Desertfest Berlin 2017: Saint Vitus to Headline; Venue Expansion Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on January 13th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

As doom legends Saint Vitus join Sleep and John Garcia in headlining, things seem to still just be heating up for Desertfest Berlin 2017. The reason I say so is the fest has just announced plans to expand beyond the Astra Kulturhaus for the first time in its five-year history. It will now incorporate multiple spaces in RAW, including two other clubs near to the Astra at which affiliated shows will be hosted put on by local promoters. Pretty awesome news, quite frankly, and it gives those fortunate enough to be in attendance even more options for how to spend their time as Desertfest gradually takes over the whole area for the weekend.

The fest made the announcement thusly:

desertfest-berlin-2017-first-poster

Desertfest Berlin 2017 We go BIGGER and BETTER: additional Venues / SAINT VITUS to Headline

2017 – DESERTFEST will conquer all of RAW !

That means, for all of you who don’t know, the wonderful RAW-Area where our main venue ASTRA is located. It is a former GDR train maintenance station with lots of now newly populated old factory buildings, lots of space to play and street art to enjoy. It means you get to roam freely in and outside of the Astra and go out and explore, as we will expand the festival to three more additional venues! Of course the traditionalists can enjoy the full program, eat & drink and get wild without leaving the premises – our main stage, our foyer stage, bingo-bongo bar and the beloved beergarden.

We are super stoked to have the venues CASSIOPEIA, URBAN SPREE and BADEHAUS BERLIN with us on board – three amazing clubs in three minute walking distance from Astra that will host special parties and more concerts. The events there will be curated by underground labels and promoters which we will introduce to you with several postings in the weeks to come.

Desertfest Berlin 2017 will feature more than 50 bands in total !!!

Also be prepared to welcome very special known people who are trading their instruments with turntables and deliver you exclusive DJ Sets!

In order to make things more fun we are forced to raise the ticket prices a tiny bit. But have no fear – until February 1st, you can still buy Tickets for 85 € (visit our Website, or use the links below in this release). After that, the weekend pass will be 95 €. We hope you like the news of our expanding ideas and you are looking forward to celebrate the biggest and best DESERTFEST ever ;)

SAINT VITUS TO HEADLINE DESERTFEST BERLIN 2017

On top of that great news, we are thrilled to tell you that SAINT VITUS will be our third headliner for this 2017 edition, alongside SLEEP and JOHN GARCIA ! BONGZILLA, STONED JESUS, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH and ODD COUPLE are also added to this year’s line-up !

SAINT VITUS (USA)
Los Angeles titans Saint Vitus are over 36 years-strong and still bleeding black… Coming from the same school as Trouble or Pentagram, they are praised as one of the original instigators of doom metal. Even through the turmoil of personnel changes and re-formations, Saint Vitus have always held a position of respect in the underground heavy rock scene, and we are proud to have them headlining Desertfest Berlin 2017!!

BONGZILLA (USA)
Before virtually any of these new jacks started claiming “weed metal” or anything of the like, there was Wisconsin’s Bongzilla. Formed in 1995 and devoted to all things green, the band infuses its homegrown, psychedelic sludge sound with a distinctive Southern feel. After several releases and lineup transformations, the band went on hiatus in the late 00s. But since 2015, Bongzilla are back to deliver their stoned out, tuned down, Sabbath inspired stoned music to the world, and have proven that their live shows are not to be missed!

STONED JESUS (UKR)
It’s been half a decade since Ukrainian heavy trio released their second album, “Seven Thunders Roar”, and it would be hard to imagine they had any idea the audience it would find back then. This year at Desertfest Berlin, to mark the fifth anniversary of “Seven Thunders Roar”, Stoned Jesus will perform a set featuring their most famous album in its entirety!! They are at work on new material as well, so keep an eye out for more updates!

MAMMOTH MAMMOTH (AUS)
Melbourne’s Mammoth Mammoth just emerged from the studio with a new album locked, loaded and ready to fire! Again, the recording was not without the usual disturbances that plague this foursome. Yes the police came (and not to jam a few tunes). Yes, there was a chemical fire. And yes, a little voodoo was practiced. And okay, the bass player did barely survive a motorcycle crash just before the final tracking. But nothing short of Armageddon was gonna stop MM from getting the job done and to launch this new album at Desertfest Berlin!!

