Music

Kartik Pillai is gearing up for a hectic end to 2014. The Delhi-based multi-instrumentalist has just released a fantastic debut album with his experimental dream-pop act Begum, and is all set to release a solo EP next week under his JAMBLU moniker. There’s also another album in the works with gypsy/cabaret punk act Peter Cat Recording Co. Add in his studio work and video production house The Hundredth Initiative and it’s easy to imagine Pillai and his bandmates as the epicentre of a small, self-sufficient scene headquartered in New Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village – a scene that is producing some of the best music to come out of the country. We talk to Pillai about his recently released album, his influences, and his plans for the future.

Kartik chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist.

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Begum [Urdu word for a Muslim lady of high rank] is an interesting name for a band with three guys. What’s the story behind it?
The name is homage to the honorable Begum, we hope to be in her loving shade for as long as possible and spread word of her benevolence and kindness till when we are called back to our lives.

How did the guys in Begum start playing together?
Kshitij [Dhyani, bassist] and I have been collaborating since 2007 when we met each other on a thread on the Rock Street Journal Forums. We’ve been in metal, funk and blues bands together and started composing by ourselves in early 2009. One day (in 2012) we called Karan [Singh, drummer] for an impromptu jam, there were 15 minutes of brilliance in that 2 hour jam and we latched onto it. After writing a dozen songs or more we ended up being a band.

In an interview, you mentioned that Begum is influenced by Tame Impala. What are your other influences?
Various musical acts come to mind, a lot of the influences for me at least have been visual so far. One major influence on my playing ethos has been Kaki King (her more recent material). Also the Kinks, the Beatles, Elliot Smith, Jandek’s tape machine and The Sea… all these acts influenced me to a much greater degree than Tame Impala.

You recorded Begum’s debut album Bagh rather unconventionally, doing the whole record in one live take. What prompted you to take that approach?
We recorded the album twice before on a metronome but it didn’t sound right. Finally we had one day before Kshitij left for Bombay for his masters. So we hauled everything into Karan’s room and just hit record. We left a couple of the songs off the album because we got tired and because Kshitij had to pack.

Waiting – Begum Band

There’s a distinct old Delhi/Mughal flavour to the band’s general aesthetic. Is the capital city a major influence for you guys?
Yes the city of Delhi has definitely been a major influence on our aesthetic in terms of artwork and imagery. But musically i think we try to create paradoxes with our current situations, most of the songs stem from our love for dying civilizations, pale winter suns and the sea.

There was a lot of buzz around the music video for lead single Chinbein, which features a surreal and sepia-tinged montage of videos and imagery. Where did the concept for the video come from?
The concept is completely [ video director ] Samridhi Thapliyal’s. We just sent her the song and she took it from there. I think she was trying to portray a sort of cycle, the constant creation existence and eventual destruction of all things.

Begum – Chinbien

How was the response to Bagh been so far? Any plans for a tour?
The response has been great, a lot of kind words and a lot of interest which we’re very grateful for. We have a tour lined up starting with The New Wave Festival In Goa, we’re gonna drive down from Delhi and plan on hitting all the major cities including some others like Jaipur, Cochin, etc.

Apart from Begum, you also play guitars in Peter Cat Recording Co. and have a solo electronica project called JAMBLU. Is it difficult to juggle three distinct musical identities?
I really don’t find it difficult because i think we all have to manage a multitude of personalities in public and in life. I have different approaches to all these projects which are generally just spurts of creation in various directions. For me all these personalities are completely natural so there’s no real effort put into solidifying them, over the years I’ve learnt which reality of mine to take inspiration from and when…. for the mind is a toy.

You call JAMBLU ‘post-dance’ on your bandcamp page. What’s post-dance?
A friend of mine once summarized it visually as a group of people standing around like mindful zombies swaying slowly. The idea is that once the physical section of a release (dancing which is intensely spiritual) is over, Depth Training would then be used to sink into oneself and surrender to one’s own ticks and unconscious tremors in utter decadence eventually allowing one to just exist rather than react or act.

The JAMBLU debut ‘Depth Training’ is a very immersive and melancholy album. What’s the inspiration behind that project?
The album is my abstract version of the birth of the universe, the earth and evolution on it , starting with a vacuum, the big bang, growth of life on earth, nature and its various tangents such as the industrial revolution, the accidental enlightenment of poultry, and quaint cottages in the forest.

When can we expect the long-awaited Peter Cat Recording Co. album? How has the pcrc sound evolved since the last album?
We’re hoping for a november release for Peter Cat, the sound has definitely evolved from the first album. Once we settled into being a band (after I joined pcrc), we started exploring new sounds and methods of playing other than the gypsy/cabaret sound. In terms of grooves, styles and intention we’re definitely going towards a much more ambient sound. The instrumentation is also slowly evolving.

