August 2012 - Issue 3 by 8th Note Music Mag

IN THE NEWS

FEATURES Interview: Jack Parow

Retrospective: Iron Maiden

Homegrown: Fridge poetry

Topic: Comic Jam

8th Notes from the Underground: Sigh

Column: Welcome to the dark side

AST month our pioneering little magazine achieved an important benchmark. As the ‘little publication that could’ we went into press production three months ahead of schedule, as stats revealed our readership soaring through the roof and our online following growing at the rate of knots. It’s become increasingly apparent that our FAN BASE is sitting up and taking note of our magazine. Chain stores, franchises and independent music merchants happily welcomed our magazine onto their shelves. This month we are staying true to our motto and ‘keeping it slick’ folks. We chat to Jack Parow, South Africa’s much-loved rapping sensation. We interview the guys and girl from Fridge Poetry, an exciting upand-coming band that sports an entirely fresh take on music. Metal heads can page ahead for the Sigh interview, where we chat to these Japanese legends about their incredible music. As always, we have all the news, events, gear and CD reviews you need to read about. Thanks for the support and happy reading folks!

Ed.

REVIEWS CDs

24 Features:Tristan Snijders Yolandé Erasmus

Rudi’s Guide to a Better Recording

Contributors:Rudi Massyn gideon ramabula Design & Layout:Reinhardt Massyn

CALENDAR

Editorial Assistants:Charmaine Palm Michelle Clacher

Competition time! Write to us on info@8thnotemusicmag.com with your thoughts and comments to stand a chance to win one of this month’s great CD giveaways, proudly sponsored by SuperCD. The titles include: VANFOKKINGTASTIES; Adam Lambert’s Trespassing; Linkin Park’s Living Things; August cover star Jack Parow’s Eksie Ou; The Parlotones’ Journey through the Shadows and Marilyn Manson’s Born Villain.

Frontpage photo by : Manfred Werner PAGE1

UEEN at the Ballet will be hitting the Baxter Theatre for a limited season from the 8th to the 18th of August this year. The show sports Michael Hankinson’s orchestral arrangements of Queen’s music and the live vocals of Cito, Daniel Fisher and Goitsemang Lehobye. The show tells the story of Freddie Mercury through the medium of dance. See this month’s calendar section for more details.

FRIKAANS pop electro quartet Die Heuwels Fantasties will be putting their talents to great use by raising funds for the organisation People Living With Cancer. The SAMA award winners will be performing on the 14th and 15th of August at Willowbridge Barnyard Theatre in Bellville, CPT in order to raise funds for PLWC. The band and its label, Supra Familias, has a long history working with charitable causes and further details regarding the concerts may be found on www.barnyardtheatre.co.za.

IG Fish and EMI Live present the Ukhozi FM Gospel Music festival, which will see some of SA’s biggest gospel acts all on the same bill, including: Rebecca, Winnie and Hlengiwe. The show will be held at the CocaCola Park, gates will open at 08h00 for 10h00 and the show will run to 19h00. Tickets are between R80 - R130 and are available through Computicket.

EAT LOAF is suing tribute artist, Dean Torkington, to the tune of $100 000 for impersonating him online for commercial gain. According to Torkington, chubby 64-year-old rocker Meat Loaf has never made it easy for him to be a tribute act, and included allegations such as having been given a hard time by Meat Loaf and his manager at a gig for which he had VIP tickets and demanding ownership of the site www.MeatLoaf.org, which Torkington claims to have run for the last 12 years.

ON Lord of Deep Purple fame tragically died on the 16th of July this year. Lord was an English composer, pianist and organ player. He died at 71 years of age. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer, but finally succumbed to a pulmonary embolism.

Torkington, who started as a Sir Elton John tribute artist and became a Meat Loaf impersonator after gaining a considerable amount of weight, is now going back to being a Sir Elton John tribute artist.

INETEEN-year-old ChianoSky’s debut album Hungry, hit the shelves on the 2nd of July this year. This much-anticipated debut was released through EMI Music South Africa.

EGENDARY guitarist, Steve Vai, is set to release The Story of Light on the 14th of August this year. While this new release will mostly be instrumental, guest vocalists such as Aimee Mann, Beverly McCellan and Blind Willie Johnson will appear on this 12-track album.

PAGE2

IG Concerts and Warner Brothers have announced that Linkin Park will be coming to South Africa this year. This six-piece Grammyaward winning rock super group will be playing two stadium shows in November. 8th Note doesn’t have an official press release yet, ‘but in the end it doesn’t even matter’ as fans can check out Computicket’s website or facebook for more details.

ADONNA performed at Bastille Day, on the 14th of July, in Paris where she showed a video portraying the National Front party’s leader, Marine Le Pen, with a swastika on her forehead. After the party threatened to sue Madonna she announced another concert on the 26th of July. After a short 45-minute concert she was booed off stage, however, and punters claimed that she spent only 30 minutes singing and the rest talking about politics.

ANS of John Legend are in for a treat – he is set to perform alongside Unathi Msengana and MiCasa at the Sandton Convention Centre on the 10th of August in celebration of Women’s Day. Tickets for the show will be available through Computicket and will cost between R900 and R1750.

IHANNA and Drake might be walking away with many awards this year as they are leading the nominations of the MTV Video Music Awards with five nominations each. Rihanna’s nominations include the highly-coveted Video of The Year award for her hit ‘We Found Love’. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Alicia Keys.

NOTHER Twitter announcement has taken the world by storm. Sharon Osbourne announced via her Twitter feed that she’ll be leaving

America’s Got Talent at the end of this season. Her revelation has apparently taken NBC Executives by surprise. This television reality show sees contestants display a variety of talents with the hopes of winning a million dollars.

EW kid on the block, Stone Studios International, has sent Jack Stone’s debut album Walk On, to Georgetown Masters in the United States for the final mastering phase of the album. It will be mastered by renowned mastering engineer Andrew Mendelson, who is the chief engineer at Georgetown Masters. This album is set to drop at the end of September. PAGE3

JACK PAROW Cooler than Ever!

South Africa’s premier ‘Dangerous Romantic Afrikaans Rapper’ takes some time out of his hectic schedule to chat to 8th Note about Yolande Erasmus his latest album, T would seem as if Jack Parow exploded onto the South African music scene and became Eksie Ou, and an overnight sensation. Truth be told, this everything exceptional young artist has been honing his art for roughly nine years. Parow…

It is therefore no wonder that South Africans, Russians, the Dutch, Belgians, Americans and the British have come to love the eccentric, satirical and brilliant work that this young Afrikaans rapper produces. His global domination and loyal local fan base proves that Jack Parow is not only cooler than ever, but also a very relevant musician locally and abroad. Jack Parow was born Zander Tyler in Cape Town thirty years ago and he started his rapping career with crews from the Cape Flats. According to him, his current persona was born when he watched Pirates of the Caribbean, rather inebriated, and thought: ‘Fuck Jack Sparrow the pirate of the Caribbean, I’m Jack Parow, pirate of the caravan park.’ Before his rise to stardom, he dabbled in all sorts of vocations, from packing fish to allocating graves. In his early days as a performer he was paid in units of a beer and pizza per gig but his collaboration with Die Heuwels Fantasties on ‘Die Vraagstuk’ changed his fate forever and threw him into the spotlight.

