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Blender Institute produces free and open-content films as a development model for open-source 3D software Blender. Since 2005, five “open projects” have been created by a team of artists and developers using Blender and other open-source tools. The success of this model has resulted in better software and a more professional user and developer community. Producing short films with Blender is now common. “Project Gooseberry,” the sixth open project, is set to tackle the next challenge: produce a full-feature animated film with a network of eight to 12 small studios worldwide. The film will use similar openness and freedom, with the makers keeping ownership and control while sharing financial benefits. “Project Gooseberry” launches at SXSW.
“It’s a ‘worldwide ting,’ as they say: highimpact, dutty-wining single ‘Jackhammer’ has been remixed by like-minded stars of global bass music and upcoming dates around the world will leverage the party in 2014.” -ROLLING STONE ABOUT KUENTA I TAMBU
Blender Institute “Project Gooseberry”
Kuenta i Tambu It’s a “worldwide ting”
Sofie Winterson may be a model, but she’s a musician first. She comes from a musical family, and has found her artistic voice by combining folk and electronic music. The dreamy indie-pop on Winterson’s forthcoming debut album (“Magnetron Music”) was co-produced by electronic tastemaker and artist Rimer London. London is known for his collaborations with graphic artist Parra (“Le Le”) and music producer Bas Bron (who’s worked with Fatima Yamaha, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, and Bastian). Their combination turned out to be a perfect match. Sofie writes her own songs while Rimer adds his electronics and production skills.
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by Borre
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innovative textile development
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Collecting yarns one by one. Exploring by mixing textiles with technology. Creating concepts by proxy of fashion. by Borre’s core business is innovative textile development. At SXSW, by Borre will present its first concept jumpsuit with wearable technology using an innovative 3D knitting technique. by Borre: Designed by all means necessary.
Daan Roosegaarde “If cars, traffic and navigation can be ‘smart,’ is there any reason for roads to remain as dumb as bricks? Not according to the unlikely combination of Daan Roosegaarde, a Dutch art-school bohemian, and Heijmans, a conventionally minded infrastructure developer, who are teaming up on an array of quirky, interactive designs that could change the way streets look and even act.” PAUL HOCKENOS, NEW YORK TIMES
Austin welcomes its largest-ever Dutch delegation to SXSW this year. With an influx of designers and innovators from the Netherlands, the festival will incorporate many Dutch tech companies and innovators in its program. The Netherlands will celebrate centuries of startup culture during SXSW 2014. From the Dutch Masters to today’s entrepreneurs and innovators, the Netherlands has a vibrant and collaborative startup culture that gave birth to Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” the microscope, and the latest advances in 3D printing technology.
_____ With two-thirds of the Netherlands at or below sea level, survival of the Dutch is dependent on smart solutions that keep out water. Dutch practical thinking is rooted in the challenges that nature presents, and evolved into quirky, innovative designs that will be showcased at SXSW. To stay competitive with its larger neighbors, the Netherlands has always been open to learning from others, and exchanging ideas and culture. Such openness creates a fertile ground for innovations. As the inventors behind the CD-rom, Bluetooth, and WiFi, the global contribution of Dutch startups is evident and continues to thrive. SXSW’s pick of the best Dutch designers and innovators includes Shapeways, Van Moof, Chordify, and Daan Roosegaarde, the self-proclaimed “hippie with a business plan.” Roosegaarde, who is internationally known for creating social designs that explore the relation between people, techno
logy, and space, will make a presentation at SXSW Interactive on March 9. Fashion designer Pauline van Dongen and Web-sharing company Surfly are among the finalists of the 2014 SXSW Accelerator pitch on March 8 and 9. They represent some of the Netherlands’ most innovative entrepreneurial thinking. The Dutch-founded Shapeways is a leader in the 3D printing industry. The startup turns ideas into reality through on-demand 3D printing services that are redefining manufacturing, the supply chain, and e-commerce. Peter Weijmarshausen, its CEO and co-founder, will discuss on March 9 how 3D printing is disrupting traditional manufacturing and democratizing the creation process. He’ll explain why it might even be time to quit your day job and create the product of your dreams.
