shape the landscape of the music we love across the globe. So we decided to get to know them on a more personal level, to explore their local area through them and to learn what inspires them creatively.

Partners Dublin – Conor Lynch (Bodytonic) London – Charlie Bones (NTS Radio) Amsterdam – Vincent Reinders (22 Tracks) Berlin – Anastazja Moser (Berlin Community Radio) Zagreb – Sergej Lugovic (Sirup Club) Montreal – Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary) Melbourne – Peter Isaacs (CDR)

Global Partners

Words: Alex Powis & Josh Thomas

Global Partners

Conor Lynch (Bodytonic) Dublin

Charlie Bones (NTS Radio) London

Vincent Reinders (22 Tracks) Anastazja Moser (BCR) Amsterdam Berlin

Who are you?

I’m Conor Lynch and I manage the Bodytonic Record Label and all Bodytonic International events.

My name is Charlie Bones, I host the NTS breakfast show Mon-Fri. I also run DoYou Records in Peckham.

What inspires you creatively?

I’m Vincent Reinders, Venz, 30 years old. Born and raised in Amsterdam. Founder and Creative Director of music service 22tracks.

Anything from hearing an old record presented in a new context, to seeing how a great chef runs his kitchen and comes up with new dishes, to seeing a small art exhibition. I think the creative process is a fluid one and I try to keep my mind open to taking in pockets of inspiration across the board. I am always fascinated by how interesting figures from different creative disciplines innovate and attempt to reach the peak of their art, so whether it’s seeing Theo dropping a surprise like Savage Progress ‘Heart Begins To Beat’ or watching Jay Adams skate in old footage in Dogtown & Z Boys, it’s always something special to witness.

Love and the laws of the cosmos.

We’re Sarah Miles and Anastazja Moser and we Co-Founded and Direct Berlin Community Radio. We also host two radio shows each – an interview-based show presenting different guests called Welcome To The Room, and our own music shows.

Where do you like to hangout? The Twisted Pepper and The Bernard Shaw would be obvious ones, but i’m biased there anyway! Aside from that 3FE on Grand Canal Street is probably the best place for coffee in the city (and arguably the country), All City Records in Temple Bar is one of the best record shops and a great place to hang out and bump into folk.

When is the best time to visit? One unique non-music related one which is definitely worth a look is Bloomsday, which happens every June 16th and has folk around the city dressing up like characters from the James Joyce novel Ulysses and a variety events are built around it. It can be pretty surreal walking around the city when it’s on.

Why do you love Dublin? It’s a small condensed city but one with great warmth and friendliness. In a world where people are becoming increasingly detached on a personal level from one another, via the instant access of smartphones and the internet and social media, it’s a special thing to be able to walk down a street in the city centre or into a bar/club/event knowing 90% of the time you will bump into someone you know.

Place

Where do you like to hangout? In Peckham. The parks, The Ivy House, The Gowlett, Lerryn’s Cafe (shout to Stephanie), Yam Records, Rye Wax basement for the jams and also the records. And Alibaba for the juice and Chris. And with Sam and Hassan at their phone booth.

When is the best time to visit? 3.30pm

Why do you love London? This is a tough one because I couldn’t live anywhere else but it’s an extreme case of love/hate. Talking to a cab driver, he says it’s international and central, globally. I like the mix and the layers and the tension (which is the love/hate bit). Chris & Cosey, Dego and all the other London innovators and futurists. It’s almost impossible to live here, so even when you get completely jaded by the grind, you still have to be an optimist at heart which is quite a unique trait in a populace. And all of this combines to be the essence of NTS which I feel eternally blessed to be a part of. I don’t think the dynamic needed to create what the station is, exists anywhere else but London. And Femi. And the wild parrots. And foxes.

What inspires you creatively? Creative minds in Amsterdam who make noise far beyond the borders. WeTransfer as the best business example. Dekmantel as the festival example and Patta as a lifestyle brand. Authentic people who love music and know how to build a company, party or brand.

Where do you like to hangout? My favourite club in the world ever - TrouwAmsterdam - was closed down unfortunately, but still Amsterdam offers so many good things. Party-wise, festival-wise and more and more foodwise. For food I strongly recommend The Lobby and brasserie Bar Breitner. Coffee breaks at Coffee & Coconuts and Trakteren. Breakfast or brunch at Bakers & Roasters, hands down!

When is the best time to visit? Every weekend there’s a bunch of great festivals in July and August. We ran our first 22tracks festival (22fest) in July this year. Of course the amazing Amsterdam Dance Event in October, 400 electronic music events in one week. Kingsnight and Kingsday, end of April, is also a major happening.

Why do you love Amsterdam? There’s so much to love. Amsterdam is a small city. You can do everything by bike. It’s not like in London where you have very separated parts of the city. People from East Amsterdam will hang out in the West and vice versa. There’s a rich history. More and more great spots keep opening up. Besides that the clubbing is so good and maybe only matched by Berlin. Wonderful music labels and movements like Rush Hour. Some of the world’s best music festivals. Lots of football clubs, which I love too. You can drive to the beach in 30 minutes. We’ve got the best airport in the world. And again, that will take you 15 minutes by train. The level of convenience is very high over here.

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What inspires you creatively? Trips to art galleries, walks in the park.

Where do you like to hangout? Our tip for a Berlin hangout would be along the Landwehr Canal – that’s quite general but there are so many nice spots. We walk, run and cycle there in all seasons – have Radlers at Ankerklause, or get amazing pizza at a new spot called Zola. There’s also the Turkish market.

When is the best time to visit? The Summer! The city completely changes as so many places are made for hanging outside, and it’s also great to cycle around.

Why do you love Berlin? We love Berlin as we have managed to find that space to create something of our own to work on that we love – that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to work hard to make things happen, but there’s a little bit less stress from other things that gives you more headspace. We love also how people come here, leave, stay a bit, come back, and are travelling from all around the world, you’re always meeting new faces who are friends of friends.

Conor Lynch (Bodytonic) Dublin

Charlie Bones (NTS Radio) London

Vincent Reinders (22 Tracks) Anastazja Moser (BCR) Amsterdam Berlin

Who are you?

I’m Conor Lynch and I manage the Bodytonic Record Label and all Bodytonic International events.

My name is Charlie Bones, I host the NTS breakfast show Mon-Fri. I also run DoYou Records in Peckham.

What inspires you creatively?

I’m Vincent Reinders, Venz, 30 years old. Born and raised in Amsterdam. Founder and Creative Director of music service 22tracks.

Love and the laws of the cosmos.

Place

When is the best time to visit? 3.30pm

Global Partners

What inspires you creatively? Trips to art galleries, walks in the park.

When is the best time to visit? The Summer! The city completely changes as so many places are made for hanging outside, and it’s also great to cycle around.

Sergej Lugovic (Sirup Club) Zagreb Who are you?

Who are you?

I am Sergej Lugovic aka Sergej Snooze. Founder and resident DJ of Sirup Club in Zagreb and studying for a PhD – I have to admit that I’m living the life I dreamed for.

Lexis. DJ and Founder of the Music Is My Sanctuary website and 24 Hours of Vinyl worldwide project. Above all, I’m a music lover and nerd.

