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Saturday, 17 May, 2008

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You are browsing the 60 second interviews. Short sharp questions and answers with anyone we think is worth a squirt of HTML. Oh baby give me your URL.

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Kinky Malinki: Paul Crane

Kinky Malinki: Paul Crane

Kinky Malinki is certainly one unforgettable name. Not only are people all over the world talking about it, they're busting moves at their parties from here to Switzerland. The music policy of 'sexy, uplifting house' has translated into over five different languages and counting, making them major international party purveyors. PlanetNotion caught up with the man behind it all, Paul Crane about where Kinky Malinki is heading on the eve of the release of their second compilation… Kinky Malinki has always been about good music and atmosphere without the need for big name DJs. Has that changed in any way at all? It has changed quite considerably. The move to Turnmills has definitely paved the way for the evolution of KM. The venue itself gives us so much more opportunity to do more things musically, offering more rooms and therefore enabling us to get DJ’s in who we really admire in the scene. Rest assured what hasn’t changed, apart from getting better and more refined, is the good music and atmosphere that will always be the core of KM. Dubai is always a good place for a Kinky Malinki party. Is it still going strong at Zinc? Where are the other places that KM is really taking off? We have recently celebrated our second birthday in Dubai and if you know the Dubai club scene you will understand that that is some achievement. Dubai is, of course, our jewel in the crown but we have regular and extremely successful events both in the UK and across Europe. My personal pick of those would be our Marbella events, where we are celebrating 4 years this summer! Slovenia is hitting its second birthday and Switzerland which is quite a new event for us, but hopefully we’ll be celebrating birthdays there in the future. Mark Robinson recently joined the team and is working on the next Kinky Malinki release alongside Grant Richards. Could you tell us some more about that? What can we expect from it? Mark is one of those guys that have sat in the background as an integral part of the scene doing what he does best - A&Ring and DJing. He has worked with KM on a few things in the past and I really wanted him to be part of what I do, so with the KM series albums Mark can fully utilise his skills and bring something refreshing to the table and working alongside Grant can make the KM Series Albums a house music compilation’s to be reckoned with. In association with Company Magazine, you found KM’s first female DJ. Why did you think it was important to hold a competition like this? How is Miss Mindy fitting in with the KM family? Firstly, Mindy is fitting in fine. I think I can speak for all the judges on the night that we all felt we made the right decision actually on the night of the final and now 6 months on I’m really proud to have her on the team. The whole thinking behind the competition was that a) we didn’t actually have a female resident and we wanted one and b) whichever way you look at it, DJIng is still a male dominated arena and it shouldn’t be, every other area of the working world has a higher percentage of chicks in it, even truck driving, so why not DJing? We were just trying to do our little bit. Who are your favourite DJs at the moment? Is there anyone out there that you would really like to join the KM team? I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Gordon Edge at the moment - he played for us recently at Turnmills and not only blew me away, but most people I spoke to also. I’ve managed to successfully get a trio of DJ’s I dig for various reasons a couple of times this year anyway, they are Jon Ulysses, Jason Herd and Simon Dale and I’ve even managed to get both halves of Soul Central, Timmy Vegas and Andy Ward playing together for us too. As far as my hit list goes I’m doing OK at the moment but I’m sure I’ll find someone else soon who’d I’d love to have playing at KM. The night has always been associated with sexy and uplifting house music. Do you think that will ever change? Nope. It’s the roots. Never forget your roots! It’s the same with the good atmosphere and music thing you mentioned earlier, these are the building blocks of Kinky Malinki and this is why I’m sitting here being lucky enough to be looking at releasing 2 albums this year, celebrating 9 years of running KM and holding from 10-20 parties a month, oh and doing this interview with you guys! Kinky Malinki are holding nights all over the place during June and July. Which events are you really looking forward to this year? It’s often the new events or the second parties that excite me the most, not because the regular events don’t interest me but because the new events always teach me something new about what I do - promote parties. New events mean that I can never rest on my laurels as they always bring new challenges, one I’m particularly looking forward to though is Pacha Sharm. Do you ever follow trends musically? When electro-house started to become really popular, did KM take that on? Ha ha, you should’ve asked Grant about this question - that’s his favourite word alongside ‘funky’! I think he is currently trying to create a new scene ‘funky, electro house’. I shan’t be adopting that at KM though. In all seriousness I think that the fact we ignore the trends adds to the other major factors in a KM event. You know what you are getting then. Yes, music changes and yes, we’ve tried a few different things in the past but we stick with our ‘kinky, uplifting house music’ tagline and that’s that. Are you going out to Ibiza this year? What do you love and hate most about the island? Unfortunately we aren’t going this year. If I had a quid for every time I’ve been asked, I could buy myself a club over there. What I love about Ibiza is the chance for me to take my promoter hat off for a little while and go and check out some of the best DJ’s, music and clubs in the world and I really don’t like the whole club politics thing but I, guess you can’t avoid it though really which is a shame. Tell us about any new projects you have coming up? Well, aside from the compilation series we are setting our targets on getting involved a little on the festival scene and bringing some ‘kinkiness’ to them, as I think our atmosphere and music could lend to them well. We are also trying to nurture our record label too, it is a bit crazy in this domain these days with the whole digital situation but we are still looking to bring out several tracks a year and we have a nice little catalogue that we will be releasing over the next year or so, so keep your eyes peeled for all that. Get in on the Kinky Malinki action at Turnmills with Lenny Fontana, Soul Central and Wei Shen Mak on Saturday 21 July. The latest Kinky Malinki compilation mixed by Grant Richards and Mark Robinson is out now! www.turnmills.co.uk www.kinkymalinki.com

