Red Bull Sends Local Talent To Barcelona

September 2008

Red Bull Sends Local Talent To Barcelona

For the past ten years, Red Bull New Zealand have been sending some of Aotearoa's finest upcoming talent off shore to attend the internationally renowned Red Bull Music Academy, a platform for the exchange of ideas between those who shape our musical future.

This year's lucky recipients of an all-expenses paid trip to do what they do best - and pick up tips from some of the world's finest along the way - are Coco Solid AKA Jessica Hansell and William Ricketts, percussionist with 2008 Silver Scroll-nominees The Phoenix Foundation.

A travelling event that has taken over cities like London, Sao Paolo, Cape Town and Rome, this year's RBMA will take place this month and the next in Barcelona, Spain. Pitching its “bass” camp in the heart of Catalonia, the tenth edition of the select event will see two groups of aspiring, inspiring music makers, vocalists and DJs from around 30 different countries come together to hear music wisdom straight from the source. Around 25 lecturers and the RBMA team will take over a disused textile factory by day to share the dreams that pushed them forward to where they are. Since the very first session back in '98, when Jeff Mills revealed his transglobal hotel secrets, the Academy lectures have offered a chance for participants to glean those pearls of renegade wisdom.

“My flatmate left the application form on the table at home and as the RBMA was running while Phoenix is having a three month break I filled it in but then promptly forgot about it,” explains Ricketts. “Therefore, I was extremely surprised and elated to find out I got in! I'm looking forward to great food, architecture, making new friends and plenty of music.”

“Going to Barcelona and getting into the RBMA as a combo literally blew my mind,” adds Hansell. “Getting to meet people from all over the world, visiting other musical planets, a chance to share my perspective and see a place I've never been... the universe rules!”

For more information check out: http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/

BIO: Jessica Hansell
The infamous Coco Solid's sound is a mix of psychedelic raps, 80's electro, booty-bass, dancehall, grime, punk and experimental noise. Mix this with slow-burn politics, musical sexathons, cut-throat jokes and a trademark monotone wit... well you have yourself a cult following, an internationally innovative band and a queue of eager collaborators.

BIO: William Ricketts
Will Ricketts have been a percussionist for nine years, having spent his formative years studying ballet and piano. A graduate of Wellington’s Conservatorium of Music, he has played with acts as wide ranging as The Phoenix Foundation, Scribes of Ra, Twinset, The Black Seeds and Fat Freddys Drop. He works closely with artists such as RBMA alum Riki Gooch, Opensouls’ Julien Dyne, Mara TK and Toby Lang, and is about to release his first solo project, a 12 inch vinyl release called “Round
at Bays”.

ENDS

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