Grape Soda is a three-piece, [Psychedelic] Rock/Alternative/Acoustic band from Brisbane, Australia. The band – consisting of 16 year olds Rohan Kindt, Ryan de Weijer, and Tom Beh – are in the midst of recording their first EP of original songs, and will be released mid-2011. The Edge caught up with Grape Soda to fire off a quick Q and A.

How did Grape Soda meet?

We all met at school, when we started jamming at lunchtimes, and it wasn’t until about half a year after our drummer moved schools when we started a band.

Is this your first Fete De La Musique?

This is the first Fete De La Musique for this band, but Rohan (Bass/Vocals) has played in 2008 in another band, and solo in 2010. So he is basically a Fete De La Musique veteran.

Where did you hear about Fete?

Several years ago we saw a very colourful ad in the paper, and we/I/Rohan was like, “Wow let’s do this!!”. Rohan’s parents also heard about it when they were in a holiday in France, and the festival was on.

What’s it like as an emerging band in the current music landscape?

It’s really quite exciting. It’s quite easy these days with social networks and the interwebs. We spend hours and hours just spamming our website links all over facebook and watching the number of likes go up on our facebook page. Thrilling! What’s the facebook page you ask? ‘www.facebook.com/grapesodatheband’. LIKE US!! There’s also lots of youth music events and venues that support us, such as Emerge (QACI) and The Hive (MIC). So that’s pretty cool.

What do you want out of life?

We want to basically just play in bands forever. We don’t really want to do anything else. But we realise that we’re going to have to go to UNI eventually and make a proper living… Kind of depressing.

What pisses you off about Australian politics?

The fact that none of the politicians are very good. We may as well sack all of the politicians we have now, and hire a couple of juggling seals to do the job… I’m not sure if seals can juggle, but it would be cool if they could.

What do you think society can do better?

hmm…Society is too controlling of what people do. People are continuously being told what and what not to do. IT’S YUCK!!!

Grape Soda play at 12pm on The Edge Plaza, Tuesday June 21. Check out the full line up here.

For the first time, bringing together a range of practitioners from electronica, hip hop and beyond, Rainman will host the We Don’t Play Guitars panel along with electronic music producer Alex Yabsley (Dot.ay).

Ray Bourne aka RAINMAN is an MC/DJ/beat-maker from Brisbane, Australia. From a childhood stealing hip hop tapes from older brothers, to holding down DJ residencies, guest-rapping and performing with the cream of local and international acts, releasing a well-received debut, collaborating with some of Australia’s finest and independently releasing a new single ‘Can’t See You’ with production from Chasm – it’s been a steady journey for Rainman so far. Rainman has played to packed shows in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane, appeared live on radio in each city and on the national Triple J Hip Hop Show as a feature artist on the program. He has also appeared in street press around the country and was featured in the internationally-distributed Stealth magazine and accompanying CD. Rainman’s debut Fire in the Belly is distributed through Australian hip hop powerhouse Obese Records and features production from Rainman himself, Sammsonite (The Optimen), and Toxic Al (The Coalition Crew). He is currently working on his follow up release that includes production from Count Bounce (TZU) and Chasm (Astronomy Class).

Purchase tickets to Unconvention and come and pick the minds of some of the industries movers and shakers.

Unconvention hits The Edge June 11 and 12.

Tickets available through Oztix.

Producers Club Regular Edition
When: 5.30-7.30pm, 18 & 25 August, 27 August (showcase)
Who: Andrei Maberley
Where: The Edge, Lab 3
Cost: Free
Bookings: book.it@edgeqld.org.au

The Producers Club returns to The Edge on a regular basis!

Producers Club Regular Edition is for producers, musicians, audio engineers of all skill levels and experience. It’s all about learning and appreciating the awesomeness of musical creation.

So bring along a work in progress, a final mix or even just a musical idea and we’ll crank it up in the studio. You may hear exactly what’s been missing, get a few idea’s on where to take your track, or you might just sit back and bask in the glory of your musical masterpiece.

Let us know you are coming by dropping us a line at book.it@edgeqld.org.au.

