u n r u ly m u s i c M a g a z i n e
T h e r e vo l u t i o n i s s u e :
J EANS WIL D ER ’ S WILd LI F E . plus: D UC K TAILS 4 5 REVOLUTIONS PER M INUTE t h e g u i d e to m i n i m a l i s m
march 2011
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NEW MUSIC
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NEW MUSIC
continue 3
Photo: Vincent Skoglund
REVOLUTION
This issue
Revolution by Alleqro. Alleqro Root was hacking the Subbacultcha! website (seriously) while we were making the Revolution Issue. That’s beautiful! According to Google translate the Turkish text says: ‘This nation will not end the task and the country of service’
Editor’s note While the Tahrir square in Cairo was the backdrop for an exciting revolution, the bigger part of the Dutch population was watching Boer zoekt Vrouw on that couch drinking that Dutch lager in front of that widescreen television in that cosy home. Oh democracy, what beauty comes with thee.... Hmmm, could it be that, while four hours by plane away, people were taking to the street and were overthrowing the powers that be, it might not be such a bad idea to question our ‘powers that be’, whatever they are? Why don’t you sit back, grab a cup of coffee and ponder that question while reading this cosy little magazine.
on the cover A fragment of Decay can be very slow by Kim Boske
5
CONTENT This month in Subbacultcha! magazine Yes, we are all about unruly, independent, relentless, alternative, loud, beautiful, silent, disturbing, soothing and uncompromising music. ...but we all need a little revolution, right?
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The Revolution issue what did you do today?
jeans wilder
minimal music
Finding revolution in burritos page 19
A survival guide page 28
Ducktails
Agenda
Breeze jammer wiz kid page 32
This month’s must sees page 51
arT
free STUFF
Featured artist: Kim Boske page 35
Win tickets to Lydia Lunch, Unheard Film Festival and more page 53
top 5 picture this membership pages we saw you new music jeans wilder 45 revolutions minimal survival guide ducktails
8 9 11 14 16 19 24 28 32
featured artist new releases david lynch quiz fashion food 99 problems spekkie big agenda after midnight
35 40 43 45 46 48 50 51 61
etniesshop.com facebook.com/etnies.europe
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Top 5
Art: Ruth van Beek We’ve recently rediscovered the greatness of Ruth van Beek’s graphic work. She designed the first-ever cover of Subbacultcha! magazine and has been one of our true favourites ever since.
Last month at our office These are five things that thrilled, chilled and excited us last month.
2
Communication: social media We booked one of our favourite acts, Julian Lynch, through Twitter! Straight out of cyberspace onto the Nieuwe Anita stage.
3
Nostalgia: Dum Dum Girls vs The Smiths Dum Dum Girls are a pretty average garage rock band. Nothing super special. But their cover of The Smiths’ ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes out’ is truly something else. Amazing what happens to a band when they play a great song.
4
Song: Minks - Funeral Song Speaking about great songs, the new Minks album is full of them. Favourite is ‘Funeral Song’. A heartbreaking, yet uplifting tune about days gone by.
5
Career move: ? On 2 April we’re organising a Subbacultcha! show at Bimhuis as part of the World Minimal Music Festival. Someone’s moving up in the world... and you thought we were hipsters.
join us Possibilities at Subbacultcha React: magazine@subbacultcha.nl
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Free Workspace Subbacultcha! offers free workspace. Here’s the deal: we have a mezzanine space of about 16 square metres available in our great office in Amsterdam. We offer that space for free for two months to people who have a great idea and are looking for a place to work on it or execute it. So, have you got that million-dollar idea but not the million dollars to pay for a workspace? Please send us a short and clear email
with your plan, along with a short CV. We are open to anything. Internship We have an internship position available for a savvy, skilled, sweet, smart and solid intern. Writing and webskills are a pre. A period of more than three months for about three days per week is perfect. So, do you understand what Subbacultcha is about and do you want to be part of it? Please send us an email.
picture this Each month, Isolde Woudstra and Regina van der Kloet take turns in photographing lyrics. This month for the first time. So yeah, David Bowie.
Photo: Isolde Woudstra
‘Oh, we’re absolute beginners/With nothing much at stake/ As long as you’re still smiling/There’s nothing more I need’ David Bowie - Absolute Beginners
Next month: ‘We might die from medication, but we sure killed all the pain’ Bright Eyes - Lua 9
subbacultcha! membership pages
Become a member and get a free pair of great...
Converse All Star Mid We give away 10 pairs to the first 10 new members. Starts March 7, 13.00
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This Month: former ghosts • SURFER BLOOD • CLOSER: PANTHA DU PRINCE • JEANS WILDER + WOUD • TRASH HUMPERS PARTY • FILM: NAUSICAä OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND • KLUB RADAR Ft. woods & tyevk • E*CINEMA • DUCKTAILS + IGNATZ • ARCADE • ANGRY • EXPO: KIM BOSKE continue 11
coming subbacultcha! membership pages up at become a Subbacultcha! member for €6/month Subbaand get free access to all these shows cultcha!
Ducktails
FORMER GHOSTS
You can 02 get Marac-- Studio 80, Amsterdam cess to these Starts shows for 21.30 free | €7 | Free for members Freddy Ruppert if you become a is the mastermind behind Subbacultcha! this synthpop project, which purveys opmember. soundscapes that speak of dread pressive
and isolation Subscribe now- the kind that would make Ian Curtis proud. Intense, draining and both brave and rewarding. Featuring members of Xiu Xiu and Zola Jesus.
CLOSER ft. Pantha Du Prince
11 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam Starts 23.00 | €13 | Free for members Not your average brainless clubbing, no guys and dolls, this monthly night is serious business with cutting-edge live acts and DJs. The March edition features Pantha Du Prince with his unique and experimental ‘clingy’ soundscapes. And more.
Film: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
12 Mar - Melkweg Cinema Amsterdam Starts 19.00 | €7 | Free for members March is manga month, with focus on Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s leading anime 12
Trash Humpers
production studios. This, their groundbreaking first film, was directed by grandmaster Hayao Miyazaki. Expect all the signature ingredients that cook up that yummy Ghibli mmmmanga: fascinating worlds, great characters and stunning animations.
JEANS WILDER + WOUD
12 Mar - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam Starts 20.00 | €6 | Free for members Jeans Wilder is the new gritty and dreamy lo-fi project by Andrew Caddick. After some collaborations with best friends Bethany (Best Coast) and Nathan (Wavves) he’s released a great hazy pop album of his own: Nice Trash. Opening act: Woud, with those perfect soundscapes to get you in that perfect mood.
FILM: TRASH HUMPERS (HARMONY KORINE)
+ Apneu, Major B and DJ Dance, Floor 18 Mar - Rialto, Amsterdam Starts 23.00 | €8 | Free for members Yes! Harmony Korine (Kids, Gummo) is back, and weirder than ever. His latest is an awesome, quite disturbing tribute to a lawless life. Is it prophetic commentary on modern-day society? Or a senseless and
tasteless film about three elderly people on the loose? Samba-shaking Major B, local garage punk heroes Apneu and pop-pumping DJ Dance, Floor complete this Rialto Laat edition. Not to be missed!
KLUB RADAR ft WOODS & TYevK
19 Mar - Tivoli, Utrecht Starts 21.00 | €12.50 | Free for members Klub Radar and Subbacultcha! have always been a good match, and this time it’s not any different. What can we say - Woods is on the bill! Folkish psychedelic tunes performed with a big heart and an old soul. Also playing: Detroit rockers Tyevk.
Mobfest / ignite
23-25 Mar - Mediamatic, Amsterdam Starts daily 20.00 | €7, passe partout €15 | Free for members Mobfest is the last level of the Arcade exhibition and focuses on new developments in mobile gaming. 25 March is Ignite Night with inspiring lectures and presentations.