I am Peter Isaacs and I make up one half of Donalds House with my brother James – and yes, that is incorrect grammar on Donalds! We hail from Melbourne Australia, and grew up together on Donald Street in Brunswick. When I’m not making music, I’m now helping run CDR in London with Naise (Georgie Naise) and The Wach (Tony Nwachukwu).

What inspires you creatively?

In short, it’s that feeling being the medium between universal energy and people on a dancefloor. In a way when I feel that I am not a subject nor an object, creative forces are at work. The more I make them shake their hips the more inspiration I get. Music is the medium which enables us to enjoy the moments dancing and not worry about running away from the daily issues we are faced with.

Discovering all of the great music that I don’t yet know – a never ending quest. I’m equally inspired by new music as I am by discovering old records. If I’ve never heard it, then it’s new to me.

Where do you like to hangout? Usually for a warm-up we hit the RO & DO bar on Opatovina – an amazing place with great selection of whiskeys, great music, a cool boss and great bar tenders. Also we have two great vegetarian restaurants, Zrno and Nista. There is Cyberfunk smoothie bar, a true treasure in the centre of town, hidden in the backyard of the main streets. And Medika is a great squat to be at, the flamboyant crowd always make me happy.

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Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary) Peter Isaacs (CDR) Montreal Melbourne

Where do you like to hangout? Bleury Vinyl Bar. A wonderful little club in downtown Montreal that opened 3 years ago. It’s our version of Plastic People where music lovers come meet on the dance floor. L’Express. Montreal is one of the best cities when it comes to eating out and this one is my favourite. Classic French bistro that never goes out of style. Plus, I was practically raised there. My Mom has been bringing me since I was 5. Yard Sales & Church Bazars. In the summer there are tons of sales everywhere and you can buy lots of really random and interesting stuff.

When is the best time to visit?

I think the best time for clubbing is the winter time as Zagreb is full of small and warm clubbing spots with amazing atmosphere. Also on the New Year’s Eve it’s Sirup’s birthday and we always try to move the edge one step further.

Why do you love Zagreb?

From May to October the city is absolutely electric, tons of festivals, shows and great nights. The winter is brutal (5 months of anywhere between -10 and -30 degrees) but it’s part of the Montreal experience. Tourists are always surprised to see how active it is despite the cold. We’re survivors.

I was born in Zagreb so my comments will always be subjective – but the aces of Zagreb is its position, in just a few hours drive you could reach north Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Vienna and the beach. Also what I like about Zagreb is that it’s very secure and peaceful in comparison to other cities in the Europe.

Being the only major French speaking city in all of America gives it a unique half-European half-American feel. It’s very cosmopolitan, peaceful and welcoming. Cost of living is extremely affordable compared to most big cities.

Why do you love Montreal?

What inspires you creatively? Seeing my mates succeed or do cool stuff really inspires and motivates me.

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Where do you like to hangout? Forgotten Worlds: A mate had an idea to start a small bar with old school arcade games. It’s great to chill, to hang, or party with solid DJs and the bonus is the arcade games actually cost what they used to. CDR Melbourne: CDR Melbourne is held at Loop bar, a cool little place that has a particular focus on film. It also just had a Void sound system installed, which by all accounts sounds AMAZING! For evenings definitely head to Mercat, Boney or Revolver – all have solid line ups, run really late, have great staff and sound systems to boot!

When is the best time to visit? January – mid April is the best time of year. You can almost be certain the weather will be warm (ranging anything from a cooler 20, up to a scorching 45 degrees) and there’s a ton of great parties and festivals on. Let Them Eat Cake – a boutique festival held on NYD with around 5000 people held on the grounds of a mansion – always has a quality line up, great food and booze. It’s a heap of fun and you can also hire rooms there to get the full experience! Animals Dancing also run a NYD party, which is great if you’re looking for something even smaller and more underground. Last year they had the likes of Pender Street Steppers, Maximillion Dunbar, Tornado Wallace and local heroes Otologic, to name just a few!

Sergej Lugovic (Sirup Club) Zagreb Who are you?

Who are you?

I am Sergej Lugovic aka Sergej Snooze. Founder and resident DJ of Sirup Club in Zagreb and studying for a PhD – I have to admit that I’m living the life I dreamed for.

Lexis. DJ and Founder of the Music Is My Sanctuary website and 24 Hours of Vinyl worldwide project. Above all, I’m a music lover and nerd.

What inspires you creatively?

Place

Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary) Peter Isaacs (CDR) Montreal Melbourne

When is the best time to visit?

Why do you love Zagreb?

Why do you love Montreal?

What inspires you creatively? Seeing my mates succeed or do cool stuff really inspires and motivates me.

Global Partners

Ten Of The Best “A close-knit community of people who share common interests.” Founded by six friends each looking for something new and creatively unrestricted in the London scene, the initial aim was to present London with a club night that moved away from certain trends and took things back to basics. One of the primary ideals behind it has always been to nurture an environment where anything goes musically, a place for the DJ or performer to be appreciated in their element. Since comm·une began at East London venue Dance Tunnel in 2013, it has grown and matured to become what it is today; equally as idealistic, but more refined with a clear sense of direction. Still holding true to a “less is more” approach to

everything from promotion to design to bookings, the focus remains on creative quality with a stubborn self-belief in its ideals. Developing beyond the club night that it began as, comm·une is steadily growing into a creative collective, beginning to move outside of the world of music alone and exploring other creative avenues. The following top 10 selections from comm·une cover a range of different interests, a diversity that can be heard in a monthly show on Radar Radio and every other month at Dance Tunnel.

mmune.co

Synamatix: Movie Soundtracks

Noah Hope: Podcasts & Radio Shows 4. The Do You show with Charlie Bones on NTS Radio There simply isn’t a better way to enjoy your morning coffee. Maybe an obvious choice but Charlie Bones deserves an even bigger audience than he already has, everything about this show is irresistible. When this show is on the air, there is no better chat room on the internet. Get involved. 5. Wits Wits is a live public radio show hosted by John Moe that brings top comedians, actors and musicians into the fold. I’ve only really listened to a handful of these, but making this list has reminded to dig some more. The music guests can be a bit beige for my taste at times, but the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Keegan-Michael Key are some of the comedians that have featured on there.

5. Friday Night Lights by Explosions in the Sky [2004] Explosions in the Sky are incredible, and to hear their music set against epic scenes of American Football sound wrong on paper, but it works so well. 1. Another Happy Day by Ólafur Arnalds [2012] If I’m being honest, I haven’t seen this film yet, but I’ve listened to this soundtrack by Ólafur Arnalds a hundred times and it’s a masterpiece of modern classical music. 2. her by William Butler, Owen Pallett & Karen O [2013] A soundtrack made by members of Arcade Fire, Final Fantasy and Yeah Yeah Yeahs? It’s almost too good to be true. You’ll need to hunt for this as they never released the soundtrack outside of the film, but it’s worth the effort. 3. Drive by Various [2011] This film was almost as known for its soundtrack as it was for its visual works or Ryan Gosling. Predominantly written by Cliff Martinez, the soundtrack jumps from calming ambience to retro styled anthems. 4. Northern Soul by Various [2014] This film made me really envious that I wasn’t around for the Northern Soul movement; a key component to the start of clubbing in the UK. This soundtrack is a killer hit list.

