40 years ago this week Graceland was released by Paul Simon [Rob Bogaerts for Anefo]

Where to be:
Giegling: Edward, Konstantin
Phonox, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY
Saturday August 22, 23:00-5:00

There’s no shortage of great parties this weekend. FOLD is hosting Voigtmann and Z@P on Friday and Norwegian label Ute.rec on Saturday, while Hamish & Toby and Laurine & Cecilio at Night Tales is also one worth checking out.

However, it is Edward and Konstantin at Phonox, co-founders of the cult German house and techno label Giegling, that I find most intriguing.

I caught Edward at Gottwood earlier this summer. His three-hour set along with a anecdotes and recommendations from friends, and videos on social media, have been enough to convince me they’re the business. I’d been eyeing up Giegling’s September event at Club der Visionaere in Berlin for a while, and as they aren’t in London too often, Saturday feels like a good opportunity to find out what they’ve got in their locker.

• Phonox, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY, https://ra.co/events/2486532

Artist to watch out for: Kraftwerk

Terms such as “innovators’ and “pioneers” are often thrown around without much merit. With Kraftwerk, however, such descriptions are undeniably justified.

Formed in Düsseldorf in 1970, Kraftwerk used synthesisers, electronic rhythms and robotic vocals before such practices were common. Since then, the group has been widely praised for their influence on multiple generations of musicians and a range of genres, including hip-hop, house and techno.

Admittedly, going through their catalog for this column, I found some of their tracks sound slightly outdated. But that is partly the point. The sounds they introduced that were once so futuristic have since become commonplace among much of modern music.

Start by giving songs like Computer Love and The Model a listen. Then remind yourself they were made over 40 years ago. Suddenly Kraftwerk will begin to make a lot more sense.

Album to check out:
Graceland – Paul Simon

Tuesday August 25 marks 40 years since Paul Simon released Graceland, an album with a backstory that is nothing short of extraordinary.

After hearing a bootleg cassette of mbaqanga, a style of South African music, Simon controversially travelled to the country in 1985 to record with black musicians. He defied the cultural boycott intended to isolate the apartheid regime, with critics arguing that doing so undermined international solidarity against the racist state. Simon maintained that collaborating with black musicians was different from supporting the government, and several South African musicians involved in the project spoke out in his defence.

While the debate over Graceland’s creation raged-on well past the album’s release, from a musical perspective, the South African rhythms and instrumentation work beautifully with Simon’s songwriting. Songs like Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes and the title track are pieces of music that somehow feel joyous and nostalgic at once.

Earlier this year the troubadour packed out the Royal Albert Hall, providing fans (my mum was one of those lucky enough to bag a pair of tickets!) an experience they won’t forget.

Give Graceland a listen this week, and read the full story behind its creation and the controversy that came with it. Simply beautiful.