Longevity is a rare thing these days when everything from food to information is consumed at such a rapid pace that it’s relevance is fleeting. The internet age has spawned an obsession with ‘what’s next’ and brands have to constantly compete with each other for our undivided attention. So when something has managed to go from strength to strength over the course of 8 years, we definitely take notice. Enter Labyrinth, Cape Town’s longest running indoor psytrance extravaganza!

First setting up shop as a weekly Thursday night blowout in the hedonistic wonderland that was Opium in 2005, the years have seen Opium spend some time at the Bang Bang Club, Fiction and Rhino Room before settling in at mega club Trinity. Now in it’s third year at Trinity, with a couple seasons of sold out monthly events under the belt, Labyrinth is taking things up a notch for it’s 8 Birthday celebration this Saturday the 25th May.

With insane decor, Funktion 1 sound and a line up that won’t quit, this is one birthday party you don’t want to miss! Gracing the decks are Feedback, Afterlife, Gokon Rave, Danalog and Bruce. How awesome? Pretty damn. But there’s more. Both Broken Toy and The Commercial Hippies will be playing LIVE. Power!

Labyrinth Online: Facebook | Twitter | Event Page | Webtickets

COMPETITION TIME

If you’d like to win TWO VIP tickets so that you and a mate can hit the bash in style, then here’s what you’ve got to do:

1. Like Brandalism and Labyrinth on Facebook and/or follow @BrandalismSA and @LabyrinthLIVE on Twitter.

2. Share the event page to your wall. For your convenience, the event page can be found here.

3. In light of LAB’s awesome achievement, comment below with your favourite long-running wonder. Whether it’s FRIENDS, the ANC’s reign or those gherkins that have been in your fridge since the dawn of time, if it’s over 8 years old and you dig it, we wanna know about it!

*Entries close midday Friday 24th May. Brandalism will select it’s top 5 entries and submit them to a random line generator. No under 18.

As the sun sets on another eventful outdoor season in the Mother City, there is still a flicker of light on the horizon that’s yet to dip below. That flicker is The Temple of Dreams Festival – a two day psychedelic experience “to celebrate the purity of nature to the sound of the most uplifting euphoric hypnotic pystrance in magical and beautiful surroundings.” That’s compelling!

Happening just 45mins outside of Cape Town on the 18th and 19th of May, this is going to be a really rad season send-off. The line up is pure power:

3pm Danalog (Labyrinth)
430pm Chabunk(Solar Tech Records)
6pm Sway(Beartrap)
730pm Dave Mac(Bpm/Muse Mag
9pm Bruce(Spectral/Nexus/Onefootgroove)
1030 SwitchCache(PsynOpticz/Spectral/Fractal)
12am Skarab (The Village Records)
130am HiyaMyzo(Disasterpeace Records)
3am Chemogen(Beartrap, One Foot Groove)
430am Psytekh(Ataxia Corp Mexico/Ritual Records)
6am Stereotype(PsynOpticz Productions)
730am Dillan M(Free-Spirit Records)
9am Headroom(Nano Records)
11am Flyp Psyd (PsyEdge/Psytrance Therapy)
1230pm Commercial Hippies(Nano Records)
230pm Humerous(Psynopticz Productions)
4pm Gokon Rave (Psynopticz, Psy.ology Records)

All the favourites really! And just a dirty dash outside Cape Town. Full event details found here.

COMPETITION TIME

We have two double tickets to give to you, and we need to be quick about it. If you’d like to get your mits on one, here’s how you can do it:

1. Like Brandalism and Psychadelic Edge Productions on Facebook.

2. Share the event to your wall.

3. Comment below with your best caption of the picture below.

*Competition closes Midday Friday 17th May. Brandalism will choose it’s top 5 entries and submit them in to a random line generator.

She knows.

The man, the legend. Known as Mr Calvin Broadus to the Receiver of Revenue, the rest of the world knows him as Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion if you only recently discovered MP3s). With album sales in excess of 30 million units, Snoop D.O.Double G is a global megastar. Add to that his cameos in Hollywood Blockbusters, his video game appearances and his *ahem* foray in to ‘adult entertainment’, and it’s fair to say that he’s not unfamiliar with mass media.

It's the Snoop!

Fresh from his reincarnation as Snoop Lion in the Caribbean, his tour to South Africa is much anticipated! With a live show that’s been honed from many, many successful tours around the world – and some fresh new beats to add to his back catalogue of some of Hip Hop’s biggest anthems – Snoop fans in the Mother City have been clamouring for tickets to the all-but-sold-out performance in Cape Town on the 21st of May. And rightly so…

Snoop Dogg Online: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube

COMPETITION TIME

We have one standing DOUBLE ticket to the Snoop Dogg performance on the 21st of May to give to YOU! If you want it, here’s what you’ve got to do:

1. Like this blog post so that your friends can see it too, nephew.

2. Like Brandalism and G and G Productions on Facebook  and/or follow @BrandalismSA and @GandGPro on Twitter so that you can hear about more cool shit in future, ya dig?

