ELECTRODRONE

HOT SHIT: Cosmin TRG - Love 2 Hide

2010-01-29T14:47:00.002-05:00

Cosmin TRG has been one of my favorite low-key producers since 2008. Starting in the low-frequency spectrum of dubstep bass, he's evolved from that into making a sort of hi-tek funky house soundscape. With his upcoming appearance at Unsound Festival New York's Bass Mutations event, highlighting this amazing track is the least I can do. Download link below.

Cosmin TRG - Love 2 Hide (right-click and save to download)

Also, check out his website for an exclusive freebie (320!) off his upcoming Tempa EP, Never Too Far.

P.S. - I will be moderating a panel for Unsound Festival New York, highlighting some Bass Mutations artists, discussing bass culture from a worldwide standpoint and the evolving mutations of what used to be called "DUBSTEP". More info on Unsound Fest NYC HERE.

HOT MIX: King Midas Sound - FACT Mix

2009-12-09T00:54:00.006-05:00

King Midas Sound have been buzzing through the music world lately; with their subsequent throwback to dub-driven noir compositions, the trio (Roger Robinson, Kevin Martin aka THE BUG, and Hitomi) have been garnering acclaim from purists as well as newbies. While I highly recommend checking out "Waiting For You", their full-length release, this is a great way to introduce someone to the world that encompasses the sound of this fantastic group.

Download it HERE while the tracklist is below...

King Midas Sound – Sometimes (Waiting For You/Hyperdub)
Lovejoys – All I Can Say (Reggae Vibes/Wackies)
15/16/17 – The Weather (Magic Touch/DEB)
Burial – Night Bus (Burial/Hyperdub)
Little Dragon – Twice (Little Dragon/Peacefrog)
The Dynamics – 90% of Me Is You (Version Excursions/Points South)
Tanya Stephens – It’s A Pity (Gangsta Blues/VP)
Jacob Miller – Baby I Love You So (Who Say Jah No Dread/Greensleeves)
Gregory Isaacs – I’m Alright (Cool Down/VP)
Wayne Jarrett – Live & Love (Horace Andy Meets Naggo Morris & Wayne Jarrett/Wackies)
Sade – Lovers Rock (Lovers Rock/Epic)
Rhythm & Sound ft Lovejoy – Best Friend (With the Artists/Burial Mix)
Larry Heard – Missing Dub (Theo Parrish Remix) (Missing You/Track Mode)
Vincent Gallo – Lonely (When/Warp)
A.R.Kane – Madonna is With Child (69/Rough Trade)
Scritti Politti – Sweetest Girl (/Rough Trade)
Lloyd Chambers – Dry Your Tears (Firehouse Revolution/Pressure Sounds)
King Midas Sound – I Dub (Dub Heavy/Hyperdub)
Scientist ft Johnny Osbourne – In Your Eyes (Wins The World Cup/Greensleeves)
King Midas Sound – Outtaspace (Slow Motion Mix) (Waiting For You/Hyperdub)
Japan – Ghosts (Tin Drum/Virgin)
Kevin Shields – Ikebana (Lost In Translation s/t/Emperor Norton)
King Midas Sound – One Ting (Dabrye Remix) (Cool Out/Hyperdub)
Oval – Do While (94diskont/Mille Plateaux)
Thomas Koner – Kanon (Isolationism/Virgin)
My Bloody Valentine – Touched (Loveless/Creation)

HOT MIX: DKDS H-Ween Spook'd-Out Mix

2009-11-06T13:40:00.005-05:00

Hello, hello to the HOT MIX once again. This time we bring out the local flavah with NY-based DJ/production duo, DKDS. Two cousins from opposite coasts come together to bring basstastic bombs in this mix that has some spook flavor thanks to Halloween jus' passin' by. Download link and tracklist below...

Download HERE

Tracklist:

Intro
D.I.M. & TAI – Lyposuct (OG mix)
Fever Ray – Seven (Crookers remix)
Alvaro – Make It Funky (DJ Punish remix)
Will Bailey - Hit The Club (Might Fools Remix)
Boys Noize – My Head (Para One remix)
Spencer & Hill – Cool (Afrojack remix)
Laidback Luke & Diplo – Hey! (Sidney Samson & Black Noise DKDS
unreleased remashedit)
Mr. Oizo – Positif (Pristine Blusters remix)
Simian Mobile Disco – Synthesize (OG mix)
Chuckie – Let The Bass Kick (OG mix)
L-Vis 1990 – United Groove (John Roman London Jump Up edit)
Noob & Brodinski – Peanuts Club (Beataucue remix)
The Count & Sinden – Mega
Seductive – Underground Sound (Rolvario’s rework)
Crookers – Knobbers (OG mix)
Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Theme (Don Rimini remix)

Don't bust a move too hard...

HOT SHIT: Jose James - Blackmagic (Joy Orbison's Recreation)

2009-11-04T01:40:00.005-05:00

I don't think anyone can stop Joy Orbison from getting more love. The love train keeps rolling with this exclusive freebie provided by URB. His "recreation" of Jose James's "Blackmagic" is available on the site for a limited amount of downloads. Cop it down below.

~~Jose James - Blackmagic (Joy Orbison's Recreation) via URB.com~~ Time's up. Sorry, y'all.

HOT SHIT: November Edition of TURRBOTAX & Mayster Mix!

2009-11-03T16:02:00.003-05:00

It's the first week of the month, which means TURRBOTAX is upon us! The November edition will be headed by Dre Skull, and along with the resident DJs, a special guest will stop by for set...no inside info that, but here's the flyer down below...

Speaking of this amazing event, Mayster, one of the residents of TURRBOTAX has provided us with an exclusive mix of dubstep mayhem which you can grab RIGHT HERE

Mayster's ELECTRODRONE Mix Tracklist:

1. DJ Fast Eddie - Yo Yo Get Funky (Crissy Cris Remix)

2. DZ - Down

3. Tom Piper & Nic Corelli - Indisco (Bar 9 Remix)

4. The Prodigy - Take Me To The Hospital (Rusko Remix)

5. N-Type And The Others - Technophobe

6. Nero - This Way

7. La Roux - Bulletproof (Foamo's Dubstep Remix)

8. Kaskade, Deadmau5 - I Remember (Caspa Remix)

9. Jack Beats - UFO (K-Hole Riddim)

10. Crissy Criss - Kick Snare (Ft. Youngman)

11. Cookie Monsta - Fat Girl Rodeo

12. Bassnectar - Cozza Frenzy (Bassnectar's Mega-Bass Remix)

13. Akira Kiteshi - Pinball

14. Jayou - Crack Hands (Genetic Krew Remix)

15. Caspa - Louder VIP

16. Wiley ft. Hot Chip - Step by Step (Bravado Remix)

17. Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (ft. Beth Ditto) (Joker Remix)]

Big-ups to Mayster for this essential mix. Enjoy it and don't break anything while losing your shit!

HOT SHIT: Joy Orbison - J.Doe

2009-10-15T17:46:00.004-04:00

Joy Orbison practically gave this one away to the masses; here's J. Doe off the upcoming DOLDRUMS release.

Taken down for good reason. Catch it on Pitchfork.

HOT SHIT: Joy Orbison In The Mix from Mary Anne Hobbs

2009-10-09T14:06:00.004-04:00

Peter O'Grady has been on a tear since the summer with this year's hottest track "Hyph Mngo". While it was one of the most hyped-up releases of its time, it still doesn't show the entire picture that is Joy Orbison, it merely shows a glimmer of his potential. I believe, in this mix, we can definitely something amazing coming up from the man...as he delivered a fantastic, soulful and fresh mix to Mary Anne Hobbs a while back.

Download it HERE

Tracklist down under:

Home Park – ‘Beatdown’ [Joy Orbison’s Narcissismix] (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘GR Etiquette’ (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘BRKLN CLLN’ (Doldrums)
Joy Orbison – ‘The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow’ (Aus)
Joy Orbison – ‘Ode To The Brudio’ (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘J. Doe’ (Doldrums)
Joy Orbison – ‘Hyph Mngo’ (Hotflush)

HIGH FIVE with Alex Incyde

2009-10-08T20:08:00.006-04:00

Welcome to HIGH FIVE; a new part of Electrodrone, focusing on DJ/producers/whoever stops by to answer five quick questions in a rapid-fire pace. Our inaugural guest is Alex Incyde; DJ, promoter, one of the Hotflush cheese and Dub War resident. He is THE GUY in the NYC dubstep community. Here's what we asked and he answered:

E: What brought you into music?

A: Music brought me into music!! It's the only thing in life that never ceases to fascinate me. I started really getting into it once I discovered electronic music though... and soon after, spinning records.

E: What's the first record that made you go "HOLY SHIT"?

A: Probably Richie Hawtin's DE:9 Transitions album. It's incredible because it was made by cutting up, layering, and re-arranging bits of other tunes to form something entirely new. It was composed as a DJ mix, in 5.1 surround. The best part was putting the DVD into a 5.1-capable system... really blew my mind. It's a journey.

E: Any favorite pre/post-gig activities?

A: Pre - eating pizza. Post - eating pancakes.

E: What are your top 3 tracks to drop at the moment?

A: Scuba - Reverse, 2562 - Dinosaur, DJG - Pressure

E: Most exciting new artist out now?

A: I'll give you two... because the first one is not that new... 2562. His new album "Unbalance" is absolutely amazing though, and is a huge step up from his last album. So in a way he's new again. It sounds like it's from outer space and I really admire him for making it. The second one is more of a new artist - Spatial. He's based in London, and runs his own label called Infrasonics. He makes really soulful future-garage stuff. Love it.

Once again, a huge thanks to Alex Incyde for the time; make sure to check him out regularly at Dub War (this month with Brackles and RSD!) at LOVE.

