Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Decibal Festival 2009 News

:::: 2009 PRELIMINARY LINE UP ::::
-----------------------------------------------------
Alex Under
(ES) : Alter Ego (DE) : Andrew Weatherall (UK) : Benga (UK) : Boxcutter (UK) : Bruno Pronsato (DE) : Caspa (UK) : Daedalus (US) : Goldmund (US) : KiloWatts (US) : Lusine (US) : Mad Professor (UK) : Martyn (US) : Mary Anne Hobbs (UK) : Megasoid (CA) : Mikael Stavöstrand (SE) : Monolake (DE) : Mountains (US) : Move D (DE) : N-Type (UK) : Nosaj Thing (US) : Pezzner (US) : Reagenz (UK / US) : Spacetime Continuum (US) : Sub Swara (US) : Tadeo (ES) : Tanner Ross (US) : Voodeux (US) : The Wighnomy Brothers (DE) : dozens more to be announced later this summer

Monday, June 22, 2009

MUTEK 10 - Photo Gallery

At long last, here they are! My photo gallery from Friday through Sunday of Mutek's 10th Edition in Montreal. Events covered in the photos are ATOM1, Nocturne 3, Piknic 1, Nocturne 4, Piknic 2, and Nocturne 5, as well as some other random shots from around town. Click below to open the gallery.
Mutek 10 - Photos by Reuben Sweeney

MOVEMENT 2009 83,322 ATTENDEES

MOVEMENT 2009
83,322 ATTENDEES OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

8,000 lbs of recyclable materials collected during three-day festival

Movement 2009 attendance and collected recyclable material numbers exceeded 2008 festival totals. Paxahau announced today that 83,322 people visited Hart Plaza during the three-day Memorial Day Weekend for the annual electronic music festival that featured nearly 100 performances on four stages.

“Movement 2009 was an overwhelming success on so many levels,” said festival producer Jason Huvaere. “People loved the lineup of performances we were able to put together this year. Our sponsors and vendors really stepped up this year despite the tough economy. The recycling program surpassed last year’s totals for collected items. And we had great weather the entire weekend, which definitely contributed to the record breaking turnout. As far as events like this go, in our eyes it could not have gone any better.”

Since Paxahau began producing Movement in 2006 attendance at the festival has steadily increased each year. An estimated crowd of a little more than 40,000 people attended in 2006 and nearly 45,000 attended in 2007. In 2008 nearly 78,000 attended and for the first time ever festival attendance was tracked using turnstiles. This year hand-held clickers were used to count attendance.

Festival-Goers Recycle
Electronic Music fans in attendance at Movement 2009 proved to be an environmentally-friendly group. Four tons or 8,000 pounds of recyclable materials were collected over the course of the three-day festival. This year’s total surpassed 2008 totals by 5,000 pounds.

Paxahau partnered again with Recycle Detroit, a non-profit organization founded by Detroiter Sarah Kubik. The hard-working non-profit had a team of 100 volunteers, utilized 40 recycling stations and successfully convinced nearly 2,500 people to commit to be more environmentally conscious.

“We were very pleased to have Sarah and her Recycle Detroit volunteers be apart of Movement again this year,” said Huvaere. “They have single-handedly taken the festival’s recycling program to the next level. Recycle Detroit is a great organization.”

Carl Craig Becoming Creative Director Steals the Show
Paxahau assembled an exciting lineup of local, national and international performers, but it was the announcement of Techno Music legend Carl Craig being named Creative Director for Movement 2010 that dominated the conversation on blogs and among groups of festival-goers all weekend long.

“We have received nothing but positive feedback from the announcement about Carl,” said Huvaere. “His involvement will strengthen the future of the Movement festival in Detroit. Carl is a musical visionary whose ambassadorship is unparalleled. We are extremely excited to have him involved at this level.”

In his new role Craig will be involved in various creative aspects of Movement and serve as an ambassador for the Movement festival as he travels the world performing for throngs of electronic music enthusiasts.

Movement’s New International Partnership
The new partnership between Movement Detroit and Movement Torino officially started as Movement 2009 ended. Together they hosted the festival’s closing party at Capital Square in downtown Detroit.

“It was an awesome start to what we anticipate will be a great partnership,” said Huvaere.

The producers of Movement Torino were in Detroit for Movement 2009. Maurizio Vitale said, “We enjoyed our visit to Detroit. The festival was fantastic. Torino and Detroit are very similar cities, which is reason we think our partnership with Paxahau is going to be very strong.”

The two groups will work together to promote each other’s festivals. Movement Torino, which takes place in October, was being promoted at this year’s festival with flyers and the Movement Detroit closing party. The web site is: www.movement.it. Once the Torino festival has concluded, the group from Italy will begin to promote Movement 2010 in Detroit to their stakeholders.

About Paxahau
Since 1998 Paxahau has promoted electronic music and has grown to include a web archive and an event production company that produces and promotes events all year round. With a network of alliances and resources that span the globe, Paxahau has earned the reputation as a premier promotions group within the electronic music industry.

