Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Metro Area, Moon Duo, Tycho, Lyn Collins, Joy Orbison






I first heard Metro Area on a DFA remix album. The song was "Orange Alert" and I was pretty unimpressed. Although, I follow the blog discodelicious.com, and the guy that runs it usually has an excellent selection of songs. I saw there was a Metro Area song and I was kind of surprised. He usually stays away from the indie-tinted disco club tracks that DFA and hipster DJs tend to eat up. I usually listen to all the tracks discodelicious posts and that day wasn't any different. As soon as I pushed play, I was into the track. The song was more on the house/disco side, which scares most indie kids, thinking they might start turning into that douche bag who hates indie rock and loves club music, or so they think. 

The group is made up of super producers/DJs
Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani. They made a few tracks together in the 90's but didn't decide on the name Metro Area until 1998. Since then they've made about a dozen 12"s. 

The track is called "We Also Not" and is a six-minute journey that's perfect for doing homework and recovering from a hangover to. If you're lucky, maybe making out with somebody. That's depending what kind of kid you are. Around 4 and a half minutes these beautiful space-aged synths come in and really give the song the eyebrows that it needs to last those six-minutes. 

(first photo on top)

Metro Area: "We Also Not"

Moon Duo is the side project of Ripley Johnson, Guitarist/vocalist for the group Wooden Shjips. It's supposed to be the
Velvet Underground inspired side group, but it's more than that. It's very hypnotic in the sense that the beat traps you in with its repetition. Sometimes having Motown style drums with noisy/droning guitars, bass and effected out vocals. Sounds good to me. I don't have the whole EP Killing Time yet, but it's on my list. I think I like this better than Wooden Shjips. 

(second photo from the top)

Moon Duo: "Stumbling 22nd St."

The new EP from Tycho is entitled Coastal Brake and the title track starts off like an acoustic Boards of Canada track...until the drum beat kicks in. Then you're swirling down a wave of colors and synths as you chill out to the sounds of San Fransico's newest producer. I'm going to put him on my producers-to-watch list for in 2010.

(third photo from the top)

Tycho: "Coastal Brake"

Lyn Collins is a woman who we've all heard sampled but most likely know nothing about. Most famously you'd know her in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two". It's the "Woo! Yea!" that we know so well from her 1972 hit "Think (about it)". She's been sampled by about a dozen other artists as well. Collins was born in Texas and known most for working with James Brown. Listen to this track and you'll hear the James Brown similarities. 

Lyn Collins: "Think (about it)"
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock: "It Takes Two"

With just two singles released and a handful of remixes, this guy (Joy Orbison) has created more buzz in the club music/producer world than just about anyone else this year. Being only 22 and born in the UK (living mostly in South London now), Joy can have a lot of potential to become a great producer, being that South London is the heart of the garage/dubstep scene. Every song has been a great listening track but also a great club track. These songs are made for good headphones or club speakers. If you're an audiophile who loves textures, this should be right up your alley.


Sunday, December 6, 2009

Oni Ayhun, Animal Collective, Four Tet, Chicago, Peter Tosh






It's been recently confirmed that Oni Ayhun is the work of Olof Dreijer of the Knife. The Knife is supposed to be on a 3-year hiatus so that Olof can work on his DJ project Coolof. Oni must be his techno producer outlet. Upon first listen of Oni Ayhun, I was reminded as to why I like the Knife. All the soundscapes they like to play with are here but more specified to the techno genre, with a little dub influence (there's a little dub break down around 7 minutes into the track) on side b of the single OAR003. 

Following in The Knife’s tradition of anonymity, Olof did a good job of staying out of the press and hiding his face to avoid it being a distraction from the sounds. It wasn't until he started DJ-ing this project that people figured it out. He played a show recently in Germany with
Joker and a few other big shot producer/DJs and I've only read great things. I'm not sure how much longer The Knife’s hiatus will last but I like both solo projects (Fever Ray being the other) and can't wait to hear more of what these two create. Sweden has birthed us two creative mo fo's. 

The first photo on top is the Oni Ayhun EP.



