News
19/02/08 - Antiform's Australian Debut
The Roll Deeper drum'n'bass juggernaut and Sidechain Music crew join forces for the first time to present the debut Brisbane performance of rising Kiwi breaks and drum'n'bass act Antiform.
2008 is looking like being a big one for Antiform, following up their 2007 debut single release 'Boombox' on Hardcore Beats with a stack of releases on UK breakbeat label Broke Records (home of The Autobots among others). April alone sees the release of 'Got To Be You' feturing former Salmonella Dub frontman Tiki on the mic, 'Grip' featuring Neesh and Ethical and the d'n'b monster 'Crash' featuring MC Twincam, with an album set to drop in May. In the meantime their chunky tech-breaks mix of Tiki's 'Our Favourite Target' has been carving up dancefloors in New Zealand and beyond, providing the perfect taster for what the rest of 2008 holds.
A stellar local support crew has been assembled for this special event, headed by live drum'n'bass powerhouse Silent Shadow. It's been less than 12 months since the ensemble of Cameron Swales, Kris-Ko and JP made the giant leap from the studio into the live arena, but in that time they have already smashed dancefloors at events like DnBBQ, Rukus, Phat Albeats and Roll Deeper, racking up support slots with Concord Dawn, Pitch Black, Big Bud, Silent Witness, Black Sun Empire and K-Oscillate along the way.
With a DJ line-up featuring Scott Walker (Drop) vs The Score (Bitrok), the Roll Deeper crew of Dreadknowledge, Kurrupt, Illicit and Pez, and Brisbane's favourite hype man JP flying north from his new Sydney home for the night, you can expect the Uber subs to get a solid rinsing and the breakbeat vibes to be flowing freely when Antiform hit Brisbane for the first time Friday March 14.
24/01/08 - Segue join Smash Bang Records
Fresh from a smashing early afternoon performance in the Gold Coast Big Day Out Boiler Room last weekend, Sidechain live act and production unit Segue are set to launch their debut digital double A-side release ‘Reset’/’Cronies’ courtesy of Melbourne label Smash Bang Records.
Joining them on the night is local tech-funk duo Hyperion (themselves celebrating the 12-inch release of ‘The Acid Grind’/’Chapel Hill’ on UK breakbeat imprint Dead Famous Records), Smash Bang head-honcho Ehsan Gelsi, Nat Monaghan and Kris-Ko at The Moon Bar Friday Feb 8 for a special event which proves that the local acts of today can be the internationals of tomorrow.
28/12/07 - Kasey Taylor headlines A Night With in Feb'08
Sidechain Music’s A Night With... series kicked off in 2007 by hosting Australian progressive house rising stars Matt Rowan & Jaytech – for the first instalment of 2008, the Sidechain crew has gone back to the future for their headline act.
A Night With...Kasey Taylor sees Australia’s prodigal son and Vapour Recordings head honcho return from his adopted Portugal home to headline a night of deep, chunky progressive house magic with a selection of Brisbane’s finest in tow.
There is very little that Kasey Taylor hasn’t achieved as a DJ. When based in Melbourne he was a regular fixture at mammoth events like Summadayze, Two Tribes and Rainbow Serpent, and since relocating overseas has shared the stage with some of the world’s biggest dance music names at Germany’s Voov Festival and Labyrinth in Japan.
But it’s not just as a DJ that he’s made his mark. Since establishing the Vapour Recordings label way back in 1997, Taylor has overseen over 60 releases. Kasey is no slouch on the production front himself, with over 20 releases (both solo and in collaboration with the likes of Luke Chable and Sasha cohort Barry Jamieson) and a stack of remixes for big names like Sasha, Pole Folder, Chakra and Koma & Bones.
After a lengthy absence from Australian shores, January 2008 sees Kasey make an increasingly rare pilgrimage from his adopted Portugal back to his homeland with a crate full of fresh tunes ranging from heads-down rolling minimal grooves to hands-in-the-air big room chord progression stormers.
His first Brisbane gig in three years goes down at Barsoma on Friday Feb 1, with local prog bombers Cosmo Cater, Fergus Alexander, Kris-Ko and Chappo in support and the ever-reliable AMPT Productions crew transforming the venue into a visual playground as only they know how.
