Dizzy Storm Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 ..and now for something completely different..... FELIX KUBIN, messenger of exploding lungs, lives and works against gravitation. His activities comprise futurist pop, electroacoustic and chamber orchestra music, radio plays, performance projects, lectures, curator activities and his own record label Gagarin Records. At the age of 12 he started composing electronic 4-track music of which a selection has been released on Dat Politics' label SKIPP, on A-Musik and Was Soll Das? Schallplatten. Since 10 years he played on plenty of festivals for electronic music, among them Sonar, Mutek, Ars Electronica, ISEA and Wien Modern. His vast artistic output has been published on vinyl, CD and film, in books and magazines. Other groups he was/is involved with include the contemporary ensemble Integrales, the noise project Klangkrieg, the communist singing group Liedertafel Margot Honecker and the tetchy teenage bands Die Egozentrischen 2 and x2. "Felix Kubin is a Devil in Gods clothes. If there'd be one man to send to the aliens as an example of the mankind, that'd be Felix Kubin. (Aavikko, Finnland) "Noise, rhythm, melody and madness (These Records, UK) "Hamburg's purveyor of dadatronic experimentalist pop music" (RadioCBC, Brave New Waves) "Felix is a man - a former 13 and a half year-old genius - with excellent taste and a dry, quirky sensibility." (Momus) links upon links upon lots of info...FELIX KUBINMySpace.com - Felix Kubin - DE - Electroacoustic / Psychobilly - www.myspace.com/fkubinGAGARIN RECORDSVENUE and all other details still to be confirmed...keep checking back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 my favourite clip of his live show..so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I saw Felix Kubin supporting Les Georges Leningrad at their final ever show and he was, quite frankly, amazing! Live, his show was a schizophrenic blend of crazed tunes interspersed with body-grabbing beats and strange, eclectic improvs. Best thing is you could tell he was loving every minute of it, built up an incredible atmosphere before LGL came on!Can't recommend this one enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Can't recommend this one enough!What a promoter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78saab Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 i'll be there.. wherever it is (if you don't find anywhere.. text me or giles, we'll 'avim in our front room)... and i'll be *dancing* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 What a promoter!<George Foreman> It's a gig so good, I put my name on it </George Foreman> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 i'll be there.. wherever it is (if you don't find anywhere.. text me or giles, we'll 'avim in our front room)... and i'll be *dancing*OK!! so..... how big is your flat? and do you have a PA?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted January 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 so...FELIX KUBIN will be appearing at SNAFU as part of the DIRTY HEARTS CLUB clubnight THURS 20TH MARCHmore details to follow......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mulhern Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 he sounds mental but really interesting...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted January 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 felix kubin interviewok, so we (well its ALL the work of Dr Alun Hughes really, thanks alun!!) asked FELIX KUBIN some interview questions which will be featured in the next SNAFU MAGAZINE...but thought id give you a sneak preview so you can see into the crazy world of this mans head!!Tetchy Teenage Tapes compiles your youthful material from the early 80s, an exciting time for German music with the Geniale Dilettanten movement spawning Einsturzende Neubauten and the New German Wave giving the world the likes of DAF. Were you aware of these movements at the time, or did your influences come from other sources?My influences came from there, but also from avantgarde 20th century classical music (Bartok, Strawinsky, Ligeti, Stockhausen, Sun Ra, Ives, Varse (he's a genius), Alvin Lucier, Jani Christou), and of course inventors like Raymond Scott, film music composers like Krzysztof Komeda, Morricone, and lots of less known people. And then a lot of noise/industrial culture. Everyone I know has a certain time in his life that was particularly enhancing one's energy, opening the angle of the camera, also films have very much influenced me and radio plays (Hoerspiel in Germany, very strong culture). When I talk about the period of 1979-83 I always describe it as the big German fever, something very special, and I am not the only one who says that. It died very soon, maybe that was necessary. Beauty and decay are sisters. I constantly develop and widen my senses, I cannot say that I am stuck anywhere, I am not nostalgic, I am just a full-blood musicianand author and need to go on and do things. It's a curse. Recently, I like spoken word/poetry combined with sound a lot, I think, one of my next records will be something like that. I also compose more and more for a chamber orchestra, that's a complete different approach, I even write scores, notes. And the audience is completely different.Youre often described as a proponent of Dada-electronics, which suggests an anti-art stance perhaps reflected by your I Hate Art Galleries release. Does this reflect how you see the current state of electronic music?Every movement has some roots in archetypes and such is the movement of Dada. You can also find it with people like Francois Villon, you can find it in punk, German New Wave, Sun Ra is a dadaist for me, as well. That's just a word of describing a period in Germany that I love, before the war, before the loss of humour and humanity, a wild time with even heathen energy, sarcastic and anti-establishment. I am not against art, I love art. I am against shallowness, pettiness (pettiness? the opposite of generosity), culturally supported wanking (not against wanking in general if it happens in erotic lucidity like in Emanuelle Arsans books, triangular love me you it). I haven't lived