Today, Windish Agency President, Tom Windish, announced the addition of a new agent, Steve Goodgold, formerly of Vital Talent and Chaotica. He brings with him a roster of over thirty artists including Sasha & Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, Midnight Juggernauts, Roni Size, DJ Krush, Black Ghosts, and Laurent Garnier.
“I’ve known Steve for many years and he’s a great agent. I’m very excited for the unique opportunities that will come up for our combined rosters. Steve will remain in New York, finally giving us a presence on the East coast.” - Tom Windish
Billboard Magazine recently named Tom Windish as an “Indie Visionary”, and I wholeheartedly agree. Tom has stayed true to himself, the music, and the artists he represents. Over the years he has assembled an amazing group of individuals to work alongside him, each member of the team being music tastemakers and fans alike. Integrity in the music industry is hard to find these days, Windish is blazing the trail, and I hope others are taking notes, we need more of this kind of thinking. They have struck a true balance between art and business, congrats to all, and cheers to their continued future success.
Record Label, Fools Gold is about to make this summer even hotter with a slew of new releases scheduled to come out in the next few months.
If you have been living in a cave or maybe some how stuck in time back in Soviet Russia, Fools Gold is the new indie record label started by Nick Catchdubs (who was just featured here on Trash) and A-trak. The label, so far is famous for bringing the world rapper Kid Sister and rapper Kid Cudi, who surprisingly are not related but both amazing. They have also introduced Canadian powerhouse producer/dj duo, Jokers of the Scene and Sammy Bananas a member of East Coast phenoms, Certified Bananas.
This is the kind of thing Fools Gold is about; introducing and breaking new talent to the scene and keeping things fresh. Not to mention the artwork is astounding because creating it is super designer, Dust La Rock.
They have recently released a Kid Sister remix ep with mixes by Simian Mobile Disco and JFK from MSTRKRFT. Head over to RCRDLBL to hear a preview.
Next up is the KAVINSKY picture disc vinyl “BLAZER”.
And it keeps getting better and better.
Atlanta’s Treasure Fingers is releasing his hit single “Cross the Dance Floor” with huge remixes by Laidback Luke, Curses! and lifelike.
Then Canada invades the scene with “Acid Bagg” ep by Jokers of the Scene. Almost everyone has been waiting to get there hands on a copy of “baggy bottom boys” and this will be the chance. Brodiniski and Destroy Disco will also be appearing on the ep remixing “acidrod”.
And speaking of Jokers of the Scene, they have just teamed up with NYC clothing company MISHKA for their new mix tape series “Keep Watch” – listen to the mix tape here – MISHKA explains, “Mix tapes have always been an integral part of NYC’s underground culture and burgeoning music scene, and as such, Mishka is proud to carry on the tradition with the launch of Keep Watch. Featuring top DJs hailing from every genre and geographic corner, Mishka’s Keep Watch party-mixes celebrates one of the most widely practiced American art forms. Released on a semi regular basis (usually to accompanying party), the mixes will be available for free download through our site, the Bloglin and very shortly podcast on Itunes.” The mix features a track from the “Acid Bagg” ep and one from labelmates, Nacho Lovers, ep.
other scheduled releases are:
FGR011 - Four Color Zack & Pretty Titty Sing Sing Breaks
FGR012 - Sammy Bananas Braids & Fades
FGR013 - Jokers Of The Scene Acid Bagg EP
FGR014 - Nacho Lovers Go On / Acid Life
FGR015 - Bag Raiders Big Fun EP
FGR016 - Trackademicks Enjoy What You Do
FGR017 - Crookers EP
FGR018 - Congorock EP
FGR019 - LA Riots EP
FGR020 - Malente I Like It
So keep a look out and be aware!
Also if you’re in the Chicago area on August 23, 2008, co-owner of Fools Gold, A-trak will be performing at Subterranean. It’s a 17+ show, so buy your tickets here. And grab those two tracks of his off his blog here.
Nick Catchdubs was nice enough to give us his new mix AND an interview. He is one of my favorite New Yorkers and his label with A-Trak, Fools Gold (maybe you have possibly heard of it?) is killing it right now.
4AM: How and when did you meet A-Trak?
