It’s Friday, which means that it’s time to usher in the weekend with another episode of BAMM’s Global Scene. We’re continuing our in-depth look at Amsterdam with an examination of the Amsterdam sound itself. What are the genre aesthetics that emerge from this creative hotbed of a city? How does the city inform and influence the music of its inhabitants? We speak to a selection of great up-and-coming native talent to find out.
With last week’s introduction out of the way, its time to really get our teeth into the varied, exciting and awesome music scenes popping up in Amsterdam. Episode Two of Global Scene: Amsterdam takes a look at the context of the place itself. How does the city nurture and inspire musical talent? How does it stand on a globalised cultural level? What is it that makes the place so special? Find out all this and more (with the help of a roster of great homegrown talent) in the video above.
We’re a globe-trotting bunch here at BAMM: a bit like Phileas Fogg, but with a far cooler record collection. Last week we rounded up our fantastic Global Scene: London series, which took an in-depth look at the musical comings and goings of the UK hotspot.
Now? Now we’re casting our gaze further in Europe, and focusing on the vibrant musical topography of Amsterdam: a city with lots of soundscape-based secrets, all ready to be unveiled. Take a look at this week’s episode – an introduction which acts as a handy primer for the awesome stuff you’re going to see. Enjoy!
Every city has a unique energy to it, and – when that enthusiasm sparks off a number of great musical scenes – the potential to take on the world just grows and grows. In the latest episode of the first season of BAMM’s Global Scene (which delves into the music and madness of London), we take a look at this impact and notoriety – which London-based sounds are transcending their local roots to create a worldwide storm? Enjoy some great insight and great music from an amazing roster of up-and-coming talent.
It’s Friday, Friday, Friii-daay which means a) it’s almost time for the weekend, and b) you can treat yourself to another great episode of BAMM’s Global Scene. Two reasons to celebrate, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Continuing our in-depth look at various facets of the London music scene, Episode 7 concentrates on the fans: the people whose support and loyalty keeps every element of the scene alive. How does this fan network interact with artists? How has fan support evolved alongside the fantastic opportunities afforded by modern technology? All these topics and more, discussed by a roster of London’s best up-and-coming artists – all in the video above.
Time for another episode of our in-depth look at various facets of the London music scene (which is part of our wider series, aiming to go deep underground with the music boffins in a variety of international locations). This week, we take a look at how production technology affects the London sound, uncover the numerous ways it can be utilized, and the ultra-exciting progression of such technology.
Time once again for a new episode of BAMM’s Global Scene – and we’re continuing our look at the musical landscape of London, one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities on the planet. There’s a peculiar trait inherent to many cities which have a rich musical heritage: that different areas and boroughs can often take on a character all of their own, the music being produced in one part of town vastly different to that being produced a few miles down the road. How does this factor into the London scene? We take an in-depth look.
London is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities on Earth, and that’s why we thought it would be the ideal location for the first season of BAMM’S Global Scene. It’s our ambitious goal (you know us by now, ambitious is what we do best) to connect with the musicians, promoters, organizers and fans sustaining the emerging music scenes in cities around the world, and mould a collection of snapshots of what it’s like to be a musician, inhabiting a unique place and time.
In episode three – which you can see above – we look at the fusion of genres and ideas that create the various ‘sounds’ of London. Enjoy!
It’s not every day a living legend stops by your workplace, so the BAMM crew were understandably thrilled when Mexico City hip-hop icon Bocafloja (along with collaborators Aha, Flavi, and Cambio) treated us to a killer performance recently. That’s not all, however – the guys also took some time out to chat with BAMM’s very own Sonia Pina about the nature of collectivity, the inspirational Quilombo project, artistic evolution and his relocation to the United States. In an age where so much mainstream rap revolves around little more than footwear promotion, Bocafloja’s fusion of musical and political activism is a breath of fresh air. See for yourself.
listen: Bandcamp
When Signe Tollefsen -artist in the ‘folk noir’ genre- released her first, self-titled record in 2009, she was already oozing talent left and right. It was all professionalism and radio-friendly Americana: Her voice was a force to be reckoned with, and songs such as King Of The Fire, It Smells Of You and Hooked became fan favorites. But the mystical quality that surrounds her on stage was a long way from this rather dry, straightforward record. On stage she a darker and much more intruiging artist was shining, right through the façade of professional folksinger.
You, Me And The Brewers, from Tollefsen’s debut album.
Now, the next step in her artistic process arrives. An intermediate EP collecting some favorite covers already hinted towards a different artistic pallette. “Hayes” is the next (big) step in Tollefsen’s process. The album was recorded in Eindhoven with long-time collaborator, producer Ralph Timmermans -of Mindpark fame-. It sees Tollefsen abandon her acoustic guitar, lick the wounds of a broken relationship and nourishing a new love. But most of all, Hayes is Tollefsen’s coming out as an artist beyond the confinements of genre and image. It’s a dark record, full of gritty guitars, whispers and groans, dissonant notes and sudden plot twists.
The opening duo of 85 MPH and Drunk Orchestra immediately set the tone for this record. The first with fiercely played strings and powerful percussion, the latter with heavy bluesrock idiom. Some songs at first seem to keep well within Tollefsen’s former folk-stature, but take a sharp left turn somewhere along the way, erupting in guitaristic violence or heavy drum barrages. Hayes is no muscular album however; Tollefsen’s softer side is equally appealling. Speak To Me is about as exciting as a woman whispering in your ear will get; enough to send a few shivers down your spine, for sure. On the other end of the spectre, Scared is a song that stand out in its honesty. More like a bedtime story than a bedroom-blues, it shows that despite the apparent maturity, there a still a few monsters in the closet left to be dealt with.
Hayes is a big step forward. It’s better written and arranged, artisticly superior and overall packing a much bigger punch than her previous work. Admittedly, it does lose some momentum in the second half, but that’s just a minor flaw. To say Tollefsen ‘has found her own voice’ is a risky endeavour, but even if Hayes is just a stepping stone towards finding herself than this implies even greater things lie on the horizon. Meanwhile, Hayes makes for an exciting listen that may take some getting used to for the long-time fans, but is well worth the time invested. Wonderful record.
