Subbacultcha Magazine May

u n r u ly m u s i c M a g a z i n e

the tribal issue

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page 3

this month

after the lights go out...

Welcome to the Tribal Age. Be sure to bring your bandanas, robes and Africa pants ‘cause the new trend is here: Tribalism. These days, music and fashion are filled with African, South American and Eastern references. Bands like HEALTH, Rainbow Arabia and Animal Collective are a few of the most obvious examples.

But if you’ve got your MySpacin’ down, there’s more tribal chanting and beat, beat beating of drums than ever. And what’s with the revived interest in Talking Heads? And that MGMT look? Are we finally giving in to our savage nature?

Or are we just dancing to new tunes with the new kids in town? In any case, there’s no harm in being a little primitive.

So get out your woodblock and make some noise! toP 5 / inBox . . . . . . . .

Where it’s at? / Win . . namedropping . . . . . . things that matter . people are animals . . featured artist . . . . .

Women in germany . black dice . . . . . . . . . . privilege . . . . . . . . . . . . shooting stars . . . . . spekkie big . . . . . . . . . . agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . after midnight . . . . .

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. .4 . .5 . .6 . .8 . 10 . 16 . 20 . 26 . 24 . 32 . 34 . 35 . 49

J Ay reATArD 07/03, effenaar, eindhoven

Photographer Daniëlle van Ark takes photos of musicians right after they come off stage. Every month we publish one of her photos. www.daniellevanark.com

on the cover Gumface Photo by Joost Benthem (see page 16) 3

feeds

last month at our office

1

Music: HEALTH live @ Paradiso By the time this magazine went to print, that show was still to go down, but already it had ACE written all over it.

2

Book: Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr. Tales of darkness fom way back, long before Brooklyn became indie hipster capital of the Universe.

3 4

DVD: Seinfeld, the complete series Don’t the words ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘complete’ say enough?

Music: Basketball, tUnE YaRdS, Thread Pulls, Zola Jesus, Fergus & Geronimo and Nite Jewel.

Just because it is great music. But also ‘cause we like to namedrop stuff that you don’t know.

5

DVD: The Blue Planet (BBC, David Attenborough) 9 hours worth of fish porn, on sale at your ‘not so favorite but very famous’ record store. ...And you thought we were hipsters. Ha!

INBOx

Submit: magazine@subbacultcha.nl

Subject: Paris loves Subbacultcha!

Submitted by Julie de Graaf (wearing a Subbacultcha! t-shirt) Date: 12 April 2009

You can tell us anything.

Send letters and photos to magazine@subbacultcha.nl 4

feeds

Your Photo: Where

it’s at?

Submit: magazine@subbacultcha.nl

it’s (STILL) HANGiNG behind my uncle’s new years card Submitted by Suzanne de Bruin

Send us a photo of Subbacultcha! magazine and receive good goodies.

Check • Become a Member of Subbacultcha! For only €6 a month you get free access to all Subbacultcha! shows and the monthly magazine sent to your house. Plus you get a fresh Subbacultcha! Tshirt. By American Apparel and SCRMN. • Wanna read bedtime stories to HEALTH or make coffee for Scout Nibblet? Sign up for Hotel Subbacultcha! and host a touring band at your mansion.

• Wanted: people to distribute the magazine in Amsterdam. Got a bike and a good heart? Please get in touch.

fRee free free free free • 2x2 Tickets to Pink Mountaintops and Sleepy Sun. 13 May in Paradiso • 2x2 Tickets to Shellac. 13 May in Vera • 4x2 Tickets to Akron/Familly. 17 & 18 May in Melkweg and Doornroosje • 2x2 Tickets to Blank Dogs. 24 May in Ekko • 2x2 Tickets to Animator, The Previews. 27 May in Melkweg.

• And quite some tickets to Deerhunter and Women. 27 May in Paradiso.

Sign up to the mailing list to win.

5

fresh

By Bob van Heur

job wouters / letman.com

New music: NAMEDROPPING

Y

oladiee‌ The sun is shining, summer is around the corner.

Time to wear t-shirts, flip flops and listen to summery music. Then what’s better than some old school soul? I 6

mentioned it in an earlier edition, but check out the Numero Label. This Chicago-based label is releasing the best underground and rarely released music around. Eccentric Soul is

fresh

probably their most well-known series of compilations and Numero 27 just arrived, called Smart’s Palace.

Not only eccentric but also essential.

Another very interesting compilation is The Creation of Youth 1911 1946 on the Trikont label. On this comp, British music journalist Jon Savage tried to trace the roots of the notion of the teenager from the late 19th century to World War II, resulting in a stunning anthology of early 20th century swing and jazz.

Now, how about some new stuff, or at least new releases from old favorites? Neil Young recently released Fork in the Road; maybe not his best album ever, but it’s Neil.

Are you a Twitter hipster? Then you already know that Sonic Youth is releasing a new album called The Eternal. Let’s hope they’re right.

Tortoise will release Beacons of the Ancestorship, and Evan Dando’s Lemonheads’ new album is out in June. OK, enough golden oldies, time for some exciting new music!

First Cryptacize, playing shows in NL in May! Don’t miss them! Tune Yards has one of the most impressive voices I’ve heard in a long time,

and luckily for those who hate beautiful voices, she mixes it up by looping that voice with drums, guitar and seemingly every toy around. Great!

Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt made an extremely beautiful album under the pseudonym Lotus Plaza.

Swede Erika Alexandersson made, with help from a lot of friends, the orchestral Thus:Owls album Cardiac Malformations. What’s Up will release Content Imagination pretty soon, and Double Dagger’s More is out soon as well. Oh yeah, Magnolia Electric Co. will release their new Steve Albini-produced full-length Josephine in July, and yes folks, it’s luckily sounding as optimistic as a Songs:Ohia album. Maybe it’s good if 50Cent would listen to this before he self-destructs. OK, one more Numero label release to end this piece with; Niela Miller’s Songs of Leaving, which is the complete songbook of New York folkie Niela Miller.

