akiwawa_about_en
AKIWAWA? Oh yes! The party series by Rainer (from the Konzeptlos DJ collective) and DJ Pun has been around since 2013. They play dusty & crackling records, mainly from the the 60s and 70s. Most are funk, soul and jazz-influenced, as well as traditional sounds from many parts of the world. From the Americas to the Caribbean to Europe and remote corners of the African continent. Well-known and obscure, guaranteed to get you dancing and to give the dance floor a break, there are a few tracks thrown in to make you take off. Both have been DJing since the 90s and team up for Akiwawa as regularly as possible, preferably with great guest DJs. More about the two of them below.
The sounds of DJ Pun & Rainer first mixed at a wild, legendary party in 2003. Both organised party series – DJ Pun Beats On Board and Beats On Tab with Soulinus; Rainer the Konzeptlos parties with D.H and others. From 2009 onwards, Pun & Rainer played together at the new concert/party series ‘Antz In The Pantz’ at the Kaserne Basel – legendary bands, shows and parties. Some artists even packed a handful of records to DJ with the two after the show. After his first amazing concert in Basel in 2011, Charles Bradley showed up at the afterparty behind the DJ booth, grabbed the mic, sang and rapped over the deep funk instrumentals – and the crowd went wild. When the series was shut down after five years, Pun & Rainer hadn't had enough and were keen to continue DJing together, so they conjured up AKIWAWA. After three parties at the Jägerhalle, many years followed at the Kaschemme with guests such as DJ Format, Fredrik Lavik (Afro7), Mr. Magic, etc. Since then, AKIWAWA has been performing at various venues around the city, such as Schall und Rauch. As AKIWAWA, the two also created good vibes in other cities, such as Bern, Winterthur, Zurich, St. Gallen, Lucerne, etc.
Charles Bradley live at 'Antz In The Pantz' party 2011
Pun? The DJ and B-Boy has been spinning records since the late 90s. He masterfully mixed raw breakbeats, rap and funk. From the mid-2000s onwards, he regularly performed with Soulinus for enthusiastic party crowds in numerous clubs in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. They released the briliant compilation ‘This is DJs choice’ on Unique Records, the label of their mutual friend Henry Storch, and were often booked with renowned DJs from the scene. As a duo, they threw their own party series ‘Beats on Tap’ in Schaffhausen and ‘Beats on Board’ on a ship in Basel, with awesome guest DJs such as Quantic and Felvans! A treat for all funk and breakbeat fans. In addition to Akiwawa, he regularly teams up with DJ friends (Señor Calor, Feid) and there are several hot mixes by DJ Pun available for free on Mixcloud and Soundcloud.
Rainer? He's passionately searching for new old sounds and he's 'Konzeptlos' – that's one half of the DJ collective he founded in 2002 together with D.H. The flyers (by D.H.) and their own DIY parties – where DJ Pun often joined in – are legendary. In 2014, they launched their concert series 'Konzeptlos presents'. For decades, Rainer has been searching for records from the 60s and 70s that have been ignored by the mainstream, many with hit potential. Funk, jazz, soul and traditional sounds from all over the world that are hardly known outside their region of origin and small circles of connoisseurs. He also supports bands and labels in re-releasing these old tracks, as the bands often no longer have master tapes or playable copies. Since the mid-90s, he has been DJing out of pure passion, alone and with DJ friends. Rainer has performed in countless bars and clubs in Basel and Switzerland. Far beyond the country's borders, people have also taken notice of him and his musical gems and invite him to perform from Beirut to Dakar to New York.
