Posted in Whathaveyou on January 29th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
It hasn’t been that long since I last posted Samsara Blues Experiment news, and it hasn’t been that long since I last posted lineup news for Desertfest in Berlin, but when the two come together, frankly I’ve got little choice in the matter. Native to the fest’s home city, Samsara Blues Experiment will bring their trippy riff bliss to the Austra Kulturhaus the last weekend of April.
More Desertfest news to come later this week:
SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT (GER)
Here is the time for us to, and we are glad to introduce another band for the DesertFest 2013 line-up, our dear SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT !!
SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT is a Berlin based band founded in 2007, playing a blend of heavy psych, stoner and space rock, dominated by a playful dual guitar work, and a repetitive hypnotic touch in the tradition of krautrock. They allow the music to escape their control and lead them to wherever it may flow.
The band produced two appetizer EP’s during their first years, but they reached their potential with their long awaited first full-length album “Long Distance Trip” in 2010 thanks to World in Sound Records, which also released their second one “Revelation & Mystery” in 2011. This year, in April, they will release on Electric Magic Records a live record of their show at Rockpalast (October 24, 2012).
SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT is a very demanded live band in the meanwhile and participate at many European festivals such as the Roadburn, Yellowstock, Burg Herzberg and now at the DesertFest !
Get ready for a journey as you have never experimented before !
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 25th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
It’s no coincidence that just about every time I post something about UK doomers Alunah, it’s good news. The band, who issued the most chorus-rich White Hoarhound (review here) on CD through PsycheDOOMelic and subsequently signed to Napalm Records heavy imprint Spinning Goblin Productions, have today released the album on vinyl and been added to the lineup for the 2013 Berlin Desertfest. I had the chance to catch Alunah live last year in London and they were right on. Always killer to see cool stuff happen to good bands.
Desertfest sends over word of their addition. Dig it:
ALUNAH (UK)
Today, January 25, is a great day for the English band ALUNAH ! First Napalm Records officially release their 2nd album in vinyl. And then, they are confirmed for the DESERTFEST BERLIN 2013 !! Birmingham based ALUNAH is a Psyche/Stoner/Doom band which unleashes an incredible paganistic sound characterized by thick guitars, a punishing rhythm section, and earthy and hypnotic vocal melodies. Sometimes groovy, oppressive, or downright grimy depending on what the situation calls for, the songs are dark and slow without being downers !
Billed as the “Future of Doom” by Terrorizer Magazine, ALUNAH’s “White Hoarhound”, their 2nd full-length album was released in September 2012 on PsycheDOOMelic Records, and is now officially available on vinyl on Napalm Record !This album is the follow-up to their debut “Call of Avernus” released in late 2010, and their EP “Fall to Earth” in 2008.
Consisting of Soph Day (vocals and guitar), Dave Day (guitar), Gaz Imber (bass) and Jake Mason (drums), ALUNAH have spent the last 6 years building up a reputation for being one of the most hardworking and consistent live bands by playing national dates and festivals (Desertfest London, Desert Storm Birmingham) with international artists such as Fu Manchu, Orange Goblin, Karma to Burn, Acid King, Witchcraft, Graveyard, The Storm and shortly High on Fire !
Even though their reputation as a great live band is already built, they never played beyond UK… Damn !… so many of us have never seen them !
Fortunately, the DESERTFEST BERLIN is here to fix that lack ! Be there !!
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 18th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
More good news out of the Desertfest Berlin camp in that Witch Mountain and Cough will be hitting up the Austra Kulturhaus on their European run as a part of the fest. The two forward-thinking American actswill also play Desertfest London and Roadburn, representing some of the best doom the opposite US coasts have to offer. Desertfest sent over the following announcements:
WITCH MOUNTAIN (USA)
On tour from April with COUGH, we are thrilled to announce that WITCH MOUNTAIN is added to the DESERFEST 2013 line-up !! WITCH MOUNTAIN is classic doom metal band delivering a magic potion of massive and rumbling riffs that bore you skull, and bluesy, ballsy, and sensual vocals that attract everything with their seductive wildness.
From Portland, Oregon, WITCH MOUNTAIN was formed in 1997. The band self-released a demo “Homegrown Doom” in 1999, and their first full-length album “Come the Mountain” in 2001. But after a 2002 tour with Eternal Elysium, the band slowed activity for several years…
A July 2009 show opening for Pentagram, with guest singer Uta Plotkin, marked a revival of the band. Uta brought the necessary ingredient that Witch Mountain founders Rob Wrong and Nate Carson had been seeking since they initially formed the group.
