architects and heroes

7 questions with Brad Laner

2012-01-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

Brad Laner has a well-documented history of making music. From his work with Debt of Nature and Savage Republic to the more sonically dense (and highly visible) work as Medicine and Electric Company, Laner's prolific output embraces a number of styles, with sonic experimentation being at the core of his process. Not only has Laner built-up an impressive catalog of his own, but he is a highly sought-after collaborator.

He has worked with 17 Pygmies, Amnesia, Blue Daisies, Fourwaycross, Internal Tulips, The, Lusk, Nervous Gender, Steaming Coils, Three Day Stubble and even recorded as a session musician for Brian Eno. Laner has appeared on over 300 albums since he began making music, and most recently worked with M83 on their latest record "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming."

1. You've had a number of irons in the fire musically over the years. What does 2012 look like for you as an artist?

It's shaping up to be a year in which a large amount of my work from the recent and distant past will be released in various forms and places. I'll meanwhile be trying to create new work that will most likely emerge some time in 2013 or 14, with any luck.

2. You were featured on the most recent M83 record. How did that come about, and what's your ongoing involvement with the band?

My old friend and collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen produced the album and he brought me on-board to co-write a song ("Splendor") and lend my voice to that and another tune ("Wait"). It's a gas to be a guest on such a wildly successful project. Ongoing involvement? I read an interview with Anthony Gonzalez where he said he intended to work with me again and I most certainly would because I think he makes great records. I'm not part of the daily operation of the international showbiz juggernaut that is M83.

3. What projects do you have in the pipeline right now?

My 3rd solo LP is due out sometime this year on Hometapes and the 2nd LP bymy duo with Alex Graham (Lexaunculpt), The Internal Tulips will hopefully come out this year as well. This is in addition to the Medicine reissues that Captured Tracks are doing that will hopefully be out in the first half of the year.

4. Medicine is one of your most recognized projects. Is there any plan to release new Medicine material?

It's always a temptation to try to make new music under that guise and in that style but moving forward with unfamiliar things and ideas almost always wins out. Perhaps if I was a more career-minded artist I would try to milk that more than I do. I think it's more fun to curate that material from a safe distance in the way I've been doing lately. That's quite enough, thanks.

5. What other creative endeavors are you involved with?

I recently produced an E.P. by a wonderful singer/songwriter named Lauren Kinney and I've done remixes and contributions for many of my Home tapeslabel mates including Shedding, The Caribbean, Leverage Models and All Tiny Creatures over the past year. I'm also presently doing the score for a documentary directed by my brother, Josh Laner about Cosplay culture entitled "My Other Me".

6. Who are your biggest influences as an artist?

Beatles, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Don Van Vliet, Lindsey Buckingham, Brian Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Can, John Cage, Miles Davis, thousands of others.

7. What is your top 10 right now?

I like and am inspired by the current records by Alog, An Autumn for Crippled Children, Patten, Dominique Leone, Jamie xx, A.A. Bondy, Young Magic, Leverage Models, all of the James Blake EPs, Rustie

Throwback Monday - 01-23-12 - "O Superman" - Laurie Anderson

2012-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born 5 June 1947[1]) is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor,[2] Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, Anderson did a variety of different performance-art activities. She became widely known outside the art world in 1981 when her single "O Superman" reached number two on the UK pop charts. She also starred in and directed the 1986 concert film Home of the Brave.

(Abstract reproduced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Anderson.)

Architects and Heroes Records - One Year Anniversary

2012-01-17T00:53:00.000-08:00

Hello denizens of the digital ether. A year ago, I sat in my studio with a vague idea about starting a record label with a few friends, specifically with William Rosario, (aka Asymmetrical Head & Quiliuq, not to mention our in-house designer via Leftm Graphics) and Eugene Rodis (of Burbank International the Luxury Tax), and we decided to collective put our time, effort and resources together and see what we could do. Below is the first video we put out there before we started Architects and Heroes Records, back in January of 2011.

So, here we sit one year later with seven releases completed and released. We've got some special things in the works to celebrate our collective survival into 2012. First off, we'd like to announce the signing of two new incredible artists.

First off, we welcome Kidd Anthem to the Architects and Heroes family.

Listen to a track off of her upcoming release on Architects and Heroes
Wild Hearts (will be broken) by Kidd Anthem

Her sound is the musical combination of electronic, acoustic and experimental soul. Her creations are the culmination of exploring various mediums (she's also a photographer, illustrator and mixed media visual artist) and finding fresh perspectives on love, life and the complications that arise in our collective pursuit of happiness. Here debut self-titled release Kidd Anthem will be out in March of 2012.

More about Kidd Anthem:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kidd-Anthem
http://justkiddstuff.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/justkiddstuff

Next up, we've signed-up LA abstract Hip-Hip Bizzart for a record due out in the spring.

Peep the track "Stumbling Blocks" from his record "Bloodshot Momma"
Bizzart- Stumbling Blocks by schlarb

BIZZART is an amalgam of contradictory and cohesive elements, a mishmash of sounds that treat the ears to both the good and the bad. The project is the brainchild of Arthur Arellanes who, since 1997, has released three albums of the kind of music that draws inspiration from everywhere. His work transcends easy categorization, but his work stands nicely shoulder-to-shoulder with Antipop Consortium, Jel and MF Doom just to name a few. As a long time friend to the Architects and Heroes Records family, we're super excited to be releasing his record.

More about BIZZART:
http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/artists/bizzart
Twitter: @BIZZART

This is the first of a number of new things we're planning for 2012. We're expanding our scope as a collective, organizing new media events, continuing to share our insights on music and art, producing new music and reaching out to like minded people. Thanks to everyone who was a part of our 2011. First and foremost, our artist roster, including:

- William Rosario: (Asymmetrical Head & Quiliuq)
- Eugene Rodis: Burbank International
- Aaron Mobley
- Adam Douglas: Kemek
- Riz Maslen: Neotropic
- Envy Digital Studios

And thanks to Igloo Magazine and LA Record for showing us the little bit of press love we got in 2011.

Stay tuned...

Throwback Monday - 01-16-12 - "Genius Of Love" - Tom Tom Club

2012-01-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Originally established as a side project from Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club comprised a loose aggregation of musicians, sound engineers and artists of the Compass Point All Stars family, including Tina Weymouth's sisters and guitarist Adrian Belew, the latter of whom toured with Weymouth and Frantz in the expanded version of Talking Heads in 1980 and 1981.

Named after the dancehall in the Bahamas where they rehearsed for the first time while on hiatus from Talking Heads in 1980, Tom Tom Club enjoyed early success in the dance club culture of the early 1980s with the hits "Genius of Love" and "Wordy Rappinghood", both of which were taken from their self-titled first album released on Sire in the US and Island Records elsewhere in 1981.

Information from Wikipedia

Top 10 Records of 2011

2012-01-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

Over here at camp A+H, we love us some lists. Here are our picks for the best records of 2011. Enjoy.

1. Phoenecia - Demissions

In the realm of abstract electronic music, this record is a masterpiece. The duo of Josh Kay and Romulo Del Castillo have stayed relatively quiet after their much-praised 2001 release Brownout, busy presumably running their impeccably-curated label, Schematic, doing numerous art shows, producing film soundtracks, releasing solo records (Josh Kay as Jeswa and Romulo Del Castillo as Takeshi Muto), or a number of other creative activities. Whatever the case may be, their return as Phoenecia, (in 2010 with Echelon Mall, and 2011 with Demissions) has made many electronic music fanatics, and lets face it, a number of IDM-listers, excited to see the return of an act that has firmly established their place in the pantheon of Intelligent Dance Music. While there are many abstract electronic musicians attempting to create something that is equal parts complex and emotive, Phoenecia has firmly hit the target and in doing so has laid down the gauntlet for others looking for a baseline against which progress can be measured. Listening to Demissions feels like what it must have felt like listening to ground-breaking records in the past. You know this will be an album that is talked about in the future as a game-changer. Now, let's hope that Phoenecia doesn't make us wait too long before their next one.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://phoenecia.bandcamp.com/album/demissions"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Demissions by Phoenecia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

2. Wilco - The Whole Love

As any reader of this blog can attest, in 2011 I was more than a little excited about this record. In fact, my exact words were "The Whole Love" is to Wilco what The Soft Bulletin is to The Flaming Lips. It is one of the most thoughtful, intricate and well produced records they have ever put out." Now, if you know anything about the history of Wilco, then you know that's a bold statement, but it is one I will stand by. One of the most amazing traits of the band is their ability to reinvent themselves, to try new things and to allow creative chaos to seep into their music-writing process. This has never been more the case than it is with "The Whole Love." What the record does best is lure you in with a comfortable pop sensibility, then pull the rug out from under you by presenting some amazing twist that doesn't so much shock you as it does present you with a new perspective on something you're familiar with. For a band going into their 18th year of recording and performing, it's refreshing to see that Wilco shows no sign of letting their sound sit still.

The Whole Love - Wilco by Brian Friesen

3. Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles

Africa Hitech, aka Mark Pritchard (Global Communications, Harmonic 313) and Steve Spacek (Spacek, Black Pocket, Supadread) have crafted a record so pitch-perfect and so reflective to the specific time and place that they inhabit as producers, that it would be easy to describe this record as "genre-defining," if there were already a name for what they've done! The Australia-based duo take stylistic cues from across the spectrum of electronic music. UK funky, grime, ambient, juke and jazz are put into a sonic blender, then mutated to form a signature sound that is unique to Africa Hitech. These two veteran producers have managed to redefine bass music multiples times and under a variety of monikers, so it's no surprise that they have managed to change the game...again.

Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles Sampler by Warp Records

4. Thundercat – The Golden Age of Apocalypse

In his debut release, Thundercat (aka seasoned bass player Stephen Bruner who has played with Suicidal Tendencies, Erykah Badu, Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Flying Lotus) has created something so sonically dense, so complex and diverse, that it takes at least 2 or 3 listens to really understand how amazing it is. This heady mix of deep and funky soul, mixed with abstract electronics and his vocals, which sound like they could be lifted straight out of California soul music from the 1970s, create one of the most unique and incredible records of the year. With Flying Lotus at the helm as producer, the Brainfeeder camp has spawned yet another genius release. I'm really looking forward to what's next for Thundercat.

The Golden Age Of Apocalypse - Thundercat by kronika

5. Neotropic - Equestrienne Remixes

Since this is the second A+H release to make the top 10 cut (what can I say, I'm biased) I thought I would forgo a review, and re-post Igloo Magazine's review:

"On this record, a companion to the earlier released Equestrienne (Council Folk, 2009), London-based Riz Maslen has invited a slew of producers and others to remodel some of the latest works of longtime project Neotropic. The results are so refined and complex as the opener “Celaphane Road (A Dancing Beggar Remix)” attests. A quiet, bass-fueled soundtrack, where Maslen’s whispery vocal meets a cavalcade of thick drone head-on. It’s a tiny mile long steam train in the vast scape, terminating at a distant point on the horizon.

“Sirens Sister (Rusty’s Housekeeping Mix)” rumbles and boils with rusty, percolating sound effects subsiding and rising like a cryptic stage act, a mesmerizing pastiche of clanging bells and murmur. As the record plays on the darkly tinged “Sometimes (Lady Husk Remix)” has more in common with early Goldfrapp (a certain influenced follower) draws clear lines in its range of moodiness and stance. For those looking for a lift there are no shortages of more upbeat tracks like “Tall Fences (The Electric Fence Mix)” and “Love & Hate (DJ Stephen R. Remix)” which treat the originals to a distortion between groove and storytelling. And worldly rhythms are explored on the thick-as-thieves “Party Fears & The Alcohol Loves You (Small Fish with Spine Remix)” and the raspy post-techno “Hezbollah Girl (10sui Remix).” Here we see a sophisticated take on club beats without the cloying need to coax via anything but sheer sweat. Elsewhere you see a shift in the energy when “Muddy Water (Howpee Remix)” starts off. Sounding as good as anything excerpted from the best of The Knife’s catalogue, its moody and a bit atonal with only hints of vocal and shallow strings. The static and sunny vibe of “In These Days (Deltason Remix)” draws from the shoegazers of yore without recycling more than giving back. Boasting a psychedelic rocketship ride on the bonus cut “Carpet” the scene here is set."

Review by TJ Norris

Direct URL: http://igloomag.com/reviews/neotropic-equestrienne-remixes-architects-heroes

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://architectsandheroes.bandcamp.com/album/equestrienne-remixes-a-h005"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Equestrienne Remixes (A+H005) by Neotropic&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

6. Boom Bip - Zig Zaj

In 2011, we saw the release of Boom Bip's (aka Bryan Hollon) Zig Zaj. As his 4th full-length album (7th if you count his Doo Doo series of breaks and tones), the artist has evolved his abstract hip-hop template into something that feels like a natural musical evolution for an artist who has never been content with the status quo. The album features Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Money Mark, Bon Iver guitarist Mike Noyce, Cate Le Bon and a slew of other guests. The first thing that one notices about this release is its warmth and musicality. It traverses a landscape populated by sunny, Beach Boys inspired California sounds, synth-pop overtones, 4-to-the-floor darkwave stompers and even a hint of musique concrete. The concern with such diversity of styles would be that the consistency of the songs on a full-length record would get lost and the record would sound disjointed. That simply is not the case here. Hollon manages to seamlessly move from style-to-style without ever losing the consistency of the entire album experience. This record is yet another artifact from an artist who continues to push himself creatively, and who's output continues evolve and become something more than his previous work.

Boom Bip 'All Hands' by LexRecords

7. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Tim Hecker is something of a "glitch music" pioneer. Since 2000 Hecker has been a staple of avant gard electronic music festivals such as Sónar and MUTEK, a recording artist with such left-of-center labels as Mille Plateaux, Kranky and Staalplaat and has collaborated and produced with Aidan Baker, Christopher Paul Richard (Q and Not U). Credentials notwithstanding, Hecker has produced what Pickfork calls "a dark and often claustrophobic record that is arguably Hecker's finest work to date." The record is very introspective and has a quality to it that transcends the trap that most "glitch music" artists fall into, which is to exalt process over musical content. It's emotive and beautiful, and the most abstracted and generative elements serve as a conduit for well thought-out compositional ideas. There could be an entire article written about the conceptual ideas of this record, but for now just know that if you're a fan of ambient/drone music in any form, this is a must-have record.

tim hecker - ravedeath 1972 (album preview) by experimedia

8. Mima - El Pozo

El Pozo is the second album from Mima, the Puerto Rican indie music staple, who along with producer/instrumentalist Mark Underwood (aka DJ Nature), has created a rich tapestry that transcends any easy categorization. This heady mixture of folk, indie rock, electronic, country and regional Latin American music styles blends together seamlessly to create something that is unique and can only be called Mima's sonic fingerprint. This sophomore record from Mima, which was mixed by Stuart Sikes (Cat Power and The White Stripes), stands in very good company this year. There are big things on the horizon for Mima. Stay tuned.

Damen by MIMAMUSICA

9. Zomby - Dedication

Zomby has made a name for himself as a producer by mixing bass music and his re-interpretation of rave and hardcore dance music. With his 4AD release he continues to reconfigure this blueprint by evolving this sound into something that's more grown-up and ultimately more sonically complex. Pared down are the over-the-top amen breaks with the stabby juno rave synths, and in its place are intricate melodies and compositions that could have been taken from the Richard D. James playbook. This is an amazing record, and in my opinion, will serve as a milestone for the artist.

Zomby-Dedication by bmrelyea

10. The Summer of Flux - Radio Anthems for the Newly Disenfranchised

Call this an act of my grandiose self-actualization, self-congratulations or narcissism run rampant, but I feel that this record, which was co-written, produced and recorded by myself and Aaron Mobley is one of the most stand-out records of the year. I say this because it is not only the culmination of multiple years of collaboration, but it is also the manifestation of Architects & Heroes, the label I launched exactly one year ago this month.

On a personal note, the records represents the 2011 for me; the loss of my father in a car accident, meeting and getting engaged to the love of my life, the launching of my consulting business, starting the record label, the ending of friendships, the beginning of new ones and getting older. It's an audio diary in a way, and I hope to share even more with you in the very near future.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://architectsandheroes.bandcamp.com/album/radio-anthems-for-the-newly-disenfranchised-a-h001"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Radio Anthems For The Newly Disenfranchised (A+H001) by The Summer of Flux&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Throwback Monday - 12-19-11 - "La Prochaine Fois" - Neotropic

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

La Prochaine Fois from Neotropic on Vimeo.

Not exactly a "throwback" in the strictest since of the word, but Neotropic's La Prochaine Fois, which was released in 2001, holds a very special place in our hearts here at Architects and Heroes. Namely because of the amazing artist behind the record and short film, Riz Maslen.

Architects and Heroes Records, which is the record label arm of our small collective, is releasing Neotropic’s latest release, Equestrienne Remixes, on CD. We are accepting pre-orders at this time and the CDs will be ready for shipping on December 20th. Features remixes by A Dancing Beggar, Panoramica, The Grim Life, Lady Husk, deaflemon, DJ Stephen R., Small Fish With Spine, Georg Hekt, 10sui, Dub I.D., Howpee, Minor Blow, and Delta Sun.

Pre-order the CD
Buy on iTunes

Thoughts on Sound - 11-21-11

2011-11-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Painting by Alex Grey

It seems like I've barely unpacked from my trip to Paris (and speaking of which, I wrote a piece about The Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris for Igloo Magazine which you can see here) and it's almost time to pack my bag and head to Anna Maria Island for Thanksgiving with my fiance's family... With a few days back in Los Angeles to catch up on some client work and take a breather, I've had some time to collect my thoughts about some music-related items.

First...
The new(ish) Wilco record it is fantastic. The Whole Love is to Wilco, what The Soft Bulletin is to The Flaming Lips. It is one of the most thoughtful, intricate and well produce records they have ever put out. In my opinion, it's the fault of Nels Cline!

Second...
The Cure is it in Los Angeles performing for 3 nights, starting tonight. For some reason this was not on my radar, which means either I am completely out of the loop, or I have completely lost interest in a 50-something year old man in makeup. My goth teenage self would be very disappointed.

Third...
My top 10 jams right now:

10. Wilco - The Whole Love
9. Gonjasufi - Nikels & Dimes
8. Sylvie Varta - Comme un garçon
7. Isotope 217 - Utonian Automatic
6. One Umbrella - Solve
5. Therefore - The Bomb Grant
4. Aavikko - History of Muysic
3. V/A - Pop Ambient 2010
2. V/A - Panama!3
1. Sepalcure - Sepalcure

architects and heroes: Throwback Monday - 11-21-11 - "Laisse Tomber Les Filles" - France Gall

2011-11-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

France Gall (born Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall on 9 October 1947 in Paris, France) is a popular French yé-yé singer. Gall was married to, and had a successful singing career in partnership with, French singer-songwriter Michel Berger.

The first airplay of France's first single "Ne sois pas si bête" ("Don't Be So Stupid"), occurred on her 16th birthday. It was released in November and became a hit. Serge Gainsbourg, whose career was faltering although he had released several albums and written songs for singers including Michèle Arnaud and Juliette Gréco, was asked by Bourgeois to write songs for Gall. Gainsbourg's "N'écoute pas les idoles" ("Don't listen to the idols") became Gall's second single; it reached the top of the French charts in March 1964 and stayed there for three weeks.