You may recognize the song ‘Baby Don’t Go To Town’, as you probably know the cover versions by Love, Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, or one of a thousand other bands that have played it before. Bye Joe. end 7

8

By MLSS & NM

Subbacultcha!’s personal realm of things, friends, sounds and objects that have surprised, annoyed and rocked us lately.

Things that Matter

9

Feature

PEOPLE ARE

ANIMALS 10

Always wondered about your inner savage? This is the time to unleash it. Contemporary music and fashion are filled with African, South American and Eastern references. Seems like we’re going tribal. But why?

By Bas Morsch and Leon Caren. Edited by Steven McCarron Illustrations by Siri Hol

W

hen studying Cultural An- violence is no longer strictly necthropology at the Univer- essary in our everyday life, there sity of Amsterdam, I took is a need to contain these violent a course called ‘The Wild in the urges. In modern popular culture West’, taught by a professor called we’ve found tools to express them Jojada Verrips. The course focussed through film, music, art and literaon the wild man within the civilized ture. It seems we’ve found ways to man. In civil society we have man- touch upon our dark and primitive aged to contain our beastly nature, side, without actually having to but that doesn’t mean we’ve com- give in to it. But still, the fact repletely expelled it. The wild man is mains that people are animals. Very there in all of us, waiting to get out. simple, very plain and very banal.

Despite all our primitive urges, And when this wild man escapes, he raises hell. He wages war, he we also like our cozyness. We move rapes, he steals, he tortures and he in groups. We love groups. Two is kills. And when you think about it better than one (let’s get married), this is quite understandable; vio- three is better than two (let’s have lence is a key element of human na- a kid) and 100 is better than 3 (I’ll ture. Since early days mankind has add you to my Facebook). And, had to fight for survival. Now that of course, 30,000 is better than 11

Feature: people are animals

100 (let’s cuddle together in a stadium and sing songs because a sentimental singer with an accent and an alcohol problem died. Or the obstinate filmaker, let’s start a tribal chant for him; “Free-Dom-OfSpeech!... Free-Dom-Of-Speech!”

All together now.

Y

es! We move in tribes. We need to belong. We need to find comfort in the confirmation of our preferences and behaviour patterns. You know, consumer groups and that kind of thing. Just out of curiosity, what consumer group are you in?

I started wearing skinny jeans and Converse All Stars. Oh, you are a ‘glitter kid’. That’s a great consumer group too. And ‘guys with cars’, ‘vegetarians’, ‘girls who like Kate Moss’, ‘musicians’, ‘IT guys’, ‘hipsters’, ‘all the friends on your Facebook’, ‘all the friends on your MySpace’ and ‘all your Followers... on Twitter’...

There you have it, tribes of ‘friends’ and ‘followers’. International constellations of people linked by touchpads, the alphabet, computer screens, phones and WiFi. It’s very modern, yet very primitive.

12

O

f course, the word ‘Tribe’ has kind of a big connotation, but I think it is safe to say that we love to flirt with the image of it; a community that doesn’t answer to an organised state apparatus. A community that follows its own rules, defines its own values and belief systems and chooses its own leaders. I think this concept of the independent savage is present in each and every one of us.

How’s that for an anthropological explanation for the fact that tribal music and tribal fashion seem to be flooding the market?

However you want to answer that question, fact is there’s no denying that recently, the inner savage brute has started singing and dancing his way through modern popular culture. Beating his drums to the sound of noisy guitars and chanting to post modern electronics.

And the fashion... Tell me, what’s with the bandanas, the tiger prints and the garbs? Mark my words: this summer men will be wearing wrap around skirts, roaming around roaring. And meat is back. Biological meat. it’s a hit!

W h o a re th e s e s avag e s ?

Question is, who are these savage bands and what tribe do they belong to? To give you an even better idea, we compiled a mixtape. Download it at our website.

THE NOISE TRIBE Mostly found in the northern part of the Americas. With core groups living in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

The noise tribe is a violent tribe. But their violence does not come from evil, their violence is aimed at exorcising demons, carving their beats into the flesh of the innocent hipster.

Their shows are like seances, their chanting is for real.

Liars (Aus/USA) Liars clearly paved the way for the ‘noise’ tribe. Introducing repetitive percussion and chanting into the avant-garde ‘sonic youth’ noise-rock tradition.

Mixtape Track: We Fenced Other Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own These Are Powers (USA) These are Powers combine modern electronics, with prepared (bass) guitars and chant-like vocals. Attending one of their live shows is like attending a procession.

Mixtape Track: Easy Answers HEALTH (USA) Health combines tribal chanting, with complex percussion and fuming guitar noise. If you have a demon you need to get rid of, you came to the right place.

Mixtape Track - Crimewaves continue 13

Feature: people are animals

The ELECRONIC TRIBE

Their music is so far out, it is possible that this tribe is not even human.

Mixtape Track: Idiot Pature

Found throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as the mainland of Europe.

The electronic tribe does not use THE NEW AGE TRIBE deep repetitive percussion, nor Mainly found in the northern part chanting. Their reference to ‘tribal’ of the Americas. is more subtle, using deep electronic The New Age Tribe is by far the layers to put their spell on potential friendliest tribe. Using samples, followers. beats and vocals to shine light on our modern day western darkness.

Dan Deacon (USA) Dan Deacon is a one man tribe. He is Gang Gang Dance (USA) the pope of DIY, and he likes to get Mixing percussion with dreamy the people involved. His solo gigs are samples and chant-like vocals, Gang like seances, with the kids dancing Gang Dance sound like the perfect and throwing their arms in the air. soundtrack to a new religion.

