Monday, August 1, 2011

Night Sky Empire Demo EP



 We have released all our demos online...
You can download a zip-file HERE
Free download via MediaFire (only 46mb)
High-quality MP3s (320kbps)

You can also listen and download the tracks via our Soundcloud page

Creative Commons License
Demo EP by Night Sky Empire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 South Africa License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nightskyempire.withtank.com/contact-us.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

NEWS: End of an Empire




It is with heavy hearts that we announce the end of Night Sky Empire.

Since Harry's departure in February 2011, Thato and Cale continued to write new material while looking for a bass player. After an unsuccessful search, and a few months hiatus, they have decided to focus on new and future projects.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone that supported us. All the bands, organisers, family and friends. We are so grateful for everything.

See you later

NSE

All our demo recordings will be released online.
As soon as the EP is up we'll share the download link.

We will also be sharing video footage on  
our YouTube channel over the next few months.

Friday, March 18, 2011

South African Post-Rock


WHAT IS POST-ROCK?

Very little people in South Africa are familiar with music known as ‘post-rock’. Post-rock is a sub-genre of alternative rock and progressive rock which, in the words of music writer Simon Reynolds, uses "rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbres and textures rather than riffs and powerchords."

Reynolds is believed to have coined the term back in 1994 and it became frequently used to categorise a loose movement of bands in the early 90s who took influence from a wide range of styles – from jazz and experimental, to electronica and Krautrock, to the shoegazing movement of the late 80s/early 90s. These bands are now considered more as pioneers than style representatives as the post-rock genre began to define itself, notably in 1996, when Tortoise released their second album “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” giving way to other post-rock bands of the late 90s such as Mogwai, Sigur Rós and Godspeed You Black Emperor! (now Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

This inspired much of today’s post-rock sound which is mainly instrumental with moods and textures. Traits include ambient guitars, repetition and build-ups, driving rhythms, atmospheric leads, lengthy compositions, and use of soundscapes.

In the early 2000s, just like other musical genres, the term became a bit insufficient and disliked by musicians and artists alike. It became misused as people would classify bands with little in common as post-rock because of the simple fact that they were instrumental. But, despite criticism of the term, more and more bands such as Explosions in the Sky, This Will Destroy You, Do Make Say Think, Pelican, and Mono are emerging in popularity today. They explore new realms and diversify the genre while maintaining the fundamental principles of the post-rock movement.

POST-ROCK IN SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, there are very few bands that play this genre of music, and, as said before, many don’t like to classify their music as post-rock. However, in my personal opinion, I believe there is a small list of bands in South Africa that, in some way, use typical post-rock elements in their music. As with all music, everything is a reinterpretation of themes and motifs used in the past.

The South African bands listed below are all great in their own right and it is very exciting for one to think about how they will influence the music scene in South Africa in the future.

Albinobeach






Bateleur

Post Triassic
Cape Town

http://www.myspace.com/bateleurr
http://www.facebook.com/bateleurband

Download 'Mountain' 3-track


BATELEUR THANKS,INDIA from nicokrijno on Vimeo.


Eyes Like Mirrors

Post- Rock/ Experimental
Johannesburg

http://www.myspace.com/eyeslikemirrors
http://www.facebook.com/eyeslikemirrors



Side projects:

Lemuria

http://www.myspace.com/lemuriaquiet



On Travel




Kidofdoom

Psychedelic / Electro / Rock
Pretoria

http://www.kidofdoom.co.za
http://www.myspace.com/kidofdoom
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/kidofdoom/7541330893



Tale of the Son
 
Noisy Instrumental Soundscapes
Pretoria





The Ocean Doesn't Want Me

post-whatever/ambient/metal/noise
Pretoria

http://www.theoceandoesntwantme.com
http://www.myspace.com/theoceandoesntwantme
http://www.facebook.com/TheOceanDoesntWantMe


Us Kids Know

Tweepoop/Shoehaze/Mathgoth
Johannesburg

http://www.myspace.com/uskidsknowband
http://www.facebook.com/uskidsknowband

Download 'Friendship Test' EP, 2009




We Set Sail

instrumental post rock/1+2 shoegaze
Cape Town

http://www.facebook.com/wesetsailcapetown


We Set Sail - Wash from We Set Sail on Vimeo.

____________________________________________________

More on Post-rock music:

Post-Rock Genre Profile by Anthony Carew, About.com Guide

POST ROCK/MATH ROCK, A Progressive Rock Sub-genre, from Progarchives.com

Post rock: A movement of the 90s, still kickin'by Ian Weinberger

The Post-Rock Phenomenon (Originally written for the Utne Reader), July 1996 by Scot Hacker

What Is Post-Rock by Postrockxchange.com

What is Post Rock by Postrocking.com

All Music: Post-rock

Post-rock on Wikipedia.org


Friday, February 11, 2011

NEWS: To bass or not to bass



Our bassist, Harry, has decided to pursue his passion for guitar and will not be playing in Night Sky Empire anymore. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors and look forward to hearing the great music that he will make in the time to come.

A very special thanks to Harry for his contribution and 
all the work he did for Night Sky Empire.


Thato and I are now looking for a new bass player for the band. If anyone is interested or knows of a good, experienced, reliable bassist then please send us a message.

Email us at: nightskyempire@gmail.com or call
082-510-0026 (Cale) or 078-061-2418 (Thato)

We look forward to writing some new songs and can't wait to get back on stage.
Some new recordings are almost mixed and you shall hear them soon.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Afrika South Rhizomatics


It is a unique collective that is deemed to do some great things.

 In their own words,

'AfrikAs0:u:+h rhiz0mA+iks
is for everyone
who has a sound
to comunicate
but no means
with which to do it.
we will provide
the platform nessecary
to obtain that means.

we are working
on putting together
unique compilations
of independent
experimental\explorative sounds
by artists from the afrikasouth.'


