Here’s an official press release about Plutopia 2010, circulating today.  This includes the run of show under “Featured Artists.”

(Austin, TX – March 4, 2010) Now in its fourth year, Plutopia will show once again why the Austin Chronicle called it the most exciting SXSWi party ever. Plutopia 2010 will present an exciting convergence of technology, DIY, music, art, and brainstorms. In addition to localvore food and beverage and general party ambience, performance and the arts will play a major role alongside exhibits and talks that present compelling innovative thinking to make this yet another unforgettable, stimulating, and fun SXSW after event.

Way beyond the run-of-the-mill “booze and schmooze” after-party mixer, Plutopia is an ever-evolving multimedia experiment of Austintatious proportions dedicated to a playful, yet masterful cross-pollination across verticals to bring you an immersive interactive experience event.

This year’s Plutopian theme explores the role of technology, sound and digital media in changing the landscape and narrative of music in the information age.… everything from immersive listening and the expanding of audio boundaries and experimentation, to new forms of instrumentation, sampling and remixing and emerging creative processes; and from integrated multisensory systems and interfaces with intelligent networks, to transformations of aesthetics and the changing rhythm of nature.

With that theme in mind, Plutopia has amassed a master class of performers from across the globe, led by the electronic and experimental hip hop musician, turntablist, producer, author and postmodern intellectual, DJ Spooky, who will be joined by a string section to perform the premiere of a piece based on his collaboration with Brian Greene, author of “Elegant Universe”.

There’s also rich ambience around the Plutopia Universe, in the Zocalo of the Mexican American Cultural Center, such as Professor Conrad and THE GIANT BRAIN, along with its satellite, the Multi-dimensional Jalapeno Space Probe. The Giant Brain includes The Questionator, a faux theremin, sound activated sensors, IR triggered sound effects, dazzling LED and strobe light effects, complete sound system, solar battery charging, ipod music connection, wireless microphone, karaoke available, and much more, The Space Probe will be loaded with hacked musical toy parts linked to THE GIANT BRAIN. The whole thing will roam through the crowd with the help of Il Gruppo Technologico Paradiso, a group of renegade unofficial Robot Group members, actors and musicians.

Austin’s Toy Joy will also be on hand, allowing attendees to see the event through anaglyph 3D (if not rose-colored) glasses, and bringing along a set of not-quite-animals for your bouncing entertainment.

And there’ll be LED light shows, robots, holograms, widgets, bicycle madness, and intense locavore experiences (see below).

Welcome from the Plutopians at 7:30pm:

• Derek Woodgate, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
• Jon Lebkowsky, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
• Maggie Duval, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer
• Bon Davis, Chief Technical Officer and Technical Producer

FEATURED ARTISTS:

Bruce Sterling 8:00pm –  <http://plutopia.org/headliners/#bruce>

Xiao He – 8:05pm – 8:35pm – <http://plutopia.org/headliners/#xiaohe>

DJ Spooky  - 9:00pm-10:00pm –  <http://plutopia.org/headliners#spooky>

Black Pig Liberation Front  - 10:15pm – 11:00pm –  <http://plutopia.org/headliners/#bplf>

White –  - 11:15pm – 11:45pm-  <http://plutopia.org/headliners/#white>

Dr. Strangevibe  - interstitial throughout-  <http://plutopia.org/headliners/#drstrangevibe>

Also featuring the Edible Austin Foodie Fest and Tipsy Texan Cocktail Bar! Unique to this and only this event, Edible Austin magazine is bringing the heart and soul of Austin’s local foodie scene and cutting edge mixology to Plutopia and will be hosting out-of-town guests from  Eat Well Guide <http://www.eatwellguide.org> . Full list of food and drink participants here <http://plutopia.org/headliners/edible-austin-foodie-fest/>

Sponsors include: Bazaarvoice <http://www.bazaarvoice.com>, PGi – Where the World Collaborates <http://www.pgi.com/>, Tipsy Texan <http://www.tipsytexan.com>, SXSW Interactive <http://www.sxsw.com/interactive/>, Toy Joy <http://www.toyjoy.com>, BoingBoing <http://www.boingboing.net>, Clarity  Ventures <http://www.clarity-ventures.com/>, Interactive Entertainment Systems <http://www.interactiveesystems.com>, The Futures Lab <http://www.futures-lab.com>.