3. Once you’ve done that, comment below with your best Snoop D. O. Double Gizzle sentizzle.

*Entrizzles close at midday on Thurdizzle the 16th May. Brandalism will choose the top 5 most crack-a-lackin’ comments and enter them in to some scientific-as-f*ck random line generator to pick the winner.

Chilly Gonzales is a name on many lips at the moment due to his collaboration with the mighty Daft Punk on their upcoming Random Access Memories. Thing is, he’s pretty damn awesome in his own right. Born Jason Charles Beck in Canada, Chilly spent a sizeable amount of time in Paris during the massive French electro boom and now calls Cologne (Germany) home. European influence at it’s finest!

Aside from his production skills – which you know are high given the fact that DP turned to him – Chilly is also an accomplished emcee, singer, songwriter, actor and pianist (self taught). Someone has talent and isn’t afraid to show it…

Beginning his music career as the frontman for the alternative rock band Son back in in the 90′s, the band released two albums before parting ways due to a noticeable shift in musical direction between the first (Thriller) and second (Wolfstein) albums. Over the vibe in Canada, he packed his bags and headed to Berlin where he released three albums on the German Kitty-Yo album – all of which centered around his skill as an emcee. The albums did well and started to build Chilly’s reputation in the underground scene, but he wasn’t done with his musical metamorphosis just yet.

In 2004, Chilly again broke the mould and released an entirely instrumental piano album tellingly titled Solo Piano. Critics rejoiced and so did the public. To date, it’s Chilly’s best selling album. After upping it to Paris, Chilly returned to a major label with Mercury’s 2008 album Soft Power.

Fast forward two albums – and a world record for playing piano for 27 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds – and we have the Chilly Gonzales of today. Fresh from releasing Solo Piano 2 and having worked with Daft Punk, the world is surely his oyster now. Expect many production credits from him in the next year or two!

He’s talented, he’s unique and he doesn’t conform to any preconceived notions really. Just a rad guy all round! Enjoy his work…

Chilly Gonzales Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Soundcloud | Youtube

Marijuana. In Cape Town it seems that just about everyone you meet knows the mystical plant pretty damn well. Whether it’s sativa or indica, indoor or outdoor, the Cape of Good Dope provides. Whilst legalisation remains a thorny issue, the consumption of the whacky tobaccy continues unabated.

Recent legalisation in Washington and Colorado, amongst other reforms in other states (see the map below), has  meant a gradual shift in how marijuana is perceived by the masses – hopefully for the better. But how have these recent developments impacted upon traditional marijuana strongholds?

Source: theatlanticwire.com

Vice Magazine went to go check out the scene in British Columbia (Canada) where marijuana is a $6 Billion industry. Speaking to everyone from growers to activists, from traffickers to law enforcement, the video provides some fascinating insight. It is 40mins long though, so be have a cup of tea (or something else) ready.

I don’t think it really hit me that I was finally at the Village until I admired the funky coloured material band around my wrist as we drove away from the gate. The Land of Wondering Dreams had called upon us once again to take part in a 2 day Spiritual Synaesthesia. From the onset the gathering showed promise, the friendly gate staff had put us in a good mood and we were ready to party.

After my tent was set up, I headed off to the main dance floor with my hoop to see what the Village crew had prepared for us. I arrived and a smile formed on my face because I was happy to see so much space for me to stomp in.  The rocks on the dance floor weren’t too much of an issue for me, I had on my sturdy pair of stomp boots and I was ready to go. There were so many other things to appreciate like the effort the Village crew put in by providing extra stretch tents, shade over the dance floor and a beautiful string-art adorned stage.

Just Awesome!

There were a handful of eager Villagers who took to the dance floor for Soundproof’s set and I decided to brave the heat along with them. Soundproof brought out some mellow electro beats to set off the party, a little dub break there, a quirky sound there and add a little bass. It became too hot for me so I left the dance floor to go for a swim in the beautiful dam near the dance floor. By the time It was cool enough to stomp again, I returned to the dance floor to find a number of stompers bouncing around to Dala’s prog beats.

I walked over to the second stage in hopes of finding some dubstep or drum and bass. It seemed that I was in luck when I approached the tent to find Mikhail playing a sneaky dub set. The second floor was a good spot to be in as there was space, ample shade and the rig pumped like no other.  I was sold on staying in the area for the set after I heard the first drop! The set hit home for me – it was wild, grimey and loud which at that point was exactly what I wanted. I must give a special mention to all those who joined me in my hooping efforts at the second stage during Mikhail’s set – you guys are awesome!

