https://www.scmp.com/rss/15048/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Stuart Garner is celebrating a decade since his revival of the Norton motorcycle brand into a luxury name for the ultimate in boys’ toys engineering. What drives a man to stake a small fortune on nothing but a name? That probably depends on the name – in this case, Norton, venerated maker of motorcycles; and the man – Norton CEO Stuart Garner, who bought this iconic British marque in 2008, then resurrected the brand to new heights while staying rooted in its 120-year history. Now in his late... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2136602/meet-saviour-storied-norton-motorcycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2136602/meet-saviour-storied-norton-motorcycle?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Mar 2018 04:02:26 +0000 J.D. Samson cuts an enigmatic figure. Her cropped locks and delicate features give her a model-esque androgyny, yet she wears more moustache than the average Hong Kong man. And while she makes head-bopping electro-pop music, its politically rousing lyrics encourage discourse through dance. Samson is best known as a member of the electro-clash outfit Le Tigre, whose feminist, pro-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) lyrics made them a beacon of the riot grrl movement a decade ago.... https://www.scmp.com/article/993685/hirsute-her-suit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/993685/hirsute-her-suit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Evolution, fashion and music all agree: if you don't change, you get left behind. So how has DJ Hell managed to stick around for more than 15 years? Hell - which, if you're wondering, comes from his real name, Helmut Geier - is the originator of electro-clash, the owner of International Deejay Gigolo Records, and an occasional fashion designer. The electro-clash craze he started might have quieted to a dull roar and Gigolo Records witnessed a downturn as the halcyon days of genre mashing... https://www.scmp.com/article/973667/give-devil-his-due?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/973667/give-devil-his-due?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Hello, fashion elite; welcome to the web. A members-only website, Moda Operandi, is now letting well-to-do fashionistas buy from collections just hours after the clothes hit the catwalk during fashion week. Among the first design houses to show their pieces on the site are Alberta Ferretti, Nina Ricci, Giambattista Valli, Carolina Herrera and Alexander Wang. Where high-fashion online clubs offer discounts to clear stock, Moda Operandi shows collections from designer trunk shows that are... https://www.scmp.com/article/973496/chosen-few-get-first-call-hot-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/973496/chosen-few-get-first-call-hot-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Zetter Townhouse (thezettertownhouse.com) Good things come in 13-room townhouses. This Georgian boutique hotel sits on cobbled St John Square, where you'll find plenty of chic bars and restaurants. Room decor is classic with contemporary splashes of colour, while the Cocktail Lounge, with its apothecary style bar and open fireplace, is a charming parlour for an afternoon cocktail. The Soho Hotel (firmdale.com) Its contemporary elegance belies the luxury you'll find at this 91-room Central... https://www.scmp.com/article/969523/london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/969523/london?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Just can't get her out of your head since her last concert was cancelled? Don't fret, Kylie fans - the (other) queen of pop is finally returning to Hong Kong. Kylie Minogue will be staging what is expected to be a typically spectacular stage show on July 1 during a world tour in support of her latest album, Aphrodite - already Minogue's fifth No 1 album in Britain. The album is a glorious return to what she does best - blasts of unabashed pop bursting with electro-lite and the shiny-smooth... https://www.scmp.com/article/967440/kylie-minogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/967440/kylie-minogue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Resurrection is in, with many major fashion houses reviving their archives in recent years. At the same time, the revamp is being extended to historical structures as luxury brands fund various renovations. Among the latest is Tod's Group, which is sponsoring a major overhaul of the Colosseum in Rome, one of the world's most famous ancient sites. Although previous restoration works were finished in 2000, Italy's most famous landmark, completed in AD80 under Emperor Titus, remains damaged by... https://www.scmp.com/article/966190/maximus-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966190/maximus-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The funniest place in Asia just might be Hong Kong. Not for Chinglish mistranslations or culture shock hijinks - but for the comedians who expound about them on home turf. Stand-up comedy with its inherent irony and sarcasm isn't quite in line with the punny, physical humour of traditional Chinese comedy, but times are changing with the opening of another comedy club. The TakeOut Comedy Club opened in SoHo four years ago, and on April 1 is expanding over the harbour with its first shows in... https://www.scmp.com/article/742146/funny-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/742146/funny-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The best indicator of whether this will matter to you is whether you know Avril Lavigne is about more than just the track involving the skater boy. If you're aware that since her first big hit she's released three more albums, each one a yardstick for her evolution from tomboy to rebel rocker to wised-up woman, please carry on. Making her debut in 2002 as the one-of-the-guys alternative to her overtly sexual pop contemporaries, Lavigne also stood out from the crowd by writing her own material.... https://www.scmp.com/article/740395/avril-lavigne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/740395/avril-lavigne?