|.........Music.........|.........DJ.........|.........Production.........|.........Interviews.........|.........Parties.........|

Friday, June 19, 2009

All aboard the Grave E Train


Cape Town dance hooligans the brothers Skene pump up their jams with another killer mix under their Grave Danger guise!


Grave Danger - Grave E Train (MediaFire)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Tommie Sunshine Respects The Party

Since remixing artists like Ladytron back in 2001, Tommie Sunshine has been real busy, remixing artists like The Gossip, MSTRKRFT, The Raconteurs, Fischerspooner and more recently Audio Bullys, Moby and Tiga. Last year even had him contributing to the sound design of the Dance Dance Revolution game, DDR X.


Aside from his often mindless self indulgence, shamelessly flirting with some emo bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Good Charlotte and well, I'm too ashamed to mention more, this deity looking behemoth does lend his midas touch to some really solid productions here and there.

His most recent remix of The Glamour's "Fly By Night" is one such delight. The damn catchy dance punk guitar riff along with his overall production makes for a sexy as fuck funker and the dub version is even tighter. Disco to the max:

The Glamour - Fly By Night (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire & Brimstone Dub) (MediaFire)


The man can also sidestep some cheese and dodge the odd what-the-fucks with takes like these:

Prince - Black Sweat (Tommie Sunshine's White Lady Edit) (MediaFire)

Britney Spears - Womanizer (Tommie Sunshine's Holy Shit The Economy Is Fucked Re-Rub) (MediaFire)

And if the previous ones didn't treat the ladies enough, this one surely will. The original made many a girl swoon when it first came out. Damn thing spread like a deflowering wildfire.

Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek (Tommie Sunshine's Acid Edit) (MediaFire)

Pretty pretty...
Propulsive is maybe the word I am looking for.

Drop this at 3am to a sea of scantily clad glistening bodies on E at the peak of your most epic DJ set and see what happens.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Wobble Your Gut


Amsterdam is home to Tek Step, someone I got onto a while after Rusko first blew my mind. I can only imagine how dubstep goes down where it's legal to smoke weed.

He has a brand new mix up, half an hour of "Grimey, Slidey, Bassy, Techy" goodness to get you to where you really wanna be going late on a Saturday night. (Read on...)

Tek Step - Smash Flash Mix (right click save as)

Tracklisting:

01. Tek Step - Aliens n' Cat
02. Moza - Shifter (Widdler Remix)
03. Screenager - Correct Steps
04. Tek Step - Mr. Brown
05. Bombaman - Exia
06. Toast - Trouble
07. AC Slater - Banger (B.Rich Remix)
08. Tek Step - Tango Down
09. Shock One - Adachigaharas Theme
10. The Widdler - Froggy Style (Tek Step Remix)
11. Tek Step - Street Fighter
12. Rusko - Hammertime
13. 16Bit - Chainsaw Calligraphy
14. Chase and Status - Eastern Jam
15. Rouge A Levres - Hit That Gash feat. DJ Primecuts - Itchy Naan Re Rub
16. Torqux - Relentless
17. Redline - Brainstorm
18. Reso - Spooky
19. Magnetic Man - The Cyberman + Bar 9 - Murda Sound
20. Tek Step - Double Fish & Basic Chips
21. Tek Step - Telecom Crackl
22. Toast - Sub Village
23. Phkus & Mr. Boogie - Soundbwoy Ting
24. Lee Uhf - Dark Raver (Barbarix Remix)
25. Tek Step - 2012

Bonus:

Tek Step - Street Fighter Remix (right click save as)

Tek Step - Winter Cash Out Mix (right click save as)

Welshman Stagga is fast becoming a new favourite too. He has basslines that sound like they are coming from some alien aircraft's fluxuating engine. You'll hear what I mean. His dubz have been played out by the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs, N Type, Starkey, Raffertie, T Minus, Hacha, Chef and RSD.

