Bpm Magazine_Jan/Feb14 by BPM Magazine

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ISSUE 71

One Night Only

ZAKES BANTWINI ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL SA CARL COX FOR NYE CULPRATE PSYSEX NASTEE NEV ROCCO THIWE

URBAN MUSIC CULTURE

PASCAL & PEARCE

bpm BEATS

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PEOPLE

CONTENTS

JAN/FEB 2014 EDITION 71

• MUSIC

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@ BPMMAG.CO.ZA INTERVIEW: EREFAAN PEARCE Erefaan Pearce is a name I remember seeing on party flyers as far back as the 90’s. An accomplished producer and DJ, he’ll be spinning tunes this weekend on the same line-up as Kerri Chandler, ...

MAGAZINE TEMPLATE DESIGN: Johann M Smith johannmartinsmith@gmail.com

EGBERT PLAYS HELLO Aagh to be Dutch and produce dance music! It seems like the perfect place to be for young producers, as Egbert attests in the cyberchat we had last week. The techno producer is about to drop his Warm album... LIQUID SOUL RETURNS FOR LOVE & LIGHT Liquid Soul will be back in South Africa this December for Love & Light on 21 December for another one of their now infamous day/night parties. This year’s event sees them extend their hours ...

No part of this magazine may be imitated or reproduced in whole / in part or online, without the permission of BPM Magazine. Any views, opinions & visual material expressed in BPM Magazine cc. by contributors are not necessarily shared by the BPM Magazine or its staff. We do not accept responsibility for any omissions or mistakes, as we do everything possible to make sure all information published is accurate.

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EDITORS NOTE & CONTRIBUTORS THE WALL MUSIC NEWS THE LITTLE MISFIT PASCAL & PEARCE CARL COX FOR NYE ZAKES BATWINI: LESSONS FROM HIS MUSIC BIBLE ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL SOUTH AFRICA: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW SONIC SPECIES CULPRATE ROCCO NASTEE NEV AND THE 0808 EXPERIENCE STEFAN VILJOEN: TALENT + HARDWORK = STEFAN VILJOEN THE DEEP END WITH LUO PSYSEX THIWE: DEFYING THE ODDS ALBUM REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS DJ TOP TEN CHARTS PARTY INFO & EVENTS ASTROBABBLE - CAPRICORN & AQUARIUS

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REDSEAT QNA: RALF GUM Unlike most DJs and artists who are overly concerned with cracking it in first world countries, Ralf Gum has taken the opposite route by moving from Germany to South Africa. Looking at it from his side, ...

EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

FEATURE WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

ow this EDM bubble is really getting bigger and bigger. When’s it going to burst? Because burst it will and when it does, it’s all the independent operators that’ll be left to pick up the pieces. I’m not begrudging the way it has exploded - thanks America, it seems that even though you are a shadow of your former self, the rest of the world is still affected by your likes and dislikes. Right now the USA is in love with EDM and the offshoot from this is that global brands are now scrambling to hop onto that bandwagon. Sadly, what most are typically doing, is throwing tons of cash at events, often times using complete noobs in the dance music scene - ad and PR types - to launch and manage these. To the outsider or general punter this may seem irrelevant as they salivate the opportunity to see one of their ‘bucket-list’ DJs perform but like anything that follows the same [branding] formula, it becomes passé after a while. It just amazes me that promoters approach brands daily for investment in their events - some with really creative ideas, others... well often times clueless I guess, but either way, it is reportedly very tough getting money out of them. But give a brand a chance to throw a truckload of money at an event they can call their own - and as I say, they’ll spend probably 3 to 4 times more than what an independent promoter asks for. I do understand that the brand wants to own the event and I am not bitter... probably because I am not a promoter. But I do worry about the aftermath. Will the over-ground success of EDM create new fans of dance music in general or is the fickle mainstream going to simply run off to the ‘next big thing,’ once the hype has died down? Time will tell; all I know for definite is that we’re all going to ride this wave for as long as it keeps us afloat in true cowboy style - which by the way is not a direct reference to some of the wild-west promoters out there, although it surely could be. But let’s talk about the real elephant in the room. DJ MAG recently launched in South Africa and I am amused when people look me square in the eye and ask in a concerned voice “How are things at BPM?” My reply is usually “great, why?” To which they will inevitably say, “I see DJ MAG is launching in South Africa.” So yes, things are surely looking up in SA when an international DJ magazine comes to town. Let’s just hope they make a better fist of it than Rolling Stone South Africa who has, from my observations, had a somewhat chequered tenure. BPM Magazine, as the custodians to carrying the message of electronic music to the community - something we have done for 10 years now - wishes DJ MAG SA well. They certainly have a great editor at the helm; Heather Mennell - who has written for BPM Magazine many times over the years and whose heart is indeed in the right place. My message to the publishers is simple. EDM and/or dance music is big news now. Don’t just be another brand jumping on the bandwagon to cash in. We [and many others] have nurtured and cared for this industry for many years now and shall continue to do so. Let’s hope you have our staying power because the industry could do with an alternative voice in dance music. So what’s left to say? Happy 2014 I guess. Let’s hope the year of the horse is better than this last year of the snake!!!

DAVE MAC Editor-in-Chief Find me here: dave@bpmmag.co.za | Twitter: davemac77 Facebook: dave.mac.mckinley BPM Magazine: Facebook: facebook.com/bpmmag Twitter: twitter.com/bpmmag

Johann M Smith - Johann M Smith isn’t your average EDM lover. His experience as a rock ‘n’ roll journalist and drummer gives him an outsider’s point of view and no doubt allows for a fresh breath of life in the world of electronic music.

The Little Misfit - The Little Misfit is an anonymous observer who has been around the electronic music scene for more years than most. She’s seen it all, done it all and has the tales to tell. Not much surprises her any more although she is still wholly excited by music, dancing and socialising within this scene. It’s with this passion and experience that she casts a slightly jaundiced, feminine eye on the many components that add spice to Cape Town EDM Culture. Tendai Luwo - Recovering blueberry muffin addict, dj, remixer and voice over artist, Luo first firmly sank his teeth into music while working for Rhodes Music Radio (RMR 89.7fm) in 2009 and has never looked back since. Now a loyal disciple of all things deep and soulful, He can be found roaming the streets and alleyways searching for his next dose of good 'ol house music. Mary Honeychild - Mary is a fusion queen, her love for music is defined by her roots of drums, saxophone and deep bass. She discovers the break and combination in genres and takes us on journeys into the origin and amalgamation of scenes such as Jazz, Hip Hop and EDM. Ethan Storm - Ethan Storm has had a passion for two things since he was just a kid - music and writing. Nowadays, he has combined his love for both into one, producing articles from the perspectives of both the music lover and the music maker. Dave Skinz - DJ, Music Manufacturer, Wordsmith, Record Store owner, Promoter, and gamer par excellence are some of the multi-faceted roles that Skinz has played in his 15 year love affair with dance music. When not indulging himself in MMA footage and band practice, he spends his time waiting for Arsenal to take the treble. www.daveskinz.com Donovan Leon - Donovan Leon is a Producer/ Engineer for DCL Studios and has had the opportunity to work and collaborate with many top artists & producers such as: Crighton Goodwill, Robin C Khol, L’loyd Cele, Jamali, CH2, Denim, Thembi Seete (Boom Shaka), Kwesta, Zubz, Sasha P (Nigeria), Jae, Ziyon (Liquid Deep), Verona, 37MPH and many, many more.

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Foreign Beggars @ForeignBeggars: can't wait for @SynergyLive in Capetown and Joburgnx weekend. little interview for @BPMMAG here http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/dj-nonames-foreignbeggars-sa/ DJ Nonames retweeted you: @SynergyLive headliner @djnonames from @ForeignBeggars talks about SA music with @JohannMSmith http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/dj-nonames-foreignbeggars-sa/ Mi Casa @MiCasaMusic: http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/mi-casa-makinghouse-home @BPMMAG @Luo_T honestly one of the best write ups we have seen to date ... Thank you. #SurrealSelections @Djswizz: Did you know that @BPMMAG featured @Surreal_Sounds for their Nov/Dec '13 feature? http://issuu.com/bpmmag/docs/bpm_novdec13?e=1 060598/5548123 …Woooo-hoo!!! :-) KalmKaoz @KalmKaoz: @KalmKaoz luvs 2 things twats and @BPMMAG - we need to get together for a group hug ;)! David + @JohannMSmith are pure uncut dope! Headphase and DAS KAPITAL favorited your Tweet: @daveyjames89 caught up with @Headphase_SA ahead of his bump & grind at this year's @SynergyLive http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/inter... Art Bam @art_bam: GREAT interview with @Headphase_SA and @BPMMAG! The guy has talent and know his House music. Give it a read: http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/interview-headphase Bigger Than Me @biggerthanmeZA: @BPMMAG loved working with you guys on #DJsforbread Tsonga Mafia @TsongaMafia @SoulCandi: Great read on #SoulCandiSessions2014 courtesy of @BPMMag http://bpmmag.co.za/news/music-news/soul-candisessions-2014-album AkaiProSouthAfrica @AkaiSouthAfricare tweeted you @chameleontouch's artwork collaboration for the upcoming @HAEZER album is looking good... pic.twitter.com/SOTmbJ2F0x Love & Light @LoveandLightCT: Check this article out by @BPMMAG chatting to Yotopia http://bit.ly/1iflL7X #LoveAndLight2013pic.twitter.com/Wb6GgL8rX3 Milan Kovacevic @MilanK_DJ: The new XW-G1 Synth from @CasioSA looks amazing!!! @BPMMAG

would be an awesome early xmas present to add to my lil home studio JULLiAN GOMES and SIZO retweeted you @KerriChandler @Quentin_Harris @RalfGUM @JULLiAN_GOMES @LuloCafeSA to thump @Heineken_SA Star Club in 2 weeks http://bpmmag.co.za/news/music-news/heinekenstar-club-sa-local-line Ralf GUM @RalfGUM retweeted you. We tackled @RalfGUM for a #RedSeatQnA ahead of his set at @Heineken_SA Star Club http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/redseat-qna-ralf-gum/ #HeinekenLiveAccess SeedExperiences @SeedExperiences: @BPMMAG See you at the Block Party! http://bit.ly/1jgdcaJ @OlmecaTequilaSA #OlmecaMDBP urbanrebelpr @urbanrebelpr: Hardwell’s Dreamy Reality: @BPMMAG chat with @RevealedRec boss @HARDWELL about his South African @IamHardwell tour http://goo.gl/IZRkQN H2O and 4 others retweeted you: Can you believe it: in less than 10 days @HARDWELL's #IAMHARDWELL comes to #SouthAfrica. http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/hardwells-dreamyreality/ @electricmusicsa DANNIC and 8 others retweeted a Tweet you were mentioned in: News: @DANNICdj remixes Dutch legend @arminvanbuuren new single ‘Intense’ http://bpmmag.co.za/news/musicnews/dannic-remixes-armin-van-buurens-intense/ #sthash.5cLxq2Z5.uxfs … via @BPMMAG Do Work Records @DoWorkRec: Read! @BPMMAG: We asked @iamDasKapital a few burning questions ahead of his @DoWorkRec takeover at @SynergyLive http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/redseat-qna-daskapital/ GoodLuck Music @Goodlucklive: @BPMMAG @davemac77 Thanks for the write-up Mr. Mac! ;) iFani @iFani_Haymani: <I love this> @BPMMAG: Levi Letsoko talks to @iFani_Haymani who reveals wat should b the next step for #SAHipHop http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/ifani-rapper-rise/ HilgardBergstedt @hilgardsa: when @erefaanpearce talks to @davemac77 @BPMMAG about dance music - you know we're having Big Faan http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/erefaan-pearce

