16.7.07

Allgarve - the party!

Well, this was a perfect Allgarve working-weekend. I took my windsurf board with me and had the greatest windy afternoon for a long time.
At sunset I headed to the Fábrica da Cerveja in Faro and set my rig up. The place was beautifully decorated and all I can say is that it was a real pleasure working with the Desafio Global crew and Alfasom technicians.

My projections were being beamed to a giant wall with a 18.000 L Barco. More than enough, considering the distance. Behind us was a 4x3 LED wall with wacky effects.

I started beaming my visuals together with DJ António Alves , a young dj and producer from Porto, who brought his minimal beats to the most heterogeneous public you could imagine. A really good sound.

After Jacksen came the British duo Various, a live dj/vj act that was great both musically and visually, touching sounds like trip-hop, dubstep, pop and techno, but totally out of place for such an event. I mean, a perfect duo for a dance party, not for an institutional event.
And this point was strongly pointed out when Jan-Eric Kaiser came up to the table, now together with my visuals again, starting with Sadu Adu's "Smooth Operator". Curious to see a true Techno DJ starting his set with this tune, but hey, a great way to break the ice in front of so many ties...

The Architecture and Art Exhibition is really worth while seeing (curated by the Serralves Foundation) and this was a great way to start the "Allgarve" campaign.

Check out the VIDEO

10.7.07

Heading back to Faro... again :-)


Fallen from the sky, a new gig.
Next saturday I will be performing at the Beer Factory in the centre of Faro. We had a chance to perform there two years ago, by the time First Face did their first event. The place is awsome, with very tall white walls at the entrance.


This event is part of a strategic planning of events throughout the country in order to promote Algarve as a tourisc destiny. This particular event will present an Art Exhibition together with the Serralves Foundation from Porto.

Line-up

Pista 1 - Dance

ANTÓNIO ALVES aka JACKZEN [Groob | PT]

Jackzen é um jovem DJ com uma carreira iniciada em 1999. Em poucos anos tem-se vindo gradualmente a afirmar como DJ, como produtor e até como editor e promotor de eventos. Como DJ começa a dar nas vistas em 2001, ano em inicia uma residência no Frágil, em parceria com o seu cumplice de sempre, Kaspar, e outra no mítico e saudoso Meia Cave, no Porto, com André Cascais, com quem viria a partilhar a cabine do Festival de Vilar de Mouros, em 2002. Desde aí, tem levado o seu talento aos melhores espaços do país, tendo passado por locais como Lux, Op-Art, Estado Liquido, Via Club, Olaria, Aniki-Bóbó, Porto-Rio, Indústria, Maus Hábitos, Bazaar, Rivoli, Passos Manuel e Triplex, entre nós, e La Paloma e La Sal em Barcelona, para além do já citado Frágil e do Trintaeum, onde actua regularmente. Como produtor, Jackzen forma dupla com Kaspar, tendo editado um tema na compilação estreia da Groovement, projecto editorial que partilha com Rui Torrinha; remisturou um original dos canadianos Moonstarr; e prepara actualmente a edição do seu maxi de estreia “THX 1138 E.P.”.

DJ JAN-ERIC KAISER [Areal |DE]

Jan-Eric Kaiser é um dos principais DJs e produtores da editora alemã Areal, fundada por Konfekt, Basteroid e Metope. Os seus dois CDs de misturas, “Bis Neun” e “Bis Neunzehn”, converteram-se numa espécie de set de culto, com enfoque no catálogo desta editora, casa de outros grandes nomes recentes da música de dança que nos chega de Colónia, como Ada ou Undo/Redo.
Kaiser vai muito para além do “coser os discos em série”, trabalhando longas misturas de batidas e cortes abruptos, com excelente sentido rítmico e reverência e entusiasmo pelos novos caminhos que o house minimal alemão tem vindo a trilhar nos últimos anos.

Pista 2 - Lounge

BEZEGOL [Matarroa | PT]

Bezegol é um dos principais impulsionadores do movimento Reggae/Rap em Portugal. Nascido e residente na cidade do Porto, apresenta-se multifacetadamente como MC, DJ, Produtor. Foi fundador da Red Towers Clan, a produtora dos eventos “Dope Sessions” (que remontam a 2001) e que contam com convidados especiais como J-Live, Wordsworth, IC3, Harry Love, Plus One (Scratch Preverts), Mr Thing, Skitz, entre outros. Estas sessões estiveram intimamente ligadas ao crescimento da editora Matarroa, e têm servido de plataforma de divulgação aos projectos da mesma.
Bezegol tem sido também responsável por outros projectos: Funkativity e Funkativiteam com Leonor Galvão, Dope Device MC's e Rude Bwoy Sound Against the System, com MC Sooba. É ainda parte integrante do grupo Matozoo e tem, ao longo dos últimos anos, efectuado parcerias para álbuns e compilações quer nacionais e internacionais.

VARIOUS [XL Recordings | UK]

Envoltas em mistério, as duas figuras centrais de Various, Adam e Ian, em torno dos quais gravitam os vários vocalistas convidados, surgiram com um dos mais imprevisíveis e entusiasmantes projectos de música electrónica dos últimos anos – cruzam as batidas ferozes e manifestamente austeras e cruas com melodias claramente pop, numa viagem estonteante que vai do dubstep e do grime à folk espartana ou ao trip-hop mais resistente. A sua singularidade e frescura é afirmada pela forma audaciosa com que intencionalmente põem rótulos de lado e fazem desmoronar divisões entre géneros e estilos na construção de novas formas pop, e sublinhada pelo notável trabalho de imagem com que assinam as suas edições e projecções vídeo.

Big Party at Tamariz Beach

Last saturday more than 2.500 people attended the Absoluto Beach Party right in front of Tamariz.

