The Pondering Blonde

The Mountain Effect

I was chatting to a recently-moved-to-Cape-Town-as-well friend of mine a few months ago when it occurred to me, ‘I think I know why people in Cape Town are so crazy about living here… ‘I say, and as if by some South-as-you-can-get-in-Africa-inspired ESP he replied; ‘Because there’s a fucking mountain.’ ‘…Because there’s a fucking mountain.’ I confirmed in bright eyed amazement.

Over the past 3 years, more than ever before; life by the mountain has become that alluring green pasture on the other side, with a massive movement- and counting- of curious creative types making way to get their piece of the Mother City’s pie. With Johannesburg’s business and beige chinos ethos breeding a ‘radio country’ society, Pretoria being a bit backwards- you’re only the capital because the parliament buildings are there, get over it- and Durban, bless; stuck in a perpetual Beach Boys tune kind of oblivious to it all; make Cape Town look like the holy grail of city living in South Africa.

A Capetonian Musician I won’t quote him by name- for fear he’ll be banished to the outskirts of Belville to dub-step for his supper- called it ‘a hick town masquerading as a Eurocentric cosmopolitan metropolis.’ Sure, Cape Town is sold as the forward-thinking, artistic, pink city- it was called Silicone Cape for a moment when the IT boys tried to rebrand it to suit their technology hungry needs, but besides a license to hone an artistic quirk, sexy beaches, lots of wine, its own concept of time and one very Long Street of debauchery- if you do it right- it’s kind of an easy woo. I mean; what more do you need in life?

Being new to the city myself, I’m still discovering my way around but I’m pretty sure I’ve got my head around what living here is all about; I’m acquiring my palate for the good red stuff, have bought a camera and already bonded with the rock face a few times. And in summer, once I’m certain Jaws has moved on, I intend to surf and get more Zen with mother nature. I certainly haven’t moved here for the night life activity. Yes, there’s lots of fab fun to be had all over town but unless you have a strong aural repertoire, many new movers will find that Long Street –as a proverbial ‘they’ for Cape Town’s club circuit- becomes short very quickly. Though Joburgers usually seem to find themselves quite at home on the Camps Bay strip within minutes- go figure…

The Mountain people seem pretty good natured about all the incoming energy- and fresh meat!- if ‘after you’ve been with one person you’ve been with everyone in Cape Town.’ –the warning I received from one local is anything to go by. Erm… nice. Anyway, whatever one’s intentions are for moving to the tip of Africa, there’s one thing that’s certain; The Good Life is open to interpretation and it’s pretty much yours for the taking, unless you find yourself wrestling a Bergie on a Friday afternoon. Otherwise, it’s all good vibes and stuff!

A bunch of bad ass musical gangsters- to sum them up- at one of the bustling music studio’s in town are quite excited about the creative pull the city has at the moment, saying only there aren’t enough venues and gigs to go around for everyone. ‘But something’s gotta give!’ They say chorus all inspired-like! From an artistic, music, and holistic perspective- it has been recognised throughout history that when a big group of people come together and form a hub of energetic-frustration, toggling for an outlet in whatever their field, you can normally expect that some sort of hyper-creative boom will follow- eventually. Well, we can only hope!

‘This whole thing in 2012 is going to be the maddest energy shift and all that matters is that we’re all going to be here and experiencing it together by the Mountain.’ Says my now not-so-recently-moved-to-Cape-Town-as-well friend. Well, that didn’t take long.. And with that, we head off into the forest to picnic and meditate. Welcome to the The Mountain Effect.

BPM Interview with Dino Moran

Dino has become a legendary fixture on the local circuit, and far from being quiet of late, he’s been playing the game on a much larger spectrum; producing and showcasing his music project Afroteq, a culmination of his 19 years in the industry and a celebration of all things awesome about being African. ‘Afroteq is such an exciting project; our show is a collage of traditional and famous African songs, and original new tracks sung to an up-beat house and techno set, and combined with dancing, drummers and mind blowing visuals.’

Already receiving incredible support, Dino recently returned from performing alongside Alicia Keys at her annual Black Ball charity event. ‘It was absolutely awesome and a massive compliment to be invited by Alicia keys to perform. Alicia has shared the Black Ball stage with Bono, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake and Usher; creating some of music histories most magical moments, and was definitely a career highlight for me.’