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Gall

Purple Crush go Meta-Narrative on "Welcome 2 The Underground" #occupypopmusic

2011-11-18T10:43:00.001-08:00

Pop music has mutated so much over the past decade, that it sometimes feels like it has transcended the confines of it's once safe place in the back pockets of industry professionals, and has become an egalitarian tool for the digital masses. As the lines between producer and consumer continue to blur, independent artists that once would have been lost in the shuffle are becoming their own memes.

If there is a truism about independent, DIY artists, it's that in the face of music industry adversity, that they continue to forge ahead with a "fuck you" to the same industry that they wish to crack. With a few digital tools, a healthy dose of talent and some tenacity, there are artists emerging now that have circumvented conventional channels and have taken their music and art directly to the people.

Purple Crush has taken this route, and has meet with success and some major industry push back. The duo was tapped by Lady Gaga producer Rob Fusari to write songs for the pop superstar, putting in hundreds of hours of production time, and not getting paid one dime. Rolling Stone covered the story, as did a number of other major music magazines. In this David and Goliath scenario, Purple Crush responded by releasing one of their strongest records to date, Welcome 2 The Underground.

The first track on the record, "New Me" infuses dubstep and electric guitar into a track that sounds like Britney Spears smoked some medical marijuana and had a three-way Skrillex and Dr.Dre. Track 2, "Sweat" has kind of a throw-back 80's feel to it, at times sounding like Berlin, while "Loverboy" get the Kraftwerk treatment. Working over a hard 808 bass drum, driving at a DJ Screw pace, with Isla spitting like a true Brooklynite on "Basic Bitch." Track 6,"Kiss My Cheeks," is a stand-out track here, sounding like Joan Jett doing a fidget track, with an almost cheerleader chant quality that's infectious and a serious ear-worm. "New York City Bad Girl" and "The Original" see the PCs doing what they do best, which is belting out dance-floor electro-pop bangers.

As this pop music saga unfolds, it's important to keep in mind that at the end of the day Purple Crush have something that can't be replicated or stolen by anyone. Talent. As we witness the last gasps of the music industry, accompanied by last-ditch efforts to close Pandora's box, expect more of "big" industry players to start hammering away at smaller performers. It's okay, ultimately they will lose. Welcome (back) to the Underground.

Buy on iTunes
Buy on Amazon

Welcome 2 The Underground by purplecrush

architects and heroes: Throwback Monday - 11-14-11 - "Fire" - 23 Skidoo

2011-11-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

Formed in 1979 by Fritz Catlin, Johnny Turnbull and Sam Mills, and later augmented by Alex Turnbull and Tom Heslop, 23 Skidoo had interests in martial arts, Burundi and Kodo drumming, Fela Kuti, The Last Poets, William S. Burroughs, as well as the emerging confluence of industrial, post-punk and funk, heard in artists such as A Certain Ratio, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, The Pop Group and This Heat.

Their first 7", "Ethics" was released in 1980, followed by the "Last Words" 7", produced by Stephen Mallinder and Richard H. Kirk from Cabaret Voltaire. A Peel Session was recorded on September 16, 1981 that included Richard. Their debut album, Seven Songs, was released in 1982 and is said to evoke the claustrophobic humidity of an African forest. An experimental EP Tearing Up The Plans was produced without the Turnbull brothers, who were traveling in Indonesia. Guitarist Sam Mills and vocalist Tom Heslop left the band soon after, and with the arrival of slap-bassist David "Sketch" Martin following the break-up of Linx, the lineup remained the same until their disintegration in 2003.

Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_Skidoo_(band)

Stones Throw Records - Droppin' Pants

2011-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Stones Throw Records is making everybody's day by dropping their Pants! James Pants, to be specific, made a ton of beats back from 2004 to 2008, and has made this treasure trove available for a free and for a limited time I'm sure.

Cop it now, before the internet breaks!

http://www.stonesthrow.com/news/2011/09/free-download-james-pants-beat-archive-pt-1

Roberts & Lord - Eponymous

2011-09-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

It's not often that a message on a social network from one independent musician to another turns into a fully realized project, but that's exactly what happen when Simon Lord (formerly of Simian) reached out to Rafter Roberts (of Rafter and Bunky). Their overseas collaboration happened by the two mailing tracks back and forth to one another, combining two radically different styles. Roberts complex arrangements, low-fi recording sensibility (The backing music was recorded on a 4-track tape machine at Roberts' San Diego studio) is firmly juxtaposed with Lord's clean, digitally-recorded vocals, which gives the record of since of urgency that one experiences when wild experiments yield something unusually beautiful. This is the background to the release, "Eponymous" by Roberts & Lord, released on Asthmatic Kitty Records.

The record starts off with "mosquito," a track with heavy, crunchy, lo-fi beats. Until the vocals kick in, the song sounds like it be a hip-hop track. When the vocals do kick-in it evolves into a shimmering pop track. The next song, "wild berries" starts off with big, bombastic, fuzzed out drums with melodic vocal, which will be a signature sound for the record.

While crunchy, low-fi rhythms juxtaposed against melodic vocals is a common element of the record, the duo traverses into much more nuanced terrain. "Bottom of the bottle" combines melancholy, harmonized vocals and oddly syncopated rhythms while remaining sunny and at points even uplifting, while "windmill" is a garage rock-sounding workout. "Oblique" is a catchy almost sugary pop song, with crunchy beats and beautiful harmony that is interrupted by stabby synths. "Knots" and "menuhin" have an almost Beach Boys quality, mixing a kind of do-wop with 808 toms. "Purple doves" is a Latin-tinged song, that could be mistaken for Animal Collective.

Further into the record, we find a deeper sound. "We rise, we fall" sounds Eno-like but with far more funky elements. "Interior demon" lays down an 808 kick-drum, with a blues riff and Lord's smooth falsetto vocal. Going even deeper into and ambient direction, "sperm" is an instrumental, crunchy electro beat with ethereal vocals overlaid, that is slowed down (almost screwed and choped), having a coral quality that makes it feel almost like sacred music. Wrapping up the record is "the same love." This song has an almost instantly recognizable feel. Imagine the "I'd like to teach the world to sing..." Coke commercial from the 70's, with swirling psychedelic vocals and crunchy beats. At it's core, it a song that the Beatles could have written.

This debut effort by Roberts & Lord is a unique exploration of sounds that you normally don't hear on the same record, much less the same track. The end result of this experimentation is a unlikely concoction that is one of my favorite undergound pop records of the year.

Dive and Lie Wrecked: 09-16-11 - Peter Hook and The Light

2011-09-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Peter Hook & The Light Live at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles - Photo Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly

"Dive and Lie Wrecked" is a new feature of Architects and Heroes, focusing on reviews of live performances. Its name comes from the amazing release by Dave Aju by the same name on Context, which you can find here.

It's easy to throw around terms like "classic record" or "influenced a generation," but there's little dispute that Joy Division's record "Unknown Pleasures" created the template for what would we would now term Post-Punk. It's with this as a backdrop that I responded with skepticism when I heard that Joy Division/New Order bass player Peter Hook was going to tour with a new band and perform Unknown Pleasures.

Perhaps it's my demographic. As someone comfortably ensconced in Generation X, I have a soft spot in my heart for all things I grew up with. I keep my pop culture as close to me as the Doc Martins that are still a part of the wardrobe, but what happens when your memories start to be reinterpreted? Being the rabid Joy Division/New Order fan that I am, and generally optimistic about shows like this, I decided I would give this reincarnated version of Joy Division a chance.

The iconic record cover for the Joy Division record "Unknown Pleasures" design by Peter Saville

The day of the show, Peter Hook did an in-store appearance at Ameoba Records in Hollywood, signing copies of the record "Unknown Pleasures: Live In Australia." It gave me an opportunity to road-test the record before I went to see them live that evening. After listening to the first few tracks, my anxiety about what to expect from this remake began to melt away. Now, I won't say it stood up to the original. That record influenced everything that came after it, but this was a very good interpretation of the original. I guess there's something to be said about the reinterpretation of a record made by a founding member of the band that originally produced the record! After the relief of that experience, I was more excited (did I mention the rabid fan bit?) to see Peter Hook and the Light perform Unknown Pleasures.

The show was opened by the always-impeccable sound selector DJ Paul V, whose set was the perfect companion to an epic night. The opening band, El Ten Eleven, played a set of instrumental tracks that sounded like Ratatat (if they didn't use electronics). But, in all fairness, I along with the rest of the crowd could only halfway listen to them. When you have something of this magnitude about to happen, there's very little patience for anyone else's band.

When the band finally came on stage, the sold-out crowd at the El Rey theater exploded. Warming the crowd up, the band started with "No Love Lost" "Leaders of Men" and "Glass," before launching into the entire record. Once they did, they ripped though a set that included guest vocalist Moby on "Insight," "New Dawn Fades" and "Transmission," which worked incredibly well. I would go so far as to say that the whole experience would have been better had he done vocals for the entire set, but that's simply my opinion.

The band executed the Joy Division record flawlessly, and perhaps with a bit more exuberance and slick production than Ian Curtis might have ever thought possible for such a seemingly dark record, but at the end of the day this live experience was exactly what it should have been. A recreation of an epic record that was released 32 years ago by an artist who still knows how to put on an amazing show.

Setlist:
"No Love Lost"
"Leaders of Men"
"Glass"
"Digital"
"Disorder"
"Day of the Lords"
"Candidate"
"Insight" with Moby
"New Dawn Fades" with Moby
"She's Lost Control"
"Shadowplay"
"Wilderness"
"Interzone"
"I Remember Nothing"
"Dead Souls"
"Warsaw"
"Failures"
"Transmission" with Moby
"Love Will Tear Us Apart"

Throwback Monday - 09-219-11 - "Was Dog A Doughnut" - Cat Stevens

2011-09-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Cat Stevens is not a name that people associate with electronic music, however it is widely believe that he is responsible for producing one of the first Electro tracks. His 1977 track. Was Dog A Doughnut, has many elements that are the foundation of the genre, and that still present in Electro today.

(Thanks to Mixmaster Morris for unearthing this and posting to Facebook.)

Throwback Monday - 08-08-11 - "Blue Monday" - New Order

2011-08-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

New Order were an English musical group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitars, synthesisers), Peter Hook (bass, synthesisers) and Stephen Morris (drums, electronic drums, synthesisers). New Order was formed by the remaining members of Joy Division following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis. They were soon joined by keyboard player Gillian Gilbert.

New Order combined New Wave and electronic dance, and became one of the most critically acclaimed and highly influential bands of the 1980s.[2] Though New Order's early years were shadowed by the legacy of Joy Division, their immersion, with help from Morris D. Temple, in the New York City club scene of the early 1980s increased their knowledge of dance music. The band's 1983 hit "Blue Monday" saw them fully embrace dance music, synthesisers and drum machines, and is the best-selling 12-inch single of all time.[3] New Order were the flagship band for Factory Records, and their minimalist album sleeves and non-image reflected the label's aesthetic of doing whatever the relevant parties wanted to do, including an aversion to including singles as album tracks. The band has often been acclaimed by fans, critics and other musicians as a highly influential force in the alternative rock, dance and rave music scenes.

New Order were on hiatus between 1993 and 1998, during which time the members participated in various side-projects. The band reconvened in 1998, and in 2001 released Get Ready, their first album in eight years. In 2005, Phil Cunningham (guitars, synthesisers) replaced Gilbert, who had left the group due to family commitments. In 2007, Peter Hook left the band and stated that he and Sumner had no further plans to work together.[4] Sumner revealed in 2009 that he no longer wishes to make music as New Order.[5]

Content taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Order

Throwback Monday - 07-18-11 - "I Wanna Be Adored" - The Stone Roses

2011-07-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

The Stone Roses were an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's most successful lineup consisted of vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, bassist Gary "Mani" Mounfield, and drummer Alan "Reni" Wren.

The band released their début album, The Stone Roses, in 1989. The album was a breakthrough success for the band. At this time the Stone Roses decided to capitalise on their success by signing to a major label; their current record label Silvertone would not let them out of their contract, which led to a long legal battle that culminated with the band signing with Geffen Records in 1991, and then releasing their second album Second Coming in 1994. The group soon disbanded after several lineup changes throughout the supporting tour, which began with Reni first departing, followed by Squire.

Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Roses

Throwback Monday - 04-25-11 - "Kunta Kinte Dub '91 " - Mad Professor

2011-04-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or producing nearly 200 albums. He has collaborated with reggae artists such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, Pato Banton, Jah Shaka and Horace Andy, as well as artists outside the realm of traditional reggae and dub, such as Sade, Massive Attack, The Orb, and Brazilian DJ Marcelinho da lua.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Professor

Throwback Mondays 04/18/11 - Wire: Ahead

2011-04-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wire is an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976[1] by Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar), and Robert Gotobed (drums). They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on the Live at the Roxy WC2 album—a key early document of the scene—and were later central to the development of post-punk.

Inspired by the burgeoning UK punk scene, Wire is often cited as one of the more important rock groups of the 1970s and 1980s. Critic Stewart Mason writes, "Over their brilliant first three albums, Wire expanded the sonic boundaries of not just punk, but rock music in general."[2]

Wire is arguably a definitive art punk or post-punk ensemble, mostly due to their richly detailed and atmospheric sound, often obscure lyrical themes and, to a lesser extent, their Situationist political stance. The group exhibited a steady development from an early raucous punk style (1977's Pink Flag) to a more complex, structured sound involving increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers (1978's Chairs Missing and 1979's 154). The band gained a reputation for experimenting with song arrangements throughout its career.[3]

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire

Wild Style x The Cold Crush Brothers x Cut Chemist

2011-04-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last night Cinefamily hosted a screening of the classic Hip-Hop movie Wild Style as a part of the "Art In The Streets exhibit at MOCA. As with all of the Cinefamily hosted events, there's always "surprise guests" and activities in conjunction with their screenings, but I had no idea what was in store for me when I attended this event.

One of the "surprise guests" was the legendary DeeJay Cut Chemist, dropping tracks and doing a pre-show set as only he can do. (*If you don't know what a Cut Chemist DJ set is like, then do yourself a favor and check this out.) Now, this would have been enough for me to be happy with the evening, but, as they say...wait, there's more.

Not only was the director, Charlie Ahearn in the building, but so was Yo! MTV Raps and Hip-Hop icon Fab Five Freddy AND The Cold Crush Brothers! So, needless to say, it was a bit overwhelming to be around that much Hip-Hop royalty. The history of what these guys have done collectively is too much to wrap my mind around. So, if their presence wasn't enough, after the Q&A session at the end of the film, The Cold Crush Brothers and Cut Chemist took the stage.

And that, my friends, is a damn fine way to spend a Friday night in Los Angeles. Here's the performance:

Throwback Mondays 04/11/11 - Goldie: Inner City Life

2011-04-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie (born 19 September 1965, Walsall, West Midlands, England) is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He first gained widespread public attention for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genre, having previously gained more limited exposure for his work as a graffiti artist. His acting credits include the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, Guy Ritchie's Snatch and the British soap opera EastEnders. Most recently he has appeared in a number of celebrity reality television shows including Celebrity Big Brother UK, Strictly Come Dancing and Come Dine With Me.

(taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldie)

Throwback Monday - 04-04-11 - "Shack Up" - A Certain Ratio

2011-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

A Certain Ratio are a Post-punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. While originally part of the punk rock movement, they soon added funk and dance elements to their sound. They are sometimes referred to as "post punk funk". The band's name is taken from the lyrics of Brian Eno's song "The True Wheel" from the album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy).

More information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Certain_Ratio

7 Questions with Strictly Kev

2011-03-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

To say that Kevin Foakes (aka Strictly Kev, DJ Food, Openmind and many more aliases not mentioned here) is a creative force to be reckoned with is an understatement. Under his Openmind moniker, Kevin's design work has been the cornerstone of Ninja Tune's visual identity, creating record covers most of the label's roster. That would be enough for one artist, but Mr. Foakes not only designs for the label, but he's the driving force behind DJ Food, and releases material under his other monikers on a regular basis.

We had the opportunity to interview Strictly Kev, and here's the result.

1. Strictly Kev, Openmind, DJ Food, Flexus. How do your aliases and your art intersect?

Strictly was a given name (by Matt from Coldcut) many years ago that I liked and kept, DJ Food I've assumed too and taken control of over the years. The thing about Food is that it was never meant to mean one person, hence the Strictly Kev name as a personal identity, but now Food is just me so go figure. Openmind has always been my design alter ego, even before I was involved with Ninja Tune, it originally started as four people putting on parties and then I kept it when we went our separate ways. Flexus (not Flexus intro as many people confuse it) was something I was going to do as a mixture of cut up and collage, I may still do something with it one day but it exists outside of just music and would involve a series of objects. I had it all mapped out over a decade ago but never got around to it.

2. Your work as Openmind is the cornerstone of the Ninja Tune visual identity. Does your work as a visual artist influence your work as a DJ and music producer?

Not really because most of the time I'm designing for other people and I'm trying to create a visual to fit their music. The few times I have designed for myself it's been quite difficult actually, how do you visualise yourself? A completely blank canvas and no brief is a dream for most designers but I find it almost too huge to condense down to something I'm happy with.

3. What is the core idea behind DJ Food? Was it something that was planned, or did it happen organically?

It's probably the most unplanned, organically grown thing that's ever been given the name of 'a group'. It started out of necessity, got added to by circumstance and then evolved due to public demand. There was never any plan, there still isn't to some extent.

4. What's the future for DJ Food?

An album this year, collecting 2 EPs I made in 2009 plus a third I'm working on now and a few other bits. I'm not decided on the title but I've got 2 months to finish it. Then I'll probably tour that.

5. What about live performances? Do you have anything planned for the near future?

That's another thing I'm trying to figure out, my normal club DJ sets are quite different to the music I make at home. I want to do a set of DJ Food music, both past and present, but make it club friendly. And I want it to have visuals.

6. What would you like your musical legacy to be?

No idea, just being remembered for doing something good is hard enough, you hope to inspire people in the same way others inspired you. You want something you've done, whether musically or visually to mean something to people, for them to look or listen to it and be overwhelmed by its beauty enough to take it with them.

7. What's your top 10 right now?

Jon Brooks-Music For Thomas Carnacki (Cafe Kaput)
Wagon Christ - Chunkothy video by Celyn Brazier (Ninja Tune)
SoundSci - The Illness (Crate Escape)
DJ Food vs 2econd Class Citizen - unfinished untitled collaboration
Edan - Echo Party DVD
Shades of Rhythm - Sweet Sensation (Lone remix) (Cheap Thrills)
Simon Garfield - Just My Type (Phaidon)
Lone - Echolocations EP (R&S)
DJ Format - Mr DJ / Dope Pusher
Shakara - Robbie Morrison/Henry Flint (2000ad)

More information:

http://www.djfood.org
http://soundcloud.com/strictly
http://www.facebook.com/strictly.kev

Throwback Mondays 03/28/11 - Kraftwerk: Radioactivity

2011-03-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Kraftwerk (German pronunciation: [ˈkʀaftvɛʁk]), German for power plant or power station, is an electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies, mainly following a Western Classical style of harmony, with a minimalistic and strictly electronic instrumentation. The group's simplified lyrics are at times sung through a vocoder or generated by computer-speech software. Kraftwerk were one of the first groups to popularize electronic music and are considered pioneers in the field. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kraftwerk's distinctive sound was revolutionary, and has had a lasting effect across many genres of modern music.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraftwerk

Architects and Heroes Podcast #5

2011-03-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Arcitects & Heroes - Podcast #5 by dj stephen r.

