Tunes Studio

Schalk Maas

Mark Ellis — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 16:30:58 +0000

Schalk Maas is een van die kitaarspelers, asook die hoof song writer
van die legendariese Afrikaanse rockgroep, Skallabrak. Ons gesels oor
sy liefde vir stories en hoe hy en Hendrik Brakwater ‘n gedugte span
gevorm het vanweë ondermeer hul gedeelde plattelandse agtergrond. Ons
leer dat daar agter die meeste Skallabrak songs, merkwaardige stories
en verhale staan, maar dat sommige songs van die groep ook gelei het
na cool stories soos Groetnis (Awe), wat die kroeg-totsiens-liedjie
van Potch kampus geword het. Ons ondersoek ‘n paar songs wat
Skallabrak oor die jare gecover het van kunstenaars soos Petronel
Baard, Valiant Swart en Koos Kombuis; praat oor vorige groeplede soos
onder andere, Logan Scott; bespreek die interessante Worcester
verbintenis van die groeplede en ondersoek die album opnames van die
band meer in diepte.

Deon du Toit deel 2

Mark Ellis — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:26:34 +0000

Deon du Toit het vir ‘n tweede keer ‘n virtuele kuiertjie met Tunes
Live ingepas. In die deel van ons gesprek, gesels ons oor Country
guitar tones, recording filosofieë, die maak van die Skallabrak albums
Hond se gedagtes en Op Hitte en interessante partytjie kaskenades. Ons
kom ook meer te hore oor Toxic Speed Circus, ‘n band wat Deon saam met
Willem Prinsloo en Neil Ford vir ‘n tydjie gehad het. Deon vertel ons
ook hoe hy uit pure plattelandse nederigheid per ongeluk vir Goerge
van Dyk wat Jabulani geskryf het laat verstaan het dat hy wat Deon is
nie geïnteresseerd is om saam met George te werk nie, heellaas was dit
glad nie Deon se bedoeling gewees nie.

Deon du Toit

Mark Ellis — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 11:57:58 +0000

Deon du Toit is die guitarist van Skallabrak. Hy was ook die
voorsanger van die groep, Toxic Shame wat wyd verspreide nasionale
erkening in die vroë 2000’s gekry het met ondermeer hul treffer,
Silent Movie. Ons gesels oor die spanning wat kan ontstaan tussen ‘n
writing en ‘n live projek, televisie verskynings op die Kasper Rasper
show sowel as Rock Concert 3, record labels en die Holiday In scene in
die laat 80’s. Deon se aansluiting by Skallabrak was interessant in
die sin dat hul op soek was na ‘n rhythm section en dit wel gekry het,
maar tesame met ‘n briljante kitaarspeler. Ons gesels oor die rol wat
Deon gespeel het as producer op Skallabrak se laaste twee albums, ‘n
gig by Paarl rugby club en ander rock n roll trivia.

Press release on Diversiteit album

Tobias — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:01:13 +0000

Diversiteit album debuts in a time of desperation and division to bring us the message of unity.

Tunes Studio proudly presents this one of a kind compilation album, DIVERSITEIT (Diversity) in collaboration with some of our country’s finest artists and wordsmiths across a multitude of different genres as diverse as the album’s title implies. The album features a total of nine tracks and an intimate introduction to each artist through their song, sound and message. Owner and co-producer of Tunes Studio, Jean Marais has structured his entire business model towards accessibility and inclusion and the album was for him a natural extension of his studio’s core values. We all know that music heals and this album has truly come at the perfect time – here to remind us to be more tolerant, kinder to each other and accepting of our differences and similarities. Not knowing what exactly tomorrow might bring, we can only control how we react to our current circumstances and while we do that, let our hair down a little while dancing to the sound of the songs on Diversiteit – an escape through the music.

Available to stream and download HERE

Design by Sandy Litle

The artists featured on the album include Churchil Naudé, Riaan Nieuwenhuis, Riku Lätti, Bacchus Nel, Frazer Barry, Tuin, Petronel Baard en Soetmelk, Charel Kleinhans and Jolyn Phillips. Diversiteit was mixed and produced by Mark Ellis and Jean Marais who also provided the rhythm section on eight of the nine tracks. Another legendary element to the album is its mastering which was done by TL Mastering’s own Tim Lengfeld. A soul food recipe is served up with this album during a time we can all use some wholesome music.

Even though the album features mostly Afrikaans songs, there is the one exception titled ‘Ubunye’, written and performed by Charel Kleinhans, with Danie du Toit (Spoegwolf) as featured artist.

‘Die Bloed’ (The Blood) was the first single that was released off the album and is the only track that has been released before on Churchil Naudé’s own album which was titled, ‘Kroesified’. The version of ‘Die Bloed’ featuring Riku Lätti on this album, is a completely new take on the song and it is making the rounds on radio stations across the country.

The creators of this collaboration album hope to use their songs, through the language of Afrikaans, to convey the message that it is time to celebrate our diversity, to break down cultural barriers and to allow the flow and freedom of each song’s unique voice.

