Blasts from the Past: Birthday Bash Edition
Posted on December 3, 2014 15 Comments
Buckle your seat belts, some more time travelling coming up. It’s the Birthday Bash Special. Huge jumps will occur. One obvious rule (apart from jungle, of course): Every photo is from December 3rd or from my birthday celebrations the following weekend.
This post was originally made on December 3rd, 2014 – another birthday, obviously. Time portal is functioning. Time for some more jungle bubbles, then.
More travels to the future and the past
– Read how it all started for Chriszka the Time Traveller: The Birthday Bash III: Raving is like deep meditation
– For more flyers, check out How to be a Junglist: Flyers, flyers, flyers everywhere
– Did you miss a day of JUngLE? Find all the JUngLEkalenderen posts right here.
Super rare photos: Blasts from the Past
Posted on December 2, 2014 8 Comments
Jungle pics from back when digital cameras and smartphones hadn’t entered the dance floors yet. These are digital scans from my not so digital photo album.
Whaaaaaaaat! Only 3!
Yes, you pixel-sucking digital vampires, I know we are all used to 35 photos at the very least from every single party these days (and that’s just from ONE phone) but this is the oldskool days. Enjoy the rarities.
While the search for more treasures continue… *scanner humming*
The 7 most romantic jungle tunes ever
Posted on December 1, 2014 8 Comments
Okay, it’s december. It’s time to get cosy and nostalgic. Let’s oomph the romance.
When it comes to jungle I am most definitely on a darkside tip. Which means I am not much of a lover of piano stabs and cartoon-y voices and certainly not r’n’b samples. But I have the softest spot for every tune on this list. Despite of the copious amount of I want you’s and I need you’s and mousey voices and pianos and r’n’b samples in there.
So let’s get feel-y sing-a-long-y hands-in-the-air-y. Jungle style.
88.3 featuring Lisa May – Wishing on a Star
The list just has to start with this über-classic of sing-a-long jungle romance. And out the window goes all my darkside attitudes. I am all twinkly-eyed Disney.
Jonny L – I Want You
It’s the drums! Okay, so the “I want you want you want want you . I want you want you want want you, I’m feeling lonely! Satisfaction that’s when I’m with you” and-so-on lyrics certainly do their bit, but those drums are the perfect expression of REALLY REALLY REALLY wanting and missing someone. Blood boiling.
Jonny L – I’m Leavin
Jonny L, the master of romantic jungle tunes. As pointed out by the guy who uploaded this to youtube, the real heart trembling action starts at 1.33. Drums! THOSE DRUMS!
Foul Play – Being With You
Oh, those hauntingly romantic crickets at 2:05! To hell with them at 2.28! Mary J. Blige not entering until 3.55. If you want more of her voice, though, check out this excellent remix. Gets the balance right, too. Lots of delicate sound wizardry, like butterflies in your stomach.
Omni Trio – Thru the Vibe
Got your heart broken? Might as well smash it up completely with unbearably mournful music until you get better. Oh, man, this is a sad tune. That piano at 1:25 just breaks my heart. Hands in the air.
Bukem – Atlantis (I Need You)
More I need you’s and I want you’s.
M Beat – Sweet Love
As you can probably gather, I prefer the wistful tunes of yearning and longing, but this classic belongs on the list, too. A tiny wee bit tacky, yes. But hey. It will always be this wayyyyyy.
Right! Go out and lose yourselves in some proper hugs. And some stuff that makes your blood boil for real.
“Dancing is a very important ritual”
Posted on November 17, 2014 6 Comments
Son Kite releases their 4th album “Prisma” today on the Danish label Iboga Records. I interviewed the Swedish duo a couple of weeks ago, and it was a hugely inspiring experience.
It is quite rare for me to meet people who take the transformational potential of the dancefloor and the healing properties of proper raving more serious than I do, but these guys actually top me on that subject.
They are s-e-r-i-o-u-s about it – in a really, really good way, of course, and with an insistent consistency in their thoughts and practices that reminds me of Eckhart Tolle. Which, of course, and obviously, makes all kinds of sense.
Judging by the response on facebook when the release of the album was revealed by Iboga, SEbastian and Marcus have made a huge impact on a lot of people with their music and the ideas behind it. That, too, makes all kinds of sense.