This is the 5th Podcast for Architects and Heroes, and one that marks a milestone for us. We, as a label, curated a stage at the AMODA Digital Showcase. We booked a few of our favorite acts from Texas to play, not only at the AMODA show, but at our very own label showcase. We're featuring some of the acts that performed with us at the AMODA party, as well as the Architects and Heroes event.

Playlist

1. Blixaboy - Lexicon Man
2. Convextion - Live @ Freshweekend 04-07-2010
3. Bodytronix - Live at the sixth annual austin analog synth party
4. Cygnus - stingray rmx 1 (Photon Xfvn3904290995)
5. Burbank International - The Other Side
6. DJ Stephen R. - Bumped
7. Chili - P B to my J
8. Making the Noise - Led by a Shade

March Madness

2011-03-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Architects and Heroes Sound System for 3/15 SXSW Party

It's been a while since the chaos and inertia has settled on our camp and we've had time to sit down and sift through our memories and experiences. So, here's what we know. Since we launched our label in January, our hive has been buzzing with activity. We managed to release our first 3 records, we had a great 3 hour sit down interview, and live performance, with Ms. Tiza at KFJC in San Jose. We then went to Austin to play the AMODA showcase at SXSW in Austin, and we even hosted our very own label event. To say that the year is flying by would be an under statement...

DJ Stephen R. @ the A+H Showcase

The early spring kicked off with our camp, specifically H.A. Eugene (Burbank International/Business 80) and Stephen R. (Zygote/The Summer of Flux) sitting down with the amazing and talented DJ Ms.Tiza at KFJC for over 3 hours of interviews, live performances and dj sets. Our gracious hostess played most of our entire catalog to date (3 releases so far), and even dialed-in to our absent label compatriot, Will Rosario (aka Asymmetrical Head/Quiliuq)to include him in the interview. Evidence of our encounter with Ms.Tiza can be found here.

H.A. Eugene of Burbank International/Business 80 in conversation with Ms.Tiza.

Mere day's after our trip from Los Angeles to the Bay Area for our KFJC interview and in-studio performance, we hit the road for Austin, Texas for SXSW. We were honored to have been asked by AMODA (the Austin Museum of Digital Art) to curate a stage at their 10 annual Digital Showcase at the Mohawk. Our stage included Burbank International, Blixaboy, Martix Records recording artist Convextion, a very rare performance by Zygote (which went from chin-scratching to booty-shaking on a dime), a surprise set by Cygnus and the sounds of the Flying Turns DJs. Our VJ was late to the event, so we managed to get local VJ legends The Vidkids to help mind the gap for our absent VJ.

Blixaboy playing live at the AMODA showcase, A+H stage

Our adventures in Texas didn't stop there. After hundreds of beers, a ton of shows and a shotgun trip to and from Dallas to DJ a wedding (it's a long story, but it has something to do with The Summer of Flux) we at Architects and Heroes Records had our own party.

Flyer for the A+H 3/15 show

Our party saw us feature friends of Architects and Heroes, both new and old, who we put on blast on an amazing sound-system provided by Sound Riggs. We had an amazing line-up of talent blasting through the speakers. The LA homies were up in that piece. Purple Crush brought there hyper-kenetic electro-pop to our dance floor, along with 213 local, and New Noir founder, New Berlin... and to round-out the LA Style, yours truly, DJ Stephen R., dropped a set of dub and bass sounds.

The Flying Turns DJs @the A+H 3/15 show

We welcomed our new Texas friends who represented at SXSW for A+H. Cygnus (who's A+H interview can be found here) dropped a mad set of electro and vocoder madness, while the Flying Turns DJs dropped some sweet space-disco and Bodytronix brought their full rig of customized analog gear and threw down a spot-on set of electronic analog magic.

The A+H night at Deseos was rounded out buy a performance of Architects and Heroes Co-founder, H.A. Eugene in his Burbank International guise playing his own music, deconstructed and electrified. His set is a unique mix of pulsing electronic music made from his own deconstructed record (Warthog AH004 due out on Architects and Heroes in May). As if this weren't enough, we had Dueling Monomes! AMODA laptop battle champion, and Austin native, Chili battled Making The Noise from Boston. All in all, an amazing event.

Although it was a blurry month, with it's fair share of bumps, but it's been an amazing start to our label venture. As a recap to our week of madness at SXSW, I will be producing a podcast that highlights some of the amazing talent we unearthed while in Texas. Stay tuned...

Throwback Monday - 02-28-11 - "American-Soviets" - C.C.C.P

2011-02-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

C.C.C.P. is a German synthpop act led by Rasputin Stoy. They were best known for their 1986 instrumental American-Soviets, released by Clockwork Germany. This six-minute song themed on the Cold War became a major hit at dance clubs and in the US-Billboard Charts, German Top 75 and many more European charts. The following single releases (Made in Russia, Orient Express) were no. 1 and no.2 in the official charts in the same week (Hong Kong, BeNeLux, France and Spain). Their 1990 song "Don't Kill The Rainforest" was also a minor alternative radio hit. C.C.C.P. recorded a couple of albums.
C.C.C.P. released their seventh album, "Quantic Shamanism Through Digital Western" featuring Meyhiel, in January 2008 on the art label *MILLEPLATEAUXMEDIA.

C.C.C.P.®, cccp ® or better C.C.C.P. american-soviets ® from Frankfurt/Main Germany, now only consists of the original Bandleader Rasputin Stoy aka Rai Streubel & Frank Schendler (ex BeatAmax)
The next new album release from C.C.C.P. will be ready in Oct. 2010. C.C.C.P. - DECADANCE CLUB (Mirror of my soul). Style: Electro, EBM,...

*content from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.C.C.P._(band)

7 Questions with Cygnus

2011-01-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

1. For those unfamiliar with your work, tell us a bit about yourself and your music.

My name's Phillip Washington and I am from Dallas, TX. I make electro-funk (real electro), techno, hip hop and futuristic techno. As you can see I haven't got just one genre locked down, although my first release on ICASEA is almost all detroit-style electro. When you hear a song my influences might be pretty obvious but a lot of avenues are really converging at once, it's never just one source per song. But I dunno, I made a Dubstep EP this weekend and I really was just messing around, and all I thought about was what I think that music sounds like in my head. I called it "Ronny Raegan - Party at Ronny's House" and I think it's hilarious. I made it as a joke. My friend came up with the name.

2. Your track "Tis Thine The Kingdom" was included on Autechre's 12 hour broadcast. Were you aware that they were going to use your track for the broadcast beforehand?

No. I'd emailed them that track probably a year or two before. I was browsing a forum when I noticed the broadcast had just gone up, and by coincidence (or was it) that track was playing. I thought I'd just opened up the mp3 on my hard drive but I heard the Psi-Onyx remix coming in and realized they were jamming one of my tracks. They also played another too near the end but it's not listed in that tracklist that's availible online...

3. You kind of cut your teeth at the Laptop Deathmatch in Dallas, playing along side Convextion, Blixaboy and that whole scene. How would say this influenced your work?

That is a really good question. When Blixaboy (Mwanz Dover) first started Laptop Deathmatch it was a monthly thing, and I was only working part-time. The rule was that you had 3 minutes to show what you had, so I took pretty much all of my free time and used it to make material for the battles, and I had so much free time it was kind of awesome. That era was a lot of fun.

A very big influence doing the battles had on my work (I think there were something like 15 over 3 years, not including the ones in Austin and Seattle I went to) was that it was a total crunch in learning and using Ableton Live and a slew of software synths. As a result of that I can work insanely fast on that platform now - the process of using a mouse and midi controller to write most of a track was birthed. It's now this complete monster that I can summon at will... my right arm does that transformer sound, becomes self aware and can just blast out really good music. I like working with ableton because it's so fast but I fear I may be missing out on some fertile ground elsewhere. That is the influence doing Laptop Deathmatch had on me. I also got to meet a lot of cool people engaged in the electronic music scene. One downside from Laptop Deathmatch was I developed a super fucked up image of what it means to be a successful musician, and that is because I was so focused on winning all the time.

4. Are there any plans to tour?

I am really focused on making some more tracks right now, and that's it. I'm about to travel to Los Angeles to record some music with my best friend of 20+ years. He goes by the name Cav3, and let me tell you man he's a fucking fantastic rapper. I'd like to tour with him once we get enough material laid out. It'll be some awfully great electro-funk hip hop/rap fusion shit, like never heard in a long time. As for a solo thing as just "cygnus" I will definitely keep playing shows whenever I get the chance. To be honest I am really bad at managing myself and getting booked and all that. I really need to hire a manager, hahaha. I'd love to tour Europe, Germany, Japan, and South America and see how they feel about my hard, thumpin' electro. "Wrowreck" was released last year on ICASEA - maybe I'll do an official, year-late tour for that...

5. What's in the works for you right now?

I just got done working on Def Jam Rapstar so I have a lot of free time on my hands. Going from working on a major karaoke video game to having nothing but free-time is very disorienting to say the least. I'm just working on tracks every day, coming up with new, hard hitting material and expanding on some older ideas I'll probably just send to my friend Tom Knapp (Skeksi/Icasea). I hope that on my next solo release you'll have tracks that you can chill in your bedroom and enjoy, or be played in a club. It's going to be a lot more distinguished than my last release "Wrowreck" (Released on Icasea). I got a 12" coming out on a label called Recondite in a month or two. I really just am focusing on putting out more records right now, writing material with my freetime, and calming my anxious ass down. You know what? I would love it if I could release like 3 records on vinyl this year and sell all those mothafuckers. The recondite release should be availible on the major vinyl distribution sites when it drops. If nothing in that avenue works out yet I still have the opportunity to trade tracks with homeboys, get a job in the video games industry once again I would be fine with that too.

6. What's your top 10 right now?

Legofeet
The Other People Place
S>>D - 33 EP
LTJ Bukem - Progression Sessions
Propoganda - Murder of Love
Model 500 - I Wanna Be There M34 (Dave Angel Remix)
Dopplereffekt
Donald Fagen - True Companion
Sensational
Gescom

7. Where can people find out more information about you?

http://www.myspace.com/cygnusmusic
http://www.facebook.com/cygnus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJ7wMK6PRA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPFKpjcT6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeC2wGqHxZk

And so it begins...

2011-01-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

7 Questions with Kemek

2010-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

A&H: For the people out there who might not know what your background and history is, can you share a bit about yourself and your evolution as a producer?

My first releases were on Silent Records in the early '90s, back when ambient was the big thing. I released ambient music as Deeper Than Space as well as under a few other names, most notably 303 Terrorists and DTS, which were most techno-based. Listening to that music now, it sounds horribly amateurish and under-produced, but at the time I was just learning how to produce. The fact that it was recorded onto 4-track cassette with no reverb or compression at all, and that it sounds as good as it does, is pretty amazing. (Three of those Deeper Than Space albums are now available on Bandcamp: http://deeperthanspace.bandcamp.com/)

Before that I was making experimental bedroom noise and industrial stuff, trading tapes through the magazine "Factsheet 5" and such. Unfortunately I don't have any of those tapes any more, although I can't imagine ever listening to it. It would be too embarrassing.

A&H: How did you arrive at producing material as "Kemek The Dope Computer?"

My music output picked up again in 2001 when I pressed up a new-school breaks 12", "Future Modular/Are You Now?" and got it into the right hands. This was released under the name Kemek the Dope Computer and the music was done entirely on Reason. I had since given up on outboard gear as computer programs were getting better and better. I kept at it for a few more years, DJing as well, until I went back to school in 2005 to study Japanese. I had developed tinnitus by this point and pretty much retired from DJing, although I did play the occasional gig here and there.

Now I'm at it again, this time releasing dubstep or post-dubstep or whatever you want to call it. I'm now just Kemek and I'm back on Muti Music, with whom I released some music in 2001. So far there's been the Sine Language EP and the Certain Frequencies EP, which is getting some good press. In early 2011 an album, Itsuka, will be released. I've been working on that for five years so it's nice to have it finally come out. It's more ambient / down-tempo / whathaveyou, sort of a continuation of my http://deeperthanspace.bandcamp.com/ days but obviously much better sounding.

A&H: Talk about your process as a producer. How do you go about producing your material?

It depends on the song, really. Usually, if I'm making a dance track, I'll start with the beat and then develop a bass line. Those have always been the two most important elements for me. You can make a great dance song with just beats and bass. From there I'll add little bits, melody if necessary. I usually spend a lot of time on transitions and fills, and in making sure the song flows right. Dance music is all about conducting energy. You want to make sure the energy doesn't bog down in any one spot.

If I'm making ambient music, though, the starting point could be just about anything: a sampled sound, a field recording, a bit of dialogue from a movie. On my new album Itsuka, the melody was the most important thing. I also consciously limited what kinds of sounds I wanted to use, so I would start with a piano or Rhodes or marimba sound, something a little more organic, and go from there.

In terms of software, I've been using Reason for almost 10 years so I'm pretty fast with it. I'll usually start the song there, building loops up, until I have a framework I like. Then I'll export audio and import it into Logic, where I'll blow it out into a full song. Even if I happen to make an entire song in Reason I'll still export all the parts to Logic. It just sounds better.

I also have Ableton Live, which I use for DJing, but I have yet to crack the code for production. There's just something in the fundamental structure of it that I can't get my head around. The workflow is just a bit different than Logic and I end up hitting walls. I suppose I need to take a class or something.

A&H: I know that your work has taken you overseas. How has living in South Korea influenced you as a music producer?

So far, not much. I came to Korea to teach English and the bulk of my time has been spent learning how to be a teacher. I do miss producing though, so hopefully next year I'll be able to pick up some monitors and start making music again. I live in the countryside and it's very conducive to drones and minimal.

I have lived in Japan off and on for the last six years, though, and that had a direct influence on Itsuka. The title means "someday" in Japanese, and the album is full of longing to stay in that country.

A&H: What are your biggest influences musically?

Although I like a good melody, atmosphere and repetition have always moved me more. It's why I'll always prefer Neu! and Can to The Beatles, acid house to Detroit techno and minimal to Baroque classical, even though I like it all. Dub reggae is a big influence, as are bands like Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. Brian Eno is another big one. I listen to his music almost every day.

A&H: Where can people go to find out more about you music?

The Kemek Diaspora:

http://dopecomputer.blogspot.com/

http://www.mutimusic.com/index.php/artist/kemek

http://soundcloud.com/kemek

http://www.mixcloud.com/kemek/

http://deeperthanspace.bandcamp.com/

A&H: What's your top 10 right now?

I haven't been keeping up with new music all that much lately, and usually when I get home I just want to relax so my listening habits have tended towards drone and ambient. Here's what I've been listening to lately:

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Among many other things, Ryuichi Sakamoto is a great piano player. I've been listening to his solo piano albums a lot lately. I'll actually get to see him play in Seoul in January. I'm really excited.

White Rainbow: There's so much good drone music happening right now, it's a little overwhelming. White Rainbow is consistently good. I especially like his "See Thru" album. It's great for reading.

Emeralds: Another excellent drone group, in the tradition of Tangerine Dream.

Harold Budd: An old stand-by. I love pretty much everything he's ever done.

Brian Eno: I wake up most mornings to "Music For Airports" and "Apollo." Bang On A Can have a great live version of "Music For Airports" as well.

Perfume: My J-pop guilty pleasure. The music is insanely catchy and the girls are cute. What more could you want?

And on a personal note...

2010-12-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

This one goes out to that "special" someone. You know who you are...

Throwback Mondays 12/06/10 - Psychic TV: Wicked

2010-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Psychic TV (sometimes spelt Psychick TV) or PTV, is a largely electronic music group with occasional forays into psychedelic, punk, and experimental music. The band was formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge after his earlier industrial band, Throbbing Gristle, broke up in 1981. At one time Psychic TV was intended to be a super group that along with P-Orridge would include Ian Curtis, lead singer of the seminal English group, Joy Division. But unfortunately Curtis committed suicide on May 18, 1980. The band published 23 live albums in 1986 allowing them to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

Contributions to Psychic TV have include artists such as Coil, Current 93, The Hafler Trio, The Cult, White Stains, Soft Cell, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Alex Fergusson, Matthew Best, Daniel Simon Black (http://www.dan-black.co.uk), Bill Breeze, Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, Derek Jarman, Fred Gianelli, John "Zoskia" Gosling, Timothy Leary, Rose McDowall, Stephen Kent, Vagina Dentata Organ, Andrew Weatherall, Z'EV, and many others. Originally its cult-like fanclub, Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (aka T.O.P.Y.), later turned into a full-fledged religion, long after P-Orridge abandoned it in 1991.

"Psychic TV released early albums of acid house music, such as Jack The Tab (1988). After breaking up in 1998, Psychic TV formed into a new band known as PTV3 in 2003. In 2003 Genesis P-Orrdige changed his or her identity to Genesis/Djin Breyer P-Orridge along with life partner and PTV3 member Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge (a.k.a. Mother Jack/Miss Jackie). This change in identity allowed Genesis to become what is known as a real life "Pandrogine". Other projects by P-Orridge include sample project Splinter Test and spoken word, Troubadorian project Thee Majesty with Larry Thrasher (Thrasher Qawwal / Thessolonians)and Bryin Dall (Loretta's Doll."
Content from http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Psychic_TV

Architects and Heroes Podcast #4

2010-10-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

We've been toiling away in the music library here at A+H HQ in Los Angeles, and we're pleased to announce that we've been able to unearth some gems on vinyl that have been woefully neglected for some time. Also, and what we hope to be the first of many, we have our very first audio interview with Texas-based Blixaboy, aka Mwanza Dover, gives us the down-low on his new record and his newly found recognition from everyone from bass-music goddess Mary-Anne Hobbs to XLR8R to RCRD LBL. We also are putting some of our very own here at A+H on-blast. We've got a throwback from Zygote, as well as some brand-new material off of the Architects and Heroes Sampler (AH000) from Quiliuq and Burbank International.

We're going off the deep-end here folks, and we'd like to take you along with us. Thanks for your time.

Runtime - 1:08:09

DOWNLOAD HERE (PC Users, right-click and save-as...)

