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It starts with this story. (and I'm not even 100% sure how it ties into anything outside of the idea that it illustrates the fact that the Strom Brothers have their fingers on the pulse of global electronic culture. )
Two years ago, Marria and I went to an Iboga Label party in Sorenberg, Switzerland. We literally had to take a local bus to Sorenberg, walk a couple miles to the base of the Alps, and then take two gondolas and a chair lift to get onto the dancefloor. Aside from the artists we were there to see, nobody outside the two of us spoke fluent English and most of our conversation was limited to broken attempts on everyone's part to speak a "second langauge."
I was approached by a guy who said he was on leave from the Swiss Army; an immediate oxy-moron that we shared a laugh about. Language barrier in place, he asked me "what is your favorite trance album?" Naturally, I replied it was Atmos' "Headcleaner."
He agreed, saying it was also his favorite album - going as far as to rapidly speak Dutch about it, smiling, and mentioning names of tracks as he went. Then, in broken English he said, "After that album, I fell in love with trance. But it didn't last long. Nothing new and good came out and I moved on. It wasn't until my other favorite album came out a few years later that I fell in love with trance again."
I knew where the conversation was headed and lead him on asking, "And what was that album?"
He replied, "It was "Lull" by a New Zealand band called "Antix." Though the in-between was different, he shared my sentiments exactly.
Here I was in the freaking Swiss Alps, meeting someone for the first time and it was like talking to myself in a different langauge. To this day, I remember that conversation and have realized that he and I aren't the only ones who can distinctly say that "Headcleaner" and "Lull" represent two moments in the evolution of trance that will may never be replicated. In fact, it is my contention that today's artists continue to motivate themselves by the thought they will someday write an album with as much impact as those two landmarks.
Antix has since released a second album, "Twin Coast Discovery," which was as stellar as Lull, but didn't have quite the global impact. What it did do, however, was introduce us to their side project "Fiord," and foreshadow further releases from this project. The Fiord sound is slower, more liquidious, more atmospheric yet without descending into the world of "chill-out" or "ambient." It is that sound which many predict is the direction the music is heading. "Progressive" has long since shed its ties with all things psychedelic. There are very few "progressive-psy-trance" albums of worth anymore - and accomplished artists (save a select few) are striving to produce well in EITHER the genre of psy-trance OR the genre of progressive. With "Lull" came the end of the seperation between "progressive house" and "progressive trance." And now, established, the Strom Brothers may be poised to erase even more barriers and boundaries between genres.
When I read Omni-Tribe was bringing Antix to play Live in New York, the party became the top priority in my "things to do" list. It would be the sixth time I had seen Antix, but the first I had seen both Strom brothers perform together. With Omni-Tribe at the helm, 28th day doing the sound, and a lineup that included Gavin and Shai's new live material; there was no doubt it would be a party to remember. The obstacles of getting time off work and finding an adequate dog-sitter for Lester Matsuzaka were difficult, but not impossible, to overcome. Some fancy footwork and treacherous overtime hours in the shop created a window starting Friday at 4:30PM which would culminate in our attendance.
Traffic and puppy in full effect, we arrived slighly after we had hoped. We heard maybe the last half of Gavin's set before watching Hayden and Barton take to the decks. What made this party special from the get-go, was the fact that it was PACKED with people we hadn't seen in so long. Every interaction was one loaded with "catching up" and even folks we didn't get to talk with were those we wished we could have. Emily and Andrew from Providence... I mean, Los Angeles... I mean, Phoenix. J and Steve (aka D-Space - who, by the way, have some SICK new material about to be released). Mayur and Katie. Gavin. Kife. Shai. Kamal. Tony Unorthodox. Theo. B. Stas, Ivan, Vladi; the list goes on and on. It was like a family re-union!
From what I gathered, the venue had some kind of history. Known for its lax approach to the rules, it was a place where music could play all night, beer could be served past 4:00AM, and smoking could be done inside or out. Though it wasn't the most condusive place for finely produced electronic music to be played at highly amplified levels, I thought that Tony and the 28th Day crew did the best they possibly could to ensure the cleanest possible sound. Suspended electrical conduit and fixtures hung from what appeared to be a suspended ceiling. Shoddy and incomplete tethering caused a rattle which was inaudible unless the dancefloor dropped below 70 or so people. With that, we should all thank 28th Day for the system AND all the people that came out to the party and stayed on the dancefloor until sunrise.