He released his debut self-titled album in 2010, Jack Parow; an album that pulled no punches as it went gold two weeks after its release and platinum in February PAGE 4

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MANFRED WERNER

Jack Parow became a South African superstar in 2009, the year that saw the release of his EP Cooler as Ekke. The title track off that EP has over tw wo million YouTube views to date and conttinues to be a firm m favourite among his fans. In th he style e we have come to expect from this perfformerr the EP wa as released on a flash drive shap ped likke an ice crream and comprised 10 songss and six music videos. The flash drives, of which only 600 were produced, sold out immediately.

2011, less than a year after its release. Jack Parow also topped the best-seller charts of Musica and Look&Listen. This album saw Jack Parow collaborating with big names such as Francois Van Coke of Fokofpolisiekar and Van Coke Kartel fame; Die Heuwels Fantasties and rapper JR among others. His South African fame saw him headlining at major local music festivals as well as touring Europe where he enjoyed incredible support from overseas fans, performing for vast audiences. Jack Parow followed the success of his debut album with his 2011 release Eksie Ou, which he released under his very own label Parowphernalia. The album was produced by Justin de Nobrega and sported more collaborations with top performers such as David Kramer, Francois Van Coke, Pierre Greeff from Die Heuwels Fantasties, Gazelle, Haezer, PH Fat and Sibot. This gem went gold within only four months. The first single off Eksie Ou, ‘Hosh Tokolosh’, achieved the extraordinary accolade of being the first Afrikaans song to reach the number one spot on 5FM’s Top 40 list.

people think, so I just put out what I put out… take it or leave it.

<Y> What has the reception to your latest release Eksie Ou been like?

I love festivals, so I must say Oppikoppi is always a good one. I have headlined it and had 20 000 people in front of me – crazy!

Jack Parow continues to be a busy young performer, having hosted this year’s MK Awards where he went home with the award for Best Hipster, and having recently performed in Russia, 8th Note decided it was time to chat to this inspiring rapper about his career so far.

<Y> What inspired you to start rapping and what was it like in your early performing days? I was inspired by Snoop Dog and Dr Seuss. The early days were rough; no money, playing for a beer and a pizza and trying to survive.

Amazing. It’s almost platinum and one of the singles, ‘Hosh Tokolosh’ was the first Afrikaans track in history to go to number one on 5FM’s Top 40. Overall, it’s just been really good, and thanks to the fans!

<Y> You seem to have a good working relationship with Die Heuwels Fantasties and Francois Van Coke. How did you get to know them and why did you decide to collaborate with them considering your musical genres are completely different?

We all grew up together and are from the same neighbourhood. I like making music with my friends, so the genre doesn’t matter. If you’re having a good time, something good will come out of it.

<Y> Your performance at the 2012 Winter Festival in Newcastle, KZN shocked a number of attendees and your set had to be cut short. A few months later, what is your view on the whole story? Ag, it was stupid. There were like 10 000 people and 10 of them didn’t like it and decided to make a point. It backfired on them and they just looked like idiots, so ja, nothing against Newcastle… I will gladly go there again.

<Y> What have been your favourite live moments?

<Y> What generally inspires your lyrics? Everyday life, things that happen to me or drunken conversations at a bar. All the fun things.

<Y> Is Jack Parow a particular persona you adopt or is it simply a case of what you see is what you get? Definitely what you see is what you get. I don’t care what

I was inspired by Snoop Dog and Dr Seuss. PAGE5

I love festivals, so I must say Oppikoppi is always a good one. I have headlined it and had 20 000 people in front of me – crazy! I’m playing there again this year and looking forward to it. I have also played amazing international festivals on huge stages, like Pukkelpop and Lowlands and shared the stage with bands like The Prodigy, Iron Maiden and Blink 182.

<Y> What was it like headlining at, and taking the Jack Parow brand of kief-ness to Gorky Park in Moscow? Crazy! Jeez, Moscow – what a mind-blowing experience. The response was 10 times better than what I was expecting and it was really just an all-round good vibe mixed with too much vodka.

<Y> What things do you find lekker outside of making music? Having a braai and hanging out with good people. My life is so hectic at the moment, so when I have time off I just chill as hard as I can.

<Y> You’ve got your own brand of marinade in shops around the country. What makes Parow Braaisous better than other marinades?

We are currently working on a few things, such as long caps, a toy range and a brandy, so keep an eye out for some good things in your Xmas stocking.

<Y> If you couldn’t have bliksem’d South Africans against the head with your music, what would you have done with your life? I’d probably have been a mechanic.

<Y> What’s on the cards for Jack Parow in the future? I’m working on some new tracks at the moment, as well as a DVD and pretty much just touring and having fun. KYK UIT!

<Y> You are undoubtedly SA’s most kief rapper… could you provide us with some ad lib rhymes to promote 8th Note Music Magazine? ‘Yo, it’s Jack Parow so fresh and fokkin clean telling you that you better check out 8th Note Music Magazine ‘cause if you don’t, dan is jou style kak boring and Parow will beat your door to give you two klaps in the morning.’

It just is. Taste it and you will understand.

<Y> Thanks for your time! Do you have any final thoughts?

<Y> Other than your braai sauce and clothing, do you have plans for any other merchandising in the future?

Jerry Springer is the only person allowed to give final thoughts.■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MANFRED WERNER

PAGE6

Up the Irons!

Tristan Snijders

NGLAND has produced the majority of the rock world’s most influential bands in the last 40 years. It takes little thought before names like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden spring to mind. While these bands have all produced top-quality material, Iron Maiden has managed something even greater – unquestionable relevance and popularity in today’s musical world. On Christmas day, 1975, a nineteen-year-old bassist named Steve Harris decided to start his own band. The songs he had been writing were too complicated for his previous band, Smiler, so he set out to create music and a band of his own. The name Harris chose was Iron Maiden, inspired by the iron maiden torture device in a film adaptation of Dumas’s Man in the Iron Mask. The band sifted through a number of members in its early days and even disbanded at one point, but it was during this time that Steve Harris started building a working relationship with guitarist Dave Murray. Murray came from an impoverished background and joined a skinhead gang at a young age. At 15 he discovered rock music via Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Chile’ and his life changed irrevocably. He joined Maiden in 1976, was fired the following year after an argument with then-vocalist, Dennis Wilcock, rejoined the band in 1978 once Wilcock had left, and has since been the only constant member, other than Harris, of Iron Maiden. In late 1978, wild-child vocalist Paul Di’Anno joined Maiden and soon after, the band recorded a four-track demo. Their demo made its way into the hands of Ron Smallwood who became, and remains, Maiden’s manager. A year later, the demo was released by the band as their debut EP The Soundhouse Tapes. Of the 5000 copies that were printed, 3000 were sold via mail order in the first week alone and huge retailers such as HMV and Virgin were trying to place orders for 20 000 copies – the quality of the EP was of such a level it was assumed that Maiden was signed to a major record label… the retailers weren’t far off the mark. In December 1979, Smallwood helped secure Iron Maiden’s first record deal with industry giants, EMI. PAGE8

After Maiden picked up a second guitarist in Dennis Stratton and replaced drummer Doug Sampson with Clive Burr, the band headed off to studio to record their eponymous debut album, Iron Maiden. The 1980 album entered the UK Albums Chart in fourth position and the band set off on a tour of the UK. Maiden then supported Kiss and Judas Priest on separate European tours. Stratton was booted from the band and replaced by Dave Murray’s childhood friend, Adrian Smith, to form Maiden’s legendary guitar duo.

