Exclusive &house music &Techno &Top 10 12 Jan 2012 11:59 am

Final Tops for 2011 From Measax , Fresh Andy and closing mentions by 88!

Measax has been our techno/house resident DJ for nearly 4 years now. Below are his top’s from 2011 in no particular order…

Mo Kolours – EP1 Drum Talking

I enjoyed this a lot because I’m a sucker for African vocals and on top of that I don’t think you can get more organic than this in 2011. The track biddies is one of the my favorite jams this year. This is certainly a sleeper and won’t make any of the big lists, but I’ll be coming back to it for years to come.

YouTube Preview Image

XDB – Recago EP & Bakfom EP

I like just about everything XDB does. Elements of Basic Channel and Chain Reaction are always present in their production, which I have always had a soft spot for. Both of these releases have that “Sun God” feeling I really dig- so, I had to name them both.

YouTube Preview Image

Omar S. – It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do it + Here’s Your Trance Now Dance

I like acid. I like raw sounding stuff. I like real detroit house and techno. I like [almost] everything Omar does. I like that you can only get this off his website. Enough said.

YouTube Preview Image

 King Krule – King Krule

I get tired of listening to the same genre of music all the time. This has been a goto indie/electronica EP for me recently, especially on dreary days. Zoo Kid’s vocals are unusual which I’m a fan of, and the music itself is masterfully done. Not bad for a bunch of teenagers from the U.K. I only wish there was more.

YouTube Preview Image

Rush Hour – Best of 2011

This is an awesome label and I’m glad they put out a “best of” release. Not all of their music is challenging but it doesn’t have to be. The production quality is circa 1979 with modern bass appeal and honestly you can’t go wrong with anything they put out.

YouTube Preview Image

Quantec – Imaginary Flight

Millions of Moments is an awesome label. The stuff Quantec does is classy and classic. Deep, heady and emotional. All things I like.

YouTube Preview Image

San Proper – A Cat Called Mice

Perlon- It is my favorite record label of all time for several reasons… My least favorite reason is the fact that they are still vinyl only, but I make a special exception for these guys. I fell like a lot of the “best of” 2011 polls that have come out snubbed “Cut Yo Hair” because Perlon wasn’t super active this year, but it’s as good as any. They’ve gotten a lot of credit in the past, and at least one Perlon tack or release makes my playlist every time. It just so happens that this was my favorite from 2011.

YouTube Preview Image

Marcel Dettmann – Translation EP

Did I mention how much I like old school German Techno? Well, Dettman just about always gets it right for me. This EP on Ostgut Ton was another 4×4 banger that satisfies that techno erg I get every winter.

YouTube Preview Image

Linkwood – Secret Value

I like strange-poetic house music like this. I can’t wait to hear this in the spring. Hopefully Shevchenko starts releasing digitally. Not to rant, but seriously, the footprint on the environment, and the amount of oil we waste on something that could be distributed digitally is completely senseless. Anyway, its still some damn good music.

YouTube Preview Image
Mark E – Stone Breaker

This was a solid release for Spectral Sound- imho. The music had a lot of different flavors in it (chill, deep, housey, techy) and yet it all gelled together nicely. “Got to Get Me There” was my favorite on this release, but I could play this album from start to finish and not get board. Some good tunes for the dance floor and being stuck in traffic. Mark E is quickly becoming one of my personal favorites.

YouTube Preview Image

From our friend in Germany, Andy Dutz, holding it down at one of our favorite shops Kompakt.

Best 5 Albums:

Tim Hecker “Ravedeath 1972″
Mr Hecker never lets me down. extraordinary release and i could listen to “the piano drop” on heavy rotation until i die, honestly. what a stunning piece of music.

Robag Wruhme “Thora Vukk”
The most personal production he ever made and i think this sounddesign is hard to beat. so pure and full of ideas it makes you shiver in awe.

Fink “Perfect Darkness”
I have to admit i usually don’t listen to this kind of music. but this one came out of the blue and surprisingly caught me on the hop. so damn beautiful it makes you wanna listen to it over and over again.

How To Dress Well “s/t”
Really glad this was re-released on tri angle otherwise i wouldn’t have come across it. can’t really define what it is actually but the music somehow managed to pass through all selective filters hitting right on the surface of consciousness. despite the shitty production itself. makes me happily sing along and cry in despair at the same time. harmony and chaos – beautiful perfection.

Andy Stott “We stay together/Passed me by”
Andy stott can do whatever he wants, to me he never fails. love the washed out, muddy sounds.

Best 10 Tracks:

Burial “Street Halo”
Can’t remember the last time the complete office was crazy about one track everyone wanted to listen to the whole day AND couldn’t wait for the record to arrive like kids waiting for christmas . Still getting goosebumps listening to this thinking of hearing it at Bergahin…

Anstam “Baldwin”
Killer track which shreds every dancefloor into pieces.

Osunlade “Envision” Ame Remix
Definitely the best remix i have heard in 2011. can’t get much more deep and soulfoul than this. if you don’t dance to this you probably never dance.

daphni “ye ye”
I pray for the next caribou album to sound like this. which i doubt it won’t. that’s what i call contemporary dance music.

Steffi “Do Me Right”
Passionately love this one. this is what housemusic should sound like – great vocals and a killer groove woven together in a prefect production.

Todd Terje “Snooze for Love”
A really wonderful track. dance music can’t get much more beautiful than this. and playing this as your last song even makes the shittiest set shine in a bright light afterwards.

YouTube Preview Image

Roman Flügel “Dishes And Wishes”
Sets every dancefloor on fire. and those claps are freaking me out – in a positive way!

YouTube Preview Image

Roman Flügel “Brian Le Bon”
I think this is my personal most favourite track of 2011. no doubt roman flügel knows how to create the utmost emotions out of machines. majestic music for your body and your soul.

Balam Acab “See Birds”
There wasn’t really a chance of getting around tri angle records in 2011. every single release was a true killer, always coming up with something new and interesting. nonetheless “see birds” was the first release that really grabbed me by the balls. and i still can’t get enough of it. (damn, i wanted to sound it like i cannot get enough of the music and not having my balls grabbed.. uch, whatever.. ;) )

YouTube Preview Image

Martyn ” Masks”
Really powerful dancefloor smasher. love the way martyn moved from producing drum&bass to dubstep and then techno. looking forward to seeing what he is doing next.

11th. best track of the year:
Efdemin “There will be singing” (Koze remix)
Totally forgot to mention this, maybe because it was released so early in 2011. Nonetheless this definitely was one of my faves in 2011. Brilliant remix and great vocals in the beginning! ;)

Some things that weren’t mentioned in our top 10s so far, that we refuse to end the year on without mentioning.