Dino’s taste in music has always been deep-spirited and eclectic, seeing him mould an original niche for himself, playing the more creative corporate gigs and being involved in SA’s vibrant fashion and art scene. ‘I love working on concepts and sound tracking to match events and brands, thus I get called to work with creative teams and organisers whenever they’re looking to synchronise all elements of their production into a story line with a definite message.’

Few local dj’s enjoy a career that stretches beyond the club circuit, and his thoughts on ageing in the local market have directed his musical tangent to uplift Africa as a whole. ‘It’s unfortunate the SA market receives so little international attention, so making it to the top of SA doesn’t mean being recognised all over the world like in UK, EU or US- we’re so far away from other existing territories- like an island at the bottom of the planet.’

Dino plays extensively overseas and continually works to help develop the scene in neighbouring African in countries like Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, which are emerging markets when it comes to electronic music culture. ‘I love to travel and perform in Africa as much as I do the western world.  I’ve so far played in 24 countries on the continent and abroad and can safely say that Cape Town is my favourite city in the world.’ He says. So instead of moving overseas to build a bigger reputation Dino chooses to build the image of our country and the continent and hopes that when the world looks at Africa they think of him as one of the countries standout artists.

Dino plays extensively overseas and continually works to help develop the scene in the emerging markets of neighbouring Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. ‘Instead of moving overseas to build a bigger reputation, I’d rather help build the image of our country and the continent in the hope that when the world looks at Africa they think of me as one of the stand out artists from here.’

His music artfully combines Afro-fusion with modern dance and world music, a sound- and vision- he’s carefully crafted over the years. ‘My biggest change was about 10 years back when I started touring internationally and realised it’s stupid to take sand to the beach- if I wanted to get noticed I had to bring something of my own to the party so I came back and started developing a unique style of Afro-fusion techno.’

‘What we don’t realise is that the reason that an artist becomes world famous is because the support from their own country elevated them to that status and the only time I hear locals raving about one of our artists is because they have achieved an international break through and now that someone else given us a thumbs up we will buy into it too. Whenever I play in other parts of the world I only play African fusion music as I realised quite early in my career that the world is very into our vibe and find it fresh and exciting.’ He says, making an interesting point about the supporting of local music and artists.

With SA’s nationwide feeling of pride and unity at hosting the World Cup, Dino believes its finally time for local and multi cultural audiences to support SA. ‘Little by little we’re overcoming the MTV hype surrounding overseas artists and South Africans are starting to admit that local talent is world class. Hopefully some of the ludicrous cash spent on second rate international artists will start finding its way into the local market and enable us to do better shows with bigger production and thus become serious global competitors.’

His love for our continental-inspired rhythms sees Dino take on the role of music director for The Fez Club and take Afroteq on tour later this year as well as producing singles for radio play. Dino has into a new league, hanging out with the likes of Grace Jones, Seal and Heidi Klum; he’s catapulted himself and the spirit of African music onto the world stage. Long may he dance there!

Barca Mad in the Haus

So back in the day when I was studied art in high school, we had this art teacher who was totally Cape-Eclectic in that ‘I’m an artist from Cape Town’ way- how she spoke and dressed reminds me of Kalk Bay- in a ‘tastes like the smell’ kinda vibe- only she was a former-artist from Cape Town being, this was Joburg, early new millenium and she took us through to Matric. -And now that I think about it, I never actually saw any of her art, per se. None-the-less, while she never took a shining to anything I did, she did love my friends work. A lot. Which inspired my friend to go off and study at Rhodes and come back to Joburg rocking that very same Cape-Eclectic vibe. -And come to think of it, I haven’t seen any of her art either… But the point is, I’ll never forget when Miss J (she never married, obviously) taught us about the Bauhaus Movement- a topic she clearly loved because it was all about how the words ‘Mies Van de Rohe’ rolled off her tongue.