@DJFreshSA & a stellar host of others http://bpmmag.co.za/news/music-news/dannymarquez-sa-nye-ct-party Goldfish retweeted a Tweet you were mentioned in: Check this @BPMMAG interview with @BakermatMusic! Catch Bakermat & @GoldFishLive at #SubmergedSundays on Sun 8 Dec. http://bit.ly/1g1FjLa Diloxclusiv @DiloXclusiv: Can't wait to rock kenya wit @ToyaDelazy representing SA. @Boysnoize @blackmangomusic @BPMMAG @CapeTownMag @CityVisionLive @DikelaNoni Boys Noize @boysnoize: @DiloXclusiv @ToyaDelazy @blackmangomusic @BPMMAG @CapeTownMag @CityVisionLive @DikelaNoni nice one!! The Bloody Beetroots @BloodyBeetroots retweeted you: @JohannMSmith interviews @BloodyBeetroots: "Can dance music speak for a generation or are we just here to dance?" http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/electronic-new-rockn-roll Ralf GUM @RalfGUM: The #HeinekenStarClub weekend is here. See my interview with @BPMMAG for it: http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/redseat-qna-ralf-gum RebirthPartySA, AshvirMaharaj and Dirkie Coetzee Music retweeted a Tweet you were mentioned in: @RebirthPartySA This Fri @JenReneMusic @zaxxmusic @DirkieCoetzee @IainWylder @muzik_SA @CorrieTheron @Where2PartyJhb @BPMMAG TriFusion @TriFusion: Huge fan of @BPMMAG! Keep it up guys! #StayInformed Thabz @JusThabz: @TheMacleanBrain Your "The Responsible Artist - Part 4" article on @bpmmag is a great read. Aspiring artists should read this, mos def. L-Tido and I.I Music retweeted you: Talented Alexandra native and hustler @L_Tido has proudly dropped his sophomore album with a new video http://bpmmag.co.za/news/music-news/l-tido-dropsnew-album-hot-video The Assembly and Big Issue SA retweeted you: @CapeAudio College is wrapping up the end of term with a special takeover of @Assembly_ct's #SYNW http://bpmmag.co.za/news/musicnews/cape-audio-college-synw

DJ Fresh (Big Dawg) @DJFreshSA and 5 others retweeted you: @djdannymarquez is to return for an epic #NYEparty in #CapeTown with

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ORIGIN FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LOUD AS HEADLINER Built on a foundation of groovy beats, an amazing venue, a superb setup and gorgeous party freaks, Origin Festival is back at the end of January doing what they do best; serving up an eclectic smorgasbord of delectable beats across two dancefloors, a whole lotta sunshine (it is the middle of summer) and LOUD as their headline act. Purveyors of all things psytrance may recall their funny video earlier this year called Future Ducks of London - Why Psytrance has Become Shit which went viral quite quickly and has tallied up over 500,000 views. The video is simply a piss-take on the formula of psy and progressive trance and whilst shouldn’t be taken too seriously, it certainly made a point. Well, at the end of January you’ll be able to appreciate why psytrance is NOT shit when LOUD take to the stage and deliver what is always a very psychedelic and different set by the duo. Regan from Nano Records says he has opted not to jump on the band wagon and simply try and book the ‘flavour of the month’ artists, opting to rather trust his judgment and introduce SA dancefloors to interesting and psychedelic acts he feels will bring back the journey element to parties. Additions such as Ryanosaurus from Zenon Records in Australia are sure to peak interest by those in the know and of course Groove Addiction, recently signed to Nano Records, will be keen to debut his live set on our shores. Bayawaka should be good too. His is a heady mix of Psy Bass music, psy ambient meets glitch hop, meets dub, meets techno, meets world music. On the second dancefloor, techno stalwart, Secret Cinema from Holland will be a big attraction along with the imitable Pete Bones who visits us once more. Here’s the line-up confirmed so far... LOUD (Nano, Israel) | Groove Addict (Nano, India) | Secret Cinema (Gem, Netherlands) | Marc Maya & DeLa Swing - Special Elrow Session - (Elrow, Spain) | Digoa (Zero 1, Brazil) | Ryanosaurus (Zenon, Australia) | Eitan Reiter + Kobi Toledano (Digital Structures, Israel) | Bayawaka (Enig'matik, Israel) | IpCress (Nanoplex, UK) | Rosa Ventura (Brazil) | Solar (Chile) | Pete Bones (Red Ant, USA) | Headroom | Broken Toy | The Commercial Hippies | Sad Paradise | Static Flow | Regan For more info go to www.originfestival.com

HAEZER DROPS GOLD PLATED FREQUENCIES EP Celebrated SA export Haezer is upping the ante with a new 5 track EP titled Gold Plated Frequencies. Haezer also stated the EP is very important because it's the foundation of where he's going with his sound. “The tracks are more mature, with less distortion, but yet more energy than my previous work. I spent a good month just recording jam sessions on my Little Phatty and sampled that for the new EP to give it a more analog and nostalgic feel.” Fans get their hands on Gold Plated Frequencies via Beatport. For more information, check out Haezer’s fancy new website haezer.net.

NYE PARTIES: 5 OF THE BEST 2014 is coming up which means it’s time for another epic NYE party. Organisers across the board have been busy making plans to herald in the New Year. Here is a brief review of 5 of the best: The inaugural Electric NYE Ball featuring Carl Cox at Cape Town’s CTICC - tickets are R580 (General), R785 (VIP) and R2 550 (VVIP); Ibiza Calling presented by Guess and 5FM featuring the return of Space Ibiza decks burner Danny Marquez alongside big dawg DJ Fresh and Rob Vember at Cape Town’s Bungalow - tickets are R450 (General) and R750 (VIP); Ballito (KZN) New Year’s Eve presented by Samsung #Galaxyexperience and 5FM, features Ibiza resident Danny Avila alongside Pascal & Pearce and Roger Goode - tickets are R320 (General) and R520 (VIP); The Ruins NYE Party at St. Francis Bay with headliners Locnville, PHFAT, Rob Forbes and Fix - tickets R250 (General), R350 (Golden Circle) and R550 (VIP Access); and lastly, Rezonance NYE Festival featuring 4 stages and 3 days of non-stop fun - tickets R450 to R570.

BREATHE SUNSHINE AFRICAN MUSIC CONFERENCE SHIFTS INTO SECOND GEAR Here’s some good news for those of us who like staying informed on important matters regarding the state of the South African music industry. The second Breathe Sunshine African Music Conference has proudly been announced. The 2 day event - set to take place from 14 to 15 February at Cape Town’s City Hall attracts a multi-cultural audience from all spheres of the African music community and their respective field and areas. FOR MORE: breathesunshineconference.com

L-TIDO DROPS NEW ALBUM ALL OF ME - WITH HOT NEW VIDEO Talented Alexandra native and hustler L-Tido has dropped his long awaited sophomore album. Titled All Of Me the 12 track offering was inspired by personal circumstances and situations his family and friends have experienced in the last year. The album is a blend of L-Tido’s African heritage roots and current day hip-hop, the overall result gives him variety - hopefully it will give him longevity. The new album debuted on iTunes with a warm spot at number 3 and has is available at all good music stores.

OLMECA TEQUILA TO BLOCK OFF STREETS FOR ‘MAD DECENT BLOCK PARTY’ This piece of news has been keeping Twitter fingers occupied. In case you haven’t heard, Olmeca Tequila and Los Angeles-based record label Mad Decent are planning to block off streets in both Joburg (8 February 2014) and Cape Town (9 February 2014) for a massive street-style party featuring international imports Major Lazer, Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus. Tickets are R275 pp (for both) and available through Webtickets.

CAPE TOWN ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 (CTEMF) The third edition of the Cape Town Electronic Music Festival kicks off in Cape Town on 4 February 2014 and will run through until 9 February 2014. Workshops, showcases and satellite events will precede the main music festival which will take place from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th. First launched in 2012 the event was formed as a celebration of the progress made by South Africa’s electronic music scene over the past fifteen years. CTEMF says their objectives are simple: “to annually present

South Africa’s most interesting and innovative electronic artists to a local and international audience - thereby contributing to the growth of electronic music culture in an inclusive, positive and responsible way.” The 2014 edition will signal the event’s evolution from Cape Town’s electronic music festival into an internationally relevant music festival anchored in Cape Town. With its fundamental principles still rooted in the unified growth of the South African scene, 2014 they claim, will see the line-up at CTEMF transform to reflect its global relevance. Keep up to date with developments on their website: www.ctemf.com

10 OPINION

By The Little Misfit

The Little Misfit

KEEPING IT TIDY THE COMMUNAL PSY PARTY BRAIN IS A STRANGE THING. MUCH LIKE A COLONY OF ANTS, WHICH CAN MOVE AND THINK AS ONE; YOUR ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES AFFECT THE WHOLE. iant beach balls fly through the air. The music pulses in the seething crowd. Sunglasses, bikinis and happy, shiny, people. Or are they? I’ve said it before; all psy parties need a dark undercurrent, a sense of danger, it’s what makes them so thrilling after all. But there’s something even darker happening. Underneath the quixotic façade of colour and dreams, there’s rage. A simmering aggression. Not a lot mind you. But it’s there, heating the air. Let me just clarify where I’m going here. It’s a new year, and looking back over the year that was, there’s a lot to celebrate. The scene has grown more diverse and inclusive, our South African producers are making some of the best music globally, the attention to décor and venue has become a fine art. There isn’t much to complain about. Just, well, there’s something a little bit disrespectful going on. The communal psy party brain is a strange thing. Much like a colony of ants, which can move and think as one; your actions and attitudes affect the whole.

I’m writing this with legs stiff from dancing, the thrum of bass still ringing in my ears, and the general happy feeling of having been to a really great party. Yet, there are things that need to change. At too many outdoor festivals there are confrontational incidents, many physical in nature. And while the décor is often transporting, working seamlessly with nature, all you have to do is look down to see a dance floor choked with litter. Whatever happened to ‘leave no trace’? The psychedelic trance scene has embraced the pillars of peace, love and respect from the very beginning. So for the newbies or perhaps the old schoolers who seem to have forgotten, here’s a refresher course to use in the New Year. Let’s call them resolutions. Peace: psy parties are meant to be a safe space, both mentally and physically. People come to escape their normal lives. The last thing anybody should be encountering is a thug or bully. If you feel like you could punch someone, rather go home and klap some more gym boet. Love: this is a biggie. What makes trance parties so special? Love of course. Not to be saccharine, but, we’ve all felt it. The sense of shared community spirit and

unity - hell, how many people have even fallen in love at parties? And it’s not just about love for one another, but also for nature, creativity and music. Respect: this last one feels like it needs the most attention. Pick up your litter, be respectful to the bar staff and the folk working the door - and they in turn should be courteous and helpful to you. I know things can get a little messy at times, but it’s as simple as minding your manners. Let’s also have respect for each other’s musical preferences. Just because you don’t like a particular act, it doesn’t mean the party’s bad - all it means is there’s diversity in our music, and that’s a good thing. As I watched those beach balls bouncing to every corner of the dance floor, hundreds of hands punctuating the air, I saw a gathering of misfits. So many different types of people coming together: a punk girl so pale she drifted like a cloud, a cute hippie boy covered in mud, a wizened watcher his hair threaded with beads - so many outsiders in a space free to be themselves. It’s a beautiful thing. Let’s not ruin it by letting our principles slip. It’s as simple as keeping it tidy.

12 COVER FEATURE

By Dave Mac | Photos: The Famous Frouws

PASCAL & PEARCE ascal & Pearce have been on a wild ride since their double disc debut album, Passport, was released two years ago. The duo attests to a music career that has catapulted them from determined producers looking for a break in the dance music industry to established artists topping the bills of many of South Africa’s biggest events. A quick gaze at their Facebook page leaves one in no doubt as to their popularity in the career they are carving out for themselves, with no less than twenty-five gigs listed for December alone. That’s almost a gig a day! For close on two hours we kick back at their studio just days before they jet off to Ballito Bay to start the madness that is affectionately known as ‘silly season.’ When I arrive Dave [Pearce], charmingly referred to as ‘Disco’ by partner-in-crime, Pascal [I assume short for ‘Disco Dave’], explains that they are doing some re-edits of their set to, firstly, create a bit more dancefloor oomph in parts and also to have a few variations on hand so as to keep things interesting. I suspect this is as much for their own sanity as well as to ensure they keep things fresh for the their fans. Pascal reflects on the two year blitz that

