Damero .::. Bpitch's Newest Hearthrob

Holy SHIT! I'd gotten the debut record from Bpitch Control's latest signing, Damero, from the kind and lovely publicist at BPC Marit, whom I'd been in touch with for several months now. After listening to Damero once or twice, I knew it was something to take home, and I did just that. Over the course of the last week or two, I've been listening to Happy In Grey on a consistent basis, falling in love with some of the faster-driving tracks as I move beyond the gorgeous opener "Mope."



Now here comes the OMG part of the post...the first line of a Filter27 newspiece about Damero's record reads: "Berlin-based BPitch Control's latest signing, Marit Posch aka Damero, will release her debut LP titled Happy In Grey on February 26."

Marit Posch = Damero!? No WONDER. "Things Gone" and "Okay Okay" are so perfect for the Bpitch roster, and when you're a part of the label family, having that magic rub off on you is unavoidable...just look at Lovitt Records and all of the beautiful in-house incest that goes on amongst their roster. The record's title is a simple statement that expands to all corners of its tracklist. "Passage To Silence" had manipulations from the hands of Apparat, and it stands apart, showing a broader spectrum of rock drums and forefronted vocal layers. Definitely a great record for fans of the Bpitch label, but also a nice side door into the world of melodic electro music much in the same vein as, say, the Postal Service or an electronic Mia Doi Todd.

Audible: Damero - "Things Gone (featuring Headkit)"
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/damero

Listen. Love. Learn. Lick.

As in life, friends of Onward Charles may get a bit of priority, so while there is a bit of a method to my organization madness, I'm knocking everything down to make room for this new DJ Mix. Quite the perfectionist, Hacks has been DJing for seven years now, and has picked up a few things along the way worth sharing.



Onward Charles: How did you start DJing?

Hacks Hispwnbrain: I've been deejaying since 1998 off of my friend's decks back in NYC, then bought my own pair here in Atlanta in '99 and have been deejaying ever since. I started off doing trance, then moved into hard-house, but that kinda fizzled out after 5 years of doing so. I used to play around Atlanta a bunch, but not so much anymore.

OC: What about your equipment?

HH: I used to use Technics all the time, but now I'm working with Traktor and Ableton, and have incorporated some external MIDI controllers into the mix. Everything in this mix was done with a laptop, my Echo Indigo DJ sound card, and my M-Audio X-Session Pro MIDI controller.

I've been leaning towards doing a full on Ableton mix soon - been playing around with that and mapping out templates, and ways that my Axiom 25 can interact with it to create a whole new type of mash-up...sampled deejay mix as opposed to the just track-into-track-into-track like I've got here.

OC: Awesome.

HH: Yeah, I'm teaching myself how to properly use live now. The Axiom 25 has a built-in drum pad, in addition to a 25 key keyboard, so, it's pretty hot.

OC: You're an old pro with vinyl, but you advocate digital DJing too...

HH: Yeah. well from how I see it: I LOVE vinyl, but there are just so many more things I can do in the digital realm that I can't do in the analog realm. I can loop things over and over and layer 3-4 loops on top of one another. I can instantly have access to the music I purchase, rather then waiting a week for it in mail or just straight up not finding it on vinyl at all.

OC: Any advice for those starting out?

HH: Laptop is usually a bit easier on the wallet (assuming you have the laptop already). You can get cheap out of the box "all in one deejay kits" but they generally SUCK!

We <3 you Hacks!!!!one!!

.:Tracklist:.
The Presets - Down Down Down (Bumblebeez Remix)
Black Ghosts - Face (Switch Remix)
Digitalism - Idealistic
Shakes - Sister Self Doubt (Alternate Version)
The Rapture - WAYUH (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)
Duchess Says - Black Flag (Pirate Soundsystem Remix)
The Whip - Muzzle NO. 1 (Shadow Dancer Remix)
Kissy Sell Out - Keanu Reaves (Gurnge Version)
The Loose Cannons - Raw (Kissy Sell Out Mix)
Justice - Phantom (Faex Re-edit)
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler
Brazillian Girls - Jique (MSTRKRFT Remix)
The Prodigy - Girls (Rex the Dog Remix)
Daft punk vs Nicky Van She vs Dangerous Dan - Around the World Again
33Hz - Paris Texas (Gentlemen Drivers Remix)
Justin Timberlake - My Love (is Like Woah! Re-edit)
Justin Timberlake - My Love (Sample)


Audible: Hacks - "ZOMG! Deejay Mix"
Website: http://resonator-mag.livejournal.com

Ellen Allien Returns To The US (and your DVD player)

Two things you should know this fine morning.