We’re on the countdown to UnConvention 2011: that’s right, the grass-roots music industry discussion event returns to The Edge this June.

If you’re still trying to get your head around the concept, UnConvention organiser Dave Carter gave a great interview to AAA Backstage. They asked what people can expect from the UnConvention program this year, and Dave replied:

“Two days of fascinating and interactive discussion about music, success, failure, chaos, what it’s like to run a venue, bleeding edge music technology, photography, shooting music videos, self-publishing, recording and the opportunity to connect with other people who are passionate about independent music. Oh, and there’ll be music, booze and lunch.”

One way UnConvention has grown even bigger and better from last year is with the addition of hands-on workshops.

• DIY Electronics / Gear Building: basic audio tech project (DI Box)
• You better get a lawyer son: rock ‘n roll governance and other misnomers.
• Run Your Own: Setting up and managing a DIY music space.
• We don’t got no steenking budget!: Jaymis Loveday will run 2 x 2 hour workshops on guerrilla music video production.
• UnMixing: local producers pull apart their projects / sessions.
• Self Publishing On / Offline: Everett True will share his experiences writing and self publishing as a music critic.

These are $5 extra on top of the $30 ticket price. You’ve probably paid more for a burger!

There are two weeks to go until UnConvention, which takes place at The Edge on the June long weekend (June 11-12). We’re counting down and the UnConvention guys clearly can’t wait either! They’ve kicked off the discussion already on Twitter (look for the hashtag #uncon20) and Facebook – and they want you to join in with your voice and thoughts.

Get Tickets HERE.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged by scientists and philosophers alike that the sandwich represents the peak of human innovation. We can all of us only try to create something that good. But whether you’re an artist, a scientist or a tech-head, you can learn something from the humble sandwich. Because just as you can’t make a sanger without bread and butter, you need certain basic skills before you can bring your genius vision to life.

Here at The Edge we’d love to be the kitchen where you make your game-changing sandwich. That’s why we’re very excited about bringing you a new series of workshops. “Bread and Butter” are your digital basics. They’re an introduction to the software, gear, techniques or skills you need to create your masterpiece.

So we wanna know – what do you wanna learn? What’s your take on the basics? What do you need to know about so you can kick your creativity into high-gear?

We’ve got some ideas to get the ball rolling. Head to our Facebook page to vote now for what you think should be part of the Bread and Butter Digital Skills program – and add your thoughts. Here are our ideas so far:

• Music recording
• Video Editing 101
• Animation Basics
• Writing for your audience – blogs
• Graphic Design 101
• Introduction to Photography
• Basic app creation
• Programming with Ruby On Rails
• Processing
• Building a website with WordPress
• Basic electronics and hardware hacking
• Introduction to Data Visualisation

• The Edge Garden
• DIY Sustainable Power

What other Bread & Butter skills would you like to learn? While we won’t be able to accommodate every request, your input is really important to make these workshops relevant.  Vote and add your suggestions on our Facebook page, or below in the comments.

We’re nearly a week out from The Edge relaunch party and I still have no idea what to wear. Yikes! Luckily there are much easier decisions to make, like which performances and demonstrations to check out on Saturday May 7. If you have a tendency become anxious when confronted with an array of exciting options, you may like to sit down before reading ahead.

The Edge Relaunch
12.00-9.00pm Saturday May 7, 2011
FREE (except some workshops as noted)
RSVP on Facebook

THE AUDITORIUM
12.00pm           Interactive Rock Band
3.00pm             Workshop: Fresh Elements
4.40pm             Jabiru Crew
5.00pm             Official opening
5.30pm             Freak Morice
6.10pm             Fresh Elements
7.00pm             Rainman
7.25pm             MC Murriz
7.40pm             The Soulbreakers
8.10pm             Laneous & The Family Yah

THE PLAZA
1.00pm             Katie Wighton & band
2.00pm             Ivy May Dillion
3.00pm             Videomatics
4.00pm             Pear & the Awkward Orchestra
5.00pm             Joel Stern

THE MEZZANINE
12.00-5.00pm    Markets

LAB 1
11.00am           My Happiness Film Project (competition finalists only)
4.00pm             Workshop: HackInMotion (workshop full!)
5.00pm             My Happiness Film Project (competition finalists only)

LAB 2
12.00-5.00pm    Workshop: Making Things Sense (paid attendees only)

LAB 3
1.00pm             Jabiru Showcase
4.00pm             Workshop: Making Shiny, Shiny Pop Music (workshop full!)