Love Demons – Peter Cat Recording Co. (Official Video)

Any other plans for the future?
pcrc, Begum, Lifafa and Jamblu tours for India, and quite possibly abroad as well.

The production company (Hundredth Monkey Initiative) that I’m a part of will also start producing short films soon, we’re pretty much just finalizing on scripts at this point and an animated series tentatively called Beevision.

I’ll be releasing the new Jamblu EP come Sept 23rd on the Equinox. There are also music videos to come soon after for Depth Training and the new EP. We have one more music video coming up for Begum which we’re making with my brother Sachin Pillai and we’ve also started work on the next Begum album and the subsequent Opera that we plan to produce. The album should be out middle of next year and the Opera hopefully by the end of next year.

Follow Begum on:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
or visit their Website

Follow Jamblu on:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter

Follow Peter Cat Recording Co. on:
Bandcamp
Facebook
or visit their Website

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All the biggest names in music were at the 4th iHeartRadio Music Festival held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas at the weekend. Meghan Trainor was there, Lorde, Calvin Harris, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Paramore, One Direction, Coldplay and many more. Ryan Seacrest, the weekend’s host said: “You can’t believe they’re all in one arena, it just doesn’t happen.”

The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day festival held each September (since 2011) by iHeartRadio. According to Billboard magazine, the main festival has “quickly established itself as a home to a who’s who of every major artist across virtually every format on radio.”

We’ve collected together some of our favourite performances – Click on the video titles to open them in Creation 5:

Taylor Swift performed an epic medley of her hit songs. She started her set with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together before launching into 22, I Knew You Were Trouble, Love Story and finishing with Shake It Off — of course!

We loved her introduction to Shake it Off: “I think that you have things going on in your lives. You’ve got deadlines, you’ve got things stressing you out, you’ve got people saying things about you that aren’t true. You have frenemies, and liars, and dirty, dirty cheats. What do you do about all those things, well, you shake ‘em off, of course.”

Taylor Swift at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Calvin Harris was Saturday night’s headliner and he really got things going with a fantastic set and an amazing light show. Two of the songs he performed were his chart-topper Summer and his new song, Blame, sung by UK sou-singer John Newman. It was the first time they had performed the song live. 

Calvin Harris – Summer & Blame Live at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Meghan Trainor, introduced by actress Hilary Duff, performed a two-song set, including, of course, her current Nº1 hit All About That Bass. The 2-song set follows.

Meghan Trainor Title / All About That Bass iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Iggy Azalea gave a fantastic performance, wearing a pink, black and purple outfit, matching the black and white outfits of the sexy background dancers. DJ Whiz Kid lent a hand with background vocals to the songs – and Iggy rapped her heart out. Fancy that! Watch her entire set below.

Iggy Azalea at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Lorde was introduced to the stage by Chicago P.D. actress Sophia Bush and she gave a rocking performance! The night before, she performed at the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta.

Lorde at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Ed Sheeran’s set was yet another highlight during an entire night of highlights. The best part being special guest Macklemore joining Sheeran onstage during a performance of The Heist. They also sang Same Love together. Sheeran went on to perform a mix of Loyal (Chris Brown) and a couple of songs by Blackstreet, Don’t and No Diggity. Of course, he sang The A Team and Sing. Check out the entire set below!

Ed Sheeran at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

Nicki Minaj goes well with the bright lights of Vegas and her magnetic stage presence was impossible to ignore. She had quite a challenge following on from Taylor Swift and Coldplay but with an Ariana Grande cameo for Bang Bang, plenty of booty-popping on Super Bass and Anaconda, and an amazing a cappella version of her Flawless (Remix) Minaj got people talking hours after her performance..

Nicki Minaj at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2014

To view more videos, visit the iHeart Radio website.

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SHOWTIME! We continue our series of ‘In Performance at the White House’ – a series of concerts created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home. To see last weeks post, Paul McCartney (Gerswhin Prize for Popular Song), click here.

A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement

“In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement” is a PBS music special taped in the East Room of the White House. President and Mrs. Obama hosted the concert in honor of Black History Month. Artists include Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir. Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah were the emcees.

The evening featured songs from the Civil Rights Movement as well as readings from famous Civil Rights speeches and writings. “The songs of the Civil Rights Movement capture the spirit of that critical period so memorably. To honor these songs at the White House and in a broadcast during Black History Month is a testament to that historic period in the American story, one that continues to change our lives,” commented Jacquie Jones, executive director of the National Black Programming Consortium.

