With some time to reflect, LWE’s associated editor, Chris Miller, offers his thoughts on Red Bull Music Academy’s takeover of New York City this past May.
red bull music academy
LWE Guide to the Red Bull Music Academy London
For the past ten years the kindly folk at Red Bull have been assembling some of the hottest and most revered musical talent from around the world to pass on their knowledge to a younger, up and coming generation of heads. Each year one city plays host to two intakes of successful applicants whose musical backgrounds vary as much as the guests who provide unequaled insight into their experiences and expertise of the music industry. Participants are treated to a wealth of knowledge through daily seminars, whether it be Hank Shocklee from the Bomb Squad breaking down the intricacies of sampling and making hip hop into a rebellious art-form, Theo Parrish talking about early inspiration and everything from the Music Box to Garth Brooks, or the inimitable Tony Allen, regarded as the best drummer ever to have graced this planet, discussing the early days of meeting Fela and music as the weapon of the future. Although the Academy itself is open only to the participants, there are club nights happening all over London for four weeks, featuring a staggering array of talent that will leave you well and truly schooled. And if you want to drop in on some of the past lectures you can check out the archives of over 200 full length videos and text manuscripts from previous academies. Here’s a run down on some of the nights taking place over the next month in London, and a chance to win a pair of tickets to a show featuring Moritz Von Oswald, Henrik Schwarz, DJ Sprinkles and more.