Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 End of May, I was at the Madrid airport waiting to catch a flight to Ibiza, because... ...I was fortunate to represent Gibson on a panel at the 2015 International Music Summit, as well as do interviews and be interviewed. The theme this year was “Back2Live,” which probed the ongoing infiltration of conventional instruments into the world of electronics. Gibson was heavily involved in co-sponsoring the first night’s “Back2Live” concert, which featured crowd-pleasing bands that brought a live performance element to electronics. Here's the stage setup for the concert. The backdrop isn't a backdrop, but a huge digital screen that was integral to the light show. I happened to snap this photo at an opportune moment Ibiza is the epicenter of the electronic music dance scene, as well as a major tourist destination. It was just starting to hit tourist season, but these photos will give you some reason why it's a very desirable destination... The International Music Summit is the networking event for dance music, engaging in a four-day immersion in business, music, concerts, and making connections. It took place at the Hard Rock hotel in Ibiza... ...where the rooms start at 400 Euros a night (about $450 at current exchange rates) in the summer. Good thing the IMS was covering my stay…J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 The day before the IMS opened, we visited Sonic Vista Studios in Ibiza. It's a big-time, pro studio that has hosted the Ting-Tings, Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, Goldfrapp, and others too numerous to mention. One of the first things we found out is there aren't directions to get places, so they were texted to us.But of course, the cabbie knew where it was..."Oh yes, the studio at the end of the road, si, si." And when you get there, it has quite the view... We arrived just as a party was winding down, and enjoyed the set by Sean Kennedy. Of course, nothing says "party" like an open bar. I felt obligated to sample the fine Spanish wine, didn't want to offend our hosts We had a chance to spend some time with Henry Sarmiento, the owner. He's from New York, but I doubt he's ever going back. We showed him G FORCE, he was so blown away he offered to do a video with his reactions right then and there. Sonic Vista was currently hosting several acts, including the winners of a Beatport competition. Here's a picture of the main studio. Then it was time to leave, but not before trying very hard to convince Mr. Sarmiento to part with an impulse response for this amazing reverb chamber he was - basically, a 400 foot deep well. I want to try loading that into REmatrix Solo...anyway, back to IMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted June 7, 2015 Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 Looks like you had a great, fun and interesting time Mr. A.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 There are tons (or tonnes, if you’re British) workshops. The first one, “IMS Business Report 2015” by Kevin Watson, was a thorough and fascinating analysis of the state of the industry. Did you know EDM beats country for streaming? And the most rapid growth has been among an older demographic? Fortunately for people who couldn’t attend, you can download the complete report for free. Since the whole integrating guitar with electronics has been my world for decades, the IMS wanted me there to participate in a panel discussion on Back2Live—I was sort of the designated techniques guy. The moderator, Mark Jones from Wall of Sound records, brought a guitar up for me to play (Gibson, natch). Definitely fun... Yes, that's me with Mark Jones on the left and Danny Whittle, one of the main forces behind IMS (and a nice guy, too) on my right. The interview with Patrick Moxey from Ultra Records was definitely fun...he was interviewed by none other than Pete Tong. You can also check out the various panel discussions and interviews online. Two particularly fun interviews were with Patrick Moxey of Ultra Records, and producer Trevor Horn (Buggles, Art of Noise). The Gibson tour bus was parked right outside the hotel, It was a great place to hang with people, do interviews, and even record a song...there was an impromptu recording studio set up in the bus, and Cakewalk's Jimmy Landry persuaded Arthur Baker to lay down some TR-808 beats with the personal unit he carries around with him. My chaperons for the trip, but as it turned out, none of them needed to post bail: Boris Loehe, who heads up Entertainer Relations in Europe; Nils Karsten from KRK; Claudio Adamo (Gibson Brands product specialist in Italy); and Aitor Rioja (product specialist for Spain). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted June 7, 2015 Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 Looks like a lot of fun!