Beast interviews...Sarah Air

The Beast is proud to present Sarah Air at the next Minotaur Sound night on 25/11. Sarah will be dishing up some tasty beats in the Police Cells and has Beast wanting seconds each and every time she ignites the decks. Despite technical difficulties, she proved her worth at ‘Air From The Lair – Bearrito Beats’ broadcast last month from the top of the BearPit Bearritos bus – listen to her On the Bus mix to get a flavor of what's in store. Eager to get inside her musical mind we have our next Beast interview…

Beast asks Sarah what got her into DJ’ing

“It was the collapse of the financial markets combined with motherhood. After I was made redundant in 2009 I did a CDJ course, got a distinction and happily applied my new skills entertaining my toddler son for hours with a heady mix of minimal tech house and Thomas the Tank Engine hits. He loved all the buttons and flashing lights almost as much as me, but I found fisher price turntables a little limiting”.

Beast goes on to ask Sarah what her biggest musical influences are and also what she is listening to the most.

“Ooh, this is a tough one to answer because there are so many over a number of different periods of my life. Growing up in the eighties was such an amazing time for pop music, post-punk and post-disco, early electronica etc. I was fanatical about Top of the Pops and recorded my favourite numbers from the top 40 countdown chart on my tape cassette player so that I could listen to them again and again. The music of that time lit my little fuse, but it was the party-driven music of the rave scene in the early nineties that really stoked those flames and turned the appreciation of music for me into a more immersive, participative experience back then. The love of that dance music culture is what feeds a lot of the music that I love. If it makes me want to dance, it's hitting the spot for me.

My current listening is characteristically schizoid. I get earworms and just go with them for a while to work them out. Last night I listened to Nadia Rose's debut album, that's going to be popping up again for sure, IAMDDB's track Shade and Ravyn Lenae's track Spice are both niggling away still after much feeding and I'm loving a Villalobos and Celestial Voice extended single that's been on repeat in my headphones for the past couple of weeks - sounds like tech house angels singing...”

Beast is enamoured – cassette recording, flame stoking, angels singing – he simply can’t get enough of all these things and wants to find out more. He asks Sarah what is her musical MO when she plays:

“I'm new to this so have yet to define my MO. Initially I'll be taking an anarchic approach, cranking it up and observing the vigour/non-vigour of flailing limbs in the vicinity. Then, when I've finished singing lullabies to my kids at bedtime, I'll head down to the Beast's lair and play it by ear probably.”

Piqued by such wit, eloquence and musical mischief (anarchy and flailing limbs!? Beast’s pulse is going into overdrive! Beast loves a bit of anarchy) Beast asks Sarah if she had the power to erase and abolish one musical genre, which one would it be?

“Gabba. Enough said”

Sarah has attended previous Minotaur Sound parties and this will be her first time DJ’ing at the next one. Beast asks Sarah what can she tell those who have never been to a Minotaur Sound party before?

“You're in for a treat! Such a friendly crowd and good vibe. This event is lovingly and carefully curated by some very savvy people who know just what makes a great party - and it shows. Bring your mates and your dancing shoes and prepare to enjoy the best party night that Bristol has to offer!”

Tickets for the next Minotaur Sound night are available on Headfirst. Sarah will be playing alongside Thomas, Tina Hart, Much Maligned, Lee Williams and Illy Noize all regaling us with some deep house and techno joy. Get ready.

Beast interviews Naomi from We Creatures

You can imagine just how excited Beast would be to interview the insanely gorgeous Naomi who heads up her very own Horns, Headresses and Costume Design company aptly titled ‘We Creatures’. Naomi captivated Beast and his minions for last year’s Launch Party – after 3000 years of hibernation, Beasts horns were looking decidedly unhorny – just little nubbins that poked embarrassingly out of his head. Naomi lovingly made a beautiful new pair for him and Beast has been grateful to her ever since. Not only that – to add to Naomi’s incredibly dextrous talents she also performs regularly in her own creations – be it at festivals, art installations or photo shoots. She performs either by herself or in a troupe of other horned up lovelies.

Naomi from We Creatures
Photo credit @Robvoodoo

Beast was keen to catch up with Naomi again before the upcoming party - once again wanting to know what goodies she will be bringing“Hiya again Beast! Our team of fauns will be bringing ALL the fab and sass, glittering any and all party goers and supplying fantastical dress up pieces from your dreams!!” Beast is so excited he does a little victory dance and remembers what it was like at last year’s party – so many Minotaur guests came away with lovely handmade horns which they’d bought from Naomi to remind themselves of the Minotaur Sound launch party – they are perfect for festivals and parties! Beast wants to know why – “We’ve all been obsessed with dressing up from a young age, so we are natural creatures of the clubbing underground” – never has a truer word been said. One of the many reasons why Naomi and her fauns fit right in with the Minotaur crew. Naomi also adds “Personally as a maker, I love making the outlandish and avant garde a reality for people and developing comfortable and fantastical headpieces is something of an obsession at this point! Also I just really, really shamelessly love covering people in glitter!” Beast can’t wait to be one of the many to get glittered up on Saturday.

As much as Beast wishes he could keep Naomi as his personal indulgent secret, he knows he can’t do so. So if you want to check out We Creatures on Instagram take a look here: http://instagram.com/we.creatures and to gaze lovingly at Naomi’s handmade headdresses and horns go here – you will find them hard to resist: http://wecreaturescostume.etsy.com and http://wecreatures.co.uk.

As the interview comes to an end, Naomi and her fauns dance around The Beast, blow a kiss to his fuzzy face and dance out of his labyrinth “See you next Saturday Beast! Can’t wait to party with you in your Lakota den!” – Beast is delighted, it takes much to reduce this huge shaggy, mythical giant into a quivering heap of fuzzy giggles. Only a few more sleeps until Naomi and her fauns are back dancing alongside Minotaur guests and DJ’s Denis Horvat, Lee Williams, Kuba Drypher, Peasoup, Orion, Kagun, Nautz & Toppa, Ellis Odyssey and G Rowe with all the glitter that you could possibly imagine. Lakota will never have seen so many sassy sparkles! Get your tickets here: http://hdfst.uk/E36511

G Rowe - Minotaur Sound DJ interview!

So here's the first of our interviews with one of our DJ's G Rowe. George was instrumental in finding our Launch Party headline Illy Noize. He is an ex resident at Bristol's salubrious Headrush and Das Ist Nights. If you have clubbed out in Bristol, doubtless you will have been in his very safe hands.



G Rowe at a New Years gig 2015

Minotaur Sound: "Who are your biggest musical influences and why?"

George: "Hmmm...well I listen to all types of things, but in House and Techno, I'd probably say people like George Fitgerald and Scuba for stuff that's really good to dance to late at night. I also really like some funky stuff from the likes of Bicep, The Revenge and anything on Toytonics. There are loads of amazing people from Bristol like Outboxx, Jay L, Bashmore, Christophe, Behling and Simpson. Loads of stuff really"

Minotaur Sound: "Sick choices! Now tell us a lesser known fact about yourself"


George: " A lesser known fact?! Err...this guy is my Great, Great, Great Uncle or something, and was described as the 'richest man to captain England at football'. I didn't see a penny of it"

Minotaur Sound: "Haha thanks George! Can't wait to see you do your thing on 20th Feb Launch Party"





















<-- R. Cunliffe Gosling (aka as George's Great, Great, Great Uncle who didn't leave him with a penny. (c) Wikipedia.