Stagga - Determined (Sendspace)

And something a bit more chilled with a lovely touch of reggae sampling:

Stagga - Rocking Down The House (Sendspace)

AC Slater is a really flexible producer, he's got the wonk and the funk, rocking out dancefloors with some crazy dance tunes. Always embracing everything fresh, he recently wowed us with "Hello", like he was introducing us to his new favourite thing... Always up for incorporating new styles, he has embraced dubstep and here he delivers another crazy cool tune:

AC Slater - Calm Down (MediaFire)

George Lenton is constantly churning out some great productions too.
This track is just absolutely solid! A wee hip-hop sample and a rolling bassline and you are ready to "get down" indeed. Was stoked when I received this in my gmail. Keep 'em coming please!

George Lenton - Cold Rocker (MediaFire)

Bonus:

George Lenton vs MGMT - Kids (MediaFire)

According to Mr. Lenton this is getting an official release soon.

Udachi's new one is a definite beast to tame... This is sick! It will rip you a new asshole. Ouch:

Udachi - Jellyroll (MediaFire)

Rusko has turned the genre into one of THE MOST fun & cutting edge styles out there. Experimenting with some bit-bleeps in previous productions, this one is totally my favourite. It's AWESOME! I got many a request for this after I dropped it in my set at !DIRTY!DIRTY! a while ago. So here you go:

Bionic Commando - Theme (Rusko Remix) (MediaFire)

Local producers are getting more an more refined too. Here is a splendid new Biscope track:

Biscope - Fya (Mediafire)

The following track I must admit, was a bit weird at first. Afrikaans, Gazelle and dubstep all rolled into one... but the production is so solid I found it irresistible to post. Rolling and smoking!

Gazelle - Die Verlore Seun (Mix 'n Blend remix) (right click save as)

Man, what I would give for a bassbin stack in Bloemfontein to drop that track! Mix 'N Blend sets the bar for the standard of quality productions yet again. Expect much more.

Oh, and in case you are a bit lost in translation, Gazelle is singing "Sorry Pops, I have to leave the farm 'cause I miss the disco lights too much."

So here is what I wanted you to read on for: If you are keen for some live dubstep in Jozi town, especially since its such a rarity in these parts (but we hope to change this as soon as possible), check out mr. Binary all the way from the mothercity. He's one of the people behind Cape Town's way more thriving dubstep scene and a co-founder of the unprecedented Step Up! parties. He'll be playing the closing set after Richard The Third over at a party (check it out here) tomorrow night (or should we say Sunday morning).

So if you are drifting from venue to venue and all you really want is somewhere to rock out to something different, something dubby, something bassy, go be happy there.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sick Note

I recorded my very first Promo Mix, live, last night. A special thanks to Matthew, Adi and John for lending me gear, Colleen for being the best and most supportive girlfriend ever, good ol' Lucky for always coming through and Med-Lemon for the 800 mg aspirin, 50 mg caffeine, 45 mg asorbic acid, 2.6 mg menthol and 4254.63 mg sucrose. Feedback welcome... enjoy! 


Data Takashi – Sick Note (Promo Mix #1) (zShare)

Tracklisting:

Little Boots - New In Town (Emil & Friends Remix)

Emil & Friends - Sleepyhead (Passion Pit cover)

El Perro Del Mar - Change Of Heart (What Kind of Breeze Do You Blow Remix)

Cut Copy - Far Away (The Golden Filter Remix)

Matias Aguayo - Walter Neff (Instrumental Mix)

ZZT - The Worm (Erol Alkan Extended Rework)

Tiga - Overtime

Hidden Cat - The Superfuture

Friendly Fires - Lovesick (Evil Nine Remix)

Hot Pink Delorean - Let’s Get Free (Instrumental)

Deadmau5 - Ghosts N Stuff (Dirty Disco Youth Remix)

Mustard Pimp - We Are Too Slow FuÌ√r Dich

Mix Hell - Highly Explicit (Huoratron Remix)

Zombie Nation - Mystery Meat Affair



And, well, it's a happy accident that the picture and the tracklisting worked out looking all robot shaped :) This Saturday I'll be playing at FLICK THE SWITCH along with Haezer. I have a laidback set in the afternoon and then another one after Haezer to a dancefloor full of robots... Seriously... More info here.

