Photo : Loyiso Mzamane

Our two-man crew followed Inge as we headed backstage for a quick brief with a few grizzly members of BEAST. We waited, sucked on nicotine and waited some more and then finally strokes after the midnight hour, BEAST laid foot on stage as the cult following stood ready for an unbeknownst performance. Drunk audience members who shoved each playfully now stood at full salute, brimming.

Featuring the hard and pace full drumming of Sasha Righini (The Plastics) and bassists Louis Nel and Rian Zitsmann (Taxi Violence). The lead vocalist sang, screamed and seduced in tones of dark yet airy and shrill vocals, all of which surpassed the guitar riffs and lingered throughout venues concrete structure.

Myself with camera in hand, stood spell bounded as I transcended with the arousing magnetism of a lady named Inge Beckmann. The quartet had a stage presence, which matched their artistic abilities and came out to rightfully exploit themselves. If I had turned around to glance at the audience reaction, I am positive that I would’ve witnessed the previous performers jot down notes.

Many will draw comparisons to Lark the electronic collective, whom Inge fronted. Many will not have heard of BEAST a fresh-on-the-scene quartet mashed up of members from leading bands .

As a collective the headliners of the night were certainly in their own league, and had undoubtedly gained a couple of fans that like myself, are itching for the release of BEAST’s new material. My critique being that the venue was shy of being a full house. For now it’s a good idea to get your head wrapped around the release of the new Lark album Gong Is Struck after all its probably the closest thing bringing justice to an online review.

Words: Kurt Mullins

Photo: Loyiso Mzamane

Animators of Lark ft. Haezer – Brave Music Video | Interview from one small seed on Vimeo.

Screenshot

Screenshot

Produced: one small seed productions
Shot: loyiso mzamane
Edited: loyiso mzamane
Location: jackal and hide
Music: lark ft. haezer ‘brave’

250 people wind through the leafy suburb of Bishopscourt in Cape Town on a Thursday night looking for the address on their invites. They park their cars and walk past enormous houses dwarfed only by the exterior walls. The walls open up and in the gap one of the houses stands looking like a construction team downed their tools months, years ago and never returned. There is gravel out front instead of grass and lanterns light the way to the front door that was designed for a family of giants.

We are ushered in by security and suddenly the construction gives way to the skeleton of a house made for presidents and dictators. Columns that reach past the outer atmosphere nod to the sounds we are about to hear, the reason we 250 are here. Tonight is the launch of Markus Wormstorm’s new 13-track album Not I, but a friend. Writer, composer, fantasy artist, tonight sees the man with 15 years behind him of making successful electronic music in this country, for music sake, for commercial sake, for creativity’s sake, collect a group together to take part in something utterly new. Tonight is a collaboration, but as conductor and musical seer Markus is the landlord of this plot, we his eager listeners.

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

With the reputation he has, Wormstorm could fill this deserted mansion 10 times over. But tonight is a special ‘invite only’, one-hour showcase performance for his chosen group of CT players, hell even the drummer from Queen is here. 30 minutes after arriving and milling around, sounds start emanating from the grass in front of what in a normal size house would be called the porch. Five black clad musicians take to the staged area, eyes do not meet audience, and it is as if a bubble of seriousness keeps them apart. Instruments are tuned; a violin, a clarinet, a standing double bass, and from the muddle of tones, Inge Beckman from Lark begins to recite words just too soft to hear and Markus, complete with facial hair straight out of Kevin Smith’s Clerks, begins to layer and add beats and the music swells and comes together. We have lift off; the launch has begun.

Photograph: (c) Sydelle Willow Smith

Photograph: (c) Sydelle Willow Smith

People are quiet, watching as much as listening, much like in a theatre. Three songs in and the atmospheric beats hold the balance between the players. People are overheard wishing Inge’s words were louder, clearer, as she hints at stories of beasts, of queens and of thieves. But using her as an instrument is maybe the cleverest part of the orchestration. If the front woman from Lark, maybe the most powerful female singer this country has ever seen in terms of both vocals and stage presence, was in the front of the stage, singing with full force, we would be watching ‘The Inge Show’. Instead, weaving her tales behind the snake charming clarinet, her voice adds tone and depth to the group, never overshadowing it. And Markus beats his head, drives his vision, onwards.
 

 

Not I, but a friend: Track Listing:

01 ‘Lillian’ Ft Magdaleen Minnaar

02 ‘Cine’ Ft DouIVtwo

03 ‘Eve’s Twin’

04 ‘The Bridge’ Ft Magdaleen Minnaar

05 ‘Uiltjie’

06 ‘Red Queen’

07 ‘Wit’

08 ‘Visitor’ Ft DouIVtwo

09 ‘Sleep Ali’

10 ‘Beautiful Malema’

11 ‘Thief’ Ft Inge Beckmann

12 ‘Vir’

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

The album we are all hearing for the first time is called Not I, but a friend, for Wormstorm’s own journey, the shift from one phase in life to the next, the growth it takes to get there, the newness of self expression upon arrival, and the inspiration we surround ourselves with for the trip, the people and the eclectic sounds they bring. 1000 copies of the album, with art by Elise Wessels [whose current work ‘Beast in Mind’ was also showcased in one of the empty lounges in the mansion], have been printed and there is a free download option available with an accompanying music video by Jannes Hendrikz.