Download these shows and add them to your music library

This is part of a 10-week series that we are running on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if you prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re travelling and enjoy great music on-the-go. Don’t forget that you can download Creation 5’s YouTube In-app purchase absolutely FREE, which normally costs €4.49 ($4.99), as we currently have a promotion running in celebration of hitting 500,000 downloads on the App Store!

01 President Obama Introductory Speech
02 Yolanda Adams – Change is Going to Come
03 Yolanda Adams – How Great Thou Art
04 John Mellencamp – Keep Your Eyes on The Prize
05 Joan Baez – We Shall Overcome
06 Natalie Cole – What’s Going On
07 Smokey Robinson & Jennifer Hudson – People Get Ready
08 Jennifer Hudson – Someday We’ll All Be Free
09 The Freedom Singers – Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round
10 Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
11 Smokey Robinson – Abraham, Martin and John
12 The Blind Boys of Alabama – I’m Free at Last

President Obama Introductory Speech

Yolanda Adams – Change is Going to Come

Yolanda Adams – How Great Thou Art

John Mellencamp – Keep Your Eyes on The Prize

Joan Baez – We Shall Overcome

Natalie Cole – What’s Going On

Smokey Robinson & Jennifer Hudson – People Get Ready

Jennifer Hudson – Someday We’ll All Be Free

The Freedom Singers – Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round

Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’

Smokey Robinson – Abraham, Martin and John

The Blind Boys of Alabama – I’m Free at Last

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This summer The Official Charts Company revealed which were the most-streamed tracks of all time in the UK. Pompeii by Bastille won the golden prize after having received a total of 26.6 million streams in two years, jogging past Daft Punk’s Get Lucky (on 24.5 million streams) and flying past Passenger’s Let Her Go in third place, with 21.7 million streams.

To watch a video in Creation 5, just tap the video title.

1 – Pompeii – Bastille (26.6 million)

The fact that Pompeii has had over 26 million streams is amazing,” said Bastille frontman Dan Smith. “We’re really, really happy. When we made Pompeii we never even saw ourselves as a band that would be even remotely mainstream or anything like that. We thought, hopefully, some people will like the song; maybe we’ll sell enough albums to be able to make a second album and not be jobless so soon after we quit our jobs in the first place.”

“Everything that’s happened with Pompeii has completely blown our minds and the fact that we’re still doing this as a job, the fact we get to travel round the world and go to different countries off the back of the album is insane and we just feel really lucky and glad that people stream too because streaming is important.”

2 – Get Lucky – Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams (24.5 million)

Cranking up the volume, this magical electro tune always gets the party started and never fails to get you in the mood to get up and dance. Co-Written by French house music duo Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rogers, the song won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards. Since it’s release in 2013 up until June 2014, the song had reached 24.5 million streams in the UK. This “formidable” and “old school disco-jam”, as stated by Will Hermes (Rolling Stone), is a true gem in the electronic music world, and a delightful breath of fresh air.

3 – Let Her Go – Passenger (21.7 million)

Let Her Go, released in June 2012 by British singer-songwriter Passenger, is the second single from his third album, All The Little Lights. After a Dutch fan e-mailed Passenger asking him to introduce the song to some Dutch radio stations because he thought it would become a big hit in the Netherlands, the song began trending and found huge commercial success with the Dutch public. After its initial success, the song soon reached Nº1 in the Charts worldwide, including Nº2 in the UK Singles Chart and Nº5 on Billboard Hot 100. Passenger’s first international success racked up a total of 21.7 million streams, sold over 1 million digital copies in the UK and over 4 million in the US as of July 2014. The song was also nominated for British Single of the Year at the 2014 BRIT Awards.

“Suddenly, whether you like it or not, you’ve got this massive song and your whole life changes,” said the British singer-songwriter.

4 – Wake Me Up – Avicii (21.4 million)

A “fun experiment” is how Swedish DJ Avicii refers to this track. He and soulful American singer-songwriter, Aloe Blacc, wrote the lyrics in a couple of hours and released what was to become 2013’s summer anthem. Released in June 2013, Wake Me Up sold over 1 million copies by October of that year, in the UK alone and, by June 2014, had reached 21.4 million streams.

5 – Happy – Pharrell Williams (20.7 million)

Happy is the world famous (non-Grammy Award-winning) soundtrack to the sequel of the popular animated movie Despicable Me. [How did Let It Go from the Disney animated film Frozen outshine Pharrell’s top class track Happy? – Who knows!]. The song has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK and, by June 2014, reached a total of 20.7 million streams.