DUCKTAILS + Ignatz
24 Mar - OT301, Amsterdam Starts 20.30 | €7 | Free for members Ducktails is Real Estate’s Matthew Mondanile’s solo side project. It’s well-crafted, it’s funny, it’s folky and - oh how we love this - it has a nice-and-easy lack of pretension. Yes, this guy is from Brooklyn, but he sure has the Californian sun in his head. Opening is Belgian Ignatz with the perfect soundtrack to a country adrift. COMING UP @ SUBBACULTCHA! No Age, Mi Ami, Deerhoof, The Soft Moon and more
SPECIALS and discounts
ARCADE
until 27 March - Mediamatic Bank, Amsterdam Daily 13.00 - 19.00, Weekends 13.00 18.00 | €5 | Free for members Old-school gaming till you drop during, already, the greatest expo of 2011.
ANGRY
All month - Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam 10.00 - 17.00 | €7 | Free for members Angry focuses on radicalisation around the globe through photos, installations, webbased art and a series of video portraits.
SURFER BLOOD
11 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam Starts 20.30 | €13 | Members get a second ticket for free Eclectic band Surfer Blood are playing and we’ve arranged a buy-one-get-one-for-free deal for Subbacultcha members. Sweet.
E*CINEMA
22 Mar - EYE Film Institute Vondelpark, Amsterdam Starts 18.30, 20.30 | €8 | Members €4.50 Werner Schroeter (1945-2010) was one of the most talked-about postwar German filmmakers. Two restored films of his will be screened at the great experimental film night E*Cinema.
EXPO: Kim Boske
08-25 Mar - Subbacultcha! offices, Da Costakade 150, Amsterdam Tue - Fri, 11.00-17.00 | Free This month’s featured artist on display. See page 35. end 13
subbacultcha! membership pages we saw you: spotted at subbacultcha What’s your favourite album and artist at the moment? Hurts, Happiness - the Italo disco version of ‘Better than Love’ is too much! Please italify the whole album! What’s your favourite album and artist ever? Earth & Fire - Song of the Marching Children Favourite song at the moment? Tyson ‘Die on the Dancefloor’ Best record store? The record market every month (except in winter) on Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam. What was the first record that you bought? Status Quo - ‘Round and Round’ Guilty pleasures? Happy hardcore (hey, you asked) Which album is still on your to-buy list? I run into great music, I’m never looking for a specific title Best movie soundtrack? James Bond The Man with the Golden Gun Which famous artist did you fancy when you were young? David Sylvian of Japan Which famous artist do you fancy right now? I guess now I totally fancy myself as an artist Best concert ever? Vive la Fete at Pinkpop, because I got to perform with them Worst concert ever? Vive la Fete at Pinkpop, because I sucked, sort of, well I pulled it off. Which music makes you puke? Palingpop 14
Which music makes you fall asleep? CNN What do you listen to when you are on your bike? I rely on my perfect hearing and not on the traffic lights to get extremely swiftly from one place to another And when you have sex? Grunting What makes you dance? Italo disco Which music makes you cry? Power ballads What’s your favourite album cover? Klaus Nomi - Klaus Nomi Which record do you regret buying? I have 10.000 records, I’m sure there are some shitty ones hiding in my collection. What’s your first ever song-related memory? Holding a brush for the vocals and a tennis racket for the guitar solos. What’s your favourite summer (hit) song? Mousse T - ‘Horny’ Which music do you play on a beautiful Sunday morning? Italo disco space music, Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream What kind of music did your parents listen to? My mother suffered from migraine, so I grew up in total silence. You might say I’ve caught up since then! Which record/album should not have been recorded? All that is and ever will be recorded by Lady Kaka
Photo by Isolde Woudstra
“I guess now I totally fancy myself as an artist�
Name & age: Martin C de Waal, aka Martin Duvall; 38 Daytime job/study: multidisciplinary artist/photographer/DJ/VJ/performer Other interests: Hoarding vinyl and hosting my own party, Disco Total Place of birth: Rotterdam Spotted at: Expo opening Ashkan Honavar at Subbacultcha headquarters end 15
NEW MUSIC We make it our job to endlessly roam the beautiful internet and find the stuff that really matters. Behold the needles from the haystack. By Leon Caren You can find all this marvellous new music in the weekly playlist, posted on our website every week, or on our weekly radio show on the great viva-radio. com
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We Dig the can so you can dig. Dig it? The trash can of modern music is filled to the brim. And every month we dig into it. Like starving men looking for food. On a mission to bring home the bacon. To you and only you. We dive in head first. We browse, we click, we save and we delete. It’s not easy. But no one said it would be. So here you have it, another one of those fine selections of all the best glo-fi-post-punk-slow-core-artnoise-witch-house-ghost-drone-dub-step-nowave-disco-beats out there. Enjoy.
Minks
Dirty Beaches
Minks have just put out a great record called By The Hedge. Go on, download it, you cheap bastard. It’s out there. Floating through the world wide wilderness. Then after you’ve unzipped your little file, play it like you mean it. We assure you, these dark pop songs will stick to your soul like chocolate. As a new-born fan, you’ll find yourself typing in that URL of salvation - www.capturedtracks.com and then you’ll order the record. Just like that. It’s karma baby and you know it. www.myspace.com/IAMWITCHCRAFT
Dirty Beaches is Vancouverbased nomad/crooner Alex Zhang Hungtai. He’s been compared to the likes of Elvis, Suicide, Jerry Lee Lewis and David Lynch and he’s made one hell of a badass record that’s called Badlands. It’s a pretty exhilarating collection of songs ranging from heartbreaking pop songs to violent uptempo road music. www.dirtybeaches.blogspot.com
w-h-i-t-e
dark wavey synth patterns sure leave us craving for more. Kim Ki O will be on tour with the ridiculously awesome Moon Duo in May, so be sure to catch one of those shows. www.kimkio.org
NEWN E W MUSIC M U S IC
Kellies We were thrilled when the guys from Swill Children sent us the new w-h-i-t-e single ‘Fountain’. It’s a marvellous, dreamy pop song with a pulsating groove. Jamming along to this tune in our office, we found ourselves saying, ‘what’s up with this w-h-i-t-e dude man?’ Well, it turns out w-h-i-t-e is a solo project by a guy from Santa Clarita, California. He plays all kinds of tunes, ranging from pretty disturbing soundscapes to quiet pop melodies. Pretty eclectic, but all well within the boundaries of awesomeness. His full-length Twin Tigers is coming out on 16 March. w-h-i-t-e.tumblr.com
Kim Ki O Kim Ki O are yet another noisy all-girl bass-and-synthesizer duo from Turkey. That’s right. Out there in Istanbul they’re all jamming out, keeping it real. No but seriously. Maybe they are and are just not getting on our Subbacultcha! radar. But we’d like them to be on our radar. Especially if they’re all as good as Kim Ki O. Their fuzzy pop songs and
Staying on the subject of exotic all-girl bands, let’s talk about Kellies. A three-piece band from Buenos Aires. They play postpunk songs with dub influences, you know, ESG style. They’ve made a groovy record, they sing in Spanish, English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Catalan and French and they have this killer song called ‘Bling Bling’. What else do you need to know man? Google that shit. kellies.bandcamp.com
Woud Woud is a musician and visual artist from Groningen, who plays in Eklin and does some pretty astounding graphic work. For this project, he’s teamed up with Keimpe Koldijk (Bebe Fang, Eklin) to come up with some
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NEW MUSIC
dark, groovy soundscapes that sort of make you feel like you’re lost in the woods after dark and all the animals around you are chanting. We’re really looking forward to hearing this stuff live at De Nieuwe Anita on 12 March. Keep an eye on the Samling website for news on his upcoming release. www.samlingrecordings.com/ woud
Demdike Stare
Demdike Stare’s eerie, semiambient music is richly detailed and driving. Their occult instrumental jams range from dubstep grooves to slow-core drones and soundscapes. All in all, very modern and very exciting. Their fulllength Tryptych just dropped on Modern Love. www.myspace.com/pookawig
Milligram Retreat
18 end
Milligram Retreat are a Dutch duo made up of music producer Maurice Hermes and visual/performance artist Renée van Trier. They successfully combine distorted soundscapes with haunt-
ing pop melodies and upbeat dance tracks and have just released a great new record called Falun Gong. It’s coming out on the Dutch label Enfant Terrible, who release all kinds of interesting progressive electronic music and also host events and expos as well as a monthly radio show on Intergalactic FM. www.enfant-terrible.nl
Autre Ne Veut
Autre Ne Veut are probably the weirdest band I’ve come across in a long while. It’s a solo project by this pretty enigmatic dude from New York, who mashes up ’80s synthpop with glo-fi and r&b. His self-titled debut album sounds like it could be a longlost, progressive concept album by Lionel Richie that the record label just didn’t dare to release. I can already hear the label rep say ‘sorry, Lionel, I just don’t think the people are ready for this kind of music.’ Well, I guess we are now. www.autreneveut.com www.myspace.com/gamesmusic
The revolution issue
wilder life ANDREW CADDICK OF JEANS WILDER IS A NICE GUY. WE CHATTED WITH HIM ABOUT HIS MAGNETISING NEW ALBUM NICE TRASH ON VALENTINE’S DAY, JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO ARRANGE A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND. DON’T KNOW IF SHE KNOWS THE SONGS ARE ABOUT TWO EX-GF’S THOUGH.
