RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY TOUCHES DOWN IN LONDON WITH THIRTY NIGHTS OF EXCLUSIVE EVENTS

Global symposium of musical knowledge comes to London with an unprecedented series of gigs and events paying tribute to the past, present and future of the city's exuberant music culture.

February 7 – March 12, 2010

Workshop Term 1: February 7 – February 19, 2010

Workshop Term 2: February 28 – March 12, 2010

The Red Bull Music Academy brings its full programme of artists and events to London for the first time ever in February, hosting a truly unique and diverse festival of sonic innovations in the city’s most inspiring venues. Honouring the past, while keeping a scalpel-sharp sight on the future, the five-week series of cultural collisions will bring something for anyone who ever was or ever will be interested in keeping the pulse of the latest sounds sweeping the globe.

The line-ups feature legends in their own right, ranging from Soul ll Soul, Goldie, Carl Craig, A Guy Called Gerald, to the Heritage Orchestra, Moodymann, The Scientist, Roots Manuva, Red Bull Music Academy alumnus Flying Lotus, and many more. They’ll share studios and stages with the Academy class of 2010, 60 of the hottest young tune slingers from all around the world. The sparking frictions, where different fractions meet, the very moments when people from the most diverse backgrounds come together and creativity materializes: This is the very essence of the Red Bull Music Academy.

Explorations of futuristic acoustics lead into multi-dimensional beat battles, kings and queens of genres past and present face off to prove the might of their sounds, pirate radio trailblazers and renowned hip hop producers share their wisdom, and wheeled wizards of the roller boot spin at over 45rpm, as the contemporary kings of disco fever showcase their love of vinyl alongside multi-platform innovation.

London’s music scene has found fertile ground in dives and dining halls, creating and celebrating whole new styles from rooftops to basements, school gyms to concert halls. The Red Bull Music Academy events reflect this diversity while pushing the boundaries even further. Be it a gut-melting, four-way soundclash in the Roundhouse, the finest orchestral techno-jazz explorations served up in the Royal Festival Hall, a surround soundwave assault committed deep beneath one of London’s most prestigious and iconic venues, or a full clip of Academy workshops, panels and performances at the ICA, the events bring a fresh menu to London’s celebrated sentinels of culture. At the same time there’s grubbier fare for the more dedicated underground enthusiasts, with a variety of serious events in the capital’s infamous temples of boom, plus a truly sky-scraping event presenting revolutions in sound.

The Events – a taster

Red Bull Music Academy presents Culture Clash

Ever since Notting Hill Carnival started in 1959, sound systems played a vital part in London's cultural psyche. To celebrate this tradition, four of the city’s most pioneering sounds will stand up to be counted in London’s first cross-genre clash ever. Hosted by Don Letts, this once in a lifetime Culture Clash will see Jazzie B’s Soul II Soul, the mighty Trojan Sound System, Goldie’s Metalheadz, and dubstep pioneers Digital Mystikz fight for the Roundhouse massive’s favour with nothing but big tunes from their respective scenes. The funki dreds of Soul II Soul were at the forefront of UK club soul in the late 80’s, scoring big both sides of the Atlantic via Back To Life and Keep On Movin’. With their iconic robo-skull logo, genre-defining 12” releases, and legendary club night at Hoxton’s Blue Note Café, Goldie and his Metalheadz label played a pivotal role in propelling the junglist movement to unknown heights. Trojan Sound System have been selecting the livest roots ‘n’ culture anthems for years. And Digital Mystikz aka Mala and Coki are amongst those to constantly push the vibrant dubstep scene to new shores. Check their own label/clubnight DMZ plus some truly earth-shattering sub-bass scorchers on Soul Jazz, Tectonic and Planet Mu.

A Rollerskating Jam Named ‘Red Bull Music Academy’, featuring Moodymann & Horse Meat Disco

Roller disco culture is a passion for mythical deep house renegade Moodymann. Known for preserving the rich heritage of Afro-American (sub-)culture with the utmost respect, he’s done more to keep the roller disco phenomenon alive than any other human being on the planet with his Detroit regular Soul Skate. For this very special session at South London’s Renaissance Rooms, he’ll not only bring a box full of classic skating rink jams with him, but also ten of the motor city’s most notorious four-wheeled dancers between 8 and 80 years of age. They’ve continuously supported him at the original Soul Skate and will now leave the US, some even for the first time in their lives. Also on the bill: the frontrunners of London’s current disco revival, the infamous Horse Meat Disco. More than just a damn good night out, this is a true tribute to the soul we will never ever lose.

Red Bull Music Academy presents 3D Soundclash

Red Bull Music Academy x A Taste of Sónar

Since its inception in 1998, the Red Bull Music Academy has built an unparalleled reputation for unearthing those studio wizards who shape our musical future. Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, J-Wow of Buraka Som Sistema, Aloe Blacc and Mr Hudson have all been students at the Red Bull Music Academy at some stage of their remarkable careers. This is why, for the very first time in its longstanding partnership with the Barcelona-based festival, the Academy has been commissioned to curate the emerging talent stage at Sónar’s taster event in London. This is where a Grammy-nominated anti-pop crooner from Guadalajara rubs shoulders with an Italian synth magician and Dilla devotee. The revolution starts now.

Red Bull Music Academy @ The Southbank Centre in association with Resident Advisor

The Red Bull Music Academy takes over the Royal Festival Hall on 12th February, with four collaborative acts who are currently at the forefront of exploring the grey areas of experimental electronics, jazz, laptop soul, and avantgarde music – each one renowned for flipping the formula and getting creative with their own methodologies. Like the contents of an entire weekend festival condensed into one very special evening of music. The mighty line up includes: Carl Craig (Planet E, Detroit), Francesco Tristano (Infiné, Barcelona), Moritz von Oswald (Basic Channel, Rhythm & Sound, Berlin), Matmos (Matador, Baltimore), Bugge Wesseltoft (Jazzland, Norway), Henrik Schwarz (Innervisions, Berlin), Terre Thaemlitz as DJ Sprinkles (Mule, New York City) and the Red Bull Music Academy Allstars.

Sin City - A Red Bull Music Academy Special

The Red Bull Music Academy goes deep at Brixton's Plan B as Sin City introduces no less than three generations of bass wave pirates. Original Jamaican dub legend and King Tubby collaborator Scientist goes toe to toe with dubstep rudeboys Hatcha and N-Type, while legendary selector David Rodigan pulls out the biggest reggae and dancehall tunes from his box of dubs. Sailing a techno-catamaran on the dubby tide will be Appleblim and Ramadanman while in room two, the roots of garage lows are top priority, with artists including El-B, J Da Flex and Soul Jazz Soundsystem bringing the bubblers.

The ICA opens its doors for a Red Bull Music Academy-curated selection of lectures, workshops, panel discussions, concerts and showcases of music from the global underground scene. A cast of Academy studio tutors will break down studio magic with a remix workshop, while a panel of broadcasting’s most lively personalities sits down to discuss the evolution of pirate radio with Contemporary Black Music Culture lecturer Jacqueline Springer. Techno maniac Drums Of Death and Stones Throw's psyche devotee b-boy James Pants will be performing live, while Academy participants will be re-fuelling your ears with tomorrow's nuggets on the wheels of steel.

www.redbullmusicacademy.com