Nick Catchdubs:Roxy used to do Friday night parties on Bowery - I want to say the club was BLVD? Dust La Rock, who would later go on to be the Fool’s Gold graphic designer, did the flyers, it looked like the back of a dollar bill with a Debbie Deb quote about “fog machines and laser rays” on the top. One night, A-Trak and I DJed together, we got booked to do shows in San Francisco and LA soon after, and over the course of hanging out we realized we had a lot in common with music, humor, and haberdashery. From then we just stayed friends, sending mp3s back and forth and talking shit.
4AM: How did you and Trizzy eventually come up with the Fools Gold idea?
NC: He ran the Audio Research label in Montreal for almost a decade with his brother Dave, and realized it had such a strong history as an underground/indie hip-hop label that his new, more electronic-influenced stuff wouldn’t fit. He decided to do a new label and asked me to start it with him. I had already helped out with the launch of Mad Decent (I designed the logo and some of the original Bonde Do Role art, and was brainstorming a lot with Diplo in the early days) and this was an opportunity to get more deeply involved with putting out new, original music. We came up with the name and concept, and then just went from there putting out records.
4AM: Did you have any idea it would take off like it has?
NC: I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t always part of the plan!
4AM: How many hours a day would you say you listen to music?
NC: I’m going THROUGH music constantly - mostly just to check out all the new songs that came out that day, find stuff to play when DJing, or give people a once-over on MySpace. But as far as actually sitting down to fully digest albums and mixes, I only get to do that when I’m traveling or in the car. But I do try to schedule chores around the house around particular radio shows - taking a half hour to do the dishes during DJ Enuff or Mr Cee’s Old School At Noon.
4AM: Best gig ever?
NC: Hmmm - there’s been a bunch of really good ones. “End Times” with Caps N Jones a year or two ago (Switch was randomly there and introduced himself at the end of the night, I was geeked) and the recent Wale “Mixtape About Nothing” release party are two local ones that come to mind right away. Whenever I play with Diplo it’s always fun - just this Sunday we did the Mad Fools party in Central Park and the afterparty at Santos Party House, and over the past year we rocked New Year’s Eve in San Francisco, the New Yorker Festival (old folks get loose!) and a Mad Decent party at Studio B that was the first NYC Blaqstarr show. They were all great.
4AM: Worst gig ever?
NC: Not gonna hurt anyone’s feelings by naming the corporate event in question…
4AM: Most glamourous star studded models and bottles gig ever?
NC: Do “hipster celebrities” count? Lets keep that bag of snakes closed, I’m gonna go with this private Rihanna show at Highline Ballroom that ended up being really fun and unpretentious. I was worried about having to corny it up but I mostly played dancehall.
4AM: Best request ever?
NC: A girl asked for Outkast “Bombs Over Bagdhad” during a set of fast tracks. Yes, of course I can do that!
4AM: Worst request ever?
NC: Bee Gees.
4AM: First record ever bought?
NC: The first records I bought with my own money were Guns N Roses Use Your Illusion 1 and 2, but the first record I ever picked out in a store was the Garbage Pail Kids soundtrack. I couldn’t tell you any songs that were on it, I just loved the Garbage Pail Kids. Who doesn’t?
4AM: Last record you bought?
NC: The Syclops I’ve Got My Eye On You CD. The last mp3 was Lee Jones “Aria” on Beatport.
4AM: First DJ mix that made you say “this is what I want to do” to yourself?
NC: I was collecting records and listening to DJs on the radio all my life, but it wasn’t until the summer I graduated college that I realized it was where I wanted to go with music (which is pretty late in the scheme of things - I had been playing in bands and things like that up to that point). There were a few mixes I heard all around the same time that made the lightbulb go off - Spinbad’s ’80s tapes, Mark Ronson’s promo mix for Digiwaxx for his Here Comes The Fuzz album, and most blatantly, Hollertronix’s Never Scared. They were each presenting music that I liked in new combinations - I figured it would be fun to do that on my own.
4AM: Describe the perfect weekend
NC: Friday night getting real paid, Saturday night going to someone else’s party as a private citizen (but still drinking for free), Sunday walking around (no rain), catching a movie and a good meal.
4AM: Favorite place in NYC to DJ?
NC: My apartment. Sorry, city, but you are going through a “transitional period” right now.
4AM: Favorite DJs/producers right now that are not on Fools Gold?
4AM: What song have you played out so bad that you never want to hear it again?
NC: There’s always a time and place for Calabria horns. ALWAYS.
4AM: Best live show you have ever seen?
