By Maha El Nabawi on November 13, 2018
By Maha El Nabawi on 13 November 2018 in
STORIES
For musicians living and performing abroad, it can be a challenge to avoid being exoticised and framed in an aesthetic prison. The Egyptian Mohamed Abozekry has reconciled the traditional and the avant-garde.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Exotica, Tradition |
By Ksenija Stevanovic on October 9, 2018
By Ksenija Stevanovic on 9 October 2018 in
STORIES
Today we perceive modular synthesizers as elusive chimeras of an authentic past. The composers Marcus Schmickler and Florian Hecker offer a different perspective.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Digitization, Technology, Tradition |
By Adam Harper on April 3, 2018
By Adam Harper on 3 April 2018 in
STORIES
Music is not escapism. It is a machine that creates reality. This is the core of Kodwo Eshun’s masterful book «More Brilliant than the Sun». How Sonic Fiction challenges the oppressive prison called reality.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged alienation, Sonic Fiction, Utopia |
By Oli Warwick on March 27, 2018
By Oli Warwick on 27 March 2018 in
STORIES
The metropolis Hong Kong is a world finance and multi-cultural capital. But when it comes to culture, local artists call it an «art desert». Yet, the underground club music scene is working on a change.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Belonging, City |
By Norient on February 11, 2018
By Norient on 11 February 2018 in
VIDEO
In the 21st century, the world’s musical hits and trends are often created in bedrooms, where musicians exchange files online without meeting. But can a bedroom producer change the world?
Posted in VIDEO, XFEATURED | Tagged Counter-Culture, DIY, Loneliness, Seismographic Sounds, Seismographic Sounds Debates |
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on February 10, 2018
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on 10 February 2018 in
BLOG
With the #rojava campaign female:pressure aimed to raise awareness around the resistance movement in Northern Syria. We meet one of the artists who have contributed and sampled women fighters.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Ethics, Money, Sampling, Sampling Stories, War |
By Philipp Rhensius (Norient) on January 13, 2018
By Philipp Rhensius (Norient) on 13 January 2018 in
BLOG
Musik aus dem Globalen Süden und die Thematisierung von Queerness sind in. Doch wie lässt sich kulturelle Aneignung oder «positive othering» verhindern? Ein Gespräch mit Festivalkurator Thomas Gläßer (Köln).
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Class, colonialism, Othering |
By Norient on November 23, 2017
By Norient on 23 November 2017 in
AUDIO
In this podcast, musicians, composers, and sound artists from the Norient network reflect on the difficult but long alliance between war and music: what is so fascinating about working with war samples?
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged Sampling, Seismographic Sounds Mixes, War |
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on November 8, 2017
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on 8 November 2017 in
BLOG
Jamaican musician Lee Perry, inventor of dub music, and Swiss producer Dubkoaj, inventor of the genre «Alpine dub» met for a session. Some thoughts about this special encounter.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Sampling, Spirituality |
By Immanuel Brockhaus on October 11, 2017
By Immanuel Brockhaus on 11 October 2017 in
ACADEMIC
Im Buch «Kultsounds – Die prägendsten Klänge der Popmusik 1960-2014» geht der Pianist, Komponist und Wissenschaftler Immanuel Brockhaus auf die Suche nach prägenden Einzelsounds der Popmusikgeschichte.
Posted in ACADEMIC, XFEATURED | Tagged Music Production, Nostalgia, Sampling, Technology |
By Beate Scheder on August 23, 2017
By Beate Scheder on 23 August 2017 in
STORIES
The sound artist Geert-Jan Hobjin combines sound art with political issues. His project «Plastic Souls» is a swimming instrument made of plastic waste from the ocean.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Awareness, Conceptual Art, nature |
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on August 10, 2017
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on 10 August 2017 in
STORIES
Aniruddha Das understands sampling as a political, yet militant instrument. In the interview he gives insight into his sampling practice and talks about musical exoticism, political meaning, and his use of distortion.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Appropriation, Diaspora, Exotica, Migration, Race, Sampling, Sampling Stories |
By Francesco Fusaro on July 4, 2017
By Francesco Fusaro on 4 July 2017 in
STORIES
Trap has conquered Italy’s Charts with its own idiosyncratic take. Artists descended from immigrants raise political issues in an European society that is seeing ever-growing support of right wing ideas.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Belonging, Migration, Protest |
By Hillegonda C. Rietveld on June 7, 2017
By Hillegonda C. Rietveld on 7 June 2017 in
STORIES
An echo is historically coded as the sound of a lonely disembodied voice, able to produce a decentered sense of alienation. This is illustrated here through the urban echoic production work of Burial (William E. Bevan).
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged alienation, Loneliness, Nostalgia, perception, Sampling, Seismographic Sounds |
By Bit-Tuner on April 14, 2017
By Bit-Tuner, Dejot and Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on 14 April 2017 in
AUDIO
Gqom edits 001/002 / Experimenting with interview formats // We meet gqom producer Citizen Boy and his grandmother in the Avoca Hills township of Durban to discuss about dark electronic gqom tracks.
