Ranji from Dapanji

- The following questions were compiled on behalf of Psymedia by Evan Greenblo.

Dapanji are Israeliens Ranji (Ran Rajuan, 28) & (Daniel Aminov, 28) At the end of 2006 the duo joined up to make Dapanji, and after a year in the studio, refining their unique sound – full of crazy breaks , by turns dynamic and groovy – they got ready to unleash their fresh sound on an unsuspecting world. Dapanji looks to raise the bar of what’s expected from innovative studio producers.

Psymedia: Shalom! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions before you play in Cape Town. I know your English is not great so I’ll be easy on you. When did you know you wanted to become involved in music?

Dapanji: I (Ranji) started to make music when I was a kid at the age of 12 and Daniel started DJing at the age of 16 and after that we started to get into producing music. We knew music would always be a part of our lives.

Psymedia: Have you guys visited South Africa before?

Dapanji: No we have never visited South Africa before – and it’s not going be our last time, that’s for sure! We hear a lot of good things about South Africa and we are looking forward to coming to play at this weekend’s Beartrap presents Celestial Beings III event.

Psymedia: So you’ve heard quite a bit about our country?

Dapanji: Yes, for sure! We heard about South Africa years ago when we did parties and bring a lot of DJ’s from South Africa to play.

Psymedia: Yeah, I think it’s interesting we look forward to international DJs but we should appreciate our locals.

Dapanji: You have killer local’s brother!

Psymedia: The name choice is quite interesting. Why did you decide to use the name Dapanji?

Dapanji: Daniel + Ranji = Dapanji. We wanted to use an exclusive name.

Psymedia: So it’s a coincidence there’s a popular Chinese food dish called Dapanji as well?

Dapanji: Yes, but when we make the name we did not know this.

Psymedia: Was it your intention to create a kind of create a contrast between the pop samples and psychedelic sounds?

Dapanji: We always love to do something fresh (with our music) so we mix together different styles such as pop, psy, groove, dubstep, funky all in one track.

Psymedia: Yeah, that’s what it should be about. Just good dance friendly music! People should stop being so critical of styles

Dapanji: Exactly! Yes man something nice to the ears, but psy in my soul!

Psymedia: I listened to your new versus demo with Shibass entitled YaBaDaBaDo. I noticed some dubstep elements in it. Is this something we’ll see on upcoming releases of Dapanji or was that more Shibass’ contribution?

Dapanji: Shibass is a very good friend of ours, and when we made YaBaDaBaDo one of our intentions was to help promote him. However the dubstep elements were done by us and you will hear more at Beartrap presents Celestial Beings III this weekend!

Psymedia: I believe the more progressive and intelligent trance is becoming popular in Israel – is this true?

Dapanji: Not so true, but yes a lot of people like progressive now. I think it sucks – just kidding! But this is why I made my side project called Ranji for the progressive lovers.

Psymedia: Captain Hook was here in December, he played quite an interesting set something we haven’t really heard here. I think for the most part people enjoyed it.

Dapanji: Yes, if it’s progressive I think Captain Hook is the best!

Psymedia: He also squeezed in some dubstep and drum and bass so i was happy with that! When can we expect a follow up to your debut Born to Break?

Dapanji: The follow up to Born To Break its will come in 2 to 3 months from now.

Psymedia: Can you give me any other details?

Dapanji: The truth is we don’t know yet, because now we made a new site to sell music. The website is www.bipiem.com which we just started last week. So maybe all the new music will be out there. This is our site and every artist can open a store and sell his/her music. www.bipiem.com/dapanji is our store – it is still in BETA but we will make the launch for the site after the next tour

Psymedia: The project sounds pretty interesting. Who makes up the team?

Dapanji: It’s 4 partners – me and Daniel plus two of our friends.

Psymedia: What’s next after South Africa? Are you planning to head out anywhere else?

Dapanji: Yes we’ll be heading to Japan, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico and many more places!

Psymedia: Have a safe flight! When will you be arriving in SA?

Dapanji: I will arrive on Friday. Is it hot there now?

Psymedia: Yeah it will probably be hot! 20’s or 30’s I rate, it will be a cooker regardless!

Be sure to Catch Dapanji this weekend at Beartrap presents Celestial Beings III!

ALSO CHECK OUT:

• Dapanji on Facebook
• Dapanji on Soundcloud
• Dapanji on MySpace
• Ranji on Facebook
• www.bipiem.com/dapanji

In all literary versions the myth of Pandora is a kind of theodicy, addressing the question of why there is evil in the world. In this case however, it is an attempt to show that it is possible to affirm the omnipotence of Psychedelic Trance, the love of Psychedelic Trance, and the reality of evil without contradiction.

In physical form it represents a presence not yet understood, addressing the interconnectivity of a race, group or culture. Some call it gees, we believe it to be a world where unnecessary evil does not exist, where your mind is left to roam free… Further and beyond the levels of average perception, to a place where inner positive thought & creativity dwells abundantly. This optimal state of positive being is a shared attribute amongst all who co-exist in the world of Pandora.

This release by Kaos Krew Records serves as a portal to the world of Pandora. A venture into the furthest unknown perceptions of reality, filled with imagination and unlimited possibility, and beyond towards the ever appealing Pandora.

Compiled by DJ Infekta and Night Wolf, featuring EMP, Night Wolf, Sci Lab, Iron Lotus, and more.