There have been numerous complaints about this party - primarily with the venue, the sound, and Antix's live-set. I feel like the sound and venue issues were unavoidable and, might I add, didn't really detract from the party as a whole. 28th Day did an amazing job given what they had and the venue... well, it was the choice of those throwing the party. Based on Omni-Tribe's impeccable record of throwing good parties; it's safe to say they had a good reason for choosing this bar.
That brings us to the live-set. In response to B and Dustin who were wondering what the samples were... umm... guys? It's "Hiding Place" - a track originally written as a trip-hop track of only three minutes by "Tiny Blue Orchestra" and then remixed by Fiord into a progressive gem. This track not only represents the first breakthrough for Fiord, but also serves to solidify "Twin Coast Discovery" as one of the finer releases of 2005. I'm pleased to agree with B in this sense - Psylab, the Boston based live act, did indeed use this sample in one of their remixes. They've also broken ground remixing Ticon's "Poem for Granny" - which has a thunderous underlay with equally impressive female vocals. Both tracks, carefully selected by Psylab, are two genuine killers! Though "Hiding Place" was first remixed on "Twin Coast Discovery" - it is listed as a Fiord remix and gave a nice foreshadow of what was to come from that project.
Many people also complained about Antix's relatively quick mixes. By that, I mean the sound and tracks seemed to change "too quickly." Marria mentioned a conversation she had with Hayden and Barton regarding this, and I think it makes perfect sense. Aside from the two tracks that appear on Iboga's new compilation, "Nuance," the live-set was just that, a "LIVE" set. It was comprised of rythms, patterns, baselines, and underly which the Antix and Fiord projects are "testing" on an actual dancefloor. Many of the tracks aren't even tracks yet! They are ideas and a few samples they wish to use. Based on crowd response, Hayden and Barton played them longer or mixed out. Well received "tracks" will be further honed and polished to become mastered tracks on an album. Others will just live forever as a wav. file on their MAC laptops.
Sometimes (as was the case in Montreal a few times), the track played and got a huge response, but the artists had to stop them early simply because the idea had been exhausted. The test was positive, but the only material they had was that test sample. I think many people (especially in Montreal) could hear some older tribal patterns in the live set, most notably that from "Backslide," which seemed out of place or, at the very least, different than the other samples. Such material was used not because Antix is "old" or "tired" - but because they were playing LIVE and knew such a sample would work with a given line. Though some want to think so, trance acts are not "jam bands." There is plenty of improvisation that happens on stage, the material must be at least somewhat rehearsed and somewhat prepared. Had Antix known the response BEFORE it happened (like, if they could, like, predict the future) - they may have thought through and prepared longer mixes for those rythms.
I can certainly respect the opinions of everyone on this list - especially those like B who have been to their share of trance parties - but I can also say that many of the "bad points" of the NYC party were "bad" for reasons beyond the control of the promotors, artists, and others involved. Antix was not "unhappy" to be playing in a bar; they simply are intense musicians who wish to perform optimally and don't stray from that goal easily (even when people are standing over their gear pumping fists and fingers in their faces.) The sound was as good as it could be and I'd like, again, to stress that Tony and 28th Day did an amazing job based on the venue they were given and the limitations it presented. Omni-Tribe has NEVER steered us astray and though I didn't get much of a chance to talk with them regarding the venue (though I would like to shout out to Stas who TOTALLY enlightened me on the different levels of skydiving experience especially as it pertains to Burning Man), I can only think that they chose this venue for good reasons. The music I heard in the limited time I was there was great and, best of all, I was hearing it with people I was really excited to see again after a long time apart.
I hadn't been to a NYC party in over a month, and this party was the BEST way I can think to get down there and boogie-down!!
A week later, Lester was safely dropped off with my Dad, and Marria and I drove to Montreal for the Antix live-set again. Again, a relatively small crowd in a somewhat dark and "small" bar/club. But, as was the case in NYC, a positive vibe, a well tuned system, and an Antix Live Set. The set was different from the one in NYC; though they did end with a mix of "Hiding Place" once again. This time, though, they seemed to focus more on the Fiord material - a sound, which as I think about it, could be called a mix of proggy and trip-hop.
