Snowbombing review
A look at this year's iconic snow and music festival.
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Mayrhofen in the Austrian Tyrol really is the perfect spot for hosting Snowbombing, the annual music celebration giving a shot in the arm to the end of the snow season in the Alps. Sunny skies, laid-back resort, old-world hospitality and an eager band of festival-goers (mostly Brits judging by De La Soul's snap poll of the crowd at the Eristoff forest party) ensured the event had a place in the heart of everyone, the one's I spoke to at least!
And it was warm too, as I skied on a perfect morning down an icy and, as I was to discover, testing red run towards the park to meet Joe Tyler. A Mayrhofen resident hailing from Halifax, Joe is part of a large ex-pat crew who spends much of his snow time making films and discovering new places to hone his impressive array of skills.
Being some time since I felt the stiff boots on my feet and wind in my hair, Joe took me and a few others out for some gentle turns and runs around a quietish mountainside. Eminently patient and with the easy-going surfer vibe about him, he very kindly didn't let his boredom show and saw us down the slopes, very happy with our progress.
The Land of The Wolf - Georgia for those not in the know, was the scene for one of Joe's expeditions last year. Not an obvious choice (but then no one wants obvious anymore) but nevertheless an intriguing culture to discover and snow scene to conquer.
"Well to be honest I had no idea what to expect," said Joe. "I've been to some pretty out there places before for skiing such as Kashmir and Turkey and it was amazing how well they are set up but it's completely different where ever you go."
Also sponsored by a host of brands including Relentless and Adidas Eyewear, the list of possible destinations in the coming year include South America, Canada, Russia, China and Iran. So what does he miss out his home? Says Joe: "Food wise: Cadburys, bacon and lamb! It's mainly pork out here which is weird as you never see any pigs!"
Duncan Beeny, aka DJ Yoda, is due to play first out at the forest party and given the chance to meet him, we grabbed ten minutes at the nerve centre of Snowbombing, Hotel Strasse. Another laid back dude, must be something about this place, this is a man with an open mind and relentless schedule.
This being his fourth time at the festival, you'd have thought maybe some time out on the snow would be a driving factor, but he passed up his chance to hit the slopes to prepare for his opening set that night. The clear air and sunshine provided him inspiration and the result was extremely well-received by a knowledgeable and buzzy crowd of superheroes, cross-dressers and the best Chewbacca outfit I've seen yet. He must have felt at home.
Says Yoda: "I have been in about six countries this week alone, which drives you a little bit insane, but next month will be more chilled. It could be Dubai one week, Guernsey the next. I kinda love-hate it; I dunno what I'd do without it and I'd go a bit mental if I stayed in London for more than one week."
Hip hop has historically been his bread and butter, but times change and so does his sphere of influence. The sheer volume of media available these days means his head is permanently buried in his laptop looking for, and being led by, samples - whether audio or visual. He agrees that there is a time and a place for everything. "I can't insult any form of music or film. If someone is out there enjoying, it's worthwhile doing," he says.
So, what does he love about music? "It's the same thing for movies and music: the thing that really gets me about a good film or a good piece of music is that it transports you somewhere else. Yeah, a powerful bit of art will transport you somewhere."
Check out clips of the ERISTOFF Forest Party on Facebook.
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