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged DIY, Gqom, Music Production, Sampling, South Africa |
By Simon A. Akindes on March 31, 2017
By Simon A. Akindes on 31 March 2017 in
STORIES
When African musicians denounce corruption in music videos, they often focus on its pettiness. Seun Kuti and Fiesta Black are two examples of artists who also tackle international, corporate-based corruption.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged corruption, Money, music video, Protest, Seismographic Sounds |
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on March 3, 2017
By Hannes Liechti (Norient) on 3 March 2017 in
BLOG
In times of constantly bubbling news tickers that have long ago stopped covering sport events only, Berlin-based James Whipple has produced a LP that is dealing with the resultant feeling of information overload.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Game Culture, Meaning, Sampling, Sampling Stories, War |
By Philipp Weichenrieder on July 7, 2016
By Philipp Weichenrieder on 7 July 2016 in
STORIES
Some call it a hybrid of breakbeat and house, some call it «apocalyptic riot music». But for the producers from the townships of Durban, South Africa, Gqom is more than a clubmusic style.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Class, Digitization, Gqom, Money, Race |
By Eduardo Navas on March 27, 2016
By Eduardo Navas on 27 March 2016 in
ACADEMIC
Just like words to create sentences, songs and artworks have become building blocks for new ones. In his essay, Eduardo Navas proposes a future in which constant updates and connectivity will become ubiquitous.
Posted in ACADEMIC, XFEATURED | Tagged Belonging, Digitization, perception, Remix, Sampling, Seismographic Sounds |
By Andrin Uetz on October 17, 2014
By Andrin Uetz on 17 October 2014 in
STORIES
Around the protests in Hong Kong a hole art movement is growing. New songs accompany the demonstrations, and speak out for democracy. A round-up of protest videos. (Photo: © Leung Ching Yau Alex, CC)
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Activism, Belonging, Nation, Protest |
By Arshia Fatima Haq on May 28, 2014
By Arshia Fatima Haq on 28 May 2014 in
AUDIO
Arshia Haq from the LA based Discostan collective made an exclusive mix for Norient titled «Line of Control». She is presenting us forgotten scores and field sounds from India and Pakistan.
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged Nostalgia, Pakistan, religion, Soundscape, Tradition |
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on April 17, 2014
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on 17 April 2014 in
STORIES
Grime tracks from the UK keep reaching us: noisy, harsh, power- and playful instrumentals and war dubs. London based producer Footsie tells us why Grime is on its way back. An overview.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged DIY, place, War, youth culture |
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on January 12, 2014
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on 12 January 2014 in
STORIES
Die alternativen Musikszenen in Kairo sind in den letzten Jahren stark gewachsen. Metal, Indie Rock, Punk, Rap, Elektronika, Mahragan – es sollen rund 600 Bands, Kollektive und DJs sein. Ein Überblick.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Activism, Cairo, Counter-Culture, Protest, War, youth culture |
By Holger Lund on November 13, 2013
By Holger Lund on 13 November 2013 in
ACADEMIC
Anatolian rock – what does it sound like? Why does it sound the way it sounds? How has it started and how can this music be contextualized?
Posted in ACADEMIC, XFEATURED | Tagged Belonging, Ethnomusicology, Folklore, Hybridity |
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on October 15, 2013
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on 15 October 2013 in
BLOG
Die Swiss Music Days holen experimentelle Musiker aus der Schweiz auf den Balkan. Wie präsentiert sich die Delegation musikalisch? Auf welche Orte und Menschen trifft sie? Eine Multimedia-Reportage aus Belgrad.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Experiment, place, Sound |
By Georg Milz on September 29, 2013
By Georg Milz on 29 September 2013 in
BLOG
Protest and art are part of daily life in Istanbul. After the Gezi protests there’s a lot of creative energy on the streets. Norient Blogger Georg Milz met several artists and musicians. An update on the vibrant protest culture.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Counter-Culture, Protest, Violence |
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on August 21, 2013
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) and Thomas Meyer on 21 August 2013 in
BLOG
Festival Neue Musik Rümlingen: 13 Musiker durchkreuzen spielend und improvisierend die Schweiz von Süd nach Nord – zu Fuss, per Bus, Zug, Schiff und Gondelbahn. Norient wandert mit.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Experiment, nature, Soundscape |
By Stefanie Alisch on August 8, 2013
By Stefanie Alisch on 8 August 2013 in
STORIES
Kuduro mit seinen harten Raps ist das beatlastige Dancefloor-Gewitter aus Angola. Szenestar Titica wurde als Mann geboren. Sie schert sich nicht um Toleranz und Transphobie.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Activism, body, Gender Roles, Queer Culture |
By Heinrich Deisl on August 6, 2013
By Heinrich Deisl on 6 August 2013 in
STORIES
Ohren aufgesperrt, hier kommt Starkstrom für Beine, Birne und den roten Bereich der Lautstärke-Skala. Die Frage in diesem ersten Teil: Welche Auswirkungen hatte die «digitale Revolution» auf die Noise-Musik?