It has been said that the evolution in Antix's sound represents some form of demise or some downwards path. I couldn't disagree more. As I look back on everything, I see landmark albums and performances all sharing a theme; they either do something TOTALLY new or they combine old elements in a way that's never been done before. We live in the 21st Century, so the former is now nearly impossible. But the latter, especially in the electronic music scene, is possible.
I think about "Headcleaner" and how it's basically the original scripture from which all subsequent music has risen. I think of Lull, another momentous moment where two genres crossed paths perfectly. I think Antix is once again trying to write such an album and, as I see it, the Fiord project may be the route which they wish to take. Speckled tracks starting with "Hiding Place" going through the final track on "Twin Coast Remixes" and now serving as the opening track on "Nuance" - Fiord has flown somewhat under the radar for many. It is also a project which Hayden and Barton are THRILLED and excited about - a project which could possibly lead to a full-length on par with "Lull."
The evolution towards a blending with trip-hop (or downtempo depending how you hear it) is not, as I can see, a regression. It is a change, yes, but not a backwards movement. It is a movement towards something different, something new, something yet to be attempted. This could offend some people. Some people may like the "Old Antix" - and wish they would continue to release tracks like "Rainstick" and "Blood." Others, who may have dwelled in different circles, may now hear the Strom Brothers for the first time and say "have you heard of this new band "Fiord?"
Change sucks for some can be beneficial to others. It is a personal choice - on the part of both the artist and the listeners. Iboga now has an electro/house sublabel called "Prestige Records" - but it doesn't mean Iboga is regressing. The Bruins just sent Hannu Toivunnen back to the minors and changed to Phillippe Suave - but they are just "changing" not "getting worse." Honestly, I'd give my eye teeth to have another album like "Lull" - or even a compilation of all-new tracks like Backslide and "Hit the Frog N' Toad" - but I'd give even more to hear something totally different and new - and, even moreso - LIKE IT! From what I hear of Fiord so far, I really think this new material will be well received around the world.
Even more exciting than a new Antix album... Oh, did I mention, the Fiord full-length MAY be forthcoming (my hopes getting the best of me), but Antix will definitely have a new album out soon!!! Better yet, they will also be relasing a DVD which will document their excursion across North America - including having to dig out of 40" of snow in Denver only to race to the airport and have the lid to their SKB case end up on the tarmac during the takeoff!! It will show their ability to sleep three of every 30 hours and survive on nothing but Chinese take-out and bubble-tea. It will show them freezing in Montreal and losing their bags at the airport. Though it is all conceptual, hearing the excitement in their voices, made me think that this DVD will be well worth it!
Right now, I'm just getting around to writing this. I have a dog now - and a welder - and a football team to follow - and a life-size sculpture of Diasuke Matsuzaka to fabricate - and a full-time job... I have to choose, here!! :-) I've been being sent the responses on this list and others and just want to remind folks that we live in the USA. This is not Brazil. This is not Europe. Antix has played live in front of upwards of 40,000 people.. yes forty thousand - so the very fact that they come to the USA to paly for 200 is a gift we should all appreciate! They would never turn it down, but if you knew the depth, intelligence, and sincerity of the three folks who made this journey, you know that although their sound is changing, their authenticity, passion, and love for the arts is NOT. It is as strong or stronger than ever! I'm siked for the new Antix material and the DVD - and siked even more for a possible Fiord full-length...
OH PLEASE... when do we get a Fiord Full-Length... when do we?? :-)
No matter what, Marria and I had an BLAST at both these parties and it couldn't have happened without the Antix sound and TONS of driven people doing all they can to give the residents of this country something to love. I know parties here are not as "good" as they are in other countries, but I've found so far that they're only as good - the whole culture is only as good - as we all are willing to push and make it.
SO THANK YOU HAYDEN, BARTON, and TESHA!
THANK YOU SHAI, KIFE, STAS, and OMNI-TRIBE!
THANK YOU TONY, THEO, and all of 28th DAY!
THANK YOU GAVIN, J, MAYUR, STEVE, and anyone else who made that NYC party fun!
