ACPAD was born out of necessity. A need for flexibility, live stability and creative freedom. Berlin musician Robin Sukroso needed a piece of equipment that would allow him to bring his love of both electronic and acoustic music together; that could withstand playing every night, that was easy and intuitive to play, and that could let him explore an entirely new world of sound.
The ACPAD began as an idea and a desire. After 3 years of research, development and a lot of trials, the ACPAD is finally ready for the world. Sukroso along with his partners at IIT Bombay created a new 2 mm thick interface having no wires or screws, a stick-on wireless MIDI controller that is powered by a rechargeable battery. ACPAD is a device with true portability and tonal versatility.
The ACPAD allows players to blend both acoustic and electronic sounds with FX and assignable tap pads. Create whatever sound you want with ACPAD. It is strong, flexible and offers a new world of creativity you have been looking for. ACPAD is an electronic orchestra in your hands!
There are few places more dazzling in the Robot Restaurant located in Shinjuku, Japan. We use the term 'restaurant' very loosely because it's more like a variety show, that you just happen to be dining at.
A visual feast for the senses, where the every which way you look is a kaleidoscope of colourful lights and relentless noise, where drummers are armed with glow sticks, cyber strippers fling themselves around neon poles and life-sizes robots go head-to-head in boxing matches.
But the fun doesn't end there, we haven't even mentioned the flying Terrordactyls, giant sharks, bigger Anacondas and the dance off between robots starring a bevy of scantily clad women, naturally.
So if you're in Japan and literally want to have your brain overloaded to the point where it's nearly melting, make sure you head to the Robot Restaurant, it's an experience you won't forget anytime soon.
It’s hard to imagine an experience more perfectly suited to Tokyo, and one less likely to exist anywhere else, than Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant. With a stage show that stretches the definition of terms like “elaborate” and “bizarre,” the restaurant has quickly become one of the city’s most popular venues.
We were dazzled by the Robot Restaurant from the moment we spotted it. The entire facade was illuminated in blinding LED lights, and towering lady robots with giant bouncing breasts were roving about the foyer. A band inspired by Daft Punk was rocking out behind the robots, and everything was flashing and loud and over-the-top. Sensory overload? Definitely. And we hadn’t even picked up our tickets yet. I suspected that the performance was going to be more like sensory assault.
Having arrived well in advance of the evening show, we passed the extra time in the restaurant’s upstairs lounge. You’ll want to do the same, because the lounge is unbelievable. It’s as though the world’s most outrageous interior designers were given crayons, glue sticks, glitter and mescalin, and told to go crazy. Everything is mirrored and shining. On every table, there’s a robot dinosaur. On the stage, a lady-band clad in metallic bikinis and angel wings is playing soft lounge music. The drinks are cheap and the vibe couldn’t be better. You and the people around you are in a place unlike anywhere any of you have ever been, and you’re all excited and giddy and talkative. It’s a bonding experience.
Now, however, it’s showtime. You and your new friends head into the underground theater, take your seats, and await the spectacle. Soon, the lights go out, the speakers switch on, and giant vehicles appear on either side of the narrow stage, ridden by ladies dressed as Amazonian war princesses from the year 3000. They’re pounding on drums, rotating around the stage, screaming and dancing to the music, and you’re just… confused. What the hell is happening? It’s hilarious, pointless, impressive and overwhelming in equal measure.
And that’s just Act One! By the end of the show, which stretches out across seven or eight acts, you’ll have perhaps seen boxing robots. Women riding huge mechanical cows. An alien-eating shark robot. Huge motorcycles and airplanes with pole-dancing lady passengers. A tank, I think. There was definitely a freedom-fighting panda. The shows change frequently, so you might see other things entirely, things which no sane human would ever be able to predict.
We had fun from the moment we entered the Robot Restaurant, and I’m not sure my brain has yet been able to process everything we saw. Almost as much as the show, we enjoyed watching the spectators sitting across from us. Without exception, they had their eyes wide open and huge smiles plastered across their faces. I’m sure it’s how we looked, too.
