Signal - The Southeast Electronic Music Festival
Encyclopedia
Signal – The Southeast Electronic Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Chapel Hill
and Carrboro
, North Carolina
. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as Signalfest or Signal Fest. Begun in 2006 by a group of Chapel Hill DJs
and producers seeking to build on the small but vibrant local electronic dance music
scene, the festival is now entering its fifth year. It was initially founded as a commercial venture, but has since moved to a non-profit format and is now managed by the Signal Foundation.
The 2010 festival was held September 23–26.
, and experimental music such as microsound
. Building on the deep pool of talented local DJs in the Triangle area, the festival aims to showcase talent from the southeast United States, usually anchored by several headlining acts from throughout North America. The festival has also been noted as a platform for up-and-coming artists, and has hosted emerging talent such as Crystal Castles
and Wale
.
The festival usually takes place over 3 or 4 days, and is held across multiple venues in Chapel Hill and Carborro, from larger clubs to restaurant/bars and coffee shops, depending on the artists and genre. Workshops for producers and artists have become an increasingly important part of the festival, with past workshops giving festival attendees the chance to meet and interact with artists such as Kid Koala
, Negativland
, and The Foreign Exchange.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
and Carrboro
Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 19,582 at the 2010 census. The town, which is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr.Located near Chapel Hill and...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as Signalfest or Signal Fest. Begun in 2006 by a group of Chapel Hill DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and producers seeking to build on the small but vibrant local electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
scene, the festival is now entering its fifth year. It was initially founded as a commercial venture, but has since moved to a non-profit format and is now managed by the Signal Foundation.
The 2010 festival was held September 23–26.
Format
Although billed as an electronic music festival, performers have also covered a wide range of related genres including hip-hop, turntablismTurntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
, and experimental music such as microsound
Microsound
Microsound includes all sounds on the time scale shorter than musical notes, the sound object time scale, and longer than the sample time scale. Specifically this is shorter than one tenth of a second and longer than 10 milliseconds, including the audio frequency range and the infrasonic...
. Building on the deep pool of talented local DJs in the Triangle area, the festival aims to showcase talent from the southeast United States, usually anchored by several headlining acts from throughout North America. The festival has also been noted as a platform for up-and-coming artists, and has hosted emerging talent such as Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles (band)
Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
and Wale
Wale (rapper)
Wale Victor Folarin , better known by his stage name Wale , is an American rapper from Washington, D.C. Wale was born to Nigerian parents. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug " became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the...
.
The festival usually takes place over 3 or 4 days, and is held across multiple venues in Chapel Hill and Carborro, from larger clubs to restaurant/bars and coffee shops, depending on the artists and genre. Workshops for producers and artists have become an increasingly important part of the festival, with past workshops giving festival attendees the chance to meet and interact with artists such as Kid Koala
Kid Koala
Eric San , who records under the name Kid Koala, is a Canadian DJ, turntablist, musician and an author of graphic novels. He is signed to the British record label Ninja Tune, is a member of alternative hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030, and The Slew with Dynamite D and former members of the...
, Negativland
Negativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
, and The Foreign Exchange.
2006
The inaugural Signal festival was held April 6–8, 2006. Artists included:- DeepskyDeepskyDeepsky is an electronic music act based in Los Angeles. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Deepsky formed in 1992 when its two founding members, J. Scott Giaquinta and Jason Blum, met at the University of New Mexico...
(DJ Set) - Jason ForrestJason ForrestJason Forrest is an electronic music producer known for noisy experimental electronica and breakcore incorporating many ideas of mash-up and rock and roll. Largely produced and performed on a single computer , his songs tend to be constructed from digital samples of found sounds and other artists'...
- Robbie Hardkiss
2007
The second festival, held April 26–28, 2007, was the most ambitious to date in terms of sheer scope. Festival organizers brought together over 80 artists and performers, including:- Derrick May
- Stacey PullenStacey PullenStacey Pullen is an American techno musician based in Detroit.Pullen was raised in Detroit, where he became interested in electronic music early in his life. He began working on the Detroit techno scene in 1990, studying with Derrick May and working with him on business ventures. He used the...
- Crystal CastlesCrystal Castles (band)Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
- Donald GlaudeDonald GlaudeDonald Glaude is a house music artist, DJ and remixer, and is consistently ranked as one of DJ Mag's top 100 DJs.-Biography:As a child, Donald was classically trained in the upright bass and violin. After hearing early funk records, he began experimenting with tape decks and a primitive radio...
- Richard ChartierRichard ChartierRichard Chartier is a sound/installation artist and graphic designer. Chartier is works in reductionist microsound electronic music, a form of extreme minimalism in which the music is sometimes very quiet, sometimes very sparse, often both.-About:Since 1998, Chartier has created recordings for...
- NegativlandNegativlandNegativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
- Souls of MischiefSouls of Mischief-Studio albums:-Singles:-External links:* [ Allmusic Biography]* *...
- Masta AceMasta AceDuval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"...
- The NeinThe NeinThe Nein is an indie rock band from Durham, North Carolina, and is composed of former members of The White Octave, Steel Pole Bath Tub, and Piedmont Charisma. The band is signed to the Canadian label Sonic Unyon.-Biography:...
- Ego LikenessEgo LikenessEgo Likeness are an American darkwave/industrial rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. They were formed in 1999 by artist Steven Archer and writer Donna Lynch.-Early Work:...
- Machine Drum AKA Travis StewartTravis StewartBorn Travis Stewart on March 4, 1982, Machinedrum has produced and composed several albums under various aliases since his first independent release in 1999....
- Black MilkBlack MilkCurtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, is a hip hop producer and MC from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:In 2004, he formed B.R. Gunna, with Young RJ, and Fat Ray, and together they released Dirty District: Vol. 2, a follow up to a compilation released in 2001 by Slum Village, which he had...