Long before I even became conscious of my Berlin-Obsession and love of German Techno (it went extreme circa 2008- present), I’d learnt about this epic design movement in all its glory and had totally forgotten about it until at a friends house at the foothill of the Mountain in cosy Tokai recently, and reclining in, what she told me, was an original Le Corbusier armchair (yes, I googled it, obviously) from the Bauhaus School. -And the chair was elegantly worn in all the right places to prove it!  So like the curious art nerd I ‘ve become, went home and got the wiki-wiki up to read all about the Bauhaus hotness to refresh my memory- only to discover my dream chair is from the same family of design. Meet ‘The Barcelona’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus

Basically, the Bauhaus was a design School, open from 1919-1933 in Germany and brought together a bunch of artists and designers whose work ultimately impacted art, architecture and industrial design, graphic and interior design, and typography thereafter. It was shut down due to pressure from the Nazi regime. Go figure- Hitler had terrible taste. Luckily Ludwig Mies Van de Rohe ran things for a few years- his signature ’skin and bones’ architecture style forms a big part of minimalist design theory today, but most notably- he designed this sexy little chair, so named to seat the bums of Spanish royalty. It just so happens the Sonar Music Festival is one of the most iconic dance music events and goes down annually in good old Barca. You can read up about it here, although it doesn’t have anything to do with Mies Van de Rohe’s chair. Not directly anway… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sónar

Last word on the seat. I love it’s minimal-constructivism, but still sexy and very functional, design- even the imitations are still very out of my price range, but my manifesting starts here. -White, with a matching Ottoman, please Universe! As Miss J always said, ‘If you can envision it, you can bring it to life!’ -She was talking about imagery on canvas, but I’m sure she’d have felt the same about a Barcelona Chair by Mies Van de Rohe in my bedroom. (Obviously.) :) Oh and this seems to be where you can buy them in SA right now. Yay. http://www.futureclassics.co.za/

Pop Art by The Mountain

Found artist Richard Scott while browsing the arty interweb and was sooo excited to discover he was this Cape Town based Silverfox type batchelor- or so it appears- with a thing for nude Pop Art and splashes of mad colour. His main theme is naked blonde women and he repeats them in a series of poses over his canvasses.  The girl is always faceless, wearing only knickers and is sometimes sitting on a Vespa. With friends. Still in her knickers. Awesome! I’ve since spotted a large one hanging in the Jardine restaurant on Bree Street and another appeared in new club venue LL Moog just off Long Street recently- its the same couch piece shown above. The club owner saw me fawning over it and told me it was based on a cover of a Louise Carver EP. And then he appeared with said EP cover to prove it! Its really cool to see a local artists work living loudly and accessibly in the city; Richards word bio gives great insight into how he came about his craft and he’s got a well-wired approached to marketing his art as well, which I love. Now that I’ve touched one, I’m more obsessed than ever- I need to have my own Richard Scott! http://www.richardscott.com/

Something Fishy at Pacha

If you do one thing in Ibiza- you have to see Goldfish at Pacha! Pacha seem to be dominating this season with the slew of top notch artists and event nights lining the roster each week- and taking more than a little after-sun glow from some of the supersized and industrialised clubbing abodes- or so the whispering winds tell me. Viva the house revolution!

Goldfish are two classically trained muso’s from Cape Town, South Africa holding down a weekly Wednesday residency on the terrace. Their solid live act sees them mixing their own tracks live and rocking the bones off proper instrumentals at the same time!  Yep, while they’re dj’ing they literally haul out a cello, a saxophone and a flute- well, at least I think it’s I flute- and take turns to serenade the audience over a really afro-grooved house set. – Take a moment to hear it and feel that breeze my friends…

It’s actually the second season the Goldfish boys are running the gamut at Pacha’s while isle HQ. Last year they were signed to Pacha Records- their album Perceptions of Pacha was hailed as a sort of Cafe Del Mar meets Groove Armada soiree- in other words, it’s pretty nice! Already this summer they’ve taken the stage at Glastonbury, Sensation in Amsterdam and Gatecrasher in Birmingham with Australia’s sun-goddess of house, Sarah Main and doused sold-out audiences with their sound!

I’ve seen them live several times and it’s truly a performance to be witnessed! They’re also really cool guys- I think one of them bought me a drink once, although it might have just been water… Anyway- DJ Mag also wanted a piece of the Fish and have featured the boys and a special Dj Mag mix in the August edition- it’s bound to go gold so get involved!