NC:Portishead sounded amazing at Coachella but the show had no atmosphere. For me, the best shows are always the ones where the artists defy nature and technical difficulties to pull through, that “oh shit!” factor is unbeatable. Feist played at the Fader SXSW tent in 2005 and the wind nearly knocked her over but she just got more and more psyched by it, almost possessed. Peedi Crakk played at the Fader CMJ space two years ago after getting lost in Chinatown, pulling up to the spot minutes before curfew, and still killing it.
4AM: You used to be the editor of Fader correct?
NC: You like that segue right? I was an associate editor there for three years, before leaving to DJ and work on Fool’s Gold full-time last July.
4AM: What was the important thing you learned from working there?
NC: I had no magazine or music industry experience whatsoever when I started - I wasn’t even trying to be a writer, I was just asked to do some stories and interviews, they liked my style, and the job sprouted from there. It was total school for me. I got to travel for the first time in my life and see different artists operate in their home environments. I witnessed records go from creation to label to PR to magazines to stores (and got to learn from other people’s mistakes for free!)
4AM: What should we look out for in the Nick Catchdubs future?
NC: I just finished a mixtape for Timbaland’s new artist Izza Kizza , and an all-Fool’s Gold mix for a 2xCD compilation we’re doing with Scion. I’m really slow on the production side, but I’m working on remixes for El Guincho (out on Mad Decent) and U-God from Wu Tang Clan’s new solo single. I did a remix for MIA’s “Bamboo Banger” that is supposed to (finally) come out as well on XL. I’m working on some original music too, so I can actually put out a record of my own on my label!
4AM: What shoud we look out for in the Fools Gold future?
NC: Tons of records - Kavinsky, Treasure Fingers, Sammy Bananas, Four Color Zack and Pretty Titty, Jokers of The Scene, Nacho Lovers, Trackademicks, Bag Raiders, Congorock, Crookers, LA Riots, Malente, Kid Sister’s full album, that Scion comp, and some surprises of course…
4AM: Favorite Simpsons episode?
NC: Just one? That’s un-possible! I love them all. 22 Short Films about Springfield is my favorite now, but it always changes. Itchy And Scratchy And Poochie is up there too.
01. Pase Rock “Get Money Kids”
02. 50 Cent “I Get Money (Catch On 45)”
03. Trap House “Step Into”
04. Bad Yard Club “In De Ghetto (GrandTheft Remix)”
05. Dukeyman “Shine”
06. DJ Sega “Everybody Handz Up”
07. Machines Don’t Care “Juggs”
08. Mr Vegas “Round Of Applause”
09. Moby “I Love To Move In Here (Crookers Bass In Here Mix)”
10. Nacho Lovers “Acid Life”
11. Jamie Anderson and Content “Body Jackin”
12. DJ Big Red “Jakybodi”
13. DJ Will Roc “Replay Again”
14. Loco Dice “Pimp Jackson Is Talking Now!!!”
15. Lil Bo Tweak “K Rizzle”
16. 2 Bad Mice “Hold It Down”
17. Bassbin Twins “Woppa”
18. Loefah “It’s Yours”
19. Big Tuck “Not A Stain On Me”
20. Busta Rhymes “I Got Bass”
NC: I didn’t want to add to the pile of “new music” mixes with interchangeable tracklists - some of this is brand new, some of it isn’t out yet, some of it is “recent vintage” (or old as hell but new to me), but it all has a nice swag to it. Retro? Not retro? Most of my current favorites have similar elements (throwback house/rave samples, fast raps, dancehall vocals, breakbeats, sometimes all in the same song) so I figured, why not put a bunch together for a picture of where my head is at this summer? I hope you enjoy the listen, I had fun connecting the dots.
Pase Rock “Get Money Kids” 50 Cent “I Get Money (Catch On 45)”
“Get Money Kids” is far and away my favorite song of the past few months, it’s like Pase and Eli sat down at the computer and said “Man, the Juice soundtrack really needs more hip-house…” I usually mix it live into some sped-up Serato loops of 50 and Milk Dee to keep the $$$ theme alive.
Trap House “Step Into”
Way too many WUBBA WUBBA WUBBA basslines lately, but this one still manages to stand out - a crowd-pleaser that breaks the formula juuust enough. Thanks, Australia.
Bad Yard Club “In De Ghetto” (GrandTheft Remix)
On the school bus everyone knew chants from club songs like “Beat that bitch with a bat…” and “It’s time for the percolator…” from the older kids, but no one really knew it as “house music.” It wasn’t until a party in 6th or 7th grade when this girl played “Witch Doktor” and “In De Ghetto” on cassingle that I realized a whole separate thing was going on. Sammy Bananas hit me a few weeks ago with this new mix of “In De Ghetto” by DJ GrandTheft of the Eh! Team, it chops up the original without getting too flagrant.