By Brenda Bosma. Photos by Andrew himself
A
ndrew Caddick: Hey! Brenda Bosma: Hey! I’ve just been watching the ‘Sparkler’ video for the 19th time. It’s awesome. I’m a sucker for people flying in the air. Thank you! Beautiful. I couldn’t find anything
about you on Pitchfork. I’m on there but the new album hasn’t been reviewed by them. Ryan from Pitchfork bought it though, so it could be in the works. He probably has a lot of zip files to unpack. It’s been on Altered Zones though,
continue 19
wilder life. continued
“‘Nice trash’ was a reference to an old girlfriend... she thought I was nice, but not good enough for her.” and it’s been getting good reviews. Yes, congrats. How did you come up with that neurotic melody on ‘Be My Shade’? It’s infatuatingly kickass! Was it pre-programmed on your keyboard? Hahaha thank you... and no, it wasn’t. It’s a little piece of a bigger song that I just sniped out and I thought it worked... my friend said he didn’t get it at first, but then it sunk in, and I liked that. It’s a very nice contradiction with the soothing vocals. Thank you. Have you ever done a Gregorian chanting course, by any chance? Haha no, I just have a good ear for melody I guess. Why is the album called Nice Trash? Is that you being modest or can you do better? Have you trashed your bedroom? Other people’s bedrooms? ‘Nice trash’ was a reference to an old girlfriend... she thought I was nice, but not good enough for her, at least that’s how I saw it in my own mind. Are you being extra nice to her now? No, we never talk. Oh, sorry. 20
I have a new girlfriend. Congrats! Is there a song about her on the album? ‘Pumpkin Patch’? Pretty much the whole album is about my ex gf, or two ex gfs rather. So it’s pretty personal stuff. It really is just about how you feel when you fall in love, and then when love starts falling apart… documenting the full cycle of a failed relationship. That’s why it took so long to record. Two years. Ah, failure, something we all can relate to. Hahaha Two years, two gfs. Well, the last girls before my current gf/fiancée! Kinda snuck in there, but she def left a mark on me, you know? Another thing about your songs: I could hardly understand the lyrics - as if you were singing into a pillow. ‘I Don’t Want to Live Forever’, for instance, has this strange kinda Turkish wedding vibe. What’s the song about? Longing for someone you love, to the point of wanting death. Or how you got to marry your cousin? (Kidding) Ha! That’s why I included the lyrics
That’s always nice for publicity. with the LP version. Aha! I have to get the LP then! Se- What’s the funniest metaphor blogriously now, is ‘Blanket Mountain’ a gers use to describe your new album? Glasser ripoff? Future nostalgia. Probably the thing Nooo, never heard that song, but people say most that I like is that I’ve heard the beat is similar... they can’t quite pin the LP down to There’s this saying: ‘talent borrows, one genre. genius steals’. Maybe they ripped it off of me!. I Hahaha. I would use that one! Or something like ‘blanket wrapped should sue them. continue 21
wilder life. continued
around you while trying to warm What do you listen to? I’m all over the board as far as what fingers on campfire on sandy beach’. I like. The album was really just my Yeah there’s a lot of that beach stuff skewed version of what pop sounds too. But whatever, you know, the like, but mixed with all these nosbeach is nice. talgic feelings from what I grew up I like the song ‘Sparkler’ and the listening to, Beach Boys, Otis Redlast track a lot. These are sort of the ding, oldies radio, etc. But I also odd ones out. Or actually, you try a love noise and stuff, so I try to inlot of different things on the album. 22
clude those elements also. That’s exactly what it is! You just reviewed your own album. Eat that Pitchfork. Hahaha - 9.2! That’s slightly below Kanye. But hey, there can only be one king. And it’s me! You were in this band with Nathan from Wavves, do you still play together? We talk about getting together and doing something again every once in a while, but the reality is that he is super busy all the time, and now I’m starting to get to that point too (touring more now, etc...) It’s like a ‘hey man, yeah, so good to see you, we should def hook up sometime’-kind of thing. But no, not really...it’s sad. I miss my best friend, but I’m proud of what he has accomplished. I was literally there for the whole thing, and it’s been a wild ride. I can’t even begin to grasp it. He started recording his first album in the same room and at the same time as I did mine. Yeah, he is on top of his game right now, but I mean we all already know the Wavves success story. Yep he’s also sort of king. And Best Coast, too. My two famous best friends wah wah wah. Did she write about him on her album? Duh! Every song.
Even the one about the cat? Love is such a rich source. Aawwww little Snacks, I miss that cat. He used to slee on me when I would stay over. Pee? Sleep Okay, that’s less disgusting. Hahahahaha Actually, the theme of our next issue is ‘Revolution’. So let’s talk about the little revolutions in life. I like that. Like good hair day, or butterflies, or seeing mesmerising shades and colours on your car window. Life is all about the little things. Word. It makes this all worth it. Do you have a small revolution that you can share? Or a big one? Or your biggest smallest one? I love being inside. I love watching movies and getting high when it’s raining. But I also love walking in the rain. I love watching Seinfeld and eating Mexican food. That’s probably one of my simplest pleasures. ‘You can’t eat this guacamole standing up. Your knees buckle.’ That’s a free Seinfeld for you. Have a nice day. See you later. Thank you! Bye! Take care! Bye! Jeans Wilder plays De Nieuwe Anita in Amsterdam on 12 March.