Well now, where shall i begin to tell you about my Infest 2012. I don't think anyone who was there would argue that the turn out this year was well down on usual, I don't doubt tough economic times may have played a part for some, having Resistanz early next year also may have informed some regulars decisions but I think that this years line up may have had a large part to play, hmmm to go or not to go that was the question, the one part of me wanted to go 'cos, well it's Infest and not only the event but the chance to catch up with friends I only get to see when we're there. I did want to see Suono and of course Suicide Commando, now you understand this is just my opinion and of course I don't expect you to agree but the rest of the line up didn't set me on fire and so after a degree of mming and erring booked tickets, accommodation and stuff and prepared
to party.
Friday saw us arrive at the venue at around 3pm and it's no exaggeration to say it was very quiet. Spacebouy provided synth pop with a modern twist and though noise isn't really my thing Dirty K managed to bring both rhythm and noise together, yeah it's noise but good noise. As more of our friends and aquaintances arrived we tended to get caught up in the usual drink, greet, gossip, drink scenario and so the rest of Friday past without us spending too much time in the main room.
Saturday saw another fairly quiet start and instead of needing to be down front at least 15 minutes befoe kick off there was still loads of room at 5 minutes to go. We got well up front for Suono at 5pm and in hindsight 5 was way too early for them to be on as they were the "dark horses" of Saturday if not the weekend and for me personally saved the day! Having seen them I know what people mean when they say their studio sound doesn't quite yet catch the essence of their live performance but man do those boys deliver when you do see them live !! I've heard them compared to Sam and XRX and I get that but if you have had doubts about seeing them live, my friends, doubt no more and if you missed them then you missed a treat. Their boundless infectious enthusiasm and techno dance beats soon had everyone partying along, I just wish that there had been more in the room to see them, I can see them rapidly becoming firm favourites not least for the music as I distinctly heard the comment from behind me "oohh they are cute boys too" Suono, you heard it here first !
Sunday seemed for the most part a more chilled affair during the day, I think a lot of us had partied pretty hard on Saturday and were taking things a bit steady, however as the day wore on and various "hairs of the dog" pulled everyone round an air of anticipation began to build, no surprise really as headlining - drum roll, Ladees and Gentlemen, Infest gives you for one night only, the one, the only, Suicide Commando !! cue storms of applause and rush for the front !! and rush we did as it was the only time of the weekend you had to be down front half an hour before - and we were.
Right from the first storming song, Johan pounded around the stage at once admonishing us with the famous waggy finger whilst encouraging us to "Come on and hate Me" Attention Whore had everyone pounding up and down (was it meant for all of us? of course it was ! we know what we are) along with Die Motherfucker Die and classics such as Time, but for me, the highlight was being forehead to forehead with the man himself yelling Bind, Torture and Kill an experience which will stay with me for quite some time. After two encores the set came to a sweaty, shouty, excitable end way too soon for all of us, leaving the lovely Tails (Tales) ?? sorry man, forgive me, I don't know which way to spell it our world famous M.C. to announce the raffle and the prize of prizes must surely have been the wonderful Beer Can Headpiece, for those who saw it you know what I mean, finally a big shout out to The Infamous Rubber Nun, Das TinTin and Zombie Chris - you know who you are ...........
As always Infest delivered on many levels, the Jager, the stalls, the crowd and the bands, if there is just one small comment I would make it would be that what Infest does Brilliantly is give lesser known and new artists a platform but for next year we need a few more names please, in the current crappy economic climate in this country and with Resistanz snapping at Infest's heels we need bands to pull us all in and keep Infest what it is, well Infest, let's face it if you've never been before you really need to come along next year and to everyone who always is, see you there next year motherfuckers !!!
So, I find a message in our super secret Admin section of Dark Asylum Radio – it’s from a man called Flavio and he says that he’s got a new album coming out, and he wants to know what we thought about it. Well, thinks I, who am I to deny it? I look around the links that he sends me – links to his artwork project, links to a free download option via Bandcamp...and it all looks fine. It seems well put together, nicely wrapped up – it’s a pretty nice gift to receive.