Dukeyman “Shine”
Shyne finally gets out this year. You know he converted to Judaism in prison? L’chaim!
DJ Sega “Everybody Handz Up”
As we continue on with the Bad Boy flips, this track is a MONSTER. I think it is gonna be on the “DJ Sega Saves Hip-Hop” EP that’s coming soon.
Machines Don’t Care “Juggs”
Lots of goodies on the MDC album, but this one is a particular favorite. Best dancehall song on the subject since Vybz Kartel “Breast Specialist”?!?
Mr Vegas “Round Of Applause” Moby “I Love To Move In Here (Crookers Bass In Here Mix)”
The Vegas song really just a vocal and some handclaps, so it’s a lot of fun to loop other shit up on top, and Crookers made it easy with their open drum intro (PS - excellent remix package on the new Moby single!) I cut the Grandmaster Caz verse with cue points but that’s not because he isn’t awesome - a few years ago Ayres and I hung out with the legend himself at the Heineken “Amsterjam” festival on Randall’s Island, where Caz was MCing the mash-up tent, also starring Diplo, DJ P, Princess Superstar and Matt and Fancy from Fannypack. Viva 2005! I think I bought Fantastic Four “Thing Hands” at Target when we got back to Brooklyn that day.
Nacho Lovers “Acid Life”
Obviously I’m biased, but this is one amazing-ass record. Something old, something new…lots more from Toronto’s premier techno scholars on Fool’s Gold very soon.
Jamie Anderson and Content “Body Jackin”
DJ Big Red “Jakybodi”
I didn’t know about this remake until A-Trak started playing it on the last label tour. It’s been in my rotation ever since, with the DJ Big Red track batting clean-up.
DJ Will Roc “Replay Again”
Dance music took so heavily from Baltimore club over the past few years, and now the veterans are going off in new directions of their own. It’s inspiring to see a label like Unruly reinvent themselves - the recent King Tutt and Chavy Boys EPs and this hypnotic, electronic Will Roc track are some of their best.
Loco Dice “Pimp Jackson Is Talking Now!!!”
I know absolutely nothing about Loco Dice, but this has been a late-night sureshot of mine, it bumps like a less zany Detroit Grand Pubahs. “We in Brooklyn baby, this is how we get down!”
Lil Bo Tweak “K Rizzle”
2 Bad Mice “Hold It Down”
Trevor Loveys and Co’s stuff as Lil Bo Tweak manages to feel incredibly current while referencing jams of yesteryear with all the samples and even the name (Lil Mo Yin Yang, anyone?). Conversely, the 2 Bad Mice came out in 1991 and sounds like it could have been made this morning.
Bassbin Twins “Woppa”
Loefah “It’s Yours”
I wish more dubstep felt like these two instead of zzzzzzzzzz.
Big Tuck “Not A Stain On Me”
Had to drop straight out of the Loefah with this. The beat is just a Beastie Boys loop, but goddamn! Another recent favorite that never really broke in NYC. Dallas rappers’ haircuts are too crazy for us.
Busta Rhymes “I Got Bass”
This isn’t a half-assed “A Millie” - Bangladesh is doing some neat shit with the Chuck D sample chorus and oddly-timed edits, and Busta’s flow is off the wall. “This shit be soundin like a thousand mosquitos buzzin/ Like hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm…”
Error Love is the side project from the lead vocalist and guitarist of Pony Pony Run Run, the excellent French 4-piece whose track “Boy Girl Surrender“, so many of us fell in love with. I had no idea Error Love was part of PPRR, nor did I catch the image on his profile page that says ‘You need Pony Pony Run Run’. Well if you’ve ever thought of trading in your beloved Teenagers for another French group, Pony Pony Run Run might be the one you do it for.
I’ve had the chance to catch up with Error Love, who has just returned to France from a very rainy Barcelona. Hopefully this won’t effect the coming week at Sonar! As you will find, Error Love’s musical tastes are of a varied origin, citing Fela Kuti, Pantera, Blondie, even Miami Sound Machine as inspirations.