HOT MIX: Contakt - TURRBOTAX Mix

2009-09-30T21:22:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the first of exclusive mixes for this blog! The first person to step up to the plate was Contakt, a Michigan-native who moved to the Big Apple to work in the music industry and DJ...yeah, I'd say he's done that! He's been doing his thing for years, DJing on the Vans Warped Tour and opening for artists like MF DOOM and Non-Phixion, but he now does his thing monthly at one of our favorite parties, Turrbotax. This should be viewed as a piece of his musical range, as Turrbotax's usual sounds range from tech house to garage to dubstep and grime. A lot of these tracks are either brand-spanking new or even unreleased (guy's got the goods!). After listening to it, I can't stop myself from moving and grooving...it's a fantastic mix and it's definitely worth the listen. Tracklist and download link below:

Download it HERE

Turrbotax Mix Tracklist
1. Silkie - Horizon (Funky Hackman Refix)

2. L-Vis 1990 - Murder

3. Jera - Untitled

4. DJ Deeon - Let Me Bang (Jam City Refix)

5. Shivers - Time Flies

6. Shortstuff - Relapse

7. Omar S - Flying Blind

8. Ramadanman - Humber

9. Aril Brikha - Groove La Chord

10. Naptha - Soundclash 1 (Grievous Angel VIP)

11. Vishnu - Power of Love

REVIEW: FaltyDL - Party/Alpafun

2009-09-25T13:55:00.006-04:00

Drew Lustman fucks with his tracks, in a good way; even in his 2007 jungle releases, he found ways to fit some of the craziest samples in 170-180BPM tracks...which resulted in some pretty inventive jungle that defintiely piqued my interest. Then in 2009, Planet Mu got wind of FaltyDL, this time with garage-infused tracks with a boogie-down that'd make Grandma get down to the beat. With the full-length release "Love Is A Liability", Lustman proved that his releases are not to be viewed as a flash in the pan and that he's making a nice niche for himself in the electronic world with his soulful shuffle.

His latest release off RAMP Recordings, "Party/Alpafun" a two-sided beat affair that borders between sultry, soul dance diddy and ear-tinging dub garage exploration. With two tracks, it's clear there will be contrast, as RAMP said in there press release about Alpafun was "a tune that Mr. Lustman hates so much and never wanted it to see the light of day." As much as FaltyDL didn't want that track on the release it definitely showed something once you heard "Party" right before it...the open-ended approach he has in productions.

Starting off with the very hyped-up "Party", the track begins with bass tones, soul vocals, a room-filling synth and a lead-up vocal singing the only lyric to the song which is, you guessed it "Party". It's a beautiful tease that brings us right in to the percussive balance of the track, with the main shuffle hitting on the upbeats and the surrounding percussion filling in the blanks. Measure by measure, you start to feel the intensity build as hear more percussive elements such as toned-down cymbals and claps, meshing in seamlessly with the trickery of his vocal sample placement, cutting out a bit and adding a few more; the depth Lustman adds in this track is endless. With two or so minutes of build-up, the track begins to fill up nicely as the claps get louder and the synth emerges once again; it becomes an actual party within the track. More bass tones get introduced and the percussion has a nice little battle for supremacy by the third minute, and essentially we're in a time lapse hearing when a party starts right until when it ends. "Party" ends on a calming note, with the vocal samples providing closure and reassurance that, "Yes, you did have a good time listening to this track."

The flip-side of this release "Alpafun", finds itself on a different world, with bass kicks and metallic snares fueling the track straight from the beginning. The patented shuffle is there, but it's used in a very different way from most of the FaltyDL tracks. The shuffling bit is used more as a bridge between the bass and the snare, while the synth keys take over atmospheric duties, giving us space to hear all of it. There's a point where the snares and bass kicks stop entirely during the track, giving a necessary moment to catch our breath before this gust of sound hits us square in the face. When it comes back it adds a couple of extra kicks, taking three beats out of four in a measure at some point...but still remaining in the background, lurking and contributing to the whole of the track. It ends with the exclusion of the kick and snare once again, letting the synth and bass tones take us out in style.

This release proves simply that FaltyDL is here to stay, whether it be making us lose our mind with a build-up that brings out the freak in us or letting us analyze how we can relate a metallic snare in our lives, Lustman shows his expansive production skills and is letting us know with this release...that he's only got more goodness to come.

HOT SHIT: XLR8R Presents: TURRBOTAX featuring Ghosts On Tape

2009-09-24T00:36:00.005-04:00

Turrbotax (which is getting so hot it needs the extra "r" to spice things up) this month should be like the last couple...bass-centric fun for the entire drunken family. This month features analog master Ghosts On Tape, who judging by the videos on his Myspace page, knows how to make a crowd's collective ass shake it down.

Plus you can't go wrong with free Asahi. See ya there.

INTERVIEW: FaltyDL

2009-09-22T16:10:00.012-04:00

photo credited to Sabine Mirlesse

Andrew Lustman has been on a tear lately, releasing some amazing material under the guise "FaltyDL" that sounds like it's wedged between NY garage, '60s soul and whatever-the-heck/step is going on in the U.K. at the moment. With upcoming releases coming out on RAMP and Planet Mu, Falty answered some questions about his ambitions, his tour experiences and his approach to what makes his sound his own.

E: You started up your productions strictly in the sound of jungle but drifted towards garage/2-step tempos and percussion on later releases...the constant present in these productions is the presence of R&B/Soul vocals; what draws you to always incorporate those specific sounds?

F: They are mastered well and sound sick when sampled. I think it's as easy as that. I've wanted to, and actually worked with a vocalist before, but there is something special about working with a piece of sound that's already had its context. Trying to figure out where else it can fit is a puzzle I really enjoy solving.

E: What do you think you get out of your current sound that's different than your jungle-based tracks?

F: A sense of accomplishment. The feeling I get when i finish a track these days is better then playing a successful gig to 400 people. Better then releasing an album and almost as good as seeing someone you love smile.

E: When your tracks got some considerable buzz around them, critics started comparing you to Burial; some fans have called you the Flying Lotus of NYC...do you welcome these comparisons or ignore them?

F:I have actually not heard the latter until now. I think they have probably not listened to both albums, or have a limited ability of sense and smell. Maybe that's too harsh, but to be honest it's apples and oranges. Again it doesn't really matter, because I'm the one at 4 in the morning figuring out what's inside my soul and my heart. It's just an honor that someone would take the time in their lives to listen to my music. I'm grateful for that, more then I can express here right now.

E: With Bravery, it seems like the tracks are much more soulful, capturing a moment in time that's both wonderfully engaging and calm at the same time; what was the intention behind these particular tracks as opposed to "Love Is A Liability"?

F: I made these tracks after the album was finished with no clear idea of their future. Sort of suspended in time waiting for the album to be released and just playing again. Play Child is that very essence. Getting back to a place that's comfortable and personal. The release of Bravery is my utmost personal exposure. After the comparisons come in again, I'll probably delve even deeper and create something even more personal. That, or create music under a different name, which I have done before.

E: What brought you to making tunes? (Specifically, what brought you to music, and when/how did you make the decision that what you're doing now is what you'd be doing with your life?)

F: This is one piece of my life, as is this blog for you. That job for that person and this cigarette for this 5 minutes. I would be lying if i said i was not always concerned or thinking about music. The decision was made for me I believe, and I've accepted it gratefully and happily. What started as an experiment has become my greatest addiction yet, and I consider myself extremely lucky that it is a healthy one.

E: You've just finished off a tour in Europe. How was the crowd and flow different than the shows here? (Any crazy tour stories?)

F: The stories I'm afraid are trapped in my memory and will stay there as a learning experience for the future tours, if there will be any. I must say that the Golden Pudel in Hamburg was the most amazing gig I have ever played. Watching 100 open minded people on a Sunday night connect with music in such an open minded way was/is life altering. I would love to return there next year. Plastic People has a champion sound system and an incredible vibe. The crowd was diverse in many ways, yet again connected in one way. Beautiful.

E: Your sound has elements of many genres and sub-genres of electronic music, but still remains to be intrinsic to the sound of New York. Does NYC play a big part in your productions?

I think the pace of this city has allowed me to be more aggressive with my time. I'd love to live in a cabin in the woods in Maine, but I'd need a healthy internet connection to do so, and my 5 closest friends.

E: Name an artist you've been lovin' at the moment.

Hmmm... I have been listening to a lot of Clark lately.

E: A FaltyDL live set is always full of surprises...the last time I saw you dropped some Aphex as well as some old-school hip-hop...and then some jungle, of course. Do you feel like your sets are constantly evolving into something more than just a DJ set?

Yes absolutely, every set has been different then the last, learning from what works and what doesn't. I respect any DJ that can keep a floor packed and moving for 2 hours, I also respect any DJ that has the courage to play whatever they want as well. Find the area in between those two and you've got a winning combination. I'm getting there, I think. Always respect the audience, or is it crowd. Not sure which way to look at it yet...

E: What can we expect from FaltyDL in the near future?

F: Bravery 2XLP/CD on Planet-Mu and Party 12" on RAMP. Some remixes have been finished lately for a few bands/producers I really like. I also look forward to finishing my next LP for Planet Mu, should be cool.

A huge thanks to FaltyDL for answering these questions; his upcoming releases will be reviewed on the blog within the week, so keep your eyes open!!!

Live Review: Dub War at LOVE, NYC (09/18/09)

2009-09-21T19:50:00.006-04:00

Dub War is known for bringing the good times to New Yorkers seeking the dubby sounds of the underground, and last Friday was no different. It was the Dub War debut of two very important DJs in the dubstep community: Mary Anne Hobbs (the lady ambassador of experimental sound) and Pinch (Mr. Tectonic)...and damn, did they rip Dub War a new one.

I stepped into LOVE at around 12:15 AM just when Mary Anne Hobbs started up on the decks; the room was dark, sweaty and packed. There was barely room to move around in any single spot of the room and everyone was bumpin'. The scene was definitely much more focused on crowd energy instead of flashing lights and fashionistas doing this classic giddy-up. People were there to solely do one thing: bug out. Everyone was doing their own thing; doing the wave, half-stepping to wobbles, jumping up to two-step rhythms and getting down to sub-bass all night. Mary Anne Hobbs provided nothing but the best with her set, playing a set similar to her weekly show on Radio 1, showcasing all sounds from the hard banger dubstep sound from labels like Hench and Dub Police to the sneaky garage-esque sound coming out from labels like Hemlock, Hyperdub and Hotflush. Her set was nothing short of spectacular and all the patrons wanted more...but unfortunately her time was up.

Pinch came on and straight-up crushed it. Dropping his patented Tectonic 'plates, he made the room shift and shake with thunder and bass. He definitely supplied his best tonight, dropping dubplates that I was losing my mind to (as well as the Dub War residents and crowd). Overall, the residents, the guest DJs and even the lighting tech was awesome.

Here's a recap of last night's event, courtesy of the Dub War crew (note: Joe Nice, kazoos are always a nice touch!)

...and there's more Dub War to come...every month, y'all!

See ya next month.

HOT SHIT: Trouble & Bass 3rd Anniversary Party w/ Skream & Benga

2009-09-19T13:37:00.003-04:00

...because you can't get enough wobble in your day. This should be amazing...

HOT SHIT: Mary Anne Hobbs U.S. Tour Video Diary Part 1

2009-09-15T14:05:00.010-04:00

Mary Anne Hobbs US tour diary from XLR8RTV on Vimeo.