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DocLab Part of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) since 2007 DocLab showcases interactive documentaries and digital art forms that push the boundaries of documentary storytelling in the age of the interface. Projects are curated and presented online, as well as during live events and exhibitions. DocLab returns to SXSW with Emotional Arcade, a playful experiment in measuring emotions through technology. First in 2012, DocLab brought together MIT roboticist Alexander Reden and filmmaker Brent Hoff, both obsessed with the digital revolution. The result is an interactive installation that plays with real emotions, using brain scanners and biometric sensors to measure physiological changes. Emotional Arcade lets you compete in love and lust, with software measuring whose cheeks turn the deepest shade of pink. Let the games begin.
Pauline van Dongen Wearable Solar “Textile design and technology will increasingly merge, and I hope to play a part in this development.”
Kraak & Smaak Dutch producer trio Kraak & Smaak has made a global impact over the years with its live band and DJ sets. Having toured extensively in the USA, Australia and all across Europe, the trio is known for turning any party upside down with its infectious beats and melodies. Anything goes, be it dance, electronic, jazz, funk or pop. After “Electric Hustle” (2011) and “Mixed Feelings” (2012), Kraak & Smaak keeps the “album-a-year” tradition alive with “Chrome Waves” (October 2013). The album was launched during a packed Amsterdam Dance Event in the popular music club, Melkweg. “Chrome Waves” features a long list of guest vocalists, such as newcomers Sam Duckworth, Stee Downes, Joi Cardwell, Capitol A, Retro Stefson and Berenice van Leer, alongside earlier friends Ben Westbeech, Janne Schra, and John Turrell.
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Mozes and The Firstborn Full of the bravado and stamina of the young Rolling Stones, this Dutch quartet combines the ramshackle sleaziness of the Black Lips and the Strange Boys, with strong songwriting by the likes of Guided By Voices and Ty Segall.
Surfly an innovative solution for sharing Web sessions Surfly will introduce its advanced technology at SXSW to improve your business’s online experience. For example, if you integrate Surfly into your company website, your helpdesk service agents can have a real-time look at a customer’s computer screen to provide better support. Surfly is simple, fast and safe.
Jameszoo A committed crate-digger and cognoscente of avant-garde jazz
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____The Netherlands will celebrate centuries of startup culture during SXSW 2014, building on the country’s global creative alliances, and using art, technology, and music to drive innovation. This year marks the Netherlands’ largest ever participation in SXSW, incorporating Dutch technology companies and artists in both the music and interactive programs. The talent includes design star Daan Roosegaarde; founders of companies like Shapeways, Van Moof and Chordify; and Dutch ambassadors of innovation who will share the country’s culture throughout festival programming. They wrap up each day by grabbing a Heineken and letting go to the sounds of Amsterdam’s electronic dance music, propelled by artists like KiT and Monokino. The Dutch’s consistent contributions to innovation has made the Netherlands a hotbed of entrepreneurship and innovations like the CD-rom, Bluetooth, and WiFi. The national policies and programs that support invention, collaboration, risk, and technological exploration today are evident in the impressive presence at SXSW. For more information on Dutch disruptors of industry celebrating at SXSW, visit www.dutchtoday.org.
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Spotlight on Holland @SXSW Daan Roosegaarde Taco Carlier Alexander KlĂśpping Meet up with selected Dutch startups and NFIA Happy Hour SXSW Interactive Official Party: Ketchup or Mayonnaise
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Mozes and the Firstborn Mister and Mississippi Monokino Kraak & Smaak Mighty Fools
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Monokino Traumahelikopter Birth of Joy Palmbomen Kraak & Smaak KiT Eurosonic DJ’s
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Sofie Winterson Mozes and the Firstborn Mister and Mississippi DJ: Ed Rock
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ADE Presents Rush Hour and Rwina Records: Jameszoo Tom Trago Akka Krampfhaft Antal
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Shapeways 3D printing Fueling a Manufacturing Renaissance, Shapeways is the source for limitless personal production.
