Media Information
Now Accepting Applications For The Red Bull Music Academy 2011 in Tokyo
Workshop 1: October 23 - November 4, 2011
Workshop 2: November 13 - November 25, 2011
Apply: Now - April 4, 2011
The Red Bull Music Academy has circumnavigated the globe, with previous editions putting down roots in cities like Barcelona, Cape Town, Toronto, Sao Paulo, London and Melbourne. With its reputation as a paradise for vinyl hunters and technology lovers alike, there have long been calls to hold an Academy in Tokyo – and this year, that's exactly where the Academy's headed, with the full clip of events, workshops and studio sessions coming to town from October 23 to November 25, 2011.
The Red Bull Music Academy is an international workshop, touching down in a different city each year. During 2 separate terms lasting 2 weeks each, some of the finest purveyors of rhythm and sound from all over the world gather between the Academy's walls. There's always that sense of synchronicity when music lovers find music lovers. But in this digital age, it's even better when they get to meet in person.
That's why we are very pleased to invite producers, instrumentalists, vocalists, and DJs near you to apply to be part of the Academy in Tokyo. The application can be downloaded from www.redbullmusicacademy.com and should be sent to Academy HQ together with a music demo postmarked by April 4, 2011. A jury made up of label heads, music journalists and Academy team members will then carefully deliberate over each application. Two groups of 30 will be selected to represent a broad spectrum of music styles and levels of experience: from singer-songwriters to DIY synth designers and orchestral composers or digital beatmakers.
In Tokyo, the selected participants will have the opportunity to hear lectures from pioneering mavericks who paved the way, along with trailblazing sound rebels of the present; followed by late night recording sessions putting that breadth of knowledge and inspiration into practice in custom-made studios. Then there's the chance to perform in some of the host city's most iconic clubs and concert halls. If you ever chat with any past alumni – like Warp's beat cruncher Hudson Mohawke, Brainfeeder head Flying Lotus or red-hot soul singer Aloe Blacc – they often describe the experience as a game changer.
Every year, the Academy experience differs as the location, influences and artists change but a similar harmony chord runs through every edition. A typical term features two guests settling in on the Academy's infamous lecture couch every day to spill the beans on production topics and music history, and answer questions from the emerging music makers in the audience. Sofa-surfing isn't a spectator sport around here. Last year's edition in London saw the likes of Detroit legend Moodymann speaking the KDJ gospel, and the Billboard's favorite city boy Mark Ronson explaining the roots of his sound. There were insights into sound from rap
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enigma Jay Electronica and American minimalist pioneer Steve Reich alike, while Henrik Schwarz and Bugge Wesseltoft broke down their visionary approach to jazz and house. Electronic originator Cosey Fanni Tutti gave us a window into her synthesis sources, while German mischief-makers Modeselektor crossed techno and hip hop borderlines in an impromptu live session in the lecture hall.
The host city this year will surely provide plenty of inspiration in the Academy's custom-built recording studios. Tokyo is one of the world's most celebrated cities, an urban jungle of cinematic scope, where reminders of old Edo crouch at the feet of skyscrapers. Glittering concert venues host a constant catalogue of the world's great jazz, funk and post-rock legends; while dancehall, garage rock, disco, psychedelic and all kinds of electronic music have sprouted influential mutations.
Music collided with technology there early on: first in the work of electronic composers like Isao Tomita and YMO, and then via the popularization of equipment ranging from Korg synths, Roland drum machines, Akai samplers and Pioneer mixers to the good old Walkman and, more recently, the Tenori-on. And that influence on the world's soundscapes keeps reverberating.
Music makers who want to apply for the Academy in Tokyo can find all the info they need on www.redbullmusicacademy.com. And if they're still curious about how all the puzzle pieces of the Academy fit together, the best way to see the big picture (and become a part of it) is to attend one of the introductory Red Bull Music Academy Sessions currently being held in over 50 countries worldwide.
While these gatherings provide info on the Academy as well as the application process, they're not just a prelude to the main suite. From New York to Chicago, Los Angeles to Halifax to Santo Domingo, Mumbai, Baku, Porto, Adelaide, Oslo, Ljubljana and Taipei, these events encompass one to three days of workshops as well as after-dark performances: making each one an opus unto itself.
www.redbullmusicacademy.com
www.redbullmusicacademyradio.com
www.facebook.com/RedBullMusicAcademy
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