20/11/07 - D-Ko - Tribal Gathering Out Now on Beatport
Long-serving Brisbane live prog/breaks act D-Ko (former production unit of Sidechain Music's Kris-Ko) are finally celebrating the release of their mega-bomb 'Tribal Gathering', which is seeing the light of day courtesy of Perth super-producer Kriece's new progressive house label Destroy The Ego.
The tune is an epic 9 minute tribal-tech workout, opening with a 2 minute build-up complete with air-raid sirens before launching into a rolling electro synth riff straight out of the Giorgio Moroder/Underworld textbook which powers the rest of the track.
With DJ support from Kid Kenobi (#6 in Australia - ITM50 DJ Poll 2007), DJ Rasp (Vinyl Slingers - #33 ITM50 DJ Poll 2007), Sam Hill (George FM, NZ) and Brisbane favourites Scott Walker, Cosmo Cater and Ian Nearhos, 'Tribal Gathering' is a peak-time stormer purpose built to level dancefloors.
Kid Kenobi says "This track is the bomb. Mental breakdown, crowd loses it everytime! Seriously. In fact it was so good I had to pocket a copy the previous DJ accidently left behind in the CD player. I only got busted when I was caught rocking the main room at Family with it. But it was worth it. Definitely worth it."
D-Ko - Tribal Gathering (Original Mix) is available for download now via Beatport. Stay tuned also for a remix from a mystery prog house producer in the coming months!
30/09/07 - Elements turns Three!
Sidechain celebrates three years and ten events showcasing the finest in live electronica Australia has to offer in the only way we know how – with an all local breakbeat and drum’n’bass slam-fest overflowing with live electronic goodness and stellar production talent in DJ modes.
Elements:10 sees the event re-focus its sights on its breakbeat roots after recent flirtations with prog, tech and electro house, and the team has assembled a local line-up which should have both scene aficionados and the casual observer drooling with anticipation.
Headliners My Ninja Lover have cemented a reputation as one of the classiest dance music outfits Brisbane has ever produced, effortlessly moving through the realms of house, breaks and d’n’b with shimmering soundscapes and crisp drum programming topped off by the powerful vocals of Manta Ray. 2007 has seen them take the stage of the Big Day Out Boiler Room and turn their attention to following up their well-received debut EP Silk & Daggers, with their remix EP 2x2:Reinterpreted featuring remixes by Tommy Trash, Jono Fernandez and Scott Hopkins to be released through Central Station in November.
Another Brisbane act having a massive 2007 is Operon, thanks in part to his collaboration with MNL’s Manta Ray on the lush d’n’b masterpiece ‘Airports’. The track was recently signed to UK imprint Phuzion Records for release in late October, and this is just the beginning for the Rude Bwoyz resident whose productions on the liquid d’n’b tip are undeniably world class.
Rounding out the live line-up is Silent Shadow. The act formed around producer and multi-instrumentalist Cameron Swales and now including his brother Kris-Ko on drums and Rude Bwoyz vibe enhancer JP on the mic has burst on to the Brisbane scene in a big way this year, racking up supports for international luminaries Concord Dawn and Pitch Black with their raw yet melodic take on the neurofunk sound.
The DJ line-up is nothing to sneeze at either, with Dri vs The Score (enjoying success with their respective production units Segue and Bitrok) in DJ/Laptop battle mode and sub-smashing d’n’b punishers Speaker Wrath wrapping up a night where too much incredible original music is barely enough.
30/09/07 - The SS Crony sets sail in November!
The Logic and Sidechain crews have been throwing smashing parties across Brisbane throughout 2007, bringing the likes of Luke Fair, Lee Coombs, Matt Rowan & Jaytech, Jamie Stevens, Bubble & Squeak and Gavin Keitel along for the ride.
Now the crews have joined forces to present The Boat Party, a 6 hour voyage along the Brisbane River where shenanigans, looseness and debauchery will be the order of the day and the finest in tech, prog and deep house tuneage will be the soundtrack.
Brisbane scene veteran Mark Briais will be setting the scene with an eclectic selection of musical treasures, before the back-to-back DJ duos of Cosmo Cater vs Kris-Ko, Mike Redfern vs Ben Smith and Fergus Alexander vs Nat Monaghan take over the decks through sunset and beyond. And with sound and lighting from the AMPT Productions crew, you can expect the boat to look and sound spectacular.