And so, the interview:
Dancing is very important ritual
The Swedish trance duo Son Kite is back, releasing their first album in ten years. And they are on a mission. It burns through everything they say and is clearly expressed in their way of making music and performing.
“Dancing is a very important ritual. Our main mission as artists is to make people get into this trance state”, they say.
Since the release of their third album “Colours” in 2004, Marcus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert have been focusing on their other project Minilogue, touring the world and gaining increasing popularity in the house and techno scene.
With “Prisma”, released on November 17th and consisting of seven tracks made between 2007 and 2014, the duo leaps back to the endless energy and enthusiasm they felt when they first started making music together in 1996. Back to the use of analogue equipment (including releasing the album on vinyl). And back to what it’s all essentially about, according to the two musicians: Getting into the all-important dance ritual and reaching the trance state. A ritual that is as important as ever in our modern world, where we are constantly bombarded with digital stimuli, new distractions and non-stop demands to want something.
“Many people have lost their connection to why we are here and what we are doing here as human beings. Hunting for money, fame and achievements is what we learn in school, and it’s very easy to just get lost in this hunt without even being aware of why we are not happy doing it. That’s why it’s so important to get into the dance ritual and let the the stress out”, Marcus says.
“This ritual is built into our DNA. We are supposed to do it, and we have always done it. Something important happens when we dance to hypnotic drum patterns for several hours. It gives us energy and fuels us with creative ideas. It’s healing, like yoga and meditation. It’s so important that we know this and don’t forget our roots,” Marcus says.
The underground and the mainstream
The album reflects a lot of the discoveries and realizations they have made during their 20 years on the electronic music scene.
“Back in the 90s when the techno revolution started, the whole thing was underground. It wasn’t about styles and genre, but more about a gathering on secret locations that felt new and refreshing and was a really strong experience for everyone. But then the scene evolved and changed and became popular in the mainstream. Parts of it reached the overground and turned into club culture. That was good for a while, but then the money striving and the business models took over and transformed into standard club nights with the typical setup and the typical dj’s and the same thing week in and week out. And those modern industry standards for clubs and techno are not enough for our souls”, Marcus says.
He saw this development happening within himself.
“When Son Kite took off we were playing at underground parties all over the world. Then we started Minilogue which became very popular on the techno and house scene, and we began playing with superstar dj’s like Sven Väth and Richie Hawtin and got to see all these huge clubs in Ibiza and big festivals all over the world. Obviously I really enjoyed it to begin with. But I lost myself in it. The ego was building up, hunting the money and the fame, and I lost the connection to why I was doing it in the first place. It took me a while to realize this. It was a real eye opener,” says Marcus.
Challenge the restlessness
“Prisma” is about finding the way back again, reconnecting with the original spirit of the electronic music scene, being fully present in the now and losing the ego on the dancefloor. And to get into that state of trance, you have to dance for many hours, not just one or two, like the typical club set.
“There is a lot of music out there that triggers people’s restlessness. It’s a reflection of our modern society. We have so many stimuli coming so fast at us that our attention spans are getting shorter and it’s getting harder and harder for us to wait for anything. We want to challenge that restlessness with our music. We want the people dancing to face it inside themselves”, Sebastian says.
With the increasing popularity of the electronic music over the last ten years, the restless energy on the dancefloors has increased, the duo points out, with dj-sets filled with incessant peaks, constantly hunting for those explosions and “hands in the air” moments. This turns into a self-perpetuating pattern with the crowd getting addicted to the hit effect, projecting restless energy back to the dj who in turn starts using bass drops and other ego-boosting tricks every 5 minutes, trying to get a reaction and please the crowd.
“It’s very difficult to stand in front of an audience of 20.000 people who wants this nervous energy and not be seduced into giving it to them. But we really believe that the task of a good dj is to help the crowd let go of that restlessness and the ego and get into the trance”, says Marcus.
Marcus and Sebastian both meditate daily, and preferably before they go on stage, too.
“As an artist you have responsibilities. When you are placed in the center of everyone’s attention, people respond to the energies you send out, and if you are insecure or sending out energies that are all about manifesting yourself, you can easily forward your own unbalance to everyone and thereby hurt the whole. That’s why it’s really important to get in touch with the deeper stillness. Meditation, yoga and dancing are ways to do that,” Sebastian says.