Check out their myspace page for a sneak peak- http://www.myspace.com/goldfishlive

FYI- Goldfish hit London Town several times over the next few months- but next up is Pacha on August 8^th, get you flippers and your favourite faces together- I hope to catch you in the mix!
Little Lexi x

Opium CD Launch

Duvet and Fuel; One Mighty Hot Fire!

Its funny how one can feel so displaced when venturing into a new zone and then instantly feel so at ease- well, that’s the power of music, I tell you, house music!

Let me explain; in all honesty, I avoid places like Sudada like a vegetarian avoids the meat counter, following my intense notion that you need to wear 9 inch heels and burp diamonds to meet the doors approval. My reason for being is that I just don’t care about such antics- I just want to party and be with real party people!

So, there had to be a mighty fine reason for breaking my vow of circumvention and it was great one: The Opium CD launch by Cape Town’s hottest twosome-Shaun Duvet and Dean Fuel. I consider myself a part-time Capetonian, so I pay my respects dammit!

Suffice to say, Sudada is a beautiful club-and such is a rarity for house music clubs in this town! I was very impressed!

It seemed the boys brought the wind with them from Mount City as it was an unusually chilly night, and I silently cursed myself for attempting to wear a skirt. Yet Sudada was well prepared, and we grabbed a spot by the heater nearest the DJ box just as Ricardo started his set on the outside floor.

The man is a magical musician and his set, sadly, went rather unappreciated as the party hadn’t nearly begun. He swapped his usual early morning Electro for some dirty Deep to get the wallflowers bopping. I had to be reminded that Ricardo has no boundaries as to what he can play- he’s got taste in whichever style he chooses whether it’s a chilled opening set or a closing with one helluva grind- you know there’s nothing like Ricardo at 2am on the funky floor at Truth!

Nonetheless, it was a good start and it was there by our heater that another pair joined our partying plight. A rather mismatched couple who said they’d just heard the CD Launch announcement on YFM and sped on over-and they say advertising isn’t instantaneous! They seemed to think my fellow Partyboy and I were experts in the field and had us deep in discussion, detailing the Jo’burg Vs. Cape Town club scene- a topic I have many opinions on, so I was more than happy to indulge!

The crowd suddenly beefed up as the “See and Be Seen” crowd made their way upstairs in the wake of the night’s superstar DJ’s.

The terrible twosome took a tequila or two and hit the decks in a big way. Instigating the part of the night we’d all been anticipating while downing vodka and Redbulls at the speed of sound. We were prepared; bring it on!

And the boys most certainly did; Shaun Duvet and Dean Fuel seemingly play an unconscious game of Big Brother, Little Brother, as Fuel, like a rebellious little boy with his twisted blue cap, insistently drops these naughty little chunky numbers in-between the suited Duvet’s more sophisticated funky house tracks.

Together they have an animated charisma and create an incredible energy; you can just feel it! There’s no doubt they’re loving every second of what they’re doing and seeing the crowd respond so energetically to each new mix, one is given the impression that this is a mere twig in the fire of house music they intend to make! And there’s no joking that they WILL keep you warm on the coldest of winter nights, through the music and the unstoppable compulsion to dance!

We didn’t leave the dance floor for a second, until we dutifully said our goodbyes and congratulated them on a successful launch. May those CD’s fly! All in all, it was a fabulous party, sassy, classy and just plain hot!- If you can stand the heat! Keep burning boys! And send our love to the mountain!

BPM Mag Interview with Craig De Sousa

The Father of House- Craig De Sousa

With the release of his 5^th album, Craig De Sousa aptly secures his icon status in the house music industry as music mogul of note; he DJ’s, produces and has babies- of the most musical kind! “Everything” is Craig De Sousa’s long awaited labour of love that’ll see house music fanatics bopping and boogying from SunUP to SunDOWN. We pinned the doting dad to his seat on a flight to Kimberley and asked him…well, a little bit of “Everything”!

BPM: You’ve described your new album “Everything” as an exploration of your polar opposites; did you embark on a bit of a spiritual journey while creating this album?

CDS: Every album has been a spiritual journey for me. This project took 9 months to complete and can easily be compared to having a baby- in this case, twins!

BPM: Give us a break down of the album; what kind of vibe were you going for?