Killers, Maiden’s second album, was released in 1981 and peaked at 12th position on the UK Albums Chart. More importantly, the album placed highly in northern European charts and entered the American Billboard Top 200, paving the way for Maiden’s international success. The Killer World Tour followed and saw Maiden perform across Europe, Japan and the US but Paul Di’Anno started to become a hindrance to Maiden’s ascent. Di’Anno had fully embraced the rock’n’roll lifestyle and was inhaling cocaine with as much fervour as he performed. His voice started failing and shows had to be cancelled or rescheduled as a result. Though Di’Anno was a vocalist of raw passion, Harris couldn’t accept that a member’s personal problems affected the band so negatively and Di’Anno was fired. Following Di’Anno’s dismissal, former Samson vocalist and consummate showman, Bruce Dickinson was hired. Dickinson’s vocal approach differed significantly from Di’Anno’s – he sang in an operatic style as opposed to Di’Anno’s limited, raw bark – and would greatly affect the future sound of Maiden. In 1982, the band released their first UK number one album, The Number of the Beast, and undertook another world tour. When the tour hit American shores, conservative Christian activists were overcome with ‘Satanic panic’ and destroyed Maiden records as a comical sign of protest, not realising that their actions would help make the band even more popular. Not being able to maintain the band’s intense touring schedule, drummer Clive Burr left in December 1982 and was replaced by Nicko McBrain, who mans the Maiden kit to this day. The following year, the band released their third studio album, Piece of Mind, the first of three consecutive albums recorded in the Bahamas, to critical

acclaim and yet another world tour followed. With Maiden being one of the least workshy bands in rock music, 1984 saw the release of Powerslave and the start of a mammoth world tour. The mindboggling World Slavery Tour, which took the band beyond the Iron Curtain for the first time, consisted of over 190 shows in 28 countries and spanned 13 months. Maiden took a much-needed four month break and then headed back to studio in the Bahamas to record Somewhere in Time, which was released in 1986 and demonstrated a more progressive, experimental style. Soon after release, the band went on tour – you’re starting to see a pattern here, aren’t you? Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, released in 1988, expanded on the new progressive elements and rocketed to the top spot of the UK Albums Chart.

the band in 1999. Re-enter legends Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. Janick Gers, who had gelled well with Harris and McBrain, was kept on and the band’s line-up now consisted of three guitarists. The reunited group released Brave New World in 2000, which was arguably the best Maiden album since 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and brought the band back into the spotlight. Two commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums followed, namely 2003’s Dance of Death and 2006’s A Matter of Life and Death. Maiden was once again on the rise, and their greatest achievements were yet to come.

In 2007 the Maiden boys were, once again, in a bit of a touring mood. Instead of suffering the logistical nightmares of organising flights through various airlines, the band decided to commission a Boeing 757, dubbed Guitarist Adrian Smith left Maiden in 1990, citing creative Ed Force One (after the band’s zombie-like mascot, differences, and was replaced by Janick Gers, with whom Eddie), complete with Iron Maiden livery. Dickinson, Dickinson had worked on a being a qualified airline solo album. No Prayer for the transport pilot, captained the If there is one thing Harris & plane and the band jetted Dying hit the shelves later Co. have come to know over across the globe on their that year, bringing Maiden its first, and only, number-one hit Somewhere Back in Time the years, it’s what the fans single in the UK with ‘Bring Your World Tour, being the first want… the band’s record Daughter… to the Slaughter’ international metal band to sales, estimated between but the band was not exactly play in India, in front of 30 in prime condition, having 000 fans. 80 and 100 million, attest altered its style to a more to that fact. straightforward rock approach. In 2009, a music DVD/ Fear of the Dark was released documentary of the band’s Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, entitled Iron in 1992 and was an improvement on its predecessor, but Maiden: Flight 666, was released and topped the music the subsequent tour saw Bruce Dickinson announce his DVD charts in 22 countries. Maiden’s 15th studio album, departure from the band, in order to focus on his solo The Final Frontier, was released in 2010 and topped career. album charts in 28 countries – a truly phenomenal Maiden decided to replace Dickinson with former achievement for a heavy metal band. At the 2011 Wolfsbane vocalist, Blaze Bayley, much to the Grammys, the band also won its first award for the single disappointment of a number of fans. Two albums were ‘El Dorado’ and the Maiden brand is still growing. released with Bayley, namely 1995’s The X Factor and 1998’s Virtual XI, but both charted poorly and Bayley, who Of the bands that deserve a spot in our monthly was prone to vocal troubles on tour, was asked to leave retrospective feature, Iron Maiden is without any doubt the

PAGE9

most relevant and active band today. The band continues to sell out stadium shows in a matter of hours, if not minutes, and as a band that has been around for more than 30 years, releasing an album that tops the charts in over 25 countries is a monumental achievement and draws attention to the fact that Maiden is still a force to be reckoned with. Iron Maiden’s amazing success over the years can be attributed to several factors. Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko are some of the world’s hardest working musicians and are still doing what they love, in their 50s, with more passion, dedication and conviction than 90 percent of bands and artists around today. The humble Maiden boys also never cease to take their music to the fans, hitting the road with one hell of a show between every release, and continue to create quality music that sticks close to its roots. If there is one thing Harris & Co. have come to know over the years, it’s what the fans want… the band’s record sales, estimated between 80 and 100 million, attest to that fact. One-hundred-and-thirty-six releases later, including everything from music videos to studio albums, Maiden continues to blow audiences and expectations away and it’s high time local promoters make the effort to bring the Irons to our shores once again. ■

Our top three Iron Maiden albums: 3. The Number of the Beast, 1982. 2. Powerslave, 1984. 1. Piece of Mind, 1983.

EVENT DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

August 8th

August 14th - 15th

• Seether. The Wave House, Gateway, DBN. 18h00. R265.

• Benefit concert for People Living With Cancer, feat. Die Heuwels Fantasties. Willowbridge Barnyard Theatre, CPT. R100 – R120.

• Switchfoot. Big Top Arena, Carnival City. 20h00. R220 – R350.

August 16th

August 8th - 18th

• Anthony Hamilton. Ellis Park Indoor Arena. 19h00. R466 – R668.

• Bovim Ballet’s ‘Queen at the Ballet’. Baxter Theatre, CPT. 20h00. R150 – R180.

August 9th •One Night in Cape Town, feat. Seether, Bullet For My Valentine & Eagles of Death Metal. Grand Arena, Grand West. 14h30. R380 – R473.

August 17th • Judgement Day. Black Dahlia. 20h30. R40. No under 18s. • Katherine Jenkins. Grand Area, Grand West. 20h00. R225 – R525.

August 17th - 18th • Andre Rieu. Coca-Cola Dome. R450 – R1050.

August 10th • John Legend. Sandton Convention Centre, Pavilion. 19h30. R900 – R1750.

August 11th • Katherine Jenkins. Big Top Arena, Carnival City. 20h00. R200 – R650. •Switchfoot. Grand Arena, Grand West. 20h00. R200 – R350. •Antonio Pompa. Linder Auditorium, JHB. 20h00. R120 – R150.

August 12th • The Old Mutual Music in the Gardens Series: Pretoria Botanical Garden. HHP. R80. Tickets available at www. tickebreak.co.za. Kids under 13 enter free.

August 18th • Anthony Hamilton. Ellis Park Indoor Arena. 19h00. R466 – R668.