Lose yourself within her mystery…

TRACK PREVIEWS:

V/A Pandora – Compiled by Kaos Krew Records

Free Radical Records presents 25 Ways To Freakdom

TIME AND DATE:

18 February 2012 at 15:30 until, 19 February 2012 at 18:00

THE FREAKS ON THE DECKS:

• 16.00 - Kineticz ( independent )
• 18.00 - Hi Tek Lo Life (Independant)
• 20.00 - Scratch Droid ( Free Radical Records )
• 21.30 - Killian vs Mindtrix ( Psybliminal Records / Noisy Radicals )
• 23.30 - Dark Forest (Free Radical Records/mind melt)
• 01.00 - Distorted Culture (ultranoise)
• 02.30 - Bionik ( Psybliminal Records )
• 03.30 - Neonglo ( Psybliminal records )
• 04.30 - Anubis ( Cryptic Symmetry records )
• 05.30 - Killswitch ( Psybliminal Records/Triptec Records )
• 06.30 - Glitch ( Ritual Records )
• 07.30 -Highstyle ( Psybliminal Records)
• 08.30 - Cape Tom ( Free Radical Records)
• 10.00 - Mr Madness ( Free Radical Records/Noisy Radicals Portugal )
• 12.00 - Organoise ( Free Radical Records / Zulutunes )
• 13.30 - Satchel ( Free Radical Records / Noisy Radicals)
• 15.30 - Gamba ( Free Radical Records )
• 17.00 – fin

VENUE: STANFORD Cape Town SA

DIRECTIONS:

• Take the N2 towards Caledon
• take the R43 turnoff to Hermanus.
• Continue through Hermanus towards Stanford.
• Venue will be on your left about 20km after Hermanus, watch for signs!

STALL BOOKINGS: (Essential)

Text only: 0729386084

FOR MEDIA RELATED ENQUIRIES:

sid@freeradicalrecords.com
sid.sidwaba@gmail.com
084 804 1365

CHECK OUT THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

www.freeradicalrecords.com

Scott Rennie Photography

Before I begin, I think it is important to point out that Origin festival was quite literally the origin of all trance parties for me. Being an avid psytrance lover and listener for many years, it was only a matter of time before I came to my psychedelic senses, and attended my very first outdoor gathering, that being Origin Festival 2008. Quite honestly, I don’t think I could have asked for a better introduction. In fact, I feel blessed to say the least, knowing that every year I will return to the origin of my outdoor adventures, in celebration of another magical year spent dancing underneath the stars. This year being the 5 year milestone for me, and having not missed an Origin since word ‘stomp’ left my lips, I can confidently say that this year’s Origin Festival 2012 was by far the best one yet!

I managed to hitch a ride with the one and only Scott Rennie and his trusty girlfriend, leaving Cape Town at approximately 4:20 in the evening; it was certainly a good start to the journey. Journalist and photographer as one, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves queueing outside the Gate, receiving our MUCH APPRECIATED car pass, arm bands, and making our way through massive parking grounds where we found a suitable spot right by the entrance to the forest - “Welcome Home”.

Aware of the fact that this was the same venue they used for last year’s Origin, it was clear as day how much effort the organizers put into improving the experience. For starters, last year only had an ankle deep stream for ‘swimming’. This year, we were blessed with a beautiful man-made dam for all to enjoy! One could take a fully-submerged dunk and cool off from the harsh African sun, or rest your legs on the sidelines in the ample shade provided by nearby trees.

This leads me to my next point – The forest. One could argue that it is the biggest selling point about this one of a kind venue, for the forest provides loads of shade like no other. That, and the natural beauty that comes with it of course! In comparison to last year; the minimal dance floor was again located in and amongst the shaded trees, but this time on the opposite end of the forest (car-park side). This created a warm and festive welcome into the cool forest for new arrivals having to endure the dreaded treks across the scorching car-park, and ensured a pleasant walk all the way through the forest to where the market and Origin dance floor could be found. Another obvious plus about the forest were the ideal camping grounds (no sand mites here, like at Rainbows End in 09).

Having set up camp on the grassy banks running parallel to the forest, it was time to pour ourselves a drink and head to the dance floor! Entering the market place, it became clear once more that Origin had outdone themselves – A food and crafts market catering for all made way for party goers as massive flags stood tall on either side, creating a grand walkway of sorts for party goers entering and exiting the Origin arena. In terms of describing the Origin stage, I will not even bother trying, for it was simply too good for words! One could spot bits and pieces of decor used at previous events, such as the Sprung Flower and Earthdance Trees – However, never in my history of psytrance parties, had I seen a stage by the likes of this one! In a nutshell, it was quite literally a portal to another dimension – Big ups to Carin from Artescape and all those involved in the setup!

My only problem with the stage setup (and I think I speak on behalf of many), is that the DJ was not visible when standing on the left or right hand side of the dance floor. In order to see the DJ, one had to be in the center. This caused some discomfort for me as I have the tendency of jamming front right. That,  and I really do like to watch who’s playing for they are the music makers, many of which have an awesome stage presence which I believe is half the show. Not knowing who’s playing also makes it hard for me to review certain sets, as I’m sure you can imagine. Nonetheless, we could not have asked for a bigger, brighter, and more beautiful stage and decor setup, and by the time Avalon hit the decks at 1am, I had become quite accustomed to jamming in the center of it all.

Avalon staying true to his sound, whipped out some aggressive progressive beats which had me glued to the dance floor for most of his set. In fact, throughout the entire party it was pretty hard to leave the dance floor, for it was simply way too much fun to ignore! I tried taking as few trips to the tent for re-fills as possible for I did not want to miss a thing. However, even when I was making trips for another much-deserved drink, there were times where turning around and running back was essential – The music had a firm grip on me to say the least.