“Indie rock, electronica, live video/sound experiences, live-free-post pop-carribbean, jazz-classical-salsa metal-greek music, are projects or bands that I’ve been involved with,” says Err/Lv. A serious range of many genres, which would explain his mix of a whole clutch of sounds – synths, guitars, samples and lot of charm. Get to know Error Love and his latest tune “Number One in the U.K.” and enjoy that lovely tune “Boy Girl Surrender” by Pony Pony Run Run one more time.
Lovestar: How long have you been singing and playing guitar with Pony Pony Run Run? and how long has Error Love been in existence?
Error Love: Since the beginning of Pony Pony Run Run, Summer 2006 (the summer of love) and Error Love is a “newborn”, November 2007.
Lovestar: What do you hope to do achieve with Error Love that is different from Pony Pony Run Run?
Error Love: Error Love is a solo-side-project. The expression of the inexpressible…(just kidding =) Tough question…I can’t compare the two projects, different sound, different will.
Lovestar: You get to taste the best of both worlds, being lead vocalist in a great band and now your solo project, Error Love. What would you say you like best about each?
Error Love: Being in a band with good friends, traveling a lot and playing music live are the best parts of PPRR. Being alone without noisy friends, staying at my house and playing my music mentally (soon, I will play it live) are the best parts of Err/Lv.
Lovestar: What music are you listening to these days and who is inspiring you?
Error Love: My musical tastes are not well defined – I listen to almost everything, even if it’s unlistenable music… but I can give you a random list of inspiring bands: Pavement, Autechre, Joan of arc, Blondie, Mc sar & the real McCoy, Bodenstandig 2000, Silver Apples, The Jesus & Mary chain, the Monks, Pantera, Fela Kuti, New Order, Steve Reich, Liaisons Dangereuses, Don Caballero, Slim Harpo, The Rentals, Cybotron, Lee Dorsey, Miami Sound Machine…and many more.
Music I’m listening to these days: Matthew Dear, The Juan MacLean, Oliver Koletzki, Friendly Fires, Mystery Jets, Cut Copy, Black Kids, Metronomy… and of course Justin Timberlake & Rihanna.
Lovestar: What do you think the next big thing in blog house will be?
The addiction is finally over – the one that had me glued to the tube the past few weeks, watching several seasons of ‘The Wire‘. What a great show it was and now it has come to an end! Crazy how you get caught up and sucked right in!!! Now it’s back to the blog hustle…
Ever since the last remix we received from DESIGNER DRUGS, I’ve anxiously awaited the next from this smashing duo! Truly, their work just keeps getting better and better, always smooth. They’ve got some fantastic attention to production detail and a knack for choosing those catchy tunes that end up sticking with you.
They’ve given their latest remix “Countdown“, for Brooklyn based indie band Jupiter One, proper meaning. Below, the extended version for those that can’t get enough and the radio edit for a quick fix! Look out for the release of “Countdown” on Cordless Recordings and watch the Designer Drugs MySpace calendar for upcoming gigs!
11 June 2008 // Work // Skully’s, Columbus, Ohio
13 June 2008 // And You Go Bonkers // Clique, Cincinatti, Ohio
14 June 2008 // LOVELIGHT // Transit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
28 June 2008 // LIVE FOREVER // the Barbary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
After all the flash in the pan, 5 minutes of fame, 130 bpm garbage cluttering an itunes playlist, a music fans yearns for something truly fresh. Something, that won’t be a joke or embarrassing to find 6 months later. Something that you’ll run to tell your friends about or keep secret as your own personal audio treasure.
Salem delivers, in more ways than one, giving the listener everything they didn’t even know they need. Shrouded in mystery, with two cryptic myspace’s and no real place of origin (they claim Chicago, New York, and Michigan.) One would think that this would be a technique to add to already building hype but it becomes increasingly apparent that Salem are just accidentally building to their hype. They are just young group of artists drawing from there influences creating a unique experience for themselves and their listeners and everything that happens in between is just chance.
The music is haunting and beautiful, perfect for headphones or blasting on the boombox during bedroom love sessions. The group describes themselves as a blend of “black metal, Southern rap, early goth, screw, and juke”. While that description could easily make for the worst mash up, bandanna wearing bandanna, all over print bullshit, It’s only serves as a reference point of the actual creation process of the music. While its unfair to pin point comparison groups, Salem is a must have for fans of my bloody valentine, cocteau twins, christian death or even dj screw. Something so simple and obvious yet totally inventive and new. Salem operates on many parrells building a wide array of fans including indie web media’s Pitchfork and countless more.