The new Animal Collective Ep is out, Fall Be Kind. All the weird more introspective songs that Merriweather was missing are on this release. Being that Merriweather was the Animal Collective pop record, this had to be released because there are great songs here that didn't make sense to release on the full length. I happened to see them play a few of these tracks in Orlando at Club Firestone. "What Would I want? Sky" killed it. That song is the second song in history that was given permission to sample the Grateful Dead. I won't write too much about this because too many other blogs/critics already have and have done a better job. All and all this should be a good winter chill-in-your-bedroom record while you're reading or just hanging with friends. Smoke more weed. 

Second photo from the top.


After the Four Tet and Burial collaboration being somewhat of a let down, I wasn't sure how this single was going to be. Four Tet has done great things in the past but recently hasn't done anything to impress me. Honestly, I've been bored. "Love Cry" the new single is more inline with what I'd like to see Four Tet doing. The raw sounding drumbeat, the experimental/ambient style electronics and maybe even some glitchy elements for some extra flavor are all here. When the vocals come in they hit you like a ray of sunshine. This is a Four Tet style house track. This is not made for a club though but maybe your bedroom or a long drive in the winter. The fact that Burial worked with him and Joy Orbison is willing to work with him is a good sign. People and producers still have faith in Four Tet and this track is why.

Third photo from the top. 



Chicago's album 13 came at a time when disco was at it's peak and Chicago's fans were dwindling. They decided to go disco and follow the crowd. I usually hate this, but in the case with this song, I'll let it slide. The track "Street Player" kills. The conga heavy latin breakdown is my favorite part. Sounds like an awesome dance party. A 90's house/disco group sampled the hell out this song. That's the only way it might sound like you've heard it before. Unless you're a die hard Chicago fan. Douuuuubt it!

Fourth photo from the top. Fucking duuuuuuuuuuuh.



You might know Peter Tosh as a soulful reggae singer and former member of The Wailers, but you can hear him now with this nicely done disco edit. Disco's never sounded so soulful. This edit is done by SirBilly who does a bunch of killer edits. Check him out.

(last song on the page but downloadable there)

Last photo at the bottom.

Edited by A. Gilwit

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Clubroot, 2562, Beatconductor, Kurt Vile

All this week Clubroot had been playing in my room non-stop. I can't get enough of it. I remember when I first heard the track "Low Pressure Zone". It was as if Burial's influence has truly gone into effect. Well... influencing Clubroot along with the new Boxcutter. The dark ambient keys, the sounds of what could be rain in the back ground, bass tones that shake your entire body,  the triplet drum pops of dubstep with a little 808 swagger, and the sadness which looms over the producer. They're hints of other genres too like UK Garage but overall I hear this album as a dubstep album. I know this might be a bit of an overshot, but I feel like this could be one of the best records of the year. Not a party record, but a by yourself record. Don't put it on on a first date, your likely to bum out him/her that your with. I don't really think this record is doing anything too new, but is does feel so nicely arranged that it doesn't bother me.
Download or buy this now! Clubroot - Clubroot

Clubroot: "Fire Fly" (new track not on LP)

2562 is another newer dubstep/techno group. Don't be an asshole and get a bad taste in your mouth because I said the word techno. This is not raver asshole music. I'd be dead surprised to see glow sticks or lollipops at a 2562 show. This is for mature music fans and adults who love electronica. Much like Clubroot, 2562 goes about the slight darker side of music. Not as much as Clubroot, but the elements are still there. This music is not made for a crazy dance party as much as just to set back and listen to the tones he puts in front of you. The album Unbalance was released on the Tectonic label, which means he's label mates with Pinch and Martyn. If you haven't heard those guys yet you neeeeeeeeeeed to hear them. They all do some various sub-genre of dub-step. 


Beatconductor is some electronic, funk, soul, disco from Germany who seems like he's into LCD and that whole DFA thing but with more 70's influence than art punk. Either way, another newer producer who stays away from the cheese and gives us something for the club and our bedroom or even a log car ride into the sun. 