“IT'S LIKE SO MANY GIGS, COMPILED WITH SO MUCH MUSIC, THERE'S JUST NO TIME TO LIKE, REFLECT...” has gotten them to this point of their recently released follow up record, One Night Only. “It’s like so many gigs, compiled with so much music, there’s just no time to like, reflect and when you [do] have time to have a bit of introspection you can see time go by so slowly but when you’re always so busy it’s just like... it’s a blast and before you know... 3 years now.” As much as it’s a tried and tested cliché we all hear over and over again, hard work, determination and grabbing your opportunities when they present themselves sums up the trajectory of the P&P success story. But I do get a feeling it’s more than just that; the duo seem to have an acute awareness [aweh-ness, yoh!] of where they fit in the EDM puzzle and what they want to achieve. Of the two Dave seems the more relaxed and easy breezy, although when he gets going, I sense he really gives it all. Pascal could very well be an insomniac; he has a restless nature, can be quite philosophical at

times and I bet his ambition can keep him awake at night. A chance meeting with one of the members of Locnville, while said duo were shooting their Sun in my Pocket video at a club in Cape Town, was the big break P&P grabbed; “I was on a call downstairs and they were filming in Chevelle and I saw them so I went back upstairs and I said to Dave ‘yoh Disco Locnville are downstairs’ and Dave was ‘okay cool, sweet’ and when we left I was driving and I think Andrew walked outside the club and I was like ‘Disco this is it bru, go chat to him and tell him we ‘d like to do a remix,’ ” recalls Pascal. “It was actually lank funny”, adds Dave. “You know when you’re standing there and someone just kinda walks up to you and you’re thinking ‘what do you want... what’re you trying to steal’ [laughs]. “He was really stoked to meet Dave ‘cos he’d like seen us at a party, he was like ‘aweh bro’ and we got the parts and went back to the studio and ‘made it rain’” exclaims Pascal proudly. ‘Making it rain,’ meant that Just Music’s Karl Anderson loved the remix and so started the relationship they have enjoyed ever since with the indie label. When they finally had their album ready they made sure Karl would take notice.

pascalandpearce

@PascalandPearce

Dave recalls, “We went and printed this fancy cardboard folder with our logo and included a bio sheet... it was like a shiny CV / CD package. I remember a year later Karl said it made a big difference.” “At that time it was like the ‘risk moment’ factor for us,” adds Pascal. “We were like broke ass as hell, and it was like 300 bucks to print this thing,” laughs Dave. Therein is the moral of the story though. Grab your opportunities and when you do, make ‘em count! It’s now two years, umpteen gigs, plenty of media attention, a compilation album release, a SAMA nomination, a plethora of remixes that includes a recent one of the Duck Sauce track It’s You which the duo senses has been a big step forward in getting noticed in the international circuit and now finally their follow up to debut album Passport called One Night Only. “This new album was a bit different to the first one [on how they approached things]. The first one we kinda laid down all the tracks and then thought about vocals. This time we had a vague idea which vocalists we were writing for. The hardest part was actually turning them down. One song actually went through ten different vocalists...’ recalls Dave. They both agree that One Night Only is a big step forward adding that the songs are better structured now and production levels have improved. But thankfully they haven’t strayed too far from what works for them. “I think that with the first album we didn’t want to stick with one genre and it kinda made every song different. That was the same theme

PascalandPearce

this time around. Each song is different stylistically, but what I think the main core difference [from Passport] is that our timing is a lot better in the sense of where our placement is and our understanding of blending is a lot better. Not to say Passport was a bad project, it’s just that that was a lot of excitement whereas this has a bit more maturity [control],” says Pascal. Dave adds, “For me the thing that sticks out most with this album is track arrangement.” He explains how Passport had quite long tracks with long instrumental parts, whereas now “for this one we’ve gone more for a listening experience. There’s only a handful that have a sort of DJ mix section and these are only like 30 seconds [instrumental mixing section]. We went for a lot more ‘radio-edit’ if you will... more songs. So if you pop the CD in your car you’re not going to get like a minute intro and minute outro of just drums for DJs to mix.” The good news though is that online [iTunes, Beatport etc] the longer club mixes are also available for DJs. Pascal & Pearce clearly feel blessed with the opportunities they have created for themselves. Naturally they have their eye on the international market although they do subscribe to Anderson’s advice of ‘slow and steady,’ rather than rash decisions to get noticed overseas. “A No.1 hit on Beatport” emphasises Dave is one way to get those gigs so they’ll patiently keep writing the songs until one blows up on the worldwide circuit. Until then they have a relationship built firstly on the foundation of being co-conspirators in this entity known as

Pascal & Pearce coupled with a firm friendship that has since developed; “Because we’ve become friends through our mutual goals, as opposed to having been mates first, I find that our reaction to things and to each other is more respectful whereas when you’re mates first, there’s a line that you can cross. I think that’s the important thing that makes this relationship work so well.” Friends for life? Let’s hope so! Pascal & Pearce are a ride worth catching and seem well set to take on the world when it looks up and takes notice. Until then we can all enjoy them as one of our top local superstar dance acts, blazing a trail of EDM hits across the country. Read our album review on Pg. 44.

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16 EVENT FEATURE

By Johann M Smith

CARL COX

BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR lectric Music is known for bringing down the cream of the crop - Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5, Fat Boy Slim, Paul van Dyk and so many more. With the announcement of the inaugural Electric NYE Ball - starring renowned triple deck burner Carl Cox we can only assume they’re digging their teeth in real hard. Expect only the best. For the occasion Electric Music has pinned Cape Town’s renowned CTICC.

The facts read: one main floor, one Red Bull Studio floor, 14 acts and a combined 16 hours of fun that starts at 20h00 and ends at 04h00. Supporting highlights include Niskerone, Ricardo da Costa, Harael Salkow, Coco Loco, Chris Jack, Lady M, Royal K & Roger Delux and a few fine others. But the fun list doesn’t end there. Electric Music is offering tailor made packages that fits in with the general celebratory scheme of things. VIP Ticket

holders (R785 pp) get complimentary bubbly at midnight, great views and facilities. Proud owners of VVIP Tickets (R2050 pp) get the full celebrity treatment - an all-night complimentary bar, canapés, an elevated dance floor and at an additional cost, VVIP’s may reserve an area or booth and pre-order their drinks. Fancy. For those who prefer just having beer and a countdown, General tickets are R580.

17 When we asked for a comment, Ricardo da Costa (who is opening for Carl Cox) nailed the hype perfectly. “For me it is one of those defining moments in my career. Carl Cox is a DJ's DJ and someone that has always been a source of inspiration for me since day one - that’s what makes this gig even more special.... the minute I hand over to him at 00h00, I'm going to be on that dancefloor breaking it down like all those other party freaks.” Other DJ’s have also expressed their delight. Chris Jack says “it's a tremendous honour to be closing the Electric NYE Ball after such an iconic DJ like Carl Cox. I’m really excited and counting down the days!” According to Harael Salkow (aka Soul Candi’s CEO and founder) “it’s an honour and privilege to share a DJ box with the legend Carl Cox - I'm absolutely thrilled to start off 2014 with this amazing experience…” Carl Cox needs little introduction. The fun-loving Ibiza king started making tunes at age 15 when he was given a set of turntables and started crafting his career as a mobile DJ. Disco was a catalyst genre for young Cox, but when the 80’s hit he moved on to join a contingent of young London DJ’s who started to play rare grooves, New York hip-hop and electro. Long story short, he was in the perfect place to hear Chicago house in its earliest shape and form - a genre that actually forms the foundation of our very own Kwaito. In 1991 Cox dropped his debut single I Want You on Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label and as the trendoids moved onto disposable house and the advent of jungle came into realisation, he retreated into the club world and embraced underground techno. The mid 90’s was packed with Carl Cox classics like F.A.C.T. and Two Paintings and a Drum. In ’99 he formed Intec Records and after it closed he embraced the new world and relaunched it as Intec Digital - which became home of his critically acclaimed 6th album All Roads Lead To The Dance Floor released in 2011 on state-of-the-art, self-updating USB technology.

WHAT THE PEOPLE BEHIND ELECTRIC MUSIC HAVE TO SAY BPM Magazine had the opportunity to phone up Electric Music’s Managing Director Shaun Duvet ahead of Carl Cox’s set on the 31st December. This is what went down.

First off, thank you for bringing down so many international electric delights to South Africa. How excited are you about bringing down Carl Cox for New Year’s Eve? We cannot wait! Carl Cox is an industry leader and one of the most respected DJs in the world. We had an intimate party with him in Miami where he played for about 200 people and it blew my mind! I can’t wait [smiles]. Just out of interest, how big of a Carl Cox fan are you? Massive! This won’t be the first time Carl Cox graces local shores. When you contacted him, how enthusiastic was he about performing in South Africa again? Carl performed here roughly 15 years ago and we have been trying to bring him in for the past 10 years. When the deal eventually came about it was exciting for everyone all round and Carl can’t wait to come back! And did he reveal to you any details regarding his forthcoming set? Nope, all a surprise [grins]. Carl Cox will be playing the Electric’s first NYE Ball. Will this become an annual event? Yes, absolutely! You’ve stated that “there is nowhere else in Cape Town that anyone should be celebrating the end of another year.” What in your opinion is a good NYE party? Good friends, great music and lots of dancing! Naturally with it being a NEW YEARS EVE event, what can we anticipate in terms of stage production? Will there be any special highlights fans of Carl Cox can look forward to? The stage production is going to be incredible. We have gone all out to produce something that will blow Cape Town away! Expect a

lot of lights, pyro, lasers, LED’s and of course massive sound! More specifically: what can we expect during the New Year’s Eve countdown? A surprise from the man himself… What can we expect from the supporting acts and how did you go about choosing them? We have selected the very best in house and techno DJ’s in South Africa. It was a tough take but we nailed it on the head. There will be 2 stages that will be featuring the likes of Ivan Turanjanin, Chris Jack, Harael Salkow, Ricardo Da Costa, Coco Loco and many more! Want to know who’s playing at what time? Check out the full list on www.bpmmag.co.za.

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20 BPM EXCLUSIVE

By Tendai Luwo

ZAKES BANTWINI

LESSONS FROM HIS MUSIC BIBLE “… A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING IN THE TOWNSHIP AND NO ONE IS MEANT TO COME FROM A TOWNSHIP. WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY.” Photo: Syd Willow Smith

orporate events can be a somewhat dreary affair. Between the celebs, journalists and socialites, there isn’t much for one to do besides smile for the camera and pillage the buffet table. This night in particular is no different. That is until the MC announces over the P.A. system that the next performing guest is Zakes Bantwini. It’s not long before all decorum and class flies out the French doors as we jostle for a place as close to the stage as possible. In a matter of excited moments, the dapper Mr. Bantwini slides onto stage a la James Brown and proceeds to thrill, entertain and downright own our bodies for the duration of his set. There’s no such thing as composure when Zakes is onstage. Forget about it! As I scream, “Karolina, love is a simple thing!” I overhear a fellow reveler proclaiming, “Ay. This guy is the best hey!” and I can’t help but

silently agree. It’s been a good year for Zakes Bantwini. After a two year hiatus from the studio he’s back with a brand new album, The Fake Book and The Real Book: My Music Bible and it’s doing incredibly well. Although he is always happy to offer an interview, pinning him down is a whole other affair. His massive popularity means he shares his time between performing locally around the country and jetting off to foreign lands to make people who don’t even understand English shake their bum bums.

The Music Bible “I lost the entire project earlier this year when I walked over my laptop so I had to start again,” Zakes reveals as we start chatting about his sophomore release. For most the loss of an album would mean the loss of all motivation and inspiration as well but most people aren’t Zakes

Bantwini. Instead of calling it a day and leaving the project for another time, the acclaimed producer went right back into studio. “I redid Marikana and Stop Acting because at least I remembered the chords otherwise I lost a lot of good songs.” What has come out of this unfortunate mishap though is a stellar eleven-track offering that despite only being two singles in, is fast becoming one of the most sought after releases in recent years. When placed next to his debut album, Love, Light and Music, the growth in My Music Bible is undeniable. Both albums are brilliant pieces of work but with the second, Zakes clearly pushed himself above and beyond even his own expectations. He laughs about it all and says, “Having to discover how much I’ve learnt has been a beautiful journey. It’s nice to be like ‘Oh! This is what I know.’ ”

21 Painfully Zakes reveals, “I was once stabbed in the township. I’ve been shot at before… A lot of people are struggling in the township and no one is meant to come from a township. We should all be able to live comfortably.”

Knowledge is Power Earlier this year Zakes Bantwini graduated from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal with a Diploma in Music Performance. But he wasn’t content with just hanging the paper on the wall. The Wasting My Time hit maker quickly returned to school and is currently studying a social entrepreneurship program at the prestigious Gordon Institute of Business. He aims to use his new found knowledge to not only improve his music but also be able to facilitate social growth in and around the communities he calls home.

All About The Music It’s evident that Zakes has dug deep with The Fake Book and The Real Book: My Music Bible. He passionately retells the story of how Fela Kuti used to go through a whole performance without looking at the crowd because he felt the crowd was there to listen to the music and not see the artist. The influence of this daring act by Fela can be seen on the album art for My Music Bible. Rather than having his face all over the CD sleeve, Zakes has an oldschool typewriter atop his body that’s churning out musical sheets. “My face doesn’t matter. It’s about the music. We spend a lot of time PRing ourselves instead of PRing our music.” As our conversation draws to a close Bantwini leaves me with parting words that embody what he stands for and what he’s fighting towards. “I want to create serious literature about our music that people will be able to read one day. I’d like people to stop looking at artists as amusers and more as people who are playing a positive role in the society.”

