Tag: Rose Bonica

Rose Bonica doesn’t want it to get to your head

Since her beginnings in 2016, Rose Bonica has quietly made a name for herself as a fresh and innovative producer of electronic music that, thanks to its many influences, defies classification within a specific genre. Unbound by the rules and structures inherent in club music, her productions instead are highly textured and often play with the listener’s expectations while still referencing the foundational elements of dance music. “I stick to a loose idea, like when there’s a break [the track] has to develop, but I still live arrange. I feel like copy-pasting, sticking to that structure, loses that kind of feeling and makes it really rigid, but I do try keep the live arrangement within the realms of the rules of what people actually resonate with,” Rose Bonica explains.

Her second EP after 2017’s “Rosy Disposition”, “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” sees Rose Bonica pushing herself more as a producer and artist, exploring new territories and honing her sound. Explaining her move to include her own vocals on this release Rose Bonica says, “I wanted to fuck with vocals. I found you can actually do a lot with vocals and I was tired of waiting for people to come to Hout Bay, so it was definitely a natural progression I wanted to push. I don’t know why I should sample someone else’s voice if I can attempt it first.” As a producer she is also pushing herself to incorporate more melody in her music, something she felt was lacking in her first release.

Photography by Tatyana Levana

Viewing production as a therapeutic outlet, Rose Bonica sees “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” as a release that deals with how quickly one can veer off one’s own path, dealing with the industry and how easy it is for all these things to get to you. “I would say it’s just a culmination of everything like a break up in relationship terms and with the [industry]. Trying to step away from everything and the politics that go around this little city, and the world.”

As on her previous release, the sounds and moods of “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” are varied, with Rose Bonica’s sonic palette featuring everything from deep, droning techno basslines to drum patterns with a distinct afro-house feel, serene synth-leads and industrial percussion. Over the course of 6 tracks, Rose Bonica shows her versatility and originality as a producer, with the tracks on this EP each having their own sound yet fitting together as a coherent whole.

With a visual treatment in partnership with Tamzyn Limb on the way and yet-to-be-announced festival bookings on the calendar, Rose Bonica is looking to bring her EP to life in way that is fun to experience and perform, all while remembering not to let it go to her head.

24 July 2018
INFINITY STUDIO Residency // unpacking privatization, militarization and escapism in South Africa’s urban landscape

“Militarized urbanism” – a term coined by geographer Stephan Graham. A term that describes the existence in South African cities, and is lived through the ubiquity and perceived necessity of concrete and electrified boundaries, pin codes, guard posts and CCTV.

INFINITY STUDIO, a residency curated by Bubblegum Club and CUSS, will see invited artists from various disciplines explore the meaning and everyday operation of privatization, militarization and escapism in South Africa’s urban landscape. The residency taking place from 29 March to 2 April is the first step for the INFINITY STUDIO program at Kampnagel in Hamburg in the frame of the Live Art Festival #8: SUPERSPACES.

This residency is organized as a curated tour which will see participants travelling to various spaces and events around Johannesburg. It is treated as a form of fieldwork or immersive brainstorming, and real life critical engagement with ideas around enclave communities, boundaries and surveillance in relation to fears about real or imagined dangers in urban spaces.

Participants include Bubblegum Club, Bogosi Sekhukhuni, CUSS, Daniel Rautenbach, FAKA, Hlasko, Kerry Chaloner, Michelle Son, Mona-Lisa Namér, PURE, Rich Mnisi, Rose Bonica and Zandi Tisani.

INFINITY STUDIO is produced by Kampnagel and Bubblegum Club, with the support of TURN – Fund of the Federal Cultural Foundation of Germany as well as the Goethe Institute.

Freedom Park- Here to Make Everything Perfect

Freedom Park is a lifestyle experience unparalleled in the Gauteng city-region. An oasis of peace and community, our estate residents enjoy both easy access to the thriving financial and business center of Johannesburg, and complete security from the chaos of the urban environment.

It is no secret that Johannesburg is dangerous, and that hard-working, decent citizens like yourself are threatened by depraved and squalid crimes. But it’s falsely believed that only the elite can afford total protection. At Freedom Park, we offer the complete security lifestyle experience at a competitive price. You and your family will wake up to the sounds of bird singing and go to bed smiling, safe in the knowledge that any dangers will be anticipated and removed with no mercy. You don’t need to be a multi-millionaire to enjoy multi-million peace of mind.

Our beautiful facilities cater to all tastes, from the rustic to the modern. Housing units are designed to the utmost architectural standards, and you may never want to leave your home again. But we hope you will come and enjoy our family restaurants, affordable mall space and driving range.