Not only is Pharrell’s neo-soul, feel-good, cheerful and uplifting song incredibly catchy, he’s the first to have released a 24-hour music video, a concept that became a world event and created a viral-chain of home-made music videos around the globe.

6 – Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke/TI/Pharrell Williams (20.7 million)

Between May 2013 and June 2014, Blurred Lines had sold 1.54 million copies, reached 20.7 million streams and was nominated for two Grammys at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The single was written and completed by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in the space of an hour.

Inspired by Marvin Gaye’s Got To Give It Up, the similarities in “feel” and “sound” between the two songs led to a series of lawsuits and counter-suits between Sony/ATV and Marvin Gaye’s estate, regarding copyright infringement allegations. Finally, the two parties arrived at an undisclosed settlement.

The song’s controversial subject matter and music video nudity content was designed to attract attention and make the video go viral. Thrilled with the success of his song, Mr Thicke said: “I’m so honoured, the success of “Blurred Lines” is a dream come true”. The growing success of Blurred Lines is an amazing achievement for Thicke, who had never had a radio hit before the release.

7 – Rather Be – Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne (19.9 million)

Rather Be is one of 2014 summer soundtracks, release by the smashing electronic instrumental group Clean Bandit and featuring Jess Glynne. Released in January 2014 as the fourth single on their debut studio album New Eyes, the deep-house/synth-pop track, Rather Be, had reached 19.9 million streams in just six months. The song debuted at Nº1 on the UK Singles Chart and became the fastest-selling single of 2014, selling over 1 million copies since its release.

8 – Radioactive – Imagine Dragons (19.7 million)

Radioactive is the opening track on Imagine Dragon’s debut album Night Vision. It received great acclaim from critics who referred to it as the “highlight” of the album. After appearing on various commercials and trailers, the song gradually peaked at Nº3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and became the American rock band’s first top 10 hit. The song also broke the record for slowest ascension to top 5 in chart history and holds the record for most weeks ruling Billboard Hot 100 – 87 weeks! Radioactive was nominated for Record of The Year at the 2014 Grammy Awards and took home the prize for Best Rock Performance. The song was the third best-selling single of 2013 and reached a total stream of 19.7 million by June 2014.

9 – Counting Stars – One Republic (19.7 million)

Counting Stars featured on One Republic’s third studio album Native (2013). It became one of the band’s most successful singles, reaching Nº1 in Canada and the UK, Nº2 in the US and within the top 10 in 20 countries. By June 2014, the track had reached 19.7 million streams in the UK alone.

10 – Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore/Ryan Lewis/Dalton (17.2 million)

American hip-hop duo, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, released Can’t Hold Us as the third single on their debut album The Heist (2012). The song got to Nº1 on Billboard Hot 100 and became their second Nº1 hit single in the US. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy praised the song’s “infectious, soul-soaked piano line and beats more vibrant than Rio de Janeiro’s finest carnival floats”, granting it four stars out of five. The single received 17.2 million streams in the UK by June 2014.

The Official Charts Company’s drew their data from the on-demand audio streaming services that include Spotify, Deezer, Napster, O2 Tracks, Sony’s Music Unlimited, Xbox Music and Rara, all of which are members of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), co-owners of the Official Charts Company along with record labels association the BPI.

We’ve compiled these videos into a playlist – click here to play them in Creation 5!

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Burning Man is over for another year and all the wonderful pictures taken this year are gradually surfacing across the internet. We’ve gathered a few of our favourites, plus some videos.

The Burning Man Project takes place in the middle of the Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, USA. For 7 days, Black Rock City is a place of community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. Participants at this festival enjoy a transformative experience unlike any other on the planet. The night that they ‘burn the man’ is akin to a New year’s Eve celebration.

The event runs almost entirely from social capital. Art projects are mostly crowd-sourced, music stages are self-funded and all the performers and visitors volunteer their time and give away free stuff to everybody – the gift economy. Of course the organisation behind the event BMOrg (Burning Man Organization) does a huge amount of work to set up the city which becomes home to 70,000 people for a week.

Below: The Candymen – visitors from the Bay Area, San Fransico, contributing to the “gift economy” by handing out sweets.

This year there were plenty of climbable art projects including a huge Xenomorph alien queen fortress, a metal spinning globe and a massive tower with a globe on top that required basic rock-climbing skills to reach the top.

The most talked about art was undoubtedly the Embrace Art Structure. Both of the human structures had passage ways and windows and you could climb to the top. The male had a heart with gears (showing logic) and the female had lightbulbs inside her heart (showing creativity).

The electronic music stages were filled with some great talent including Skrillex, Major Lazer, Above & Beyond, Robot Heart and many more.