We at Electrodrone love the Lady Ambassador of Experimental sound...naturally when we heard Mary Anne Hobbs was coming to the States, we freaked for a bit...but now as the days get closer to her appearance at LOVE, we can't go on without reppin' her a bit more...check out this video diary she started up in Chicago (where they boogie!) and continued to California for her tour across America. Be sure to check her out this weekend at LOVE (along with Tectonic labelhead Pinch), details down below...

See ya there.

HOT SHIT: Synkro & Faib - Inhale

2009-08-19T01:28:00.005-04:00

Manchester hop-stepper Synkro and Russian DnB queen Faib collaborated on this bittersweet piece of 2-step brilliance. Coming off the increasingly impressive Smoke Sessions label, the releases from Synkro have been getting closer to the sounds of Burial with each passing release...and that's not necessarily a bad thing. He finds ways to stay more straight-forward and leaves the RnB vocal samples to the do the work on his hypnotic productions. Faib, a 19-year old female Russian producer, is rooted in Drum n' Bass but also conveys a significant trait that Synkro has: finding the poignancy in a track. Using a slight delay on piano, and placing every part of this track delicately in its rightful place...makes it a worthy listen, especially during the nighttime.

Synkro & Faib - Inhale

HOT SHIT: Zomby - Helter Skelter

2009-08-12T18:35:00.004-04:00

Zomby is bound to make dancefloors quiver with this little diddy. "Helter Skelter" off his new "One Foot Ahead Of The Other" EP (which is due for release in the US on September 8th) touches upon melodies that stem from 80s cartoon villain themes with some very gated and fucked-up drum beats. The 8-bit gloop he's famous for makes a subtle but notable appearance here, along with a spooky bassline. He'll be in Brooklyn on Saturday, August 15th opening for Animal Collective. See you there!

Zomby - Helter Skelter

INTERVIEW: Ikonika

2009-08-12T17:54:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the first of Electrodrone's interview series, where we catch up with producers, DJs, and anyone who is relevant to the world of electronic music. For our first installment, we have London-based producer Ikonika, who has made quite a name for herself in the world of dubstep; getting signed to Hyperdub and releasing two stellar 12"s and a fantastic remix for DJ Mujava's "Township Funk" from Warp Records, this is only the beginning as she's got a release from Planet Mu and a full-length album in the pipeline. Here we explore the roots of her sound, the process of production and how she came to be on the now-prolific Hyperdub label.

E: When you were younger you were into an entirely different realm of music, going from post-hardcore to hip-hop and now dubstep. What drew you to dubstep and why did you stick to it?

I: When I first got into production I was using FL4 , making weird instrumental Hip-Hop. I was listening to a lot of dubstep at the same time, it turns out most of those beats were made on FL as well…so I randomly thought I’d start making dubstep.

E: What do you expect out of listeners/fans/critics to get out of your releases, sound-wise/emotion-wise?

I: I don’t really know. I like making tunes for me and Kode9, I appreciate that a lot of people will think that I will keep making tunes like ‘Please’, which to me seems like a very normal Dubstep tune and I think that’s why it worked so well but it’s not really where Ikonika is at the moment. I’m still trying to experiment with every tune I make. I’m like an adolescent teenager trying to find my identity, although secretly I hope I’ll never find it.

E: The Hyperdub roster is known for finding diamonds in the rough; how did you get in contact with Steve Goodman (Kode9) and how has your time on Hyperdub changed your viewpoint on being a producer?

I: I just sent him some tunes on dubstepforum, that’s all. I wasn’t really expecting for him to sign me but it happened rather randomly, I think he thought fuck it lets try it. It is really overwhelming being on a label like Hyperdub, there’s also a lot of pressure but Steve knows this and I think that’s why he has such an informal and cool approach.

E: What do you use software/hardware-wise? Is there any secret or trick to how you use your tools?

I: All my released tunes so far were made in FL6 on a PC laptop with no audio interface and some cracked soft synths and plug-ins. I usually used presets, free drums samples from computer music and future music cds and one bleep sample. I stopped using FL end of last year, now I’m using Logic 8 on an iMac, with Yamaha HS50M monitors, Motu Ultralite MK3, Alesis Micron and Moog Little Phatty II. I don’t really have many tricks up my sleeve. I just try and exhaust what I’ve got, I think that’s the best way you can begin to crop your own style.

E: Your sound cannot be classified into one sub-genre or even five. Is that the way you want your sound to be considered; in a world of its own?

I: Definitely. When I was growing up I’d try and make an effort to listen to and play as many genres I could. It was just my way of gaining musical knowledge. I am a genre raider and I love mashing things up. My real personality comes from that, my music is very personal but I love inviting people to come see what it’s about.

E: What/who are some of your biggest influences in music?

I: Daryl Palumbo, J Dilla, Madonna, Rich Harrison and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

E: With your full-length coming up soon, what can listeners expect out of the release that's different from previous ones that you've put out?

I: I think the album is something that people could play out in the clubs but still find it deep on headphones. It’s a story of how and why Ikonika has chosen to grow a certain way in that last year or so but it will also have an open ending.

E: The synth sounds you use have this balance of warmth and playfulness, the rhythms you use aren't typical dubstep...like dropping claps on upbeats and such. Do you feel in the current world of dubstep, where the sub-bass is so prevalent...that it needs more of the little things instead of dubstep bangers?

I: I love how the 130-140 bpm range allows you to experiment with different rhythms, it allows me to make usual sequences, and sometimes I feel really guilty because all I wanna do is make straight beat music…But my fingertips just don’t allow it. My music is sub-conscious, I can never really remember making my beats, and I get into a trance. It’s like my mind translates the perfect dance for me and I think it’s just luck that they don’t sound like your typical bangers. My synth sounds sound the way they do because I’m always thinking about pop sensibility, I’m thinking about all those Pop and R&B tunes I’d listen to when I was younger and remembering how happy those sounds made me when dancing.

E: Which artists/producers would you like to collaborate with and why?

I: I’d work with anyone, but I hardly have the time because of the album. I was supposed to make tunes separately with Joker, Guido and Zomby but we are all busy. It may happen and if it does it will be through AIM. There will hopefully be a big guest on my album but we will have to see if it works out.

E: What do you expect out of yourself further in your career?

I: I wanna work with vocalists, I wanna be the producer and work on a project with someone gifted. I want to do as many DJ shows as possible and see the world, and the world to see my music.

Once again, a huge thanks to Ikonika for being part of the first interview for Electrodrone.

Live Review: Simian Mobile Disco (DJ Set) at The Williamsburg Waterfront, Brooklyn (08/09/09)

2009-08-11T13:35:00.009-04:00

It was a murky and muggy day at The Williamsburg Waterfront; no trouble getting into the state park near the water, no trouble getting drinks or a spot in the front near the stage...which lead me to ask the question: Why? Why was it so easy and accessible to get what you needed today? Could it have been the weather? I sincerely had hoped not, considering it was not raining and people were enjoying themselves no matter what was going on at The Pool Parties on this day. Then, as Fiery Furnaces left the stage, I realized it. The crowd was too mixed and not into a DJ set as their closing act on a bill full of bands.

Surely Simian Mobile Disco wouldn't be affected by this, as they are quintessential professionals; the crowd that remained (which was close to less than half that showed up for the bands) cheered loudly and proudly when James and Jas hit the stage...and they started their set off in elegant fashion, by dropping Animal Collective's 2009 anthem "My Girls". What followed was a 90-minute set that spanned from current electro to nu-disco and winded up in tech house closer to the end. Of course, they dropped a few of their gems, including "10,000 Horses..." and the opener to their debut, "Sleep Deprivation" which apparently started up a caveman-esque break-pit, as evident from the image below...

It didn't end there, as two men from backstage (members of Dark Meat, I believe), came on-stage during the set and improvised trumpet and trombone solos during the tech-house snippet of their set. EDIT: After some youtube-ing, I found a video that captured the proceedings perfectly. Look below:

All in all, even with half the crowd bouncing from the place all-too-quickly, SMD dropped a set that was as eclectic as much as it was enjoyable. No matter how many people were there, they were all either jumping, bouncing, and dancing their collective asses off. The SMD boys will be back in New York very soon, as they plan to bring their center-table studio rig with them to Webster Hall on October 30th. See you then guys!

Simian Mobile Disco - Off The Map (feat. Jamie Lidell)

Live Review: Boys Noize & Drop The Lime (Live Band) at Central Park Summerstage, NYC (08/08/09)

2009-08-10T15:18:00.004-04:00

Central Park's summer concert series, Summerstage, has spanned many artists; ranging from interpretive dance to hip-hop heroes...but Saturday, August 8th, was all about the bass. Indeed, that Saturday did provide to be a day of Dark Disco At The Park, as Aussie duo Canyons wrapped up a set of disco, acid house and classic rock as I walked through the entrance of Rumsey Playfield. After finding a few friendly souls and a spot in the front, Drop The Lime hit the stage. People know what to expect about Luca Venezia's productions; gritty, wobbly, percussively insane dance tunes. So, naturally, that's what people would expect out of the live incarnation of these tracks.

Instead, we got something even better. Drop The Lime came out and did a 15-minute intro DJ set and dropped the tease to his track "Like Thunder"...and then the band came on and totally crushed it. Bringing along two day-glo'd-out, water-gun wielding dancers...they were ready to bring it. The whole set was just monstrous, bringing down any doubts I had about vocals, samples, beat patterns...it was all squashed. What the live incarnation of Drop The Lime provided was bass-shattering glory with a human element. The set had a feeling of lively, spooky, funky, jungle punk. Going in directions that I never thought could be reached...I hope they tour more and bring even more to the table, because this is only the beginning of something fantastic.

After a raucous applause from the crowd and a brief set of drum n' bass by DJ Odi, Boys Noize came on to thundering applause. Starting off with "Gax" off his new yet-to-be released album, "Power", he rocked a crowd that just couldn't control themselves. Knocking off at least 5-6 tracks off of "Power" and dropping small electro gems in between, members of the crowd took it upon themselves to crowdsurf...which is always fun. Then Drop The Lime and Nick Hook had the brilliant idea of crowdsurfing as well. All in all, between catching the bodies of teenagers, dancing, sweating and bugging out to loud electronic tunes...it was a good day to party; a great day to dance.

HOT SHIT: Dark Disco In The Park

2009-08-08T13:03:00.004-04:00

With co-headliners Drop The Lime (LIVE BAND) and Boys Noize...this should turn out to be bass-driven madness. Central Park might not be ready...