Best Show of the Year…Decade? – Amon Tobin ISAM

Best Live Show hosted by 88 – Tie: Octave One and B Bravo

Break out artist of 2011: Jamie XX

Break out track for said artist and best summer anthem for 2011

YouTube Preview Image

Track that encapsulated 2011:

Organic, 2-step beat, emphasis on bass…2011

Future Blues:WDYGOAPHGFY

 

 

Favorite DC Find: Refugee and Nitti

Last year’s was: SGNL

D.C. Artist &Exclusive &house music &music review &Techno &Top 10 27 Dec 2011 01:52 pm

Top’s of 2011 – Boss Ross

2011 was a fantastic year in music. Every genre and subgenre had defining moments in new directions with new sounds. From every underground nether region to dubstep’s near tidal wave attack on popular dance music, it became near overwhelming to the emersive, all consuming listener. In my own consumption much of what defined my year did not really define the year in music. In other words, what I enjoyed most about the year was the artist on whom I’ve consistently relied and whose output seldom places him or her in any sort of moment within the life cycle of a genre or movement. So simply put it was just plain awesome music that helped me endure a year of hurricanes, murder, protest, famine, flooding and maybe a Snowmageddon here if the Big G plays his cards right. I digress. Here are my favorites of the year and why.

Top 5 Best Albums/Mixes:

1. Sepalcure Sepalcure Hotflush: Sepalcure bookended my year. February 3 I picked up their EP entitled Fleur seeking out easy sounding technoid dubstep that might be “accessible” for early my usual opening slot when Ian Brundage is setting up sound for the real acts. While that and every other EP and now album never saw the light of day in my bursting, broken rolling briefcase of a DJ bag, it found a very well worn spot in my collection of listening records for the year. With the release of the proper album in late November, Sepalcure spent many nights in the office and on the player wearing like a good friend. The sound of this perfect whole of an album is that of a faded and almost sunbeaten beat laden by distant, warped and at times lilting vocals. Perfect for rainy days and cold months in this hemisphere when years end and begin.

YouTube Preview Image

2. The Labyrinth Various Artists Time To Express: As tsunami’s raged through Japan this year my heart and mind reflected heavily on aspects of their culture that have influenced me. Chief among them would be how Japanese people respect the techno artist. Nowhere else is respect for techno on better display than at Labyrinth festival. For three days, techno is presented in exactly the right way with an eye to harmonizing with its surroundings in a mountain valley near Nigata. This album gives a very heartfelt tribute to that harmonization and direct unity by four very able veterans. The festival would have been on my bucket list without this album but it may prove the lynchpin to making 2012 the year to go.

YouTube Preview Image

3. Robag Wruhme – Wuppdeckmischampflow – Kompakt: Upon one listen through this mix you really get the opinion some of the tracks are dear friends to the DJ. One look at the DJ and you know music is his friend and he is more than happy to share. Wuppdeckmischampflow reminded me of 20 years of house and techno considered through the eyes of someone who consumed across as much as his budget allowed across all genres. In a genre where everything must be reinvented it was refreshing to hear a mix considering so much with such a mature perspective.

YouTube Preview Image

4. Shackleton Fabric 55 Fabric: This mix took the crown for most listens while I traveled to and from Court Hearings all over Murrland this year. While I will grant that the mix’s tracklist reads like a greatest hits collection, like RV, it is tough to vary from his own gifted, superlative body of work. While the mix never really peaks it provided just the right amount of ebb needed to cleanse the mind before serious business at the Court House.

YouTube Preview Image

5. Marcel Fengler Berghain 5 Ostgut Ton: It probably wouldn’t be one of my lists without an Ostgut Artist or offering on it. Here we hav Marcel’s (the other Marcel that is) contribution to the series. Where Marcel distinguishes himself from the other Berghain DJs is probably with his use of drama. Drama not of the “stop the bass/start the bass” variety but of the crescendo/decrescendo variety. Most credit Marcel as a master of subtlety. Here his transitions seem quick but at only 70 mins none of it feels rushed in the slightest.

YouTube Preview Image


Top 10 Singles

1. Head High (aka Shed) – It’s a Love Thing – Power House: To me this track really helped take many of my sets to that extra energy level where I feel like I express myself as this Boss I am supposed to be. Yeah that sounds arrogant, but if any track can do it for me this one did in 2011. With that extra bass thud Shed can deliver so succinctly punching relentlessly under a supremely belted vocal and that right piano hit it’s just the right amount of overstatement I thought Shed did and hopefully from time to time will deliver again.

YouTube Preview Image

2. Creative Swing Alliance – Now (Loving You) – MCDE: As an opening DJ for now and the foreseeable future it is really tough to underestimate the value of tracks that unfold and develop over an extended period of time (see also No. 10 on this list). This one did it so effectively I dropped it usually right around when 20 people collected on floor and began to put their drinks down to dance.

YouTube Preview Image

3. Who Made Who – Every Minute Alone (Tale of Us Remix): Life and Death: Something about this song hangs in the air and at 7AM watching the haze clear from the football field at Cass Tech sitting on the wall of the TV Bar makes the strained vocals remain in the immediate memory for some time. To be certain here it’s quite simply this song, played at that exact moment in that treasured place that puts it on this list.

YouTube Preview Image

4. Sigha – B1 – Hotflush: Again a record that will not leave my techno bag for a long time. Sure it works best as a tool but watch for the tamping piano notes steadily building in the distance with the sureness of the deep, driving rhythm create a Sandwell District like feel. The slightly off kilter beat and a few hi hat accents make it

YouTube Preview Image

5. Relative – A2 – Vinalog: If a record could at once permeate like a good techno record while swing like a house record it was this one from the nondescript vinalog characters. 4 great tracks here but the A2 seals it with the Homer Simpson 300 lb disability episode reference.

YouTube Preview Image

6. Fudge Fingas – What Works – Firecracker Recordings: If you manufactured hand crafted record sleeves for your ultra limited pressing vinyl you would make sure the music was good right? Yes, well Firecracker does anyway. This particular edition sees Fudge Fingas work a airy, glistening piano chime into a massive dance track.

YouTube Preview Image

7. Levon Vincent – Pivotal Moments in Life – Novel Sound: Levon Vincent is an artist you always wait to see what direction he may take with each new record or even remix he releases. On NS06 he ltrades the compressed hiss and intensity of his usual fare for subtlety. The gem here is what he does with the playful almost Robert Miles Platypus records single key line of Pivotal Moments. Typical quality with an experiment with new sounds.

