glitterbug

Glitterbug DJ set @ Sutra, Bangalore/ India, November 2009 by Glitterbug

This short (1 hour) DJ set was recorded during our performance tour in India in November 2009 (together with Ronni Shendar, Murat Tepeli and Andy Vaz).

The show in Bangalore was the last on the list, and I actually did not plan to DJ there- we were supposed to play live… but when we came to the venue, which was located in a 5 star hotel (weird!!), there was NOTHING there, no monitors, no projector, no tables even, just a beaten up old Pioneer mixer and 2 CDJs. Well- none of us DJs with CDs!!!

Murat, who was supposed to DJ that night, only had vinyls. So, since we came there just 1 hour before the doors opened, we had to improvise big time, and the hosts really tried hard to get us some equipment. After 45 minutes, we at least had 2 turntables and a decent mixer in working condition, so i decided to DJ instead of performing live, with no time to prepare or anything.

Ronni got a tiny projector (the ones usually used for small presentations), and projected on the ceiling… Also, by the time we finished setting up, the place was packed with people, and with the first track the place instantly turned into a raving party. Funny!! And even with all the stress, this night turned into a wonderful final party of this tour. Many thanks especially to Pranav K (aka PK) for helping us out with everything that night!

We had so much fun! Thanks Elevate!!!!

Glitterbug – Live @ Elevate Festival 2009 by Glitterbug

Before our show at the amazing Insomnia Festival, we went out for a long hike to the edge of the island that the city of Tromso is build on.

We ended up at an amazing “beach” with a stunning view in the middle of nowhere- this place just feels like one finally reached the edge of the world:

Here is the snippet of serenity this place had in stock for us…

On our way back we had to stop at a random intersection- all the cars have spikes on their wheels which make a beautiful sound, at least in my opinion.

This is how the tires look like:

And this is me recording in the intersection:

I will miss all the amazing people we met in Tromsø and also the amazing, so beautiful, indescribably peaceful landscape. If you ever go on a performance tour- I highly recommend to start it in the Arctic. It’s such a calming experience that it actually lasts for quite some time…

Today (Thu. 08.10.) is the „cut and paste“ radio show on Koeln Campus from 18:00-20:00, live in the studio and accessible locally via 100.0 FM and also via online stream onwww.koelncampus.com

In the radio show, i will be introducing my next EP as well as discussing issues regarding cultural policies and politics in Cologne (well, not much good to say about it) and art, electronic music and social and political responsibility in general.

I also promise to play a bunch of a-ma-zing tracks… surprise!!

Thanks to Ronni Shendar: the amazing video for ‘Be Content’, one of the 4 tracks of my upcoming ‘Dim Flares EP’, is online, and with it the microsite for the EP:

http://www.dimflares.csides.net

The EP will be released on the 12th of October.

More info on the EP:

Following the great international success of Glitterbug’s album “Supershelter”, everyone has been curious to hear what this unique and unmatched producer will bring us next. And truth is, there is a lot! Glitterbug has been working on piles of new enchanting materials, tracks, projects and remixes.

As a first release in a series that will lead to his next (double CD) album, is the “Dim Flares EP”: a dream-like, intense and deep moody EP that carries that very special Glitterbug sound to a whole new level, touching on deep emotional techno with a utopian 4/4 perspective.

This beautiful EP opens with “So much More”, an epic track that releases its melancholic-euphoric mood slowly over the course of 9 minutes, turning itself into a beautiful, hopeful, hand-raising screamer that floods the dance floor with overwhelming warmth and heartfelt love. Side A ends with “Deadpan”, an intense dark ambient miniature that lets us peak at Glitterbug’s world of score-like ambient compositions.

The B-Side begins with “Daubed Beams”, a Deephouse track all Glitterbug. “Daubed Beams” feels like what mid 90’s Detroit techno released on Warp would have sounded like: unbelievably deep, pensive, warm, divine and pumping.

c.sides’ latest emotive EP culminates with “Be Content”, a warm track with a deep drive of warped pads, a dark bass-line, airy percussion and unforgettable arpeggios. This exhilarating dance track is layered with bottomless emotions, the kind you want to close your eyes to, hug the person dancing next to you and wish it would never ever end.