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Of all forms of dance music, techno is probably the most misunderstood. It's the difficult middle brother of universally accepted house music. Its immaculate basslines are the obsessive-compulsive aunt to the wild energy of drum 'n' bass. And for non-fans of electronic music, techno is the blanket term for all of it. That's why people such as French DJ/producer and scene stalwart Laurent Garnier need to keep making music. He's the techno DJ who plays techno about half the time - and if you... https://www.scmp.com/article/738042/machine-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/738042/machine-man?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 1. From The Drop - MJ Cole and Wiley Top of my list from the last year's dubstep movement along with Tinie Tempah, Mz Bratt, Labyrinth, Katy B, Jessie J and so many other British geniuses. 2. Goldrush - DJ Fresh If this doesn't get you moving then you're probably dead. Along with the superb Magnetic Man and so many others, DJ Fresh is taking drum 'n' bass to a whole new level. 3. Tessellate - Tokyo Police Club This indie band out of Ontario, Canada, never quite hit the... https://www.scmp.com/article/737489/simon-birch-artist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737489/simon-birch-artist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 1. Freak Emotion (Sonny Fodera remix) - Mark & Stevens I'm sure Rick James' Super Freak is a major influence on this track. A very funky modern bass line drives it along and the vocal is uncanny. 2. Drama Mamma - Nate Laurence A nice mash-up of a hip hop vocal with a female disco vocal on top and a classic house bass line makes this an essential warm-up track on cold nights. 3. Disco Biscuit - Sonny Fodera The spoken-word lyrics may be alarming at first, but all is forgiven when... https://www.scmp.com/article/737130/james-soutar-resident-dj-homebase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737130/james-soutar-resident-dj-homebase?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Whether you love or hate the pop charts, it's hard to deny the glistening production of Maroon 5. With sales of 15 million albums and counting, the LA pop-rockers have been big-league players since their second release, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, broke into the mainstream. But they've just done themselves one better by having their latest, Hands All Above, worked over by Robert 'Mutt' Lange, producer to Nickelback, AC/DC and Def Leppard. Where their debut, Songs About Jane, displayed... https://www.scmp.com/article/734875/maroon-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/734875/maroon-5?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Tomorrow, 9pm, The Mira No idea how you're ringing in 2011? We have one: try The Mira Hong Kong for a night of trip hop and breaks with leading electronica figure James Lavelle. With almost 15 years in dance music, Lavelle is a master Svengali who has recorded with Thom Yorke, Jarvis Cocker and Ian Brown. He is also one half of electronica outfit UNKLE, who recently released their fifth album, Where Did the Night Fall. Deftly treading the line between left field and mainstream -... https://www.scmp.com/article/734312/james-lavelle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/734312/james-lavelle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Ring in the new year cabaret style with the ever-glamorous Courtney Act - drag queen entertainer and pop personality. The Australian gender-bending singer will headline a deluxe dinner and show at the open-air Sevva, located high up in Prince's Building. The blonde glamazon will showcase her new single, Welcome to Disgraceland, an electro-pop song inspired by her live nightclub performances, which are renowned for their flamboyant costumes, saucy dancers and of course, typhoon-strength wind... https://www.scmp.com/article/731542/courtney-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/731542/courtney-act?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Frank Sinatra might be dead, but he's not gone as Canadian singer Michael Buble shoots for his crown. Described as a modern take on swing's smoothest vocalist, Buble is hitting Hong Kong for his first show to promote his latest album, Crazy Love. If you know Buble, you'll be right in tune with his adult contemporary grooves as he covers classics from the eras of swing, big band and plain old soft rock. Crazy Love is a Van Morrison number that gets the Buble makeover into a swing ballad, while... https://www.scmp.com/article/730772/michael-buble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730772/michael-buble?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Saturday, 9pm, Grappa's Cellar Italian singer Simona Molinari makes music to smoke cigarettes to, most likely out of a cigarette holder. Her silvery vocals trip dexterously up and down the scales to a backdrop of light trumpet and jazzy piano, evoking a sense of late nights by romantic canals. Molinari is no stranger to Hong Kong, thanks to the healthy dose of Italian talent coming via the Italy Live project, a showcase of emerging Italian artists organised by local producer Walter Rizzi.... https://www.scmp.com/article/730045/simona-molinari?