They released their first compilation last year:
version 1.0
introduction:
to sys+(e)ms 0f s0:u:nds

The first volume features
independent experimental music
by artists from South Africa
(to them; the afrikasouth).

* READ MORE HERE *

 Tracklisting:

1. Sticky Antlers - Slownine (5.06)
2. Benguela - Translation (7.41)
3. Machette Jacobite - Left Difficulty (5.39)
4. Bride Reunion - Clandestine Carnivore (4.28)
5. Marco - For Klimek (3.22)
6. VBI - Green Square Market (3.46)
7. Suicycle - Song To Hum no. 11 (4.51)
8. Nikhil Singh - Nagasaki Nikita (4.02)
9. Asqus - Mid-Atlantic 2007 (pt. 1) (2.55)
10. Stenchworm - Anxiety Attack (1.17)
11. Isadora Dustmite Junk - Revision: howto save yourown life (3.51)
12. Retarded Dance Squad - Topsecret GBC megamix (10.18)
13. Ms. Skidd - 2nd Movement: Opus I Diabolus In Musica (5.07)
14. Cartoon Chaoss - (e)xtrAct (e)M0ti0N (2.29)
15. Facecontrol - The First Thing You Should Say (5.15)
16. The Crackpot Realist - Afrikan Junk (3.21)
17. Righard Kapp - Anechoic Dialect (3.14)
18. Summoning The Plauge - Knifefight (3.07)
19. Howell and Starcke - Sparse Jungle (8.38)


.
AfrikAs0:u:+h rhiz0mA+iks are hunting more content for their future releases.
They want unique creators from all mediums
including independent media and independent record labels.

Feel free to contribute to this amazing adventure:
isadoradustmitejunk@gmail.com

____________________________________________________________________________

Cartoon Chaoss


Our very own, Thato Knox is
Cartoon Chaoss.

This is his other project where he produces ambient electronica & drum 'n bass.


As the name suggests, Cartoon Chaoss is
what it is - An enigmatic journey where
both thoughts and emotions are expressed in music.



Find more artists like Cartoon Chaos at Myspace Music



Monday, January 24, 2011

Whispa Kydd

Our good friend Andrew is an artist, musician, photographer, writer, designer, and thinker.
He is many things. In his own words, he is 'a wildchild of the amour fou'.
He exists and he does not exist.

He took some photos of us at both Wolves and The Bridge Diner.
He also wrote delightful poetry.

_____________________________________________________________________________


rushtumblecrash.

sweptup
in an intensity
of warmth
and a seriousness
ihad left behind
ifound a deepheart
full of subtlestories
and a myhead so full
that icould not sleep.
in an oldeyeball and a newear.

nightskyempire@wolves.
 

















 






















'adventure to bridge diner,
a funnymad with strange flows night.
hard to predict or to see if you try to look.
we hit the edge of the citynight
walking the way welike.
crisscrosing jozitown.
sometimes we connect
to otherbodies
the movement of hands and words.
somepeople are scared to eat.
or are just tooyoung.
the fame weown
lives inthe corners
of ourelbows, knees and necks,
if youeyes areright - youll know me.
eventually what is inside
begins to hit the spacehard.
everything opens
and
the nightsky empire
tear theplace down. yay!
what youare looking for
is looking for you - wandikidd ♥'























nightsky empire:
'has been and continues to be refined:
fluid bodies,
always changing._has order.
doesnt have a specific place._
no fixed boundaries._
affects other things._
may be accessible but go unnoticed._
may be part of something else._
some is familiar._
some is strange._
knowing this changes me._'

_____________________________________________________________________________


Andrew has recently collaborated with
Isadora Dustmite Junk
to bring you the local compilation
AfrikAs0:u:+h rhiz0mA+iks



Saturday, January 22, 2011

A Day To Remember: 4 December 2010

The fourth of December 2010 was a really fun day.

We went through to the other side of Johannsburg - Kempton Park, for 
the Johannesburg Rock Exchange.



Cami from The Carniwhores took some flicks of us:




After the show we headed to a party in the area with our good friends;





 The party was really awesome and we joined them as they performed some of their songs.


The Brother moves on is an art and music collective that celebrates the transient nature of music and art in Johannesburg. They are a really great band and we are planning to do a proper gig with them soon.

They are performing at Love Bomb Music Afternoon on Sunday (January 23) at Love & Revolution in Melville, Johannesburg. Gil Hockman (ex-The Buckfever Underground) and Bokkie And A Moment In Time will also be performing.

We'll be there as it will be our good friend Andrew Tsafendas Whyspa Kydd's birthday.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

News: Upcoming Shows

First shows of 2011...


18 Jan
Tings 'n Times
1065 Arcadia Str, Pretoria

R30
with D-Siblime & Cover Up

 
.
19 Jan
Tanz Cafe
The Buzz Centre, Witkoppen Rd, Fourways

R30 (if on our guestlist - email us to get on the list)
with Fridge Poetry, Old Brown & The Sherries, Day Far Gone and Broken People

RSVP here

See you at a show!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

2010 Poster Art

Flyer and poster art from some 
shows we played in 2010:



Wake Up The World
July 19
by Anastasya Eli


3 September

 
9 September
 

Generation Next
18 September


Rocktober
1 October


Slumber Party #2
23 October


Celebrating 6 years of Green Africa Party 
30 October


Preview Flyers


.



November




Tanz Cafe Jam Showcase



Make-Overs  Album Launch
3 December

___________________________________________________


Check out some cool poster art here:




Just drop us an email if you're keen to design a flyer for us

nightskyempire@gmail.com