She was asked to join the band as main vocalist, and Witch Mountain recorded their second full-length album, “South of Salem” six months later. Produced by master “engine-ear” Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins), it was unleashed in April 2011 through their own label Mountastic Recrods. In November 2011, WITCH MOUNTAIN was signed with Profound Lore Records and released their third full-length album, “Cauldron of the Wild”, in June 2012.
Just after, an invitation to play the main stage at Scion Rock Fest 2012 along with Sleep, Saint Vitus, and Down gave the band an opportunity to return to US stages, successfully headlining in the US and Canada for most of June. This fall, Scion sponsored the band’s most extensive tour to date — a 5-week headlining trek around the US and Canada with witchy friends Castle in support.
They will be in Europe from April, with COUGH, for their first European shows ever!! The DesertFest couldn’t miss this occasion, and you either!!
COUGH (USA)
On tour from April with WITCH MOUNTAIN, we are thrilled to announce that COUGH is added to the DESERFEST 2013 line-up !!
Formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 2005, COUGH is a sludge/doom metal band delivering thoroughly massive, epic and impenetrable walls of sound and volume, at points suffocating and claustrophobic, at others warped and hallucinogenic.
The band self-released an EP, “The Kingdom”, in 2007, and followed it quickly with their first proper full-length “Sigillum Luciferi” in 2008, recorded with acclaimed producer Sanford Parker (Minsk, Rwake, Pelican, Nachtmystium). Sporadic gigging followed the release before the band holed up in a Richmond warehouse to write the follow up, but the band slowly laboured forward with the writing. By winter 2009/2010, the band had signed to Relapse Records and returned to Chicago, Illinois, enlisting Parker once again to record the long awaited “Ritual Abuse”, released in October 2010.
Upon its release the band embarked on two epic North American and European tours lasting almost four months ! In 2012, COUGH performed another US headline run, and their first ever Australian and New Zealand tours. They will be back in Europe in 2013 for a seven-week tour starting from April, stopping at the DESERTFEST Berlin to deliver their impressive monolith of sound !
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 12th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
The linup for Desertfest in Berlin gets a little more unfuckwithable with the addition of Witchcraft in a headlining spot. Danava and Lecherous Gaze were also added over the course of the last couple days, and the fest sent over a couple announcements. Desertfest Berlin 2013 is set for April 25-27 at the Astra Kulturhaus, and the list of bands is monstrous with Unida, Fatso Jetson and Yawning Man representing the Californian desert scene while Euro heavy answers back with classics like Lowrider and Dozer and newcomers Kadavar and Belzebong. Not much more you can really ask of three days of doom and music.
After a 5 year wait for all the fans that have been watching out for a new sign of life, the Swedish band WITCHCRAFT have marked the fall of 2012 with their new album ! And we are thrilled to say they will mark 2013 by playing at the DesertFest Berlin on Saturday 27th !!
From Örebro, Sweden, WITCHCRAFT was founded in 2000 when Magnus Pelander wanted to record PENTAGRAM tribute album. It took until 2002 when the band finally released a first single which caught the ear of Lee Dorian’s label, Rise Above Records, who quickly signed them. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2004, followed by their 2nd one “Firewood” in 2005, and “The Alchemist” in 2007. They manifested their very seventies-esque distinctive signature sound that made WITCHCRAFT known as Swedish finest psychedelic/classic rock band that helped to spearhead the now very bright Swedish rock scene.
After a five year break, WITCHCRAFT released in September 2012 their 4th studio album “Legend” on a new label, Nuclear Blast. The new album marked the recording debut of the band’s new members, including Simon Solomon (guitar), Tom Jondelius (guitar), and Oscar Johansson (drums), with singer Magnus Pelander focusing only on vocals instead of both vocals and guitar. Now a double-guitar five-piece, WITCHCRAFT reinvented their sound and shirked off most of the vintage stylization that marked their previous work and boldly opted for something new and heavier. And they delivered the most rocking album of their career!
DANAVA (USA)
To start this rocking new year, we are very happy to announce that DANAVA comes back in Europe in April/May, and will play at the DESERTFEST BERLIN!!! DANAVA is a band based out of Portland, Oregon, that has been steadily rising in the metal underground over the past eight years. The band turned heads with a a lysergic cocktail of stoner sludge, prog pomp, and rocket blastoffs!
They released 3 full-length albums in the past, the self-titled debut in 2006, “UnonoU” in 2008, and “Hemisphere Of Shadows” in 2011, all three on Kemado Records. Through the latter part of the decade, DANAVA also toured with the likes of Witchcraft, Voivod, The Melvins, Acid Mothers Temple, and Down (who have invited the band out three times now.) In 2012, they made an European tour with Saviours including Roadburn Festival!
