DJ Vinnie Esparza’s Friday Five
You want it you got it: your Friday Five!
Vibes and stuff.
Waiting for the sun.
Absolutely kills.
Es muy funky y fuzzy también.
Slow & low.
That’s it for this week. Have a fantastic weekend! www.djvinnie.net
News : Interpol Finds New Bassist; Names LP
The dedicated musicians of Interpol didn't stop working when they were subjugated to cancel their anticipated tour dates with U2 and bassist Carlos D unexpectedly left the band. Fortunately, they found commendable talent in rocker David Pajo -mostly known for his work in the post-rock group Slint. Pajo has also collaborated with an impressive list of artists that include Prince, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Stereolab.
According to the band's website, their forthcoming self-titled album is expected to meet fans this mid-September. The new album was recorded before Carlos D's departure, but Pajo will make his stage debut with Interpol later this summer.
Media : Neon Indian, Sleep Paralysist
The fuzzy vibes from Neon Indian's music has definitely infiltrated the band's first video. While the lyrics narrate adventures sans rest, the video personifies that exact purgatory between open and closed nighttime eyes.
Check out "Sleep Paralysist" courtesy of Green Label Sound.
News : The Thermals Announce Their “Personal Life”
The Thermals have emerged out of their Portland shell to announce details on their new LP, Personal Life, produced by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla. With the first track titled "I'm Gonna Change Your Life" and the last song called "You Change My Life", it might be appropriate to chuckle before reading how personal the album really gets...
Track List:
I'm Gonna Change Your Life
I Don't Believe You
Never Listen to Me
Not Like Any Other Feeling
Power Lies
Only for You
Alone, A Fool
Your Love Is So Strong
A Reflection
You Changed My Life
ISM’s Movement report
Infinite State Machine reviews some of last weekend's goings on in Detroit, offering thoughts on performances from Rick Wilhite, Kirk Degiorgio, Theo Parrish, Larry Heard and Moritz Von Oswald Trio.
Vollt Summer hits Amsterdam
If you’re not a regular on the Amsterdam club scene then you might not be aware of resident star Bart Skills. The popular Dutch DJ has been honing his own skills since 1995 and in the process set up the regular Voltt events at the Amsterdam institution Paradiso. Regular superstars such as Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills and Ricardo Villalobos would often play whilst Skills also looked after the more puritan techno night based at Traffic’s Melkweg.
Skills has turned his club night into a paradise itself, pulling in some of the most well known DJs in the world for his seminal summer event. These include Ricardo Villalobos, Martin Buttrich, Magda, Isolee, Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts plus many more.
Skills also released a mix CD for Voltt last year, you can check it our here.
Voltt Summer takes place in Paradiso, Amsterdam on the 28th of August. Get your tickets here.
News : Voxhaul Broadcast Plot California Dates
After being hailed as one of Los Angeles' "best new indie bands" by Nic Harcourt in the latest issue of LA Times Magazine, Voxhaul Broadcast, are ready to enjoy the summer. The guys will hit up a few local events, which include an opening slot for Local Natives this weekend, as well as an upcoming performance on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in July.
Stream their latest EP, Fact, Fiction & Turquoise HERE.
Tour Dates:
June
4 Lake Forest, CA - The Gypsy Lounge
5 Los Angeles, cA - Bootleg Theatre *
10 San Francisco, CA - The Rickshaw
19 Pasadena, CA - Make Music Festival
30 Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Theatre
July
20 Los Angeles, CA - Morning Becomes Eclectic Performance
22 Los Angeles, CA - "Also I Like To Rock" at The Hammer Museum
August
6 Los Angeles, CA - LA Zoo Indie Night
* with Local Natives
Inspired by Iceland
Iceland’s volcanic eruption released a cloud of negative publicity for the small country. In order to brighten the country’s icy image, a government sponsored Internet campaign has recently been launched.
Tourism is an essential part of Iceland’s economy and there are hopes that this campaign will prevent further economic decline. For the better part of a month Europe reeled from flight delays and angry travelers. Eyjafjallajokull’s eruption has caused a 15% slump in tourism. To help change the countries image Icelanders have set up a clever and lovable campaign promoting Iceland’s beauty, part of this includes a number of viral videos and a user-friendly website which have all been set up.
