Hello, yes I’m still around.
It’s winter here in Sydney. I’ve not been up to much really. Lots of indoor activities, watching TV shows and movies, playing Portal 2, making music with Ableton Live, and spending hours sorting through digital music files, as per usual spending more time doing that than actually mixing with any of the music, or sorting out how to use my MIDI controller with Traktor Scratch Pro, which reminds me I need to install the new version I bought ages ago. I’ve also been putting my track ID skills to use on the mixesdb site, track-listing a bunch of sets.
Still listening to lots of music, a lot of my own creations, but also John Tejada‘s ‘Parabolas’ album, is getting a lot of plays, it’s really grown on me to become one of my favourite recent electronic music albums.
With nothing much on music/club/techno wise of interest to me, I’ve had a 2 month break from clubbing. I couldn’t miss seeing Jesper Dahlbäck in early June, and Alex Smoke [Live] on the w/end just gone though, both at Chinese Laundry, but that’s all I’ve got out to recently. I enjoyed their sets, heard some great sounds, but they were far from special nights out.
Seeing Sandwell District play in Melbourne for 5+ hours in a small underground venue, through a Funktion One, back in April was a special night out, heard so much excellent techno music. Hoping for more of that on our holiday…
Joanne and I are heading off to Europe soon for a holiday. We’ll be visiting these places:
Netherlands / Amsterdam
Germany / Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Münster, Hamburg
Sweden / Stockholm
Czech Republic / Prague
France / Paris, Bordeaux, St. Emilion
United Kingdom / London, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Windsor
We’re looking forward to visiting new places, re-visiting some places we love, doing lots of walking and sightseeing, catching up with friends and family, eating lots of fine food, and drinking fine wines (Bordeaux!), and of course checking out a lot of techno/music events and club nights.
Joanne has done an amazing job of researching, and booking things for our holiday. It’s going to be a busy one, but we’re both keen for that.
We’re not spending as much time clubbing in Berlin as we did on our last holiday, but I think we’ll be enjoying a lot more music we’re passionate about. We had a lot of nights out in Berlin last time, that were fun, but we heard way too much uninspiring tech-house/house music.
We’re both very much back into techno these days, sounds from people like: Function, Regis, (Sandwell District), Silent Servant, DVS1, Peter Van Hoesen, Mike Dehnert, Surgeon, Marcel Fengler, Roman Lindau, Marcelus, Lucy, Planetary Assault Systems, Xhin, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Norman Nodge, and Skudge, you get the idea. So, we’re planning to try and see many of them play while on our holiday, they are all pretty much EU based.
Some music/club/techno things we’ve locked in already, that I’m excited about…
The day after we arrive… Mystery Land 2011 in Amsterdam, which techno wise features: Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Richie Hawtin, Ben Sims, and in the Electric Deluxe area: Marcel Dettman, James Ruskin, Marcel Fengler, Speedy J and Dave Clarke. The event is huge! Hoping to see Rodriguez Jr. as well.
A Fachwerk label night with Mike Dehnert and Roman Lindau in Münster.
Seeing Surgeon playing in his hometown Birmingham.
A night at Berghain in Berlin with G-Man [Live], Norman Nodge, Marcel Fengler and more. Just excited to be going to Berghain again really.
I’ll list up the events properly soon.
As excited as I am to be heading off to Europe, still a little disappointed that back in Sydney while I’m away in September, I’ll be missing music events with Robag Wruhme, and Lucy. I’ve actually seen Robag Wruhme play before anyway. Plus stand up comedian Louis CK, and legend of comedy John Cleese. Have some laughs for me if you’re going.
Stephen Merchant
Speaking of comedy, whilst we’re in London, we’ll be heading to dubstep’s home Croydon, to see UK comedy legend Stephen Merchant of Ricky Gervais, Karl Pilkington fame, doing his stand up show. Looking forward to that. I enjoyed hearing him voice Wheatley in the Portal 2 game. Enjoyed that game, but found it a little too easy puzzle wise.
More soon.