ODD COUPLE (GER)
Odd Couple are a Berlin duo with guitars, drums and hands. Together they play a fast paced, sweaty rock ‘n’ roll, wwhere it dwho is playing which instrument, it’s all about setting a room on fire – with limited resources. Another new edition of the Black Keys formula? Not at all!

Previously confirmed for this year’s DESERTFEST BERLIN: SLEEP, JOHN GARCIA & BAND (playing songs from Kyuss to Slo Burn), SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT, MARS RED SKY, LOWRIDER, 1000MODS, TOUNDRA, ECSTATIC VISION, SUMA, THE COSMIC DEAD, PONTIAK, TUBER, SATAN’S SATYRS, WUCAN, VENOMOUS MAXIMUS, THE WELL, GOLD, RIFF FIST, TSCHAIKA 21/16.

http://www.desertfest.de/tickets
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
http://woolheads.com/shop-2/festivalmerchandise/desertfest-berlin-2016-early-bird-ticket-action-1/
https://shop3.ticketscript.com/channel/html/get-products/rid/4MGC3S6H/eid/327518/validity/any_day/language/en

Lowrider, “Shivaree” live at Desertfest Berlin 2013

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H42 Records Marks Three Years with Home of the Deer Vol. I Compilation

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 8th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

Hamburg’s H42 Records has kept itself pretty busy since the 2013 release of The Flying Eyes‘ and Golden Animals‘ split single (streamed here), and the imprint will take a moment to celebrate its accomplishments as it pushes past the three-year mark next month with a new compilation called Home of the Deer Vol. I. The name of course implies it’s a series with more to come, but either way, the 16 included tracks showcase some of the killer material past, present and future in which H42 has been involved with releasing.

Nothing like starting off with some Mos Generator, and from an acoustic track from Kadavar-offshoot The Loranes to previously unreleased cuts from Mangoo, Daily Thompson, Molior Superum and others, there is much to dig into from there. Release announcement and track info follow, as seen on the PR wire:

various artists home of the deer vol. 1

H42 Records CD LABEL SAMPLER ,Home Of The Deer – Vol. I’ sees the light of day before X-Mas!

On 22 January 2016 the Hamburg based Label H42 Records is celebrating its third anniversary. Among other things, this will be celebrated with the Promo Label Sampler ‘Home Of The Deer Vol. 1’. From the 14th December, all songs will be streamed for two days till January 22th 2016 on the Bandcamp page (https://h42records.bandcamp.com/album/the-roaring-deer-vol-one-h42-025) of the label. Among them are well-known songs from H42 Records releases such as ‘Raise Hell’ by The Flying Eyes from H42 Records first output in 2013, but also new previously unreleased tracks as ‘The Awakening’ by Mos Generator or the brand new track ‘Supernova Remnant’ of Molior Superum. Best of all, Everyone who stocks up with vinyl from the H42 Records shop (www.h42records.8merch.com), get one of these limited promo CDs for FREE. Do not forget only available while stock lasts.

Tracklist:
01 Mos Generator – The Awakening (Reference Mix)
Previously unreleased – recorded at HeavyHead Recordings 2015
02 Sons Of Alpha Centauri – 27
originally released 2012 on Bro Fidelity Split 12“-Vinyl
03 Lord Of Giant – Dust Demon
taken from H42-Records release H42-006 ‚Dust Demon/Woman 7“
04 Mangoo – Hooks (Live)
previously unreleased live recording – Live at VR Studios 10.04.2012 Åbo, Finnland
05 Daily Thompson – Lo-Fi
previously unreleased – recorded at MountHoven Studios Dortmund 2015
06 The Loranes – Hey You Said (Acoustic Version)
previously unreleased acoustic version originally from ‚Trust‘ 2015 – recorded November 2015
07 Molior Superum – Supernova Remnant
previously unreleased – recorded 2015
08 The Flying Eyes – Raise Hell
taken from H42-Records release H42-001 Split with Golden Animals 7“
09 Enos – Devil Makes Work (Live)
taken from DVD ‚Live at East Slope‘ – recorded 20.04.2013
10 Dean Allen Foyd –Devil’s Path
taken from H42-Records release H42-007 ‚Sunshine Song‘ 7“
11 Black Salvation – Flickering Days
previously unreleased – recorded on the ‚I am Pretended‘-Session
12 Mother Of God – Dark Sun Above
taken from H42-Records release H42-003 ‚Black Ocean‘ 7“
13 Larman Clamor -Drone Monger (Bonk Then Stomp)
taken from H42-Records Release H42-020 Split with Blackwolfgoat 7“
14 Odd Couple – Nightcrawl
Taken from Odd Couples debut ‚It’s a pressure to meet you‘ 2014
15 Coogans Bluff – She Gave Her Life For A Man
taken fromH42-Records release H42-010 ‚Ein Herz voller Soul‘ 7“
16 Alpha Cat – The Last Day Of Summer
originally released 2009 – first time on vinyl in 2016 on H42 Records

