KABLAM

Out of the megalopolitan + on the periphery, Country Music launch their (club) music label at Berlin’s Monarch, Aug 17

16 August 2017

Country Music is launching their music label at Berlin’s Monarch on August 17.

Founded by artists Daniel Iinatti and Anna Sagström — the latter of whom recently closed out the seven-year running Minibar in Stockholm — the collaborative project is a way to explore the “(so called, or self defined) periphery and (club) music outside of the megalopolitan.” With a keen interest in material desires and failures, as well as ‘post-industrial economies,’ the Country Music label brings artists together who explore this terrain.

The event will include performances by KABLAMHAJ300GIL  and IINATTI, as well as the release of a special version of ‘A Theory for the Strange-Girl’ by Jennifer Boyd.

Visit the FB event page for details.**

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Have fun + be yourself: Uniti talk safety + community and being apart of a new wave in London’s club scene

21 April 2017

Providing a space where women and LGBTQ people can “have fun and be themselves” is at the heart of what London-based collective Uniti say they are trying to achieve through their music and events. All DJs and producers themselves, they hold a monthly spot on Radar Radio, and have also been featured on NTS and Super Kitchen. The trio includes Terribilis (Molly O’Reilly) who is currently working on her first EP ‘Interlude Music’, Ganx (Alice Bettinger) who focuses on experimental electronics and bass and Englesia who is also a vocalist. 

Courtesy of Uniti

Uniti are throwing their 1st Birthday Party at London’s The Yard (where they host most of their events, with tickets available here) this Saturday, April 22. The line up features KABLAMSHYGIRL, Lyzza, Klein and Uniti themselves, among a few other special guests. 

With community at the forefront of their desires, the producers hope to expand further in the future, and ultimately create a ‘movement’ that is far-reaching and all inclusive. “We would like what we do to have an effect on people outside of our circle – whether it’s donating profits to charity (like we did with our party in August, to Solace Women’s Aid) or offering even bigger platforms for women and LGBTQ+ folk to be offered, so more people like us can be inspired to follow their dreams and also be provided a safe community space that supports them,” explain the trio via email.

AQNB discussed what brought Uniti together, the wave of new queer and feminist party scenes that’s running through London and the importance of having a strict ‘safer space’ policy.

** How did Uniti come about, how do you all know each other?

Terribilis: I met Englesia at a club in 2015 — we immediately hit it off and she invited me ’round for pre-drinks before Trance Party the next week, where I met Alice (Ganx). It was so great to meet other femmes who were into making music. Early last year I decided I wanted to start a party that gave a platform to marginalised artists, but I knew I couldn’t do that on my own, so it just felt right to ask Englesia and Alicem, and of course they were so down for it. 

** What sort of state is the London club scene in right now do you think, do you feel positive or worried about where it’s headed?

T: I think we’re very lucky to live in London because its one of the best cities to party in, as I’m constantly told by people who have travelled a lot. But with a lot of clubs being closed down, I think the scene here definitely has declined in that sense. In the same breath, though, we’re seeing a rise in marginalised artists recently and that’s the start of something really exciting to happen to our scene. I’m really glad Uniti is a part of that. An issue I do have with the London music scene though is egos. There is a lot of a clique mentality and, for me, that just ruins the hedonistic vibe that the London club scene had once upon a time. 

GANX: I think it’s definitely improved since I first started going to clubs. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve just become more committed to seeking out intersectional and diverse lineups, or that more and more are popping up. Regardless, we’re so lucky to be surrounded by people that have similar goals and interests, and support them as much as possible. However, as Molly said, some nights can create intimidating environments.

Courtesy Uniti.

Englesia: I think that we have definitely been part of a new movement in the past year or so in London, where a larger number of politically-focussed club nights have come about, whether to raise money or just generally offer a specified space for queer women or queer POC (for example, Magic Clit / BBZ). Also, seeing these nights happen not just at one venue, but spread out across Dalston & Peckham! And venues taking notice of safe spaces and becoming more complicit, for example The Alibi has a sick new programmer (shout-out Giulia of Girlfriends) who has been putting a focus on women-run nights / queer nights, as well as improving the space and vibe overall. It’s been kind of amazing being a part of this wave and having an opportunity to take a stand against the bullshit misogyny and harassment that’s been omnipresent in club scenes throughout history.

** How do you monitor and create a safer environment for your attendees, do you run into any problems in trying to curate that atmosphere?

