Syndicate: Africa Hitech + Beat Invitational

ESTIMATED 

Eclectic electronic act Africa Hitech will be coming down for a show this Saturday, in a joint collaboration between Syndicate, Home Club and Red Bull Music Academy. It'll be a smashing show no doubt but we bring the spotlight to the other artists who will sharing the night with the UK duo. On the roster that night will be the enigmatic Max Lane, the soulful combination of  Vandetta + Kiat, the versatile Mean (of The.XS Collective) and the lineup of talented Beat Invitational artists. We speak to them about the music they will be showcasing this Saturday night! 


Vandetta

What is it about Africa Hitech that appeals to you the most?

I always associate Africa Hitech with the Worldwide Festival in Sete back in 2011 when the Syndicate crew performed at the CRAC (CENTRE RÉGIONAL D’ART CONTEMPORAIN). 'Out in The Streets' was one of the tracks that we heard several times during the trip whether it was during DJ sets or on the radio so it holds a special place in my heart. I also just really admire Mark Pritchard who's such a prolific and versatile talent whether it's on his own, with Africa Hitech, Harmonic313 etc. 

BANDWAGON TV

What can people expect in your set at the show?

Expect to fly.

Max Lane

What is it about Africa Hitech that appeals to you the most?

The brains behind the music, Mark Pritchard himself. He's such a legend. The man with a long list of monikers. And with every single pseudonym or collaboration, he always hits the mark (no pun intended). He's been producing for over 20 years and he still manages to keep up in time with each new release. Other than that, Africa Hitech's 'Out in the Streets' was also our unofficial tour song when Syndicate was on tour in Europe in 2011. It was like the summer anthem during that period - we would listen to that song everywhere we go. So whenever I hear that song, (especially the VIP Mix version) it brings back many memories.  

What can people expect in your set at the show?

I will be starting the night after the Beat Invitational showcase. So I think I will roll in slowly to get the night going (I hope). That aside, I think you can expect a good mix of new songs which I can't wait to try out on a big system. And of course be prepared for cheeky samples & bootleg remixes to be fused into the set as well.  


The Beat Invitational

Heizenberg

Which tracks will you be showcasing at Beat Invitational?

We'll be playing the songs 'Unweave' and 'Murmur'.

Tell us more about the tracks.

'Unweave' is a track from our forthcoming release that is more vocal-driven and narrative, while 'Murmur' is a track we're working on that's more exploratory and has us trying out new things.

What did you want to put forth in your music?

I think music should have a certain quality where it implies possibility more than it contains. We try to create in ways to make that happen.

What/who do you draw influences from?

Too many to mention! Stuff with nice beats and interesting sounds that still manages to express a message, not necessarily literal.

Most of you on this roster have collaborated with someone or are pretty experimental in your music, what else would you like to try out next?

We're working on our live set and trying out different ways and configurations to see what works. That itself can be quite difficult at times.


FuturaHelvetica

Which tracks will you be showcasing at Beat Invitational?

Hi Delfina! This feels weird. I'll be premiering an as of yet untitled track (but it'll be named with a nautical theme in mind). I haven't decided the second song to showcase yet; it could either be an upgraded oldie or a whole new track.

Tell us more about the tracks.

I only started on the aforementioned nautical track about a week ago, because pressure's the best motivator but the truth is I've been procrastinating for a whole month. I've just downloaded a new batch of samples and loops - most of them in the 'future garage/deep house' vein - and mixed a couple of them with stock GarageBand loops and found sound. The results were quite oceanic.

As for the other track, I might be going for a glitchy, blippy feel. But who knows how it'll end up really.

What did you want to put forth in your music?

I don't have any specific intentions or a grand vision for my music - they're all just sonic doodles really. I started out this FuturaHelvetica project just to test out the limits of how far a basic digital audio workstation like GarageBand can go in producing quality tracks. So far it's been alright I guess, I still have a lot to learn in producing electronic music. 

What/who do you draw influences from?