Friends of Plutopia: Blastro <http://www.blastro.com> and Diversity Interactive Worldwide <http://www.diversityinteractive.net> .

Here’s the complete press release with all relevant info about the SXSW Chilean Showcase. (We had a bit of a scare with the earthquake in Chile, waiting to hear that all the bands were fine. They were, though The Ganjas singer and guitarist, Rafael “Pape” Astaburuaga, lost his house, his parent’s house and business in the earthquake. On March 23rd, there’s a benefit concert at the The Parish for Pape.

Showcase info:

Plutopia SXSW Music Indie Chile showcase features Hip Hop to Latin Funk to Neo Psychedelia to Pop Rock: <http://plutopiaproductions.com/upcoming-in-production/plutopia-sxsw-music-indie-chile-showcase/> and at <http://sxsw.com/node/4142>

SXSW PLUTOPIA SHOWCASE: Maggie Mae’s – 323 E. 6th St., Saturday, March 20, 2010
8:00 pm: Casino
9:00 pm: Intimate Stranger
10:00 pm: Special guests: Capsula  (Spain-Argentina)
11:00 pm:  The Ganjas
12:00 am: Funky C
1:00 am: Anita Tijoux

(Austin, TX – February 22, 2010) Fringecore managed bands and label matesIntimate Stranger (celebrating the release of their new CD and video, Under) andThe Ganjas have both been selected to perform at the Plutopia Showcase at SXSW 2010, along with fellow emerging Chilean band Casino, who recently supportedRadiohead. The SXSW shows will be followed by a US Indie Chile Tour (March 24 – April 19, 2010 including Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, Hot Springs, AR, Dallas, Denton and more) and will be joined by soundman extraordinaire Rob Elliot (The Cure.) Anita Tijoux also from Chile, Capsula, from Spain-Argentina and Funky C, from Santiago are performing at the Plutopia Showcase at SXSW 2010, but are not part of the Indie Chile Tour.

Showcasing Bands Descriptions:
Casino (Indie Chile Tour):
Formed in early 2003 as a rock trio, Casino has been evolving and developing a fresh sound on every record they make. Their self-titled debut album was recorded in 2005 and produced by lead singer Pablo Giadach, whose studio has recorded the most important bands on the Chilean independent music scene. “En Tus Manos,” the first single off their debut album, was also the main theme in the movie Promedio Rojo and quickly became a big hit with major radio play in Chile and Spain. Rolling Stone named the one of the best of 2005 and Casino was nominated as best new artist in the Rock And Pop Radio Awards. They released the follow-up album, Volcanoes in 2007 and have been touring nonstop with shows throughout South America and playing with bands the Romantics, Kraftwerk, and Radiohead. Casino is currently finishing up their third studio album, due at the end of 2009. They will be touring behind the new album (their first with any English lyrics) in 2010, including shows in March in the USA and SXSW 2010.

Casino Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yypBAUaukgU
http://www.myspace.com/casinoscl


Intimate Stranger (Indie Chile Tour):
Intimate Stranger together for over four years, is an international band currently based in Chile. Since its formation by Chilean guitarist Lautaro Vera, English/Croatian singer/bassist Tessie S-Woodgate and drummer Mauricio Muñoz, the band has spent time in London, Belgium, and Austin. They have toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America, released two albums: Life Jacket in 2007 and Under in 2009, on Fringecore Records, both of which have led to major radio play, especially for the songs “In the Black” and “For Annie” from Life Jacket and “Under” and “Held” fromUnder. In March 2008, after success on the London scene, playing venues such as theRock Garden (which has hosted bands form The Smiths to U2) The Enterprise and The Dublin Castle (regulars: Oasis, Blur, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs etc…) and packing out the main venue at LadyFest Festival in Cambridge, they spent three months in the USA, appearing at the Plutopia event at SXSW before returning to Chile and adding keyboardist Ismael Palma. Intimate Stranger quickly built-up a large fan-base in their hometown, becoming headliners at all the major clubs in the vibrant live music scene in Santiago, appearing on TV, radio and featured in every major newspaper and music magazine. In addition to touring around Chile, they have just completed a Latin American Tour. Earlier this year they were heavily featured in Rolling Stone magazine (Latin America) with a full page photo on the inside front cover and appeared in Spin and on the Spin Earth TV show. They will appear at SXSW 2010 in March, before setting off on a 6 week US Tour.