Kurt Vile has put out one of the best indie singer-songwriter records of the year,  and then put out another. God Is Saying This To You was my favorite morning album for a month straight. I'm not too big of a new singer-songwriter fan anymore, but this guy's underlined assholeness and dry since of humor I like. Vocals similar to Lou Reed with hints at the 70's NY music scene. It's rare that I hear a new indie singer song-writer sound so fresh. By looking at this guy with his long hair, you would think he's from the west coast but he's from Philly. The productions range from bright acoustic guitars with reverbed out bedroom vocals to electronic noise interludes. Americana is still present even though this so new sounding. I doubt there will be an artist to put out 2 better records this year. (Childish Prodigy was the second record he put out this year released on Matador Records).

Kurt Vile: "My Sympathy" (this song wins)


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Motor City Drum Ensemble, Woods, Fever Ray and Nosaj Thing


Fall in Gainesville is nothing like fall in Sweden (above) but non the less, it's beautiful outside 90% of the time. Being from Miami and hearing people bitch about how cold it is and them being from South Florida is funny. Gainesville at least kind of has 4 seasons. That's prettttttty, pretttttttty normal. 

So this is what I've watching/listening to lately. Nosaj I already wrote about but this video is pretty great, even if you don't get playing electronic music live, you might like it more now. Fever Ray (one half of the Knife) you should know but this video is pretty funny. The Woods (folk, psychedelic, jam band)you should already know too, but also a great video.

Motor City Drum Ensemble (disco, deep house) are an impressive duo from Holland who make Detroit and Chicago influenced disco and house. They just did a podcast for Resident Advisor (which in case you didn't know is the best electronic website that's out there). It's RA. 132 Motor City Drum Ensemble. The interview is good as well. Here's some tracks. When the congas take off in the track "Raw Cuts #5", the track really takes off. (via phase02)


I was trying to find a decent music video to post this week and I think I came upon a pretty good one. I hope you like it. I'm pretty surprised how natural he sings so high pitched. You can see it in the second video below.



Here's the newer Fever Ray video. She never fails to hit ridiculous. 



Here's Nosaj Thing explaining his live set up and playing live. Also a little bonus video for one of his tracks entitled "AQUARIUM".


Sunday, October 25, 2009

Izza Kizza and Skinny Friedman @ Modern Amusement Wednesday



Izza Kizza, Timbaland's new go to emcee on Timbaland's own label Mosely Music Group, will be performing at Modern Amusement Wednesday with Skinny Friedman of the Philadelphyinz and Ernie and I. I'm really excited to be a part of another big hip-hop act right after playing with Del.  Izza's rhyming actually reminds me of Timbaland except maybe Izza's lyrics remind me more of Missy Elliott. The production on his tracks are also a little more spaced age sounding than most of the Timbaland stuff, and I'm okay with that. The man is under the age of 30, from Valdosta, Georgia and aiming to be a great. He's worked with mainstream greats like Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, David Banner and Twista. I still don't know how he ended up playing our night. The free Alize that sponsors their tour with an open Alize bar from 10-12 is also a perk. People are going to be drunk early and wanting to dance. 

I'm actually more nervous to play with Skinny because it's not very often that I (we) work with DJ's who use turntables REALLY well. Ernie and I are going to practice a set for Wednesday so we don't sound tooo bad.

Here are some tracks. I'll do a real blog soon and stop writing about things going on in town. Promise.


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Del the Funky Homosapien, DJ Thomas and DJ Ernie for Grooveshark 1 Million User Party








In case you don't live in Gainesville, FL, last Tuesday Del the Funkyhomosapien played @ Sharab Lounge for the Grooveshark 1 million user party. I think that will go down as one of the best parties ever thrown in Gainesville and I'm so glad I was a part of it. 

The night started young for me, arrived at Sharab around 7:30 to do Ernie and I's sound check along with Del. Del wasn't there, but he's manager was, who was an incredibly nice guy. 

Ernie and I's set didn't start until around 10:30, with Del expected to play around midnight. I started the night off playing some UGK, Phaseone, Three Six, The Bug, Prefuse 73, Raekwon, and a few others. I wanted to start off playing some southern shit because the high hat GETS THE PARTY STARTED! Ernie's set was also hip-hop oriented, concentrating more on classic east coast songs. Either way, I think we both killed it. 

