Did I say tomorrow... I meant next week - but better late than never for Part 2 of my Girl Talk interview. See full report... Live, Girl Talk invites mayhem. Those who have been to a Girl Talk show know the drill and first up are those with the most Dutch courage, in Amsterdam there's many. Before the first few riffs were out Gregg was joined by his band mates on stage, the thrashing, sweaty masses – booty shakin' girls, dudes clammering for podium placement in front of the crowd on the floor, someone even brought balloons. And on the floor it was just as crazy, a packed house for usual the club night Noodlanding, the special guest kept people dancing til four in the morn.
Recently I spoke with Gregg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk for SPIN Earth before his show at Paradiso. We spoke about everything from how he samples music legally to onstage near vomiting, playing live and bio-medicine's role in Hollywood. This is part 1, stay tuned tomorrow for part 2. SPIN earth Amsterdam Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, holds firm to the grounds of fair use copyright law when legitimizing his brand of music—a sound once considered "illegal" by traditional copyright standards. His reconfigured party jams where Kelly Clarkson vocals go over AC/DC riffs, Weezer under Lil Wayne, Biggie and Elton together at last are more than just mash-ups. Surprisingly the record companies haven't tried to tackle Gillis's "mix 'em and cook 'em in a pot like gumbo" approach. As he explains, it wouldn't be a good publicity move for a major label to go after him. After all, it certainly doesn't take anything away from the original work. It's more a form of flattery.
But Gillis didn't get into the business to push legal boundaries. In the current climate where direct piracy is of far greater concern, what's the point? Girltalk is just here to rock the party.
For this month's Time Out I wrote a piece on Dutch hip hop. Though I can't understand much of what their saying I've been really getting into it - good beats, intriguing flow and a down-to-earth vibe make it a little more tangible than T-Pain. Sorry T. Check out the video by The Fringe too with a little tribute to fellow Dutch artist Mondriaan - Or if you're Australian, Silverchair.
From: Time Out U can't Dutch this... Or can you? Colin Delaney finds out Nederhop is keeping it 'realer' than ever. In English language hip hop, the North American accent sets the standard, the British come with a ‘grimey’ edge, the Kiwis carry a Polynesian ease while the Australians boast a broad ‘ocker’ twang. On the international stage the French rap smooth, the Germans sharply, and Brazilians do it upbeat and playfully. But for the Dutch scene it wasn’t until the mid-90s that MCs began to rap in the local tongue – they mostly wanted to sound as American as possible. Perhaps surprisingly, flow, style and rhythm roll effortlessly through the thickets of this nation’s guttural language. Dutch rap, or ‘Nederhop’ as it’s most affectionately known is getting more comfortable in its own skin, too, reflecting the way people live here, rather than trying to mimic the American style. ‘There’s a real Dutch culture in local hip hop now – that’s the most important change,’ says Lars Kelpin, project manager of the hip hop organisation, GRAP. ‘People are talking about all aspects of growing up, about family, difficulties, street life and politics and fun. There’s a Dutch proverb, “act normal, you're crazy enough”. We don't like our heroes driving around in Jeeps in 21inch tyres. We like it when they act normal. It’s part of Dutch culture, and that’s part of Dutch hip hop culture GRAP coordinates the Dutch R&B and hip hop competition, Wanted, which ran through MARCH? And has its final showcase at Melkweg on 3 April. Now in its 13th year, Wanted has been an important launching pad for many current chart toppers, such as The Partysquad, Ali-B and Baas B. They may not be exactly busting across the borders, but at least they’re getting plenty of airplay nationally. Watching MTV or TMF, Nederhop is better represented than the current crop of Nederpop stars. What accounts for its success? Get ready to cringe – ‘keeping it real’ – say the local experts. ‘People are really down to earth. That’s what I like about hip hop in Holland,’ says Kees De Koning, the head of The Netherlands’ premier hip hop label, Top Notch. ‘Dutch MCs are being very honest.’ As an example, he sites the current cross-over hit by Dio, ‘Tijd Machine.’ The rapper, says De Koning, is ‘talking about all the times he’s fucked up in life – he should have listened to mom; he should have called his girlfriend more; put out the garbage once and a while… This is one of the top hip hop songs at the moment. That says a lot about keeping it real, just being honest and not being a bigger-than-life comic book character.’ Radio DJ Vincent Patty AKA rapper Jiggy Dje agrees. ‘In America, a lot of rap is about money and jewels,’ he says. ‘We don't have a lot of that in Holland because it’s Holland. As soon as someone starts rapping about a lot of money everyone is like, “We know you don't have a lot of money.” It’s like, “Dude, if you've got so much money, why are you on a tram?”’ Local hip hop artists are also ‘keeping it real’ by rapping about struggle and overcoming racial prejudice or socio-economic adversity. The Opposites, an Amsterdam-based duo (so called for the duo’s appearance: one is tall and Anglo, the other short and Antillean) started out rapping in English but switched to their native Dutch. A recent hit track, ‘Sjonnie & Anita’ by describes two delinquents in an inter-racial love affair. It refers to the pair as ‘The Dutch Bonnie and Clyde’. ‘Mami is a lady from the hood,’ the lyrics read. ‘Loyal mentality; dangerous when necessary. Dad comes from the polder; he’s half from Curaçao, half Spanish.’ Salah Edin, who also started out rapping in English has made a name for himself in the Middle East and the west by rapping in Darija Arabic., His rhymes question Dutch politics and society, and he’s not afraid of controversy. The cover art of his 2007 album ‘Nederland’s Grootste Nachtmerrie’ (‘The Netherlands’ Worst Nightmare’) featured Edin on the cover, looking a whole lot like the mugshot of Theo van Gogh’s killer, Mohammed Bouyeri. The rapper said it was meant to reflect, ‘the way the average white Dutch citizen sees me, as a young Moroccan Muslim radical.’ Of course, politically-charged or conscious hip hop has never been the most profitable side of the music business. Patty says that’s not really the point of Nederhop, anyway. ‘I talk to a lot of young rappers and the most important thing is not to get caught in a pipedream,’ says the DJ and rapper. ‘There’s not a lot of money in it so make sure you have fun while doing it. That’s where our hip hop origins are from – having fun with the little you have.’
If you're in Amsterdam get along to support your favourite indie magazine/label Subbacultcha! April 4 sees the launch of a new issue which means a new party at De Nieuwe Anita. You know De Nieuwe Anita, the one that looks like you're Gran set up a bar in her basement (compliment). Cover is 6euros and you'll get a free magazine. Line up: Blues Brother Castro Major B (DJ Set) DJs Hotlpizz & Jane
However if you don't go to parties because people tend to freak you out or you hate tangibility in a magazine then just check it out online.
I recently interviewed British MC Dels for Spinearth.tv but the sound didn't work with them so I'm posting it here. Can't have all that genius be for nothing.
From: Spinearth.tv Up n coming British MC, Dels arrives on stage with a bouncing enthusiasm to a hard hitting live drummer and DJ. Supporting Yo Majesty around Europe it's probably the smallest crowd he's played to on the tour and is quick to call the audience to the front. Opener "Eating Clouds" sets the tone, it's upbeat but obstract. Having caught the ears of Hot Chip, the hip electro outfit are now producing his tracks, giving him a unique palette for him to paint his rhymes, the likes of "Eating Clouds", "Shapeshifter", "Myself Malfunction", and "Line After Line". As he notes, it's cliché but he's trying to "push the boundaries". With a design background – from toys to installations – it's all about creating for Dels. Performing alongside the charismatic ladies of Yo Majesty, they were quick to support his live show, but also give him tips. As a result both he and his tour manager admit his performance has improved ten-fold and he's already thinking about how to improve the next tour. He and Yo Majesty will be back on the continent in the summer for a few shows and festivals so be sure to catch them then. Dels' myspace Dels' Blogspot
Shoot The Player do just that, shoot musicians. Intimate moments with the artist, filmed live in one take, on one camera, outside of their normal stage - it's simple but elegant. See Lightspeed Champion playing in a sex shop, or Andrew Bird at Macquarie's Chair with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background.
Holly Throsby: A Shoot The Player Film from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo. The one I've selected however is of Holly Throsby playing "To Begin With" during January's Sydney Festival, filmed not far from my old house in Centennial Park. It makes me homesick. Holly's hinted ocker twang helps set the scene amongst paperbarks, as summer's magnum opus at 44 degrees with a storm brewing is about to upstage the local singer songwriter. Under thunder and large cracks and creaks in the sky to warn you it's about to collapse every Sydneysider knows this feeling, waiting for that moment where pre-storm calm turns to torrential downpour cooling the afternoon - the tension to shoot and beat the rain is palpable. Meanwhile "On Longing" is worth a look as Holly plays on one of the upright pianos scattered about the city for the Sydney Festival - I also love the dogs, Jones who looks like my ol' pal Elvis and a shaggy lab who drinks from a dripping tap in the distance like a Triffids song.
Stop, Drop, Rock n Roll is produced by a Canadian-born Australian living in Amsterdam. He is the Assistant Editor for iamsterdam.com and writes about music and stuff for Time Out Amsterdam, Amsterdam Weekly and Spin Earth amongst other various publications.