Intimate Stranger Links:
http://www.futurefrequencies.com/fringewp/music/management/intimate-stranger/
http://www.hardpressedpublicity.com/intimatestrangerchile.html
http://www.myspace.com/theintimatestranger
http://www.intimatestrangermusic.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=255008402347
http://intimatestrangermusic.blogspot.com/

Capsula (SXSW 2010):
SXSW 2009 Capsula:  chosen by David Fricke of Rolling Stone, as one of the big surprises of the festival (Fricke’s Picks, April 2009)

“…Martin Guevara and bassist Coni Duchess, the band’s founding couple, are originally from Argentina — who were supposed to be obsessed with the Velvet Underground (according to a newspaper preview) but were actually a high-velocity union of the Cramps and the Who, coated in corroded glam. Guevara attacked his guitar with a serious case of Pete Townshend, and drummer Alberto Diez was an improbable mix of Keith Moon and the Velvets’ Maureen Tucker: flash with heartbeat. In the last song of the set, a furious space-out that sounded like the Who doing Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” Guevara swallowed his mike Lux Interior-style and scraped his guitar strings along the edge of the stage. You don’t get those visuals with Capsula’s new album, Rising Mountains (BCore), but you get the idea — and everything I heard.”

Capsula Links:
http://www.myspace.com/capsulaorg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVknU1rebE

The Ganjas (Indie Chile Tour):
One of Chilie’s biggest indie acts, The Ganjas, together over ten years, and based in Santiago, are a neo-psychedelic rock band that has been playing, touring, and putting out albums since 2000. Samuel Maquieira (guitar/vocals), Rafael Astaburuaga (bass, vocals), Pablo Guiadach (guitar) and Aldo Benincasa (drums) have released 5 LPs, 1 EP and a split album with Argentinean band The Jaqueline Trash, and have played some of the biggest festivals in South America, including Bogota’s Rock al Parque, Vive Latino, and Cumbre del Rock performing for over 50,000 people. In 2008 they embarked on a Brazilian Tour (Sao Paulo, Goiania, Rio deJaneiro) where they played on the same stage with Helmet, The Vaselines, and Black Dice. Later that year they returned home to play the Santiago Urban Festival, where they opened up for Jesus & Mary Chain and R.E.M. The Ganjas have had two hit singles and their respective videos, Let’s go to the beachand Dark Side, gained extensive air time on all major music television channels. In 2006 the band was nominated at APES (Asociación de Periodistas de Espectáculo) as Best Rock Band. Their 2010 touring schedule will be highlighted by shows in the US during the spring, including SXSW 2010.

The Ganjas Links:
http://www.myspace.com/theganjas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96N8tqTg-v0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtzREgQpj14

Anita Tijoux (SXSW 2010):
Anita Tijoux was born in France to a French mother and a Chilean father while in political exile during Pinochet’s dictatorship, and after the return to democracy in Chile, Anita moved to Chile. She became involved in the emerging hip-hop scene of Santiago de Chile, and began rhyming in French, then in Spanish. Anita became famous in Latin America as the female MC of  the hip-hop group Makiza during the late nineties. Their production style resembled the New York underground sound inspired by the Native Tongues, and their lyrics did not include the overwhelming machismo and violence of average rap music, while focusing on more sensitive matters. This helped them receive a wider audience that were involved in hip-hop culture. Casino Royale was the name of the Makiza CD, released in 2005 under the independent label Bizarro Records.  Makiza reformed and included a third MC: Sonido Acido;  they collaborated with different producers rather than just one.  In 2006 Anita announced she was leaving Makiza and launching her solo career and in doing so, she crossed over to the Latin mainstream pop due to her collaboration with Mexican songstress Julieta Venegas in the radio hit “Eres para mí. In September 2007 Anita released her solo debut, named Kaos, on the independent label Oveja Negra . Thanks to the first single, “Despabílate,”Anamaria was nominated for the Latin version of the MTV Video Music Awards 2007 under the categories: Best New Artist and Best Urban Artist. At the same time she was nominated for song of the year together with Julieta Venegas for “Eres Para Mí.” In 2009 she released her second solo album 1977, which has received international acclaim.