August 23rd • Andre Rieu. Grand Arena, Grand West. 20h00. R400 – R1050.

August 25th

September 6th - 9th

• Last Night of the Proms. Linder Auditorium, JHB. R90 – R200.

• SA Tattoo at the Montecasino Outdoor Event Arena, JHB. R224 – R398. Show & stay packages available at www.montecasino.co.za.

August 26th • The Old Mutual Music in the Gardens Series: Pretoria Botanical Garden. Bittereinder and The Frown. R80. Tickets available at www.ticketbreak.co.za. Kids under 13 enter free.

September 9th • The Old Mutual Music in the Gardens Series: Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden. Die Heuwels Fantasties. R80. Tickets available at www.ticketbreak.co.za. Kids under 13 enter free.

August 29th • Dan Patlansky. Centurion Theatre. 20h00. R110.

August 31st

September 15th • Johnny Clegg. Teatro at Montecasino. R237 – R390.

• Judith Sephuma. Silverstar Centre, JHB. 20h00. R300. • Stone Cradle Festival. Stone Cradle, PTA. 15h00. R100 – R350.

September 1st •Joburg Day. Riversands Farm, Fourways. 11h00. R220. •Gospel Skouspel. Grand Arena, Grand West. 12h00. R125 – R225. •Rocking in Spring. The Wave House, Gateway, DBN. 18h00. R120.

September 6th • Lil’ Kim. Ellis Park Indoor Arena. 19h30. R400.

September 17th

• Son of a 1000: To Jump With Eyes Closed album launch. Tanz Café. Free entrance.

• Nataniël – Seven Loud People. Atterbury Theatre, PTA. 20h00. R175 – R200.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS ACHESON

Reinventing the Wheel Yolande Erasmus

RIDGE Poetry is more than a band; it’s a concept. The music produced by Fridge Poetry is an amalgam of sounds that challenges norms and snubs its nose at musical elitists who would have us believe that mixing and matching sounds and inventing something entirely new is nothing short of incest – which is precisely why I like this band.

The band rose from the ghost of TV IV Dogs, licked its balls and started playing gigs. Their first year together saw them opening for Hog Hoggidy Hog and playing alongside The Death Valley Blues Band in Johannesburg. Moreover, with the band confirmed to play Oppikoppi this year, fans are sure to see much more of this energetic new band. Fridge Poetry is a smug young rebel in the local scene. The band hails from Johannesburg and is Tim Harbour (vocals, guitar); Mark van Dijk (drums); Ivan Oberholster (bass); Carrie Anne Richardson (trumpet) and Sidney ‘Licious’ Rubige (saxophone). I know what you are thinking, ‘a trumpet and sax’? No, this isn’t some vaudeville wannabe, nothing about this band is inspired by a movie and while the idea is ambitious it really works. It works because, surprisingly, this amalgam of sounds is not aimed at any sort of niche music movement that’s so underground that it isn’t aware of itself yet. In fact, the melting pot of sounds and genres that this band produces ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Punks, metal heads, jazz virtuosos and pop fanatics will all find something in the music that resonates with them. As such, this band is becoming

PAGE14

T up-and-coming act, This playfully dubbed ‘Joburg’s p Party Ambassadors’, has P been making waves wherever b tthey play with a fresh take on music and a pioneering spirit m tthat keeps things interesting ffor all music lovers. 8th Note decided it was time to chat to d tthe band about fine dining and investment banking the vision behind their concept and what we can expect from them in the future….

increasingly popular and more difficult to ignore. The band is made up of seasoned musicians and performers. Let’s face it, if you are sporting a sax and a trumpet you’d better deliver on that promise – and that’s what they do, every time.

<Y>To me your music is an amalgam of genres, which you guys describe as a ska/funk sort of sound. Tell me more about this marriage of genres… I like a lot of different styles of music and initially I was using a bit of funk in the sound but the band’s been evolving and funk was never the direction we wanted to go in. Nowadays I try to make the band a combination of rock, ska, metal (esp. old school heavy metal), punk and some reggae. If there is any funk, it’s accidental funk these days.

<Y>Bands rarely sport an ensemble that features a trumpet and a sax nowadays, but Fridge Poetry is no ordinary band. How have you incorporated these sounds into your music? Using horns always adds a completely new dynamic. I’ve always loved the horn arrangements from old jazz music and ska, so I like to use a mixture of those styles to add the horn parts. Horns are a very versatile instrument, you can use them to accent certain beats and they are as great for solo melodies and improvisation. In general I just like having a different instrumentation to the usual addition of keys or a second guitar. I like working with musical

texture and the instruments allow for a much greater spectrum of sound.

<Y>How did the band get together? The band got together quite a while ago now, in around 2009. The only original members, being myself and Mark, both played in a Ninja Disco band (as we called ourselves) TV IV Dogs. Just before that band broke up we started with the basic idea for FP which has come a long way and changed much since the original concept. When our original bassist Nick left in late 2010, we enlisted the help of Ivan who Mark knew from another project he had been playing with. Then, shortly after, we replaced our old trumpeter with Carrie Anne and added Sidney (saxophone) to the mix. The current line-up has only been together for just over a year but we have gelled well over a very short space of time. I would rather have no other line-up than the current one.

<Y>How long have you guys been playing together? Ok well I sort of answered this one. The original line-up started gigging in late 2009, early 2010, but the line-up almost completely changed leading up to the beginning of 2011. The current group has been together just over a year, maybe a year and a half. So far, so good!

<Y>Since inception, has Fridge Poetry’s music changed at all – has the vision behind the band altered in any significant way? My vision behind the band has definitely altered. Before the name FP even came about I was frustrated with playing with a group, for many reasons: not having much creative control as I wasn’t the leader of the band or a founding member; the band was also not moving forward and we hadn’t written new material for a while. I decided to go solo and wrote a few songs to that end.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS ACHESON

scene in Johannesburg as well as trying to broach topic of how one defines oneself, whether it be genre, style or cultural group. To be more specific: how we define ourselves by the music we listen to or the way we dress and the circles we grace. Observing society has always been an interest of mine and it is great to be able to voice my thoughts in a public forum. If people want to listen they can, if they don’t they can just enjoy the music, but I like talking about stuff that is real to me as opposed to talking about the things that other people want to hear. With all that serious stuff being said I also do like to get the message across that life is a party despite all the craziness and we must enjoy it, so it’s not all just doom and gloom.

<Y>As a band I’m sure you guys have had some good times. What highlights has the band had?