Bonus:

Sicknote - Phone In Sick (Flapsandwich ReRub) (MediaFire)

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Parties: Haezer Tours Gauteng + Interview

Haezer brings myth, muscle and etiquette to a hungry local scene. Born and raised on a heady combination of early Warp & punk from The Clash and Bad Religion, he's the prodigal son of Propoghandi and other industrial pioneers. Growing up on the fat of the land that is Bellville Rock City and finally graduating among rock revolutionaries Fokofpolisiekar, his career is near breaking point on the tip of a burgeoning electro punk movement.

Haezer's sets are a frenetic energy discharge assaulting the senses and now, he's bringing the noise to the city of gold. We caught him before his great trek to entertain our curiousity so long.


Interview:

You were the founder of the T.I.T.E.S. parties. How did that all come about exactly? Who were all involved, when did you start it and what was your motivation to do it in the first place?

H: "I love partying, I love electronic music (not just electro) and I love playing music to other people.

Firstly, I wanted to start a party where I could hear harder, dirtier electro and create an environment where DJs/producers could play their own music without feeling the organizer was hating them, since the crowd wouldn't know a particular song.

Secondly, I didn't want to go through the painful process of 'becoming cool enough' to play at parties and give out a mix to every tom dick and harry I meet. So I decided to just start my own party.

Lastly, I got tired of going to the same clubs over and over again and wanted to throw parties at interesting venues like warehouses and lofts.

I got Alain (one of the organizers of Rocking the Daisies) to help out on the planning front. Then I got all the DJs who's mixes, original music and attitudes I respect to play. At the first T.I.T.E.S. I got Markie from The Dirty Skirts, Alex from Eat This Horse, Lapse, Phil Kramer (Battle Beyond The Stars) and myself to play. The music was excellent, the venue (Le Studio - a photographic studio) was rad, but the marketing was bad and the vibe was pretty lousy. That was my fault for the sponsors raped the walls and the lighting wasn't great... But that's how you learn. Making a party work takes a hell of a lot of energy, patience and organizing skills."


Which came first - producer or DJ? How and when did you first get into it all?

H: "I've been making music for the past 10 years or so... I completed a full album of downbeat/experimental electronica and was about to do a final mix on it, when my laptop with all the data got stolen out of my room. I was such an idiot for not backing anything up. A week after it got stolen I was at The Assembly at an electro gig and thought: "Shit man, I'ld love to make 'fun' music'". All my older stuff was very deep and heavy and the production process was very straining. The idea of just making music I'ld like to dance to was just such an uplifting thought.

The next week I got a new midi keyboard, new monitors and I was on my way.

So, to answer your question, definitely producer. Even today I see myself more as a producer than a DJ.

I started DJing primarily to promote my own music and also 'cause I love it. Now, I DJ 'cause I love it and just want to play music people can party to. Hard."


Any plans for another party soon?

H: "I'm doing so many DJ gigs that I don't know when I'll have time to throw another T.I.T.E.S. But, when I do, it will be for my EP launch.

Cape Town has a healthy scene going with yourself, the Get Nasty & Daydream Nation crews, Arcade, the brothers Malcolm and Ian Skene/Grave Danger (Magnum Hi-Fi and Kid Colt), Dario and Lapse all being synonymous and influential with the indie dance and electro sound going down there. Do you feel there is some sort of camaraderie to help grow and nurture the scene or is it more like friendly competition to push everything further?

H: "I definitely think at this stage all the organizers and DJs just want to push things forward. More and more DJs are banging out their own material and you know what, it's fucking good. DJ Lapse's remixes are all over the net. Grave Danger also recently blessed my ears with some fine tunes and Phil from Get Nasty is gonna blow us all away when he brings out an EP... That boy is uber talented. Not to mention The Sound and Codec.

So, my point is, more and more DJs are focusing on production and creating their own sound.

I remember when I started T.I.T.E.S. there was some kak vibes in the air... It seemed like every party tried to be cooler than the other. I mean you had Get Nasty, Arcade, Daydream Nation, Dark Side Of The Boom and then T.I.T.E.S....

But now I think people realize that every party has its own vibe and everyone is partying together. That's great. Plus, there is still that competition element that pushes the organizers to throw a kick ass party with cool lighting, design and visuals so that their party isn't lame compared to the others...


What is your view on the current underground dance scenes in South Africa at the moment? Any hopes and dreams?

