The coolest music alpine weekend of your life! We speak to the main man in Chamonix
The winter months are packed with incredible mini festivals scattered accross the snowy peaks of Europe and beyond. ne of our favourites down at DMC is the iconic Winter Sessions weekender in the salubrious Chamonix resort in France. As boutique a resort as you can get set against one of the most startling backdrops since the promoters at Mount Fuji set up their speakers. Dan Prince speaks to Joe ‘Uncle Joe’ Crossley founder of Winter Sessions and discovers why the Hip Hop, Breaks and Urban headz are already packing their passports…
Easy Joe, welcome to DMC. So tell us, how did the whole Winter Sessions weekender begin in The Alps? What are your backgrounds?
“From doing seasons all around the world I decided to bring together my passion for music as well as the snowboarding together. Originally the plan was to get a bunch of like minded people together to create, in music, art as well as enjoying the mountains as much as possible. This evolved through the years to hosting parties, tours for acts we loved as well as putting on shows for the people who live here in the Alps. An event for the real core snowsports and music lovers alike. My background is in creative, music and event/film production and my partner Clarence Pegrum has been involved in marketing and events in music and luxury brands for the last 15 years. We work on loads of other projects which take us all over the world but this event is our Winter passion bringing us back to roost in the mountains each year.”
The winter season has some superb ‘festivals’ on the slopes year after year, what sets your event apart from your competitors?
“I dont really see it as a competiton but as we have grown over the years we have been forced to define ourselfs apart from the others. I think the one thing that sets us apart from the rest is that this event isn’t just a holiday or a piss up in a snowy place. It’s a celebration of all that it authentic about the snow season. Kickers built by the local crews who live here, music supplied by the people who truely embrace the mountains rather than just picking up a wage packet at the end of a set. This means that 75% of our acts and DJs have been here before and love it, this creates a vibe of passion and enthusiasam which is then refected by the people who come to the events. if it was to be a one word answer I would probably say it authentic. It’s not like a festival it’s more like a huge bunch of mates, and that way the people who come end up making friends with the people who live here and have a longer lasting connection with this amazing valley, rather than going home with a sore head looking at photos of people you met, you will be looking at photos of your new friends.”
Winter Sessions has a real sway towards the urban side of music, what clubs and DJs did you learn your dancefloor stripes dancing on and to?“My background is seated firmly in the UK hip hop and drum n bass scenes of the 90’s and after. People like the London Posse (Rodney has been here too many times to mention), Skitz, The Nextmen, all the Grand Centrals artists as well as people like DJ Die, Bugz In The Attic, Jenna G, Gilles Peterson and Roni Size all have had a big influence. For me the clubs such as Funkadelic, Electric Chair at Music Box in Manchester and CO-OP at Plastic People have all helped craft my dance history back then – now it’s people like London promoters Soundcrash and as our new partners for this year, we are really excited about what’s round the corner. Personally, I am constanly being impressed by the new wave coming through, got a lot of love for the Engine-Earz who are dropping their debut album this year, as well as MCs like Bugzy and Ghostpoet. 2012 is looking like a big year for music and the world for that matter.”
To a Winter Sessions debutante, what exactly is a ‘Boutique snow festival’?
“Small, perfectly formed, with non of the crap you will find at most larger events. It’s relaxed and spaced out around the town and the mountain, so you can take in the mountains, drop in to a few smaller bar shows or rave it up in the larger stages situated all within a few minutes walk of each other. We are small, informal but full of the good vibes you might expect from an iconic mountain town such as Chamonix.”