Playlist:

Tetsu Inoue - Inter link - World Receiver - Instinct Records
Freescha - Making Oranges - Freescha E.P. - Attack 9 Records (ATT001)
Marumari - Baby M - Supermogadon - Carpark Records
Rhygin Rockers - Spooky - Rhygin Records
Isopod - untitled - unreleased
Languis - If we never make it back
Dam Funk - Fonky Island Life - Adolescent Funk - Stones Throw Records
Stephan Mathieu - Raumgestaltung Eins.070300 Edit - Full Swing [Edits] - Orthlorng Musork
Therefore - Plausible Binding (2:37 excerpt) - The Bomb Grant - Sounds Are Active
Interview -Mwanza Dover of Blixaboy
Blixaboy (featuring Emil Rapstine) - Lion Eyes - Kliks and Politiks - Astroblaque
Aavikko - Superlake Beat - History of Muysic
Zygote - Monorail - Furture/Current Transportation 7" Split w/The Luxury Tax - Under The Radar Records
Quiliuq - Subluminal - A+H Sampler Vol. 1 - Architects and Heroes Records
Burbank International - The Other Side - A+H Sampler Vol. 1 - Architects and Heroes Record
Maps & Diagrams - Piedras Blancas - Glaciarc EP - Tundra Records

DOWNLOAD HERE (PC Users, right-click and save-as...)

Cult of the DJ 10-17-10

2010-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's a drizzly, gray, and chilly day in Los Angeles, so I'm holed up in my studio scouring the wires and wireless rabbit holes of the internet for something to listen to. I sent out the search party, and we've got some amazing dj mixes...

DF TRAM

This is an amazing ambient chillout mix recorded live
at the Plunge festival in Northern California, by DF Tram.

Plunge live by df tram

Tracklist:

Gewandhausorchester Leizpig- Im Abendrot ( Excerpt)
bernard herrmann -vertigo "df tram's hypnotize sequence"
icasol -ongou (idjut boys remix)
carlos nino-9 moons return
steve roach -arrival
johann strauss-On the Beautiful, Blue Danube
koss- negai
klf chillout edit
peter gabriel -powerhouse at the foot of the mountain with
miles davis - black satin
carlos nino -with azul featuring jesse peterson
goblin-suspiria
rei harakami -approach
nuno felipe -julia (irresistible force remix)
oh brother where art thou break
another fine day-life before land
peter gabriel -with this love (choir)
bj cole -Elle Sait Ou Elle Va
cluster and eno -fur luise
ronnie foster -mystic brew
three is a magic number (df tram remix)

_________________

ATOP

A dj mix filled with bassy, futuristic, contemporary, danceable, hardgroove ,neon, hypnorhythmic, amazing, freak scene tracks. Guaranteed to make your life better and to get you more friends and lovers. This is really happening. This is going on right now!

Download from Percussion Lab

Tracklist:

Demdike Stare – Regolith
Pearson Sound – Wad
Headhunter – 3 Mad P’s
Geiom – Six Times Seven
Eleven Tigers – Flux
Pangaea – Memories
FaltyDL – Truth
James Blake – Sparing The Horse
Untold – Fly Girls
A Made Up Sound – Demons (Reprise)
Zomby – Dripping Like Water
Neil Landstrumm – Little Help From Rustie
Fantastic Mr Fox & Rich Reason – Bleep Show
Sigha – Hold Your Heart Up To The Light
Starkey – Stars (Few Nolder rmx)
Boxcutter – Bad You Do (Halfstep)
LD – Mastermind
Hyetal – Pixel Rainbow Sequence (Peverelist rmx)
Shortstuff – A Rustling
Iknonika – Millie
Guido – You Do It Right
Simon/Off – Forever
DFRNT – Epitome
Al Tourettes – Dodgem
Goldmund – Dane Street
93...Akkad...777

_________________

TREYK47

Trey is an old school homie from OKC, who's been djing and making beats for a minute.

Raised by a family of musicians, and most notably DJs, Trey aka Trey K-47 was destined to go down the same spiritual path. In 2000 he purchased his first set of turntables and mixer. It didn’t take long before he was in a d’n'b DJ crew based out of Norman, O.K. (That One). A few years later in 2003, he teamed up with Pirate Audio Sound Sytem (est. 1991). From there, He learned more about new and rising genres other than d’n'b in the global electronica community, building up his skills in multi-media arts, computer repair, sound system care, and live performance set-up.

More Info Here: www.myspace.com/djtreyk47

Download from Sendspace

_________________

DJ PAUL V. (Bootie LA)

Paul V. is an LA institution. As a terrestrial radio DJ, a digital pioneer or his hosting of the highly popular bi-weekly mash-up club Bootie LA at the Echoplex, Paul's reach as a DJ and promoter knows no boundaries.

From Paul on FB

"A bunch of you have been asking where to stream or download some of my
DJ mixes, so here's a bunch of links to get you my music:

THE SMASH MIX:
http://www.thesmashmix.com/
The site is pretty much dormant now, but there's still about two years of great mixes posted up there. PS - Ignore the "comments crash" message.

NEON NOISE MIXES:
Download from Divshare
Stream mixes in the player, and to download a specific file, just click on its name in the list at the bottom of the page, to get to the DL page

NEON NOISE SHOWS on Indie 103.1:
Download from Divshare
These are recordings of my show, with interviews/performances with
Robyn, Peaches, The Lady Tigra, Medium Medium, Little Boots and more
Same info as above on how to stream/download the files.

DJ PAUL V. MASHUPS:
Download from Divshare

MORE INFO ON PAUL V. & BOOTIE LA...

www.myspace.com/djpaulv_la
http://www.bootiemashup.com/la/

Monday Throwback Jams...

2010-10-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

"Randy VanWarmer (March 30, 1955 – January 12, 2004) was an American songwriter and guitarist. His biggest success was the pop hit, "Just When I Needed You Most". It reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1979[1] after peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[2] and #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart[3] earlier that year. There are several cover versions of this song, including those by Dolly Parton and Smokie.

VanWarmer wrote several songs for the group The Oak Ridge Boys including the #1 U.S. Country hit "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes." The song appeared on VanWarmer's 1981 album Beat of Love, which also included VanWarmer's 1980s style pop tune "Suzi Found a Weapon", which hit #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981."

He died of leukemia, aged 48. In line with one of his greatest loves, his cremated remains were sent into space in 2007." (Ed. SPACE Motherfucker!)

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_VanWarmer

Mwanza Dover / aka Blixaboy on XLR8R

2010-09-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Texas (post college from 2005-2008), one of the first people to book me to DJ was Mwanza Dover, aka Blixaboy. Dover has been a force in the music scene in Texas since the 90's, with too many bands to mention here. We're going to try and get an interview with him ASAP, but in the meantime, pop-over to XLR8R's web site and download "Sci-Fi Jack" from the Kliks & Politiks full length coming out on his own label, Astroblaque, on October 19.

Download "Sci-Fi Jack" here

The Summer Of Flux - Radio Anthems For The Newly Disenfranchised

2010-09-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

We're very happy to announce that we're in production for the very first Architects and Heroes record, "Radio Anthems For The Newly Disenfranchised" (A+H001) by The Summer Of Flux. The band formed by Stephen Ruiz and Aaron Mobley, who met as undergraduates it SMU have been collaborating on music tother since the late 90's.

We will be releasing more information on the record over the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can listen to some demo tracks from the R.A.F.T.N.D. studio sessions on the band's Myspace Page, HERE.

Come shift paradigms with us

2010-09-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

We are now here to share our social media fantasies with you. Won't you join us?

Throwback Monday - 09-13-10 - "Don't Stay For Breakfast" - Ströer

2010-09-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Not much for the video...since there isn't one, but this track is a classic proto-boogie burner that has been slept-on for decades.

The Out Door #6 on Pitchfork

2010-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

As much as I feel that Pitchfork misses the mark on some of their reviews and articles, "The Our Door" column is consistently amazing. The depth of research, the digging for, and finding of, bands and topics that would normally fly under the radar is impressive.

In this particular installment, underground internet music shops take center stage.

The Out Door #6 (via @pitchforkmedia)
The Our Door # 6 on Pitchfork

7 Questions with Kim Cascone

2010-08-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Kim Cascone has been a central figure in experimental electronic music for more than two decades. As an artist, he continues to explore sonic boundaries in his work. As a champion of the global electronic music community, he has provided outlets for other artists to collaborate and share their work. He is an alumni Berklee College of Music, he worked as music editor for director David Lynch, he launched the highly regarded ambient label Silent Records and worked as a sound designer/composer for Thomas Dolby's company Headspace. He produced and recorded under the moniker's PGR and Heavenly Music Corporation.

One not to rest on his laurels, Kim founded the microsound list and launched anechoic (named after his last Heavenly Music Corporation release), which he established in 1996, to release his work.

1. You've been producing music for quite some time now. What to you is exciting about the state of music in 2010?

KC: Well to tell you the truth I don't find much music all that exciting in 2010. I mean you have any number of software applications that wind up doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of creative sound design and composition and as a result of the 'anybody-can-make-music' trend I just don't hear all that much that I can call innovative or exciting. I've gone back to my roots and have been studying the Schillinger System of Composition. I feel pre-composition is severely lacking in most of the work that passes for 'experimental' music today. I admire the work of Earl Brown and Bruno Maderna very much so I've been listening to a lot of their work lately. There was so much done in the state supported radio studios of post-war Europe that still blows much of contemporary music out of the water.

2. Your record label, Silent Records, is widely recorgnized as playing a pivitol role in the evolution of ambient music. When your tenure as label owner came to an end in 1996, did you think that the label would have such an impact?

KC: No. It's never apparent when you're in the thick of things. At that time we were reeling from a distribution deal gone sour and as a result were facing bankruptcy so there was a lot of anxiety and mixed feelings as we walked away. It wasn't until much later when the Silent Records tribute site went up that I began to realize what we had accomplished. Today I see there's a resurgence of the 90's style of ambient music -- which is odd since most of the kids producing it today were barely old enough to have lived through it then. Sort of like the hippie kids that still hang around on Haight Street in San Francisco. It must be a morphogenetic field or something.

 3. Have you ever thought of recording more PGR or Heavenly Music Corporation material?

KC: No. I hate it when artists keep churning out the same material with slight modifications over and over again. It's like they have one trick and keep performing it to a bored yet polite audience. I find it more interesting and satisfying to continue exploring new ideas; or go back to old cultural ideas and see if I can do something new with them.

4. In terms of your production and compositional process, how has that evolved over the years? What was the impetus for this evolution?

KC: I studied music at the Berklee College of Music in the 70's and once I exhausted all the electronic music classes there I continued my studies in NY with a private teacher. I was in a very stimulating environment (NYC in the mid-70's) and hung out a lot at film and art schools (Parsons and SVA) where some friends were going at the time. This laid an important foundation for me and I ended up learning a lot about electronics and new music. I find that I have to continually move ahead, keep exploring. And when I see everyone headed in a particular direction I've learned to go the other way!

5. How did the microsound list come into existance? Can you talk about the community that's grown-up around the list?

KC: I started the microsound list because at that time there wasn't a central place where people interested in post-digital music and sound art could discuss theory and philosophy. I felt it was important to create a stimulant that could help propel electronic/digital music further, keep people thinking instead of just firing up the same software and making the same sounds as everyone else. A composer I know called it 'push button' music -- which seemed harsh at the time but maybe was more prophetic than we care to admit?

 6. What's next for you as an artist?

KC: I plan to get more involved in environmental issues such as ocean noise and how it affects the marine life in our oceans. I started a festival based on hydrophone based sound art which I hope to help raise awareness of this issue. We did the first Hydrophonia Festival in Genoa, Italy last year with Jana Winderen, Domenico Sciajno, Alessandro Petrolati and myself. We also had bio-acousticians Gianni Pavan and Michele Manghi speak to the public about ocean noise. It was a fantastic time and very rewarding to help raise public awareness about this devastating problem.

7. What's your top 10 right now?

in no particular order:

Musica Elettronica - Bruno Moderna
Spiral I & II - Karlheinz Stockhausen
David Tudor - Rainforest I & IV
John Cage - Constructions in Metal I - III
Joseph Anton Riedl - Klangregionen 1951 - 2007
Jana Winderen - Energy Field
Earl Brown - Selected Works 1952 - 1965
Mika Vainio - Black Telephone of Matter
Francois Bayle - [various pieces I've collected]

Throwback Monday - 08-23-10 - "Detached" - DNA

2010-08-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

"DNA was a No Wave band formed in 1978 by guitarist Arto Lindsay and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield. Rather than playing their instruments in a traditional manner, they instead focused on making unique and unusual sounds. Their music was described as spare, noisy, and angular and was compared to some of Captain Beefheart's output and even to Anton Webern.

DNA originally consisted of Lindsay, Crutchfield, Gordon Stevenson, and Mirielle Cervenka, and took their name from a song by another no wave band, Mars. Stevenson went on to play bass for Teenage Jesus and the Jerks; Cervenka was the younger sister of Exene Cervenka of X. This incarnation of the band was very brief, not playing even one concert. After the rapid departure of Stevenson and Cervenka, Lindsay and Crutchfield hastily recruited Ikue Mori—who at the time had little command of English and no drum set—to be DNA's drummer.

This lineup of DNA played occasionally at CBGB and Max's Kansas City and recorded one 7" single. Within their first year, they had cemented their reputation as a paradigmatic no wave band when Brian Eno selected them as one of the four groups documented on the No New York LP, the first recording to expose no wave groups to an audience outside of lower Manhattan. The other three bands appearing on this album were The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and Mars."

(content exerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_(band)

Flying Lotus to Release New EP

2010-08-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

There's a new FlyLo record, a seven-track EP called Pattern+Grid World that drops on September 21st. Get a taste of the new record at Pitchfork.

Flying Lotus to Release New EP

Pale Sketcher - Can I Go Now (Gone Version) (Donnacha Costello Remix)

2010-08-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

Pale Sketcher - Can I Go Now (Gone Version) (Donnacha Costello Remix)

Throwback Monday - 09-16-10 - "Cavern" - Liquid Liquid

2010-08-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

"Liquid Liquid is a New York City post-punk/post-disco band, originally active from 1980 to 1983. Since 2008 the band has reformed, playing in various venues across the globe. Their track "Cavern", from the Optimo EP recorded by Don Hunerberg, was covered by the Sugar Hill house band for the backing track on Grandmaster + Melle Mel's "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)".[1] Since the band’s inception in 1980, the sounds of Liquid Liquid have been a mainstay in the clubs. The original records were pressed in very limited quantities on the 99 label, and can now fetch high prices. Though the pressings were small, the music has had a lasting and far reaching impact. The first three EPs, plus live material, were reissued in 1997 by Grand Royal (US) and Mo' Wax (UK). After the collapse of both these labels, Domino Records released the music from all three original 12"s plus extra tracks and early live recordings as Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon in 2008.
In October 2008 the band returned to the UK after a prolonged hiatus, playing at London's Barbican Theatre alongside the Glasgow-based DJ duo Optimo, who named themselves after the eponymous Liquid Liquid song and EP."

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Liquid)

Architects and Heroes - Podcast #3

2010-08-12T23:37:00.001-07:00

After a long hiatus, we have a new A&H podcast to share with you. We've gone deep on this one, bringing you some very rare gems. Our camp has had the Minimal Wave Tapes (vol. 1) in wide rotation since it's release back in January on Stones Throw, and it made us dig for more of the stripped-down synth-pop from the 70's and 80's. The results are some very rare tracks from Pink Industry, Autumn and Berlin Express. But we didn't stop there. Being the IDM geeks we are, we had to put some jittery, glitchy stuff on blast as well. We've got unreleased material from Abraxas and Constant Flux, as well as as well as some dubstep from Kemek The Dope Computer. There are also some nice surprises as well, but I'll let the playlist speak for itself.

Architects and Heroes - Podcast #3 - Playlist:

1. Single Cell Orchestra - Whatever Forever
2. Pink Industry - What I Wouldn't Give
3. Abraxas - Gimel
4. Oval - R-TicToc
5. Constant Flux - Noisy Pink Parts
6. Berlin Express - The 4-08 To Paris
7. OST - Track11
8. Games - Dance This Way
9. Kemek The Dope Computer - Vitamin Drumming
10. Headphone Science - The Search For Swans
11. J. Dilla - Sycamore
12. Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally)
13. Autumn - Close Rays Of Light Attack

DOWNLOAD HERE (51:29)

*note: We'll be posting the 2 archived podcasts here within the next few days.

Marco Paul – The Heavenly Music Corporation – The Passing of Icons

2010-08-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing mix from Dublab from Marco Paul, dedicated to the memories of Alex Chilton & Malcolm Mclaren.

Marco Paul – The Heavenly Music Corporation – The Passing of Icons

7 Questions with Riz Maslen (Neotropic / Small Fish With Spine)

2010-08-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Since the mid-nineties Riz Maslen has produced a complex and diverse body of work that spans 2 monikers, 5 LPs, 10 EPs, 5 films and more remixes than most super-star djs. She played keyboards for The Beloved, worked with 4hero and Future Sound of London, even singing on Top of the Pops with their top 10 hit 'Papua New Guinea'.

We caught up with the creative mind behind Neotropic and Small Fish With Spine.

1. What's going on in your world these days?

At present I have a few things going, juggling many balls! Rehearsing new live material and playing at the Aeon Festival at the end of the month. Putting together a remix album of Equestrienne and I have had some great mixes in from all kinds of artists. I put out an APB online looking for remixers and I got a great response. I am working on some new material, some more experimental and I have an idea for an installation which I really need to sit down and work through it.

Mixing and recording for other artists, Canytheif and Ajah which is great as I love to work with other artists and collaborate on their material. I released an album at the end of last year, Equestrienne and unfortunately it was only available as a download as I did not have enough funds to release a CD which was a shame as I would of loved that. I have also been collaborating with artists Maslen and Mehra on two film projects over the last 12 months which has been great, in fact a strange story in regards to this meeting of minds. I move into my new place at the begining of 2009 and bumped into one half of Maslen and Mehra and low and behold having the same surname we are in fact related, second cousins we think, so I have some Australian Relatives which is a bonus.

2. Has there been any thoughts of doing another Small Fish With Spine record?

I have considered the idea and have many fans who keep asking me and at first i was rather reluctant just because it was a certain time in my life and things had moved on since then, but who knows if people keep asking maybe I will!

3. Talk about your films a bit. Did film making evolve over the same trajectory as your music?

Kind of. I have always dabbled, wasn't very good at art but loved the idea of making art without the brush or pencil. Photography and film making seemed a great alternative and something I could experiment with. In the beginning when I first started out, especially in a live context I wanted to create a cinematic experience as often being solo on stage can be very static and not exactly enthralling for the audience, I used slides x 2 creating a backdrop of visual images, it then slowly progressed to film, Super 8 in the early days as I just love the aesthetic you get from film it just has this warmth you can always achieve with digital unless you spend hours in post production, which I like doing but it gets very time consuming. I still shoot daily, mainly photographs at present but want to get back into film, and this is something I am looking to do in the near future. I have done some more art based films over the last few months, getting selected for different art shows which has been great as I have wanted to venture into this for a while but been a bit afraid of entering that sphere but it has been pretty succesful and hopefully will develop in the coming months.

4. How about Neotropic? What's in the works?

Well the Equestrienne Remix Album is in the pipeline with mixes coming in from all corners of the globe, USA/Japan/Europe and UK so am definitely looking forward to that and highlighting some of the great new talent out there. Of course new material is always in the pipeline and really just doing that. Also, I am in a couple of books the 20th anniversary of Ninja Tune and Pink Noises by Tara Rodgers.

