BPM Magazine Sep/Oct'13

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ISSUE 69

DENNIS FERRER BOYS NOIZE DJ SHIMZA NTFO & STIMMING PHFAT JULLIAN GOMES SYMBOLIC @ EARTHDANCE

URBAN MUSIC CULTURE

GOLDFISH

bpm BEATS

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PEOPLE

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CONTENTS

SEPT/OCT 2013 EDITION 69

• MUSIC

PUBLISHED & DISTRIBUTED BY: COALITION : Tel: (021) 913-8423 Fax: 086 544-1361 info@bpmmag.co.za | www.bpmmag.co.za MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS: David McKinley, Thomas Whitebread MANAGING EDITOR: David McKinley - dave@bpmmag.co.za MUSIC EDITOR: Dave Mac : dave@bpmmag.co.za SALES DIRECTOR: Thomas Whitebread : thomas@bpmmag.co.za

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CONTRIBUTORS: Thomas Whitebread | Dave Mac | Terri Love Johann M Smith | Lois Siddhu | Bradley Love Damon Albetto | Charlie & Tony - Hemporium Paul & Peter - Tuerk Music | Chris & Clint Audiosure | Luis & Bernard - Viva Afrika Riqardo Neves | David Maclean | Dave Skinz The Little Misfit | Malu Lambert | Sergio Pereira Tendai Luwo | David Scott | Donovan Leon James Copeland | Greg Bester | Kagiso Mnisi Ethan Storm SALES & ADVERTISING ENQUIRES: Thomas Whitebread (021) 913-9443 | 082 889-2047 Dave McKinley (021) 557-1549 | 084 209-0168

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@ BPMMAG.CO.ZA DEAN FUEL:VISITS TOMORROWLAND Tomorrowland is Disneyland for adults! Tomorrowland has arguably become the fairy tale destination for any DJ …

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MAGAZINE TEMPLATE DESIGN: Johann M Smith johannmartinsmith@gmail.com WANT TO STAY INFORMED? Join our newsletter!

Simply email the words ‘Beats People Music’ to bpminfo@eject.co.za

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INTERVIEW: ROBERT DELONG "All of the universe is a loosely connected mass of vibrating stuff: act accordingly" Robert DeLong, the new …

NEW PSY-PROG SENSATION: BERG It’s a story that’s been told before; young producer seemingly appears from nowhere and goes from zero to hero in the …

INTERVIEW: D-NOX BACK IN SA “I don’t want to jump around in a plastic boat and throw cakes from the stage at people. No way. These guys don’t even mix anymore”

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.

28 2013 All rights reserved | BPM Magazine

EDITORS NOTE & CONTRIBUTORS THE WALL MUSIC NEWS THE LITTLE MISFIT GOLDFISH DENNIS FERRER HEATS UP SPRING FIESTA NTFO & STIMMING ALTERNATIVELY JOBURG SYMBOLIC PHFAT BEAT BANGAZ JULLIAN GOMES MPI PROJECT THE DEEP END WITH LUO 5 MINUTES WITH MS. EVE DJ SHIMZA ALBUM REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS DJ TOP TEN CHARTS PARTY INFO & EVENTS ASTROBABBLE - VIRGO & LIBRA

READ THESE AND OTHER INTERESTING STORIES ONLINE

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To find your nearest outlet email: info@bpmmag.co.za

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HARDWELL ANNOUNCES ‘I AM HARDWELL’ DOCUMENTARY Following the his world tour concept ‘I AM HARDWELL’ earlier this year in his home country of Holland, Hardwell has released a teaser announcing his new I AM HARDWELL documentary.

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EDITOR’S NOTE DANCE MUSIC: UNITES DANCEFLOORS, DIVIDES DJS...

OW! The dance music explosion has certainly hit us with a tsunami of events scheduled over the next year or two.

One can only wonder how long it will take for the bubble to burst. There’s talk of Ultra Festival and Tomorrowland [the biggest events in USA and Europe respectively] launching here in 2014/15 and just a brief look-see at some of the parties scheduled over the next few months, plus international DJs/Producers scheduled to tour and I think it’s fair to say; ‘they like us, they really, really like us!’

So with these and so many weekly and nightly events also happening, life must be good if you’re a DJ or producer right now, right? The gigs must be plentiful and the pockets full, right? Somehow I know the answer to that already. For some, sure! We all know that the top 5% are forging genuine careers out of their love and talent for making that dancefloor whoop. For the other 95% of DJs who can consider themselves pro or semi-pro it’ll still be a daily hustle to get onto those desirable line-ups. Nothing sucks more than when you see a lesser DJ than yourself on the bill of an event you should have played at! You know that sinking feeling when you realise it’s who you know in this business and not what you can do behind the decks that gets you gigs. Cheer up mate, every DJ has been there at some point. The world works on social networking - and I don’t mean Facebook and Twitter, although clearly for many the world does only exist in these semi-superficial realms.

The reality is that most [but not all] promoters have a curiously strange way of doing their line-ups that defies logic to most of us humble DJs. Yes, some may be looking at your social media followers, others may actually have watched and heard you play whilst most are probably getting advice from those around them, sometimes spurred on by hearing your name pop up in conversations. It’s an imperfect science just like throwing events is so clearly a hit-and-miss gamble.

Over my many years in this game I’ve seen some of the most seasoned promoters still lose money so I guess one can forgive them for being a specie unto their own. It does take a special type of person to continue to put their money and reputations on the line by doing what essentially equates to a popularity contest; if the people come, you’ve won that contest, if they don’t you feel like a loser, dented pocket and pride side by side.

So here’s the thing; competition is tough everywhere. Promoters may have the most to lose yet they need to heed the same advice we do as DJs. People go to events to feel together and to be united as one for a few blissful hours, moving to a universal kick drum that resonates with us as human beings on so many levels. So play nicely kids, party season is almost upon us. If we fight amongst ourselves they’ll simply stop coming...

And when that happens, said promoter’s biggest event will be a bring-and-braai with you on the decks playing to his 5 closest friends.

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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

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: FEATURE WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS 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.

Nathan Kabingesi - Nathan is a selfconfessed house junkie; you can usually spot him in a corner of the dance floor getting high off the DJ's supply.

Appreciating the finely spun mix, he's not shy about calling out the occasional slip of the needle. Expect incisive and considered opinions on everything from the latest album releases to trend developments in the world of 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.

6 INTERACT

THE WALL GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?

THATO TSELE Yo yo yo whats up bpm admin and fans. I GOTTA SAY THIS "You got me going even more CrazY, May/June issue was Ableton 9.0.3 suite very interesting for me and July/August issue you had me looking at the Novation Launchkey picture for a month. I gotta have it since it interacts very well with Ableton DAW and besides am a big fan of Ableton Products!" Thank you Ableton, Beats People Music you the BesT a BiG thank to you...

Keep it up!!! (((BOOOOOOOM))) RAPHAEL ANGELO KLATZKO thanks BPM Mag for featuring some of Light Tone Studios pictures we love TOY TOY THANK YOU! JACOB NAPZEN WEST I love the clubs & DJ'S life style so 2 u BPM SAM I AM @IAMSAMTASTIK What does a girl have to do to win #HardwellSaTour tickets @electricmusicsa @BPMMAG??!!!"

Just keep sending in your answers with positive vibes – Ed. BLAQ MOLASSES Bpm crew: On 2nd August afternoon, what I saw as I browsed through my own home page I saw a link. It was Boddhi Satva's new mixtape out! I learnt a lot. I grew up to feel exposed to the kind of industry I am in currently. I started doing my own podcasts in early 2013 in the music industry, after I saw your link I thought out that today there loads of interesting news, the scenes are great and a whole lot is happening. The crew thank you for all hard work to share with us truly inspirational services. As I stated that I do podcats - I'd like to share to you http://soundcloud.com/blaq-molasses-1. I will be sharing regularly.

Thank You RAW GROOVE Hi, how do we go about posting our event in your mag or getting it featured in the mag!!!!

Hey Raw Groove, drop us the details on the following email: admin@bpmmag.co.za. And make sure to stay on our radar via Facebook or Twitter. – Ed.

LUZUKO ANYNONIMUS RALA One day i will say in an interview, i started from the bpm mag wall (INTERACT) to 5 minutes with.....? /Exclusive interview #ANYTHINGISPOSIBLE Would love to see a feature on the bpm mag where the process of registering music with SAMRO and producers having there music available for purchase in music websites like traxsource, beatport, ovi music, itunes etc because a lot of new or upcoming producers are clueless when it comes to that, lastly soul candi institute of music and boston city campus and business college should consider offering the dj/producer course in the eastern cape not only in east london but port elizabeth NYTXPRESS MOLEFE Thanks guys bpm mag issue 68 wow best love this mag jast give me what I need bpm u the best part of my life…

JOEL MOKONE MVUNDLELA If it does so happen that my new girlfriend just so happens to 'accidentally spills Planet cola' on my whole Bpm mag collection do I (a)Accidentally whack her skinny ass (b)Get a new one and tell her what a tool her predecessor was or (c)AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh I really am gonna kill her BERNARD VAN DER KUIL (@BERNZ117) Hey @DeanFUEL just read your Tomorrowland interview with @BPMMAG very cool dude! Hope to see the experience gained brought through here soon! #OnAndUp ODD_PRODIGY XOLA (@PRODIGYRSA) Going thru my JUL|AUG @BPMMAG issue, @YuleD @Sbu_Romeo I knw Im l8, but i guess it dsn't matter WHEN u read it so long u grasp what's inside

CELEBRITY WALL

GARY ARSENIC FROM ARSENICBEATS Respect to @BPMMAG for the feature on the #DNA album by myself and @YoungstaCpt LUNGA BAAINAR NOMBEWU FROM BAAINER RECORDS So glad to hear so many people saying that they are inspired by the Baainar Records story on BPM Mag, have you read it? whats your take? http://bpmmag.co.za/featured/baainar-recordsa-major-independent/ LADY M Thank you BPM Mag for the coverage on Triplefire Music Label Nights LIVE MAG SA Thanks to @JohannMSmith & @BPMMAG for their #FutureMusic preview ow.ly/nUNAQ @zaBritish @Connect_ZA #sShadoworkSs SERGIO PEREIRA (@SERGIOWRITES) I might be bias, but it must be said that @musemag and @BPMMAG are really packed with awesome features.

D-NOX checked in for my flight to Johanesburg. 2 gigs ahead. friday capetown @BPMMAG Sirius & saturday @oppikoppifest near J-burg.

RUDI DAVID-AFRICA Thank you to BPM Mag for the feature ...

Rude World Records http://bpmmag.co.za/news/music-news/therude-boys-sign-with-soul-candi/

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DEFECTED RECORDS (UK) Thanks to @BPMMAG for their report on @booomibiza.

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THE NEWS THE LATEST CLUB AND DANCE MUSIC NEWS FROM SA AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR DAILY NEWS UPDATES CHECKOUT WWW.BPMMAG.CO.ZA OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER facebook.com/bpmmag | twitter.com/bpmmag

BOYS NOIZE TO ROCK SOUTH AFRICA IN OCTOBER erman producer, Alex Ridha better known as Boys Noize, will be performing in South Africa for the first time this October. He is set to play at Vodacom In The City in Joburg and Rocking the Daisies in Cape Town. Boys Noize has remixed and produced some of the biggest names in the global music world such as Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, Feist, Santigold, Scissor Sisters, Snoop Dogg and Skrillex and has forged an innovative signature sound.

He has a relentless tour schedule balancing this precariously with his in-demand remix skills and although he is an accomplished DJ, since his third album release, Out Of the Black, he is inclined to do live shows of only his music; “I really wanted to give people a concert where I perform my music only. It’s not that I don’t like DJing anymore; I’m a DJ to the bone and will always be, but playing my tracks live and putting on a completely new show was something I wanted to do for a

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RED BULL STUDIO LAUNCHES OPENING DJ COMPETITION FOR ROCKING THE DAISIES Want to open the Red Bull Live stage at this year’s Rocking the Daisies? Wanna play on the same bill as Boys Noize?

Red Bull have a launched a competition offering one budding DJ the chance to drop the opening set on the mother of a sound system they have planned this year. Word is the stage and setup is going to be bigger than ever, equalling the same billing as the main band stage.

Warning: It is an opening slot so heed their advice; “you need to understand this is an opening slot and it’s crucial to us that you understand where this set needs to be musically. We are looking for a careful blend of music that transgresses genres, showcases a love of music and an understanding that the role of the opening warm up set is to lay the foundations for the day and the night that follows. It’s all about setting the tone and creating the space.”

HOW TO ENTER: Hop on over to BPMMAG.co.za and search: “RED BULL STUDIO OPENING DJ AT ROCKING THE DAISIES COMPETITION” All the details are there.

long time. It’s different, it’s fresh and this is what I love.”

Ridha’s music is a combination of electro house, techno and electronica and was voted ‘Best Electronic Artist’ three years in a row on Beatport. His music is typified by a merging of various styles including hip hop, disco and a heady mix of heavy noise and electro house. Long story short; it’s going to get loud when he plays! Ridha intends staying in South Africa for almost two weeks and has gone on record to say that he is very keen to explore our diverse electronic music culture.

Recently he also collaborated with Skrillex on a new project called Dog Blood which they performed at this year’s Ultra Music Festival in Miami in March. Curiously they released an album in August last year but did not tell anyone about the collaboration until their first gig at Ultra.

Boys Noize SA Tour: 4th Oct:Vodacom in the City 5th Oct: Rocking the Daisies

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MUSIC NEWS

A NEW VENUE FOR EARTHDANCE CAPE TOWN “It’s more than just a party!”

Earthdance Cape Town have moved venues after several years at Nekkies in Worcester. Says event director, Regan Tacon; “We are super excited about the new venue. It was time for a change, we need more space to be creative and avoid the heavy winds that kept hitting us in Worcester. The Bergriver municipality who oversees the towns of Piketberg and Eendekuil, between which the new venue is situated, have been amazing! We are all working together to ensure we do a festival that can also uplift the local community where possible, it very exciting. We are really looking forward to creating a festival that is unique and extra special at this new venue.”

He stresses that Earthdance is more than just a party. “We have constantly focussed on being more than just another party in a field. We have multiple dancefloors with different genres of underground dance music to suit the tastes of the most tuned in music fans and open minded party people in South Africa. Aside from the dancing we have areas dedicated to sharing of knowledge and information, aimed to strengthen our community and better the world we live in. This is also carried through the year with the support we offer to various charities and institutions we work with. We strive to create a truly transformational festival, bring the best of what SA has to offer together with the aim of multitude of the best artists, performers, musicians and DJs coming together creating progress for all involved.” in the name of world peace for 3 days of non-stop music and dance.

