The nine lives of Bar25

Will bar25 ever die? Let’s hope not, as long as it moves with the times. We all shed a tear at the saddest music in the world contest last year which closed bar25 once and for all and seemed to mark the turn to a gentrified Berlin. But the subculture that has become a victim of its own appeal, and which has ironically and beautifully become the trademark of the city is fighting back. An perhaps most surprisingly of all, landing on it’s feet!

May 1st 2010 will mark a small victory for the endangered species of locations that, like Mauerpark, are being recognised for their cultural worth. A cultural worth which caused the MediaSpree development to want to be there in the first place. So go figure why someone would want to park their ass right on top of what they covet and supress what makes them look good.

So, May 1st, and another season blasts off for Bar25. Personally, I just like to go in the early evening and have a beer on the swing overlooking the Spree.

If you really can’t wait, then you can listen to their radio online here and get into that spring mood cause it’s 13 degrees today and now I’m off to the park!

Filed under: architecture, music, outdoors

Schizophrenic Hip-Hop Animation

It squeaks and crunches and wobbles and booms and scuttles and grinches and bellows and bams and schmeeks and there are so many more words to go with the sounds that Blake Worrell has injected into his first solo album, The Second Coming. Welcome to music that moves…

Recorded as a soundtrack to an imaginary movie, the tracks are sewn together with nine skits, bringing back an old-style hip-hop drenched with humour which reminds me of the Handsome Boy Modeling School days. The many voices Blake impersonates to bring the story to life are equally delicious and ear-tickling and the effort that has gone into the making of this is just crazy. One can only wonder how he didn’t actually go crazy as some tracks feature up to 12 different characters talking and singing with one another.

Blake’s background in sound engineering for ads and TV shows, and six years working with Puppetmastaz, delivers a cinematic mix to which I can only now do justice by giving you a straight download link to listen to and share.

Oh, did I not mention it’s free?

Filed under: music

Puppetmastaz… the Breakup

As humans proved resilient to recognising their creature-likeness during the takeover, the Puppet resistance regime started to crack from within. With more and more talk of going solo, the Puppetmastaz release a last album in union. The Break Up, featuring all solo pieces, is a spicy mix, maximising all the various talents involved.

Here is a teaser to whet your appetites and set your hearts racing.

The Break Up tour is currently under way through France and Switzerland until the 17th of October and if you haven’t seen them yet, well, precious little time left!

Filed under: music

Air Cushion Finish

Air Cushion Finish is the name of this ambient/folk duo, collaboration of our very own Wedding-based Jayrope and Lippstueck who released their latest album “Bleifuss” on Biesentales Records. They played at a Foto-Shop vernissage a couple of weeks ago and I am still under the spell of the trance they induced- Jayrope’s hypnotic beats and Lippstueck’s soft, reassuring voice are sampled and layered, adding random instruments (last time a small flute and some kitchen utensils were spotted) building polyrhythms that create familiar, irremediably tribal and soothing sounds infused with humour.

Who thought this was so deliciously possible?

You can catch them 30th October at Ballhaus Ost as they open for the launch of Lonski & Classen’s new record.

Filed under: music