Wednesday, August 16, 2006

 

Juno Reactor live in Tokyo

Just a quickie - was very chuffed when I found this Juno Reactor live video on YouTube this evening - featuring Ben Watkins, Dizu Plaatjies (ex Amampondo), Simpiwe Matole, Mandla Lande, Michael Lundonga (all Amampondo) and Mabi Thobejane.


You can see what an awesome live show this produces, mixing the most modern electronica with drumming and percussion of old. This is a pumping show! Enjoy.

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Friday, August 11, 2006

 

Juno Reactor - Behind the Beat

I'm very excited to day to be able to present this interview with Ben Watkins from Juno Reactor. I heard this morning from Ben that it is cool, and so have been rushing to get it edited and uploaded.

We are currently working with Ben's Japanese promoter to get all the flights and travel details arranged for Amampondo and Mabi Thobejane tour in October this year.

What is really great about this clip - and that which got me so excited - is that Ben explains the mind-set behind some of his work, the way he has made use of African spiritualism to create, what is still, ground-breaking music mixing Electronica and traditional African instruments and vocals.

He explains how even in the recording of his tracks, his special guests would arrive in full Shamanic dress so as to be able to connect with the spirits, and one example of how the hair stood up on the back of his neck when Busi Mhlongo and Madala Kunene were in the studio singing to eachother, and drawing on the power of their ancestors...

So this is the story Behind the Beat, a slightly larger video than I normally upload, as create by The Sleep Lab Kid... thanks Ben!


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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

 

Madala & Mabi - Guitar and Drums

I got to know Mabi Gabriel Thobejane in 2002 when Lenny was assisting Robert & MELT put together a HUGE project for the Arts Alive Festival in Johannesburg that year.

Robert created the international jazz band PedXulu, comprising a core of Pedi, Xhosa & Zulu musicians collaborating with trumpeter Byron Wallen from the U.K. and vocalist & percussionist Rikki Randimbiarson Madagascar.

All the artists arrived in Cape Town for rehearsals two weeks before the gig, and we were at the sessions every day with Mama Lenny cooking and providing food for all 18 people. It's a very rewarding experience to see a bunch of musicians creating together, taunting eachother to coax that something special out of each talent, and how it finally all comes together. You get to know one another during this time.

Mabi was one of the main characters; always smiling and laughing, making jokes, and most of all giving us private performances of excellence on the drums and percussion. And by the time we drove to Jo'burg in convoy, Jasper, who was then only 2, wasn't frightened of Mabi's raspy voice and impish nature.

As I have mentioned before, Mabi continues to be a world force with his collaboration with Ben from Juno Reactor - and that is especially important with their live shows.

Mabi appears in the video below, with spiritual guitarist Madala Kunene, at their performance at the Fort Festival Village Foundation, and the inter-play between the two is awesome. 'Talking' guitar to 'talking' drums, from whispers to joyous shouts of celebration! The two of them take you on a journey.

Another highlight from MELT 2000's Acoustic Africa DVD (MZADV002), and of course on the books of Peak. But also friends of the family.


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Saturday, July 08, 2006

 

Madala Kunene and the ancestors

Yesterday was our eldest sons birthday – Jasper turned 6 and the day was filled with fun things for him, lots of presents and lunch with the family and some of his friends.

With every birthday that comes by, I always think back to his birth and what an unbelievable experience it was to be there to watch him take his first breath. Welcoming him into our lives, with all the excitement and hope that suddenly explodes into your life with that first cry, you know from that moment your life will never be the same.

We wanted his first moment to be special too, an were fortunate that the Milnerton Medi-Clinic let us welcome Jasper with music of our choice. We had chosen a very peaceful album by one of my favourite artists, Madala Kunene, and his collaboration with Swiss guitarist Max Lässer on Madamax. Madala has revived the 'Madalaine' style of guitar playing, combining blues & soul with African folk, developing the trance-like quality of his Zulu folk singing, and it is beautiful on this album.

With vocals from Lungiswa Plaatjies, and the American lap-steel guitarist, David Lindley, contributing, this album just perfectly fitted the birth of our son. An album with African and European influence in all the right places, the working together of two worlds, the common language, and as Max described it, “that meeting Madala Kunene was like finding a brother from another culture”.

Madala has some other very powerful albums under his belt, as Maskanda’s popularity grows world-wide; he has released Uxolo, Kon’ko Man, and First Double One and Two with Madala & Baba Makoena Serakoeng featuring Sibusiso Bernard Mndaweni, and some other very powerful albums through Musical Energy Loud Truth.

Madala is a very humble man, and on the many times that I have been able to sit with him and talk, I have always felt very grounded, relaxed, and slightly in awe. I know that Madala writes his songs from the dreams that his ancestors deliver to him, and listening to his tracks, you can feel their presence. In particular I find this true with Khon’ Othwele from the Uxolo album and also Kon’ko Man. Mabi Thobejane is on percussion, and the two of them take you on a sensational journey, making you rise with the rhythmic beat, rattle and guitar riffs, the cow bells talking to you until they slowly set you down, decreasing the speed and accentuating the subtle sounds; as if to put you gently back to sleep.

This is listening music, music for the soul.

And celebrating Jaspers birth date once again makes me listen and appreciate again how beautifully timeless Madala’s sounds are.

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[permalink] posted by Rouvanne @ 01:53 0 comments

Monday, July 03, 2006

 

Juno Reactor & Amampondo

If you want music to get the energy levels pumping, you just have to listen to Juno Reactor - Angie would have Shango playing nice and loud every day if she could.

Juno's Ben Watkins is an amazing character, and his music has always been considered groundbreaking. When asked to label his style of music, he says:

I think it's a collision, music that's waiting for the crash.

What many people don't know is that Ben has had a close relationship with South Africa through his musical collaborations with Amampondo and Mabi Thobejane. Feel some pride at knowing that Mabi worked with Ben and Don Davis, the composer of The Matrix, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix: Reloaded.

The 1997 release Bible of Dreams, Juno's fourth album implemented tribal influences Amampondo on the single Conga fury. Ben and Amampondo went on a five week tour of the U.S., doing the opening for Moby. In 1998 Juno Reactor played a stunning live set with Amampondo at Glastonbury Festival.

Amampondo also worked with Billy Idol's rock god guitarist Steve Stevens on Juno's 5th album Shango in 2000. The first track from the album, Pistolero, was also featured in the trailer for the movie ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO.

Since then the guys have continued touring - the live performance is awesome, and made all the more striking when you see the live African element of percussion and drums, mixed with Ben's mind boggling performance.

Ben's main passion - and where he really shines - is the making of soundtracks for movies, and he's already got a string under his belt, with MORTAL KOMBAT and MORTAL KOMBAT ANNIHILATION, anime series TEXHNOLYZE, which featured their single Guardian Angel” as its opening theme, he composed the score for Graham Baker’s BEOWULF, and even had a track on the mid 80's film FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF.

Juno Reactor will be releasing a mini album on 8 July 2006 to coincide with the launch of the film ‘Brave Story in Japan.

I think what really stands out in Ben's composition, is that he isn't scared to mix the old and the new, the traditional with the techno, cultures, languages and styles.

And its awesome to know that this knowledge gets to our local artists with every collaboration!

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