INVURT

Whenever anyone comes and visits, they always say “Hey, lets go to that bar down that alley that has all that cool stuff in it and all the walls are painted up and theres all that lab stuff in it” and I automatically know they are pretty much talking about the Croft Institute. Look past the dirty puddles, the ever present bins and that winding alleyway that looks like something straight out of Gotham City, and you’ll see an amazing display of artwork that was completely over a year ago with the Croft Alley Project

This time around, in conjunction with Superlatif, the guys from the Croft have got the  Ironlak family on board, and they’ll be doing the walls up this year for stage 2 . There will also be a open air art exhibition as part of the show – so we’re guaranteed some mad shit. Plus, well, the day will be playing host to Metalheadz A-Sides and a bunch of other dnb/breakbeat goodness– gunna have to get down to this one for sure.

“Superlatif & The Croft Institute are proud to present The Croft Alley Project Stage 2. The second stage of the highly acclaimed Croft Alley Project. The lane-way will be reborn in a myriad of colour featuring new works by the Ironlak Family. Including for the first time in a Melbourne lane-way an open air gallery exhibition.

The open air gallery exhibition will feature collectable works by the Ironlak family. It’s your chance to take home street art straight from the street. The works will exhibit in the lane- way each day from 1PM – 6PM until Monday the 28th of February 2011.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Croft Alley Project without a party. So to officially open the new works in the lane-way. The Croft Institute will be opening at 4PM on Saturday the 19th of February. Featuring music by A-Sides(UK) and a showdown by Melbourne’s very own Heavy Innit and The Operatives collectives. Becks and Vodka Red Bull’s will be on sale all day, with a host of tasty cocktails also on offer.

For those of you who live under a rock and don’t know much about the Ironlak family. The family features some of the most talented urban artists on the face of the planet. Melbourne will be lucky enough to have almost the entire Australian based collective present for this project. The works painted will be sure to feature in blogs, magazines and video’s that circumnavigate the entire globe. So Melbourne count yourselves lucky because you get to see it right in front of your eyes. Not to mention you can buy the artists work and take it home or to the office, so you can look at it everyday.”

Who: Team Ironlak OZ, A-sides, Kuya, Dust, Detour, Sean Deans, The Operatives vs Heavy Innit
What: Croft Alley Project Stage 2
Where: The Croft  Institute, 21-25 Croft Alley, Melbourne
When: Saturday, 19th February. Doors open from 4pm, and runs til late …

Check out the Croft Institute and the Ironlak website for more details.

You’re thinking – why a music gig event entry? Well, its been over a year since I transformed my humble website into Invurt – but, before that, if you go a browsing through some of the different categories, you’ll see that once upon a time I interviewed and wrote a hell of a lot about the breakbeat/dnb scene.

Having been involved in the dnb scene in Perth for, oh, twenty years or so, I decided when I came to Melbourne to focus on other things, art, and writing about art for myself, rather than writing about music for others.

That said, I still fkn love dnb, seeing Netsky last weekend was not only amazing, but he and the kind of music he produces is one of the reasons I still love the genre.  I don’t get involved in the scene here (I just go back to Perth for that) so, when I see a gig that has both dnb, breaks, hiphop AND live art by one of my favourite crews, Everfresh – as well as Marky, Andy C, Cern and my old friend Stamina – well, shit, I know where I’ll probably be on Oz day.

Who: Andy C (UK), MC GQ (UK), DJ MARKY & MC STAMINA, PLASTICIAN (UK), CERN (NZ), BEATS ANTIQUE (USA), TRUTH (NZ), AN-TEN-NAE (USA), EVERFRESH CREW (AU), Safire (Dispatch, Requiem Audio), Johnny Hooves (SOM Music), Droid Sector (Requiem Audio), Finna B2B Ruxspin (Jungle Run Set), Dabeata, Muska, Baron Von Rotten, Bass Bin Laden, Same O (Too Much), Affiks & A13 (Heavy Innit), Wasabi, Dust, Dysphemic, Dyzlexic CM, Tobias J, Teilhard, Lickweed
What: Lost in Bass – breakbeats and live art on Australia Day
Where: Neverland Entertainment Complex – January 26th, 2011
When: 32 – 48 Johnson Street, South Melbourne, Victoria

Check out the Broken Beat Assault website for more info.