For all the info on their new venue, the multiple stages and workshops go Confirmed to play is international producer Flooting Grooves, Silo and to: earthdancecapetown.co.za DJ Zezia from Cape Town. Earthdance JHB 2013 boasts two stages, entertainers, a chill space, visual projections, light displays and various exciting trade and food stalls. happening again this year This year, 50% of Earthdance JHB's profits will go to FOOD FOR LIFE SA Earthdance was hosted for the first time in Johannesburg last year and (www.fflsa.org). proved a resounding success!

This year's festival is intended to be even bigger and better, as a

EARTHDANCE: JHB

DIYNAMIC LABEL ARTISTS NTFO AND STIMMING TO PLAY TRUTH October and November sees new kids on the block NTFO who had to postpone their gig in June and Club Truth favourite, Stimming, hit the decks on Saturday, 26th October and Saturday November 30th, respectively.

Both are big nights on the Truth calendar - 26 Oct is their Halloween Ball party and on November 30th the club celebrates its 14th birthday. These artists are on the Hamburg based Diynamic Roster which was founded in 2006 by Solomun and Adriano Trolio - the label goes hand in hand with its sub-label 2DIY4, the booking agency "DIY-BOOKING" and the club called "EGO". Now, close to 70 releases later and 15 artists and groups all together - the Diynamic family looks back on an extraordinarily fulfilling and dynamic past. The whole crew has had another great summer at Sankeys in Ibiza with their Diynamic Neon Nights. Last year Solomun was awarded at The DJ Awards with the Producer of the Year.

In their own words: “The German electronic music scene is written in Hamburg and there is no end in sight. Always according to the principle which is an important part of the name Diynamic: DIY. Do It Yourself!”

Checkout the full roster of events at Truth at truthjhb.com

AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT It’s the world’s biggest club festival with hundreds of DJ's and acts performing in Amsterdam's finest venues, cafés, record stores, lounges and art galleries.

Growing from its humble beginnings in 1996 as a small-scale industry event, the ADE now hosts thousands of key professionals and a festival audience eager to hear the best that dance music has to offer. It is also a 5 day electronic music conference with a full daily program of panel discussions, meet and greets and general networking that takes place. It’s where the business of EDM gets taken seriously! The event is organized by The Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation and includes more than 300 events spread across 50 clubs in Amsterdam.

This year’s event takes place on the following dates: 16/17/18/19/20 Oct 2013 Find all you need to know here: amsterdam-dance-event.nl

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KENDRICK LAMAR ANNOUNCES SA TOUR Miller Genuine Draft have proudly announced the return of Miller BoomTown, this time featuring international headliner and rapper Kendrick Lamar - who is set to play live in South Africa this coming spring.

The three-city tour will kick off at the CTICC in Cape Town on the 7th of November before moving up to Johannesburg Stadium on the 8th, and Durban’s Wave House on the 9th.

Tickets are priced between R350 and R1900.

Kendrick Lamar is the self-declared King of New York. The 26 year old Compton born rapper is taking the world’s scene by storm.

Most recently his clever rhymes, witty lyrics and forward thinking attitude granted him the MTV crown ‘Hottest MC in the Game’.

Some predict he is destined to change the game as we know it. Says Miller Genuine Draft Marketing Manager, Carmen Hobbs: “With the recent success and popularity of Miller BoomTown at the Durban July, we decided to take Miller BoomTown on tour for everyone to have access to the experience.”

Fans can get tickets from Computicket: Golden circle tickets are R650 General Access tickets are R350 and VIP Hospitality tickets are R1900.

SA Tour: 07 Nov Cape Town, South Africa - CTICC 08 Nov Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg Stadium 09 Nov Durban, South Africa - Wave House

ARMADA MUSIC SIGNS COSMIC GATE / WAKE YOUR MIND RECORDS Armada Music announced recently the signing of German duo Cosmic Gate. The legendary project of producer/DJ duo Claus Terhoeven and Stefan Bossems, they say ‘is ready to take its next step: the launch of their own official label, Wake Your Mind Records’. The first release, Cosmic Gate’s So Get Up, calls in a new era for the masterminds.

Working together since 1998, Cosmic Gate have been involved

with EDM for more than a decade. Not only did their DJ sets stand out, so did their productions. From the early works of Exploration of Space and Fire Wire to today’s future classics, Analog Feel and Be Your Sound.

Last year, they released their fifth artist album, Wake Your Mind. They toured the globe, playing over 140 shows as part of the album tour, including their very special Wake Your Mind In Concert events. This year, they’ve got other plans with the Wake Your Mind title.

Cosmic Gate: "We are super excited to start our own label. We’ve known Armin and the Armada crew for many years already, and now it's time for our first big collaboration. So get up for Wake Your Mind Records!"

Cosmic Gate’s So Get Up single, premiered on Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance radio show tonight, is set for release on Wake Your Mind Records on the 23rd of September on www.beatport.com

Clearly Tortured Soul have good taste and know a good thing when they hear it; that’s our very own Black Coffee.

MI CASA RELEASES SU CASA, GOES STRAIGHT TO NO.1 ON ITUNES

BLACK COFFEE COLLABORATES WITH TORTURED SOUL ON NEW TRACK I KNOW WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND Brooklyn-based soulful house trio Tortured Soul have collaborated with SA DJ/producer sensation Black Coffee on the infectious new single called I Know What’s On Your Mind.

It all came about when the Americans recently visited Johannesburg. The package includes a soulful main radio mix, a deep house remix by Tortured Soul member Ethan White, a stunning deep house remix, a Tropical Island Sex Mix and Determination Mix by the band’s vocalist/drummer John Christian Urich.

Tortured Soul have astounded audiences globally with performances in top clubs such as Fabric, Cargo and the Jazz Cafe in London to 15,000 plus crowds at the Montreal Jazz Festival, headlining Southport Weekender and have also appeared at the Big Chill festival, while their recorded oeuvre pushes the genre boundaries of soul, dance, and pop.

Follow up albums can be tricky. Especially when your debut has proven one of the most popular releases for the year and all the plaudits that comes with enjoying a best-selling release have been plentiful. Then there’s the stress of wondering if it’ll sell as well as your first.

Well for Mi Casa I guess that worry is now over. The day after their launch at Sandton City's Musica and the actual day it became available online it hit No. 1 on iTunes. We love that they decided to do a free in store album launch ‘oldskool’ style and it proves that people do still buy music if the right channels are there to purchase... and of course with the right sound and marketing.

Check out Tendai’s review of Su Casa on Pg. 42.

10 OPINION

By The Little Misfit

The Little Misfit

PSY WILL EAT ITSELF

I WANT TO FEEL THAT NERVOUS EXCITEMENT AGAIN. THE TENSION. I WANT TO LEAP FLYING INTO THE ABYSS OF DREAMS tretching ahead, like some golden highway, the summer trance season and all it entails looms invitingly.

You know that jittery, nervous feeling you get as your car gets closer and closer to the venue? Yip. I’ve got that in spades.

In my psy party infancy I used to plot and plan all week; I sometimes even stitched an outfit together, complete with the requisite fairy wings. Come party time (of course I would get there the day before it even started) I’d set up camp and wander about the festival as it was coming together.

There was something special about that time. The grass was green and springy, compared to the mud and slush it would be in the end. The décor fresh and luminous. The palpable excitement and anticipation of us eager beavers who were already there. We knew that in the next couple of days anything could happen. Who would we be at the end of it?

Back then going to outdoor parties wasn’t necessarily about the partying - it was about throwing off the shackles of normalcy, embracing the magic and the surreal; it was about going deep inside somewhere very strange.

S

In the last decade the scene has grown from relatively small ‘R40 parties’ to being the most popular genre in Cape Town. A handful of weirdos dancing in a forest, valley, or beach is a far-cry from the thousands that descend upon the festivals of today.

Even ‘smaller’ events have upwards of 1000 people and the freaks and hippies are all but lost in the crowd. Has it become a trend to follow? Is it simply the done thing in Cape Town, rather than a journey for those true intrepid travellers riding the spiral?

Of course I can only speak for myself.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who are just as excitable today as I was back then.

But, these days, the sheer regularity of parties - there’s what? A couple every single weekend - steals something from the magic, makes it less shiny, less unique. And dare I say it; but kind of boring? I want to feel that nervous excitement again. The tension. I want to leap flying into the abyss of dreams.

To not care what anyone thinks. To chase the thrill of living in the moment.

I don’t plan all week for the party anymore. I don’t camp. I decide on a whim to go - and I have fun, a lot of fun. I see my friends, we’re partying outdoors, it’s awesome of course, but it all feels well, so normal.

Like anything special, it becomes less so the more you have access to it. If you drink champagne and eat caviar every day you're bound to get tired of it... Electronic music by its very nature seems to have a self-destruct button. It consumes and spits music out exponentially. The faster it’s made, the greater the hunger gets. And trance music is right up there with the rest of ‘em.

Conversely, the music business has a history of eating itself up by sheer excess of any trending sound or genre - will psy go the same way?

I hope not. At its core the scene is still strange and underground - never mind how popular it’s got. The [society] outsiders may be lost in the crowd, but they’re still there; and until another genre manages to capture the alternative spirit like psy does, I don’t think they’re going anywhere soon.

Most of the newbies, who will soon get bored, may see their trance party days as an ‘experimental phase’ - and move on to become lawyers and accountants, thinking fondly of their technicoloured youth as a white collar tightens around their necks.

And the true heads? You’ll know where to find us. Just look for the weirdos dancing in the forest.

By Dave Mac

PHOTO: ROSS HILLIER

12 COVER FEATURE

GOLDFISH

THE STORY’S BEEN TOLD... e all know the story of Goldfish by now. Jazz musicians tired of the confines and rigidity of playing just jazz, seeking to create something with all the new technology on offer and desperately wanting to make a living from music.

The fun loving and sporty duo’s story has captured the hearts of many South Africans with their fresh boyish looks, sunny disposition and funky uplifting version of house music. Remarkably it’s only been 7 years since their debut album, Caught in the Loop was released such has been their impact on the music scene in this country.

But what of their overseas ventures?

Chatting to the boys at their studio in the upmarket Cape Town suburb, Bishops Court, [yup, I know, sounds super larny doesn’t it?] and being afforded a pre-listening session of their forthcoming album, Three Second Memory earlier this year, I could not help but admire how industrious and motivated they still are. Whilst Dave often sounds like the ‘man with a plan,’ it’s apparent that both have very strong opinions on where they want to go and on the state of the worldwide EDM scene.

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“...‘DO WE SIT HERE AND TRY AND WRITE A POP SONG;’ I CAN HONESTLY SAY NO, WE DON’T...

“YOU WON’T HEAR ‘BABY’ IN ANY OF OUR SONGS,” When I arrive they are busy overseeing the project of converting all their lighting/video sequences to midi files. “We’ve been trying to grow our show into new aspects of lighting and video but in a way that still keeps the Goldfish ethos at heart. So whichever song we play, or if we loop a section of a song it loops that section of the video and loops the section of the lighting in correlation to the music,” explains Dave.

This was borne out of lighting engineers asking for their 90 minute show delivered in an audio file so that the lighting can be preprogrammed. It also explains why the David Guettas and Swedish House Mafias of this world play pre-recorded sets. To make sure the lighting display is sequenced. “You’ll go overseas,” interjects Dom, “and they’ll be like ‘here, meet your VJ and your lighting engineer’ and they’ll have never heard your music

before and know nothing about what you’re about to do. We’ve watched YouTube clips of past shows that fans have uploaded and we’ll be like ‘what is the lighting engineer doing?’”

“Only once there was a guy in London at the Coronet Theatre who blew our minds,” says Dave [“like a lighting ninja”, chirps Dom]. “We watched the video afterward and it was just incredible. Every single nuance of the music he had on the lighting. It turns out he was a South African guy” [laughs].

And therein is the real charm of the Goldfish boys and why we all love them so much. Beyond their music which never fails to impress, they epitomise our own reflection of what it is to be a SAFFA; industrious, hard working, fiercely proud of our heritage and more than anything a do-it-yourself approach to ‘getting shit done.’

Rather than pander to what has sadly become the norm with some of these big EDM artists and pre-record their set so that the lights and video are synced “’cos we still have to compete with those guys,” says Dom, they’ve looked at other ways to solve the conundrum yet keep the spirit of Goldfish alive by being just that; Goldfish Live!

13

PHOTO: ALLAN NICOLL

So how well are they doing overseas? Being small fishies in a big pond... “I think in a lot of ways Goldfish has become like a really well kept secret [worldwide] cos even though we’ve been having, you know, huge success in certain territories, America as everyone knows has just woken up to electronic dance music. The first tour we did [USA], we went and played in New York and in California. We were doing these gigs and there was like [in his best cheesy American voice], ‘can you play Timberland!’ [laughs]. Honestly no one listened to dance music, it was hip hop or rock,” says Dom. Dave continues, “We were there for like a week or two and within a week there was a bit of a buzz and had we been able to follow through and get back there I think we would have been able to start something back then but... it’s why we’ve been going to Ibiza every year, for the exact same reason, so that we can be in Europe.” “...And it’s [Ibiza] a pollination Island cos it’s got people from all over the world coming to it, so when we go play a gig at the Blue Marlin, there’s some guy from NY, some guy from Miami, some guy from Croatia...” finishes Dom. Countries like Holland “it’s the smallest country to be huge in”, laughs Dom, and Brazil have gained them many fans as well as the UK with such a large SAFFA contingent.

But this year also saw them do Ultra Festival,

albeit for the third time, this is the first time on a big stage, sharing the bill with Boys Noize, Crystal Castles, Faithless, Infected Mushroom and more.

Finally we get around to talking about the new album and listening to it too. It’s what happens when music enthusiasts that are also kinda geeky tech heads get together.

We talk technology and gear for an hour!

“It’s still a shitload of work,” they both agree when pressed on whether it has gotten any easier over the years. Says Dave, “we’re always fighting for more time in the studio, but this time around we came back from Ibiza and a few trips fell through after September [last year] and it was actually the best thing ‘cos we only did gigs in South Africa with no international travelling so we were literally holed up here [in the studio] the whole time. We work all the time, thanks to laptops, as you can see so we basically are setup to work on the road although that’s more just used as an ideas pad, ‘cos when you recording you really need to be focused.”

I am always impressed by the hooks the duo are able to write and their ability to write lyrics that resonate with the current generation. “Songwriting in my mind,” says Dave, “has always been about hooks whether it’s a lyrical hook or a melodic hook, hypnotic hook or even just a rhythm thing, it’s all about those little pieces and how they come together and I’m always thankful that I

listened to a lot of old 70’s funk when I was younger and how that kind of schooled me in the positioning and how in music, everything has its place and how it all slots together. Funk was a huge example of that, because the bass will do one thing, the guitar another...” “Like music Tetris,” eludes Dom. Continues Dave, “songwriting in a lot of ways is like that too, although more linear because you’re building towards something, but to answer your question, ‘do we sit here and try and write a pop song; I can honestly say no, we don’t. Ninety-five percent of our choruses just come from jamming around, either just singing along to a keyboard riff or something like that.”

