Gemmy, DJ and producer from Bristol
“Today, three of the brightest hopes of the new Bristol sound are sitting in a beer garden, humming Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter game themes, and downing cranberry sambucas. This is not how one imagines the future of British dance music. The three are 21-year-old Guy “Guido” Middleton, 23-year-old Jemal “Gemmy” Philips, and a third man, 20 years old, who leans in and gives his full name slowly and carefully to the dictaphone as “Joker … Joker”.”
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Bristol makes Viral Radio sound purple
The city of Bristol has had a special place in the development of bass music for more than 20 years. Musicians like Portishead, Massive Attack and Tricky, Smith & Mighty, Krust and Roni Size, are established artists on the forefront and even main engineers of jungle and trip hop.
With the explosion of dubstep since 2005, a new generation of producers has continued weaving these threads. The most recognised sound is synaesthetic by nature, and is elegantly described by how it is perceived in the mind of its creators: purple. It is a mutation South-London’s mystical heavy bassweight (Mala, Coki and others), and radiating video game music from cities like Glasgow (Rustie, Hudson Mohawke) and Los Angeles (Flying Lotus, Samiyam).
Purple was coined by childhood friends Joker, Gemmy and Guido. The last one will play at Viral Radio in June. The first two will be joined by DJ and label owner Pinch, an important node in the web of Bristol’s musical generations. Pinch on Joker: “His music is bold and forthcoming, bass heavy, intricately melodic, and well-structured. I would say his sound is somewhere between Roll Deep’s productions, Low Deep, the Neptunes, and Super Mario Cart! He is very obviously influenced by computer game music but he still manages to evoke a strong sense of emotion.”
We are delighted to present these three imaginative artists at this Friday’s Viral Radio, and we look forward to seeing you there. In the mean time, we are curious to know which artist or track from Bristol has moved you the most.
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This Friday, Tron is here
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Viral Radio presents Amsterdam
Friday 8 January 2010 will be the first Viral Radio of the new decade. In the new year, the Amsterdam vehicle for well tempered drum machines will investigate the musical identities of 6 cities that are part of the viral networks of experimental bass and beat music creation and distribution.
Theses cities are: 1. Amsterdam (January); 2. Glasgow (March); 3. Bristol (May); 4. London (August); 5. Sydney (October); 6. Los Angeles (December).
On the Amsterdam Edition local wonderboys of bleep hop Zwart Licht will perform live, with the support of their producers FS Green and Sir OJ. Viral Radio veteranAardvarck – DNA testing should one day prove the theory he is the father of theGaslamp Killer – will join hosts Juha & Cinnaman to cover the spectrum of bleeps and bass in Amsterdam.
Viral Radio will continue to do regular events in the months in between, and radio shows every two weeks on VPRO’s 3voor12, bringing the next level in computated acoustic stimulants.
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Why so serious?
Tonight the fourth Viral Radio will take place at Trouw Amsterdam. After Kode9 & the Spaceape, Clark, Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer and Samiyam, we now have the purple wow from Bristol: Joker. His music sounds like a game of rummikub between Timbaland and Da Dogg Pound on board Steve Zissou’s Belafonte.
Tickets are still available at the door for 10 euros. Come along, you are welcome.
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Viral Radio recommends
Something new, but perhaps not a bad idea: let’s drop names of artists we are currently listening too and working with before they appear on flyers or on the show. This is the first installment, and of course most of you will know the names we name. However, if you do not know them, then this is one good archive to find music of our age.
1. Dorian Concept – Bern
2. Samiyam – Los Angeles
3. Ras G – Los Angeles
4. The Gaslamp Killer – Los Angeles
5. Take – Los Angeles
6. Lukid – London
7. Lothar Ohlmeier/Isambard Khroustaliov – London
8. King Midas Sound – London
9. Jakes – Bristol
10. Joker - Bristol