They have an upcoming 7″ to be released on Acephale Records. It will be pressed on white vinyl with a limited amount of 500 with no represses. The 7″ is titled “Yes, I smoke crack” and will feature the songs; redlights, snakes, deepburn, and dirt.
No word on digital release but this is one to have on vinyl.
North American Pre-Orders are available through paypal here.
The Bloody Beetroots and Crookers aren’t the only stars to come out of Italy these days. Milan’s 3 IS A CROWD are quickly creating a buzz with their production, as well as edits and remixes for the likes of Crookers, Congorock, Fagget Fairys, Yelle, Armand Van Helden, Amari and others. Things are lookin’ mighty good for them as they’re currently collaborating with Larry Tee, Bryan Cox, Chew Fu Phat and have several releases due to come out on a few labels!
Consisting of three members, Alberto, Francesco and Ivo, 3IAC are influenced by just about everything that is good in music today – house, fidget, crunk, electro, funk, breaks, broken beat and jazz. If you spend your time watching the music that is covered on the blogosphere, more than likely you’ve heard past 3IAC remixes for Congorock, “Exodus (3IAC Back to Home Remix)”, as well as the Fagget Fairys, “Uzela (3IAC Crunch My Crunk Remix)”. Both caught my attention and are fine examples of the kind of work these guys are making. Their latest, “Take It Back”, proves it!
So what is in the pipeline for 3IAC? Francesco clued me in on the latest happenings, along with how this Italian trio came to be and two of their latest remixes.
“News about us: We are finally about to sign a contract with RuNT Records for a release; the name of the EP will be “Amarillo EP” and will feature 3 tracks. We have received a proposal for a couple of releases on A New Hope Records; We still have to release our EP for Italian Indie label Mozzarella Records (this release will feature our tracks “Bullshit”, “Guns”, “Almighty Vibes” and a remix) and of course we are waiting for our remix for Bryan Cox’s “Where You At?” to come out on his Crux Records label. We are collaborating with his blog Crux Da House as well and we are working on several tracks including a remix for Larry Tee!
About gigs: We’ll be playing alongside Congorock in Rome the 23rd of May, with the Crookers the 1st of June and in Berlin the 6th of June and we have a gig in London in July that still has to be confirmed.
Start of 3IAC: “In 2004 we started the project 3 Is A Crowd as a dj collective where we could express ourselves and our different musical tastes both in djing and producing electronic music. We used to play different styles on the decks including techno, electro, hip hop, breakbeat and some drum ‘n’ bass too!
Things began to change after a Crookers Edit we made in 2007 that made us become a little bit popular in the blog world. So at that time we were interested in this new sound clash between house, hip hop and techno and that’s why we started working hard on our own tracks as well as remixes and edits: we started to rework different acts and artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Fagget Fairys, Congorock, Yelle, Amari etc.
We believe that every remix we have done so far has its own personality and a “3IAC” flavour: We are trying to make our production recognizable but at the same time we are putting different ideas around to make people enjoy what we do. The Tamborzuda remix we made starting from the original acapella, received compliments from Daniel Haaksman from Man Recordings. Other supporters of our music have been Drop The Lime/Curses!, Dj Fame, Dj Orgasmic, Dj Donna Summer, Scuola Furano, Blatta & Inesha, Bryan Cox, Larry Tee, amongst others.
“Now we are trying to get inspired from other styles: One of our two new remixes for the Italian indie rock band, “Perturbazione“, (”Nel Mio Scrigno Pianissimo Remix”) is showing our interest for a clash between electronic music and real played instruments that we would like to develop in the future, alongside our dance production. Anyway, we hope that we will make people dance and bounce around the globe! Make sure to check our MySpace for more news and don’t forget to take a listen to our special mixes!”
London. I’m sitting in a large pub talking to a man who looks like Karl Marx. A woman across the table dismisses the idea of getting everyone to go through Green Park naked because it’s already been done. Last time they pretended to be Picasso in the park and apparently that went down well. These are Simon (Speedway 5), my capoeria-loving and frequent party collaborator’s, art friends. I’m not quite sure why I’m here, even though Simon said no way to the warehouse party. Something has to give.
It’s Saturday, the twelfth day of April, which means we’ve seen the worst of the winter and spring is doing its best to spit on us. Summer is but only a dream. It’s night, and I’m dragging round a suitcase for my sins.