So, the label reads “New Wave from Buenos Aires”, which made me smile – you don’t see many New Wave bands about these days, and listening to the first couple of tracks they seem to hit the right notes – the second track, “Ravensong”, is very Cure/Human League feel behind it all which I found quite enjoyable. The whole album has a nice sheen to it and there are enough surprises to delight the careful listener – the occasional chime in “Industry”.
If there was one gripe to be had, it’s with the singer, Flavio’s, voice – during most of the album it remains nice and stable, but it tends to stretch a little during the higher notes: While not a deal breaker, it does occasionally distract from an otherwise lovely piece of music. The band – Flavio on vocals, Xiro on guitars, Javier on synths and Gabe on bass – work well together as a unit, and while the synths tend to occasionally overwhelm the rest of the instruments it’s rare enough to be ignorable.
...and let’s face it, for a free album you can do miles worse. It’s something different enough to almost be novel, so I recommend giving it a listen.
Would it be the effect of their contribution to a cultural movement? Is it the way they impact the time and the generation they are targeting? Or just how their exposure constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era?
As a child of the 80's I was heavily influenced by everything from saturday morning cartoons on TV to the music coming from the radio. Ian Curtis or Johnny Rotten are as iconic to me as Superman or Batman. Real people or imaginary characters, the incorruptible ideals of perfect superheroes or the human flaws and desires sometimes so desperately depicted in song lyrics - all of those influences affect us to the point of defining our character and personality, career paths and life choices.
The references we are exposed and specifically the ones we choose to absorb make us who we are. Who are your heroes?
[tweetmeme]Tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave”— the Sunday night celebration of the “darker side of classic alternative” on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave— featured music by The Sisters of Mercy, This Mortal Coil, Dif Juz, Revolting Cocks, Shriekback, Nash the Slash, Sex Gang Children, The Sound, Siouxsie and the Banshees, PiL, Coil and more.
“Dark Wave,” hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs founder/editor Matt Sebastian, airs every Sunday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave (Channel 33). The most recent two episodes also are available as part of Sirius XM’s new On Demand service for online subscribers.
Finally, if you’ve got requests for future shows, drop ’em in the comments below.
Playlist: “Dark Wave,” hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Matt Sebastian — 4/26/15
This Mortal Coil, “Drugs”
Killing Joke, “A New Day”
Front 242, “Circling Overhead”
Peter Murphy, “Final Solution”
The Cure, “Accuracy”
The Chameleons, “Inside Out”
Anne Clark, “Heaven”
Douglas J. McCarthy, “Move On”
Lords of Acid, “I Sit on Acid”
Christian Death, “Dogs”
Iron Curtain, “Shadow”
Moev, “Yeah, Whatever” (12-Inch Version)The Smiths, “Headmaster Ritual”
Abecedarians, “Misery of Cities”
The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Cherry Came Too”
Throwing Muses, “Saving Grace”
That Petrol Emotion, “It’s a Good Thing”
Love and Rockets, “Waiting for the Flood”
Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows”
Dif Juz, “No Motion”
Echo and the Bunnymen, “With a Hip”
Coil, “The Snow (Answers Come in Dreams II)”
Depeche Mode, “To Have and To Hold”
Public Image Ltd., “The Order of Death”
Revolting Cocks, “Crackin’ Up”
Ministry, “Revenge”
Nash the Slash, “Swing-Shift”
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Song From the Edge of the World”
Flesh For Lulu, “Cat Burglar”
Joy Division, “The Only Mistake”
Sex Gang Children, “Guy Wonder”
Xmal Deutschland, “Incubus Succubus II”
The Sisters of Mercy, “Black Planet”
Passion Puppets, “Like Dust”
The Psychedelic Furs, “Sister Europe” (Peel Session)The Mission, “Stay With Me”
Bauhaus, “Fear of Dub”
Gary Numan, “A Dream of Siam”
Skinny Puppy, “Stairs and Flowers”
The Sound, “Sense of Purpose”
Shriekback, “Underwaterboys”
Balam and the Angel, “On the Run”
The Creatures, “Around the World”
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