The fireworks at Burning Man are some of the best in the world and this year an art piece called Nuclear Dream was detonated. The huge mushroom cloud explosion was heard across the whole playa. Take a look at the video below.

(Tap on video title to open in Creation 5)

Nuclear Dream – Burning Man 2014 

Below: Neon Trees – a computer-controlled sculpture by Mark Lottor, which created amazing psychedelic light effects.

Below: Super Pool – Jan Lewin’s interactive light installation was a very popular dancing venue!

Below: Pulse and Bloom – interactive LED sculpture and very popular chillout zone made up of 25 mechanical lotus flowers with changing colours.

Below: Lara and Bar – two friends from New York – it did get very windy and dusty this year!

Below: The Temple of Grace – an installation by artist David Best and crew – a spiritual zone for many visitors. It was burned on the final night.

Below: The Voice of the Man – by Stephan Douris, participants could relax and fill their minds with Burning Man ‘propaganda’.

Below: El Pulpo Mecanico – a fire-shooting mechanical octopus by scrap artist Duane Flatmo

Below: Dragons of Eden – inspired by the mythological Greek monster Hydra by fire artist Lucy Hosking.

Below: Pyramid of Possibilities – by artist Douglas Taphouse – the best place to take in the sunrise.

Below are a few random shots of participants that were particularly groovy. There are so many amazing costumes to see!

Burning Man 2014: Caravansary

To Fly Burning Man 2014 – A Drone’s View

For more information on Burning Man, check out their website.

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SHOWTIME! We continue our series of ‘In Performance at the White House’ – a series of concerts created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home. To see last weeks post, Motown Sound, click here.

Tap video titles to play them in Creation 5

Paul McCartney – The Gerswhin Prize for Popular Song 2010

“In Performance at the White House: Paul McCartney” is a PBS music special taped in the East Room of the White House. President and Mrs. Obama hosted the concert in honor of musician Sir Paul McCartney’s receipt of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The evening included performances by McCartney himself and Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Jonas Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dave Grohl, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Lang Lang and Jack White, with remarks by Jerry Seinfeld. President Obama presented the Gershwin Prize to Paul McCartney during the event.

Paul McCartney wrote his first song at the age of 14 and since then he has always dreamed and dared to be different. As the writer of the Beatles’ greatest songs, he basically changed the world of music. Since The Beatles he has continued to push the boundaries of music, first as a solo artist, then with the band Wings and now as a solo artist again. Paul has spent most of the last few years performing to sold out concerts all over the world.

President Obama said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly half a century since four lads from Liverpool landed on our shores and changed everything overnight.”

McCartney commented in an interview with the AP: “One of the highs was singing ‘Ebony and Ivory’ with Stevie because we’d never done it live together, so that was great. To sing it live together for the very first time with the first black president there, it suddenly gave a great significance to the song….To sing it with Stevie in front of President Obama was very emotional.”

When accepting the award, McCartney said: “This is such a fantastic evening for me. I mean, getting this prize would just be good enough, but getting it from this President…” which resulted in cheers and applause from the audience.

Download these shows and add them to your music library

This is part of a 10-week series that we will be running on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if your prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re travelling and enjoy great music on-the-go. Don’t forget that you can download Creation 5’s YouTube In-app purchase absolutely FREE, which normally costs €4.49 ($4.99), as we currently have a promotion running in celebration of hitting 450,000 downloads on the App Store!

In Performance at the White House: Paul McCartney

01 Paul McCartney – Got to Get You Into My Life
02 Stevie Wonder – We Can Work It Out
03 Jonas Brothers – Drive My Car
04 Jerry Seinfeld comedy routine
05 Jack White – Mother Nature’s Son
06 Faith Hill – The Long and Winding Road
07 Corinne Bailey Rae & Herbie Hancock – Blackbird
08 Elvis Costello – Penny Lane
09 Emmylou Harris – For No One
10 Lang Lang – Celebration (instrumental from Standing Stone)
11 Dave Grohl – Band on the Run
12 Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder – Ebony and Ivory
13 President Obama’s dedication speech
14 Paul McCartney – Michelle
15 Paul McCartney – Eleanor Rigby
16 Paul McCartney – Let It Be
17 Paul McCartney – Hey Jude

Paul McCartney – Got to Get You Into My Life

Stevie Wonder – We Can Work It Out

Jonas Brothers – Drive My Car

Jerry Seinfeld comedy routine

Jack White – Mother Nature’s Son

Faith Hill – The Long and Winding Road

Corinne Bailey Rae & Herbie Hancock – Blackbird

Elvis Costello – Penny Lane

Emmylou Harris – For No One

Lang Lang – Celebration (instrumental from Standing Stone)

