Friday 19th March, 2010

1. jan: Services as a constellation might be quite a new phenomenon, but its two members, Chris Pravdica and Tristan Bechet, have previously worked as studio musicians and more prominently played in bands such as Prefuse 73 (with FM Einheit), Flux Information Science and Gunga Din. Together they create a kind of music, where samples of hair metal solos are repeated, lovingly chopped up and placed in a concoction laced with abrasive stop'n'go rhythms, a distinct lack of bass, barking vocals, violent cymbal bashing and weird sound effects. Geiger met them in New York.

1. jan: In the wake of the breakthrough of jungle during the years ’94 – ’96, an astounding upheaval happened on the most trendy, self consciously experimental part of the electronic music scene. From being something rather looked down upon, cut up breakbeats were all of a sudden seen as the way forward, and people previously having profiled themselves as creators of intelligent dance music, had to turn to exactly the kind of dance music they used to distance themselves from, to find inspiration.

1. jan: “Are there any questions?” Anyone who’s been to a Microphones concert – aka the American Phil Elvrum – will know this remark, which almost certainly will be said at some point. Even repeatedly. Many have probably felt a certain surprise towards this dialogue with the audience – something one would rather expect during a lecture than at a rock concert. However, there is plenty to ask this man; the 24-year old artist has been known for a long while as an ambitious, crooked and original musician, the master of simple and naked songwriting as well as imaginative sound collages and daring studio experiments.