“Dancing for eight hours and really uniting with the music is a reminder that this is how it could be with everything you do in life. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be one with what you’re doing, to really melt into the experience. That’s why it’s so extremely important for us to inspire people to reach that feeling. It’s a tool to really connect to life. The sound of our music is formed by this aim”, Sebastian says.
The analogue
Releasing the album on vinyl has been very important to the duo, as well as using analogue equipment in making the tracks.
“The analogue equipment like the drum machines and the sequencers are affected by their surroundings, by all the vibrations and the feelings in the room and by you standing next to them. Their timing is never completely exact, and these small variations make them more human”, Marcus says.
“The computer screen has these visual representations of the music, and the entire process takes place in your thoughts and in your head much more than in your heart and your body. With the analogue equipment your access to the psyche and the subconscious is a lot more direct. And that’s the beauty of it. To express what is inside of you and let other people feel that. That’s what it’s all about,” Marcus says.
My 7 All Time Favourite Jungle Tracks
Posted on October 3, 2014 5 Comments
A little while ago someone asked me to do a list of my 5 all time favourite jungle tracks.
“Sure! Absolutely!” I answered. Like the dedicated junglist I am. That just never ever ever gets old, digging out some of the classic anthems for people.
Shortly afterwards I thought “Five… Oh, but which five? That’s impossible. I can’t. There are so many”.
But then, as I was biking home through Copenhagen, music in my ears, playlist set to random, and one of my absolute favourite jungle tracks came on, and I was like, of course I can!
Obviously there are heaps and heaps of awesome tracks to choose from, but some of them are just … well… the Absolute Favourites. Tattooed so deep, they’re part of my skeleton.
But 5. Just 5?
Well. Almost.
Here are my 7 All Time Favourite Jungle Tracks. Essential tunes.
And there is a really, REALLY good reason why I am making this list just now, today. I will get back to that. But first: The tunes.
(Go to my Soundcloud here for mixes: https://soundcloud.com/chriszka)
Q Project – Champion Sound (Alliance Remix)
Oh, how my heart trembled with ecstatic terror the first time I heard the sound at 1.42 on a London dance floor. It still does. So mean. So dark. So perfect. As far as I know this track was once voted “Best Jungle Track of All Time” by thousands of readers on some major drum’n’bass site. I am not alone as I bow my head to this evil prototype techstep classic.
Origin Unknown – Valley of the Shadows
2.24. Saddest sound in the world. I can’t begin to describe how much sense the “Felt that I was in this long dark tunnel” sample made back then in London, on the dancefloor, raving through set after set after perfectly mixed set of darkside jungle. Uuuuh. And there was a very very bright light at the end, so brilliant…
Hyper-On Experience – Lords of the Null Lines (Foul Play Remix)
Sample hunting was so much fun back then! Fucking voodoo magic man.
Deep Blue – The Helicopter Tune
At one of my very first jungle raves, when I still didn’t really know what was going on upthere behind the decks, I thought this was somehow played live with drum machines on stage. Later on, on the same night, when I heard the chopper entering the mix again, I was like, oooooh… it’s a track. I think this was at a new year’s eve party at The Marquee, actually. I learnt a lot that night.
Remarc & Lewi Cifer – Ricky
Proper original darkside. Real angst samples! Beautiful terror!
Shimon – Predator
Yup, the jungle came alive and took me, too. That’s for sure.
Pulse – Stay Calm
This is so immensely sad and beatiful. Should you dance? – or just stand there, with your arms raised, solemnly, ceremoniusly, like in a church? Both.
Okay, so that was the list. I am going to have to make a new one soon with some of all the tracks I had to leave out. Some choices sort of sorted themselves out. Should Crystl’s “Warpdrive” be inthere, for instance? I couldn’t find the proper version on youtube, so it isn’t. Coming up: The 5 Most Romantic Jungle Tracks. Yes, that can be done. 🙂
But first… Off to London!