Every DJ has a story to tell, and every story has a beginning, and for French d’n'b artist Naibu, those beginnings stemmed from the wellspring of early 90s electronica that seems to have given inspirational birth to so many masters of break beat. Whilst providing a muse for so many across the board, it is a guide that has allowed artists such as Naibu to help evolve the nature of the music we often love and nurture, and, as he happily explains his roots, the elements that make for good electronic music of any genre are often firmly rooted in the internal narrative that a listener formulates for the duration of a tune, or the over symphony of a well constructed set.

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I’m squinting hard as the early dawn light is pummelling through the vans windscreen. We’re hurtling down the highway, somewhere between Rhode Island and Brooklyn – its post-party hour and some friends and I are dropping Reid Speed back home after an all-night rave in an abandoned bank vault. The gig is all done and dusted, and we’re talking shit about breaks, d’n'b and all the things in between – the details are murky, its the start of the new millennium after all, but I can still hear the passion in her voice and I’m still feeling the vibe of the set she played, and I easily recall my predominant thought at the time – “this girls really going somewhere, can’t wait to see where she ends up…”

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“The day that you feel comfortable and happy with anything, is probably the day you give up and retire,” cites Gareth McGrillen, who, along with Paul Harding and Rob Swire constitutes a founding members of Pendulum, arguably one of the most progressive musical groups producing music today. “You always need that drive, its really essential to us – our drive has always been about 70% competitive and 30% love, and having that competitiveness as a lynch-pin of what you’re doing ensures you’re never really happy with where you are.”

Their need to constantly reinvent themselves has seen Pendulum rise from their humble origins in the drum’n’bass genre, to the heights of a gold album producing band. Having played to some of the largest crowds at some of the most prestigious festivals across the world, they are often surprised at how swiftly time has passed. (more…)

On the European mainland, Drum’n'bass vies for attention from its fans amongst a swarm of diverse cultural and musical frameworks, and yet it is artists like Germanys Tim Eliot, aka Current Value, that have managed to help persuade people from across the world that the dark and eclectic side of drum and bass can attain as much soul and musical emphasis as even the smoothest tune. With glitches and often hectic, scattered drum arrangements, Current Value wields a sense of independence in his production that, over his past eleven years of production, has helped to endearing him to fans who enjoy a creative kick in the ass to the more rigid and formulaic sounds of mainstream d’n'b.
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From an incredible live act that helped shape the face of live electronic music, to running one of the most prestigious record labels in the drum’n'bass world, to producing his own successful and game-changing music, Tony Coleman, aka London Elektricity, is considered a stalwart amongst the greats. Having invigorated a new direction in sound with his own output, as well as helping to discover artists on the seminal Hospital records label that he helps run, Coleman has, over the years, offered a distilled essence of creativity and work ethic that in many eyes has helped keep d’n'b from becoming a mere backwater of electronic music.
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When a person thinks of drum’n'bass, they don’t necessarily make the connection between the genre and a bastion of cultural temptation such as France. To make the judgment that the genre is not alive and well in the back alleys and clubs of the nation, would, however, be a mistake, and one group is showing the world the French scene’s vibrancy.

Forming over five years ago, the five lads from Dirtyphonics, Playte, Capskod, Pho, Pitch In and MC Youthstar have captured the soul of d’n'b in a way that once again helps to invigorate the genre. Combining production techniques with an innovative and exhilarating live performance, and having been signed to the salubrious RAM record, their sound has managed to grab attention world round.
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One of the most successful, well known, and respected names in the drum’n’bass scene, both today and over the past decade, is Andy C. From his position founding RAM Records, to his solo and group production work with the RAM Trilogy and Origin Unknown – not to mention his often explosive and sometimes unbeatable DJ sets, Andy C has been riding the high roads of d’n’b for some time. Reaping the rewards of his talents and, by all accounts, loving every minute of it, Andy C is a man both happy with his place in life, and passionately optimistic about the music that he loves.
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When a familiar face from a successful group goes solo, there is always slight trepidation that the strength of their work may diminish, however, for drum’n’bass performer and producer Audio, undoubtedly one of the top notches in the tech-heavy d’n’b echelons, going solo after several years with the popular Resonant Evil has proven to be a boon, as his success continues on an upwards spiral of popularity amongst lovers of the genre.