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6. Godzilla by Various [1998] The good Godzilla from the ‘90s, not the shit modern one. Jamiroquai, Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page, Rage Against The Machine, Ben Folds Five and Silverchair all on one soundtrack. Gold. 7. Purple Rain by Prince & The Revolution [1984] It’s easy to forget that this Oscar winning soundtrack isn’t simply a Prince album. I mean, it includes When Doves Cry, I Would Die For You and Purple Rain (of course). It also has to be one of the easiest Prince “albums” to get on vinyl, appearing in every other charity shop. 8. Superbad by Various [2007] Not only is this film ridiculously funny, the soundtrack is a serious compilation of funk, metal and hip-hop, including the likes of Rick James, KC & The Sunshine Band, Four Tops, The Bar-Keys, Motörhead, Van Halen and The Notorious B.I.G. 9. Labyrinth by David Bowie & Trevor Jones [1986] One of Bowie’s greatest moments (I’m biased), starring in a Jim Henson film and doing the soundtrack with Trevor Jones, who brings some serious mid ‘80s synth greatness to the table. 10. Blade Runner by Vangelis [1982] A cult classic. This soundtrack by Vangelis on its own is incredible, often sounding like modern works from Space Dimensions Controller, Com Truise or Om Unit.

6. Peach & Black Podcast Must admit I haven’t listened to this for a while but it’s pretty great. It can be a full-time job keeping up with what Prince is up to. The Peach & Black podcast keep listeners up to date with reviews of new releases and shows as well as going in depth on his vast discography. 1. Radiolab Radiolab, created by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, is a radio show and podcast weaving stories and science into sound and music-rich documentaries. The recent episode about CRISPR fully blew my mind. Ideal ammunition for the pub and dry Tinder dates. 2. Pitch Pitch is a narrative podcast about music. Incredibly well researched and produced, Pitch tells stories about how music makes us who we are. The episode about Your Old Droog, the infamous Nas impersonator, is a story to behold. 3. Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland Piano Jazz was a weekly one-hour radio show produced and distributed by NPR. It started in 1978, and was hosted by jazz pianist Marian McPartland until 2011, she passed away in 2013 at the age of 95. The show consists of a brilliant mix of playing and chat, often duets with McPartland. Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock are but a very few of the greats who’ve appeared. I always find myself going back to the Alice Coltrane show from 1981, probably the best thing in the world to listen to before going to bed.

7. Radiooooo.com Although not really a podcast or radio show, this website is one of my favourite discoveries of the year. A group of young French people have created a platform allowing you to take a worldwide music trip through the ages – whether that’s Soviet opera, Mexican Folk or Japanese video game music from 1900 – today. As long as a track has been submitted by one of the many loyal and knowledgeable users, it will be available to stream. The platform is currently in beta mode but is planning to give users the option to buy the music in the future. 8. Gabriel Szatan on Radar Radio I only started listening to this show a few weeks ago and I’m hooked. Gabriel, Deputy Editor & Programmer at Boiler Room, is a great host and his left-of-centre selections are plucked from the most far-reaching of musical branches. All delivered with a welcome vibe and an expert level of insight. Go seek, you won’t regret it. 9. Gilles Peterson Vibra Zone on Kiss FM Before GP on BBC was the GP Vibra Zone on Kiss FM. Whilst interviewing Benji B a few months back we discussed this show in length; Benji became Gilles’s producer on the show at the tender age of 16. It’s well worth hunting out archive episodes to hear a British radio great in the early stages of his broadcast career. 10. Tape Echo Radio Trains dream of leaving the tracks.

Ten Of The Best by comm·une

Synamatix: Movie Soundtracks

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Ten Of The Best by comm·une

Billson: Books On Music

Throwing Snow: Apps For Music Production 4. Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry by Gareth Murphy [2015] I’ve just finished reading ‘Cowboys and Indies’, after receiving it as a gift from a family member at Christmas. Initially, I was apprehensive as to whether or not it would of much interest to me but as it turns out, Gareth Murphy provides an extremely comprehensive modern history of the seismic changes the industry has undergone over the past 150 years. 5. Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear by Steve Goodman [2010] I can’t remember exactly who or what first brought my attention to this one but I distinctly remember thinking, ‘Kode9’s written a scholarly thesis on Sonic Warfare, I wonder what the fuck that’s like!’ – and it’s as wild as it sounds. Admittedly, a fair old clump of what I’ve read up to now hasn’t quite landed yet, but I continue to read on as the topics covered on sonic weaponry are captivating.

1. How Music Works by David Byrne [2013] I actually lost this book about 18 months ago and re-purchased it as an audiobook. Although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the audio version, as the dude speaking sounds like that dick who does the Sticky Buddy Lint Roller advert, it’s an awesome account of the music industry and Byrne’s personal experiences within it. 2. Synapse: The Electronic Music Magazine by Douglas Lynner, Chris August, Angela Schill & Bill Matthias [1976-1979] I’m a follower and fan of Nardwuar (the Human Serviette) – check him out if you’re not aware. He’s a musician and interviewer who brings out all this gnarly nostalgic shit when chatting to members of the music elite and I saw a nod to ‘Synapse’ in one of his articles on music zines. It’s a magazine about synthesisers and electronic music from the 70’s. 3. Ginger Baker – Hellraiser: The Autobiography of The World’s Greatest Drummer [2010] I can’t express enough how interesting a life this dude has lived – and is still living! After reading this you won’t believe he’s still alive and you’ll also be made aware of how much of an outright badman he was/is. I invested in his autobiography after watching ‘Beware of Mr. Baker’ on Netflix - a highly recommended documentary that, despite not being autobiographical, essentially visualises the book.

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6. Soundcloud Bible: Second Edition by Budi Voogt [2015] The only publication on my list I’ve not read (it’s in the post). I’ve actually just started doing some work with Budi and he mentioned the book (he also doesn’t know I’m writing this) – it’s one of the first I’ve seen that refers to a topic I’ve lived through, worked with and had an opinion on from the beginning up until now. 7. Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Dan Sicko [2010] Unfortunately, it wasn’t until his death in 2011 that I was made aware of Sicko and his journalism, both on Techno and for the Rolling Stone. This led me to the book ‘Techno Rebels’ which is often attributed as being the most extensive depiction of Detroit’s contribution to the global electronic music scene. 8. The Last Temptation of Sun Ra by Marc Kaplan [2011] Get high, read this, listen to Ra. I haven’t actually read the whole thing but a friend of mine owned a copy whilst we were at University and I’d often scan over it whilst waiting for him to bill up. 9. Erik Satie: Music, Art & Literature by Caroline Potter [2013] I became aware of Erik Satie whilst at University studying Sociology (attempting to anyway). My interest in him begun initially because of his glowing portrayal in the early Parisian avant-garde and then latterly because a lot of his music is laden throughout modern popular culture (search for Gymnopédie No.1 on the YouTubes and you’ll see what I mean). 10. Dimensions Festival Annual: 2015/16 by comm·une [2015] Something we can all agree on having read.

1. Samplr Samplr has amazing performance and audio mangling possibilities, as well as a great granular mode. The interface is nice and intuitive. Well worth a play. 2. Loopy HD Loopy is a good option for looping and layering ideas and audio. It also works with other Audiobus-compatible apps, which is interesting.