Mixtape Track - Wet Wings Mixtape Track: Bebey Fuck Buttons (UK) Repetitive soundscapes pushing things into the red, inch by inch.

Their noisescapes seriously mess with your brainwaves.

Mixtape Track – Ribbs Out

Animal Collective (USA) Combining electronic layers, with catchy ’60s pop hooks, and the purest of melodies, Animal Collective are surely leading us toward higher ground.

Mixtape Track: Daily Routine

Black Dice (USA) Black Dice sound like the sort of tribe Lucky Dragons (USA) that has lived in seclusion for de- These LA kids who like to sit and join cades, free from external influences. hands with the audience get every14

one involved in a communal experience of incense driven enlightment.

Mixtape Track: Morning Ritual

rican rhythms, chants and summery tunes.

Mixtape Track: Antillas

The TROPICAL TRIBE

the DANCE TRIBE

Found in Europe and Found in the Americas, North America. the UK and Africa.

The tropical tribe is a tribe that lives The Dance tribe uses tribal beats to in summer, even if it is winter. They get the party going, as if to say: chant combine percussion, uplifting vocals your way through another weekend. and loads of positive vibrations.

Rye Rye (USA) High Places (USA) Collaborating with famous tribe High Places mix all kinds of samples leader M.I.A, Rye Rye has her finger for their dreamy pop tunes. They on the pulse when it comes to nasty sound like the kind of tribe you’d find beats and wicked vocals. Bang on! on some deserted tropical island, Mixtape Track: Bang years after mankind has been wiped out due to a nuclear war.

Rainbow Arabia (USA) Mixtape Track: Headspins Oriental melodies, uptempo dance beats and sexy vocals, combining the Vampire Weekend (USA) wild with the wicked.

Vampire Weekend mix Western pop Mixtape Track: Omar K music with tropical guitar sounds and summery dance hooks. A tribe The Very Best (UK & Malawi) that goes well with cocktails.

Members from the UK and Malawi Mixtape Track: Mansard Roof bring a fine combination of beats and african chanting, along with a good El Quincho (SPA) dosis of exotic melodies.

The ultimate tropical tribal band, Af- Mixtape Track: Wena end 15

FEATURED ARTIST

F e atu r e d Art is t:

Joost b e nthem

16

continue 17

FEATURED ARTIST: joost benthem

H

i, my name is Scrmn and I was born on the 31st of December 1981 in Copenhagen. I’m in love with Trbl and my favorite food is Pizza. I draw and paint and write a lot of notes. Eventually all these notes will turn into Scrmn’s version of Lord of the Rings, and in 60 years Peter Jackson will make a 9 hour blockbuster movie about Scrmn and all the notes.

I prefer flowers over bullshit and I can spot cowards just by looking at them. And liars die young, did you know? And I will rocket to heaven when my life burns a hole in the sky.

Love, Scrmn

J

myspace.com/scrmnvsdeath oost Benthem (Roermond, 1978, works in Amsterdam) is a visual artist searching for the endless pleasures of a sterile society.

He is interested in full ashtrays, second-hand bubble gum, dirty panties, lipstick accidents, poetsvrouwen and random stains.

18

In this issue we published images from performances, covering his face with chewing gum (cover), cigarette ash and toothpaste. On this page a series of smoke fountains.

Other works include drawings, sculptures and installations. www.trashique.nl

end 19

women in germany

wo m en in ge rmany In February 2009, the band Women was on tour in Germany. Photographer Nick Helderman joined them.

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21

women in germany

22

23

women in germany

24

Women play Paradiso with Deerhunter on Wednesday 27 May. We have a bunch of tickets available. Sign up to the mailinglist for details.

25

thoughts and opinions

Fact Check: Black

dice - repo

Door Oscar Smit

B(l)Ack to the future

B

lack Dice roept om diverse redenen hippe associaties op. Ze komen uit Brooklyn, ze zijn goede vrienden met Animal Collective en maken platen voor hippe labels als DFA, Fat Cat of Paw Track. Maar hoe zit het eigenlijk met hun muziek? Is die eigenlijk wel zo hip? Of stoelt die niet onverwacht gewoon op 60 jaar oude principes?

Op hun nieuwe album Repo (op Paw Track als CD en 2 x LP) trakteren ze ons op veertien weirde, elektronische tracks, waarin traditionele songstructuren of bekende houseklanken ver te zoeken zijn. De drie heren van Black Dice leven in een eigen universum dat bestaat uit ondefinieerbare elektronische geluiden, vreemde ritmetracks, gemanipuleerde noise en sterk vervormde vocalen. Op het eerste gehoor lijken de tracks volkomen 26

thoughts and opinions

stuurloos en geïmproviseerd, maar als je goed luistert zijn er toch muzikale themaatjes te ontdekken.

Eigenlijk maakt Black Dice 21ste eeuwse Musique Concrète. Deze term dateert uit 1948 en werd geïntroduceerd door de Franse componist en pionier van de elektronische muziek Pierre Schaeffer Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1995). Musique Concrète was volgens Schaeffer: muziek samengesteld uit verschillende elementen, waar niet persé traditionele instrumenten aan te pas zijn gekomen.

Schaeffer begon in de jaren dertig van de vorige eeuw te experimenteren met Pierre Henry elektronische klanken. Er bestonden in die tijd nog geen computers of synthesizers, dus werkte hij met zelfgemaakte apparaten en verbouwde radio’s.

Schaeffer stelde zijn stukken samen uit elektronische klanken en opgenomen alledaagse geluiden. Zoals ‘Etude aux Chemins de Fer’ uit 1948 waarin treingeluiden verwerkt zijn. Met hulp van mengpanelen en bandrecorders (uitgevonden in 1939) maakt hij in zijn studio op deze collage-achtige manier muziek.

