Eatliz, a Tel Aviv-based rock band, is making their North American debut this month, following a handful of shows in Canada with a showcase performance at South By Southwest. The band, known for the stunning visual effects of their live shows, is part of a group of “cultural delegates” whose goal is to demonstrate the wide variety of Israeli innovation in design, music, film and technology. The project, called i: Made in Israel, will feature the creative efforts of artists from across Israel.
Among the i: Made in Israel events will be screenings of Andante, a film by Assaf Tager, live performances by four bands, participation in the Technology Summit and a digital exhibition of Israeli design curated by Flatstock 29. Visit http://schedule.sxsw.com for a full listing of i: Made in Israel events.
For Eatliz, SXSW is an exciting venue for both playing their music and enjoying the music of acts they admire. The six-piece band has toured across Europe, and enjoys heavy radio airplay in both Israel and Germany. Their first North American tour offers an opportunity to share their unique style with an entirely new audience.

PMT:What interests you about SXSW?
Eatliz: It’s going to be our first time in a large scale showcase festival such as SXSW and we are highly excited to take part in it! We just performed at Canadian Music week, which is also a showcase festival , but much smaller, so it was a kind of a work up
There are lots of amazing artists we wanna see live for the first time at SXSW such as Menomena, Queens of the Stone Age, Owen Pallett and many more. We wanna get to know new bands, see the city, go to the parties, make lots of new friends and colleagues, get the Eatliz word out there and just have fun!

PMT: What are you hoping will come from this experience? Any specific aims for your time in Austin (or your North American tour)?
Eatliz: We’re interested in getting inspired by the music and and vibes, in getting our own music and performance across and reach new audiences with kick-ass shows. After performing so many shows in Israel and Europe, this long tour gives us the feeling that something bigger and very good is on our way.

PMT: How did you get involved with the I: Made In Israel delegation?
Eatliz: We submitted to SXSW a while ago and was very happy to be accepted! A bit after our acceptance we found out that some more great acts from Tel Aviv are coming too; Electra, Hadag Nahash and Onili. Every act has a different style of music, so we are happy people will be able to see the eclectic and diverse side of Israeli music; Hip Hop & soul, Electro, Garage-rock and Art rock, which is what we do. We have 3 internationally warded animation music videos that were screened all over the world and got our name out there, but we were never present at all these screening cause it’s far from Israel. The I:Made in Israel music videos showcase will finally allow us to perform with these animation music videos with a new surprising extra animation.

PMT: How valuable is it for Israeli culture to have the kind of exposure a festival like this provides?
Eatliz: We see ourselves as ambassadors. it’s important for us to show to the world that Israel is not just wars and politics, the music is not only “kleyzmer”, and we don’t ride camels in the streets. We have a very unique and vibrant musical scene, crossing different genres, from alternative to metal to hip hop and hardcore and ska, many bands sing in English, and we’re not even mentioning other art forms such as visual arts, dance, film and theater… Participating in SXSW is a way for us to bring that message out.
Everytime we get abroad we find ourselves talking with people and rising above the media stereotypes people tend to see about Israel in the news. For us, Tel Aviv is really like New York, Berlin or Toronto. Every night you can see hundreds of live shows, theatre, dance, galleries and museums. The rock scene in Tel Aviv is diverse and performed in high quality standards, way more than you would dream to expect from a tiny Middle Eastern country.

PMT: What will American audiences find surprising about Eatliz and about the rock scene in Tel Aviv?
Eatliz: Eatliz has a very distinctive visual art concept, especially animation music videos that we combine in our live shows. We got 3 guitars and none of them is “lead”, we use regular instruments in an irregular way. We cross genres and we play complex parts without neglecting the energies of rocking out onstage. We call it Art Rock, cause we can’t really define it to one specific genre. People that discover us often say they never heard songs like our, cause they are a bit weird and grow on you.

Speak from Daniel Austin Read on Vimeo.

Local Austin Band Speak had their debut at SXSW this year. This was their first time showcasing in the festival and their biggest accomplishment thus far. These guys have really jumped onto the scene these last few months with their EP release Hear Here and we look forward to what they will accomplish. Click here for shows and sound.

Athlete

Athlete, an Ivor Novello Award winning English Indie band formed in Deptford, London performed today as part of Caffe Medici’s UK day. To hear them click hear.

The Crookes

The Crookes from Sheffield, England also came to SXSW UK day and performed. They are listed on BBC 6 music playlist as one of their core artists that they will put on the air. Click here to listen.