1. Blood oranges are delicious. I've been missing out, and perhaps you have too.
2. OMFG Ellen Allien Mini US Club Tour!?

Let's just start with the dates, shall we?
03.20 Miami Beach, FL @ Suite Nightclub
03.21 Cleveland, OH @ B Side Liquor Lounge
03.22 Toronto, ONT @ The Social
03.23 Chicago, IL @ Smart Bar
03.24 Brooklyn, NY @ Studio B
(i. will. be. there...ohwaitshitwhenissxsw?)
03.25 Miami, FL @ Pawn Shop Lounge



The press release explains her latest non-album project so well, that I will simply copy and paste:

On April 28th, Time Out and Deaf Dumb and Blind Recordings release Ellen Allien - The Other Side Berlin. The fourth installment in the Other Side series features the critically acclaimed Ms. Allien’s personal guide to Berlin’s sights, sites and sounds. Her diverse audio tour includes tracks from the infamous Detroit techno innovators Carl Craig and Plastikman, Germany’s funky minimal Bookashade, David Bowie’s German rendition of Heroes (Helden) & Ellen’s own track from her latest release Orchestra of Bubbles.

A hometown hero, Ellen Allien started the BPitch Control Party Series and founded the ubercool label BPitch Control Records. On her 2 hour-plus DVD, Ellen shows you her personal Other Side of the city she knows and loves.

With the Other Side, a new generation of immersive travel guide is upon us. Deaf Dumb & Blind Communications, a new progressive and multi-faceted entertainment company, teams up with internationally recognized travel guidebook and weekly magazine publisher Time Out to produce a series called The Other Side — an CD/DVD experience that submerses its listeners/viewers entirely below the city’s surface.

Each volume of The Other Side boasts two key elements: a mixed CD compiled by a native audio pioneer and a DVD guide that acts as a visual handbook for both the seasoned traveler and armchair adventurer alike. While some travel guides aim to be comprehensive, The Other Side isn’t concerned. It simply wants its user to enjoy and discover the very best and coolest in sight and sounds. It whispers in the user’s ear advice on where to go and what to see — and it does it with unprecedented style and flair.

That’s why Time Out is a perfect match for Deaf Dumb & Blind’s concept. According to Peter Fiennes, Editorial/Managing Director of Time Out Guides, “We're extremely happy to be working with The Other Side and Deaf Dumb & Blind on this exciting new concept. We've always been keen to expand into music, CDs and travel on DVD, but The Other Side gives us the chance to do it all at the same time. The Other Side has lined up some great artists and we're convinced this will be a very successful and ground-breaking project.”

That said...who wants to move to Berlin with me?


MySpace: www.myspace.com/ellenallienbpc

The Photo Atlas .::. Yes, Yes You, Always

There's something to be a said for the possibility of omens. Denver's The Photo Atlas were both the first (Annex, opening for The Horrors) and last (Pure Volume loft party) band that I saw at 2006's CMJ Marathon. Since then, they'd been relatively quiet, and I made sure to mention them as I went blushing all over the remiscing of my first - and probably last - Horrors set.

In any case, The Photo Atlas has returned with No, Not me, Never on Stolen Transmission/Morning After Records. Coming out March 6th (tour dates are down below) and I do highly recommend them. Singer Alan Andrews has a quaking voice much in the vein of Oberst a la Desaparacidos, and there's a very Saddle-Creek slant to much of their song-writing. Still, something stands apart in their blatant homage to the later rungs of post-hardcore rock before it was completely swallowed whole by the major label sound. Something like No, Not Me, Never may be perfect for this new record label (it belongs to Ultragrrrl, you know) because their sound is not at all amateur, and yet doesn't fit neatly into the nooks of some of the best indie labels out there (Merge, Suicide Squeeze, Lovitt, etc.)


Guys in jeans with [very nice] haircuts

After their final set at CMJ, I had a chance to talk with Alan about their breaking out of the Denver scene. A member of Vaux had recently been interviewed for Alternative Press, where he proclaimed that much of the band's inspiration came from the isolation of Denver. On the contrary, Andrews seemed to disagree with the comment, explaining that the relative distance between a whole cluster of major cities (albeit not as close as, say, New York's centralizations to its surrounding cities) provides just enough distance to allow wires to cross in a very creative way.

It shows.

I popped this record in to my car, turned up the volume, and with each song would proclaim, "My god! This CD is fucking AWE. SOME." With each listen, I agree more and more. The lyrics begin to unfold, and picking apart the simplistic, kinetic, scattered songwriting come through. I mean, hell, even "The Walls Have Eyes," with its hand-claps and all, take from the classic hardcore breakdown even though The Photo Atlas' music sound nothing of the sort. "Broadcasting Feedback," on another side, has such Placebo-influenced sound to their guitar...I love it!