5. Are you touring now? Where can people see you live?

Gigs are hard right now to come by, and I love playing live but have only played a couple of times this year, especially now I have this great live lineup it just seems to have this great energy. I need to find a good agent, but I am playing the Aeon Festival on the 28th August which is in Devon and is a lovely little festival, so any west country folk can come check us out.I would also love to get back on the road but it is just about raising the finances to do it, or getting on a small tour with a few other artists.

6. Where would one go to find more information about you?

My website www.neotropic.net is a good place along with Facebook and Myspace

7. What's your top 10 right now?

In no particular order

1. No Shore is Home - Center Divider
2. All the world is green - Tom Waits
3. Turbine Womb - Soap & Skin
4. Strike - She Keeps Bees
5 Mack the Knife - The Psychedelic Furs
6. who are your trying to fool - Little Ann
7. Stay Tuned - Robert Wyatt
8.Dying - The Whigs
9.Scope J - Ute Lemper
10. Butterfly House - The Coralloads of film stuff on the following

Quetsi Tek from Neotropic on Vimeo.

La Prochaine Fois from Neotropic on Vimeo.

Inch inch from Neotropic on Vimeo.

More information on Riz Maslen:

http://www.neotropic.net/
http://www.myspace.com/neotropicmusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/rizmaslen
http://www.lovefilm.com/film/Lap/151832/

Throwback Monday - 09-09-10 - "Biting My Nails" - Renegade Soundwave

2010-08-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Debuting on the Rhythm King label with the "Kray Twins" single, their early records mixed together the sound of the then embryonic dance scene, east-end hip-hop, dub and electro-industrial noise. Later singles such as "Biting My Nails" (a cover version of a cabaret-pop song by Yé-yé girl Genevieve Waite, from her 1974 album, Romance is on the Rise) and "The Phantom" became early dance-floor classics,[citation needed] with "Probably a Robbery" eventually reaching number 38 in the UK singles chart in 1990.

A switch to Mute Records brought the release of the debut long-player Soundclash in 1989, swiftly followed by In Dub. The Japanese version of In Dub featured a second disc of the cuts, previously available only on their early Twelve Inch singles. At this point, Bonnie exited to pursue a solo career (citing musical differences), leaving Briottet & Asquith to continue as a duo. After two more albums, the group formally disbanded in 1995, leaving behind a legacy of four long playing albums and twelve singles.

The Chemical Brothers have cited RSW as one of the biggest influences in their sound.[citation needed]
In 2003, Layo and Bushwacka remixed "The Phantom".
2005 saw the appearance of a white label entitled "Robbery", which featured remixed versions of RSW tunes such as "Ozone Breakdown".

As of 2010, Gary Asquith runs the le coq musique record label along side Kevin Mooney formerly of Adam and the Ants and are also in a band called Lavender Pill Mob[1], both Asquith and Mooney have worked alongside electro artist Lee Simeone including a track written by Asquith titled "Ocean" [2] and Briottet is producing and recording/remixing under the name of Red Star." (*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renegade_Soundwave

Drop the Lime On Deck for Next FABRICLIVE Mix

2010-08-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Drop the Lime On Deck for Next FABRICLIVE Mix

Top 5 - 8/4/10

2010-08-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

1. Seefeel - Quique - Too Pure/ Astralwerks

Quique (pronounced "Keek") is the 1993 debut album from Seefeel. Musically, the band "is situated at the intersection of dream pop/shoegaze and ambient techno/IDM," which made them a perfect fit for Warp Records, who they signed to in 1994. After an almost 12 year hiatus, Seefeel will be releasing a new record on Warp later this year.

http://www.amazon.com/Quique-Seefeel/dp/B000003RW1

2. Zola Jesus - Stridulum EP - Sacred Bones Records

This hypnotic goth-tinged neurotic-pop from Nika Roza Danilova (aka Zola Jesus) has caught ears of many "in the know" music publications, and for good reason. Her larger-than-life vocals are reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux, and the dark-wave influenced production makes this record feel new and familiar at the same time.

http://www.amazon.com/Stridulum-EP/dp/B003A2A26C

3. Ras G and The Afrikan Space Program - Ghetto Sci Fi - Poo-Bah Records

This record has been in wide-rotation for me in the past year. Along with his LA beat-making comrades Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer and Daedelus, Ras G has made a name for himself with his bass-heavy psychedelic sound. This record is a classic in the making.

http://www.poobah.com/ghetto-scifi-rasg

4. The JD's - An Education - Pretension Records

"Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto needs no introduction. He practically invented modern breakbeat music. His collection of vintage analog synthesizers and vocoders provides the foundation for the JD's sound. Jon Drukman of Bass Kittens is the digital to Dangers' analog. He brings his own electro-tinged philosophy to the proceedings. There is only one school on Planet JDs: the school of blowing your mind with sound. Step inside and get educated." (content from from electrobotiks.com)

The JDs - Album Sampler by basskitten

5. Madlib - Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa

There's not too much I can say about Madlib that hasn't already been said. This is a great record, in a series. Click the link and buy this record. It's amazing.

http://www.stonesthrow.com/news/2010/03/madlib-medicine-show-no-3-beat-konducta-in-africa

Throwback Monday - 08/02/10 - "Typical Girls" - The Slits

2010-08-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! This is a post-punk classic from the frequently name-checked band, The Slits. The band's influence cannot be over stated. You can here the band's influence in everything from Bikini Kill to the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. If you don't know anything about The Slits, other than their being name-checked in "Losing My Edge," then do yourself a favor and find out more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slits

Top 5 - 7/28/10

2010-07-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Hello bleary-eyed new music seekers. In an attempt to expose some of our favorite bands and producers who are "under the radar" we will be featuring artists that we're excited about. This weekly list will include some new music, some old music, some extremely obscure music and some stuff you can hear on the radio. Our only criteria for our "top 5" list is that we have to be excited about it. So, without further ado....

1. Baths - Cerulean - Anticon Records

Baths has made quite a splash (ha ha, get it?) in the Los Angeles music scene this summer. His release on Anticon Records has garnered some amazing reviews, and for good reason. It's simply a great record.

http://www.myspace.com/bathsmusic

2. ROFLOL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Loud - Audio Dregs

ROFLOL is the solo music of Jacob Ciocci, founding member of the internationally renowned art collective, Paper Rad. The music of ROTFLOL is a "best of" collection of Jacob's solo music from the past decade, soundtracks from videos and animations, as well as a selected discography of self released cassettes, hand made CDRs, 7 inch vinyl, and live recordings.

This is a highly recommended LP/DVD/digital (combo) release.

http://www.audiodregs.com/releases/adr076/

3. Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology - Jade Tree Records

This 1998 posthumous release (the band broke up in 1995) catalogues almost every song recorded and released by Cap'n Jazz. This influential band was formed in Chicago in 1989 by brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella, who were joined by Sam Zurick and Victor Villareal. After a number of name changes and the addition of guitarist Davey von Bohlen the band began to earn a cult following in the Chicago area and the Midwest.

The band is on a reunion tour now, and while I cringe at reunions as a rule of thumb, this one I'm hyped about.

http://www.myspace.com/capnjazz

4. Cut Chemist - The Sound of the Police

You're probably no stranger to Cut Chemist, but if you are, click here. This master of the turn tables has a new project out where he uses one turntable, a loop pedal, a mixer and Ethiopian/Afro-Brazilian records.

You can stream the whole record at KCRW here:

http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/ap/ap100719cut_chemist_sound_of

5. mathewdavid - Disk Collection - Leaving Records

This 2008 collection of "post-psychedelic" tracks is fantastic. The limited, packaged in hand-crafted 5 1/4″ floppy disks is sold out, but you can hear a sample of the record at the Leaving Records link below. Get anything and everything you can from this artist...

http://leavingrecords.com/handmade/matthewdavid-disk-collection/

http://www.plugresearch.com/artists/matthewdavid/

http://www.myspace.com/matthewdavid

Throwback Monday - 07/26/10 - "Me And My Rhythmbox" - Adrian Sings (Liquid Sky)

2010-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! This is a scene from the cult classic "Liquid Sky" that features the amazingly angular and stark track "Me And My Rhythmbox" by Adrian Sings (*side note: if anyone knows what happened to Adrian Sings, please email me). Schematic Record's act Phoenecia sampled the track The film itself is an exception document of the New York underground scene in the 80's, not to mention the face that film has a really interesting back story.

Tragedy at Love Parade Festival in Germany

2010-07-25T00:27:00.000-07:00

Tragedy at Love Parade Festival in Germany

Between this, and the death in Los Angeles at a recent "rave," you have to wonder how promoters should handle these kinds of parties.

Sample Music From Daft Punk's Tron Legacy Soundtrack (For Real)

2010-07-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sample Music From Daft Punk's Tron Legacy Soundtrack (For Real)

7 Questions with: Tobacco - Managing the Meat of Maniac's

2010-07-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that we're fans of Tobacco and Black Moth Super Rainbow. Following the trajectory of Tom Fec's creative endeavors has been an exercise in watching an artist create and evolve on his own terms. His video edits for BMSR and Tobacco, the creative direction of the live performances and a relentless experimentation with his production methods have made his work resonate with more and more people.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Tom (Tobacco) in the wake of the release of his Anticon release "Maniac Meat."

How did Tobacco become your primary project? Is BMSR over?

Really it just became the main and only thing i'm working on. Whatever i'm working on at the time is my primary project. The whole idea behind bmsr and being in a band had me burned out. Especially after eating us, it seemed like I had let it get too far and kind of lost the ability or motivation to rope it back in. The tobacco stuff is just really fun to work on and show live. With all that being said, i don't think bmsr is over, but it was definitely overdue for a long break.

Maniac Meat is a departure from your work with BMSR. What was the turning point for you?

I wrote bmsr songs knowing that people would hear them and building my own expectations on top of them. I didn't want to do anything too stupid or really embrace some of the more off-putting urges that I wanna explore in music sometimes. The breaking point for me was being on tour for eating us and realizing I was playing music that I couldn't stand. Don't get me wrong, I'm the only one to blame for that, but sometimes I get something in my head and just have to see it through to see if it works, whether it's right or not. And sometimes it takes a minute for me to realize that the little awkwardness I'm feeling might be part of something bigger.

Maniac Meat especially was about wanting to get back to when it was 100% about entertaining myself, like in high school when I knew no one gave a shit about what i was doing. It wasn't even meant to be an album released to the public. It was my jogging soundtrack.

Beck makes an appearance on this record. What's the story behind that?

Shaun at Anticon knew Brian Lebarton, who's beck's music director. They got to talking and brian mentioned they listened to fucked up friends, and right then i happened to be finishing up this jogging soundtrack that was becoming a real album. So the stars aligned.

Fucked Up Friends 2, the video companion to the record, was an amazing collection of videos you put together. Are there plans to do the same thing for Maniac Meat?

Probably not. It seems like a lot of people are on to the idea of splicing 80s/90s footage to music now, so there's no real need for me to do it anymore. Maybe something more grand in the future, but i don't know what that is yet.

On the topic of the visuals you use, what's the inspiration behind your aesthetic?

Pretty much just pure gross entertainment. I like stuff that looks like it was made for what i'm doing and maybe reminds people how fucked up shit was when they didn't realize it.

What are your touring plans with the new record?

I'll go out for all of september on the east coast, and then keep on throughout the u.s. and hopefully europe through next year.

(Yes, I am aware there is only 6 questions.)

More Info:

http://www.myspace.com/tobacco
http://www.facebook.com/maniacmeat
http://www.youtube.com/user/hairycandy

Coachella 2010 > Here is your (pitch)fork

2010-05-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

As a content provider of one, and true believers make no doubt about this fact, I am my own camera man, editor, director and talent of all of my own online endeavors; I have to say that the video above was of one very ambitious and one VERY sleep deprived Stephen R.

After almost 2 weeks after the fact, I can tell you the following...

Pavement

Pavement rocked the main stage during the daylight hours. It was as if I was there when "Punk Rock" became "Alternative." And maybe I was... it was a miracle.

And that's all... Thanks for this year Coachella. See you in 2011.

My Coachella Flickr Stream

2010-04-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Coachella - Day 3 - Show Reviews

2010-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Day two of the festival was a humid day in the desert, and the shows rolled-on nonstop. Today was a definitive day of electronic and dance music. Now, while I'm not a Tiesto fan (not one bit), it was telling that for the first time since the festival's inception that a DJ/Electronic music producer headlined the main stage. It looks like 13 years after "electronica" was supposed to take over the popular music landscape, it finally has. But enough with waxing on about the changing landscape of music, and on with the reviews.

Craze and Klever

This was the day's jumping off point, and it set the day off with a bang. These two DMC champions went head-to-head in the dance tent to an electrified crowd of over 15,000. The pair dropped a set that went from uptempo 140 bpm bangers, with mad scratching on top, to rock tracks (Nirvana and Metallica specifically), then they flipped the script and went into a deep dub set that lit the crowd up.

Craze & Klever at Coachella 2010 from Taylor Doms on Vimeo.

The Raveonettes

Next on the agenda was Danish garage/psych duo The Raveonettes. As with a number of bands booked at Coachella coming from overseas, the Volcano Eruption in Iceland kept members of the band from making it to the show. This didn't stop the core duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo from soldiering on and playing a fuzzed out set of garage goodness. This paired-down performance still conveyed the weight of songs, which is really a testament to not only their talent as performers, but their talent as songwriters.

Hot Chip

This was my second time to see Hot Chip. The last time I saw them perform was in 2006, during their tour for The Warning, and their live show has improved dramatically! Where the earlier performance was them standing behind their keyboards a la Kraftwerk, this performance was with a full band. The performance was fantastic. See for yourself.

Major Lazer

Having followed Diplo's career for the past 6 years, I've seen him perform a number of times in all types of venues. What I saw at Coachella with Major Lazer, the project he's doing with DJ Switch, was the culmination of all of the parties I'd seen previously. It was truly an awesome performance, complete with dancing Chinese street dragons, acrobatic performers and Skerrit Bwoy, a truly magnetic front man. When I'd seen Diplo before, you could tell he was on a mission. Taking his across-the-board brand of globally-influenced club music to the masses all over the world has been quite an accomplishment. Before it's over, it would be great to see Diplo/Major Lazer and his cohorts take over mantle that has been for too-long occupied by the Oakenfolds and the Tiestos of the dance music world.

Watch your back, because the Mad Decent train is rolling through.

Flying Lotus

Los Angeles based producer Flying Lotus continues his ascension into the mythical pantheon of electronic music royalty. As the artist who's evolved the legacy of Warp Record's tradition of putting out artists that have pushed the art of electronic music into another dimension, FlyLo has pushed the boundaries Hip-Hop to it's logical extreme. With complex and layered music, sometimes the studio magic doesn't always translate into a compelling live performance. This isn't the case with FlyLo.

To see the crowd of almost 20,000 riveted to every single note, and literally taking the same journey as the artist live was an amazing sight. His accompanied video performance was every bit as compelling as his music. And for this artist who's musical legacy is already a thing of mythology, it is only the beginning.

Coachella - Day 3 - Second Day of the Festival

2010-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Our third day in the desert, and the second day of the festival, was another day of amazing performances. On the DJ/Electronic front there was Craze & Klever, Hot Chip, Major Lazer and Flying Lotus. In more reunion news, Faith No More and Devo took the stage in addition to The Gossip and The Dead Weather.

With the realization that it's next to impossible to do detailed show reviews and keep my sanity while at the festival, I've opted get all show reviews posted in the wrap-up. We'll also have out Flickr site updated as well.

Coachella - Day 2 - Festival Kick Off

2010-04-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

SHOW REVIEWS:

Sleigh Bells

Day 1 of Coachella started off with the Sleigh Bells. A boy/girl electro-punk act that takes all of the brattiness of the Ting Tings, and drops a dirty south beat and electric guitar into the mix. Upon a first listen, Sleigh Bells could be written off as a knock-off of 20 other bands that takes boy/girl indie rock template and rehashes some well-worn territory. The biggest difference between this act being a cliche, and being something different is how they do it.

The live show was something of a high-energy event, blending driving beats and feedback-heavy guitar to a sweaty throng of festival revelers. Not exactly a game changer for music, but a fun time and a great way to get the festival started.

(The Sleigh Bells)

She and Him

M-Ward and Zooey Deschanel's 60's throwback pop music is great for listening to while not actively listening. There's something that is so instantly familiar when you hear it, that it's as if the music that's always been there. There's a certain shimmer to what these two produce. It's deceptively simple, until you realize how well thought out the music really is. It's methodically engineered to make you like it, which is no simple task

The problem which She and Him, it that's it simply doesn't translate live. Zooey Deschanel's delivery was lack-luster at best. All of the charisma and charm that she radiates as an actress simply doesn't work when she's the focal point for a band. While I'm sure that Mrs. Gibbard will continue to produce well-crafted pop songs with M-Ward, the band's live performance is it's not strong point.

The Specials

One of the highlights of the day was seeing The Specials. In a year where iconic bands seem to be dusting off their long-dead monikers, and are taking their acts on the road, the announcement of The Specials reunion tour was something I was very much looking forward to. There are many bands that are reunited that simply shouldn't have. (I'm talking to you, The Who) Fortunately, The Specials were not one of these bands. Their performance was amazing. They prowled around the stage like kids half their age, they had complete control of their instruments and ultimately were one of the highlights of the day.

Gil-Scott Heron

Gill-Scott Heron is an icon. For those of you only know him from his shout-out on "Losing My Edge" from LCD Soundsystem, do yourself a favor and find out more. It can be argued that GSH's spoken-word delivery in his music from the 70's and 80's laid the ground work for Hip-Hop, and his politically-charged lyrics made some dub him the "black Bob Dylan," but that simply does not do him justice.

Live, he sat down at the keyboard and proceeded to go to work. His somewhat improvisational set was an experience in soulful force. It's rare at these festivals that there are meditative moments, but GSH's performance did just that. Many of bands on the festival roster could take notes on how an excellent performance is executed from this elder statesman.

(Gil-Scott Heron)

LCD Soundsystem

With the announcement on the DFA website that LCD Soundsystem was going to break-up, and that they were playing the main stage at Coachella, it was big news. Their performance was a fantastic run through their self-described "dance-punk," with James Murphy making sometimes rambling announcements in between songs. I question the logic of whoever made that decision of the band's performance slot right before Jay Z. I managed to work my way to the front of the stage, and overheard a number of folks who only knew of a few LCD tracks, and I even had one "indie bro" (more about this later, it's too funny) ask me if this was going to be a DJ set...sad.

(James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem)

Public Image Limited

In anther move this year that co-opted my formative years and brought back some of the icons that blazed a trail in the alt music world, Public Image Limited has reformed. With this year's Coachella line-up in "throw-back" mode, it was really no surprise to see PIL on the roster. The band's performance was everything you'd expect from a band who's peak was almost 30 years ago. They performed a very solid set, and it's really interesting to hear one of the originators of "dance-punk" (and punk itself, in regards to Johnny Rotten). The bass player, dropped the signature dub bass lines (Jah Wobble was a no-show for the reunion), while Johnny belted out the lyrics and gave his best scowl, but something in the performance was a bit off.