tags: | kinky malinki | turnmills | paul crane | grant richards | mark robinson | lenny fontana | more...

Pacha Princess: Sarah Main

Pacha Princess: Sarah Main

Life is good for Sarah Main. Not only is she the first female globally recognised DJ to emerge from Australia, she’s fast become the star resident at Pacha in her Ibiza home. In the space of a year, the party princess has toured the world, grabbed the title of ‘Best Ibiza DJ’ and commanded her very own radio show on Galaxy FM in the UK. After gaining support from Erick Morillo and Pete Tong, she is fast becoming the most sought after warm up DJ of choice on the island. Now, she’s teamed up with Tong for the latest Pure Pacha release which is set to give everyone a little taste of what they’re missing on the White Isle. PlanetNotion caught up with the lady herself to see what is it about Ibiza that’s so damn special… What does Ibiza mean to you? Can you tell us about your first experience of Ibiza? Was it very different to your time there now? Do you live on the island all year? Ibiza is all about Life...living large, loose and with love. There are so many facets to this beautiful island. The juxtaposition of the natural beauty and the hedonism makes the island perfect for me. My little utopia! First time I came here I fell in love with the energy of the island. Three words that spring to mind- inspiring, invigorating and freedom! Now I am more settled. But I still feel the same excitement if I leave and return. I live here all year round. Winter and summer are totally different. It is like you are living two years in one here. What have you got planned for your sets at Pure Pacha? Mystery, mayhem and magic...seriously just to play all my favourite music for one of the best crowds in the world. Name your top tips for Ibiza (places to go, eat, drink etc) I am often asked this question and can't help but stay loyal to my very favourite places. Firstly El Pato - a Spanish tapas restaurant that will blow your mind. Every dish creates an explosion of flavours in your mouth. This is a weekly necessity for me. The Fish Shack - located at Sa Punta, this portable Summer shack has the best fresh fish which you enjoy on the rocks and dive into the ocean afterwards-amazing! Swimming naked at the beach - When I get to make it there, this is definitely one of my fave things. It's so normal in Ibiza and so enjoyable to be in the ocean free of clothes. A massive stress reliever! As for parties, obviously I enjoy Pacha. But in my spare time, I love the Experience bar at Es Vive on a Sunday night. It’s always a fun party and the bar is lovely and intimate. Always have fun at the port bars, especially Rock and Base bar. And I have recently made it one of my missions to go to every Ibiza Rocks party. So original and so much fun, takes me back to my teenage rock days! What is special about playing Pure Pacha? Because it is Purely Pacha. The night that is what Pacha is all about - the energy is always uplifting, the crowd are happy...it's just filled with this incredible vibe. It’s glamorous and it's fun. Definitely one of the best nights in Pacha. What's your favourite Pure Pacha memory? Pete Tong opening his set with the Proper Education remix. It was the first time I had heard it and he started the track from the beginning, not mixing…the build of the music and the eruption of the crowd was amazing Finally, what else are you up to at the moment? There's always lots going on in the summer. Every week I work on my radio show, which is broadcasted on Galaxy FM in the UK every Fri night 9-11pm...It's always an enjoyable part of my week. I'm also travelling a lot - coming and back and forth from the island. Working in the studio on a few productions-very exciting. And in my spare time, having fun and being in love!! Pure Pacha mixed by Pete Tong and Sarah Main is out in late August on Gut Records. http://www.myspace.com/sarahmain Big thanks to Kim Smith @ IMD.

