NEWS
EVENTS
ReviveHER and Phonica Records presents VAKULA / MAGIC MOUNTAIN LIVE / MAURICE FULTON AND MORE Saturday March 9th Corsica Studios, London
Thursday 21st February 2013 | plana
When those all-seeing vinyl obsessives at Phonica found out about our secret, they couldn’t resist getting in on the act and lending the hand of their promoter arm.
This is a special event and we're taking it very seriously indeed. So seriously that for the first time, we're migrating south of the river to put Corsica Studios two room Funktion-One sound system to the test for our most exciting line up yet.
So exciting that, until now, our headline guest has remained a closely guarded secret. It’s already been announced via mail outs, posters and Facebook that anyone coming down to ReviveHER's biggest party will be thoroughly spoilt by our current line up of Move D and Juju and Jordash, improvising live as ‘Magic Mountain High’, Maurice Fulton, Lord Of The Isles, Sad City and the Phonica and ReviveHER family in suppport. But now, we can reveal at last, for the first time ever, stepping out from behind the iron curtain to bless a UK dance-floor with his innate, charismatic, soul-savvy deepness, VAKULA is our headline act.
Vakula (Firecracker / Leleka / Dekmantel / Ukraine)
This is a debut two years in the making. Failed and misinformed visa applications prevented him headlining Fabric in 2011, Sankeys the year after or popping his blighty cherry again in 2012. However after a lot of time, headaches, research and frought phone calls to the UK border control in the Ukraine, VAKULA is finally heading to Corsica Studios and he will be more than worth the wait.
He's a man who comes with a fever pitch of hype and unprecedented pedigree of both production and mixing abilities. It requires only one listen of Vakula's much hailed May 2012 RA mix before you can confidently say… ‘now here’s a man born with innate deepness’ and his productions are no different. To say his production output is prolific would be a massive understatement. From recent EPs with his extended Firecracker / Unthank / Shevchenko family as well as his own Leleka label, to two albums on Nuearth Kitchenand Dekmantel last year under the pseudonyms ‘V’ and ‘Vedomir’, all released alongside a remix schedule that you won't have failed to notice, he puts most other artists to shame. Any minute now he will also be releasing his debut album-proper as Vakula, entitled ‘You’ve Never Been To Konotop’ – as Firecracker’s first ever long player.
His releases radiate a natural quality that is rooted in classic US House and steeped in Slavic folklore and musicality. Conjuring up the soul-savvy undertones of Moodymann, the cool abstractions of Theo Parrish, but also the afro and jazz ‘live’ instrumentation of Floating Points and Kuniyuki. His arrangements exude charisma and invention at every turn, with playful ideas that suggest improvisation, while captivating the senses and freeing up every moving part of your body AND mind.
At last our borders are open to Vakula and his long awaited UK debut is nearly upon us. To commemorate, we've lined up some heavyweight support worthy of such a momentous occasion. Not too dissimilar to V, room, 1 support is a rare treat.
Magic Mountain High– Live (Workshop)
AKA Move D & Juju and Jordash
Move D needs no introduction – a true legend and colossus of house music. As the incredible reception of his RBMA Boiler Room set with Optimo proved, still one of the best DJ's on the planet. Magic Mountain High is formed when Move D combines with Juju and Jordash, two crazy Israelis, to create a platform from which to improvise electronic music freely. Combine them with Move D and the MMH pedigree is incredible.
Their hardware only live set is not often seen on these shores, this is the first time MMH have played in London since a sold out show in 2011 and the only booking in the capital they have in 2013. Move D and Juju & Jordash are at the top of their game, and the rest of the world has them booked up for the remainder of 2013. As their name suggests, their music transcends from a higher plain, so believe us when we say their show is not be missed.