While I was completely in awe of having the chance to see this legendary band perform, I was primarily interested in seeing Johnny Rotten singing on stage, so I could check it off my musical "bucket list." At the end of the day, punk rock does not age gracefully. It was a bit sad to see an iconic figure like Johnny Rotten using a music stand to hold his lyrics and referring to it periodically during the show. Along with the posturing and snide comments, it seemed as if Johnny Rotten has become a parody of himself. With the passing of Malcom McLaren, and with the echo of 1970's punk and new wave becoming more and more faint as new bands and reinvent and evolve the sound, it seems like the baton has long since been passed. Some might say that PIL coming out of retirement was nothing more than a money-making play, the new "Rock and Roll Swindle." For the band's sake, I hope it it.

(PIL Then)

(PIL Now)

Jay-Z

Jay-Z played. It was awesome. Beyonce made a guest appearance. There was fireworks.

Coachella - Day 1 - Ramp Up

2010-04-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Day 1 in the desert.
We were In "ultra-lounge" mode on Thursday, getting ready for the 3 days of music and chaos. We stopped by the ACE Hotel for the Desert Gold warm-up party with The Gaslamp Killer, who we chatted with a bit before his set, which just was sick as always with the GLK.

Great start to the maddness...

DJ Mixes for Spring 2010

2010-04-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of launching the new Architects & Heroes podcast series in May, as well as preparing for a new series of "proper" mixtape coming down the pipline, I've cleaning out the virtual archive, dusting off some mixes from our not so recent past. We've got three very special mixes for you here. Feel free to listen, download and share with friends.

SPACE LOUNGE 2010

Space Lounge 2010 by dj stephen r.

ARCHITECTS & HEREOS Vo1. 1 - Notes from the Laboratory

Architects & Heroes Vol.1 - Notes from the Laboratory by dj stephen r.

ARCHITECTS & HEROES Vol. 2 - The Chronicles of Low Frequency

Architects & Heroes Vol.2 - The Chronicles of Low Frequency by dj stephen r.

Coachella After Party!!! Wow...

2010-04-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

In The Trenches..Live: Tobacco/Nice Nice/Hood Internet in San Diego: 3/24/10

2010-04-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

I can remember the first time I heard Black Moth Super Rainbow thinking that these guys were some hybrid strain of Boards of Canada and the Manson Family. Or, more appropriately, if the Boards of Canada had taken their psychedelic cult persona to it's logical extreme, packed their shit in a van and took the circus on the road, it might come off something like BMSR. But, with Black Moth Super Rainbow, there was something a bit more visceral about the music. Something that was darker, that didn't hint at an agenda, but actively engaged with your senses. Less Scientology, more Jehovah's Witness. Can you hear that knocking on your door?

Tobacco, the one-time front man for BMSR, has pulled a Bobby Brown and has gone solo. I'd seen BMSR at the Troubadour in LA, complete with crazy, low-fi, culty video, bizarro hype man in a Chinese hobo mask and Mike Watt jumping on stage for a couple of numbers. I wasn't sure what to expect from a Tobacco live show, but I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be your run of the mill gig. And it wasn't...

One of the nicest surprises of the evening was Portland's free-form noise pop outfit Nice Nice, that opened the evening. I'd never heard the band's music before, so I had no expectations. Their improvised, beat-driven, noise loops we're something to behold. The band has been active for 10 years, and have been signed to Warp Records, which speaks for itself. They have a unique sound that lands somewhere between Black Dice, Steve Reich and Trans Am (who, incidentally, they are going to be touring with April.)

(*Nice Nice live at the Casbah in SD)

(*Nice Nice video for Everything Falling Apart)

The next part of the evening took the whole night in a radically different direction. One of the DJ/Mash-up artists from The Hood Internet played a full-on dance-party mix, and out of nowhere a gaggle of Tween Hipsters were writhing to the sweet beats, facial hair, leg-warmers and sunglasses all in a hot mess, showering each other with PBR! It looked like a scene out of Lord of the Flies! Now, I like a hipster dance party as much as the next guy (in fact, I've been know to throw a few of these parties myself), but it did seem like a bit of an odd pairing...until I knew the back story. As it turns out, The Hood Internet dudes dropped an AMAZING mixtape that pairs up Aesop Rock with tracks from Tobacco's Fucked Up Friends record. Now, Aesop appears on the Tobacco track Dirt, so this was much more of a natural fit than I thought.

Just as quickly as the dance party crowd was front and center, they dissipated when Tobacco came on, and the psychedelic-loving freaks were front and center waiting for the weird, and they were not disappointed. The show opened with a weird video mix of "found" footage and Chat Roulette (which is creepy enough by itself).

(*Tobacco's Fucked Up videos)

The next 45 minutes was a audio and video assault of the best kind. With Tobacco's solo work, you still get the complexity and layers of sound that BMSR is know for, but it is a lot more paired down and utilitarian. With visuals from ‘Fucked Up Friends 2,′ a blu-ray/dvd set of the band's collected weird videos, running everything from B-horror films to E.T. having sex, the show was one-part psychedelic freak-out and one-part hip-hop show.

(*Tobacco's Chinese Hobo Hype Man)

As the band ran through the tracks off Fucked Up Friends, and a few from Maniac Meat the most noticeable difference in how BMSR and Tobacco work live was the band. It was stripped-down, a bit more of a raw and direct experience, which in my opinion is really the essence of the music. While BMSR live was excellent, it felt like there were more people added just to augment the core. With Tobacco, you get right to the core of the music. It's a more immediate and visceral experience. In a lot of ways, it's kind of the same kind of experience as early hip-hop. Raw, direct, immediate, a little dirty and in the case of Tobacco, just a little bit evil.

(*Tobacco and his Fucked Up Friends)

For Tobacco, this is a jumping-off point. With his forth-coming record Maniac Meat coming out next month, which includes a guest appearance from Beck on 2 tracks, and having the first single "Sweatmother" in rotation on radio stations a month before the record drops, it's clear that Tobacco is poised to do some interesting things this year. If the live show is any indication, then it's going to be an incredible, awesome, dirty, evil thing.

7 Questions with Mexican Institute of Sound

2010-03-19T00:37:00.001-07:00

Since 2004 Mexico City-based DJ and producer Camilo Lara, aka Mexican Institute Of Sound, has been at the forefront of a new wave of Latin American musicians that fuse traditional music of the region with more modern sounds. His efforts have led to 3 releases to date, including Méjico Máxico, Piñata and 2009's Soy Sauce, which have garnered critical acclaim in publications like Spin, NY Times, and URB.

Along with his role as president of EMI Mexico, Camilo is on the grind spreading the word about the sounds the are emanating from south of the border. He took time out of his busy schedule for our latest installment of 7 questions with...

A&H: Tell me a little about your background and the Mexican Institute of Sound

Camilo: Ive been working with musicians since I was 14. Both my brothers had bands, and I started doing remixes for friends and then I decided to do it on my own. That is how I started!

A&H: Your name is frequently mentioned when the U.S. press covers "underground" Latin American, or Latin-influenced electronic music (i.e. Toy Selectah, Nortec Collective and Bersa Discos). Do you see M.I.S. as a part of some bigger Latin electronic music movement?

Camilo: Well, in a way yes. I guess its like being Ian Dury during the beginning of New Wave. He was a punk doing things differently, but for the media he was a New Waver.

There is one idea on the air, that's a fact. Funny enough, its happening all over Latin America. I feel close to the ZZK guys from Argentina, Toy Selectah from Monterrey and Nortec from Tijuana. We all grown up listening to the same music. Electronic music, regional music, lots of Cumbia and Norteño, so we have that in common, we do music that has those elements in common.

It's also great for press and retail to put everything in the same bucket and sell it! Ha ha ha!

A&H: For those who have a limited knowledge of this scene, the fusion of styles, of electronic music and regional Latin American music, has been happening for quite some time. At some point, did you realize that there was a definitive movement happening?

Camilo: Its more of a generational thing. The previous generation wanted to fuse rock with Cumbia, because, they grown up listening to The Clash and the Ramones. When I started going out, we listened to the Happy Mondays, and all the Manchester & Bristol music, so I guess our background is different. We all were listening to the same kind of music, so we all wanted to go in a similar direction. I guess when 2 or 3 people do something right in a generation, it becomes a Movement! Ask the punks or the goths.

Not so sure if is a movement yet. All I know is that we have the same age and taste in music.

A&H: Movement may be a strong term for what's happening, but there does seem to be a lot more interest in the United States in what's happening south of U.S. border musically. Do you think that U.S. music journalists are just starting to pay more attention, or is it more of a critical mass of artists pushing their stuff out there?

Camilo: I guess both. The UK and US are definitely taking a deeper look into emerging countries. Not only in music, in films and art too. The world is smaller now!

A&H: In addition to your roll in M.I.S., you're a part of EMI Mexico. Do you think that perspective on the music business has influenced the way you get your own music out to people?

Camilo: I started working when I was 16 at EMI, so probably it did, but it's two completely different activities. One is sitting answering emails and phone calls, and the other is creating and performing.

A&H: What's do you have planned next for M.I.S.?

Camilo: We're doing a lot of things. Right now, we're finishing a record with Money Mark, Quique Rangel from Café Tacuba, Julieta Venegas and Marthin Tulin from Los Fancy Free, and I love what we recorded. Also, I'm remixing a lot of people. Tom Tom Club, Chris Holmes and Julieta Venegas. We're doing some traveling for performances in Brazil, Europe, and of course there several festivals in the US

A&H: What's your top 10 right now?

1. The Soft Pack
2. She’s a Tease
3. Los Macuanos
4. Yoko Ono Plastic Band
5. The Black Roc Project
6. Break
7. Charlotte Gainsbour
8. Los Planetas
9. Anita Tijoux
10. Uffie

Mexican Institute Of Sound - Alocatel

Music Downloads:

Alocatel(Ad Rock Remix)

Yo Digo Baila

Sounds for protesting SXSW - March 2010

2010-03-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

Many pots are boiling here around the A&H camp, records are being mastered, behind the scenes deals are being made, work is working and we find ourselves sequestered (not by law this time) to the City of Angels while the rest of the dialed-in world descends on Austin Texas. While we may not be in Texas, our twitters are all a-glow with who's "killing it," so it's almost like we're there. Meantime back in LA, our selectors have been tuned-in to what were some of our favorite jams of 2009.

Stay tuned for some interesting news, and in the meantime, don't sweat the technique.

1. Flossin - Serpents EP
http://shop.overlap.org/album/flossin-serpents-ep
2. Cold Cave - Love Comes Close
http://www.myspace.com/coldcave
3. Cex - Bataille Royale
http://tigerbeat6.com/cex/
4. Nite Jewel - Good Evening
http://www.myspace.com/nitejewel
5. Furious Stylz
http://www.myspace.com/wearefuriousstylz
6. Nosaj Thing - Drift (Alpha Pup)
http://www.myspace.com/nosajthing
7. Noveller - Red Rainbows (No Fun)
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Noveller
8. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
http://www.flaminglips.com/
9. Dam Funk - Toeachizown
http://www.myspace.com/damfunk
10. Point Royal - Dying In Time (n5MD)
http://www.myspace.com/uptheroyals

Flying Lotus Talks New LP, Lil Wayne

2010-01-24T23:57:00.000-08:00

Flying Lotus Talks New LP, Lil Wayne

DJ Stephen R. > Tonight on KUCI's Digital::Nimbus

2010-01-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

I am the featured artist tonight on the D::N radio program. See the post below for more information.

From Digital::Nimbus

-- --
DIGITAL::NIMBUS :: Electronic Audio Freakquencies
http://digitalnimbus.com :: http://kuci.org
KUCI 88.9 FM, Friday Nights 12-3am (PST)

-- --
DJ Stephen R. presents "Zygote - The Mixtape"
http://architectheroes.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/djstephenr

"Zygote - The Mixtape" is a DJ mix compiled exclusively for
Digital::Nimbus on KUCI radio. The tracks are all original electronic
music composed and produced by Zygote (aka Stephen R.) from the
upcoming release on Architects & Heroes
(http://architectheroes.blogspot.com) entitled '00/10' that spans 10
years of the artist's career. The material spans a number of
production techniques, from sound collage, to digital sound
processing, to the use of linear sequencing tools. Everything from
analog to digital tools are used to create this look back at the past
decade of music produced under the Zygote moniker, with a eye firmly
focused on the future of what is to come.

DJ Stephen R. is a Los Angeles-based DJ and music producer. He's the
founder of Architects and Heroes a blog, record label and event
production group. He is the founder of the Hot Flash Party. He has
releases on Under the Radar Records and Alectric Records and is the
founder of The "Under the Radar" experimental music and video events
in San Francisco. He has performed with some of underground music's
most well-known names, including Kool Keith, Jeff Parker of Tortoise,
Peaches, Kid606 (Tigerbeat 6), Richard Devine (Warp) and Taylor
Deupree. Stephen R. is also the founding member of the left-of-center
instrumental band Summer of Flux and records solo as Zygote.

Vampire Weekend x Toy Selectah

2010-01-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

So, last night I went to see Vampire Weekend at the Music Box at the Fonda in Hollywood. It was a belated Christmas gift to my girlfriend, who is a fan. I honestly didn't know much about them and didn't expect much. I was truly blown away by how good the band was live, enough to head down to the merch booth and scoop up their new release, Contra(this was after all the official record release party). As I was ripping into the package, out drops a bonus CD of remixes by one of my favorite Cumbia DJ/Producers Toy Selectah! So, as it turns out that (in the words of pitchfork) "The Mexican DJ and dance producer Toy Selectah has paid the album his own kind of tribute, turning several of its tracks into a blippy, hyperactive, Dan Deacon-esque six-minute jam." After a little digging, I unearthed this freak-out video as well.

Also, I'll be back to podcasting starting this weekend, and I'll be dropping the Cousins T.S. mix, so stay tuned!

In the process of compiling my top 10 of 2009

2009-12-04T02:09:00.000-08:00

To be perfectly honest, I had reservations about this record. But, they were personal reasons and not very objective. This is simply an amazing record.

<a href="http://shop.overlap.org/album/flossin-serpents-ep">Crystal Cobra by Overlap.org</a>

Greetings from the edge of the world

2009-11-29T03:03:00.000-08:00

It's full-throttle holiday action here at camp A&H, and there's much news to report. The Summer of Flux (the collaboration between Stephen R. and Aaron Mobley) E.P. "Radio Anthems for the Newly Disenfranchised" has just came back from being mastered by 12k Mastering (run by the amazingly talented Taylor Deupree) and is slated as our first release in January 2010. There are samples of the tracks on The Summer of Flux Myspace page and the track listing is as follows:

1. Something
2. Now, all is ever
3. Love letter to Oklahoma (Part 2)
4. Smoke variations
5. I like even more now that you've started to fade from memory
6. The Golden Dragon cries for justice
7. Radical Math
8. Love letter to Oklahoma (Part 1)
9. Magical Dracula powers

The release will be on CD and digital, and there is a short film in the works that will be a companion to the film as well. More details on the album release, and subsequent DVD release in the next few weeks.

And in other news...

DJ Stephen R., yours truly, is busy producing the second installment of the Create Fixate podcast, which will be up and running by Monday. For those who simply cannot wait to hear the latest installment, then click here to check out the very first podcast every produced for C:F by our camp.

Zygote lives!

The dorment left-of-center electronic music project of Stephen R., Zygote is about to be reborn. There are plans in the works for a new mixtape, "Architects & Heroes Vol. 3: Zygote the mixtape" which will highlight unreleased material from the past decade that is slated for release on the label in Feb of 2010. Also, there is a new addition to Zygote, on vocals is Lindsey Gray Todd. There is new material in the works now which will be part of a new Zygote release in early spring.

For more Zygote information, go here:
Review of Zygote 7" split
Zygote @Pegasus News
Zygote at Discogs

2009 Summer Rewind, or the Feel Good Hit of the Fall

2009-09-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Summer of 2009 has been quite a roller-coaster ride. From those of you dialed-in to the A&H camp's output, you know we've maintained radio silence for the past few months. We've been on summer sabbatical, but that's not to say we've been lazy. The summer of 2009 has been filled with our first party in Los Angeles, attending live shows, the continuation of our Packin' Heat night DJ nights and the production of the Create:Fixate podcast. We lost some exceptionally talented artists in the Summer of 2009, but there was more celebration of the work these artists left us during their time here on earth. Let's keep on living, shall we?

We had our very first (and, by all accounts, chaotic) party here in Los Angeles.

There were live performances by Mochipet and [a]pendics.shuffle, some killer DJ sets from Sodapop from Anticon and Oro11 from Bersa Discos. And the behind the scenes business? Damn. Here's some evidence. Shit's real son. But, that was our July opener...

Live and direct...

This summer there were so many shows, DJ gigs and after parties that it's hard to nail down what was best, but these were some stand-outs:

1. Black Moth Super Rainbow at the Troubadour
I first heard Tobacco and company on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, and thought that they were amazing. Like a cross between Boards of Canada and early Flaming Lips. I honestly thought they were more creatures of the studio, rather than a full band who could hold it down. I was wrong. They were fantastic live, and toward the end of the show, none other than Mike Watt jumped on stage to perform with them.

2. Flying Lotus / Daedelus destroy LA party at the Henry Fonda Theater in L.A.
So, it's safe to say that these guys started in L.A., but now have the whole fucking world in their sites. Putting together a sick and diverse line-up of talent for this show, this scene is at the tipping point. Anchored by the weekly Low End Theory club and by the extended music family that is the Brainfeeder Crew, this scene has really blown up to epic proportions in the past few years. Boosted by International DJs, connecting with a global cast of characters and releasing some of the most amazing bass-driven electronic music to come out of America, I can't wait to see what's next for these guys.

3. Flaming Lips at the Greek Theater
This is my hometown band. I first saw them play when I was 13 at the Student Union at the University of Oklahoma. The fact that these guys are now festival headliners, creating amazing music AND maintaining relevance in a scene where bands are on-and-off of the radar in a blink of an eye after being together for 25 years is proof that staying true to your vision over time can make you a star.

Oh yeah, their live show is like going to the circus.

4. Santigold & Femi Kuti at Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl. This was my first trip to this historic Los Angeles venue. I wasn't expecting such "sit-down" venue. While the space is beautiful, I thought is wasn't really suited for the bass-hyped, blog-friendly, "friend of Diplo," internet sensation Santigold...but I was wrong. Raphael Saadiq (who say's there's not life after the 80's? Since this dude fronted Tony! Toni! Toné! and has now reinvented himself as a 60's soul dude in 2009...right on man) opened the show, which was great, but it was still daylight out, so it was the vibe was kind of flat. As the sun dropped behind the Hollywood Hills, Santigold simply burned the place down. At one point, I looked around and the entire audience at the venue was on it's feet. Lights out.

Femi was rad too. I mean, come on...he's Femi Kuti, you know?

5. Telefon Tel Aviv at Spaceland
With the death of Charles Wesley Cooper, the founder of the band, there was much speculation about what would happen to Telefon Tel Aviv. Having listened to all of their records, but having never seen them live, I'm not sure I have the best perspective on "what was" versus "what is." What I can say, is that was one of the best "electronic" music gigs I've seen in a while.

So many sounds push themselves into my ear...

Always the consummate DJ, I'm constantly listening to new stuff. A twitter link here, a burned CD there, some crazy kid in skinny jeans at the burrito place in Echo Park talking some new garage band...I'm always hunting for noise. Here is what caught my ears this summer.