]]> http://publicmediatexas.org/2010/03/19/sxsw-uk-day-at-caffe-medici/feed/ 0 http://publicmediatexas.org/2010/03/18/flying-lotus-unveils-new-show-at-sxsw/ http://publicmediatexas.org/2010/03/18/flying-lotus-unveils-new-show-at-sxsw/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:52:28 +0000 PublicMic http://publicmediatexas.org/?p=4727

With a sense of humor, grace, impeccable timing and innovation Flying Lotus brought the house down at the Warp Records 2010 SXSW showcase. He rushed onto stage and with the giddiness of a geek with a new gadget. He took the mic and announced that the audience was about to be treated with “visuals never before seen in the U.S.”

Warp label manager Priya Dewan jumped on stage to help erect a screen that served as a partial cocoon where Flying Lotus was bathed in images that complemented the most dynamic set of the evening. The technology wasn’t anything fancy, but the visual content was creative. The tone and substance of the visuals meshed with the music impeccably. No wonder, it was created by Flying Lotus himself. “This new album will have a very strong visual element and the live show reflects that,” Dewan told PMT.

Dewan says she felt the showcase reflected Warp’s current sound. “I thought it was a great success…all the artist had great individual performances and on the whole the sound was great and the crowd was really enjoying and the artists looked like they were having a great time and that’s really all you can ask for.”

Flying Lotus will take this show on the road with Thom York’s new band Atoms for Peace.

Flying Lotus’ Cosmogramma comes out on May 4.

“Music. We play music because we are huge fans of music. I’m sure that we are influenced on some level by other art or technology or history, but music plays a big part in our lives and has influenced and informed and inspired us heavily” — Nice Nice’s Jason Buehler.

ARTIST: Nice Nice
HOMETOWN: Portland, OR
LABEL: WARP RECORDS

PMT: Why are you playing at SXSW?
NN: I think for the same reason that most bands play sxsw- exposure. The festival is a great opportunity for music fans and music industry folks to check out bands that they might not ordinarily get a chance to see, so we are excited that we will get to play for a bunch of people who have never seen us before.

PMT: What do you want to see while you are in Austin?
NN: Well I doubt that we will get to see much beyond venues and taco carts and our hotel room, but hopefully we get a chance to explore the city a little bit. The real draw of the event is the music though, and that is really what we are looking forward to seeing.

PMT: What’s the biggest influence on your music?
NN: Music. We play music because we are huge fans of music. I’m sure that we are influenced on some level by other art or technology or history, but music plays a big part in our lives and has influenced and informed and inspired us heavily.

PMT: Do you like the current direction of the music industry?
NN: I’m not really sure what the current direction of the music industry is. I think here may be multiple directions. But things will change and things will stay the same and it will be good and it will be bad. It’s going to be interesting to watch either way.

PMT: What’s the biggest story in your hometown right now?
NN: Umm… The weather? The Portland Trailblazers? New food carts? I guess I don’t really know. We have been on tour a lot for the past couple of months….

Freddie Gibbs “Murda On My Mind” from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

ARTIST: Freddie Gibbs
HOMETOWN: Gary, IN

PMT: Why are you playing at SXSW?
FG: I’ve never been before and I jumped at the opportunity to perform in front of a cool audience such as SxSW

PMT: What do you want to see while you are in Austin?
FG: A good response from the fans for all of my music

PMT: What’s the current state of hip-hop?
FG: Confusion, searching for an identity

PMT: Do you like the current direction of the music industry?
FG: I like what it could be, but not where its at right now

PMT: What’s the biggest story in your hometown right now?
FG: Me & the 8 niggas that got shot at the Wakka Flakka show in my old neighborhood

“Right now, over the past few years the biggest influence [on our music] has been playing it so often live – our new record is more of a 3 people sweating in a room than a 4 year studio experiment” — Pivot’s Dave Miller.

The Warp Records showcase demonstraits the versatility of the label. Pivot is a psycadellic band that hops on an Indie foot with a Techno inspired syncopation.

Pivot member Dave Miller, who does laptop, live electronics and production went on the record with PMT.

ARTIST: Pivot
HOMETOWN: (Sydney)
LABEL: WARP RECORDS

PMT: Why are you playing at SXSW?
DM: Our label promised us free burritos if we played their showcase. We like burritos.

PMT: What do you want to see while you are in Austin?
DM: Liars.

