Asian Dan

Erol recently caught up with bassist Kai Fish to discuss the making of the Mystery Jets acclaimed album ‘Twenty One’ on the eve of their next single release ‘Two Doors Down’. As a extra special bonus, you can download the original home demo of album opener ‘Hide Away’ recorded way back in March 2007.

Erol: Kai! What happened? It’s been a long journey…

Kai: E! It has certainly been a long journey, and I’ve a sneaky feeling we’re not even half way there… How long did it take us to record? A year? I can’t believe it, it feels like barely a month ago we set foot in Konk for the first of many sessions. It’s definitely been a roller coaster, more nemesis in Alton towers than a stroll through an English park… I don’t think we could have done it any other way though, do you?

Erol: I agree. Being a second album, there’s a lot to consider, and I feel it’s a time where you really need to explore your own music, and edit yourself much harder, and it takes time. Rushing a second album is usually the death knell for many bands. We went through almost 10 studios, 5 engineers; we lost ‘Young Love’ due to a hard drive failure and had to rebuild it from fragments of audio..

Kai: Who would have thought… although listening back to the album now I think it feels very together, I certainly doesn’t sound like the journey it took to get there. I think it was maybe the way the songs were in such various degrees of completion when we went in to record them, that made the process such an epic one. Something to remember for next time!

Continue Reading Erol Alkan’s interview with the Mystery Jets & download a demo of Hideaway
Behind the Bunhouse Blog

Here is a mixtape by Cazal’s guitarist Luca. It is a fantastic mix of some dirty and heavy sounding tracks.Luca’s Mixtape 3Luca’s Mixtape 3 (zshare)
1. Lady Lazarous – Lillica Libertine
2. Hate – Adam Freeland
3. Bring the Noise (Sfaction rmx) – Benny Benassi
4. Kore – Dusty Kid
5. Venus – Sebastian Leger
6. ?
7. Break yourself – Mimo
8. Kittin is High (Jojo the Freq rmx) – Miss Kittin

Here is Martin’s (Producer and Bassist) top 10 songs that Shaped their new album, “What of Our Future”, Out the 26th of May. Their next single “Somebody, Somewhere” is out the 5th of May, it is such an amazing pop tune.Cazals Myspace
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) – Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
“I always aspire to create something which captures an atmosphere which is definitely outside of the recording studio. This is one of my favourite tracks ever and I have never been able to imagine it being written or recorded… it has a some kind of divine quality as though it just it dropped from the sky one day.”

Rydeen – Yellow Magic Orchestra – Solid State Survivor
“For me, this is the epitome of everything that is great about electronic music. I was literally speechless the first time I heard this and can only imagine what it must have sounded like to audiences in 1978! The footage of them performing this song on Japanese tv is still THE coolest thing I have ever seen… ever.”

Self-Control – Laura Branigan – Self Control
“This won against Heart Of Glass (Blondie) in my head just now but I think I love both because they’re great songs, well produced and both have amazing drummers playing along to simple drum machines. This one wins on atmosphere because it has it’s own dark, little world with creatures and so on. It has JR Robinson who also played the flawless beats on all the best Michael Jackson songs. I think he and Clem Burke must have been early prototypes for some kind of “perfect drummer” robot. Imagine both of them dressed as robots, with chrome drum kits, on stage with Daft Punk…”

Money For Nothing – Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms
“My dad had this on vinyl and I can remember dancing around with my sister to this when I was a little boy and it still excites me when I hear it today. Once again, I just cannot imagine that guitar intro was ever played by a human! It makes me think of a Transformer transforming and turning into an amazing silver guitar that Megatron can rock out on.”

Krystof Penderecki – Therenody For The Victims Of Hiroshima
“If you don’t know this one just think of the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. That cloud of sharp strings in suspended animation I-think-I’m-going-to-be-sick-or-pass-out-if-this-carries-on sort of sound. Dark. Not of this world. Who’d have thought the future would come from Poland?”

Gustav Holst – The Planets
“From that brooding, ominous intro of Mars right through to the disembodied choir finale of Neptune, this is simply one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. And made by an Englishman. God save the Queen.”

Igor Stravinsky – The Rite Of Spring
“This is a tour de force of emotion, atmosphere and violence. It caused a riot at it’s world premier and had women passing out in the aisles.
And like Francis Bacon, this seems to feed my preoccupation with death. Like a great poem, it paints pictures in the most graphic, sometimes disturbing ways. Everyone else can only aspire to this sort of greatness.”