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The Revolution ISsue
fourty-five revolutions per minute Runout grooves possibly rank amongst the geekiest facts there are to know about records. Incidentally, they’ve never stirred a revolution - not even a small one. or have they? By Floris Dogterom. Photo by Simon Wald-Lasowski
S
ince the demise of the 78 rpm record, the old-fashioned 7” single produces the smallest and the most revolutions in the world – 45 every minute, to be exact. Often singles (and other types of vinyl records, for that matter) contain runout groove messages. That’s these funny messages carved into the bit of vinyl that is closest to the label. Some examples? Australian ’80s band The Triffids thought they’d precipitate the downfall of Catholicism by enriching side A of their 1985 ‘Fields Of Glass’ EP with the message ‘Pope Guilty of Intercourse’, while the flipside reinforced their revolutionary ef24
fort with ‘Papal Semen Identified’. The Gang Of Four went cryptic on their 1981 single ‘To Hell with Poverty!’ with an inscription saying ‘A NIXMIXBILBO BILBO BOPPANIX’. And British indie band Shriekback must have had a jolly good time during the creative process that led to ‘We were hungry men’ and ‘Sharing every crust’ on either side of their 1981 ‘Hungry Rooms’ 45. A re-issue of Black Flag’s 1981 hardcore classic ‘Six Pack’ picked up on Shriekback’s food theme with ‘No! No! An Omelette’ etched in the runout groove of side A and ‘And a baked potato!’ on side B.
shoarma with marnie stern continued
continue 25
26
Fourty-five revolutions per minute. continued
“Even worse are record companies who demand to have www.something.com etched into the vinyl. In my opinion, that’s not what runout groove messages are for.”
that, although these days, many artists want long pieces of text. I’m not too It makes you imagine people working crazy about that. Even worse are reat record plants, who, working for a cord companies who demand to have mere pittance themselves, are cutting www.something.com etched into the records for all these well-off rock stars vinyl. In my opinion, that’s not what - day in, day out. Maybe, sometimes, runout groove messages are for. A they’ve just had enough. And maybe short text, a gimmick of the artist to they’ll want to let the world know. So greet his audience: that should be all.’ they carve little messages in the runout groove, as a little act of rebellion. The smallest revolution True, the inscriptions are hardly readable. After all, you wouldn’t want Having established that, sometimes, to get fired, would you? But you’ve but only sometimes, cutting engineers shown your independence; you tried do pull off a small revolution of their to spark a small revolution of your own. Hooning recalls that a colleague own, if you will. of his was cutting a record for an allfemale band from Groningen, who It’s an attractive, rather romantic were known for their feminist and anidea. But it hardly corresponds with ti-men lyrics. Hooning’s colleague the truth. If anyone knows, it must be wasn’t too keen on that. In fact, with Rinus Hooning, who has been work- every track he was working on his iring in the record industry for almost ritation grew, to the point that he de30 years and is currently a cutting en- cided to pay the girls back by engravgineer at Record Industry in Haarlem, ing a tiny little penis and a tiny little the world’s largest vinyl pressing plant. scrotum in the runout groove, only visible under a magnifying glass. The ‘It was, and is, always on the client’s band never realised. It must have been request that we put in runout groove the smallest, most unnoticed revolumessages,’ he says. ‘I’m okay with tion ever. Revolution of your own
end 27
The revolution issue
survival guide to minimal music Many people think that minimal music is there to lull you to sleep. Au contraire! it’s actually a form of resistance, against pomposity and arrogance. Subbacultcha! explains.
By Marinus de Ruiter 28
W
hen minimal music rose in the 1960s, it spelled revolution. Although minimal compositions were highly experimental, they weren’t as complex as twelve-tone music, the then prevalent form in avant-garde music. Instead, they arose from clear ideas and open-ended structures. But if you listen to the wrong record by, say, Philip Glass, you might not get the idea - you might just hear a choir going ‘fa la la’ for 15 minutes, as once parodied in South Park. Minimal music is best experienced live. Inspired by Steve Reich’s Six Pianos with its repetitive, intertwining piano patterns, we present six guidelines. Start reading wherever you like. Feel free to expand and repeat infinitely.
1
Have a rockin’ time Listen to ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ by Gene Vincent and you’ll know that rock ’n’ roll can put you in a trance. Minimalists understood that, and ever since they started they’ve been rubbing shoulders with rockers. For example, John Cale peeled the Velvet Underground banana while also supporting minimalist pioneers (La Monte Young, Tony Conrad) with his pleasantly nagging viola.
2
La Monte Young
Bring your punk attitude As a young American composer, Philip Glass felt bullied by the increasing-
ly complex twelve-tone serial music coming out of Europe.
Phillip Glass
He pissed off critics and audiences by playing simple piano riffs over and over (ostinato is the word), which in time expanded into his extremely successful repetitive style. Sort of like punk crushing progressive rock with three chords. Even one chord was enough for some minimal-minded composers, such as Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham, who blasted out stomping monoliths of sound. Their electric guitar ensembles featured punk rockers that would later end up in bands such as Sonic Youth and Helmet.
continue 29
survival guide to minimal music. continued
synthesizers actually had a specific sound of their own; he predicted that we would eventually try to imitate them with real instruments. Right now, we don’t even seem to distinguish electronic and analogue anymore. Reich often stages duets between musicians and recordings of Glenn Branca themselves. Terry Riley used echo machines to create electronic canons. Don’t fear the raga Western musicians can learn from, Who would even notice nowadays? but should never copy, Eastern and African music, said Steve Reich.
3
Steve Reich
In other words: feel inspired, but use your own skills and cultural background. And leave those beads and orange dresses in the new age shop. Minimalist adventurer Terry Riley might look like a guru now, but it took him decades to learn Indian music while also exploring boogie woogie piano, analogue synthesizer trance and repetitive ensemble music.
4
Plug it in Originally, electronic instruments imitated analogue instruments. Again, it was Steve Reich who noticed that 30
5
Terry Riley
Keep on prayin’ in a free world Churches have damaged many minds, but religious souls have produced the most amazing music. Estonian minimalist Arvo Pärt is a case in point. His sonic sculptures can last for the lengths of entire albums and still remain fascinating throughout. Don’t blame him for the god squad though! As many other original minds, he unwillingly spawned a string of unforgivable copycats. It just proves that being solemn or repetitive is not enough for making good minimal music. The key is in the notes; some composers have a knack for writing good
ones while others fail, no matter how hard they pray.
General Considerations
Arvo Pärt
- Minimal music is not minimal - Minimal music is not boring - Minimal music does not require being of a certain age - Minimal music does not require a university education - Minimal music is not only made by men with beards.
(not necessarily true)
6
Vote! Minimal music has been political from the start, resisting the oppressive know-it-alls of serialism. On top of that, minimalists have often related to socio-political issues. Terry Riley recently used names of victims from both sides of the Iraq war as lyrics in his music. Philip Glass has collaborated with poet and activist Allen Ginsberg, and one of Reich’s early pieces used recordings of the testimony of a murder suspect who was wrongfully accused and convicted.
Recommended listening Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air Tony Conrad & Faust - Outside the Dream Syndicate Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians Glenn Branca - The Ascension Simeon Ten Holt - Canto Ostinato Meredith Monk - Do You Be Rhys Chatham - Die Donnergötter Wim Mertens - The Belly of an Architect Arvo Pärt - Alina Julius Eastman - Unjust Malaise
Final words of advice Check it out! Allen Ginsberg
So, you can be moved to take a stand while being energised by the pulse of a minimalist ensemble. Beats the election debates.
The World Minimal Music Festival is on at Muziekgebouw from 30 March to 3 April. Subbacultcha! is programming a cutting-edge side programme.
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the revolution issue
ducktails on the day THESE ARE SOME QUESTIONS WE SENT TO MATTHEW MONDANILE FROM DUCKTAILS ON THE DAY HOSNI LEFT THE BUILDING. THE BREEZE JAMMER WIZ KID RECENTLY MOVED OUT OF HIS PARENTS’ BUILDING TO PRACTISE HIS BEDROOM CRAFTS IN HIS OWN HOME. WITH ARCADE DYNAMICS, HE’S BUILT AN IMPRESSIVE FERRIS WHEEL FOR US TO SIT BACK IN. PRETTY LAIDBACK AWESOMENESS. BE SURE NOT TO MISS HIM. By Brenda Bosma. Collage by Geoff Kim
I
n your opinion, is a duck cooler than a bear or a wolf? Yeah, I like ducks a lot. They are my favorite animal, because they quack and in some ways I think of my guitar shredding as quacking.