They both agree on hating clichéd lyrics, “you won’t hear ‘baby’ in any of our songs,” laughs Dom. “We’re not saying every song we’ve ever written has had awesome lyrics but on some, I think the lyrics are pretty good, personally,” adds Dave.

Their new album, Three Second Memory, drops around about now. Their international launch at time of press was scheduled to take place at ADE in Amsterdam, Europe’s premier dance music symposium on 18 October 2013. I got the chance to preview it online. You can read my review on Pg. 44.

It’s another winner from SA’s favourite dance music band.

Follow the band here: goldfishlive.com

16 EXCLUSIVE Q n A

By Tendai Luwo

DENNIS FERRER HEATS UP SPRING FIESTA

ith a love for house music that started at the tender age of 15, the headline act for this year’s Spring Fiesta Festival brings with him an unparalleled wealth of experience and inexorable love for dance music.

He is none other than Mister 'make a Church Lady Touch the Sky and scream ‘Hey Hey! Dennis Ferrer!’

This September the house maestro takes over Johannesburg, South Africa at the 2013 Soul Candi fuelled Spring Fiesta Festival. He will be pumping his sounds far into the night sky along with over 50 of South Africa’s hottest music acts. Tendai hooked up for a chat with him ahead of this massive event.

W

How did your love affair with house music begin?

It began when I was around 15 or so. My friend Peter at the time had a pair of turntables he inherited from his brother and I would go to his house and listen to him spin.

“I DON'T LIKE THE WORD ‘LEGEND’ BECAUSE YOU ASSIGN THAT TO SOMEONE WHO ‘HAD’ A LEGENDARY CAREER. I AM NOT READY TO SAY I'M DONE.” He was an amazing DJ and I'd try with all my might to battle him because that's what we did back in the day [laughs]. I kind of drifted in and out of it though because in NYC, at the time, house music wasn't really classified as its own specific genre. Everything kind of fell under dance music. I traversed through multiple scenes from electronic to hip hop to back into house when finally Kerri Chandler put the fire back in me where both he and Jerome Sydenham refined it.

Your brand continues to grow but what was the moment you realised you'd 'made it'?

Lets get this straight... no one ever ‘makes it’!

As soon as you get comfortable is when your career is done. I'll never feel like I've made it because I realised later in my life that I didn't get into this to reach that goal. I did this because I felt I had a lot of my inner self to give. I had a lot of stories to tell. Factual and fictional.

Let's go back to the day you produced your first record. What was that like for a young Dennis Ferrer?

Ignorance is bliss yet at the same as today... scary! My mind raced constantly. Is this bassline ok? Are the drums loud enough? Is the vocal cheesy? What was worse is that at least today I can rely on the experience I've accumulated and at the time I had none. Back then what was bad was the unknown. What was good though is that when you start you're brash and full of yourself, that is until you're crushed by someone else's better records or someone who actually knows what they're talking about, brings you down to earth. I suppose it's called paying your dues and I paid a whole warehouse full of it!

17 How do you feel when referred to as a ‘house music legend?’

I don't like the word ‘legend’ because you assign that to someone who ‘had’ a legendary career. I am not ready to say I'm done. I have way too many more stories to tell. If one day when I’m retired the public deems me worthy of assigning that label to me then I will carry that badge with respect, admiration and humility for every one of those fans who helped me get there.

One of the more famous incidents in your career is the evening you were removed from the decks at Mansion Nightclub for not playing commercial enough music. On reflection what’s your take on that night?

[Laughs] In all actuality I wear that incident as a patch of personal pride.

Not in the sense that I was so egotistical as a DJ to think I'm doing a purist thing and screw everyone.

But more in the sense that I can only be me and I was going to show everyone who I was, like it or not, and I stuck to my guns. I chose me. It was what I was paid for no? Then why book me? In the end it was just a total misunderstanding in their booking exacerbated by an artist with a successful tune and people who didn't do their due diligence in who was really the person behind it. Sh*t happens and it always will. That's my take on the state of affairs in house music. There are a lot more important and pressing issues in the music industry at the moment than worrying about a bad-booking matchup.

With this knowledge in mind, how are you planning on approaching your set at Spring Fiesta 2013? Will you make any changes to what you'd consider your 'usual' set?

[Laughs] I just went through a long ‘spiel’ about mansion and me being me! Would anyone expect any different?

Time allowing, which local artist would you like to collaborate with while in the country?

I don't play well with others unfortunately [laughs]. I’ve just never really dug collaborations. I don't see the point. I'm old school in this thought. I mean you never saw the Rolling Stones make a record with Pink Floyd right? Think about it? When did it become an acceptable practice and why?

Mind Your Step sees you showcasing a new chapter in the Dennis Ferrer sound. Did this shift in sound happen organically or was there more calculated thought process behind it?

It's just me doing what I like to do. Change up... somehow stay relevant and current yet still retain some sort of identity to my roots.

Now as a house authority in your own regard you've had the privilege of experiencing house music all over the world.

What's your current perception of the South African house scene?

It's always been rocking. Always! I've never quite known it to be any different actually.

Lastly when all is said and done, what legacy would you like to leave behind as Dennis Ferrer? "... he was a badass motherf***er!" [laughs] With Spring Fiesta in it’s third year and steadily blossoming into the flagship event for South African urban house music in the Southern hemisphere, who better to headline this mega event?

There is no denying Dennis Ferrer will add the perfect touch of excellence to make this Spring Fiesta 2013 another memorable occasion. See you there!

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20 FOCUS ON...

By Heather Mennell

THE TRUTH

AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH NTFO & STIMMING Stimming: “...trademark twitchy, loose funk, melancholy melodies and high-definition break-downs have earned him fans around the world not to mention remix requests from the masters of electronic music.”

NTFO Making waves throughout the industry with their devastatingly hot productions - NTFO are two of the world's most in-demand producers right now. Two young men part of the Romanian new wave of electronic music, have become amongst the favourites of the industry's leading characters: Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Loco Dice, Luciano and have recently released a stack of smouldering singles through Solomun’s Diynamic imprint.

After a slow and steady journey into the epicentre of electronic music - the pair now grace the decks at the world’s top festivals and clubs.

The were scheduled to play Joburg’s premier club, Truth in Midrand in June this year but sadly had to postpone. Thankfully they’re been rescheduled for the Halloween Ball on October 26th. Here’s what they had to say...

Photo: Syd Willow Smith

“WE WANNA SAY THAT NTFO CAN BE DESCRIBED

BY GROOVE, TIGHT BEATS - AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FEEL GOOD VIBES.” - NTFO

You wouldn’t automatically put the words Romania and electronic music together – Describe the music scene there...

[The] Romanian house music scene is growing year by year. We can see this by the quality of the events that are happening here. You can see almost every weekend a super event in Bukarest or Timisoara or Cluj and so on.

NTFO is a long-standing collaboration between Dani & Robert - how did you meet and what do you enjoy most about playing/producing/partying together?

We’ve known each other since childhood... we share the same taste in music and we also started as DJ’s at the same time. After a year we started to produce our first tracks under the NTFO alias.

How would you describe the past year?

What have been the highlights and challenges you’ve faced?

The last year was for us a debut on the international house music scene as DJ and Live Act. We played all over Europe and in great new places - like beautiful Brazil. One of the highlights for us was to join the roster at DIY Bookings - the agency for Diynamic.

How would you describe the NTFO sound to someone who hasn’t heard of you before?

We wanna say that NTFO can be described by groove, tight beats - and most importantly feel good vibes.

What has stood out musically the most for you this year in the music news world?

So far David August’s album on Diynamic Times was certainly a special musical release for us this year.

21 was great. We are surprised and are looking forward to experiencing it for ourselves.

Do you have any surprises up your sleeves for your upcoming set at Truth?

Well, we have to make up for postponing our show in June - so it’s going to be massive... 100%!

What is in the pipeline for Jargon [a new imprint launched by NTFO & Rhadow] this year? Any new faces or releases coming up?

Yes Jargon is our and Rhadow’s new baby... the first release was an EP from us, three new original tracks. 002 came out in May four dancefloor killers from one of the

STIMMING His understated yet masterfully executed production has led critics to tag his music as ‘intelligent club music’. With his deep rhythms, clean sounds, epic breakdowns and atmospheric build-ups, Stimming has crafted his own distinct sound - a sound which has established him as one of the scene's most exciting talents in recent years.

Born in Giessen, Germany Martin Stimming was playing violin, piano and drums by the time he was ten. 5 years later he discovered electronic music. Two years after hooking up with Solomun’s Diynamic Music, his 2008 breakthrough hit Una Pena made the electronic world sit up and take notice, and before long acclaimed labels like Freerange, liebe*detail, Buzzin’ Fly, Green and Poker Flat were snapping up his work.

2009 saw him release his immaculate debut album Reflections to great acclaim, cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting new producers of his generation.

His trademark twitchy, loose funk, melancholy melodies and high-definition break-downs have earned him fans around the world not to mention remix requests from the masters of electronic music.

“His second album, Liquorice, eschewed the normal kick-clap/snare template by and large to explore more interesting and progressive territories, but always with that trademark magpie-like sense of texture, emotion and discovery.”

“His productions are filled with a multitude of his own unique, charismatic field recordings, and he never uses the same sample more than once.”

greatest producers from Romania: ICS. Earlier in August we released our third EP a collaboration between ourselves and Rhadow.

The Romanian duo will play the Halloween Ball in Johannesburg at Truth on 26 October 2013.

Don’t miss out on the fancy dress high jinks and one the most exciting acts to come out of Europe lately.

What have you heard about South Africa’s music scene?

We loved the Resident Advisor video... it 2010 saw him pick up an award for Best Newcomer at the Ibiza DJ Awards, following on from his live show (Stimming doesn’t DJ) stunning the crowds at the island’s legendary Pacha, and the finest clubs around the world - from Berlin’s Panorama Bar to Sao Paulo’s D-Edge, Brussels’ Fuse, London’s Fabric and Paris’ Rex, and plenty more beyond.

Remixes for the likes of Sascha Funke, Claude VonStroke, Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin and Robert Babicz to name but a few have further spread his influence amongst the discerning house and tech

community.

Recorded during a spell of selfimposed isolation on the Baltic Coast, his third artist album - the self titled, Stimming was released in June 2013. A dreamy, cerebral affair - the album once again flaunts a world-class producer who’s more interested in expressing himself than churning out crowd pleasers.

Make sure you catch Stimming in Johannesburg at Truth on 30 November 2013.

He’s back to celebrate TRUTH’s 14th Birthday!

22 CULTURE FOCUS

By Kagiso Mnisi

ALTERNATIVELY JOBURG DJS, PRODUCERS AND LYRICISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR… he preface to More Brilliant Than The Sun by sound futurist Kodwo Eshun reads as such : “All today's journalism is nothing more than a giant inertia engine to put the brakes on breaks, a moronizer placing all thought on permanent pause, a futureshock absorber, forever shielding its readers from the future’s cuts, tracks, scratches.”

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This served as a retort to the soulless coverage of British music by the high-browed press. The same observation can be made about Jozi's so called 'underground' sounds.

The scene is a well spring of the nation's musical trends. Raw and personal, it again leaves mass media baffled and unable to pin it down. It simply does not care whether prime time interest will come chasing after it again or not.

Music coming out the belly of Joburg loathes to be referred to as 'underground music', because of obvious limitations that come with such a lazy description. Away from on-agenda spreads in local magazines, radio and television there live these polymorphous sounds of Joburg. Irreverent and focusing on topics of love, the city's gentrification, drudgery and plain old living; the sounds deserve a smattering of applause and so do the artists who produce them.

Quaz Listen online here: soundcloud.com/quaz-slamwell As a well respected poet in the Jozi scene with a published anthology under his belt, Quaz has been able to inject his imagery into the beat making process. He experiments with Jozi's soundscapes, which is a skill that has evolved from earlier releases such as Background music for time travelling backpackers and the first star, day ends.

Currently working on a production known as Blue, he has told a story through skillfully muffled conversations and accompanying beat. It is a joyous beat

that holds you through a typical Sunday afternoon in Jozi, devoid of usual sirens and sprawls, to end up kissing you goodbye at a rooftop gathering during Spring.

Q: “I don’t think I really have a distinct sound. I do however feel very drawn to the more melodic, live jazzy sounds but I get excited by both orthodox and avant garde things. It’s all about what gets my attention at that time.”

Mma Tseleng http://mmatseleng.com/ Listen online here: soundcloud.com/mma-tseleng Kwaito's evolution has not enjoyed the enthusiasm that House and Hip Hop have, on Friday night prime time viewing at least.

It is a challenge that Mma Tseleng has taken upon himself. He has mapped out old releases of the genre and merges it with thoughtful electronics that enhance the experience in his sets.

Unlike the overzealous trend of synthesizing Shangaan electro with other songs in mash-up fashion, which is curiously prevalent in Europe through the employ of DJs such as Zhao, Mma Tseleng evokes the pastime of Street Bashes that swept Soweto in the late 90s. The extrapolation

lies in taking that township sensibility and lining it up next to contemporary carnations of electronica, Balkan, drum and bass as well as less contrived Dubstep. As a scholar of music, he references homegrown versions, such as Maskandi, Marabi, Kwela and bubblegum for sake of storytelling.

M: “I forcefully believe that our recent music post' 94 should make its way into the high school curriculum... for me the dancefloor is a classroom experiment - I accentuate those moments of call and response to make sure that I as DJ and the people are on the same page”

23

Pharaoh Express Listen online here: soundcloud.com/mindyourheadmusic/apology-notaccepted-w-quaz The three man outfit of Grandmaster Cap, Wonderous One and Kutting Keith explore themes that transport audiences to revolutionary engagements. As their downloadable releases suggest (Guerrilla Gijima and Apology Not Accepted ft. Quaz) they tap into black pride and the regality that once was in ancient civilisations such as Kemet (Egypt).

Their EP is scheduled for release before the end of year under the independent Mind Your Head productions, which is also home to other artistic works such as movies and literature. The Pharaoh

DJ Zakes Mixmaster Listen online here: soundcloud.com/djzakesmixmaster Zakes has been part of the local Hip Hop scene for a while and has shared stages with crooners such as Philadelphia based Bilal and the irreverent Die Antwoord.

He is currently working on a series of mixtapes called DJ Zakes Diggs. The mixtapes focus on the different provinces and what 'their' Hip Hop sounds like. The first installment of the mixtape called DJ Zakes Digg EC, has dropped online and was sold at this year’s Grassroots festival held in the Eastern Cape. The next release will be focusing on KZN and it will be called DJ Zakes Diggs KZN. Z: “For me the DJ is an omnipresent force that sparks emotion through sound and beats and can also dictate the new sound as long as there is genuineness.”

