Title: Conference
Artist: Niklas Zimmer & Co.
Producer: Niklas Zimmer
Studio: Various
Label: Upland Music

This project really gives me a sense of hope, in that, an underground culture in South Africa is alive and well, producing thought provoking material that is bound to receive interest from like-minded artists and listeners worldwide. The idea behind 'Conference' is that drummer and pianist Niklas Zimmer sent samples he'd created to twelve other artists via the post. These artists then arranged, processed and added to the songs and sent them back to Niklas who did the same. No verbal communication took place and no one outside of the two individuals per track were involved. Only a respect for the concept and the individuals involved was required. Oh, and a computer with Cubase. What evolved was twelve unique tracks ranging from the great bluesy 'heatseeker' by Ben Amato to the postmodern deconstruction of James Webb and movie soundtrack-gone-wrong by Adam Lieber. All in all this is pretty hard to swallow, but some stand out tracks go a loong way to saving what could've been an avant-garde wank in the park. Derek Gripper's beautiful violin on 'still', Brydon Bolton's dark, ever changing double bass on 'nocturne' and Thain Torres' twisted poem-like remix - brilliant stuff.

 

Bignity van der Want / Letcher
Sondebok Battery 9
Infinite Coastline Niklas Zimmer / James Webb
4/4 Down The Stairs Felix Laband
Perd Oor Die Maan Laurinda Hofmeyr
Afrocentric Jimmy Dludlu
'n Vis Innie Bos Anton Goosen
Serious Peaceful Crime Unit Jedi Rollers
The Summer Eye Black Milk
Sounds of the Durban Underground Various
Snowflake Zen Arcade
The Moon is a Spoon Sunways
Memoirs of a Clone Watkin Tudor Jones Jnr.
Conference Niklas Zimmer
Mondmusiek Breyten Breytenbach
Clear Dreamshop
IT Various
Steady On Mood Phase 5ive
Delenta Delenta
In The Meantime Watershed
Faith in Love Coleske
Torn & Tattered Henry Ate
Butterfly Peepl Qzoo
Grannysmith Grannysmith
Myrtleville APE
Gathering Marcus Wyatt
Moment of Truth Africa O'Ye
Never Ever Ever.. Wonderboom
6 Faces of Dr Kwela Kwela Tebza
A Life Less Strange Semisane
Kwaai - Ragga Earthquake
Seed Tananas
Clear Lesley Rae Dowling
Matabele Ants Tony Cox
Mulp Plum
63 Tree
Ohm Ohm
Addictive Personalities The Original Evergreen
Jan Skopgraaf Piet Botha
The Urgency of Now Fruit Fly Navigators
Jou Medemens is Dood The Buckfever Underground
Tranquillity Gloria Bosman
Land of no Cadellacs Famous Curtain Trick

hosted by