YouTube Preview Image

8. Kahn – Like We Used To – Punch Drunk: Punch Drunk set a very high standard for Bristol style Dubstep output in the late 2000s and while that output seems to have slowed the quality is still present. Here Kahn creates not just a great dubstep track but a unique use of vocals as part of the songscape.

YouTube Preview Image

9. Vakula – Dub as Always – Shevchenko: The Ukranian born producer had quite a year if not for his productions for his new craft label Shevchenko. This most recent release features the completely uncliche dub house track entitled “Dub as Always”. Where others would use a jamaican voice and tired traps of the typical house track, Vakula makes rubbery echoes and the loud Jamaican call fresh. As with many of his other releases this year Vakula is redefining how modern deep sounds and this record might be his best to date.

YouTube Preview Image

10. The Citizen’s Band – 77 Reasons – Live at Robert Johnson: With the death of the CD mix according to Dixon so goes the fantastic Live at Robert Johnson series. Thankfully the world renowned club owners kept the label with original tracks released towards the end of this year. Here, a bright, crisp organ assists a loping to eyes closed dreamy perfection.

YouTube Preview Image

- Boss Ross

Bass &dub &dubstep &Exclusive &music review &podcast &Top 10 &Underground Knowledge 20 Dec 2011 12:40 pm

2011: The Fluidity and Rigidity of The Bass Line

Over the past decade it’s been quite evident that the various applications of the bass line has made a significant impact in the world of music. Where it has been emphasized into existing forms of music it has transformed the percussive swing of UK Garage into the dark and minimal half-step sounds of ‘Dubstep’ and as of late it has created the dynamic tempo range and the fusion-driven sounds of what is currently known as either ‘UK Bass’, ‘Future Bass’ or just simply ‘Bass’.

‘Dark Garage’:

Darqwan-Nocturnal (142 beats per minute), 2002, Texture Records

emphasis on the subsonic bass, minimization on the percussion, at a tempo range between 138 to 148 beats per minute:

‘Dubstep’:

Coki-The End (144 beats per minute), 2007, DMZ

Jakes-3Kout (138 beats per minute), 2007, Hench

‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’ music has added that same emphasis to the bass line that has been used with ‘Dubstep’ to fuse it with existing forms of music such as ‘Techno’, ‘Juke’, ‘Baltimore Club’, ‘Miami Bass’, and ‘House’ at different tempos:

‘Detroit Techno’:
Derrick May-The Dance (126 beats per minute), 1987, Transmat

‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’:
Boddika & Joy O-Swims (126 beats per minute), Forthcoming on Swamp 81
Swims by Boddika

‘Detroit Techno’:
D-House-Detroit Bass (143 beats per minute), D-Invasion Records, 1992

‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’:
Bok Bok-Silo Pass (137 beats per minute), Night Slugs Audio, 2011

‘Juke’:
Spinn & Rashad-Space Juke (160 beats per minute), Ghettophiles, 2010

‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’:
Addison Groove-This Is It (138 beats per minute), 2011, Tectonic

‘Baltimore Club’:
Sounds of Silence-We Bad (128 beats per minute), 1993, Inner City Records

‘House’:
Hard Drive-Deep Inside (126 beats per minute), 1993, Strictly Rhythm

‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’:
Hard Drive-Deep Inside (Pearson Sound Refix) (131 beats per minute), 2011, Night Slugs

*Take note that the aforementioned ‘Dubstep’ and ‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’ tracks are just a few of the well known tracks within their respective scenes but do not encapsulate those entire scenes as a whole.

In layman’s terms and to put everything in context it seems as though the ‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’ tracks shown above are more or less a result of combining signature sounds, rhythms, and tempos associated with ‘Techno’, ‘House’, ‘Juke’, ‘Baltimore club’, amongst several other music genres, with the addition of the polyrhythmic subsonic bass and/or percussive or half step tempos reinforced in ‘Dark Garage’ and ‘Dubstep’. As a result the only parameters that have existed within the framework of ‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’ is percussion and heavy bass. So you’ll end up having what sounds like bass-heavy ‘House’, bass-heavy ‘Techno’, ‘Dubstep’ that sounds like ‘Techno’, ‘Juke’ that sounds like ‘Dubstep’, along with many other countless descriptions of ‘something that sounds familiar’ with ‘something else that sounds familiar even though it’s not what I think it is’. The only affirmation that can be drawn from those indefinite conclusions however are that it is experimental, beat-driven music.

From a sonic standpoint and with good enough speakers or headphones the only continuity between all of these ‘UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass’ tracks aside from not having any or very minimal vocal usage is the application of a polyrhythmic subsonic bass line. Emphasize the use of an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) on the bass line to create a mid-range wobble effect, minimize the use of percussion running at the same tempo as ‘Dubstep’ and you can have what is commonly referred to as ‘Brostep’:

Rusko-Woo Boost (140 beats per minute), 2010, Mad Decent

Tracks that are labeled as being ‘Garage’, ‘Dubstep’, or ‘UK Bass’ would be considered by many to be sound system specific. As said before the tracks contain sub-sonic bass lines. These sub-sonic bass lines are low frequencies that are supposed to be felt as much as they’re supposed to be heard. However, these frequencies cannot be physically felt and heard properly through laptop speakers or on a sound system with no subwoofers which could be a possible correlation to the ongoing popularity of ‘Brostep.’

Ease of Access, Ease of Consumption
The heavy application of the LFO to create mid-range and high frequencies in the majority of ‘Brostep’ tracks can be heard on a wide range of output devices-laptops, earphones, smartphones, venues with loudspeakers but no subwoofers. From a sonic standpoint it’s just much more accessible-what you hear is what you get, there are no subtleties within the composition of ‘Brostep’ tracks as there is with a ‘Dubstep’ track comprised of spatial atmospherics layered over polyrhythmic bass lines. As a result the sonic accessibility of ‘Brostep’ has gained a larger and wider appeal particularly amongst the young adults in North America as evidenced by the popularity of artists such as Rusko, Skrillex, Borgore, Datsik…and Korn (?!)

Calling for Artistic Diversity
It would be safe to say that there are more people that listen to music on a regular basis through one of the aforementioned output devices or at venues where the sound system is not meticulously eq’d properly-that might sound opinionated but being a punter for the past 6 years and attending countless events in the UK, New York City, and here in DC it is as much a fact as it is an opinion. Where you had the Civil Rights movement that promoted racial quality and equal rights, I believe there should be and has been some sort of Artistic Rights movement to promote music equality. I’m not advocating bass-oriented music to become as main stream and pop-oriented as ‘Brostep’ but rather for ‘Bass’ music to be presented properly on a much wider scale within the US and worldwide outside of the UK. Music that can be heard and physically felt while presented in an artistic fashion to a wide-range audience on a regular basis seems to be what has maintained the constant progression of electronic dance music within the UK (i.e. the commonly referenced ‘Hardcore Continuum’). ‘Dubstep’ and ‘Bass’ music has flourished and helped develop a community of punters who produce their own interpretation of the music that has inspired them.