Scott Rennie Photography – Avalon

Switchcache followed, and turned the tables from what was considered to be a pretty progressive night, into a more full-on, dark and twisted early morning. In juxtaposition to the sets leading up to his, his set was faster and more choppy, and was a suitable opening for Zion Linguist and his fast paced double-drop bangers. One of the highlights of Switchcache‘s set was definitely Mad Piper vs Deliriant – From The Void.

Sometime during Zion Linguist, I took the time to explore the market and indulge in some something delicious. One of the many perks of these festivals is the food – no matter how oily or healthy it looks, it’s bound to taste amazing! After the chow, I took a trip to our camp spot for a much needed leg rest, where I was welcomed by friends smoking up a storm. Hooray for that.

Without any sleep time flew, and before I knew it the sun was up and USA International Brian Sentiant was already coming to an end of his set. Regrettably I missed it, but managed to make it in time for Broken Toy – One thing was for sure, things were heating up fast! The tequila was now finished and it was time to move onto something a little more practical, good ol H2O. As always, Broken Toy played a set for all to enjoy with all of his classics, including The Presets Remix – Talk Talk among many others. If there is one thing Broken Toy isn’t afraid of, it’s playing his old material, some tracks dating back to 2007!

By 9am the sun was baking hot… Thankfully, Origin had special plans for us (much like last year) – With giant tulips spread out evenly across the massive dance floor, trickling water onto the crowd as we danced the day away. The dance floor was now at full capacity, with giant beach balls bouncing around, water spraying left, right and center, and a festive vibe that one could only find at Cape Town’s finest outdoors.

DJ Tristan was up next, the international from the UK who had troubles getting here over the previous years. All I can say is WOW and THANK YOU, because this was by far the greatest set all weekend and put the cherry on top of the cake for me personally! His special 2 hour DJ set fell nothing short of amazing, with full-on, powerful Nano-sound psytrance that had me smiling from ear to ear! To be dead fucking honest (excuse the language), in all my 5 years of partying outdoors, I don’t think I had ever experienced so much energy with a DJ and his music as I did with Tristan. You could tell that he was having as much fun as anyone of us on the dance floor – So much energy, so much interaction, it was almost as if he was jamming on the dance floor with us! One can only wish he returns to SA as soon as possible.

Killerwatts; the brainchild of none other than the 2 International headliners Avalon and Tristan, followed with their South African Debut. They were also scheduled to play last year as well but couldn’t due to Tristan‘s absence. Nevertheless, they were here now, bringing forth a hybrid sound of the 2 Nano artists which kept the crowd moving into midday. I found this set to be a tad bit slower than Tristan‘s DJ set, but having both him and Avalon behind the decks was still a massive treat, both having an awesome stage presence that made it all that much more enjoyable!

The Commercial Hippies were on at noon, which for me was one of the more disappointing sets of the party. Despite all their efforts, and moments of glory with their Lark remix – Tricksy, I found their set very boring, and even unpleasant at times. For instance their latest P.H. Fat remix – Sorry to say, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I suppose they are living up to their name though, so well done for that. At the end of the day it’s different strokes for different folks I suppose.

More trips back and forth from the taps were made, with the sun now beating down on us much like our feet on the dance floor. Drenching myself from head to toe with water just didn’t quite cut it anymore, as I would be completely dry by the time I got back to the dance floor. One had to take full advantage of the sprinklers dangling above. Headroom pleased the crowd as always with his quality tunes, hearing Rebirth Control is always a pleasure!

It must have been towards the end of Headroom‘s set when I made my last trip to the taps, and realized that the sun was just taking way too much energy out of me. Given my sleep deprived, sun-burnt, leg-exhausted state, I decided to call it quits and head back into the forest for some much-needed shade and rest. 2 hours later I woke up on shaded grass by our campsite – It was time to go home.

I would just like to thank Regan and Monique Tacon, the entire Origin crew, Artescape, those responsible for all the visuals, sound and lighting, and the entire production team for putting together such an incredble event! To all the music makers and performers, a job bloody well done! I think that I’ve made it pretty clear that I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I’m sure everyone else did too! You can count on me coming back next year, that’s for sure – Origin for life!

Oh and thank you Scott Rennie for the lift and photos

MORE PHOTOS:

Scott Rennie Photography - Avalon at Origin Festival 2012

I had the pleasure of meeting Leon Avalon (Nano UK) last night at Trinity’s Labyrinth, and boy, what a nice dude. We chatted about his set at Origin Festival, his trips to SA, his Fu Cha Gatherings gig in JHB this coming weekend , and his 5FM radio set last weekend. And as promised, Avalon has just uploaded his 5FM broadcast which was the perfect warm-up for Origin. The 30 minute gem is considered to be his ‘lower BPM stuff’, with a lot of unreleased material and a lil interview at the end.

One can only hope that he decides to upload his Origin set, or perhaps even a free download?

Avalon live mix on 5FM Radio

WHY FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT?

TICKET GIVE-AWAY:

PRIZES: 2 Free Tickets – 2 Winners!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THIS:

• Simply Invite all your friends to the Facebook Event Page .
• Comment on this post below –  Tell us what does the best-dressed person at this event win?
• Hit the Facebook Share button below
• Please use a valid Email address.
• Only those who are over 18 are valid Entries.

NB: WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY THE 21st OF FEBRUARY. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS PROMPTLY, AS WINNERS NEED TO RESPOND IN ORDER TO CLAIM THEIR PRIZE AND RECEIVE TICKET-COLLECTION DETAILS!

PLEASE SEE EVENT PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS (lineups, tickets, venue, etc)

It is generally a difficult task to expect one to write a review for a trance party. It’s a party for goodness sake, I want to get wasted too.  One struggles with the balance of enjoying the party in order to give a full account of the event; (which usually leads to one being completely wasted and non-compos mentis) or simply paying complete and sober attention.