PMT: What’s the biggest influence on your music?
DM: Right now, over the past few years the biggest influence has been playing it so often live – our new record is more of a 3 people sweating in a room than a 4 year studio experiment.

PMT: Do you like the current direction of the music industry?
DM: It’s constantly swerving direction and makes me feel a little car sick.

PMT: What’s the biggest story in your hometown right now?
DM: Australia’s religious right-wing conservative opposition leader is making a fool of himself regularly. It’s great.

Efterklang comes out of Copenhagen Denmark. They have been playing together now for 10 years. Their genre is experimental pop with notes of Arcade Fire and Radio Head. Click here to listen.

-PMT was able to get an interview with Rasmus Stolberg one of the 4 core members.

PMT: What is the most challenging part of living the life of a professional Musician?

Rasmus: You travel a lot and that means you are away from home and the people you love at home. Same time being a musician is a not a well paid job, so you have to balance these things in your own mind, but also with your band members and loved ones of course. I would not change anything though. Being able to do this is like living in a dream.

PMT: What is your motivation for making music?

Rasmus: It is the thing we know how to do and we really like doing it. Its fun and interesting and everyday is a new adventure – almost

PMT: Who is the most influential person or person’s in your life and how has that person influenced you?

Rasmus: I would say my girlfriend and my band mates. These people make me a happy and balanced person.

PMT: Do you think your experience at SXSW could happen anywhere, or is it unique to Austin?

Rasmus: I’ve had similar experiences other places, but not as extreme. SXSW is a beast and a partying one

PMT: What are your thoughts on the new trend in consumption of music?

Rasmus: I’m happy to see that music is as popular as ever. I’m hoping all the good things can remain. Including good record labels and good bands. Not all companies in the music business are bad. I understand why some people don’t feel they should pay for music, but I really wish more people would – how about buying directly from band and labels you like? That sounds pretty nice doesn’t it?

cheers

Rasmus / Efterklang

Superhero

Eva & the Heartmaker | MySpace Music Videos

Eva & Heartmaker are the husband and wife pop duo from Oslo Norway. They will be performing thursday the 18th, 8pm @ Sin.

PMT: What is the most challenging part of living the life of a professional Musician?

E&H: The insecurity of not knowing what will happen from one day to another; one day you can be on top and the next day nobody remembers your name. It’s a tough business, so the clue is to work hard and focused and never let anything go to your head.

PMT: What is your motivation for making music?

E&H: Being on the road, playing gigs, and meeting people who have heard your music and tells you it means something to them.

PMT: Who is the most influential person or person’s in your life and how has that person influenced you?

E&H: To me it is definitely Thomas (my husband and the other part of Eva & Heartmaker). He has taught me so much when it comes to music and how to always focus on the good things in life.

PMT: Do you think your experience at SXSW could happen anywhere, or is it unique to Austin?

E&H: I think it’s going to be unique to Austin. I’ve never heard of a festival this big, with so many musicians gathered at the same place at the same time. We’re really looking forward to get there and play and to meet up with other artists and musicians.

PMT: What are your thoughts on the new trend in consumption of music?

E&H: It’s a difficult question, because there are so many aspects to that matter. But the positive side of it is that it spreads your music out in the world, and makes it easier for people to find new music, which might lead to more people coming to see concerts.

Our friends over at The Corner did a solid interview with SXSW hip-hop booker Matt Sonzala. The interview was so dang juicy that we had to cross post it here. Enjoy!

Welcome to the third annual edition of South By So Real where The Corner raps with Matt Sonzala about the state of hip hop at SXSW. Sonzala, whose Austin Surreal now comes in the form of both blog and internet radio show, handles the hip hop booking for SXSW and faces the unenviable task of getting hundreds of rappers to take the stage in a timely fashion all across the city for four straight days. An unprecedented amount of hip hop acts will showcase at this year’s festival and we caught up with the man responsible for bringing your favorite rapper to Austin to chat about the lineup. Needless to say, it’s really going down.

The Corner: Let’s start with a breakdown of the numbers. How many hip hop acts are performing and how many countries are they coming from?