Personally, I had been waiting for nightfall and in particular I had been waiting for EMP’s set.  It was during his set that I became appreciative of the hour and a half sets structure that the Village crew implemented. I stepped out onto the floor with my fire hoop and happily hooped it up to “Thrones”, “Consequences” and “Hell March.” Even though I couldn’t see him I knew he was jumping around on stage like the badass he is! I thoroughly enjoyed the energy of the set but felt like there could have been a bit more volume during his set, as the outskirts of the dance floor were lacking at times.  Nevertheless, I moved towards the speakers to enjoy the celebrated Village full-on crankage that was about to begin.

Night Descends!

Rubix Qube, Twisted System, Skarab and then Biorhythm – when I read the line-up I was very certain that I heard my feet whimper. I loved the Twisted System set which followed the winning Rubix Qube set; having not heard a set from them in what seemed like ages, it was good to finally hear them play again. After a week of rediscovering some golden Twisted System tracks, they lived up to my expectations with their dark, edgy and powerful tunes. After such a mind-melting set it was only expected that Skarab and Biorhythm would not disappoint.  I enjoyed both sets as they followed suit with the Twisted System style and they both got the approval of my trance-virgin friends.

There I was standing in the middle of the dance floor contemplating getting some rest but then Eqlipse started her set and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. The lovely djane definitely played the best set of the party and I think I can go as far to say that it was the best set I have ever heard from her. Perfect song selection, flawless mixing and a whole lot of high energy twilight made her set the ultimate early morning treat. I hooped it out in front of the bar and about halfway through her set my battery died, now if it was anyone else I probably would have just let it go but there I was running to my tent to get another one, just so I could dance to banging set.  I’ve got nothing but high praise for that set and I’m pretty excited to hear her slam it at the next Village!

A lot of people were probably exhausted after Eqlipse’s set but Psyqlopz had plans for us – he was about to take no prisoners with his crunchy sunrise set. I stood on the dance floor and sent up a word of thanks to whoever sat there compiling the line-up order because all the sets thus far had blended so well together. No one played out of the scope of their time slot and I felt like I had been taken on a full-on journey which is what is expected of Village. I thoroughly enjoyed Psyqlopz’s set, the beats packed a punch and suited the beautiful sun rise over the mountain. There was only one place to be at sunrise and that was on the dance floor.

The beautiful sunrise set the tone...

The last time I heard Shift play was at an outdoor way earlier in the season and I was quite excited to hear what he had been working on all these months. Of course he busted out a lot of “game-changing” tracks upon us which compelled even the most tired of stompers to stomp their hearts out. Shift was followed by the French duo, Digital Talk, whom I didn’t know much about prior to the Village. I liked the fact that you could pick up on their distinct style all the way through their set, especially since I had never heard their music before. I enjoyed the set, the duo has a fresh take on psy-trance and they work the dance floor really well. Stompers were jolling hard during their set and I was glad that I was involved in the wildness that was happening at the back of the dance floor.

Following Digital Talk was the highly anticipated Technicolor live outdoor debut, which meant that we Villagers were in for a treat. Individually, Deliriant and Mad Piper are insane producers, so when you put them together you get the perfect blend of melodic full on. “From the Void”, “Weyland” and the Technicolour “Chronic” remix took my Sunday-Funday to the next level.  The Commercial Hippies rounded off the party with a high energy set and by the time it was over I thought everyone would be ready to leave. However as I walked back to pack my things I found at least two hundred stompers stomping it out to Sway’s set. In true Village fashion, everyone stomped until the very last song was played on the very last stage. Thanks to the Village crew and everyone involved for a mega gees filled gathering – see you all in October!

Review By: Mbali Ngubane

Photographs By: Mikhail Motala

More pictures can be found in our Facebook Album here.

The Village got the Queen of Hoops' thumbs up.

Whoa. That’s pretty much the first word that comes to mind when watching this music video. While it is incredibly violent and may disturb sensitive viewers, it demonstrates some amazing directing skills and uses a GoPro in a way we’ve never seen before.

Biting Elbows are a punk band from Moscow, so they are probably not the sort of gents that you’d want your daughter landing up with. That said, the song is pretty catchy.

Warning: the video depicts extreme violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

Biting Elbows Online: Website | Facebook

Ah Hipsters. The oft-maligned, frequently ridiculed subculture that roams Kloof Street, the Neighbourgoods market and EVOL (is that still going?). But what are hipsters? According to Urban Dictionary, they are “men and women typically in their 20′s and 30′s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter.” Doesn’t sound too bad actually!