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730045/simona-molinari?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The country-pop genre was dominated several years ago by Miley Cyrus, but her crown has been stolen by fellow teen queen Taylor Swift. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Nashville is the youngest artist in history to pick up a Grammy for album of the year - and she even writes her own music. Armed with a guitar and backing band, Swift has been storming the US charts with wide-eyed, family-friendly pop that delves earnestly into such topics as first dates, unrequited crushes, and girl-on-girl... https://www.scmp.com/article/729399/taylor-swift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/729399/taylor-swift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 September 23, 10pm, Volar Electroclash isn't the genre-busting game it used to be, but Montreal DJ-producer Tiga keeps his sound fresh with his trademark camp wit and a rock star-sized persona. Many will know him for over-the-top, catchy tracks such as Shoes, off his most recent album, Ciao!, a high-gloss dance album crammed with sleazy bass lines and glammed-up synths. And if you're really in the know, you'll remember his much sexier, danceable cover of Nelly's Hot in Herre, with lead vocals... https://www.scmp.com/article/724871/tiga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/724871/tiga?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Two made-for-television movies and a big-screen third instalment have won the High School Musical franchise millions of screaming fans under the age of 14. And while for those in an older age category it might not be at the top of their bucket lists, the stage version might lead some to reconsider. It's a musical based on a movie about a musical, which immediately puts those schmaltzy teen pop songs where they belong - on the stage, under the spotlights and accompanied by flips, high kicks and... https://www.scmp.com/article/723947/all-singing-all-dancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/723947/all-singing-all-dancing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0000 It is nice to see Slash still wears the top hat. The former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses is still the embodiment of old-guard rock'n'roll - 15 years have not made a dent in his wild afro and demonic guitar solos. But now he is teetotal, has a wife and children and is the face of his own iPhone app. He has even collaborated with mainstream pop stars such as Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas and Maroon 5's Adam Levine on his first solo album - names that diehard GN'R fans probably would not... https://www.scmp.com/article/720504/top-hat-and-tales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/720504/top-hat-and-tales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Sat, 4pm, Venetian Macao Hong Kong summers are more about junk trips than pool parties - if only because most people share their pool with 500 other inhabitants of their apartment block - but the next Hed Kandi gig will shake that up. The quintessential glam house party is again going poolside at the Venetian Macao, offering a sunny blend of soulful, uplifting house to punters at Asia's largest resort. Think extravagant cocktails shaken, stirred and sipped to equally extravagant beats, at... https://www.scmp.com/article/720280/hed-kandi-pool-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/720280/hed-kandi-pool-party?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Armani/Bar, June 30, 10pm Rain or not, it's officially summer and time to party like it's 1997. British duo Evil Nine return to Hong Kong with an upbeat synth-infused set to rock the 13th anniversary of the handover. This year, they're doing so on the back of their record label launch, and two new releases that incorporate Italo-disco, British garage and big Chicago house with plenty of trademark Evil Nine synths. For two bass guitarists who last released a concept album about zombies,... https://www.scmp.com/article/717895/evil-nine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/717895/evil-nine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Forget the Coldplay comparisons. With the release and associated tour for their most recent album, Perfect Symmetry, English rock trio Keane have broken free from any lingering associations to that other slightly depressed piano-loving band from London. Moving ahead from the keyboard-led rock of Keane's two previous albums, Perfect Symmetry is uptempo, synth-heavy and calls on 80s funk a lot more than fans of classic singles Everybody's Changing and Somewhere Only We Know would ever imagine.... https://www.scmp.com/article/688958/beyond-compare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/688958/beyond-compare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:00:00 +0000 The Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata, central Japan, this month promises its best lineup in a dozen years. Inspired by England's Glastonbury festival, the three-day event continues to expand with a mix of big and hip names and acts from all corners of the music world. Oasis, Dinosaur Jr and Franz Ferdinand are scheduled to headline this year's event on the alpine slopes of the Naeba Ski Resort, while indie outfits such as Animal Collective show Fuji's emerging electronic edge. There's also a