Sho, we have had many, many awesome gigs. The few gigs we played with Hog Hoggidy Hog were awesome but our gig with Fuzigish has to be the highlight of this year. Fuzi are legends to me and it was an honour to get to play beside them. The Smoking Dragon Festival we played in the Drakensberg over New Year was also Very soon after, though, I realised it wasn’t my passion to was one of the best times I had with the band. Being play singer/songwriter out in the mountains, stuff and enlisted playing music with At the end of the day that’s a band to give the like-minded musicians one of the best things to see; sound a bit more beef. and just having a good to see the music that you Realising more and time is nirvana for me. more that my passion I mean, we have had enjoy making being enjoyed so many great gigs so lies with darker and by other people, it’s like having it’s really hard to rate heavier music, I shifted them all. Sometimes the concept completely a tiny connection with loads of I really prefer the tiny though the basic idea different people all from different club gigs because was always lingering backgrounds and lives. they are way more in the shadows. intimate and sweaty The concept for FP has developed to appeal to both popular and musical but it’s almost impossible to mention them all. I guess the sentimentality. I love the way people will sing along to things mentioned above are more milestones for the band songs without actually knowing the context of the lyrics than necessarily our best gigs; almost all our gigs have been awesome in one way or another and they just keep and I like to exploit that by writing dark and brooding lyrics getting better. that, at a glance or brief listen, seem quite innocent and conventional but if you read deeper are far more sinister than you might imagine. <Y> So, you guys have played an extensive list of live Other themes I like to deal with are the current local music

gigs since inception, how has your music been received by music lovers? PAGE15

It has taken a long time for people to warm up to us. Of course our friends have always been very supportive and we have always had a few people jamming out in the front and having a great time but there are empty gigs and packed gigs. The more we play the better response we continue to get and the more people I don’t know come up to me afterwards to say they enjoyed the show. At the end of the day that’s one of the best things to see; to see the music that you enjoy making being enjoyed by other people, it’s like having a tiny connection with loads of different people all from different backgrounds and lives. It’s awesome.

<Y>What are you guys busy with? Is there a Fridge Poetry album in the works? We want to record a full-length album. We have the material but budget is one of our biggest obstacles at the moment. We want to create a top-quality international level album but still produce a South African sounding recording. Unfortunately that doesn’t just take money but also picking the right studio and engineer. We have done a few of our own home recordings which can be found on our website as well as even older recordings which are a very different style of FP, but we are still proud of them nonetheless. We also have a live CD we recorded at Tanz Cafe and we recently made it onto the Rock The Stars compilation album by Redroom Records, so that would be our most recent and up-to-date recording. All of these recordings can be found on our website or on facebook.

<Y>Could you give us a brief list of musical influences that have inspired the music of Fridge Poetry… Obviously everyone has their own musical influences they bring into the mix but as I often bring the basic ideas, chords or structures my influences might come across rather strongly. I am a massive metal head, but proper metal now, none of this ‘core’ shit. I love old school death metal, heavy metal, power metal, black metal; it doesn’t

have to be old but I like that old school dirty sound. I’m also a big fan of rock music and older punk bands as well. Jazz and blues have been part of me since I started studying at Wits – rock is nothing without the blues! I’m also a big fan of reggae and electronic music. That being said, I am very open to any genre of music and love any music that has passion and is interesting to listen to. The list of styles above is more what I grew up listening to. Bands that specifically influence Fridge Poetry’s sound would be Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Bob Marley, Fuzigish, Streetlight Manifesto, Led Zeppelin, RX Bandits, Queen, Boo and the New Academics.

<Y>You guys are set to perform at Oppikoppi this year, what are your thoughts in the run-up to this epic festival? OPPI-FUCKEN-KOPPI! We are so excited; it was very unexpected for us to make it onto the line-up because we were trying but had no idea how to go about getting on. Then I got the call from our manager Nick and I almost lost my shit. We are so honoured to be a part of the Oppi experience, whatever happens after this with the band, it’s such a milestone knowing you played one of the best festivals in South Africa. We are still in a bit of shock and don’t think it’ll sink in ‘til we actually hit the stage. Hope to see all you peeps there!

<Y>Where can fans go, or who can they contact to find out more about the band, upcoming shows, listen to some tunes etc… As mentioned earlier we have a website, www.fridgepoetry.co.za. That has all our music, press details and updates for gigs etc. In addition our facebook page is kept very up to date and contains all our latest info: www.facebook.com/fridgepoetry. We also have a SoundCloud page, a ReverbNation page and a Twitter page. If you guys use any of those online platforms be sure to look us up. All our contact details are available on all pages and just call or mail us directly if you feel the need. ■

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS ACHESON

PAGE16

PAGE13

Yolande Erasmus

IKE strawberries and balsamic vinegar, the marriage of music and comedy is one of those unlikely alliances that actually works. You’d need to have a fairly indifferent take on music and absolutely hate fun not to be entertained and inspired by this trend. For me personally, talented stand-up comedians armed with the high art of song deliver formidable performances that give a fresh take on both the art of comedy and the delight of a good joke. Purists may feel that musical comedy is an invalid form of music and provides an easy opportunity for poor musicians to add a plethora of quirky profanities and sing-along choruses to liven up weak song writing, or for limp stand-up comedians to add a lifeless drone of poorly strummed chords to their bland routine, but the reality is quite different. In this combined art, nothing stands out more than either comedic or musical inadequacies, and the skill of captivating an audience with a synthesis of well-constructed songs and hilarious lyrics is one that few possess.

an inspired ‘mockumentary’ film about a fictional metal band in crisis. The film satirises all those things that we’d expect from a documentary on a heavy-metal band, hyperbolising reality into fiction. This is why it’s funny, well this and lines such as ‘You can’t dust for vomit’. We also have hit-and-miss films like Wayne’s World,

Cannibal! The Musical, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, School of Rock and more recently the brilliant Walk Hard – a film inspired by the biographical Johnny Cash film Walk the Line.

If you aren’t familiar with this pseudo-genre of music, then you can’t be blamed for thinking that this amalgam is really ambitious but fairly rubbish – as I’ve said, the alliance is incredibly unlikely. The effect however, has been a global phenomenon of really talented artists who bring music and comedy together to the delight of millions of music and comedy lovers world wide.

I first stumbled across musical comedy in the form of Britain’s ever-inspiring Bill Bailey who began his career in 1989. But of course, Bill Bailey wasn’t the first. After some research, it’s apparent that the dual-skill art of musical comedy is nothing new and there’s a fairly long list of performers who are apt at this. Since the 1940s, performers such as ‘The Great Dane’ Victor Borge drew vast audiences with his mix of physical comedy and musical prowess, but musical comedy fell out of favour with the general public after every second comedian tried to rope music into their routines. Performers such as Bill Bailey have done much to reinvigorate the genre and return it to a relevant and worthwhile state. It must be said that between Kevin Bloody Wilson and Tim Minchin, I have never taken Australian contenders off a list as quickly and with as little compunction as I did writing my top ten.

Of course, comedy and music isn’t confined to the realm of stand-up performers only: 1984’s This is Spinal Tap is

Naturally, what one find’s funny is rather subjective and here follows a list of my personal favourites:

PAGE18

10 9

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – ‘Perform This Way’. ‘Weird Al’ is the most famous musical parodist around and has such a vast discography that choosing only one track is far from easy. This song appears on his latest album, 2011’s Apocalypse.

8 7

Mark Jonathan Davis – ‘Star Wars Cantina’. This one is for all the Star Wars geeks out there. Before forming Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, Davis recorded this parody of Barry Manilow’s ‘Copacabana’ in 1996.

Otis Lee Crenshaw – ‘Like A Woman’. American comedian Rich Hall’s country-singing, jailbird alter ego performed this gem with his band, The Honky Tonk Assholes, on Hall’s 2009 DVD Hell No I Ain’t Happy.

Eric Idle – ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’. Monty Python member Idle first sang this classic song for the closing scene of Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it has since become a popular sing-along tune at football matches and funerals.

6 5

Bill Bailey – ‘How Can I Feel Pain?’. Bailey makes his first appearance on our list with this very brief number from his 2003 touring show, Part Troll.