at the time of Dada, so I cannot say anything about it. I use the word as a reference because people need references, in general I am free and alone (lonely) with my thoughts, aesthetics, even opinions. What contemporary artists and musicians would you rate as being good?Too many to mention. Such questions always aim at the idea of the Olymp, who is the best, who gets prices and fundings...I think a cultural climate, a certain creative atmosphere or community is more important. I mostly like the works of me befriended artists, like David Fenech, Mariola Brillowska (she's a brilliant writer who never put out a book), Daniel Padden, Mika Vainio, Dennis Tyfus, Ergo Phizmiz, Andi Diefenbach, Brezel Goering, Wolfgang Mueller, Asmus Tietchens, Jessica Rylan, well this list could go on....I am happy to live in my time, I find it very complex and versatile. I appreciate the fact that lots of artists don't think about career so much but regard their independence most mportant. This is a big difference to the past.Klangkrieg [one of Felixs other projects] uses many unconventional means of producing music and challenging your audience by surrounding them in the action. Where did this desire to immerse people in music come from, and how do you achieve it?Back then: by micrological movements, literally millimeters of turning knobs and changing parameters, and also: space. This is still important for me. The (re)definition of space carries a lot of potential to suck the audience into another "dimension" or perception. When I play my "pop" concerts (which are rather conceptual concerts using pop as a canvas), I interfere with the audience, their reactions, the room, the expectations. Still, I am not a happening artist or free improviser. Although, in some moments I happened to improvise texts from scratch, like recently at a gig in Vienna where I improvised an hommage to the inventor of the Nanoloop Gameboy programme. Oliver Wittchow, the inventor who is also from hamburg, came to me and said it was like a Paul Celan poem. He was frightened.To answer your question: I think I can immerse people because I am always immersed myself, at least when it's a good constellation of surroundings, things, light, energy. At best, I don't play music, I become music. I cannot act. You have to compare it to hysteria.Youve recently released a soundtrack to House of National Dog, a play that focuses on one girls sexual encounter with a dog in a land where adults place their affection on pets, not children. How did this collaboration with avant-garde director Mariola Brillowska come about?She is my girlfriend.I didn't like the idea to make something about dogs in the beginning because I am not interested in dogs, at all. But her texts and topics were so ambivalent and funny and sick that I was willing to work with them. At the theatre play there were some real dogs, small and loud, with very high frequency voices. They were barking all the time andarbitrarily. That was wonderful because it disturbed the actions of the actors, their monologues. In the track "Wenn Dein Hund stirbt" you can hear them barking into my drum recordings.Theres a thick vein of abstract humour that runs through all your music, and your live shows are energetic affairs that switch manically around between ideas and sounds. What do you hope people come away from your shows feeling?I don't expect anything from people apart from not being pure consuments. If I feel like a TV programme or totally exchangeable I stop the concert. This happens rarely but it does.I am happy about any (mis)interpretation of my art that is different than I see it. Actually, the complete enigma or power of an artwork only comes to existence in between the stage (or the artwork) and the audience. I like to play on a stage close to the audience. That inspires me. The best concerts were the creative ones. Where something went wrong and turned into a new quality. Or where people invented things during the concert.I like to give people a positive feeling about noise.Having tackled soundtracks from everything from stage-plays to zoetrope films, what other projects would you like to do to bring together music and visual arts?I would like to make a concert with stuntmen and a foley artist.I recently also made a piece for dance/performance in Vienna. I'd liketo explore that a bit more, too.Yuri Gagarin is obviously a hero of yours, and given the sci-fi elements of your music is it a fair assumption that space holds a big fascination for you? Did you dream of being an astronaut as a child? Would you pay to be a space tourist?Yes and yes. I rather dreamt about becoming an astronomist. I was interested in black holes at the age of 9. What I like about Yuri Gagarin, though, is the fact that he took an enormous risk in order to catapult himself out of earth's gravitation. His trip could have ended few second after the start. I like his pioneer work and just imagine that he never returned to earth but started broadcasting radio programmes from up there.The image of space is but an image of mental independence for me.Rather abstract than sort of future stone-age romance.Do you really have a pet axolotl? Would you be disappointed if it matured into a salamander?You are pretty well informed. Yes, I lived together with a "punk legend" in Hamburg. He had some Axolotls. Amazing beautigul animals. Of course I'd be disappointed if they turned into slamanders. I am glad I didn't witness anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 Cheers Sharon! I spent ages formatting his reply from the email, then forgot to post it! ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted February 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 look out for the Felix Kubin interview in the new Snafu Magazine...but erm you'll have to forgive the silly billy's at Snafu..they spelt his name wrong and advertised the wrong myspace address o_O oopsie!MySpace.com - Felix Kubin - DE - Electroacoustic / Psychobilly - www.myspace.com/fkubin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 That's a great poster Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted February 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 That's a great poster Sharon it is isnt it! not done by me (as per usual!) courtesy of Michael Chang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted March 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Felix Supportsupport for Felix Kubin will be from Edinburgh based ARAYAMySpace.com - ARAYA - Inverness/Edinburgh, UK - Alternative / Electronica / Experimental - www.myspace.com/keirthemusicalcheck the myspace and listen to the sublime Coal Grinder & Dunlichty Forest for an hint of what to expect from him on the night...Araya is the solo work of Inverness born Keir MacCulloch. After many years working on projects in bands such as Colourbase, Dead Romantics and Dark Green Oceans, Keir has spent the last year honing his solo skills and establishing his own unique sound.. Araya has taken his music to the live circuit supporting big names such as The Orb,Herbaliser, Silicone Soul and Phil Hartnoll (Long Range). He has played at music festivals such as GoNorth2007,Spectrum Fest and was also invited to play at the prestigious Benbecula Records showcase (with Christ. Genaro and Ochre to name just a few) and has releases planned on the label this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Getting substantially close enough to make me excited now! "I am a child living in the body of Juri Gagarin. He is empty like a corpse. His eyes move slowly like radars. First comes the idea then the technology. Children are angels, sometimes they fall into nothingness. I am Juri's ventriloquist." - Felix Kubin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 From Alex Denney's Drowned in Sound review of the One More Grain, Silver Apples and Felix Kubin gig in London last wednesday:"Watching Felix Kubin, most famously of 80s noiseniks Klangkrieg, flit excitably between keyboard and sequencer, its impossible to shake the image of Antoine de Caunes (he of Eurotrash notoriety) hamfistedly spoofing Kraftwerk. Suave and yet wearing the expression of a man for whom absurdity is always lurking round the corner, his self-professed Dada-electronics have found illustrious company in labelmates Mouse On Mars, although in truth Kubins pumped-up blend of kraut and techno influences is somewhat sunnier of aspect than the aforementioned duo, brimming with cute touches that immediately endear him to this evenings apparently hard-to-please audience."Full review here: http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3048998 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 this will be ace!!!doors 9pmhope the DHC regulars will embrace him with an open mind! he's gonna be very entertaining Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mora-Treat-Guru Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Although there were problems - Mr Kubin was awesome. I dearly hope Dizzy Storm could snare him back soon! for full dance floor carnage!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted March 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 yes totally bizarre night.... will fill you ina drip started from the roof above the dance floor before midnight i think...it turned into two drips...then 3...it kinda started raining on the dancefloor.... staff tried to keep it at bay with cardboard/buckets/mops and the dance floor was cordoned off....it wasnt getting any better though!...it was coming from Five upstairs appartantly....amongst a lot of confusion we got Felix started on stage with everyone having to watch from afar...but a few songs in it was announced we had to close the venue and evacuate everyone. bummer!...by the time we left the 'drips' which was actually more like rain were spreading further into the venue and happening above the bar now....total shame for the venue, really hope they get it sorted/cleaned up today, especially for their sold out Vitalic night tonight BUT yes felix was awesome for what we got to see...he made the best of it, made us laugh, and quickly got his recording equipment out and took the opportunity to record the noise of the drips raining down into various buckets/containers, and the droning of the fire alarm !!c'est la vie. he'll be back...in a few years maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Shears Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 yes totally bizarre night.... will fill you ina drip started from the roof above the dance floor before midnight i think...it turned into two drips...then 3...it kinda started raining on the dancefloor.... staff tried to keep it at bay with cardboard/buckets/mops and the dance floor was cordoned off....it wasnt getting any better though!...it was coming from Five upstairs appartantly....amongst a lot of confusion we got Felix started on stage with everyone having to watch from afar...but a few songs in it was announced we had to close the venue and evacuate everyone. bummer!...by the time we left the 'drips' which was actually more like rain were spreading further into the venue and happening above the bar now....total shame for the venue, really hope they get it sorted/cleaned up today, especially for their sold out Vitalic night tonight Yikeso_O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Storm Posted March 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Yikeso_Oyep, exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mulhern Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 it was a real shame."Hello Aberdeenos" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullmouse Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Leaving the club into the snow was kind of magical, as if to give the night a happy ending. Gah, I feel really bad for Snafu, and also gutted that we only got a few tunes from Felix before the place had to be evacuated. Terribly endearing to see Felix on the water-soaked dancefloor alone, clutching a rose and serenading the packed-together throng by the sound-desk. I think he appreciated the absurdity of the situation, in some weird way. He certainly was incredibly enthusiastic about recording the sounds of devastation the flood created - Probably the kind of live album Snafu would prefer not to appear on, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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