AND THANK YOU STEFAN and the all those behind the Montreal party! IT WAS A BLAST!!!!
Life is good...
Two years ago, Marria and I went to an Iboga Label party in Sorenberg, Switzerland. We literally had to take a local bus to Sorenberg, walk a couple miles to the base of the Alps, and then take two gondolas and a chair lift to get onto the dancefloor. Aside from the artists we were there to see, nobody outside the two of us spoke fluent English and most of our conversation was limited to broken attempts on everyone's part to speak a "second langauge."
I was approached by a guy who said he was on leave from the Swiss Army; an immediate oxy-moron that we shared a laugh about. Language barrier in place, he asked me "what is your favorite trance album?" Naturally, I replied it was Atmos' "Headcleaner."
He agreed, saying it was also his favorite album - going as far as to rapidly speak Dutch about it, smiling, and mentioning names of tracks as he went. Then, in broken English he said, "After that album, I fell in love with trance. But it didn't last long. Nothing new and good came out and I moved on. It wasn't until my other favorite album came out a few years later that I fell in love with trance again."
I knew where the conversation was headed and lead him on asking, "And what was that album?"
He replied, "It was "Lull" by a New Zealand band called "Antix." Though the in-between was different, he shared my sentiments exactly.
Here I was in the freaking Swiss Alps, meeting someone for the first time and it was like talking to myself in a different langauge. To this day, I remember that conversation and have realized that he and I aren't the only ones who can distinctly say that "Headcleaner" and "Lull" represent two moments in the evolution of trance that will may never be replicated. In fact, it is my contention that today's artists continue to motivate themselves by the thought they will someday write an album with as much impact as those two landmarks.
Antix has since released a second album, "Twin Coast Discovery," which was as stellar as Lull, but didn't have quite the global impact. What it did do, however, was introduce us to their side project "Fiord," and foreshadow further releases from this project. The Fiord sound is slower, more liquidious, more atmospheric yet without descending into the world of "chill-out" or "ambient." It is that sound which many predict is the direction the music is heading. "Progressive" has long since shed its ties with all things psychedelic. There are very few "progressive-psy-trance" albums of worth anymore - and accomplished artists (save a select few) are striving to produce well in EITHER the genre of psy-trance OR the genre of progressive. With "Lull" came the end of the seperation between "progressive house" and "progressive trance." And now, established, the Strom Brothers may be poised to erase even more barriers and boundaries between genres.
When I read Omni-Tribe was bringing Antix to play Live in New York, the party became the top priority in my "things to do" list. It would be the sixth time I had seen Antix, but the first I had seen both Strom brothers perform together. With Omni-Tribe at the helm, 28th day doing the sound, and a lineup that included Gavin and Shai's new live material; there was no doubt it would be a party to remember. The obstacles of getting time off work and finding an adequate dog-sitter for Lester Matsuzaka were difficult, but not impossible, to overcome. Some fancy footwork and treacherous overtime hours in the shop created a window starting Friday at 4:30PM which would culminate in our attendance.
Traffic and puppy in full effect, we arrived slighly after we had hoped. We heard maybe the last half of Gavin's set before watching Hayden and Barton take to the decks. What made this party special from the get-go, was the fact that it was PACKED with people we hadn't seen in so long. Every interaction was one loaded with "catching up" and even folks we didn't get to talk with were those we wished we could have. Emily and Andrew from Providence... I mean, Los Angeles... I mean, Phoenix. J and Steve (aka D-Space - who, by the way, have some SICK new material about to be released). Mayur and Katie. Gavin. Kife. Shai. Kamal. Tony Unorthodox. Theo. B. Stas, Ivan, Vladi; the list goes on and on. It was like a family re-union!
From what I gathered, the venue had some kind of history. Known for its lax approach to the rules, it was a place where music could play all night, beer could be served past 4:00AM, and smoking could be done inside or out. Though it wasn't the most condusive place for finely produced electronic music to be played at highly amplified levels, I thought that Tony and the 28th Day crew did the best they possibly could to ensure the cleanest possible sound. Suspended electrical conduit and fixtures hung from what appeared to be a suspended ceiling. Shoddy and incomplete tethering caused a rattle which was inaudible unless the dancefloor dropped below 70 or so people. With that, we should all thank 28th Day for the system AND all the people that came out to the party and stayed on the dancefloor until sunrise.
