We present the key info on the upcoming Red Bull Soundclash MC/band battles around the world and the stars of them.
The idea of musical battles is probably as old as music itself. In the early 18th century, Bach and Handel competed at the Habsburgs court, and jazz bands in 1920s New Orleans did nothing but battle. The idea of the Soundclash originated in Kingston, Jamaica, during the 1950s. The local Reggae Sound Systems started to challenge each other in the 1960s to impress audiences. A mix of DJing, live music and MCs provided the perfect vibes for holding musical playfights that turned into massive fun for audiences and contestants alike.
Since 2006, Red Bull Soundclash has provided the setting for the most innovative musicians in the world to 'face off' in an unparalleled creative and entertaining music event. In 2009, American hip-hop stars The Roots clashed in Boston with afro-beat orchestra Antibalas. Following their rave performance, The Roots drummer ?uestlove (yes, the '?' is deliberate…) summed up the unifying experience of the two participating bands: “The event is basically creative friendly fire between two comrades – two groups who mutually admire and respect one another…”
Red Bull Soundclash is thus an innovative take on live performance that continues to draw in bigger and bigger names in the music business, such as Linda Perry, Erykah Badu, The Shiny Toy Guns, MOOK and many more. This autumn, the playful battle series continues in Europe and the US with the following Soundclashes:
October 28, 2010, 10pm
Dallas, Texas, USA
Talib Kweli vs Ozomatli
Talib Kweli is a Brooklyn-born MC. Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star for his collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def. Today, he is an undisputed leader in the alternative hip-hop scene, which takes a different approach from mainstream gangsta rap and pop rap… no references to bling and 'nines'. Kweli is a profound lyricist and perennial favourite among music critics worldwide. In fact, he is one of the most respected rappers of our time. As Jay-Z once put it in his famous Black Album rhyme, "If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli."
Ozomatli are a Los Angeles-based, culture-mashing 10-piece band who have been together for more than 14 years. They are hometown favourites and US State Department Cultural Ambassadors. It's often said that if you rolled down your car window in East LA and collected pieces of music you heard blasting from passing cars, you could mix all that up and get the Ozomatli sound. It's a collision of urban Latino, hip-hop and rock, with influences from salsa, dancehall and cumbia, funk, meringue, New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian ragga. Listening to Ozomatli is like taking a trip around the world.
The Palladium Ballroom at Gilley's Dallas
1135 South Lamar, Dallas, Texas
Tickets go on sale this weekend and are available through www.thepalladiumballroom.com
*Red Bull Soundclash Dallas is for over-18s only
October 29, 2010, 7.30pm
Antwerp, Belgium
Customs vs Mintzkov
Customs are a combo of four retrofuturists, known for melody, atmosphere and mathematical edge. Influences suggested include The House of Love, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Sound, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and Cocteau Twins.
After the tight and straightforward sounding 360° album, Mintzkov intended to open up their music a little more. On their third full length recording, Rising Sun, Setting Sun, the five-piece from Antwerp reached out for a more streamlined and more dancefloor-orientated sound, in which the role of keyboard player Pascal Oorts has become more prominent. “What we were after was a little more movement within the songs,” singer and guitarist Philip Bosschaerts explains, “or rather, a different kind of movement.” Another of Mintzkov's principal assets is the gorgeous-sounding harmony of Bosschaerts' singing with bass player Lies Lorquet. The latter can also be heard as a guest vocalist on the latest albums by dEUS and The Go Find.
Petrolclub (D'Herbouvillekaai 25, 2020 Antwerpen)
Tickets are available through the Petrol Ticketmaster.
October 30, 2010, 7.30pm
Washington DC, USA
Wale vs Tokyo Police Club
Wale was born to Nigerian immigrant parents. He rose to prominence in 2006 when his song Dig Dug (Shake It) became popular in his home town. Wale became locally recognised and continued recording music for the regional audience. Producer Mark Ronson discovered Wale in 2006 and signed him to Allido Records in 2007. While signed to that label, Wale released several mixtapes and appeared in national media including MTV and various urban magazines. In 2008, Wale signed to Interscope for US$1.3m, and his debut album Attention Deficit was released in 2009 with the singles Chillin', Pretty Girls and World Tour.
For a band that burst onto the scene with an ecstatically-received 16 minutes of music (2006's A Lesson In Crime EP) followed in rapid succession by additional EPs and singles (Smith, Your English Is Good) and a debut album (2008’s Elephant Shell) all in under two years, you’d think 26 months between albums would be an interminable wait. And it might well have been for Tokyo Police Club, had they not toured relentlessly in support of that first album through August of 2009 – and started writing new songs virtually the second their previous record was put to bed. So, the nine-month gap between the close of that tour and the June 8 release of Champ, Tokyo Police Club’s second full-length album and first for the mom+pop label, has been anything but boring or unproductive.
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (at 4th Street), Washington
Visit ticketfly.com for a special pre-sale promotion.
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