The Lonely Island – ‘Jizz in My Pants’. These three Californians take a somewhat different approach to most artists on our list, performing a sort of comedy hip hop. ‘Jizz in My Pants’ is the blowout single from their 2009 release, Incredibad.

4 3

Smart Casual – ‘The Hawk Song’. With this track these horribly insensitive and politically incorrect Aussies bring us an account of the union between physicist, Stephen Hawking and beauty queen, Jennifer Hawkins.

Stephen Lynch – ‘Little Tiny Mustache’. Lynch is constantly taking on the taboo without much subtlety as this number, from his 2005 live album The Craig Machine, undoubtedly proves.

Flight of the Conchords – ‘If you’re into it’. The New Zealand-based duo of Academy Award winner Bret McKenzie and Emmy nominee Jemaine Clement rocketed to stardom in the mid to late-2000s, and not without reason.

Bill Bailey – ‘Love Song’. The multi-talented and surprisingly cerebral Bailey is one of the world’s foremost comedians and unquestionably deserves top spot on our list. ‘Love Song’ appears on his brilliant Part Troll DVD. PAGE19

Lucid Nightmares f r o m J a pa n Tristan Snijders

apan’s Sigh is a band that defies classification. Imagine an orchestra conducted by the Ten Kings of Hell. Take a hefty dose of eighties-inspired thrash metal, add a sprinkling of heavy and black metal, and add to that a pinch of jazz, classical music, ethnic rhythms and whatever else you’d like, and you’re closer to understanding what Sigh sounds like.

Sigh started out as a Venom-inspired black-metal band with a slight twist – the clever use of keyboards to accentuate the music’s eerie atmosphere. This pioneering approach drew the attention of Øystein Aarseth (AKA Euronymous of Mayhem fame) and the band’s debut album Scorn Defeat was released through Deathlike Silence Productions. Since then, the band has released another eight fulllength studio albums, along with numerous EPs and split releases, never rehashing old ideas or approaching a state of stagnation. Since inception, the band has covered genres from surf rock to trip-hop and never fails to impress critics and fans alike with its eclectic mix of nightmarish sounds. Sigh has gone through numerous personnel changes over the years, with members having swapped roles within the band and new members coming in. The band currently consists of Mirai Kawashima (vocals, keyboards, programming), Satoshi Fujinama (bass), Shinichi Ishikawa (guitars), Junichi Harashima (drums) and Dr. Mikannibal (vocals, saxophone).

Earlier this year, Sigh released their ninth studio album, In Somniphobia, and I thought it was only appropriate to chat to Sigh’s genial mastermind, Mirai Kawashima, about the latest release and everything in between.

<T> Tell us more about the origins of Sigh… In 1989, I was a singer for a band called Ultra Death who was playing cover songs by Whiplash, Death, Celtic Frost, Destruction etc. It evolved into Sigh in 1990. So, to be precise, Sigh was formed in the beginning of 1990. We released our first demo Desolation in April that year, but if people saw we had only been around for three months, they wouldn’t take us seriously. So, we insisted on having played since 1989.

<T> How did you personally start getting into and playing music? My mother was a classical piano teacher, so I started taking lessons at the age of four. Classical music is my biggest musical background, along with metal. When I became a teenager, I started liking heavy music and searched for something extreme. Then I totally got into thrash metal. Soon, I wanted to start playing it myself and bought a bass guitar. This was my second instrument after classical piano.

<T> Where do you draw your musical inspiration from? Anything. Of course all the music I listen to more or less influences me, even if I am not aware of it. Other than that, books, movies, daily news, paintings, life – seriously, whatever! If you open your eyes and ears, anything can inspire you. So, I always have a music book with me to write down ideas whenever I come up with them. A brilliant melody could come into my head when I’m commuting.

<T> Your lyrics deal with a lot of issues, but a large focus is on the topic of death. Where do you draw that inspiration from? Are there any authors/writers who influence your writing and ideas? Yes, death has always been one of the most important issues from the beginning. I have been fascinated with death since I was a little kid and I believe all people are fascinated by death anyway because nobody can get away from it. You either have to live without thinking about it or live with it in mind. I chose the latter. Look at the news; they often deal with death – wars, car accidents, suicides or whatever. Why? Because people do actually care about death. Other than that, I draw inspiration from horror movies and PAGE20

some fantasy/Sci-Fi novels. I love movies like The Gates of Hell, Beyond, the Blind Dead series, Dead and Buried and Burial Ground.

<T> Sigh is known for its consistently evolving sound. How do you keep the ideas flowing without falling into a formulaic rut as most artists tend to? I cannot explain it. It’s 100% spontaneous and depends on my instincts. I’ve learned a lot about musical theories, so I know perfectly well about chord progression theories etc., but music is still an art. No matter how hard you study, you cannot make music that moves people using only theories. It’s called ‘Poegie’ and ‘Kunst’ in German. You can learn ‘Kunst’, but not ‘Poegie’.

<T> Your fifth album, Imaginary Sonicscape, is one the trippiest, yet most carefully constructed, albums I’ve ever heard… it’s almost like a sonic hallucination. It is also, in my opinion, a bit of a revolutionary work for Sigh as it moved so much further away from a largely black-metal sound. What inspired you to move a bit further away from the horror-music angle and go so much further with the progressive side of Sigh? Were there any recreational drugs used during the writing/recording process? Obviously we wanted to move away from the so-called black-metal movement. I am not sure about outside Japan, but here there are so many black-metal wannabe bands that wanted to be like us, and we were completely sick of them. I admit we were young and immature back then, but we just could not stand it. They came to us and asked things like, ‘How do you breathe fire?’, ‘How do you get an international record deal?’, and things like that. One guy somehow got my number and called me, asking, ‘Hey, are you a Satanist?’. We were sick of everything surrounding the black metal ‘scene’ in Japan so we basically needed to tell them to fuck off.

These days I programme everything in MIDI beforehand and listen to it hundreds of times until I’m completely satisfied. I’ll keep changing the melodies, chords, arrangements, structures etc., and once I feel it’s perfect, I’ll give the demo and score to the other members. Then, finally, we’ll start rehearsing in the studio. So, thanks to technology, I’m able to know almost exactly what the album will sound like beforehand. Back in the 90s, things were quite different. I was not at all sure how Hail Horror Hail would sound until the recording was done!

<T> How did the addition of Dr. Mikannibal, bringing in another vocal dimension and saxophone, change Sigh’s song writing dynamics?

No matter how hard you study, you cannot make music that moves people using only theories.

With regards to drugs back then, believe it or not, magic mushrooms were legal in Japan. Unfortunately they’re banned now, but yes, a lot of drugs were involved in Imaginary Sonicscape.

When we were recording Hangman’s Hymn, we were looking for a model for the booklet. Then one of my friends introduced me to Dr. Mikannibal. She said she was in a death metal band, too, and gave me the demo. To be honest, I never expected anything special, thinking it would be more of the same generic stuff. However, I was completely wrong. I was totally surprised to hear her voice. Then I went to see her live and thought she shouldn’t be playing for 50 people in a small Japanese venue. She can growl, sing, play the saxophone and understand English. It’s difficult to find even a guy like that in Japan! And she looks good too. So, why not? Her addition is a huge progression for Sigh.

<T> What is your favourite Sigh album and why? It has to be In Somniphobia. I always like the latest album as we’re always evolving. I like all the stuff we’ve done so far, but if I have to pick one, it’s the latest one.

