- KARISMA PODCAST 021 : BUDAI and VIC -

Budai et Vic sont deux artistes hongrois qui se sont rencontrés en 2000 et se sont décidés à produire des morceaux ensemble afin de créer un label indépendant pour sortir leurs morceaux. Leur sonorité s'apparente à des morceaux très groovy contenant un esprit funk et une vibe très positive, très colorée, construite sur un rythme assez fort. C'est à la fin de 2001 qu'ils créent donc Egoist Records, label qui maintenant répond au nom d'Egotraxx Records, avec la sortie d'un EP axé dans une tech house relativement tribale : 'Ma Macoosa'. C'est avec cette sortie qu'ils axent leurs productions dans le même état d'esprit. De nombreuses critiques ont accueilli ce label sur 4 ans, et c'est ensuite que les compositions signées ont été plébiscité par de bons artistes du genre.

La sonorité du label est un mélange efficace entre une techno tribale et des sons méditerranéens groovy, tout ça avec un esprit chaleureux. Egotraxx se focalise à juste titre sur une tech house assez penchée sur la soul, et ça n'est pas étonnant que des artistes tels que Carl Cox, Umek, DJ Preach ou encore Valentino Kanzyani en jouent. Egotraxx Records a sorti plus de 13 maxis et ce n'est qu'en 2005 qu'arrive sur la scène I Love Deep Records, sous-label du premier.

Aujourd'hui le duo est célèbre dans leur pays natal mais aussi sur la scène house actuelle, et leurs productions ont ce petit côté savoureux qui plaît à des artistes internationaux tels que The Timewriter, Terry Lee Brown Junior, Lukas Greenberg et autres.

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Budai and Vic met in 2000 and decided to produce tracks together and create an independent label to release them by themselves. They used to make groovy tracks that contain the funk and a positive vibe, happiness, but still built on a strong rhythm. In the end of 2001, they founded Egoist Records (now Egotraxx Records) with ex-Sonic Age member Vic. The label started with a massive groundbreaking tribal-tech release called 'Ma Macoosa' EP, and since then they keep this level as well. The label which is in its fourth year has got many positive feedback since its start. After the 12th vinyl and many international releases, the tracks of EGO artists appear more frequently in big names' charts and mixes.

The labelsound is a solid fusion between tribalistic looptechno and groovy mediterranean sounds, but all of this with the characteristic Ego-flavour. Egotraxx is focusing on the soulful side of techno and tech-house. Maybe that is the reason that the label got lots of playtime from Djs like Carl Cox, Umek, Dj Preach, or Valentino Kanzyani. Ego Traxx Records is now over of its 13th release with a massive Markantonio remix. Ego Traxx works with names like DJ Preach, Marko Nastic, Alexander Koning, Marcelinho CIC, Daniel D and so on...In the spring of 2005 Egotraxx founded it's new sublabel: I Love Deep Records.

Nowadays Budai & Vic highlights their imprint inside their native country, but also in the international scene thanks to artists from the likes of Terry Lee Brown Junior, The Timewriter, Lukas Greenberg and so on.

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Miss Luna vs. Q. Derinho - Rise & Shine (Budai & Vic Full Vocal Remix) - Preview by budaivic

- KARISMA PODCAST 020 : LEMONGRASS -

Lemongrass est le surnom du producteur allemand Roland Voss, qui vit actuellement au nord de l’Allemagne. Depuis ses premiers morceaux parus à la fin des années 90 sur les labels Incoming ! et Mole Listening Pearls, Roland a parcouru un long chemin sur de multiples influences, de la drum’n’bass à la lounge, du jazz à l’ambient en passant par le trip-hop. Il a sorti pas moins de 13 albums sous le pseudonyme Lemongrass, plusieurs maxis ainsi qu’une dizaine d’autres albums sous divers surnoms tels que Weathertunes, Jasmon, ou aussi Beach Hoppers.

C’est en 2005 que Roland et son frère Daniel, plus jeune, créent le label Lemongrassmusic. Ensemble ils confèrent au label une notoriété basée sur leur propres productions ainsi que sur celles d’artistes talentueux vivant un peu partout à travers la planète.