A film by the multi award winning Jannes Hendrikz (see shythesun.tv) with music by Markus Wormstorm
 

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

With song titles like ‘Dissent Itself’, ‘Street/ kid/ glue/spell’ and ‘Beautiful Malema’, the album has much depth and texture to sink ones teeth into, whilst easily soaring along other tracks like ‘The Bridge’ and ‘Lillian’. The album strength lies in the collaboration between Wormstorm’s beats and the imaginative instrumentalists that use their tones to create cinescapes, more movie score than club tracks. With Ariella Caira [cello], Justin Carter and Maria Du Toit [clarinet], Magda De Vries [marimba], Frank Mallows [vibraphone], Magdalene Minaar [voice/ viola/ violin], Mareli Stolp [piano] adding the voices of their instruments to the mix, the album rises above what is expected in the genre, and jumps daringly into the darkness of the unknown.

I wanted to do something that is sophisticated without being pretentious.

Photograph: (c) Sydelle Willow Smith

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

Back to the moment we are in. People spilling off the stairs and onto the grass… it is the eeriness and the fantasy element that elevate this beyond. Kyla Rose Smith on violin adds a tone of haunting beauty, Brydon Boltons fingers cut through the air around his double bass like melted butter, the vocals and Markus’ man-possessed orchestration behind the decks, cause the sound and melody to rise like steam.

‘Deep within my fortress… I am’, the vocals state and we follow them in.

Photograph: (c) Rowan Pybus

Like a memory retold in a dream, this abandoned mansion, us serenaded by a troupe of story tellers from a surreal universe. Half an hour later it is all over. The stairs become lost in the standing ovation and for a full half hour after, people huddle in groups under the 3-storey columns reaching into the starred sky and discuss the art performance they saw tonight. They puzzle it out and try to understand what they were just a part of. The bar closes and people wander off, challenged, and rewarded.

As film director Bryan Little from Fly on the wall summed it up:

That was truly bizarre. I digged it.

And what does Markus have to say post-launch?

For the upcoming months my team and I will continue to stage invite only events throughout the city. I want to explore the relationship between architecture and sound. I want my audience to follow me into these unexplored spaces.  (Markus Wormstorm)

Take a look behind the scenes of Markus Wormstorms’ rehearsals at the Red Bull Studio’s in Cape Town. Also make sure you check out Issue 23 of one small seed – “Cult of Self” – for an interview with Markus.

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

(c) Makhulu Productions at Red Bull Studios

Words: Leigh Vermaak

Images courtesy of: Red Bull Studios. Photographs by: (c) Rowan Pybus, (c) Makhulu Productions, (c) Sydelle Willow Smith

Happening on the 20th of July at the wonderful Fugard Theatre, On The Boil is an attempt to showcase emerging talent. By all accounts the talent involved with these films speak for themselves already. The night is an experience not to be missed, attended by time-travelling Be Phat Motel, exciting new director Karlind Govender, critically acclaimed photographer Dale Yudelman, Cannes Film Festival darlings Pieter Hugo and Michael Cleary, industry veteran Garrreth Bird and the hypnotically macabre Black Milk Productions. With no entrance fee, the night is sure to have immense value (there will be an opportunity to donate what you think the night was worth).

Many South African filmmakers have no platform to get their films out to you when all they want is to entertain and awe. This is the challenge Karlind Govender and Garrreth Bird found themselves in with their respective films. They got together and decided to make it an event, inviting tip top talent to showcase their productions all together. Two heads are better than one and the theory is no different with six wholly unique films.  Did we mention there is no entrance fee, but you may pay what you feel the night was worth to you.

Enough chat, you must be wondering what you can expect on the night, let me try to tempt you with the following:

Hive by Garrreth Bird
If human nature were a hive, what would our queen be? The idea behind Hive is to challenge the viewer’s perspective on history and what can be learned from the “lesser” order species.

Control by Pieter Hugo and Michael Cleary
Spoek Mathambo is an artist always on the move and in this his cover of Joy Division’s “Shes Lost Control.” With numerous awards, this should be well worth a watch.

Witness by Dale Yudelman
The collective imagination of many is a powerful thing, come see that in action when a burnt out car is discovered just off Long Street.

Anatoemy by Karlind Govender
Karlind’s debut film “Hits the bent nail on the head” says VICE magazine. Promising to be off the wall and absurd, an impression is guaranteed.

Sweetheart by Be Phat Motel
Brought to you courtesy of a time machine, Sweetheart will thrill you with its amazing production value and its vision of our future from the past.

Jornada Del Muerto by BlackMilk Productions
A grim love story that challenges your perspective of death, war and destruction, the film is sure to linger in your mind long after you’ve left your seats.

All in all, One The Boil looks like an exciting night out with the promise of enthralling and enlightening it’s guests. Be sure not to miss it.