Matt Sonzala: This year we have over 240 hip hop acts and we’ve got groups from all over. Of course, the south, the east, the Midwest, the west coast. We’ve got Canada represented, Anita Tijoux is coming from Chile and I hear she’s actually gonna make it despite the tragedy so we’re very excited about that. The UK has a whole urban night that’s gonna be really dope. The Paranoids, formerly known as the Urban Summit along with MC the Narcissist from Montreal, they’re Palestinians who moved to Lebanaon and now live in the States I believe. Mohammed Al Farra from Gaza lives in Dallas now and will be performing on that bill (Thursday, Club 115) as well. QDIII, Quincy Jones’ son, is gonna host two nights of international hip hop showcases that will be Thursday and Friday at Club 115. He is coming with Adam Tensta who is a real strong voice coming out of Sweden so we have the new kid from Sweden and the legends from Sweden, Looptroop Rockers, who I’m extremely excited to see. Timbuktu who is a major star over in Scandinavia is coming as well along with Chords. LidoLido from Norway is coming as well so we have a lot of places represented this year.

TC: And a big contingent from New Zealand as well.

MS: Of course, Young Sid, Mr Sicc and David Dallas from New Zealand and David Dallas made a big impact when he was here last year.

TC: You’ve been doing this full-time for three years now. Does it get any easier?

MS: It gets easier to the extent that people really want to come now, it’s not such a hard sell. Everybody wants to be at SXSW and it’s great that people are calling me and expressing interest as opposed to me having to call everybody and explain SXSW from A to Z every time. Now everybody wants to come. It’s harder now because there are so many more acts but really it’s just a lot of fun.

TC: There’s no set in the entire festival that I’m more excited about than Nas and Damian Marley. That was a pretty late addition, how did that come about?

MS: Like anything else, they’ve got a project coming (Distant Relatives) and they felt they needed to be at SXSW. It’s a great place to set off your musical year. If you have a plan for a tour, a plan for an album, whatever you’re doing you can come and really get that word out to everyone.

TC: Another event that looks really cool is the Bun B interview that will be part of Peter Rosenberg’s Noisemakers series. It’s almost like fusing what happens during the day at the Convention Center with a more traditional music showcase. What will that be like?

MS: I’ve seen Noisemakers in New York and what’s cool about it is that it feels like a late night talk show but with a host that’s really knowledgeable and where they go really in depth with only one guest. It’s not just your typical interview; it’s a really intimate and intelligent discussion about their history and music. Peter does great interviews. When they approached me about it I thought we could do something at the Convention Center but they wanted more of a cocktail, happy hour, hanging out at the club type vibe. This will start at 7pm and will be a two-hour interview with some musical breaks. DJ Rapid Ric will be spinning UGK classics and maybe a couple Bun songs. It’s difficult to get hip hop fans to the club before 8pm but I think people will realize this will be really special and it will get them out to the club early.

TC: Speaking of Bun, Texas is well represented with the Best of Texas showcase and a ton of local talent as well.

MS: This year we have 27 hip hop groups from Austin which I’m excited about. I’m really excited about the Best of Texas show as a whole. Most scenes get their time in the light but one thing about Texas rap is that there was the big surge where everybody was stoked about Houston for a minute, but the fact of the matter is that Texas rap artists as a whole maintain. They really have a career down here, everyone you saw blow up is still working and there are plenty of guys not known outside of Texas who have careers. Chalie Boy is a great example. He’s starting to blow up which I’m happy to see but that dude has been doing it for years with paying shows and releases. Also, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall getting back together is something a lot of Texas hip hop fans have wanted to see for a long time.

TC: There are a lot of good thematic showcases this year. Rap is definitely a male-dominated game but there is a bright light shining on the ladies with the all female showcase. Why did you decide to do that?

MS: I’ve always wondered why it’s such a struggle for women in hip hop. There are some incredible MCs. Our headliner for that night, Bahamadia, is up there among the top MCs in hip hop for anybody that really loves and listens to it. Invincible from Detroit pretty much put that show together with us. We were talking about ideas for SXSW and she said we need to do something like this and really helped get a lot of great artists. I’m excited to see Eternia, Miz Korona and Mae Day. It’s gonna be incredible.

TC: Invincible will be at Victory Grill a couple of nights because she’s also on the Detroit-themed showcase.

MS: I think personally, just as a hip hop head, Detroit has the best sound in hip hop right now. I love the energy from the artists in Detroit right now. These artists have overcome extreme odds and so many of them tour and people love their records. I love Detroit and I thought this would be a great year if they wanted to come.

TC: But J Dilla’s brother Illa J is not on the Detroit showcase, right?

