Still Copping a Feel on the French Touch
sorry for leaving you all hangin…i’ve been recovering from all the crazy goings on in Paris and spent a few days in the countryside to gather up some energy. Here’s what put me out of commission…
Dimuschi | Villette Soniques | Teki Latex’s album release party | Pase Rocks Paris
….and…..
DAFT PUNK AT BERCY STADIUM IN PARIS!
read on…
June 9, 2007: DIMUSCHI
After Teki’s street jam, I ended up at Dimuschi–a party that’s known to take place in one-off locations in and around Paris (highlights include a chapel outside the city limits and–while it was still under the radar–Showcase, a club located under the Alexander III bridge). This time, it was in a massive space on the border of the Marais and Bastille quartiers, two neighborhoods so full of foot traffic and expensive studio apartments no one could have guessed a word-of-mouth get-down of this size and noise level would’ve gone off without a hitch.
From the street, even the indifferent Parisian cops couldn’t help but notice a mass of people crowded outside a nondescript door manned by a bouncer…being that this isn’t the U.S. they didn’t seem to care anyway. Past the door…a foyer, followed by a candlelit courtyard, followed by a sweaty, tri-level indoor space wired with the lineup of minimal techno, electro, and live no wave pulsating from the main dancefloor. From the DJs to the bouncers, anyone who took part in throwing the event had a costume theme. The bartenders, each wearing a headband adorned with a plaster cast of a hand, poured me 10 euro flutes of champagne and 4 euro bottles of Evian. Considering the level of detail that went into this party, they were worth the cost.
Dimuschi website
Dimuschi party photos
June 10, 2007: Villette Soniques
Despite passing the 24 hour mark, I somehow already expended several days worth of energy. For a change of pace, I decided to hit up a daytime event–Villette Soniques at Parc de la Villette. Like wine, cheese, romance and atheism, the French are great at organizing festivals. This spanned 4 days and a laundry list of music genres, featuring artists like Múm, Mike Patton & Fennesz, and Jamie Lidell.
Sunday’s finale event–a free multi-stage concert in the park with a lineup that included Uffie and Feadz, Shit and Shine and Jens Lekman…Uffie rocked the mic like a woman in charge–a pleasantly surprising departure from the coquettish stage presence that I had come to expect. As always, Feadz blew me away. Having been a fan of his before Ed Banger came along, his DJ skills always leave me wishing for a solo set in the near future.
However, the Polysics most certainly outshined all other performances that day. I myself just discovered this electro-power-pop-punk-new wave group from Tokyo at the festival…but they’ve been around since the late 90s. There’s nothing more heartwarming than watching a group of Japanese kids dressed in orange jumpsuits and black sunglasses attempt to say “merci,” before pogo-ing around on a stage. It made me want to buy a pound of orange Pop Rocks, just so I could see what’d happen if I put them in my mouth and washed them down with Orangina. I’m sure the results would be pretty rad, but not nearly as awesome as the robot-dancing keyboardist.
Polysics
Villette Soniques site
Villette Soniques photos
June 11, 2007: Teki Latex’s Album Release Party
Teki’s album release party at Le Paris Paris
I normally avoid velvet rope type clubs but, considering that Teki and his baggy clothes-wearing, sneaker-sporting, cap-donning, grills-on-the-teeth smiling crew of merimakers would be in tow, I made an exception.
Teki, a man with equal parts balls and unpretentiousness mixed TTC and other electrocrunk classics as he tossed in some Wham and Eurodance for good measure. He also brought on a little piece of home with a back-to-back of Dre and Jay-Z. And of course, the crowd went wild when he threw down his latest single “Let Matins de Paris.”
Para One followed…dancefloor mayhem ensued. As always, his set pleased old school and new school electronic music fans alike…and the moment when he dropped Micky Slim’s remix of “Jump Around,” I was left speechless.
June 13, 2007: Pase Rocks Paris
Pase Rock headlined Le Mini Zoo at Bus Palladium with additional support from Pharrell of Fluokids, Acid Girls and Brodinski. He took the time to chat with me before the party. Read on…
waxyjax: What have you been up to in Paris?
Pase Rock: Partying with rockstars and bloggers, drinking a lot and breaking into the Louvre and getting kicked out…and trying to hit on French girls
wj: I want to hear more about the Louvre and the French girls
PR: Uhhhh. well I’ve been here two days and both of my evenings ended at the Louvre for some reason. I still haven’t really been in there. The first night we just were super drunk and tried to sneak in the grounds and take some pics…got chased out by security so we just laid on the ground right there for like 30 minutes. I think they thought we left so we snuck back in and just frolicked around. Last night some friends were doing a photo shoot there, but it was open and there was like an old people rave going on…we sat outside and drank beer
wj: [decided to drop the girl topic] You didn’t rave with the old folks?
PR: Naw it was a private party. Black tie kinda vibe–but with Tiesto or some shit.
wj: Whoe, hold the phone. Old people in fancy attire listening to Trance at the Louvre.
PR: Pretty much.
wj: It sounds like a great concept for your next single
PR: Hmmm…you know, not a bad idea
wj: Ha
PR: It was kinda sexy.
wj: So do you find yourself getting into trouble when you’re in a new city?