HOT SHIT: XLR8R Presents: TURBOTAX

2009-08-04T15:10:00.004-04:00

XLR8R is throwing a monthly aptly titled "TURBOTAX", focusing on sounds not necessarily highlighted in the NYC area (UK Funky, Garage, Dubstep, 2-step, Grime, etc.).

The opening party has a very special guest performing live; the hype/2-step beatmaker out of NYC, FaltyDL. Along with free gin from 10pm-12am...there is no reason anyone should not go.

Also, one of the members of this blog is spinning at this event...

FO' REAL: Zomby, what are we to do?

2009-08-04T14:37:00.004-04:00

Zomby and I have been through quite an ordeal. I've said things I didn't necessarily mean in a pretty mean post (which I have deleted because it brought me personal shame to stoop so low) about the London producer. I contacted him via Twitter (yes, Electrodrone has a twitter) to ask him about records and after a friendly message back, he saw the post mentioned. He fired back a not-so-friendly message. After trying to contact him again through that channel, nothing came about. Zomby, this post will get to you somehow, someway. I just want you to know, I'm over what I said, my friend. It was wrong of me to approach it and whatever reasons you have to turn up or not to turn up to gigs are yours and yours alone. Good music is good music, and that's all I can hope for out of your career. I wish nothing but the best and hopefully, our ordeal is settled. See you in Brooklyn.

HOT SHIT: Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)

2009-08-04T14:17:00.003-04:00

Simian Mobile Disco are on tour at the moment, about to embark on a number of US dates that lead them to the beloved Williamsburg Waterfront (the new location of the 2009 Pool Parties) on August 9th. Their new album, Temporary Pleasure, is set to be released on the 17th of this month. As tracks have been slowly leaking out to the blogosphere, one has caught my eye and could very well be my new favorite SMD track. With a BPM in the 110s, Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto spearheads the track with soulful and sweet tones about running around town with whoever is willing to have a good time. With the progressive chords, sultry bassline and simple beat, SMD provides a surprisingly chilled track that still gets stuck in your brain no matter how hard you try to shake it out.

Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)

HOT SHIT: Ikonika - Phonelines VIP

2009-07-27T00:46:00.004-04:00

Ikonika is definitely an interesting case in the world of dubstep. Her musical career is rooted in hardcore and metal bands where she was drumming for local London bands at the age of 11, then progressed to making hip-hop beats under the guise of "Kill Kip". However, after her exposure to Skream's "Midnight Request Line", she knew that the world of dubstep was awaiting her arrival. Dubstep allowed her to incorporate rhythms and structures that her previous musical forays couldn't, which kept her involvement in production fresh. It's inescapable in her sound as well...as she picks and prods around certain genres to get her sound to be entirely individual. Ranging from R&B to UK Garage and even going towards hardcore rock...the girl certainly has amazing talent and amazing tracks. After two releases on Kode9's Hyperdub label, a full-length is due out by the end of 2009. The only thing to expect out of the future of Ikonika is more tantalizing dubstep glory. Peep this track that was ultimately left out of her 2007 Hyperdub debut.

Ikonika - Phonelines VIP

HOT SHIT: Brainfeeder LDN (Dorian Concept/Flying Lotus/Gaslamp Killer On-Stage Jam)

2009-06-24T14:04:00.002-04:00

I was waiting for the day to come where I'd see an on-stage jam of MIDI madness; this is it!!!

Brainfeeder LDN - Flying Lotus & Dorian Concept jam from Amy Johnson on Vimeo.

Flying Lotus providing the percussion, Dorian Concept on the synths, and The Gaslamp Killer scratching away...this is definitely something special. Hopefully Brainfeeder comes back to NYC and kills it the way they did in London. Come back soon, guys!

HOT SHIT: Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity Of Huge (VIDEO)

2009-06-18T22:02:00.001-04:00

SMD brings back the fun this summer with this crazy track (and equally crazy video).

Their sophomore release Temporary Pleasure comes out August 17th.

HOT SHIT: Drop The Lime - Tabac Theme

2009-06-18T15:46:00.005-04:00

We know, we've been gone for a while...but we needed time to clear our heads and schedules. Finally, we're back!!! We're back to doing what we do best: blog the fucking best shit out there. Pardon us for being a little amped up, but we're ready to come back strong...and the best way to do that is drop some bombs...or limes?

Our good ol' Brooklyn buddy Drop The Lime is planning to wreck sound systems all over the world this summer. Besides the usual "DJ touring" he's also been doing full live shows with a band of his own, covering his entire discography (including his Curses! tracks). Oh, and did we mention that he has a new album coming out this summer? He'll be around the world and possibly in your area. Check the 'space to see if he'll hit up your town. In the meantime, I'll leave ya with a brand-new track from the dude, off Scion's Trouble & Bass sampler (which you should totally go and fucking buy). More epicness to come...

Drop The Lime - Tabac Theme

HOT SHIT: Kid Cudi - Day 'N Nite (Rusko's Big Trombone Remix)

2009-04-12T22:13:00.004-04:00

Rusko is one dubstep producer who never disappoints; he's smashed his way through the world of electronic music with his snarky wit that's melded into his productions and remixes. He's a cheeky bastard, this one. He proves to destroy more club speaker systems by dropping this gem of a remix; the now-really-popular-for-whatever-reason "Day 'N Nite" by Kid Cudi.

Kid Cudi - Day 'N Nite (Rusko's Big Trombone Remix)

HOT SHIT: Mary Anne Hobbs explores Bristol and their dubstep locals.

2009-04-07T22:12:00.002-04:00

Mary Anne Hobbs, bless your heart; you quirky woman you. Love the granny saying "DOORSTEP?"

HOT SHIT: Danger - 88h88 (Stage 3 The Club Remix)

2009-03-26T14:25:00.005-04:00

Big-ups to nickydigital for this pic!!!

DANGER is finally back, boys and girls; and he's brought some new goodies!!! His EP III (or 09/16/2007) is coming out on March 30th on vinyl (1000 copies only), and everywhere else digitally on April 20th. One of the gems on this EP is apparently an edit of an original track that DANGER did himself (at least according to the rest of the blogosphere). Enjoy it down below!!!

Danger - 88h88 (Stage 3 The Club Remix)

WTF Moment: Mr. Oizo's "Making Lambs Anger"

2009-03-24T16:54:00.002-04:00

MAKING LAMBS ANGER (ok quality) from oizo mr on Vimeo.

This is definitely an unusual clip. Mr. Oizo put out this bizarre combination of confusion and humor to show how he came up with the creation of his latest album, "Lambs Anger." Truly...strange.

HOT SHIT: Dimitri From Paris Presents Electra 80 - Rock This Town (Lifelike Mix)

2009-03-23T13:17:00.004-04:00

Lifelike always has a lovable sound in his remixes, ranging from lush synth chords to funky disco basslines. I was worried when I heard this particular track because of the deceptive industrial drum sounds, but then it turned into industrial disco, which satisfied my Lifelike fix. Big-ups to HYPERBOLE for putting this track up; it's quite the boogie-down track.

Dimitri From Paris Presents Electra 80 - Rock This Town (Lifelike Mix)

Live Review: Boys Noize & D.I.M. Live at Webster Hall, NYC (03/20/09)

2009-03-22T04:14:00.000-04:00

The night was pretty insane; review will be up shortly. Enjoy the clip for now...

WTF Moment: MSTRKRFT performing "Bounce" live on Jimmy Kimmel

2009-03-20T00:25:00.000-04:00

This was absolutely craptastic. It was a noble attempt to get all the gears to work live, but it fell apart as soon as the beat dropped. The rap from N.O.R.E. was horrendous, not to mention he was probably twittering the entire fucking time, from what it looks like. The annoying synth in the back was not as evident on the recorded version, and the drummer sucked. Good try, guys...but you tanked it. Look for MSTRKRFT's "Fist Of God" review up in the next few days.

SMPLD: From Motown to Manchester Raves

2009-03-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Breakbeat kings Isotonik used the vocals from classic "Nowhere to Run" by Martha & The Vandellas in their 1992 track "Everywhere I Go."

I've posted both below, for before and after purposes:

And:

What's particularly bizarre is when I plopped down my Martha and The Vandellas album and realized the vocals on "Nowhere to Run" had been used by Isotonik, my "Everywhere I Go" single happened to be sitting on my other turntable.

Is it, dare I ask, fate?

HOT MIX: The Phantom's Revenge

2009-03-17T17:21:00.000-04:00

The Phantom's Revenge - Deep Session Mix

One full hour of manic electro can be yours, right here.

I don't know how I feel about the inclusion of "I Kissed a Girl" and the handful other pop songs at the back end, but the rest of the mix makes up for it.

HOT SHIT: College feat. Electric Youth - She Never Came Back

2009-03-16T22:16:00.000-04:00

COLLEGE - "She never came back" from Frantz Lasorne on Vimeo.

Ugh. Valerie, you never seem to disappoint. One of the Valerie Collective has put out a gorgeous synth-tastic diddy featuring Brownyn of Electric Youth on vocals. Ah, so dreamy...

Oh, and please check out one of our favorite blogs, DISCODUST, for some stellar remixes of the track above (includes The Outrunners and Russ Chimes!!!).

Flaaashback: Cameron Paul Tells All

2009-03-16T20:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the first in a brief series of videos from an old master.

Fly haircut not included.

Live Review: A-Trak & DJ Mehdi at Studio B, Brooklyn (03/14/09)

2009-03-15T05:25:00.000-04:00

One thing I must get out of the way right from the gate: DJ Mehdi has strong deodorant.

Oh, and another thing: the event that was A-Trak and DJ Mehdi at Studio B might have been the greatest DJ set I've seen in a long, long time.

The night started as pretty standard fare, getting into Studio B, coat check, grabbing a drink and finding a seat. But before long, things started to get crowded, really crowded. Studio B's max capacity is I believe 600-700-ish...but according to A-Trak himself, the B packed about 1300!!! Talk about illegal; but damn, was it worth it. As Nick Catchdubs was finishing his warm-up set, A-Trak and Mehdi went to the performance mini-stage of the B and took their rightful spots to rock the house. The clock said 12:40AM (if I recall correctly), and the madness began (proof down below..)

Did A-Trak drop a "My Girls" remix? Uh...yeah. This was only the beginning, and it only got more crazy. Mehdi came on and busted out Ed Banger classics, as well as some very crazy segues into A-Trak's dynamic turntable-fest. The duo also had a Run DMC moment that night (yes, they droppped Run DMC and the pic is down below!)

Big-ups to NICKY DIGITAL for this epic photographed moment!

Absolutely bonkers. It was only capped by more and more insane and surprising moments, such as dropping house classic "Show Me Love" and getting into DJ Mad's "Put Your Drinks Up" afterward. Now, at this moment I'm just wondering how the fuck I had the stability to keep my composure and not go absolutely nuts...sooner or later, it would occur, but the clip is down under.