12:51 – The Strokes – Room On Fire
“The Strokes represent the opposite of much of what I’ve said up until now. I can actually imagine Julian singing this (and every other song of his) and this is his talent. Everything is delivered with such a naive, honest, human quality that it feels almost like you’re a fly on the wall of his innermost sanctum. Like studying someone’s face while they’re sleeping. Oh, and I chose this particular song because I’m still absolutely floored every time I hear that “is it, isn’t it?” synthetic guitar sound. Sick.”

Veridis Quo – Daft Punk – Discovery
“This song feels like it “moves” and I can’t explain exactly what it is I mean but I feel like I’m actually in motion when I hear it. It’s like going on a journey, travelling into this songs little galaxy. Headphones on, eyes shut, on a journey through space and time avec Thomas and Guy-Man.” (Does pyramid sign with hands).

Madonna – Lucky Star – Madonna
“There’s something magical about that arpeggio intro. It just excites me and makes me want to be a teenager in Middle-America, circa 1984, hanging out at 31 Flavours, in my hot-red sports car with a pastel sweater over my shoulders and a keg on the back seat. Sort of the aural equivalent of actually living in a John Hughes movie. This was a close call with Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (another dancing with my sister favourite).”

I love these songs and I think they influence everything I do.

So here is that awesome remix of Danger by Kurtech that NT89 mixed into his Exclusive Asian Dan Minimix, Kurtech is quite a young and talented DJ/producer from down under, Surkin better watch out.
Danger – 11h30 (Kurtech Remix)
Kurtech MyspaceDefinitely checkout some of his own tracks that he produced as well as his awesome remix of Daft Punk’s Aerodynamic.1. What is your name, how old are you, where are you from? How did you get into music?
My name is Kurtech, I live in a small town two hours away from Melbourne. I started making music when i was given the role of Musical director for my media classes end of year film. The tracks that I made were very simple. After doing the movie, I enjoyed it, and I started spending my lunchtime in the media room using the computers. I ended up getting a copy of Ableton live and I took it home to practice. I am still learning!

2. You said that you never played a real instrument, so how do you know what “sounds good”? Who are your big influences?
I never really know if something sounded good or not. I used to show my tracks to my friends and get their opinions. I have a lot of influences. They vary from Daft punk to Iron Maiden.

3. What are some artists/albums you are listening to lately?
Lately I have been listening to a lot of Cameo. Last album I listened to was Reality Check from the Teenagers.

4. What are your top 5 favorite tracks that make you dance?
Top 5 tracks that made me dance? Haha I never dance man. Here are some of my favorites though…
1. Together – DJ Falcon/ Bangalter
2. High Life – Daft Punk
3. Signatune (Thomas Bangalter edit) – DJ Mehdi
4. Tombstone – Midnight Juggernauts
5. DVNO – Justice

Photo by Derrick Wildstar
1. What made you want to start making music? Did your upbringing and family have a big influence on why you decided to make music? Has music always been your main job and only way to make money?

My father was a pianist, and we had a piano, so I spent a lot of times listening to him and playing. Also I’ve always enjoyed listen to records since I was a kid.
I screwed up my studies, so my only job has been music, always.

2. Brian Eno once said “Play more things that make me dance around and less things that make me sit and look miserable in a plastic chair”. I definitely see that this mindset has infiltrated mainstream music in the past few years. What are your thoughts on this?

When I record a track, I always think: “Would I like to listen to it and dance?” This is the way I like music, I want it to make me feel good.
Also I like to listen to the music that suits my mood, sometimes when I feel like sitting down and relaxing and it’s raining outside and I listen to Satelite of Love by Lou Reed and I feel so good, not sad at all. That’s the magic of the music.

3. Who are your favorite producers? Who are your favorite bassists?

The Neptunes are brilliant, simple and massive production, i like them!
I also like Snoop Dog, for the same reason, simple ideas, and big sound, it goes straight into your mind! And of course Kanye West, he’s legend.
As for bass players, I’ve listened to a lot of them while studying bass guitar, but only a few keep driving me crazy, the best of all is the late GARY KING, just awesome, brilliant musician and bass player, I love his sound and every bassline he recorded is just magic to my hears, he is the best. Also John Entwistle from The Who was a big influence to me, he always plays the right note @ the right time, and makes the songs so big.

4. What are your top 3 songs that make you dance? What are your top 3 albums/tracks that make you want to rock?

Soul Bells from Le Knight Club
Unplugged from DJ Falcon
Deep Snside from Hardrive

Rockwise:
The Who “Who are You?” – I can listen to it endlessly.
Ozzy Osbourne, “Live@Budokan”
Incubus “Light Grenades”

5. What have you been listening to lately? What music today excites you and see going places in 2008?

Latest album from Katalyst, so good, I dig that 60’s vibe, and the band Sparkadia, they are really great.I like many kind of music, hip-hop, pop, dance, rock whatever makes me grind and dance is cool! I think the mix of the genres is what makes music go further, to the next step.