9.00am-5.00pm Saturday and Sunday June 11-12, 2011
Who: Speakers include Leanne De Souza, Dom Miller, Kellie Lloyd, Jeremy Neale, Rick Chazan and more…
Where: The Edge
Cost: $30
Bookings: OzTix

The Edge is pumped to be hosting the independent music event UnConvention Brisbane in its second year. UnConvention is a discussion of the local independent music industry, relevant for everyone from aspiring to established performers, promoters, producers, labels, writers and more. Whether you’re trying to break into the industry, or wondering where to take your next step – UnConvention is a fascinating conversation about where Brisbane’s music scene is headed and how we can build sustainable careers within it.

Make sure you clear the June long weekend (June 11-12) in your diary, because you won’t want to miss this. Building on feedback from last year’s event, the UnConvention 2011 will include discussion forums and practical workshops, as well as a networking session where you can make those all-important industry connections.

Check out the UnConvention website for more. You can also follow UnConvention on Twitter and Facebook.

Sound Play: Interaction in Space
Wednesday April 27 & Thursday April 28, 5pm – 8pm
Saturday April 30 & Sunday May 1, 2pm – 5pm
WHERE: The Edge, Lab 2
COST: Free, bookings required (email book.it@edgeqld.org.au)

The Edge needs some new interactive installations to celebrate our re-launch after the floods – and we want your help to develop it! Work with the Edge to design and build an interactive installation. We’re going to take over speakers throughout the building and make the upstairs bathrooms do strange & wonderful things…

Bring any skills you have or none at all; everybody is welcome. Sign up by emailing book.it@edgeqld.org.au . Book now because spaces are limited.

The Edge’s sound catalyst and all-round musical guru, Andrei Maberley, presents a bunch of excellent – and FREE! – workshops in April and May to help you hone your production skills. All of the following workshops are free to attend but spaces are limited so be sure to email book.it@edgeqld.org.au ASAP to book your spot.

Final Pro Tools Basics Workshop
Saturday April 2 2011, 1-3pm
SLQ Meeting Room 1A
With Lab 3 out of action, now is the time to brush up on the basics and a little more of Pro Tools. We’ll be using Pro Tools 9, which is functionally very similar to the HD system in Lab 3. Once again we’ll cover the basics of good session management and also delve into some of the features of PT9 that make it a game changer for studios. Book now at book.it@edgeqld.org.au spaces are limited.

Music Production in Pro Tools
Saturday April 9 2011, 1-3pm
SLQ Meeting Room 1A
In this workshop, we’ll be exploring how to get the best out of Pro Tools’ inbuilt virtual instruments.  We’ll cover using MIDI to write parts and creating, editing, controlling and automating RTAS instruments. We’ll have a bash at a couple of different genres, and take a brief look at the world of third party plug-ins.  Book now at book.it@edgeqld.org.au spaces are limited.

Working with Video in Pro Tools
Saturday April 16 2011, 1-3pm
SLQ Meeting Room 1A
This workshop will cover how to get started with syncing audio to video in Pro Tools.  We’ll cover the tech specs of importing and working with video on Mac and PC, and demonstrate syncing dialog and music to picture. Book now at book.it@edgeqld.org.au spaces are limited.

The Art of Musical Editing in Pro Tools
Saturday April 23 2011, 1-3pm
Lab 3, The Edge
Love it or loathe it – editing the crap out of recordings in popular music is here to stay. Whether it’s over the top Lady Gaga production, the latest evolution of rock and dancefloor sounds or even orchestral classics, one process all these songs will go through is editing to make the ‘ perfect’ performance.  We’ll cover the basics editing vocals, drums, guitars and touch upon classical music editing. Book now at book.it@edgeqld.org.au spaces are limited.