It all started on June 7th, when the humble population of 340,00 kicked-started “Iceland Hour”. Einar Karl told BBC News that tens of thousands of e-cards had been sent between 1300 and 1400 GMT. With nearly half a million video clicks and a further two million twitter clicks the site has now reached online stardom.
The Inspired by Iceland video is fun loving, sweet and bursting with energy. With picturesque landscapes, great hospitality and attractive people I plan to book my ticket very soon.
Dance to this quirky video below:
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News : First Impressions: Autolux, “Transit Transit”
Autolux
Transit Transit
TBD Records
Release Date: August 3, 2010
Track Listing:
1. Transit Transit
2. Census
3. High Chair
4. Supertoys
5. Spots
6. The Bouncing Wall
7. Audience No. 2
8. Kissproof
9. Headless Sky
10. The Science of Imaginary Solutions
First Impressions:
-Six years after the release of its debut album Future Perfect, Los Angeles-based dream pop trio Autolux will release its sophomore album, Transit Transit, August 3 on TBD Records in North America and Japan and on ATP Recordings in the rest of the world.
-The album’s first single, “Audience No. 2” was released on May 3, 2008.
-Transit Transit has the same vibe and similar sound as the band’s debut release, but overall feels more polished and produced and less like a live performance. Maturity and progress can definitely be felt and heard on the new album.
-Transit Transit – also the name of the album’s first track – opens with soft piano and quiet vocals, slowly adding in dreamlike sounds and other elements, giving listeners a good idea of what to expect. The rest of the 10-track album follows suit, keeping with the band’s familiar shoegaze, experimental sound and occasionally picking up the tempo for quicker, faster-paced songs here and there.
-All three members of the band provide the vocals, and Transit Transit captures those harmonies beautifully. “Supertoys” also mixes it up and has moments when just drummer Carla Azar is singing.
Key Tracks:
“The Science of Imaginary Solutions,” “Supertoys” and “Audience No. 2”
Predictions:
Autolux has been on the down low for the last few years leaving fans anticipating the release of its next album. Now, however, fans only have to wait a little while longer and are bound to embrace the new album with welcoming arms. Haven’t heard Autolux yet? The trio has frequently been compared to the likes of Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead and My Bloody Valentine so if that’s your thing, Transit Transit may be your new favorite album.
Matthew Dear invites us to Black City
We were very excited to hear that Matthew Dear will soon release his follow up to the widely praised Asa Breed in 2007. The album will be called Black City and will be released on the Ghostly International label on August 16th.
This will be Dear’s third album and we’re expecting big things, especially after hearing the free single which you can download from his official site, I Can’t Feel, its a boogie- pop-electro stunner. Dear has always had a unique way of making things sound quite odd but never too much so that it alienates the listener. Something that Talking Heads was always good at.
The album has been described, "as the culmination of years of hard work and experimentation, a darkly playful sound-world that envelops the listener like the arms of a malevolent lover." We’ll take Ghostly’s word for it.
Dear set up Ghostly International with playmate Sam Valenti IV in the late 90s, and now has become one of the seminal forces in American electronic culture.
If you want to fill the time between the impending release date, check out his other brilliant aliases, Jabberjaw, False or Audion.
Matthew Dear will release Black City on August 16th.
Tracklist:
01 Honey
02 I Can’t Feel
03 Little People (Black City)
04 Slowdance
05 Soil to Seed
06 You Put a Smell on Me
07 Shortwave
08 Monkey
09 More Sugery
10 Gem
Pioneer DJ Network May Winner: DJ Clarity
The dust has settled in the May competition. DJ Clarity from Chicago, Illinois, arises as the winner of the first cycle of Pioneer DJ Network. He’s the soon to be happy owner of the May prize: a hard earned pair of Pioneer CDJ-900s. Read on to get an idea of the work he put in, and what you can do to win a pair of Pioneer CDJ-2000s in the current DJ competition!
What’s up Clarity! You just won the May contest on Pioneer DJ Network. How are you feeling?
– I’m feeling super great, this is very exciting for me as a DJ to have my people really like my stylings and music selection.
How much planning went into this mix?
– Well, I knew I wanted to have some fast mixing in this mix so I took the tracks I was to use to Ableton to cut out the fluff in the middle and leave the bangin’ parts. I also had to find the right acapellas i wanted to use. Then it was a matter of some practice to get the flow down, especially since many genres were involved.