Visit www.paxahau.com.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

DEMF Afterparty Picks: The Verdicts

In my final words on this year's DEMF, I thought it might be nice to review the afterparties that I so unabashedly recommended. Yes, I actually did go to all of the ones I mentioned, and there's pics to prove it! So here we go...

The Bunker - Detroit Edition @ Oslo

With the simple yet superlative lineup of Jan Krueger and Derek Plaslaiko, there ain't much that can go wrong. The one thing I was worried about -- Oslo's terrible ventilation and intense heat -- was well-taken care of with the additions of several fans (and a not too packed venue). Thanks guys! The only downer of the night was missing Derek's set (my fault). I had wrongly assumed the party would go late and that Derek and Jan would be trading on and off all night. Oslo, under some new stricter rules, closed at around 2AM all weekend. Overall though, a great time, and the perfect way to start off the weekend.
Verdict: WIN

VOLATL pres. The Other Nine to Five @ The River's Edge Grille

Whether it was the venue, I can't be sure, but the vibe at this year's VOLATL afterparty was entirely different than last year's. This was undeniably a change for the better. Whereas last year's party had a bit of a sketchy drugged-out sweaty rave vibe, the vibe this year felt much more laid-back and un-oppressive. The open-air deck out back certainly helped this. The sound in all areas was top notch, and the rubberized flooring on the outdoor deck was fantastic for feet weary from day-long dancing and walking. I didn't catch any of the sets on the first floor, so I can't comment to the music there, but there other two areas showcased some fantastic music.

The inside of the second floor was the Hello?Repeat area, with Clink Recordings running things on the outdoor deck. Inside, a tag-team set from label co-heads Jan Krueger ("surprise" guest) and Daze Maxim got things going, and was finished up with the entire crowd rocking out to an excellent live performance from Bruno Pronsato. Outside, the Clink roster kept things dark and thumping all night long. As much as I loved the deck, the great music inside had me going back and forth between the two areas for most of the night. Fostering a great vibe is key in having a memorable party, and this was well-accomplished. The night ended up feeling like a great night out at a bar with friends, that just so happened to be accompanied by killer music.
Verdict: WIN

I'm On A Boat on The Detroit Princess

My initial apprehensions about this party were soon put to rest. The massive line to get in moved along at a surprisingly quick pace, and the boat took off on schedule without a hitch. First of all, the boat was f'ing MASSIVE. The three floors provided more than enough room for huge crowd that attended, and there was plenty of room to dance no matter where you were (except for maybe right up next to the booth on the Luciano/Dice floor). All three floors also sported great sound, although it was a bit marred on two of the floors by a rattling ceiling. Also on the plus side were clean bathrooms that, on the first floor at least, didn't even have lines.

Further allayed were my fears of potentially boring repeat performances. I'm happy to report that the music on all three floors was amazing! All of the sets I saw were better than their counterparts at the festival, and the artists seemed to be having a better time too, with even Carl Craig flashing an elusive smile during his set. Most outstanding in my mind were MK vs. Scotty Deep on the third floor, and the Dixon/Ame/Schwarz night-long jam session on the first. MK/Deep played upbeat house, full of funk and energy. Usually I can't get into any house sets above a certain tempo, but this one really knocked me on my ass and opened my eyes to how good it could get. With about 70% of attendees packing out the second floor for Luciano and Loco Dice, I found myself retreating to the less intense and cooler surroundings of the first floor, where Dixon, Ame, and Henrik Schwarz were playing. The sparse crowd didn't seem to phase them -- the four performers looked like they were having the time of their lives and it came out in their joyful spontaneous set. I couldn't have been happier either, it felt like a private concert. Instead of the solo sets they were slotted to play, they again combined forces, with Ame and Dixon working turntables and fx, and Schwarz accompanying with his own beats. A very memorable night altogether and a definite front-runner for party of the festival.
Verdict: WIN

Need I Say More? part 4 @ The Old Miami

This party is pretty self-explanatory by now: Big green backyard, sunshine, a slew of happy ravers fueled by minimal sleep and maximal "substance" intake, unannounced big-name DJ guests alongside relative unknowns. Toss in some BBQ for good measure, and you've got yourself a kickass party. This year's edition proved no different. There were some problems with the sound earlier on, but aside from that, the day flowed along pretty smoothly, making quite a few people late to Movement. Even with both hosts eventually gone to play the festival, the party went on, stopped only briefly by the awkward-yet-engrossing ROTC kid gun display (the Old Miami is an old VFW hall, after all). Excellent tag-team sets from Matthew Dear/Ryan Elliott and Jamie Jones/Damian Lazarus (who got with the program eventually) were accented by Shaun Reeves playing on an injured ankle, Alex Picone, and my personal show-stealer of the festival weekend, Pezzner. Just as the then-unknown to me Jan Krueger did last year, Pezzner, who I had never heard of before, gave me a pleasant surprise with his fantastic live set. The only down-point worth mentioning: it seems the Old Miami will no longer play host to this party due to an unclear dispute between the party hosts and the venue management. All good things must end! Hope you got your fill this year.
Verdict: WIN