7. KORG iELECTRIBE The original ELECTRIBE series of hardware from KORG is like Ronseal Quick-drying Woodstrain. Thankfully KORG have done really well at emulating it with the app version. 8. NLogSynth PRO This is a really great virtual analogue synth! It also supports Audiobus, along with a list of other compatibilities.. 9. iMini Synthesizer

3. Audiobus As mentioned above, this app is an essential for routing. 4. Touchable Touchable controls Ableton and can even act as a more portable version of Push. As of the latest version, you can now connect it via USB. It’s not cheap, but it’s a lot cheaper than Push! 5. FunkBox Drum Machine A retro-styled drum machine filled with classic emulations. You can also import your own samples and create your own drum machine banks.

6. M3000 Ultimate Edition Mellotronics! The Ultimate Edition is pricey, for an app, but you can get a feel for it with the free or cheaper 50th Anniversary Edition before investing, which you should.

Arturia genius! This is a recreation of the original synth created by Bob Moog in 1971 and the app is based on the TAE® technology found in the Arturia Mini V software. 10. AudioShare After using all of the above, you’ll need a good sound file manager like AudioShare to move your bounced audio about.

Ten Of The Best by comm·une

Billson: Books On Music

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6. M3000 Ultimate Edition Mellotronics! The Ultimate Edition is pricey, for an app, but you can get a feel for it with the free or cheaper 50th Anniversary Edition before investing, which you should.

Ten Of The Best by comm·une

Sound Dimensions Festival boasts some of the highest quality sound systems in the world. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve selected three of the best known systems and asked Dutch illustrator kwills to bring them to life, exploring their key strengths and putting-to-paper the unique experience that each one gives you. From the dominating personality of Mungoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hi-Fi, to the futuristic perfection of The Void, or the unifying immersion of The Moat, each brings its own charm.

The Moat

Mungoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arena

The Void

Whether it’s on the beach this August, at home reflecting on a misspent sunkissed week in Croatia, or some months down the line in decidedly chillier climes, it’s incredibly likely that when you read this article the same harsh challenges it discloses will still be relevant. Although Dimensions Festival and events of its ilk around the world serve as blissful oases’ of musical escapism, the difficulties of everyday life in the ‘real world’ have become such that they can’t be ignored.

Broken Beat Britain The economic crisis that paralysed global stock markets during the latter half of the last decade have had aftershocks which are still keenly felt, affecting everyone not fortunate enough to be blessed with an eight figure bank balance.

Words: Christian Murphy

In London, the pinch has been felt particularly hard. Always a city of sharp contrasts, developments of recent years have seen what was once a gap between haves and have nots grow into something more befitting of a chasm. In every direction you turn, things are changing, with the gritty foibles that once made London so vital being whitewashed over in favour of sleek, featureless homogeny. While we’re not economists or sociologists of even the amateur variety, it’s been impossible not to notice the impact this gradual change in London is having on its creative community. A city with its fingerprints on nearly all significant musical movements of the modern age, the Big Smoke has long served as a home and inspiration for musicians of every disposition and style. However, with all of the developments of recent years, will it continue to remain as such in the future? Disheartened by a depressing national election result and alarmed by news of yet another club closure, we sought answers from the only place we knew to look: the artists themselves. Our first port of call was an obvious one. West Londoner Dennis ‘Dego’ McFarlane has been actively releasing music since the start of the ‘90s – with his latest outing coming in the form of this year’s sophomore solo LP, ‘The More Things Stay The Same’. His work as part of 4Hero and a whole coterie of other monikers blazed a path of musicality in breakbeat driven music, with Dego later going on to pursue new sounds through his label 2000 Black, collaborative work with a range of other musicians, notably Birmingham bred producer Kaidi Tatham, and as a solo artist. Across each of his musical divergences there is a commonality which endures, defined by an unmistakable combination of invention, Soul, and an intrinsic understanding of groove. Although fans of Grime, Dubstep and UK Garage may reasonably claim those respective sounds to be the true sonic pulse of the capital, there is something unmistakably ‘London’ about Dego’s sound which resonates from the first note of his hundreds of productions, regardless of when they fall in the span of his nigh on quarter-century career. Arranging to meet him at a café in the East End’s Hoxton, an apt choice given how that neighborhood so visibly displays the effects of the aforementioned changes, we also decided to enlist the services of Alexander Nut. Despite hailing from the West Midlands, Nut is more than invested in goings on in the capital, with his and Sam ‘Floating Points’ Shepherds’ Eglo Records serving to fly the flag for Dego’s musical legacy since the turn of the decade. Fittingly, Nut also serves as Dego’s sometime label head these days, releasing two EP’s by him and Tatham in as many years. Never short of an opinion between the two of them, they went straight for the jugular on a universal issue which troubles them both: the internet. Nut crystallised their grievance thusly – “I worry that because of technology making the world a smaller place, things might become homogenised. Is music being made still an honest reflection of an environment? Because I don’t think it is.” “People are not living where they’re living… they’re living in this online world”, Dego adds. As far as they’re con-

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cerned, living our lives on the web has led to a musical landscape where geographical and historical contexts hold little weight – a scary thing for vinyl purists with careers in music such as themselves. With Spotify and Apple Music simplifying the act of record collecting into a single click, the need to, as Dego puts it, “live with a record”, is being roundly neglected. He continues: “If you’ve just got gigabytes of music, I don’t know how you’re gonna process it.” Nut concurs, noting that those with a boundless well of digital music risk losing “sight of the lineage and the heritage” of musical genres and their storied histories. As a more recent addition to the scene than Dego, he does have some sympathy for the newer generation: “Things have to represent the age in which they exist, so to that degree I do respect the new identity – that kind of new technological age. It is cool, and accessibility is cool”. Conscious of hearing what this generation has to say for itself, we spoke to two artists who have recently broken through – Henry Wu and k15 (aka. Kieron Ifill). The former is based out of Peckham and has been earning his stripes over the last few years with releases alongside his friends in the area’s loose 22a collective. North London based Ifill meanwhile has been producing for many years, although he really started to turn heads last year with the release of the sublime ‘Insecurities’ EP for Kyle Hall’s Wild Oats imprint. Walking their own distinct paths, there is nonetheless a clear debt to the Broken Beat stylings of Dego – a fact which they’ve both acknowledged. Despite being modern aficionados of vinyl culture, they share a rather different take on the current state of play. Wu, a self described member of the “CD/Minidisc generation”, views vinyl as an impractical luxury for the youth of today. “It’s inconvenient and expensive. I’ve got a younger brother who’s 14 and for him to discover music it’s gotta be through his phone or iTunes”. Ifill sees the situation similarly, adding “If I was just starting out as a kid now, there’s no way I could afford to buy records on the scale that I did at the start.” Both of their takes on the age old format are underpinned by financial realities – realities that sadly seem to permeate nearly every conversation about life as a musician and a music lover in 2015.

“Things have to represent the age in which they exist, so to that degree I do respect the new identity – that kind of new technological age. It is cool, and accessibility is cool.” 53

Broken Beat Britain

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“Things have to represent the age in which they exist, so to that degree I do respect the new identity – that kind of new technological age. It is cool, and accessibility is cool.” 53

Broken Beat Britain

“I have responsibilities. It’s pretty tough to make music in a place where the cost of living can feel high.”