Anita Tijoux Links:
http://www.myspace.com/anitatijoux
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqUKg1qUoNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBlffs9qg0k&feature=PlayList&p=951B83DED9F78107&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=36

Funky C (SXSW 2010):
Funky C (Cristian Moraga) – formerly of popular latin-funk band Los Tetas) lands with his debut album Joya, a NEW Latin funk sound, combining modern hip hop production with classic funk riffs, infectious vocals, and above all, great song-writing. “A classic old-school live sound mixed with computers”. Joined by a parade of Latin guest stars includingDante Spinetta (from the famous Latin funk group Illya Kuriyaki), Julio Briceño (from Venezuela’s gosadera superstars Los Amigos Invisibles), and his very own father – Hugo Moraga – a musical legend from Chile’s Pinochet era, this astonishing debut is set to forge a new direction in Latin music.

Funky C Links:
http://www.myspace.com/funkyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHrHFJQpw4Q

Information regarding Businesses involved with The Indie Chile Tour:

Dart Music International (DMI) (presents The Indie Chile Tour/http://dartmusicinternational.org): DMI is an Austin-based nonprofit organization that promotes cultural advancement for young people and all live music fans everywhere through music.  DMI works with local youth groups and other nonprofit organizations to help indie/rock/pop bands from around the world. They make it possible for bands to come to our region, and other regions of the U.S., by decreasing costs on visas, logistics, and other services while increasing opportunities to advance their career and reach a wider audience.

Plutopia Productions, Inc. (sponsors The Indie Chile Tour/http://plutopiaproductions.com/) : Plutopia Productions, Inc. specializes in creating, developing, organizing and producing events, presentations, exhibitions and workshops, research and development and publishing in the fields of entertainment, art and media technology as it relates to future global development. Founded by Futurist and author,Derek Woodgate and Cultural Strategist and Social Commentator, Jon Lebkowsky, the original organization and conceptual vision were significantly and expertly augmented and expanded when the founders were joined by COO, Maggie Duval and CTO, Bon Davis.

Fringecore (manages the bands on The Indie Chile Tour/<http://www.futurefrequencies.com>) : Fringcore established during 1997, as an international full service artist management company and record company operating in the fields of progressive culture and entertainment. Fringecore has worked with a plethora of international artists including Sonic Youth, DJ Spooky, Diamanda Galas, Michael Gira and The Swans / Angels of Light, Nels Cline, Dinosaur Jr. Mike Watt,
Marc Ribot, Jim O’Rourke, Black Pig Liberation Front, Here, The Pennies, Cinephile, David Coulter, Maggie Estep, Steve Nieve, Ghedalia Tazartes, Phil Minton, John Zorn, Beau Sia, Mike Ladd, and many more.

Dart Music International: Enrique Bravo, Booking Agent (<bravo@dartmusicinternational.org>)  and Jeff Anderson, Booking Agent (<jeff@dartmusicinternational.org>)

As I write this, I’m listening to White from Beijing via their Myspace page. Powerfully rhythmic sounds – note that White mentions on their web site their shared love of Western Experimental rock such asEinstürzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle and Glenn Branca. Dense, mesmerizing, occasionally murky, sometimes explosive, and (as I’m listening now, 47 Rockts for WanHu) sometimes shiny, White will close the show at Plutopia 2010.