great... https://www.scmp.com/article/686214/just-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/686214/just-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000 The days when people dismissed DJs as 'not real musicians' are long gone - especially when you're talking about artists such as hip hop DJ Craze, who don't just mix tracks for the dance floor, but scratch, chop and juggle beats like demons with mixers. Craze has helped establish turntablism as an art form - twisting notes, breaking beats and turning familiar tunes into new and eminently head-bobbing music. He's a three-time winner of the prestigious DJ scratching championship, the World DMC... https://www.scmp.com/article/684712/scratch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/684712/scratch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 One of the first things that comes up in conversation with Axel Basquiat of Parisian electro-rock duo the Penelopes is arrogance - or to be exact, their lack of it. Maybe it's the Parisian stereotype or their fashionable outfits, but even Basquiat admits the first impression they give off is one of arrogance. 'We are just impassioned by art, looking for light in this sad world,' he says. 'People think we are obsessed by fashion or stupid things like that.' Admittedly, Basquiat and... https://www.scmp.com/article/682483/fresh-airs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/682483/fresh-airs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 One of Beijing's most-watched bands, Queen Sea Big Shark (QSBS) are an electro-rock group with an urgency and wild spirit that seems to perfectly capture the zeitgeist of the capital's roiling indie music scene. They play a spiky, retro blend of synthed-up rock with influences as diverse as 1970s New York East Village bands and 80s Japanese cartoon songs. CBD is one of their most popular songs on MySpace and it's an electro synth pop track with dark, futurist basslines, while Love is Pop... https://www.scmp.com/article/677692/call-wild?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/677692/call-wild?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 New Pants Who they are: stalwarts of Chinese indie rock, Peng Lei, Pang Kuan, Lo Bo and Shang Xiao (who has left the band) released their first album in 1998, a self-titled debut that was one of the mainland's best-selling rock/pop albums. Their fifth release, Equal Love, came out late last year and the band (below) are now gearing up for Australian, US and European tours. What they play: electro-disco mashed with indie rock and a heavy 80s flavour. When they started out, they were one ... https://www.scmp.com/article/677691/who-else-rockraiser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/677691/who-else-rockraiser?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Beijing and Shanghai are home to thriving experimental music scenes, comprising niche sounds such as abstract electronica and noise art. Then there are the art-rock bands, the post-punk acts and the independent acts that are earning the mainland a place in rock history. One such band is Ourself Beside Me, an all-girl art-rock trio founded by Li Yangfan, the bassist in one of the mainland's most iconic punk acts, Hang on the Box. Ourself Beside Me played their first show in late 2007. ... https://www.scmp.com/article/676910/jangle-belles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/676910/jangle-belles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Beijing has been the stronghold of the thriving Chinese experimental music scene for some time. Now it looks as though some of the fringe music culture is shifting to Hong Kong's shores, at least at Kwai Chung's Lona Records. The independent label has recently launched Red, a three-CD compilation of works by 16 sound artists and experimental musicians from the mainland and Hong Kong. The track list runs from veterans of sound art such as Beijing critic and producer Yan Jun and local... https://www.scmp.com/article/676223/sonic-boom-finds-echo-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/676223/sonic-boom-finds-echo-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Tomorrow, 10pm, Cliq Scratch DJs have a reputation as being a bunch of trainspotters and geeks in anoraks. It's not entirely unfounded, but there's definitely something about watching a guy who's won several DJ-ing competitions work those records. Flick, scratch, a little more flicking and then at least two and possibly four records are playing in tandem to produce a totally unified beat, and some cheeky choruses too. Take Japanese turntablist, DJ and producer Kentaro, a four-time finalist... https://www.scmp.com/article/675439/kentaro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/675439/kentaro?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Whatever you might expect of a guy who performs in a giant mouse head, it probably isn't Joel Zimmerman, an opinionated and diversely talented producer who's been storming dance music charts for the past two years. Going by the stage name Deadmau5 (pronounced 'dead mouse', after a mouse that met its end inside his desktop PC), Zimmerman produces tracks that take elements from trance, progressive, electro and house, and can go from emotional arpeggios to hard, driving beats. 'I'm just making... https://www.scmp.com/article/672051/mouse-soared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/672051/mouse-soared?