Die Antwoord's US debut at Coachella

Ninja and Yo-Landi of Die Antwoord sat down with me for an interview just after the South African "rap-rave" band's first-ever US performance at the Coachella music festival. The duo spoke about their explosive, internet-fueled burst to fame, and about the origins of their "car crash music" (it's disturbing, but you can't look away) by way of District 9 and an anarchic internet and music subculture in post-Apartheid South Africa.

I'm told this is the only interview Die Antwoord granted during their US visit. Our conversation originally streamed live as part of the Los Angeles Times / Brand X magazine Coachella Oasis Webcast.

After the jump, a gallery of photos from their Coachella performance, shot by Dave Bullock (eecue).

coachella_day_2_089.jpg

Photos of Die Antwoord live at Coachella, below: Dave Bullock (eecue)

coachella_day_2_078.jpg

coachella_day_2_083.jpg

coachella_day_2_070.jpg

coachella_day_2_082.jpg

coachella_day_2_090.jpg

coachella_day_2_081.jpg

coachella_day_2_087.jpg

coachella_day_2_093.jpg

More Boing Boing video here. Links to fan-shot videos of Die Antwoord's performance at Coachella: user allisongeddie's clips parts 1, part 2, and part 3; and here are many more uploads by other fans in the audience.

THANKS: Eric Mittleman; David Burns, Scott Dallavo, and Richard Metzger of the Los Angeles Times and Brand X Magazine; Mazy Kazerooni and the UStream.tv team; Philip Nelson, Rex Olson and colleagues at Newtek, makers of the Tricaster live video production system on which this was recorded and produced; Diane Coetzer and Jay Savage; Syd Cohen and the office of Joel Zimmerman at WME; and Allison Geddie, whose video of Die Antwoord performing live at Coachella is briefly excerpted in this episode.

(PHOTO in video still: Clayton Cubitt)

WATCH VIDEO: YouTube, or download MP4.