EarPIPE

Earpipe Looks Hazily Back at the Clubs, Festivals and Parties in 2008

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009 | Events, News | 1 Comment

Well that’s another year over. Where did the time go? For us it was mostly spent in darkened rooms listening to repetitive electronic music in and around London with the occasional trip to another city or abroad. It probably explains why this look back on 2008 is a hazy one at best. I believe we left most of our brain cells splattered across Fabric’s dancefloor. But we’ve managed to piece together the fractured pieces of memory to come up with this half rate look back at 2008. Enjoy )

One of the main stories of 2008 has to be the shake up of London clubs. 2008 kicked off on a sombre note with the closure of The Cross/Key/Canvas complex in Kings Cross. Apparently Kings Cross needed some regeneration to make it look good for the incoming French on the EuroStar. As a double whammy Turnmills also decided to close their doors at the end of January, due to the lease holders deciding their central London location would make much more money as flats and offices rather than from weekends of debauchery. They’re right, but even though Turnmills had pretty much run its course pushing a dying Trance night and a load of “electro house” nights with asymmetrical haircuts it was still a shock losing two stalwarts of the scene.

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Tags: Alex Smoke, Audio, BedBug, Below, Bestival, Brighton, Canvas, Coronet Theatre, Corsica Studios, Dalston, Digital, Disco Bloodbath, East Village, Fabric, Field Day, Firefly, Glastonbury, Hi Tek Soul, London, Manchester, matter, Matthew Dear, Ministry, Ministry of Sound, Minus, Mulletover, Phil Kieran, Rainbow Pub, Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Secretsundaze, Sonar, T-Bar, The Cross, The End, The Key, TimeWarp, Turnmills, Villalobos, Visions Video Bar, Warehouse Project, Wax:On, Wild in the Country

How to get your Wild in the Country ticket refund

Friday, July 4th, 2008 | Event Reviews | No Comments

From RenHQ on how to get your refund:

REFUND INFORMATION
Tickets bought directly from renaissance.com will be reimbursed for the face value of each ticket purchased. Please send your contact details along with a valid unused ticket and transaction confirmation to:

Rebirth Music Ltd.
52a High Pavement
The Lace Market
Nottingham
NG1 1HW

To guard against loss/damage please send all tickets by recorded delivery.
E-Ticket customers: Please send your contact details along with your e-ticket voucher to the above address.

For all other outlets please contact point of purchase for their refund policy.
Once again apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Kind Regards
Renaissance

Tags: refund, Renaissance, Wild in the Country

O Dear Wild in the Country Now Cancelled :o(

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 | Other | No Comments

Earlier today i posted how WITC was still going to be fun even without Bjork… Well it looks as though the whole thing has gone down the pan due to poor ticket sales and loss of a key financial backer. A similar scenario happened to the Wax:On Live event earlier this year where their financial backers had to drop out due to the credit crunch. So they weren’t kidding when the papers were saying that the global economic meltdown was going to effect everyone, even the most hedonistic of us.

Anyways, here is the official statement from those at RenHQ

I am really sorry to announce that this years Wild in the Country Festival has been cancelled, please see the below statement:

Wild in the Country Festival Cancelled

Stately Events Ltd is extremely disappointed to announce the cancellation of the Wild in the Country festival at Knebworth Park on Saturday 5th July.

The cancellation is due to lower than expected ticket sales and a key investor withdrawing at the last minute, leaving the event in an unsustainable position.

This is a very sad conclusion to our passionate efforts to develop an
interesting and credible addition to the UK festival market.
Unfortunately, Wild in the Country has become the latest in a series of festivals that have suffered from a unique and well-documented set of market forces this summer.

We did everything possible to make the event happen and would like to apologise to all those who have purchased tickets, and for the inconvenience this cancellation may have caused.

The Organisers will make every effort to ensure that ticket purchases will be refunded.

Tags: Wild in the Country

Bjork has cancelled but there is so much more to see according to EarPipe’s Wild in the Country guide!

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 | Event Preview | No Comments

So Bjork is officially off the bill due to stage and production issues or that illness which forced her to cancel her other date in Sheffield. Nobody knows and we’ll probably never get to know. Either way she’s cancelled and caused a right who-ha. But as they say in performance circles, “the show must go on”. The line-up still remains as is. The Battles, who were initially swaying on their appearance, will now definitely be appearing and Soulwax who are curators of their own tent will also be present. So unless you’re a diehard Bjork fan, here is EarPIPE’s pick of the bunch to catch this Saturday, leaving only the weather to worry about. Dig out your best sun dance.

Richie Hawtin

OK so our top pick isn’t really the off centre alternative choice. But you just can’t deny how good the Canadian turned Berlin scenester is. Think of this more as the solid without fail choice. More often than not Richie will deliver, trust us we have seen him countless times and never get bored. Expect driving techno beats which build up to infinity, some technical ingenuity and his trademark hair flick and clap dance.

Bookashade

With a new album out this year, the boys have been on the road showcasing a new live. Already receiving rave reviews from all corners of the world, this show is sure to excite the electronic dance heads as well as those who prefer their bands live live rather than laptop live.

Carl Craig

This man has the golden touch. Anything that he produces or remixes turns out seminal. A stalwart on the scene from the early Detroit days Carl Craig has been there, done it and decided to hang around a bit longer to show the kids what its really all about. EarPipe caught him at the start of the year and blew us away with his Detroit blend of techno combined with such musicality that only one word comes to mind. EPIC.

