Matters

Milky Chance recently announced their long-awaited return to South Africa with their “Living In A Haze” tour in February 2024 which will see them perform in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd returns to South Africa in February 2024.
Before launching his solo career, Rudd began playing music as part of the band 'Xavier and the Hum'. He drew inspiration from artists such as Leo Kottke, Ben Harper, Natalie Merchant and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, as well as music from diverse sources such as Hawaiian and Native American music.
Rudd's songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism, and the rights of Indigenous Australians.

It's not every day you get to chat to someone who defined your professional life. In my case and a music journalist when "Drops of Jupiter" was the biggest pop song in the world.

Fast forward a good two decades and Pat and Co. remain as relevant today as they did back then.

As they embark on the biggest world tour in what seems like an age, ‘I Know, It’s Been A Long Time Coming Tour’, I got to spend 12 precious minutes with the man who has carved out a space in music that could not, should not be ignored.

Having just released their latest studio album, Bauhaus Staircase, I was gifted a rare opportunity to speak to both Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) on the eve of the most extensive world tour in 45 years.

The best part is the synth pioneers will be heading to South Africa in April 2024, the third time we get to welcome them back, eager to hear new music and a wall of evergreen classics, too.

While we wait, give this two-part interview a whirl, dust off those seminal records and prepare to be blown away. Thursday, 18 April 2024 - Green Point A-Track, Green Point, Cape Town Saturday, 20 April 2024 – Marks Park Sports Club in Emmarentia, Johannesburg For all the details, head to Breakout Events for tickets and more information.

Having just released their latest studio album, Bauhaus Staircase, I was gifted a rare opportunity to speak to both Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) on the eve of the most extensive world tour in 45 years.

The best part is the synth pioneers will be heading to South Africa in April 2024, the third time we get to welcome them back, eager to hear new music and a wall of evergreen classics, too.

While we wait, give this two-part interview a whirl, dust off those seminal records and prepare to be blown away.

Thursday, 18 April 2024 - Green Point A-Track, Green Point, Cape Town

Saturday, 20 April 2024 – Marks Park Sports Club in Emmarentia, Johannesburg

For all the details, head to Breakout Events for tickets and more information. 

In a world dictated to by AI and bots, how refreshing is it that Universal Music and Deezer are investing in the fans, super fans, to take back the power from the algorithm to generate real income and sustainable outcomes.

Meet Meng Ru Kuok - I had the privilege of spending 40 minutes with the digital disruptor as part of Music Exchange 2023 (#MEX23) in Cape Town this week. There is a lot to take in here, so you may want to listen to this talk at least twice ;-)

Meng Ru Kuok is a Singaporean entrepreneur and the Group CEO & Founder of Caldecott Music Group (CMG), a global music industry investor and innovator that spans multiple sectors, including digital (BandLab Technologies), media (NME Networks), and manufacturing and retail (Vista Musical Instruments). 
He sets the overall direction and leads the product strategy for the group. Meng's first major venture was the acquisition of Swee Lee in 2012, which he transformed into South East Asia's largest retailer of musical instruments and the region’s most trusted house of music expression. 

He then co-founded BandLab in 2015, a next-generation social music creation platform that now boasts over 60 million users. BandLab’s vision is simple: A future where there are no boundaries to making and sharing music. BandLab is the next-generation social music creation platform on a mission to break down the technical, geographic, and creative barriers for musicians and fans. 

Free-to-use, the mobile-first cross-platform DAW and social network unites the entire creator journey into one place, boasting a suite of features and tools for creators to make music, share their music with fans, earn a living, and even top the charts.

 
Today, Meng continues to build brands for musicians and fans through CMG's portfolio of brands, which includes BandLab, Airbit, Cakewalk, ReverbNation, MONO, Harmony, Heritage Guitars, Teisco, Swee Lee, NME, Guitar.com, and MusicTech. By integrating the physical, digital, and social supply chain around music, CMG brings together brands and people who are passionate about music, allowing them to deliver authentic content, products, and experiences for all music lovers. 
#music #musicindustry #entrepreneur #manufacturing #network #supplychain #strategy #content #people #ceo #media#creative #retail #share #musicians #future #digital

I captured this interview with Afro Celt Sound System’s Simon Emmerson on the eve of Volume 2 ‘s release in April 1999.

Sadly, Simon passed away in March of this year, one day after his 67th birthday, but this interview keeps his memory alive and the music he made thankfully lives on in his absence.

Afro Celt Sound System, Afro Cult Sound System, Simon Emmerson, Simon Booth, Real World, Real World Studios, Peter Gabriel, Real World Festival, Glastonbury 1997

Meet Charl Kruger, the design mastermind behind some of the last 30-odd years of creative genius to come out of ZA.

This interview, captured nine months before the group landed in ZA (circa 2004), saw me chatting with the founder member of Basement Jaxx, Felix Buxton. 

Kish Kash was the group’s third delivery, a significant album for them, as much as it was for their fans. Listen and enjoy how this album came together.

Basement Jaxx, Basement Jacks, Felix Buxton, Independiente, Simon Ratcliffe, Goldie, LTK Bukem, XL, Interscope, PIAS, Daft Punk, OMG, Kish Kash, Oh My Gosh, Crazy Itch Radio, Scars, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival Basement Jaxx, Glastonbury Festival, Glastonbury Festival Kylie Minogue, Yoko Ono, Santigold, Hush Boy, JC Chasez, Lisa Kekaula, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Dizzee Rascal