CDS: The Sundown disc is my Deep House side, with Soul and Metro vibes. Many years of Camps Bay beach bar sets as well as quality clubs like The Function and MORE, provided me with the inspiration. The Sun UP disc is my club set and is the long awaited follow up to The French Affair. This disc is the Funk and Electro sound. Both discs, I’m proud to say, are a live 3 deck mix using two turntables and a CDJ.

BPM: Recorded LIVE? That’s incredible! You definitely have a versatile playing style; what equipment set-up do you favour to use at gigs?

CDS: Even though I’ve been doing this for a while, I still learn new stuff all the time. I suppose the technological developments over time are the main reason for this. With the introduction of CDJ’s, most gigs I play now I have access to 4 decks which really excites me! This mix is filled with my usual cut mix, scratch style but with 3 decks teasing samples of tracks to come- sometimes juggling all 3 at once.

BPM: How has your track selection progressed from your previous albums?

CDS: This is my 5^th release and I have learnt a lot about track selection and how crucial it is to have tracks that have longevity so that the disc lives longer. It’s pointless adding a hit that burns bright but fades away quickly.

BPM: You produced the title track with R.J Benjamin on your Heads and Tails Music label; what was the inspiration behind it?

CDS: I originally wanted to produce an old school track using Inner City and Technotronic sounding synths. I sent RJ the backing track and he wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocal parts. When I heard them for the first time I had a smile from ear to ear as I knew what was meant to be was unfolding before my eyes. The lyrics provided the perfect title for the project, which Nigel (USM) and I had been struggling with. Once the track was complete I tested it out on the dance floor and the response was phenomenal.

BPM: Tell us more about Heads and Tails Music; how do you select the artists you produce or collaborate with?

CDS: Heads and Tails Music is a Cape Town based label which Erefaan Pearce and I started 2 years ago. At that stage, SA House was at its infancy. We recognised great potential in a handful of producers’ material that was finally of an international standard. Most of the projects I’ve worked on have been collaborations with these producers. Erefaan and I always have our ear to the ground listening to demos from around the country. Heads and Tails Music has tracks signed to most of the popular DJ mixes and will finally be available for purchase from all music download sites.

BPM: How did you find your path in house music and producing?

CDS: Growing up, I’ve always been into music. In the 80’s dance started grabbing my attention. Needless to say, I collected bucket loads of the stuff and started hanging out with like minded cats. About 6 years ago I started producing as all these crazy ideas where swimming around in my head and I needed to get them out. I also realised that all the top international DJ’s have tracks of their own.

BPM: This is true! -Speaking of which; you’ve played alongside some serious names in house music; whom have been your biggest “conquests” and who would you still like to share the DJ box with?

CDS: Some of my favourites have been; Deep Dish, Cyril K, Jeff K, Inland Knights and Ralph Lawson- they are great DJ’s and know how to rock the party. So often a big name comes here whom makes great tunes but can’t DJ to save their life. I would still love to play with Mark Farina and Danny Tenaglia as they are both kick ass live!

BPM: You’ve been in the industry for over 10 years; tell me about your first professional gig?

CDS: My first paying gig was in Jo’burg in 1994 with two good mates at a venue that was well known for rock bands. At first we were pelted with tomatoes, but after months of persistence we won them over. No names will be mentioned to protect the innocent.

BPM: How has the house music industry evolved in SA since then?

CDS: Wow, well for starters, SA House music is the next big thing in the industry; for years SA have produced the top Trance and Drum ‘n Bass producers in the world and now its House’s turn. Troydon has really opened the flood gates for this popular sound. With talent the likes of Erefaan Pearce, Roger D’Lux, Lady Lea, Afrostatic etc… I can now play up to 50% SA House in my sets, which really gives a cutting edge. We can be proud as South Africans that we have one of the best House scenes in the world. Every international that plays here loves it, and can’t believe the caliber of DJ’s and producers in SA!

BPM: What advice would you give to the up-and-coming generation of DJ’s trying to forge a career in house music?

CDS: Buy ALL your music! Don’t kill what you are trying to become, it doesn’t make sense. Stick by your guns and play the music which YOU are into and not the music which is popular and makes money. Play sober and party responsibly after the gig, if you want to last.

BPM: Wise words! You’re known to be a sensible and private guy in terms of the wild antics of the entertainment industry, what is your “Everything” outside of your music career?