A glimpse at some of the punters turned producers turned seminal figures in the ‘Dubstep/bass’ music scene-

Ramadanman aka Pearson Sound (DJ/Producer, Co-founder and Co-owner of Hessle Audio)

Untold (DJ/Producer)

Scuba (DJ/Producer, Founder and Owner of Hotflush Records, Founder of The Sub:stance club night at Berghain in Berlin, Germany)

Much of the popularity of ‘Dubstep/bass’ music has to do with the quality and quantity of the resources used to present and promote the music to the public.

Events:
DMZ at Mass
Forward at Plastic People
Trouble Vision at Corsica Studios
FabricLive at Fabric
SubDub at The West Indian Centre

Venues known for their reputable sound systems and various club nights:
Plastic People
Mass
Corsica Studios
The End (closed in 2009)
Fabric
The West Indian Centre in Leeds

Radio/Podcast/Webcast Shows:
Rinse FM
Sub FM
The Boiler Room
Get Darker TV
BBC Radio One
BBC 1xtra

Non-Radio/Non-Webcast Media Outlets:
Knowledge Mag
FACT Magazine
DJ Mag

Record Labels:
DMZ
Deep Medi
Swamp 81
Tectonic
Hotflush
Hessle Audio
Nightslugs Audio
502 Recordings
Hemlock Recordings

What all these resources share in common is that the music is presented by people who have a great understanding and great passion for presenting ‘Dubstep/Bass’ Music in an artistic fashion-whether it’s a podcast, a studio mix, a radio show, a club set, or a record review it is regularly done by DJs, DJ Producers, and music connoisseurs who do it well on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Something that is done truly well enough is admired but if done frequently enough it can also lead to an individual to become inspired. With artistic inspiration comes an intangible and sub-conscious surge in creativity. The constant progression and rising influx of music producers, music performers, and DJs in the UK is basically perpetual inspiration on a mass scale. One can tune in to a radio show and hear music that they like on a frequent basis, attend events to hear DJs play out these tunes that they like on a frequent basis, purchase these tunes on vinyl at record shops or purchase them digitally online on a frequent basis and potentially become inspired to emulate what they saw or heard in their own way whether it be as a producer, a DJ, DJ/producer, live performer, a record label owner, or perhaps even all of the above and do all of these things on the very stage or outlet they saw or heard it from.
Listed below are several resources that have set the standard for presenting music in an artistic fashion that, if done well enough on a frequent basis, could potentially mobilize a community to develop the same cycle of artistic inspiration and artistic progression on a mass scale via club Nights, radio shows, podcasts beyond the UK and into other urban areas that could be fertile grounds for constant artistic development.

Events/Venues
Quality music, quality DJing, on quality soundsystems:

Deep Space at Cielo, New York City

Dive and Lie Wrecked at Sweetspot, Washington DC

Reconstrvct at The Morgan, Brooklyn, New York

Most Memorable DJ Sets
“DJs are musicians. In my opinion, a musician manipulates sounds in a sequence (planned or unplanned) to create an enjoyable work of listenable art, regardless of instrument. Trombone. Cello. Timpani. Gong. In its basic and rudimentary form, it’s all the same. A DJ manipulates sounds using an apparatus that rotates (records, CDs) to create an enjoyable work of listenable art.” -Joe Nice, taken from sdcitybeat.com

Dubspot 5 year Anniversary w/ Mala @ Deep Space, Cielo, New York, June 27th

Deep Space Presents Dub War w/ Pangaea @ Deep Space, Cielo, New York, September 19th

DJG at Sweetspot, Washington DC, November 25th

Goth Trad at Ultra Bar, Washington DC, April 20th

B.Bravo at The Lamont Bishop Gallery & The Loft, Washington DC, December 2nd

XI at The Forward Festival at The Loft, Washington DC, April 2nd

Influential Radio Shows
Dubstep, UK Bass/Future Bass/Bass, House, Techno, Jazz, Broken Beat, Hip-Hop…Tune into all or any one of these shows and you’ll find each of the DJs presenting the best of what several urban music movements have to offer to the public ear.

Worldwide with Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio One

Rinse FM

Exploring Future Beats with Benji B on BBC Radio One

Best Podcasts
Websites that allow you to download and listen to mixes of the most up to date and vast array of modern urban and electronic music wherever you go.

XLR8R

Resident Advisor

Expansion Broadcast

Online Record Stores
User-friendly websites that allow you to purchase the music you can hear on the aforementioned radio shows and podcasts

http://www.surus.co.uk
http://boomkat.com
http://www.redeyerecords.co.uk

Tracks of 2011
The tracks selected capture the immeasurable collection of sounds that define the intangible fascination and adoration I have for music

Here is a Mix of all these tracks, in order –

Long Arm-The Waterfall Inside Me [Project Moon Circle]
Lovebirds feat. Stee Downes-Want You In My Soul [Winding Road Records]
Lana Del Rey-Video Games (Joy Orbison Remix) [Polydor]
Eliphino-More Than Me [Somethink Sounds]
Martyn-Masks [Brainfeeder]
Julio Bashmore-Battle For Middle You [PMR]
Champion & Ruby Lee Ryder-Sensitivity [Formula Records]
Dauwd-What’s There [Pictures Music]
2562-Aquatic Family Affair [When In Doubt]
Johnny Osbourne-Fally Rankin (V.I.V.E.K. Remix) [Greensleeves]
Lucas Santtana-Super Violao Mashup [Mais Um Discos]
Rough Fields-The Harbour Wall [Bomb Shop]
Daedelus-Tailor Made (Sepalcure Remix) [Ninja Tune]
Machinedrum-You Don’t Survive [Planet Mu]
Ratcliffe-Mindset [Brownswood Recordings]
Africa Hi Tech-Out In the Streets (Original, VIP Mixes) [Warp Records]

Article written by Methodius Joliloquy

Uncategorized 06 Dec 2011 12:55 pm

WTF Happened last Friday?

The main job of a promoter is to deliver the product that one advertises. Over 88′s 9 year history we can count on two fingers when we haven’t done that. The first was when we had booked Seth Troxler at Pulse and he decided that he didn’t want to get on the plane from Detroit for the gig. On top of that, he didn’t have the decency to call and let us or his agent know. In fact, he didn’t return his agent’s phone calls until two days later, he never thought to contact us and apologize or provide an explanation. Unprofessional, classless and straight up lame are a few adjectives that come to mind regarding such behavior. None the less, as promoters, we failed that night to deliver the product we marketed.