The cruise departs Mowbray Park Ferry Terminal in East Brisbane at 3:30pm sharp, with a strictly limited run of 120 tickets on sale now from Rockinghorse Records in the Brisbane CBD. And if that's not tantalising enough for you, the ticket price includes free coach ride to The After Party, with a mystery interstate guest and venue to be announced soon!
Tickets are already moving faster than a Spanish Galleon being pursued by Captain Jack Sparrow, so if you want to walk the plank of the SS Crony you best be handing over some pieces of eight sooner rather than later me hearties. Arrrrrrr!
18/08/07 - Gavin Keitel plays Sidechain in September
The Sidechain crew take over the main room of Uber once again in September, with veteran Melbourne DJ and Sunny resident Gavin Keitel bringing his special blend of twisted tech house north to help give the Uber PA a much-needed spring clean.
Since kicking off his DJ career in the noted clubbing hotspot of Darwin some 20 years ago, Keitel’s star has ascended to the point where he is now regarded as one of Australia’s finest exponents of the tech-house sound. His residencies at the legendary Melbourne club Sunny (now in its 10th year), 161 and more recently Ffour have allowed him to consistently push his sound to appreciative dancefloors.
His sets move through house, minimal and techno influences and manage to knock the listener over with the creativity of his set-crafting as much as with the bomb tunes he’s dropping.
In 2005 Keitel helmed the first mix in the Balance Electric series, a mix hailed by 3D World as ‘A winner on all levels – 9/10’ and prompting Resident Advisor to declare that it would ‘leave some of the big name mixes that are out now looking quite ordinary.’
Local support comes from Brisbane’s darkest and dirtiest live tech-prog maestro Murray Antill, LOGIC resident Mike Redfern and Barsoma resident Nat Monaghan, promising a night of quality underground sounds in one of Brisbane’s finest club environments. And if the tech-house bombs all get too much, you can always go and get your groove on to the kitschy cheese bombs in the front room...
26/06/07 - Sidechain Music takes over Uber July 7
15/06/07 - Elements & LOGIC lock horns in June!
Two of Brisbane's finest independent party crews join forces in June to take over the top two levels of the Empire Hotel for a night showcasing some of the finest progressive, tech and electro house acts Australia has to offer.
It's difficult to argue with Infusion's position at the pinnacle of Australian dance music outfits, with sold out shows wherever they travel, peak-time slots at festivals from Europe to South America, DJ suport from the likes of John Digweed and Pete Tong, and widespread critical acclaim for their Phrases & Numbers and Six Feet Above Yesterday long-players. Their main man Jamie Stevens has also made a solid reputation for himself as a producer in his own right - recent remix credits for the likes of Kriece, The Cure and Meat Katie & Elite Force are a testament to this, while his debut feature film soundtrack for Right Here, Right Now also due for release in 2007. He'll get a rare opportunity to showcase his DJ skills when he tops the bill for LOGIC in the Empire Hotel Middle Bar, promising to drop everything from deep-tech minimalism to techno to garage rock to hip-shaking funk-fuelled breaks across a two-hour plus time-slot.
Elements:9 shapes up for yet another night dedicated to the finest in live electronica with Melbourne live tech-electro act Bubble & Squeak at the helm. The duo of Ehsan Gelsi and Evan Sparks first hooked up in late 1999 when they decided they needed an outlet for their devotion to the burgeoning acid techno sound. Since then they have played hundreds of shows, slowly developing a more accesible electro-tech fusion which has seen them play across Europe and Australia (including a main stage slot at Earthcore 2006 in Victoria). Over the past six months Bubble & Squeak have focused on the launch of the SmashBang club night (at Melbourne's Lounge) and label, with the latter launching their Beef Chief EP on the world earlier this year.
The support crew across both floors is packed full of local favourites, with Elements:9 hosting progressive-techno duo Segue and minimal-tech maestro Tom Heist alongside DJs Orinoko & Valli Lee, SyFi and Kris-Ko in the Moon Bar, while the Middle Bar line-up is rounded out by Logic residents Mike Redfern, Fergus Alexander, BPM and special guests Forest & Looq.
With the stellar visual and lighting skills of AMPT Productions tying the whole party together, it's shaping to be one of the biggest nights the Empire Hotel will see this year.
07/05/07 - A Night with... kicks off in June!
