Talking with London party starters krankbrother
On March 27, 2018 by Peter Brown in Features, Interviews
If you have been clubbing in London, you have most likely been to a krankbrother event. Starting as a monthly party in Corsica Studios, they have evolved now to booking groundbreaking, left-field artists in venues such as the Union Chapel.
The two brothers are a powerhouse, running their event company and record label whilst DJing at clubs and festivals around the world.
Having hosted legendary acts such as Omar S, Four Tet, Mr G and many others, they are about to take their next step up on the promotor ladder. We caught up with them to find out more about the history of krankbrother and the reason behind their recent change in direction.
Who's involved in krankbrother? Please introduce yourself!
Danny and Kieran, brothers, hence the name!
Please each tell us about your fondest memory from all krankbrother events to date…
There's too many to choose from. Over the years we have organised events all over the place with hundreds of artists joining us . Streets, theatres, boats, warehouses, rooftops, churches have been used.. Each year the events evolve so I am not sure I could choose one. Each event is a moment in time and I'd like them to be remembered that way.
How and why did krankbrother start? What was the ethos?
It started as a small party for friends in Corsica Studios. It had a community feel and a very diverse music policy. There was no grand vision when we started, we just wanted to organise a party that we'd like to attend. A good soundsystem, a cool space and a safe environment.
How has the ethos evolved from then to now?
The ethos remains the same although we do far more shows than then and much larger shows. We still try to create the same magic we did then though.
Your 3 recently announced events at Union Chapel showcase a much more left-field, less dance-music-orientated line-up. Why is this?
We're approaching 9 years. It felt like time for a change. We wanted to branch out and push music that we've always loved but not felt we've been able to book.
Why did you specifically pick these acts?
Tangerine Dream need no introduction. Their impact on electronic music has been huge. Playing in Union Chapel will be special as they haven't done anything similar to it since their cathedral tour back in the 70s. It is also their first UK tour since Edgar Froese's death. He viewed the band as an evolving project so in line with his wishes they are continuing.
Jan Jelenik and William Basinski write really moving music. We've both big fans for a long time so once we decided to book some more ambient music they were top of the list.
Do you intend to keep running the house/techno events alongside these more concert-like events? How can they complement each other?
Absolutely. Our hope is that people will place their trust in us as programmers and seek out music they may not have found before through our events.
What's the biggest challenge London's live music scene faces at the moment and how can we best tackle it?
There's several challenges facing the scene right now. The decline and closure of live music venues has had a huge impact as the sanitisation of London continues. Unless this stops there could be worrying consequences for the music scene in London as people will have fewer and fewer places to go and engage with culture.
In addition to this the growth of the festival market has meant less people go out on a weekly basis. Instead they save up for the stacked festival lineups. I hope that trend doesn't continue. The surroundings for music are often every bit as important as the music itself. So many festivals over deliver on the lineup and under deliver on the experience.
You can purchase tickets for their next few parties here:
Tangerine Dream 23rd April (Sold Out)
Tangerine Dream 24th April (Still Available)
Midori Takada and Jan Jelenik 17th April (Still Available)
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