Dave Grohl – Band on the Run

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder – Ebony and Ivory

President Obama’s dedication speech

Paul McCartney – Michelle

Paul McCartney – Eleanor Rigby

Paul McCartney – Let It Be

Paul McCartney – Hey Jude

Behind the Scenes with the Jonas Brothers

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How exactly is one to introduce a veritable institution in modern music? The critically acclaimed underground legend Sasu Ripatti has been at the forefront of so many genres and sub-genres of electronic production as to defy expectation. Over the years after his breakout release (Vocalcity, composed under the moniker Luomo when he was only 25, remains an oft referenced landmark in house music), Ripatti has only gone from strength to strength, mastering house, techno, dub, experimental, ambient, jazz (he’s originally a percussionist) and whatever else he chooses to dabble in – he’s a polyglot with the Midas touch. It’s impossible to condense Sasu Ripatti’s output into this space, so to find out more about the artist, read his biography here.

Vladislav Delay chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist!

Interview by Tej. S. Haldule

In this revealing interview, the reclusive genius (he lives in near isolation on an island near the Arctic Circle) behind the many monikers speaks out.

You’ve been putting out music under a different name for nearly every sub-genre you experiment with. Why choose to do this when output from a single pseudonym can be far more recognizable to listeners? Don’t you want a familiarity to exist?
First off, I’m really not about being recognizable or having a brand or any such thing. Overall, it just feels right to give differing names to different projects or concepts. I like to produce and be involved with lots of different kinds of music, and they don’t always go hand in hand. To me, it wouldn’t make sense to put out the material I do as Delay and as Luomo under the same alias, it would be rather confusing for people. What really matters, actually, is that it doesn’t feel right to me. I’m all for confusing people, after all.
Often people are only aware of a certain strain of my music, or like a specific project.

Not only do you perform and record as a percussionist in the Moritz von Oswald trio (headed by Moritz von Oswald, one of the fathers of 90s techno), but you also have your own experimental jazz quartet. This is, of course, besides your electronic output as Luomo, Conoco or Sistol – not to mention Vladislav Delay. That’s a mammoth oeuvre. How do you manage it all?
From my perspective it’s the other way around. Had I only been making experimental ambient music for the past ten years, for example, I’d need professional help. I can’t imagine restricting myself like that. Again and again I come back to the analogy of food. There’s no way I would eat any food for more than a week in a row, no matter how good. And the same goes for my favourite albums: there’s a limit after which (the music) just doesn’t work anymore, you need variety. Making music is exactly the same thing. There’s a whole world out there, why would I stick to one genre? It makes no sense to me.
But this also means that you can’t keep doing everything all the time. I’m not working on Luomo/ Conoco/ Sistol nowadays, and I recently stopped playing with the Moritz von Oswald trio as well – it’s time to move on and do other things. There are other collaborations and projects to look forward to. I don’t like to get stuck on a particular thing and, more often than not, things eventually tend to slow down creatively. It’s hard to bring new fire into a project sometimes.
In the end, it’s just waveforms that you try to create emotions with. This tempo or that tempo, this mood or that… I’m rather omnivorous.

In 2011, Animal Collective invited you to perform at the All Tomorrow’s Parties that they curated. How was the experience?
It was one of my better shows for sure. A dedicated audience and a massive high quality PA – what more could one ask for? I also enjoyed seeing some bands that I had no idea existed, trendy indie stuff and acts I wasn’t very familiar with.

Vocalcity is my personal favourite Sasu Ripatti album – like all your best work, none of the cinematic tracks dips below ten minutes in length. Do you believe longer, free-flowing compositions afford the artist greater scope?
It’s not that simple. I often seem to just need time to build things, and I don’t really work well with the ‘three minutes thirty seconds’ format (even when it’s something relatively pop-like, such as Luomo). I’m in no rush, I don’t need to shorten tracks for any practical reasons, and I like to take my time. Lots of the music I’m influenced by is also lengthy and developing in structure, although I do enjoy some mainstream forms of music that clock in at 3:30 each and every time – no surprises there. It’s difficult for me personally to make short tracks, let’s put it like that. There’s always too much to say, too much to put into a very short format; but I never try to extend tracks intentionally to make them long. I’ve done smaller pieces, and some of them are my favourites. I have, slowly, also perhaps become slightly better at arranging and composing and need less time to say what I want to say musically.