Troubles, Deuce Bigalow and Austin Powers. He plays guitar in my band sometimes and he’s seriously such a jerk, he is one of the biggest assholes I have ever met. We’re still cool, but the song is definitely about him.
Who was the inspiration for the song ‘Don’t Go Killin’ the Vibe’? It was Alex Craig from the bands Big
How do you get yourself in the mood for playing? Discipline or inspiration?
32
“Covering celebs is like watching grainy pixelated porn on Showtime, when you don’t actually get Showtime, but the signal comes through a little bit.” continue 33
ducktails on the day. continued
At this point it’s really more discipline… especially since Real Estate have done really well for ourselves, so I don’t feel driven to achieve anything else with music really, I’m not ‘hungry’ so to speak, so making music now feels like a chore.
grainy pixelated porn on Showtime, when you don’t actually get Showtime, but the signal comes through a little bit. Or maybe it’s more like a sweater with the image of a cosmic buttonhole.
It seems like you improvise a lot, not What do you think of the new making ‘pop’ music, but just letting Kanye? it happen. Right? I’d give it a 10.00 and best new music. Technically I’m never improvising, I’m being handed previously-writWhat’s it like being called hypna- ten riffs from the sky… that’s why I smoke weed…so I can live forever or gogic? It’s great, I love being categorised in at least to be 3 times 65, which equals general, that’s something I really en- 195 years of age. joy about music. As far as that specific genre, it’s as good as any other, but The song ‘Art Vanderlay’ is named I think I would prefer to be known as after George’s imaginary persona nu jazz-wave. in Seinfeld. Do you have a favourite character/episode/quote from Did you raise enough money for the series? Noah Lennox to buy his own Fer- Well, I am myself an architect, and I have my own importing/exporting rari? Yep, the cheque is in the mail... (What business. is going on baby?) Did you ‘get’ Inception? If yes, You’ve covered ol’ time hero Neil please tell me. Young. Will Lady Gaga be next? Or I probably didn’t get it, no, because I fell asleep on the couch watching it. Kanye! And when I say the couch, I mean... Yeah, I am going to. THE couch. Is covering celebs like wearing a sweater with the image of a wolf on it? In many ways, yes. It’s like wearing a Ducktails plays on 24 March in OT backwards baseball cap... or watching 301 in Amsterdam 34 end
kim boske
ART Featured artist Every month we select an artist we think is worth your while This month it is Kim Boske
N
ame Kim Boske Age 32 City of residence Amsterdam What is your most recent personal revolution? I have an ongoing research, so there is always a no man’s land right in front of me. That is why I don’t look for a revolution. Can you make us a self portrait in 1 minute? A photo is fine right? Website www.kimboske.com On the following pages ‘Decay can be very slow’ Exhibition Kim’s work is on display at the Subbacultcha project space on Da Costakade 150. From 8-25 March, Tuesdays till Fridays from 11.00 till 17.00. Feel free to walk in. Please do.
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MUSIC new releases These are the new releases that you can’t afford to miss By Carly Blair
James Blake self-titled (A&M/Atlas)
Londoner James Blake got his start making a sort of dubstep-for-people-who-don’t-necessarily-like-dubstep, in the vein of Burial and Mount Kimbie, extracting a few genre signifiers and shaping them into something more varied and meditative than the usual dubstep fare. On his first full-length, wobble and wonk are almost entirely absent, and the songs are instead fashioned from elements of singer-songwriter, r&b and soul and, most notably, silence. Pregnant silence, all over the place, somehow transmuted into an instrument itself, coaxed out of existence by spare instrumentation and Blake’s gentle, sometimes auto-tuned croon. The end result is intimate, gorgeous and audacious in its restraint. Ideal for headphones!
The Luyas
Too Beautiful to Work (Dead Oceans)
The Luyas are yet another Montreal collective of sorts, churning out elaborate indie pop music. Their current recording roster features Owen Pallett and members of Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre, and their sophomore release features a dazzling array of instruments, including French horn, organ and lead singer Jessie Stein’s Moodswinger, an electronic zither designed by Nederland’s own Yuri Landman. While music made from such a toolkit - one might call it ‘typically Montreal’ - could sound overstuffed and overly precious, the end result succeeds in striking a delicate balance between atmospheric beauty and endearing weirdness. A rather original take on pop music.
The Babies
self-titled (Shrimper)
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In a time when bands can tour overseas on the basis of a few mp3s, but blogs like whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com exist, too, it seems simultaneously ridiculous and appropriate to refer to The Babies as a kind of supergroup. Former flatmates Kevin Morby of Woods and
Cassie Ramone of Vivian Girls formed this side project as a means of reliving the sweaty basement show days they enjoyed before their respective main bands ‘blew up’. Genrewise, their debut isn’t a huge departure. Unsurprisingly, it’s harmony-laden retro-sounding lo-fi pop. However, it is focused, propulsive and often extremely catchy - a sum of parts that supersedes either member’s previous work. Quit your day jobs, kids!
MUSIC new releases
Yuck
self-titled (Fat Possum)
In fashion and music, a ’90s revival has been underway for the past few years. Various legends of the grunge/shoegaze era have reunited, flannel and Doc Martens are ubiquitous once again and a new generation of slackers are channeling bands that they’re often too young to have heard the first time around. London-based motley crew Yuck are among them with their fuzzy, guitar-focused rock that evokes memories of acts such as Dinosaur Jr. and Teenage Fanclub. While I feel zero nostalgia for the decade that formed the backdrop of my awkward so-called teenage life, I can forgive Yuck’s lack of originality on account of their strong melodies and overall great execution. After all, Generation Y isn’t THAT different from Generation X, and reality still bites.
Ducktails III
Arcade Dynamics (Woodsist)
Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondanile’s chillwavey solo project Ducktails is yet another band that typifies the whole technology-vs-primitivism and professionalism-vs-amateurism battle that’s dominated the indie world for the past couple of years. While his early releases resided firmly on the primitive/amateur end of the spectrum, his latest inches somewhat towards middle ground, with a cleaner production and a generally poppier feel. Everybody knows that an album is hard to finish if you’re not really into it; I don’t want to go killin’, killin’ the
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MUSIC new releases
vibe, but in spite of some rather high points, Ducktails’ tales generally sound more careless than carefree to me. However, acolytes of Woodsist’s shambolic pop stylings should find little cause to question their faith here.
Toro y Moi
Underneath the Pine (Carpark)
A year after hypnagogic pop pioneer Chaz Bundick turned heads with his debut Causers of This, he’s back with a winningly danceable and funky record about loss. The fact that he’s replaced the more downtempo, sample-based approach of the former with entirely live instrumentation is a welcome change of pace, challenging would-be imitators and helping him remain on the crest of the chillwave. I’m still not a huge fan of his vocals, but since he’s unlikely to get a vocal chord transplant any time soon and this record is a big step forward, I’ll accept them as I would man boobs or bad sneakers on an otherwise worthy crush. If he continues to evolve and produce music at this pace, you’d be a fool not to expect bigger things to come.
Cut Copy
Zonoscope (Modular)
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The cover art of this Australian trio’s third album features a retro image of Manhattan being engulfed by some kind of flood. While this may or may not be an homage to the cheesy disaster epic The Day after Tomorrow, one can imagine they do feel a kind of strange nostalgia for the future. Back in the day, when they were helping to pioneer the whole dance rock movement, they probably envisioned a time when they’d fill dancefloors, not realising that a legion of annoying copycats would conspire to render their then-novel approach a fad rather than a revolution. Luckily, they’ve evolved. Zonoscope is their most cohesive album yet and has enough crystalline beauty and sunny exuberance to work as a seasonally relevant party soundtrack for both the southern and northern hemispheres.