Follow Tunes Studio’s Facebook Page and Instagram Account for regular updates and behind the scenes footage.

LINKS:

Stefan Steyn deel 2

Mark Ellis — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 09:24:34 +0000

Deel ii van ‘n gesprek met Stefan Steyn. Stefan Steyn is ‘n kitaar- leerkrag sowel as speler vir kunstenaars en groepe soos onder andere Woltemade, Ozzy Mars en Steyn de Wet. Sy wedervaringe was te omvangryk om dit in een gesprek vas te pen en dus kom maak hy vir ‘n tweede keer ‘n draai op Tunes Live. Hy vertel ons in meer diepte van sy werksaamheid by die Londen Historia en hoe hy sy lewe op die spel geplaas het vir die konsertgangers se welstand; sy dae in Sunnyside en die venues en metal bands van daardie tyd en ons gesels verder oor sy bande met die groep, Dragon Force. Tunes Live is beskikbaar op iTunes en kan vanaf www.tunesstudio.co.za afgelaai en geluister word.

Stefan Steyn

Mark Ellis — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 08:55:55 +0000

Stefan Steyn speel kitaar vir onder andere Steyn de Wet, Ozzy Mars en Woltemade. Hy is ‘n nomadiese kitaar onderwyser in die sin dat hy lesse by sy studente se huise aanbied. Ons gesels oor groot word in Namibië, guitar tech wedervaringe in Engeland waar hy met bands soos onder andere Him en Dragon Force gewerk het, asook tye in Pretoria se Music Mate waar hy kunstenaars soos Theuns Jordaan en Dozie se kitare gediens het. Stefan het vir legendariese groep, Crimson house ook vantevore kitaar gespeel en hy was destyds in black metal band Mjollinr. Tunes live is beskikbaar op iTunes en kan vanaf www.tunesstudio.co.za geluister en afgelaai word.

Greg Smith

Mark Ellis — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:44:23 +0000

Greg Smith is the percussionist and harmonica player for the legendary Boulevard Blues. He chats about the history of the cajon and an unique way of playing the instrument. He designed the Clarisse which is a percussion instrument that he named after a fan of the band. We learn that he started out on classical guitar and that he has a lot of other qualities having worked in disco business, sales, printing and photo industries among other. Greg chats about performing with Dale Collins and Rob Thomson to name but a few, a Boulevard Blues European tour and many more. He also tells us an interesting story of how he once got commissioned to put together a Mexican Mariachi band for the TV series, Warrior without knowing what a Mexican Mariachi band is and how it turned out to be a huge success.

Louis Awerbuck

Mark Ellis — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:56:20 +0000

Louis Awerbuck speel gereeld harmonica vir Gert Vlok Nel asook Die Wasgoedlyn. Hy het al saam met kunstenaars soos Bacchus Nel, die legendariese Piet Botha en vele meer opgetree. Louis bevind homself in die interessante ewewig van ‘n ywerige musiek ondersteuner sowel as speler. Ons vind uit dat hierdie seldsame, dog eerbare balans tussen die twee van kardinale belang vir ons uiters eiesoortige musiekindustrie is. Louis is ‘n kliniese sielkundige wat ‘n privaat praktyk in Stellenbosch bedryf. Ons gesels ook ‘n bietjie oor sy werk met die prestasievermoë van sportlui, in die polisiediens en howe, alhoewel sy loopbaan in die sielkunder veel wyer strek as bloot dit. Hy vertel ons ook van die groot oomblikke toe hy vir Willie Nelson ontmoet het en dit uit gedraai het as veel meer as net ‘n handdruk en ‘n foto.

Craig V

Mark Ellis — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 13:08:11 +0000

Craig Viljoen is a remarkable guitarist who played for Gian Groen’s
band Spinnekop, he also jammed with Theo Crous before The
Springbok Nude Girls was formed. He is an extremely talented and
versatile song writer. He applies his skills to the heaviest riffs
and solo’s on the one hand and pop music on the other. Craig V is an
entertainer of note with his acoustic interpretations of hard rock and
metal songs from bands like Pantera and Rammstein to name but a few.

The Steezies

Mark Ellis — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 09:01:16 +0000

The Steezies is a large, energetic group of musicians with a very particular goal of unifying people from different walks of life. We chat about Ghetto Sessions, a musical endeavor, they helped shaped in order to pursue this goal. Katie and George tells us how the band, very organically emerged and evolved in two years from the two of them making music in their room to a full force Afro/funk/indie band who have graced festival stages such as Up the Creek, STRAB, Splashy Fen, Off the Grid and many more. George helps us to understand the ethos and sound of the band by revealing some of the interesting twists and turns his life journey took from growing up in rural Kwazulu Natal to studying in Scotland. We learn that they share members with Nomadic Orchestra and they also tell us about interesting buddy bands of The Steezies such as Flying Bantu from Zimbabwe and Sounds of the South of Khayelitsha. Download and stream their debut EP, Snorting lines of Turmeric from all major online platforms.