Onder aanvoering van Schaeffer groeide Parijs in de jaren vijftig uit tot centrum voor elektronische muziek.

Schaeffer werkte veel samen met andere componisten, zoals Pierre Henry (geboren in 1927), één van de andere kopstukken van de Musique Concrète. Henry werd in de jaren negentig omarmd door de dance scene. Onder continue 27

thoughts and opinions

Fact Check: Black

dice - repo

meer Coldcut en Fatboy Slim maakten remix-versies van zijn compositie ‘Psyché Rock’ (uit 1967). En vorig jaar nog trad hij op in Berlijn, temidden van de crème de la crème van de hedendaagse elektronische muziek.

Black Dice is verder nog schatplichThe Residents tig aan The Residents. Deze geheimzinnige en eigenzinnige band werd rond 1970 opgericht in San Francisco. Tot op heden weet niemand precies wie bandleden zijn, omdat ze altijd onherkenbaar optreden.

Hun meest beroemde vermomming is de ‘eyeball’, een gigantische oogbol die ze over hun hoofd plaatsen. De eerste platen van The Residents klonken zo radicaal anders, dat maar weinigen ze konden waarderen. Experimentele elektronica werd afgewisseld met volkomen weirde covers. Luister maar eens naar hun gestoorde versie van de Stones-klassieker ‘Satisfaction’. The Residents experimenteerden met synthesizers maar ook met Musique Concrètetechnieken. In 1977 verknipten ze songs van The Beatles voor de single ‘The Beatles Play The Residents and The Residents Play The Beatles’. (Dit alles zonder toestemming van de rechthebbenden). De single was een voorloper van de vele mash-ups en mixtapes van tegenwoordig. Vorig jaar speelden The Residents nog in ons land. Hun muziek is minder radicaal geworden, maar ze leggen nog altijd veel nadruk op het visuele aspect van hun shows.

Black Dice is nog jong en aan hun laatste plaat te horen gaan ze nog steeds voor het radicale en compromisloze. Hoe zou dat er live uitzien?

28 END

Vervolg

thoughts and opinions

film: privilege

door gert verbeek

De MASSA BeWeGeN

N

iet in de camera kijken! roept de assistent-regisseur vlak voor de opname tegen de figuranten. Op de set heeft een filmmaker nog controle over de meute die in een scène ter decoratie dient. Maar wanneer de crew de straat op gaat in het drukke centrum van een grote stad, is het zeer de vraag of toevallige passanten zich niets van de camera aantrekken. Er is minstens één regisseur die juist wenst dat figuranten zich bewust zijn van filmapparatuur. Vergeet niet in de camera te kijken! verzoekt Peter Watkins met nadruk aan de tientallen betaalde vrijwilligers op zijn set. Mijn eerste kennismaking met het werk van de Britse regisseur was begin jaren tachtig, via de LP Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing van punkband Discharge. Tussen continue 29

thoughts and opinions

Film: Privilege

twee tracks staat het geluid van een nucleaire aanval.

Terwijl een commentator de gruwelijke gevolgen opsomt, doet het grommen van de atoombom speakers trillen, terwijl het gekrijs van een baby de naald uit de groeven laat schieten. Pas jaren later kwam ik erachter dat deze geluiden uit The War Game (1965) afkomstig zijn. Deze fictieve documentaire is zo schokkend realistisch dat opdrachtgever BBC de film in de ban deed, waarna deze twintig jaar in de archiefkluizen bleef liggen. Nog indrukwekkender is Punishment Park (1971), een docudrama over politieke gevangenen in een toekomstig Amerika, die na een tribunaal de keuze krijgen tussen levenslange opsluiting of een gevaarlijk overlevingsspel met het leger. De meeste figuranten gebruikte Peter Watkins waarschijnlijk voor zijn magnum opus La commune (Paris, 1871) (2000), een televisiebewerking van de legendarische volksopstand in Parijs aan de vooravond van de Franse Revolutie.

Watkins weet zich uitstekend raad met het collectief.

Te oordelen aan zijn speelfilmdebuut Privilege (1967) heeft hij minder vat op verhalen met hoofdrolspelers.

Privilege biedt een intrigerende fictieve inkijk in de machinerie rondom een succesvolle popster.

Zanger Steven Shorter (Paul Jones) heeft krijsende tienermeisjes aan zijn voeten in een dystopisch GrootBrittannië. Hij is een marionet in handen van een gelikt managementteam, de politiek, industriëlen en de kerk.

Het establishment probeert de rebel om te boetseren tot een Godvrezende brave borst, in de naïeve 30

Vervolg

thoughts and opinions

De voormalige leadzanger van Manfred Mann kijkt in de camera als een aangereden lammetje dat smeekt om een genadeschot verwachting dat de fans zich dan ook massaal zullen conformeren. De bizarre mix van Dont Look Back (1967) en Triumph des Willens (1935) heeft als hoogtepunt een stadionoptreden waarbij Shorter tijdens een door de kerk georganiseerde, protserige parade wordt gepresenteerd als de nieuwe Messias. De popster voelt zich danig ongemakkelijk in zijn opgelegde rol en zoekt troost bij portretschilderes Vanessa (Jean Shrimpton).

Hoofdrolspeler Paul Jones mist helaas het voor de rol benodigde charisma. De voormalige leadzanger van Manfred Mann kijkt in de camera als een aangereden lammetje dat smeekt om een genadeschot. Acterend fotomodel Jean Shrimpton praat alsof haar tong zit vastgeplakt aan haar gehemelte. Beide acteurs hebben de uitstraling van een dovend waakvlammetje. De film moet het meer hebben van groteske absurditeiten en kleurrijke bijrollen, al geeft een enkele acteur zijn rol iets teveel kleur, zoals Victor Henry als de maniakale musical director Freddie K. Privilege is, ondanks de tamme Paul Jones, nog steeds smakelijk cult waarvan echo’s rimpelen in bekendere films als A Clockwork Orange en Tommy.

