Tour Telegraph IV: SXSW Festival review

10/05/2011 — Leave a comment

Hey guys,

sorry for the long silence but after returning home from our recent US tour we´ve been busy with our European album release party in Cologne and a lot of new work in the studio. This is the second part of our USA tour telegraph. This time it is about our week at SXSW Music Conference in Austin/Texas:

We were very happy to return to Austin for SXSW and this year we had a much bigger appearance there than last year. This time we were the most gigs playing German act during SXSW, playing 11 gigs in 7 days. Plus interviews and photo sessions. We started monday night at The Mohawk at a superb event that combined the elements of SXSW Interactive and SXSW Music, meaning the most talented graphic artists doing live animations and art to cool club music sets. Honestly folks, there should be more events like that. Makes perfectly sense.

That was a great start of SXSW for us and we kept on going with great parties by Soul Of The Boot Entertainment, Wax Poetics Magazine, ESL Music,  Dubspot, Giant Step, Etnies, Sunset Promotions and our official SXSW gigs. We had the pleasure and honour to play with bands and dj´s like Empresarios, Bellerushe, Nappy Riddem, Ocote Soul Sounds, Chico Mann, Thavius Beck, Nickodemus, J-Boogie, Funk Ark, DJ Sun, DJ DRM, Afrolicious, Adrian Younge, DJ Yoda, Rob Luis, DJ Manny, etc. The list goes on and on. Great times all over.

SXSW in Austin is really worth the visit because it is the perfect happening that gets fans and music lovers

together with the artists and the music industry. The only negative thing in our eyes was the treatment at the official SXSW gigs. As an artist you didn´t feel threatened that good as you would expect from a festival that invited you to play. There was no artist lounge at events to get free drinks. All you got was 2 drink tickets per person and if you ran out you had to pay for your drinks. Also the manners and behavior  by some official SXSW people was not really friendly, more rude so to say.

So to sum it up we have to say that SXSW is big party with great people. Austin is beautiful down to earth city (surrounded by great nature) that get´s a great mixture of music fans, freaks, artists and industry people together once a year. Hopefully some of the photos from our time in Austin can reflect that vibe.

Our second album “Into Bass And Time” is released worldwide now. You can grab your copies in the stores below:

Digital Download

iTunes

Amazon

Junodownload.com

CD & 2LP Vinyl

HHV.de

ESL Music Shop

Amazon

Thanks for your support!

Peace,

Dogu & Kabanjak aka Ancient Astronauts

Tour Telegraph III: Photos from the W Hotel / Washington D.C.

28/03/2011 — Leave a comment

Hello!

We want to show you some photos from our gig with Frank Mitchell Jr. at the W Hotel in Washington D.C.

 

Thanks to Daniel Swartz for the photos. Now we’re off to California in order to play the next leg of our tour!

Enjoy your day,

Ancient Astronauts

Tour Telegraph II: SXSW Festival & A Cherry On Top

24/03/2011 — 2 Comments

Wow,

SXSW Festival in Austin was a blast. We played 11 gigs in 7 days which made us the most playing German artists at SXSW. The vibes and crowds were incredible and we wanna thank all the artists, labels and sponsors we showcased with such as ETNIES, Dubspot, J-Boogie, Funk Ark, Ocote Soul Sounds, Empresarios, Nappy Riddem, Nickodemus, Bellerushe, Afrolicious, Rob Luis & Tru Thoughts Massive, DJ Yoda, Thavius Beck, DJ Shiftee, DJ Obah, Bary Cole, C3 Management, DJ Manny, Chicken George, DJ Sun, DRM (Bastard Jazz), Adrian Quesada & The Echocentrics, Adrian Young, Shawn Lee, Dennis Coffey, DJ Chorizo Funk and Erik The Red (Giant Step). What a pleasure to be able to play with such a variety of great talent who support true music. We Love you guys!

Definately one of our greatest memories come from the Silent Disco event by our friend Motion Potion and his Sunset Promotions crew during full moon in an enchanted forest in Austin. This event was amazing. We were really stoked how easily you can get into the “sound zone” of your headphones and dance through the wood all night. Imagine 400 people dancing with headphones on and being able to switch channels between 2 different dj sets.

This year´s SXSW was even stronger than last year and we can´t wait till 2012 to move forward. Right now we arrived safely in DC again where we will play 2 gigs this weekend (Newseum & Eighteenth Street Lounge) before we head over to the West Coast.

And to lay a cherry on top, please find our first official music video for our song “Worldwide“. Yesss!

 

 

Much love & good vibes from the Ancient Astros!!!

Tour Telegraph I: W Hotel, Washington D.C.

16/03/2011 — Leave a comment

Hello,

our first gig in Washington D.C. was at the W Hotel with the Frank Mitchell Jr Band. Had a fun time playing at this high class place with a nice view on the White House. We spent the night there and enjoyed their king size bed!