T: Ultimately, you just have to make your party known as a safer space by establishing this online, putting up posters, and reminding people that if they have an issue while they are at one of your parties, that they should feel comfortable to come and tell you. You have to be unapologetic with people that are making others feel uncomfortable, and you have to create a space that accommodates a whole range of people. 

G: We always post our policy on the event page, and also put posters up. It’s something that’s been very important to us, and our venue (The Yard) has collaborated with us to make it happen; the security staff and bar staff are all aware of our policy and its terms. We’ve been very lucky in that respect.

** Do you collaborate with other collectives?

T: We have a quarterly residency coming up at the Alibi this year, which starts on May 5, and we plan to collaborate with some other femme-inclusive collectives for a couple of them. That’s really the best way to create a sense of community.

** Who are some of your current inspirations and favourite artists/producers?

T: My all time favourite would be the queen of techno, Paula Temple and my current favourite would be Detroit rapper Asian Doll. I wish we had the funds to fly her over. Maybe one day!

G: I am currently really inspired by all of Ziúr’s work, as well as the new Pharmakon LP Contact, which is blowing my mind.

E: Currently very inspired by coucou chloe, Tory Lanez Yayoyanoh, BAD GYAL, Junglepussy. DJs: Tash_LC, Debit & Riobamba (ORÁCULO), and Bearcat!

** Let’s talk politics and partying.

E: I recently wrote about this on my social medias — every venue and every promoter that throws an event must take responsibility for the space they put people in. You are 100 per cent complicit if there are people at your party who are predators and you’ve been made aware of this. It doesn’t matter if your friends are cool with them, or you are cool with them, or you didn’t see the harassment happen yourself. You’re literally a ‘POS’ if you don’t care for the people in your space. 

Courtesy of Uniti

For those who experience/ have experienced harassment at parties and most specifically similar events (or even at the same party) — do you think a person really wants to return to a space where they have been violated and the promoters don’t seem to care that there are predators in this space? Music in our scene (‘alternative’ dance music lol) is created for freaks by freaks, and by this you would assume the promoters in our scene would aim to be all-inclusive, or at least for those who have been excluded or mistreated in normal spaces and are finding a way to let out their frustrations with the way they are treated outside of these spaces. It doesn’t matter how good the music is if the trade-off is a feeling of being unsafe and on edge, or if it’s violation.**

Uniti’s 1st Birthday at London’s The Yard features Kablam, Shygirl and Lyzza on April 22, 2017.

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Chino Amobi, Elysia Crampton &c @ Berghain / Panorama Bar, Mar 4

3 March 2016

The Janus collective is putting on an impressive line-up of international producers at Berlin’s Berghain/Panorama bar on March 4.

Performing will be NON Records co-founder Chino Amobi, influential La Paz-based producer Elysia Crampton and Lorenzo Senni. Also on the bill are Janus-affiliates KABLAM, Lotic, and M.E.S.H., as well as Fade to Mind artist Total Freedom.

A number of these artists recently performed at Amsterdam’s Paradiso for Sonic Acts 2016 under its theme of ‘Dark Matter’ and emerge as a part of a growing movement towards a more networked and globally aware approach to electronic music production and distribution.

You can read a couple of interviews with Lotic and also Elysia Crampton on aqnb.

See the Berghain website for details.**

La Paz, Bolivia. Courtesy Elysia Crampton
La Paz, Bolivia. Courtesy Elysia Crampton.

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Sonic Acts 2016 @ Paradiso, Feb 27

26 February 2016

Amsterdam’s inaugural Sonic Acts 2016 is presenting a monumental music line-up at Paradiso on February 27.

As part of the three-day festival programme that runs in the Netherlands capital from February 26 to 28, the Saturday event will feature producers including NON Records artists Chino Amobi, Angel-Ho and Nkisi, Janus affiliates KABLAM, Lotic and M.E.S.H., as well as J.G. Biberkopf, Sky H1, Toxe, Why BeVisionist and Anna Mikkola among others.

The newly-founded Sonic Acts academy is a new platform aiming to “grow, expand, sustain and disseminate stimulating discourse about artistic research”. This year the associated festival programme and its ‘Dark Matter’ theme feeds into the academy’s ongoing investigations into nature, culture, technology, and ecology, and what it calls ‘Dark Ecology’ and ‘The Geologic Imagination’ within the Anthropocene era.

See the Sonic Acts website for details.**

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