Bukue One, Del's manager, emcee, and skateboarder opened up for Del and hyped the crowd who were almost up to their eye balls with alcohol. His flow reminds me a lot of Del but he's a little less abstract. 

Del came on around 12:20 and as soon as he started the crowd went apeshit. The crowd sounded like fireworks on the 4th of July. This was all really overwhelming to me because I'm sitting behind the decks and helping do sound for Del an international known and much respected emcee/producer in Gainesville, FL in an intimate setting with a limited audience. I don't know what could top this. Playing with Tribe??? Whatever the case, Del put on a high energy show. I heard he was supposed to only play for twenty minutes but he ended up playing for 45 minutes. He performed tracks from Deltron, he's solo stuff and Gorillaz. He ended with "Clint Eastwood" which was awesome because even the mildest of Del fans would know that song. 

I'm posting a track with Tame One and Del. I really think this is some of the best Del production in a while. 



Thursday, October 8, 2009

New Burial "Fostercare"


I've been waiting and waiting for the day a new Burial song drops. I didn't really count the Four Tet collaboration. I wasn't too impressed by that. In idea, it was cool but Four Tet hasn't put out good music in a while. 

The new Burial track "Fostercare" is as you remember Burial, dark, cerebral, and layered in sound. 
To me Burial always sounds like some post-apocalyptic society where there are very few people, the air is smokey, buildings are in shambles, but somehow there are these abstract voices coming over the smoke feeling you with comfort. It's a freaky place but a place I like to go. The wood block snare is still present, the sampled she-male voices are still here and the layers of sound still blow your mind. 

One time I gave my friend a copy of Untrue and we listening to "Archangel"  and she said she wished the song would last forever. I couldn't have agreed more (Lauren you know that's you). 
Burial wins. 


I saw Mayer Hawthorne last night so there's an interview coming soon. If you have any question request, hit me up. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Modern Amusement Wednesdays Week 4



The first group I wanted to mention is Jackpot, a disco producer coming out of the Sweden. I can't find to much on this guy/girl but I do like what I've heard so far and if you like darker sounding disco that's a tad experimental this could be right up your ally. "Jungle Gym" is pretty dark in tone almost sounding like an intro to a 80's action film. The next track "Brief Encounter" has disco drums, handclaps, sexy 70's chic female vocals and backup vocals, trance type effects on the chorus vocals, disco bass, and latin influenced congas. It's almost a perfect song. If this is a real band playing, they're killer. I feel it might not be. 


The next artist is a man named Larry Levan who puts out high quality, authentic disco remixes. Larry is from New York and is known for introducing dub into club music. He also was a big part of the Paradise Garage. The owner of club actually hired Levan to bring in white collar gay males to kind of bring in a Studio 54 type crowd, but Levan's eclectic style brought in street wise minorities and punks. Every song by Levan I've heard so far, I've fallen in love with. The song selection alone is great and the vibe is equally as great. If more DJ's were like this, clubs would be a more fun place to go. 



Here's a video I saw on Pitchfork that blew me away. I use to listen to this group a few years ago but now I'm going to take the album a little more serious. 



Sit through the ad. It's worth it. Believe me. The back up vocals blow me away. We are truly coming into a new era. 

Questlove after the performance asked the group to open for the Roots at an up coming show. HOLYSHIT! 

My first trip to NY I was listening to a lot of Bibio. I don't really listen to too much indie rock nowadays, but I heard this record and shit. The diversity and production on this recording have gone way beyond the laid back music I knew of Bibio before. This is a new found maturity. Sometimes I hear Mali style guitars, sometimes it's funk and soul, then out of left-field it's a J Dilla style track and some Boards of Canada style productions. Truly a music geeks dream. 

Bibio - "Fire Ant" the Dilla style track 

Special Treat:



Since I'm going to see Mayer Hawthorne tomorrow, here's 
another EXTRA BONUS!








Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Modern Amusement Wednesdays


Some friends and I got together in Gainesville and created a new music night. I'm pretty stoked because I'm playing music I love instead of playing bullshit music that I might like 10% of. Here I actually like everything being played Wednesday night.

My friend Matthew who owns a clothing store called Wolfgang, my friend Vishal who works for Grooveshark (an online music streaming database) and my fellow DJ friend Ernie, run the night at a place called Lux. Lux is one of the nicer bars in town. You could dress up or dress down. 

We start the night off with some nice Disco/House and work our way into B-more and Dubstep as the night gets more intense. If you know my sets, you know when I've had a few drinks, I like to play rowdier shit. No difference here. I'm just keeping it a little classier.

I'm going to put a few tracks here that'll I'll must likely play tomorrow but who knows. Maybe I'll find some tracks in the next few minutes that I like better.

The first group is The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band from NYC, based out of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. It's a 8 piece collective or DJ's/artists/musicians who got bored and needed an outlet of disco and psych-rock. When I first read their name, I had already fallen in love. The sarcasm and fun related to their name is just the kind of stuff I look for in music. The band seem like a bunch of hip ass kids from the city who know classic music/modern music but still have a pretty good time.

NPR says this about them. 'The Phenomenal Handclap Band fills venues with a mesmerizing sound and eight-person stage presence. The band is equal parts psychedelia, proto-disco, heavy rock ‘n’ roll, ‘60s soul and hip-hop – what NPR Music calls “a perfect mix of everything from the past 40 years of popular music.'
- NPR ‘All Songs Considered’

Phenomenal Handclap Band "15 to 20" Official Video from friendly fire recordings on Vimeo.


PHCB is also on tour right now with Simian Mobile Disco. Check the dates out.
Upcoming Shows( view all )
Sep 21 20098:00P
Night & DayManchester
Sep 22 20098:00P
Hoxton Bar & KitchenLondon
Sep 23 20098:00P
The FarmhouseCanterbury
Sep 25 20098:00P
Academy 2Dublin
Sep 26 200911:00P
The Rescue Rooms (Stealth vs. Rescued)Nottingham
Sep 30 20097:30P
Le National w/ BajofondoMontreal, Quebec
Oct 1 20098:00P
Paradise w/ BajofondoBoston, Massachusetts
Oct 2 20097:00P
Governor’s Island w/ Man Man & The Brazilian GirlsNew York, New York
Oct 4 20098:00P
9:30 Club w/ BajofondoWashington DC, Washington DC
Oct 16 20098:00P
Irving Plaza w/ ChromeoNew York, New York
Oct 30 200910:00P
Webster Hall w/ Simian Mobile DiscoNew York, New York
Nov 1 20098:00P
9:30 Club w/ Simian Mobile DiscoWashington DC
Nov 4 20098:00P
Metro w/ Simian Mobile DiscoChicago, Illinois
Nov 6 20098:00P
The Mod Club w/ Simian Mobile DiscoToronto, Ontario
Nov 7 20098:00P
SAT w/ Simian Mobile DiscoMontreal, Quebec
Nov 13 200912:00P
Making Time at PurePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

The next producer I want to write about is Loco Dice. He is a German electronic producer/DJ. He actually use to be a hip-hop DJ/Rapper. He opened up for Usher, Snoop Dog, R. Kelly and Ice Cube. Now he makes minimal-house with the likes of Ricardo Villalobos. This track I'm going to post is actually from 2006 but I just heard it again and fell in love. This song's more on the tech-house side, but still excellent. Loco Dice is known also as a talented Tribal-house DJ and the sound comes out in his producing. Listen to the shakers and congas. They're barley audible but I think that makes the song so much deeper.

If you see a photo of this guy, he looks hard as fuck. Looks like he'd kill you, full sleeves and all.


Still Going is one of the newer DFA additions and are a lot of fun to play out. They're like a playful disco treat. That's 2 playful disco tracks in one blog. Maybe I'm depressed and the only way out is silly disco tracks. I really hope not.

I've only gotten to hear 3 songs from the duo out of NYC, Still Going but I'm really excited for the full length. If you like what you hear, they just did a DJ podcast for Resident Advisor. Click the link the hear it.