RubyGold Listen online here: soundcloud.com/rubygold-music RubyGold is the femme fatale of Jozi's alternative music scene, ever so alluring on stage with her brand sound, Trance Jazz. 2011 had her blaring out of most speakers through Invitation To Dance with Mono Tone and Teka Munike (Revolution).

She again joins forces with another in Glen Lewis with a single known as Love Junkie. The little known fact about RubyGold is that this siren has been experimental since she was still part of the band Meat The Veggies. She is continuing in that vein in her upcoming release which will bear all the niceties of Trance Jazz, loads of brassy angst and meaty story telling for good measure. A full length album of her true sound is also soon to drop.

RG: “I’m more than just house music; those who have been with me from day one will tell you that Trance Jazz is my love.”

Express forms part of a resurgence of Jozi styled treatment of Hip Hop: sceptre sharp lyricism, concise flows and beats with plenty of attitude.

PE: “It's about connecting spaces, faces and places...that is the story we tell through our music”

24 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

By Ethan Storm opposed to encouraging positive development of the scene.

Ilan acknowledges this: “Over the years I built a studio that cost me a lot of money, buying original software, synthesizers and analog gear. Nowadays it’s much easier to produce and DJ, with access to everything for free online.”

Regardless, they still trust that true ingenuity and skill will always be rewarded. “I think the talent inside each one of us creates something special and unique. Just because you have an easy way of creating things doesn't mean that you can’t create something that people will love. Telling a story in your set is hard and not every DJ is able to do it, even if he has a sync button in the software.”

Having yet to drop their beats under the African sun, they were thrilled when contacted by the Earthdance crew. “When we got the booking request to play at Earthdance Cape Town 2013 it was a happy moment. We've

ome of the greatest concoctions of sound are the result of pure happenstance. It’s those organic connections that, when stumbled upon, need to be preserved. Or, I suppose, they could be banged out on million dollar rigs across the world to muddy partygoers and trance lovers.

The progressive-psy powerhouse Symbolic stand perfect testament to that.

Coming from their respective EDM backgrounds, Osh Ben Simon, aka DJ Osho, and Ilan Shemi, aka Numb, decided to combine their individual sounds into the hard-hitting bass lines and crunchy grooves that is Symbolic.

“At first the idea was that Osh and I do a single collaboration track together, Crystal Clear,” explains Ilan. “We weren’t sure if it was good enough or how to define the style of the track we made, with both psytrance and techno influences. Our friend Rocky passed it on to Yoni [Ace Ventura] who mentioned that he was compiling a double CD for Iboga Records and wanted to include our track. We [then] understood that we might need to join forces and create an act together.”

Soon trance label giants NANO records [home to local legends Headroom and the Commercial Hippies as well as international sensations D-Addiction, Avalon and Static Flow] took notice. “There aren’t many record labels these days that you can say are doing a great job in releasing quality music. NANO Records is one of those that are. Osh and I have been following this label for many years and joining the NANO family was a big honour.”

With tracks like One Step Closer, their remix of Dr. Lupo and the crowd favourite Different Reality soon reaching critical acclaim, their Transitions Vol. 1.0 has most recently been making waves, especially their work with artists like Vertical Mode and Ace Ventura. Although this has resulted in a busy tour schedule, Symbolic promises to keep even newer things cooking in the studio, too. “Between travelling and playing our sets we always find time to spend in the studio and work on new material,” Ilan assures me.

Hailing from Israel, what some would call the Mecca of the psy-party scene, the duo soon

S

EARTHDANCE CAPE TOWN HEADLINER:

SYMBOLIC

skyrocketed into a much more international audience, leading to their experience of just about every party culture worth mentioning.

“There is a lot in common as well as a lot of differences in the party scenes of each country we visit. It’s always great to meet new people who follow the music you create. Getting this feedback and love is a real pleasure.”

Along with the newly widespread public embrace of the trance scene has also come the explosion of modern technology - making it possible for virtually anyone with a laptop or PC to become a producer or DJ. Some have begun to worry whether this will flood the industry with generic and substandard artists as

heard many good things about the party scene in South Africa from friends of ours that played there before. We are very excited and curious about how the people will react to our music.”

As Capetonians pump themselves up to receive their first dose of Symbolic’s aggressive bass this September at one of the largest 3 day festivals this side of the world, we can expect nothing less than a roaring party courtesy of the Israeli duo. And with headlining acts such as Symbolic, Class A, Captain Hook and Pixel having kicked off the much anticipated season already, we can be sure of one thing - it’s going to get MASSIVE this summer.

Bring on Earthdance!

26 FEATURE

By Johann M Smith

PHFAT STILL A HAPPY MACHINE? nd then there were two. Less than a month after PHFAT launched their debut full length album, Happiness Machines, rapper Disco Izrael called it quits to start his own project named ‘Oh! Dark Arrow’. Two questions: What happened?

And what now?

Sitting inside Narch’s house (dubbed ‘the Llandudno digs’) the remaining members, beatmachine Narch and rapper Smooth Mike, sit side by side at a marble kitchen top drinking tea.

Surrounded by skateboards, Smooth Mike says they intend to seriously push what’s considered possible for a young independent act to achieve in South Africa. Having grown up listening to a lot of punk rock, PHFAT say the DIY punk methodology is vital to success.

“Everybody thinks that there’s this ladder that you can climb in the music industry. Most of it involves climbing into someone else’s structure. But we take independence seriously.

We own all the means to production from recording to mastering in one little 12sq room all in my mom’s basement [smiles].”

Mike adds, “The only thing you get when you tap into a label is access to a series of contacts and access to publicity chains. And in SA, a lot of that is artificial.”

You have to admit, their following is their own - and the numbers are picking up. They acknowledge that they eat off their achievements, it’s what feeds them. And when it comes to having a producer, that external ear that can point out mistakes? “We have a couple of ears we trust. And they’re not necessarily close friends. Because close friends aren’t

A

necessarily good with music [laughs].”

The best method has been to watch their fans “mad close.”

Although the boys have been getting some help from close friends too - like Jason De Villiers (the artist behind their album logo and illustrations); Matt Visser and Brendan Sterly (their online guys), Travis Owens (House of Clashes video); and a few brands, Puma and Jagërmeister.

Selling out? Not the case says Narch: “Some sponsors have a criteria. With them, not so much. And they had our shit in record time.”

Suffice to say: if you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.

With Happiness Machines the band went equipment hunting in second hand stores and in strangers’ garages. The result is that the new sound is good old wholesome analogue made by a 21st century crew. “We don’t want to conform to the digital wank circle, I was a part of that and you become disposable. Anyone can click a mouse button, but with synths you can perform.”

The consequences are no doubt new, Mike reveals the beauty. “It’s just such a magic moment when you sit down to make the sound,” and recalls a hilarious instance where he was forced to use click tracks to get “into the groove.”

Narch, who confesses to having had “a lot of influences” especially with their previous albums, believes: “If you’re not learning anything, you’re stuck.”

With the departure of Disco Izrael, the pressure is no doubt on Mike who can no

“WE DON’T WANT TO CONFORM TO THE DIGITAL WANK CIRCLE, I WAS A PART OF THAT AND YOU BECOME DISPOSABLE.” longer rely on a second voice. PHFAT’s immediate solution to live shows is collaborations. Mr Sakitumi, who jammed the drums at Happiness Machines’ launch, is currently the number one choice on their list.

Unfortunately they have to rework things.

Many forget that when PHFAT started out, Disco only joined 8 months later. This is the original line-up, so to speak. The odds are more favourable when you consider their on-going intensity and commitment.

But why did Disco leave? Here’s the best answer. Lyrically, the words were always written in isolation and compromise was reached with practice. “The lyrical content will probably be more sincere now,” says Mike. “And this is not to say that his content was insincere, it’s just easier for both of us [him and Disco] to be sincere when there is no negotiation. Sincerity is something we’ve learned to love.”

Mike knows it’s imperative that he steps up. Narch stays quiet when we speak about the themes of the album. It’s seems they both know who’s more knowledgeable on the subject.

“It’s about how we get sold ideas that aren’t necessarily there. Human beings can be viewed as things that can be kept docile through being kept happy. They are Happiness Machines.” ... And then gives credit where credit is due. “Disco was a huge part of that. This is an opportunity for me and Disco to do something that’s more true to ourselves. And Disco, if you’re there buddy, I’m fucking interested to see what’s going to happen in the next few months.”

Case closed; keep on moving!

Listen to PHFAT here: soundcloud.com/phfat

28 FEATURE

By Johann M Smith

BEAT BANGAZ

“YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN”

he Beat Bangaz are made up of the legendary DJ trio: Ready D, Azhul and E20 - household names, known for being the early hip hop pioneers of DJing in South Africa. But more than that, they’ve become the uncles you can rely on. Time and time again.

So much so, it seems their collective track record of 25 years will never come to an end.

Hopefully it never will. And if you think different, show some goddamn respect.

A big part of the Beat Bangaz’ lives surround their Scratch Lab facility. Powered by the Pioneer DJ Academy, it teaches a newer generation about the art of DJing. Ironically, if you ask Ready D who the star students are, he’ll tell you: “The Beat Bangaz.”

His reason? It’s anything but an ego trip.

“Because out of everybody, we learn the most.” Having been around the DJ block a dozen times, no doubt makes you humble and wise.

Sitting inside the La Vie Café while watching the sun go down over Sea Point, Cape Town, DJ Ready D drinks a cup of tea.

His Good Hope FM show starts at 8:00pm.

We’ve got an hour.

He explains that Cape Town hip hop is a pioneering engine. “I hate to sound biased, but in Cape Town the scene in terms of the mindset, the energy, the culture - from the graf artist, to the skateboarders, to MCs and bboys - it’s still pushing the creative envelope. I don’t think it’s really ever going to die out.”

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But not being the average age of your younger DJ titan, what’s his take on the rise of EDM and technology? “I love it. If music has that certain edge and it inspires you - I’m good. If there’s honesty in the music, I gravitate towards it.”

Naturally, he’s got some rad anecdotes.

He spills the beans on something we can all look forward to in the near future happening at their Pioneer Scratch Lab facility. “We got this guy, in Cape Town, who wants to remain anonymous until we reveal the date. What he did was modify an SL1200 turntable - which was the industry standard for many years and he managed to build a prototype that combines the two worlds of analogue and digital. It’s the only deck of its kind.”

He’s hesitant to say more, additional modifications include aesthetics and ergonomics. He can neither confirm nor deny major production of this prototype... luckily they know people at Pioneer.

Surprisingly, DJ Ready D still hasn’t seen, or rather done it all. Apart from the Beat Bangaz plans on dropping a release (sometime they can’t say yet), D still hasn’t ever released a solo artist album. This year sees his debut coming out. It’s called ‘Big Air Society’ and it’s inspired by extreme sports.

“I really like what extreme athletes do.

Like the guys who skateboard say: when you catch big air, you’re at the point of no return.

You’ve committed. That’s it. You’re in that space.”

He’s become a fan of many newer artists (Hemelbesem, Slagyster and Mr. Sakitumi) and often to his own surprise. “Oh my lord, the

guys who are doing Afrikaans! I thought what we were doing in BVK [Brasse Vannie Kaap] set like the standard. I have to go back to the drawing board!”

But surely he deserves some recognition, no doubt. Does he feel he deserves more?

“You know, I’m just happy to do this every day.

I’m so busy. And it’s always so exciting when Azhul, E20 and I get together on the decks.”

And then he explains what makes DJing so cool in the 21st century.

“DJs have become extremely powerful.

There so much more options for DJs. From production, to remixes for artist’s abroad, to the SoundClouds and MixCrates. We’re much more fortunate these days. You have a much broader market you can expose yourself to.

And it’s all about knowing your business.”

The Beat Bangaz seem like good head masters, and they’ve got some younger friends who can still show them a thing or two.

Guests at the Pioneer DJ Scratch Lab facility have included Audiophile, Youngsta, Arsenic (DNA) and Ready D favourite, Mr Sakutimi.

DJ Ready says the Beat Bangaz believe, and as a result, teach all genres. If this was America they’d be B.I.G big. But looking at things from this angle, we got the better deal.

“We have a human approach to things.

As young men we were destined for the prison or the grave. But through being DJs it’s been more beneficial. It’s inspired me to teach.

Because we want to pass on the deeper meaning of music and what it means to us.”

For more info on the Pioneer DJ Scratch Lab Facility, Facebook ‘Scratch Lab DJ Training Facility’ and you’ll find them.

30 PRODUCER SERIES

By Tendai Luwo

THE GIFT OF

JULLIAN GOMES PRETORIA BOY WONDER COMPLETES ALBUM WITH ATJAZZ t starts off with a feeling. Perhaps a little sadness, maybe frustration or simply the need to express something that mere words can’t.

Soon enough that spirit carries itself into a quaint little home studio hidden somewhere in Pretoria. It seeps through the fingers of a humble young man, nestles itself in keys and drums then finally emerges in the form of a beautiful song.

And just like that, the house world has another gem of a track from the rising star known as Jullian Gomes.

For the larger house population we were first introduced to Jullian when his runaway hit Love Song 28 invaded the airwaves but his Midas touch has been around since the days of the iconic G-Family. And even before he set his ambitions on production he was already rubbing shoulders with the likes of DJ Christos and Vinny Da Vinci as a young pre-teen boy also fighting for a chance to lay his own records down on any turntable that would accommodate him.

Whether we’d known it or not, it truly had been a long time coming for Jullian but he’s finally here.

When I catch up with him to chat about his growing success it is on the very same day his collaborative album with Martin ‘AtJazz’

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Iveson, The Gift The Curse, had gone into production so this is obviously an exciting time for Jullian Gomes, yet he maintains his characteristically composed and forever humble demeanor.

Perhaps that’s what led his and AtJazz’s paths to collide for its no secret that you don’t just work with AtJazz. Jullian however notes that no matter how the friendship came about he is eternally grateful for being blessed with this once in a lifetime opportunity that stemmed from a remix project. “While I was with GFamily we remixed Love Someone (AtJazz and Robert Owens) and he mailed me back saying, ‘I love it’. After that he came to South Africa and saw me DJing and we got to tour together and that’s where the friendship started.”

The Gift The Curse not only symbolizes growth for Jullian but also ushers in a new era for the local house industry as a whole. A collaboration of this magnitude hasn’t been seen in recent years and is reminiscent of the time when Brothers of Peace worked with Masters at Work. Since then local and international collaborations have been limited to singles, remix projects and the occasional EP. With such high expectations to carry I’m intrigued by what then was thrown into the mixing pot to ensure that The Gift The Curse would live up to expectations.