Juju and Jordash DJ Set (Golf Channel / Dekmantel)
Their 2012 album Techno Primitivism blew critics and listeners away, finishing at No. 2 in the Juno and Little White Earbuds top 20 and 20 in the Phonica Top 100 albums of 2012, scoring a 4.5/5 on Resident Advisor. Once they have worked their magic live in room 1, Juju and Jordash will take to the decks in room 2. A double dose of J+J.
Maurice Fulton (Bubbletease Communications)
To match all that rare international talent in room 1, headlining the second room, is the prolific, elusive tear away genius of Maurice Fulton. His outsider house jams rattle through your bones and freak your brain, yet his spooling imagination never eclipses the enticing quality of his hooks. In the composition you hear Herbie, the effect of his twisted funk is pure Prince. His DJ sets balance an appreciation of the feminine touch with a hard ass analogue sound and a bunch of vintage funk thrown in for reference.
Hailing from Baltimore, Maurice has surfed the cusp of pop-funk cool since his foundling days as hip-hopper DR Scratch (the resident on Baltimore’s WEBB 1360 AM), through the garage house sounds of the Basement Boys (with Karizma and DJ Spen) and the post-disco phase on Output and DFA. He has recorded under a zillion pseudonyms (you may know him as Syclops) and kept people speculating on his involvement on countless other projects. His recent release ‘A Blink of an Eye’ (on his own BubbleTease Communications) is the follow up to the 2008 Syclops album on DFA, but rest assured he's had a hand in countless classics, from Crystal Waters and the project with his wife, MU, to Kathy Diamond and Running Back’s Mim Suleiman. It’s hard to argue with The Wire when they say he “is probably the most rhythmically inventive producer working in electronic dance music right now.”
The army of innovation and support doesn’t end there. Further room 1 support comes in the form of two of Britain’s finest current producers ….
Lord Of The Isles (Firecracker / Ene / Phonica / Little Strong)
As long as his sensual rhythms continue to turn us on, whether Lord Of The Isles really is a descendent of noble lineage or not is of no consequence to us. He was featured in the Phonica Records Top 100 singles of 2012 chart at the staggering heights of number 5. In the last two years he has had a series of incredible releases on labels from LA (Adult Contemporary and American Standard) to Japan (check his recent Catune release and forthcoming album on Chida’s Ene Records). Not to mention an EP on his own Little Strong Recs, Firecracker imprint Unthank and Phonica's only release of 2012. His grooves have a raw dance-floor tilt harking back to 6 fond years spent cutting his teeth on the sounds of Chicago and Detroit, as resident at Raw in Edinburgh back in the 90s. Counting David Mancuso, Andy Weatherall and DJ Harvey as some of his admirers, amongst Japan and a new generation of house music lovers, LOTI's dominance in the record shops and reputation as Lord of the dance can only become greater. His close ties via Firecracker and remix work with Vakula, make him the perfect candidate to provide the warm cushion for Move D and brethren to throw down their arms.
Sad City (Underwater Peoples / Phonica)
Sad City will be setting the tone for this absurd line up of geniuses as our first live act of the evening. Hailing from Glasgow (a point he perhaps wryly references in his name) Sad City's live improvisations, much like his studio output on tracks like ‘Jaya’, build dizzying layers of sound and samples, sometimes ambient and psychedelic, but always blissful.. 'Gestures' made it in to the Phonica Records top 100 Singles of 2012 chart - for very good reason. Imagine MBV, Four Tet, Bullion and AFX in a whirlpool and you’re nearly there! With a forthcoming EP on Phonica Special Editions, there was no other choice to build the suspense in room 1.
Despite the fact we could wax lyrical about these wax wizards pretty much indefinitely, conclude we must. Musically this is going to be our most ambitious and exciting lineup yet. Combine the ReviveHER attitude, party ethic and crowd with the mighty prowess of Phonica Records, then barely contain it in one of London's most respected clubs for one night only - then it's fair to say we're boldly setting the tone for an incredible year. Watch this space, eyes peeled, dust off your dancing shoes and start limbering up. This will be one to remember...
Corsica Studios, £15: http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?441370
10pm-6am