Hot Natured @ Exodus

Though the music inside was solid, the real party worth mentioning was going on outside on the deck. On the final night of a four-day technothon, you start to get... well... a bit sick of techno. I couldn't have been more grateful for the "disco" set courtesy of Jamie Jones, Lee Curtiss, and Lee Foss that night. Grooving to oldskool jams was a great way to wind down the epic weekend, and the perfect relaxing finish I was looking for before packing up and wearily heading home. Thanks for a great party guys! I hope to see repeat editions in the coming years.
Verdict: WIN

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So, if for some reason you couldn't figure it out yourself, that's five wins and zero fails. I was pretty surprised with how well everything went this year. With no major disappointments whatsoever in my afterparty expedition, I think I might just give myself a pat on the back for the recommendations. Whatever you ended up going to this year, I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Also of note were reSolute, which I can't offer too much insight on, since I wussed out after about two hours and dipped around 8AM, and an impromptu party thrown by the Bunker crew at Oslo on Monday night. The lineup featured Eric Cloutier, Steve Bug, and Adultnapper, all of whom played some fantastic jams on a shockingly good sound system.

"Thanks for last night Detroit, but I gotta go. Don't call me, I'll call you."

Check out the full gallery of pictures from afterparties here:
DEMF 2009 Afterparties - Photos by Reuben Sweeney

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Love Fest to LoveEvolution


Photo by veo


Yep, LoveEvolution is the new name for the festival formerly known as, Love Fest.

San Francisco LovEvolution : A Dance Music Parade & Festival. The same spirit of Love Parade and LoveFest continues in our 6th year. A celebration of dance and music, of tolerance, peace, diversity and justice.

The date is set for Saturday, October 3rd 2009. Once again we'll set off on a grand parade set to beats down Market St. and end up with an epic festival at Civic Center plaza. Last year over 100,000 peacefully enjoyed the fun and the sun, and we were able to raise money for a myriad of non-profit organizations. We look forward to together making this year even better.

More info:
www.sflovevolution.org

Contact info:
San Francisco LovEvolution
182 Howard St. #208
San Francisco, CA 94105
Info line: 415.820.1423


FLOAT APPLICATION:
http://beta.sflovevolution.org/pdf/2009_sfle_float_app.pdf

2009 Float Application if you're interested in having a float in this year's event, are due July 15th.



green shade - san francisco lovefest 2007

Friday, June 12, 2009

Let me introduce you to CEMAC

Well it's about time Chi-town did its own festival, having DEMF so close by I'm surprised they hadn't taken a cue from the neighbors.

The Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Coalition’s primary function is to serve as the planning body of the Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Festival. The goal of CEMAC is to educate the general public and fellow listeners about Chicago’s role in the influence, progression and evolution of electronic and modern music and art.

The Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Coalition strives to foster an ongoing dialogue among community members regarding these principles, creating learning opportunities throughout the community at large while implementing ongoing outreach efforts. Long-range initiatives include:

• Hosting educational workshops, information sessions and panels for working electronic arts professionals and community members, to be held throughout the year at various supportive venues throughout the community.
• Produce fundraiser events on behalf of CEMAC and other like-minded organizations within Chicago’s electronic arts community
• Fostering collaboration between working artists and local businesses
• Serve as arts advocacy and general creative support for working electronic musicians and artists
• Hosting an annual festival in Chicago that showcases innovative developments in electronic music, experimental music and multimedia arts
• Produce consistent promotion and elevation of the local electronic music scene within Chicago and throughout the United States.
• The Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Coalition will also help public officials and citizens alike to acknowledge and promote the educational impact and economic value of electronic music upon the city of Chicago.

CHICAGO ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL MISSION

The principal goal of the Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Festival is to showcase, highlight and educate listeners about Chicago’s rich history and many contributions concerning the influence, progression and evolution of electronic and modern music and art on a global scale while paying homage to Chicago, the city known across the globe as the birthplace of house music.

The four-day festival will bring together electronic music’s pioneers, innovators and next-generation leaders for a series of live performances, DJ sets, screenings and discussions, focusing upon the convergence of electronic music with other forms of music and cutting-edge digital art.

The first annual CEMAC Festival will include many of the world’s best electronic musicians, DJs and producers, multimedia artists and video artists, bringing together electronic music’s legends and pioneers and next-generation innovators, for a series of live performances, DJ sets, film screenings, panel discussions, and educational workshops. The festival will feature local talent alongside emerging and well established artists who have been touched and influenced by the Chicago electronic music.

The festival is organized and supported by the Chicago Electronic Music and Arts coalition, with additional support from governmental agencies and consulates, media sponsors, and co-presenters affiliated with various music clubs and venue partners throughout Chicago. All have lent their support and resources in an effort to host a combination of free and ticketed events, showcasing a wide variety of electronic and experimental musical styles. Lastly, The Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Festival will gauge, acknowledge and emphasize the economic value and impact of electronic music on the city of Chicago, not just surrounding the festival, but sharing the focus with the nightclub and tourism industries surrounding the festival.