tags: | sarah main | galaxy fm | pure pacha | ibiza | pete tong | erick morillo | sa punta | more...

Tom and Dan: Human Zoo

Tom and Dan: Human Zoo

If anything should make you feel old, it's realising that the promoters of one of this year’s most exciting events are teenagers. Young guns Tom Notley and Dan Soler have teamed up with Spectrum’s Pete Jordan to create Human Zoo – a Suffolk based festival with a twist. The three day outdoor party plays host to three music tents playing the very best in electronic music, with major club brands Slaang and Technique pitching up to supply some of the world’s most exciting acts. Not only will this be one almighty aural feast, the site will provide healing fields, saunas and hot tubs over the mid-summer weekend. Having just confirmed Kid Creole and The Coconuts as headliners, PlanetNotion caught up with Tom and Dan to see what makes Human Zoo stand out from the dozens of events on offer this year… What were your greatest motivations for putting on your own event? Did you feel that the festivals going on these days were lacking something? Well, Tom has always thrown big parties and after a dream that Dan had to put on a club night called Human Zoo we decided to throw another party maybe with one big name, it sort of escalated from there to where we are now, we never sat down and thought that the scene was lacking anything. Although I do think that there are no events that we have ever been to that provide what we are aiming to deliver. Where there any other events or nights inspired Human Zoo? Is there a certain atmosphere that you wanted to recreate? Yeah, definitely! After a few festivals every summer for the last few years we really liked the vibes of Bestival, which of course started out small and has grown massively. They have something really nice going on, great music, a high standard of food, drink, etc and its just more civilised than say Reading or Glastonbury. We are also big clubbers of course and half of the dream is just to be working in that scene, hopefully we can enjoy it now from all sides, the punter, the performer and the organiser. Both Dan and I play in acts, Dan is in an electro act called Fenech-Soler and I’m one of two DJ’s that makes up The Old Boyz! We have a lot of fun. So, being teenagers, do you find that sometimes you don’t get taken seriously in the business? Actually people don’t really care how old we are, most of the people we have been dealing with so far have treated us on their level. Which of the acts on the Human Zoo line-up are you most excited about putting on? All of them to be honest, I mean where do you start? How did Pete Jordan of Spectrum get involved? Hexadecimal (a friend of ours) gave us Pete’s number when we were clubbing one night and explained what we were planning to do. Dan went to meet him in Nottingham to do the deal! We are obviously extremely pleased to be working alongside Pete. His reputation certainly matches up with his ability to pull in such a fantastic line up for the festival. You have big club names ‘Slaang’ and ‘Technique’ on board too – what is it about these clubs that made you want to get them involved? Well, Slaang are just doing something a little different, like us. After going to a few events it soon became apparent that they are on the same wavelength, as for Technique they’re an institution and everything they do seems to be a success! Human Zoo is taking place near Bury St. Edmonds. Why did you choose this location in particular? Well, Tom’s dad Chris who is also apart of the Human Zoo team has lived and worked here for ten years and is good friend with John Agnew the owner of the Rougham Estate. It just seemed obvious to use the area as nothing like this is happening in East Anglia at the moment. The messages of local support have been overwhelming! There’s stuff for children going on at the festival - is this to bring families to the event rather than ravers? Well yes, this is an event for everyone and has activities to back that. We think it is really important to have something for everyone. What will Human Zoo offer that’s different to the other festivals on this summer? Why should people travel to your festival? Well there are a so many aspects but I mean things like the standard of living, i.e. the flushing toilets and shower blocks and the food quality is also great we have some fantastic diversity there. Another main point would be the intimacy factor; we have chosen only to go for 5000 capacity to make sure we keep this vibe! It wont be a festival where if you lose a person you don’t see them again for the day, it wont be an event were the arenas are so packed you barely have room to stand let alone dance. It will be an event of comfort and class with some of the heavyweights from every genre of dance music and beyond performing! Human Zoo takes place at Rougham Field near Bury St.Edmonds in Suffolk on 10 – 12 August. The line up includes DJ Yoda, Pendulum, Coldcut, Stanton Warriors and many more. For more information, click here .