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Roland Voss aka Lemongrass lives and produces his music in the countryside in Northern Germany. From the first releases in the late 90´s on the labels Incoming! and Mole Listening Pearls he has gone a long way of musical expressions - from Drum´n´Bass to Lounge, Jazz, NuJazz, Trip-Hop and Ambient - and has meanwhile released 13 Lemongrass albums, a number of EPs and more than 10 albums under his additional project names ("Weathertunes" ; "Jasmon" ; "Beach Hoppers" and others)

In 2005 Roland and his younger brother Daniel have founded the label "Lemongrassmusic" and so have built a new platform for their own music productions as well as for some very nice and talented artists from all over the globe.

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Lemongrass - Maison A` La Mer by Idealmusik Label

- INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH : LEMONGRASS ( ENGLISH VERSION ) -

I. Hello Lemongrass, nice to meet you. Could you first tell us where you live and what were the conditions to leading you making music?


Hi Daxxel ! Many thanks for getting in touch and for the opportunity to be a part of your nice blog.

We (that's my brother Daniel and me) live in the countryside of North-West Germany. We have been living and working together for a whole decade and are running a lot of projects together. Besides Lemongrass we are also known as “Weathertunes”, “Jasmon” and “Beach Hoppers” and we have founded our own label “Lemongrassmusic” in 2005.
Music has always been a part of my live – during my childhood we had two pianos in our parents' house and we were 3 boys making music together very often. In my teenage years I started playing the drums and soon were involved in some band projects, played on small and big stages and gave drum lessons to younger guys. During those years I was totally into Jazz and Jazz-Rock and participated in numberless band projects.

Later I have started producing electronic music – I bought my first equipment – an Atari ST and a Kurzweil sampler, a huge mixer and professional speakers, etc. It still took some more years before I discovered my passion for drum'n'bass, breakbeats and ambient and lounge music.



II. Where comes your inspiration from, I mean this sweetest way to vibrate on your tracks?

My inspiration mainly comes from nature – from the sun, from my surroundings, from the sea and the quietness of the places I like to stay. Of course it also comes from the musicians that I work with – the singers and instrumentalists.
III. What do you think of the major industries of these times?
Honestly I have no thoughts about it....


IV. How do you work?


We work mainly with computers – Logic Audio, soft-synths, various plug-ins, sound libraries, and live instruments such as synthesizers, guitars, rhodes piano and vocals of course. The way a new song is created is always different – there is no rule to it and to describe the many-folded possibilities would blast this interview I think.... :-)


V. Preparing an album, is it difficult?


Yes – it's always a long process and can take from 1 year up to 3 years. We use to work on various projects at the same time so it sometimes takes quite a while to filter and bundle the songs that go well together. It usually takes 3-5 days for me to produce one track – during these days I listen to it at least a hundred times. Then compiling an album takes another weeks and months time – so in the end I have listened to all songs contained on a new album for many hundred times. I think you can imagine that I absolutely need the silence of a quite place in nature in the meantime :-)


VI. Why have you chosen to create your own label?


We have created our own label to become more independent on the one hand. It was always a dream of mine to run a label – and after many years of being signed to other record labels it was a logical process for me to do it. On the other hand we wanted to create a platform for the music of other artists who create wonderful music in the spirit of Lemongrass – so we have called the label “Lemongrassmusic”. By the way – a few months ago we have founded a sub-label named “Tiger Grass Records” - to be able to present a wider range of electronic music styles. Now – after 5 years of running the label “Lemongrassmusic” we are surrounded by a wonderful “label-family” - artists from all over the planet – and each one presenting a unique spirit and an individual expression of “warm and positive” electronic music. Regarding our label logo – a sun with 23 sun-beams – we would like to express the many facettes of modern electronic music which can not be categorized clearly, covering styles like Ambient, Lounge, Chillout, Nu Jazz, Deep House, Downbeat, Breakbeats, Soul, Spoken Word Poetry, Film Music, Disco, and many others.