Google hasn’t done much with music so far, though there’s a bazilliion tunes streaming, with video, on YouTube. That’s indirect, though you can grab mp3s from YouTube using a clever little tool called Dirpy. (Okay, I have missing time, not in the Barney Hill sense, but because I had to give Dirpy a try.) In a recent article, Wired suggests possible moves for Google – sell cheap, make a portable solution (eMusic sí, iTunes no), charge micropayments for access to large, cloud-based music collections, come up with something that works in the living room, and continue to leverage search. I’m still thinking about music like water and SOMA.fm.

Derek and I had a conversation with Jim Butler at the City of Austin about our focus on “the science of music,” and that conversation morphed into a discussion of the future of music. Jim pointed out a 2005 book about “a future in which music will be like water: ubiquitous and free-flowing.” We’re already headed in that direction. The book, called The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution, is probably already out of date – a lot’s happened since it was released in 2005. However it points in an interesting direction. From the Publisher’s Weekly review:

Kusek and Leonhard foresee the disappearance of CDs and record stores as we know them in the next decade; consumers will have access to more products than ever, though, through a vast range of digital radio channels, person-to-person Internet file sharing and a host of subscription services. The authors are especially good at describing how the way current record companies operate – as both owners and distributors of music, with artists making less than executives – will also drastically change: individual CD sales, for example, will be replaced by “a very potent ‘liquid’ pricing system that incorporates subscriptions, bundles of various media types, multi-access deals, and added-value services.”

Relevant and retro: you can download a pdf of the complete book The science of music: or, The Physical basis of musical harmony by Sedley Taylor from Google Books.

The passage through the air of sounds of very great intensity is accompanied by effects which prove the atmosphere to be in a state of violent commotion. The explosion of a powder magazine is capable of shattering the windows of houses at several miles distance. Sounds of moderate loudness such as the rattle of carriage wheels the stamping of feet the clapping of hands are produced by movements of solid bodies which cannot take place without setting up a very perceptible agitation of the air. In the case of weaker sounds the accompanying air motion cannot, it is true, be ordinarily thus recognized, but even here a little attention will usually detect a certain amount of movement on the part of the sound producing apparatus which is probably capable of being communicated to the surrounding air.

Music is energy.

A very slight increase or diminution of loudness on the part of a single constituent tone is enough to produce a sensible change of quality in the clang. We should be still far below the mark if we allowed each partial tone four different degrees of intensity, though even this supposition would bring us more than eight thousand separate cases. Since many more variations of intensity are practically efficacious and also since the number of disposable partial tones need by no means be limited as has here been done to the first six, the above calculation will probably suffice to convince the reader that the varieties of quality which the theory we are engaged upon is capable of accounting for are almost indefinitely numerous.

“I do not play no rock and roll, y’all. I just play straight `A’ natchel blue.” – Mississipi Fred McDowell.

“Consider the following mosaic: Possible performances. Impossible narratives. Ruptured flow. Binary Dissonance. Questions of omission. The voice divorced from the body that gave it life, the face ruptured and ripped from the skull. Electro-modernity: a spacio-dynamic, disembodied, simultaneous, play of death. Morphing. Identity in continuous upheaval, in the multiplying mirror of memory. Reproduction. Replication: Asymmetric. Telekinetic. Dialectic. Flow. The body as a site of textual malleability. The mind as a locale of total recall. Total displacement. Who’s there? Erogenous, decoded amnesia. Biopsychic paradoxes. Eclipse of the self. Prosthetic. Synthetic. Memetic. Technophilia…” – DJ Spooky (aka Paul Miller)

The future is now! Plutopian Bon Davis pointed out the new web site for Future Sounds Records, featuring a player with intense sounds (play loud) from radio WOXY.COM and a link to the FutureSounds blog at blogspot. Bounce around, follow the links… the site’s chock full of new music.

From 2010 Plutopia headliner DJ Spooky’s lastest album, “The Secret Song.”

Check out episode 67 of Dial-A-Stranger, part 1 of a set of interviews recorded at Plutopia. Click here to listen, or here to download.

Video footage from the Plutopia event, along with commentary from Plutopia technical producer Bon Davis.