There was a time not so long ago when the phrase “green music festival” would have instilled horror in eve the most ardent music lover. Images of face painting, Hacky Sacks and pan flutes (among other world music elements) pretty much fit my definition of purgatory. Luckily for us, green music has come a long way since its genesis on the (lunatic) fringe. Now that all the excitement about Coachella has died down, it’s time to check out the other green music festivals worth marking on this year’s calendar. Our friends at Ideal Bite have kindly complied a short list:
Who would have guessed I’d find myself back in the London club scene. Ah, I remember the ritual like it was yesterday. Leaving our cozy Soho apartment in the dead of winter, dressed in a thousand layers. Arriving at the club by midnight, disrobing (the outer layers), dancing til dawn, eventually re-robing and heading home as the piss weak sun struggled to radiate any warmth whatsoever. Thank god those days are over for me, but I’m more than happy to pass the lollypop to the next generation of clubbers. Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
I am continually blown away by Thom York and Radiohead. Everything they do, they seem to do with such passion and simplicity. In a simple split screen video for their song All I Need, the guys give us a glimpse of two kids lives. One kid is living the typical western privileged life with all the luxury’s money can buy. Simple things like, a bedroom, a bed, clothing, good food, schools, the luxury of having fun. The other kid, is living the other type of life, the type kids live in poor over crowed 3rd world countries. He is growing up on the floor of a factory, assembling products and sleeping on a floor.
Maybe the not so lucky kids life will stay in the minds of Radiohead fans and making them more aware of buying free trade and green items. So one day all kids can have a good life, no matter where they happen to be born.
It’s official: The Glass are a double threat. Not only are the boys from New York City, by way of Dublin, creating their own tunes, they’re also producing sought-after remixes for DJs to play around the globe.
In this double disc mix session, first in a series that hopes to rope in legends to delve into the classic tunes that shaped their legendary status, two-time Grammy winner Louie Vega leads off with naked vocals, raising the roof in anticipation for “It’s Just Another Groove” by Mighty Dub Katz. Vega lays down the cuts with deep soulful vocals that sometimes need no beat to support them, like “Together” by Interceptor.
And just as potent are his instrumental or dub selections such as “Summer Daze” by Nick Holder, where he caresses you, bringing the party energy down a notch for some sexy, soulful grooves. Disc two kicks off with K-Scope’s “Latin Blues,” featuring Afro-Latin percussion that is sure to take over the party. Other classic selections by the likes of Luna Project and Sounds of Blackness get overshadowed when Louie drops Michael Watford’s “Return Your Love To Me,” before capping off the session with the sweetest, most divine “Wonderful Person” by Black Masses.
Producer, remixer and DJ Tom Middleton is one of the UK’s most acclaimed electronic music architects. His original works (namely under the Global Communications and Jedi Knights monikers) heavily influenced a legion of electronic/dance music heavyweights including the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk. He is also a much sought-after remixer, having reconstructed tracks for an impressive array of artists such as Kylie Minogue, Sia, Jamiroquai, Röyksopp, Faithless, Bebel Gilberto, Goldfrapp, Bittersweet and many more.
A lot of musicians are down with green these days. Jack Johnson has a denim walled recording studio, Guster tours with biodiesel buses and the Rolling Stones eat organic. But no one takes it quite as seriously UK indie band Radiohead. From the digital release of “In Rainbows” and monitoring their carbon footprints to auditing their tours refusing to play Glastonbury over poor public transport, these guys walk the walk.
The latest Radiohead environmental news? The Oxford five piece put the kibosh on a promotional performance on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien because of “concerns over global warming”. Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
Returning for his second full-length for Border Community, Jacob Fairley brings forth more emotive, electro-minded techno pop. Stretching the boundaries of modern day minimalism, Jacob tries to develop the perfect melody time and time again. Using clicky, percussive bits, huge square-wave bass hits, trippy Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
San Francisco’s most heralded house legend returns to his hometown label to deliver a pristine mix performance. Unedited, this mix was recorded in one shot just as the show was performed overseas. Starting off with an inspirational track from Troydon and Decosta, “NY Minute,” the smooth chords and funky horn hits Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
Andrew Weatherall debuts the Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi series, a sister compilation series to Scotland’s Soma Quality Recordings’ Sci-Fi-Hi-Fi series. Completely unlike the Hi-Fi compilations, Weatherall’s collection is made up of classic rock tracks from the likes of Gene Vincent, Charlie Feathers, T-Rex, The Cramps, and Killing Joke.
Longtime producer Martin Swanstein comes with his second full-length effort after scores of singles for labels ranging from Chicago’s Guidance to Copenhagen’s 3rd Floor Records. Eschewing the concept album approach some dance producers attempt when taking on the full-length format, Martinez sticks to what he does best — compressed, minimal techno — even sticking to the script by mixing the tracks into one another seamlessly.
Daft Punk captures the phenomenon that has become their current live show on Daft Punk Alive 2007. Recorded at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy on June 14, 2007 in their native France, the double disc impossibly captures the duo’s legendary show prowess Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
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