More info:
http://chicagoemac.org/
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Electronic-Music-and-Arts-Coalition/105155119688
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/chicagoemac

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Movement 2009: Dust + Scratches | Post-DEMF Edition: Vidal Vargas of Acid Circus

Our post-DEMF saga continues, this time with Vidal Vargas. Vidal is one half of the very talented techno brother-duo of Acid Circus. Based out of LA, they co-founded DROID Behavior, a record label and event production group that is also home to Drumcell, who rocked the main stage at this year's festival. I've run into the brothers Vargas every year in Detroit thus far, so I figured it was about time.

What do you like most about Detroit and playing there?

Yes, Detroit can be hater central... [but] the good thing about playing during festival weekend is music heads from all over N America converge in one place for the same reasons. So as an artist not only are you playing to the Detroit crowd but you are also exposing yourself to a broader fan base.

What artists at this years festival were you excited to see perform? If you got to see them, how were they?

To do: Jay Denham, Octave One, Anthony Rother, Flying Lotus, Drumcell, Beyer, Carola, Ellen Allien, Osunlade, Glitch Mob, Tiga, etc.

Who actually impressed? Drumcell, Rother, Osunlade, Dennis Ferrer, Tiga, Beyer... bout it.

What one item is a must-have for you at a music festival or big event like DEMF?

Corn dogs.
What is your favorite music right now that is not techno or house?

Jiggy rap, hip hop, r n b.

How much sleep do you think you got over the DEMF weekend?

I think I only pulled an all nighter from Sunday to Monday. Monday night I crashed by 1am after a Niki's Pizza grease overdose. The other nights, 5 hours or so.

What kind of shoes did you wear to Detroit?

Black and white Saucony's!

What's the longest set you've played without a bathroom break?

4 hours in Dominican Republic.

What did you get into trouble for as a child? What was your favorite childhood toy?

Sneaking out to clubs / warehouses / raves at 15-17 clearly pissed [my parents] off.
Fave toys? Star Wars, Ninja Turtles, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.

I still have Super NES and Genesis btw.

Did your parents know where you were (in Detroit)?

Yeah they are pretty involved and up to date on our music career and endeavors. They support us.
Finally, what time was your flight?

Hmmmm got into Detroit 10pm Friday... left Tuesday 2pm.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Movement 2009: Dust + Scratches | Post-DEMF Edition:
Kyle Geiger

Today we have longtime DEMF "survivor" and Drumcode wunderkind Kyle Geiger. He's been making headlines around the world since Adam Beyer named him the best "breakthrough DJ of 2008," and we wouldn't be terribly surprised if he showed up on Movement's lineup sooner or later.

What do you like most about Detroit and playing there?

...it's got a great personality?

What artists at this years festival were you excited to see perform? If you got to see them, how were they?

Carl Craig, Wighnomy Bros., Carl Cox, Guy Gerber. They all had ways of inspiring me! All of them inspired me to challenge myself musically...but there were some other acts that reminded me that I should always take time to practice DJing, even if I've been doing it for a long time, because apparently you can forget how! I will not mention any names, because I know how big of an emo pansy I am when someone says I suck on a message board, so it wouldn't be fair to dish it out to others. Guy Gerber’s music was brilliant and heady. Carl Cox was rockin' less the occasional cheezy track. Carl Craig is just a genius and I am thrilled that he'll be running things artistically next year. The Wighnomy Brothers....wow! I hope I'm able to continue having as much fun as they obviously do when they're playing! And their track selection was stellar.


What one item is a must-have for you at a music festival or big event like DEMF?

Earplugs. People who don't wear them are making very unwise decisions. Rumor has it that your hearing has to last the rest of your life.

What is your favorite music right now that is not techno or house?

Hip-hop is always a strong influence [on me], from Tupac to Biggie; from Saul Williams to Aesop Rock. Heck, I even like some Dizzee Rascal. I also like some good old rock music too.

How much sleep do you think you got over the DEMF weekend?

Actually plenty! I have gotten to a point where I refuse to push myself so much to where I'm grumpy and burnt out on the music I've loved for so long.

What kind of shoes did you wear to Detroit?

These diesels that I bought on clearance that are very comfy and easy to wipe dirt and rave scum off of!

What's the longest set you've played without a bathroom break?

I would say probably 3-3.5 hours. Which is odd, considering that I can't recall the last time I've sat through a movie in the theater without having to use the restroom midway through. It must be a psychological thing, which is quite frustrating, as I just had to piss while watching Terminator 4 and missed out on some crazy robotic warfare!

What did you get into trouble for as a child?