tags: | coldcut | pendulum | suffolk | human zoo festival | tom notley | dan soler | more...

Coco Electrik

Coco Electrik are here to fill the gaping void of experimental electro-pop that Goldfrapp left open in 2006. Fronted by Anne Booty and her haunting sultry vocals, their debut album 'Army Behind The Sun' has already been hailed as a strong contender for breakthrough album of the year. With song titles like 'Sasperilla Kiss', 'Apple Pie' and 'Sweet & Sour' with Anne's love for ice cream, this summer is certainly going to be a hot sticky one. Anne Booty! What a great name! If you could change it, what would you change it to? Well, I'm married so probably to my husband's name Whittaker - but then I sound like Anne Widdecombe. So, I'll leave it as is thanks! You've been gaining an underground following for a while now. Why is it now that you're starting to hack at the mainstream? Erm, are we?! The album is just a natural progression from where we've been going with the singles. I've always wanted to make music that has the potential to appeal to the people, something that strikes a chord with the masses. Tell us about your sound. How would you describe it? Buy the album and find out for yourselves! ;) Your sound and the titles of your songs are very Goldfrapp. Do you count them as a major inspiration? No. But I think we probably share some common influences. Sometimes you’re described as an electronica act and sometimes people say you’re a pop act. What do you think of that? How do you feel about pop music these days? You can be both. There are plenty of artists out there from the likes of Bjork and Prince, through to newer acts like The Klaxons and CSS who have brought elements of more underground electronica to a pop audience. When creating a song, what comes first – the tune or the words? It can be either really. I always carry my moleskin to scribble down ideas for lyrics and keep my mobile close to hand to record any melodies that pop into my head. How important do you feel that image is to a musical act like yourself? I think image is important to everything. But the key is not to let it overshadow the music itself. We live in audio-visual times... You’ve done a cover of 'Tainted Love'. Why did you decide to do that particular song? We were contacted by Audi via our publishers. It was a one off thing for an ad campaign, but it was fun and I've always had a soft spot for Soft Cell. Are you doing any festivals? Ibiza? Possibly doing Bestival, but it's to be confirmed! Please finish the sentence: This summer I will mostly be… Doing lots of shows, finishing off my novella and starting work on the new album. Eating lots of ice cream. COCO ELECTRIK'S 'ARMY BEHIND THE SUN' IS OUT ON JUNE 25 ON TUMMY TOUCH RECORDS.

tags: | coco electrik | goldfrapp | anne booty | army behind the sun | tummy touch records | more...