<T> Considering your music always incorporates various genres, how on earth do you combine such a variety of genres and compose your songs to flow (in a natural and jarring sense) as well as they do? Do you work everything out in your head beforehand or do you try to take it piece by piece and see what works and what doesn’t?

<T> Your latest album, In Somniphobia, was released in March 2012. Tell us a bit more about the album and the inspiration behind it… Somniphobia stands for fear of sleep. I always have nightmares and often realise they aren’t real whilst dreaming. I’m at a point where so many things have happened to me but can’t tell if they’re real or if they just happened in my dreams. The lyrical concept is about losing the border between dreams and reality, or life and death. PAGE21

I love movies that deal with this concept such as Carnival of Souls, Dead and Buried, Jacob’s Ladder, Others and so on. It’s all about fantasy. Fantasy stands for something between reality and imagination. It’s not reality, but it’s not complete imagination either. At least up until the 70s, people have had a slight fear of the exotic. H.P. Lovecraft often dealt with this theme, like the ‘Mad Arab’ in his novels. The Exorcist starts with a scene in Iraq. Cannibal Holocaust is probably one of the best examples to show fear of the exotic, and people thought it was real. Well at least I did. We took exotic places as something between reality and imagination and viewed them with fear. Unfortunately all these fantasies have been lost today, though. Regarding the album, there’s no clear storyline but the lyrics, especially the ‘Lucid Nightmares’ part (tracks 3-9), are about these things. That’s why the songs sound very nightmarish and sometimes exotic. Musically, it’s probably the most varied album we’ve done. It’s got everything from metal, free jazz, classical music, African music, traditional Indian music to 21st century classical music and more.

<T> You’ve been creating music for a long time… what would you say are the most significant changes you’ve gone through as an artist and song writer and your approach to music in general?

Black Sabbath, Venom, Celtic Frost, Whiplash, Death, Kreator, Bathory, NME, At War, Post Mortem, Death SS, Paul Chain, Black Hole, Technova, Jam and Spoon, The Irresistible Force, Blue, The Drum Club, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Ash Ra Tempel and the list goes on. I love any artists who are original and creative no matter the style.

<T> Are you able to make a living from your music alone? Of course not! Nobody lives on extreme music here in Japan. It’s simple… in Japan, you have to earn at least $30,000 per year and that’s not a very good income here. We have five members which means we have to make an annual profit of $150,000. Having a day job is the only way to play extreme metal if you live in Japan.

<T> Three albums you’ve enjoyed recently? Angel Witch’s As Above, So Below was surprisingly good and is the best album of 2012 so far. Other than that, there were some cool albums from Napalm Death, Terrorizer and Kreator.

<T> What other Japanese bands/artists should people look out for? The scene is the same everywhere. There are a few great bands and lots of crappy ones. People should check out Abigail, Barbatos, Genocide Nippon and Eternal Elysium.

<T> What’s on the cards for Sigh in the near future? Technology. When we started Sigh 20 years ago, I never thought I’d be able to edit my music on my PC! Now you can do anything on your computer. It’s definitely a revolution. Of course I’ve matured as a composer and learnt a lot about music, but my music is still my music and my vision is always my vision. But technology! It’s brought us so many possibilities!

<T> In the Japanese music scene, the visual kei scene has once again risen to a level of prominence… what’s your opinion on the matter? Do you think it is a valid form of art or do you think it’s simply posturing and makes use of extreme visual styling make-up for a lack of musical and artistic merit? The point is it’s always the music that counts. No matter how you look, if the music is great, I’ll listen to it. I love the Canadian thrash band Infernäl Mäjesty, who looked like a glam-rock band, because their music was great. I even love Cold Lake by Celtic Frost. However, as far as visual kei goes, I have never ever come across something MUSICALLY great. If you want to wear make-up, just go ahead. I’ve got no problem with it. But no matter if you’re ugly or beautiful, the music is what’s important to me.

<T> What current and deceased musical minds do you have a great appreciation for? There are many. Schumann, Liszt, Schubert, Debussy, Satie, Messiaen, Stockhausen, Schnittke, John Zorn, Miles Davis, Albert Ayler, Kaoru Abe, Thelonius Monk, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Iron Maiden, PAGE22

At the end of September we’re playing with Alcest here in Tokyo. We might play in some Asian countries in Oct/ Nov but nothing has been confirmed yet. In 2013, we’ll be playing at Roadburn in the Netherlands. Other than that, the Imaginary Sonicscape triple LP will be out some time later this year. As for our next album, I’m not sure when it will be out as I haven’t come up with anything great in my head, yet.

<T> Thanks for your time! Any final thoughts? Thank you very much for the interview. For the latest news, follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/sighjapan■

Welcome to the Dark Side!

OUTUBE, MySpace, facebook, ReverbNation, SoundCloud and the other ever-proliferating social media platforms are making it increasingly easy for musicians and artists to be heard. According to YouTube’s traffic statistics, on average, 72 hours worth of footage is uploaded to the site every single minute. A scarier statistic is that 500 years worth of YouTube videos are watched daily on facebook – showing how social media platforms integrate at a rate that is hard to fathom. Of course, YouTube isn’t uniquely dedicated to music, although that is mainly what I use it for. YouTube is also chock-full of hilarious clips by ambitious upstarts from musicians to comedians, porn and free access to view items that we would otherwise never be able to get our hands on.

YouTube has helped to make or break careers. Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber recently told Forbes Magazine : ‘Social media helped launch my career. Without the Internet and without YouTube, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to put my music out there and have people hear it.’ Presumably then, Bieber’s mom is the person who got the ball rolling by literally flooding YouTube with clips of her son doing what he does best; annoying people performing music. YouTube therefore can be credited for kick-starting Bieber’s career. Yay. The world hasn’t entirely lost its wits though: at the time that this article was written, Bieber’s ‘Baby’ sports 763 386 186 views; there are 1 278 441 likes versus 2 781 877 dislikes.

Want to follow in Bieber’s footsteps? You’re in luck: wikiHow has an eight-step plan for budding young homepublishers to start their own ‘YouTube career’ – yes that’s a thing now, though I doubt anyone will add that to their CVs. Step one, I am told, is to sign up and make sure that your user name is entirely inspired and catchy. After this rather obvious and redundant step you can post your first video. According to wikiHow it should preferably be something ‘you know well or have a strong opinion on’. Take a moment to consider the amount of armchair experts with strong opinions in this world. That thought, leads me neatly to my next point… There is an entirely dark side of YouTube and other social media platforms. A place where macabre videos by bored housewives, fat men in hot tubs scoffing junk food, obese American women singing covers of well-loved popular songs are at home, right there on our computer screens… freaking us out. A side where ignorant, workshy louts can upload ‘Mrs Robinson’, listing it as a Beatles track because they don’t know any better. They also don’t know the lyrics to this still-great song, because if they did the resemblance between the lyrics and YouTube becomes eerily relevant: ‘We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files; We’d like to help you learn to help yourself ; Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes; Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home.’ It pays to be careful on your stroll though, because the dark side of YouTube is a terrifying wilderness. ■

PAGE23

ANFOKKINGTASTIES is a rather interesting concept, and a pretty fine name. What the ‘super group’ basically consists of is Van Coke Kartel, Fokofpolisiekar, aKING and Die Heuwels Fantasties who decided to get together, lay down some acoustic-driven tracks and have a good time touring. The result of that union is this compilation. The question is, does it work?