Where did the ideas for Luomo and Vocalcity come from? What propelled you to try to inject emotion and warmth to the niche sub-genre of micro-house at such a young age? Did it not daunt you, a task that would daunt even a far more experienced and mature artist?
I didn’t care at all, to be honest. I had no idea what house music was, never mind micro-house… it was one of the least interesting forms I could ever imagine listening to. I really hadn’t even heard any actual house music, just the cheap commercial stuff off the radio.
For me it was never about house music: it was about pop music. I never wanted to start a band for my pop or vocal music. Electronic backing, however, suits me well when I choose to write pop with vocals. It’s just a vehicle.
Back then I was doing lots of ambient stuff and getting a little bored of it. I was garnering attention for said ambient stuff, and the labels attached to me bothered me to the extent that I decided to do something totally different. I had made strange electronica for years on end and I think I had a little breakdown or something.
I knew a jazz singer from the time I was heavily into the jazz scene and used to play drums. I asked her and a keyboard player to join me. I just got on with it without much planning or thought.
I remember the time I sent the first tracks to the label that released Luomo. They said there weren’t enough kick-drums… I remember I tried putting them in – and that’s the house thing I guess.
It was a hard period in my life, personally. I was quite a mess and it was somehow therapeutic to write those lyrics and make emotional music.

Vladislav Delay – Toive

What are your favourite places in the world to perform at, and why?
I have noticed I’m changing in this respect. It’s partly due to having moved to a remote location (an island in the Baltic Sea, near the Arctic Circle) which makes traveling rather challenging, but beyond that I have realized more and more that my main interest lies in the studio rather than in playing concerts. Don’t get me wrong, I like to play some good shows (and still do every now and then) – but the fact is also that not every show is a good one, and often unrelated to what you’re producing. Those tend to kill me every time a little bit.
Anyway, Tokyo and Kyoto are probably my favourite places followed by random smatterings everywhere. If it’s more dance-oriented music it’s often better the more south you go; for experimental stuff it’s often places where conditions are harsher, or at least less sunny. Still, these are stereotypes and they often fall short.
Shows in Japan usually don’t fail, though. People are very considerate and interested in what you’re doing, there’s a certain dedication in Japan that’s more of a norm there than the random, surprise adulation you get elsewhere.

You’re a Pitchfork darling, and arguably one of the most respected producers in the world today. What are your own inspirations? And what new talent have you heard that impresses you?
Am I a Pitchfork darling? I think they’ve routinely ignored everything I have done for years. I’m just not trendy enough.
My own inspirations are rather varied. Obviously there’s music, which has been a part of my life non-stop ever since I was a child. My first memories are almost all connected to music or other creative media.
Music in its many forms still inspires me: mainly older jazz, Jamaican, world music, hip-hop, classical.
But I must say I’m connecting less and less with most of the music being made today, compared to some music I’ve truly been inspired by in the past. I still look for new stuff, but maybe less than I used to. It’s just that there’s so much, and not all of it is good. My time is limited. The music I listen to is therapeutic above all. I easily spend 10 to 12 hours in the studio every day, listening to stuff I’m working on. After that I really don’t want to challenge my ears, I want to do the opposite. More often than not it’s something like Bill Evans trio or Chet Baker or I-Roy or some entertaining hip-hop, maybe some solo piano music. Not the latest electronic assault, though; it’s too much. I must add that I generally just don’t like the sound of most music made in the past few years. I’m not contesting its musicality – just what it sounds like. I mean it’s fucking loud, and it’s over-processed, -produced, and pushed to its limits – often, nowadays, with cheap digital gear by people who don’t know much about the technical side of things… about the art of recording. There’s not much room for my own creativity to play around there because there’s no space. The music I love always has plenty of room to hang around and add your self to.
Books have also been quite an inspiration, since my both parents are/were authors.
Movies to some extent. Food and cooking to a much greater extent. I cook almost every day.
My daughter is arguably the biggest inspiration of them all.
I’m inspired by interesting people, from farmers and fishermen to artists and criminals and everything in between.
I’m inspired by travel, what I see and learn and notice.
There’s so much inspiration around, it just flows in…

Vladislav Delay – Huone

Vladislav Delay is possibly your most famous and prolific project. Is there an especial stylistic attachment you have to it over your other work?
Somewhat. It’s more of my own thing than anything else I’ve done. Delay’s music is more expressive and true to my self, to the point that I don’t have to work all that much on this project as compared to the sportsman-like feeling I sometimes get when I’m making vocal or club music. There’s no intention or trying, I just let it go where it wants to.

Despite the incredible adulation and critical acclaim most of you projects have received, you have, somehow, remained reluctant to toy with mainstream success. Was it a conscious choice to remain an underground artist?
Yes.