FILM eraserhead filmquiz Door Gert Verbeek
mini Eraserhead filmquiz Answer these five questions and win two tickets to Unheard Film Festival: The Moi Non Plus play Eraserhead
1. Which band had a live version of the song ‘In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator Song)’ on the b-side of their single ‘Gigantic’ in 1988? 2. Which American punk label released the soundtrack of Eraserhead in 1983? 3. What can you see from the window of the room of Henry, the main character? 4. Jack Nance (Henry) was married to the actress Catherine Coulson from 1968 to 1976. Which remarkable Twin Peaks character does she play? 5. Which role did Jack Nance himself play in Twin Peaks? Submit your answers to magazine@subbacultcha.nl and state ‘Eraserhead’ in the subject line Unheard Film Festival, 24-27 March. www.unheardfilm.nl
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TRASH HUMPERS EEN FILM VAN
HARMONY KORINE
APRIL IN DE BIOSCOOP WWW.FILMFREAKS.NL
fashion worn out
By Karin Wolters Each month fashion designer Karin Wolters takes pencil and paper out and about and draws what is worn... out.
T
hese items of clothing were worn by several people on 4 February during the opening of the exposition of Ashkan Honarvar at the Subbacultcha! office.
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WHAT’s COOKING? we are cooking for.... austra By Zofia Ciechowska Photo by Basje Boer Every month our very own Nigella Awesome does some imaginary cooking for a band she really really likes. Love does go through the stomach. We simply suggest... DO try this at home. It is worth it.
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BREAD AND BEAT PUDDING
O
h, can you hear the wails of hunger and despair that ring through your kitchen when you open your cupboard on a Saturday morning, only to find a stale hunk of bread and an inch of milk in the fridge? Well that’s just about all you need (don’t you just love exaggeration?) to make this no-fuss, no-stress, no-mess bread-and-butter pudding.
WHAT’s COOKING? we are cooking for.... AUSTRA
Serves: About 4 starved rock stars and a set of twins Ingredients: 50 g raisins A slosh of brandy 200 ml whole milk Vanilla pod Zest of ½ lemon or orange 75g salted butter 8 slices of slightly stale white bread or fruit loaf, cut into triangles 3 eggs 2 tbsp sugar 100 ml double cream 1 tbsp demerara sugar A grating of sugar If you’re using fruit loaf, skip this step. Soak the raisins in a bit of brandy for a few hours, or overnight if you can. When that’s done, heat the milk in a small pot and add the halved vanilla pod and lemon zest. Allow to cool. In the meantime, butter half of your bread triangles and arrange them in overlapping rows in a baking tin. Beat the eggs with the sugar and add the milk and cream into the mixture (remember to remove the vanilla pod!). Pour slightly more than half of the mixture over the bread, add the raisins and leave for about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180° C. Now arrange the remaining bread triangles in the tin and pour the mixture over them. Add a few bits of butter, a scattering of demerara and nutmeg. Place the baking tin in a tray half-filled with water. Cook for about 35-45 minutes until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before digging in with a spoon - no extra plates or funny business.
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99 problems and the bitch... ...knows the answer
Door Brenda Bosma. Illustratie Martyn F Overweel Send your problems to 99 problems@ subbacultcha.nl
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Beste Bitch, Vaak voel ik mij als een blank stukje glas-in-lood in een grote kathedraal. Frequenter nog als een defecte koekoeksklok in de woonkamer van een bejaard echtpaar. Dat is een rottig gevoel. Doei, Sander. Hoi Sander, Dat is nog altijd beter dan je te voelen als de versleten witte skylederen lieslaarzen van je moeder. Hou je ferm en fier! B. Hey Bitch, Ik heb een nogal misogyn mensbeeld en ben net als freelance fotograaf aangenomen bij een niet nader te noemen vrouwenblad. Het is een pijnlijke spagaat, maar het is geld. Hoe hou ik dit vol? Groet, Henk. Hallo Henk, Nou, het moet vast een glorieuze ervaring voor je zijn om ongestraft een vrouw met “Bitch” aan te mogen spreken. Enfin. Wat een speling van het lot! Okee, stel voor een Thelma & Louise-achtige roadtrip (minus de verkrachting, dat wel) in beeld te brengen in het themanummer ‘hij heeft me verlaten - wat nu’ bijvoorbeeld. Je zou dan heel mooi kiekjes kunnen maken van “bitches” op van die mecha-
nische stieren in foute kroegen. Maar misschien moet je het gewoon bij respectvolle foto’s van cupcakes houden. Succes, B. Hoi Bitch, Heeft ‘Hypnagogic Pop’ met Rasti Rostelli te maken? Groetjes, M v. d. H. Sorry, mijn brein maakt even kortsluiting. Jezus, Rasti Rostelli. Die had ik uit mijn brein ge-Ctrl-Alt-Delete. Ik had vroeger nachtmerries van die man, zelfs als ik wakker was. Om een antwoord te geven op je vraag. Volgens mij is hij meer van de Goa Trance. Groet, B. Hoi Bitch,
Dankjewel! Raymond. Zeg grapjas, ik doe dit allemaal pro bono weet je! Ga een Taal en Cultuurstudie doen ofzo.
“Vaak voel ik mij als een blank stukje glas-in-lood in een grote kathedraal. Frequenter nog als een defecte koekoeksklok in de woonkamer van een bejaard echtpaar.�
99 problems and the bitch... ...knows the answer Stuur al je vragen, problemen en prangende kwesties naar 99problems@ subbacultcha.nl als jouw vraag een antwoord verdient verdien jij een good goodie. Send your problems to 99 problems@ subbacultcha.nl
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spekkie big
50
Door Marc van der Holst
AGENDA spend your month in style
Gold Panda plays at the Melkweg on 2 March during the 5 Days Off festival
Highlights in March 5 Days Off, Lydia Lunch, Woods and Konono nr.1 Win tickets to Yuck, Cut Copy and The Unheard Filmfestival continue 51
Free STUFF
MAART WO 2 T/M ZO 6 MRT 5 DAYS OFF:
Free tickets and goodies for you from us Every month we give away loads of tickets and good goodies. Don’t you just love us for that?
MA 7 WO 9 VR 11 VR 11 ZA 12 DI 15 VR 18 VR 18 VR 18 ZO 20 WO 23 DI 29 WO 30 DO 31 APRIL ZO 3 DO 7 DO 14 ZA 16
CARIBOU (DJ SET) / GOLD PANDA / JAMES BLAKE (DJ SET) PALMBOMEN / MODESELEKTOR / APPARAT E.A.
BUFFALO TOM MULATU ASTATKE SURFER BLOOD CLOSER @ KLINCH MET PANTHA DU PRINCE VIVE LA FETE BRITISH SEA POWER GLASVEGAS CUT COPY THE GASLAMP KILLER @ KLINCH KONONO NO. 1 @ SHUFFLE.PLAY THE BOXER REBELLION EVERYTHING EVERYTHING DAZZLED KID / HOUSES ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD / RIVAL SCHOOLS PATRICK WOLF JUNGLE BY NIGHT - CD-PRESENTATIE EARTH / SABBATH ASSEMBLY THE DEARS
LET OP: DIT IS SLECHTS EEN SELECTIE UIT HET PROGRAMMA. KIJK VOOR HET VOLLEDIGE PROGRAMMA OP WWW.MELKWEG.NL
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MELKWEG AMSTERDAM - LIJNBAANSGRACHT 234A - WWW.MELKWEG.NL - 020 - 5318181
2x2 Tickets
Yuck 10 Mar - Paradiso, Amsterdam Hey, isn’t it about time we left the synth-drenched ’80s alone for a while? UK-based shoegaze/ US indie-revivalists bring their ’90s-flavoured Sturm und Drang to Paradiso. In truth, the band veers away from easy comparisons by offering up crunchy guitars, lovely harmonies and songs that at times rage and soar with a very lo-fi, contemporary flavour. 2x2 Tickets
Lydia Lunch and The Big Sexy Noise 18 Mar - Patronaat, Haarlem Remaining proudly outside of the mainstream for her whole career (something quite indie in the current alternative-is-mainstream environment, non?), no-wave prime mover Lydia Lunch is back on tour to support the release of her latest six-song adventure Big Sexy Noise, which boasts a ‘Sexy Side’ and a ‘Noisy Side’. Lunch is an original and a major influence for all things noisy, uncompromising and grrrl, and deserves to be seen based on her previous work alone. A legend. Really.