Did I mention this is a great record to dance to?

I'm ready to spread the word.

TOUR TOUR TOUR
02.02 Odgen, UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
02.03 Colorado, CO @ The Element
02.04 LongBeach, CA @ Alex Bar
02.05 LosAngeles, CA @ Knitting Factory
02.07 LasVegas, NV @ University Theater
02.11 Tempe, AZ @ The Sets*
02.13 Austin, TX @ The Parish*
02.14 Dallas, TX @ Gypsey Tea Room*
02.15 Houston, TX @ Walters On Washington*
02.17 Tampa, FL @ Orpheum*
02.18 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth*
02.19 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl Lucy*
02.21 St.Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*

*w / Young Love, Moros Eros


Audible: The Photo Atlas - "The Walls Have Eyes"
Audible: The Photo Atlas - "Broadcasting Feedback"
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/danceatlasdance

They Are, Unfortunately, From Rolling Stone

The open call for "I'm From Rolling Stone" applicants breezed my way early on, and I remember taking a deep breath upon reading about the show. Friends of Resonator and I had little to say, and a reaction wasn't really allowed to surface. I knew I wasn't going to apply.

Now that the show has begun to air, many months later, I'm appalled by most of the behavior of the one episode I've seen so far. I've never seen such bad interviewing skills, nor have I seen such a push and pull of egos that can be blown up and deflated at various speeds. Aside from the most painful interviews I've ever witnessed - the one conducted with Colin and We Are Scientists in Toronto - the candidates on the show seem to have one major problem: getting starstruck. Russell's reaction to Nelly Furtado coming to lunch at the RS offices, Krishtine's "OMG!?" expression every time Joe Levy hands out another assignment, and the writers' relentless attachment to their notebooks.

It's a business. All of it. The best musicians are the ones that - regardless of how fun, wild, crazy, etc. they are - remember that being an artist or musician is their occupation...career...job. The image is secondary, and subjective to each and every character.


Some further thoughts on the show here: We Will Not Be Sending Out Rejection Letters: My Hate-Hate Relationship With Rolling Stone

With that, I have little else to say. Personally, I do love Rolling Stone, and I would jump at a chance to work for them. A writer friend said to me, "But [Charles], you know that they're not going to have writers who know how to act like writers, right? You know that they're going to have kids who fuck up, act stupid, or whatever else because the bottom line is that it's a reality TV show on MTV. Of course it's going to need to be INTERESTING."

Fine, fine.

http://www.rollingstone.com/imfromrollingstone

I'll Believe In Discobelle

Also, another bowing down to Discobelle.

We. Are. Not. Worthy.

Aside from the fact that they are my most favorite blog on the internet, they like to send out their mixes a day early, via e-mail, to list subscribers.

To put it plainly, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. It's the 16 minute mark where Wolf Parade is swept into the mix. Worth waiting for, but if you must skip, go.

But by all means, do NOT pass up this download.




Bird Peterson - "Mixin' It Up"

Discobelle's link to the mix, which goes more in depth, can be found here


We <3 Discobelle: http://www.discobelle.net

This Is Going To Be FUGE, Boston!

Now, we all know how much I love Drop The Lime.

If you don't, then I'll assume that you're new to the OC, but if you're ALSO new to Drop The Lime AND you live in Boston...you, my friend and dear reader, have surfed upon a great fortune...



That's all I'm going to say. Some of the best Boston DJs going head to head with some of the best DJs, period. I'll be there. You'll be there. Whiskey will be there, too. For all of you who have a shitty Valentine's Day and didn't have a sex marathon to work off all of the chocolate you ate, we'll see you there too.

I'LL BASS YOU

Not for the faint of heart. The Trouble & Bass DJ's know how to party. "Thunderdome is a movement," declares its team of organizers...here's your chance to see for yourself.






Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/onemanleaves

Trentemoller Returns!

It took me a few days, but I finally warmed up to Trentemoller's new single, African People. After his gorgeous solo effort, The Last Resort, on Flat Poker last year, I was catapulted into the snowy, desolate soundscape Anders created after years of being a renowned DJ and remixer. Released at the start of '07 on the newly formed NamNam label, all I can declare about this track and its accompanying retouch (compliments of Jokke Isloe) is that I'm hoping to hear this song in many mixes to come. It's minimalism surging with electricty.

Audible: Trentemoller - "African People"
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trentemoeller

Wait'll Ya See Mah...