Now it’s time for them to play at the DesertFest ! Get ready to enjoy their bombastic sound!!
LECHEROUS GAZE (USA)
Some of you maybe guessed when we announced Danava : LECHEROUS GAZE is added to the DesertFest’s line-up!! The history of LECHEROUS GAZE goes back to 2001 when guitarist Graham Clise and bassist Chris Grande started the hardcore punk band, Annihilation Time. After several personnel shake-ups, the band chose to lay the name to rest and begin with another project. They re-emerged with a new vocalist under the name LECHEROUS GAZE.
And after a few more line-up changes, the band released a self-titled 4 song EP with singer Lakis Panagiotopulos on Tee Pee Records in 2011. However, after some brief touring of the US and a full European tour, the Gaze decided to part ways with Lakis, again taking a brief period off to expand their arsenal of riffs. They soon enlisted the help of long time friend, Zaryan Zaidi to join the Gaze as their new front man. With his raspy delivery coupled with aggressively dark tones Zaryan gelled perfectly with the frustrated and heavy sonic assault the band had been building up for release since the break up of Annihilation Time.
October 2012 sees the release of the debut full-length 3 years in the making; which with its maelstromic mixture of heavy rock riffage, punk snarl attitude, and Zep-like attention to detail, “On The Skids” comes across as a hesher’s record collection melted together into one crushing slab of volcanic rock and roll that leaves nothing but burning embers and ringing ears .
Harsh and heavy, LECHEROUS GAZE is now ready to play destructively nasty music for fiendish people !
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 21st, 2012 by JJ Koczan
A bit of news before we all split out for the weekend: I’ve signed on as an online promotional partner once again for the Desertfest Berlin! Basically that means that we’ll have a lot more news about both this one and Desertfest London as we get into the New Year and closer to that weekend itself — set for April 25-27. Wild times, and it seems like some bands are already slated to do one and then the other — looking at you, Unida and Lowrider — but the lineup looks awesome and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be associated again with Desertfest as the multinational brand continues to grow. If anyone wants to set up an East Coast franchise, let me know.
And here’s the latest lineup and ticket links for Desertfest Berlin. California-based retro punkers The Shrine have been added. Word also just came down the PR wire that The Shrine will be joining Graveyard on their upcoming US run, also not to be missed.
If you already got it, make some rocking gifts to your friends !
DESERTFEST LINE UP (in progress) Pentagram Unida Fatso Jetson Yawning Man Dozer Lowrider Radio Moscow Naam Kadavar Belzebong Gentlemans Pistols Lonely Kamel The Shrine
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 14th, 2012 by JJ Koczan
Why, it feels like only yesterday I was regretting not being able to get to Berlin and catch the Desertfest there in April. Oh wait, that was just yesterday. By all accounts (including Ben Ward’s and Justin Maranga‘s) it was an absolute blast, and though I think it would have perhaps been the final snapping of The Patient Mrs.‘ much-tested patience, there was plenty I would’ve liked to see.
In my usual bid to get absolutely no work done on any given day — today, for example — I stumbled on the following PR wire-type info from Sound of Liberation‘s website, and saw fit to repost. Check it:
DESERTFEST 2013 plans are shaping up!
Dear festival addicts, our rendez-vous in Berlin is set for 2013 and we start working on the festival plans…
First of all, as mentioned at the end of 2012 edition, dates for 2013 are set and now confirmed: it will be 25th, 26th and 27th of April 2013.
A small change is included in our plans: all 3 days will happen in ASTRA KulturHaus, which is the bigger venue where friday and saturday shows happened in 2012: this means wider and more comfortable space for all of us and 2 stages running over the 3 days of the festival! We hope you will enjoy!
Also, from this week on we start working on the visual arts ( art exhibit and movies) aspects of our rendez-vous. All interested artists who would like to exhibit their silkcreens, sculpture, painting, short movie ( court métrage) or movies related to the Heavy, Stoner, Psychedelic or Doom scene can contact us here: visual_arts[@]desertfest.de
Booking of the line-up will also start anytime soon! all submission should be sent to the following address: contact@desertfest.de
> all bands/artists application should include: name, logo, press picture, promo text in english and link to songs to listen to as well as video links. > Please be patient: we will not answer right away but we will contact the bands we are interested in by the end of september 2012.
Also we want to thank all of you who reacted on facebook, and who posted ideas for the line-up..please go on! we check this regulary and will take advice for our choices of 2013 line-up!
ADDRESS: THURSDAY 25th April 2013-SATURDAY 27st April 2013 FESTIVAL ASTRA KULTURHAUS Revaler Straße 99 10245 Berlin