Krampfhaft hails from Utrecht. His name loosely means “convulsive,” which fits his erratic, constantly moving tracks to a tee. The producer, known to friends as Joris van Grunsven, debuted on Saturate Records with “Brightly Colored Candy Teardrops,” a title that describes the EP as well as anything ever will. He also released “Spit Thunder,” a fantastic single on which he layered bold synths over speed-addled drums and syrup-drenched vocals. It was a hint to where he’d go in the near future, mincing 8-bit with futuristic sound design and all kinds of alien structures. But it was on his first release for Rwina Records, the freshly baked “Makin’ Magic” EP, where Krampfhaft’s genius came to light. On that 2012 release, Krampfhaft incorporated footwork influences much smoother than many of his cohorts. On tracks like “I Needed You,” he takes the hyperactivity of his debut and turns it into hyper-focus, laser-guided footwork destruction. On the EP’s title track, he constructs a megalomaniac synth eruption complete with overblown pronouncements of grandiosity.
Chordify A freemium online music service – made for and by musicenthusiasts Chordify.net is a freemium online music service – made for and by music enthusiasts – that instantly transforms music into chords from any song you like. Chordify automatically recognizes chords from any audio signal, and aligns them to the music in a simple and intuitive player. Chordify thus helps novice and trained musicians play the music they want. The technology behind Chordify is rooted in the scientific field of music information retrieval, which also brought about other music technology successes, such as Last.fm and Shazam. Based on a combination of appealing design, excellent user experience, and stateof-the-art music technology, Chordify aims to become the next authority in music e-learning.
Empire “A perfect example of true interactivity and transmedia storytelling.”
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Akka Amsterdam-based DJ and producer Everything he touches turns to gold
Digital Dreams is a Dutch independent game development studio that strives to push the boundaries of interactive entertainment. Digital Dreams reaches out to all gamers, from the casual to the hard-core player. The studio creates games that are less time consuming, but still challenging and capable of provoking a powerful and emotionally rich interactive experience. Digital Dreams is working on METRICO, a game about infographics in today’s society, developed in close cooperation with Sony Computer Entertainment America. METRICO will be released this spring as a PlayStation Vita Exclusive. SXSW is METRICO’s prerelease demo party.
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Digital Dreams A Dutch independent game development studio
At SXSW, Vijgen will present “The Deleted City,” a research project about the digital culture of Geocities. In the early days of the World Wide Web, Geocities was a free web-hosting service that resembled a virtual city where one obtained a free “piece of land” to build a personal home page in a thematic “neighborhood.” With the rise of social media, Geocities was abandoned and eventually closed. But just before that, the Archive Team made a backup to save 10 years of shared work by 35 million people – or “homesteaders,” as the digital tenants were called. The resulting 650 gigabyte BitTorrent file is a digital Pompeii, and the subject of an interactive excavation that allows you to wander through an episode of recent online history. “The Deleted City” is a form of digital archaeology of the Web as it exploded into the 21st century.
Studio Richard Vijgen A design studio for contemporary information culture.
Streamwatchr Watch the music. While it’s playing. Streamwatchr is a real-time, large-scale e-culture analytics system.
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dut c pro h s For four days in March, Dutch musicians will descend on Austin and turn it into the livemusic capital of the world, giving SXSW festival-goers the best electronic dance music, pop, and rock the Netherlands has to offer.