Your children will love the dedicated play areas. And for those looking for adult playtime, our resident’s leisure committee organises discreet thrills, which push the boundaries of sanity and morality. You can even try on a new personality for size, with Freedom Park selected as one of the pilot sites for an experimental augmented reality center, offering experiences that are out of this world.

Freedom Park enjoys guaranteed tranquility. Our estate security committee is prepared to get their hands dirty when the police won’t. Onsite staff bring in a wealth of combat experience from their time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria and Syria. The recently opened community detention center is on offer to resolve family disputes. And as an exclusive service, our guards are happy to assist in aggressively resolving any offsite challenges.

Freedom Park offers a complete lifestyle paradise, free of all anxiety. Why should you have to die to go to Heaven?

23 March 2018
The Pontifications of Big Space

“My girlfriend tells me there’s an SABC job to be done, I’m the assistant stylist, R1000 a day for 8 days, that’s R8000, I firmly agree. We wait for production budget of R21000 to be deposited. It never arrives. We have no electricity, we drink wine, I smoke weed and play 30 seconds in the dark until we fall asleep.”

So begins one of the stories that form part of the novella Big Space is releasing along with his latest album. “To pontificate is the stillborn child of the union between solitude and loneliness. These are my pontifications in text and sound, a collection of moments entrenched in my pursuit to not only make music, but to create a world inside myself where I can be King, ruler of the troglodytes, the lord of the flies. I have lived a thousand lives and I have died a million deaths, behold my truth and eat my shit.”

When it comes to producers forging their own path through South Africa’s music landscape, there are few who are as firmly committed to producing original music that pushes boundaries as Big Space. Over the years he has worked with the likes of Schlachthofbronx, Scratcha DVA, and Spoek Mathambo, local producers 7FT Soundsystem, Leeu & Jumping Back Slash as well as having a slew of original releases under his belt.

“PONTIFICATIONS”, out on the 8th of February, continues this tradition of seeking originality and is an insight into the world he has created for himself. Released through his label, Wet Dreams Recordings, which he runs with label-mate Rose Bonica, “PONTIFICATIONS” is electronic music, but refuses to stick to the limits of this genre. Taking bits and pieces from well-known and not so well-known musical genres, it has an underlying familiarity while still managing to sound like nothing before it.

With a playtime just short of 90 minutes, the album is filled with diverse tracks that still form a cohesive collection, a testament to Big Space’s relentless pursuit of originality. Highly layered, with non-traditional structures, the music on “PONTIFICATIONS” requires a few listens before the nuances become apparent. From touches of drum ‘n bass on “Innocent Hands” to the psych-rock tinged “Serpent Moon” featuring Young Om, it’s impossible to know what is coming next on the album, which is precisely the point. It’s clear that “PONTIFICATIONS” is the product of solitude and loneliness because it sounds like nothing else.

Have a listen below to ‘DAT SINKING LIFE’ from “PONITFICATIONS”

24 January 2018
Don’t Sleep on Sleepwalker Records

I know premium streaming services like Deezer, Apple Music and Spotify are fast becoming the way many music fans with a decent internet connection consume music, but I still get most of my new music from Soundcloud. Granted, I was still making mixtapes for my walkman when my friends were all bumping to Bump on their discmans, so it’s not like I’ve ever been at the forefront of early adoption. Still, I’m a sucker for a free download and, over the years, I’ve followed a ton of solid musicians who often put out or share good shit. In this age of automated curation, your “personal” taste becomes a numbers game. With Soundcloud, you’re at the mercy of the tastes of those who you choose to follow.

Thankfully, like I mentioned, I follow people with skills and taste, which is how I found Sleepwalker Records’ ‘Lab Series 2’ compilation. This eclectic collection of current South African electronica came up in my feed 3 times before I eventually clicked play. Since then, I’ve put it on anytime I’ve needed to get some writing done. Turns out variations of techno and house are the perfect companion to wandering thoughts and the clacking of a keyboard, although I can imagine a few of these tracks being the soundtrack to a night on the jol.

Unbeknownst to me, Sleepwalker Records has been around for a decade already. Jimmy Chronic (James Cell) originally started the label back in 2007. It went dormant for a while, but was brought back to life last year with ‘Lab Series 1’ and I’ve heard they’re taking things a step further by opening up a physical record store. Judging by both compilations, it’s probably a good move. The current crop of South African experimental electronica producers don’t lack talent but finding meaningful spaces to showcase that work is always a struggle.

As with all good compilations, Lab Series 2 features noteworthy up-and-comers as well as stalwarts of the scene, all deftly mixed together. Jimmy Chronic himself opens things up with ‘I Just Can’t Deal’. Vox Portent brings the thump with ‘Take 5’. Rose Bonica takes us on a layered 7 and a half minute journey that (mostly) revisits the same hook with ‘It’s a Whale of a Time’. Even Women Who Kill found time to bless us with his tasty house stylings on ‘Fleas Hitchin’ Rides on Bees’ whilst teaching in South Korea. That being said, it’s Parabyl’s ‘Whiplash’ that stands out for me. It’s just got the perfect mix of morose and groovy that resonates with me.