Privilege is sinds vorig jaar via import verkrijgbaar op dvd. end 31

thoughts and opinions

horoscoop: shooting

stars

door brenda bosma

Wat voorspellen de sterren deze maand voor de muziekminnende...

giJs deddens

StIer

21 april– 20 mei 32

thoughts and opinions

L

ieve Stier, deze maand zal Amor geen pijlen in je vachtje werpen. Maar goed ook, want jij bent niet het type om met een hormooninjectie door de bloesem te draven. Je bent veel te nuchter voor dat soort frivoliteiten. Deze maand richt je je liever op je carrière. Met je doelgerichte houding en stamina boek je de nodige successen. Succes is een geweldige keuze en een verguld gevoel zal zich deze bloeimaand dan ook in je stierenscrotum manifesteren. Nog even koppig doorzetten en je hebt ook de trophy-wives voor het uitkiezen. Zorg er nu eerst maar eens voor dat je wegwijs raakt in het labyrinth van de festivalprogrammering. Want het festivalseizoen barst deze maand los. Om te beginnen zijn daar de verschillende bevrijdingsfestivals. Van Dik Hout zaagt­, vreemdgenoeg, even geen buitenpodiumplankjes meer. En Bløf is waarschijnlijk met een inheemse stam keelklank-kliktracks aan ‘t opnemen, dus daar zijn we dit jaar ook van bevrijd.

Van Neerlands trots Guus Meeuwis dan weer niet. Opdat wij die ene nacht niet vergeten. Guus kedeng-kedengt gezellig met Kane (“where do we go now? Kut Op Veen, Dinand!”) in de chopper. Groningen heeft the Hold Steady weten te strikken met Tjeerd van Voicst als Craig’s ‘little hoodrat friend’.

Pinkpop belooft een extended versie van ‘Dancing in the Dark’ van maar liefst 3 (drie!) uur. Ja, je bent een baas of niet natuurlijk. Jij laat je echter niet door Bruce het podium op peer-pressuren. Al die melkmuilen en dat klapvee om je heen. Bovendien werkt dat pislauwe festivalbier als een rode lap op je humeur. Jij zet liever thuis de nieuwe Pet Shop Boys op of neemt in alle rust je eigen nu-shoegaze bullshit op met je lo-fi tape-deckje. Met een jupilertje vier jij zo je eigen bevrijding uit de arena van de Nederlandse kutmuziek. Santé. end 33

thoughts and opinions

spekkie big

34

door marc van der holst

Agenda

 

AGENDA May 2009

In May subbacultcha! hosts a.o.

marnie stern, t e l e pat h e a n d l u c k y d r ag o n s If you join now you get to go to all these and other concerts for free. plus you will receive a great subbacultcha! t-shirt to look your best.

See page 2 for details

Highlights in may:

MArnie Stern, TelepathE, eklin, health, lucky dragons, rainbow arabia, Shellac, pink mountaintops, liam finn, deerhunter, women, sunn o))) 35

07-05 09-05 09-05 10-05 14-05 15-05 20-05 22-05 23-05 28-05 29-05 30-05 31-05 05-06 05-06 13-06 16-06

SUBBACULTCHA! KRAK ATTAK & SUBTITLE (USA)

ANE BRUN (NOR), ED LAURIE (UK) ELECTRIC TRASH: MIX HELL (BRA) PAPIER TIGRE (FR), MARVIN (FR) DUCHESS SAYS (CAN) MALA VITA FIVE O’CLOCK HEROES (USA) SOUVARIS, PUNTZY EST CARINA, BOUTROS BUBBA DIKKE DUBSTEP: TAZ

BUCKFASTER (UK)

LEFT TEXTURES, MAGNACULT HOT CHIP (DJ SET | UK) MATT BAUER (USA) ELECTRIC TRASH: WAXDOLLS (B) SUZY & LOS SQUATTRO (SPA) SUB FOCUS (UK), QEMISTS (UK) COCOROSIE (USA)

agenda

subbacultcha! shoWs in may

MArnie STern. friday 22 may, occii

Krak Attack

TV Buddhas

With a name like that they must be crazy for booty. Former DJ of the Anti-Pop Consortium, aka CX Kidtronik likes to beat it, likes big girls and skinny girls, and he also likes to freestyle over a David Bowie beat (‘Fame’). On the cover of a mixtape he looks like a mash-up of Kiss vs George Clinton. So don’t be surprised when this Krak attacker and DJ (and drum programmer for Saul Williams) brings high energy stage antics with live electronics, crunk and hardcore. +Subtitle Chilled beats with mesmeric sounds, rhymes, electronics and dubby influences. Proper indie hiphop from the Anticon roster.

From electro to rock, there’s a new wave of Israeli musicians pushing the limits of contemporary music and TV Buddhas are no exception. Black Sabbath riffs drenched in Velvet Underground psychedelia flow across the floor when this fiery duo take to the stage. With a pounding bass drum, the mood shifts hypnotically between forceful power chords to the calmer, quieter spaces in between. The results are pure and primal. +Frau Kraushaar Video art & casio electronics from Hamburg. +Kania Tieffer Electro-dance-mash-uphysteria from Brussels.