Big Strides

Funk soul brothers Big Strides are back with what lyricist/vocalist/guitarist/harmonica head Marcus calls 'a proper rock n roll record.' Fans will step up to appreciate this slicker affair, where the London based trio chat about everything from some unfortunate Essex bird to making cookies and £2.49 purchases. Rock on! Good Day Marcus, is the sun shining where you are? I'm sat outside eating lunch and it’s not even summer yet – amazing! Chargrilled vegetables and cous cous... A man of fine taste! So how is 'Cry It All Out' a departure from the first album? It's definitely sadder! It's only rock n roll but more heartfelt this time, not just ideas over beats. The first was a funky groove with a few rambles over it, this is harder rock with big guitar hooks and weepy choruses. Which tracks on the new record are you especially proud of? 'She Drinks Whiskey,' which as Lewis (drummer) said, it's about a girl, it's flattering and loving without descending into cheese! It's got really bluesy production. 'Smiling' is a weird Pixies like tune. I wrote it in 6 minutes, which everyone says and I always think is bollocks but it really happened! 'What's Wrong With Lucy?' is about a friend of my ex's – she’s straight from Essex, there's something not quite right... like a mystery disaster girl! How long have you been playing the harmonica and is it an endangered instrument? Good question! I started at 13, my mates went shoplifting in a music shop and filled their baggy trousers! A whole set of harmonicas worth £30 each, people would blow in and out but I got to keep them! It's a really pigeonholed instrument, for trite blues tunes, but I like to play hip hop harmonica! I want to do more harmonica solo tracks. Is 'dancing in the face of adversity' the power of music? Definitely, dancing, you lose yourself. I might have shit to get out but people don't notice every lyric or every note - it might be a tune about me and my bad day but its two way pain relief! Jonathan Ross said of your music, 'I can't decide if I love it or it upsets me...' It might have been the first time he heard us, I don't mind it, I don't want to join Keane or anything but people always hear us and go, 'I like it but what is it?' How do you think the UK music scene is progressing? A month ago I'd have said there's no hope - I can't take another ten years of Coldplay soft rock sound-a-likes! But Jamie T, Just Jack and Duke Special are putting out great stuff, it's all just started! Larrikin Love with their kids' buzz of loony reggae - thank goodness! BIG STRIDES' 'CRY IT ALL OUT' IS OUT NOW (TALL ORDER)

tags: | big strides | cry it all out | tall order records | essex | she drinks whiskey | more...

Scratch Perverts

Scratch Perverts

Those Perverted ones are back with a mix CD, 'Watch The Ride.' See what imagery each tune conjures as Prime Cuts, Tony Vegas and DJ Plus One pull more styles than Madonna switches leotards on a Saturday night. Here Plus One gives Planet Notion the skinny on this super-sized happy meal of a mix. Saucy! Why bring out a mix CD rather than some pure Perverts' production? We had free reign to represent our tastes with no other branding. Our artist album isn't ready but we used 3 of our tracks - more than before in a comp. We've been leaking some pretty popular bootlegs! What criteria did you use for selecting the playlist? 3 people's tastes are in there... I like electro stuff, Joel (Prime Cuts) is into dubstep and Tony loves drum n bass. There's enough hip hop on there to appease, but big parties are what we're about so it’s a sample of what we do live. Pharoahe Monch's 'Push' and Million Dan's 'Dogz and Sledgz' have been rinsed already - weren't you keen to have some fresher tunes? You're right, but people still ask us about those, and both are hard to find on 12". Clearance is hard for ‘Push,’ and Million Dan is UK, so we wanted to push that. Your tune, 'Freaks,' belongs with the hyphy hip hop DJ Shadow champions now – what about his comeback? Shadow is an absolute hero! It shocks when someone like that changes direction. Musically, it has energy so I love it as a DJ, but it's not the album for me. Mark Ronson's remix of Radiohead's 'Just' features too... His stuff is a breath of fresh air. I like how he uses live instruments to create wholesome music – going backward to move forward. Will the digital revolution leave record culture and turntablism extinct? Part of you wonders how long it’ll last... I use Serato for sets because it's still vinyl based; the future is ways of adapting the art within new technologies. I still visit Rough Trade and Phonica, and we’re stuck in our ways! Why is UK hip hop still a subculture, with all of the players skint? The crossover potential of UK hip hop doesn't seem to live itself out as it should. Any attitude about keeping it down is with the fans, not the artists. When I was 15 in Scotland it was great listening to stuff my mates hadn't heard, but we're realistic now. I don't know why, like Plan B never became as massive as I hoped. Which are your favourite tracks from 'Watch The Ride'? Sebastian's 'Ross Ross Ross,' Skibadee's 'Tika Top' and the Unkle remix of Queens Of The Stone Age. Last record you bought? 'Smoking Kills,' by Sebastian. 'WATCH THE RIDE' IS OUT NOW (HARMLESS)

tags: | scratch perverts | tony vegas | dj plus one | prime cuts | watch the ride | madonna | more...

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