www.facebook.com/H42Records
www.h42records.com
www.twitter.com/H42records
www.h42records.8merch.com

Sons of Alpha Centauri, “27”

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Odd Couple and Suns of Thyme to Release Split on Nov. 24

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 29th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

Sharing a hometown of Berlin, the four-piece Suns of Thyme and duo Odd Couple have teamed up for a new split release on H42 Records. Due out Nov. 24, the split features one song from each band, Odd Couple contributing “Blue Footed Bobby” and Suns of Thyme offering “Former Friend” — their side’s cover is the one with the empty chair — and a total of 300 copies will be pressed in various editions of 7″ vinyl. That’s all well and good, but both songs are also streaming in full now on H42‘s Bandcamp, which is something of a change from the label’s usual methodology.

Still, a good way to get introduced. Info follows, hoisted gently off the PR wire and positioned carefully in a place of respect:

Odd Couple / Suns Of Thyme Split-7″ announced – coming Nov 24 on H42 Records

ODD COUPLE / SUNS OF THYME SPLIT 7”
H42 Records H42-024 lim. Edition, handnumbered
OUT: 24. NOV 2015 / PRESALE: 1 NOV 2015
A1: BLUE FOOTED BOBBY from ODD COUPLE
B1: FORMER FRIEND from SUNS OF THYME

TOTAL 300 COPIES:
50 clear marbled Edition
100 clear dark blue marbled Edition
150 black Edition

This is the first Split release between these two berlin based bands: Suns of Thyme & Odd Couple

Suns Of Thyme are, Tobias Feltes (vocals & git), Tim Hoppe (git), Jens Rosenkranz (bass) und Jascha Kreft (drums & backing vocals). The Berlin based four-piece have already managed to acquire a reputation in the German capital. They supported the British shoegazers TOY and were also featured on the 8MM Musik compilation alongside Brian Jonestown Massacre, Kadavar and Camera. The four young blokes are all in their twenties, but their sound is surprisingly mature. Besides worshipping psychedelic heroes, the music is wafted by grungy garage as well as kraut rock and the smoky corners of the shoegazy version of stonerrock

The young Berlin-based duo The Odd Couple creates in their songs a power, forcing the last chord of the body to contract. Their electrifying sound with influences from Garage, Psych and Surf Rock blows the dust off those dusty genres. Jascha Kreft and Tammo Dehn moving fast between guitars, organ and percussions. On stage they offer you a musical Mojo, which you have probably not experienced in that way since the early days of Black Keys or Kills.

ODD COUPLE NEXT GIGS:
24.11.2015 – Reiche, Quedlinburg
25.11.2015 – MUZclub, Nürnberg
26.11.2015 – Fliese, Halle
27.11.2015 – Pressure Air Festival @ Druckluft, Oberhausen
28.11.2015 – Stereo Wonderland, Köln
02.12.2015 – Skala Bielefeld, Bielefeld
03.12.2015 – Molotow, Hamburg
04.12.2015 – The TUBE, Düsseldorf
05.12.2015 – Cafe Tikolor (aka Tiko), Erfurt
08.12.2015 – Soho Stage, Augsburg
09.12.2015 – Alte Hackerei, Karlsruhe
10.12.2015 – Badehaus Szimpla Musiksalon, Berlin

www.oddcouple.de
www.facebook.com/oddcoupleberlin
www.sunsofthyme.de
www.facebook.com/SunsofThyme
www.facebook.com/H42Records
www.h42records.com
www.twitter.com/H42records
www.h42records.8merch.com

Odd Couple & Suns of Thyme, Split 7″

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