VII. How is the nightlife in Germany?


Well – at our place nightlife is very silent – just hearing the singing of nightingales.... :-) Going to the cities it seems to be like everywhere else....
VIII. Something to tell us about the evolution of new technologies?
Using all these technologies of nowadays I often experience them as true blessings which allow us to do the kind of music and business that we do. We collaborate with many musicians worldwide only through the internet ! On the other hand I don't even know how all these machines do really work – so I am definitely dependent of those who know. But that's OK of course :-)


IX. What are your current projects?


I have just finished the new Lemongrass EP “Ambient Land 2” which will be released in December. Furtherly we are working on the new WEATHERTUNES album, of course on the next LEMONGRASS longplayer album (which will be 100% instrumental again) and on “The Remix Sessions Vol.2” - the follow-up of the successful release from early 2010. We do a lot of remixes every year – and we had the idea to combine them to an album... Also this is another expression of the wonderful network within our label family.


X. Are you closed to other genres in electronic music?


Basically I am open to many styles and I like cross-overs – the main point for me is always a certain kind of “warmth” and “soulfulness” which can be found in some genres more than in others. I think there is no basic rule for it – it always depends on the result.


XI. … A piece of word in French?


Liberté, égalité et amitié :-)

- KARISMA PODCAST 019 : JACK DE MARSEILLE -

Jack de Marseille, de son vrai nom Jacques Garrotta, est né le 19 décembre 1965. Il vit à Marseille.

Connu avant tout comme pionnier de la musique électronique, il a contribué, dès la fin des années 80, à l’émergence de la scène électronique française. Le succès de ses sets lui valent d’être élu meilleur DJ français en 1998 par Coda, premier magazine consacré exclusivement aux musiques et cultures électroniques depuis 1996. L’année suivante, c’est Trax qui le classe numéro un.

Souvent estampillé, de manière réductrice, « DJ house », Jack de Marseille pose problème aux gens qui cherchent à le cataloguer.En écoutant ses sets aux influences multiples, reconnaissables entre tous, on comprend qu’il résiste à toute nomenclature. Son identité est marquée par l’énergie des rythmes et des couleurs qu’il juxtapose, mixe, fond et dynamite en réponse au dancefloor, qu’il considère comme le cœur, la destination de sa musique. Une sensibilité exacerbée mais aussi profonde, à fleur de peau, révélée par des accents deep plus doux, plus sensuels.

SITE OFFICIEL DE L'ARTISTE

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Jacques Garrotta, also known as Jack de Marseille, is born on december, the 19th, 1965. He actually lives in Marseille, on the south of France.

Above all he is known as one of the pioneers of the electronic music. Since lately 80”s, he contributes to the emerging French electronic scene, and the stardom of his brilliant sets give him the price of the best French DJ in 1998 by Coda, first magazine devoted to the electronic scene since 1996. He is awarded the next year at the same status by Trax, another French electronic magazine, standing on the first place.

Considered by the public as a house DJ, Jack de Marseille stands as a problem for those who would like to describe his style of music. By hearing his sets, where features many various influences, easy to unveil his trademark, we just know that he doesn’t want to be straightened by an only unique style. His identity is printed by the energy unleashed within rhythms and colours that he digs, mix, create and boost thanks to the attempt of the dancefloor, highlighting the heart of his music. A kind of sensitiveness, deep and pure, orchestrated by some sensual imprints, some beautiful ones.

His latest album, Inner Vision, was released under his own label Wicked Music, where he has already signed artists from the likes of EDP, David Carretta, Trisomie 21, 2 Rare People.

He plays everywhere : Sonar at Barcelone, Dance Valley at Amsterdam, I Love Techno at Gand, Timewarp and Nature One in Germany, Creamfields at Buenos Aires, Global Gathering in England.

WEBSITE OF THE ARTIST

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Wicked Sessions Mai part 3 by Jack de Marseille

- REVIEW : STUMBLED by IRON CURTIS -

Pour son premier maxi sur Retreat, Iron Curtis reste toujours aussi fidèle à cette sonorité classique mais contemporaine qui l'a fait découvrir au public. Les deux derniers morceaux "Creeps" et "All My Friends" sont plutôt dans le genre dubstep et hip-hop, deux genres qui s'implémentent facilement. On notera surtout le son très particulier de l'horloge dans "Creeps", mais mis à part ceci il faut reconnaître que Curtis a plus d'un tour dans son sac et qu'il n'est plus limité à la house.