1. Cex - Bataille Royale
This is like some crazy hybrid strain of pot that is shipped in from outer space. The once snot nose, shit-talking, former IDM list "it" guy, grew-up, retreated to Baltimore and has emerged with this. It's an AMAZING take on Baltimore club music, spliced with a mutant strain of electronic music (pioneered more by Jonah Sharp, FAX records and Tetsu Inoue than Squarepusher) that takes it, and pardon the cliche, "to next." It's truly ambient club music, and really a stand-out record.

2. Furious Stylz
This new bass freak-out business by Telephone Jim Jesus, from the Anticon camp, and SkyRider Riddim, has been in wide rotation on the ipod. This stuff is highly addictive, and a new twist on dub, bass, low-end and um...dub. Highly recommended.

3. The Race
I just saw the race open up for Telefon Tel Aviv. A great live/electronic act, that somehow minds the gap between Joy Division, Aphex Twin and Big Audio Dynamite.

4. Bersa Discos
With their distribution deal with Turntable Lab, these guys just keep on rockin'! Stay tuned... these guys keep bringing the Nu-Cumbia heat.

Hat's off to loss...

There were too many talented people that died this summer. There's been too much talk of Michael Jackson's death, so I'll keep this short. Since I personally don't think MJ released anything worth listening to since 1984 (U2 hasn't either, and again, that my personal opinion so please keep the hate mail to a minimum), I'll leave it at this. He was an amazing artist and performer, and he died too early. And then there was DJ AM. So many kind and eloquent words have been said about him and his passing, that I don't think I could do justice by adding more. As a DJ and producer, I was inspired by the man. I listened to his DJ sets, and studied how he operated. Diplo said it best, "Listen up. All u have when u pass away is the relationships u left behind.. AM was still friends to everyone he met. And the king of us djs." Well said. You will be missed.

Thanks Summer of 2009, you were awesome. Call me sometime.

Sufjan to Perform Seven Swans at ATP

2009-09-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

Sufjan to Perform Seven Swans at ATP

Shared via AddThis

DJ/rupture to Release New Mix Album

2009-07-31T15:36:00.001-07:00

DJ/rupture to Release New Mix Album

Shared via AddThis

The Day After-Party...

2009-07-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Now that the dust has settled, the wounds have scabbed over, the sound system has been dismantled and bill has been tallied (and trust me, quite a bill it is...I'm still paying it), we can look back 5 days ago with some semblance of fond memory. I'd like to thank Mochipet, Kenneth ([a]pendics.shuffle), Bryan (sorry for the bump, I've got something for you in return) Oro11 and Shaun/Sodapop for being suburb talent. Also, I'd like to thank Dublab, Tomas at Grow Your Own Media, Jenn Tran and the talent wrangler crew , Pam, Michael/Smex (dude, you're a lifesaver), Mattbot and of course the crew at the Silver Echo Gallery.

Instead of waxing on about the evening, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE PICTURES

(Mochipet & Stephen R.)

A&H Presents: Mochipet, [a]pendics.shuffle, Boom Bip, Sodapop, Oro11 & New Berlin

2009-06-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Get your tickets now:
http://electroparty.eventbrite.com/

Saturday July 25th, Architects and Heroes presents a night of mind-blowing sound. This is our first jump-off in LA, and we're pulling out all of the stops. This one-off, after-hours event will be at the Silver Echo Gallery, and will host some of the most amazing musicians and DJs in the game. There will be a beer & wine bar, video art and other surprises.

The line-up will be as follows:

MOCHIPET (Live)

[a]pendics.shuffle (Live)

Boom Bip

Oro11 (Bersa Discos)

SODAPOP (Anticon)

NEW BERLIN (Teleport Door)

DJ STEPHEN R. (Architects and Heroes)

Online Event Registration - Powered by www.eventbrite.com

Sounds for Art

2009-05-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

After a mind-blowing performance by Black Moth Super Rainbow on Friday at the Troubadour, the A&H crew (Stephen R. and New Berlin) were asked to DJ at the Kopeikin Gallery during the art walk on Melrose.

Check out the pictures here.

After the gig, we headed to the Silver Echo Gallery's party to check out a few bands and get the opportunity to meet some of the elusive street artists from the area.

Sprung out west

2009-05-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a bit of a blur here at camp A&H. It's seems like we've barely had the opportunity to catch our breath from Coachella 09 before the next wave of Spring activity hit, but this is a good thing! First off, we've started a new night with Teleport Door's resident DJ and New Media guru Anthony Mauzy (aka New Berlin) called Packin Heat. The night will focus on Dub, Afrofunk, Latin, Throwback Hip-Hop and 3rd World Electro beats.We'll be spinning on the First and Third Wednesdays at the amazing Mandrake Bar, in the heart of Culver City's gallery district.

Photos from Packin Heat - 1

We're also teaming with New Berlin for a one-off event this Saturday night at the Verdugo Bar called SPACE/BASS. We'll be stocked up with mixtapes and have a few surprises in store for the evening, so if you're in LA, come and spend part of your Memorial Day Weekend with us.

Architects & Heroes Vol. 2 - The Chronicles of Low Frequency

2009-04-23T00:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Earth Day kids. Download the new DJ Stephen R. mixtape, then go recycle some stuff!

DOWNLOAD HERE (right-click and save)

1 - Intro
2 - Harmonic 313 - Cyclotron C64 Sid
3 - Michna - Italian visitors
4 - Flying Lotus - Bad Actors
5 - Harmonic 313 - Word Problems
6 - Neil Landstr umm - Shit Daddy Bass (with Carlton Killawatt)
7 - Disr upt – Echobombing
8 - Tayo Meets Acid Rockers Uptown - Dread Cowboy
9 - Buraka Som Sistema & Skream – Blipstream
10 - South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again Club Edit
11 - Daleduro - Bombon Asesino
12 - Jahtari Riddim Force – Depth Charge
13 - Bastard Jazz – Twiddle
14 - Goldfinga – Stress
15 - DJ Stephen R - How Meh Kill Dracula?
16 - Pete Murder Tone - Paper Tiger
17 - Baris Manco - Gönül Dagi
18 - Jeff Parker – Get Dressed
19 - Shoes - Oh! One Calcutta Thing
20 - Greenwood Rhythm Coalition - Secret Stash

Coachella 2009

2009-04-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Living in LA, it's hard not to be inundated with the hype about Coachella. It's everywhere from all of the "alternative" weekly papers, to local "indie" radio (ok, that's just KCRW now) to all of the blogs based here, it's hard to escape the gravity of the festival. Now, I've been to my fair share of big-ass music festivals, and while they are a fun way to burn a weekend, for me it's not the best way to experience live music. With that being said, this year's Coachella was a very nice surprise.

With only Saturday to take in as much as I could, I hit the Palm Desert on a mission to soak up as much music as I could in the 11 hours I had. At my last count, I saw 20 bands. This is what stood out from the chaos.

TV on the Radio

Photo credit: LA Times

Since "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes," TVOTR has consistently climbed the ranks in the independent music world, much like earlier contemporaries Depeche Mode and the Cure. Like these two bands, TVOTR has cultivated a fan-base from city-to-city proving that their live performances are as powerful as their studio offerings. Their Cochella performance, on the main stage, was fantastic.

Performing "Staring at the Sun" as the sun was setting was perfect. Not even a hint of irony there.

MIA

Photo credit: Mike Orlosky

There have been some mixed reviews about MIA's performance on the main stage, replacing Amy Winehouse, who clearly went MIA herself. I've seen MIA 3 times now, and with each performance her stage show becomes more and more elaborate. Her performance included a dance troupe, a LCD video back drop that U2 might use and a DJ who's constant use of the airhorn gave the performance about as much street-cred as you can have performing in front of 20,000 people.

Chemical Brothers

My inner teenage raver couldn't help checking out the CB's at the dance tent. It's strange to see thousands of folks watching concert style what should be a dance party, but the energy couldn't be denied. After 15+ years of banging out the dance hits, the Brothers show no sign of stopping.

Bob Mould

Photo from swill-merchant.blogspot.com

Now, to go a little further back in the way-back machine, I stopped in to see the Bob Mould Band. Now, Husker Du is an old-school punk favorite of mine. Going on 30+ years of making music, Bob has done more than his fair share. Starting Husker Du, forming the band Sugar, and even making dance music, it's fair to say that he's left his mark.

Unfortunately, unlike musicians his age that seem to evolve and try new things (think Wayne Coyne of the Flamming Lips), Bob has stuck with the 3 cord template that propelled him in the first place. His performance was solid and energetic, but nothing new.

Kode 9

Photo Credit: Matthew Trentacoste

I can't say enough good things about Kode 9. Kode 9, aka Steve Goodman, is founder of the Hyperdub Label, has a Ph.D in philosophy and lectures in addition to producing and performing. His set was in the "dome" area, which on this 2nd night of the festival was being hosted by the Pure Filth Sound System, who have one of the most incredible sound set ups I've ever seen.

Kode 9 is on my top 10 performers and producers for 2009, not doubt.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

For those of you not familiar with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, it's kind of difficult to explain without hearing. Imagine 1970's radio, twisted through the filter of effects, with a healthy dose of pure freak-out noise pop. (See, I told you it would be difficult.)

As a live show, I wasn't sure what to expect. So much of what makes APHG so interesting is figuring out just how in the world the songs were recorded. It's either very low-fi (and recorded in the 1970's) or so over-processed that it could never be reproduced live. Or so I thought...

The live performance was great. Ariel Pink looked every bit the junkie that you'd expect him to, and the band played every weird note like it was a recording session. The only difference between the live performance and the records was the fact that the live version sounded better!

If you're not familiar, just check this out:
www.myspace.com/arielpink

Drop The Lime

Luca Venezia, aka Drop The Lime and Curses!, has been a force in the underground dance community of NYC for more than a few years now. Starting out as a Breakcore producer and DJ (you can here a snipet of his earlier material here), DTL has steadily evolved into a performer who now commands the main room at the party. Along with his Trouble & Bass crew in NYC, he's helped push 4-to-the floor bass music to it's logical extreme. He'll be performing with a live band this year, touring with Fisherspooner.

His Coachella DJ set was sick! He played at 2:30 in the afternoon, and somehow managed to get 10,000 folks on their feet and dancing with hands up. So, what's new Luca?

Other highlights:

Surkin day-rave business...

Fleet Foxes

Folks not realizing who "Perry Ferrel" was when introduced by the Thievery Corporation

The Liars

Superchunk being as awesome as ever

Falling asleep while the Killers were playing

Until next year...

Throwback

2009-04-04T02:50:00.001-07:00

Juan MacLean mix on XLR8R

2009-03-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

DFA Poster Boy and space disco genius dropped a new mix on XLR8R's web site. It's got some fantastic stuff on it.

Check it out here

Tormenta Tropical x DJ/Rupture 03.13.09 in LA

2009-03-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

Bersa Discos is holding it down, making the jump to LA with their Tormenta Tropical party. They've been holding it down in San Francisco for a while now, being named party of the year by the SF Guardian. Last month I went to this, and a very casual Diplo, DJ Switch and Danger Mouse were in the building. Come see what this is all about....

Tonight's guests are DJ/RUPTURE and Lengua.

Cop a mix...
Bersa Discos Cumbia Mix for Fader Magazine

7 Questions with Tomas Palermo

2009-03-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

1. For those that don't know your background, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm a Bay Area native who grew up skateboarding in the late-80s, going to lots of all-ages shows, underground clubs and house parties. I was friends with a few mobile DJs in high school, and also did radio shows at my high school on 10 watt FM station. I began spinning punk, dirge, avant garde rock, reggae, dub and soul. Anything from The Jam, Joy Division or Subhumans to Steel Pulse, Johnny Clarke, Scientist, Wailing Souls and Black Uhuru. I went to college in LA where I became heavily involved in their radio station, KXLU. I did daytime shifts and the reggae show on Saturdays for 7 years.

I co-founded and played drums in a noise band called Slug (Magnatone, PCP Records) from 1988–2005. I started doing music writing and journalism and was the original reggae columnist for Urb Magazine. I was also DJing a lot of clubs at the time, playing reggae, rare groove jazz-funk, hip-hop and electronic music. I started three main club nights in LA in the 1990s, Umoja Jazz & Ragga Lounge with DJ Daz and Culture D, an after-hours night called Goa Dub with DJ Jun and B-Side with Daz, Cokni O'Dire, Cut Chemist and more. Daz, Jun, Culture D, Cokni and I founded the Umoja Hi-Fi Sound System in 1993 as an umbrella organization for all our DJ activities.

In 1996 I moved back to the Bay Area, and worked in several SF record stores before becoming editor at XLR8R Magazine in 1999. I edited at XLR8R until 2005, and then went to SF State for a teaching credential. Since 2007 I've been working as an editor at Wiretap Magazine, doing freelance writing for XLR8R.com, Earplug, SF Bay Guardian and others, as well as continuing to DJ, and do music consulting. I also coach high school running coach. I enjoy running 5K races.

2. What's your involvement with Voltage Music? What is the label currently up to?

XLR8R founder/publisher Andrew Smith and I co-founded Voltage Music in 1999/2000. We released 10 vinyl singles between 2000 - 2005. Then the label went on hiatus while I was in school and broke. These days its just myself running things. In 2009 I relaunched the label as a digital outlet with distribution from INgrooves and released our first compilation, Dub For The Dancefloor: Voltage Remixed and Unreleased. It came out January 20 and is doing pretty well.

Our next release should be out by May. It's a five song EP by the Toronto dub producer Earlyworm. He sounds like Twilight Circus or King Tubby. The EP has remixes by SF's Kush Arora and Roommate (Babylon System). The focus of the label will continue to be "Dub For The Dancefloor" -- including all forms of dub, downtempo, dubstep, broken and abstract electronic grooves. Look for the t-shirts and stickers and possibly a CD version of the comp this summer.

3. How about Umoja Soundsystem? What's going on with the crew in 09?

In 2008 we had a very successful 15-year anniversary at Surya Dub at Club Six in San Francisco. It was the first time all the founding members had played together in the Bay Area. These days Daz, Jun and Culture D live in LA, Cokni O' Dire lives in Dallas, a newer member, Stevie G lives in Bali, and DJ B-Love and I live in SF. So we do occasional satellite nights in different cities under the Umoja banner. In LA, we have a series of parties called Uprock, and in SF I organize various nights -- two or three a year.

We also started a podcast series in 2009 that features new installments monthly from various members. It's amazing to still be DJing with people I began with, and still respect. It's a pretty eclectic, amazing crew of DJs -- Culture D is a dancehall master, Jun is into disco-edits, rare techno, house and avant garde dance, Stevie G plays dance classics and deep house, Daz has unparalled soul, funk, hip-hop and reggae knowledge, Cokni is deep with his hip-hop and dancehall, and I play a little bit of everything, including dubstep, broken beat, reggae, global beats and soul.

4. Many know your involment with XLR8R over the years. Are you still working with them in any capacity?

Thankfully yes. I love that crew. In fact, Andrew and I got drunk at a Fader/Diesel party a few weekends back. Then last Thursday he was a guest at my roots reggae monthly, Roadblock at Koko Cocktails. I contribute to the mag occasionally, but mostly for XLR8R.com -- news bits and reviews. Due to the economic downturn, they've had to scale back a bit, but I'm always in the loop. I'm also contributing to an arts weekly called SF Bay Guardian in SF.

5. What's next for you?

I'm going to continue to DJ and write and coach running. I should have a new single on Voltage from my production alias, Dub I.D. -- that's another whole can of worms, the Dub I.D./Double Identity alias. But regardless, I hope to release a bunch of music in 2009 on Voltage, mostly singles and EPs. I'll be presenting a scholarly paper with Ron Nachmann (a.k.a. Shockman from Voltage Music) on Lovers Rock at this year's EMP in Seattle. Recently, I've been doing more music consulting for artists and clubs. I've consulted for Souls of Rap Folks, Fiyawata and an LA band called Holloys -- they're wicked, look out for their serious tribal indie album.

6. How can people find out more about what you're up to?

My blog, ForwardEver and my label Voltage Music are the best ways to find out my current runnings. I update those regularly. On the blog there's a sign-up link for my monthly email update called "Gigz N Thangz" -- that's a good way to stay connected. I also post mixes to a Podomatic page. The other day I realized how many profiles and online things I'm trying to manage -- including an Imeem page, True Skool page etc... Way too many!

7. What's your top 10 right now?

This is a very abbreviated list of the many things I'm musically obsessed with at the moment. A true list would probably have to be a Top 100... But for the sake of space:

Baijie – That's Life (Truck Back)
Untold – Dante (Hotflush)
Mavado – So Blessed (VP)
Ramadanman – Humber (Applepips)
Amit Shoham – Sufi Life -Ivan-I & Jason Howell Dub (Tarantic)
The Dynamics – Bring It Up (Big Single)
Marcio Local – Samba Sem Nenhum Problema (Luaka Bop)
Vybz Kartel – Life Sweet (Eastern Block)
M-Swift – Play It On The Floor (Jazzmin)
V.I.V.E.K. – Groove On (uneleased)

Bizzart - Future Stars and Small Wonders

2009-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

When you think of the state of pop music; of the brain-dead swagger of mainstream hip-hop, the formulaic repetition of "indie" rock and the hundreds of zombie-like dance-rock clones, it's hard to imagine that there are people out there making records that are truly original and truly off the script. Arthur Arellanes III (A.K.A Bizzart) has been steadily evolving a sound that takes hip hop, experimental, dub, video game noise and strings to sculpt a pop landscape that is whole unique.

Sometimes dark with abstract and grotesque angles, sometimes a dream-like collage, weaving personal story lines and keen observation into a synthesis of influences, the whole of the record is more than the sum of it's parts. Listening to the record, it would be easy to fall into the cliche of talking about "going on a journey" through someone's head. From the rough, almost industrial feel of "Android Hearts", or the piano-driven spoken word piece "Changing Stars",(a song that could almost be mistaken for Radiohead) that evolves into an electro-glitch and string workout, with jazz-like breaks in the middle... the genre-hopping sensibility is only over-shadowed by Arthur's ability to maintain a signature sound throughout the experience.

"Hookers And Bling" take a dead-shot on hip-hop's misogyny and materialism, "Back To My Planet" and "My Sister's in Jail" have moments that sound as much like Sufjan Stephens, as they have a truly optimistic feel. All of the tracks, from the indie sounding "Tuesday" to the dub infused "Future Girls" to the almost ballad elements of "Marthur", there's no fear of flipping the script on this one. While each on of the tracks can stand alone, Future Stars and Small Wonders is something that must be digested as a whole to really appreciate. It's kind of like seeing a stereogram for the first time. Like seeing something that rises out of ether.

You can find more information on the record at Joyful Noise Recordings.

7 Questions with Jimmy Tamborello

2009-01-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

The proliferation Jimmy Tamborello is well documented. From his work as Dntel, James Figurine, Figurine and the cross-over success of Postal Service, Jimmy's talent and work ethic have propelled him to the forefront of the independent music scene. With Dntel being signed to Subpop, his James Figurine releases on Plug Research, his regular radio program on Dublab and countless other creative projects, Jimmy Tamborello continues the process of refining his forward-looking art and pushing himself forward.

