Deya Dova at Exodus Cyber Tribal Festival 2009

Hello. I'm back, briefly. Not sure if you read the comments in the last post but yeah, I really did get into a bit of a dummy spit with a woman called Universe, really did throw my back out badly trying to get out of a toilet cubicle in a place called Casino, really did smack myself in the eye whilst napping hard enough to bruise it. There is lots of amusing stuff to write about.

But first... I tried to upload some of my footage of Deya Dova but it didn't work so here's a youtube piece. It's not from Exodus but it will have to do for now.

I think there are a couple of types of music moments. Sometimes you know a band or performer and you're excited to see/hear them perform. Other times you've never heard of someone and they stop you dead in your tracks and you become an instant fan.

Walking back from the campsite across the mainstage on the way back to the trance stage I walked into a crowd totally going off. Good to see because the main stage at Exodus rarely sustains the energy level of the trance stage. I looked up and saw Deya Dova doing some really upbeat dance stuff to the programming of DJ Pulse. I couldn't believe how good this music was. Her voice is so primal, and DJ Pulse looked earnest as he worked his Apple Mac, occasionally looking up at Deya as she hit a note and smiling with admiration and respect. Beautiful partnership.

After a while Ann said she was going back to the trance stage. I said I wasn't going anywhere. Deya looped and harmonised with her own vocals. Sometimes the dancefloor was jumping, other times it swayed to more chilled beats. Frequently I had goosebumps.

Later I said hello and bought a CD which Deya signed. I said that their act was the music highlight of the festival so far. Deya thought that was great. I said steady on - it's a long weekend and anything could happen. Deya and Hamilton (DJ Pulse) both laughed at this. As it turned out, that was indeed the music highlight for me. They are Australian and live in far northern NSW. The influences in the music come from all over the world but amazingly the lyrics are not any language. She just opens up and draws on what she told me was a cellular level we're all in touch with.

The album I have is called The Jasmani Garden. It's quite meditative stuff, quite spiritual. It's in the stack with Kolliope, Laurie Anderson, Inga Liljestrom and a few others that I go to sleep to or put on my my head needs rescuing.

Apparently a new album is coming out that contains more of the dancey stuff. I cannot express how excited I am about this. Going to do all I can to get behind it.

Next post, I'll tell you about that dunny door and my back and that hostile woman called Universe.