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Back amidst the steady buzz of the café in Hoxton, Dego is setting out his stall on what he feels is a stifling economic climate for musicians today. “London is killing creativity. There’s not a cushion. You need a certain space to be able to create, to be able to spend that extra time to get things right. You need to be able to not worry about council tax for the next couple of months and do these things.” His words might drip with pessimism, but given recent developments they hardly feel misplaced. At the time of writing, Britain’s freshly re-elected Conservative government had just implemented a budget which will slash benefits and remove safeguards for people under the age of 25 and those striving for a life outside of the rat race. Indeed, one can’t help but agree with Nut’s assertion that modern life doesn’t just make creativity feel forced, “...it detracts from everything.” As a man who juggles a career in music with the responsibilities of fatherhood, Wu is more than aware of the challenges of the present. Reassuringly, he’s pragmatic rather than indignant about the situation, seriously considering a move out of London in order to prolong his artistic endeavours. “I could be doing this somewhere else and having my expenses cut in half. It’s about being smart. We can get together and protest, but we might as well be smart and use the system we should.” Ifill, for his part, still retains a job teaching at a pupil referral unit in

his native Tottenham – a position which has made his entry into the whirlwind world of the music industry a considered and gradual one. One of the most level headed people in the business, he’s reticent to get too carried away with his newfound level of niche acclaim. “I have responsibilities. Its pretty tough to make music in a place where the cost of living can feel high.” Stepping out of the café and heading down the Kingsland Road, it’s hard to feel anything other than mightily conflicted about the city which we call home. Going cross eyed at the dizzying blur of chain restaurants and dreary new builds that make up much of what was once one of the city’s most vibrant areas, many of the more cynical words we’ve heard can’t help but feel manifest. The famed 17th Century diarist Samuel Pepys had evidently never been harangued by drunken City Boys on Shoreditch High Street when he said that those who are tired of London were “...tired of life.” Conversely, there’s a residual amount of optimism, however foolish it may be, that heartens us immensely. The likes of Dego and Nut, jaded as they may sound at times, still bristle with a lifetime’s worth of enthusiasm about the possibilities of the capital, whilst Wu and Ifill are brazen testament to the enduring resilience and industry of Londoners. Pressure may be the order of the day in the city, but as Nut beautifully puts it, “diamonds are made under pressure.”

Broken Beat Britain

“I have responsibilities. It’s pretty tough to make music in a place where the cost of living can feel high.”

Sound

Broken Beat Britain

Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Clinton

Dedicated to the Funk

Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Clinton

Dedicated to the Funk

Words: Conor McTernan

Peering through what were probably a pair of rose-tinted, diamond-bedazzled shades, veteran bandleader George Clinton recalls a near disaster incident on the Parliament-Funkadelic tour of January 1978. The story features in the opening chapter of his recently published memoir, ‘Brothers Be, Yo Like George Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?’ After topping the charts in the previous year with the mega-hit ‘Flash Light’ the P-Funk empire was at the peak of its fame. A then 37-year-old Clinton sits nervously backstage at Richmond Coliseum (Virgina, US) where the band was due to headline later that night. At the mercy of torrential weather and airport control, more than a dozen of his of band members were stranded in cities scattered across North America. Without a band, things weren’t looking positive and it seemed like the performance was about to be cancelled. He kept his cool but was sweating buckets inside. I won’t give away any more spoilers here, the book is essential reading for anyone dedicated to the funk. 58

Words: Conor McTernan

’””

“It’s easy to access that same state of reference when performing, the music will take you there... it still feels like that Mothership is up there.”

Fast-forward 37 years and Dr. Funkenstein (one of his many aliases) is still on the road and coincidentally passing through Virginia once again – “We stay on tour!” he bellows down a muffled phone-line with bravado. It’s the week following Glastonbury and George Clinton was a standout artist on the bill. He was also one of the most prolific, making a total of 4 appearances on stage. An official Parliament-Funkadelic show was followed by multiple guest appearances alongside modern luminaries Mark Ronson, Rudimental and Flying Lotus, all of which went off without a hitch. This was undoubtedly the product of some expert behind-the-scenes organisational skills but George doesn’t care to go into detail on how it folded out, “I just walked out there. I hear the beat and you know, fuck it! That’s what happened” he booms. Today he’s managed by a small family team including his wife, Carlon Thompson-Clinton. “Having her in management has led to nothing but good things” George beams. She’s partially responsible for helping him to re-establish himself as an artist and according to him, “get more done career-wise in the past five years than ever before”. Seemingly so, it had been announced in 2013 that Clinton was to star in an Osbournes-style reality TV series dubbed, you guessed it, ‘The Clintons’, centred around his home life. With his musical career seeing a renaissance of sorts, that project has been put on ice indefinitely. “What’s happening now is much larger” he explains with excitement. Having released a 33-track Funkadelic record last year and a new Parliament LP promised for 2015, there’s no doubting his hunger. Remarkably in tune with what’s happening around him he doesn’t stammer when asked who are some of the funkiest young musicians out there today? “Gotta be Kendrick & FlyLo, those guys stink!” he is of course referring to Kendrick Lamar and Steve Ellison aka Flying

People

Lotus, both of whom Clinton has recently collaborated with. He features on the track ‘Wesley’s Theory’ from Lamar’s ground-breaking recent album ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’, a track co-produced by Flying Lotus. He enjoyed working together so much that he asked to continue the relationship with both. Lamar features on his new record, whilst he expressed a clear interest in pursuing a closer collaboration with Ellison. Other high-profile contributors to the new record include Sly Stone, Ice Cube, Louie Vega and Soul Clap. Clinton has always been this way inclined and collaborations have come from far and wide over the years. From Tupac to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Clapton to Kendrick Lamar, the psychedelic to the downright absurd. “The most unlikely thing I ever did would have to have been either working with Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) or ODB (Wu-Tang Clan). I couldn’t understand either one of ‘em! But I could feel what they were doing.” This is an initiative he has passed on to the continuum at his family home in Tallahassee, Florida. With portable studios in every other room, “the grandkids are always sitting around making beats, you can just jump in and put some vocals on something, they got that bug the very same way we used to have it.” Having cleaned up his act in recent years, Clinton retains full sobriety today. One can imagine life on the road in 2015 is wholly different to the crack fuelled odyssey of yesteryear, but George is firm in stating that his experience under the limelight is much the same today. “It’s easy to access that same state of reference when performing, the music will take you there...it still feels like that Mothership is up there.”

Folio George Clinton

’””

“It’s easy to access that same state of reference when performing, the music will take you there... it still feels like that Mothership is up there.”

People

Folio George Clinton

“Ah shit, you can’t remember all those parties! ’69 through ’70, that shit... People tell you stories about stuff that you did and you just don’t know.”