You know from time to time I love a little bit of the "weird shit," so here's a great heaping spoonful of it.



Ahh, the Battle of Bunker Hill...indeed the bloodiest of all battles in the Revolutionary War, taking place right here in Boston. "Don't shoot until you see the whites in their eyes!" and all that jibbah jabbah.

Shoot forward about three hundred and thirty-two years, and you'll find yourself in the present. The weapons, motivations, and skills of soldiers has evolved, but uncouth tactics such as false persuasion, sexual assault, and prejudice still exist tenfold.

BEHOLD! THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL...Two Point Oh.



Created by Nick & Bryan, two charming young boys who have an undying love for ska, and are currently majoring in film somewhere in the depths of Boston's intelligentsia. James Lipton would surely declare...this is an outstanding moment in cine. matic. his. tory....

No Fear Of Flying

I can go on and on about my love for women with pianos. After all, my adolescent obsession was Tori Amos. Were I to go on to eBay and sell my collection, I am probably sitting on at least a grand worth of collectible merchandise. That said, I will at a later date go into my instant love and admiration for Emily Haines' solo record, Knives Don't Have Your Back. For some reason, I waited and waited to listen to it, and this weekend (this bloody weekend!) marked such an occasion.



Until then, there's a hidden gem you may not be aware of hailing from Philadelphia. Hannah Fury. Somewhere in between the realm of experimental piano players like Kate Bush and the cabaret appeal of Amanda Palmer. Morbid, fascination, gothic, and sometimes simply mesmerizing, Hannah's music is not one that you will typically find on any charts. It's her lengthier, improvisational pieces that are the most gorgeous. Though her voice often compliments her piano skills in perfect harmony, it's this beautiful gem of a 9 minute piano piece from one of her earlier records that is beautiful for a late night listen.

Audible: Hannah Fury - "Flying"
Website: http://www.mellowtraumatic.com

Coachella Was A Diver, And She Was Always [Awesome]

Before rushing to bed, lest we forget....



I mean damn...daaaaaaaamn. What else can I say?

Other than I feel ashamed that I went "OoOoOohH!" when I saw Benny Benassi's name.

And, yeah, it took a full 4 minutes until I realized that the headlining reunion is RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE...wtf?

Amon Tobin: Hello From The Audience

In Amon's hello from the lab blog post, he sheds a flicker of light on his forthcoming LP, Foley Room. Essentially named after the natural sound effects producer on a film set, foley art is highly applicable to this record.

"every recording from ants walking on tinfoil to string quartet was treated objectively as a building block to be put together later. animals were encouraged to be musical and musicians convinced to abandon years of practice and discipline and perhaps play their instrument with a sword." - Amon

In my years of loving experimental and obscure IDM, Amon was always in the background of my love for artists up and down the Warp, K7, and Plug Research facets. Whereas I've owned Supermodified forever and ever, he's something that I've never learned to appreciate, though I always respect him for his critically acclaimed genius.



My first listen to Foley Room was underwhelming. I immediately latched on to "Always," the track that picks up and keeps up more than any other on the 12-song album. A rare habit, I began using the trusty star ratings on the iTunes to try and figure out which tracks attracted me the most. Soon, "Esther's," "The Killer's Vanilla," and "Keep Your Distance" began to grow in stars, and mixed in with the remainder of the record, it's deeply grown into my daily routine. Not as entrancing as the Knife's Silent Shout - mine and everyone else's favorite of last year - I make no claims of how great this record will be received.

I can, however, sincerely vouch that it will surely be a disservice to yourself if you don't give it a chance. And if the record is coming out March and you're wondering, "But OC, why should I bother to purchase it? YOU already got a copy of the record, obviously I can seek one out in the salty seas of the Internet."

Answer: Having paired with Kronos Quartet for this experimental and refreshing redirection, Tobin will also be releasing a DVD titled Foley Room: Found Footage, documenting the recording process, in conjunction with the album. HOTT!

Audible: Amon Tobin - "Esther's"
Audible: Amon Tobin - "Always"
Website: http://myspace.com/tobinamon

Talkin' Bout Girl Talk

Music is my religion, and live shows are where I go to pray. It sounds grandoise and dramatic, but it is 101% truth. Being involved in it on a fronts - professionally, recreationally, etc. - can be draining, and much of it caught up with me around the holidays. Going home for the end of 2k6 brought the biggest break I've ever seen from bars, shows, and generally seeking out new music. There have been albums here and there that have come close to resugring my spirits in the realm of listening, dancing, blogging, or caring, but nothing came close to last night's Girl Talk set at the Middle East Downstairs.