fr ee stFree uff STUFF Free tickets and goodies for you from us Every month we give away loads of tickets and good goodies. Don’t you just love us for that? To win subscribe to the mailinglist at subbacultcha.nl
2x2 Tickets
Cut Copy 18 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam Ok, ok, so we couldn’t leave the ’80s alone could we? The antipodean synth/electro-popsters bring all things DX-7, D-50, Jupiter 8 and even OB-Xa! Roll up the jacket sleeves - we might as well jump! 2x2 Tickets
The Babies 23 Mar - OCCII, Amsterdam This side project of Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone and Woods’ Kevin Morby comes with plenty of Brooklyn pedigree. Charming, honest, ramshackle and earthy, its mix of lo-fi country vibe and garagepop beats delivers pure gold. Tarnished, perhaps, ten carat, not 18, but gold nevertheless. 3x2 Tickets
Unheard Film Festival: The Moi Non Plus vs Eraserhead 26 Mar - De Balie, Amsterdam The formula is simple: take a well-loved cult classic film (this one involving a mutant baby and those dancing pullets), add a contemporary musical outfit (this one a raging guitar-drum combo), and sit back and enjoy as the two worlds softly collide.
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agenda shows in february
MRT/APR 2011 CONCERTEN, CLUBAVONDEN, ETEN & MEER MRT / WOE
THE PHANTOM BAND + ECHO BEATTY
02 I AM OAK 05 ONDER INVLOED 17 SOURCE ON STAGE 25 ARBOURETUM 27 HORSE FEATHERS 31 DEAD MEADOW 15 SHAKING GODSPEED 28 + BLUES BROTHER CASTRO MRT / ZAT
+ BART VAN DER LEE + KIM JANSSEN
MRT / DON
RUE ROYALE + MARIEN DORLEIJN (MOSS) + RYAN JOSEPH BURNS + THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
MRT / VRIJ
MARCUS WORGULL
MRT / ZON
+ LUIK
MRT / DON
APR / VRIJ
APR / DON
POPPODIUM EKKO BEMUURDE WEERD WZ 3 | 3513 BH UTRECHT | T +31 30 231 74 57 | WWW.EKKO.NL
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agenda focus Exhibition: Angry - Jong en Radicaal Until 13 June. Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
These photos by Eva Leitolf portray locations that were the scene of racial or neo-Nazi violence. The photos are part of the exhibition Angry - Jong en Radicaal in het Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. The exhibition focuses on radicalisation around the globe (how’s that for the revolution issue?) through photos, video art, installations, web-based art and a series of video portraits. Subbacultcha! members get in for free.
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agenda shows in march
Woods
5 DAYS OFF 02 Mar - 08 March, various locations, Amsterdam Now in its eleventh year, this celebration of electronic and dance music provides big-name acts plus local DJ talents. What’s your thrill? The wonky grooves of HudMo and Joy Orbison? The downbeat bass melodies of Darkstar? The outright pop of Hercules and Love Affair and Matthew Dear? And don’t forget about the Caribou and James Blake DJ sets - you’ll have to wait before they’re back to shine with their own tunes, but they know how to shake the dancefloor. Incubated #06 03 Mar - Paradox, Tilburg Organised by Incubate, Tilburg’s bastion of independent culture, this night has sets from Boduf Songs, a DIY project that flows from acoustic to electronics and noise; Eindhoven noise pop band Nikoo; and the impossible-to-google Actress. 56
Rotterdam
Museumnacht 05 Mar - various locations Rotterdam’s night at the museum is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. Already a traditional blend of beer, art, music and film, this edition features 46 museums and galleries programming events on varying levels of debauchery and culture. There’s also ten outdoor initiatives themed ‘Street Life’. Crystal Fighters 04 Mar - Paradiso, Amsterdam 05 Mar - Rotown, Rotterdam In modern music, crystal is the new black, but at least these kids truly shine. They’re part British, part Spanish, and their sunny melodies ride waves washing over their indie electro. Debut album Star of Love is a pleasant pill to swallow, so we have high expectations. Is it not glofi season yet? Tu Fawning 07 Mar - Paradiso, Amsterdam It’s maybe one step too far to call this Portland bunch ‘prog’, but they
sure like to concern themselves with composition and structure. Haunted harmonies breeze like warnings to turn back, guitar strums bounce back and forth, and percussive drumming calls out to the gods. They’ve just released debut Heart on Hold. Oh and Joe Haege of Menonema is one of the key players driving the unease.
The Hundred In The Hands 13 Mar - Bitterzoet, Amsterdam Yet another of Brooklyn’s new hypes, this boy-girl duo offer a clean electronic pop sound that’s perfect for chart domination and big festival sets in the heart of summer. As they’re supported by Warp, it’ll probably happen too.
Yuck 10 Mar - Paradiso, Amsterdam Fuzzed-up Seattle guitar pop from 1993 - okay, not really. These English kids have been storming their local scene over the past years and are ready to hit the big time with their shoegazey fuzz punk pop.
Mogwai 15 Mar - Paradiso, Amsterdam Ah, Moggers... Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. Scotland’s original post rock instrumental crew are back with another album of delicate guitar arpeggios and distorted fury... and drones and electro pop and vocals... Support from RM Hubbert.
Hallo Venray + Appie Kim 11 Mar - dB’s, Utrecht Hallo Venray are one of the greatest Dutch bands of the past 25 years. We know that’s a bold statement, but we’re willing to stand for it: they’ve made some outstanding records and their live shows are no less than overwhelming. If you’re a kid in a band and you want to learn how it’s done, go see them. You won’t regret it. Surfer Blood 11 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam Beach-friendly lo-fi Afro pop from scruffy Florida kids who hate surfers but love blood. Their debut Astro Coast was recorded in the band’s dorm room in their freshman year, and it sounds it. A fittingly intoxicating sense of liberation shines through the murky production. Tyevk 11 Mar - Vera, Gronginen 18 Mar - Merlijn, Nijmegen 19 Mar - Tivoli, Utrecht One, two, three, four... crash, bang, crunch, fuck it! Channelling the roots of trashy, thrashy garage rock and punk, this Detroit band are all energy and no control.
agenda shows in march
SEEING SOUND #12 17 Mar - Trouw, Amsterdam The regular music film night continues, and though the theme of the upcoming edition wasn’t announced at print time, it’s a safe bet to say you’ll wanna go: previous Afrobeat, Marvin Gaye and American Hardcore specials promise good things. Just give yourself a nice surprise. Lydia Lunch and the Big Sexy Noise 18 Mar - Patronaat Something of a vocal legend, Lydia Lunch has inspired numerous scenes over the past 35 years punk, post-punk, no wave, dark wave, goth and onwards. Although at times terrifying, she’s always interesting, pushing independent values and ignoring genre boundaries. With Big Sexy Noise, expect her to give Nick Cave a run for his bloodand-murder money. Cut Copy 18 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam They’ve been bopping for a decade now, and the Australian synthpop boys have just released their third album, Zonoscope. You should
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know the formula by now: easy vocal harmonies with a casual ’80s bent, borderline cheesy synths and dance-friendly beats. But they can also hammer out dance anthems when put to the test. The Gaslamp Killer @ Klinch 18 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam The king of California’s bass and glitch scene is a production wizard for Gonjasufi and a trusty collaborator of Flying Lotus. Expect some big bass and tripped-out dance sounds. Ontrouw 19 Mar - Trouw, Amsterdam A mysterious annual gathering. All we can say right now is that 1) the line-up won’t be announced until mid-March and 2) the invitation reads that it’s compulsory to dress up and transform your identity. Now we don’t really know what that means, but we do know that a lot of people were raving about last year’s edition. So if you’re into exploring unknown territory, tonight might be for you. Woods 19 Mar - Tivoli, Utrecht 20 Mar - Vera, Groningen NY freak folk heroes who head the excellent Woodsist family. Lofi at heart, but skilled hi-fi once you scratch the surface. They’re currently trekking across Europe in support of recent release At Echo Lake. Konono No.1 20 Mar - Melkweg The ultimate and unmistakable dance sounds of DR Congo, battering away at electric likembes and dancing like maniacs. And you can’t hear their wall of percussion without letting your limbs loose in the process. Recently they’ve been remixed by some of indie world’s finest, but tonight’s all about their raw power and melody.