I got into trouble but it was always the "dennis the menace" sort of trouble, not the call your parents from jail sort of trouble. I've never done any drugs in my life, nor do I plan to. We used to just do really stupid stuff involving bottle rockets, catching animals out of the ditch and putting them in my fish tank which was way too small for some of the animals we introduced into that environment :). One time me and my friends called a random number and sang "Nine Inch Nails - Closer " on the persons voicemail. My genius friend dialed the number without hitting *67. If you know the lyrics to the song, you could understand why a poor old lady would be a little scared by teenagers yelling that songs chorus into her answering machine. It goes without saying that my parents took all my Nine Inch Nails CD's away from me for a very long time after the lady called back and informed my friends father of the message she received from his number. Okay, so maybe Dennis the Menace wouldn't have done that last one...at least not on the cartoon version.

Did your parents know where you were (in Detroit)?

I always keep my mom informed. It's always good to inform at least one person where to go looking for you if they don't hear from you after a while :).

Finally, if you can remember, what time was your flight?

I only live about 3 hours from Detroit, so driving is where it's at for me!

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For more on Kyle:
http://www.kylegeiger.com/
http://www.myspace.com/kylegeiger

Monday, June 8, 2009

Decibel Festival Seatle

The 6th Annual Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music, Visual Art and New Media is scheduled for September 24th through September 27th, 2009.

Founded in 2003, Seattle's Decibel Festival bridges the gap between technology and creativity through visual art, workshops, panel discussions and cutting-edge electronic music performances. By assembling a diverse selection of international talent, Decibel Festival provides a forum for musicians, industry professionals and educators alike.

More info:
http://www.dbfestival.com/
Join decibel on face book:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6828317521

My Space:
http://www.myspace.com/decibelfestival

Sponsorship info PDF file:
http://www.dbfestival.com/Decibel_Sponsorship_2009.pdf





Ghostly 10: Barcelona / Sonar

Ghostly International's 10 year anniversary celebration train keeps on rolling this year at Sonar, in Barcelona.

source: http://ghostly.com/news/2009/6/496

Our ongoing 10-year anniversary parties continue—in a beautiful country far, far away.

Each year, we get all tingly waiting for Barcelona’s always-excellent SONAR music and art festival. Two weeks from now, we’re contributing to the Spanish madness, bringing a few of our artists to SONAR in honor of our 10th birthday. It’s a good’un, so pick up some tickets now. The details:

Ghostly 10-Year Showcase: SONAR

June 18th, 2009
The Sonar Village Stage
All Ages
3-Day Festival Ticket: $140

Featuring:

Lusine
Michna with Raw Paw
The Sight Below
+ an exclusive DJ set by SV4/Michna

[Tickets]

Friday, June 5, 2009

Movement 2009: Dust + Scratches | Post-DEMF Edition:
Kate Simko

Next up in our DEMF exit polls, we have the fabulous Kate Simko. Kate rocked it this year with her live set on the Red Bull stage at Movement. If you missed it, you probably missed one of the best sets at the entire festival!

What do you like most about Detroit and playing there?

I really like Detroit's keep-it-real, no nonsense vibe. The city has such an important place in the history of music in the States in the 20th century.
It's an honor to play in the city and always a treat when local music heads show up at a show.

What artists at this years festival were you excited to see perform? If you got to see them, how were they?

I wanted to see Minx and Rick Wade but missed them both due to other after party gigs.
Ryan Elliott's set on Friday night at the festival was the highlight of the weekend for me, hands down.
His set had so much emotion and he kept a level of intensity the entire time- really an amazing set.

What one item is a must-have for you at a music festival or big event like DEMF?

Hand sanitizer!

What is your favorite music right now that is not techno or house?

Jazz trios.

How much sleep do you think you got over the DEMF weekend?

About 15 hours- a lot, I was super sick!

What kind of shoes did you wear to Detroit?

Black lace-up boots from Argentina.

What's the longest set you've played without a bathroom break?

About six or seven hours, in Bogota, Colombia.

What did you get into trouble for as a child?

I used to tease my brother a lot and get into trouble for that. As soon as he was stronger than me I asked for a truce and, luckily, he went with it.

Did your parents know where you were (in Detroit)?

Ha, yes. They remembered how excited I was to play the festival the first time in 2007 and were happy I was invited again.

Finally, what time was your flight?

We drove from Chicago, road trip took off Monday evening.

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Kate has just done a mix for the latest Ghostly Cast, check it out here.

For more on Kate:
http://beyondbooking.com/artists/simko/
http://ghostly.com/artists/kate-simko

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Movement 2009: Dust + Scratches | Post-DEMF Edition:
Jan Krueger

I'd like to introduce a new feature here at WTIYF called "Dust + Scratches." It will feature short and lighthearted interviews with some key artists involved with the events we cover. We are honored to have as our first guest, the man who single-handedly blew my mind at DEMF 2008: Jan Krueger of Hello?Repeat records.

-Reuben

What do you like most about Detroit and playing there?

The most impressive thing was the dinner at the ROAST. Jeff the Chef - You're the best!!! Thanks so much again.

What artists at this years festival were you excited to see perform? If you got to see them, how were they?

