Archive for June, 2009
Electronic Beats Festival Series Gets Underway in Graz and Cologne
It was an exciting week of Electronic Beats live events as the launch of the 2009 series of festivals kicked-off at the end of May in Austria and Germany. With two dynamic line-ups, sold-out events and thousands of eager fans, it was a week of stellar live music to say the least. The picturesque Austrian city of Graz was the first destination as the Electronic Beats Festival hosted the opening night of the spingnine Festival on May 20th with an amazing line-up that included Gossip, Fever Ray, Bodi Bill and up-and-coming acts Dorian Concept and Fiago. This was the fourth year Electronic Beats was apart of Central Europe’s most important electronic music festival and the second year for providing the opening night show.
The unmistakable Beth Ditto needed no introduction for her band Gossip and the crowds were on their feet as she launched into ‘Pop Goes the World’ to begin their powerful set. Her tight dress and raunchy banter with the crowd set the mood for an exciting show that finished with hit single ‘Standing in the Way of Control.’ Rounding out the night, Fever Ray took the stage dressed in costumes and using green lasers to create a mystical effect for their experimental music. This is the first tour in support of their recently released album.
“We have a show concept that we change as we go along. Tonight’s show will be different than our last show,” explained Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer Anderson before their performance. “Being on tour is like a social experiment – travelling around with people and then playing music. It’s been fun!” After a successful event in Graz and an amazing night’s stay at the Hotel Augarten, we moved on to Germany for the next Electronic Beats Festival in Cologne on May 23rd at E-Werk. With a line-up that included Phoenix, Gossip, Simian Mobile Disco, Fever Ray, Junior Boys and Filthy Dukes, it is no wonder the tickets sold out early.
In the Cologne Festival comments were heard including, “Phoenix were my personal highlight during the night, a really great live act, who once more proved their qualities here tonight,” “What can I say? A crazy line-up, that already in advance promised an awesome night.” Not everyone was lucky enough to attend these memorable live music events but highlights of the performances along with exclusive backstage access and interviews with the artists are now up on EB TV at www.electronicbeats.net.
Back home for now and looking forward to the Electronic Beats Classics event with Donna Summer on July 30th at Admiralspalast in Berlin.
– DJs DSB (Dirt/London) and CDB (EB/Berlin)
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Book Sighting, Bangkok Thailand
Today´s sighing comes from the faraway land of Thailand. Our contributor spotted the book in a giant bookstore in a Bangkok shopping center.
Click here to buy your own Design Hotels Book!
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Design Hotels Book Sighting
Our most recent sighting was sent in from a “little shop in Friedrichschain (Berlin) nestled between some shoes and clothes”
Click here to buy The Design Hotels Book!
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Around the world in 60 seconds: Karneval der Kulturen
Last weekend was the annual Karneval der Kulturen here in Berlin which celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of Berlin. “The event was developed in 1995, i.e. at a time when – as a consequence to the political and economic changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the two German states – a lot of social, economic and cultural changes happened. Due to these changes, to the economic decline of Berlin and the different economic levels and social and cultural experiences of people in East and West Berlin, social conflicts became more evident and even increased. This state of change resulted, among other things, in a biased and prejudiced view on immigration, which was reflected in the public discussion.”
Our experience was limited to the food area where we ate and ate and ate… Indian food, Thai food, German food, and finally African BBQ. While the passionfruit flavoured beer may have crossed the line, the chicken was delicious, and the performances provided a good setting for our meal.
Karneval der Kulturen
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Seen around the net… New Majestic Hotel, Singapore
While browsing some blogs this morning, I came across a strangely familiar picture of an interior lighting installation on Creative Review. Upon further inspection, it occured to me that it is the New Majestic Hotel in Singapore.
Visit the New Majestic Hotel here
Artist and art director Yuki Chong of Singapore studio Creamy Visual Communications created this installation for the ultra-hip New Majestic Hotel in which stained glass creates the feel of a forest canopy “By using geometrical shapes, colours and light based on modular grids, a textural blanket was created to reflect the intricacies of depth found in a real forest canopy,” says Chong. The installation is on the ceiling of the hotel bar.
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