12–3pm Wednesday 8 December
Who: Chris Neehause
Where: The Edge Lab 3
Cost: $50 for induction, $150 for induction + Pro Tools
Bookings: book.it@edgeqld.org.au

Full induction to Lab 3, The Edge sound studio. If you want to book the Lab you will need to complete this induction.

Saturday 28 August 2010
Facilitator: Richard Byers
Cost: Free
Bookings: email Richard

Interactive programming with Quartz Composer, a mac based visual programming environment

A workshop by Richard Byers

covering;
an introduction to Quartz Composer environment
examples by Richard and inspirational works of others
how to connect audio, camera’s and physical sensors to Quartz composer
an open discussion will follow with more advanced topics, for users to swap ideas, showcase work, collaborate and make contacts

11 places are available, each participant will have a computer each loaded with quartz and additional plugins for them to experiment and produce quartz compositions during the workshop.

Richard Byers was a resident artist at The Edge with a live interactive improvised music performance and installation project, more info and details about him and his projects can be found at http://richardbyers.tk

Surroundings 5.1.3 is an audiovisual performance and interactive installation at The Edge on the first weekend in August 2010.

Inspired by the cultural icon of the Australian backyard, the project includes two performances and an interactive exhibition, all free entry.

The artist

Richard

The man behind Surroundings 5.1.3 is Richard Byers, one of The Edge’s four foundation Residents. Richard is a visual design artist who focuses on artistic video based projected imagery that merges drawing, painting and sculpture with light and video, often involving human interaction.

His projects have been featured across diverse spaces including clubs, museums, galleries, basements and abandoned spaces in Sydney, Tokyo, Berlin and Brisbane.

Richard’s project at The Edge, extends the interactivity of his latest project, Sound.Transmission.Light, by developing multi-channel audio input, movement triggering, capture and detection, and the inclusion of data streams from sensors, databases and online social media feeds.

The performance and exhibition

As the key output of Richard’s Residency at The Edge, Richard developed this unique performance exhibition, in which performers and audience alike will improvise, educate and enjoy the interactive experience.

There will be performances on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August 2010 featuring musicians Aphonia, Arongo Te Whiu and Hannah Shepherd who will provide sound while Richard provides visuals.

On Sunday 8 August, the interactive exhibition will be open from 12pm to 6pm for people to interact with, influencing the sound and visuals simply by being in the space.

Come, enjoy, experience, engage.

Click for more about the events.

1–4pm Saturdays 7 August–2 October 2010
Who: Beh Wattenburg, Edge Resident
Where: The Edge Basement
Cost: Free
Bookings: book.it@edgeqld.org.au

10 weekly workshops creating and destroying, learning and jamming with electricity, electronics, programming, sound, light and hacked toys.

If you’re the kind of person who gets on with gadgets or wonders what makes things go, then bring a toy to dissect, reconfigure and re-animate.

We will start by learning basic electrickery and safety stuff, from there we will explore several paths of inquiry before embarking on a wild tech-art adventure and landing on the shores of the Island of Extravagance sometime in late September.

We have 10 spots for intrepid tinkerers.

Come along and explore the possibilities of working with digital video and sound. In this workshop we will produce and re-mix an audiovisual collage from scratch.

Learn skills in filming, editing, sound production, VJing and animation and become a super-star-audiovisual-ninja-attack-robot. No experience necessary.

Performances: Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August 2010
Exhibition: Sunday 8 August 2010
Who: Edge Resident Richard Byers, Aphonia, Arongo Te Whiu and Hannah Shepherd
Cost: Free
Bookings: book.it@edgeqld.org.au

Inspired by the Australian icon of the common backyard, Surroundings 5.1.3 is a surround sound, surround video performance and exhibition project being held at The Edge.

It is a collaboration between new media artist and Edge Resident Richard Byers, musician Aphonia, and vocalists Arongo Te Whiu and Hannah Shepherd comprising two performances of an improvised audio-visual work and an interactive installation.

The installation created by Richard as part of his Residency uses multi-channel audio and video along with proximity sensors that enable the audience to influence the mix of sound and music, video and light that makes up the work, just by being in the space.

Performances and exhibition are free.