- SNMNMNMSNMNMNMSNMNMNM is a band that formed in Rochester, New York, USA. The group's name is a condensation of "Seamus 'n Matt 'n Mark 'n Matt". While completing music degrees at the Eastman School of Music, the band members got together to play outside of their studies in an alternative music band, performing...
2008
The third Signal festival was held on April 10–12, 2008. Although somewhat smaller in scope than the first two years, the festival still showcased many well-known electronic and hip-hop artists, including:- DJ BabuDJ BabuDJ Babu is a Filipino-American DJ. One-third of the hip hop group Dilated Peoples , Babu is also a member of the Beat Junkies DJ crew, and together with rapper Defari forms the duo the Likwit Junkies. DJ Babu, Evidence and Pharoahe Monch also feature in the song H! Vltg3 on Linkin Park's...
, J-Rocc, & DJ RhettmaticDJ RhettmaticDJ Rhettmatic is a member of the Beat Junkies DJ crew. Rhettmatic began his DJ career in 1983 with the DJ group Double Platinum, and was one of the founding members of Beat Junkie crew....
of The World Famous Beat JunkiesBeat JunkiesThe World Famous Beat Junkies is a Hip hop crew of DJs specializing in Turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J-Rocc.... - SupastitionSupastitionSupastition is an underground hip hop artist from Greenville, North Carolina, now living in Charlotte. He has worked with rappers like KRS-One, Cunninlynguists, and Little Brother....
- Brother ReadeBrother ReadeBrother Reade is an American hip-hop duo from Los Angeles. Its members are MC Jimmy Jamz and DJ Bobby Evans .-History:...
- DJ GarthDJ GarthDJ Garth is a pioneering House music DJ who is largely credited with both defining and capturing the sound of San Francisco House music in the 1990s. As a recording artist, his productions are recognized on club anthems such as "Twenty Minutes of Disco Glory"...
- Stella by StarlightStella by Starlight (band)Stella by Starlight is an American electropop band, formed in 2006 in Durham, North Carolina, as The Born Analouge. The band is currently composed of Nathan Fowler and various collaborators including Mike Posner and Eric Holljes...
- Freaky FlowFreaky FlowFreaky Flow is the stage name of Stephen Grey a drum and bass and hip hop DJ, who started his career in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but now resides in Los Angeles, California, USA. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada....
- Kev Brown
- AkrobatikAkrobatikAkrobatik is a rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He has collaborated numerous times with many fellow Boston rappers , and recently formed a hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One....
- Tanya MorganTanya MorganTanya Morgan is an American hip hop group from which consists of MCs Donwill and Ilyas, and MC/producer Von Pea. Both Donwill and Ilyas are from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Von Pea is from Brooklyn, New York. Their debut album, Moonlighting, was acclaimed upon its release in 2006 .-History:Tanya Morgan...
- KazeKaze (rapper)-Biography:Thomas was born on Fort Belvoir, and grew up in nearby Dale City VA. After spending many summers in NC, he eventually moved to Richlands, North Carolina with his family in 1991 when he was in his early teens. He studied at the University of North Carolina, initially majoring in criminal...
- Keith Fullerton WhitmanKeith Fullerton WhitmanKeith Fullerton Whitman is an American electronic musician who has recorded albums influenced by many genres, including ambient music, drill and bass, and krautrock. He records and performs using many aliases, of which the most familiar is Hrvatski...
2009
The fourth Signal festival was held April 16–19, 2009. Over 50 artists performed over the four days, including:- Kid KoalaKid KoalaEric San , who records under the name Kid Koala, is a Canadian DJ, turntablist, musician and an author of graphic novels. He is signed to the British record label Ninja Tune, is a member of alternative hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030, and The Slew with Dynamite D and former members of the...
- TeebeeTeebeeTeebee or DJ Teebee is a Norwegian DJ and producer of drum and bass. Real name Torgeir Byrknes, Teebee began DJing in 1990 and released his first record in 1996...
- Jason JollinsJason JollinsJason Jollins is an international DJ and record producer.-Biography:Jason Jollins started dj'ing in 1989, Initially mixing together freestyle and house music, he has been involved in Progressive House scene in New York City since the late 1990s.In 1997, Jollins formed an event production company...
- WaleWale (rapper)Wale Victor Folarin , better known by his stage name Wale , is an American rapper from Washington, D.C. Wale was born to Nigerian parents. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug " became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the...
- Colin MunroeColin MunroeColin Munroe is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer originally from North Gower, Ontario, who now resides in Toronto.-Biography:...
- The Foreign Exchange
- YahZarahYahZarahDana Nicole Williams is an American singer. She is commonly known by her stage name, Yahzarah or Purple St. James.Yahzarah rose to fame when she became a back-up singer for Erykah Badu in 2000. In 2001, Yahzarah signed to Keo Music Records released her first album, Hear Me...
- Darien Brockington (of Justus LeagueJustus LeagueThe Justus League is a rap collective from North Carolina, that includes L.E.G.A.C.Y., The Away Team, Darien Brockington, Little Brother, Edgar Allen Floe, Median, Chaundon, Cesar Comanche, 9th Wonder, Buckshot, Sean Price, Skyzoo and Joe Scudda....
) - Daz-I-Kue (of Bugz In The AtticBugz in the AtticBugz in the Attic is a collective of DJs and producers based in West London, who are prominent in broken beat. The collective includes Orin Walters , Paul Dolby , Kaidi Tatham, Daz-I-Kue, Alex Phountzi , Cliff Scott, Mark Force, Matt Lord, and Mikey Stirton. The group also has a label, BitaSweet...
)