The Babies 23 Mar - OCCII, Amsterdam What happens when you paste together a member of Woods with a random Vivian Girl? You get ramshackle Brooklyn band The Babies. Guitars jangle roughly and there’s bouts of Spectoresque guitar pop while boy-and-girl vocals interweave.
agenda shows in march
Rumor #64 24 Mar - various locations, Utrecht For the 64th edition of the Rumor Festival, they’ve again cooked up an adventurous line-up featuring free jazzers Eke, French avant-garde duo Donkey Monkey and progressive violinist Monica Germino. Crocodiles 24 Mar - Rowtown, Rotterdam 25 Mar - Effenaar, Eindhoven American fuzz fans who’ve been breakfasting on Jesus and Mary Chain vinyl through their college years. There’s a perpetual fuzz and buzz to all they do, but underneath are countless raw pop songs. They’ve just come off a big UK tour with White Lies, but don’t hold it against them. UNHEARD FILM FESTIVAL 24-27 March – De Balie & EYE Film, Amsterdam The Unheard Film Festival continues to explore cinematic sound and the effect that music and sound effects have in film, as bands perform live soundtracks for movies. Beats the old piano man any time. Also: lectures and masterclasses. The Kills 30 Mar - Melkweg, Amsterdam How much do you (heart) Alison Mosshart? It’s been a few years, but she’s reunited with Jamie Hince to record The Kills’ fourth album Blood Pressures. It’s not out till April, but you may expect the usual dark drama from the duo.
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EEN SELECTIE UIT ONS PROGRAMMA:
10/03 11/03 14/03 20/03 25/03 02/04 07/04 08/04
DAZZLED KID + HOUSES TYVEK BRITISH SEA POWER WOODS DE KIFT DEWOLFF THE BEES DUM DUM GIRLS
Info & tickets: www.vera-groningen.nl
illustratie: Gijs Deddens
AFTER MIDNIGHT
Send photos to aftermidnight@ subbacultcha.nl Feel very free to involve romance, stupidity, sex, beauty, banality, poetry and debauchery... or heck! you can even get arty. As long as the photos are shot after midnight. If your photo gets published you win a pair of Etnies shoes This month’s photos was submitted by Sam de Bruin
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colophon Who we are and what we do
Subbacultcha! Magazine is lovingly and swiftly made at our office in Amsterdam. Da Costakade 150, 1053 XC Amsterdam, the Netherlands. www.subbacultcha.nl magazine@subbacultcha.nl
Printing: Drukkerij Slinger, Alkmaar
We are
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Editors: Leon Caren and Bas Morsch Editorial Assistants: Sarah Gehrke, Russell Joyce, Steven McCarron and Marie-Claire Melzer Design: Bas Morsch Interns: Fabio Costa, Chris van Gils Good Girl: Loes Verputten Moneys: Brenda Bosma Contributors: Carly Blair, Basje Boer, Kim Boske, Brenda Bosma, Andrew Caddick, Leon Caren, Zofia Ciechowska, Floris Dogterom, Sarah Gehrke, Marc van der Holst, Geoff Kim, Regina van der Kloet, MarieClaire Melzer, Matthew Mondanile, Bas Morsch, Martyn F Overweel, Marinus de Ruiter, Gert Verbeek, Simon Wald-Lasowski, Karin Wolters and Isolde Woudstra
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Distribution: Amsterdam: Carly Blair, Tessel Dekker, Luis Brandao, Fabio Costa, Ansuya Spreksel, Bauke Karel, Alice Driesen, Stefan Stasko, Patrick van der Klugt, Luc Breukelman. Utrecht: Ludo Westerveld, Ray van Zeijst Groningen: Hedwig Plomp. Rotterdam: Ruben Rietveld, Emine Yalcinkaya. Leeuwarden: Jan Pier Brands. Leiden: Anne Hillebrand. Almere: Remco Brinkhuis. Haarlem: Bert Zaremba, Yannick Tinbergen. Tilburg/Eindhoven: Kevin Jansen.
Partners We thank Melkweg, Ekko, Tivoli, Patronaat, Etnies and Plato Memberships Become a member of Subbacultcha!. For only â‚Ź6 a month you get free access to all Subbacultcha! shows and the monthly magazine sent to your house. Plus, you get a fresh Subbacultcha! bag. Check the website to sign up. Free tickets If you are subscribed to the mailing list, we keep you up to date on a weekly basis with news, discounts and give-aways. Get involved Please feel free to email us, call us, drop by and send letters, drawings and photos. After midnight. Send us photos taken after midnight and win a pair of Etnies shoes (see p. 61).
Subbacultcha! shows in MARCH 2 March former ghosts Studio 80, Amsterdam Starts 21:30 | €7 | Free for members
11 March SURFER BLOOD Melkweg, Amsterdam
agenda Overview of all subbacultcha! shows For a full programme description see page 12
Starts 20:30 | €13 | Members get a second ticket for free
11 March CLOSER: PANTHA DU PRINCE + MIDLAND Melkweg, Amsterdam Starts 23.00 | €13 | Free for members
12 March JEANS WILDER + WOUD De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam Starts 20:00 | €6 | Free for members
18 March FILM: TRASH HUMPERS (HARMONY KORINE) + MAJOR B + Apneu Rialto, Amsterdam Doors 22:00, film 23:00 | €8 | Free for members
19 March FILM: NAUSICAä OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND Melkweg Cinema, Amsterdam Starts 19.00 | €7 | Free for members
19 March KLUB RADAR Ft. woods & tyevk Tivoli, Utrecht Starts 21.00 | €12,50 | Free for members
22 March E*CINEMA - WERNER SCHROETER RESTORED FILMS EYE Film Institute Vondelpark, Amsterdam Starts 18.30, 20,30 | €8 | Members pay €4,50
24 March DUCKTAILS + IGNATZ OT301, Amsterdam Starts 20:30 | €7 | Free for members
ALL MONTH ARCADE (Including Mobfest and ignite from 23-25 March) Mediamatic Bank, Amsterdam Daily, 13.00 - 19.00, Weekends, 13.00 - 18.00 | €5 | Free for members Mobfest and Ignite: daily 20.00 | €7, passe partout €15 | Free for members
ANGRY Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam Daily, 10.00 - 17.00 | €7 | Free for members
EXPO: KIM BOSKE Subbacultcha office, Amsterdam Tuesday - Friday,11.00-17.00 | Free
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World MiniMal Music Festival Met muziek van Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, e.a. Films, dj’s, tentoonstelling Boris Tellegen (Delta), Canto Ostinato, workshops, interviews en meer
30 maart t/m 03 april 2011 Muziekgebouw Amsterdam Muziekgebouw Eindhoven www.minimalmusicfestival.nl