H:  "Jonothan Muir from the Daydream Nation parties made an interesting comment on his blog the other day about people just DJing songs that's hyped on blog sites. I agree partly. It does seem that 'underground' does not exist anymore...and if it does, you must show it to me.

My dream is that all our local (electro/electronic/figdet/wobble/indie dance/whatever the fuck you play) DJs get to a point where they play their own produced music only in a set. That would be fantastic. That is why I enjoyed The Bloody Beetroots' set so much. It was all remixes they've done and songs of their own."


Any new SA producers/DJs we should be looking out for?

H: "The Sound, Codec and Battle Beyond the Stars"

You are the first DJ/Producer that Griet signed. How did that come about?

H: "I invited Dominique (Gawlowski) to a pre-T.I.T.E.S. house party. She thought I had a good vibe. I gave her my demo and then got signed."

Your latest "Quickfix Minimix" sounds like you were having a quite a bit of fun, while "Ugly People Dance Too" seemed a bit more serious. Is there perhaps any reason for that?

H: "Two reasons.

1. "Ugly People Dance Too" was done on Traktor and the "Quickfix" was done on Ableton.

2. "UPDT" was specially made for Listen Up and so I spent quite a bit of time selecting which tracks I wanted to drop in the mix. I sat in my studio mixing, trying to squeeze in as many songs as possible that would give people an idea of what music I'm into ('cause
pretty much no one has ever heard me play); but with the "Quickfix" I just had fun...Sat in front of my girlfriend's fireplace and started jamming
and thought I'll record what I'm playing... I'm also much more comfortable with Ableton."


The lines between various genres are getting blurrier with every new production and remix that comes out. Subgenres are becoming a made up mouthful and there seems no end to creating new sounds. Do you sometimes struggle with distinction when you produce? Or is it more what you are into at the time that has an influence on the sound you end up with?

H: "I try and not get influenced when going into my producer headspace. I've got very distinct sounds that are 'very HAEZER'. I take my influence from punk, hardcore, industrial and rock rather from other electronic artists.

How do you go about creating a new Haezer production?

H: It's always different. Sometimes I start with noise, sidechain the noise and effect it and go from there. Sometimes I start with a melody that's in my head or sometimes I just get onto my synth and jam until I hear something I can work with."

What gear and or software can you absolutely not be without?

H: "I love my Reason 4, Logic Pro, the PSP vintagewarmer plugin - oooh, love it soo much - Ableton and my PCR-500 Roland Edirol midi keyboard is my baby..."

What does your live rig consist of?

H: "Audio 8-DJ soundcard, Macbook Pro and my PCR-500. That's it. I'm planning on getting the new AKAI console that's made for Ableton and a sampler for deejaying - when I'm not broke."

For the sake of some insight or perspective, what would your "Top 10 albums that influenced Haezer" look like?

H: "This one is tough, 'cause there's a lot of albums I like, but they don't necessarily influence me.. I'll try my best... This is not in any particular order:

Gary Numan - Sacrifice And The pleasure Principle
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Deftones - Around The Fur
Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
Tom Waits - Franks Wild Years
Radiohead - Kid A
Daniel Johnston - Hi, How Are You?
ACDC - Back In Black
Daft Punk - Can't choose a particular album
MR OIZO - Moustache
The Clash - London Calling
Living Sacrifice - Reject

There are others, but this is what I can think of now."


Who are your current favourite producers at the moment? If you could open for or go on tour with anyone, who would it be?

H: "I would have to say either SebastiAn or Mr. Oizo."

What words of wisdom do you have for budding & aspiring producers/DJs?

H: Do what you want. Stick to your guns and don't copy someone else's sound or try and sound like someone else. Mix your shit properly and get it mastered before releasing it."

What’s next for Haezer? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about? When is your album due for release?

H:  "I'm doing this Joburg tour this week and finishing up my EP. Expect a lot more remixes and some collaborations. I'm aiming to take a break from deejaying for a while later this year to finish my full album."


Haezer hits Gauteng this week - here are the dates:

"Flick The Switch"
13 June @ Back2Basix with Data Takashi, Commodore 64,  Nathan Scott Phillips, Kodiac & No Skippy No School (Johannesburg)
Facebook Event here.