Beyond Borders

The Ghetto

Ifunaya, the lead single off The Fake Book and the Real Book: My Music Bible, is a cross border collaboration between Zakes and Nigerian music star J. Martins. Although the single only hit the airwaves this year, Zakes and Martins actually recorded the hit track in 2011 soon after the Channel O Awards. While some artists may have feared to venture into such a collaboration, Zakes opted to grab the bull by the horns and lead it exactly where he desired. “People rely on us musicians to inform them on what’s the new sound and what we suggest they should listen to. Some musicians fall into the trap of trying to make the music they believe the people want to hear.” There’s a beautiful truth in Zakes’ statement. Even prior to Ifunaya, the Fela Kutiinspired Karolina set a whole new tone to what the house heads were listening too.

We all draw our inspiration from various places. For Zakes Bantwini there was no greater inspiration than growing up in the ghetto. One of the most emotional parts of his performances is when he starts belting out Ghetto, a heartfelt song about the struggle “where thugs are king, and hustlers are home”. Growing up in KwaMashu was a bittersweet experience for a young Zakes. It pushed him to dream of greater things. “I remember that R. Kelly song You Remind Me of My Jeep, it made me fall in love with the Jeep and wanted to live a better life.” He fondly recalls. And yet the struggles of poverty, including the tragic loss of his mother to breast cancer because at the time his family didn’t have the resources to obtain suitable medical attention, left scars on his soul.

zakes.bantwini.79 @ZakesBantwiniSA

22 SPECIAL FEATURE

BPM Reports

ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL 101

"SOUTH AFRICA IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST BURGEONING TERRITORIES IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR EVER-GROWING ENTHUSIASM TOWARDS ELECTRONIC MUSIC. THEIR DEMAND FOR WORLD-CLASS ELECTRONIC ACTS HAS BECOME TR ULY OVERWHELMING OF LATE...” outh Africa has well and truly become a hotspot destination in the world of EDM, perhaps no more aptly demonstrated than with the arrival of Ultra Music Festival in February 2014. This followed months of speculation and online commentary as to whether the rumours were true. Well by now, if you’re an EDM fan - which is very likely since you’re reading SA’s No.1 dance music magazine - this is likely to be old news but how much do you know about the event and the internationals that will be performing? Well here’s a full run down on what you need to know...

Russell Faibisch - Founder, Executive Producer and CEO of Ultra Music Festival and Ultra Worldwide had this to say: "South Africa is without a doubt one of the most burgeoning territories in the world when it comes to their ever-growing enthusiasm towards electronic music.Their demand for world-class electronic acts has become truly overwhelming of late, and the infrastructure in place to put on an event like Ultra is healthier than it's ever been.This thriving scene, coupled with the additional fact that the two venues we've found for the first edition are some of

the most beautiful I've ever come across, made the decision to expand into Africa an extremely exciting one to make."

ABOUT ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL Ultra Music Festival is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that happens in the city of Miami, every March. The festival coincides with the annual Winter Music Conference, also held in Miami. It started as a one-day festival from 1999 to 2006, a two-day festival from 2007 to 2010, and then became a three-day festival in 2012, which saw a record breaking 55, 000 people attend per day. In 2013, for the first time in festival history, UMF took place across two consecutive weekends. Since its early days in 1999 the festival has grown to international greatness, moving to Ibiza, Spain; Buenos Aires, Argentina; São Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Seoul, South Korea; Split, Croatia, Hvar, Croatia and now it comes to South Africa! Adam Russakoff - Executive Producer, Talent Booker and Director of Business Affairs for Ultra Music Festival and Ultra Worldwide adds: "If there's one ethos that characterizes each and every one of our worldwide events, it's the

unmatched experience that we offer our fans.This unique 'Ultra' experience is ultimately achieved by delivering the very best forward-thinking line-ups alongside unbeatable production values, and I can absolutely guarantee that next year's inaugural edition of Ultra South Africa will be no exception. The local promoters we've chosen to work with have an exceptional reputation for putting on the biggest and very best events in South Africa and our expansion into such a booming market is something I'm very much looking forward to."

WHEN and WHERE? The events will be happening in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. The Cape Town show will be at the Cape Town Ostrich Farm on 14 February 2014 [Valentine’s Day, woohoo...], the same location that hosted both Swedish House Mafia and Skrillex. The venue is really close to Cape Town (20 minute drive) and has become a popular space for music events. Joburg will take place at Nasrec Showgrounds on 15 February 2014, a venue that is well known and equipped for a multitude of different events and expos.

electricmusicsa @electricmusicsa

THE INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS TIËSTO Dutch superstar DJ, producer and Musical Freedom label boss Tiësto is a firm favourite with Ultra fans across the world, and without doubt one of the planet's most in demand DJs. They don’t really get much bigger than Tiësto in the world of dance music. He even performed at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and can boast a string of hits worldwide.

NICKY ROMERO

W&W

ALESSO

Nicky Romero is a genuine superstar DJ/producer. You need look no further than any top EDM compilation and Romero’s name is sure to appear. Also hailing from the Netherlands, he has worked with, and received support from the likes of Tiësto, Fedde Le Grand, Sander van Doorn, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Armand Van Helden, Avicii and Hardwell. He was named MTV EDM Artist to watch in 2012 and shared joint residency with David Guetta in Ibiza.

There’s more Dutch awesomeness for Ultra SA in the form of trance duo, W&W. Consisting of Wardt van der Harst & Willem Van Hanegem they were tipped by Armin van Buuren as “the best up-andcoming production duo out there” in 2007. Their remixes have proved equally popular - most notably on Armin’s Rain, Remedy (by UK pop starlet Little Boots) and those of Sander van Doorn, Leon Bolier, Sied van Riel, & others.

Move over Swedish House Mafia , your country has a new EDM superstar on the block; Alesso is a 22-year old producer/DJ who gained worldwide attention in 2011 with massive support of his productions from Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Tiësto, Sander van Doorn, Kaskade and many others. His remix of Pressure was one of the most played EDM songs of 2011.

KREWELLA Hailing from Chicago, USA Krewella is an electronic dance group. The group consists of Jahan Yousaf, Yasmine Yousaf and Rain Man. Their EP, Play Hard was released on 18 June 2012 exclusively on Beatport followed by an iTunes release on 26 June 2012. After their performance at Ultra Music Festival 2013, Billboard declared that "Krewella is going to be huge!" Their debut album Get Wet, charted in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot 200 in its first week.

means least, legendary house music partners EUPHONIK & DJ FRESH will be stepping up to represent South Africa in style. It’s safe to say that EDM has arrived in In South Africa we love and support our South Africa in a big way (as it has local heroes as enthusiastically as any of the worldwide) and now with Ultra Music internationals that will be gracing the stage Festival South Africa firmly on the calendar, at Ultra SA. Shaun Duvet, MD at Electric Music - the Joining the international big hitters are South African partner and co-organizer of the festival has the final word... Cape Town based duo GOLDFISH, underground house star BLACK COFFEE "Over the past three years we (Electric) have and the stellar three-piece outfit hailing from successfully toured the world's biggest DJs and Johannesburg, MI CASA. Last but by no

SA SUPERSTAR SUPPORT

in doing so feel that the South African audience has been building up momentum to take on a festival of massive proportion... All electronically focused of course. Having been to Ultra Miami and Europe, we felt the market was indeed ready for Ultra, South Africa, and judging by the levels of anticipation here, it is.”

24 FEATURE

By Ethan Storm

SONIC SPECIES “The thing I love about the trance scene is that it has a holistic edge that you don't find in other forms of dance music.”

e’re in south UK, and a couple of teenagers are organising some banging parties in the forests and clubs of Kent. One of them, a young DJ by the name of Joe Markendale, hits the decks. He’s recently moved into the digital platform working on original Cubase productions and before long he’s been invited by the Liquid Connective organisation to play at one of their parties in London. From there, he keeps the studio cooking and the crowds bouncing across England. In 2008, he teams up with his friend Alex Story to form a full-on duo. Today, we know him as the solo act Sonic Species. “The road to success has been a long one,” he begins in our recent chat. “I was in my first serious band at 15, a punk rock band called Keg. Then at 17 some friends and I discovered the art of psychedelic jamming, which we did ritualistically every week on a Wednesday or Thursday. Eventually we formed a new band called Bonze and went on for the next 10 years, performing at some major festivals such as Glastonbury UK in 2011.” He goes on to tell us more about what it was like being a part of the underground UK trance movement: “We have had the chance to party at illegal and underground events for over 30 years. I think this sheer length of time is responsible for the rich and developed stage of partying and dance music that exists and is made in the UK. When the UK psy scene was at its best it housed some of the most cutting edge

sonicspecies

events to grace the planet.” With over 40 released tracks, it’s hard to narrow it down into a highlight reel. But most recently, his Unleash the Beat album has been pumped on practically every continent to great response since its release last year. There’s also a remix album in the pipelines, roping in such psytrance luminaries as Zen Mechanics, Rinkadink, Outsiders, Waio, Avalon and Dickster to name just a few. What really struck me as a sign of humility were his comments on the recent onslaught of progressive popularity, regardless of the effects it may have on his own following. That he didn’t use the usual ‘ear candy’ argument was something refreshing. “Those guys work their asses off as much as we do and they are rocking it at the moment so hats off to them. I don't think the point is to counteract the rise of progressive trance as much as to raise our profiles as full-on artists and work even harder to get back up to the top of our game.” It’s about time we eradicated the concept some listeners have of ‘this vs. that,’ and instead adopt one of ‘like and let like’. But it’s still always great to see artists flip things around and show their versatility within the genre. Which brings us to his recent endeavour: making some magic in the studio with Avalon with their much anticipated collaboration project ‘Future Frequency’. What’s the concept behind it? “Enlarging it at a lower bpm,” he puts it. But there’s more to the sonic exchange partygoers around the world share with him at gigs across the globe. There’s a culture and spirit that comes with it that he has connected with, a

@SonicSpecies

sonicspecies

connection that many of us have experienced. “The thing I love about the trance scene is that it has a holistic edge that you don't find in other forms of dance music. Its tribal and we basically are one big tribe so people respond to that. I love the fact that people do massage or Tai Chi workshops at festivals. We get the piss taken out of us by the rest of the dance music community often for being too hippy but I think the essence of that is something unique and ultimately very essential to human evolution. We all live on planet earth and trying to be a bit more connected with each other in slightly deeper ways and also the world around us [which] is a good thing.” It’s been 2 years since his last visit to Cape Town when he brought his beats to Vortex, and he’s eager to return, both to see how our party scene has developed, as well as to simply “experience the bounce of today’s South African dancefloor”. Be sure to check him at Rezonance this year - can anyone think of a better crossover into a fresh 2014?

26 INTERVIEW

By Mary Honeychild

CULPRATE

“I TRY AND LET THE TUNES WRITE THEMSELVES AND BASICALLY USE THE SOUNDS THAT FIT THE MOOD OF THE TUNE INSTEAD OF THE SAME PRESETS FOR ALL.” culprate

@culprate

ulprate is an electronic music producer who couldn’t care less about the snug, nest-like safety of sticking to one single genre. His sound unwittingly defies genre borders, culminating in hard banging offbeat electronica that the internet laps up in glorious

digital mouthfuls. Having already gained nods from guys like KOAN Sound, Gemini and Skrillex, the dance music world is forced to take serious note of this Bristol based (previously from Watford, England) producer. He will be performing at the renowned Rezonance NYE Festival 2013/14 in Cape Town, so local fans have that to look forward to. We could talk about how he started playing the guitar at thirteen and that his introduction to electronic music at fifteen started the spores of his musical genius. Instead, let’s kick off by reflecting on his influence in the world of Dubstep and how he got boosted by the genre almost by fluke. “At first I wasn't even a fan of Dubstep. In fact, I made my first tune to prove a point that it could be made in a few hours... I won that wager, but I didn't expect the feedback I got from that track. I really do think that if I never had made those few Dubstep tunes all those years ago, I

wouldn't be where I am today. I was making DnB for around six years before that!” he admits. Culprate’s production prowess didn’t rest in the place where he then found new recognition. He gets bored easily and sees no real advantage in doing the same things over and over. This personality trait lends fondly to his ability to create fresh music every time. His latest Great Expedition EP is a good example of just this. He talks about the making of it… “At this point I had just moved from Watford to Bristol. I was super poor and knew three or four savoury Christian types here, in Bristol. I managed to stop most of my day to day vices. My only choice was to immerse myself into my music. It's cheap and you can do it alone, so it's almost fresh headed output! I mostly put it down to boredom. I don't see a lot of point doing something I've already done repeatedly.” His fans dig him for his uncanny ability to bring about fresh sounds in an already saturated electronic music scene. How does an electronic music producer manage to stay this fresh? He offers a thought… “I think it's because I don't listen to a whole lot of electronic music [shocker], and the artists I do listen to, like Squarepusher and Amon Tobin and Radiohead, don't really fall into the EDM category. I find this helps keep my

sound somewhat true to what I want, rather than what I think others will want me to do.” His previous 5 Star EP out on Inspected Records was his grab at a new era in his music. The qualities of the four tracks do everything but resemble one another, and ever so epically live up to the EP title. I ask him if it manages to present an encompassing theme. “I guess if there was a theme, it [5 Star EP] would be Neurohop! I try and let the tunes write themselves and basically use the sounds that fit the mood of the tune instead of the same presets for all. So I guess they are kind of a representation of the mood I was in at the time. The same goes for all my music really.” Culprate also sports a philanthropic side to his personality and recently got in the studio to make a pay-what-you-like download Movember track with KOAN Sound, Asa and Reso. All donations made go to the Movember & Sons charity. The boys had some good fun in the studio and Culprate shared a snapshot on Facebook of the group in studio rocking Movember moustaches. There was however one other fun tidbit he didn’t photograph and share… “There were lots of half-naked models walking around, no joke. Of course, we were much too focused on our task to pay much attention…” he laughs. Ah the rockstar life.