Whilst each of these artists are talented in their own right, when grouped together it gives a snapshot of some of the incredible sounds being made by South Africans at the moment. We find new music in a myriad of ways these days but one of the oldest and most reliable is still through shares and recommendations. By having 17 artists on a compilation, each artist can introduce their audience to other musicians they might vibe with, which increases everyone’s potential reach. You might come for LEEU and stay for Ancient Brothers, you know? In an age where everyone is their own label/manager/promoter and everything is decentralised, small independent labels still have a role to play, especially with releases like ‘Lab Series 2’.

21 September 2017
The Emotional Electronica of Rose Bonica

Rose Bonica is a relatively new name on the 4/4 dancefloor but one that is steadily building, beat after beat, layer after layer. She hasn’t had much press (until now) but she’s been put on by artists who know their shit, like Jumping Back Slash, and has put out some enchanting and hypnotic releases worthy of your time (One of which is the live mix she did for JBS). I got to Skype the producer/quite-a-few-things just after she returned from the from the Wet Dreams compilation launch in Jozi (in association with this fine publication). “It was a cool turn out, the bar didn’t have a card machine though.” She jokingly nitpicks when I ask how it went.

Rose Bonica, real name Natalie Rose Perel, is a bit of a perfectionist and comes across as hyper-aware, but also candid and open. She’s dabbled in a few things, like, she has her honours in video editing and learned to code so she could work on her dad’s company’s website, but it’s with music that she’s finding a way to express herself. “I’m an emotional person,” she explains, “But only in the last 2 years have I really been a bit more open. Although I’m emotional, I’m very, you know, just put a smile on my face and move on. I guess not a lot of people very close to me know what I’m feeling, but music’s helping me with that.”

Personally, I find it harder to connect emotionally with house and techno music, but Rose explained how she expresses herself through sampling,”I think it’s the sampling aspect of music, how you can use samples and how that can be your story. I always found in editing, what always carried a film or a video or anything was the music behind it. You could change the mood by changing the music behind it. When I was watching Montle make music, which is what made me want to try, he’s also very expressive, the way he makes his songs is storytelling. Chopping samples together you can literally show someone who you are, and I think that that’s what I want from Rose Bonica.”

Montle aka Big Space is Rose’s boyfriend and watching him create music is what sparked her interest in music. “I didn’t even really listen to music before I started making it,” she says jokingly, but not as a joke. Montle is also the reason why she has had some doors open for her. “I definitely was lucky in that I had a jump start being with Montle and having access to his connections that he already had. Nepotism, for once, has actually worked in my favour. But I do know that the people who have been backing me and what I’ve been doing- most of them are 40 year old men who, if they didn’t like something, wouldn’t support it.”

The thing is, whilst Montle has helped open some doors, others have closed because some people think Montle is making Rose’s music. “I know a lot of people, at least in Cape Town, think Montle is my ghostwriter, which kinda blows my mind seeing as I’ve used computers all my life. It’s not actually that hard, most electronic “musicians”, producers, aren’t musicians, they’re not trained, like, at all. I think that could be something else. It’s quite a common thing I think, with women, is men are always waiting for you to be exposed by playing premixes.”

Now I can’t tell if Rose is making her own music all the way from my flat in Umbilo, but if she got booked to play live more, she could show what she’s made of. “I was booked over woman’s day week,” she tells me when I ask if she plays live much. “That sounds like tokenism,” I reply. She laughs, “And by female bookers. So I played 3 gigs in 1 week, it was quite amazing, it was really fun, I would love to play again.”

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Rose since she’s started making music. Whilst jaded 40-year-olds are putting her on, cynical youth are blocking her from making moves. That just means that Rose will have to find ways to change things and put herself on, which, after the Wet Dreams launch, is exactly what she plans on doing “I’m thinking of actually trying to make a change because I know in life that you can’t expect things to change unless you change them yourself.”

(more…)

2 June 2017
Wet Dreams Recordings presents Work Not Hype

With the launch of their first official compilation Work Not Hype, South African underground electronic label Wet Dreams Recordings is coming out of the bedroom and announcing itself as a real label. Featuring artists such as Rose Bonica, Jumping Back Slash, Dion Monti, Lorenzo, DJ 909 Clap, Yezzah and vGrrr. Altered Natives will be the final artist to feature. Label founder and producer Big Space is proud of the release. “This is the first one that’s actually going to be mastered. I paid lots of time carefully selecting the tunes. It’s very well curated.”