There have been numerous complaints about this party - primarily with the venue, the sound, and Antix's live-set. I feel like the sound and venue issues were unavoidable and, might I add, didn't really detract from the party as a whole. 28th Day did an amazing job given what they had and the venue... well, it was the choice of those throwing the party. Based on Omni-Tribe's impeccable record of throwing good parties; it's safe to say they had a good reason for choosing this bar.
That brings us to the live-set. In response to B and Dustin who were wondering what the samples were... umm... guys? It's "Hiding Place" - a track originally written as a trip-hop track of only three minutes by "Tiny Blue Orchestra" and then remixed by Fiord into a progressive gem. This track not only represents the first breakthrough for Fiord, but also serves to solidify "Twin Coast Discovery" as one of the finer releases of 2005. I'm pleased to agree with B in this sense - Psylab, the Boston based live act, did indeed use this sample in one of their remixes. They've also broken ground remixing Ticon's "Poem for Granny" - which has a thunderous underlay with equally impressive female vocals. Both tracks, carefully selected by Psylab, are two genuine killers! Though "Hiding Place" was first remixed on "Twin Coast Discovery" - it is listed as a Fiord remix and gave a nice foreshadow of what was to come from that project.
Many people also complained about Antix's relatively quick mixes. By that, I mean the sound and tracks seemed to change "too quickly." Marria mentioned a conversation she had with Hayden and Barton regarding this, and I think it makes perfect sense. Aside from the two tracks that appear on Iboga's new compilation, "Nuance," the live-set was just that, a "LIVE" set. It was comprised of rythms, patterns, baselines, and underly which the Antix and Fiord projects are "testing" on an actual dancefloor. Many of the tracks aren't even tracks yet! They are ideas and a few samples they wish to use. Based on crowd response, Hayden and Barton played them longer or mixed out. Well received "tracks" will be further honed and polished to become mastered tracks on an album. Others will just live forever as a wav. file on their MAC laptops.
Sometimes (as was the case in Montreal a few times), the track played and got a huge response, but the artists had to stop them early simply because the idea had been exhausted. The test was positive, but the only material they had was that test sample. I think many people (especially in Montreal) could hear some older tribal patterns in the live set, most notably that from "Backslide," which seemed out of place or, at the very least, different than the other samples. Such material was used not because Antix is "old" or "tired" - but because they were playing LIVE and knew such a sample would work with a given line. Though some want to think so, trance acts are not "jam bands." There is plenty of improvisation that happens on stage, the material must be at least somewhat rehearsed and somewhat prepared. Had Antix known the response BEFORE it happened (like, if they could, like, predict the future) - they may have thought through and prepared longer mixes for those rythms.
I can certainly respect the opinions of everyone on this list - especially those like B who have been to their share of trance parties - but I can also say that many of the "bad points" of the NYC party were "bad" for reasons beyond the control of the promotors, artists, and others involved. Antix was not "unhappy" to be playing in a bar; they simply are intense musicians who wish to perform optimally and don't stray from that goal easily (even when people are standing over their gear pumping fists and fingers in their faces.) The sound was as good as it could be and I'd like, again, to stress that Tony and 28th Day did an amazing job based on the venue they were given and the limitations it presented. Omni-Tribe has NEVER steered us astray and though I didn't get much of a chance to talk with them regarding the venue (though I would like to shout out to Stas who TOTALLY enlightened me on the different levels of skydiving experience especially as it pertains to Burning Man), I can only think that they chose this venue for good reasons. The music I heard in the limited time I was there was great and, best of all, I was hearing it with people I was really excited to see again after a long time apart.
I hadn't been to a NYC party in over a month, and this party was the BEST way I can think to get down there and boogie-down!!
A week later, Lester was safely dropped off with my Dad, and Marria and I drove to Montreal for the Antix live-set again. Again, a relatively small crowd in a somewhat dark and "small" bar/club. But, as was the case in NYC, a positive vibe, a well tuned system, and an Antix Live Set. The set was different from the one in NYC; though they did end with a mix of "Hiding Place" once again. This time, though, they seemed to focus more on the Fiord material - a sound, which as I think about it, could be called a mix of proggy and trip-hop.