What is particularly beautiful about listening to these tracks RIGHT NOW, for the gazillionth time, is that I am going to London this weekend, today, right now! – to attend not just one, but TWO oldschool jungle parties – which makes it VERY LIKELY that I will hear one or two, or several, or maybe all! – of these on the dancefloor, mixed by experts, like back in the days, when I lived in London and went to The Paradise, and The Astoria, and The Roller Express, and The Lazerdrome, in the 90s.
Goose bumps! It’s gonna be proper TIME MACHINE BUSINESS!
One is The Ribena Jungle party at a secret location in Shoreditch, with Uncle Dugs and Navigator (my absolute favourite MC back then (and ever, really)). Very limited amount of tickets, and it sold out in a whoopin’ 7 minutes or something. The other one is Kenny Ken & Friends at the Union Club – with Kenny Ken, Randall and Slipmatt.
I am clearly not the only one wanting to go back in time to hear some proper tunes and proper mixing! ENDLESS JOY! I’M DIVING IN!
5 grunde til, at jeg elsker Phace
Posted on September 18, 2014 Leave a Comment
(Og 5 gode grunde til at alle burde tage ind og høre ham spille i Pumpehuset på lørdag).
Der er sket virkelig meget med drum’n’bass-genren, siden jeg faldt hårdt for jungle i London i 90’erne. Den er knopskudt i mange retninger, og det er virkelig ikke lige kønt det hele. Særligt de mere poppede, stadionrock-agtige circle-pit-pop-forgreninger er noget rædderligt lydbras IMO.
Men heldigvis er der jo stadig “nye” producere, som producerer sublime tracks, der kan danses, tænkes og gyses igennem til (og ja, med “nye” mener jeg dem-der-ikke-var-med-i-London-dengang-i-90erne – ja, det er hårdt at være oooooldskool-junglist). 😉
En af dem er tyske Phace, der spiller i Pumpehuset lørdag den 20. september. Og det skal opleves! Jeg kunne skrive en godt nørdet tekst om, hvordan de produktioner, han er involveret i, bare synes at være bedre og skarpere end alle andres. Nu har jeg lavet en liste:
Her er 5 gode grunde til at tage ind og høre ham på lørdag. Læs, lyt og lad dig inspirere.
Chook & Phace: Frozen
Lad os starte med mesterværket! Det her track er insaaaaaane. Jeg kan SLET ikke få nok af det. Selvom jeg har hørt det titusind gange, bliver jeg stadig lige revet med og forpustet hver gang. Det skyder kaskader af balstyrisk energi ind i kroppen. Det forbedrer mine løbetider. Jeg er rejst hele vejen til London med det fuldstændigt specifikke håb om at høre Phace spille lige præcis dét her track på Fabric. Bare dét. Og det gjorde han så ikke. Og der var for crowdet til at danse ordentligt anyways – argh! Ergo har jeg – vanvittigt nok – endnu ikke hørt dette neurofunk-masterpiece på et dansegulv. Nogensinde. Så hvis NÅR han spiller det i Pumpehuset på lørdag, kommer jeg til at gå så grassat af fryd, at taget flyver af. Oh. My. Gosh.
Noisia and Phace – Thrillseekers
Ustyrlig favorit nummer 2. Der sker så meget i det her track – jeg ved slet ikke, hvor jeg skal starte. Den sitrende gyserviolin. Verdens bedst placerede hestevrinsk. Pistolskuddene. Smuk knitren. Perfekt onde, ildevarslende stemmesamples. Piskesmældet. De fortvivlede skrig. Beats, der bare TROMLER hen over én som død og ødelæggelse. Så balstyrisk mange ideer og lyde, der, i mindre musikalske og kontrollerede hænder end Phaces, ville være flydt ud over kanten i en eller anden medrevet og overlæsset effektsovs, men som nu bare lige præcis holdes så meget i ave, at det stadig formår at være… så… TIGHT! Utroligt nok.
Jeg elsker det! Og jep, jeg tillader mig, uden at vide noget som helst om the specifics, at give Phace fuld credit for at være den, der styrer det her psykopat-track snorlige i mål.
Og så slutter det endda lige af med et sønderknust Charlton Heston-sample fra Planet of the Apes. ”GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!” Sådan! Darkside lever – og det gør mig noget så boblende lykkelig.
Phace and Rockwell – NO!
