The culmination of four Transplant Sessions witnessed the idyllic settings of Transplant transported to a wider audience and through a larger platform earlier this month. On the 22nd August the Transplant Sessions was hosted by Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall for a showcase of Nordic-themed electronic music and visual talent. DJ and Transplant Sessions coordinator Uraki Riddim curated an evening worth of musical and visual performances featuring acts from France and Scotland to local Bergen acts on the up and established. DJ Asel started the evening with a finely woven set of electronic music from near and far and following a light and occasionally indie and ambient stream. His record selection was complemented perfectly by the breathtaking landscaped visuals of vj Birk (from local night VJ picks the DJ) who combined three projectors seamlessly to make a whole wall of imagery that sucked onlookers in to another place. I followed on from Asel with some chopped up beats through to nu-disco and house before going back to back with Slabs of the Tabernacle's talented resident
Brian D'Souza prior to his live set. We were guided visually by Oslo based French designer vj
Julie Arrive whose cinematic borrowed and occasionally cheeky work added a click and a clack to the bang bang of the music. Brian's live set took in a wide selection of influences from afrobeat, italo to house and techno and kicked off a host of revelers to shake and move on the dance floor. To take things up to top kilter, and close the night, Nabovarsel resident
Sanhueza and
Tobii live made sure nobody left the dance floor with a latin wrapped mix of house that took in tribal, deep and electronica edges. Keep an ear out for these guys!
There will be some podcasts and video footage available by the end of this week courtesy of Brian D'Souza and visual artist Ling Lee. Meantime, if you happen to be in Norway this September get yourself over to Bergen for one of the most interesting and welcoming compact electronic music festivals in Europe - Ekko Fest. Amongst those playing is a relative homecoming gig for Royksopp, there first in Bergen for almost ten years, Bergen's new house sensation Tobii live and the spaced out acid disco of US based Nite Jewell. You can check the full line-up and order tickets
here. For UK based music afficionados be sure to get up North to Aberdeen for DO IT!'s October session at Cellar bar which will include the UK debut of Brian D'Souza's new live work, myself and vj Julie Arrive.
Finally got round to writing a review for Resident Advisor from Bergen's Ekko Fest this year. The line-up was a great example of how smaller and more compact festivals can pick an astute and interesting line-up without the commercial constraints inflicted upon larger festivals. Suffering from a spot of Norsk swine flu and some sad news from back home detracted from my full enjoyment of the event but, some lager beverage medicine and good company made sure the stellar line-up was enjoyed as best possible. Losing it to Clark's delicate thrasing and merging of light and folksy sounds with crashing breakbeat and electronic noise was by far the highlight. Best new find of the three day festival was definately Velferd, who played a nicely executed live set that took in twisted disco and house sounds amongst many subtle layers. He is in fact also a member of the the band The New Wine from Bergen, who have been getting lots of attention in Norway this past year and will undoubtedly prop up elsewhere soon. Check them out here.
