Battles - July 06 festival trip

May 15, 2006

Battles will be back in town for some key festival shows in July:

13th July. UK, London. Astoria. w/ Animal Collective & Adem
14th July. Belgium. Dour Festival. www.dourfestival.be
15th July. Germany. Melt Festival, Nr Berlin (club stage) www.meltfestival.de
16th July. Germany. Hamburg, Nachtasyl @ Thalia Theater www.thalia-theater.de
17th July. Ireland. Dublin @ Whelans
18th July. Holland. Valkhof Affaire fest. Nijmegen (stage 1 @ 20:45) www.valkhofaffaire.nl
19th July. Latvia. Riga. Andrejsala. www.skanumezs.lv
20th July. Denmark, Aarhus @ Fabriken
21st July. UK, Manchester, Futuresonic Festival. www.futuresonic.com
22nd July. UK, Truck Festival. www.truckfestival.org
23rd July. France, Paris. Sous La Plage festival. www.souslaplage.com

In Don Caballero, Ian Williams examined King Crimson through a gargantuan math rock microscope. In Helmet, John Stanier crafted a soaring post-grunge power surge. In Battles, along with Dave Konopka and electronic maverick Tyondai Braxton, sporadic concrete interludes are sandwiched by glorious slabs of polyrhythmic insistence. A brief moment might suggest Bitch Magnet tackling Beefheart, and then the music belches gratuitously before flying off again in impossible combinations. Over 5 EPs on a range of US indie micro-labels, Battles display their transcendent compositional athleticism and assurance, the essential sonic dexterity of each member perfected in previous musical lives. Lauded across the States for their live prowess, 2006 will be an interesting year for Battles...

APRIL ALBUM EURO TOUR ::
11 uk, Oxford, Zodiac
12 France, Reims. Centre Culturel du Crous tkts. 20:30-1:00
13 Belgium, Brussles - Domino Festival @ AB.
w Black Dice / Four Tet + Steve Reid
14 Holland, Rotterdam - Motel Mozeique Festival
15 Denmark, Aarhus. Fabriken
16 Hamburg, Hafen Klang. w/ Black Dice
17 Berlin, Volksbuhne Theatre. w/ Black Dice / Wolf Eyes
18 koln, Gebaude 9. w/ Black Dice / Wolf Eyes
19 Luxemburg, Kulturfabrik Esch-Alzette. w/ Black Dice (tickets)
20 Switzerland, FriBourg @ FriSon w/ Magic Markers
21 Paris, Nouveau Casino.
Warp Show w/ luke vibert, Chris Clark & Radioactiveman
22 Poiter, Comfort Modern w/ Magic Markers
23 Nantes, La BaraKaSon FREE ENTRY!
24 OFF
25 London, Dingwalls
26 Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
27 Newcastle, Blackfriars Centre. w/ Schnider TM
28 Edinburgh, Triptych Festival @ The Venue.
w/ Steve Reid & Four Tet + Carl Craig
29 Glasgow, Triptych Festival @ The Tramway.
w/ Sun Ra Arkestra & Steve Reid & Four Tet
30 France, Bourges - Printemps Festival.
May 1st OFF
2nd Italy, Rome, Brancalioni
3rd Italy, Legnano, Jail
4th Austria, Krems - Danube Festival w/ Wolf Eyes

FEB SHOWCASE GIGS

Wed 15th Feb, UK, Brighton. Pressure Point.
SOLD OUT

Thurs 16th Feb, UK, London. Luminaire
311 High Road, Kilburn, London NW6 7JR 020 7372 8668
Advance tickets £10 from: www.ticketweb.co.uk Tel: 08700 600 100 www.seetickets.com Tel: 08701 201 149 and Rough Trade, Covent Garden, London Tel: 0207 240 0105
SOLD OUT

Fri 17th Feb, Fra, Paris.
Fondation Cartier, 261 Bd Raspail, 75014
SOLD OUT

Fri 18th Feb, Fra, St Malo. Route Du Rock Festival
See pics here

Permalink | May 15, 2006

Planet Mu Records + Overkill = Amunition2

May 14, 2006

this was good.. packed.. sweaty.. happy..

Permalink | May 14, 2006

Venetian Snares - Welcome to Littlebig

May 01, 2006

Aaron Funk (aka Venetian Snares) hails from Winnipeg in Canada. Since his debut 12" in 1999 on a small Minneapolis label he has risen out of the drill'n'bass/breakcore mire to become one of the most astonishing (and popular) musicians working in the experimental electronic sphere (alongside Squarepusher, Aphex Twin and Boards Of Canada).

Each new album from Aaron brings with it a new sound, a new atmosphere, a whole new world - he never repeats what's gone before. "Chocolate Wheelchair", his 10th commercially available album, is his most hook-laden opus yet - five out of the ten tracks include a vocal performance (of some description). It could be described as a mutant post-punk ragga-jungle pop music for an alternative reality. Aaron just calls his music surrealism.

For those who enjoyed "Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits 1972-2006" - this is the stylistic follow-up. Full-on punk-rave jungle breakz with lots and lots of pop sampling attitude in 7/8 (and 5/4). As well as the future classic single: "Einstein-Rosen Bridge" with its funk guitar, sci-fi vocals and salsa trumpets, the album is also choc-full (ho) of other poptastic delights. Such as the shouty post-punk vocal hooks of "Abomination Street" whose melody is based on the TV theme of a well known & long-running Manchester soap opera; or Too Young - a glitch-hop reworking of the Motley Crue hit. "Hand Throw" - in which a gruff (Belgian) MC shouts out to "Antwerp massive"... or "Epidermis" in which another more tremulous post-punk chanteuse pairs up with spooky drexciyan chords, titanium breaks and a buzzing reese bass. The album concludes with Aaron's most daring de-construction of the amen break yet - "Herbie Goes Ballistic" with a guest performance from the little vw beetle who cared.

NME: "Venetian Snares is to Music what Satan is to Christianity: a profoundly malevolent force who looks great, intimidates a lot of boring people and is, despite everything, insanely popular... It's like experiencing The Empire Strikes Back on 3D IMAX on LSD..." Piers Martin

NME: "Funk's second LP this year, this is his fullest and finest work to date... these endlessly inventive acts of musical vandalism balance pleasure, pain and stoopid-fresh wit. Genius." Steven Dalton 8/10

THE WIRE: "...both inspirational and infuriating... relentlessly inventive (in his) approach to structure."

Myspace
Littlebig Promo Section

Contact > mia {at} littlebig.org.uk

Permalink | May 01, 2006