To be honest - I had no idea who [was going to] perform this year, but Osunlade was one of the highlights for me!

What one item is a must-have for you at a music festival or big event like DEMF?

A corn-dog! Ufff, and I just had a look into the mirror. I still have a corn-dog face.

What is your favorite music right now that is not techno or house?

I'm totally in love with Indie Rock... Film School, Interpol, Slowdive... Thanks to the Brunicorn!

How much sleep do you think you got over the DEMF weekend?

Not enough at all!!! I"m still part of the couch.

What kind of shoes did you wear to Detroit?

Sandals with white sport socks.

What's the longest set you've played without a bathroom break?

I think four hours. But just because I pee in my pants.

What did you get into trouble for as a child?

I was always in trouble and everything got me into it.

Did your parents know where you were (in Detroit)?

Yes. They held my hand. Because I'm still trouble.

Finally, what time was your flight?

I'm still here. My friend Derek forgot to pick me up.

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Check out a very recent set from Mr. Krueger here.

For more on Jan and his corn-dogs:
http://beyondbooking.com/artists/jan_krueger/
http://www.myspace.com/jankrueger

Thanks Jan, come back soon!

Electric Zoo: Line up Addtions

ELECTRIC ZOO NEW YORK ANNOUNCES DEADMAU5, TIGA, HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR, STEVE AOKI, BUSY P, THE WHIP AND MORE

2-DAY OUTDOOR FESTIVAL ON RANDALL’S ISLAND PARK
New York’s Electronic Music Festival
September 5 & 6, 2009 (Labor Day Weekend)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th

Armin van Buuren
Deadmau5*
Benny Benassi
Danny Tenaglia
Roger Sanchez
Luciano
Robbie Rivera
Tiga*
Marco Carola
Chus & Ceballos
Steve Aoki*
Busy P*
Kaskade
DJ Mehdi*
Paco Osuna
Chris Lake
Speedy J
The Whip*
Martin Buttrich
Yuksek*

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th

David Guetta
Ferry Corsten
Richie Hawtin
Markus Schulz
Special Disco Version featuring
James Murphy & Pat Mahoney
(LCD Soundsystem/DFA)
Hercules & Love Affair* (DJ Set)
Frankie Knuckles
Steve Bug
Josh Gabriel
Desyn Masiello*
James Holden
Adam Beyer*
Tom Middleton*
Audion
Nathan Fake*
Menno De Jong
Chateau Flight*

Electric Zoo New York – to be held in Randall’s Island Park, New York City on Saturday, September 5 & Sunday, September 6, 2009 – is pleased to announce more acts at this year’s inaugural festival. On Saturday, the heavyweight line-up is joined by Canadian prog/tech star Deadmau5, Montreal's club veteran Tiga, LA's scenster DJ Steve Aoki, Ed Banger electrohouse DJ Busy P, fellow French cohort DJ Mehdi, English electro-rock band The Whip, and fiery French live act Yuksek. On Sunday, NYC's own disco-house purveyors Hercules & Love Affair, UK progressive house darling Desyn Masiello, Swedish techno auteur Adam Beyer, prolific Jedi/producer /remixer Tom Middleton, next-wave computer rock technoist Nathan Fake, and Parisian experimental house/techno outfit Chateau Flight join the festivities to close out the weekend.


Special introductory ticket prices for Electric Zoo end on 12 midnight June 18th. Use promo code EZNY for $45 single-day passes and $80 double-pak two-day passes for General Admission. VIP single-day passes are available at $120 and VIP double-pak two-day passes at $225. VIP passes include a separate VIP entrance, access to VIP lounge with private cash bar, exclusive viewing area at main stage and access to VIP-only deluxe bathrooms.

About Electric Zoo New York
New York’s premiere electronic music production team Made Event presents the next chapter in their ongoing success story of top-quality electronic music events. This Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th, 2009, Electric Zoo will transform Randall’s Island Park from 12 noon to 11pm each day into an open-air music festival with an unprecedented line-up of over 50+ artists across 4 stages, covering all genres; House, Techno, Trance, Electro, and Indie, including DJs and live acts.

Randall’s Island is accessible by car, bus, pedestrian and ferry.


For additional info, please go to www.electriczoofestival.com.
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/ElectricZooNY
Tickets are available at www.electriczoofestival.com.


Randall Island Park AKA Party Central




http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/randallsislandpark


Electric Zoo: Hotel Discounts

MADE Event are recommending 2 hotels:

Marriott courtyard upper east side
www.marriott.com
410 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128
(212) 410-6777
1-800-321-2211

and

The Thompson LES
www.thompsonles.com
190 Allen St
New York, NY 10012
212-460-5300
make sure to mention the code: ZOOFEST for festival rates.

Make sure to check the FAQ section of www.electriczoofestival.com for frequently updated hotel and event information.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

DEMF 2009: Detroit Do's and Don'ts

A few bits of wisdom I'd like to pass on after my latest DEMF outing.