When I arrived there to set my stuff up, the screen had been dismounted because of the high winds. With no projection screen, I decided to turn the two 4.000 L beamers to the small castle right in front of us.
Although the photos are not great, the effect worked really well. I had to reorganise all my set, as I could only use either bright B/W loops or very colorful ones.
All the stuff I had prepared the night before had no use whatsoever... Starting with a great reggae performance by the One Sun Tribe crew, the event followed with an interesting Hip-Hop presentation by two young rappers. After a short break, the DJ sets began at about 2h with the warm-up DJ, Filipe.

And then the funk really hit the fan with Rui Remix, a very well-known DJ to all clubbers, that was accompanied by Scheriff on percussion, Pizzicato on the violin, Armstrong on the sax and MC Jeff shaking things up.
DJ Tiago Costa (what a great surprise!) rose to the occasion and brought in the missing Minimal House beat.

The night was great (the wind droped drastically in the middle of the night) and the party ended with lots of people dancing on the stage. Great organisation and helpful crew members.


see unedited video

3.7.07

Spanish Video-graffiti + Sankai Juku

On my regular internet quest to discover interesting video-graffiti guerrilla actions, here's another one that took place late December 2006 by the two video-artists from Miga-Label, Nökeö and Decolora, at Alhambra in Granada. They use what seems two 4.500 L beamers placed on a friend's balcony right in front of the world-renown monument. The result is great...
watch video


Here's another video, this time a piece of a japanese dance group Sankai Juku, that is really impressive due to make-up, lighting and body theatre expressionism. The name of Sankai Juku comes from the second generation of Butoh troupes in Japan. Butoh is a japanese contemporary performing art form that evolved during the 60's as an expression of human awareness.

watch video

28.6.07

Dennis having fun...

Check out a piece of the Dennis Ferrer performance at the NB disco.
Great sound, soulful dancer.

See video (18Mb, qt)

Thanks to uberbrands for the gig :-)

21.6.07

Absoluto Beach Party

Next 07.07.07 there will be a great beach party right in front of Tamariz, in Estoril. We will be doing the visuals for this event, starting with a reggae concert by One Sun Tribe, followed by several DJs.

Saturday take your "chanatas" off the closet, put them on your feet and head towards the beach. There's nothing like a beach party to start your summer time...

20.6.07

Azure Festival 2007

Reopening of Espiritos Club

Who would say Oliveira do Hospital would have such a place! Two friends joined forces and took over an outstanding place just outside the city. Located in an old palace house, the decor and working conditions are great.

4 plasmas and two beamers were my working showroom, and they were enough, as the two beamers had a big projection surface.


Friends from Lisboa, Porto, Aveiro and all surroundings came that night and stood dancing untill closing time, somewhere at 7am.

With a music performance by the Atomic Fingers (guitar and violin), followed by DJ Glove, the place was packed with 700 people or more. Pitty that the rain came that evening, otherwise they would have opened a great terrace. So, from now on, if you're near Viseu, just drop by at Oliveira Hospital and shake your ass...


Performing with Dennis Ferrer

Two weeks ago I had the chance to perform with Dennis Ferrer, a great DJ and a very cool guy.
The event took place at the NB disco, in Viseu, with a packed room that didn't leave the dancefloor until 7 am. The disco was completely restyled and really looks great. It has definetly one of the best DJ/VJ working spaces I've ever worked on (4x1m).
Ferrer took over at about 2 am, after a well deserved sleep at the hotel, and came up with full energy. Balancing between 70's disco beats and modern electronic grooves, the mix was great.
Thanks to uberbrands for the gig :-)

6.6.07

Serralves welcomed 80.000 people

The Serralves Foundation achieved an international landmark in receiving 80 thousand people in its 40 h non-stop free entrance weekend.

More than 70 events took place, among which "Aquarium Materialis, Aquarium Spiritualis", a piece for lake harp, marimba, vibraphone, acrux, sounds of nature and video. Victor Gama stretched its 50m long strings from one end to the other of the lake achieving an unprecedent amplified sound, exploring the surface of the lake as an unique acoustic soundboard. During the daytime people could also touch the instrument and play on its strings. Pangeia also organised workshops for children on how to make instruments wit basic materials.

The piece, written in partnership with Pedro Carneiro, one of the world leading marimba players, was played twice a day, one time early in the afternoon and early at night, this time with video projection.
Tiago Cerqueira, sound technician and musician, completed the team with it's laptop sounds of nature and special efx modulations.

For the projection we mounted a 8.000 Lumen projector on a 8m high structure with brightness/contrast pushed to the limit.
Another beamer was placed at my side aimed at the three tops. Alltogether the projection surface on the water had some 50sqm and the same for the three tops.
We first thought of spreading a giant thulle over the water, but then we realised that the suspension mud on the lake water was enough to get an image, as long as the colors were pushed to the limit and very contrastful loops were used.
The result wasn't brilliant, but one could perfectly see the imagery on the lake surface from any surrounding standing point of the lake (these photos were taken from the top of the structure. Because of the lens angle, the tree tops projection is missing).

Negative remarks:
my Canon photo camera had a sudden "system failure" (» no photos)
the guy suposed to video the whole stuff didn'd get to go to Porto (» shity video footage)
the other guy supposed to audio tape the concert didn't appear and the audio mixing table didn't any spare outputs (» no decent audio recording).
the Joakim & his Ectoplasmic Band was baaaad

Positive Remarks:
our team was great company and we had some good laughs
the weather, the drinks and the girls staff
the festival ambience, with lots of artists and different activities
John Butcher concert
Panda Bear concert
New Circus (chinese mast) with João Santos
Lá e Cá - theatre/performance
the new porto bar - Plano B
Gigi Party at Triplex