 The Cooked Chaos party presented by Noisy Radicals was different; the arm bands were made out of a silk like strips of material with a beautifully printed Noisy Radicals label design – such a personal touch. I immediately got the feeling that this party was somewhat different to other parties I have attended. At this one, people were so friendly, so freaking overjoyed and were really appreciating the music – Not to say that this is not the case with other parties. I say this without any bias; the party was simply out of this world. Yes, there are a few things I may have had a problem with but nothing serious enough to make a rant about.  To assure you of this fact; I still have my arm band on 3 weeks after the event, and it’s not because I can’t get it off.

Signage could have been more visible, and directions could have been posted on the Facebook event page – Perhaps this would’ve prevented another  17km drive off-route. Nonetheless, upon arrival in the blazing heat, we dashed in and jumped right into working the gate. I had been so lucky to end up being one of the gate staff at the party otherwise it may have been a bit too steep for my pocket. The vibe with which people arrived; really keen and excited to get in and party made it so easy.

Faster than expected, it was time to be relieved of my gate duties As soon as we found a spot to park, I got my drink and with this surreal feeling of delight I made my way to the core of it all; the dance floor. For a brief moment the dance floor looked like a mass gathering of minions led by a psychedelic force in motion.

I was very pleased to notice that the dance floor was not far from where everyone parked and camped; a huge relief. Being close by ensured that you always heard the music.  The dance floor was packed regardless of the hot midday sun or the chilly nights. I have never been to a party that gets a request for an encore from a massive crowd, on the last day of the party. But there was all reason to plead for more.

25 International acts in 4 days…

The USA, Austria, Israel, Mexico and amongst more, the UK were represented. And these guys being by far the most delectable DJ’s. So with that in mind, including the thumping tunes that grew more intense with evocation of energy; the dancing would not stop. There were always at least two hundred people dancing at a time bearing in mind that the party played host to approximately 1200 guests over the four days. Being told that this party was going to be dark I expected really upbeat music that would be so far off any type of rhythmic sequence. I honestly found it to be the opposite. The music was by far the most rhythmic with a variety of nuances. A schism between dark and the light, Noisy Radicals is often placed on the dark side, however, they are “not dark at all,” according to Sacha Micheal, owner of Free Radical Records.

Most party goers probably fail to pay too much attention to décor; The beautifully colored psychedelic images of Neil Gibson engulfed and eliminated the dj’s to perfection and we on the dancefloor were dancing under the webbed masterpiece of Boni Psyplat.

Brandon Adams, Dj from the USA and his thumping tunes are to blame for distracting me from paying even more attention to the décor. And with great delight, it was awesome to look around every now and then to see everyone else stomping; a friend likes to call it the “dance, dance revolution”.

I managed to speak to Austrian Free Radical DJ, Philoso. I asked him what he thought of Cape Town’s psytrance scene. He mentioned that it is pretty big here. He started to compare it to Austria’s psytrance scene and concluded that Cape Town is really one of the leading trance scenes. He is amazed at how the party people here embrace any tune you throw at them. They simply appreciate the rich complexity of psytrance. He says he definitely wants to come back.

I could, for the sake of just giving you a description,  describe each set and each DJ, but I simply could not, in words, describe how electric all the sets were.

Thank you to the party people , you guys are always the reason a trance party turns out great. It is no wonder I have bumped into and recognized quite a few of you out and about. Thank you Free Radical Records, I look forward to more Noisy Radicals events where I am guaranteed to be on the dance floor at least 90% of the time.

Leaving the party was the worst feeling. The entire drive back I had echoing sounds of the music still thumping in my head.

Follow Syd Sidwaba on Twitter @psychinx

Groovy Troopers presents Vision Serpent 2012

3 Days & 2 Nights – Psychedelic Tribal Gathering

TIME AND DATE:

23 – 25 March 2012
Gates open Friday at 2pm.

LINEUP:

Saturday / Sunday:

16:00 Delphi (Groovy Troopers)
16:30 Yogi (Groovy Troopers)
18:00 Gokon Rave (Psynopticz) – live
19:30 Silo (Psynopticz)
21:00 Chabunk (Solar Tech / Groovy Troopers) – live
22:00 Parana (Groovy Troopers) – live
23:00 Journey (Free Spirit, Italy) – live
00:30 Tune Raider (Nutek)
02:00 Cybernetix (Organik) – live
03:00 Delta (One Foot Groove, Portugal)
04:30 Xatrik (Disasterpeace) – live
05:30 Anestetic (Timecode, Portugal)
07:30 Mad Maxx (United Beats, USA) – live
09:30 Shockwave (Solar Tech / Groovy Troopers) – live
11:00 Waio ( Solar Tech, Brazil) – live
12:30 Regan (Nano)
14:30 Sterealkey (Groovy Troopers)

HYPERDRIVE – FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY!

Don your intergalactic party boots & achieve warp-speed. This one’s an all-nighter!

Friday / Saturday:

18:00 Kifaru (Mungus Fungus)
20:00 Wyndham & TanJAH (Mind Cultivation)
22:00 Jay Om (Free Spirit, Italy)
00:00 Bruce (Alien Safari)
02:00 Excell (Disasterpeace)
04:00 Myzo (Disasterpeace, Portugal)
06:00 Jester (Disasterpeace)
08:00 Absynth (Altered States)
10:00 Satori (One Foot Groove)
12:00 Ninjah (Groovy Troopers)

VIRAL LOUNGE

A sampling of the finest Prog, Electro, Breaks, IDM & Minimal. Beat freakery to inspire & liberate the senses!