The Unabomber of the booty...

Starting the night off with pad thai and He-Man cartoons, we made our way to the MidEast to find a line that stretched all the way to Mass Ave, containing a mix of people that Boston hardly gets to see. Certain tribes venture to certain shows, but the overwhelming variety that were attracted to Girl Talk were both surprising and satisfying. People were drunk, but people were kind. Everyone was there to party, and party we did.



But back up a moment: earlier that day, I'd advertised the show to a friend who loves The Pill, avoids Paper based on hearsay, and generally has the ability to make a great dance mixtape for parties. "I don't usually say 'this isn't music,' but I think I'll make this the exception." I put up little fight, but this was mostly due to his argument of Greg Gillis' DJ talent being reduced to "he's just a guy with a computer...I only respect DJs who work with vinyl." Well, you've got to admit...Rolling Stone, Blender, Pitchfork, and Blogcritics can't all be wrong.


Rip it up! Rip it up!

The beauty of Girl Talk is the extraction of every great chorus to every great song in the last 30 years, mashing them together to make one, long high-energy record that never lags. I remember when I was younger I thought that if I took my favorite lyrics from my top 20 songs, I'd probably have one phenomenal track. (This never happened, as the actual deciding upon those 20 or so songs was too much of a task for my lazy, goth adolescence.)

As you may have figured from reading Onward Charles, I love dancing. I love electronic music, and my years as an avid fan of all facets of electronica (oh yeah, you bet I had my drum n' bass days too...), and these days with the oversaturation of dance parties, it's hard to find outlets that really bring back the nostalgia of a few years ago. Where there's little awareness, unimposed natural etiquette, and a lot of sweat. Buckets.



Some thoughts from Resonator to piggy-back on: "This is his third cd of the style and its very well done and a ton of fun to listen to. While other people are claiming he's just jumping on the diplo bandwagon, I say he's keeping up to his style. Mashups were invented way before diplo and that whole crew hit the scene, they just brought it to the 'mainstream' (yeah mini-rant, it happens)." Apparently, Hollertronix's Never Scared is the record that started the mash-up revolution. And yes, it is a revolution because like the iPod it's giving license to many amateurs to call themself DJ Insert Snarky Name or whatever. Nonetheless, Girl Talk is so high up on this list simply because (a) this is exclusively what he does and (b) he does it well. He does it well, hot, heavy, and consistently. As a biomedical engineer in Pittsburgh by day, Gillis has reclaimed the party of dance party, arousing one of the best nights in song and solidarity that the dancefloor has seen in quite a while.

Talkin' Bout Girl Talk In A Town Near Youz:
01.26 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
01.27 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
02.02 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
O2.03 Columbus, OH Wexner Center
02.09 Brooklyn, NY Studio B
02.14 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Hotel & Casino Theater of the Arts
02.16 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan League Underground
02.17 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
03.02 Athens, OH Casa Nueva
03.03 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
03.11 Sunrise, FL Langerado Music Festival
03.17 Austin, TX SXSW Fanatic Promotion Showcase
03.23 Milwaukee, WI Stonefly Brewery
03.34 Madison, WI Union South Club 770
03.30 Pittsburgh, PA Andy Warhol Museum
04.13 Buffalo, NY Soundlab
05.04 Providence, RI The Living Room


Audible: Girl Talk - "Double Pump"
Website: http://www.girl-talk.net

"The Saddam Video"

Well, well, a very happy new year to you, Boston and beyond. It seems that New Year's festivities and returning to work took up a lot of time, but here are a few things going down.



SPIN says it with more eloquence than I could:
As most the world's population kissed 2006 goodbye and toasted glasses of champagne Sunday night, Saddam Hussein climbed a steel staircase at a U.S. military base and prepared to meet his death at the end of a rope. But amidst the chanting ridicule and well-secured dungeon like gallows no one suspected that a cell phone wielding supervisor would capture the late dictator's final moments of life. Just hours post execution bloggers couldn't believe their eyes as they were handed front row seats to the death of one of the world's most notorious figures.

It's interesting how so much anger was firing in the US when Al Jazeera aired the execution of Daniel Pearl, and now every US channel is airing the Saddam hanging. I'm not surprised that it's blown up, but the fact that someone snuck their cellphone to take a video brings the fingers to the scalp. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Nonetheless, it's a bit horrifying to watch the first time, but what scares me the most is what will come in the future from his fanatic devotees.

More music to be posted about later today. Under house arrest with a sprained foot, so there's much catching up to do. Now that it's noon, that means it's time for...morning coffee.