6. What is your favorite piece of musical gear? What is your favorite envelope filter for bass?

My E-MU SP1200, this is the best music gear ever, so simple to use the sound is banging, you can make an album with it!
For bass I have my old Mutron 3 and a Meatball Filter, they sound so cool.

7. Any plans of starting an all-star electronic “band” like Steve Aoki, The Faint & Boys Noize? It would be impressive to see all of you DJ’s and producers “rock out”. Maybe a big collaboration with Alan Braxe, Kris Menace and some your other dance colleagues is in the works? Any big releases or exciting news you would like to share? When are you coming to the states?

Alan & I are not working together anymore.
I’ve met so many talented people I wish to make music with, Knightlife, Miami Horror, Kris Menace…we just need to catch up in studio.
I’ve just finished a remix for Lykke Li a singer, great voice, and also I’ve finished my next release, need to get it signed now , hahah!
I’ll be working on my own solo album in the next few months.
I Definitely want to play in the USA!!!
The sooner the better, need to get gigs, any promoters reading? 🙂

Fred Falke Myspace

See more videos at Pedestrian.tv

Somebody, Somewhere out May 5
Cazals Myspace
Cazals’ “What Of Our Future” is out on the 26th of May.
I was able to speak with Daniel, guitarist of the Cazals to find out what their past few months have been like, opening for Daft Punk and recording their first full length album.

1. How does it feel to be done with your first album? Any exciting rock and roll studio stories?
Sometimes I worry I sound a bit arrogant when I say it but our album is really fucking great. It was a long process to get to making it but I couldn’t be any happier with the results, it made the many rough times worthwhile. I had to edit a little mini mix of the album the other day with Martin (bass player and producer), like a 5 minute ‘best of’ sort of thing and we spent ages deliberating over what went in the mix, which I think is a good sign.

As for stories from the studio, we managed to convince The Plasticines (a French, all girl group) to come down to the studio and let us record them screaming for 5 minutes. Also a big regret is that when we were mixing the album, some of Phoenix turned up to say hello and hear what we were doing but we had gone out to lunch!

2. Who are some of your influences, music or otherwise? Jon Brion once said “He can’t escape the Beatles”, what musicians can you not escape and always look towards to for inspiration?

All the different members of Cazals have varied tastes and therefore influences so I can’t really speak for the band. Personally, I just play a lot of guitar and that’s how I come up with songs, ideas just come to you when you play. There are loads of people I love listening to and some like the Strokes, Daft Punk, John Frusciante, Radiohead conciously influence ideas and sounds I go for and I’ll learn how to play their material. Then there are other artists like Beck and Hot Chip where its not such a conscious thing but because I listen to them so often their influence seeps into ideas.

3. What are some albums/aritsts/songs you are listening to these days?

Some pretty obvious ones like Radiohead – In Rainbows, Chromeo – Fancy Footwork, Hot Chip – Made In The Dark and Justice. Also I’ve been listening to a fair bit of Weezer and late 70’s David Bowie recently.

4. How was it opening for Daft Punk in Japan? How does it feel to be part of this new electronic music scene even though you are not really “electronic”? What do you guys think about this cross genre collaborations? I think it is great that there is the spirit of rock is coming out in all genres lately.

After making our album I think supporting Daft Punk was the coolest thing I’ve ever been part of. They made us feel very welcome and to be part of what was the coolest show on earth for a few days was amazing.

We’ve always hated the idea of scenes, people say we were in the East London scene or in the electro scene or the new-wave guitar band scene, its all bollocks really. We are a band that play guitars and synths and we’re influenced by all types of music. I think two things Martin, who produced the album, listened to most when we were out in Paris were Slipknots ‘Get This’ and Krzysztof Penderecki’s ‘Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima’, not very East London electro scene, we just dont purposely try to be a certain genre.

I really like the (heavy) rock sound thats coming through in dance music, I was lucky enough to be hanging out with SebastiAn when he was playing in London and he absolutely ruined my ears for about 3 days but it was worth it, I went a bit too mental when he dropped ‘Killing In The Name Of’ but luckily so did everyone else.

5. Why are your lives boring?

They’re not at all…we’ve supported Daft Punk!

Cazals – Somebody, Somewhere (Lifelike Remix)