The “Dim Flares EP” is the first in a series of 3 magnificently moving EP’s (by Glitterbug, Christian Löffler, and a collaboration between Glitterbug & Ostgut Ton’s Murat Tepeli) to be released on the c.sides Label in 2009-2010, all leading up to Glitterbug’s extraordinary next double album which is currently in the making and will be released in spring 2010.

On the 3rd of October, 4 days from now, exactly at midnight, ByteFM will be broadcasting a 3 hour DJ set of mine, and feature my new EP that will be out on the 12th of October. Tune in and join us!!

This is what ByteFM has to say about the show and my mix (non-german speakers, don’t bother… sorry…):

“Der ‘The Last Year Mix’ ist eine dreistündige Reise durch einen Teil dessen was Glitterbug im letzten Jahr wichtig war und was ihn nach seinem letzten Album ‘Supershelter’ musikalisch so umgetrieben hat. So startet der DJ Mix auch mit dem letzten Remix für ‘Supershelter’, den Glitterbug selbst angefertigt hat. Auch zum ersten Mal hier bei ByteFM in aller Öffentlichkeit: zwei Stücke von seiner nächsten Veröffentlichung, der ‘Dim Flares EP’, die am 12.10. auf c.sides (Vertrieb: Kompakt) erscheint. 

Normalerweise kennt man es nicht von ihm das er so viele eigene Stücke in seine DJ-Sets einbaut; hier hat er eine Ausnahme gemacht, zum einen da ja das Release zu seiner neuen EP ansteht, aber auch, weil es ziemlich genau ein Jahr her ist, seit der ersten Ausstrahlung bei ByteFM und es seitdem einiges musikalisch zu erzählen gab.

Ansonsten spannt sein DJ-Set einen weiten Bogen aus verschiedensten Genres, die vor allem eines verbindet: die Tiefe und Stimmung, und einen drei Stunden umspannenden Spannungsbogen mit vielen Aufs und Abs, wie man ihn nur von wenigen DJs kennt. Übrigens mixt Glitterbug alles von Hand; in diesem DJ-Set wurde nichts nachgebessert, alles ist in einem Take aufgenommen und nichts ist nachträglich geschnitten worden.

Im Großen und Ganzen kann Glitterbug auf ein bewegtes, anstrengendes und absolut positiv hektisches Jahr zurückschauen. Nach ‘Supershelter’ war auf einmal der Terminkalender mit internationalen Bookings in Clubs und auf Festivals prall gefüllt, im Februar fand in Israel das dritte, von Glitterbug und Ronni Shendar gegründete und kuratierte, biennal stattfindende ‘c.sides Festival for Electronic Music and Critical Media Arts’ statt (das größte Festival für elektronische Musik und Medienkunst im Mittleren Osten), leider wie bereits die Produktion 2006 wieder von einem Krieg begleitet.

Seit Dezember 2008 tourt Glitterbug vor allem als Liveact zusammen mit Ronni Shendar, die eine atemberaubende visuelle Liveshow rund um Glitterbug’s Liveset gebaut hat, um den Globus. Derzeit nimmt er eine 6-Wöchige Pause um am ersten Teil seines nächsten (Doppel-CD-) Album zu arbeiten, welches im Frühling 2010 erscheint. Mitte Oktober geht er wieder auf Tour, ein Teil seines nächsten Albums soll “on the road” entstehen.

Auch dem c.sides Label geht es bestens: nach der ‘Dim Flares EP’ von Glitterbug selbst können wir uns auf eine EP von Christian Löffler im Dezember 2009 und auf eine EP von Glitterbug & Ostguts Murat Tepeli (im Januar 2010) freuen. Und dann kommt schon sein neues Album. Wir sind gespannt!”

The show is presented and moderated by Sebastian Hampf and is part of the “Electric Nightflight” format, which is aired every two weeks.