Whatever your definition of hipsterism is, or what you perceive to be ‘hipster’, we’d like to categorically state that we display elements of hipsterism too. If you look deep inside, you’ll probably also find traces – maybe a haircut at Scar? A new locally made pair of shoes? A favourite artist that only 7 other people have heard of? Whatever it is, there’s no doubt that Cape Town has it’s fair share of the types described above, so this video is all the more relatable…

Enjoy!

As the magic of Cape Town’s summer slowly starts to retreat in to the brown hues of Autumn, there is the simultaneous realisation of the fact that the outdoor festivals the City’s inhabitants love so much go with it.  But we’re not ready to succumb to Winter just yet, no Sir! We lay claim to the final weekend of Summer – a weekend of Utopia.

A new kid on the festival block, Utopia have wasted no time in gathering an impressive amount of momentum. There is already a palpable buzz about the festival – happening at Nekkies from the 26th to the 28th of April – and where there’s buzz, we’re not (too) far behind. Combining three of our favourite things – live music, techno and comedy – Utopia looks set to become a regular fixture of the festival calendar. And with good reason!

The Phoenix – Main stage

This stage is an astonishing one-of-a-kind structure, situated at the heart of the festival grounds and will be running throughout the weekend. It promises to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before – a sight to boggle the minds.

Brandalism’s top picks: The Plastics, Moving House, Tommy Gun, DJ Invizable & Friends, and Ballistic Blues.

TheOasis – Electronic Stage

Only meters from the riverside, the Oasis Electronic Stage, with a stomping ground of soft sand and the best Deep House and Techno, is geared to have you dancing from morning till, well, the next morning.

Brandalism’s top picks: Dean FUEL, Killer Robot, Chris Jack, James Copeland, Toby 2 Shoes, Plaigarhytm, Ian Skene, Malcolm Skene, Lady M, Artelligent…basically all of them. If it’s not yet apparent, we LOVE techno.

The Rustum August ‘Eat Life’ Comedy Stage

Once upon a time there was a cool guy with really short jokes and a great attitude. “Eat Life,” he said – and so we shall. The Rustum August ‘Eat Life’ tribute stage will featuring Cape Town’s top cutting-edge comedians, all the Starving Comics, a large dose of Cape Town’s 5-minute comedic wonders, and you…you lucky fish! This stage will run throughout the day with regular shows, a tweet-activated billboard (#eatlife) and an opportunity for everyone to join in the fun.

Brandalism’s top picks: Siv Ngesi, Martin Evans, Paul Snodgrass and Kagiso Magodi

Hit after Hit!

Go ‘Bos’ Stage

Nestled in our camping area and playing host to some awesome up-and-coming musicians, The Go ‘Bos’ stage will also give festivalgoers the chance to show people what they are made of.

Bring an instrument, your band, or even create a band right there and then. All you have to do is book a slot and the stage is yours!

Brandalism’s top picks: YOU! Show us what you’ve got and you never know – you might graduate to the Phoenix next year.

With cutting edge decor and high quality audio visual delights, it’s undoubtedly going to be a Freedom Day weekend for the books. What better way to celebrate the sacrifices made by all the brave men and women in our colourful country’s past than enjoying our beloved Nekkies venue as one? The answer is that there is no better way (if you were stumped there).

Utopia Online: Website | Facebook | Facebook Event | Twitter| Webtickets

COMPETITION TIME

We have two double full weekend passes to give to you fine people. That means that two of you will each receive two tickets, so you can bring your best mate/significant other/driving instructor along for the jol. Here’s how:

1. Like Brandalism and Utopia on Facebook | Follow @BrandalismSA and @UtopiaFestSA on Twitter.

2. Share the event link to your wall.

3. Comment below telling us what you’d  bring to the Utopia table.

**No under 18. Brandalism will select it’s top five entries and enter them in to a random line generator. Entries close 9am Tuesday 23rd April.

Last week was a bit of a heavy week at Brandalism HQ, in terms of being out and about until the wee hours on a school night. It’s all well and good at the time, but the next day can be pretty painful and so requires a specific combination of food, electrolytes and great music in order to numb the (self-inflicted) pain. And, ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing more soothing and simultaneously uplifting than the set you are about to witness.

The rather interestingly named Ishome (real name Mirabella Karianova) is a young lady from Russia with exceptional talent. In the video you’re about to watch, she plays an amazing blend of tracks that she produced – traversing techno, electronica and dub – LIVE. Yes, you read right – live. The music is simply beautiful and I implore you to give it a listen!

Many thanks to the walking musical library that is Mike Kelly (of Riot Squad / CTRL Room) for introducing me to her. This video has been on constant repeat for the past few days, and was instrumental in reversing fortunes…

Ishome Online: Facebook | Soundcloud