thursday 7 may, patronaat, haarlem

friday 8 may, de nieuwe anita, amsterdam

37

agenda

subbacultcha! shoWs in may

telepathe

Telepathe

rainboW arabia

Rainbow Arabia

Magazine party. Free if you subscribe to monday 11 may, ekko, utrecht the mailinglist Rainbow Arabia are Danny & Tiffany saturday 9 may, ot301, amsterdam Preston. Together they create music They’re from Brooklyn, they sing, and that’s a crossover of dubstep, Crystal they used to be in guitar bands. (They Castles dance and psychedelic Middle also have good clothes and elaborate Eastern gypsy sounds. It’s little flashes hair.) But despite the guitars (and the of beats and weird computer samples hair), they’re actually pretty much all with tiny, tiny elements of world music, about the beat. Many, many layers of stuffed in a blender mixed with contembeat with bass and drums and synths, porary M.I.A flavours. Get ready for a and then, on top, come the vocals that desert rave of some kind. are lovely ‘n’ cool. The beat is way more +Eklin Three guys from Adept (NL) important to them than the guitar ever making trippy soundscape drones that was - or so it sounds. And it sounds good. easily could be a David Lynch movie Then they say ‘I’ll fuck it up, you ought to soundtrack. know,’, and we really, really don’t want to believe them. If that doesn’t sell it to you, Mr Hipster, TV on the Radio guitarist friday 22 may, occii, amsterdam Dave Sitek produced their debut album There’s not a single review of Marnie Dance Mother.

Marnie Stern

38

Agenda

Stern in the whole wide internet that doesn’t have the word ‘shred’ in it. Or ‘tap’. Usually both Sleater-Kinney and Van Halen are mentioned, too. And also, the words ‘female guitarist’. She is widely hailed as one of the best of the latter - and sometimes that’s even leaving out the ‘female’. Do women shred differently than men, one wonders? Marnie, for one, doesn’t really care. She just shreds. (And shrieks, and rocks.) And does so pretty fantastic. +Eva Braun Punk hysteria from Amsterdam.

The Moi Non Plus Remixed Launch Party Friday 29 May, W139, Amsterdam

The Moi Non Plus got remixed and mashed by musicians and fine fine artists. It’s all compiled in a book and a CD, including contributions by Aux Raus, About, Machinefabriek, Richard Niessen and Ruud van der Peijl. Join the party at the infamous W139 gallery on the Warmoesstraat. Performances by Yobkiss and FNNNN, and other surprises. And hey, it’s free.

Lucky Dragons

Matt & Kim

Saturday 30 May, De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

What’s up with the boy/girl duo’s these day’s, they seem to be everywhere. It must have all started with that infamous boy/girl duo and their Seven Nation Army. But Matt & Kim don’t have a seven nation army, they just have eachother and some catchy pop tunes with a twist. And from what we hear they like to tear up basements, providing upbeat madness for sweaty boys and girls dancing around, and humming along. +Saelors & Les Singes & Appie Kim They are boy/girl duo’s too, different twist, same kind of vibe, so bring your hotpants. Please.

Special things can happen at a Lucky Dragons show. Very special things. For example, members of the audience might be asked to hold wires that are clad in colourful knitwear (the wires are clad in colourful knitwear, not the people). Then, when the people holding the colourfully clad wires touch each other, the people make noises. But not shouting noises per se, more electric noises. It’s great fun!

Luke Fischbeck of the Lucky Dragons thinks so too. He’s clearly in love with all his electric wonder devices and wants to make everyone else love them. And usually he succeeds. Rightly so! +The Wolf Death and the Acorn. Lo-fi freak-folk from Amsterdam.

Tuesday 26 May, Melkweg, Amsterdam

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MEI

ZO 3

THE VON BONDIES

WO 6

METRIC

DO 7

MATIK - ALBUMRELEASE PARTY

DO 7

CASPA

VR 8

PEACHES WITH SWEET MACHINE

ZA 9

ART BRUT

DO 14

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA

VR 15

TWO FINGERS AMON TOBIN NEW PROJECT

VR 15

WHOMADEWHO @ KLINCH

ZA 16

BAT FOR LASHES

ZO 17

AKRON/FAMILY

MA 18

THE RAKES

WO 20

INFADELS

ZO 24

DAN AUERBACH (OF THE BLACK KEYS)

WO 27

BLACK LIPS

VR 29

TOM HELSEN

agenda

things to do in AMSTerDAM

connan mockasin

connAn MockASin friday 1 May, Winston kingdom, 21.00, €7,50 A little camp, a little twee, and when Connan sings you’ll think of a bee. This eclectic New Zealander has set up camp in England and his songs are more charming and funny than you’d ever guess.

MkM! Monday 4 May, occii, 20.30, €6 Musical experimentation gone down a theatrical and conceptual route. Yip, that’s Slaughterin’ Slobbersville for you – an artistic collective putting on short ‘sketches’ inspired by the ‘history’ of a genetic mutant civil war in 2024. Keeping things simpler are Amsterdam electro pop duo Persil – getting back out in pub-

health

lic following a lengthy rest – and local indie guitar poppers Dusty Blinds.

heAlTh Tuesday 5 May, paradiso (kleine zaal), 22.00, €8 + membership Colourful, wiry, tribal, noisy and utterly danceable, Health typify the state of indie rock in 2009. Whether into their ravaging guitar freak-outs and feedback drones or the big beats of their remix album, it’s gonna be fast and sweaty.