For more fotos and review, please visit:

http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/articles/livedc-w-happenings-presents-ancient-astronauts-w-frank-mitchell-jr.htm

Now: Austin, Texas. SXSW. 11 gigs in 7 days, what a pleasure!

Big up,

Ancient Astronauts

Into Bass And Time Release

08/03/2011 — 4 Comments

People,

 

it´s Astronauts release day. We are very happy to announce that today ( March 8 ) is the official US release day for our new album Into Bass And Time. Woohooo the day has come. It´s our second studio album on ESL Music and it features our trademark variety of conscious Hip Hop, Dopebeats, Funk and Reggae. Our collaborations on this album reach from former collaborators Azeem, Raashan Ahmad, Phat Old Mamas, Entropik and DJ Zeph to new partners in crime Akua Naru, W Ellington Felton, Monsoon, DJ Brace, Dave Finnell, Kiran Gandhi and Will Rast.

Into Bass And Time

Into Bass And Time

UK graphic artist Will Barras, our partner for all Ancient Astronauts art and design, took it to next levels with the artwork for Into Bass And Time rounding up a bass- and beat-heavy album that rides through different cosmic music genres. Enjoy the ride!

 

Order your copy here: http://www.eslmusic.com/shop/albumDetail/into_bass_and_time

(Info: the 2LP Gatefold Edition will be released on Apri 8, 2011)

 

We are starting our US release tour very soon and will be visiting Washington DC, SXSW Festival in Austin, Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles this time. Please check the Dates Section for more information!

 

One love,

Ancient Astronauts

Release of “Worldwide EP” and new DJ Mix

01/02/2011 — Leave a comment

Hey world,

today we are proud to announce the release of our “Worldwide EP” (ESL 171) through ESL Music. This EP is the first release of our upcoming album “Into Bass And Time” (ESL 172) that will be out on March 8 in the USA and April 8 in Europe.

The EP starts with title track “Worldwide” which is a sampladelic block party anthem that features Oakland based DJ Zeph on cuts and it is dedicated to all original beat headz worldwide. Then we have “Eternal Searching” with DC native W. Ellington Felton on vocal duties who kicks it with some timeless conscious rhymes who are backed by outstanding live strings from UK string ensemble Entropik. And last but definitely not least is our song “Fear Is The Only Darkness” who gives you some downtempo dopebeat goodness in order to overcome your fear and strengthen your soul.

http://www.eslmusic.com/shop/albumDetail/worldwide_ep

For those of you who are devoted snowboard heads we have the info that we will be rocking the VonZipper party at legendary Air & Style snowboard contest in Innsbruck/Austria this coming Friday. It´s a pleasure to be back again at this event in the beautiful city of Innsbruck. The theme is “Vampires & Zombies” so come and have a dance with us you little monsters!

VonZipper Vampires & Zombies Party / Air & Style 2011

VonZipper Vampires & Zombies Party / Air & Style 2011

Wanna know what sort of music we will spin? check out our brand new DJ Mix called “Tales Of Tomorrow” that features a lot of our music from Ancient Astronauts and Kabanjak as well as tunes from our labels Switchstance Recordings and Foot Forward Music.

 

Celebrate life & keep it real !!!

Ancient Astronauts

MIDEM 2011 & free Track “Worldwide”

26/01/2011 — Leave a comment

Dear beat headz,

just returned from a successful Midem Music Conference in Cannes/France. We had beautiful sunshine but it was very cold in this famous town at the Cote d´Azur. Midem seems to attract less and less customers the past years but still it is a good source for meeting the some of the real headz in the international music business. Of course we are talking about international indie business here.

Big Ups to Thomas Colinet and his legendary Sun7 Café (we will miss this place, only cool spot in Cannes), Finetunes, Tru Thoughts, Lizzy Parks, Kid Hops, Ninja Tune, Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills aka Wildcookie, Kudos Records, ADA Global, Initiative Musik, Rights Flow, Inertia, ST2 Records, Outpost Media, Ping Pong Promotion, Soul Seduction and all those I forgot. It´s all you guys that are doing good things and that made this trip to Cannes a very special one again. Keep on doing what you are doing. Conscious and intelligent indie business is what makes this world a better place.

To start, we would like to share a song with you. “Worldwide” from our upcoming album “Into Bass And Time“.

 

Peace, Love & Respect !!!

Dogu / Ancient Astronauts

Greetings from space!

21/12/2010 — Leave a comment

Beautiful people of the earth (and beyond),

we finally put together a website for our music and all activities around Ancient Astronauts. Here you find music players with our releases, dj mixes, printable press photos, our bio, related projects and much more. Hopefully this gives you a deeper insight and understanding of our vision of music.

One love!

Dogu & Kabanjak