Åh, det her track. Som så mange andre af hans produktioner (og co-produktioner) er det som en vild hest i stramme tøjler – hvilket jo ikke gør energien mindre voldsom, tværtimod.
Måske er det på grund af den gode, legesyge sving-hoften-fornemmelse i de blærede charme-trommer, at jeg egentlig altid forestiller mig ”NO!” som en drilsk og sexet pardans. Hvilket så får mig til at se temmeligt meget frem til den dag, Phace beslutter sig for at lave et track, der hedder ”YES!” Dét bliver da intenst.
Phace and Misanthrop: Sex Sells
Og nu vi er ved sex. Det her er den spritnye Phace & Misanthrop-single, så det kan vi vist roligt regne med at høre på lørdag. Whehooo, jeg kan allerede se stemningen på dansegulvet for mig. I detaljer. Herligt festligt track, som lige rammer den rette balance mellem legesygt og stadig-mørkt-nok.
Phace and Misanthrop – Hyzer
DET HER! Hør, hvor det rumler i dybderne. Hør, hvor trommerne bare ruller derudaf. On that note – hvor jeg dog bare ikke fatter folk, der siger, at man ”ikke kan danse til drum’n’bass”. Øh, okay. Har I en krop? Anyways, tilbage til sagen: Der er en god Ed Rush & Optical-stemning (Wormhole-æraen) over det her track. Det minder lidt om ”Compound”, faktisk. Mhmmm, muligvis god idé til et mix, der. Hermed til fri afbenyttelse.
Vi ses på dansegulvet!
Og PLEASE! – drop den der moshpit-tummel. Og skal vi så ikke lige høre lidt Ed Rush and Optical på vej ud? Jo, vi skal:
Ed Rush and Optical – Point Blank
Reality is not enough
Posted on August 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
My article about virtual reality gadgets at GamesCom is in Jyllands-Posten Indblik today. In this photo, I am fighing an armoured knight with some evil medieval weapons, shortly before being eaten by a dragon.
And this is where I meet the monster in the Virtualizer, wearing Oculus.
You can read all about it in the article online (in Danish) here, if you have access to jyllands-posten.dk:
Virkeligheden er ikke altid nok.
“I en anden verden: Teknologien i Virtual Reality er i hastig udvikling og bruges nu både til fobi-forskning, byplanlægning og hussalg. Indblik har været i nærkontakt med den nyeste VR-teknologi på verdens største spilmesse i Køln.”
Cloud Chamber is released on Steam today
Posted on August 7, 2014 Leave a Comment
The online multiplayer mystery Cloud Chamber was released on Steam today. Here is my review of the first online release on the Danish website Ekko: Review of Cloud Chamber (in Danish).
Is it possible to tell a story by combining the biggest cosmic mysteries with the mechanisms from facebook? The online mystery Cloud Chamber tries to do just that, and the result is engrossing.
Isn’t it odd that aliens haven’t contacted us yet, considering that there are more than 200 billion stars in our galaxy alone, and thus lots of possibility (one would assume) for intelligent life?
There are a lot of interesting explanations for that paradox. And I get to know a lot of those on my way through the Danish online mystery Cloud Chamber, released on October 4th.
One of the more amusing theories is that any civilisation out there sophisticated enough to be able to contact us has probably invented media formats so immensely entertaining and absorbing that they can’t be bothered to travel into space. They are simply too busy having fun online.
Quite an interesting theory, considering that I am doing just that: I am staying indoors, working my way through Cloud Chamber, letting myself get absorbed in discussions about quantum foam and conspiracy theories with a bunch of strangers on the Internet – instead of going out on a Friday night!
My attention is hooked by the mystery in some very efficient ways. I will return to the most effective way of them all a bit later.
Full review in English coming up.
Fun is the reward! – flying, climbing and winning at w00t
Posted on June 3, 2014 1 Comment
“If we live a life that is boring enough, we will be rewarded.” You know some people who seem to live by that assumption? You probably do. But the answer is no! NO! Fun is the reward!
That was the message from the American game guru Bernie Dekoven – the first speaker at the Copenhagen Play Festival w00t, which took place in Copenhagen from 30th of May to 1st of June 2014.