Sidechain Music is proud to present A Night With..., a new club night aiming to showcase the world's finest progressive and tech house producers. We're kicking things off with a bang by hosting Australia's most on-fire production duo Matt Rowan & Jaytech at Bar Soma Friday June 1.
Canberra native Jaytech first started producing dance music at just 14 years of age - seven years later he is widely regarded as one of progressive house's rising stars, with his tracks so far appearing on Tiesto's In Search Of Sunrise Volume 5 ('Genesis') and Ministry Of Sound's 2005 Annual ('Identify Me' with Mark Dynamix) compilations.
Meanwhile in Sydney, Matt Rowan was cutting his teeth on the decks at a variety of clubs after scoring his first residency in 1998. The funky/proggy bass-driven sound he favoured as a DJ also reared its head in his early production work, with his first release The Cruzer EP scoring solid acclaim upon its release in 2005.
When the two finally joined forces in late 2005, the payoff was instant. Matt Rowan & Jaytech have been kicking all sorts of goals since their breakthrough track (and first collaboration) 'Tomorrow' featured on Dave Seaman's Renaissance Masters Series Volume 7 mix in 2006, having their tunes played by everyone from Sasha to Hernan Cattaneo to Desyn Masiello and featured heavily on Steve Porter's recent Porterhouse Vol 2 two disc set.
Their blend of dancefloor friendly funk-fueled techyness has already seen them tour The Americas, with a European jaunt also on the cards before the year is out.
But the next stop on their road to world domination is Bar Soma on Friday June 1, where they'll be dropping three and a half hours of progressive house magic with local prog/tech masters Cosmo Cater, Nat Monaghan and Rich Curtis in support and the ever-reliable AMPT Productions crew on lighting and visual duties.
25/04/07 - Nat Monaghan on Triple J 'The Club', Friday April 27
An interview with Nat Monaghan and her excellent Summer 2006 promo will be aired on Triple J's dance music program The Club this Friday April 27 (or more likely early Saturday morning). The intervew and set will also be streamed from the Triple J website for the week after it goes to air.
25/04/07 - The Sunday Roast turns 1 in May!
Creating a successful Sunday session has long been something of a Holy Grail for Brisbane clubland, and now it seems the Crusade is over. Attendance at The Sunday Roast has become compulsory for Brisbane’s in-the-know clubbing massive since it kicked off at Birdee Num Num in May 2006, and the Roast crew are throwing their biggest party yet to celebrate their first birthday.
Topping the bill are globe-trotting techno DJ/producer (and Brisbane ex-pat) Kazu Kimura in minimal tech-house mode, Sydney's Ben Korbel (fresh from a stint in London and Ibiza), electro-tech live act Segue and live dance-rockers Obnoxious Disco, with DJ support from local favourites Fuzion, Mike Redfern and Kris-Ko alongside Roast residents Ian Nearhos, SyFi and Cosmo Cater.
The Sunday Roast First Birthday promises an audio smorgasbord for fans of tech, progressive and electro house sounds when it hits Birdee Num Num Sunday May 6. And as is the Roast tradition, entry is free!
23/04/07 - Nathan Fake and Dave Basek live double-header @ April DROP
After hosting one of the local club nights of the year courtesy of Funk D’Void last month, DROP ups the ante again in April with the announcement that minimal electro-tech wonderkid Nathan Fake (Border Community/UK) will be heading the bill with an exclusive live set.
His tracks ‘Outhouse’ (currently doing the rounds again thanks to a cracking Valentino Kanzyani remix) and ‘The Sky Was Pink’ are two of the biggest releases on the revered Border Community label – and they were recorded at the ripe old age of 19! But it was his critically-acclaimed 2006 artist album Drowning In A Sea Of Love that cemented this boy’s position as a true electronic genius, drawing props from the likes of Trentemoller and Thom Yorke for it’s inventiveness and unique musical vision.
Fake has made it clear that he is definitely not a DJ, so fans can expect nothing but his own productions when he makes a much-anticipated live appearance at DROP.
Byron Bay production machine Dave Basek (Junkbeats/20For7) will also be performing live, and anyone lucky enough to catch the seamless two hours of deep, techy house magic he laid down as the sun rose over the hills of Earthcore in 2006 will know that there are few better exponents of the sound on the planet. The quality of his own output combined with his work with Perth’s Kriece has seen his stocks rise markedly over the past 12 months.