Follow Vladislav Delay on:
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Twerking is the dance craze of the moment, that’s for sure. Gradually, over the last few years it has worked its way into the music videos of leading artists of all race and colour. It may sound rude, yes, but you have to call a spade a spade. Twerking is basically moving your butt. Some do it with more grace than others and some have more cheek to do it with. Nicky Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Shakira and Rihanna are just some of the artists that have succumbed to the twerking craze (truth be told we haven’t found many examples of guys twerking). In this blog we intend to do a mini study on the subject – we’ll look at some of the best this year plus some classic videos on the subject. So get ready for an onslaught of unbridled butt shaking!

Before looking at the most obvious evidence of twerking in 2014, we will approach the subject scientifically, trying, first, to define the concept. The international community does not yet totally agree on the exact definition of “twerking” but we think we can shed some light on the subject with some actual data. 🙂

Twerking is an Anglo-Saxon word that means “the act of dancing provocatively with pelvic movements and clear sexual overtones”. The basic technique is to put your hands on your hips, bend your knees and moves your hips to the rhythm of the music. It’s quite similar to the famous “perreo” from reggaeton dance. Researchers have come to the conclusion that twerking also has some influences from African dances such as ‘mapouka’.

Its origin is the United States as part of hip hop culture in the early 90s. The word comes from the verb Twerk, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance..”

The seed of the dance has always been around … the Latin ‘perreo’ has many followers all over the world, but we can establish two events as the main sources of twerking that have taken over our recent world. First was Miley Cyrus’s memorable VMA performance in 2013 with Robin Thicke, and second was the release of the video “Pour It Up” by Rihanna in the same year. Two events that have changed the way we move our butts forever…

Rihanna – Pour It Up

And now let’s get right to the proof – examples of quality twerking so far this year. 

We start with Nicki Minaj, one of the greatest exponents of the twerking movement, who also has the butt to do it proper justice. Her latest video is a compendium of moving butts. “Anaconda” holds the new world record for the most views on YouTube within 24 hours. A clear indication of the interest that the rear end has awakened in the developed world…

Nicki Minaj – Anaconda

To lower our temperature a bit after Anaconda, this next example is far more elegant and less explicit – Taylor Swift and “Shake It Off”.

Taylor Swift – Shake It Off

Our next example, by the Texan singer Todrick Hall, has absolutely brilliant comic timing. The video is based on the classic movie “Singin ‘in the Rain” (1952), starring the legendary Gene Kelly. This time we are “Twerking in the Rain”…

Todrick Hall – Twerking in the Rain

We return with all guns blazing to a video featuring two great masterpieces in the art of twerking. The temperature will surely rise after seeing this “classic” featuring Shakira and Rihanna…

Shakira – Can’t Remember to Forget You ft. Rihanna

Mind you, although these stars make twerking look easy, it requires a fair bit of practice and serious training. Here we see Rihanna in a home video practicing the movements. Good twerking, like fame, comes at a price…

Rihanna Twerks To T Pain – Up Down Song

It’s high time that we give a Latin example in this study on twerking. The first, comes from the hand of the famous rapper, actress and Dominican model, The Materialist. We have our doubts about this video though – the line between twerking and perreo is very thin.”

La Materialista – La Chapa Que Vibran

We continue with Dominican artists and a collection of stunning close-ups of moving buttocks which are priceless…

Paramba Ft Musicologo & La Berunta – Pilonea (Remix)

Recently Miley Cyrus made a plea about twerking saying that it was originally invented by a man, by Elvis Presley to be exact. Miley said his hip movements didn’t generate so much controversy because he was a man. “Elvis was a sex symbol at the time, but nobody said anything against it because he wasn’t a girl, another example of double standards”, she said angrily in various media last week.

Looking back to last year – do you remember this surreal and comical view of twerking by the musical project Major Lazer? It’s way over the top!

Major Lazer – Bubble Butt (feat. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic)

The young Australian rapper and superstar Iggy Azalea, is not far behind when it comes to showing strength in the field of twerking. Physical attributes are an advantage for Iggy as she shows off her mastery of the twerking technique in “Work”.

Iggy Azalea – Work

Now we go back to 2012 with “Express Yourself” by Diplo feat.Nicky Da – a clear example of how the butt movement has become a method of artistic expression…

Diplo feat. Nicky Da B – Express Yourself

We finish this review with a video dedicated to the main object that makes it possible to twerk: The Butt. Big Sean and Nicki Minaj tell you quite clearly and in several different languages…

Big Sean – Dance (A$$) Remix ft. Nicki Minaj

Wait! We haven’t quite finished yet. Before we close we have to look at two concepts that are rarely seen together: classical music and twerking. We’ll say no more…

Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 Allegro con Fuoco

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