After the pub, I do my best to con Simon into coming with me, even though he’s tired and had three messy weekends already and he has to get up in the morning to take his clothes off for a painter in the park. I tell Simon that Riton is making a sneeky special appearance, and Simon’s eyes widen. “Really? Oh fuck it. I’ll come for an hour.”
We end up in north London; luckily Simon knows this part of town. We stop into an off-license - I buy a bag of expectedly stale popcorn, two cartons of apple juice and a bottle of Żubrówka. Bump, bump, and we’re down a road that leads us to a massive warehouse. People spill out of the yard surrounding it. This is a hella trendy party, one glance confirms. Simon and I make for the stairwell and mix up some cocktails, siphoning the liquid into a water bottle.
Mariano, the lead singer of Lesser Panda and one half of the Toilet Disco DJ, gave me a special invite to the party. He texts me to come to the DJ booth, which sends me in an Alice-in-Wonderland tour of the premises.
As well as the massive main room, where Matthew Waites (Kitsune) is performing before a heaving throng of people, there’s a basement. I take the stairs at the back of the room down and find several large rooms, where people are sitting around, snogging, chatting or playing with records. A contrast to the busyness of upstairs, with a nice mellow vibe.
The DJ booth turns out to be the a small room next to the main room, with a hole cut out and glass in place, but it’s a happy meeting. I introduce Simon to all of the Lesser Panda band mates (Chris, Chris, Ben, and George) and find out that it’s one of the guys who owns the whole place. They’re all incredibly nice, as cute as their pictures indicate, only different and slightly older than I’d realised. Lovely lovely people.
Mariano explains that the place was a complete shithole when Chris first found it. Despite naysayers, he cleaned it all up and now it is warehouse party heaven. Of course the party that night is totally free, a fact that everyone I talk to keeps marveling about. London is one of the great capitalist cities of the world - by god, why would anyone do anything for free? Albeit, a big fuck off party is always good publicity and exposure for bands (including theirs) but actually there’s a lot of goodwill being put into this party. These people are so nice you’d think they’d had brand-new souls.
My first friend of the night is the one-man Drums of Death (Greco-roman). It’s interesting to meet someone before their paint, not having an inkling of what’s in store. He’s a bit nervous, but subtly funny, with a low-key sensibility. His show stuns, and it’s great to see the performer unleashed. He describes his sound as heavy, but I’d say shouty - ah, who needs apathy and complacency ? Definitely one to catch.
Next on was Architeq - Live set (Tirk) and Mirror! Mirror! I was two when the Sex Pistols shocked London, but these boys reminded me so much of a fresh young angry rash with a passing resemblance to 1970s rockers. And they all looked they were about 15. Amazing! The Lesser Panda boys were the last act on - I spent most of their gig squashed between waves of people and I think some drunk guy pinched my ass and I had a good old go at him ! haha.
Throughout the night, there were loads of great Dj sets including power disco from Heartbreak (Lex) and a indie fun from Rodaidh (Cocadisco), and late late in the hour, we enjoyed a set from Mariano, who played the mix featured on Allez-Allez. Cheat? No. It was seven in the morning and who doesn’t want to hear Abba?
Simon passed out on a pile of coats in the DJ booth. I made friends despite not wearing big 1980s ugly glasses and equally stupid cardigans. Night turned into day. Mariano led the gang into a group dance that, with my ever quickly failing memory, was reminiscent of cumbya. Everyone was maddeningly happy and bits of stuff that sticks to your feet and soon it was 11am and I fell into the bed of a gay men and woke up with pink stickers all over my jumper. I drank wine on either side, sent messy emails and texts, was gratiously happy for the homo mansion as a needed rest, and then proceeded to get lost in Shoreditch, with a near karmic relationship with a beautiful trustafarian and African music on my ipod.
Warehouse big, trendy young people & it’s all gloriously free ! Join the Lesser Panda group on Facebook or myspace and you’ll soon be at all the good parties too.
Oh yeah, another freebie - a glitchy bassy Atari remix of Lesser Panda’s “Happy Birthday” from Liverpool electronique duo To My Boy.
NIGHTSWEATS is the budding project of Ryan Moore (Kid Nexus) and Johan Collins. Based out of the field of Springs, Springfield, Missouri, the duo have been together a few months and are about as fresh as the morning dew!! For their debut, they’ve produced, “CU Next Tuesday” and remixed Foals, “Electric Bloom“.