Saturday / Sunday:

14:00 Craigus (Starfish)
16:00 C-Pop (Viral Lounge)
18:00 Strange Loop (Viral Lounge)
20:00 Organik Panik (Alien Safari)
22:00 Spekta (Technodubfest)
00:00 L.S.Dork (Independent)
02:00 Sub+trackt (G&D live)
04:00 Lenard (Viral lounge)
06:00 Justin (Viral Lounge)
08:00 Delphi (Viral Lounge)
10:00 Sadhu Sensi (Independent)

VISUALS:

Psychedelic mutations and beautiful malfunctions under the pulse. An adventure of colour & sensation.

VJ’s: Image Master Blink
Art: Artescape & Psyche Charis
Structures: Blaize

VENUE: De Hoek Estate

Nestled in the Obiqua mountains, De Hoek lies in its own secret valley.
Vineyards, open fields, forests and fynbos give way to peaks and
blue skies. Come and experience trance under wide open African skies
guarded by ancient rocks and blessed by flowing rivers!

Directions: 130km from CT!

Take N1 from Cape Town – Take Exit 47 (Klapmuts / Wellington / Stellenbosch)
Turn left towards Wellington / R44.
Stay on this road.
Straight over 4way stop with the orange traffic light.
At the next Traffic Light turn left, Distillery Rd, R44 to Porterville / Ceres.
Drive for +-40km and turn left towards Gouda / Porterville.
Drive +-18km and turn right towards De Hoek.
Stay on this road. Follow the signs.

Co-Ordinates: -33° 9′ 27.51″ & +19° 1′ 41.33″

For SMS Venue Directions: Text “PSYTRANCE VENUE” to 36012 (R5 per SMS. T&C apply)

FACILITIES:

State of the art sound on 2 shaded dance & chill floors
original art-work & installations
plenty of camping
a swimmable dam (bring lilos)
bars
food & crafts market.

USEFUL THINGS TO PACK:

Camping stuff
sunblock, torch
insect repellent
sun-hat
practical shoes
swimming costume
silly outfits and props for general amusement.

PARTICIPATE:

Temporary Autonomous Zones function on the basis of participation. Dress up!

STALL BOOKINGS: Apply for your stall before 9 March.

Email: info@groovytroopers.co.za to apply.

TICKETS:

R250 Outlets
R265 Online – www.micket.me (avail. ‘till 21 March)
R280 Gate

Sunday Ticket:
R150 @ Gate (From 9AM Sunday)

OUTLETS: (no credit cards / debit cards)

BIG BAY – Postnet – 0215542755
CANAL WALK – Wild Fire Piercing – 0215528929
CBD: 87 BUITENGRACHT STR. – Subway – 0214249527
CBD: GARDENS – Global Girl – 0214618925
CBD: 161 LONG STR. – SKA – 0214265025
CBD: 233 LONG STR. – Skint Clothing – 0218013536
CLAREMONT – Royal Vendetta – 0216839399
DURBANVILLE – Gypsy – 0219762604
HOUTBAY –5 Senses – 0217908132
KALK BAY – SKA – 0217887437
KALK BAY – Gypsy – 0217886802
LONG BEACH – Skint Clothing – 0217857777
OBSERVATORY – SKA – 0214476014
SEA POINT – Call-a-Pizza *extra booking fee – 0214340818
SOMERSET WEST – Old Skool Tattoos – 0713455096
STELLENBOSCH – Gypsy – 0218867157
TYGERVALLEY – Long Street – 0219143136

DISCLAIMER:

RIGHT OF ADMISSION RESERVED. Entry is entirely at your own risk. The promoters, venue and contractors accept no responsibility whatsoever for injury, death, loss or damage of any nature to persons, vehicles & belongings. Due care has been taken to make this event safe & secure. All rights reserved: Jupiter Eventures

P:L:U:R: STRICTLY NO: Under18’s (ID on request), Glass bottles, Littering, Fires, Fireworks, Domestic animals, Graffiti, Bad attitudes, Weapons, Independent sound systems, illegal substances. Don’t drink & drive!

Alien Safari presents The Masqued Ball 2012

Engage, Play, Conspire. Feathers, hats, cloaks, whatever you feel . . Spritely delights your heart will reveal . . An event of playful abandon for all merry pranksters and revelers. GET ON THE BUS.

Alien Safari outdoor electronic music and psychedelic productions provide a platform for freedom, interaction, exchange and artistic expression, bringing together people from all walks of life as one. Known for its slick production and cutting edge local and international acts, the event strives to promote awareness, conscious lifestyles, positivity . . .

DATE AND TIME:

25 – 26 February 2012
Venue opens at 10 am on Saturday.

LINEUP:

• Earthling :: Spun Recs
• Celli :: Spun Recs
• Concept Live and DJ :: Digital Psionics | Timecode
• Prism (Concept vs Scorb) :: Trick Music
• Scorb :: Trick Music
• Bruce
• Colin
• Emoutikon
• EMP
• Moon
• Plusminus
• Prefix
• Rubix Qube
• Skarab
• Shift
• Sonic
• Sterealkey
• Terrorbyte

Local acts to be announced

VENUE:

We found a new venue on the other side of Stanford that has not been affected by the fire.

Directions:

Take N2 from Cape Town
Go over Sir Lowry’s Pass
Turn left into the R43 towards Hermanus / Kleinmond (Exit 90)
Drive through Hermanus towards Stanford
Venue is 17 km on the left out of Hermanus on the road to Stanford
Look for signs

GPS co-ordinates: Latitude: 34° 25’ 23.45” S, Longitude: 19° 28’ 27.78” E

TICKETS:

R200 Presale
R240 Gate

TICKET GIVE-AWAY:

Win FREE TICKETS to this Event here!