28 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

By Mary Honeychild

ROCCO I PLAY AND HEAR MORE AND MORE PRODUCTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA WHICH ARE A MIXTURE OF THESE DIFFERENCES [EUROPEAN, AMERICAN, AND SOUTH AFRICAN] WHICH GIVES A ‘HYBRID DEEP HOUSE’.”

f you’re into Deep House in South Africa of course you know who Rocco Rodamaal is, and you’ve almost certainly jammed out to the ‘Rodamaal’ (AlexS, Rocco, Manoo, and David) 2001 sliver of gold titled Love Island. The inspiration for this track was in part thanks to American Soul singer, Jill Scott’s He Loves Me believe it or not. This French Deep House Producer/DJ breathes brilliance into empathetic, storytelling house music that combines a medley of European, American, and local South African palettes. The kind of Deep/Soulful house that you know… just irrevocably hits the spot. Rocco shares an opinion… “My music is honest. I talk about life, love, and lots of love because we need it. This must be one of the reasons why it is so popular in South Africa. It’s instinctive and appeals to emotions that I try to pass through. When goose bumps go through me I think that the audience will love that!” he implies emphatically. Now hold onto your headphones house junkies, Rocco is all set to tour South Africa through December [5th - 17th 2013]. Glorious. Despite the fact that House music is a global phenomenon, distinguishing regions across the world have of course each

developed their very own identity. Rocco takes a moment to reflect on the distinct differences between European and South African House. “In Europe, Deep House is much more electronic and minimal due to our techno culture influence which is very present here. In South Africa I feel a more soulful and very musical influence from USA. I’m quite sure we also had this American influence in Europe, but we can clearly say that we have a more ‘Techy’ sound. Today things have changed because there's recognition of the Deep House produced in South Africa. It’s very popular thanks to artists like Black Coffee and Culoe De Song to name a few, who have exported this Afro Deep House that many are trying to produce and release on labels around the world. I play and hear more and more productions in South Africa which are a mixture of these differences which gives a ‘Hybrid Deep House’. I love the mix which is very positive for me and promising!” To celebrate the interconnectivity between House in Europe and South Africa, and American R&B/Soul sounds, Rocco’s latest album Bridges [reviewed on Pg. 42] ties in these enveloping sounds into one sensory pleasing body of work. For his many devoted fans Bridges pushes all the right buttons and has the potential of converting any sceptics. The overall spec of his sound has a really good atmospheric quality, and metaphorically slips the listener into a scene created within

RoccoRodamaal

@ROCCORODAMAAL

the track. He elaborates on this… “Historically music has afforded me great feelings and this has increased since I produce my own music. As a child I was influenced by my mother who did not hold her tears when listening to [a] singer and Algerian poet who told of this wave of immigrants who arrived in France in the 60’s. This is part of my experience and I absorbed the feeling of sadness that I love and found a lot in my music. There must also be a groove in my sound that you physically feel. It is for that reason that my drums are punchy and my bass down low in frequency. Deep vibrations! Indeed, there is a story or photograph behind every production which everyone is free to invent. This can result in a feeling, an image or even history as a video clip. For example Revolution, which I produced and released on Freerange Records, is for me a scene of Cathar knights running down a plain before invading a kingdom!” So why at this point in his career did he feel compelled to release an album of this nature? “Thanks to my background in music and all the artist connections that I have accumulated over the years, I had this idea to make an album that looks like me. This is why it’s composed with pieces of Soulful, Deep House and a Deep Afro touch, along with my own personal edge,” he concludes. roccorodamaal

30 PRODUCER SERIES

By Tendai Luwo nevillenasteenev.moeletsi @djnasteenev0808

NASTEE

“I believed and finally people are willing to listen now, but I've always been ready.”

NEVAND THE 0808 EXPERIENCE f house music was from biblical times, Pretoria would be the Garden of Eden. The plethora of talent that emanates from that part of our country is absolutely astounding. One such notable talent is the revered Nastee Nev. Over the years he has offered his delectable sounds to the masses and has quickly become one of our most loved local exports on the international scene. This year saw the release of a new project from Nev, the tastefully composed 0808 Sweetsoul. Tendai caught up with the producer/ DJ to chat about the album, overcoming challenges in the industry and the first song he ever made.

Picture yourself at the biggest music festival ever. Maybe a stage at Ibiza and you have to introduce yourself before you start your set. How would you intro Nastee Nev? I’d just keep it simple and say “it’s Nastee Nev, DJ and producer from South Africa! “ How did your musical journey begin? Well I’ve been in love with music since I was young. When I finished Matric in 1993 I wanted to become a radio personality but couldn’t due to a lack of funds back home. I then went to Damelin College to study Computer Studies and that’s where I saw DJ Syndicate. They used to sell vinyls and I guess that’s when everything started for me. I’d buy vinyls there and teach myself how to play records. Can you recall the first song you ever produced? What was that like for you? [Laughs] Ah I don’t remember but it was just

one of those songs, you wouldn’t even call it a song. It was just beats, off-key chords and a bassline! Haha! Fast-forward a couple of years; you’re now enjoying the success of your well-received album 0808 Sweetsoul. What made you decide it was time to work on and release this album? I guess I have always believed in my music and always made this kind of music even though I had lots of critics towards it. However I never gave up and always kept my head up. I believed and finally people are willing to listen now, but I’ve always been ready. Was it difficult putting this album together or did it all come together easily? Well with this one it was quite difficult because I was working with guys from the US which can be costly. It would also sometimes take time for them to record because they all had their own commitments. Plus sometimes when we were done recording I’d come up with new ideas for the song. The album has a lot of great singles on it; do you have a particular favourite? Yeah! Fly Away featuring Merldy B. Joy is probably one of the most popular singles off the album, how did that track come about and did you think it would be so well received when you made it? Eish! I actually met Desire in 2011 in Durban when I was attending the SA Music Conference. She gave me her demo and I loved her voice so we arranged to work together. When she finally

came to the studio we initially just did the unplugged version of Joy with only keys and her freestyling on the vocals. I eventually remixed the recording and made the house version and that’s how the song was made! With regards to the reception, yoh! It was amazing and even now it still feels amazing. There’s no denying that you’ve carved your own unique sound as a producer. Where do you draw your musical inspiration? I listen to all kinds of music but I mostly draw my inspiration from jazz. You’ve proven that you’re very talented. Do you think you’re the best producer to come out of Pretoria? Nope! I don’t believe there is a so called ‘Best Producer’. From your experiences, what are some of the challenges house producers are experiencing in the industry? For me I think I’d say piracy is the biggest. Do you think the South African music scene has successfully managed to close the gap between overseas house and ourselves? We have closed the gap but still the overseas guys get better treatment and more money. Lastly what’s next for Nastee Nev now that the album is out? Right now I’m still working on promoting the album and the 0808 Experience tour.

32 INTERVIEW By Dave Skinz

STEFAN VILJOEN TALENT + HARDWORK = STEFAN VILJOEN

stefan.viljoen1 @Stefan_Viljoen Web: www.stefanviljoen.com rance music has always had a dedicated following here in South Africa and we are seeing the stirrings of a group of young producers who are starting to deliver the goods to the world’s premier dance labels. One of the guys leading the current wave is Stefan Viljoen and this past year has been a massive step forward for this young artist. 2013 has led him to signing a track to Black Hole Records, being selected to collaborate on a track with Richard Durand all before having his latest release supported by the

LABELS: BLACK HOLE RECORDS ABOVE ALL RECORDS SOUTHERN STATE F! RECORDS great Armin Van Buuren both on his ‘A State of Trance’ show and by using it for a compilation linked to the show. Stefan calls Truth a second home “that has shaped his sound” with a guest DJ residency on Saturday nights and he still finds the time to compile a weekly radio show in between mixing, mastering, and tutoring. So anyone wanting to compete with Stefan had better try and keep up. He sets quite a blistering pace. I ask Stefan to describe his sound. “Well its dance music, with chunky, techy electro and progressive elements with a euphoric trancey melody.” he replies. “Its club driven designed to move a dance floor.”

And how did he get into music production? “I got to a point where I was gigging like 4 times a week, but going nowhere slowly. Crappy events, being screwed over by promoters, not being able to play my genre, etc., I decided to take a step back from gigs and focus on learning to produce so that the productions could get me the gigs that I wanted.” It must have been quite a tricky time and Stefan concedes “It was hard at first not getting booked for months after putting my foot down but was worth it in the end.” Not bad for guy who starting learning to produce in 2010. “I started writing house under my alias the Beat Prophet. I learned a lot online but my greatest learning tool has been working with people who were better than I was especially Johan De Kock who has been my mentor and I feel very privileged to have worked with him. Also getting tips and great support from guys like Alan M.” So where to next? “I'm currently working on 2 new tracks, a vocal trance release and something for mainstream radio, and a couple remixes. I plan on spending 2014 focusing on gaining more in-depth knowledge on music theory, then start focusing on gigs again and I hope to learn to play the piano.” With all the accolades and support rolling in from DJ's around the world I’m keen to see if he has had a ‘holy shit’ moment yet? “YES!” he blurts out, “It’s unreal how fast things have happened, it was only a year ago - March - that I had my first Trance release and things have just moved so fast from there and I have learnt so much in such a short space of time. It has been an amazing journey.” “So what does it feel like to have an idol like Armin Van Buuren support your release so enthusiastically?” I enquire of Stefan. “It was unreal, I really did not expect it.” He takes me back to the night he got the call “It just happened to be that I was out having dinner with Nanje & Johan when we got the call from SAtrancefamily telling us that Armin had just played our track on ASOT. Even more amazing was when he kept on playing it and supporting it in the weeks following, so big ups to Tommy Johnson for working with us on that project. I had thought about it before,” he confesses “how awesome it would be when it one day happened, so it has always been a dream of mine.” “Any advice to producers and DJ's out there?” I ask as I wrap things up. “Find a mentor and then don’t annoy them to death” he laughs, “but seriously ask someone who can have a listen to your work and give advice from time to time. Learn to use a reference track properly as it’s your greatest tool, and accept that this process takes time. If your track is not 90% on par with your reference track do not send it out, as you will regret it later... just keep working on it.”