After a few more booty-shakers and bangers (which included Fake Blood, Mr. Oizo, and many more amazing artists on the tracklist), my personal high point had finally hit...which was shown in the clip you're about to see. A-Trak and Mehdi had someone reached into my soul and knew what I had wanted to hear, which was PUZIQUe's dancefloor classic: "Don't Go". WARNING: I am a half-key up on about half this clip, but forgive me for losing my voice, screaming and shouting...otherwise, enjoy it.

Superb, excellent, epic; all at the same time. Anything and everything that was a positive experience was all rolled into one massive nearly-4-hour long DJ set. I was even so close to the stage that I joined a group of no-gooders that bumrushed it. (which was really fun!!!) Oh, and did I mention the DJ booth lost power? (OH NOOOOOO!!!) People started to leave as soon as the music stopped, which was stupid because they were about three hours in and ready for more. So, like a good fan, I waited for about ten minutes, and the sound was back. The floor was a bit more open so I turned off my camera and busted loose. I may not have been a Tektonik master, but I lost my mind. Nothing was stopping me for from dancing up a storm. The night ended off with Mehdi dropping a personal favorite, Zombie Nation's "Forza" and A-Trak rounding it off with his Sebastien Tellier remix of "Kilometer". Then, the night was over....just like that.

It didn't feel like 4 hours, it didn't even feel like 2. It was so smooth and went by so fast. This was by far, an event that will be hard to top this year. Whoever couldn't show up to this should have known that they would be disappointed at themselves forever for not having the audacity to get on their dancing shoes and lose their minds at Studio B. All I know though, is that A-Trak and Mehdi are quickly turning into a devastating duo of DJs. This might be a two-headed monster for years to come, and I cannot wait until next time.

HOT SHIT: Simian Mobile Disco - 10,000 Horses Can't be Wrong (HD Video)

2009-03-10T15:44:00.000-04:00

SMD has done it yet again, sticking with the same directors and format as their previous "Synthesise" video, the concept of live visual performance has obviously done wonders, as this video does not disappoint. Very cool...oh, the song kicks ass too.

HOT SHIT: AC Slater - Rock It Out

2009-03-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

AC Slater, the newest member of the Trouble & Bass crew, has finally released a new EP, entitled "Rock It Out". It's out on Beatport right now, and while you should really get the entire thing...there is something to share, which is the title track. Big ups to discodust for this insane, wobblefest of a track.

AC Slater - Rock It Out

WTF Moment: Chromeo on Yo Gabba Gabba! (Kinda awesome!!!)

2009-03-09T02:56:00.000-04:00

This is really bizarre and somewhat silly...but I can't help loving it!!! Why didn't we have cool bands in our days teaching us to wash our hands?!

HOT SHIT: Little Boots + Fred Falke = Spacey Disco House Freakout?!

2009-03-09T02:11:00.000-04:00

Little Boots has been the darling of the blogosphere for a while now, and while her DIY electropop sound has been welcomed by many, the fact that she has such little material is wearing thin on fans and critics alike. However, the remixes of her songs have been nothing short of awesome. So, when her supposedly upcoming single was making the rounds across blogs, a couple of surprising remixes came out; one from personal favorite Drop The Lime and the other from French producer extraordinaire, Fred Falke.

When this came out, the reaction at first was a bit shocking...but I had faith that this combination would work out well. It went far and beyond that, showing Little Boots has some more gas left in the tank and that Fred Falke still has quite a bit of tricks left up his sleeve, as this remix is unexpected in terms of sounds from both artists. This one is definitely a great combination of the two and it's a joy to listen to. It's down below...enjoy!

Little Boots - New In Town (Fred Falke Remix)

Review: Shadow Dancer - Golden Traxe

2009-03-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

The Farrier brothers have been wrangling knobs and fucking samples up for what seems like ages at this point. Ever since the 2006 release of their "Poke" EP, Shadow Dancer have been nothing short of an distortion-fueled behemoth in the electronic world. Releasing more EPs and remixes on Boys Noize Records obviously didn't hurt, as their signature sound became accustomed to making listeners nearly start electro riots in between Boys Noize gigs. It's now 2009 and after a bevy of material out, they've released their full-length album. You think after some really good EPs, they wouldn't have to put that much effort into some tracks, but fortunately for listeners, that's not the case. This quite honestly might be one of the best early albums of 2009.

It's no secret that the duo that makes up Shadow Dancer has drawn their sound from a variety of influences, including acid, techno, and Chicago house and perhaps a pinch of IDM; but the unmistakeable influences from each genre peek their heads in almost every song on the album and work out beautifully in a way only Shadow Dancer could pull off. It's quite hard to compare a Shadow Dancer track to anything out and about in the blogosphere or even in the electronic community right now, because they have created a niche that is somehow universally accepted by bloggers, producers and DJs . As much as one person can say that the track "Soap" is a blended-up mash of electro and party techno, the track following it, "Infinite Lies" is a somehow mind-numbing combination of acid, techno and electro all at once. It shakes up your senses and makes your interpret how you appreciate each sub-genre of electronic music. This never lets up, as the following tracks, "Walker" and title track "Golden Traxe" teeter between Chicago house and techno while freeing up a chunk of their space to massive sample-crushing, which is obviously evident in the entire tracklist on this album.

The samples that are used are pretty much unidentifiable thanks to the degree of mutilation by Shadow Dancer. Their entire M.O. is never to use a sample for its original sound, but to create something new from it. We've seen this before with French duo, Justice, micro-sampling everyone from Slipknot to 50 Cent to make specific sounds on their records that no one can duplicate, but Shadow Dancer literally takes it to a point of no return. You can hear reverse hi-hats, dry reverb and cut-up 16ths of vocals samples being pitched up and down at a moment's notice to make a melody of a song. It's not just creative or tantalizing, it's just plain fucking crazy.

"Golden Traxe" is definitely worth a listen, or two...or three. It's definitely the type of album that makes you wonder where the world of electronic music will go next. These brothers definitely have an ear for something special and it definitely shows. Hopefully, Shadow Dancer will produce new material soon, because hearing the extremely tight-knit production on this album only makes you want more and more of what they have to offer. Keep it coming, guys.

Shadow Dancer - Golden Traxe
Shadow Dancer - Landlines

WTF Moment/HOT SHIT: Daft Punk To Score TR2N (aka Tron 2.0)

2009-03-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

It's a sci-fi/electro geek's wet dream come true. HOLY SHIT!

HOT SHIT: Mary Anne Hobbs - WEST COAST ROCKS (Video)

2009-03-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

This video is amazing; showing off the scene that is L.A.'s current obsession with artists such as Daedelus, Flying Lotus, The Glitch Mob, Lazer Sword, and many more. All these guys are amazing and should be checked out immediately. This is all provided by one of my favorite radio DJs at the moment, the lovely Mary Anne Hobbs, from BBC Radio One (Experimental). Check out the shows, they're absolutely tantalizing, over HERE.

She's damn awesome.

HOT SHIT: Shadow Dancer (XLR8R Audio Podcast)

2009-02-19T16:09:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah...I know we just had a post about Shadow Dancer not too long ago, but this gem suddenly came up on my podcasts once I opened iTunes. XLR8R is known for getting great podcast content both musically and visually (HOLLER AT XLR8RTV!!!), but this was just too damn crazy. The tracklist is monstrous, sexy and chaotic all at the same time.

Shadow Dancer - Podcast for XLR8R

01 The Parallax Corporation - "Whore of the Floor"
02 Franz Ferdinand - "Ulysses (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Remix)"
03 Grace Jones - "Williams' Blood (Aeroplane Remix)"
04 John Carpenter - "The End (Part 1: Disco Version)"
05 LFO - "You Have to Understand"
06 Joe Smooth - "Promised Land"
07 Prince - "Controversy"
08 Elecktroids - "Future Tone"
09 Rainer Werner Bassfinder - "Minimal Scarf Fuckers Drown!"
10 Zapp - "More Bounce to the Ounce"
11 Telex - "Moskow Diskow"
12 Nightmares on Wax - "Sal Batardes"
13 Pet Shop Boys - "Being Boring (Extended Mix)"
14 The Paradise - "I'm in Love with You"
15 The Cars - "Candy-O"
16 Herbie Hancock - "Rockit"
17 Luke Vibert - "Propertronics"
18 Shadow Dancer - "Together"
19 Fantom - "Faithfull"
20 The Bucketheads - "Whew!"
21 Zoot Woman - "Living in a Magazine (Paper Faces Remix)"
22 Octave One - "Black Water"
23 Friendly Fires - "On Board"
24 Jedi Knights - "Public Funk"
25 Hashim - "Al-Naafyish"
26 Chromeo - "Needy Girl (Shadow Dancer Remix)"
27 Alan Braxe & Fred Falke - "Intro"
28 Infiniti - "Game One"
29 The Plan - "Escapism"
30 Clark - "New Year Storm"
31 Carl Craig - "A Wonderful Life"
32 Giorgio Moroder - "From Here to Eternity"
33 New Order - "Perfect Kiss"
34 Mr. De' - "Superugly"
35 Silicone Soul - "Right on 4 Tha Darkness"
36 Ric Ocasek - "Jimmy Jimmy"
37 Superdiscount - "Fast Track"
38 Bandulu - "Weak Heart"
39 Clor - "Good Stuff"
40 Underworld - "Born Slippy"
40 Visage - "Frequency 7"
42 Daft Punk - "Superheroes"

I'm actually listening to it as I write this and I'm quite amazed that they fit all these artists into one mix. I mean, just try and think of Herbie Hancock, Prince and New Order with Underworld, Friendly Fires and Daft Punk...that's just silly. But to this brotherly pair, a tracklist like this is just their type of thing. The whole thing is just fucking astonishing.

GET IT HERE!!!

Layout REFRESHING....in progress.

2009-02-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!

We'll be back to normal within a day or two. Until then, get used to the new-ish layout.

HOT SHIT: Shadow Dancer - Golden Traxe

2009-02-15T23:57:00.000-05:00

The brotherly duo of Shadow Dancer have been wrecking eardrums and dancefloors since 2006, and after a slew of bangin' EPs and remixes, they are releasing a full-length album really damn soon, entitled "Golden Traxe".

Simple album art, simple goal: FOCUS ON THE MUSIC.

Of course, I can't wait to hear this all in its entirety...here's a couple of teasers from the album.

Shadow Dancer - Soap
Shadow Dancer - Walker

HOT SHIT: Simian Mobile Disco - Synthesise (VIDEO!!!)