The second time this occurred was this past Friday. We marketed an event that would go until 2am and it got shut down at 12:45. We wanted to take some time and dedicate some space to explain why and what happened.

Whenever you do a DIY event it’s important to dot your i’s and cross your t’s. We did that. We made sure the necessary licenses and permits were in place so that we could sell slcohol, play loud music, go until 2am and host appx. 200 people. At 12:15am, the police, a representative from ABRA and DCRA showed up at the venue. They were initially responding to a noise complaint for Mood Lounge – two doors down from where our event was.

The police said we were fine – we had a Certificate of Occupancy, the necessary security. Abra said we were fine, we had the necessary permits to sell alcohol and were checking IDs. The noise ordinance official said we were compliant. The DCRA official asked the business owners to show him their business license (something that is never asked for). Apparently it had expired two days ago and despite having renewed it, showing the official that they were up to date online, the official said the party had to stop because the code states that they have to display a current hard copy of the license and they didn’t have one. Unbelievable. The officer, a civil servant paid by taxpayers (residents and businesses) was shutting a legal event down because despite the fact that they actually had renewed their license two days ago they didn’t have a physical, watermarked piece of paper.

This instance is indicative of DCRA’s attitude towards bar/nightlife establishments and we’re sick of it. A government agency’s role is to serve the public and its constituents not harass them and make their life more difficult and yet that’s consistently what this agency does. We plan on raising the issue with various council members and the Mayor’s office. The fact that 4 police cars were called to the scene to deal with a non-violent, compliant situation while much worse crimes occur on a regular basis is abhorrent, a huge waste of tax payer dollars and a stain on DC’s reputation.

Regardless, we’re sorry and to that end will be hosting a FREE party on 12/23 at the same spot 1314 9th St. NW with some of our favorite local selectors playing B2B sets. Stay tuned and thanks for your continued support!

Event &Exclusive 06 Dec 2011 11:54 am

[Event Preview] Manifest w/Tipper – 12/9/11

MANIFEST presents INTROSPECT
w/ Very Special Guest TIPPER

When: Friday, December 9, 2011, 8pm to 2am
Where: Sonar & The Talking Head Club

The ambitious production company, MANIFEST, has brought the Baltimore scene together in a >> culmination of individual artistic creativity, cooperative community, and introspection << to bring one of the most experimental, psychedelic, and forward-thinking electronic producers to the East Coast.  Advertised as “An Epic Night of Creative Self-Expression”, MANIFEST brings Introspect with special guest, Tipper, to the Sonar & Talking Head Club.

The layout for the evening seems to be ideal for welcoming such a special guest to the East Coast.  The space offers a multi-faceted and conscious oriented environment that includes a huge variety of culture and arts.  Beginning with musical variety, the supporting acts include various combinations of electronic and live performances, covering the wide spectrum electronic music has to offer.  Locally grown, Telesma, brings a theatrical performance to the stage with organic sounding music featuring predominately live instruments, combining world and tribal with rock and roll and electronica.  Tek Subport moves the variety a little closer to EDM as the electronic, live, and improv group will be accompanied by spoken-word by Alexa Grey of MANIFEST and singer-songwriter Sarah Boan.  The most mischievous J Kanizzle of BMIR radio and DC’s Mischief will bring the audience to the other end of the spectrum with heavy bass dance music. And finally, pushing the music one-step forward will be the headliner, Tipper.

David Tipper has been steadily developing a unique sound that has led to a style, some call “Intelligent Bass Music”. While in the past, Tipper’s sets ranged from jazz fusion to glitch, the producer has recently settled into a style that combines glitch, hip-hop, and bass to bring forward-thinking dance music among the ranks of Amon Tobin, Plaid, and Squarepusher. Tipper most recently ended his tour, “Tipper Sound Experience”, where he preformed alongside some of the highest production quality stages in the country, including UK’s number one sound system, Funktion One, and a sound-reactive light rig known as AudioPixel. The tour ran along several intimate festivals along the west coast, often placed as the headliner. The tour ended in San Francisco where the Tipper Sound Experience was accompanied by visionary art mixologist, Johnathan Singer, whose work was projected on six screens surrounding the dance floor. More recently, Tipper graced New Orleans’ House of Blues alongside Alex and Allyson Grey and Orchard Lounge. One of Tipper’s best attributes is his focused stage presence – it’s quite a treat to watch a genius at work. Tipper is bringing his sound across the country, gracing intimate spaces and special occasions, as thrown by MANIFEST.

While Manifest’s night was advertised only recently, the crew, including Alexa Grey, Soohan and Johhny Thorne, has showed immense coordination and cooperation to create the perfect atmosphere for such a headliner. The space will include an interactive art installation, brought by NoirFlux, plus decoration by Psy Lotus, body painting by Jeramie Ballmay, and various artists and vendors. The event will also include some community service through a Toy Drive for the local children’s hospital. This all-encompassing, conscious-oriented, and accepting atmosphere aims to create openness and comfort in hopes of inspiring meaningful interaction and introspection. Furthermore, Tipper’s intricate and thoughtful music will undoubtedly inspire all attendees to bring out their creative side. The environment will create a warm welcoming for all guests, as well as for Tipper. As a member of MANIFEST writes, “Bring it back so you can dance the 9th away”.

- Leslie Elmore

Exclusive 06 Dec 2011 11:02 am

[Review] Modeselektor – Monkeytown

I am a huge fan of Modeselektor, having fallen in love with their previous releases and seeing them live many times. They are an important fixture in the dance music scene, one which is funky, but has scruples – one with integrity but which knows how to get down. So I was thrilled to have a chance to review the new album, named after their own new imprint, Monkeytown Records, which has also signed kindred spirits such as Siriusmo and Mouse On Mars.

While the watermark was set pretty high with Happy Birthday! and Hello Mom!, this new one is also a strong release, definitely worth checking out. It is forward looking, but oldschool, with a touch of an 80s/hipster kind of vibe, and a healthy dose of soul/motown. Genre-wise, it is all over the place, ranging from house and electro to downtempo to hip-hop. The drum programming is very organic and crunchy, as compared to earlier work. Reminds me a lot of Hudson Mohawke and Flying Lotus at times. Notably, straight-up ambient material is missing from the release, and it is missed – the pacing feels a bit off without it, and at moments it feels a bit forced or uninspired. Still, there are moments of sheer brilliance – Shipwreck, Evil Twin, and Berlin all pop to mind. Modeselektor, better than anyone, carefully walk the delightful line between grime and sophistication, between between exuberance and refined subtlety. The collaborations with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke especially tread this line – his voice lends a certain seriousness that complements their programming quite nicely. Overall, a very solid album.