“I always worked solo, and, obviously, I started solo when I was sending tunes to the guys from Resonant Evil (Mackie and Risk),” Audio explains. “I’d send Mackie a little material to sign, and he said come to the studio and we’ll see how it goes. So I did and we wrote a few tracks, and the rest is history. So it wasn’t really a conscious decision or something new for me, but it was more convincing myself that yeah I could do it on my own and that I could be successful, and that people wanted to hear what I do on my own. I’ve think I’ve got something different to offer, so, it wasn’t too hard.”

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Amongst the drift and tide of the musical realm, it is a rarity for an electronic music group to have mass market appeal, and yet several years ago, three guys from Perth embarked upon a journey that would take them not only to the top of the drum and bass charts, but also into the living rooms of anyone with an interest in cutting edge music. No stranger to fans since breaking out with their seminal album, Hold Your Colour, Pendulum are now poised on the verge of being one of the few bands who have been able to escape their niche, as their upcoming new album, In Silico, is sure to prove. (more…)

When it comes to political consciousness within drum’n'bass, there is no other group that has made more of an impact with their message of equality and tolerance than Asian Dub Foundation. Now, after having spent years as the front-man for the seminal and oft acclaimed group, MC Spex is now branching out from his long time association with the band, and entering new territory as a solo artist. In the past few months there has been some speculation as to why Spex left ADF, and the truth is, as always, much more realistic and down to earth than the rumours.

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Without innovation, there would be no progress, and nowhere is that saying more appropriate than within the world of drum and bass, where new stars rise from bedrooms studios every week. With such a huge influx of producers emerging, it is often difficult for new comers to maintain an edge and to separate themselves from the pack, yet one such trio of artists, Sigma, comprised of friends Cam, Wooz and Ben, has managed to do just that. (more…)

The turns and tides of an artists journey through a musical genres is not always without its ups and downs, and quite often riding the wave of popular opinion stands many in good stead, but amongst all genres there are always those who eschew the pro-offered, well laid down route towards success, and there are few who have a less care of the “proper” way of doing things than the enigmatic Mampi Swift.
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Last weekend saw a veritable feast of electronic music. With such a large range of events to choose from in recent days, a sampling of what is currently on offer here in Perth was definitely in order.

Friday night saw a large swath of punters descend on The Nine for the inaugural Boogaloo tracksuit part held in the Bar Open area downstairs. Forgoing the usual route to the upstairs Dnb arena, our group entranced Bar Open, plonked ourselves down, orders drinks, and took stock of our surrounds.

The dulcet sounds of Midnight Star pumped, the dance-battles ensued, and the night was on. Upstairs the DnB continued to pound away, but it was curious to note that many of the Nine regulars were, instead, sitting down below in Bar Open enjoying the smoother sounds of old school electro, boogie and funk whilst we watched the parade of track suit festooned individuals getting down and dirty. (more…)

In the ever shifting and tumultuous landscape that is the modern drum and bass world, producers and DJs rise, fall and stay fast. Yet in the past few years Chase and Status made more waves in such a short amount of time within the genre than most others, and after only four years in the business, have managed to produce music that is now to be found at the front of every Djs crate.

Their meteoric descent into the forefront of the drum and bass does, however, seem to contain almost a hint of a conscious decision on behalf of the duo. “We’ve DJed since we were about fifteen or sixteen, and for ten or eleven years we’ve been DJing in our bedrooms and at house parties, anywhere we could really,” Chase explains. “Then we kind of realised that unless you really put effort into it you wouldn’t make it just on DJ merit alone, so we decided to pack in university and quit all that, and got a studio in Manchester and just sat in there every day for ten to twelve hours and learnt how to work on tunes.” (more…)

The world of drum and bass as a genre has never been short of creativity and has, in fact, mostly gained its popularity by being a positive force of experiment within the electronic music field. Although it can be quite hard to pin down specific leaders in the field of Drum’n’bass production, there is no mistaking that both Calyx and TeeBee clearly sit within that circle of prominence. Whether it is within their own solo productions, individual DJ sets or as the incredibly energetic performance and production duo, Calyx and TeeBee have risen over the years to prominence with their blindingly powerful, yet meticulously rendered talents. (more…)