2009-02-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, SMD are back and rocking it. I've been going crazy listening to this and am now even more excited to see them on April 23rd at Highline Ballroom. ENJOY IT!

Damn, I missed you guys. Welcome back, James and Jas.

Live Review: DANGER & One Man Party at Webster Hall, NYC - 02/06/09

2009-02-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

DANGER is a mystery to the electronic world. He's a man behind a mask, of course, and likes to do things his own way. He also releases some of the best and most awe-inspiring remixes in the blogosphere. He doesn't DJ, he rather prefers to do a straight live-set of his material (mostly) and include some amazing and sometimes humorous visuals to match his music. I had missed the chance to check him out twice before in 2008, and I was damn sure to be at Webster Hall early to check him out this time around. Third time's the charm, I guess.

As I arrived into a pretty packed Webster Hall, One Man Party (aka Steve Slingeyer from Soulwax) was spinning a set. Having not heard him spin, I immediately situated myself and got curious about track selection, enthusiasm and crowd reaction. First off, his track selection was awesome; picking out stuff that was absolutely bangin', a few being Mr Oizo's "Gay Dentists", Don Rimini's "Rave On", Soulwax's re-edit of "A Fifth Of Beethoven" and he also droppped this current floor-filler down below...

Yeah. People were losing their minds and such; quite an experience. Also, if you look up at where his picture is, he was totally enthusiastic. Jumping up and down, playing air drums and fiddling around with a Kaossilator and loving it. The crowd went bananas for everything he did and he totally matched their energy. Either way, about 40 minutes after that, DANGER had appeared, quickly setting up his post right up where the decks and mixer were. It only took him maybe two minutes to plug everything up, twiddle a knob and let his set rip. The only thing was his set didn't start with a bang, or a whimper...it started with this?!

Yeah, he really did. He opened with Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria". Quite an amazing and ballsy move, in my opinion. He soon thereafter, evidently in the clip above, eased that into his first original piece, "9h20". So, indeed the crowd went crazy and got even more insane as the tracks and visuals continued to change at a fast pace, but I managed to snag a couple of more videos while still being in tremendous awe.

Yeah, he dropped his signature "Love Juice" remix (which is my personal favorite remix of his). While filtering and editing on the fly using his Ableton live rig, he also managed to marvel the crowd with some of the most unusual and geeky visuals ever.

Of course he used Dragonball visuals!!! He also used clips from Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Tango & Cash, and our old dinosaur monster, GODZILLA. Roar indeed...

I don't even have to tell you how crazy the crowd went he dropped that gem. He soon thereafter had one last surprise, dropping...a classic video game final boss theme from FINAL FANTASY VII?! Yeah. I was shocked too, but he did in fact drop "One Winged Angel" and then proceded to finish off with "13h12" and his nothing-short-of-epic remix of Boys Noize's "Oh!".

It's inevitable that DANGER will come back to New York again, so I highly recommend seeing a superb live set with some really quirky visuals and an insanely energetic masked man twiddling knobs. We shall meet again, DANGER...in due time.

Live Review: Modeselektor & Housemeister at Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 01/24/09

2009-02-11T00:46:00.000-05:00

First off, let me state that YES, I haven't updated in a while, a LONG TIME...but for good reason. ELECTRODRONE will be going under the knife; new look, new style, new car smell. There will be a massive revamp in the upcoming months and there will be more than one person behind the reins. New contributors and friends all over, and we will be kicking some ass. Be on the lookout.

Anyway, Modeselektor went on a mini-tour and decided to stop by New York City at the famous and usually non-electronic venue, The Bowery Ballroom. Their good friend and frequent remixer-in-demand, Housemeister, was poised to open for them; which is awesome because he's a great DJ, but an even cooler style icon. Notice the epic specs he's rocking...

Pretty fucking cool, in my opinion. It also didn't hurt that I talked to him for a couple of minutes outside, which is when I took this shot. Apparently he's got a 12" White Label release on ONE SIDE with Siriusmo, so we'll keep an eye out for that one. He's also apparently got a couple of new remixes in the pipeline and he's already hard at work on his follow-up to 2008's "Who Is That Noize?". So, after some time waiting in 20-ish degree chill, the crowd came in. Then, we (Showtrotta and myself) waited....for an hour plus for the opener. Housemeister came on and was scheduled to do a 2-hour DJ set, which was fine because he knows how to make people shake it down. The question that was on my mind was "How is he going to handle a Bowery Ballroom crowd?" Well, he handled it with ease and insanity, almost instantly. The moment you walked into the ballroom, the sparse crowd was already in a zone that was slightly bizarre and welcoming. LA Gears, ravelight bracelets, hyper-colored jumpsuits, and tie-dye shirts were all around us, confusing us while pounding techno music was coming from the decks controlled by Housemeister. As we were getting acclimated to our surroundings, Housemeister was rocking. He dropped some classics such as Thomas Bangalter's "Roulé Boulé" and some current bangers such as Mr. Oizo's "Positif", which left the crowd stunned and wanting more. For a 2-hour set, it went by insanely fast; maybe it had to do with the sheer insanity of the crowd, the ever-amusing observations that Showtrotta and myself made, or the fact that Housemeister was just doing what he does best. Either way, I personally hope he comes around NYC again...he was awesome.

At around 11:50PM, Modeselektor took the stage to an applause that made my head spin. As soon as they set-up their live rig, they were off to the races and took off on an extremely hard and bassy note:

Yeah, it was that rocking. Modeselektor pretty much breezed by most of their "Happy Birthday" material in about half an hour and then around 45 minutes in hit an amazing high point. The duo took some lessons from Milli Vanilli and began to lip-sync their remix of Bjork's "Dull Flame Of Desire". That moment alone made this event pretty much a TOP TEN show this year. Also, being doused in champagne didn't hurt. :)

That doesn't mean it didn't get weird....because it did. Apparently a guy in a chicken suit and some butcher-wannabe with a real fucking pig's head (TONGUE OUT!!!) stormed the stage as Modeselektor's sideshow. The entire crowd got pelted with feathers, which was great for most...just not me (I'm extremely allergic to them). I survived and STILL ENJOYED MYSELF!!! So, all in all, this was a crazy fucking gig, from creepy dudes in ski masks to champagne to feathering ourselves from head to toe, Modeselektor gigs are highly recommend. Go to one, enjoy it and remember it for all the madness that it caused in your brain.

HOT SHIT: The Bloody Beetroots - CORNELIUS

2008-12-10T19:57:00.001-05:00

This shit is just fucking crazy.

CORNELIUS from borntofilm on Vimeo.

Oh, the video is pretty snazzy too :)

HOT SHIT: Shazam

2008-12-04T14:03:00.001-05:00

Oh, Shazam...how mysterious you were before, when you your "Sweaty" remix out and about...now you are revealed!!!

Whoa. Dude's young...actually really young. Shazam is a 17-year old from Australia. Fucking ridiculous. Great talent and his remixes are insane. Absolutely synthtastic and lots of new wave flavor. Hopefully his original productions will be even better. Treats below.

Tough Alliance - Neo Violence (Shazam Remix)
Sneaky Sound System - When We Were Young (Shazam Remix)

Review: Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

2008-11-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

Kanye West and I have a beef; well...not personally, but in principle. Kanye has been known for three things in his young hip-hop career: His production ability, his extravagance, and his ego. More times than it should be shown, his ego is on full display to the fans, blogs and world. Look below for an example:

Nice job, man. Either way, the man is successful and always like to think outside the box when it comes to production (at least when someone close to him *cough* A-TRAK* gives him a suggestion). Mr. West's 2007 album, "Graduation" was his best-seller and his second single, "Stronger", had sampled Daft Punk's classic "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". He owed them a lot, but he got a lot of recognition and some flack from the electronic music community. But, needless to say, he's open to a lot of things, musically. However, when I found out he'd release an album within the span of 3 months of starting it, I started getting worried. Then, the auto-tune came blaring into my ears.

Now, my first initial reaction was this. The auto-tune is kind of an ugly tool for someone who can't sing a lick. Kanye can just barely hang onto it, mainly because he has a very limited range. So, it was barely tolerable. However, soon thereafter, Kanye revealed that the entire album would be sung in auto-tune. Once I found that, this was my reaction.

After all the negative anticipation, I finally got to listen to it for the past couple of days, and as much as I wanted to hate it, I couldn't. There is some good, even great stuff here, but it isn't completely amazing. There are some definite downfalls.

First off, the production is pretty cool; staying true to the album title, most of the album's beats come from a Roland TR-808. Even more astonishing is that it's not any typical hip-hop beat, it's pretty tribal and mellow. The whole record itself is very chilled-out, very relaxed and melodic, which is a great step for Kanye. He shows another side of his production that hasn't been seen yet, and hopefully we'll see more of this to come. What I hope we won't see, or in this case, hear again, is the auto-tune.

That's the ultimate downfall of this record, sadly. The fact that all the songs are sung in auto-tune just kill the overall joy for my listening experience. While some songs have limited auto-tune and more instrumentals (which are ultimately the better songs off this album), some are just absolutely crammed with shoddy, out of key auto-tune that just totally blares out at you. The best track on this album is easily "Welcome To Heartbreak", which has Kanye rap/sing with Kid Cudi singing most of the chorus. Best part? Kid Cudi doesn't use auto-tune, he can actually sing, which is a pleasant surprise. The worst track is "See You In My Nightmares", which is an auto-tune duet with Lil' Wayne. After hearing only a minute of this, my initial reaction was this, and it stayed that way throughout the entire song.

Overall, the album is good, but it's just not great. This had nothing to do with the sound of his production, but the way he approached vocals and how he used them. Honestly, it's a shame because a lot of the production gets lost in the shuffle. Sorry, Kanye. Good try, but not good enough. Listen to it, but do not repeat, because if you do, you might end up like T-Pain.

See more T-Pain videos at Funny or Die

Live Review: M83 at Webster Hall, NYC - 11/14/2008

2008-11-22T03:17:00.000-05:00

M83 have always been a group that, in my opinion, have fleshed out their songs through raw emotion. Once you hear an M83 track, it is instantly identifiable; any sounds feed off a person's emotion at that current point, even if they are subtle. In layman's terms, M83 is the best mood music ever. So, naturally, being a massive fan, I expected a show of epic proportions; and I definitely was not disappointed.