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Mar 7, 10pm, Zaza The producer-remixer-DJ Lee Coombs has been one of dance music's biggest names for more than a decade, with several tracks under his belt that have become classics, such as Future Sound of Retro and Skyjuice. He's known for breakbeat largely because of his 2001 mix album Future Sound of Retro, an acid-tinged breaks album. Its singles were caned by the likes of veteran DJ Pete Tong. But Coombs' sound spills over into electro, house and techno too, which is what probably... https://www.scmp.com/article/671187/lee-coombs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/671187/lee-coombs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000 One of the funnier reviews of Jose Gonzalez is on YouTube. A random punter refers to him as 'that dude who makes upbeat songs into songs that make you cry'. It's not entirely false. Although Gonzalez is an acclaimed indie musician, one of his better known covers is an acoustic version of the 80s Kylie Minogue track, Hand on Your Heart. Then there's the lo-fi version of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA and the one that made him famous, Heartbeats, an acoustic take on the song by... https://www.scmp.com/article/669700/underneath-covers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/669700/underneath-covers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Fiona Scott-Norman's taste in music is atrocious - and she's created an entire stand-up show based on it. The Needle and the Damage Done is a politically incorrect and satirical rundown of the world's worst records. Ever. 'I've been collecting appalling music for the last 20 years,' Scott-Norman says. 'I used to have a radio show in Melbourne called Trash is My Life, where I played really appalling music. So when it came time to write this show ... they always say to write what you know.' Sold... https://www.scmp.com/article/666218/nightmares-vinyl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/666218/nightmares-vinyl?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Tues, 9pm, Backstage Live For anyone bemused by the video-game-influenced sound of 8-bit electronic music, French trio We Are Enfant Terrible could be a good introduction. Punky electro-clash and poppy sounds trussed up in the indie-rock vocals of singer P.Clo give off a certain air perfected by Toronto hipsters Crystal Castles, while their sheer energy and abandon draws comparison to sexy pop such as the Ting Tings and the Kills. Hong Kong has heard a smattering of 8-bit in the past year -... https://www.scmp.com/article/665452/enfant-terrible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/665452/enfant-terrible?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 You've caught Adam Freeland at a crossroads. After pioneering Britain's breakbeat scene and practically inventing nu-skool breaks with 1996's seminal Coastal Breaks, the man created his own band, Freeland, with whom he's just finished recording a new album. Along with a heaving 2009 touring schedule, the five-piece outfit have a live drummer and a synthesised-cum-organic sound that you're going to start to recognise as distinctly Freeland. 'I'm making the transition from DJ to artist,' he... https://www.scmp.com/article/664269/make-break-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/664269/make-break-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Some musicians want to be famous, while others want the respect of that one rock critic who never likes anything anyway. Evil Nine just want to win over the dark side. Tell them their new album sounds evil, and it elicits a chuckle. 'That's good!' they say. It had better sound evil: released in October, They Live! was inspired by the Brighton-based duo's shared obsession with zombie films and horror movie soundtracks. The cover art features bandaged hands reaching out of graves and the... https://www.scmp.com/article/663375/dance-dark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/663375/dance-dark?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 There are no heroes in electronic music - and in drum'n'bass even less so. Dance music DJs and producers attract the sort of fans who would recognise their idol's second choice of mixer before their face. So it's not surprising that when it comes to probing two chaps behind one of the genre's pioneering acts, they're less than willing to go personal. Broach the question of the future of drum'n'bass, however, and they're a bit more talkative. After all, back around the turn of millennium... https://www.scmp.com/article/660813/circuit-breakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/660813/circuit-breakers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Is it cool to like Billy Joel yet? The singer-songwriter has certainly been around long enough (38 years). He's had more than enough hit singles (53). And, crucially, he's been misunderstood in his time - despite a Grammy-studded recording career, the rock press always showed him a certain degree of critical disdain. Take this year's 30th anniversary re-release of 1977's multi-platinum The Stranger. A Rolling Stone reviewer heaped plaudits and stars upon the album - even as he described the... https://www.scmp.com/article/659094/everybody-loves-me-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/659094/everybody-loves-me-now?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Oct 31, 11pm, Avenue Halloween in Hong Kong - essentially another reason for you to costume up as sexy as possible and rustle up as many terror-ridden turns of phrase as you can think of. Local events crew Lotion is throwing a 'fright night' featuring Japanese DJ Hiloco, who aside from having a set of completely non-scary press photos also throws down some mean house and minimal techno. Of course, the 'female DJ' thing isn't really a thing any more, but it's worth mentioning that Hiloco... https://www.scmp.com/article/657333/hiloco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/657333/hiloco?