Can’t wait to see them next time they return to the DC area! They tour almost constantly so it’s actually pretty amazing they were able to finish this album at the same time. Kudos, guys, keep on keepin’ on!

- John Tyson

To purchase the album go here!

YouTube Preview Image

Bass &Event &Exclusive &Forward Festival &Interview 30 Nov 2011 12:59 pm

[Interview] B Bravo

We’re excited to kick off the first of our pre-festival FORWARD parties with none other than B Bravo. His track Computa Love is still in heavy rotation and helped define the new Modern Funk movement along with the likes of Dam-Funk. To say that B Bravo is talented, is an understatement. The fact that he’s performing Live for us on Friday is straight awesome. We hope you enjoy the interview below and the mix from his set at Sonar this past year. And if all this doesn’t get you pumped for Friday – defriend us.

88: The first time we heard of you was on Giles Petterson’s Brownswood Compilation… the album itself was great, one of our favorites of the series and your track really stood out. Did Giles personally approach you?  How’d your track end up in his hands, on the comp? Must’ve all
been a bit surreal?

BB: Thanks! I’m really lookin’ forward to coming over!  My first time in DC, so I’m really excited!

As far as the Brownswood comp – I was contacted by Gilles’ right hand man, Mr. Alex Stevenson, who works along side Gilles on his show and with the label.  He asked me if I’d be interested in submitting Computa Love for the comp and they wanted to press up a 12″ for it, so I said ‘absolutely!’ haha. I had been in contact with Alex before through myspace and email just trading songs back and forth, and he had really wanted to help me out with getting more publicity and he was the one kinda who got Gilles to play some of my tunes on his show.  Was definitely a bit surreal, just being recognized by one of the most famous DJ’s on radio worldwide and getting the plays on BBC and getting the record pressed up.  It was my first 12″ record, so I was definitely a milestone for me. Big ups to Gilles and Alex and the Brownswood fam!

88:  We really enjoyed the piece about you by the Healthy Hustle as it gave us a glimpse into your production world. Do you have a method for producing tracks? I.E. The majority of the time do you start with a drum loop or a harmony? What’s your favorite piece of kit these days?

BB: Oh cool! Thanks, yea, I thought that came out pretty nice!  A lot of times, I’ll start with the drums, usually load up some samples, or sample up some drums into the MPC and then get a nice groove going.  Then just start singing ideas over it or sit down at a keyboard or synth and mess around with chords or sounds till I find something I like.  The best way though for me is when I have a melodic idea already, or once in a while, I’ll hear the song in a dream when I’m sleeping or on the train, i’ll hear some beat in my head and then record it into my phone or just keep singing it until I get a chance to get back home and lay it down.  My favorite piece of gear is my Arp Odyssey. It just has such a warm tone and you can really freak it to make any sound you want.  I really feel it when I play it. It’s my voice.

88: How much time a week do you spend digging through music? What percentage of it is online compared to at a record store?

BB: Not as much as I would like to!  I rarely get a chance to just hit a record store or get online and browse through new stuff.  I find alot of stuff just from listening to different radio shows online like Benji B on BBC or NTS live. My brother also keeps me up to date with alot of new music. There’s a record swap that happens here in SF every couple months at USF that is really fun to go to and just dig.  I always find a lot of cool stuff there.

88: Talk to us a bit about Frite Nite and what the label/collective means to you as an artist. We recently hosted the Surreal Estate tour and have had Ana out on the regular dating back 5 years. Complex Housing is one of our favorite releases of 2011.

BB: Frite Nite is really a great group of artists and friends. At first, it was just a way for us to get music out to the world instead of it sitting on hard drives waiting for something to happen.  For folks to recognize the name as a crew and label and a sound is really cool. It’s nice to be part of a crew where everyone has your back and supports what you are doing. Everyone kinda has their own thing musically, but it is all contemporary and relevant enough to work together and be cohesive as a ‘sound’.  We all influence each other musically and everyone kinda learns stuff from each other. I think you can hear it in all the music we release.  I love the Surreal Estate Comp!  Ana is like the queen out on the front lines spreading the sound!  She is really the sweetest person ever – kinda like the motherly figure of the crew.  Always so positive and organized and just plain dope!  Complex Housing is amazing!  And you can hear the influences from other guys on Salva and you can hear his influence in other artist’s music.  It’s like a constantly evolving family.
88: Where’d the name B Bravo come from?

BB: People always wonder what B stands for haha.  I was playing with my other group Bayonics back in the day and took a solo. Someone in the crowd yelled out Bravo!  Our singer, Jairo said, ‘yes! Bravo, buddy!’ Somehow that just kinda stuck and my nickname from the guys became Buddy Bravo.

88: Who are some of your favorite producers and labels right now?

BB: I really like the stuff that Eglo records is doing in London – Arp 101, Floating Points, Fatima.  All really really great music!  Also, Girl Unit from Night Slugs is dope.  My man Ad Bourke from Rome is absolutely crushing the cosmic funk vibes right now.  State-side I’ve been bumping stuff from DevonWho, Cosmic’s Revenge, just got hip to Francis and The Lights.. whoa!

88: Tell us about your experience at RBMA in 2010 and this year at Sonar. What are some of the main differences of the European vibe?

BB: RBMA was without doubt two of the best weeks of my life as an up and coming musician.  Its really a magical thing they have going on with the whole Academy.  Spending time with a small group of like-minded artists in studios and attending the couch lectures with legendary figures in music is just great. We played gigs at night around town, hung out with amazingly talented DJ’s and musicians then would come back to the Academy headquarters and work on tunes till sunrise. It was really about the people I met, though.  You really connect with everyone and make life-long friendships.  Sonar was incredible.  The love that the crowd has for music is like nothing I’ve ever seen.  They were so hungry for new, experimental, cutting edge stuff! The crowd was so receptive to all the artists.  I had a really great time playing there.  It’s really refreshing to feel the appreciation for music that you are making half way across the world. Also the production value and organization of that festival is next level.  Some of the stages and sound systems blew away anything I’ve ever been to in the states.

88: 2012 is right around the corner! Besides us all going to someother plane of existence what are you looking forward to? What should we expect from B Bravo?