Wet Dreams Recordings started off as a high school fantasy for Johannesburg based Big Space. “I guess I always wanted a place where myself and my friends or like-minded people could release stuff because it was different and there was never anything like that in South Africa except for say African Dope.”

While the music on Wet Dreams Recordings spans a variety of electronic genres, the common thread running throughout is that they all take a different form of expression. “Aesthetic wise in South Africa it’s very hard to find people that think about music outside of cash or just pushing the levels of ideas. So I just look for that.”

Wet Dreams Recordings’ first release, Night Sweats Vol. 1, featured a handful of artists that shared this mindset. “Apart from Jumping Back Slash, who’s a friend, the other guys are just guys that I met on the internet. Either I contacted them or they came up to me and just said they like my stuff and vice versa.”

Work Not Hype will be available online as well as on CD. “We’re going to do a limited run of some CDs with some very nice art to accompany it so you don’t just feel like you’re buying a piece of plastic that you’ll never use. It’s gonna have a nice story, just talking shit about everyone, because people like that. There’s something for everyone I guess. If you don’t like music there’s some great gossip. Me shitting on people. Pictures of dicks. Pictures of dicks shitting on people. You know, art.”

When it comes to how his approach towards the label has changed Big Space is frank. “Shit, it’s a bit fucking scary because now I have other people’s careers in my hand not just mine. It’s just basically following strategy, something I never did before. I guess playing the game of the game, but on my own terms. The way I plan to infiltrate the game is literally by just putting out consistently good quality stuff, because it’s not just gqom and Goldfish and Freshlyground. There’s tons of other stuff that’s coming from here.”

With their aim to be a platform for different yet high quality music, Wet Dreams Recordings is carving out a niche locally at a time when the focus on South African music is greater than ever and the need for such a platform even more so. “I’m tired of trying to impress South Africa because they don’t even care about anything different unless it’s a copy of international stuff. So I want it to be heard by the right people that want to hear different music.”

13 April 2017
Big Space Put Out 52 Remixes Last Year. What Did You Do?

If you want to get good at something, you have to do it a lot. The cliche is to say something like 10 000 hours of practice but putting out 52 remixes in a year isn’t a bad way to go about it either. Last year Big Space aka Montle Moorosi put out a remix a week and learned a few things. “I learned that I hate social media, I learned I hate my friends, but I learned how to fucking make music super quickly. I learned technical, musical nerd shit.” So hey, if you don’t really care for social media or your friends, might be worth trying for yourself. If you really want it, you’ll sacrifice for your art.

The project wasn’t all just about working on his skills but also served as a creative release valve. I asked Montle why he did and he told me “I wanted a way to keep releasing music for free but without the mental burden of worrying whether people will buy it or not or even care if it exists. So Natalie Perel (Rose Bonica) came up with the idea of doing a remix a week. That way I can just release the stuff because I don’t own the rights and its keeps me producing. Natalie also designed the site and many of the artworks so that kept her busy throughout the year too.”

From what I’ve seen online and experienced in a brief Skype session, Big Space is a bit of an eccentric cat so it makes sense that the songs he chooses to mix are an eclectic bunch. There’s a broad mix of South African representation with the first release being a dark rendition of Slyza Tsotsi, The Frown make multiple appearances, so does Sibot, there’s the Gumbo Ya-Ya’s, MUJAVA, and Batuk round out the collection. On the international front, Yours Truly icon Mac De Marco kicks things off versing off with Father who also makes it onto a few tracks. Then Santigold and iLovemakonnen’s “Who Be Loving Me” get’s a dreamy rework that I’m going to play on Virtual DJ at a party because Big Space hates those DJs but also because people will think I’m great at mixing. Actually, a lot of these flow like live mixes – each layer building with repetition then whilst subtly changing into something completely different with the beat holding everything together. I’m not the most knowledgeable house music guy but Big Space seems to have a pretty good handle on it.

Montle’s favourite of the 52 remixes is his take on Jumping Back Slash’s Soft Slumps although I’m quite partial to his mashup of The Gumbo Ya-Yas and Talking Heads. I’m still making my way through the whole list, so far, I’ve mostly just picked out what I know and a few others that looked interesting. That’s the thing with remixes, I guess. Sometimes you pick a song because it’s familiar to people and you want to put your take on it, other times you do it because you want to expose your audience to something different, and put your take on it. I asked him what the challenges are in remixing that are different to producing your own work and he explained “The challenges are drawing the line between your work and another person’s work and where it transitions into an original piece of music.” Which he jokingly followed up with “The other challenge is telling yourself you’re not just one of those beatport edm producers who have a built a career on doing remixes only.”

Putting out a remix a week takes discipline and dedication and now Big Space has a solid body of work and some technical nerd knowledge to show for it.

23 February 2017