15 June @ Tings an Times with kidofdoom and Yesterday's Pupil (Pretoria)
Facebook Event here.

17 June @ Gin (Johannesburg)

20 June @ Woods with Yesterday's Pupil and Sassquatch (Johannesburg)
Facebook event here.

He'll also be live on air:

19 June MK Live @ 20:00 (Johannesburg)

20 June - Live on 5FM @ 18:00 (Johannesburg)

And here are some more sonic treats:

kidofdoom - Gotham City(Haezer's Only For The Brave Remix) (MediaFire)

Overthrill - The Big Fuck Up (Haezer Remix) (right click save as)

Haezer's Quick Fix Minimix (zShare)

Tracklisting:

Show'em the bass(Acapella)
Will Smith - Fresh Prince Of Bel Air(Mustard Pimp Remix)
N.A.S.A - Gifted(Steve Aoki remix)
Zodiac Cartel - We Don't Play That(Aniki's Playground mix)
Messinian - Throw It Away(Designer Drugs remix)
Don Rimini - Rave On
Smashing Pumpkins - Zero Machine(Le Castle Vania remix)
Foamo - Everything Cool
The Bloody Beetroots - Warp(Blaze Tripp remix)
Rambrandt - Alarm

More Haezer promos over here.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Shuffleshame


New kids on the blog Fat Chinese Boi, Shuffleshame, debuted at the last !DIRTY!DIRTY! party. A more than welcome addition to the Jozi indie dance electro scene in the hopes of growing it much more.

They would've been a compliment to Haezer's Gauteng Tour, unfortunately it's early days and they aren't that well known... yet!

Check them out.


Shuffleshame - DirtyDirty Mix (zShare)

Tracklisting:

ShuffleShame Intro
Felix Cartal - Skeleton (Bird Peterson Remix)
Unkle - Restless (Fake Blood Remix)
The Futureheads - I Wouldnt Be Like This (Andy George Remix)
Zombie Nation - Seas of Grease (ShuffleShame edit)
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Alex Metric Remix - ShuffleShame refix)
MSTRKRFT - Fist Of God
Alex Metric - Pins (ShuffleShame edit)
The Jumpoff - Rackhunters (Mr Miyagi Remix - ShuffleShame edit)
Alex Metric - Shirley, you can't be serious
Sounds of Stereo - Heads Up! (Bloody Beetroots remix - ShuffleShame edit)
YYY's - Zero (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Ugod - Ugodzilla (Yuksek remix - ShuffleShame edit)
MSTRKRFT - It Ain't Love (Bird Peterson Remix - JFK edit)
His Majesty Andre - Peep Thong
Evil Nine - All the Cash (Alex Metric Remix)
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (Fake Blood Remix)
Mr. Oizo - Gay Dentists (JFK edit)
Felix Cartal - Salty Lake
Ghostface Killah - Charlie Brown (Yuksek Remix - ShuffleShame edit)
Redman - I hold the crown (His Majesty Andre Remix)
MSTRKRFT feat. E-40 - Click Click

Saturday, June 06, 2009

A Cat. Another Cat.


Déjà vu is when someone is telling an old story with new lies to an observant audience. It is also when there is a glitch. And, it is when you hear Studio for the first time after falling in love with The Field a year before.

The Studio track, inappropriately entitled "Life’s a Beach!", comes off their 2007 release, Yearbook 1 (a collection of earlier work). It’s clean, light, sunny and unmistakably dubby. Lilting notes and psychedelic tinkles wave over tribal beats and cool, groovy bass. The song’s easy rhythm and theme are exploited by ever changing melodies which slide through like rays.This is heady, heavy, exotic music – at midday on white sand with a Mr Price beach towel and plenty of sunscreen.

The point is, it ebbs and it lulls.

Studio - Life's A Beach (MediaFire)

The point of The Field is exactly the same.
This track off their new album, Yesterday and Today, is titled "I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet" - already indicative of the subtle shifts from 2007's From Here We Go Sublime. Yesterday and Today is far more crude - far more human - than the divine, soaring beauty of previous tracks like "A Paw in My Face". In "I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet", the rushing, dissonant ebb is still there, driving the track steadily. However, a coarser, crisper tone makes the whole, and its individual parts, tangible and brittle. The result is a less soothing aural experience, where the finesse of those comforting tones are translated from God back into human (like with Alanis Morissette and the Metatron and Bartleby's exploding head). Abrasive infinity builds to a gradual climax: where climax is dissipation. The track ends with 20 seconds of steel drums... Steel drums of magical jungle nymphs, beat like harps to drown lost sailors, and polar bears.