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 It's not easy to get Carl Kennedy to complain. About the only things that get a (tiny) gripe out of the Birmingham export and house music triple-threat are England and, when pressed, how there's 'so much crap' in dance music today. And even then, he adds that 'the most awesome thing about dance music today is that it's a lot easier for people like myself to do what they want to do'. New York-based Kennedy also happens to be a prolific producer, he runs his own label, Wasted Youth, and he has... https://www.scmp.com/article/656485/brum-bass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/656485/brum-bass?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Here's a music truism: by the time you discover a fresh sound, the guy who started it has moved on to something else. Such is the case of German electro-tech producer Boys Noize, who says he's already over the indie dance sound that he helped pioneer. 'The kids love those kinds of sounds,' sighs the artist also known as Alexander Ridha. 'It's really annoying - everyone tends to use the same distorted bass sounds. In general, I think it's great to mix electronic music with indie, but to be... https://www.scmp.com/article/655549/kling-klang-king?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/655549/kling-klang-king?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Dragon-i Oct 11, 11pm If you're into house music, you'll know DJ Disciple, and if you watch that reality show The Hills you'll have heard his music too. Strange but true - Disciple is one of those DJ-producers who straddle mainstream and underground so easily, you could accuse him of being a music snob and sellout at the same time. Not that he's either - he's been in the music business 20 years as a DJ and producer of fresh and eclectic house; and through his label Catch 22 Recordings,... https://www.scmp.com/article/654694/dj-disciple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/654694/dj-disciple?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Cliq, Oct 17, 10.30pm After conquering mainstream dance radio with Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears remixes, Ryan Raddon has returned to his deep house roots. The San Francisco transplant, who house heads will know as Kaskade, is touring in support of his recently released Strobelite Seduction, a warm, sensuous west coast house record that sees a return to his distinctive electric-meets-organic sound. 'The record is a justification of my weekends in big, dark rooms with flashing lights... https://www.scmp.com/article/653901/kaskade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/653901/kaskade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 11pm, Sat, Volar If you know dance music's latest 'it' label Modular Records, you probably know the Bang Gang Deejays. A production outfit, events collective and record label, these six fellows hail from Sydney, where they're credited with being one of the early birds in the country's electroclash/mash/what-have-you scene. They've even won over Melbourne's notoriously snobby music heads. It's probably down to their cheeky mixing and mashing of records by everyone from Underworld to The Who, ... https://www.scmp.com/article/652195/bang-gang-deejays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/652195/bang-gang-deejays?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Everyone knows the best way to attract clubbers is to tell them they can't get in. And Central is notorious for its cluster of clubs that drum up a little free, indignant publicity with a stringent door policy or two. In the past couple of years, however, certain venues such as Volar in Central have also been successfully pulling in punters with drawcards that have nothing to do with dress code, and everything to do with names like John Acquaviva, Tomcraft and DJ Krush. This week, DJ... https://www.scmp.com/article/650559/house-fabio-built?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/650559/house-fabio-built?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000 I think we're possibly not arty enough to be interesting to all the critics,' says Kooks drummer Paul Garred. 'They like real weird s***.' The Brighton pop-rock outfit are not 'real weird s***' - their bread and butter is Britpop-sanctioned jangly guitars, cheerful homages to elderly Brit-bands of the 1960s and smartly turned-out lyrics about 'love, love, love'. Call them a boy band for the scruffy-haired indie massive and it doesn't even get a rise out of Garred. 'It's probably a little... https://www.scmp.com/article/648965/playing-hooky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/648965/playing-hooky?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000 When Japan's Fuji Rock Festival first burst on to the global music festival scene in 1997 it was viewed as a fresh take on such outdoor gatherings. For a start, it's held on Mount Naeba, remains relatively free of commercial intrusion and now, 11 years later, continues to march to its own beat. Add to that the top bands that have consistently graced the three-day weekend festival's vaunted Green Stage and the numerous just-under-the-radar acts that have played its Red Marquee stage and you have... https://www.scmp.com/article/645571/high-fidelity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/645571/high-fidelity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0000