Glitterbug Live @ Melkweg Amsterdam, August 28th 2009 by Glitterbug

Glitterbug live @ Melkweg Amsterdam, August 28th 2009
Feedback for this specific show:
“Ever since his strong debut album ‘Supershelter’ I wanted to see and hear Glitterbug live. I must say it was everything I hoped for and more. Techno so fluid, so emotional and so deep, it restores your faith in electronic dance music.” Rene Passet, Music Journalist, DJ Broadcast, NL

I usually do not post my livest publicly, because they are, even more than DJ sets, something very intimate, personal, and site-specific too. Also, I tend to be a perfectionist, and since it’s all my materials, I notice my little flaws and technical hick-ups even more, a bit like through a magnifying glass.

But well, since there was so much loving feedback for this show, I think I can comfortably share it with the rest of the world… even though every recording of my live performances is just a momentary snap shot of where i am at this specific point in time.

This was my last performance before the studio break (I am working on my next long player), and in this set are already two raw live versions of two new tracks that will be part of the upcoming album. So I thought, well, this is a great way of saying “see ya later!” to all of you and a huge thank you to everybody that invited us to play over the last year and to all those who supported us and gave us the opportunity to share this part of our world.

Special thanks also go out to the amazing Amsterdam crew: Nuno dos Santos and Estroe who played with us that night, Hidde of Melkweg (and the rest of the Melkweg crew) and Rene Passet!!!

Glitterbug – Famous Last Words DJ Mix by Glitterbug

About the “Famous Last Words” – DJ – Mix:

I played in Beijing on July 17th 2009 for the legendary ‘White Rabbit’ crew. Sadly, the place was shut down only days before my arrival, so my appearance was moved to another club, the ‘China Doll’, a by far more mainstream club than the White Rabbit. Still, I had an amazing time, playing a 5 hour set until I was cut off by the club management (some closing time needed to be obeyed). Unfortunately I was cut in the middle of the track and didn’t get the chance to close the party in an appropriate manner. So- while listening, imagine it’s between 7am and 8am, you have been dancing all night and the DJ (in this case: me) comes up with this really strange mixture of tracks. Makes sense?

The great thing about the final hour or so of a night is: one does not have to prove anything anymore, and all that matters is the shared time together and the feeling that one will leave the club with. So this set starts with the last track i played that night at the China Doll and continues to give love and respect to the people that wanted to stay that night and a chance for me to finish an unfinished love song for Beijing and the amazing people i was lucky enough to meet there.

This set goes out to all the wonderful people that hosted me so kindly in Beijing and took such great care for me, and to everybody that stayed and celebrated with us until the morning.

This set will also be used in a radio show of Beijing’s Patrick Yu.

The Mix is 100% made by hand, just with two turntables, a Mixer (my good ol’ and beloved Dateq XTC house mixer) and that’s it.

*******************

Tracklisting:
01. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons- Beggin’ (Pilooski Re-Edit) / 679 Recordings
02. Rhadoo – Bau (Oroginal Mix) / Cadenza
03. Neonbelle Remixed by Nuno Dos Santos – I Just Might / Field Records
04. Mathias Kaden – Moron (Original) / Vakant
05. Roman Flügel – Stricher / Turbo Recordings
06. Gui Boratto remixed by Wighnomy Brothers – No Turning Back / Kompakt
07. Juju & Jordash – Deep Blue Meanies / Dekmantel / Rushhour
08. Ozka – Chic Alors / Aesthetik Records
09. Mr. Raoul K – Wind of Goree (Original Mix) / Mule Musiq
10. Tha Lady Blacktronika – If Some Rain / Deep Explorer
11. Ane Brun – Headphone Silence (Henrik Schwarz Remix / Dixon Edit) / Objektivity
12. Peter Grummich – It’s to Share / Karloff Rekordings

This one will be aired next weekend:

Glitterbug – “No More Writing!”-Studio Mix, August 2009 by Glitterbug

100% hand made and recorded live @ the studio.