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 The Back2Live concert was a big deal, to say the least. Here are shots of some of the groups...and check out the videos at the end. This is Power Dress - singer, keyboard/electronics, and two dancers. April Towers is a three-piece with drums, and two frontmen who double on guitar and keyboards, as well as sing; they're supplemented by a computer adding the electronics. Or maybe they're supplementing the computer...either way, it was "back to live" and the audience loved it. I caught the guitar player doing a quick touch-up retune with G FORCE. The Wolf does hard, dark house with a theatrical flair involving dance, a drummer, and sometimes multiple actors and dancers. The video is an excerpt from a 40 minute set that thrilled the audiences with its energy. Uner was the closing act. He's a classically trained pianist who has embraced electronics, as has his guitar player and drummer. The music is sort of a mesmerizing combination of dance, chill, jazz, and even some ambient spaces. And here are some videos! I think Gibson will also be uploading some videos in the near future done with actual professional camera people instead of me running around with an Olympus flip cam and TASCAM DR-22-WL handheld recorder. Enjoy! [video=youtube;ykdvLAfG7gY] [video=youtube;xeCRfv_M35w] [video=youtube;eyiemSg_Tv8] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 While I was there, I connected with a lot of people. One of the more interesting groups I got to interview was Thalab, who do a sort of acoustic-meets-electronic set. They started off with Casio keyboards and GarageBand, and now they're opening for headliners...I really like their music. I couldn't get to the last concert they opened in time to catch their set, but the local radio station streamed the whole thing. Then it was my turn to be interviewed. I found it's easy to make friends with inanimate objects, but it was more fun making friends with the locals... Of course, it's necessary to grab a bite to eat before heading up to the castle for the big final concert event...so it was time to head into downtown. When I was a kid in Spain, I got food poisoning at the Alhambra so bad I almost died. This time around, someone flipped the food phase switch 180 degrees. The food was fantastic!!! I have more pictures but in case some of you are hungry, i will show mercy and torture you no further. Then it was time to head up the castle. To say it's impressive at night would be an understatement... And the view from the castle isn't too shabby, either... Well we're in the castle - time for the IMS Dalt Vila 2015 concert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 This is what the crew was doing all day before...I could hear the sound check while in town doing interviews. Yes, it's loud. As in, LOUD. And this is the setting. Tough to beat, I'd say. Welcome to the world of EDM - and Back2Live. Then it was time to pack, and go catch a red-eye to Madrid. Ibiza is a "you can't get there from here" kind of place, so it takes more than a day to get there. But it was worth it! Gibson Brands went over really well, the people couldn't have been friendlier, it was a great event, and yes I worked my butt off but as if you couldn't tell...I had a fantastic time returning to the world where I spent so much time prior to joining Gibson. And now I'm back because of Gibson. You gotta love the way life throws twists and turns at you... Bye, Ibiza! I'll definitely see you again. Carl Cox starts a residency in July...hmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2015 Well, that's all for now...hope you enjoyed the virtual trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 8, 2015 Members Share Posted June 8, 2015 'There are tons (or tonnes, if you’re British) workshops' - We tend to spell it 'tons'. We're reluctant Europeans Looks like you had a fab time, Craig. I've never been to Ibiza - it looks great. Thanks for all the photos and vids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 8, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 8, 2015 So not only do you not do metric tons...you're going to have a referendum on leaving the EU, right? Well, you can always move to Ibiza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dendy Jarrett Posted June 8, 2015 Members Share Posted June 8, 2015 Looks like a good time and work all wrapped together. Good music, pretty women, active night life and a party. And discussions about the state of Music. Perhaps Harmony Central should cover this next time as a team! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted June 8, 2015 Author Members Share Posted June 8, 2015 Looks like a good time and work all wrapped together. Good music' date=' pretty women, active night life and a party. And discussions about the state of Music. Perhaps Harmony Central should cover this next time as a team! [/quote'] You won't believe how many people said I needed someone to carry my bags. But all I had was carry-on, so they were quite disappointed If anyone goes, it will be Gus Lozada - speaks Spanish, and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted June 8, 2015 Members Share Posted June 8, 2015 Si Gus no está disponible, puedo hablar castellano para ti. Y puedo llevar su equipaje y tomar fotos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.