PR: Always—that’s the goal. You only live once right? Plus Paris is so sexy it makes you wanna do things you’re not supposed to.
wj: Are you masterminding any other hijinx before you leave?
PR: Tonight should be fun
PR: Also daft punk tomorrow
wj: I’m looking forward to both
PR: Yeah apparently its their first gig in Paris ever—first hometown gig in their whole career
wj: Did you book a gig around this time just so you could be around for the concert?
PR: No not at all. Just koinkidink. I came to work with some French producers.
wj: Which producers have you been working with?
PR: None so far but today we’ll see I have some meet-ups. I think Brodinski is giving me some stuff. I really like his stuff.
wj: Sounds like you’re busy. it seems that France is a good place to collaborate on music.
PR: I think so. Well I’ve owed this one guy a song for about a year—so hopefully we can get that done. He just got back last night from London so we have a few days.
wj: What’s his name?
PR: Top secret.
wj: Ahhh.
PR: No no. Not really. It’s Mehdi
wj: Nice. So are you working up to a full length album?
PR: Yes right now almost there. So close, yet so far away. Haha.
wj: Do you have a release date in mind?
PR: I have some in my brain, but I don’t want to rush it. Never good. It’s always better to take the proper time. For me, its a real concern because I write very slowly. I’ve done enough albums that I feel I kinda know how to do one properly now.
wj: So what’s your routine when it comes to writing? Is it something you can do on the road, or do you need some serious alone time?
PR: Yes and yes. Luckily I always have serious alone time. I’m a pretty lonesome kinda fellow. I write my best stuff in the shower or in my dreams.
wj: Where else will you be this summer?
PR: Back to euro in a few weeks—Barcelona, Amsterdam, Belgium and Switzerland…Canada dates…Texas and Cali. Everywhere, basically…maybe Japan again, not sure.
wj: How do you find it balancing recording with such a rigorous tour schedule?
PR: Impossible—although, being able to work on my laptop is convenient and helps.
wj: Are you one who conducts collaborations over the internet, or do you prefer being in the same room with a producer?
PR: I prefer being in the same room. “Producer” means more than making a track. Actually constructing songs and being a part of the process is where the magic lies I think.
wj: Beastie Boys—you guys [Spankrock] are touring with them. When is this happening?
PR: September
wj: What museum or landmark do you plan on breaking into next?
PR: The club…tonight. Mayhem…
And the next day I caught up with him for a post party wrap up…
wj: Did you break into the Louvre last night?
PR: NO!
wj: I remember you played some good classics last night…but i forgot to write them down. Do you remember some of the songs you played?
PR: Of course
wj: What were some of the older songs you played? It’s all a blur…a fun blur.
PR: Hmmm. “Street Player,” “Deep Inside,” “Good Life”–
wj: –oh god, “Good Life!”
wj: I jumped and screamed when I heard that.
PR: Ha. I keeps it real
Pase Rock at Bus Palladium photos
June 14, 2007: Daft Punk in Paris!
Okay, let me repeat that again….DAFT PUNK IN PARIS! In a massive venue! In their hometown!
There are bands that play live instruments, there are pop stars that have backup dancers, there are DJs that do stuff with turntables (or laptops), there are performers who break stuff, there are electronic music producers that do some–or all–of the above…and then there’s Daft Punk–a stoic duo of robo humans whose synthlines and accompanying flood of LED light patterns were pretty much a cue to give 18,000 spectators the chills.
The whole set comprised of remixes and mashups of their own tracks–including those from their side projects. Combining familiarity with the new, they coalesced two distinct music experiences: watching a group play its classics, and hearing a DJ premier unreleased tracks destined to be your new favorite songs of the year.
Granted, I had no clue as to whether they were messing with laptops, hardware, a karaoke machine, an iPod, or a combination thereof–but it didn’t matter. Eye contact hidden inside robot helmets…hands interacting with music-making stuff shielded by a pyramid-shaped booth…the booth itself made of video screens which projected light and imagery in synch with a triangular grid (possibly of LED lights) just behind. The duo related to the audience merely through sound and light. I’ve seen this combination attempted, but never executed to an almost flawless degree.
To top it off, the energy of the hometown audience may as well have been responsible for fueling the perverse amount of wattage used to power the visuals. A striking contrast to how shows are regulated in the U.S., the audience was free to smoke whatever they wanted as they danced on the stairs and in the aisles–as us Americans always attempt to do in the States before being reprimanded by security.
The private afterparty was held at Djoon, just across the Seine. I showed up really late so have very little to report first hand. But I heard there were was free champagne, some French actors, and Guy Manuel and Thomas doing their best to not be photographed.
I only snapped a handful of photos from the concert. I did, however, capture some footage of the various visual effects from the show.
Daft Punk concert photos
Daft Punk at Bercy Visual Extravaganza!
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“It made me want to buy a pound of orange Pop Rocks, just so I could see what’d happen if I put them in my mouth and washed them down with Orangina.” HAHAHAHAHAAA!!
Comment by lovestar — June 24, 2007 @ 12:17 pm