DO:

- Eat at Roast
Went here on the recommendation of Derek Plaslaiko as it being "The best restaurant in Detroit right now." Was very pleased. Probably one of the few upscale dining establishments you will find in downtown Detroit. Do yourself a favor though and get what they specialize in: Beef. Either one of their many steaks or their awesome Roast burger. Was disappointed with the boar. Their appetizers and oysters are great as well.

- Goto Slows BBQ
Might as well keep the meat train going once you've hit Roast. If you are looking for a mouthwatering pile of slow-cooked BBQ pulled-pork, go no further than Slows in Corktown. Their outdoor patio is great for chowing down on some amazing meat and classic BBQ sides. They also sport a pretty large craft-brew beer menu, which just adds to the awesomeness.


- Get your cabby's business card

Did you know cab drivers often have personal business cards? Neither did I. A lot of the guys in Detroit seem to though. So if you find a guy you like, ask him for his card. Nothing better than wanting to escape a party and actually having a number to dial to get picked up.


DON'T:

- Stay at the RenCen
Maybe they've been cutting back since GM went down the tubes, but this place was very disappointing. The allure of its very close proximity to Hart Plaza makes it hard to pass up, but once you tack on the extra 10 minutes it takes you to actually get into your room (through a maze of elevators and suspended walkways) after you get to the hotel, it's really not that convenient. Directly across the street is the Marriott Courtyard, which is by far a much better choice. At the same exact distance and price range as the RenCen, they also feature much more spacious rooms & bathrooms, nicer amenities, quicker travel in and out of the hotel, in-room refrigerators, and FREE INTERNET. The internet I paid for at RenCen was so f'ing slow! As if it wasn't bad enough feeling cheated since my tax dollars are already ostensibly paying to keep the damn building up.

- Forget to tell cabs to turn their meter on
Despite warnings, we learned this the hard way after some d-bag charged us $20 to go about one mile. If they refuse to turn the meter on, demand a price up front, and if you don't like it, get the hell outta there.

- Tell the drunk homeless guy demanding to be your "tour guide" that you don't need his help because you are just going to the liquor store.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. I really don't know what I was thinking.


- Reuben

Dust and Illusions

“Dust and Illusions” is a documentary by Olivier Bonin on the history of Burning Man that reaches all the way back to the legendary San Francisco Suicide Club. While this film has been making occasional screenings, the last two shows for the summer will be on Thursday, June 4th at the The David Brower Center in Berkeley at 6:30 & 8:30pm.

Dust & Illusions looks at 30 years of history of Burning Man all the way back to the late 1970s deep into the origins of the event. Through 21 interviewees the film presents the philosophies that fueled the creation of the festival, and its evolution from a small gathering of friends to the largest “counter-cultural” event in North America. It offers a new perspective of the meaning of the event, and questions whether its organizers are more concerned about making sure the show is ready when the gate opens or they still truly engage in building a community and fostering art.

For more info and trailers:
http://www.madnomadfilms.com

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1312081/

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

MUTEK 10 - PIKNIC 2 / NOCTURNE 5

I've often wondered, what is it exactly that makes people gravitate so fanatically towards Ricardo Villalobos? You know, besides the good music. Is it just a massive hype machine surrounding his name?
No.
After seeing him perform this past Sunday at Mutek's Piknic 2, I finally get it.

It's him -- his "aura," if you will. The positive vibe and energy he gives off is something that you immediately pick up on in his presence. This is something that you, in the crowd, feed off of. When you see Ricardo, you just see a guy who is having a really good time, and loving life. It lifts your spirit, even in the most shitty of weather (read on). This is a key component in DJ/crowd interaction, and something that can completely change a music experience. It's one of the same reasons that Derek Plaslaiko is also one of my favorite DJs: he is just goddamn fun to be around. It's also the same reason why I don't get much out of some other DJ's, like the aforementioned Carl Craig. Craig's stoic and emotionless mask just sucks all the life out of you when you look at him, even if he is dropping sick tunes.

Ricardo and Zip, co-founder of the hallowed minimal label Perlon (and who is not to be understated here), opened the day with blissful deep and thumping beats. Let it be said here that I probably only recognized about 2-3 tracks out of the entire 7 hour set, so my description probably wont be that detailed. After about an hour or so, they transitioned seamlessly into some great funky grooving tracks. In contrast to the previous day's Piknic, there were already a slew of people lined at the gates to get into the party at opening time, so by now the area in front of the stage was pretty densely populated. The metro too was much more crowded than Saturday, and I wondered if the senior citizens aboard were also turning out for Ricardo. Somewhere around the mid-point of their set, they dropped a MONSTER acid-techno track with big marching-drums that seemed to go on for at least 15 minutes. At this point, the sun was rapidly fading and ominous clouds were being ushered our way by brutal gusts of wind.

