De/Vision gig report

Hi all!

I just got back from Berlin, where I attended to De/Vision's preview show. And it was worth the trip! Just perfect night of good music and nice people. And it was really nice to meet people, whom I've chatted online, but never met in person before.

The gig took place at Lido, old movie theatre turned into concert venue. This is what I love of Berlin: The mixture of old and new. Lido has it's own atmosphere as a venue that I liked. It shows it's history, but manages to be good concert venue for smaller, intimate gigs.

First up Empathy Test. Totally unknown to me this British band, but still good warm-up act. Nice melodies and they managed to create nice vibe. Only thing that I didn't like that much was singer's voice that lacked power. But still interesting new band. Some of you will like it, so check them out if you like it melodic and bit slower. The band will be touring with Mesh later this year on their tour.

Next up: De/Vision. They really rocked and had support from this kid, I think he was singer's godchild or daughter, not sure, since I don't speak german. He was up there for few songs and you really could feel the love between those two.

The band played nice mixture of new material from upcoming album 13 and old ones. New songs sounded good. Top quality you have gotten used to expect from the lads. Old ones got crowd going well and singing along. As for the crowd, they were really dedicated fans and you really could feel it. It showed how music can unite people of different ages and backrounds, especially since most of the crowd was older than I expected, but who cares when the atmosphere is magical. They did have some technial problem during set, but I assume they only joked of it (in german of course).

Steffen has really nice, clear and strong voice that I like. He really shines live and also on albums. And he knows how to work the crowd. Rage was one of the songs that really rocked the crowd, but hey, almost all the songs had that effect. What can I say? The gig felt like family gathering of sort. More gigs like these please!

News!

Some of you might've heard of my new project called club Interface. If not, here's the deal: We are planning to organize 4 events per year dedicated to darker electronic music. First one will be held at the end of the year and I'm not going to let out details as yet, but I'll assure you, it will be good one :) We got 2 live bands and 2 djs booked for your aural pleasure. And we are on Facebook too, so follow us there and join in our group created for like-minded people.

What I can reveal now is that plans are being made for the club nights and some extras too. Watch the Facebook page to keep up-to-date of this project!

Interface official facebook page

Group page

New project

Hi all!

I just started a new project called Club Interface. Music policy is alternative electronic music (synthpop, ebm, synthwave, alternative etc,) and we will host 4 parties a year. Also I launched both official site for the project as well as group for people to connect with each other.

Official Club Interface site and the group

If you like your electronic music bit darker or alternative, join us and jack into the music!

Eventhough I started these projects, I will also run the blog :)

Album review: Electronic Saviors Industiral Music to Cure Cancer

Good day and have a good week!

This time around I thought I'd review an amazing charity compilation Electronic Saviors. This is ongoing comp series that raises funds for battle cancer. What I have here is 2nd installment in the series.

Comp series is curated by cancer survivor who also writes of his own battle with cancer in the inlay. It was eye-opening to read to be honest and it is good to see record label such as Metropolis to go along with this kind of project, as well as artists.

How do I review this kind of box, especially since my mother was diagnosed with cancer? I'll do my best to be objective. The box is just beautiful as you can see from cover and is a digipack holding 6 (you read right) cds! So you do have more than your money's worth of good music and even better, some are exclusives or rarities!

Cds are named as 6 steps of acceptance, which really works well. First up we have shock. This cd holds 18 tracks, such artists as Edge Of Dawn, Tenek etc. This one was bit easier one compared to rest of the cds. 2nd cd is Denial and has just 17 tracks. One of best ones was Solitary Experiment's Immortal (Icon Of Coil mix). Rest are named as anger, bargaing, depression and acceptance. Total amount of the tracks is huge 105! And best of all, compilation is quite varied. Some tracks were too harsh for me, but there were 1-2 on each cd I didn't quite like.

I hope you can read at least some of the artists from the pic. I highly recommend that you buy these compilatios NOW! They are cheap and money goes to an important cause. Buy your copy here

Peckerhead interview

Good sunday to you all!

While sipping my morning coffee, thought I'd add latest interview. This time Denmark's own Peckerhead was kind enough to lend me his time for this. So big thank you for him! Also I got big news that I can finally tell you guys. Solar Fake, one of my fave bands, is coming to Helsinki!!

Best of all, tickets are really cheap! Advance ticket from Tiketti. Price is 14,50€ advance, door 15€ But if you have On The Rocks' card price is only 12,50€, door 13€

Dark Helsinki & On the Rocks proudly presents: One of the most remarkable artists on the German dark electro scene, Solar Fake is coming back to Helsinki in September 2016! During these last couple of years after their first amazing show in Finland in 2014, Solar Fake have had a lot to do, touring new places, playing sold out shows in their home Germany, performing at major festivals around the globe and even having released their gorgeous brand new album “Another Manic Episode”. Now the long waiting for their Finnish fans has been finally paid off and the band will play in Helsinki on Saturday 17.09.2016 at On the Rocks Club. This will ensure an unforgettable evening full of drive, dancing, fun and loud music. All of these combined with touching beautiful melodies and the singer’s incomparable voice is guaranteed! Don’t miss this at any cost and book your ticket right now!

