There is definitely love in me!

Spread the word: Four Tet released a new album just a few weeks ago. There is love in you is a brilliant compilation of ambient sounds and dreamy voices combined with the abstract, funky beats we, all know by now, Producer Kieran Hebden creates like no other. It makes you wanna dance with waving arms whilst stamping your bare feet on a solid underground. Sing will literally turn you into a background choir, if you initially only wanted to dance. With This unfolds you find yourself in right up there in the Air, but your floathing will be guided by the drums, who'll stay on your side during the entire track.

Four Tet who's been releasing material since 1998 definitely did it again with this latest album.


And I almost forgot Love Cry.... There's simply too much love on this new piece.

Just listen it and you'll be as hooked as I am.

The Sound of a Bird

...
open up your ears and heart
you put a big bird in a small cage and it'll sing you a song
that we all love to sing along
to the sound of the bird that mourns
...

A dreamy trip to where the wild things are.

His resounding voice was carried to the highest end of the church, just to the spot we were standing. As if he intended to gently caress our submissive ears. Shivers ran through my spine as Patrick Watson brought his Hommage to Beijing. He somehow seems to be able to turn the feeling of Edgar Allen Poe stories into musical adventures: the atmosphere, a chilly darkness accompanied by featherlight hope, filled his audience with a breathtaking innersilence. As far as my eyes could carry me I saw enchanted lovers, gazing at each other as if touched by Cupids' arrow. Lovers for ever or just for this night. Lovers of volatility . Lovers of drama turned into romance... and back. But mostly, lovers of imagination. All sharing the same dream: the desire of living in a country far, far away, where big birds can live freely, where wild things can live side to side with men like us and passionate flames light up the morning sky.

Back with something New 'n Improved!

It took me a while to regain my strengths after a hot summer filled with festivals in b***-f*** Nowhere, trips to exciting places, never ending parties and tear jerking concerts and I must admit that my everlasting Catholic guilt made me realize that I should haven written more, but time flies when you're having fun.

But I'm here now and I brought back an amazing discovery from my visit to Barcelona, so just Hang in there!

Hang player at Park Güell

During one of my slow strolls in the fantastic hills of Park Güell, my ears were suddenly seduced by a magic sound. Through the wild trees I heard a combination of hypnotic drums, subtle strings, gentle caresses and soft strokes, which made my heart skip a beat and my legs walk faster towards the enchanting composition. On my way to the origin the sound kept getting louder without loosing its suave character. Abruptly a personage, a man, appeared amidst this extraordinary wealth. It was he who created this tang. All by himself, with nothing more than an ordinary Hang.

And it is the Hang, I would like to introduce you to. This steel idiophone, that has been created in 2000 by PANArt in Switzerland, seems to have exploded all over the Catalonian capital. The inventors Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer made a steel pan resembling creation that combines its sound with the gong, the gamelan, the musical saw, the ghatam and many other international percussion instruments. Even though it's pricey (around 1200 for a new Hang and over 5000 euro for a second hand one), the process to buy one is extremely complicated (you need to write a letter to Sabina and Felix and íf they agree with your request, you can book an appointment to visit them at their workshop) and its limited production (the company temporary stopped the production in March this year, next deliveries will start in 2010), the Hang keeps up getting more popular.
Nowadays it (and its funny halfbrother HAPI) can be found around Park Güell, la Catedral, plaça del Sol in Gracia, you name it. Barça could give you an almost 100% guarantee of encountering the subtle sounds of the DING and the GU side of the percussion instrument.

Hang concert behind La Catedral in Barri Gotic

The instrument often referred to as a Hang Drum (the translation of the Bernese word Hang), which might explain the popularity amongst the huge amount of hand drummers in the city of Gaudí. Although it is more probable that one person came, spreading out the love for this melodious reference to acoustic freedom, passing it on to many others.

Whatever it might be, it's definitely something to check out as its sound is just plain beautiful.......
So watch one of youtube videos and decide for yourself.

Just a sunny sunday afternoon in Berlin....

Berlin is full of surprises. Just sit down, relax and let yourself get entertained. In Mauerpark you'll have a variety of acts taking place right in front of your picknick blanket.
This weeks recommendation is Trap: live in Mauerpark (see youtube video 1 and 2).

Moderat

Despite my survival in Berlin for the last two weeks, it took until Thursday to receive my musical home feeling. And what a welcome!
Moderat (Modeselektor + Apparat) released their new album and celebrated with a party in WMF. As expected, it didn't start until 11.30 pm, although the programm said 9 pm. Being Dutch and anxious to miss out on all the good stuff, we were there half an hour after the original starting time. This, however, gave us the opportunity to acclimatize and join the support act for the warming-up. And hot it was. It must have been at least 45 degrees celsius by the time Moderat came up. I guess that's the best way to start a concert: with a crowd that pictures itself in one big orgy.

As soon as they started, the 'love' was literally dripping off the fans. Their powerful intro made girls scream like boys, excited the stiff, drove newly weds towards eternal love and pleased the rest of the greedy audience with their unconditional enthusiasm. To me, it felt like a two hour emotional voyage around the world of sounds, ending in Berlin by taking us through all Kiez, neighborhoods. And when the encore was given, the trip continued inside my body. Heavy basses in my toes, tickling Charleston under the skin of my arms, mosh pits in my head, people on swings in my stomach, soft feather belly dances around heart and Dita von Teese seductive on my lips.

Moderat definitely can do it, living up to expectated 'kick in the face'. It was oldskool dancing packed in a contemporary jacket. Sending people off with an immeasurable smile......

Pink is the new Black!

Just Pinky...