The night began with School Of Seven Bells opening, and one thing became evident quite early; the sound was ultimately going to be crappy. Now, I've been in Webster Hall probably over 20 times in the past 2 years, and there's a pretty clear distinction in sound. Bands sound shitty, because the bass is raised so high, the feedback reverberates through your body and destroys any clear sound. However, when a DJ is spinning, the sound's great, because there's nothing to maneuver, no specific fader to change levels to. So, when School Of Seven Bells came on, sans drummer but with an Akai MPD 24 full of drum rhythms, I knew something was up. Needless to say, when they finally started, the vocals were drowned out by hardened computerized bass rhythms thanks to the Akai. Their set was pretty mellow and quite enjoyable, but in my mind I was hoping that the sound would be adjusted for the upcoming act.

M83 came onstage, and naturally, everyone went crazy. They opened with a redone version of one of my personal favourites, "Run Into Flowers":

Even though it was indeed epic, the sound was still fuzzed up. The bass was still ridiculously high, and it'll definitely be noticeable in most of the clips below. M83 came on and just blew the sold-out crowd of Webster Hall away. Playing a good mix of old and new, they balanced their show between emotional highs and lows, reaching for the stars on sweet melodies and going hard on aggressive songs. The songs played off of the new album, "Saturdays = Youth", were absolutely phenomenal in a live setting. The inclusion of keyboardist and vocalist Morgan Kibby is a big reason for the success of this. She added a layer of depth, intensity and warmth to each song that she sang on, but especially the duet of M83 frontman/mastermind Anthony Gonzalez and herself, singing "We Are The Sky":

This was pretty much the feeling that was felt all night. When the band played any song, it wasn't just a straight run-through from the album, they added extra space to jam and/or make things absolutely epic. A prime example of this was shown in the amazing performance of their most acclaimed single "Don't Save Us From The Flames", which is down below:

The night soon closed out soon thereafter, with M83 finishing off an encore with their longest track off of "Saturdays = Youth", which was "Couleurs". Check it out underneath:

Wasn't that epic? I'm glad you agree :).

Out of all the things that I can say were amazing about this show, one stood out more than anything else: The passion of the band was monstrous, and the crowd fed off that. Anthony and Morgan were automatically the most hyper duo I've seen duel on keyboards ever; and while the drummer and guitarist definitely rocked out, there's nothing better than seeing something like this when you're going to a show.

This was definitely one of the better shows I've went to this year and I highly recommend going to see M83 live to any M83 fan (Why the hell haven't you seen them yet?!) and any music fan general. Run, run as fast as you can, so you can see them make your electro-shoegaze dreams come true.

...More clips available HERE.

HOT SHIT: Diplo & Rye Rye - Wassup (Crookers Happy Remix)

2008-11-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

Crookers finally dropped a BETTER remix than the original "Wassup" remix, and it's happier! Yay, Crookers making peeps happy. Especially with this psychotic banger. Enjoy it!

Diplo & Rye Rye - Wassup (Crookers Happy Remix)

Live Review: Sasha & Ulrich Schnauss @ Webster Hall - 11/07/08

2008-11-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

First off, let me state, I am not a Sasha fan; I came to this event with an open mind, and an open wallet. This event was purely for self-interest and subsequently for the purposes of this blog.

Showtrotta and I showed up at 11:15PM at the venue and got ourselves in a nice area, right in front, where the action would be. Ulrich Schnauss, the opener, was an ambient, electronic shoegazing performer who relied solely on Ableton and his controllers to flesh out his performance, and he made it all work. With the lack of a light show or visuals, his music, while calming and relaxing at times, was wonderful, sometimes surprising the fans who actually came to see him. Schnauss was a master of his craft and knew that playing with dynamics was the way to keep this crowd ready enough for the following act.

Sasha finally took the stage and was supposedly going to do a 3-hour set. Obviously, this did not sit well with myself, considering I knew Sasha's old productions, and knew he would spin house and minimal techno most of the night, but like blogging troopers, Showtrotta and I stuck around as much as we could. Then at around 2-ish AM, we bounced out of there. It was just reaching the point of confusion, annoyance and bother by the time we had decided to bolt. There are many reasons why we left, but the main reason is pretty understandable: It was dull.

Now, going to a house DJ set, you expect some form of excitement from the DJ and the crowd, right? In this situation, both the crowd and Sasha were ticking me off, mainly Sasha, because of his lack of enthusiasm and the crowd's overwhelming enthusiasm over a knob turn. This was absolutely bombastic; most of the crowd was sloshed and E'd up beyond belief, and the bulk of the males in the house surprisngly looked a lot like this guy.

The absolute worst part was the fact that this was the only form of visual stimuli:

For what it was worth ($30), it was pretty crappy. I mean, I understand people who are in this scene loving it, but to me it was just bland. I loved Sasha's Invol2ver remix compilation and it's mellow quality is what made it so enjoyable. However, after seeing Sasha's lack of giving a fuck about the crowd, the set he was throwing down and the crowd going apeshit over absolutely nothing...I wouldn't recommend going to see him again. Sorry, Sasha.

WTF Moment: DJ AM as Daft Punk @ HARD L.A. 10/31/08

2008-11-02T20:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Asian Dan for this info.

Indeed a WTF moment...I understand dressing up on Halloween as the legends themselves, but doing this?

Unforgivable. Absolutely ridiculous, actually. Why would PRETEND to be Daft Punk on Halloween instead of doing your job as DJ? Hope that's the last time he ever does that; I love AM, but this was kinda dick-ish.

Live Review: Insiders @ Irving Plaza 10/24/08 (feat. Rob Da Bank, The Whip, Luciano, Late of the Pier, James Lavelle, Soulwax, Pete Tong)

2008-10-25T16:56:00.000-04:00

On Friday, 10/24/08, a momentous occasion occurred during CMJ 2008 in New York City, a "microfestival", organized BBC Radio One's dance guru Pete Tong (Mr. Ibeetha). This event was supposed to highlight current bands and DJs that were igniting electronic music culture, and it totally lived up to the hype. Well....almost.

Rob Da Bank, a fellow BBC Radio One DJ, began the night with a very genre-bending set. He began with some simple dubstep, then went into some very uptempo dancehall, and even dropped M83! However, at times he became lazy; playing full-length tracks and barely shifting tracks into seamless transition. There were highlights, such as dropping Vampire Weekend's "A-Punk", Bjork's "Dull Flame Of Desire" (the Modeselektor Remix for Girls), and of course, MGMT's "Kids" (Soulwax Remix). Overall, the set was worthwhile.

The electro-madness that is The Whip came on next. They started off quite strongly by performing some tracks of their album "X Marks Destination". They were absolutely great, although the set was very short. They also snuck in their own spin on The Black Ghosts' "Any Way You Choose To Give It", which was definitely a treat. Being the crowd pleasers that they are, they closed out with their most well-known track, "Trash". What impressed me the most about The Whip was the overall tightness of the band, how focused they were and how they were ready to make people go a bit crazy. It worked on me a bit, as I definitely had that moment during the high points of "Trash". I'll definitely see more of them soon.

Next up was Luciano, a DJ who's been touted by Pete Tong endlessly, while making crowds in Ibiza dance until the morning sun rises. It was his first time in America, not to mention he was in front of a New York crowd, which is always skeptical. To me, the crowd of this particular event was not welcome to a club DJ set, but Luciano was decent. His first song loop was getting increasingly annoying, and he seemed to be having trouble with his pimped-out Allen & Heath mixer. However, he did have some surprises, like dropping a house beat on M83's ambient track "In Church". Unfortunately, his mixer or software failed, and he was forced to finish his set early than expected; the crowd did give him a nice hand, though. Even though he faced a tough crowd, we still had enough class to give him a good ovation.

Next up was a very hyped-up band from across the pond, Late of the Pier. Apparently, this was the band's second gig in the states, first was in Brooklyn (REPRESENT!!!). I had listened to the album "Fantasy Black Channel" countless times before finding out they would come here, and judging by what I've heard, the band was supposed to be good. Instead, they were beyond that, and apparently beyond anyone's expectations; they were phenomenally, scarily, amazingly great. To see a band of young adults just completely floor a crowd like that was absolutely inspiring and shocking. The energy between the band and the crowd was incredible; everyone was into them, going crazy and whatnot. This band is definitely a force to be reckoned with and I'm sure we'll see them do even greater things in the future.

James Lavelle from UNKLE came on-stage next to deliver an astonishing set of drum n' bass, downtempo and acid house. He was awesome, but suffered from bad billing, as he was right in front of the main act. The crowd was getting restless, but I thouroughly enjoyed his massive set, it definitely pumped up for what was about to come.

And what came out after James Lavelle's set was SOULWAX. They had come to New York before in August, headlining their Radio Soulwax night, and they absolutely killed it. So, I expected the same here...and I got more than I had bargained for. The set was relatively the same, but the intensity was much more evident, and the crowd was just bananas. Mostly CMJ badgeholders turned into psychotic electro-mosh pits. I loved every minute of it and I definitely got some props from Soulwax (I guess I made my presence known). This was easily the highlight of the night. After Soulwax was done destroying everyone in the crowd, people began to disperse and clamor for breath, which was wise considering oxygen was definitely lacking. I had recorded what I could of this madness to share with all of you. Please, enjoy.

It began with "E-Talking"...

Afterwards, to "Get Innocuous"...

...and finally, right when my camera was about to die, I got a clip of "Miserable Girl".

ABSOLUTE GREATNESS.

Anyway, after Soulwax rocked the house and definitely crushed some internal organs of concertgoers (myself included), Pete Tong came out and delivered a good set of techno, dream house and dropped a couple of satisfying remixes (including Tiga's "Sunglasses At Night" and MGMT - "Kids" (Soulwax Remix). The crowd was anticipitation of one last act on the bill, which was 2 Many DJs...but they never came out.

Irving Plaza shut down the place almost immediately after Pete Tong's set and left concertgoers with a bitter taste in their mouths. 2 Many DJs was supposed to be the absolute highlight of the night, it might have been the most highly anticipated act on the bill, but they never had a shot. I left there in a bittersweet mood, loving what happened during this long night/morning, but definitely not happy about 2 Many DJs getting shelved off the bill. No matter what though, this was a crazy night and overall one of the best concert experiences ever. I'd definitely go to another INSIDERS event, Pete...just make sure to get 2 Many DJs on stage before you do.

Make sure to catch the broadcast of the INSIDERS event on BBC Radio One's Essential Mix.

