Mr Fantasy is Here!

3 Poverties_Mr FantasyThe new Brother & Brother track Mr Fantasy is here!

We love funk music, there is nothing quite as much fun as boogying hard to a really groovy funk track – especially when the whole audience is jamming and singing along too. Mr Fantasy is one of those tracks, it also happens to be the first funk track we ever wrote. Not only did we want to capture that atmosphere with this track, but we also wanted it to have a strong message about how some of the fantasies that are offered by media and what we see and hear, can be detrimental to one’s life. “There’s nothing but sex on the radio, next in the videos, naked underagers with their necks in the merry-go-round…” Don’t buy into the hype.

Artists we referenced here include Jamiroquai, K-OS, Gorillaz, Moloko, Santana, Level 42, The Neptunes, The Roots, Taylor Swift, Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Nile Rogers (Chic/Daft Punk), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), The Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Sugarhill Gang, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, EJ von Lyrik and 340ml

Thank you for all those involved in the production of the track including David Dos Santos (Drums), Christo Kleinhans (Management), Pierre-Arnold Theron (SUN Studios), Casper Ace (Studio Gear), Tim Lengfeld (TL Mastering), Ro Su Engel (Video) and Juanita-juliet Domingo (Styling).

Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Share the Fruit: Khadija Heeger – Citizen Minus

I first saw poet Khadija Heeger perform at the Speak the Mind Poetry Festival at Artscape in 2008 and I was completely blown away. In early 2014 we shared the same stage at the first InZync Poetry Session of the year and I was again nearly brought to tears. Then last year I had the opportunity to perform with her at the Connect ZA‘s Tongue Fu Session, a kind of live experiment where a backing band (I played bass) would accompany a group of poets in a completely impromptu format with no prior rehearsal.

Khadija has this amazing way of stating hard truths explicitly without holding anything back, while all the while ringing an emotional bell that leaves you reeling for hours…even days after. If I had to single out my favourite local poet, it would be Khadija. Here’s a video of her performing Citizen Minus at a recent InZync Poetry Session:

Dig that? Here’s footage from the Tongue Fu Session, it also features poetry by Chris Redmond (UK), Jitsvinger, Thabiso Nkoana, Afurakan, Adrian Different and Rimestein:

#ShareTheFruit

Sharing the Fruit

It’s become much harder to update this blog as regularly as I used to, just because of the sheer amount of varied activities I find myself doing of late. The month of October so far has been a wild roller-coaster ride bouncing between this and that and back again.

FV Emblem_500Fruit Vendor

Most of these activities have been in regard to setting up and playing as the solo artist Fruit Vendor. And most of these activities have been DIY: from recording and mixing my first track Pencil Pusher Man, designing its logo and artwork (pencil illustrations, inked and then painted with watercolours), designing business cards and generally trying to gig around as much as I can.

The gigs included playing at Kaleidoscope Cafe with Zayn Adam (iconic frontman of afro-jazz band Pacific Express) and the Glenn Robertson Jazz Band, I also played at the Girl Power Show which was part of American spoken word artist Alysia Harris‘ Cape Town leg of her South African tour (it also featured another great singer/songwriter Lilly Million, DJ Eazy and poets Siphokazi Jonas and Kyle Louw). I then played a background music gig at the Piano Bar and on Monday night I played an awesome show at Barley Corn Music Club next to Hatchetman (one of the most amazing folk duos I think I’ve seen ever), American singer-songwriter Brett Newski (also on his SA tour), Jon Shaban (another amazing singer-songwriter) and the sweetest taboo Tracey Norman.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’ll be doing an interview and playing a song next Wednesday night on DJ Eazy’s hip hop show on Goodhope FM – tune in.

Working on NaMa Xam's Kaapstad

Working on NaMa Xam’s Kaapstad

NaMa Xam

This past weekend I composed, produced, mixed and mastered a hip hop song by NaMa Xam called Kaapstad which features Jerome Rex on hook vocals. The track will be included on a compilation album for Hype Magazine‘s upcoming issue which homages South African hip hop.

Tonight I’ll be playing at the monthly InZync Poetry Session accompanying NaMa and probably also Siphokazi Jonas. The other headliners are Pieter Odendaal and Anele Klose.

Brother & Brother makes it into Die Matie Newspaper

Thank you Leonardo Angelucci for the inclusion:

Brother & Brother_Lock Up Your Sisters 08.10.2014We’re playing a private gig at Mercury on 26 October – should be loads of fun.