34 COLUMNIST By Tendai Luwo

THE DEEP END WITH LUO STRIKE WHILST THE RECORD'S HOT organize my digital music collection by year not artist so if I’m ever in the mood to take people back to yesteryear during my sets I know exactly where to find suitable tracks. Beyond that though this particular filing method allows me to gauge who owned a particular year and where they are now. For instance, 2010 gave us hits like Hey Hey by Dennis Ferrer, that legendary bootleg remix of 1st To Say Goodbye by DJ Micks, Professor’s Jezabel and a whole lot more. However if you “WHEN I PONDER ON AN ARTIST skip over to the next year, the list of WHO DIDN'T STRIKE WHILST names is totally different. There’s no THE RECORD WAS HOT Dennis Ferrer, no DJ Micks, it’s a THE NAME BEKZIN TERRIS completely different landscape. Now COMES TO MIND.” while the likes of Ferrer can afford to take a multi-year hiatus, up and coming artists agree that sometimes record labels stunt and producers can’t. You don’t have that luxury. If anything I think we should all take a young talent’s growth. But whatever the a page from DJ Fresh. Two decades in the reason may be, there is no denying that game and he still works like it’s his first Bekzin was onto something at one point day on the job. Heck, his Twitter bio even and now it will be increasingly difficult for carries the disclaimer “P.S. I do sleep!” him to bounce back with the same force. When I ponder on an artist who Even if we step outside the realm of didn’t strike whilst the record was hot the house for a moment and peer over into name Bekzin Terris comes to mind. Back in the hip-hop playground we’ll see Maggz, 2011 Bekzin literally flipped the South another rising star who left without African urban house scene on it’s head explanation and is now back but struggling with a string of remixes that were to make the same impact on the scene as sonically years ahead of anything else that he once did. was coming out at the time. His Black It’s important to understand that you Coffee Juju remix was simply not of this only get one shot to blow. From that world and quite easily the only remix that point on you have no choice but to seize came close to matching the original the moment and run with it. I’m of the banger. firm belief that as an upcoming artist, you But for some reason Bekzin went need to put in a consistent three to four quiet. I’ve heard whispers that he was years of pure hard work before even working closely with the big name guys as considering a break. Anything sooner than an in-house producer and one can also that will lead to you fast becoming a

distant memory. If we look at one of the most successful artists at the moment, Black Coffee, he has consistently released some form of a project every single year. His sophomore album Have Another One was a late 2008 release; this allowed him to ride the album’s wave throughout 2009. As that album’s hype started to die down we got his next album Home Brewed towards the end of 2009. Once again the project remained relevant all throughout 2010 and even some of 2011. And of course 2012 was the year of Africa Rising. This is then a solid four years of steady output without even looking into the additional projects he embarked on in between the releases. If Black Coffee decided to take a lengthy break now and returned in 2016, we’d still be just as excited, if not more. Essentially the heart of the matter is, if you’ve spent all this time hoping and working towards your big break, don’t let the dream end the moment the doors open for you. Always remember that when you start making it and people say, “You’ve arrived”, they mean you’ve only just made it to the starting line.

36 FEATURE

By Ethan Storm

PSYSEX

ecades ago, that sweet, scratchy crackling sound that came as the head hit the vinyl and slotted into its grooves was about as good as it got. However, no one would have predicted it to have Udi Sternberg falling in love with the sonic world, listening to The Beatles and Elton John records spinning through old sound systems at the tender age of three. Nine years after this introduction, having mastered the art of playing with tape cassettes his father had brought home from his travels abroad, he began playing at some of his friend’s small parties. By the age of sixteen, he made the transition to playing almost every weekend in different Israeli dance clubs as ‘DJ Goblin’, banging his tunes out until the early hours of the morning, as well as hosting his own radio show, 99fm, and interviewing some of the biggest names in trance at the time. Although a lot of musical kids lay down their tools when they start growing up and the real word starts demanding a bit more from them, his craft and skills, on the other hand, have only matured with him. Something about the synthesisers had him by the heartstrings in a way that more conventional instruments just couldn’t match. “My parents pushed me to learn an instrument when I was ten. I tried for a few years, but it took a lot of practice and concentration, which I didn’t have as a child,” he jokes during our recent chat. But on a more serious note, he adds that he “was always magically drawn to electronic sounds and machines, rather than guitars.”

With all of this, it seemed only inevitable that he would end up laying down some of the fat basslines and driving tracks that we’ve come to love. But despite having already begun building his workstation and working on a few tracks on his fresh equipment and Logic 3.2, it wasn’t until he hooked up with his good friend, none other than trance-mogul Yoni ‘Ace Ventura’ Oshrat, that the decision to make psytrance became official. He was sold - and started moving away from the house scene and into the psychedelic world. And then, Psysex was born. Although his first release, Four Days of Madness, in December ‘98 was as a solo act on Krembo Records, and it was only in ’99, whilst Udi was working with Yoni on their project ‘Children of the Doc’, that he offered him a spot alongside him on the Psysex decks. In ’99, the first Psysex album, Expressions of Rage was released under HOM-Mega records. This was the first step in crafting the sound that over the years has been described with a melting pot of words - from fresh, to colourful, to driving, to uplifting and psychedelic. But one shared opinion is its uniqueness. What was it that they did when creating Psysex that resulted in this original sound, especially in a genre where it is so easy to become another generic artist? It’s quite simple actually. “It’s my ear. That’s what [the crowd] hears. I just make music imaging myself standing on the festival dancefloor in front of the speakers.” Now let’s fast forward…

Yoni has left the duo and shifted his focus onto some of his other projects, but this hasn't stopped the Psysex train, and Udi has made sure to keep things cooking in the studio and on the dancefloor. It’s been over a decade since Expressions of Rage, and three more albums are under the Psysex name - Hardcore Blastoff in 2001, Come in Peace in 2002 and Healing in 2008, along with countless singles, remixes and collaborations between them. With such a deadly repertoire of tunes, you would imagine it difficult to pick a favourite, but Udi gives a special mention to the track Survival Kit, adding it still gives him that chicken flesh sensation when he drops it at the parties. His upcoming album release, Mind Penetration, is another thing to look forward to, and you can hear some previews on his Facebook page. Or, you could come hear it bang out of the Boomerang NYE rig as he visits Cape Town for the first time since Transgression in 2002. To end things off, I opened up the floor for him to give a shout out to us eager Capetonian stompers. “I’m very excited to come and play in South Africa once again. Get ready for some psychedelic mind penetration!”

Psysexmusic @Psysexmusic

ARTIST Q ‘n A

By Tendai Luwo

THIWE DEFYING THE ODDS

ll it took was one single for Thiwe to capture the hearts of music lovers the world over. Her break away hit collaboration with Black Coffee on the single Crazy, immediately made Thiwe the darling of house heads all around. Now the budding songstress has decided to make the most of the explosive platform she was given and is bulldozing her way through the industry on her way to being the next big prominent South African vocalist. Tendai sat down with Thiwe to find out how she’s swimming against the tide and defying the odds.

Congratulations on your latest release He Is (My Baby), how did Thiwe’s musical journey start? My musical journey started when I was just a young girl in the township who always volunteered to sing for people. I then realised that my cousin Presss was involved in a lot of musical events and decided to shadow him and he took me under his wing. He actually introduced me to 999 Music with whom I released my debut album back in 2007. Most would say your big break was when you collaborated with Black Coffee for the massive hit Crazy, how did that collaboration come about? Crazy was my big break. It was originally written for my debut album. Black Coffee had done remixes on the album and 2 years later

he invited me to work with him. So Crazy was re-recorded for his Home Brewed album. As one of the rising vocalists in the industry, what do you think you did differently in order to cement your place in the industry and make sure you weren’t here today, gone tomorrow? I honestly think that writing about what people can identify with has worked to my advantage. I don’t use gimmicks, I don't try too hard and I don't mimic anyone. I'm just a girl who puts pen to paper, adds emotion and puts out what people go through every day. Earlier this year you decided to leave Soulistic Music, what motivated this decision? I left Soulistic because I realised that I was the best person to execute my plan/vision. I'm very particular about what I want and where I want to be. So instead of being frustrated with someone for not doing something right, it's better if I just did it myself. I'm a perfectionist and if I feel like something is holding me back, then I choose to let it go. What then are the challenges you’ve faced now as an independent artist? Being independent is difficult. Having to fund everything from your own pocket means there can be delays when there are no funds. You basically have to be a label manager, artist manager, publicist, booking agent and still be an artist. It's draining, emotionally, financially and physically.

“I HONESTLY THINK THAT WRITING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN IDENTIFY WITH HAS WORKED TO MY ADVANTAGE. I DON’T USE GIMMICKS, I DON'T TRY TOO HARD AND I DON'T MIMIC ANYONE.”

Do you think being signed to a label is overrated? What then would you say are the pros and cons to being signed and given the chance would you sign to another label? Being signed is not overrated. You get a team that takes care of everything so that you do what you do best which is to make music. Pros are that resources are easily available. Labels have existing relationships which one has to build from scratch if independent. Cons are that you are not a priority if you are not the most popular. You become another name with a beautiful CD cover on the label's catalogue. I would not sign to another label. I would rather go for a distribution deal and get other service providers to assist with the other aspects. In your experiences, do you think there’s a difference between how overseas female house vocalists are treated compared to local singers? International artists always get better treatment than local artists in all the genres. It's an ongoing battle and hopefully one day, this will change. Lastly, you’ve been steadily releasing singles, when can fans expect a full-length album from you? God willing, my album will be out at the end of February 2014. In the meantime, I'll be releasing an EP because supporters of my music have been patient enough. This way, I'll have time to concentrate on the album without any pressure so that I give them the quality they expect and deserve.

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42 ALBUM REVIEWS 1.

1. Zakes Bantwini - The Fake Book & The Real Book: My Music Bible <Afro House> Despite initially losing the whole album when his laptop broke, Zakes Bantwini has still managed to put together an album that is a spectacular improvement from his first offering and quite easily one of the most musically forward South African albums in recent times. The album opens with the soulful Darling, a beautiful gem of a track that immediately shows you just how far Zakes has come as an artist. In all his interviews about this new album Zakes made it clear that he wanted his newfound musical knowledge to shine through and he managed to do just that. Although you’ll still be able to point out the signature Zakes sound in the percussion (sometimes it sounds a little Black Coffee-ish), there’s a lot more musicality in the arrangement and execution of the production. The lead single Ifunaya featuring Nigerian star J. Martins, sounds even better in the context of the entire album. Without a doubt though the heartfelt true-story Ghetto is the apple of the album’s eye. The track is split into two parts; the first being the actual single while the second is an 11min story by Zakes about his life and career through the years. In essence The Fake Book & The Real Book is Zakes Bantwini’s best work yet. Bravo! Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

2. Culoe De Song - Exodus - Soulistic

<House> It’s astounding when you realize that Exodus is Culoe De Song’s third studio album and he hasn’t even reached the age of 25. If you’ve grown with Culoe’s music you’ll know his signature sound has always been that of ancestral-laced deep house. Exodus however is nothing like the younger Culoe. Instead the album sees a shift in his sound to a more up-tempo, while still afrocentric, sound. The only semblance of the previous De Song trademark that you’ll find on the album is in fact the opening and title track Exodus. After that point it’s almost completely a dance album. The hard hitting Journey of Love is likely to be one of the biggest tracks on the project thanks to rich drums and the luscious vocals of Thandi Draai. Fan favourites My Sunshine and No Contest are also notable tracks on Exodus and once again maintain the ‘get up and dance’ energy of the album. For those searching for a more mellowed out single from the maestro, Isondo is the one for you. Its choir pads and soft pianos with Khanyo Maphumulo’s easy vocals make it the perfect layback and vibe track. All in all Exodus is a good album from Culoe but one can’t help but wonder if all his day one fans will feel the same with this new sound he has introduced. Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

3. DJ Qness - On Cue Vol. 3 - Soul Candi

<House> For anyone who was waiting for the new DJ Qness album they’ll attest to the fact that it was a lengthy wait. However after numerous setbacks and new release dates, the album is finally here! The question though then becomes was it well worth the wait and the answer is a definitive yes! The third instalment of the On Cue series by Qness just might be the best one yet and certainly proves that the producer has grown into a force to be reckoned with. Opening with a remake of Corrine Bailey Rae’s Trouble Sleeping, Qness sets a steady soulful tone with the foot-tapping rendition of the classic tune. It’s not long

though before the album picks up its tempo and gets down to business with some serious stomping bangers. Familiar singles, Everything and Look Inside sit perfectly in the middle of the album and provide the smooth transition into party mode. Qness also returns to his remixing roots with a reinterpreted version of legendary Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukuzudzi’s Ngoromera (Hatidi Hondo). Those south of the border will certainly enjoy this spruced up version of the popular folk song. In essence On Cue Vol. 3 is packed to the brim with great productions and one really appreciates why it took him so long to release the album. It’s a great album hands down. Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

4. Rocco - The Bridge - House Afrika <House> The man who gave us the legendary Musica Feliz is back! Rocco has returned with a brand new offering titled The Bridge and true to its title it bridges the gap between the continents of house music. Opening with the easy going Falling For You featuring Ziyon from Liquideep, one is immediately aware of the fact that Rocco not only still has his midas touch but also has a firm grip on the ropes of soulful music. The album also features some of Rocco’s more recent successful releases like Still Waters featuring Khensy, the memorable Working Hard featuring Akram and of course a remake of his timeless classic, Memories. One of the most popular singles off The Bridge is the tastefully crafted Love Me Back with the one and only Byron Stingily. The past few years have seen Rocco spending a lot more time in South Africa and the effects of his extended stay certainly resonate on The Bridge. Not only are there collaborations with local rising stars like Kaylow, Khensy and Ziyon, but his sound has also taken a noticeable shift to the more afrocentric side. Either way The Bridge will certainly please the original Rocco lovers and just as easily gain him a whole new legion of fans. Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

5. Erefaan Pearce - Sampled Love EP & Hard Times EP - Heads & Tails Music <Deep House> You don’t just get the title ‘Deep House veteran’ but for those who may have an inkling of a doubt I suggest you pick up the new Erefaan Pearce EPs, Hard Times and Sampled Love. Being a twin release means you get a double dose of plain good old house music. Hard Times is the more laid back of the two EPs. Cruising along in the early echelons of the 120 BPM range, the EPs two singles, W.I.N.E. and Vultures both set a calm easy going mood for the listener and yet would both fit almost anywhere in a DJs set and still get the crowd going. The straight running drum loops and 90s feel arpeggiator on W.I.N.E. makes it my darling of the two tracks on the EP. Sampled Love ups the ante a bit. Once again it’s a two track offering that contains a pair of unashamedly funky jams. Sampled Love is a blend of techno-laced synth stabs that will have any dancefloor thrusting their fists in the air in total jubilation while The Monet Cliché a funky vocal tune that’s reminiscent of Andy Compton’s The Plan with its 'preachapella' vocals that rest unassumingly on the deep house beat. Of course with a double release the question always becomes which one is better and if it came to the tough choice of picking just one, it would have to be Sampled Love. Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

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44 ALBUM REVIEWS 6. Pascal & Pearce - One Night Only - Just Music

10.