Jullian responds, “In creating this album we wanted to have a theme and you see it in the album title, the album art and the songs. It was about showing the contradictions in life. The concept of how things can be tough but you get through them. It’s all a gift and a curse.” He then highlights tracks within the album that he feels perfectly embody the contrasting themes of the album such as Turn to You featuring Robert Owens and a single dedicated to AtJazz’s son titled, Awi. It’s fast become easy to see just why at such a young age Jullian is already miles ahead of the pack. His sincerity and unquestionable passion for what he does is more than reason enough for the stars to align in his favour. And perhaps he sums it up best when he explains what he’d like to leave behind when his time comes to an end, “Something that’ll live forever!”

I have no doubt that he is well on his way to doing this. Love Song 28 has already cemented itself as an urban house music classic and the young producer’s remixes are hot property on these streets. The album comes as the perfect close to the first chapter of what will certainly be an enchanting story about a boy named Jullian Gomes.

Listen to him here: soundcloud.com/julliangomes

32 INTERVIEW By Dave Skinz

MPI PROJECT t’s a hard thing to talk about the South African bass scene “IT’S ABOUT THE F*CKING MUSIC” without mentioning Joburg SAYS MIKE POLITIS based MPI Project. Mike Politis has been in the trenches cranking out his bass sound Pearce, and I’m going to be starting on Duck since jungle and drum 'n bass back Sauce in the next week or two. So I’m getting in the early 90's. His journey has a lot of remix work which I don't mind taken him from DJing to producing and along because it all helps. I mean you can't just write the way led him to starting the first African originals the whole time.”

Breakbeat label ‘Fracture’ back in ‘04.

What makes him so popular for remixes And where is he now? Doing I find myself wondering aloud? Is it his sound engineering work for Michael Bolton and John or his ability to specialize in a genre? “That’s a Legend whilst compiling his second bass good question. It's a bit of both but it’s got a compilation with one of the world’s biggest lot to do with connections. It’s always about record companies which proudly features who you know, and I have put in the years 100% local talent. now and met up with the right people and The first thing you notice in Mike’s studio they are passing on the work and I’m really grateful for that.” is all the outboard gear; “Everyone sounds the fucking same,” he replies. “Every track you I enquire if he likes to go back to old listen to on Beatport sounds like it’s been sounds. “That's cool, but everything is always made with Massive. I'm trying to change my new. Otherwise I get bored. Anyone can use sound now and be a bit more experimental the same production template. You know?" He and natural rather than sound like everyone continues... "Every track is; open the else.” production template, right its 125 again sweet, we gonna use this garage bassline that We dig into his work methods and we everyone else uses. I don't wanna do that. get to presets. “No, no I don't use presets, I Like the garage thing kinda came back and this never really did,” he states, grinning. “I prefer making my own patches and on days when I’m bass house movement. Every track is the fucking same bud. Every track! Be it Julio not creative in studio, I’d rather sit and make Bashmore, Gorgon City, its all the same fucking patches for future productions. I'm really bassline bru! It’s a Logic EFM1. It’s not even a enjoying the Basstation and the fact that you preset. It’s the default patch.” actually can't save a fucking preset.”

We get into the growing Joburg Bass He explains his release schedule; “This year has been different because I’ve only done scene. Why is the Joburg scene so much younger than those in Cape Town or Durbs? three original tracks and a lot of remixes. I've “What I’ve heard from a bunch of guys who just remixed Robert DeLong, Matthew Mole, Nakhane Toure, LCNVL, Locnville & Pascal and have come up to play here, is that they get

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away with murder at clubs [here] playing deep, ridiculously ‘underground’ music, and the kids know it.” Mikes theory... “I think the internet has helped with that,” he shoots back, taking a sip of coffee. “The internet is good and bad for music. The internet and MP3 means anyone can make music and also means that anyone can fucking release music.”

So what is bassmusic to MPI then? “Its shit that these kids don't even know is actually bassmusic. They think that the garage bass stuff house that DJ's play is the only bassmusic, its not. It’s so fucking broad its electronica through to Drum 'n Bass.”

At the end of the month Mike has We Love Bass 2 due for release. “It’s a Bass mixed compilation coming out 30th of September on all platforms through Sony Music and features a double disc set mixed by Grimehouse and myself. Monster Energy drink have gotten involved and we've put together a 100% local track listing. So I'm super stoked for that!”

For those wanting to run their own labels, release and publish he offers some sound advice; “There are too many people out there that think they know and land up fucking themselves, and fucking their artists. So rather know what you are talking about before you go and say 'I run a label'.”

That's the endearing thing about Mike Politis; he's a cut the BS type of guy who won't mince his words. He talks with a raw hard passion, built up from years of refining his technique both in the studio and out in the field.

Find him here: facebook.com/mpiproject

34 COLUMNIST By Tendai Luwo

THE DEEP END WITH LUO

MONEY MATTERS always find myself with a “really now?” look on my face when I hear a deep house producer lamenting, “Piracy is killing our industry”. First and foremost, we have to be honest with ourselves. No one in the deep house industry sells like Rihanna or Lady Gaga. Record sales for us dance around the 1000s, even for the topselling artists, so it’s rather futile to throw stones at the illegal downloaders.

But before I’m dragged from my desk and into the streets Mi Casa once sang about, let me break this down.

It’s important to understand the nature of the people who consume our urban music and the landscape of this area of the music industry itself. Urban house is in demand like almost no other genre in South Africa. On several occasions “…THE CRUX OF THE MATTER international DJs have attested to the fact that this is the only country HERE IS THE DIRE NEED TO they’ve ever heard their music being THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.” played on commercial radio, so clearly we’re doing something right.

It’s like saying “Have this slice of cake and But the same can also be said for a because you liked it so much, you can buy largely booming Nigerian music industry, the whole cake over there with seven which is also enjoying massive growth and other toppings on it too!” belly-filling profits, but there is one major Musicians, producers and DJs must be difference. Top Nigerian artists like Wizkid quick to remember that no one is forced and Davido give their music away for free to purchase your music. Unlike bread and on a monthly and sometimes weekly basis. water, the masses don’t need your music Select and equally hot tracks from these to survive. It’s out of pure love that fans stars can be found for free on a host of listen to the music and attend the shows. different websites and blogs including their So in reality, who’s doing whom a favour? own. What this then does is make their Perhaps an even better way of music readily available and omnipresent. looking at this is by identifying other Now not all their music is free. Their revenue channels. It’s vital to know ALL the albums still go on sale like any other artist ways you can use your brand to make and tend to sell well at that. This is because money. The best local example is DJ Fresh they’ve been able to convince the and Euphonik. These two mega-DJs not consumer and their fans that the album is only draw income from their respective an exclusive product that’s worth buying.

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gigs but they both host popular radio shows, have several endorsement deals and a vast investment portfolio. The key lies in understanding that nomatter how hot you are, at some point you won’t sell albums like you used to or pack venues like before.

Therefore it is imperative that you tap into every revenue channel that’s available to you.

This then brings me back to the issue of piracy. It will forever remain a matter of contention for everyone who has vested interest within the music industry but there is a serious need to acknowledge that times have not only changed but also subsequently left most people behind.

The Internet has made music readily available and it’s almost impossible to host your material online without it being ripped and shared in a matter of minutes. The local hip-hop fraternity has caught onto this moving digital trend and capitalized. For instance AKA gave away his single Kontrol via the ShowLove website. The single was hosted exclusively on this site, which meant all traffic was driven to a centralized location. With a high number of individuals heading to the site, this then made the portal and AKA’s page in particular the perfect place to offer ad space to an investor.

Long story short, sell the ad-space, split profits with the site owner and you’ve already made well above what you would have made if you sold 1 000 copies of the song.

Essentially the crux of the matter here is the dire need to think outside of the box. The love for music will always be there, you just need to know how to make the most of it.

How’s that for defying “Passion doesn’t pay”?

36

FUN STUFF

5 MINS WITH...

MS. EVE

Twitter : @Ms_EveSA Facebook : DJ EVE (Fan page)

WE GRAB 5 MINUTES WITH SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE DJ'S & ARTISTS AND ASK THEM . . . WELL . . .

JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WE FEEL LIKE!!! orn and raised in Paarl, one the of the Cape’s most picturesque wineland towns, Iviwe Mbobosi had many dreams growing up.

Modelling and entering beauty pageants from the age of 12, by 15 she discovered her love for music. Fuelled by

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legendary artists such as Bongo Muffin, Malaika, Mafikizolo, DJ Oskido, DJ Fresh and the late DJ Monde, her goal was firmly on becoming a DJ herself.

Today her CV reads a veritable who’s who of top artists she has shared the stage with such as Black Coffee, DJ Fresh(5FM) Dino

1. The best thing about house parties in Cape Town is... partying until the sun rise.

15. What do you like to do when no one's watching?

Look at myself in the mirror and sing.

[Laughs]

2. Growing up in Paarl... was a hustle

16. Luck is something normally associated with... hard work and self belief

3. Being called by your real name reminds you of... my childhood days

17. What is your biggest love and loathe at the moment?

My biggest love at the moment is music and I hate disrespectful people.

4. DJing is an art best left to... those who are passionate about music.

5. A lady DJ in a predominately male industry in South Africa is challenging because... males are mostly egotistical and undermine female DJs; it’s about time they accept that times have changed, women are no longer limited to what society perceived them to be.

18. Independent woman... makes a man attractive.

19. When is it okay to lie?

Hahaha, it’s never okay to lie but then again we lie maybe because we feel like a lie is better than the truth.

20. What is the one promise you keep making to yourself that you always break?

When I promise myself that I'll stop eating take-aways and junk food

6. The best thing someone has ever come up to you and said at a gig?

You look amazing and beautiful behind the decks.

7. Being the hype DJ on Hectic nine-9 is... exciting and amazing to be working with a team that makes me feel at home. High 5 to Hectic Nine-9 team for the opportunity.

21. There will never be enough musicians in the world.

22. If you lived in a fantasy cartoon world where all the characters were DJs, your catch phrase would be... le goooooo"

8. Sharing the stage with Black Coffee, DJ Fresh, Tira, Oskido etc is... phenomenal and amazing. I'm grabbing every opportunity with both hands.

23. An authentic South African sound is... one that touches ones heart.

9.Your most common expression is... can I have your attention?

10. What is the one thing you know how to do really well in less than five minutes?

Fry eggs, [laughs].

11. What was your last 'cool' purchase?

My beats and heels [laughs].

12. The one song on your iPod that would surprise friends is... any song by Joyous Celebration.

Michael(Good Hope FM), Christos, DJ C'ndo, DJ Zinhle, DJ Sox, DJ Tira, Fistaz Mixwell, Oskido, DJ Shimza(YFM), Sphectacular(Metro FM), DJ Naves(Metro FM), Ganyani and more.

We caught up with August’s hype DJ on Hectic nine-9 [SABC 2] better known as Ms. EVE for a 5 minute chat...

13. One thing you always have in your fridge is...

Milk 14. The worst piece of advice someone’s ever tried to convince you of is... someone telling me what to do instead of advising me.

24. The SA music biz needs more...

Hard work. Sounds obvious, right?

But this rule is at the top of the list for good reason. You may be getting involved in the music business because you love music, but a lot of people flock to the business because they think it's just a nonstop party thing. Hard work pays off.

38

COOKING THE DECKS

By Tendai Luwo

“BLACK COFFEE GAVE ME A PLATFORM LONG BEFORE ANYONE ELSE KNEW ME...”

THE DJ SHIMZA EFFECT f ever there’s been an individual who embodies the latest hiphop adage, “started from the bottom now we here,” it’s Ashley ‘Shimza’ Raphala. The young man from Thembisa has grown from strength to strength and is now undoubtedly one of the biggest blossoming forces in the South African urban house scene.

From winning The Next Big Thing to single handedly hosting The One Man Show a massive outdoor party held on Christmas day in order to raise funds for the less fortunate kids in and around Thembisa Shimza’s rise to fame has been paved with steady and equally astonishing accomplishments throughout the years. 2013 however saw a significant step up in Shimza’s game and business acumen.

Not only did he sign with one of the biggest names in house, Black Coffee and his Soulistic Music label, he also launched his own custom-made range of stick headphones. For anyone doubting Shimza’s abilities, these most recent achievements were clear indicators that he’s a man on a mission and that mission is to make a very big mark on the scene.

YTKO is easily one of YFMs most popular weekly slots but one day in particular stands out from the rest. Every Friday thousands of house music lovers flock

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to their radio sets to take in 30 minutes of undisturbed Shimza goodness. His 6pm mix on the youth station has reached cult status that is only shared by DJ Kent on 5FM and although Shimza’s talent can’t be disputed, the massive reception even shocks him when he thinks about it. He admits, “You can never predict such things. I didn’t even think I’d be on YFM one day!”

The Shimza stick headphone is a beauty to behold. Prior to him bringing them into the country the monophone design of DJ monitoring gear was something only reserved for the DJs with overseas connections who could ship it to our shores.

All that has since changed though with these readily available pieces of ear candy that retail at around R3 000. Although some may contest that the price is rather steep, Shimza argues that it’s all in the craftsmanship of the product. “The headphones are handmade in Greece and then still have to be shipped to SA. I’m not even making any money from this but it’s the knowledge that I’ve achieved something I wanted to do.”

Anyway, R 3K or not the Shimza range of headphones has already become the weapon of choice for fellow DJs like Warras and Black Motion.

When news that he’d signed to Soulstic Music broke via a tweet from Black Coffee, urban house music lovers all agreed that it was the only logical step for Shimza to take

and a wise one at that, but few knew that it’s a move that had been a long time coming.

“My signing to Soulstic was more of a formality to ensure that everyone was covered” he reveals. Then adds, “Black Coffee gave me a platform long before anyone else knew me. I was even one of the DJs who played during his breaks at the recordbreaking 60 set in Soweto.”

And he certainly didn’t struggle feeling right at home in the close-knit music label.

Much to my and many others’ dismay though, it seems we won’t be getting a Shimza album anytime soon as he explains, “That thing that’s in me that says ‘now you ready to release’ is not there yet. Even though I have a lot of tracks, I’m going to wait for that feeling to say ‘now’s the time’”. So as much as the world may be pushing for a Shimza album now, he’d much rather stick to his gut feeling and hey, it hasn’t disappointed him yet so we’ll trust him on that one.

With all these giant steps being made in his career it’s a wonder then what Shimza will do next, and truthfully he doesn’t know either. “I never plan. All my moves come naturally and when the time is right.”

But one thing that we do know for certain is that the young DJ from Thembisa always strives to better himself so from here, things will surely keep on moving forward!