You have some fabulous daytime activities, talk us through the Space Turkey Wrestling, The Alpine Cake Bake Off and the i-Pod Battle…
“At Winter Sessions we like to keep things firmly tongue in cheek and over the years we have been adding to the roster of the fun and games. Space turkey westling needs to be seen to be truely appriciated, basically a battle to the death where you need to knock your opponent over. It’s a cross between cock fighting and sumo wresetling. Weekender favourite the Alpine Cake Bake-Off has been a fixture since the start. Bring a cake to the judges table on the mountain and follow the rules: “the first mouthful is with the eye, and the proof of the pudding is in the eating” (basically needs to look the bomb and taste amazing), and then everyone eats it and the winner is picked by the people; then everyone eats the cakes. There has been a few suspect recipes in the past but seeing everyone with a mouthful of cream cake has to be one of my favourite moments of the weekend; The i-Pod battle is where you get to go head to head with your favorite tracks and the crowd calls it. It’s harsh and wonderful all at the same time, loads of cheers and boos and the winner get crowned supreme and then gets to paraglide off the mountain, pretty dope if you ask me, I mean where else in the world do you see that ?”
What DJs and live artists are you looking forward to seeing in Match?“Stormin Norman jay is back with a very specialy Good Times vibe this year, looking forward to that. Plus the mighty Trojan Sound System on Dub duty. Really looking forward to Mr Thing and the Ninja Tunes x Solidsteel stage with DK and Cheeba as well as Zero 7 who played a wicked set at last year’s Soundwave in Croatia. Not forgetting the Lazy Habits who stole the show for us last year so we are looking forward to that, as well as checking out all that’s going on across the weekend.”
What makes Chamonix such a perfect location for your event?
“If you have ever been here then you would know. The setting is what makes this special, 4000m mountains surrounding you which you don’t get used too. You see people getting out their cars or taxis as they arrive with mouths wide open. It really is a natural wonder of the world and a must see for everyone kind of like the Grand Canyon or the Pyramids.”
What are the big tunes that stick in your head from past events?
“Recently it’s the new Dub Physics track ‘Marker’ that has slammed it at recent shows, Lazy Habits new one ‘The Road ‘ has been ringing through my ears since I heard it as well. Rodney P doing the ‘Nice Up’ with 200 people singing word for word was also one that has stuck in the memory banks. DJ Skills (the new French DMC champ) did a filthy Tribe Called Quest routine last year and Jenna G doing a PA of ‘In Love Back’ in the day was also a big one for the goosebump factor.”
And finally, why should a clubber be saving up for a holiday on snow rather than a week in Ibiza?
“Well we have a weekend package for £217 which includes accom., ski pass and weekender tickets for 4 nights which is a bargain – so if you are looking for something exciting then we have it all. A lot of the time you got to events and get stuck into your favorite stage, club or arena and then in the down time, chill or socialise. Well the weekender has all that plus the fact that you can also strap on your skis or snowboard and shred a mountain up, take a trip to the top of the highest peak and get a veiw of Europe’s biggest mountain Mt Blanc or go for a train ride to a massive glacier with your mates. Everyone who lives in this town is from all over the world much like Ibiza – that’s why they call Cham the Ibiza of the mountains. And when you get back you just want to hit replay again and again and agian. It’s a thrill seekers paradise and a mecca for anyone into snow-sports or the mountains.”
WINTER SESSIONS WEEKENDER 2012
FRIDAY 30th & SATURDAY 31st MARCH 2012
CHAMONIX, FRANCE
THE boutique snow and music festival in the heart of the French Alps
Confirmed artists so far:
NORMAN JAY, ZERO 7, TROJAN SOUND SYSTEM
MR THING, DK (NINJA TUNES), SOUNDCRASH SOUND SYSTEM
CHEEBA, LAZY HABITS, RUNNING NUMBERS, JON KENNEDY
RUSS JONES, PADDY FREEFORM
and more to be announced…
Daytime mountain activities:
MOUNTAIN TOP STAGE & SOUND SYSTEM, SKI & SNOWBOARD COMPETITIONS, MOUNTAIN TOP BAR & BBQ, ALPINE CAKE BAKE OFF, I-POD BATTLE, SPACE TURKEY WRESTLING, BEST ONESIE KING & QUEEN and much more….
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Get a flavour for Winter Sessions Weekender 2012 here: http://vimeo.com/34027803