They were different times and looking back, at least over the phone, it’s difficult for him to pull to mind the wildest incidents that happened, “ah shit, you can’t remember all those parties! ’69 through ’70, those years, that shit... People tell you stories about stuff that you did and you just don’t know.” Notable high points are days spent at the Sugar Shack, a soul venue that acted as a halfway house to Clinton and his band of pranksters in Boston. This was around the time of recording Funkadelic’s most famous albums ‘America Eats It’s Young’ and the notorious psychedelic-opus in ‘Maggot Brain’. I mention that the sleeve notes for said records pay tribute to the controversial group, The Process Church Of The Final Judgement. A highly influential circle in those days, they were a splinter-cult of Scientology best remembered for being accused of inspiring Charles Manson. Influencing one of the most enigmatic periods of George’s career, the association was slammed among the press, stating that he had become obsessed with their beliefs. It seems it was nothing more than a connection made through outrageous flamboyance during hazy days spent on Boston Common, and George feels it was blown out of proportion largely based on what happened with Manson. “They were weird looking and we were weird looking so being kids, I guess we bonded over that! We didn’t do nothing together other than record. We didn’t lobby for them or anything, they came to our shows and danced, but that was it.” The association proved tremendously problematic for the band for a while when touring California following the Manson killing spree, George opens up on the topic in further detail in his book. Conspiracy theories aside, George has been a longtime activist and mouthpiece for artist rights in the great copyright fight in the music industry. Seeking justice for artists whose music has been “mis-appropriated” and subjected to “systematic fraud” by executives at major record labels. “The way copyright is dealt with in the digitized world still isn’t clear yet...I’m making it clear to people that it’s my family right they’re abusing now, my heirs.” George’s manifesto is ‘www.flashlight2013.com’ his website dedicated to saving the funk. I hear his vehicle come to a standstill at the end of the line and we’re brought to an abrupt end. “I got to go now son, I gotta go in” time for one last question – where is he performing next? Somewhere in New York. He doesn’t know the name of the venue yet, he just follows the beat…

People

“Ah shit, you can’t remember all those parties! ’69 through ’70, that shit... People tell you stories about stuff that you did and you just don’t know.”

People

Autonomously Anonymous: Paranoid London Words: Josh Thomas Founded in 2007 with no interest in ever doing an interview, details of Paranoid London are pretty thin on the ground. The duo’s reluctance to engage in press has been apparent from the outset, with the only background surrounding their first release coming from the one sheets which were sent out to record shops to give buyers at least some information. This rejection of marketing, in a time when everything possible is done to ensure a record gains maximum outreach, has still seen each release met with feverish interest. It’s testament to how much they really let the music do the talking, coming across as genuine, where artist anonymity is often used as a slick PR stunt. With a strictly 180g vinyl only policy, and their first four singles put out as limited runs, you’d be hard pressed to find them now, with some going for as much as £100 on Discogs. They did however compile all their previous work – along with new material that included a brilliant DJ Genius collaboration – on a self-titled LP on their own imprint in 2014. This too has sold out. Not just bound to studio prowess, the pair have also gained a reputation for vigorous live sets, bolstered by an array of vintage hardware that gives their sound that classic raw punch and vitality. In the studio, they’ve also worked with a number of pioneering House vocalists, notably those from Chicago, including Paris Brightledge on 2012’s driving number ‘Paris Dub 1’, as well as K Alexi Shelby. The accompanying illustration was created by one half of Paranoid London and features in the The Warmduscher & Friends Activity Book – an adult colouring book with the likes of Anton Newcombe, Clams Baker, Mica Levi

and Faile contributing artwork alongside Warmduscher’s very own Lightning Jack Everett, Saul Adamczewski and Clams Baker. After weeks of back and forth, this is the closest we got to an interview with the elusive duo. Proceeds from the sale of the book are being plowed into supporting devout left winger Bernie Sanders’ attempt to run for leadership of the Democratic Party in advance of the 2016 US Presidential elections. Go Bernie. Copies are available via the Warmduscher Bandcamp page.

Digging Deep With 22A

The gift that keeps on giving, South London’s 22a has been consistently delivering quality music for a good few years now. Our first dip in the talent pool came with Mo Kolours’ loosely spun grooves, followed by the vibrations of his brother Reginald Omas Mamode IV – with Al Dobson Jr’s lo-fi sample driven Soul soon following. We’ve since been introduced to fellow Deenmamode brother Jeen Bassa, as well as Henry Wu – with each member of the crew connected by musical common ground, yet distinct and creative in their own way. As founder of

1. Musique Maure ‘Republique Islamique De Mauritaine’ (1987)

Jeen Bassa

I picked up this record in a small shop in the West Country, I had heard a lot of music from North Africa, but not Mauritania. You can really feel the Mauritanian music, it has a lot of energy, the instinctive rhythms that flow out of these musicians is strong.

the crew, Tenderlonious is perhaps most closely aligned with the sonic aesthetic that runs throughout all that they do. Also an accomplished saxophonist, Tenderlonious is the founder of innovative Jazz quartet Ruby Rushton, be sure to check out their debut album ‘Two For Joy’ out now on 22a. Homegrown music with global foundations. We called upon five of the family to pick out three of their most cherished records each and tell us just what they mean to them and why… 1. A Tribe Called Quest People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990)

Reginald Omas Mamode IV

2. Francis Bebey New Track (1982) Bought this LP around 2005 and was blown away. The title track ‘New Track’ opened my ears to a sonic combination I’d never heard before. This record was made in 1982 but sounds fresher than most music nowadays. So ahead of its time combining traditional African instruments with 80s synths and ‘at the time’ modern drum machine sounds. Francis Bebey - poet, scholar, musician, composer, performer, genius!

2. Chemirani Improvisations Sur Le Zarb’ (1976) I found this record in Brixton a few months ago. I have little knowledge of Iranian music so was intrigued. I’m a big fan of percussion and this is one man and his drum, he keeps your attention the whole way through with an endless variation of patterns. Djamchid Chemirani will definitely get you on the look out for more Iranian music.

3. Burning Spear Studio One Presents Burning Spear (1973) This I heard first when I was at school courtesy of a musical friend who played me lots of roots music. Loved it then but have only recently got hold of a copy. Now I think I listen to this back to front most days. Nothing else to say on this really? Just some of the best music ever made. Sincere, beautiful, simple, my man Burning Spear on vocal is number one.

3. Kankick Acid Massive Musical (2204) Kankick is a highly underrated producer, I have been a fan of all his music for a long time. Acid Massive Musical stands out, it seems to get better with age. The feeling and the subtlety in his music is an inspiration.

This was the first record I listened to obsessively... I knew all the drops, lyrics, track order and skitz, I could recite the whole album when I was a kid. This is a building block and part of the foundation of my music taste. Q-tip is a hero. For me every track on this is a gem. If you’ve not heard this, I don’t know what’s up with you? You’d better cop it.

Digging Deep With 22A

1. Musique Maure ‘Republique Islamique De Mauritaine’ (1987)

Jeen Bassa

Reginald Omas Mamode IV

Tenderlonious

People

1. Slum Village Fantastic Vol. 2 (2000)

1. Nana Vasconcelos Saudades (1979)

Picked up this record in my teens. I’d heard a little bit about SV through checking out D’Angelo, but didn’t know much about them until around 2000. As soon as I heard ‘Jealousy’ I realised those cats were onto something unique. I’d already been exposed to Busta, Tribe and most of the Native Tongues clique, but SV were, in my opinion, a cut above the rest. The way they rapped over Jay Dee beats was so effortless, it was more than just rap, it was straight soul music - I’ve never heard anyone come close to that crew!

This Nana record is the recent culmination of a few years interest in his music. I was first introduced to his work through a collaboration record with the great Egberto Gismondi where he features playing various percussion instruments. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing – Nana plays with so much instinct! So stumbling across this record in a shop in Istanbul was a surprise, and to get it home and hear, what to me, is the best of his material! The music itself is a master class of raw simplicity vs intricate refinement. Worth a listen.

