PLUS: US hardcore rockers Every Time I Die will be in South Africa for two nights only

The DIY ethic in music and its production is underrated. Artists like Tape Hiss & Sparkle, for example, demonstrate that it is possible to capture the intensity of a song without relocating its performance to a sterile studio environment. (TH&S recorded their entire Paperhawk album on a home computer, and was essentially performed by singer Simon Tamblyn in its entirety.)

Several years ago an avant-garde rock band named Blackmilk was making a name for itself on the circuit in Cape Town – there was a period where the weird and interesting was appealing in that city; outfits like Benguela and sound artist James Webb were finding regular gigs at otherwise “commercial” nightspots… and drawing fair audiences.

Blackmilk frontman Ramon Galvan took some time off in the mid 2000s it is said, and all but disappeared from the playing schedule. OFF THE RECORD was made aware this week by producer and debatist DjF Head, however, that the singer/guitarist has in fact continued to work, producing at least one full album (that we know of) entitled Outer Tumbolia (2009).

In the video below, Galvan and long-time The Galvan Trio collaborator Nick da Silva execute the track “A Man to Avoid” live in a room at their home in Cape Town. As the aforementioned DjF Head put it: “one of the most underacknowledged talents in the land. Hopefully this footage goes some way towards rectifying that.”

US band Every Time I Die will be in SA for two nights only. The hardcore rockers will be at Arcade Empire in Pretoria on Friday 26 April and at The Assembly in Cape Town on Saturday 27 April.

Two music conferences are on our doorstep.

Music Exchange is a two-day conference of top music professionals and executives, musicians and industry players from here and around the world, geared to provide tools to understand “The Business of Music.” This will be the third edition of the conference, which has been hugely successful during its previous runs. Takes place March 21-23. More here: (http://www.musicexchange.co.za)

Another conference taking place is the inaugural Breathe Sunshine Africa Music Conference on April 1 and 2. According to organisers, the main focus here will be to discuss the industry in an African music context, seeking to get artists and industry talking across genres and market barriers. (http://www.breathesunshineconference.com)

Happy birthday Adam Clayton! The U2 bassman was born on this day in 1960. As a member of U2 Clayton has won 22 Grammy Awards (and countless others), and along with drummer Larry Mullen re-invented the classic TV theme Mission: Impossible for the new movie franchise.