Then it happened. Maybe it was all the hedonistic ravers angering the gods, or maybe Montreal just has sucky weather in May, but either way, the skies opened up with a massive downpour of cold rain circa 5pm. I wondered if, even despite the great music, I could last another 3-4 hours in that weather. A lot of people clearly felt the same way because after about 20 minutes of it, the crowd became noticeably thinner. The rest of us stuck it out though, and laughed when without a moment's hesitation, Ricardo and Zip put on a track with vocals that sang of "thunder and rain." This is where Ricardo's persona really helped out. Watching him dance around whimsically, blow kisses to everyone, and just be a general fun-loving goofball, made all the cold and wet just a little more tolerable (although it also made me jealous that he was safe and dry in the booth!). I can't be sure he would have behaved the same were he out there in the rain with us, but somethind told me he would be dancing and smiling regardless.

A bit bewildering was Mutek's lack of anything to shelter party-goers from the weather. Sunday's rain had been in the forecast for a while, and as such, Mutek had the contingency plan of moving the party to Metropolis if it got rained out. However, as the skies were clear at the 2pm start time, they went on with the party outdoors at the park. It was obvious that once they made the decision where to hold it, they were not going to move the party halfway through, even if the weather turned bad. The rain was impending though, and unavoidable, so why not then set up some tents or any sort of shelter around the music area? The lack of something like this really made me feel like they dropped the ball... it just seems like common sense to me for an outdoor party. Hell, even Mintek was able to get that done. I was also a bit dissapointed at the lack of signage or any direction or promotion whatsoever for the supposed "second stage." I was pretty interested in checking out Nicolas Jaar, who has had a couple of awesome podcasts latley. Moving away from the body heat at the main stage proved too tough however, and I never was able to find Stage 2.

Eventually, the rain stopped. My girlfriend and I decided at this point to go back to the hotel for a short break and change into some dry clothes. We returned about an hour later to find a much more subdued music and crowd. With little over an hour left in their set, I expected Ricardo and Zip to be whipping out the real jams. I don't mean in the sense of just hammering out the mega tracks, as I wouldn't expect that from either of them, but playing something really memorable and energizing. Dissapointingly the case was quite the opposite.

The last 45 mins of their set plodded along and finally trickled to a slow meandering finish. The tracks were spacey and mellow, and a bit of a downer for me. I really wanted a nice pick-me-up after the terrible weather we had just endured, but perhaps I had missed that during my trip to the hotel. Ricardo's final encore track was the same, a bit melodic and pretty, but very lethargic. Then it was over. Though the end left me a bit disheartened, the experience as a whole was amazing, and one I will never forget.

// Nocturne 5 //

After having some leftovers, we headed to Mutek's closing party at Société des arts technologiques (SAT). Sadly for me, the sleepy mood predicated at the end of Piknic was more or less continued for much of Nocturne 5. We arrived at the tail end of Mateo (Murphy) & Pheek's set, unfortunatley not enough time to really get an idea of how they played. After them was a live set from Stephen Beaupré. It wasn't a bad set, I actually would of enjoyed listening to it while driving in my car, or maybe even if it had been at Saturday's Piknic, but it was definitely not what I was in the mood for at that point in time. Here and there he would drop a funky groove, ultimately though, it felt dreary and sluggish, which did not help my already drowsy state.

Following Beaupre was Akufen, whos set brought up the energy level a little bit. His sound was pleasant deep house full of funk and disco influence, but remained very mellow none the less, and fairly unremarkable.

Closing out the night was, The Modern Deep Left Quartet, a Wagon Repair "supergroup" comprised of Mathew Jonson, Tyger Dhula, Danuel Tate, and Colin de la Plante (The Mole). The Quartet rocked it for two very solid hours, finally bringing the energy to the room that I was looking for, and more befitting of a closing party. From what I could tell, it was Jonson on laptop and controllers, Tate on piano and vocals, The Mole on turntable and FX, and Dhula on some other hardware, with Jonson more or less directing the flow of the set. I couldn't really discern any difference between their performance and that of a Cobblestone Jazz one (same lineup, sans The Mole), which had me kind of confused, but this isn't to say it detracted from the quality of the music. Their set chugged along like a locomotive, with improvisational jazzy bits keeping the crowd on its toes. One such member of the crowd we were suprised to run into was Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on one of our favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica. My girlfriend was overjoyed :p. A friend of Mathew Jonson's, Penikett has apparently been into the Canadian techno scene for quite some time now. Small world!

All good things must end, and Mutek officially came to a close at 3am. It was another good half-hour before the crowd cleared out, many of us unwilling to leave until Ricardo officially left the building and stopped wandering about, friendily chatting it up with anyone who said hi. There were rumors that him and Zip were to play an exclusive afterparty, but the allure of this did not prove strong enough to conquer our desire to get in bed.

FYI Ricardo says he will be coming to the US next year! He said it was not because of Obama solely, as he doesn't think Obama (or anybody) can change things that drastically in such a short time, but that he was very impressed by the amount of Americans who went out and voted, and at the positive spirit of the people. Can't wait!

Pictures and interviews soon to come! Check back soon.

Oh, by the way, Ricardo's flight was at 1pm ;)

- Reuben out