2. Yusef Lateef The Golden Flute (1966)

2. Alice Coltrane Transfiguration (1978)

Originally I bought this album purely for samples. A few years later I started pursuing my own career as an instrumentalist as a result of being exposed to this record. Lateef’s tone is so open and warm, I felt a real connection with his playing. His compositions fuse a lot of ideas to do with Eastern music, something that I’m very interested in. In my opinion Yusef Lateef is heavily slept on people talk a lot about Parker and Coltrane, who are undeniably deep, but, if you ask me, Lateef is up there with the heavyweights!

This is a live recording of the great Alice Coltrane in the late 70s. This is a sound scape of beauty and brashness. Alice addresses the audience with ease, and plays odes to her spirituality and husband, strong driving forces behind these compositions. Solos from the musicians like Roy Haynes are from a different planet. Alice was often mentioned because of her very influential husband, but this record really shows why she is to be listened on her own merit.

Mo Kolours

3. John Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard (1962)

3. Ruby Rushton Two For Joy (2015)

3. John Coltrane - ‘Live At The Village Vanguard’ (1962) This is one of the best live recordings I’ve ever heard. I could listen to ‘Spiritual’ on repeat, no problem. It also features Eric Dolphy on Bass Clarinet. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest group of musicians to date, back when cats studied their trade and could play instruments to a high standard. This live recording reflects true musicianship at it’s best. I think that anyone involved in the music industry today should listen to this record and have a good think about what they’re up to.

My third choice might be a bit cheeky but I just had to include it. Meeting Tender(lonious) a few years back and hearing this project really made me take that guy seriously. Now seeing it coming out is personally satisfying, due to feeling so confused about how this wasn’t out there. I was lucky to have a copy of the recordings back when it was first made, so this has been a firm favourite of mine, I even managed to re-skew a bit that I love and piece it into one of my records. Much love to this record.

Digging Deep With 22A

Tenderlonious

People

1. Slum Village Fantastic Vol. 2 (2000)

1. Nana Vasconcelos Saudades (1979)

2. Yusef Lateef The Golden Flute (1966)

2. Alice Coltrane Transfiguration (1978)

Mo Kolours

3. John Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard (1962)

3. Ruby Rushton Two For Joy (2015)

Digging Deep With 22A

Nachtdigital presents Nachtiville 13 Nov 15 14 Nov 15 15 Nov 15

1. Danny Hensworth Mr Money Man (1978) A classic Black Ark production, one my father used to play. A relevant message today, as we struggle with cooperate agendas, stress on endless compound growth, the insane necessity to exploit nature to its limits and tendency toward universal alienation. Capitalism manages to expand the geography of the system to cover nations and people formerly outside of its range. Whether it can continue to expand is an open question but the message in this song will undoubtedly continue to resound in our hearts and mind.

Al Dobson Jr

Bungalow Park De Eemhof (NL)

Atom TM & Tobias Ben UFO Dekmantel Soundsystem Giegling Showcase Head High I-F Job Jobse Lena Willikens Legowelt Manamana Martyn Optimo Radio Slave ROD Sandrien Steffen Bennemann Workshop Showcase Xosar and many more …

2. Augustus Pablo King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1976) This LP was some of the first music I can recall and I think has definitely shaped my outlook. With age its occurred to me how many different feelings are on show. Sub divisions of sadness, sadness because you don’t feel free but people aren’t free, they think they are. It’s just started, the old tree, that came from a seed. Where people are, they came from somewhere and the somewhere is a big question mark.

3. Andy Bey Experience & Judgment (1974) Andy Bey is an underrated singer and I think this is his best work, I personally enjoy the cut ‘Hibiscus’ but the whole record is important, especially the classic ‘Celestial Blues’. Hibiscus flowers in Egypt, Sudan and across the planet are used to make a deep red tea, in Egypt, preparations have been used to treat cardiac and nerve diseases. The stalks can also be used for making rope and the seeds are expressed for the oil.

People

nachtiville.com

Nachtdigital presents Nachtiville 13 Nov 15 14 Nov 15 15 Nov 15

Al Dobson Jr

Bungalow Park De Eemhof (NL)

People

nachtiville.com

Festival Essentials by

Lacoste Frasier Slide When the festival has it’s own beach, it’s only right that a pair of slides work their way into an essentials selection. It may be wise to switch up before you make your way into the crowds later in the evening but whilst sunning on the Fort Punta beach these can do no wrong. These Lacoste slides available in green or red feature the iconic crocodile logo and come at an affordable price of £22. jdsports.com

THE DAILY STREET

Words: Luke Pinot thedailystreet.co.uk adidas Originals Stan Smith Deciding on the right pair of sneakers for a festival requires consideration of both style and practicality. The adidas Originals Stan Smith is a staple in any collection but when your sneaker rotation is limited, the iconic tennis shoe stands tall. A pair of white Stan Smiths arguably shout Summer more than any other sneaker. The simplistic silhouette proves for choice that is compatible with most outfits and the comfort levels remain high for them long days and nights on your feet. footlocker.com

Jason Markk sneaker wipes We’re not going to lie to you, if you get caught in the moat when an Adriatic thunderstorm breaks out these aren’t going to save your white Stan Smiths. If the beautiful warm weather does sustain, Jason Markk sneaker wipes are perfect for seeing to the otherwise stubborn dust of Fort Puta Christo. A quick wipedown at the end of each day should keep any sneakerhead at ease this Dimensions festival. jasonmarkk.com

Sunpocket Samoa sunglasses An obvious choice when you’re at a festival in the sunshine is a decent pair of sunglasses. We’ve picked these by Sunpocket, a more affordable alternative to the obvious brands at the higher end of the market. Featuring a foldable frame, these tuck away into your pocket or bag for extra practicality. The Sunpocket story dates back to the ‘70s, when their glasses gained a high reputation amongst the French ski community. Following a relaunch in 2011, Sunpocket are a go-to brand when style and affordability don’t want to be compromised. sunpocketoriginal.com

Colourway ‘Budd’ Bucket hat A trusty bucket hat ensures the sun is kept off your face and neck, however, the choice does have to be well considered to make sure you’re looking good and not too “Brit Abroad”. This very impressive bit of headwear by Bristol based brand Colourway does just the job. Made with 100% raw silk, the Budd is about as sleek as you are going to get when it comes to this season’s bucket hat offerings. The slighlty off-white colour compliments any summer wardrobe. colourway.co

Eastpak Springer Bumbag A bumbag may be a festival cliché, but it’s just because they make so much sense. If you’ve had one too many, keeping your money, ID and other smaller essentials in a safe, in-sight place is important. You can ensure all this in style with this offering from Eastpack. Expectations for durability can be kept high due to Eastpak’s reputation when it comes to the luggage game, a back zippered security pocket allows for orginisation and the polkadot print ensures your style factor is far from compromised. urbanindustry.co.uk

Haines ‘Beefy’ t-shirt The simplicity in a basic white t-shirt ensures another failsafe festival essential. Offering comfort and durability at an unchallenged price, the Haines ‘Beefy’ t-shirt really sets the standard when it comes to basics. Much like the white Stans, this t-shirt makes for an adaptable addition to your rotation. hanes.com

Festival Essentials by

THE DAILY STREET

Rising Up by

With the wealth of vibrant emerging talent on this year’s Dimensions Festival programme, we asked our cronies over at Hyponik to shine a light on four of the artists on the bill who’ve been making all the right noises.