MASQUERADE COMPETITION:

The Annual Masqued Ball is a dress up event. The best dressed person will win a season ticket to all alien safari events next season. Anticipate, Participate, One Love ♥

WHY FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT?

OUTLETS:

Canal Walk: Wild Fire Piercing :: 021 – 552 8929
Cape Town CBD: Global Girl, Gardens Center :: 021 – 461 8925
SKA Clothing, Long Street :: 021 – 426 5025
Cavendish: Long street :: 021 671 9846
Durbanville: Gypsy :: 021 – 976 2604
Hermanus: Funky Vibes :: 028 – 312 1446
Hout Bay: Creperie & Coffee Shop :: 021 – 790 8132
Kalk Bay: Ska :: 021 – 788 747
Noordhoek: Skint Clothing, Long Beach :: 021 – 785 7777
Observatory: SKA Clothing :: 021 – 447 6014
Sea Point: Call-a-Pizza :: 021 – 434 0818 * Additional booking fee
Somerset West: Old Skool Tattoos, Main Road :: 071 345 5096
Stellenbosch: Gypsy :: 021 – 886 7157
Tygervalley: Long Street :: 021 914 3136
Waterfront: Long street :: 021 – 418 6540

ACCOMMODATION:

Please contact discodigs@aliensafari.net to book accommodation.

CONTACT:

Hotline: 082 741 8981
Email: info@aliensafari.net
Website: www.aliensafari.net

ARTWORK BY THE ILLUSTRIOUS ANDROID JONES AND THE NOTORIOUS VAUGHAN DE VILLE

DISCLAIMER:

STRICTLY NO ◦ GLASS bottles, under 18’s (ID upon request), fires, fireworks, domestic animals, independent sound systems, illegal substances, graffiti, weapons. Right of admission reserved. Participation in the event is entirely at own risk. The organizers accept no responsibility whatsoever for injury, death, loss or damage of any nature to persons, vehicles or belongings, even in the case of negligence. Due care has been taken to make this event safe and secure. No papsak allowed on dancefloor please

Get it from: Amazon

With last year’s Tek Stream a killer release on Scythe Squadron, and 2424 on Scythe 09 none too shabby either, Ben Fraser’s been busy under his own name. But what of Sabretooth, his finely honed psytrance alias? The answer is the functionally named but totally superb Sabretooth 3, where the Sheffield dark destroyer brings out the big guns, displaying his well-earned reputation for exquisitely crafted, thrillingly hard tracks. A proper album in the good old-fashioned sense of the word, Sabretooth 3 is sequenced to build. If you’re plundering it for a mix there’s plenty of ammo here – with the exception of the punk track 20 Dollar Bill, there isn’t a track on the album that doesn’t flat-out rock – but it also rewards the complete run-through thanks to a constantly shifting palette of styles. Compared to what’s to come, the almost Goan opening of Mulu (145 BPM) is a gentle introduction; Confession Driver (143 BPM) uses a sample from American Psycho and tribal chants to add a creeping sense of dread then adds disorientating whirling, backwards sound effects, layering the lot into an epic, intense mid-album highlight. The rules change for Drive On (137 BPM), a tougher track with more emphasis on tribal drumming. 20 Dollar Bill is a punk track and – well, it is what it is, I suppose. It disrupts the mood – the mood being trippy, hard, banging psytrance – but it also acts as a palette cleanser for an outstanding run of three tracks: Manipulated Being (148 BPM), Hellfire (150 BPM) and Trak 2 (147 BPM). All of them shine but it’s Trak 2 that really brings the noise, layering riff upon riff towards a devastating breakdown that features a brilliantly placed sample of Withnail screaming, ‘My head’s gone numb!’. You and me both.

Some links:
Sabretooth Soundcloud
Sabretooth website

LVstar Photography - Deliriant at MMD

Mad Piper recently got my attention with his Zone Festival Set and recent collab with Critical Mass; Critical Madness – both earning their spot in our Tracks Of The Week category. That, and Deliriant‘s most recent set at MMD presents Back To The Primitive 2 weeks ago just had to put this epic tune on the spotlight for me! I have been jamming it daily ever since that blissful morning, and seeing as Switchcache decided to drop it at  Origin Festival 2012 after Avalon‘s set this past weekend, it only seemed right for me to place it on our list of favourites and share it with you guys!

Enjoy this great collaboration with Deliriant and Mad Piper. It sure did get the crowd moving at MMD, and at Origin!

Deliriant vs Mad Piper – From The Void

http://sleepingawake.bandcamp.com/album/legend-of-the-black-hoodie

Having recently played his Live debut set at Zone Festival last year, Mad Piper was kind enough to put up his live debut as a free download, making his way onto our Tracks Of The Week list. And ever since then, I have been starving for some more material from the new kid on the block. Soon after his debut performance, he released a track with Deliriant; From The Void – A well matched collaboration indeed, both sharing some high energy, bass thumping, eerie and melodic psychedelia!

And now, after an anticipated and well-worth-it wait, Mad Piper has done it again – Releasing a new track with none other than Critical Mass! Given the artists of this track, and its fitting title, it needs no further introduction. Enjoy the massive tune

Mad Piper vs Critical Mass – Critical Madness

Genre: Psytrance

This is something that takes time to get used to, but trust me, it just keeps getting better and better. For those who like rock and trance, you should have no problems with it!  It’s called psytrance because it’s supposed to trip you out when you listen to it on headphones eyes closed.