Dixon

Another person we caught at the start of the year was Dixon. The Innervisions resident has been at the forefront of the deep electronic house sound that has seen a recent flourish. His deep house stylings are warm, sensual and seductive, be sure to catch.

DJ Yoda

Here at earPipe we love a bit of novelty comedy to lighten the mood. DJ Yoda is the undisputed heavyweight of lightening the mood. Serious does not even come into the equation. Simply marvel and smile as he ridiculously scratches and cuts up anything and everything into an old skool b-boy rhythm. Entertaining of the highest order.

Killa Kella

Whilst we’re on the subject of entertaining hip hop we can’t forget about beatboxer Killa Kella. The former beat box champion transcends all genres from Britney to drum n bass all through the manipulation of his voice. Truly an amazing sight.

The Field
Stockholm’s Axel Willner as The Field creates some of the most epic and mesmerising soundscapes you will ever hear. Signed to Kompakt he sound is often categorised as minimal techno but it is so much more than that. Intertwining harmonies, drawn out loops and sheer epic soundscapes create a complex and intense musical environment. We caught the man at Sonar and effortlessly floated away in the sunshine on a river of mojitos.

Audion

This Saturday Matthew Dear has left his leather trousers and big hands at home for he will be in his Audion guise. What this means is he’ll be thrashing out his blend of epic twisted techno from mouth to mouth and beyond.

Danny Tenaglia

Last but not least the Brooklyn 20 hour legend that is Danny Tenaglia. Renowned for his relentless 20 hour DJ sets, this man knows how to party. The purveyor of dark twisted tribal beats, Danny will take you on a long and deep journey, then at the end he’ll kick you out in the middle of no where. Expect tribal beats with a dash of diva vocals. But do beware of the stilton clangers that he has been known to drop every so often.

Tags: Audion, Bookashade, Carl Craig, Danny Tenaglia, Dixon, DJ Yoda, Killa Kella, Renaissance, Richie Hawtin, The Field, Wild in the Country

Wild in the Country Q&A with Renaissance’s Geoff Oakes

Thursday, June 26th, 2008 | Event Preview | No Comments

With only a week or so until Wild in the Country, EarPipe decided to have a chat with Renaissance’s main man Geoff Oakes about what to expect, what’s new and what’s making RenHQ giggle like school girls with excitement.

What can we expect this year from Wild in the Country?
18 hours of the very best in electronic and indie live acts and djs, funktion one sound, beautiful décor, lots of fun stuff to keep you amused and possibly the prettiest festival location in the UK.

Whats different this year from last year’s festival?
we have increased the hours by 50%, so it’s now an 18 hour marathon, starting at 1pm, with a much bigger and more diverse line-up. We only had 3 live acts last year, whilst this year we have 20, and there’s been a greater focus on making Wild in the Country feel like a fun and interesting festival experience. Whether it’s a surreal cuppa and cucumber sandwich at the mad hatters tea party, lazing away the afternoon in the enchanted forest or braving the fairground rides, there’s plenty to do both day and night.

So there are now 6 arenas what can we expect from each arena?
there’s a lot of musical diversity and we have programmed each arena to flow as if it were its own individual night. Each will have their own specific décor and funktion one sound, making every arena feel much more like a club than a festival tent.

What is Ren HQ most excited about at this year’s festival?
I think it has to be attracting Bjork for her only UK festival appearance. Danny Tenaglia’s first festival appearance in 6 years, Richie Hawtin hosting the only Minus arena at a UK festival this summer and Pendulum’s Live show will also be highlights.

Yoda was added to the bill. Will he be wowing us with one of his special AV shows?
He isn’t doing the ‘film score’ set, but he always delivers something special………. We were really pleased to land him and I can’t wait to see him play.

Richie Hawtin and friends are there celebrating 10 years of Minus, will they be doing their new cube live show concept thing??
No, the mysterious Cube is coming later in the year! However, this is a true Minus showcase and, with Carl Craig as a special guest, is a techno connoisseurs dream.

Are there any more acts to be announced?
No, we’re 10 days away as we speak…… everything is locked-in and the site build has already started.

Will there be an after party anywhere for those that don?t want to stop?
I am sure there will be but our focus is on the 18 hours of the festival, so no Wild in the Country endorsed after parties I’m afraid………. Not totally discounting turning up at one myself though!

Is mud banned from WITC this year and is the sunshine booked and confirmed for the 5th?
last year we had what was quite possibly the wettest day of the wettest summer on record, so it can only get better! We took a lot of lessons from last years weather and are much better equipped to deal with it should it happen again. The forecast for the south is looking pretty good though, so fingers crossed for a hot and sunny weekend.

What sets WITC away from your usual GlobalCreamfieldsbury Festivals?
the bigger the festival, the more pressure there is to load up the line up with as many djs and acts as possible to ensure the huge ticket sales required to break even are reached. This often means that too many acts are crammed into an arena with short sets and things don’t flow musically. We’ve tried to maintain a specific feel to Wild in the Country by putting together a credible and coherent line-up that makes real sense musically, giving set times of up to 4 hours to some DJs. The integrity of the line-up, coupled with an equal focus on a relaxed and fun experience, means we attract a great crowd that creates a unique festival atmosphere. The absence of a hard house tent feels like a breath of fresh air!

Tags: Bjork, festival, Geoff Oakes, Hawtin, Knebworth, Renaissance, Wild in the Country, Yoda