Words: Will Edge hyponik.com

Nao

Lag

What a year it has been for one of London’s finest young, upcoming artists. If you’re looking for a recent example of someone quickly cementing themselves as an industry mainstay and an aficionado of letting her music do the talking, Nao’s your girl. Advancing onto the scene back in 2014, the Hackney local has been hard to keep an eye off over the past year, and rightly so. Her debut EP, ‘So Good’, featuring the production talents of A.K. Paul (Jai Paul’s brother), made serious waves from the offset and subsequently helped in securing her a spot supporting Little Dragon on their last European tour (25 shows in 25 different cities). The singer has had the likes of Grades, Royce Wood Junior and Kwes on production duties for her first two releases, and leant her vocal talents to the huge track ‘Firefly’ on Mura Masa’s latest album, ‘Someday Somewhere’. The entirety of her output thus far has been achieved without a record deal or marketing budget, releasing her first two records via her own imprint, Little Tokyo Recordings. A real nod to the DIY method that’s becoming increasingly popular with artists today. As for her live performances, Nao’s innate groove, sense of soul, and infectious lyrical stylings combine to complete a real package of an artist, never mind a voice that maintains a level of clarity usually confined only to the recording studio. In my mind, the sky’s the limit for this R’n’B newcomer.

It’s a first run out at Dimensions for this young Serbian producer, and an exciting prospect indeed. Having cut his teeth playing the likes of Exit Festival & Tresor, Milos Martinov, as he’s better known, brings his stripped back style of sleek, slamming Techno to the shores of Croatia. Lag has released on the likes of Mord, Singularity and Sect Records, steadily building a respectable repertoire of club-bound releases. Check out his track ‘Fied’ on Mord for an idea of his sound. There aren’t many artists of his age who can claim to have shared a stage with, and received accolades from, the mighty Surgeon. A finer affirmation you’ll struggle to find, and that in itself is surely cause to pay Lag some attention. Looking deeper into the inception of this artist, there’s an air of constant and positive evolution about Lag. Having acquired a classical education in the arts after growing up on a diet of Punk Rock, it’s easy to deduce that the guy isn’t scared to deviate when he feels necessary. It would be farfetched to suggest a combination of the two experiences have amalgamated into what we hear today sonically, but perhaps the impassioned nature behind both have contributed in some way to his left-of-centre and fully fledged approach to Techno.

Rising Up by

Words: Will Edge hyponik.com

Nao

Lag

Hodge As I’m sure many would agree, it may seem slightly odd for me to include Hodge in a ’rising up’ feature, having been a fan and follower of Jacob Martin’s work for a good three or four years now. However, the acclaim he’s enjoyed whilst situated within the underground community remains as he manoeuvres his way on to the radars of a wider audience. With releases gracing the likes of Punch Drunk, Hemlock Recordings, Livity Sound & Berceuse Heroique, Martin has placed himself alongside peers such as Peverelist and Kowton at the forefront of a modern Bristol sound. His personal take on House and Techno has progressively darkened over the years, but a distinctive machine-funk remains present throughout, infusing a playful feel into an otherwise heavy output. I can’t recommend highly enough that you assign some of your time to check a high-energy set by Hodge. The fluency of his performances, coupled with the crew that he rolls with, ensures a selection brimming with exclusives, classics, and stone cold bangers. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Hodge is being booked left, right, and centre across the globe – either on his own or as a part of Outboxx (a Soulful House side project with Matt Lambert). Nowadays, Hodge is a regular feature on FWD>> line ups, various label nights, and of course anything along the right line in the West Country. A recent feature on the Red Bull Studios Mixtape Vol.2 (curated by B.Traits of BBC Radio 1), and his debut appearance at Glastonbury in 2015, further highlight Hodge’s growing popularity and his progression towards a broadening horizon.

FYI Chris I’m really pleased to see these guys on the bill for this year’s Dimensions Festival; two top selectas now carving a name for themselves on the producer circuit. Having been given their first run out on wax by the Church camp (via sub-label Church White), the two Chris’ follow on from the likes of Happa and Lorca, both enjoying an initial release and several bookings from label and club night bosses Seb Wildblood and Apes. With a couple more outings inbetween, they now find their latest home on Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section with ‘Back in the Millennium’, and also feature on CDR’s ‘Dimensions Sound 2015’ alongside K15. Not bad, eh? Purveyors of ‘using music to make music’, the boys predominantly employ sampling to make tracks with, which in turn, gives you an idea of the music knowledge they’re running with and taking to sets. The fact that they both helped conceive, and work at, Peckham’s Rye Wax record shop only furthers the extent and variety of their DJing abilities. The pair are undoubtedly immersed in the scene within which they operate, and will assuredly reap the rewards of their efforts throughout the coming years.

W W W . P H O N O X . C O . U K

Head over to .packlondon.com to stay in the loop with the latest events, bass music news, reviews, mixes & free downloads.

The Bass Music Specialists

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Head over to .packlondon.com to stay in the loop with the latest events, bass music news, reviews, mixes & free downloads.

The Bass Music Specialists

There is only one place you need to go to immerse yourself in the sound of the Capital.

PACKED PRO

Dimensions Promo Pack 1 x Featured Newsleeer (80,000 Contacts) 1 x Events Listings (20-30 Online Publications) 30,000 Resident Advisor Invites TOTAL - £100 (Usually £160)

For your tailored quote: Call 020 7274 8884 Email info@packed.pro Visit .packlondon.com Like .facebook.com/packlondonbass Follow @PackLondon

The cheapest 2 day ﬂyer print service - UK Delivery A6, 300gsm 5000 10000 A5, 300gsm 5000 10000 A3, Full Colour 100 250 B2/DC, Full Colour 100 500

£75 £125 £125 £220 £35 £55 £125 £170

Prices shown are for full colour and may be subject to VAT

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FOUR.THREE.SIX

fourthreesix x fish x morgan Four Three Six are a new label seeking to replenish the links between audio and visual artforms in a highly original way. Rather than creating release artwork to be out on a shelf, or even on a wall, their concept is to create ‘wearable releases’ by first passing original music to a physical artist and asking them to use it as inspiration for a piece of design. This is then screen-printed onto high quality T-shirts along with a tracklist for the release inside the shirt. A tag on the shirt carries a unique code to download the music itself. Rather than taking artwork home, you get to take it out with you. For the label’s third release Bristol’s Fish steps up on production duties. A part of a new breed of underground producers whose style pays homage to the UK’s bass culture while delivering

a fresh new sound, Fish’s music has had regular rotation from the likes of Toddla T on Radio One and Marcus Nasty and Dappa on Rinse FM. The four tracks on Fish’s Move Ya Body EP show the diversity of this young talent’s production skills, from reggae tinged Tropical to grimey bassline, marrying both broken and four to the floor beats effortlessly. The artwork for this release comes from Philip Morgan, an artist and illustrator whose work is instantly recognisable and synonymous with the streets of Cardiff. Philip’s illustrations have been featured worldwide on walls, skateboards, t-shirts and posters and he has previously worked with Urban Outfitters and Giff Gaff. The design for the Move Ya Body EP combines vibrant, bold colours with a touch of humour to create an utterly distinctive piece of art that perfectly resonates with the feel of the music on the release.

www.fourthreesix.com

FOUR.THREE.SIX

www.fourthreesix.com

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