40 NATIONAL EVENTS

Every Mon | Student night | Mercury | Doors open 9pm | R20 | Loads of drink specials Every Wed | Eclipse Nightclub | Midweek Mayhem | Doors open: 8pm | Ft: Dj Troy, Clint P & Andre | 72 Main Road |Claremont | www.EclipseNightclub.co.za Every Thurs | Orphanage Cocktail Emporium | Orphan & Bree St | In association with DVM events & resident musical authorities Ian and Malcolm Skene (and friends) | Free Entry | 9PM - Late | www.theorphanage.co.za

Fri 6 Sep | Vacca Matta | Black to the Future | Brought to you by DJ Warras the Shady Lurker & C4 events | Ft: Black Coffee | Doors open 9pm | R80 before 10:30, R100 thereafter | VIP R150 | Dress Smart Casual | www.cafevaccamatta.co.za Sat 7 Sep | Alien Safari | Sprung 2013 | Ft: Contra, Gandalf Grey, Hektek Elektrek, Highstyle, Jester, Kineticz, Mark, Plus Minus & more | Only 65 km from CT | R260 Presale | R290 Gate | More info & Line-up details: Tickets @ /www.quicket.co.za

Every Thurs | Stones Centurion | Mr Wilder on Main Floor | Buy 1 get 1 free - 9-9:30pm & 12-12:30am | Free entry all night

Sat 7 Sep | Snapbacks & Tattoos | Zula Bar, 98 Long st | CT | 8pm-4am | Deephouse, old school Electro Funk & more | Ft: Top Decks on Decks, Riggz, Lae-Z Boy, Kookai, Jay Deep, Joey G, Jito (West Kings) Ralton | R50 | www.zulabar.co.za

Deep House Weekends | Joe’s butcher | Buy and braai in this wellknown venue in Mzansi, later enjoy beats from the guest DJ’s Live performances | R35 | Corner 11th avenue & Rooseveld | Alexandra | JHB | www.gigguide.co.za/1552.html

Sat 7 Sep | Spring Mayhem | Fresh & Euphonik | Vacca Matta | Monte Casino | Ft: Nick Essential, Adie, Major League & Kilm | 9:00 | R100 before 11pm / R150 after 11pm | Dress Code: Spring (Casual) | Info: www.facebook.com/events/206108999552625/

Every Fri | UltraNoize – For the love of Psychedelic | Cape Town – Northern Sub | Great DJ Line ups | Banging Sound & lighting supplied by DJ Hookups | Ultra psychedelic Decor | Bar Specials | Some of Cape Town’s finest beat freaks bringing you the Noize! | Follow UltraNoize Psy Trance on FACEBOOK for more details!

Fri 13 Sep | Electro Swing | Be Hype, Be Bop, Be swing | Desperados (Old Obz Cafe Bar) | Start 9pm | Free entry | www.obzcafe.co.za / 021 448 5555

Every Fri | Fresh Fridays Party | DBN @ Roccabar | Dj’s: Dynasty, Feel, Teabag, Wobbly, Massimo, Sonic, FunkySoul | Feat: R8 Drink Specials | 21h00 | R50 | BBM 231AE5E9 & Twitter: @FreshFridayDBN Every Fri | The Hollywood Club | Boogy Night | Bar Specials all Night | First 50 Free Before 10:30pm - R30 Thereafter | Cnr Old Paarl Rd and Jeanette street, Brackenfell | http://www.facebook.com/TheHollywoodClub / 021 981 8463 Every Sat | Saturday Sounds | JHB @ News Cafe Bedfordview | Free Entry | Guest DJ | 6pm - late | 011 450 3337 | Newscafe.bedfordview@gmail.com Every Sat | The Hollywood Club | Soulful Saturdays | Cnr Old Paarl Rd and Jeanette St, Brackenfell | Resident DJ's + Guest DJ's | Bar Specials | http://www.facebook.com/TheHollywoodClub / 021 981 8463 Every Sat | Hip Hop Take over | DMC Champ Funky G Alongside Durban's no.1 RnB & Hip Hop DJ Erwin G, DJ Dazz & DJ Lover | R50 | Complementary drinks by Jack Daniels | Boulevard, Durban, 153 Florida Rd | www.gigguide.co.za/1552.html Every Sun | Sunday Vibes | 2 for 1 Cocktails | No Cover charge until 7pm - Ladies Free all night | DJ Punch (JHB), DJ Daniel, DJ Mark | 137 Lower North Beach Rd, Marine Parade | Durban | www.joecools.co.za/031 3682858 Thurs 5 Sep | Vacca Matta | Student Night | Sky Lounge - EDM Edition | DJ Sky | Doors open 7pm | Guest DJ's: Stallion, Andyman, Forest B, Dillyn Will & Top Deck | R50 | Drink Specials | Dress Code: Smart Casual | www.cafevaccamatta.co.za Fri 6 Sep | Pulse | Nameless | Somerset West | Ft: Keneticz, Tune Raider, Bruce, Switchcache,Vox Libre, Digital Karma & Johny Future | R3o before 10 & R40 After | www.facebook.com/events/625301710833887/

Sat 14 Sep | Goldfish | Holi Festival of Colours | Mary Fitzgerald Square | JHB | Holi Festival Ticket R215 | www.facebook.com/events/225448444269803/ Sat 14 Sep | Joint Nation & Make-Believe Train Party | JHB | Line-Up: Dakin Auret (Make Believe), Phat Jack, One Track Mike (Make-Believe), Rob Sloan & Andi Dill & Sound Sensible | Meet at Park Station, JHB/ Ticket Collection | Early Bird: R180, Snoozers: R200 | www.quicket.co.za Sat 14 Sep | Goldfish | JHB Day 2013 | Crocodile Creek Polo Club | Supporting acts: Locnville, Jack Parow, Prime Circle & More | Adults: R250, Kids (Age 3-12) R100 | Tickets @ Computicket.com Sat 14-15 Sep | Playtime in Paradise | Hillcrest Quarry, Tygervalley Rd | Durbanville | Playtime returns with the latest addition to its growing brand of outdoor daytime parties showcasing the finest beats from the deep through to techno | Ft: Enzo Siragusa & Alexkid | R170 | webtickets.co.za Sun 15 Sep | Mafikizolo | Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens | Malcolm Rd, Poortview | Roodepoort | Gauteng | Show starts 1:00pm - 5pm | R80 | www.ticketbreak.co.za Fri 20 Sep | EarthDance JHB | Arendsnes Caravan Resort, R511, Brits | Directions: http://goo.gl/maps/SLRyO | Ft: Matare Sonus, Kaledoscopic, Tactical, Sonic Druid, Manifesto, Flooting Groovers (Live)(Italy), Killer B vs Heg Chick, Drift & more | Tickets: Online: R280, Outlets: R300, Gate: R360 | www.facebook.com/events/300811706722352/ 20-24 Sep | Earthdance Southern Cross KZN | Southern Cross Farm, "Hidden Valley", Middelrus, near Mooi Rivier | KZN | Ft: DJ Invizable (Live),Vader, Psybaba, Weston & Enigine (Live DJ), Emn8, Syntax & More | Limited tickets- R350 | www.facebook.com/events/475796412506270/ & www.quicket.co.za

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Fri 20 Sep | A Trip With Ego (Aus) | Town Hall, 66 Carr St | JHB | Time: 20:30 - 2:00 | R60 Pre-sale, R80 @ door | Ft: David & Goliath, DJ Danger Ingozi, Liver, Ego (AV Show)(Aus), Blunt B (Aus) | Half Visual Artist, half DJ, Ego delivers continually innovating new approaches to live performance & digital arts | www.webticket.co.za Sat 21 Sep | Wet & Wild | Emerald Resort & Casino | Gauteng | 11:00am | R250 | Ft: Shapeshifters, Fresh, Euphonik, Pascal & Pearce & More | www.computicket.com 20-22 Sep | Earthdance CT | Give Peace a Dance | Pronkies Holiday Farm | Piketberg | Ft: Symbolic (Israel,Iboya/Nano), DJ Beardy (UK, Wildthings), Broken Toy, Bruce, Cooks, Connecto, Corona, DJ Absynth, Headroom, Regan, Shift, Skarab, The Commercial Hippies & more | Tickets: Outlets: R350, Online: R255, Gate: R390 | 150km's from CT| More info and lineup: www.facebook.com/earthdanceCapeTown / www.quicket.co.za Fri 20-22 Sep | Earthdance PE| Nelson Mandela Bay 2013 | Falcon Rock Country Restaurant | Ft: Birdman (Garden Route) Tance Mafia, Cripz, Drifter, Earthchild, genie, Jester, & many more | Tickets: Weekend pass: R250, Day trippers: R200 | www.quicket.co.za / http://www.facebook.com/events/480242478736670/ Mon 23 Sep | I Love Psy | Zula Sound Bar | 98 Long St | CT | 9pm-4am | R20 before 4, R30 after 11pm | Ft: PsyD Piper & Bagel | www.facebook.com/events/623223844364927/ Fri 27 Sep | Zonke | Carousel, Cheyenne Saloon | Pretoria | 9:00 | R50 | www.computicket.com 27-29 Sep | The 5th Annual Sixties Weekend | Nelspruit | Fri: Pre Sixties Party - R100 | Sat: Main Event - R180, Mbombela Stadium Precinct | Sun: Sixties Soul Session - R150, Mbombela Stadium Picnic Area | Tickets available @ Computicket.com Sat 28 Sep | Fun In The Sun | Outdoor Electronic Dance Music Camp Festival - Hosted at Hazelmere dam, a few km outside Umhlanga | DBN | Ft: Haezer, Royal K, Digital Kaos, Funky B, MD, Jamie K, Amigo, Park, Ameeth Shah, Barefoot & many more | EB Tickets R150 |Pre Sold R220 | Gate R250 | More info and Line-ups: Tickets at: www.computicket.com https://www.facebook.com/events/517296761674147/ or www.fits.co.za Sat 28-29 Sep | UltraNoize & Afriscot | Motion Theory Outdoor Exprerience | 10Min outside Durbanville | Ft: Headroom (Nano), Bruce (NexusMedia), Twisted Circus (Disasterpeace), Distorted Culture (MMD/UltraNoize), ChemoBoy (Disasterpeace/TerroLab), K-Jos (Vortex), Xueno (Vortex), Mac (Beartrap/UltraNoize), Distorted Thought (UltraNoize) and many more | Gate: R210, PreSold: R180, EarlyBird: R150 | www.facebook.com/events/605511656137352/ Sat 28 Sep | ToniC Vibe | 5:55pm till 2am | Citadela, Fourways | JHB | DJ’s : Stefan Viljoen, Brandon, Cornel, Ryan Sturgis| www.TonicVibe.co.za Sat 28 Sep | H20 Africa - 15th Anniversary Celebration | Wild Waters Complex | 1 Margaret Lane, Bardene | Boksburg | JHB | From 12h00 (midday) | 10 Dance floors | Over 100 SA DJ's | Prepare to experience 15 years of pure party magic compressed into a one day | www.facebook.com/events/220890668059105/ | Computicket.co.za

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3-6 Oct | Rocking the Daisies | Cloof Wine Estate | Darling | Electronic Stage | Fri: Thibo Tazz @ 7:00pm | Sat: The Fogshow @ 4:00am | Fri: Terrence Pearce @ 3:00am | Sat: Stone Age Citizenz @ 4:00pm | Fri: Sadhu Sensi @ 1:00pm | Fri: Headphase @ 8pm | Sat: Boys Noize @ 1:00am | Mainstay Beach Bar | Fri: Rob Toca @ 5:00 | Sat: Dakin Auret @ 2:30pm | Fri: D Ritmo (Darren Murphy) @ 5:00pm |Sat: Claudia Lovisa @ 8:30 | rockingthedaisies.com Sat 5-6 Oct | Cosmic Connection v5 | MindCultivation | West Coast Ostrich Farm | Melkboschstrand | CT | Pre-Sold Tickets: R230 | Gate sales: R250 | Lineup: The Commercial Hippies, Connecto, Corona, Parana, Deliriant, Danalog and more | www.facebook.com/events/202557173229471/ - Get tickets: www.quicket.co.za Sat 5-6 Oct | Illum!nation | 2 Day Psychedelic Trance Festival | ILLUM!NATION is presented by the Red Eye Collective & Underground SA Team & in association with Psy*Geist, ShapeShifters & House Nation Productions | Witfontein | Gauteng | Ft: Shockwav(Live), Highstyle(live), Killer B, Solara (Teknotribe) & many more | Early Bird: R200, Online Pre Sale; R240, At Gate: R260 | www.quicket.co.za Sat 12 Oct | Tiger Tiger Fourways | Malibu Red presents Cirque Saturday | www.tigertiger.co.za Sat 26-27 Oct | Twilight Open Air Festical IV | Teknotribe, Science Frikshun & Psy.ology | Hornbill Lodge | Magaliesburg | Ft: Atomic Pulse, Strike Twice, Illuchina, Twisted System, Bruce, Shift, Pitch Hikers, Killer Robot, Bionic, RudeOne, Nick Grater, Benson, Dre’ama, Switchcashe, Stereotype, Manifesto, Killer b, Mt Green, Digital Dream | Riverside camping, Swimming pool, 2 dance floors, ATM, Stalls & more | R260 @ Outlets, R280 @ www.webticket.co.za, R320 @ gate| www.teknotribe.co.za, www.sciencefrikshun.com Truth Nightclub| www.truthjhb.com | Old Pretoria Road | Midrand | 011 315 9295 Sat 7 Sep | SA's top DJs Sat 14 Sep | CWB & SA's Top DJs Sat 21 Sep | SA's Top DJs Fri 27 Sep | House Afrika ‘It’s a feeling' monthly event @ Truth with residents.Vinny da Vinci, Strat3gy, Tim White & guests Sat 28 Sep | Surprise International & guests Sun 29 Sep | Oskido 'I believe Sundays' Summer Launch Fri 4 Oct | Spacejam @ Truth ft. J Axell (Switzerland) Sat 5 Oct | SA's Top DJs Sun 6 Oct | Oskido 'I believe Sundays' ft: Oskido, Pepsi, Bobstar & Guests Fri 11 Oct | Truth & Nu-wave pres. John O'Callaghan (UK) Sat 12 Oct | SA's Top DJs Sun 6 Oct | Oskido 'I believe Sundays' Sat 19 Oct | SA's Top DJs Sun 20 Oct | Oskido 'I believe Sundays' ft: Oskido, Pepsi, Bobstar & Guests Fri 25 Oct | House Afrika ‘It’s a feeling' monthly event @ Truth with residents.Vinny da Vinci, Strat3gy, Tim White & guests Sat 26 Oct | TRUTH's HALLOWEEN BALL ft. NTFO (Romania), ACTIVA (UK) & more Sun 27 Oct | Oskido 'I believe Sundays' ft: Oskido, Pepsi, Bobstar & Special Guests

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42 ALBUM REVIEWS 1. Mi Casa - Su Casa - Soul Candi

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<House> There is no denying that Mi Casa set the bar spectacularly high for themselves with their debut album.