Casper Ace

Casper Ace

Casper Ace

I’ve started as session bassist for the Afrikaans rock music artist Casper Ace. I spent the last three days recording bass at Sunset Studios (one of the most prolific local recording studios). It was quite a privilege as this was my first time recording in this renowned studio. Add to that, I got to play with probably the tightest drummer I’ve played with to date: Tim Rankin (Karen Zoid, Bed on Bricks, Hot Water, Gerald Clark etc). On guitar and lead vocals was Casper and backing was Maya Spector (another awesome vocalist). The album will be a varied mix of different genres and grooves including rock ‘n roll, punk rock, surf rock, funk, country, bossa nova, ghoema, drum ‘n bass and reggae – literally something for everybody. We also managed to do an in-studio music video yesterday believe it or not.

Tjiff & Tjaff

Tjiff & Tjaff

Tjiff & Tjaff

I’ve also done a few shows with Tjiff & Tjaff recently – the kids theatre show about the two alien brothers and their shenanigans. Except this time around I’ve been doing sound for the show, which is considerably easier since you don’t have to run around on stage in the sweltering mascot suit. Nonetheless, it’s such an awesome show to be a part of. We’ll be in Ceres this weekend.

Awkwardly Dancing to Big, Funky Bass

Mark Funks it up at SUN Studios

In my previous post I told you about our recording session at SUN Studios last week, well – here’s a sneak peak into the shenanigans as they unfolded. Our bassist Mark has really been pushing himself to play more hard grooving and intricate funk basslines and he’s definitely stepped up to the plate.

Check out our awkward little dances while Mark tracks his bass parts:

My Didgeridoo

My Didgeridoo

Didgital Vibrations

Guess what? I bought myself a didgeridoo yesterday! I’ve been meaning to get one of these  for a long time but never had the follow through to just go out and do it. A couple of months back, I wrote an article on indigenous music master Pops Mohamed for the magazine I write for. I was so moved and inspired by the conversation I had with him that the idea of incorporating more indigenous instrumentation into my music just never left me (I already have a homemade !Xaru (Khoisan mouthbow) which I used for my show Josh Prinsloo en die Dahgah Fondasie at Woordfees earlier this year, which I also subsequently used in a free improvisation I recorded a while back.

Now, all I have to do is learn circular breathing – the technique that allows you to push air out through your mouth while simultaneously taking air in through your nose. It’s quite challenging.

Next up I’d like to buy an Uhadi (or Khou or Berimbau) which is similar to the !Xaru, in that it’s a bowed instrument with the addition of a kind of calabash for resonance. They sell these at Solms Delta wine estate where I often play.

First Mate at KuilaAcoustic ‘n Folk Music Festival Audition

Yesterday I also signed myself up to audition/compete for a spot at the Acoustic ‘n Folk Music Festival happening at the Baxter Theatre later this year. If I get selected to perform, it will be alongside some of SA’s biggest singer-songwriters and acoustic music performers. On the 23rd July I’ll be performing 3 original acoustic tunes at Music Experience and will need the support of anyone who digs my music, thereafter (if selected) I will go through to the final round happening in August. Help a brother out please!

Read this Month’s Kuila Expression Session Newsletter

So for the past year (more or less) I’ve been performing at the Kuila Expression Session which happens every last Sunday of the month at the Christian Family Centre in Saxenburg Park, Kuilsriver – where an avid community of performing artists, creatives and music appreciators gather for an evening of great artistry. I’ve seldom missed an opportunity to perform and here’s why. Check out the latest installment of their newsletter written in part by Brendon Bosch (one of my most appreciative supporters). If you haven’t yet attended, this coming Sunday is your chance.

Upcoming Gigs

25 June – SAICA Roadshow at Wynberg Girls’ High School, Wynberg

26 June – Tjiff en Tjaff at Vredendal Stadium, Vredendal

26 June – Solms Delta Soetstemme at Solms Delta, Franschoek

27 June – SAICA Roadshow at Fish Hoek High School, Fish Hoek

29 JuneKuila Expression Session at Christian Family Centre, Kuilsriver

11 July – 14 July – Tjiff en Tjaff at Skouspel

18 July – Brother & Brother at The Bohemian, Westdene, Johannesburg with Carri Wolfe

16 AugustBrother & Brother at Aandklas, Stellenbosch with Elevated Motion – Collab Gig

20 August – Fruit Vendor Folk ‘n Acoustic Music Festival Audition (Live) at Music Experience, Cape Town

25 August – 7 SeptemberRockville 2069 at Artscape Opera House, Cape Town

24 September – Solms Delta Soetstemme at Solms Delta, Franschoek

20 November – Solms Delta Soetstemme at Solms Delta, Franschoek