Ses nombreuses excursions a Chicago le mettent à contribution dans ses productions. "Cover Me" est un très bon morceau deep house: les basses semblent sortir des abysses alors que les paroles nous envoient tout droit au-delà de la période musicale de personnalités comme Joy Orbison et James Blake. Cette douceur musicale vêt un autre aspect sur "Stumbled Across" où les sonorités d'une TR-808 et des notes de clavier nous poussent à gigoter et sortir de chez nous; l'ensemble des snares, hats et claps (termes techniques, ndr) ne sont pas synchronisés et pourtant le morceau "vit".

En d'autres termes, ce nouvel opus dans la collection des oeuvres d'Iron Curtis nous satisfait amplement, car la qualité s'y attenant nous promet encore de suivre cet artiste talentueux.

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On his first record for Retreat, Iron Curtis issues a caveat that we had all better come up with some alternative to the usual "classic but contemporary" cajolery normally reserved for his work. The b-side tracks "Creeps" and "All My Friends" are loose forays into hip-hop and dubstep-implied sounds respectively, and neither can be said to imitate. They're short sketches that aren't fully-rounded, but they cover enough atypical ground (the Gamelan-sounding bell breakdown on "Creeps" is a particularly nice touch) to suggest that house could eventually become an unnecessarily limiting style-bracket for the German producer.

For now, though, it's still his wormhole transit to Chicago and back again that sets him apart. "Cover Me" is quintessential deep house. The bass sounds as if it's pumped from the gills of some deep-sea creature while vocals chopped-up at chipmunk-pitch carbon date the track to the post-whatever era of people like Joy Orbison and James Blake. It's smooth and suave unlike the spasmodic body-rock of "Stumbled Across" where 808 hits and keyboard stabs seem to hold your hips in a split-second state of anticipation. An ensemble of snares, hats and claps aren't quite in time with one another, and that's the treat: it feels live. Classic and contemporary it might well be, but it's also surprising and satisfying, qualities that Iron Curtis seems to convey more and more with each release.

Iron Curtis - Stranded (Cut) by Iron Curtis

- REVIEW : THE RED ROOM by DENNIS FERRER -

Est-ce qu'il serait facile de dire que ce nouveau maxi de Dennis Ferrer représente le yang alors que son dernier tube "Hey Hey" serait le yin ? C'est une question très compliquée, certes. Il y a toujours quelque chose à dire à propos de cet artiste incontournable de la scène house contemporaine. On ne peut pas passer à côté de ses nombreux morceaux, et c'est impossible de rater cette nouvelle sortie intitulée "The Red Room" parue sur son propre label Objektivity. Kyle MF Hall a concocté un excellent remix à juste titre.

Le "Obj Vocal Mix" est poinctué d'accents afro et d'une TB-303 extatique, tandis que la voix de Dawn Hulton donne du volume au morceau, un peu dans l'esprit de la chanteuse Grace Jones. C'est un tour de force surprenant que Ferrer nous livre, confirmant une nouvelle fois son talent pour créer un groove unique.

Sur la face B se présente le "MeMix" de Hall... Ce n'est pas de la fidget-house, mais il est tout de même aisé de reconnaître que le vocal "Wuh-w-w-wh-well" ressemble étroitement aux productions de Switch, productions parues au milieu des années 2000. Le groove est très cosy, les notes et les vocaux absorbés par les pieds du rythme, idéal à fredonner dans la rue.

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Is it too facile to consider this Dennis Ferrer's yang to "Hey Hey"'s yin? It's super-obvious, right? Yet if there's more to it than that—there always is—there's still something to say for an artist so adept at getting everyone to sing along, and then turns around and releases something as subterranean and acid-tracky as "The Red Room." And puts Kyle MF Hall on the flip. Because he can.