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_____ Electronic dance music, commonly known as EDM, tops the list of Dutch music these days. The Netherlands embraced EDM in the 1990s after tasting the Detroit techno, Chicago house, and UK rave culture of the late 1980s. But Dutch EDM quickly overshadowed the music that influenced it, and climbed to the top of the global dance scene. EDM has become part of the Dutch DNA, allowing DJs like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, and DJ Hardwell (crowned the world’s No. 1 DJ last year) to make music that strikes a nerve with people around the world. They top an impressive list of Dutch EDM acts that includes Joris Voorn, Martyn, JXL, and Nobody Beats the
Drum, one of last year’s most-buzzed-about SXSW acts. With artists such as Palmbomen, Monokino, Akka, Kraak & Smaak, and KiT performing at SXSW 2014, this year’s showcase promises to strike that same nerve. KiT, or Kuenta i Tambu, is a Dutch-Antillean dance-beat group that cleverly found a balance between electronic music and the infectious rhythms played by ritual tambú drums in Curacao, releasing what The New York Times listed as one of best albums of 2013. On March 13, Dutch EDM will take centerstage at SXSW and celebrate 25 years when Amsterdam Dance Event, the world’s leading electronic music confer-
ence, along with Dutch music labels Rush Hour and Rwina Records, present Krampfhaft, Jameszoo, Antal, Tom Trago, and others. But if Dutch EDM doesn’t quite fit your tastes, the Netherlands has many other wideranging musicians playing SXSW who all have something unique to share, including the psychedelic rock of Mozes and the First Born, Birth of Joy, and Dusty Stray; and folk, world and pop music by Mister and Mississippi, Sandhya Sanjana, and Sofie Winterson. They’ll wrap up each day by grabbing a Heineken and letting go to the sounds of innovation that can be heard at showcases, such as Filter Magazine’s Dutch Impact event
The Impossible Machine Limited-edition silk-screened concert posters made by hand.
Palmbomen Kai Hugo’s music is as experimental as it is contagiously poppy. Haunting vocals and hypnotic synth lines produced by desolated studio equipment create an atmospheric sound that lies somewhere between ’80s Italo and ’60s psychedelia.
Bottlenose Illuminate the presence We organize the world’s attention & emotion.
Traumahelikopter “I Don’t Understand Them At All”
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The members of Traumahelikopter are preparing for a power trip in Austin, as they will be playing seven gigs in five days to present their new album, “I Don’t Understand Them At All.” This second album is released exactly one year after the band’s self-titled debut (Excelsior Recordings/ Burger Records) that was recorded in a week and hailed by the music media. The single “Down In The City” was featured on sites such as Pitchfork and Noisey, and ranked among The Huffington Post’s Best Songs of 2013. The band has been touring nonstop since, playing all over Europe and the US.
Dusty Stray
Dusty Stray, a.k.a. Jonathan Brown, was born in Taiwan and raised in Texas. His father, who was a preacher, made him listen to songs about death and resurrection, and fed his musical appetite on vast archives of early American folk music from the ’20’s and ’30s. This fired Dusty Brown’s creativity, and he began writing his own songs that are either about a girl falling down a well or an alien abduction. Most of the time, his songs are like a wolf in sheep’s clothes: sunny harmonies retracing the grim path of fate. When not on stage, Dusty can be found in junk shops and on flea markets searching for discarded 8mm home movies and diverse materials for his artwork, which in turn serves as inspiration for the music.
These guys will rock your socks off. Influenced by psychedelica, blues, and steaming rock ‘n roll, the trio takes you back to the good old times of MC5, The Doors and Pink Floyd. At the same, they are inspired by stoner, grunge and punk music. The result is an energetic ’60’s and ’70s sound with a modern edge and the intention to bring across “something real, something authentic. Birth of Joy played 97 shows all over Europe and US in 2013, proving unmistakably to be a live rock sensation.
Sometimes the best things happen in the blink of an eye. The four band members of Mister and Mississippi met in their first year of the Herman Brood Academy in Utrecht while working together on a school project. It turned out to be the beginning of a musical bond with not one frontman or woman, but four. They call it “a united front” in which they create calm and folky, somewhat dreamy yet dynamic and accessible music. They like their listeners to give their own interpretation of their music. Mister and Mississippi released their self-titled debut album last year, and is working on a new album, scheduled for a January 2015 release.
Birth of Joy Forget about all those indie hipster bands, and prepare for some sleeze & roll.
Mister and Mississippi “A united front”
Antal “As a DJ and ‘musicologist’, there are few more serious than Antal.”
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FLOW Studio Roosegaarde Flow is a smart wall composed of hundreds of ventilators that interact with passing visitors. By walking and interacting with the wall, visitors trigger an illusive landscape of transparent fields and artificial wind. Measuring several meters, the most recent version of FLOW heightens the visitor’s consciousness as a collective body, becoming one with space and technology.