VANFOKKINGTASTIES

VANFOKKINGTASTIES Reviewed by : Tristan Snijders Score : 8/10

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re expecting Fokofpolisiekar to sound like a bunch of disgruntled punkrockers, or listening out for the usual spacey pop vibe of Die Heuwels Fantasties, you may be disappointed. If you go into this with an open mind and ear, you’ll find there’s a lot to enjoy on VanFokKingTasties. aKING delivers a sound not unlike what we’ve come to expect from them. The slightly mellower take really suits their melodic rock approach to music and the band still retains its great, distinctly South African, sound. Die Heuwels Fantasties, who usually produces something like electro pop rock, also makes a good effort here. I can’t help feeling, though, that their usual approach really suits their songs better. The band’s opening number is unfortunately a bit pedestrian, but they get better as they go on, and close with a truly moving number, ‘Tyd’. Van Coke Kartel, who needs little introduction, is on the ball as usual and the acoustic approach has always worked well when led by Mr Van Coke on vocals. Francois Van Coke fans are in for an even greater treat with a new Fokofpolisiekar track, ‘Dagdronk’. For an acoustic track, it really has an awesome groove and is a definite foot-tapper. The album’s highlight is undoubtedly the reworked version of the excellent ‘Klipgooi Glashuis’ where Van Coke truly shines and lets everyone know he’s still on top of his game. If you’re a fan of any of these bands, you need to get this. If you’re not a fan, VanFokKingTasties is still worth checking out and it provides the perfect soundtrack to a leisurely road trip, or simply a mellow evening where you want to sit back and relax.■ Linkin Park

Living Things Reviewed by : GIDEON RAMABULA Score : 6/10

PAGE24

eople from all walks of life enjoy the modern sound that Linkin Park has delivered over the years. The band is always trying to forge a new sound that leaves fans wanting more. After listening to the entire album one feels like hitting repeat and falling into a trance that sends the mind on a journey through the good and the bad.

Linkin Park has entertained us with uplifting songs and sounds that cater to the 21st century music fan and the band’s latest release Living Things will make waves throughout the world. You’ll find the usual rap/rock fusion but, whereas the band’s previous albums were sung with anger and rage that kept fans jumping and singing along, Living Things takes a much more subtle approach. One could say that the band is coming out of a slumber, with soft, warm and moving words that give fans a sense of belonging and understanding. Fans can relate to the songs and the band seems to understand that today’s music enthusiasts long for songs that have meaning such as ‘Burn It Down’. This album sees the band turning towards a softer rock sound with added electro elements. The excitement the band has been able to provide over the years has not been delivered here and the softer approach feels a bit contrived at times. To anyone looking for some chilled music that will send them on an emotional rollercoaster ride, Living Things should be the album of choice. If you’re a fan of the heavier side of Linkin Park, approach it with a bit more caution. ■ Adam Lambert

Trespassing Reviewed by : Reinhardt Massyn Score : 7/10

HE flamboyant and eccentric Adam Lambert recently released his second album, Trespassing, almost three years after his debut album

For your Entertainment . Both albums are released under RCA records, a subsidiary label of Sony Music Entertainment. At first glance, it’s clear that the ‘overdone glam’ is a bit reduced if you compare it to For your Entertainment. This album consists of 15 tracks, which were produced by a vast number of producers. This album delivers a wide variety, due to the various writers and producers onboard with this production. Lambert himself was onboard writing/assisting with 12 of the tracks. The flagship song on this album, leading the charts ‘Never Close Our Eyes’, was co-written by Bruno Mars. A strong electronic vibe is produced on this album, and although the presence of a ‘live’ instrument vibe is not present, it’s not overdone, which means that you don’t find yourself in an ‘attack of the synthesisers’. I personally enjoyed this album, not having to skip tracks and lower the volume. A must-have for any Adam Lambert fan or electro pop lovers. ■

Rudi’s guide to a better recording Product type : Software Product name : Steinberg Cubase 6.5 Rating : 8/10

erman engineering is known to have created some of the most reliable and impressive designs known to man. Whether you’re looking at the latest BMW, ground-breaking medical research or musical equipment, the Germans really seem to know exactly what they’re doing… and boy, do they do it well. We start off with a bit of a history lesson. Steinberg has been around since 1984 and envisioned a world where musicians could record their own material without selling a number of limbs on the black market to be able to afford it. In 1989, Steinberg released the very first version of Cubase, which only recorded via MIDI, on the Atari ST computer. It was a pioneer in the field and provided the user with graphic representations of compositions, making it so much easier to see what’s going on, and Steinberg is consistently improving its product. I love and recommend Cubase for a variety of reasons. The array of built-in virtual instruments is excellent and the quality of each is truly amazing. You also get the Padshop VST Granular Synthesiser included with version 6.5, which provides some out-of-this-world effects and can be utilised to create some fantastic atmospheres. The plug-ins that come standard with Cubase 6.5 are, more often than not, very usable. Things like the pitch-altering VariAudio and time-stretching AudioWarp, which may cost a bit extra with other recording software, are very handy and are one of my main reasons for preferring Cubase over other products. Cubase excels brilliantly at MIDI editing and sequencing. The sleek, improved design, makes using it more user friendly than previous incarnations and most competing products. Those who are familiar with earlier versions of Cubase will find the click-and-drag features of the Comp tool, as well as other small additions, make for an even better Cubase experience. The greatest appeal of Cubase, however, is the superb value for money and you know what that means… a much bigger budget for hardware!

The greatest appeal of Cubase, however, is the superb value for money and you know what that means… a much bigger budget for hardware!

Cubase 6.5 retails for about R7500. ■ PAGE25

& 084 630 8839 VDOHV#EXWWHUÀ\ DSSDUHO FRP

ƜȷȵȷɂȯȺΎƟȯɀȻȳȼɂΎƨɀȷȼɂȷȼȵ ƝȻȰɀȷȽȲȳɀɇ ƬȯȷȺȽɀȻȯȲȳΎƛȺȽɂȶȷȼȵ ƥȳɀȱȶȯȼȲȷȱȳΎƚɀȯȼȲȷȼȵ ƫȱɀȳȳȼΎƨɀȷȼɂȷȼȵ ƞɃȺȺΎȱȽȺȽɃɀΎȾɀȷȼɂɁΎȽȼɂȽΎ Ƭ˹ɁȶȷɀɂɁΎȯɂΎȷȼȹ˹ȸȳɂΎ ȿɃȯȺȷɂɇ˷ΎƦȽΎȻȽɀȳΎȵɀȯȷȼɇΎ ȶȯȺȴɂȽȼȳɁ˴ΎȳɆȾȳȼɁȷɄȳΎ ȾȽɁȷɂȷɄȳɁ˴ΎȽɀΎȾȺȯɁɂȷȱΎ ɂɀȯȼɁȴȳɀɁ˷ΎƯȶȯɂΎɇȽɃΎɁȳȼȲΎ ɃɁΎȷɁΎɅȶȯɂΎȵȳɂɁΎȾɀȷȼɂȳȲ˴Ύ ȲȷɀȳȱɂȺɇΎȽȼɂȽΎɇȽɃɀ ΎȵȯɀȻȳȼɂɁ˷

ƛȽȼɂȯȱɂΎƭɁΎƬƧƜƙƱΎȴȽɀΎȯΎȴɀȳȳΎƩƭƧƬƙƬơƧƦ