MeTric Wednesday 6 May, melkweg (oude zaal), 21.00, €12.50 + membership Indie dance pop and rock that reminds us how well beats and power chords can 41

WINSTON KINGDOM Warmoesstraat 131 Amsterdam

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK www.winston.nl

MAY

HIGHLIGHTS

FRI 1

NACHTBRAKERS €7,50 CONNAN MOCKASIN (uk/nz), CINQ CRONIQ & PROJECT WILDEMAN

SAT 2

OFF THE WALL €7,50 CHEAP THRILLS & TRES B LIVE €7,50 KILLING SPIRITS (EP release show) & DOG CALLED PHOENIX

SAT 9

SAT 16 AMSTERDAM UNDERGROUND COLLECTIVE €7 SACRED SAILORS (swe), STORM (TBC) & AUTOBLONDE (TBC) WED 20 LIVING IN OBLIVION €7 MILWAUKEE WILDMEN THU 21 PARTY SCARS €8 BURNING SKIES (uk), SOULGATE’S DAWN (ger) & MY CITY BURNING SAT 23 AMSTERDAM UNDERGROUND COLLECTIVE €7 AUSTIN LUCAS (usa), MIKE HALE (usa) & TIM VANTOL SUN 24 COTTAGE INDUSTRY RECORDS €5 MUDBOY (usa), KING KONG COBRA, SINA TURNER & AVELAS

Agenda

Things to do IN AMSTERDAM sit together. You might even have seen singer Emily Haines and guitarist James Shaw playing with Broken Social Scene before, but here they’re in full control of their pop destiny.

Alec Empire + Men Wednesday 6 May. Paradiso (kleine zaal), 22.00, €10 + membership The static electro punk of Atari Teenage Riot has faded into history. These days Empire is more tuneful – at least in a NIN sense. Featuring members of Le Tigre, the dance pop of Men may prove enticing.

The Juan MacLean Sunday 10 May. Paradiso (kleine zaal), 22.30, €8 + membership The work of John MacLean, formerly of dance funk punks Six Finger Satellite; expect less of the punk and funk and much more DFA-fuelled dancefloor pop.

Pink Mountaintops Wednesday 13 May. Paradiso (kleine zaal), 22.00, €7.50 + membership It’s all about the mountains in Canada.

Stephen McBean’s other band Black Mountain do a mean Deep Purple impression (and beyond), but the Pinkies are more about indie noise pop – albeit a droning, bluesy variation of the theme.

Shellac Thursday 14 May. Paradiso (grote zaal), 19.30, €16.50 + membership Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer: talk about a trio who know how to make a raw racket, as well as milking the silences in between. Fresh from being the backing band at ATP, embrace their enigmatic, monotonous, impassioned rock and its extreme dynamic shifts.

Akron/Family Sunday 17 May, Melkweg (Oude Zaal), 20.30, €12.50 + membership Freaky-deaky freak-folk, lo-fi psychedelia and pure pop three-part harmonies. They don’t have the buttons and boxes of Animal Collective but they’re ultimately still a mighty fine headfuck.

Deerhunter & Women Wednesday 27 May, Paradiso (grote zaal), 19.30, €12 + membership Hyped and hung out to dry, but folks are still digging art punks Deerhunter – particularly last year’s Microcastle.

Give into the beat, raw guitars and the arty aesthetics of singer Bradford Cox. And get there early for Women’s blend of thick guitar noise and pop melodies, too.

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mon 1 / Lightning Bolt Mudboy (us) rin' Slobbersville (Ching fri 1 / Slaughte (us) Kevin Blechdom (us), Chong Song ,(us) (de) ) Blevin Blectum , Elisabeth King & Aki Onda(us) + uk/nl sat 09 / Alan Licht (us) Apricot My Lady + no Maki a Yutak (Bohman Bros, La Berge, Simonis) mon 25 / Sunn O))) [WORM@Arminius] tue 26 / Extra Life

(us)

(us/ex-Dirty Projectors)

sat 30 / The Psychic Paramount

(us)

(us)

+

(ar) + thu 4 / The Peronists (nl) Sonido Del Principe

eyman sun 7 / Omar Soul (ma) Group Doueh

(sy)

+

mon 8 / Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (us) WORM is a Rotterdam based artists collective,a venue and workspace for music, film and new media.

The output of WORM is film, radio, concerts, performances,web-projects, installations,an array of tactile media and a 24/7 webstation.

Âť WORM / Achterhaven 148 / Rotterdam www.wormweb.nl / www.wormstation.nl

concertagenda mei / juni Het complete programma vind je op www.

11-05 Rainbow Arabia (usa) ekko.nl 17-05 A Hawk And A Hacksaw (usa) 24-05 Blank Dogs (usa) 30-05 Wintersleep (can) 02-06 Marissa Nadler (usa) 07-06 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (usa) 12-06 Pantha Du Prince (de) 18-06 Wavves (usa)

kijk v c o moor h et pro p l e t e gra op mm ekk a o.n l

agenda

things to do in roTTerDAM flying loTuS

kevin blechdom

foto: melanie bonaJo

Saturday 2 May. club zonder consessies, 23.00, n.t.b.

Cali-based, instrumental hip-hop producer Steven Ellison (aka Flying Lotus) released his latest heavilyscented, fuzzily-textural and temporality-confusing gem LA on Warp in 2008, following the superbly disjointed 1983 (2006). Putting the beauty back where it belongs - to the hissing and humming, the crackling and stuttering of the hip-hop beats - expect a highly enjoyable infusion of sound confusion, served by John Coltrane’s godson.

The WeAkenDS SlAughTerin SlobberSSunday 3 May. exit, 20.00, €5 Ville w/ ching chong Song, kevin blechdom, blevin blectum, Hot on the heels of American counterparts like Wavves and Black Lips, The elisabeth king friday 1 May. Worm, 21.00, n.t.b.

A travelling showcase of collaborating artists (experimental, computer, noise, cabaret, spoken word), who combine theatre and music into visceral performances. They make their own costumes and sets, not to mention musical instruments, and serve a narrative soup that tastes like a future genetic mutant war taking place in 2024, sprinkled with electronic music, sophisticated choreography and the suspension of disbelief.

Weakends inject their own version of seaside thrashin’ to songs with names like ‘Death Ride’ and ‘Small Towns’.

Lumbering, drunkish riffs keep the sun on these guys’ backs. Good times all around. (how do the riffs alter the position of the sun?)

liAM finn Wednesday 6 May. rotown, 21.00, €9 Son of the legendary Crowded House frontman Neil Finn, Liam has been 45

highlights up next >>> 01-05 Callisto

------------------------------------

03-05 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

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03-05 The Cinematics

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06-05 HEALTH + Pivot!