 Infected Mushrooms – Heavyweight

For what was regarded as one of the filthiest line-ups in Psy history, one could only wonder what would go down at this year’s MMD Back To The Primitve. Knowing The Village venue, Flenterskloof, combined with this almost illegal cast, it was hard not to acknowledge the organizer’s warning; Rock the Body, Bend the Mind.

LVstar Photography

10pm. We have arrived. A wobbly dusty alley has lead us to the entrance. We get our tickets and are then pointed towards a designated parking. Too far. A 25-minute walk would quickly become torture. So we ventured further down to a field where my friend assured me that we’d find a road that would lead right to the top. Smiles all around, it wasn’t too long before we had reached the medics tent and were forced to settle for a spot a little below. Hand brake up. Ignition off. One last thing needed to be done before hell could break loose. So I looped my key to my pants with a shoelace. The only thing I couldn’t afford to lose.

The dance floor seemed surprisingly smaller compared to my previous Psy experience. Trying to compare this rig to Rezonance would just be plain silly. Flenterskloof, as purists know, is all about intimacy. Everyone would know each other at the end of this trip to Mars and back. The initial volume was rather disappointing. The beats were there, but there was still something missing. However, it wasn’t half an hour before “ITS LOUD” became inaudible. 3am beats at 11pm, was this really happening? Yaesss!

By the time Critical Mass was shredding his Live set, it didn’t matter where you were standing. You were in it and that was that. Tormented by the melodic rumble, we let ourselves loose and absorbed the Psychedelia. As always, the fluorescent décor released its eeriness. The lights became alive and let us enter Alice’s imaginary world. For some reason, it almost felt more real.

Luna’s Live debut was a banger. With Rubix Qube vs Luna – TIA as the opening track, nothing could possibly go wrong. Smooth and composed, he went on to play some of the sweetest bass line driven tunes, proving his worth as a solo producer. (For those who don’t know, Luna and Rubix Qube form Biorhythm)

When 3am struck, we were ready to hear what the French had to say about Psy-trance. The villain had done his homework and showed no signs of weakness as he showered the dance floor with a full-on hard-hitting thud. A shady character later described Shehoor’s opening drop as a “Chuck Norris fly-kick to the face!” Indeed, at that moment the sound waves were pulsating so hard through the masses that there was nothing they could do to escape it. But then again, why would someone want to?

After a refueling mission and some inescapable side-tracking, we had made it back in time for the night’s first battle. Rubix Qube would duel Archive. To those who love their homegrown, this event could simply not be missed. And if you weren’t there, well too bad. Having opened the set with a unique Deaf-psy bassline that Beethoven or even Helen Keller would have been proud of, there wasn’t a single doubt that these guys would drive us nuts. And they did.

Next up was Frozen Ghost vs. Jester. A sunrise set that for the sake of our collective sanity, should have never seen the light of day. Nevertheless, the duo had other plans for us. By 7am the delusional beats were engraved in the hillside. And as counter-master, the sun ensured we followed its orders. This party was not for the weak-minded. The scorching heat was distorting all sense of time and what felt like 12 Noon, was actually only 8.30am.

EMP was blasting his sound when I came across a character worth mentioning. He resembled Jack Parrow and Elvis Presley’s hidden son. He was holding a string less e-guitar but was ripping it harder than most of today’s rock stars. And just I thought I’d seen it all, EMP dropped his ‘Bad Things’ True Blood remix, which gave life to Jelvis Preslow’s synchronized mime – Pure class!

It was now time to take a real time-out. The car was obviously a no-go as were the tents. So we opted for what was one of the best decisions that day – Dam. Although the water levels were rather low, jumping in felt like being given a second chance at life. It was warm and muddy, just like it should be. A definite plus about this location, was that it looked over the dance floor. This allowed the indecisive peeps to check out their friends, while the swimmers jammed in what felt like true liquid comfort. You could even hear the bass line from underwater!

Once again, Deliriant proceeded in over-loading our systems with good sound. How he does it? I don’t really care, as long as he doesn’t stop. Who ever played next would have to be well groomed, as this was probably one of the best acts of the party.

Its 10am, the mercury is hitting 35 and the taps have just failed at their duty – Nice. As shade and hydration were becoming of primary importance, the shrubs and tents surrounding the dance floor were now overflowing with scavengers. Next were the vapor players, who ensured they kept their cool while on the jam. At the front were the veterans, who of course cared about nothing but the delicious sound. The wooden barricades that guarded the stage gave off an organic feel, almost making us believe that this place was indeed, a place where the music never stopped.

11am, old-school riffs meet new-school bass. Super Evil was on a mission and our good friend Jelvis had nothing on Adriano. Those were classic tunes for an explosive combo. Hunger had been crawling up on us for a while now and we deemed it necessary to make a tactical food mission. What better place to fill the morning gap than with wood-fired pizza and a chicken schwarma. If you manage to save some cash, the market take-aways are well worth the investment. With our bellies full and our energy levels on the rise we headed to the dance floor to meet up with The Dark Passenger. Much like Cadbury’s new campaign, that track is deliciously dark. A delight to the ears.

Lollipop Lollipop, you’re my Lollipop. A retro interlude indicated the start of Sway, one the few lady DJanes in the scene. With a completely different style to her predecessors, Sway thumped our brains with one of the deepest and sneakiest international blend of first-class psy-trance. The winning song was most definitely the Evanescence ‘Wake Me Up’ remix by none other than Azax Syndrome and Dapanji – Be sure to make use of the free download! Switchcache then took over to throw one of the most intense sets of that day.

