South African jazz/electronic/ethnic musician and producer, Alex van Heerden, started
playing the trumpet as a teenager in his school marching band in order to avoid
compulsory military training, and soon was playing jazz in the local townships of Port
Elizabeth. He moved to Cape Town, and was initiated into the township/Cape jazz traditions
while playing in the bands of local legends such as Robbie Jansen, Winston Mankunku,
Hilton Schilder and Mac McKenzie. During this time he embraced the ethnic music of the
inhabitants of the rural Cape, with whom he performed vastrap, langarm and church
‘koortjies’ across the desert landscape of the Karoo/Namaqualand. These experiences led
to his first solo project, the group ‘Gramadoelas’, popular performers of ‘psychedelic
vastrap!’
In 2000, he grew fascinated by electronic music, and since then has travelled yearly to
Stockholm to collaborate with Håkan Lidbo and other Swedish producers, while also
producing several live solo projects. His main focus has been the seemingly impossible
task of combining the focused, detailed sound of European minimal electronic music with
the rich, organic, wild rhythms and textures of his native South Africa.
In the course of his live performances both in Europe and Africa, he has developed a
unique solo performance style, combining laptop virtuosity with understated trumpet and
vocals. He also performs as a duo with Håkan Lidbo, as well as with Hilton Schilder (as
Rockart), or with pianist Magnus Bank.
Although he is constantly seeking new genres with which to express his unique musical
background, (including avante-garde string quartet, in the album ‘Sagtevlei’ with Derek
Gripper), electronic music has held the deepest fascination for him as a medium of
expression.
‘I discovered that so many of the subtle aspects of the landscape of my home on the
outskirts of the Karoo desert can be expressed via electronic music, which is free from
cultural references and allows the resonances of unspoken stories and hidden landscapes
to be amplified. It can render the abstract funky, the ancient
futuristic.....................................................................................................
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Alex van Heerden selected discography:
Nefertiti - Alex van Heerden & Magnus Johansson
-Cirque.Maco 2008.
In the Name of Bushtech - Alex van Heerden
-Sinergy-Networks 2008.
Tales of Droëland - Alex van Heerden & Paul Miller
-Smallfunk 2008.
Bushtech - Alex van Heerden
-Smallfunk 2007.
Simple - Håkan Lidbo & Alex van Heerden
-Container Recordings 2006, Permanent 2007.
Future Cape - Rockart (Alex van Heerden & Hilton Schilder)
-Dala Flat Music 2006.
Sagtevlei - Alex van Heerden & Derek Gripper
-Open Record 2003.
Cape Doctor - Robbie Jansen
-Mountain Records 2000.
Gramadoelas - Gramadoelas
-Afrimusik 1998.
Cape Jazz Classics
-Gallo 1996.
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I created my own profile using nUCLEArcENTURy.COM and you should too!
are your songs available anywhere? Songs like the ones on your player? I scour the enternet and I can only seem to find 'In the name of Bushtech' on amazon and beatport and such and maybe two misc other releases. But i am really after the songs on your playlist. Can you help me?
Le Détour est de retour et nous somme très heureux d'être les premiers à fêter ça! Venez nous rejoindre pour une soirée 100 % Wellatribe: Lives, DJ Sets,plusieurs styles différents: Breakbeat, Techno, Trance, Tribe.... et Visuels!
Fritsy Trick (Live), Señor Canardo (Dj set), Guy strange (Live), Tof (Dj Set), et VJ Comics trip.
>> IXINDAMIX @ Roubaix Tek Show
09/10 @ Hotel de la musique, Roubaix (métro Eurotéléport) 22h- 6€
Aprés 69 DB il y a plus d'un an, Wellatribe recrée l'évènement avec IXINDAMIX et des artistes locaux d'horizons différents pour une soirée pleine de surprise! Pour la première fois dans le nord, elle proposera à l'hôtel de la musique une performance Live unique!
LINE UP: >>> IXINDAMIX (Spiral Tribe - Audiotrix) - > Special 120 min Live set!!
>> MARKOTIK - Dj set Breakbeat to Hardtek
>> FRITSY TRICK - Live Techno
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Live-Gigs, DJ-Sets und Musik-Workshops: Red Bull Music Academy stoppt in Berlin
Red Bull Music Academy Week vom 8. bis 12. Juli in Berlin • Workshops, Parties und Live-Acts im Maria am Ostbahnhof, Watergate und WMF • Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad/Public Enemy), Appleblim, Mouse On Mars und Deadbeat auf der legendären Academy-Couch
Check out our newest mixtape officially hosted by a Major Artist! Just click the cover to download all the Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes for free at www.coast2coastmixtapes.com!
Artists click below to submit your music to be considered for the next Coast 2 Coast Mixtape hosted by a Major Artist!
Check out our newest mixtape officially hosted by a Major Artist! Just click the cover to download all the Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes for free at www.coast2coastmixtapes.com!
Artists click below to submit your music to be considered for the next Coast 2 Coast Mixtape hosted by a Major Artist!
Hey Alex!!!I trust that there is a good reason for you leaving... and that Nic's been hanging out with you... I'm so sad that you wo'nt pop in here anymore with your smile and your jokes...I'm missing you already...
i will miss u very much Alex you were my best friend you always made me laugh (u know me and you shared the most weird laughter!! bhahaha!) I LOVE YOU!
Hey Alex - thank you for your music - Your dedication to Cape music will keep your spirit alive forever, it has lit a flame that will never go out - r.i.p. love Gavin