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09-05 DeWolff

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15-05 Malajube --------------------------------------

16-05 Pink Mountaintops -------------------------------------------------------------------

18-05 Akron/Family

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28-05 The Drones -----------------------------------------------

more events, info & tickets: www.doornroosje.nl

info & tickets: www.doornroosje.nl

agenda

things to do in roTTerDAM Slits or The Pop Group with an art-rock twist. Now proceed through the desert with a couple of insane dancing warriors leading the way through kaleidoscopic sensations of world music, synthesised snakes and tribal calls, riding on white elephants headed for a party in the pyramids. The punk energy is still there, shaped as a beautiful spectre. Think of Gang Gang Dance and surrender to the mesmerising dementia.

Sunn o))) liam finn

around musicians, instruments and stages since he was in diapers, eventually going out on tour with Dad as a 15-yearold. Eleven years on, he’s morphed into a loop dependent rock monster, leaping between the guitar and the drum kit midsong. But that family desire to find the ultimate pop song hasn’t him passed him by either. Think Elliott Smith minus the sad and with many more noise toys.

loVe iS All / rAinboW ArAbiA Tuesday 12 May. rotown, 21.00, €8 Jump up and down to this (swee-dish) post-punk-ish indie rock, vaguely aware that you are witnessing a revival of The

Monday 25 May. arminius kerk, 20.00, n.t.b.

These two guys in black cloaks bleed the heaviest, darkest shit you’ve ever let into your ears. Sun O)))’s Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson are legends of the drone and noise scenes, with a reputation for mind-warping, body crushing shows.

Tonight, however, they get spiritual.

The pSychic pArAMounT Saturday 30 May. Worm, 21.00, n.t.b.

This raw and psychedelic NY-based group makes one think of fast-forwarding through a Tortoise record with a layer of loud distortion over the top to preserve the eeriness, the magic and an interesting sense of mystical structure.

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Submitted by mariken straat

Send photos to aftermidnight@subbacultcha.nl

Feel very free to involve alcohol, romance, stupidity, sex, beauty, banality and debauchery as long as the photos are shot after midnight.

If your submission gets published you get good goodies.

49

Please feel free to email us, call us and send letters, drawings and photos.

In other words....

get involved If your submission is published you get good goodies. Like cds, t-shirts and free tickets to great concerts.

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colophon Subbacultcha! Magazine is a publication of Subbacultcha!

Grensstraat 14 II, 1091 SX Amsterdam, the Netherlands. www.subbacultcha.nl magazine@subbacultcha.nl To advertise in Subbacultcha! magazine send an email to magazine@subbacultcha.nl Subbacultcha! Magazine is distributed throughout the Netherlands. If you want your shop or business to be on the distribution list please send an email to magazine@subbacultcha.nl Editors: Leon Caren and Bas Morsch Editorial assistants: Carly Blair, Steven McCarron, Russell Joyce and Marie-Claire Melzer Design: Bas Morsch Good guy: Ernest Mistiaen Contributors: Danielle van Ark, Brenda Bosma, Leon Caren, Gijs Deddens, Femke Dekker, Diana Duta, Sarah Gehrke, Nick Helderman, Bob van Heur, Siri Hol, Bitsy Knox, Tamara van der Laarse, Yuri Landman, Nicole Martens, Steven McCarron, Bas Morsch, Scrmn, Oscar Smit, Gert Verbeek and Job Wouters.

Cover image: Joost Benthem

agenda

overview SUBBACULTCHA! shows may 2009 Thursday May 07 Patronaat

Subtitle (USA) + Krak Attack (Stones Throw, USA)

Friday May 08 De Nieuwe Anita

TV Buddhas (ISR) + Frau Kraushaar (GER) + Kania Tieffer (BE) + dj’s Tits On The Radio Magazine Party!! ft.Telepathe (USA) + dj’s The No, Boem Takkie Lauw & Dance, Floor

Starts 20.00 | Entrance Free

Starts 20.00 | Cover 6 Euro

Saturday OT301

May 09

Monday EKKO

May 11

Friday OCCII

May 22

Starts 21.00 | Cover 7 Euro Free For Mailinglist Members

Starts 20.00 | Cover 8 Euro

Starts 21.00 | Cover 7 Euro

Tuesday May 26 melkweg Starts 20.00 | cover 10 euro

Friday W139

May 29

Starts 21.00 | Entrance Free

Saturday May 30 De Nieuwe Anita Starts 20.00 | Cover 6 Euro

Rainbow Arabia (USA) + Eklin Marnie Stern (Kill Rockstars, USA) + Eva Braun matt&kim (usa) + saelors + les singes + appie kim The Moi Non Plus Remix Launch Party! ft.Yobkiss, FNNNN & MorE Lucky Dragons (USA) + The Wolf, Death and the Acorn + DJ Major B Famous last words:

Have you done this before?

holland festival 4 – 28 juni 2009 selectie van hoogtepunten:

Eine Kirche der Angst vor dem Fremden in mir Theatermaker Schlingensief bevecht zijn demonen met dodenmis. westergasfabriek zuiveringshal, vr 5 – ma 8 juni

Golgotha

Steven Cohen mixt beeldende kunst met dans en travestie. theater bellevue, za 6 – ma 8 juni

Teenage Lontano

Installatie van New Yorkse turntablist Marina Rosenfeld voor veertig jongeren en hun iPod. westergasfabriek zuiveringshal, zo 14 juni

Baby Dee

Golgotha © Marianne Greber/VBK Wien

Singer-songwriter die niet in een hokje te plaatsen is. bimhuis, za 20 juni

www.holland festival.nl