It has been said that the evolution in Antix's sound represents some form of demise or some downwards path. I couldn't disagree more. As I look back on everything, I see landmark albums and performances all sharing a theme; they either do something TOTALLY new or they combine old elements in a way that's never been done before. We live in the 21st Century, so the former is now nearly impossible. But the latter, especially in the electronic music scene, is possible.
I think about "Headcleaner" and how it's basically the original scripture from which all subsequent music has risen. I think of Lull, another momentous moment where two genres crossed paths perfectly. I think Antix is once again trying to write such an album and, as I see it, the Fiord project may be the route which they wish to take. Speckled tracks starting with "Hiding Place" going through the final track on "Twin Coast Remixes" and now serving as the opening track on "Nuance" - Fiord has flown somewhat under the radar for many. It is also a project which Hayden and Barton are THRILLED and excited about - a project which could possibly lead to a full-length on par with "Lull."
The evolution towards a blending with trip-hop (or downtempo depending how you hear it) is not, as I can see, a regression. It is a change, yes, but not a backwards movement. It is a movement towards something different, something new, something yet to be attempted. This could offend some people. Some people may like the "Old Antix" - and wish they would continue to release tracks like "Rainstick" and "Blood." Others, who may have dwelled in different circles, may now hear the Strom Brothers for the first time and say "have you heard of this new band "Fiord?"
Change sucks for some can be beneficial to others. It is a personal choice - on the part of both the artist and the listeners. Iboga now has an electro/house sublabel called "Prestige Records" - but it doesn't mean Iboga is regressing. The Bruins just sent Hannu Toivunnen back to the minors and changed to Phillippe Suave - but they are just "changing" not "getting worse." Honestly, I'd give my eye teeth to have another album like "Lull" - or even a compilation of all-new tracks like Backslide and "Hit the Frog N' Toad" - but I'd give even more to hear something totally different and new - and, even moreso - LIKE IT! From what I hear of Fiord so far, I really think this new material will be well received around the world.
Even more exciting than a new Antix album... Oh, did I mention, the Fiord full-length MAY be forthcoming (my hopes getting the best of me), but Antix will definitely have a new album out soon!!! Better yet, they will also be relasing a DVD which will document their excursion across North America - including having to dig out of 40" of snow in Denver only to race to the airport and have the lid to their SKB case end up on the tarmac during the takeoff!! It will show their ability to sleep three of every 30 hours and survive on nothing but Chinese take-out and bubble-tea. It will show them freezing in Montreal and losing their bags at the airport. Though it is all conceptual, hearing the excitement in their voices, made me think that this DVD will be well worth it!
Right now, I'm just getting around to writing this. I have a dog now - and a welder - and a football team to follow - and a life-size sculpture of Diasuke Matsuzaka to fabricate - and a full-time job... I have to choose, here!! :-) I've been being sent the responses on this list and others and just want to remind folks that we live in the USA. This is not Brazil. This is not Europe. Antix has played live in front of upwards of 40,000 people.. yes forty thousand - so the very fact that they come to the USA to paly for 200 is a gift we should all appreciate! They would never turn it down, but if you knew the depth, intelligence, and sincerity of the three folks who made this journey, you know that although their sound is changing, their authenticity, passion, and love for the arts is NOT. It is as strong or stronger than ever! I'm siked for the new Antix material and the DVD - and siked even more for a possible Fiord full-length...
OH PLEASE... when do we get a Fiord Full-Length... when do we?? :-)
No matter what, Marria and I had an BLAST at both these parties and it couldn't have happened without the Antix sound and TONS of driven people doing all they can to give the residents of this country something to love. I know parties here are not as "good" as they are in other countries, but I've found so far that they're only as good - the whole culture is only as good - as we all are willing to push and make it.
SO THANK YOU HAYDEN, BARTON, and TESHA!
THANK YOU SHAI, KIFE, STAS, and OMNI-TRIBE!
THANK YOU TONY, THEO, and all of 28th DAY!
THANK YOU GAVIN, J, MAYUR, STEVE, and anyone else who made that NYC party fun!
AND THANK YOU STEFAN and the all those behind the Montreal party! IT WAS A BLAST!!!!
Life is good...
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