I'm a sucker for that whole post-dubstep sound. I'm a huge fan of labels like Hyperdub, Black Acre, Ninja Tune and progressive electronic music producers such as Four Tet (who's coming next month!!), Mount Kimbie (who's coming next year!!), Burial (who'll never perform live anywhere!!) and such. I can't tolerate trashy electronic music - I like my music with a little more subtlety and intelligence. I also tend to put in a lot of post-rock elements into my music. Been listening to a lot of Fridge (Four Tet's old band) these days, so some traces will probably make it into the tracks I'll be showcasing. 

Most of you on this roster have collaborated with someone or are pretty experimental in your music, what else would you like to try out next?

FuturaHelvetica is pretty much an amateur laptop musician project; I don't know how and I don't have the proper equipment to perform my songs live. The closest thing would be performing with solo instrumental act supersixteen. aka Jowell Tan, and we've had two live showcases so far together, combining my electronic elements with his guitar loops. It's been getting great reception, and a more permanent collaboration is in the works right now. 

I'd also like to learn how to use DAWs other than crummy GarageBand...  


Mont Berg Kingsmen 

Which tracks will you be showcasing at Beat Invitational?

'Zion' and 'I Diam Sudah'.

Tell us more about the tracks.

Zion is mainly influenced by the Cloud Rap genre. It gives the expression of letting yourself loose and go free. The track 'I Diam Sudah' was produced due to stress, and the only way to express my emotion was by music. It's a mix of ambient music and a feel of sudden rush.

What did you want to put forth in your music?

Emotions and the sounds of the surrounding. 

What/who do you draw influences from?

People and surroundings, friends and family. I do get inspired by Pharrell William, Shabazz Palaces and some underground Hip Hop producers.

Most of you on this roster have collaborated with someone or are pretty experimental in your music, what else would you like to try out next?

I would like to bring more local culture into American music. An example would be experimenting with void deck culture in my Hip Hop music. Everyone's so into American culture that they forget the culture of where they grew up. The Void Deck Culture.


.gif

Which tracks will you be showcasing at Beat Invitational?

The two tracks we'll be showcasing are 'Diatribe' and 'Good Night, Green Light'.

 Tell us more about the tracks.

'Diatribe' is actually the first song we ever wrote and released. It's sort of about derangement, desperation... the kind of moment when you lose all pride because you want something so much. We thought that it'd be apt to rework, remaster and rerelease the song as we've grown dissatisfied with it, but it's still one of our favourites. 

'Good Night, Green Light' on the other hand was written based on what we wish Daisy would have felt, if only she did, at the end of The Great Gatsby--one of our favourite books of all time. 

What did you want to put forth in your music?

Simplicity has become our rule, I guess. We often write in a lot of clutter, then clean it all out at the end, in a sort of move to 'distill' it into essence. We mostly just want to represent a specific emotion, simply in the purest way possible. A moment in a book, or a song, or a film, or in our day to day.

What/who do you draw influences from?

To be honest, between us both, we listen to a ton of different genres ranging from gabber to folk, and everything has in one way or another contributed to our sound. But if we had to pick a few, we'd have to say Alt-J, Thievery Corporation, Frou Frou (and Imogen Heap), Metric, The xx, The Analog Girl, and Serenaide. 

A lot of the time though, ideas for our songs come from various literature that affect us in some big way and that we both love. 'Good Night, Green Light', as we've said, is about Daisy in Gatsby... and 'For Frost', for example, was written based on a Robert Frost poem.

Most of you on this roster have collaborated with someone or are pretty experimental in your music, what else would you like to try out next?

We've actually been considering starting something with Sleep Easy a.k.a. Isa Ong, who was excited for a time about starting a trip-hop band (hope he still is). We've also been itching to play a live show with a drummer and bassist sometime--it'll produce a sound and a feeling that we can't really create on our own.


Homeclub + Syndicate:
Red Bull Music Academy Special
Africa Hitech | The Beat Invitational
5th October