Europe

Clara Moto prepares for double release

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After spending three years away touring and working in the studio, Clara Moto (read here other things about Clara Moto) is preparing to return with the release of the five-track EP “Joy Departed” this month.

A second album “Blue Distance” will be released in November. The DJ spent the summer in the Canary Islands and travelled around Europe playing gigs and just exploring before returning to Berlin this month for the release of her first album.

Among the titles on the album are “Joy Departed”, “Disposable Darling”, and “For The Love WeLost” and in an interview with I Voice ClaraMoto said that many of the tracks reference literature or songs.

‘“Joy Departed” is from Edgar Allan Poe… and “Disposable Darling” is a line from Roxy Music’s “Every Dreamhome A Heartache”. That’s where I find my inspiration,’ she said.

ClaraMoto’s debut was “Polyamour” and she says the new material was all natural.

“That’s how I’ve been working over the last two years. I tried to make a lot of dance tracks but it ended up this way”, she said. ‘“Blue Distance” isn’t a dance album at all, really. It’s very satisfying having the freedom to do that.

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Zurich, city by the lake

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Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and sits at the edge of Lake Zurich (read here more info about the lake) and sits high in the Swiss Alps.

Lindenhof is the city’s historic and geographic centre. The city is a hub of finance for both Switzerland and other countries in the world.

Places to visit include the Zurich Museum of Art, which holds the largest collections of classic modern art in the world; Swiss National Museum which has exhibits on the cultural; and historical background of the country; Rietberg Museum; Museum of Design; Tram Museum, and Guild Houses located along the Limmat River.

Three important churches to visit include the Grossmunster, Fraumunster, and St. Peterwhich has the largest church clock face in Europe.

Cultural activities in Zurich include the Zurich Film Festival which is an important upcoming international film festival staged annually. The city is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic and is served by the Zurich Airport and theZurich Hauptbahnhof which is the largest in Switzerland.

Switzerland is famous for its cheese and fondue is a traditional dish of the country. Adler’s Swiss Chuchi serves both fondue and raclette which is melted cheese with ham and potatoes. Sternen Grill is the city’s most famoussausage stand which also serves vegetarian options.

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Amsterdam, European waterway

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Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands located in province of North Holland. The city enjoys an oceanic climate because of its proximity to the sea.

Among the main places to visit in Amsterdam are the Rijksmuseum which houses many of Rembrandt and Vermeer’s paintings; the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Anne Frank House, and the Amsterdam Museum. Other interesting sites include the city’s many canals, red light district and the cannabis coffee shops.

Amsterdam is famous for its cafes and one of the leading cafes is Getto. Getto is a burger bar which has each of its burgers named after a drag queen who performs there.

For restaurants that serve Dutch food there is Moeders. This restaurant serves classic Dutch food. The Haesje Claes offers pea soup, fish stew, and chicken livers while Loetje dishes up biefstek and friet.

Amsterdam is one of the most bike friendly cities in Europe and getting around on a bicycle is quite easy. It is possible to hire a bike using MacBike or City Bikes which both charge €10 per day. Getting around the city may also be done by tram.

The city is served by the Schipol International Airport with flights from other cities across Europe.

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America is still the place for Claude VonStroke

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For Claude VonStroke, America is still the place where his music is most accepted.

 

The DJ, who calls Detroit home, is based in San Francisco but despite playing his techno gigs all across the world especially in Europe he likes to return to his home base.

 

The owner of the dirtybird and Mothership labels admits that two years ago he wouldn’t have admitted that America is his major market and that he believes his homeland is ready for his dirtybird label music.

 

Most DJs do want to play their music closer to home he says.

 

While VonStroke admits that the myth of his home city is bit overblown he says that the city has one of the coolest vibes in the world and one which is different from anywhere else.

 

Detroit is also home of the soul music and the Motown labels as well as hip hop star Eminem.

 

The city recently filed for bankruptcy and is selling off just about everything from its parking metres to its art collection at the city’s Institute of Arts but VonStroke, who recently visited his home town, says most residents don’t even care about that.

 

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Zagreb Festival coming up

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The Electronic Beats Fall Festival continues with some magnificent stops this year in places such as Budapest, Hungary; Dresden, Germany; Vienna,Austria, and Podgorica, Montenegro.

The festival stops in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb on November 8 with four of the biggest names in electro beat music. The festival will be staged atBoogaloo in Zagreb. The Danish group Efterklang, who released the LP Piramada last year, will headline the night’s events with their orchestral pop music.

Also on the line up will be German Deep House DJ and Producer Fritz Kalkbrenner from out of Berlin. Fritz is brother to Paul and he will bring with him a blend of soul, hip-hop, and techno music.

The brothers worked on the music for the film “Berlin Calling” back in 2008. His last single releases were Little by Little and Get A Life from 2012.

The up-and-coming Dena also performs and comes highly recommended with an older groove with a mix of 90’s beat R&B and a more modern groove.

The final act planned for the evening is MS MR from New York City. Electronic Beats stages a series of live concerts, club nights, and festivals across Europe.