Again, the point is, it ebbs. And, it lulls.
Whether you trust that sleepy tide or not is entirely irrelevant. Probably.

The Field - I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet (MediaFire)

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Parties: Friday Night Is Techno Night in Cape Town and Jozi

The sprightly Alex Smoke, a prolific producer from Glasgow, has been making a name for himself across the globe as an avid minimal techno producer. He has releases on Scotland's electronic dance music label Soma, Berlin-based label Vakant and his own label with Jim Hutchinson for some experimental output, Hum + Haw. A master of creating ethereal melancholic dance music (at times aching to a sound similar to Headphone Junkie favourite Pantha Du Prince), the unaccredited 'micro-goth' has been pushing minimal closer to the boundaries of pop music for the last 4 years now. Incorporating influences from classical music, to the dubbier spectrum of techno (think Basic Channel / Rhythm & Sound), to Europe's minimal and the classic Detroit scenes, he has forged a sound so varied it's unmistakably his own. An intuitive crowd pleaser, his live performances are synonymous with never being disappointing, and with folks like Luciano amongst his peers, no wonder he is as much in demand for his live performances as his production skills. His much anticipated third full length album Lux is due for a release later this year.


Press Release:

Killer Robot is proud to bring you the next in our continuing series of the worlds best underground electronic artists, Scotland’s Alex Smoke. For anyone with even a remote interest in electronic music over the last seven years, Smoke has become synonomous with advancement and quality and his prolific output has found its way into the sets of DJs across genre divides from techno, to electro to glitch and beyond.

Alex will be combining his live aspect with a DJ set for a night that looks set to go down in the KR history books. Make sure you book your place.


He'll be performing live @ Fiction in Cape Town TOMORROW NIGHT.

More info on the Facebook event page here.

And here's a recent live mix to give you an idea of what to expect:

Alex Smoke - Live.2.09 @ Unit Tokyo (Mix) (right click save as)

We'ld like to encourage anyone (especially Capetonians) remotely interested in Techno and Minimal to join the Killer Robot @ Fiction Fridays All Buggered Up Appreciation Support Group on Facebook to stay up to date with more upcoming events. Those guys have been contributing to the local scene a whole lot; they're doing something really special down there. Aside from the occasional international guest, every Friday night sees residents Ivan, Bruno Morphet, AK47 and numerous guests playing their respective styles of minimal & techno.


As for Jozi, may we please have your attention!

It's opening night at the tried and tested Kitchener's Carvery Bar tomorrow.

Line-up:

Rabbit Eyed
Andrew The DJ
Mankazam


More info on Facebook here.
Join the Group on Facebook here.


Rabbit Eyed will have his much anticipated and long overdue official debut set after a year's stay in Taiwan on home soil tomorrow night!

He opens up the night so be sure to be there from 9pm. The man's a master at setting the mood.

Speaking of which...

First up, an Alex Smoke recent favourite:

Norman Nudge - Rush (MediaFire)

Next, one of Rabbit Eyed's fave producers:

Dusty Kid - Lynchesque (MediaFire)

And lastly, one of THE prettiest remixes EVER:

Bloc Party - Signs (Pantha Du Prince remix) (MediaFire)

It just might convert some more open minded 'indie' kids to techno...

Monday, June 01, 2009

Parties: Untamed Youth vs. Daydream Nation (Tuesday, June 2, Cape Town)


An almighty indie / electro duel on the dancefloor!

Tomorrow night @ FICTION.

The heat is on... Fight the winter  blues with Dr. Beat.

In the UY corner:

Tommygun
Dario
Lapse

In the DD corner:

Orlando Doom
The Sound

R.S.V.P. and more info on Facebook here.

Crash boom BANG!

Singing: "I've got this feeling, deep inside of me, I just can't control my feet, when I hear the beat..."