Musically it seems you have a strong influence from current European club tracks – with the Dutch and Italian electro house from Crookers and Bloody Beetroots. The mixing style and scratch overlays makes gives it a hip house- like edge. How would you describe your DJ:ing style – what are some of the important pieces of inspiration?
– Well I’ve always been at heart a jump-/hardstyle DJ, but being in Chicago that music doesn’t go over so well. So in order to play that hard edge I like, I tend to play hard house, fidget and electro for the clubs. And I have a real respect for the turntablist scene, so the scratching and fast mixing from that lets me take my mixes to a whole other level compared to the other DJs in Chicago.
When you emphasize your mixing style owing a lot to Chicago, and genre blending in 75 through 155 bpm – what does this mean exactly (for the uninitiated)? Any relation to juke house, which is also out of Chicago?
– Definitely a relation to juke, I mean hard/jumpstyle owes juke for some of its beginnings, and Chicago hard and ghetto house is what started me off in DJing. And my style is so influenced by that old school flavor, I play newer tracks but rock them in that old school style. Too many DJs are content with playing progressive tech stuff and letting the mix/transition happen for 3 minutes. To me I get bored, I wanna get involved in my music so playing different genres from a wide range of tempos not only keeps me challenged the way playing just tech house can’t but it also keeps the mix sounding new and fresh. Plus I just love that bass in your face from the harder genres.
Pioneers of the Cross Genre from djclarity222 at Letsmix.com.
You have your own piece of production in there. What’s going on with your own music? Any interest from labels (thinking there should be)?
– I’ve been producing for as long as I’ve been DJing, I produce all sorts of genres. Mainly fidget and electro under the name Clarity and Dubstep hard/jumpstyle under the name The Floorkillah. I currently release under floor control records but am always looking for more exposure with new labels!
The second competition cycle (June-July) has already begun, and steps up the ante. When the current competition ends prize winner will receive a pair of CDJ-2000s. Read on over here
Video: Bonaparte ‘Computer in Love’
"Do you wanna party with the Bonaparte?"
Of course you do -- who wouldn't want to raise a ruckus with this rabid bunch of avant-garde circus freaks? This multinational group of party-punks has been causing chaos in Central Europe with their with their burlesque gigs, animal costumes, fire breathing and onstage debaunchery.
Watch this video on Beatportal
World Cup Beatdown: Kreon (Greece)
To celebrate this year’s World Cup, we’ve found the most football-obsessed DJs in electronic music and asked them to “represent” their home countries and share their predictions for this year’s championship.
Next up is Greece's Kreon (aka Markos Spanoudakis), known for his entrancing style of minimal-but-deep house tracks for labels like Resopal, Souvenir, We Are, and more.
Album of the Week: Technasia, ‘Central’
Four years can be a long time in the world of house and techno, but not for Technasia, who finally follow up 2006's 'Popsoda' with a new album, 'Central'. After all, it took nine years from the birth of Technasia, with 1997's 'Themes from a Neon City' EP, until they got around to releasing their album debut.
Chalk some of it up to distance: for many years, Technasia was split between two continents, with Amil Khan in Hong Kong and Charles Siegling in Paris. But it has more to do with philosophy: as Siegling explains, Technasia only releases an album when the time is right and the music is ready—a refreshing practice, given the accelerated pace of the current electronic-music market.
'Central' marks one significant change for Technasia: it's now exclusively a solo project of Siegling, although Khan remains active in both Technasia Records, the label they set up to release Technasia's music, and Sino, the Hong Kong-based imprint that has helped introduce the world to artists like John Thomas, Renato Cohen and Joris Voorn, and also counts Steve Rachmad, Christian Smith and John Selway among its signees.
But 'Central' is unmistakably Technasia, taking inspiration from Detroit and Chicago but creating its own distinct signature and sound. The CD release, featuring mixed, shortened tracks, is well suited to home listening and long drives, while Beatport's version features extended edits that DJs will have a field day getting their hands dirty with. Above all, it's a rich, emotional listen, full of spirit and color, and proof that classic techno—in its broadest possible definition—is very much alive and well.
Superstar DJs killing London’s clubs?
According to the The Guardian, perhaps. The UK broadsheet reckons "celebrity culture" has played a big part in the current financial problems faced by fabric and matter.