“Everyone has their own playful path”, he says. “Have faith in your playfulness”. And so, I went playing. Here are some of the stuff I caught on camera before my iPhone battery gave up on all that exhausting playfulness and went to sleep.
1. Flying the drones – controlled by the iPhone.
The amazing quadricopters! After downloading a Parrot app, you controlled the drones with your iPhone. Unfortunately, my iPhone battery didn’t enjoy it as much as I did.
With the right technique, it was like taking a flying and slightly out-of-control dog for a walk.
OR, sometimes, a slightly out-of-control gas balloon. With a camera. Yup, in defense of my mysteriously lazy iPhone battery, I discovered (when arriving home) that the drone had filmed everything, leaving fun little clips on my camera roll. Oh, the future possibilities. Fun footage!
And just imagine feeding that fun footage from the quadricopters into the Oculus Rift? This will happen in the near future, of course, and we will all be sitting in our sofas strapped into the oculus and flying across the world with the weightless drone cameras.
2. Climbing the stairs of the Great Gottlieb
But before we get to the future of Virtual Reality with all its inevitable flying, bungee jumping and roller coaster rides, the interactive illustrator and 3D enthusiast Daniel Ernst from Holland has found perfect use of the present capacity of the technology.
He was at w00t with his amazing installation The Great Gottlieb – a virtual diorama, picturing the world of a romantic acrobat positioned on a high tower of chairs under a starry sky. Watching other people experiencing the dioroma was fun, but the inside was pure magic.
Having to climb the installation before entering the oculus world enhanced the feeling of sitting on top of the hiiiigh tower of stacked chairs. Screenshots won’t do the experience any justice, but this gives you an idea of the setup:
And yes, it was for the kids, too.
Daniel Ernst has worked on The Great Gottlieb diorama for two months, and I can’t wait to see more of his work. A bit later in the day, I got a chance to try his first oculus diorama: “Blocked In”. You are in a room, watching a tetris apocalypse (LOL) unfolding through the windows.
I wanted SO BAD to leave the flat and take a walk in the ominous tetris rain, but we will have to wait for the technology to catch up with that dream… Until then: Check out Daniel Ernst’s work here: http://www.theshoeboxdiorama.com/
Back to reality. Time to play Laundry Badminton.
Is was planning to go to w00t all along, but if I hadn’t, reading about this game in the festival program would have convinced me to come. In Laundry Badminton, the net is a laundry line filled with clothing.
When the shuttlecock hits the ground, the losing team must put on one piece of clothing per time the shuttlecock went over the net. PERFECT idea! – brought to w00t by Tom Russotti from The Institute of Aesthletics.
When it comes to sports games, no matter how twisted the rules are, I LIKE WINNING. Oh, the exciting rush of going to the finals! But then my upcoming opponents put nylon stockings over their heads and reminded me that this might not be about winning, but about … well… looking weird.
..and funny. And happy. And just a wee bit retarded.
I would strongly suggest for everyone to try this at home.
Stuck up on more playful ideas (including aquadditch, water pong and triolectic soccer) on the w00t festival website. See you next year.
Why is 10000000 so extremely addictive?
Posted on May 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
Lots of wise things could be said about the reasons why ambitious and reasonable people let themselves get seducted by the chemical rewards of the dopamine rushes that flood your brain when you allow yourself to get hooked on a casual game on the mobile phone.
Here is a first class example: The game 10000000.
Actually I should warn you: Do NOT download this on your smartphone. Or maybe I should just go ahead and recommend it with the reckless enthusiasm that I feel, arms waving above my head, like a cast away on dopamine island. Just know this: I CAN’T STOP PLAYING IT!
The title of the game is 10000000 (ten million), and the idea is simple, but the pace of the game is hectic: Match three (or more) blocks of the same kind while your little hero sprints through a dungeon on the top of the screen. His way is constantly blocked by monsters (from ninjas to dragons), locked doors and treasure chests filled with gold, and your job is to match three keys, three magic wands or three swords JUST when he needs them. And that’s when things get hectic…
I have written a blog post about this in Danish. Read it right here: Hvorfor er 10000000 så ekstremt vanedannende?
Or read a shorter version on the website Elektronista: Tør du downloade 10000000?