CDS: My wife and two sons are my Everything. You are right though I’m not half as wild as my friends, however, I do last a lot longer!

BPM: How has marriage and children influenced your career as a DJ and producer?

CDS: Meeting my wife was the best thing for my DJ career. She is the reason I’m where I am today, by convincing me to take, what was a hobby, more seriously. As a result she now manages me. My sons have provided me with all the motivation and inspiration. My family completes me and allows me express myself as an artist.

BPM: At which clubs do you regularly play gigs and have residencies?

CDS: H2O/ Sutra and Natural Groove in JHB, 52 Parliament in PE, Tilt in DBN, Kim By Nights in Kimberley and Barmooda and Opium in CT.
Craig De Sousa’s 5^th album, “Everything” is a double-disc exploration Of Soulful Deep and Funky Electro house music – as only a Capetonian DJ can show you! “Everything” is now available in all good music stores. See the CD review section for more information about his long awaited new mix.

“Hi, I drive a BMW, can I buy you a drink?”

BPM MAGAZINE 2006

Oh yes, money makes the world go round, but sometimes it makes you want to jump off and hurl your guts out! I know, big statement to make but damn, where the hell are we heading if this is where we are at?

So Jen and I had a night on the town last night, and all was going swimmingly- actually we had just started, but the ante was high and oh so housey! Hemisphere is a beautiful club- they valet takes your car and you’re guided past the velvet ropes to the elevator, which takes you to the top floor. Alla Sheleb-Style baby! The doors opened and this is where it all went down south; before we even entered the place, some intoxicated slob was drooling on our heels- and this happened several times before we made it to the bar!

Its just a class thing really- and I thought this place was ALL about class (hence there over-the-top dress code!), yet in reality, its a schmooze til you loose your dignity hot spot, where corporate ladder climbers try to validate their materialism by trying to buy women through unabated egotism- I mean, do you really have to make it that obvious? Are you really not going to even TRY tell me that you like walks in the park? No, he won’t- but he’ll be damn sure to tell you where he parked his car! Jackass.

I’m not even going into the whole “we empowered women expect a little more that that to get our attention” because, there are many women for whom that is all it takes, that and the offer of free drinks all night- which seems to be the highlight of the “sales” pitch. I’d rather drink the above mentioned hurl thank-you very much! It’s sad, but it’s not me, so it’s not my problem!

I haven’t even started on the music, in fact, I can’t even call it music because it wasn’t music to my ears- basically the top 40 of 2003- if you’re lucky. No, Britney did NOT get me In The Zone! So we hatched an escape plan: Down your drink-lets get the hell outta here- Fool Proof i tell you and, now that I think about it, a practical solution for every social misadventure! Interestingly enough and just in time, we met two brothers who were in a similar place and after a long, albeit genuine, conversation we joined forces and made our way to the exit.

The escape plan turned into Mission: Chrome baby! And within minutes, after a quick navigation of robots we were entering the club, already shaking it to the sexy house tunes escaping the door- Ah, finally, a place to rest my head and wiggle my ass! Suffice to say, the music could do with a little improvement; the DJ line up needs help and the current CJ has to go and get some fresh tracks… but otherwise- not a sleazeball with sour-milk-breath in sight and merrily surrounded by good company and great conversation.

Women are susceptible to the attention they get based on the image and attitude they portray, yet some men are just too arrogant to catch the next wave out when that attention is not well received, thus resorting to the man-self-marketer. Our brotherly loves for the eve, (one having studied psychology) was kind enough to inform us that, having surveyed us before initiating conversation, they determined we were two girls, out to party and have a good time (Thank God educated men do exist!) and that when we dance, we don’t ooze the “I wana have sex now” vibe (on display at any club near you right now). This news was a great relief, just in case there was any doubt in my mind! And so we relaxed a little and let go a lot, grabbed a vodka and lime and really danced until dawn; culminating one helluva fabulous evening in Mount City!

The song of the night had to be Goldfrapp’s Ride a White Horse: “If you wanna be rich, you have to be a bitch!” Great Stuff, looks like we’ll be damn rich anyway then! Next time I am propositioned by one of these pretentious money-huggers, I’ll say; “Where is your car parked? I have a heel that would love to meet your car door!”