mnmlssgs_WEB_b_CONTACTFLYER_20160730_Gaaarrrry-1

On Saturday night we have our next MNML SSGS party at Contact. This time we have invited two internationals who will both be playing in Japan for the first time. Joining us will be the mysterious live act TB Arthur and the not as mysterious but equally awesome Intergalactic Gary, who will be doing a 4 hour set. Rounding out the Studio lineup will be Sapphire Slows DJing and I’ll be opening with more of a beats set. In the Contact room, we have David Dicembre’s “birthday bush” with special guest Dr Nishimura. Joining them will be Tropi, YouForgot and Tacos on Acid. We will also be selling Japanese versions of TB Arthur’s “Je parle ACID” tshirts from 22:00 – 1:00. So come early if you want one!

If you or your friends would like to be on the 2,000 yen discount list, please email full names to: chris.ssgs@gmail.com

Studio: SSGS
23:00 – 00:00 Chris SSG
00:00 – 01:30 Sapphire Slows
01:30 – 02:30 TB Arthur LIVE
02:30 – 06:30 Intergalactic Gary
Contact: David’s “birthday bush”
22:00 – 23:30 Tacos on Acid
23:30 – 01:00 David Dicembre
01:00 – 03:00 Dr Nishimura
03:00 – 04:30 Tropi
04:30 – 06:00 YouForgot

FB event page

RA event page

We are planning on making this a very fun night. So if you are in Tokyo on Saturday, come down to Contact!

bunker

I’ve posted this on social media, but just realised I forgot to share it here too… I recently recorded a mix for The Bunker podcast out of New York. This is one of my favourite series, and has included entries from many friends and like-minded souls. So I am very happy I could contribute. It’s a 2 hour ambient mix that explores similar territory to my last Smoke Machine mix. Please check it if you have time!

 

ulf3

Ahead of Ulf Eriksson playing at our MNML SSGS party on Saturday night, I did a short Q&A with him for RA Japan. The interview only appeared in Japanese, however. I liked Ulf’s answers and thought some people might be interested in reading them. So here’s the English version:

This year you are celebrating 10 years of your label Kontra Musik. Do you think the aesthetic / idea behind the label has stayed consistent over this time? Or have you and the label changed?

Musically the label changes all the time. I think that is a must if a label shall be able to survive for 10 years. Change is also a must to keep things interesting and changeling for my self. I love all kinds of music and I do not like to limit the label into a narrow sound. Still I think the foundation of the label is the same. Kontra-Musik is independent, free and brave. And the releases are always more focused on personality than functionality.

Who / what were some of the formative influences in shaping your approach to music?

I like honesty, musician and artists who do not take the easiest or fastest way, but rather stay true to the vision. A bit worn out, but Sun Ra is a good example.
By the time when I started the label I was very inspired by American and especially Detroit techno. The name Kontra-Musik and the attitude back then was of course influenced by Underground Resistance. I liked the way they communicated that their releases was something more than just music, but rather a subversive force. Sonic warfare… Today I am older and maybe wiser and actually more influenced by the opposite. I like labels who mange to stay alive without to much hype strategies. Creative and good music should be enough. I am not so interested in all the branding going on.

Can you tell us a bit about the recent Intonal festival you organized? Do you have a similar approach with booking acts to running the label?

Intonal is an experimental music festival in Malmö, Sweden (my home town) that I do in collaboration with CTM (Berlin) and Unsound (Krakow). This year was fantastic and I am so very happy about it. It was the second year and it just felt very familiar and special. I do not think I can compare how I work with the festival and the label. The festival works mainly with experimental music, a proper budget and has as a main purpose to stimulate meetings between genres and audiences. But there is one important similarity. There is an element of risk involved and no bookings are made out of safety. There are so many festivals these days that just showcase the same artist as everybody else. Always the same headliners over and over again because they sell. Fuck that. Also somehow everything in my work is part of the Kontra-Musik web. All the connections I have today that makes this festival possible, basically comes from working with Kontra-Musik for all those years.

Over the last year or two you’ve been developing the live/DJ hybrid performance with Sebastian Mullaert. Has playing with Seb had any influence on how you approach music and perform?

Yes for sure. Sebastian is very much focused on dance music and how dance music can stimulate almost a spiritual experience. So in a way I think I have become more interested in pure dance music and how you can use it over time in a dj set to create an interesting, deep and meaningful journey for the listener. Sebastian is a force of life and positivity and a very experienced and motivated musician. How can I not be inspired?

What’s next for Ulf and Kontra Musik?

We have so many releases in the pipeline. TM404 – Acidub is just out, a new Wa Wu We EP, remixes of the Dance album I did with Sebastian Mullaert, a Frak album and so on. And of course more touring, both solo and with Sebastian. I really love to travel, meet people and make new friends through music. I think that is the best part of this work. Hope it never has to stop.

MNML SSGS night at Contact Tokyo, 14 May 2016

dommune 110516

Ahead of our first club party at Contact on Saturday night, we are returning to Dommune for another session there. Erika is arriving in Tokyo a few days early, so we’ll be escorting her from the plane to the DJ booth. This will be her first time in Japan since playing live at Labyrinth in 2014 and we are super excited to have her here. At Dommune, I’ll be playing from 21:00 Japan time, then Erika will be on from around 22:30. Come down and join us or tune in!

Dommune registration link

jp-0514-813442-736002-front

Sorry, I’ve been a bit slack with updating this site. Anyway… next Saturday we have our next MNML SSGS, this time at Contact, which is fast becoming one of our favourite places in Tokyo. Erika and Ulf Eriksson are our guests in the Studio, with Magic Touch and the FISH crew in the Contact room. If you want to be put on the discount list, please email any names to: chris.ssgs@gmail.com

circus 080416

Aurora Halal and Ital are playing this Friday at Circus Tokyo. This is Aurora’s first time here and I’m excited to hear her. Ital visited a few years ago, and was a guest of ours at Sound Garden. Really like his style of DJing. So we got some very nice guests. Masahiro Ueda, freshly back from New York is also playing the mainfloor. I’ll be DJing in the lounge with some like-minded people. No weak links on this lineup to be honest… Expecting interesting and good quality music on both floors all night.

If you or your friends want discount list, email me by 5pm on Friday: chris.ssgs@gmail.com

RA /// FB /// Circus Tokyo

SG 060416

Rather short notice, but we are going to do a Sound Garden at Orbit this Wednesday 6 April. Just the residents playing, but that’s fine, we are all ambient experts! So if you are free, come down and join us for a drink after work. It’s always an enjoyable party.

20:00 – 21:40 Jelomu
21:40 – 23:20 Chris SSG
23:20 – 01:00 David Dicembre

RA /// FB