Just recently, Berlin hosted again the Worldtronics festival with various music events. One of the highlights though was a side conference titled “Postcolonial Piracy”, which explored the global aspects of cultural piracy. The conference talked on how sampling, copying or recycling of electronic materials can be the only way for artists in the southern hemisphere to gain access to globalized cultural production. One of the questions raised was: What influence does this postcolonial piracy have on our interpretation of aesthetics and authorship?

The conference promoted a re-orientation that focuses on postcolonial piracy primarily as a strategy of access to global modernity and as a culture that demands to be understood in its own right. Discussing examples from across the globe that show how both everyday and artistic strategies of medial copying and recycling are currently changing legal, economic, social and aesthetic concepts of authorship and originality. The conference host, Ravi Sundaram from Delhi, India, gave a very interesting interview on the conference´s various topics for Berlin Reboot FM which can be heard here:

Worldtronics Piracy (2011-12-04) Ravi Sundaram by reboot.fm

Berlin´s G.I. Disco crew are the German capitol city specialists in bringing back 1980s electro funk and boogie. Moreover, the parties and the compilation release of G.I. Disco have lately raised awareness of the cultural impact that the post WW II presence of U.S. troops in West Germany´s occupation zones created from the 1950s to late 1980s. The American forces not only brought Elvis (who served a few years in Germany), but also r´n´b, disco, rap and electro funk to Germany, first played in “G.I. Discos”, specifically devised for the U.S. forces troop personnel. So when DJ Kalle Kuts from G.I. Disco sent us their rework of João Brasil´s “L.O.V.E. Banana” we thought: This is how “L.O.V.E. Banana” could´ve sounded like if it would´ve been released in the 1980s. This is one of the best remixes we received so far. Boogie on!

Joao Brasil feat. LoveFoxx: “L.O.V.E. Banana” (G.I. DISCO Re-Fix) by Kalle Kuts

Save the date! On May 14th, we´ll celebrate the release of my “Rambazamba” album in Berlin w/DJ Beware, Isa GT (Live), Schowi and Johnny Flash @ Picknick Club in Mitte.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Dickon Stone for shooting and editing the video.

The “Karneval Der Kulturen”, Berlin´s answer to the Nottinghill Carnival will take place next Sunday on the streets of Kreuzberg. After the parade, the Carribean Invasion hits Club Maria next to the Ostbahnhof. On it´s 2nd floor (Club Joseph called, hehe) Edu K and me will bring some Man Rec tropical beats to the masses. Special guest So Shifty will present grimey bass beats on top. Come down!

The street crossing of Rosenthaler Platz right around the corner of Man Rec HQ was coloured yesterday by eight cyclists pouring paint onto the street and turning the asphalt into a big canvas. Berlin still can be surprising sometimes with such senseless acts of beauty.

Paul Snowden is not only our beloved graphic designer, but also the mastermind behind Berlin fashion label WASTED GERMAN YOUTH. Known for its bold letters and motivs propagating the in your face hedonism that Berlin and its excessive after hour nightlife has become world famous for, WGY has become the grown-up-raver´s favourite T-shirt label of choice. WGY has seen various global adaptations over the years, from “Wasted Brooklyn Youth” to “Wasted French Fuck” and “Wasted Malaka Youth”. Yesterday, the label opened its shop in Berlin. So next time you´re in the German Hauptstadt, go visit the store. Of course, Man Recordings vinyl is also in stock.

WASTED GERMAN YOUTH SHOP, MEMHARDSTR.1, MITTE, BERLIN

Our Top Five WGY products:

1. AYOBA T-SHIRT (SOON COMING!!)
2. MINIMAL MY ASS T-SHIRT
3. THE KIDS WANT TECHNO T-SHIRT
4. WGY WOOLEN SCARF
5. WGY COMBI STICKERS

After only five parties at Berlin´s WMF club we have to say goodbye to HEAT, the Man Recordings club night which was started in December 2009. First, it´s because WMF club was surprisingly closed last Wednesday due to troubles with their landlords, so there´s no longer any home for us. Second, we decide to stop HEAT as it wasnt much fun to invite DJs like Beware, Wildlife!, João Brasil, Douster and Isa GT, Sinden, Schlachthofbronx, DJ Manaia, Drop The Lime and Ku Bo to HEAT and play in front of a half full club, eventually losing money almost at every party . The little success with HEAT showed that “Tropical” is more than a niche sound in Berlin club land: It´s practically non existent and doesnt seem to have any local following. When Radioclit played with The Very Best in Berlin in November 2009, 70 people attended. Before Major Lazer even a dude like Diplo pulled only 300 people on a Thursday at Berlin Tape club – all this in a city which is considered Europe´s capital of hip. The sad truth: Berlin continous to be ruled by Techno and House music, and it´s drug infused lifestyle still tirelessly promoted in books and media reports as the ultimate in club culture. The only alternative to the boring all night 4/4 hammering in Berlin clubs is Disco, which is not what you would call 21st century music. Berlin, your clubs were once inhabited by people that were looking for the new and exciting, now your party people have become lazy and utterly nostalgic. Thank god there´s other cities across Europe, that understand that the HEAT is on.

If you happen to be in Berlin this Thursday, come down to WMF where we´ll host #3 in the HEAT-Party series. Our special guest for the night is WILDLIFE!, the man who made the beats for Terry Lynn´s “Kingstonlogic” album and recently banged out some amazing remixes. Start: 11pm, Admission: 6 €