We recently caught up with the Earthly Measures crew to have a quick chat about their upcoming event showcasing Multi Culti, trips down memory lane and what the future holds for the dynamic duo.
So tell me a little about Earthly Measures, how long have you guys been going for and what’s your vision that separates you from the rest?
So we’re childhood friends from North East London who have grown up together within a larger, incredibly close-knit group, that since our adolescence has heavily revolved around our intense love of music, and we're now trying to spread this love at our events. Earthly Measures has been running for around a year and a half now, in and around where we grew up which is important, not just because of the logistics but we also want to give back to the community that gave so much to us. We look towards global music focusing on sounds that help bring us closer to the authenticity of the world's different cultures and to the multi-ethnicity surrounding us.
Our vision is exploration, to feel and hear the new, the unexplored and the different. Noticeably bringing indigenous, tribal sounds on board is becoming a prominent feature of Earthly Measures from Lagartijeando to our upcoming Multi Culti event. But to restrict it to that would be a disservice to our exploration of music and the sounds created from every corner of the globe. What is unmistakable about our nights is bringing delicate downtempo, psychedelic tunes to the forefront for the first couple of hours easing your way into the groovy rhythms beyond.
What has been your favourite moment with Earthly Measures so far?
We’re lucky to have had the opportunity to book so many great artists in the short time we’ve been putting on these events- Digital Zandoli with their Zouk set would be up there, Eddie C’s Balearic summery vibes at our all day party, Alex Rita playing downtempo jams in the sun was another highlight. It’s hard to choose just one, but an event that stands out for us is Lagartijeando, the vibe was perfect, he’s an Argentinian producer who has released on Wonderwheel and brings local sounds to the forefront of electronic music by playing various live instruments encapsulating the preciousness of a culture, and he was fantastic, you have to check him out!
Are you particularly drawn to a certain style of music? I noticed your previous events include artists from the more middle-eastern / world genres such as Habibi Funk and Mehmet Aslan.
We love lots of styles and genres but there’s something special about listening to someone expressing themselves from a completely different place in the world, different culture, beliefs, thoughts, experiences and sound yet the music still harnessing the same connection. There’s definitely an aspect of being drawn to things that are different and the deep-rooted need to explore, whether that’s cultures or food or adventure, and that difference and exploration is where you really start to learn and understand about yourself and the world especially in the case of artistic expression; things start to align, the glass gets clearer and gradually your reflection changes. From this we made a conscious decision for Earthly Measures to represent music from around the world and bring the diverse cultures of London together.
Can you tell us a bit about your next event showcasing Multi-Culti? How will this event differ from your previous events?
Multi Culti are a label based in Montreal, Canada that explore their many global connections through sound & art. Releasing music from around the world, they have a real sense of existing in their own, fantastically fun, sub-genre. Music from Dreems, Von Party, Nicola Cruz, Sascha Funke & more show how wide-reaching the soundscapes amongst their releases really are. Besides from owing a record label, Dreems & Von Party show a desire to really let loose and enjoy themselves, something that is far too easy to forget to do. To match the music on the night, we're going to put a lot of focus on the aesthetics. We're aiming to create a colourful, psychedelic & earthly playground for everyone to enjoy the music & each other too. This will also be the first event where we will be working with the charity Tree Aid, donating proceeds of the event to them.
What’s next for Earthly measures? Are the whispers true of a potential record label being drawn up?
Label wise, nothing is concrete as of yet, but we have been working on some music with artists who we have previously worked with in the past, as well as some up and coming UK based producers. We’re aiming to have something ready for middle to end of this year but can’t really reveal much more than that! Event wise, we are going to start focusing on intimate shows where we have more freedom to express ourselves, concentrating on our Earthly Measures vibe and vision. We’ve found a great small spot in Hackney, Paper Dress Vintage, that we believe in, and will make our home for the foreseeable future after our Multi Culti event. We got some pretty cool things lined up there! Also, starting from our next event, we will be working with environmental charity Tree Aid, who help to create thriving & sustainable communities throughout Africa by planting trees. We will be donating 50p of every ticket sold as well as 50% of all profits made! This has an undeniably positive impact on the communities directly involved in this project but also a wider-reaching effect, calling people to wake up and do what they can in the race to save this planet. Environmental issues are something we feel passionate about and we now feel like we have a platform to do our bit.
Make sure you roll on through to Earthly Measures at Five Miles on 15th March showcasing Multi Culti with Dreems & Thomas Von Party
Tickets
Words: Max