MS: Illa J might come out and host a bit but we’re showing the movie Timeless at the Carver Center on Saturday afternoon. Timeless is the movie about Suite for Ma Dukes which was the orchestra from California that remade J Dilla’s music. We’ll show that Saturday afternoon at the Carver and there will be an afterparty at Malverde with DJ Chicken George, B+, Eric Coleman and the Mochilla guys, Quantic from Colombia, DJ Sun from Houston and Illa J will be on that bill.

TC: There are a lot of big old school names that the world hasn’t heard from in a few years. Some of them like Black Sheep have been touring on the hip hop nostalgia circuit but others like B Real and Xzibit I was surprised to see on the schedule. Do they have new projects to push?

MS: Xzibit is coming with a company out of L.A., Cashmere Agency and Stampede Agency. Stampede handles Snoop, Xzibit, Murs, Kurupt, DJ Quik and more. I was out in L.A. last year and went and talked to them. I told them they need to come out here. DJ Quik could come to SXSW, really do a great show and start touring Europe and Australia. He’s a legend and a musical genius. I think they need to claim some more of the pie outside of the West Coast. B Real has his new project through Duck Down and they’re doing their 15th anniversary party with Buckshot, Evil D, Sean Price and Smif-N-Wessun. I want to bring the legends here that can seriously go tour Europe and places where they still get tons of respect. That’s something they can really accomplish at SXSW.

TC: The Stones Throw showcase is intriguing but I’m not sure exactly what to expect. Is that gonna be all DJ sets?

MS: It’s all DJ sets and it’s gonna be all vinyl 45s.

TC: Egon is one of the premier rare funk collectors in the world so that should be amazing. I think DJ sets are hard to draw people to when there’s so much live music but that should be really cool.

MS: I think it will just be a party at the Speakeasy Kabaret. The two shows at Speakeasy and Speakeasy Kabaret are working together and we’re gonna let people go back and forth between the two. Stones Throw will be in back and Senari presents the show with Deadly Dragon Sound and Cubic Zirconia in the front. Adam Tensta will be on that one and Jahdan Bakkamoore. It’s a really cool and diverse lineup so I think people can come to the Speakeasy all night and go back and forth and enjoy the thing as a whole.

TC: Freddie Gibbs is one of the most compelling rappers I’ve heard in recent years. I know there was the whole drama of him getting signed to a major label and then being shelved. What’s your take on him?

MS: I’ve known Freddie Gibbs since around 2000. I used to go to Gary, Indiana a lot for Murder Dog magazine and I never really got to cover him because he came out just after that. We used to chat online about the business, he was really hustling and trying to get in it. I think he’s a great MC and I love Gary, Indiana. If you want to hear some hard ass rap that’s a good place for it to come from. That is some of my favorite rap music, that Midwest gangsta shit. I think this will be a good year for him and a lot of the up-and-comers.

TC: Who are some other up-and-comers you think could break out this year?

MS: A lot of people are talking about Fashawn and Donnis, XV out of Wichita, Promise out of Toronto and Kydd from here in Austin. There are so many. Jay Rock the rapper from L.A., not the DJ, plus all the groups that were here last year like Pac Div and U-N-I. Basically every night at the Independent the hip hop lineup is insane, all up-and-coming and underground acts like Sollilaquists of Sound, People Under the Stairs. I’m excited to see the Thursday night lineup with Sage Frances and DJ Spooky with Graham Reynolds.

TC: Let’s talk about the New Orleans bounce showcase because that is gonna be crazy. The lineup is full of veterans of the bounce scene, which is huge in New Orleans but hasn’t made much noise outside of that city.

MS: I came up a lot in Houston so I’ve heard bounce music a lot of my life. I love that stuff. DJ Jubilee is a total legend when it comes to party rocking music. Katey Red and Big Freedia will be crazy. It’s true, it’s like go-go in D.C., you don’t see it a lot outside of that city. That’s what goes on in New Orleans.

TC: And you probably won’t see transvestite rappers at any other showcases.

MS: I don’t know, maybe they’ll bust in on other showcases like Bushwick Bill did a couple years ago on every show.

TC: I want to hear your non-hip hop wild card act for this year. Last year you tipped me off to Futomomo Satisfaction from Japan and that was among my very favorite shows of the festival.

MS: This year I really hope to see Oy who lives in Berlin but she’s originally from Ghana. It’s kind of hip-hoppy but it’s really spaced-out electronic stuff. She’s playing Saturday night at Prague and I pray I get to see her.