Around the World with Banco de Gaia

One of the oldest Russian magazines, "Vokrug Sveta" ("Around the World"), decided to stage a grand event in honour of its 145th anniversary - "Svet Vokrug" ("Light Around"). In a single day at the festival you'll be able to get acquainted with the culture of all parts of the world, since the most interesting DJs from an impressive list of countries will perform here: Great Britain - Nightmares On Wax, Banco de Gaia; France - DJ Gregory; Germany - Mystic Roots Soundsystem and, of course, Russia - SCSI-9, DJ S. Peres aka Sanchez, DJ Sapunov, Vanila, Helga, Martin Landers, Da Budz and Flammable Beats Soundsystem. One of the most promising events of the "Svet Vokrug" festival is set to be the appearance on stage of Banco de Gaia, a forefather of chill-out culture. Thanks to his unconventionality - the fusion of newfangled electronic trends with the musical impressions of trips to unusual corners of our planet - he has earned the reputation of a non-commercial project. What's more, Western critics are harsher in their assessments of him, saying that his albums are destined for the rubbish bin or, at most, simply for sitting on a shelf. But the critics' opinion diverges somewhat from the feelings of the rest of the public, who nurture a deep tenderness for de Gaia's magical music. And indeed, as Boris Barabanov said in "Kommersant": "Banco de Gaia's album "Last Train to Lhasa" did more to bring the territory enslaved by the Chinese closer to the Western world than many politicians and fighters for the freedom of Tibet".

A very serious and respectable company is gathering at the "Svet Vokrug" festival, and I'll consider it an honour to perform alongside musicians like Nightmares On Wax and Banco de Gaia.
It's nice that Banco de Gaia will be in Moscow again. I've known him for a long time and think very highly of him - I've followed his work since his first album appeared. It's a pity I won't be able to catch de Gaia's set, but I know he'll be, as always, impeccable, interesting and unpredictable. I myself open the central stage at 21.00.
Speaking of Banco de Gaia, one can confidently assert that this man is very talented and remains so, despite the fact that we all change and music changes. After all, a creator always feels he's moving forward. And whether the public takes to new trends positively or, on the contrary, negatively, that's the public's affair alone, not the creator's. Because if a musician does the same thing year after year, he's simply standing still. And what Banco de Gaia does today is undoubtedly his fresh take on music, and although some call his latest album saccharine and girly, it's merely his personal vision of the modern world. My attitude to ethnic music is somewhat different from his. And I consider de Gaia's most unsurpassed album, "Last Train to Lhasa", to be his peak, a masterpiece that hardly anyone will top. In any case it'll be interesting to hear him. Banco de Gaia is a talented man, and in whatever guise he goes, he always remains a talent.

I've known Banco de Gaia for a long time. We first met when he came to Moscow in the early '90s for the Britronica festival. De Gaia performed at the club Jump; back then it was still me, Borya Spy.der and Zhenya Fis there, and, I think, Alex Paterson played too. I remember it was a wonderful party, a magnificent live set from a superb musician... I think after that he came to Russia once more, though these days I don't really follow what he's up to. His latest releases I played in my sets somewhere in the late '90s and, unfortunately, I never crossed paths with him again. But I'm very glad he's coming and I'll listen to Banco de Gaia's performance at the "Svet Vokrug" festival with great pleasure.

October 7, from 20.00 Saturday until 8.00 Sunday, the "Svet Vokrug" festival, "Danilovskaya Manufaktura" (9 Varshavskoye Shosse, building 1, metro "Tulskaya"), phone for ticket orders 540-5175