Now the trio is back with their sophomore offering Su Casa and out to prove a point. From the minute you pop in the CD and the opening track Turn You On gets going you can immediately tell that they’ve grown both in production skills and as a group. The lead single from the album is the sing-along Jika and it certainly stands out from the 15-track long-player as one of the best songs. However the title of top track on Su Casa will most likely go to Give You Love featuring Jimmy Nevis. Following in the footsteps of La Vida off their first album, Mi Casa have also added another Portuguese single to the mix, Voce, which is good but probably won’t take off the way La Vida did. A fan favourite on the new album will certainly be the collaboration with Black Coffee for Africa Shine. The only issue though one might have with Su Casa is that after a while it becomes increasingly evident that the production came from one source. Essentially most of the songs tend to sound the same. This aside it is a solid second album from the band although I’d file it under good, not great.

Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

2. DJ Kent - The Weekent - 88 3.

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<House> Easily one of the most anticipated albums by an urban house artist, DJ Kent’s The Weekent is finally here! The long wait was worth it, as its evident Kent certainly needed the time to put it all together. The Weekent is a three CD, 32-track album cleverly named Friday, Saturday and Sunday rather than the usual Disc 1, Disc 2 etc. The days not only serve as labels for each disc but also give an idea of what mood to expect from each one of them. ‘Friday’ sets the pace with 12 of Kent’s latest productions. Fans will quickly pick out the popular Sunrise, Spin My World Around and Top of The World but ‘Friday’ also has some other great songs like Dia De Sol featuring guitar legend Jimmy Dludlu and No One with Thiwe. ‘Saturday’ will probably be the most popular disc of the three as it sees Kent in his true form, Ultimixing. The disc offers a 54-minute Ultimix that features some of Kent’s older productions making an appearance and surprisingly kicks off with the Culoe De Song remix of Sunrise. The last disc, ‘Sunday’, is a much more mellow affair and is purely lounge beats and laid back versions of Kent’s productions. All in all The Weekent is a great project from DJ Kent. Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

3. Nathan Adams - Audio Therapy - Tribe Records 5.

<House> It’s not every day a member of the urban house scene who isn’t a DJ or a producer releases a full-length album. So you can imagine the jubilation around the release of this debut from UK vocalist, Nathan Adams. Titled Audio Therapy and described as an “honest body of work.”

Nathan’s album is a much needed breath of fresh air within the deep house scene. The lead single is the soulful gem, Fallin and with the assistance of Louie Vega and Zepherin Saint on production the track not only topped deep house charts the world over but also sets the perfect tone for the album. The quality of production is second to none but we wouldn’t expect anything less from Tribe Records. Nathan however doesn’t merely rely on great production; he also

brings mature and well thought-out lyricism to the entire album. Tracks like Sending You My Love and 3AM best capture the essence of Nathan’s immense writing ability.

Audio Therapy isn’t all about house though as Adams bravely ventures into the realms of soul and R 'n B. Chasing Love is a classic R ‘n B number that’s still manages to find itself at home within this soulful house album. Audio Therapy may be a challenge to buy as a hardcopy locally but it’s available on the Tribe Records website. Find it, buy it. A must for soulful deep house lovers!

Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

4. DJ Cleo - Eskhaleni 9 - Will Of Steel Productions <House> Some may say DJ Cleo has fallen off in recent years. Perhaps his intense desire to find the next catchy hit saw him diluting his brand with a string of overly cheesy singles. However his latest project Eskhaleni 9 is a great redemption if I’ve ever seen one. The two CD album sees Cleo returning to his more musically inclined beginnings.

The first disc’s focus is aimed directly at the soulful house head. Characterized by lots of live production and jazzy melodies, the soulful disc slides comfortably into the hearts of the deeper house lover but the inclusion of several lovable vocal tracks gives it a slightly wider appeal. The tongue-in-cheek Fvck You featuring Clint Brink is a must listen and its brash lyrics will definitely make it a popular track on the album. The second disc is far more dancefloor ready. Although it’s not quite as enjoyable as the first disc, it still holds its own and DJs will easily find a track or two that they’d like to add to their peak-time sets like Zooma.

Essentially it’s safe to say DJ Cleo has reclaimed his former glory with Eskhaleni 9 and the album is well worth a listen.

Reviewed by Tendai Luwo

5. Deep Forest - Deep Africa - Just Music <World Electronica> Deep Forest - the French electroacoustic outfit who first came to prominence with the exotic aural seduction of early Nineties track Sweet Lullabye, which soon set the benchmark for ambient World music - has become a by-name for the genre they helped define. Hear the word ‘deep’ followed by ‘forest’ and immediately enchanting, sun-drenched, soothing sonics come to mind. It’s almost Pavlovian. Deep Africa follows on the culture-specific releases Deep India and Deep Brazil; they now turn their gaze to the Motherland of Beat. First track Amber Opener gently lays the tapestry down, the telltale vocals only vaguely more ‘African’ sounding than Deep Forest’s signature vox. With next track, the self-explanatory Dub Africa, the vocals become more distinctly North African, set to a rather heavy Dub-esque backdrop. Mosika enters Youssou ‘Ndour styled vocals, in a softly Jazzy setting, slowly rising in energy and emotion; beautiful stuff. There’s the satisfying ambience of Zoulawa, the more energetic dance feel of Tiko, and the jazzy Yelele. Atali Wowo is truly exciting, with some twisted, bulbous bass work a key attraction, but in all, this is more Deep Forest than Deep Africa, the geographic shift does not especially affect Deep Forest’s trademark rhythms and melodic styles, the palette shifts only generically. A mildly disappointing release, though one that doesn’t detract from their trademark charm.

Reviewed by Mickdotcom

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44 ALBUM REVIEWS 6. Goldfish - Three Second Memory - Sony Music

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<House> Listening to Three Second Memory on a private Soundcloud link, prior to release, I get an immediate sense of déjà vu; partly taking me back to the first time I heard these songs at their studio when I was gobsmacked at just how sleazily funky some of them are, and partly because it takes me back to some of my grooviest dancefloor experiences in recent years. Their current radio play-listed single, One Million Views which features John Mani [Newton’s 2nd Law] has already proven a winner both in the lyrical department and by the simple catchiness of the song. Title track [and follow up single], Three Second Memory is delivered by their ever reliable singer Sakhile Moleshe and includes a sample of Blue Boy's Remember Me who originally sampled Marlena Shaw's Woman of the Ghetto. It is an amazing track, the voice of Sakhile perfectly matched to that of Shaw. Other highlights include He’s Crazy rumoured to be about their manager Raymond Bloom. Followers is a slinky, jazzy 4/4 groover with some seriously elastic bass and the deep and jazzy Drive Them Back to Darkness possibly their finest track they’ve penned to date. Goldfish flit effortlessly between dance pop and deep jazzy house grooves yet maintain a cohesive thread that remains their signature sound. Once again they’ve delivered a wholesome and complete album, almost all killer and very little filler. Reviewed by Dave Mac

7. PHFAT - Happiness Machines - Free @ soundcloud.com/phfat

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<Hip Hop> This is PHFAT’s first full length album. It’s 17 tracks in total, with a few instrumental cuts thrown in between. From the intro, Instructions, to the surrealist eeriness of follow up single, House of Clashes the overall vibe is set in the key of minor. The lyrics guide us through the dense darkness with an ambitious fuck you written over it: “Cleverness envelops restless / 21st century happy machine / Reprieve previous pain / Take vitamins / Pray to dead visionaries.” Admittedly, a coherent story often gives way to poetic license. The best moments come when all the pieces fall together and PHFAT become more than the sum of their parts - and that moment drops (niggas be like: “shiiiit”). The new sound is the result of analogue synths.

Ultimately PHFAT has found new magic with old skool bleeps and drum machines. If you want it, get it free on their site. And if you love it, give them money. Oh and DJs, thanks to a creative common license, you can remix the shit out of it - as long as you give credit.

Reviewed by Johann M Smith

8. Classic Jams - Various Artists - Poker Flat Recordings <House> In a world of disposable... well almost anything I guess, but particularly music, it’s kind of comforting to see an established label digging into the archives to present a collection of ‘classic jams’ and not feel like some clever (or should that be lazy label exec) is simply looking to cash in on a back catalogue. Available on 2x12” vinyls or as a digital album (you get 3 extra tracks on download) Classic Jams dates back as far as 1988 with Musiq by Myoshi-Morris.

Other genuine ‘classic jams’ include Aquarius’ Jam To It Again, the slightly avant-garde Essence by Magic Noir and Fingers Inc. (Larry Heard) with Never No More Lonely. One of the

smoothest cuts has to be Swing City’s Make U Mine, my personal favourite. The compilation also weighs in with some classics from Europe such as VDT’s It’s Just A Dream hailing from Germany and a sign of things to come with the techno scene that developed there. The 3 bonus tracks on digital download include Nick Holder’s Erotic Illusions from 2001, Foremost Poets’ Reasons to be Dismal and House of God ($50 Mix) by DHS. Depending where you sit in terms of your house music appreciation, Classic Jams will either sound very outdated, will give you goose bumps as you reminisce or as a trainspotter you’ll enjoy the history lesson. Reviewed by Damien Albetto

9. Hardwell presents Revealed Vol. 4 - Just Music <EDM> EDM man of the moment and prolific producer, Hardwell is back with 20 big room bangers including 8 unreleased tracks from his label Revealed Recordings. Also included are the new fan favourites and Beatport chart topers Krewella - Alive (Hardwell Remix) and the explosive Hardwell and Dyro’s collaboration Never Say Goodbye featuring Bright Lights on vocals, as well as 4 exclusive Hardwell Mashups. This is a DJ mix album and the intention of Hardwell is to create the same vibe and experience you get when attending one of his shows. Does he achieve this?

Indeed! If big euphoric EDM bangers with vocal choruses effortlessly segueing into huge electro slammers, massive breaks, builds and drops is your groove - and evidently it is for many the preferred choice of music entertainment judging by his immense popularity - then hop onto iTunes now and grab this 20-tracker. It’s EDM just like the Tomorrowland and Ultra Music fest masses like it; huge, epic and brimming with some of the biggest names in the biz. The I AM HARDWELL global tour heads to South Africa at the start of December. Revealed Vol. 4 definitely feels like an accomplished EDM set and judging by this, he won’t disappoint S'effricans come end of the year.

Reviewed by Damien Albetto

10. Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Wall of Sound - Just Music <Drum ‘n Bass/Drumstep> Hailing from Derby in the UK, Drumsound & Bassline Smith are a production group made up of the duo, Drumsound and Simon ‘Bassline’ Smith.

They’ve certainly been at it for some time; as far back as 2004 their track Odyssey hit #1 on the UK Dance Charts.

Wall of Sound opens with 4 upbeat drum ‘n bass cuts, all happy and wistful. Pop meets D n B is the best way to describe the fairly harmless compositions. Track 5, All Day ft.

Bam shakes things up, however, as they slow things down to a smoking jazzy breakbeat hip hop groover. Nice. Freak (VIP Mix) sees them whip out the vocoder for some cool big room D n B beats, a cool track for sure. The next 2 are fairly forgettable mainly ‘cos they offer nothing new to latch onto. What Can You Do For Me (Utah Saints vs. Drumsound & Bassline Smith) is a real corker with a strong hook and catchy synth melody. Things kind of carry on like this throughout; a really good fully realised cut followed by a couple of pretty mediocre compositions. There’s nothing totally horrible about Wall of Sound, it’s just a bit of a mixed bag of good and average pop D n B. Nice but not awesome. Reviewed by Seeka

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46 ALBUM REVIEWS 11. Shpongle - Museum of Consciousness Twisted Records

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<Psychedelic World Music> The latest release by Simon Rossford’s [and Raja Ram] Shpongle is deliriously layered.

Sound is zoomed in on, blown up into epic expanses.

Opener Brain in a Fish Tank sets the scene for the audio movie that is Museum of Consciousness - consciously or not, the track references City of Lost Children by Jeunet, and it shares that French director’s visionary perception - his rich palette; his eye for subtlest detail. The album blooms with sound - from orchestral textures to snippets of found sound, guided always by relentlessly, at times diabolically, funky beats. Shpongle has created a sonic laboratory that accesses musical influences from across the globe, and seems able to access music past and future, to give the album its gleaming sheen. Ranging from chillicious - check the vast, smooth aura of The Aquatic Garden of ExtraCelestial Delights - to booty thumpin’, as with the frothing rhythms of Juggling Molecules, Museum of Consciousness is an experiment in beauty, one which succeeds soundly (ahem.) Music for the mind and the behind, which reminds of George ‘The Funkmaestro’ Clinton’s instruction: “Free your mind/ and your ass will follow.” Good stuff!

Reviewed by Mickdotcom

12. Ghost Rider - Complextro - Blue Tune Records <Progressive Trance> Ghost Rider is Vlad Krivoshein (aka Magneto and one half of Class A) from Israel. Opener Levels is a gentle start, albeit with hefty bass, to this stunning progressive tune. The title track, Complextro with its great build ups has loads of interesting planes to discover and is very multifaceted. I really love Image App with its female vox, squelchy synth and a spacey melody.

More squelchy and crunchy sounds can be found in the driving tune, Time and is complimented with male vox this time. Follow Me has a really haunting melody and feels slower than the preceding tracks. Resolve has lovely psychedelic touches that leave a smile on my face every time I hear it. The tight bass of Cruise Control had me bopping my head to this great track and it contains some crazy vox about Outlook. Nasty contains some full-on melodies, but is still groovy and danceable. The album is completed with the massively banging tune, Frozen Day. This track is sure to become a hit for DJs and party goers alike. I can’t get enough of this style of progressive psytrance, it has all the right elements of darkness, groovy phat bass, beautiful melodies and the ghostly echoes.

Recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

13. Motion Drive - Viewpoints - Iono Music <Progressive Psytrance> Viewpoints is the new progressive trance double album by Motion Drive (aka Philip Guillaume from Zurich, Switzerland). The album kicks off with Cube, a tune with a crisp sound and a beautiful flowing melody. Chunky bass, deep echoes, serious vox and an abundance of darker sounds makes the title track, Viewpoints, my favourite. Unknown is a chilled yet danceable collaboration with Yotopia and is followed by the stunning Afterlife with tribal sounds. Vibrating by Motion Drive and Flowjob is a classic progressive dance track, this one is great to end the party on. The gorgeous opening track on disc

two is Into Reality; a super chilled tune but still dance floor worthy. The pace picks up again with It’s a Dream; this funky number had me tapping my feet. Chill Bill has quite a trippy sound with echoed voices. Hypnotic has a very cute synth sound and it then moves to the boppy and bouncy The Feeling. Minimized is a more serious track followed by jazzy saxophone and whispered tones in The White Island. This album is the perfect accompaniment to a lazy Sunday afternoon of chilling or dancing. Recommended.