<EDM> It’s been two years since P&P as they are affectionately known, released Passport, their debut full length album. Sure they also had Passport 2.0, a remix album but One Night Only is their official follow up full length offering. What I really liked about Passport was their ability to combine some deep techy dance floor elements into an album that was essentially aiming at radio play and commercial success. On One Night Only they’ve gone for straight up radio edit EDM which I think is the right thing for them to do to achieve their aspirations of a hit record. So what of the new 14 tracker? Whilst I like the quirky freshness of Passport, One Night Only admittedly has a more focused and cohesive feel, meaning that if you like track one, you’ll probably like the rest too. Not that they lack ideas, to the contrary. It’s just that they seem to have now settled on a sound that works for them and kept to this. The variation comes in the impressive list of vocalists that include the likes of Lakota Silva, Locnville, Jimmy Nevis, Ard Matthews, Toya Delazy and Louise Carver among others, a testament to the status Pascal & Pearce have achieved as consummate producers. The album also includes a bonus disc with no less than eight remixes done by P&P. Reviewed by Dave Mac

7. Moby - Innocents - Just Music <Electronica> I’m not a huge fan of Moby. I mean I do own his big hit record, Play and I would recognise a Moby track quite easily if I heard it, but I haven’t followed his music throughout his career. What I did hear over the years seemed all a little oblique and vague to me so Innocents actually comes as a refreshing surprise that he has returned to something not too dissimilar to what he did back in 1999 on Play. Opening track, Everything That Rises is a charming enough instrumental but things really get going on the trip-hoppy A Case of Shame, respite with the bluesy, soulful undertones we came to like so much on Play. It really is a beautiful rendition. One notable difference to the aforementioned album though is that whereas Play was sample heavy, Innocents is a collaborative effort on seven of the twelve tracks. The Lonely Night features The Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan, whilst Cold Specks' Al Spx appears on two tracks as well as Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips), indie folk singers, Damien Jurado and Skylar Grey and Inyang Bassey. This is an accomplished album and it is the Moby that everybody fell in love with; emotional, beautiful and cinematic. Grab it if you liked Play. Reviewed by Damien Albetto

8. Linkin Park - Recharged <EDM> Admit it, you’ve probably heard of Linkin Park the nu-metal rap outfit that loves getting its fingers dirty with electronic music. Enter their newest incarnation, Recharged - a 13 track offering containing one new song (and 5FM playlist favourite) A Light That Never Comes with stalwart Steve Aoki, and a collection of expertly remixed tracks from the band’s 5th studio production Living Things. Whether or not you know the original songs, the album stands tall on its own right as a worthwhile (if not life changing) electronic offering. Featured remixers include

artists Killsonik, Datsik, Pusha T and Vice. The end result bears a dangerous likeness to club style EDM. Expect a mad punch of drum ‘n’ bass, Dubstep and electro hooks and slashes that boom, uplift and drop. Sadly, at times, the procedure can get a wee bit repetitive if not cheesy, depending on your opinion of America’s crack on EDM. However with Linkin Park being the original foundation, you get a proper dousing of rockstar attitude - something that dance music sadly often lacks, for better or worse. Having said that, we have to show some sort of admiration for Linkin Park - you’re reading about a band in BPM. This might not get them a whole new generation of fans, but it will grant them a handful of fresh followers. Reviewed by Johann M Smith

9. The Orb feat. Lee Scratch Perry present The Observer in the Star House - Cooking Vinyl <Dub/Electronica> Anything that has the Orb on it should, and would, raise an eyebrow or two of interest. Lee Scratch Perry is no slouch either behind the control booth and together you would hope for something special. The problem really is twofold when these types of collaborations come around and I’ve witnessed a few over the years. The Orb have a huge respect for Lee Scratch Perry; this is evident on the album. Too evident. And it is always the same problem. Perry’s voice is way too dominant on this offering and after a handful of tracks I started disliking it more and more. You see Perry doesn’t actually sing. It’s more of a spoken word in a Jamaican patois. Now Perry keeps doing his thing for the next 54 minutes with minimal variation. So whilst the music has plenty merit, this album is like putting a mic in a rapper’s hand onstage. He thinks he has to use it ALL the time. If only they’d allowed the music to breathe... if only. A near hit but sadly a big miss! Reviewed by Damien Albetto

10. Guy Mantzur - Moments - Sudbeat <House> Tel Aviv based producer Guy Mantzur prides himself in defying simple genre classification in his productions. Having collaborated recently on productions and remixes with the likes of Hernan Cattaneo, Dave Seamen, Argy, Guy J, Roy Rosenfeld, Shlomi Aber, Lutzenkirchen, and many more, it’s fair to say the man can whip together an accomplished beat. Moments is everything I have mentioned above. The intro is a deep ambient swirl of melody that sucks one in quite convincingly. But it IS a dance album so once this gorgeous intro is over, it’s straight into the 4 to the floor sounds of title track, Moments - the vocal mix; strangely there is hardly a vocal used though, Nonetheless it’s a lovely, deep smoker that really sets a nice groove. Moments is arranged I assume in the same way he’d play it in a set. With each track the basslines get a bit busier, but the overall tone and ambience of this 14-tracker is quite ethereal and atmospheric. In a nutshell it’s a great mix of oldskool house elements combined with progressive house and a smattering of tech house. Despite Mantzur’s many Beatport chart successes, I am sure Moments will leave many in no doubt as to the talent that is Guy Mantzur, certainly a name to watch out for. Reviewed by Damien Albetto

46 ALBUM REVIEWS 11. Liquid Soul - Revolution - Iboga Records

11.

12.

<Progressive Psy Trance> These days, artists who ignore trends are becoming increasingly rare. Over the past decade, Liquid Soul has built a reputation for uncompromisingly and consistently delivering a product of the utmost quality, setting him apart from an extremely competitive market. As one of the originators of the uplifting progressive style of trance, it seems only fitting that an artist of this calibre would present his new album in the classic format: 9 new tracks including a colab. track and a downtempo closing track. The Revolution album is, to all intents and purposes, the perfect progressive record. Each track oozes with complete effortlessness and restraint, the hallmarks of a true master of the craft. The adeptly phrased hooks, broken drum beat breaks and above all, a unique underlying melodic virtuosity which gives every Liquid Soul fan around the world the healthy overdose of euphoria for which they've been so eagerly waiting. The intention behind the music is as focused as ever on providing you, the listener, with an experience of sheer unadulterated bliss. The biggest progressive release of the year, Revolution drops just in time to catch Liquid Soul at Love & Light in Cape Town this December. Enjoy! Reviewed by Stefan Wyeth

12.Various Artists - Sacred Circuits Sourcecode Transmissions (Compiled by Symbolic) 13.

14.

<Progressive Psy Trance> For those of you craving the more full-on style progressive trance, the new Sacred Circuits compilation is without a doubt a must-have. With quality controlled by Zen Mechanics and Symbolic, the Sourcecode Transmissions label is one to keep an eye on for future releases. This batch of peak time tracks has a characteristically industrial and futuristic edge to the overall sound, featuring remixed thumpers from the likes of Sonic Species,Tristan and Protonica, as well as a notable collaboration between Tron and local heroes, The Commercial Hippies, to top it off. This album is filled with pulsing bass lines, hard-hitting drum grooves and driving synths reminiscent of the early Goa trance days, perfect to take on any festival dance floor and leave it reeling. The well woven selection from Symbolic provides a fine variety of differently grooved and sculpted tracks while retaining the high intensity and energy level throughout. All in all, Sacred Circuits is a very impressive compilation album packed with tracks you are sure to hear this festival season. Reviewed by Stefan Wyeth

13.Various Artists - Destinations 3 - Iono 15. <Progressive Trance/ Tech> Destinations 3 is another wonderful progressive psytrance album for the collection, compiled by Cubixx (Mattias Sperlich) and Mindwave (Anton Maiko). Moment of Peace by Day Dream is a exquisite journey with a silky smooth melody. The tantalising female vox suits this sexy tune by Motion Drive and Echo will kill on the dance floor. I love the chilled nature of Perception by Mindwave & Sphera (remixed by Vertex) with vox reminiscent of jungle chants. Psychedelic sounds and an ominous bass is mixed into an otherwise sweet melody in Ultrawide by Odd Sequence. The club anthem nature of Copenhagen Knights by O.T.B and Flowjob may bring this track chart success. I love the violins

at the start of Red Sun by Timedrained and then I was hit by the awesome phat bass. The gem in this package is definitely Dreamers Night by Opposite 8 as it contains great varieties of vox, beautiful chanting, slow build ups, psychedelic sounds, a sweet melody and a huge bassline. It is nice to see the South African influence on the album with the bouncy Extract 21 by Humerous and Zezia, a stunning tune. Nasa ends the album on a more sedate note with the beautiful track, Fractured. Recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

14. Chabunk - Music Should Be Felt Not Heard Solar Tech Records <Psytrance> Music Should Be Felt Not Heard is Chabunk’s (aka Gareth Webb) first full length album and has an interesting mix of progressive and psychedelic sounds. Gareth is from Cape Town and an excellent psytrance DJ that has been playing at many local festivals. The opening track Conjugate is a perfect start to a set where the different sounds are added layer by layer. The throbbing beat of Solar Hamiltonian and spacey synth made my stomping feet itch. The Ante has been brilliantly created with a perfect balance between progressive and psychedelic sounds. A banging and occasionally throbbing beat is complimented with more full-on sounds in the stunning Sinuessa. With the vibrations emanating from my speakers it is clear why the title track is named, Music Should Be Felt Not Heard. Included on this album are two tracks Chabunk has expertly remixed, one by Headroom and another by Flowjob. I love the jittery synth sounds of Horizontal Reflection with the deep bass flowing through. The very clean sound of Conclusion is testament to the great work this artist is producing. The album ends on a high with another banging progressive track, Perturbation Theory. Recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

15.Various Artists - Bridging the Gap - Expo Records <Psytrance> Bridging The Gap is Expo Records’ debut release compiled by Dynamic Range and mastered by Shift. This uncomplicated psychedelic album is made up of pure fun and perfectly meshed full on tunes. The opening track, I’m Not The Same Machine by Earthspace has cool uplifting melodies. There is a serious base line going on in Deeptek by Saga combined with classic trippy echoes. Civa & Frenetic’s Groovedelic is a rapid fire foot stomper with twisted psychedelic squelches. The huge and bouncy rhythm of Substance by Hypnoise is infectious and will throw dance floors into a frenzy. The One Mind by E-Ject vs. Shockwave takes it up another notch in the rapid fire stakes and I can imagine dust clouds forming over the dance floor with the debauched flailing of limbs. My speakers are alive with the throbbing bass of Growing Planet by Ilai vs. Spec3 and I just want to break free and dance. The tight beat of Intuition by Attik give this track a nice harder edge and is then followed by birds chirping and a sweeping melody in the more colourful palette of Be Here Now by Hypnocoustics. The military precision of banging bass in Lazercut by Endeavour is an excellent track for the night time crowd. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