BB: I’m really looking forward to releasing more music, doing remixes, and developing the live band ‘The Starship Connection’. My production partner Teeko and I have been busy writing and producing a bunch of new tracks for the group and those will be out soon on the self titled ‘Starship Connection’ EP. We just had a really great show with the band and we are trying to really get that rolling at its full potential!  It’s so much fun to do, and have gotten nothing but great feedback, so we are all really excited about the project. Shouts to Bob-O and D-Nasty!  Also looking to do my first solo full length LP for 2012. So should be a busy year!

Here’s B Bravo’s Live set from this year’s Sonar festival in Barcelona! LISTEN

Bass &DMZ &dubstep &Exclusive &Interview 22 Nov 2011 10:02 am

[Interview] DJG

In preparation for his upcoming gig on 11/25 we got to chat with Dean about his take on the scene, who’s pushing his buttons and what makes him tick. Enjoy!

88: Dean! Is this your DC Debut? If so, hard to believe…but awesome none the less.

DJG: Yes, I’m really excited about it, it’s also my first time visiting Washington DC as well. I’ve always heard great things.

88: Tell us about your introduction to dubstep.

DJG: My introduction to dubstep was probably through Burial, DMZ, Vex’d and Boxcutter in 2006. Then in early 2007 I went to the DMZ 2 year anniversary party in London, nothing was ever the same after that.

88: Do you organize events in SF? If so, tell us about them…if not tell us a bit about the scene there.

DJG: The scene is really healthy in SF right now I think, especially for new and forward-thinking bass music thanks to people like Shawn Reynaldo (Icee Hot) and DJ Dials (103 Harriet). I get the sense that people are really excited to move into post-dubstep sounds in SF and I think it’s really cool, it seems like people’s minds are open again. Dubstep itself still has a strong following, but of course like anywhere in the world right now that word “dubstep” means different things to different people.

88: You were on a production, release tear in 2010 and yet it seems things stopped in 2011 (excluding the frite nite release). Life change?

DJG: On the contrary 2011 has been one of the most intense music production years of my life, but you’re right because I did decide to pull back a bit on releasing music. Toward the middle of 2010 I started to question where I wanted to go next creatively. I know a lot of people were asking themselves the same thing that year. Dubstep was heading in a direction that didn’t make a lot of sense to me but I wanted to keep writing dance music that had the same kind of feeling that had excited me when I first heard it in 06. After releasing Voids in Nov 2010 I started writing a lot of new stuff at different BPMs, one of the first things I wrote was “Automatic” which came out this year on the Brownswood compilation “Electr*c 2″.

I released quite a few songs this year but they all came out on different compilations:
“Automatic” on Electr*c 2 – Brownswood Recordings
“NYC” and “Hella Tight” with Kutz on Wheel&Deal Dubstep Vol 1 – Wheel&Deal Recordings
“Breathing” on BAD3 – Full Melt Recordings
“Transparent” on Pure Dubstep – AEI London
“Black Dragon” on Hearts of Bass: I Love Japan – Brap Dem Recordings

88: What are some of your current favorite labels? Producers? Why?

DJG: I don’t really have any current favorite record labels but I want to rep my Frite Nite crew to the fullest.
Some of the artists from North America that I’m playing in my dj sets lately are Salva, Clicks&Whistles, Distal, XI, Eprom, Comma, Michael Red, Max Ulis, FaltyDL, Kastle, Machinedrum and Braille. In the UK/EU I am feelin Blawan, Addison Groove, Pearson Sound, Pinch, Hudson Mohawke, T.Williams, Jack Sparrow, J:Kenzo, Girl Unit, Actress and Peverelist. To name a few.

88: What do you say to people that say, “You’re not playing dubstep”? We’re personally over it, but it’s definitely a bit frustrating that a genre that started out so broad and “alive” now has to have some gnarly bass/Skrillex drop to be called dubstep.

DJG: It really doesn’t bother me at this point. We’ve all had the experiences now of playing, for instance, a Mala track in the club and getting heckled by someone in the crowd to “play some dubstep”. As I mentioned earlier I am aware that this word “dubstep” just means different things to different people. The entire context has shifted to commercial/pop music and we’re now being confronted with a very different listening audience than we were a few years ago. It’s a funny time for everyone, but I think it’s making everyone think and that’s always good.

88: What’s your overall perspective on the state of dubstep in the US? Seeing that you’re mid-way through the tour we thought you might have a good perspective.

DJG: To be honest I just feel so lucky and blessed that I can tour and play my music for people, it’s a great feeling and super rewarding. I play mostly my own music in my sets now and it’s been a lot more fun for me personally. For the most part all the shows I’ve played this year have been great for one reason or another. Like I said “dubstep in the US” is going through a transition right now and it’s a tough time for some people but I think I’ve done well all things considered.

88: What’s your take on the Occupy movement?

DJG: I fully support the Occupy movement and have gotten directly involved with both Occupy SF and Oakland. http://www.occupymusicians.com/

88: 2011′s right around the corner! What should we expect from DJG? Do you have any goals, musically? Personally?

DJG: In 2012 I am going to release my album, as well as possibly doing some releases with Tectonic and GetDarker. I plan to just keep progressing as an artist, I think it’s important to not stay still. I am still writing dubstep-tempo tunes but also shifting focus and messing with some other BPMs. It will always be my vibe, I like substantive music, I like dark tunes and big basslines, that will never change. I also like writing music that can be listened to and enjoyed outside of a club context, and I hope to share all of this stuff in the coming year.

88: How do you think dubstep can best be advanced here in the states? For example…more websites, forums, radio shows…

DJG: Two words: sound systems. The lack of proper sound systems in America in general, and that in my opinion if addressed would help improve the dubstep/bass music scene immeasurably.

88: How much time do you spend a week trolling music websites? What are your favorites?

DJG: As little time as possible to be honest. I would recommend Fact Mag, XLR8R, Resident Advisor, Pitchfork and Drowned In Sound.

Here are some mixes from the man himself! http://soundcloud.com/djg/sets/dj-mixes

Event &Exclusive 21 Nov 2011 12:20 pm

[Event Review] PEX Halloween 2011!

PEX Halloween Ball: Project Battleship
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Camden, NJ

Text By: Leslie Elmore       Photos: Doug Sanford www.dougsanford.com ; Redlite http://facebook.com/redlitephotos

There are just a few seasons a year in which I am forced to choose my events wisely, Halloween of course being one of them. This year’s choice was an impossible one, ranging from the latest and greatest 3-dimensional projection mapping and live production brought by Amon Tobin, Shpongle Live! with Raja and Simon Posford plus a full orchestra, live female vocals, alongside a choreographed theatrical performance, and a PEX Halloween party aboard a battleship. Without going into any detail about my decision making process (ask if you’d like), I sold my Shpongle Live! ticket, filled up my car with old friends, new friends, and strangers, and boarded the U.S.S. New Jersey in Camden, NJ.