Review: Simian Mobile Disco - Run: Nike+ Sport Music

2008-10-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

When Nike started pumping out "Original Run" mixes on iTunes, artists from all genres got pulled into the fray. Aesop Rock, A-Trak, LCD Soundsystem and even French house legends Cassius have produced some great mixes for Nike in this case. The rules are pretty simple: Create an ongoing piece of music that embodies a runner's journey, that brings that runner in that same mindset. So, when Simian Mobile Disco were approached to do this, naturally I got excited. Their infectious electro beats and glitchy melodies have been invading dance culture for the past few years. Their debut album, "Attack Decay Sustain Release" was released in 2007 with an amazing wave of praises from every publication and electronic music fans. It was a sound that was adventurous and catchy; blending bleeps, squeaks and filter sweeps with dub and breakbeats. The buzz was there, the sound was there and their live shows were intense. So, they decided to take the opportunity and show us their musical vision of a runner's perspective. As soon as the simply titled "Run" track began, I knew I was in for a ride.

The first thing you hear is a runner's labored breathing, you could hear him pacing his breath, slowly picking up volume on his inhale and exhale, and then it clicks that his breathing is the tempo of the piece. Soon thereafter, synth string chords start kick in, and the squeaks slowly make their way into the fray. After some focus, the beat kicks in and the main theme begins. This is where SMD begins to show their skill; they take that one theme and exploit to its full potential. It never wavers, it finds its place every single time it is played and the fleshing out of drum patterns is the bridge that keeps this 27+ minute piece sturdy. SMD follow the structure to a point where there are breaks, but never long enough to make things dull. As soon as one thinks things will resolve, another part of the theme will come and overpower the last piece, it's absolutely refreshing. Once the high point of "Run" hits, you feel like you're at an adrenaline high, you feel as you've been on this running journey, working towards this point. The way it builds up is absolutely fantastic and it's absolutely dance-worthy. Thankfully, they got that part edited and released it as a short edit. (Look below!) Afterwards, the piece starts to dip down and it finally resolves into something only Simian Mobile Disco could pull off. A lot of very early-to-mid 90s drum rhythms are used in this track, yet it doesn't sound dated. Somehow, even with a full 27:37 piece of music at the helm, Simian Mobile Disco come up with something they are known for: making things work, no matter how out of place they are.

Simian Mobile Disco - Run (Edit)

Live Review: MSTRKRFT at Webster Hall, NYC - 10/10/2008

2008-10-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay, I've been sick...but I come bearing gifts below... :)

Very big-ups to CarolineFM

MSTRKRFT have been known as a powerhouse DJ-duo. They pound out great sets almost everytime they're live and they are very well-known to make crowds go apeshit. After news had surfaced that their upcoming "FIST OF GOD" tour would feature new tracks and a new setup, buzz had overcome the electro world again, waiting for MSTRKRFT to start dropping bombs. When they hit the Webster Hall stage at 2:05 AM on 10/11/08, people went absolutely bonkers; like fo' realz, yo...PSYCHO.

I had captured the beginning of their set as I was in the front during at least the first, oh...I dunno, 40 seconds, until I got thrown out of the massive heap of hipsters, scenesters, and definitely underage boys and girls. Here is the footage:

Yeah, pretty crazy...but that wasn't the half of it. MSTRKRFT played a bunch of new tracks, as well as dropped our Italian favs Crookers and The Bloody Beetroots in their set. Here's them dropping the former.

They also dropped their classics, playing a bunch of old remixes and one of their first tracks, "EASY LOVE" \/

The night continued on and the crowd at Webster Hall was just losing it, people jumping on each other, stripping, dancing on P.A. systems, rushing the stage...it just never ended. The night was somehow chaotic but gratifying, but it dragged on for about 10 minutes towards the end. The encore was great, with JFK and Al-P dropping their "Green Light" remix and "Rollin' & Scratchin'", the Daft classic. They also included such Daft faves as One More Time and a MSTRKRFT edit of "Da Funk". Careful, guys...you don't fuck with perfection.

Overall, I'd go see MSTRKRFT again. It was a ridiculously enjoyable experience, definitely an eye-opening experience to see a crowd feed off two Canadians down some Crown Royal and drop bangers all night. One thing that struck me was their live set-up...it looks strangely similar to another electronic duo's live set...much earlier in their career....hmmm...

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?

HOT SHIT: Basement Jaxx - My Turn

2008-09-29T18:46:00.000-04:00

Basement Jaxx, U.K. House legends, have finally released some new material! It's been out for a bit, but I finally got my hands on it. Time to share the goodies with the class. Please enjoy :)

Basement Jaxx - My Turn

Artist Spotlight: Crookers

2008-09-22T01:02:00.000-04:00

Crookers are a Milan-based duo of electronic producers, heavily inspired by hip-hop. They pounded out remixes for Armand Van Helden and The Chemical Brothers to start with, and have gained a huge following by producing non-stop, heart-racing bangers for the dancefloor. They've been remixed by fellow Italian producers (and friends), The Bloody Beetroots (who will be covered soon), as well as produced tracks for Kid Cudi, an up-and-coming rapper. They're stopping by New York on October 29th, so please be sure to check them out at Le Poisson Rouge. This should be bangin'!

Kid Cudi - Day 'N Nite (Crookers Remix)
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (Crookers Remix)
Crookers - Il Cattivo plus THUNDER
Crookers - Embrace The Martian (feat. Kid Cudi)

Artist Spotlight: Daft Punk

2008-09-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

Daft Punk are Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel Homem de Christo, a Parisian house duo. Thomas and Guy-Manuel met in their teens, studying together at school, forming a band with future Phoenix member Laurent Brancowitz. named Darlin'. They barely did the rock n' roll thing, after 6 months and a negative review in a magazine, Darlin' disbanded. However, the negative review was crucial in the formation of Thomas and Guy's next venture into music, as the review stated that Darlin sounded like "a bunch of daft punk". The name was right there, and the focus went from rock to making a new sound of electronic music. Though Chicago house was a huge influence, the duo found solace in making songs as fresh as possible with an approach of a punk band. In 1997, Homework, their debut album was released to critical acclaim. The album didn't just have dance tracks, but with noticeble influences of disco, funk and punk, the album was just an amazing time from the first second to the last.

Daft Punk were always mysterious, never really showing their faces and keeping themselves awau from the limelight. In 2000, they decided to make a change. To conceal their identities but keep their image fresh, they transformed to robots.

In 2001, their sophomore album, Discovery was released, bringing out a warmth in each track and focusing on a very 70s feel. Their biggest hit, "One More Time", reached #1 position almost every country, they were living the life, but still concealing their identity. Daft Punk laid low for four more years until suddenly in 2005, they just popped back up again.

Human After All, their third album, was released in 2005 with mixed reviews. Although it was very phrase-focused and lo-fi, it was still quintessential Daft Punk. Reviews stated the dancing was gone, but in turn, it was a creative direction that was necessary at that point for the duo. In 2006, the group decided to do a live show, something they had not done for nearly 10 years; their live return was set for the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA.

Needless to say, it was a rousing success. The show was an audiovisual buffet for each and every member of the audience. After a few more festival dates, Daft Punk announced that they would begin a new tour in 2007, called: ALIVE 2007. From Germany, to France, to the U.S., to Japan and wrapping up in Australia, each date was sold out. Music critics were unanimous in stating it was one of the best concert experiences in history. Daft Punk ended their tour and went back into the darkness. However, they let out to the world that they currently are hard at work in the studio preparing for new Daft projects. The duo has always been a mystery to the public and their fans, but they never cease to amaze each party, every single time they return to fruition.

Daft Punk - Rollin' & Scratchin'
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Daft Punk - Aerodynamic
Daft Punk - Robot Rock

Artist Spotlight: Radiohead

2008-09-08T23:36:00.000-04:00

Radiohead is an alternative rock group from Oxford, located in the United Kingdom. Radiohead's sound has changed within almost every album they have released. The band who began with songs like "Creep" and "Just" in the early to mid-90s, came back with 1997's album: "OK Computer", which was adored by the music world. Most music publications have the album in their Top 100 of All-Time. By 2000, Radiohead had drifted towards an experimental sound, using less guitar and focusing on electronics. "Kid A" produced many memorable tracks, with many unusual instruments. Ranging from cold-sounding drum patterns from an analogue synth to a Korg Kaoss pad, Radiohead had went all over the place to achieve a sound that was impossible to copy. In 2007, they caught attention again, releasing "In Rainbows", their latest album, independently. The choice for price was up to the fan buying (or not buying). Radiohead are pioneers in making rock music not just about a guitar and drums, but about putting out emotion into every single facet of a track, a song, or an album. To Radiohead, music isn't just four tracks anymore.

Radiohead - Planet Telex
Radiohead - Airbag
Radiohead - Optimistic
Radiohead - Reckoner

Artist Spotlight: The Chemical Brothers

2008-09-08T18:09:00.000-04:00

The Chemical Brothers are a United Kingdom electronic duo, headed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. They were breakthrough artists that pioneered the "big-beat" sound in electronic music, along with such groups as The Crystal Method and The Prodigy. Starting in 1992, DJing under the alias "The 237 Turbo Nutters", they spun hip-hop, techno and house records in clubs, soon they changed the name to "The Dust Brothers", but lost the rights to the name when the American production group of the same name threatened legal action. They officially continued on as "The Chemical Brothers", releasing their first album "Exit Planet Dust" in 1993. They continued to out more original content as well as pull off an amazing live show with lasers, breathtaking visuals and floor-shattering live versions of their tunes. With synths aplenty, they always make the crowd go home happy. God bless these Brits :)

The Chemical Brothers - It Doesn't Matter
The Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar
The Chemical Brothers - Saturate

Artist Spotlight: Soulwax / 2ManyDJs

2008-09-08T10:41:00.000-04:00

Soulwax is a Belgian electronic band fronted by Stephen and David Dewaele; based in Ghent. They were originally an alternative rock group, putting out solid albums in the 90s; in 2004, they released "Any Minute Now", an rock record that had many electronic influences. It was a good record on it's own, but they went even further the next year with "Nite Versions", a 2005 remix album of "Any Minute Now", based on Duran Duran's Night Versions. It was an album that shocked dance culture, because of its accessibility. They accompanied a live show, full of synths, strobe lights and rib-shattering bass, which of course, was even more successful. They also released a remix album in 2007, which took their live shows to another level, adding another layer of depth and chaos (good chaos). Soulwax are at another level of electronic live bands, naturally, but the Dewaele brothers are not just limited to the band.

2ManyDJs is the duo of Stephen and David Dewaele whilst they are DJing. They are known to make prolific remixes (under the Soulwax moniker) and mash-up almost anything you can throw at them, from David Bowie to The Rolling Stones to Daft Punk, they go anywhere and break any remix boundaries. They brought dance culture to a halt with their mixes and proved there is a rock attitude to DJing. Everything changes when 2ManyDJs gets on the decks.

Soulwax - I Love Techno
The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix)
The Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl (Soulwax 2ManyDJs Remix)