By now the heat had taken its toll and even frequent visits to the dam didn’t cut it anymore. The vaporizers had formed a warm yet cooling mosh-pit in which everyone indulged. A hole in the piping provided the troops with a perma-Kärcher, blasting the precious water into the face of whoever was lucky enough to earn a spot below it. If you stood a bit back, you would see a circular rainbow floating in the droplets. Talk about free visuals!

With a doctorate in the art of melodies, Zezia ensured we received our dose of psychedelic tunes.A beautiful set had the sun only been a bit more lenient. Bodies were taking serious strain and a rest became compulsory to survive the final act, Rex. Originally from South Africa, now based in Brazil, Rex brought along tunes unheard of in this part of the world. Adapting perfectly to the venue, his tracks gave us a teaser of what tripping out in the Amazon would feel like. His last tracks opened a doorway to a new dimension and as I felt the melody lifting me off the ground, the music stopped.

Dazed and confused, I looked around and noticed that the dance floor was near desertion. There must have been about 50 dedicated souls left standing, while the rest had found refuge in the shade or had simply gone home. As exhausted as we were, we waited for the “one last song” to play. Almost out of good manners and respect, Rex gave the survivors a Thank You unwinder to end the day off. When the music stopped for the second time, it was a blessing. 5.30pm. Time to call it quits.

To MMD Records, and whoever participated in the organizing of this event, namely Lyle, Laura, and friends, a huge thank you is in order! This also goes to all the true-blooded Psy-ers who stomped the place silly. As for whoever turned off the taps, well, Fuck You.

So, when’s the next one? 

MORE PHOTOS:

Temple Of Noize

A new V/A Compilation album from UP!NOIZE Records is soon to be released as a ‘free download’ if I’m not mistaken – Compiled by NCode and Lapirado, entitled Temple Of Noize! The compilation holds some serious heat; by the likes of Hysteria, Killawatt and Glitch just to name a few. Be sure to keep an eye on their new website that is currently under construction.

www.upnoizerecords.webs.com

SAMPLE TRACKS:

V/A Temple Of Noise – Compiled by NCode & Lapirado

Nik Basting Photography – Rubix Qube

Attending MMD presesnts Back To The Primitive this past weekend was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. Not only was it a fantastic little party at one of my favourite venues, aka Flenterskloof in Franchhoek, the party boasted one of the hottest lineups I have ever seen!  Archive vs. Rubix Qube were one of the many mind-blowing acts that performed – A set that was not to be fucked with, that’s for sure! And with Archive‘s soon to be released V/A Night Terrors double album up in the air, it came as no surprise when they opened their set with the first track on the new album, a track produced by none other than Rubix Qube himself!

One can only smile and dance when this track starts blasting at 4am – Enjoy!

Rubix Qube – Kwaailight (edited teaser)

I’ll keep you posted on the progress and everything! Also my friend Hadou is coming out with a Random album that has a bunch of songs that he put together recently. It’s going to be awesome and I’ll give a post on it when it’s released. Also check his blog out and give him some love! Start following him. You can find him here:

http://hadoucridford.wordpress.com/

&

http://soundcloud.com/alex-cridford

He’s a good dude and is always promoting me. Check him out!

Free Download as well! ^-^

Scott Rennie Photography – Super Evil at Rezonance NYE Festival 2011-2012

Here’s rad video of Super Evil performing We want your soul live at Rezonance NYE Festival 2011-2012, one of the most talked about sets of the party, and with good reason! Take a lil trip down memory lane, and enjoy the show.

• “Classic” trance. While this isn’t a specifically defined subgenre, this refers to early trance that began in the late 80s. This subgenre has a tremendous focus on repetition, slowly changing over the course of the song. Classic trance can be said to be ported from contemporary classical music’s “minimalism” developed by contemporary composers such as Steve Reich, Terry Riley, La Monte Young, and Philip Glass.
• Acid trance. Acid trance is mostly similar to classic trance, except that it has a much more hypnotic and “trippy” feel to it. It has a unique sound that is often achieved by playing with filters, pans, and oscillators to create a “science fiction”-esque sound. See Roland TB-303.
• Progressive trance. This subgenre defined the popular “build-up and breakdown” themes that are often associated with trance. By slowly building up a progression of melodies and creating a pseudo “tension”, an outburst of emotional bliss results at the peak of the melody as it “releases”. These releases are often done by creating a brief lull in the melody before quickly returning to the main theme. Other common techniques include pausing, using rests, rapidly speeding up the BPM, and using progressing kicks from quarter- to eighth- to sixteenth-, note kicks, and so on.
• Goa trance. This subgenre shares many of the characteristics of acid trance, but has a unique “organic” sound to it. Goa trance is such a complex and structured subgenre of trance that many other “sub”-subgenres originated from goa trance, itself.
• Psychedelic trance. Also known as psytrance, this subgenre is very similar to goa. In what goa trance creates for an organic feel, psytrance creates an electronic, futuristic feel. Psytrance tends to use more sci-fi ambient sounds together with the techniques used in acid trance.
• Ambient trance. This subgenre tends to use a much slower BPM and places less emphasis on the quarter-note kick. Many ambient artists do away with the quarter-note measure altogether and drop to half-note measures or other measures. Ambient trance generally uses softer sounds and maintains an “easy listening” feel, while still retaining the repetitive and emotional characteristics associated with trance.
• Tech-trance. Tech-trance is a fusion between techno and trance. It is very tough. It doesn’t focus on a melody, at times a melody will be used in the breakdown. Usually focuses around the talent to manipulate one note and edit it to make a very industrial sounding synth. Some names to check out who specialize in tech-trance are Sander van Doorn, Abel Ramos, Bryan Kearney, Randy Katana, and Marcel Woods.

Link >>