While I have done extensive traveling and exploration with the east coast music scene, I had yet to attend one PEX party, my first introduction seeing them on a side stage at Camp Bisco in 2010 equipped with their fire organ. Unfortunately, I was forced to listen to Disco Biscuits on the main stage while I was trying to enjoy their art, and at the time not realizing the true breadth of the production company. After some exchanges, my biggest question had developed – does PEX just throw another party or do they take this beautiful scene to the next level by providing inclusion, community, and innovation?

Welcomed by outside heaters, non-aggressive and friendly security, and a PEX dog-tag gift as our ticket and memorabilia, the warm greeting was continued into the night by a beautiful crowd – just as I had suspected. The crowd at PEX gives a similar feeling as burns do – everyone more than willing to share, watching out for each other, and providing a delightful combination of intellectually stimulating and mind-numbing conversation. The night was filled with memorable faces that the mind couldn’t seem to quite place till conversation slowly pieced the past together. Seeing so many familiar faces always reminds me one of the reasons why I love this scene, holding the highest value of family and distant relatives. As I just moved to the east coast for a bit, I look forward to continue strengthening this family bond, first and foremost by remembering people’s name. Stilted Saint is one memorable character who is always lovely to see. There was also a session of live break dancing outside of the ship’s bathrooms that was phenomenal, PEX Halloween also brought a crowd that had a fantastic variety in age. The best stories come from our elders, learning from them how the scene has progressed and where they see it going into the future – one conversation concluded that it’s headed toward a k-hole – I’ll leave that to your interpretation.

All but one stage was on the deck of the ship. Designated the PEX stage, this stage had the highest production value of them all. In fact, this was the only stage that incorporated any extras in stage production, including a video jockey, stage performances, and live painting. This stage played house all night long. Frank’s Kitchen and the Worship Stage were all rather minimally produced, equipped with a decent sound system and enough lighting to do the job. My only guess for the minimal stage design and basic lighting was that expenses were primarily shifted towards renting the boat. Furthermore, none of the other stages offered any platforms or designated areas for performance art; that is, anyone with dance or object manipulation skills that wanted to add to the party did not have enough space. Bad weather conditions may have been the primary cause; however, the lack of space in the tents stifled audience participation. Most object manipulators were stuck outside the tents in the cold with nothing but a muffled four-to-the-floor bass-line to move to. The Live Stage was just what a live music stage should be – colorful musicians and performers to create a positively entertaining environment, with an eclectic array of sounds ranging from gypsy, funk, jam, and reggae. Because live musicians bring a lot to stage production in general, this stage did not require the additional stage amenities that, let’s say, a single DJ does.

And of course, my favorite stage, the Chill Stage, which was last minute moved from the deck of the ship to the vessel’s cafeteria. This stage certainly did not play chill music as they bumped the best beats on the boat, with Coyote and Justin Aubuchon, whom continue to bring one of the largest sound camps at Playa del Fuego this fall. With Lina Luv closing the stage, the crowd jammed to an assorted mix of swing and Latin house. Although this stage was also minimal in production design, the low ceilings and huge tables bolted to the dance floor created the most authentic battleship party I’ve ever experienced.

The extra thrills could have used some attention, in the case that the battleship wasn’t enough. As I had mentioned earlier, besides the PEX stage, all the other stages definitely lacked in any type of set design as well as enough space for the people to dance, much less play with flow toys. While lighting in general was minimalist, there was one powerful green laser that illuminated the entire ship. The area inside the tents could easily have been spruced up with a little coordination with Philadelphia’s favorite art galleries. While live artwork is certainly a type of visual art installation, placing finished products of art can also stimulate the environment, maybe even adding some fluorescent or black lighting. While I thought the area of the fire performers could have been a little better presented, the obvious excuse of fire limits options. PEX did however, provided a shuttle bus from NYC, Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia, coffee for the sober, and live portrait painting by David Ohlerking. PEX also went the extra mile to grant us intoxicants access to the exhibits, where a wall of levers allowed us to create our own beats for those of us tired of house.

As drum and bass is my heart and sole, I am certainly biased against a night that was strictly house music. While the live music stage did offer some fresh air, for those of us electronic music junkies and audiophiles that appreciate diversity were starved that night. Looking over my shoulder, the music even followed me to the after-party where I forced myself to enjoy even more house music (which, in fact, worked from time to time). I know that house music appeals to the masses – it’s easy to dance to and predictable. Needless to say, this was literally the most house music I have ever been exposed to in my life. But it seems that PEX refuses to reach its capacity. Besides the Live Music stage, I was pleasantly surprised by Frank’s Kitchen, whose closing set, I believe, was a tribute to the Shpongle Live! show I missed in New York, as the DJ simply (and thankfully) played Shpongle for a consecutive 10 minutes. With lots of room to dance at this point in the night, I put my dancing shoes on.

After hearing a lot about PEX before I went to this party and then finally attending, I am truly hoping that PEX will step up to the plate and create the first truly multi-faceted electronic dance community on the East Coast. Since I just moved here, I’m not sure what other production companies have the capacity; however, PEX seems to be a great candidate. PEX most certainly has the connections and the following to create an environment that incorporates all styles of art – choreographed dance alongside live music production, all styles of EDM, liquid, Moombahton, breaks, all styles of dance, modern, hip-hop, flow, stage design, art installations, interactive art installation, projection mapping, video jockey, the list is interminable. However, the fact that many stages had such minimal decoration and design and the fact the event was domination by house music tells me that PEX has yet to fulfill its potential. Usually this is caused by a group’s exclusive mindset where its members have not been willing to look beyond their circle of friends for help – but I don’t know any of them personally, this is just a guess. Whether the production company is a corporation or not, I strongly believe PEX has the capacity to achieve a truly innovative, consciousness-oriented, and creative space; however, it will be up to PEX to decide whether they are willing to shift to a more inclusive paradigm, break the divide between the producers and the audience, and create, what “they” call, a “techno-tribal” community dance.

Quote for the Night
“Road of excess leads to a palace of fabulousness”

Current Track
Tipper – Cuckoo

dj set &Exclusive &podcast &Techno 18 Nov 2011 12:18 pm

[Sets] Different World, Sutekh, Boss Ross, Chris Nitti

Sorry for the delay in getting these out, but what can I say we’ve been sick over here in 88 HQ. None the less, it’s MTF Friday and we can’t let you go into the weekend without some auditory delight so we present you with 4 great mixes from a great night of techno. Each mix represents each DJ and the varying sounds of present day techno. SOOOOO Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Next Page »


  • Google