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50 DJ CHARTS

NOV/DEC12

DJ CHARTS EREFAAN PEARCE (Soul Revolution|The 33RPM Show|MuthaFM / CPT / House) 1. Jimpster - Can’t Stop Loving You (Freerange) • 2. Adesse - Baayi (Prime Numbers) • 3. Thorne Miller - All Of You Nuno Estevez Remix (Just Move Records) • 4. Alex Agore/James Johnston Improper Change (No Matter What) • 5. Blaq Sons - Level Up (House Head Records) • 6. HNNY Mys (Let’s Play House) • 7. Chaos In The CBD - So Proud (Younggunz Ent) • 8. The Cut - Miso Soup • 9. Jayson Brothers - North & Pulaski (Motor City Drum Enesmble) • 10. Jimpster - Porchlight Rocking Chairs Kink Remix (Freerange)

DJ GOBLIN (PSYSEX) (Egohunter|Organic PsyTrance / Israel) 1. Kasadelica&golikem - Locus Coeruleus • 2. Sandman - Natural Born Killers (Domestic Goblin Sandman Remake) • 3. Psysex & Manitu - The Final Mission (DualHead 2013 makeup) • 4. Psysex & Inner Action - Cosmic Perspective • 5. Psysex - High Times (Panick Rmx-DualHead2013 Remake) • 6. Pick - Dark Prog (Psysex Remix) • 7. Onkel Dunkel - Seven Sisters Of Sleep • 8. Ajja - Bazinga • 9. Psysex & Kaiju Feat Giad Weiss-Free Fluoro • 10. Psysex & Aphid Moon - Oldschool renegade

STEFAN VILJOEN (Truth Nightclub|Above All Records / JHB / Trance|Progressive|EDM) 1. Stefan Viljoen, Johan De Kock Feat. Nanje Nowack - Silence (Tommy Johnson Remix) (Above All Records) • 2. Lange feat. Llseviolin - Violin’s Revenge (Dark Club Mix) (Lange Recordings) • 3. Johan De Kock, Stefan Viljoen Feat. Nanje Nowack - See Us Falling (F! Records) • 4. Stefan Viljoen, Joahn De Kock - Level 9000 (Stefan Viljoen Mix) (Southern State Music) • 5. Progresia feat. Linnea Schossow - Fire Fire Fire (ilan Bluestone remix ) (Anjuna Beats) • 6. Don Diablo - Origins (Spinnin Records) • 7. T.O.M - Highway Red (Straight Up Remix) (Above All Records) • 8. Orjan Nilsen - Mafioso (Original Mix) (Armind) • 9. N-eil & Matt-Vell featuring Nanje Nowack - Fire Away (Desknights Remix) (Subtraxx) • 10. Micfreak Resurface (Johan De Kock Remix) (Deeplife)

SHAUN DUVET (Electric Music|Anything Goes / CPT / House) 1. Duke Demont - Need u 100% (Skreamisim Rmx) • 2. Storm Queen - Look right through (MK 3 Dub mix) • 3. Mike Mago - The Show • 4. Kolombo Throw your hands • 5. Vanilla Ace & Chad Tyson The Darkness • 6. Le Youth - Cool (Atapy remix) • 7. Amine Edge & Dance - Let it bump • 8. R Kelly Ignition (Cousin Cole Remix) • 9. Tyga - Rack City (Amine Edge & Dance) • 10. Ninetoes - Finder

CRAIG DE SOUSA (Heads and Tails Music / CPT / Deep House) 1. Karmon - No Illusion (Original Mix) • 2. Craig De Sousa - Disco Manic (Original Mix) • 3. Dusky Careless (Original Mix) • 4. Erefaan Pearce Sampled Love (Original Mix) • 5. Roger D’Lux Hero (Original Mix) • 6. Taylor, Tough Love - In My Way (Original Mix) • 7. Cajmere, Dajae - Satisfy (Original Mix) • 8. Pleasurekraft, Jaceo Vedic Chloroformd (Original Mix) • 9. Lars Moston, Teenage Mutants - French Kiss (Original Mix) • 10. Sasch BBC, Caspar - Supersonic (NTFO Remix) GUMZITO (4Dimensional Music / Johannesburg / Soulful House) 1. Elise - Poseidon (Yoruba Soul Mix) (ATJAZZ Record Co.) • 2. Gumzio, DJ Crookid Feat. Sabrina Child - Piece Of My Mind (Boddhi Satva Ancestral Dub) (OpenBar Music) • 3. SK95 Ft. V-Cho - Land Of Dreams (Main Mix) (DNH Music) • 4. Tanneta Soul, Gershon Jackson - Im Free (Da Capo Afro Touch Mix) (OMNI Music Solutions) • 5. Taliwa Music For My Son (Sean McCabe Remix) (Foliage Records) • 6. Copyright Feat. Donae'o - My Desire (Jullian Gomes Remix) (Defected) • 7. Logistix Feat. Deon Nathan - I Feel (Souldynamic Remix) (King Street) • 8. Imaani - Live Without Your Love (Reel People Vocal Mix) (Reel People Music) • 9. Sir LSG, Kafele Feat. Brian Temba - All I Am (Original Mix) (GoGo Music) • 10. Sacred Soul Feat. Gugu Zulu Places (Monocles & Slezz Vocal Mix) - Soul Candi Records

PUNK (Surreal Sounds / JHB / Deep Tech House) 1. Punk feat. Magic Soul - I Can Read Your Mind • 2. Andre Lodemann - Where Are You Now? (Jimpster Rmx) • 3. Atjazz & Christo - Three • 4. Sir LSG, Brian Temba, Kafele - All I Am (Sir LSG Original Mix) • 5. Ten83 feat. D'vine Lopez - Musical Feeling (Ta-Ice Yokohama Rmx) • 6. Four Tet - Sing (Floating Points Rmx) • 7. The Invisible - Wings (Floating Points Rmx) • 8. Da Capo - Let's Play (AquaTone Dub) • 9. Vikter Duplaix - Galaxy • 10. Atjazz feat. Amalia - One

CONNECTO (Vortex / Love & Light / Sourcecode Transmissions / Iono) Psy Progressive Cape Town 1. Symbolic & Outsiders - High Hopes - UNRL • 2. Liquid Soul - Adrenaline (Zen Mechanics Rmx) UNRL • 3. Zentura - Come with us - UNRL • 4. Suntree & Antigravity - Part of the Universe UNRL • 5. Silicon Sound - Pure Reality (Zyce & Flegma Rmx) - UNRL • 6. Zentura - Sonic Masala - Source Code Transmissions • 7. Liquid Soul & Zyce ft Solar Kid - Anjuna - Iboga • 8. E-Clip & Zen Mechanics - Sundowning - UNRL • 9. Ranji - Can't See - Blue Tunes • 10. Unseen Dimension - Forward & Onwards - Spin Twist

52 | BPM

Sat 14 Dec | Aloe Roots | Life is a Beach | Mosselbay | Ft: EarthChild (PE), DMTRicks (Bongos/Wilderness), Cooks,(Garden Route, RSA), @NT (Earthdance, PE), Trancekai (Germany / RSA), Hektek Elektrek (RSA), Psytronik (Wildfarm / Aloe Roots / RSA), Rosa Ventura (Respect Festival / Brazil) & more | Tickets : R120-R250 | www.facebook.com/AloeRoots

54 ASTROBABBLE

By Lois Siddhu

JANUARY 2014

CAPRICORN 22 DECEMBER - 19 JANUARY

THE PLANET VENUS HAS TURNED RETROGRADE AND WILL IN DUE COURSE BECOME THE MORNING STAR AGAIN.

ARIES | 21 Mar - 20 Apr | FIRE You want to be more deliberate and independent in your decision making but you find yourself listening to the opinions of others but you need to know within yourself who and what you are.

LEO | 23 Jul - 22 Aug | FIRE Carrying emotional baggage backwards and forwards through your life creates strain that eventually breaks down the walls of your good intentions and drowns you in the process.

TAURUS | 21 Apr - 20 May | EARTH You tend to get fixated on a particular outcome of events and failing this expectation you relegate the experience to the dustbin as 'bad' or negative. Life is an experience.

VIRGO | 23 Aug - 22 Sept | EARTH Being of service to others comes naturally to you and therefore you expect the same of others, but everyone has their own unique way of sharing. Stay in balance.

GEMINI | 21 May - 21 Jun | AIR As the wheel of life turns you find yourself spinning like a top and your social life propels you into interaction with others that expand your horizons, and possibly your romantic life as well.

LIBRA | 23 Sept - 22 Oct | AIR Avoid making too many promises that you can't or don't intend to keep as the day of reckoning always comes around. Be loyal to your own promises.

AQUARIUS | 20 Jan - 18 Feb | AIR Emotional issues have never really been your comfort zone and in many ways you flippantly shrug them away. Now the hidden agendas are surfacing and have to be dealt with.

SCORPIO | 23 Oct - 21 Nov | WATER If you are avoiding doing what is necessary in your work and creative sphere, you will find anger issues crop up and you need to take responsibility for this.

PISCES | 19 Feb - 20 Mar | WATER Whatever the shape of your fears are, it is only by facing and taking responsibility for them that you can empower yourself to deal with them.

CANCER | 20 Jun | 22 Jul | WATER If issues of discontent in your relationship do not get addressed, you will find the skeletons pushing the doors of the closet open and surprising you with the intensity of those hidden agendas.

ARIES | 21 Mar - 20 Apr | FIRE Avoid senseless confrontations and flinging your energies around in a macho way. Put an invisible lock on your tongue and don't spew out all the angry words that enter you mind. TAURUS | 21 Apr - 20 May | EARTH Strip away what is superfluous and express the essence of who you really are. It is a good time monetary and in other ways to invest in your future through your creative impetus. GEMINI | 21 May - 21 Jun | AIR If you block the fluid flow of your feelings you could end up having a showdown with someone close to you as you may find yourself more emotional than usual. CANCER | 20 Jun | 22 Jul | WATER Scapegoats for your emotional baggage won't help; you have to work through your own 'stuff, and then deal with your deep seated fears and angers.

CAPRICORN | 22 Dec - 19 Jan | EARTH There are times you just have to take a direct, straightforward approach to deal with the world or you may find that things you say are misconstrued or you did not clarify your intent.

FEBRUARY 2014

AQUARIUS 20 JANUARY - 18 FEBRUARY

SAGITTARIUS | 22 Nov - 21 Dec | FIRE Like all emotions, anger gets triggered by a specific thought - ascertain the root of this thought and then express how you feel as you need to.

WITH JUPITER AND PLUTO IN OPPOSITION EXPANSION ALSO BRINGS ABOUT THE DEATH OF THE OLD AND REDUNDANT. LEO | 23 Jul - 22 Aug | FIRE Get involved with your own creative pursuits and don't try to fight others battles for them and avoid hasty and impulsive appending and actions.

SAGITTARIUS | 22 Nov - 21 Dec | FIRE Though you are not the stereotype person you still have got a lot in common with other two-legged. Appreciate others for their uniqueness too.

VIRGO | 23 Aug - 22 Sept | EARTH The onus is on you to realize your self-worth and project that positive image out to the world and it will respond accordingly. Hoarding and holding onto things creates stagnation.

CAPRICORN | 22 Dec - 19 Jan | EARTH Ignore the arrows of jealousy that are directed at you and don't get too carried away with ambitious schemes. Apply yourself in the practical areas of life.

LIBRA | 23 Sept - 22 Oct | AIR Be consciously aware of where you place your focus and keep your thoughts aimed at the target of your dreams and wishes.

AQUARIUS | 20 Jan - 18 Feb | AIR As you are carrying too much on your shoulders? Learn to stay in balance and be fair to yourself and share your deep-seated anxieties in order to get an objective viewpoint.

SCORPIO | 23 Oct - 21 Nov | WATER A steep learning curve also awaits you for this year and you will need to access your creative adeptness and not only rely on your past conquests.

PISCES | 19 Feb - 20 Mar | WATER Not a good time to gamble away your resources, be it money or energy. Keep your feet firmly on the ground and go with the traditional, tried and trusted.

Lois Siddhu lives in a circle of mountains in the Baviaanskloof. For professional Astrological Counseling CALL 049 839-1178 or Email: masonwaspstudio@telkomsa.net | Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/AstroReadings

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