Support: Ten After Dawn (FIN)

AfterShowParty: Dead Souls Gathering DJs

20:00 doors
21:00 Ten After Dawn
22:00 Solar Fake
23:30 Dead Souls Gathering DJ:t


And the promised Peckerhead interview:

How did you get into djing and producing music?

Around 2007 or 2008, i was at a friends home - He had a smaller party going on for a few friends. We talked about music and what relation we had to it, i had played the bass-guitar once as a smaller kid and tried a shitty producer software called "E-jay". We instantly searched on the computer for some music software and ended up getting FL Studio (fruity loops), this was the first time i saw more than just bricks of sound you could move around.

We had fun for many hours, drinking and trying to figure out what and how to do. Around that time, i listened to a lot of trance, and went out to a smaller psytrance club called The Tube. This was the place where i got my first bar job, i met 100's of different people every weekend, many of them dj's or producers. One day some of the dj's stayed at the club after closing hours to have an after-party, the club owner told me to go in the dj booth and play music for them. I had no idea how to...Luckily they enjoyed my shitty attempts to entertain them, over a smaller period of time i became friends with one of the dj's from that night - He started to practice with me after closing hours every now and then. I got better and better, and one day i was offered to play a dj set at a forest party. After that i quickly got very interested in dj'ing and started to record sets that i would send out in the hope of getting more dj jobs.

Why the speedcore/terrorsound?

In the beginning of the Peckerhead project i was producing very noizy and harsh music. I guess that it is easier for beginners to just produce noise or really fast nonsense ;) I really do a lot of different styles now, instead of just focusing on 1 or 2 genres - I want to do a little of it all and at times also combine the genres.

How is the hardcore scene in Denmark?

Well, the scene isn't really here. There is a an amount of people in many parts of Denmark listening to core music - Normally, those people would go for raves in DE,NL or BE. There has been some crews who made parties back in the 90's and early 2000's. I guess that Denmark just wasn't really getting interested in the harder music when it came out. Nowadays the techno and house scene bigger in Copenhagen, it is great to see the interest in electronic music that is rising and rising as time goes by. The environment of dj's, producers, clubowners, people who arrange parties and so on, is getting closer and closer - People are starting to figure out that they need each other to make this scene great and to inspire people to have a great time enjoying electronic music rather than running around in the nightlife acting like morons and pretentious shits.

You released some stuff on legendary Mokum, how did this happen?

I tried for some time to send in some demo's - My sound didn't really fit the label... After several attempts i got some more or less positive responses, as I wrote earlier "I really do a lot of different styles " - I figured that i would do a very mixed genre ep, just making the styles that i wanted instead of targeting a labels classic sounds. IT WORKED! As crazy as the idea and sound was, the more or less schizophrenic idea had proven success. 

How has your sound evolved over the years?

As time goes by and you meet different people on your way, life changes and you experience new things and experience the same things again and again - These things are shaping you along the way in life, unconscious coloring your definition of music and sound. I also feel that getting a bit older since the beginning has made me more interested in producing and listening to a broader variety of music instead of performing as a dj.

Where do you get inspiration?

I listen to music everyday, at home, in my headphones when I'm out, when I'm going to concerts, club nights, raves and so on. It's just a big part of my daily living - Mostly i have tons of weird ideas in my head, the tricky part is to get those ideas out and releasing them. People, friends and family is also a very important factor because for me, feelings and mood is sound. I really just do what i need and want to do, the freedom of choice is inspiration.

What kind of equiptment you use in studio?

 I don't own a lot of gear, i have had some and do still own a little - I sometimes sell and buy new gear to pass on the opportunity to try something new instead of owning a lot of machines that is just collecting dust in a studio or in my home. Friends of mine has a lot of interesting things, as new and old classics - Jamming with friends or lending gear has been a huge gateway for me to be able to produce music, I of course have vst's and produce music in software as well - I don't think that there are rights and wrongs when it comes to music, its what you make of it and that the end result is the most important. Roland and Yamaha is probably the favorite brands of synths and drum machines.

How easy is it for up and coming artist/dj to make it these days?

Nothing comes easy, and if it does it wont last. It also depends on which genre you are trying to do, what your purpose of being an artist or dj is - You either have to be talented like hell, or know a lot of people in the right places to push you in the right direction. Anyhow, this wont necessary make you a great artist, maybe just a well distributed name...There is a huge difference, i don't make or play music in the intention of making money, this is by me and for me, i am grateful that it has affected some people and that it has created a smaller interest for others.

Any advise for the next generation?

Im terrible at giving advises, though i would like to say that it is important to do what YOU want to do, instead of doing what others do or what you think others want. Be creative, mess around, never give up - You never know how close you are to accomplishing your next goal :)

Kind reguards, Daniel // PECKERHEAD - not anormal day since 1992

www.soundcloud.com/peckerhead

www.facebook.com/peckerheadindustries