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Salzburg, music’s birthplace

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Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria set high in the Alps with an old town renowned for its baroque architecture. The city, which is also known as the birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1997 and was also site of the famous movie musical “The Sound of Music”.

Salzburg boasts many churches and cathedrals in Romanesque and gothicstyles among them the Nonnberg in St. Peter’s Cemetery and the St. George’s Chapel. The city sits on the banks of a river and many of the sites which were used in the movie as well as Mozart’s old house are tourist attractions.

Other places to visit include the historic city centre with its narrow cobblestone streets, theHohensalzburg Castle which is one of the largest in Europe, Salzburg Cathedral, theResidenzgalerie art museum, the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, and Hangar-7, a building owned by Red Bull which hosts a collection of historical planes, helicopters, and Formula Onerace cars.

Salzburg is served by an international airport as well as railways with connections from Munich,Vienna, Innsbruck, and Zurich. Food is also important and there are a number of roadside pastries where one can buy Austrian delights such as Wiener schnitzel and apple strudel.

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Crete, ancient isle

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Crete is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and is the fifth largest of the Greek isles forming a large part of the country’s economy.

It is the centre of the Minoan civilisation which is known as the oldest in Europe and as such history is a big part of the island’s culture. It has also retained some of its own culture such as great poetry and music. The country’s name first appeared in Homer’s Odyssey.

The island is quite mountainous with a high range running from east to west while there are also great valleys including the Amari Valley. The climate is primarily temperate with a humid atmosphere and mild winters.

Among the things to do and places to visit in Crete is the Aquaworld Aquarium. Sea life is big in Crete which is an island and therefore surrounded by water. There are several species specific to the island such as crustaceans (crabs).

Equine life is also important and there are several stables including the Arion Stables that can be visited. See also the Lychnostatis Open Air Museum and the Balos Lagoon.

There are over 2000 restaurants on the island with over 1300 serving native Greek cuisine.

Among the lower range are the Spyros Taverna in Gouves and The Alchemist in Koutouloufari. On the higher end are the Kapetan Dimitris and Lotus Eaters. The island has two main international airports as well as a ferry service with transport to Athens on mainland Greece.

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House music by System of Survival

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House music is pretty popular in Europe and one of the longest running pairings System of Survival is over 20 years old. The pair of Alex Carpentieri and Pietro de Lisi has been working together since 1989. The duo is so close, they even live together and they say the secret of their success is keeping it real.

“Our system is to be true. To be real. Enjoy our job, be professional and avoid all bullshit. That’s the only way to survive,” the duo said during an interview with “ibiza-voice”. The DJ’shave been working on a new album which they expect to release some time next year.

The album will feature some collaborations but the pair are keeping tight-lipped on exactly what those will be. According to System of Survival, who recently signed up with Safehouse agency, they never prepare a playlist for their gigs and because of their eclectic music tastes and mental connection.

The group’s last album “Needle & Thread” was released in 2012 and a year later are still pleased with it. The pair said the music is their roots not club music and are pleased that their fans understand it. System of Survival has been playing around in 2013 travelling toSouth America where they played on the beaches of Peru.

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San Marino, mountain country

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San Marino is an enclave microstate in Europe surrounded by the Italian peninsula. Its capital city is the city of San Marino and it has the smallest population of any country in the Council of Europe and it is the third smallest in Europe.

The country sits on the border of the Emilia Romagna and Marche regions of Italy and about 6 and a half miles from the Adriatic Sea.

San Marino has claimed to be the oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world after being formed in September 301. The country is mainly mountainous as it sits in theApennines. There are no major bodies of water.

The enclave is host to one Unesco World Heritage Site – the “San Marino: Historic Centre and MountTitano.”  The climate is Mediterranean and has warm summers and cool winters.

San Marino has is much like that of Italy such as the piadina but it has a very well-known cake known as the Cake of the Three Towers which is a layered wafer cake covered with chocolate. There are also unique dishes and a small wine industry.

San Marino’s music tradition is long and rich. Among the bands from the country are Love Orchestra, a Gian Luca “Luke” Mazza new age music project.

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Barcelona, cultural capital of Europe

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Barcelona
Barcelona is one of the largest cities in Spain and the capital of Catalonia. The city is the largest on the Mediterranean Sea and sits between the mouths of the Llobregat and Besos Rivers.

The city was founded as a Roman city and has a rich cultural heritage making it a rich cultural centre and an important tourist destination. The architectural works of Gaudi and Domenech i Montaner have been designated Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Among the city’s main sites are the Sagrada Familia church, Palau Guell, the Columbus Monument, and the Arc de Triomf. Barcelona has many small hills and boasts a Mediterranean climate with mild humid winters and warm dry summers.

The National Museum of Art of Catalonia has a well-known collection of Romanesque art while several other museums exist, which cover architecture. There are also 68 municipal parks. The Camp Nou football stadium, home of FC Barcelona, is the largest in Europe.

The Barcelona International Airport is one of the busiest in the world. The city also has an extensive road and rail network connecting it to parts of Europe. 

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