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged body, Counter-Culture, Experience, Sonische Symptome |
By Frederick Moehn on July 19, 2013
By Frederick Moehn on 19 July 2013 in
STORIES
«Lusotronic» festival in May 2013 brought portuguese electronic music to Berlins multicultural neighborhood Kreuzberg – an occasion for a deep ethnomusicological insight in postcolonial cultural spaces.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged colonialism, dance, Exotica |
By Andrea Milluzzi on June 5, 2013
By Andrea Milluzzi on 5 June 2013 in
STORIES
Fünf junge Männer, ein Ghettoblaster und eine Leidenschaft für Breakdance. Eine Tänzer-Crew aus Bagdad erzählt vom HipHop, Michael Jackson und von einer Stadt, in der junge Leute Orte für sich erkämpfen.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Class, dance, Violence, youth culture |
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on June 4, 2013
By Theresa Beyer (Norient) on 4 June 2013 in
STORIES
Politische Lieder konnten in der DDR vieles sein, von sozialistischer Indoktrination bis zum Sprachrohr für Kritik. Ein Abriss: Liedpolitik in der DDR von der Singebewegung bis zum Mauerfall (1965 bis 1989).
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Censorship, Counter-Culture, Nation, Protest, youth culture |
By Neelika Jayawardane on April 23, 2013
By Neelika Jayawardane on 23 April 2013 in
STORIES
Hindu festival Holi has recently become popular outside of India, so in South Africa. But these huge open-airs haven’t anything to do with adopted traditions, but with selling escapism to privileged white youths.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Appropriation, Class, colonialism, Othering |
By Milena Krstic on March 26, 2013
By Milena Krstic on 26 March 2013 in
BLOG
Auf einer Reise durch Afrika hat die in Berlin lebende Schweizghanaerin Joy Frempong Tonextrakte gesammelt, die sie auf ihrem 2. Album «Kokokyinaka» seziert.
Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Music Production, Sampling, Sonic Traces: From Switzerland, Soundscape |
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on March 22, 2013
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on 22 March 2013 in
STORIES
Boris Previsic organisiert Kompositionswettbewerbe in Südosteuropa und im Kaukasus. Im Gespräch äussert er sich zu Herausforderungen interkultureller Austauschprojekte.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Cultural Diplomacy, Migration, Music Production |
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on February 12, 2013
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on 12 February 2013 in
AUDIO
Christopher Kirkley offers on his blog Sahelsounds autotuned DIY-pop and unplugged music from Northern Mali. A podcast.
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged Ethnomusicology, MP3 blogs, nature |
By Moses Iten on August 29, 2012
By Moses Iten on 29 August 2012 in
AUDIO
In the philosophical DJ-Set «The B Side of Switzerland» and the Podcast «Stranger than caribbean music: My swiss roots» the swiss-australian artist Moses Iten searchs for remains and revivals of ‘real’ Swiss music.
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged Folklore, Nation, Remix, Sonic Traces: From Switzerland |
By Milena Krstic on June 25, 2012
By Milena Krstic on 25 June 2012 in
STORIES
Wenige Jahre nach Thomas Haferlachs Südamerikareise verwandelt er im Voodoohop-Kollektiv São Paulos brachliegende Flächen zu neonbunten Spielwiesen für schrille Parties im Neo-Tropicália-Stil.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged Migration, Out of the Absurdity of Life, Performance, Remix |
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient) on May 29, 2012
By Thomas Burkhalter (Norient), Simon Grab and Karin Scheidegger on 29 May 2012 in
AUDIO
Japanische Sprechgesänge und Girlie-Melodien interagieren mit knackiger Elektronika, tiefen Bass-Beats und einem Schuss Indie Rock. Das zweite Album von Tim & Puma Mimi.
Posted in AUDIO, XFEATURED | Tagged Performance, Remix, Sonic Traces: From Switzerland |
By Philipp Rhensius (Norient) on March 5, 2012
By Philipp Rhensius (Norient) on 5 March 2012 in
STORIES
Die Grime-Szene in der britischen Hauptstadt steht unter scharfer Beobachtung der Polizei. Nach den Riots im Sommer 2011 müssen Clubbetreiber und MCs besonders kreativ sein, um ungestört feiern zu können.
Posted in STORIES, XFEATURED | Tagged 696, Adam Webb, Catch Dusk, Derek Walmsley, Dizee Rascal, DJ Blackdown, East Village, Eskibeat, Graeme, grime, London, Martin Clark, Musical Mob, Nasty, Out of the Absurdity of Life, pirate radio, Rap, riot, Rival, Trim, Wiley, working-class |