Speaking of Missouri, St Louis in specific, back in ‘94, midwest rave promoters, Superstars of Love, were throwing some fantastic, get your sweat on-dance til the wee hour, raves. Highly memorable parties.
Nightsweats have been involved with music in one aspect or another. Ryan as a breakbeat producer/ label owner and partner Johan as a DJ/event promoter. Johan is also part of an indie-electro night thrown by Black Box Revue, in Springfield, Missouri.
This cool limited edition boxed set is looking mighty dreamy!! Almost like a pillow that you could lay your head on and dream of hearing great music coming out of it! Chances are, you will. “Music For an Accelerated Culture“, is the debut album for the Leeds 5 piece, grindie pop outfit, Hadouken! The album drops 5th of May on Atlantic Records (U.K. only) and will contain nine new and two older songs. Play it loud!!
For those that were to desperate to hold out for the album and ended up with 1 of 2 advance leaked versions, shame on you! The hour for the REAL one is near and it doesn’t include any fake tunes! Patience is a virtue. Also available on itunes, U.K. including 2 remixes!! Buy the real deal and continue supporting the artists!!
If you’re fiending for some of their favorite older tunes, which they compiled on a mixtape sometime last year, you can still download it here and have a listen. The video to their latest single “Declaration of War“, came out sometime in April. What a chune! Watch it here and expect to either fall in love with the Hadouken! or hate them for being too cool. Check the following links to stay up on the band, with events happening up and down the U.K. throughout the entire spring/summer!!! Hadouken! MySpace Hadouken Remixes
Per Hadouken!’s site regarding the limited edition boxed set –
Fans who purchase the limited box set will automatically have a years membership to ‘Aerials’ an exclusive community with sole access to an avalanche of Hadouken! music and privileges throughout the year. Check the limited boxed set link above to see what those goodies are!!!!!
Swiss Dj duo, DJ Questionmark and DJ Atomik, of Round Table Knights, (RTK), have nailed it on the dancefloor with their refreshing disco-electro-indie rock track and EP, “Hold Me Back“, off Murda Boy Rec. The catchy lyrics, “dance all night”, sung by the lead singer of the band Labrador City, is exactly what you’re going to want to do!!
“Hold Me Back“, has had some fine remix action from 2 of our favs – Cape Town’s, The Bulgarian and Brooklyn’s Passions! The Bulgarian Remix and Passions’ Splatterhouse Remix are equally fantastic in their respective ways! We’ve got The Bulgarians fine fidgety rendition of it – yayyy! The EP also contains an additional remix of RTK’s “Popular Culture” by indie rock band Must Have Been Tokyo.
Filmmaker Amaury Berger and design studio Foederation have created the music video for “Hold Me Back”, which tells the story about an unforgettable night walk.
Check the RTK MySpace for tour updates and new music!!!! Purchase “Hold Me Back” on Beatport or Juno!
Typically, you will find me listening to music that is a bit rough around the edges. Past, think Minor Threat, Descendents, Gorilla Biscuits. Present, The Death Set, Infants, Dead Kids. Music that is doused with a bit of hardcore and punk that has shaped a lot of the rowdier music I listen to. There is the less abrasive, sweet, endearing music that is melancholic, good-natured and has a wide appeal to many these days. If you are The Frail and you have producers such as The Toxic Avenger and DoBERMAN tweaking some of your tunes, you’re sure to get some proper distorted dancefloor appeal!
Emerging out of San Francisco a little over a year ago, indie electro-pop duo Daniel Lannon and Kevin Durr combined their efforts to create a charming sound and called themselves The Frail. A few short months later, they put out their first 4 track EP, “Count on This” and a month after, signed to local label, Tricycle Records. They just did a West coast tour and are hitting the East coast in June. They’ll be back in the studio in between time, to finish up their next 5-6 track EP, “Firefly”.
So what can we expect? “Firefly” will have some older reworked material as well as some brand new surprises in store! As The Frail continue to explore and grow, they’ve been experimenting with a few producers who are giving them a harder edge that is sure to end up on the dirty dancefloor. With a new remix by The Toxic Avenger and a few others being remixed by the likes of Buddy Akai, Dj Shh, DoBERMAN, (likin what he did with “Count on This”) LeRaided, After Midnight and perhaps one by Villains, The Frail are heading towards some new unchartered territory!
Check their My Space for updates, tour dates, other songs and remixes and if you’re in San Francisco, CA on 22nd of April, catch them at the Independent (ticket + rsvp info here) alongside The Teenagers!!