Ferrer's "Obj Vocal Mix" is spurred along by conga accents and pulsating 303s, but Dawn Hulton's vocal is arty-spiky in a way that brings to mind post-punk and its more recent descendants as well as above-it-all Grace Jones-style ice-diva-dom. Ferrer keeps moving the furniture around to show off different facets of his multi-lined groove.

And on the B-side, Hall's "MeMix" goes . . . fidget-house?! Not quite, but the stuttering vocal snippet ("Wuh-w-w-wh-wh-well!") isn't that far removed from mid-'00s Switch. The groove is, though—comfortably flat four with springy accents whose glitchy touches (including those vocals) are absorbed by the kick drum, and thus easy on the ear.

Dennis Ferrer - The Red Room (Obj Vocal Mix) by Objektivity

- KARISMA PODCAST 018 - KRUMMSTOFF -

Ashot Babayan, né en Arménie, est connu sur la scène électronique sous le surnom Krummstoff. DJ, producteur, musicien et également compositeur, il est aussi connu sous les surnoms Mad Dee Jay, Maddy Nuff et Toscha Steinberg.

Sa carrière a commencé au début des années 1990 : passionné par l'héritage musical des afro-américains il se met à composer des sons hip-hop et travaille des rythmes sur un sampler qu'il a lui-même créé. En 1998, quelques années plus tard, il crée un quartet local appelé X-Phobos et devient de plus en plus à l'aise dans l'électronique. Il en fait l'une de ses activités principales, tout en gardant ses influences en funk, hip-hop et jazz. Il élargit donc ses connaissances au sein de ce projet, et crée des morceaux qui vont du hip-hop à l'ambient, du downtempo à la deep house.

Lors des années de travail établies avec X-Phobos, Ashot rencontre Garry Mkrtchyan, DJ et producteur connu sous les surnoms Garry Spectrum et Fabien Kamb, qui devient très vite son plus fidèle ami et son frère d'armes. Ils créent naturellement leur duo Mad & Spectral en 2006, nouvelle étape décisive pour la carrière de ces deux personnes. Tous les deux ils travaillent de concert ou en solo et jouissent assez vite d'une solide réputation: Ashot se démarque sous le surnom Krummstoff.

Fin 2008 Ashot Babayan fonde son propre label Low Flow Records qu'il dirige avec Garry Mkrtchyan.

Les productions de Krummstoff sont le fruit de toutes ses nombreuses influences, concentrées essentiellement autour de la deep house et de la tech house, et d'un mélange des deux genres.

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Krummstoff (born Ashot Babayan) is another alias of the dj, musician, producer and songwriter also known as Mad Dee Jay, Maddy Nuff and Toscha Steinberg.
His career started back in the early 90s, when being a great fan of Afro-American musical heritage, Ashot made his first attempts in writing some hip-hop rhymes and making beats on his self-made sampler.

In 1998 by co-founding a pioneer local underground quartet X-Phobos, Ashot's passion towards the electronic music production became a priority of his musical activities, with the simultaneously strongly remaining funk/hip-hop/jazz influences. His experience in music production went through lots of changes - from hip-hop to ambient and from downbeat to deep house music.

During the years of work within the bounds of X-Phobos, Ashot came across a fellow dj/producer Garry Mkrtchyan (a.k.a. DJ Garry Spectrum, Fabien Kamb), who not only became his "brother-in-arms" but also a true friend and companion.

In 2006 the two started their producer-duo - Mad and Spectral, which turned to be a next and very important step for both of the musicians. Being a phenomenally fertile project, the duo has been dropping beats under numerous aliases as well as its members' solo projects, where Ashot goes under the name of Krummstoff.

In the fall of 2008, Ashot established an indie record label - Low Flow Records, which he co-owns/runs with Garry Mkrtchyan (Fabien Kamb).

The music of Krummstoff is a pure reflection of the whole spectrum of his musical experience and skills, which at this point are mostly concentrated at tech house, deep house and deep-tech production.

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Krummstoff - What We Call Deep (original mix) /2600 Records/ by Krummstoff