Reviewed by Riqardo

14. Weekend Heroes - Firedance - Iboga Records <Progressive Trance> Weekend Heroes are Felix Nagorsky and Eli Baltsan and their new album is called Firedance. Kicking things off is Uncover, quite a minimalist sounding track with a smattering of vocalisation. Step by Step is by Elay Lazutkin vs. Weekend Heroes (WH) and has a cool techno club sound. Mr. Smith has a warmer sound with its rich bass but continues with the techno edge. I liked the gritty synth and good build-up in Teleport by WH & Ticon (Victor Ruiz Remix) and talking of build-ups, there are some epic ones in Speed Test, a collaboration with Flippers this time. The most fabulous of tracks is DJ Killer Bitch Dealer with it whirling melody, phat synth and funny vox. Being a fan of Deadmau5 I was thrilled to find an excellent remix of 1981 on this album. Weekend Heroes knocked this one out of the park. I loved the fantastic piano and synth jamming in Hot Piano Roll by WH and (I)diot. The collaboration with Thomas on Take Off is a dance floor belter and the title track, Firedance is crunchy and a real kicker. The final partnership is with Jerome Isma on Knockdown and this tune will be a huge hit, I am sure.

Recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

15.Various Artists - Aerodynamics - Digital Nature Records <Progressive Trance> Aerodynamics is a progressive album compiled by Aerospace aka Guy Youngman. The very deep throbbing bass is the first thing that hit me with the beautiful opening track, Cygnus by Arhetip. Alion’s The Gathering has sweet 80’s sounding synth sounds and distorted vocoder, done right not cheesy. There are so many layers to Radio Activity by Echotek; soft echoes, smooth repetitive rhythm, slow build ups and followed by robotic vox. The almost siren-like synth tone in Blackout by Etic and Subverso was hypnotic and took me deeper and deeper into this stunning piece of music. Initially I was intrigued by the meaning of the track entitled, Du Wap by Aerospace and Imagine then it was made clear, by the words being repeated in the tune. Just say it aloud. This collaboration has produced an excellent dance tune; I especially love the bird-like noises. The bouncy nature of Breakfast by Nitrodrop is what makes this tune a guaranteed dance floor filler and the amusing drug references are part of the fun too. Wavelight by Entropia is slower paced with groovy, yet darker sounds. The spectacular Metal Mind by Shanko continues with more dark but also liberally interspersed with sparkly stuff. Atom Device’s lovely Sunray Through The Sky ends off this great album. Recommended. Reviewed by Riqardo

50 DJ CHARTS

DJ CHARTS DJ SHIMZA (Soulistic / SA / House) 1. Culoe De Song Feat SoulStar - My Sunshine (Soulistic Music) • 2. Bongo Afrika-Dakalo (Not signed) • 3. -DJ Shimza Feat BK - Orujo (SHIMUZIC Productions) • 4. Uhuru-Sweety Ma Bebeza (Kalawa) • 5. Euphonik, Chris Sen & Shota Lose Yourself (Delany Duvall Remix) (Soul Candi) • 6. Cuebur feat Marisa Guzman - No Doubt (Soul Candi) • 7. Dj Shimza feat Bucks - Abantwana Bakho (Soulistic Music) • 8. Tumelo - Not sleeping alone (Soulistic Music) • 9. DJ Kent feat Jimmy Dludlu - Guitar Boogie (88 Productions) • 10. MiCasa- Your Body (Soul Candi)

DJ OSHO (SYMBOLIC) (Nano/Iboga / Israel / PsyProg) 1. Zentura - Sonic Masala (Sourcecode) • 2. Symbolic & Zen Mechanics - Psychological Effects (Sourcecode) • 3. Symbolic & E-Clip - Live Your Life (Iono Music) • 4. Ace Ventura - M.A.R.S 2013 (Iboga) • 5. Sonic Species - Strictly Virtual (Symbolic Remix / Sourcecode) • 6. Vertical Mode - Bad Luck Buffe (HOMmega) • 7. Zentura - Nueva Era (Iboga) • 8. Zen Mechanics & E-Clip - Sundowning (Iboga) • 9. Outsiders - Crossing FX (Alchemy) • 10. Tron & The Commercial Hippies - Anti Heroes (Sourcecode)

DJ DILOXCLUSIV (Black Mango Music / CPT / Urban House| Dubstep|Gqom) 1. Afrikan Sax - Brazo Wa Afrika (Chymamusique Classical Remix) • 2. I'm Free - Fistaz Mixwell & DJ Hloni ft Mellow Soul • 3. Sabir - DaCapo and Cuebur (Mizz Reprize Dub Mix) • 4. Siyaphezulu Ruffest (Main Mix) • 5. SekuRuff - DJ Sparks ft Mxizo (Ruff Entertainment) • 6. Sherisha Saneristo ft. Madida • 7. Legend - DJ Target No Ndile (Ungabaseleki) • 8. Wild for the Night Skrillex (Instrumental Mix) • 9. Problem child (Ten83) Feat Divine Lopez -This feeling (Main mix) • 10. Harlem Shake - Baauer

GUY HERMAN (Truth|All Good|Pimp Squad / JHB / House|Techno) 1. Franck Roger - Don't You Know (Tsuba) • 2. Samu.L - Look Around (Dogmatik) • 3. Hanfry Martinez - Often Break (Javier Carballo Remix) (Overall Music) • 4. Maximiljan - Ol' Dirty (Witty Tunes) • 5. Eda, Yamen - All Out [One Records) • 6. Illario Liburni - Crapkin (Inmotion Music) • 7. Martin Patino - Mindgames (Andrea Oliva & Darkbeat Remix) (Suara) • 8. Novakk Strawberries (Bolumar Remix) (Redlight Music) • 9. ICS - Shake Ya Legs [Jargon) • 10. Edu Imbernon - Niquel (Eklektisch)

MISS EVE (OB Concepts / CPT / House) 1. Cuebur ft Phumlani - Be there (SOULCANDI RECORDS) • 2. Black Coffee ft Toshi- Buya (SOULISTIC MUSIC) • 3. DJ Phat Kat - Chasing dreams • 4. Culoe de Song - No contest (SOULISTIC MUSIC) • 5. DJ Phat Kat ft Ntabiseng - Ulithemba lam(Brazo wa Africa and Da Capos deeper mix) • 6. Monotone ft Ruby Gold - Flash lights • 7. The Layabout - Here with you (ATJAZZ RECORD COMPANY) • 8. Mafikizolo ft UhuruNakupenda (KALAWA JAZZMEE) • 9. Mafikizolo ft Uhuru - Happiness (KALAWA JAZZMEE) • 10. Rihanna ft Mikky Ekko - Stay (Uhuru mix)

V.UNDERGROUND (How You Feeling / JHB / House) 1. Martin Iveson - 13.10.11 13.11.11 (Atjazz Records) • 2. QB Smith, MdcL & Brian Temba - Man Of Summer (Warm Days Recordings) • 3. Andy Compton ft Ladybird - Missing You (Sir LSG Rmx) (Peng Records) • 4. V.underground ft Rozelda Waters - Wait And You Will See (Ultra Tone Records/Soul Candi) • 5. Imaani Brown - The Waters In My Eyes (V.underground Ultra Tone Secret mix) (Open Bar Music) • 6. Abicah Soul Dreams (V.underground Ultra-Tone Mix) (Abicah Soul Recording) • 7. Cuebur ft Vikter Duplaix - I See You (Cuebur Music/Soul Candi) • 8. V.underground ft RJ Benjamin - Enough (Ultra Tone Records/Soul Candi) • 9. V.underground & DJ Shimza ft Charlie Mindgames - Hlala Nami (Ultra Tone Records) • 10. DJ Lite ft Charlie Mindgames - Let My People Go (Ultra Tone Records)

LADY M (Triplefire / CPT / Deep House|Techno) 1. Dinky - Falling Angel (12" Version) (Visionquest) • 2. Claudia Lovisa - Nightrider (Tim Green Remix) (Supernature) • 3. Seth Troxler, Tom Trago, Subb-an - Time (Original Mix) (Visionquest) • 4. The Beat Prophet & ODV - Upstairs (Dakin Auret Remix) (Triplefire Music) • 5. Lady M - On The Wind Feat.

Marcia Alvez (Original Mix) (Triplefire Music) • 6. Lady M - Dark Matter Feat Kennifer (Original Remix) (Unreleased) • 7. Dj Koze - Burn With Me (Original Mix) (Pampa Records) • 8. Lady M - A Feeling (Original Mix) (Triplefire Music) • 9. Tim Xavier - Space Jockey Feat. G- Tech (George Rontiris) (Original Mix) (Upon You Records) • 10. Si Peirson aka Esja - Sleet (Lady M Remix) (Sleepwalker Records)

DJ RAZZMELLOW (Multi-Racial Records / Pretoria / Deep & Soulful House) 1. HouseRiders - Sand Of Time - Feat. John Juster (I Records) • 2. AC2YO - Slow Deep (Urban Dance Records) • 3. Desos - Girl You Look Good Tonight (Deso Records) • 4. Lowpazz - Out of Time (Dark Energy Recordings) • 5. Andy Soul - I Never Knew ft Matthew Yates (Umberto Parisi Live Rmx) (Kula Records) • 6. Janice B, N'dinga Gaba-Feeling Fine (N'Dinga Gaba Original Mix) (Quantize Recordings) • 7. Cubique DJ CB - NaweSauces Mix (Chymamusiq Records) • 8. Dj Sonic - Rise & Shine (DJ Sonic Laid Back Mix) (Real Purple Deep Music) • 9. Mustafa, D-Malice & Tasita D'mour - Give Love (D-Malice Instrumental) (Staff Productions) • 10. Oscar & Deep Xcape - The missing Color (Soul Candi)

54 ASTROBABBLE

By Lois Siddhu

SEPTEMBER 2013

VIRGO

TIME TO FOCUS ON YOUR HEALING AND SERVICE TO OTHERS.

23 AUGUST - 22 OCTOBER ARIES | 21 Mar - 20 Apr | FIRE Don't try to create a wall of knowledge around you.

Rather allow whatever experience that comes to you to happen and cleanse your mind continuously by living in the present. Remember that which is really yours cannot be robbed from you.

LEO | 23 Jul - 22 Aug | FIRE Challenges are still facing you and you will be expected to lead the way. Look at the essence of your commitments and shared responsibilities and examine your own integrity in order to maintain your balance between imagination and control.

SAGITTARIUS | 22 Nov - 21 Dec | FIRE There's a strong focus on independence and personal pride and your self-esteem is strong. This does not necessarily mean your partner or friend is in the same boat and your over-enthusiastic attitude could rub salt into existing wounds.

TAURUS | 21 Apr - 20 May | EARTH You are trying to get in touch with yourself and until you realize this truth you will be at the mercy of your nervous system.This makes for a lively but somewhat restless person. Find your own centre.

VIRGO | 23 Aug - 22 Sept | EARTH Don't demand impossibly high standards from others which you cannot attain yourself and instead of acting pious and self-righteous try forgiveness and tolerance towards others. This of course requires more effort but will be more gratifying as well.

CAPRICORN | 22 Dec - 19 Jan | EARTH Your temper walks a tightrope and you have the tendency to lay down the law for all and sundry.Take a step away from your workload and consider alternative ways of dealing with issues that are causing you anger and frustration.

LIBRA | 23 Sept - 22 Oct | AIR If you procrastinate too long you will find the opportunities slip out from underneath you and someone else gaining the benefits. Worrying what others think of you will not change who you are so work on your self-esteem.

AQUARIUS | 20 Jan - 18 Feb | AIR Don't gamble or invest more than you can afford to lose, because although you are on a winning streak, luck changes with the blink of an eye and you find your winnings running like liquid through your fingers.

GEMINI | 21 May - 21 Jun | AIR If you are blindly expecting security and predictability in your love life then you are in for a disappointment.

You have a strong urge to prevent stagnation and to maintain fluidity in your relationships.

CANCER | 20 Jun | 22 Jul | WATER It is a beneficial time to move from independence to inclusion and from detachment to compassion and change your radical thinking into a more compromising approach without changing your own sense of values.

SCORPIO | 23 Oct - 21 Nov | WATER The petty, frustrating issues from the past can be dropped and you can move forward with alacrity and determination. It is a good time to realize your dreams and try new and different ideas.

LIBRA 23 SEPTEMBER - 22 OCTOBER ARIES | 21 Mar - 20 Apr | FIRE Take into account that generally people are all under some or other stress at this time and for you to lose your cool and throw your toys around will not bring about the changes you want.

TAURUS | 21 Apr - 20 May | EARTH On the one hand life is exhilarating and fun-filled but on the other hand you are required to watch with care your unconscious edges. Hasty actions are prone to cost you either in material things or in discord in your friendships.

GEMINI | 21 May - 21 Jun | AIR Your friendship/s contains a certain amount of stress due to unconscious actions that trigger off issues that get your back up. Look truthfully into your own psyche before you place the blame on your friend/s.

CANCER | 20 Jun | 22 Jul | WATER Emotionally you are flaring up more than usual and this can cause unnecessary tensions and discord. Your emotions are yours no matter what others do and the cause of the tensions you can direct into more positive avenues.

PISCES | 19 Feb - 20 Mar | WATER Social graces and a friendly attitude achieve results where brute force and angry words fail. Focus on priorities and adapt constantly to the circumstances around you,

OCTOBER 2013 THE SPRING EQUINOX AT 1.03 AM - THE BEGINNING OF SPRING LEO | 23 Jul - 22 Aug | FIRE One of your main challenges at present is to appreciate your own worth, without others having to convince you of this. Maybe you're trying too hard to attract attention because you need appreciation and respect.

SAGITTARIUS | 22 Nov - 21 Dec | FIRE Speak your truth and don't play power games as you will come off second best. There is tension between your own personal needs and the demands put upon you through your friendship/s. It is like being pulled in opposite directions.

VIRGO | 23 Aug - 22 Sept | EARTH Consider the effects of your past actions before you move on to the next step. Your routines and regular habits fall into disarray and though this is inconvenient at any given time it does also give you the opportunity to revise the snags that crop up.

CAPRICORN | 22 Dec - 19 Jan | EARTH Separate your emotions from the facts and don't allow guilt to dominate your wishes. Try taking a step aside to get a clear and objective view of things. Revise and examine your objectives and direct your life in the direction you want to go.

LIBRA | 23 Sept - 22 Oct | AIR Refrain from snapping at colleagues that bungle along and are not as efficient as you are. Sarcastic retorts may make you feel superior but they do nothing for your self-image and they certainly don't get the results you want.

AQUARIUS | 20 Jan - 18 Feb | AIR Slicing off pieces of others' egos with razor sharp words may momentarily make you feel like a winner but the feeling will be hollow and empty when you consider the consequences of your actions. Kind words are so much more powerful.

SCORPIO | 23 Oct - 21 Nov | WATER Not everything can be reasoned out like a chess game.

Be open to different opinions and realize you don't know it all and although you are ambitious in your goals in life, it is also necessary to enrich your spiritual values.

PISCES | 19 Feb - 20 Mar | WATER You may be mindlessly applying someone else's values rather than your own unique principles. Some frank honesty regarding what is important and right will clarify any areas of confusion and uncertainty.

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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