Local DJ support comes from G-Money, Elliot Clarke and Scott Walker on a night which promises to once again reset the high bar for music and debauchery which DROP does on a monthly basis.
19/03/07 - Funk D'Void DROPs into Brisbane
DROP’s first international guest of 2007 is one of its biggest ever, with Soma Records alumnus Funk D’Void (aka Francois Dubois) bringing his deep tech sound to The Moon Bar on Saturday Mar 24.
D’Void made his first forays into production in 1994, eventually catching the attention of Slam’s Stuart McMillan with a demo of his track ‘Jack It Off’ in ‘95. From there it’s been all systems go for D’Void, with a truckload of releases on the esteemed Soma Records imprint (as well as Urbantorque and Cocoon Recordings) across the full spectrum of techno and fresh output under the Francois Dubois moniker exploring the realms of deep soul (check 2006’s deep house anthem ‘I Try’ for starters).
Recent DJ sets from D’Void reveal his sound is very much in deep-tech territory at the moment, but whatever he serves up at DROP is sure to be a special platter indeed.
Local support comes from some of Brisbane’s finest purveyors of house and techno – Mark Briais, Fuzion, Orinoko, Mag00 and Scott Walker.
01/03/07 - Elements goes back to its Breakbeat roots
Brisbane's premier live electronica showcase Elements returns from the prog/tech tangent it explored in the second half of 2006 to host some of Brisbane's finest breaks and drum'n'bass talent.
Elements:8 is headlined by rising breakbeat duo Bitrok, who'll be showing why DJs like Elite Force, Rennie Pilgrem and Drummatic Twins and labels such as Title Fight, Dead Famous and P.A.C.K. have been falling over themselves to get a hold of their tunes.
Live support comes from tech-funk newcomers Hyperion and tear-out drum'n'bass duo Silent Shadow vs Kris-Ko, with DJs Rasp (Vinyl Slingers), Scott Walker (DROP), de la Haye (Junglettes), Tsuli vs Yeti and VJ Jaymis rounding out the line-up.
Elements:8 hits the Empire Hotel Moon Bar Friday Mar 16 - check out our Myspace Blog for more details. With Claude VonStroke playing the Middle Bar on the same night it should be a full house!
05/02/07 - DROP returns for 2007
The DROP cronies make a much anticipated return in 2007 with a renewed focus on pushing upcoming local talent, so it’s appropriate that breakthrough electro-tech act Segue head proceedings for the first party of the year. They'll also be joined on stage by regular visual collaborator Jaymis in his first show as a full-time addition to the live line-up.
Scott Walker vs Kris-Ko will be presenting a special 3 hour CDJ vs Ableton Live closing set, with minimal tech maestro Mag00 opening the night with three magical hours of his own.
DROP hits the Empire Hotel Moon Bar Friday Feb 23 - check out In The Mix for more details.
05/02/07 - Cosmo Cater hits Habit
Cosmo will be flying south to headline the first party of 2007 for respected prog crew Habit @ Candy's Apartment in Sydney on Friday Feb 9. The Habit crew have hosted the likes of Jaytech and Matt Rowan in the past, and this promies to be the first in a big series of parties for them in 2007.
Check out the Habit Website for more details.
Upcoming Gigs
- Friday Feb 08
SEGUE (Single Launch), KRIS-KO, NAT MONAGHAN
The Moon Bar - Friday Feb 08
NAT MONAGHAN
Planet Nightclub (Artifakt support) - Sunday Feb 10
SCOTT WALKER, COSMO CATER, KRIS-KO
God Vibrations After Party @ Empire(16 Bit Lolitas support) - Friday Feb 15
SCOTT WALKER, COSMO CATER, NAT MONAGHAN, KRIS-KO
Drop @ The Moon Bar - Friday Feb 22
MURRAY ANTILL
Logic @ Barsoma (Gui Boratto support) - Friday Feb 23
SCOTT WALKER
Barsoma - Friday Mar 07
SCOTT WALKER
Drop @ The Moon Bar - Saturday Mar 14
KRIS-KO (with Silent Shadow)
Uber (Antiform support) - Saturday Apr 4
SCOTT WALKER
Sunny 10th Birthday @ Moon Bar