Architects and Heroes had the opportunity to catch up with Jimmy, and here's the result.

1. How did you get started producing music? Who were some of your influences?

When I was in 7th or 8th grade my dad bought some home studio equipment (he played sax and flute as a hobby and was interested in recording his own songs). After school, my friends and I started using the equipment and making songs and creating bands just for fun. I was just becoming a big fan of music and it was exciting to realize I had the tools to make my own. I think my parents bought me my first sampler a few years later and my interest kept growing from there. Early on my biggest influences were 80s techno pop like new order and the pet shop boys and then a little later it was a lot of industrial music, especially skinny puppy.

2. You've recorded under a number of pseudonyms and in a number of collaborative projects. Has this be a conscious decision? Do you like having a number of different outlets to try different things musically?

From the start with my friends in high school it was part of the game to come up with band names and characters, so that probably influenced my tendency to keep coming up with new projects and new names all the time. But also I’m interested in making a lot of different kinds of music and I’d feel bad if someone who enjoyed Figurine’s techno pop bought the new Figurine album and it was all noise…

Oh and also I end up working with different configurations of friends so that also leads to different band names even though most of them could barely be considered bands.

(*A side note from A+H, I've got the Antihouse record that came out on Visible Records, and still listen to it. Honestly, I've only recently realized it was you who produced it.)

That’s crazy! I feel like that’s the first time I’ve heard of anybody actually having that besides me and david and our families. -J

3. What projects do you currently have in the works?

I’ve been doing a bunch of cover songs under the James Figurine moniker and posting one a month on my website for people to download for free. It’s been a good way to keep busy and mess around with different production ideas without having to worry about the hard part (writing songs and lyrics especially). The January post will be the last cover post and I think I’m going to clean up the 10 tracks I’ve collected and turn it into a low-key release.

I’ve also been slowly working on a dntel related project but it’s too early to go into details. And still coming up with Postal Service ideas, hopefully this year Ben and I will get some time to work on some songs.

3. How about your Dublab show? How do you program for that?

The dublab radio show (www.dublab.com) is really fun. My show’s called Dying Songs and it’s a really random selection of music I’ve discovered in the week or two before I record a show, plus some old favorites thrown in. on Tuesdays dublab streams live but usually it’s a prerecorded stream of a bunch of different djs’ shows. You can also access archives of the djs’ older shows. I usually record maybe 1 or 2 hour-long shows per month.

5. Are there any artists you'd like to work with?

There are tons of artists that I love but I’m trying to get away from working with a lot of different singers. I really don’t do well with strangers so I’d love to become even more self-contained. I wish I was more comfortable with my voice and my lyrics, I’m trying to work on that, but in the meantime I’m trying to do projects with fewer people involved. Like the new dntel related project will probably just be one singer who’s a friend singing all the vocal tracks instead of having a different vocalist on each track.

6. Are you currently playing out any live/dj shows?

Just barely. I always end up djing at bars and shows, usually because Dublab is involved in a lot of stuff going on around LA. But I never know usually until a week or two before an event. And I’m hoping in 2009 I can come up with some sort of live show, really just to have an excuse to do some traveling. It’s been a while since I’ve played a show that I was really proud of, so I have to figure out some new way to present my music live.

7. What's your top 5 right now?

Animal Collective – merriweather post pavilion

Moondog – H’art Songs

Psychic Ills – Mirror Eye

Barbara Morgenstern – BM

Nite Jewel – My CD

Sten – The Essence

More information:

http://www.jimmytamborello.com/

Jimmy Tamborello Selects - Dying Songs for XLR8R

Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland - "Aer OBAMA"

2009-01-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

This speaks for itself...

Pitchfork Gets on My Level

2009-01-14T16:24:00.001-08:00

It's looks like Pitchfork FINALLY gave some digital ink to Zomby, and reviewed "Where Were U in 92?," while we here at Architects and Heroes pinned this as one of top 10 of 2008. This doesn't happen that often, so when it does, I gloat about it a bit.

Thanks for catching up to me Pitchfork!

Zomby record review in Pitchfork

The Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead at 60

2009-01-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

(From AP News) ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Punk guitarist Ron Asheton of The Stooges has been found dead in his Ann Arbor home. He was 60.

City police Sgt. Brad Hill says there were no signs of foul play, and the death appeared to be of natural causes.

Hill says officers discovered Asheton early Tuesday after they were called to his home around midnight by an associate who hadn't heard from him in several days.

Asheton was an original member of The Stooges, the influential protopunk band founded in Ann Arbor in 1967. Asheton's brother, Scott, was the band's drummer.

Asheton's distorted guitar was a hallmark of the Iggy Pop-led group's late-1960s and early-1970s sound. He was named the 29th greatest guitarist of all time in 2003 by Rolling Stone.

Ron Asheton, Stooges guitarist found dead, CNN

Land of a Thousand Rappers - Vol 2: WARHOL BUCK$

2009-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

From the land of conceptual hip-hop and power point presentation performance art comes the latest installment of the Slo-Ro (aka Michael Kaufmann, A&R for Asthmatic Kitty) curated Land of a Thousand Rappers. Without a full background on exactly what this project is, it could be a bit confusing, so I'll just give you the 30,000 foot view. It's an amazing abstract hip-hop project, with an amazing back story.

Dig around, you'll find more information than you ever imagined. Download the Land of a Thousand Rappers - Vol 2: WARHOL BUCK$

1. DRUGS, BOMBS AND THE SOHO ART MARKET
2. C2 H5 OoH BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAYST
3. BLINGER BUMPIE WIGGLE
4. MISTER SELF-HELP HIMSELF
5. COLONY COLLAPSE MADE TO ORDER
6. BLOOD LIGHTING ON THE PLANET EARTH
7. WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS TIME TRAVEL AGENCY AND DELICATESSEN
8. LOOKING FOR THE ARCHITECT
9. WARPAINT
10. JACUZZI UZI
11. QUEEN OF WAR
12. SPACE AVAILABLE
13. MY TEETH ARE WEAPONS
14. SPELUNKISH VISIONQUEST
15. CLOBBERY TOTALED
16. CAPTAIN TARANTULA BUILDING

7 Questions with Everything, Now!

2009-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

A+H: For those who don't know about Everything, Now! could you give us a little background?

EN: My name is Jon. I sing and write the songs for the most part. Everything, Now! started when I moved to Indiana in 2002, lived in a college town called Muncie, wrote a bunch of songs, and started looking for friends to help me make the music in a live setting. We've recorded five albums, frequently evolved, and toured all over the United States since then. Our newest album, Spatially Severed, is the first in a trilogy about amorphous space creatures called Partlies and Veries, whose constant power struggles are only perceivable to humans as sound waves. They sound a lot like music.

A+H: What is "Space Gospel"?

EN: It's an easy way to classify our current sound without using too many words. We've gotten to a place where we really want our music to lift people up, to affirm life and to seek a higher power, like one of America's greatest creations, gospel music. But the "space" side is meant to imply the psychedelic, the unknown and mysterious, the far out, the notion that we're not just making music, we're attempting to channel messages from deep space, far beyond our galaxy. That's where God is right? That's where ideas come from? Deep Space?

A+H: It seems like there are a few bands and labels that share a kind of common vision with you. Danielson and Sufjan Stevens are a few that come to mind. Is it fair to say there's a network of "Space Gospel" artists that are working together?

EN: If there's a network, I don't really know anything about it. We'd love to find other "Space Gospel" bands!

While I respect both in different ways, I think Danielson and Sufjan are coming from more of a Christian indie rock perspective. That's not really our thing. Currently all members of the band get down with Jesus, but we're completely open to any interpretation of what that means. When I think of musicians that are coming from a similar place as us message-wise, I think of Sun Ra, Sly and the Family Stone, post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, maybe even Al Green, just stuff that's about love and universal harmony and totally reaching a higher level.

A+H: The art work on the Prequels and Parallels EP is interesting. Could you talk about it?

EN: Sure, it's from a series of collages that I did about the idea of being severed throughout space. I wanted the album art images for Spatially Severed to represent the beings that inhabit the songs, and I ended up with a lot of leftover pictures. I thought the Prequels and Parallels cover was a great reflection of Love, a married couple uniting two as one, being held by the hands of God in a beautiful sunset, hanging just above a compelling landscape of darkness...

A+H: What's coming up for you guys in 2009?

EN: Touring and promotion! We expected a lot of critics to sleep on the album at first, because we've never had great luck in that arena, so our plan is just to really push the music out there to get it into the hands and ears of the people. I think the press will catch up, but first and foremost, we're seeing it as our sacred duty to deliver this music to people everywhere next year!

A+H: How about live performances? Are you guys on tour?

EN: We just finished a great tour doing a few shows with Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos. We also hit the southeast and did a few gigs in the Wisconsin/Chicago area, but we're taking a break for a few weeks. We'll be back out on the road in typical relentless fashion starting in February.

A+H: What's your top 10 music list right now?

1. Marmoset "Record in Red"

2. Yo La Tengo "Summer Sun"

3. Allman Brothers Band "self titled"

4. Duke Ellington (early stuff)

5. Chuck Berry (everything)

6. STAX! (let's all start the memphis soul revival!)

7. Grateful Dead "American Beauty"

8. Cecil Taylor Quartet "Looking Ahead"

9. David Bowie "Low"

10. The Numero Group's Tragar/Note label 2-disc comp

Top 10 ALbums of 2008

2008-12-31T00:09:00.000-08:00

1. David Byrne / Brian Eno - "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today"

This collaboration is the first for the two since the My Life in the Bush of Ghosts record came out in 1981. The material is as fresh and anything else that's out today, and that's no small task considering the innovations in the music over the past 30 years. It's nice to know that in a world populated by temporary musical fads that two veterans made the best record of the year.

www.everythingthathappens.com

2. James Pants - "Welcome"

This synth funk, space age hip-hop, out on Stones Throw Records was a real surprise. It comes off like something Devo would have made if they had more soul, or something Rick James would have made if he had more of a New Wave sensibility. This is a truly unique record, something that stands out in the sea of noise that came out this year.

www.stonesthrow.com/jamespants

3. Flying Lotus - "Los Angeles"

This record came out in a blaze of glory. His debut on Warp Records set the bar for everything else that dropped this year. The production style is like creeper smoke. It sounds instantly familiar, beat drops, you start to hear the breaks and then, WHAM, something hits you that is completely unexpected.

This is a supremely fresh take on psychedelic hip-hop. His great Aunt is Alice Coltrane, so it's almost in his DNA.

www.flying-lotus.com

4. Daedelus - "Love To Make Music To"

LA's very own Alfred Darlington, aka Daedelus, has been making some waves for sometime. This record, which features collaborations with Paperboy, Michael Johnson, Taz Arnold and Om'Mas Keith of Sa-Ra, 1200 Techniques' N'fa, Erika Rose, and his wife Laura Darlington, is his most sonically dense and most diverse record to date. His skill as a multi-instrumentalist really shines through on this record and the variety of the production styles really show a kind of artistic development that's rare in most of his contemporaries. Ninja Tune knew what they were doing when they put him on the roster.

www.myspace.com/daedelusdarling

5. Single Cell Orchestra - "Celldom V2:Arc"

Even though this record technically came out in 2007, it's been in wide circulation here at the A&H camp all year. This record takes the "ambient" music template and turns it on it's ear. While SCO has always been known for his use of fierce beats in his production, the sparse use of the "Knockout Drops" here is like the anticipation of something really good. Rumor has it that that he'll be dropping some new tracks in 2009, so maybe you'll see his name on this list come this time next year as well.

www.myspace.com/singlecellorchestra

6.MGMT - "Oracular Spectacular"

OK, I have to be upfront here and say that I really, really didn't want to like this record. Maybe it's because I saw the press photos before I REALLY listened to the record, and that's my bad. I mean, to be honest the photos remind me of some hipster, fashion, trust-fund, urban outfitters photo-spread... but I'll be damned if this record isn't an amazing freak-beat, psychedelic roller coaster. Dave Fridmann, Flaming Lips producer, sat at the producers chair for MGMT's debut record and you can tell, it has that Tarbox residue all over it.

www.whoismgmt.com

7. Zomby - "Where were U in '92?"

This kind of falls in the category of "guilty pleasure" for me, but for a very good reason. This is a jacked-up on E, glow-stick waving, unabashed homage to 90's rave music with a glitchy twist. You can listen to this record in a couple of different ways. Make it the soundtrack to a good party, and you've got the perfect backdrop for your own rave, or you can take the headphone route. Do a little "deep listening" with this record and you've got something so technically interesting, that you'll want to dig out your old Aphex Twin records to compare and contrast.

www.myspace.com/zombyproductions

8. Deastro - "Keepers"

I've heard this record called "fantasy dance pop," but this doesn't do justice to what Randolph Chabot, aka Deasto has done here. Now, I will say that there are moments that conjure up unicorns and dragons, but doesn't all good space rock do that? I think what's amazing about this record is it's ability to transcend the trap that most other records of this genre fall into. It does not repeat itself, it does not feel tired after more than one listen, but still manages to play like Zelda anyway. I'm looking forward to more work from the up and coming producer.

www.myspace.com/deastro

9. Why? - "Alopecia"

I'm a big fan not repeating what others has said (and in this case NUMEROUS times). This is a good record, go buy it, download it or do whatever you kids do these days.

www.myspace.com/whyanticon

10. Meat Beat Manifesto - "Autoimmune"

This is another artist who's been around long enough to know how to drop a record that can outlast this weeks Pitchfok forecast. This record is Meat Beat Manifesto's 20th anniversary release, and finds Jack Dangers mining similar sonic territory with amazing results. The mix of dub, dubstep, psychedelic noise, hip-hop and industrial come together like Voltran to form something much greater than it's parts. It's amazing to hear something so fresh from Jack and I'm not alone when I say that I can't wait to see what's next. It's in my brain now.

www.myspace.com/meatbeatmanifesto

DJ Stephen R. Christmas Mix 2008

2008-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

DOWNLOAD HERE >>

Cheech and Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady

King Stitt - Christmas Tree

James Brown - Soulful Christmas

Dan The Automator/Dean Martin - Jingle Bells

Berlin Symphony Orchestra - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Red Baron Remix)

Afroman - O Chronic Tree

Sub Santa - Feliz Navidub

Peggy Lee - Winter Wonderland

Martin Mull - Santa Doesn't Cop Out On Dope

Merry Christmas Chickenheads!

Dear Santa

2008-12-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm going to make a confession. I'm a KISS freak. I was Gene Simmons for Halloween for 3 years during my grade school years, and proudly restarted the tradition this year. At the top my Christmas list this year is the 1977, #1 edition of the KISS comic book (printed in REAL KISS blood). If you want to hook me up, you can order it here.

RIP Bettie Page

2008-12-12T00:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks.

From Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bettie Page, one of America's most photographed pin-up girls during the 1950s, died in Los Angeles on Thursday from pneumonia, her agent said. She was 85.

Page was a ubiquitous sight during the 1950s, propelled to stardom when she posed for Playboy as Miss January 1955. Soon her image was gracing playing cards, record albums and bedroom posters across the country.

She stopped modeling in 1957, retreated from the public spotlight and turned to religion. She enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in the 1980s, as a new generation of fans became obsessed with her legacy.

Her agent, Mark Roesler, said Page was admitted to a Los Angeles-area hospital four weeks ago. She never regained consciousness after suffering a heart attack earlier this month.

With her dark bangs, alluring blue-gray eyes and wide smile, Page cultivated an innocent girl-next-door persona. The one-time school teacher was nice, but clearly also naughty. Some of her photos featured spanking and bondage.

"Bettie Page embodied the stereotypical wholesomeness of the Fifties and the hidden sexuality straining beneath the surface," authors Karen Essex and James L. Swanson wrote in their 1996 book "Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend."

Page professed to be mystified by all the attention, saying she never felt particularly attractive and had to wear a lot of makeup to cover up her large pores. After she found God, she was initially ashamed of having posed nude.

"(B)ut now most of the money I've got is because I posed in the nude," she told Playboy last year. "So I'm not ashamed of it now, but I still don't understand it."

Bettie Mae Page was born on April 22, 1923, in Nashville, one of six children. She and two sisters were sent to an orphanage after her father went to jail and her mother could not cope on her own. Page later described her father as "a sex fiend" who started sexually molesting her when she was 13.

Page, armed with an arts degree with Peabody College in Nashville, did her first modeling work in the 1940s after moving to San Francisco with the first of her three husbands. After they divorced in 1947, she pursued modeling in New York. Photos from a shoot with Miami photographer Bunny Yeager ended up in the pages of Playboy.

The layout featured Page winking at the camera wearing only a Santa hat as she decorated a Christmas tree. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner described it as "a milestone in the history of the magazine," which he had founded less than two years earlier.

Later in life, Page was furious that Yeager made a fortune from the photos and never compensated her.

Some American lawmakers were not as impressed with her modeling abilities. Page was served with a subpoena to appear before U.S. Senate investigators trying to discover a link between juvenile delinquency and pornography. Page never appeared. Soon after, she completely disappeared from the scene.

After two other brief marriages failed, Page battled acute schizophrenia beginning in the early 1970s. Her comeback gathered momentum with the 1991 movie "The Rocketeer," based on a comic book where the hero's girlfriend was Page. Fan clubs and websites proliferated, and Page made a good living signing memorabilia at conventions. On the rare occasions that she gave interviews, she insisted that she not be photographed.

Audio Dregs has a Podcast... & a Possee

2008-12-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

The Audio Dregs folks in Portland have been steady in making their left-of-center aesthetic known to the world at large. With a steady stream of music coming out on a regular basis, E*Rock and his clan of under the radar artists have managed to take their goods to the masses. There are WAY too many good things happening over at Audio Dregs camp to not check out their site.

www.audiodregs.com

-----
XML for the Geeks
MP3 for the Tweeks

Episode 01 is a Portland themed mix by DJ Copy that was made for the Portland issue of XLR8R magazine.

DJ COPY: 86 'Til Infinity (aka PDXLR8R):
01 Nu Shooz "Point of No Return" (Atlantic)
02 Glass Candy "Etheric Device" (Italians Do It Better)
03 Strength "Wilderness" (Community Disco)
04 Arohan "Darkunderground" (Previously Unreleased)
05 Hedford Vachal "Toys" (Tirk)
06 Atole "Satyricow (Copy Remix)" (Previously Unreleased)
07 Yacht "Summer Song" (DFA)
08 The Blow "The Love That I Crave (Strategy Strata Mix)" (Holocene)
09 Solenoid "Runway Relocator" (Failing)
10 Copy "Breakfast" (Previously Unreleased)
11 Panther "Violence, Diamonds (E*Rock Remix)" (Kill Rock Stars)
12 Dat'r "Innercom/Innercalm" (Hush)
13 Starfucker "Holly" (Badman)

more coming soon!

Blank Blue & Kutmah: Free In Store Saturday 6pm @ PooBah in Pasadena

2008-12-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

BLANK BLUE

Nice Article

2008-12-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

CHECK IT OUT HERE... Page 19

Throwback Mondays 12/08/08 - PIL: This Is Not A Love Song

2008-12-08T10:50:00.000-08:00