The man from Dijon finally brings his world tour to North America this February, hot on the heels of his Flashmob album, which was one of the more eagerly anticipated records of the past year. Considering Vitalic‘s reputation for sensational live shows, audiences in Canada and the coastal climes of the US should be getting themselves tickets to these shows as soon as they go on sale.
Vitalic North American Tour Dates
Fri 02/19/10 Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA Sat 02/20/10 103 Harriet Street, San Francisco, CA Tue 02/23/10 Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL Thu 02/25/10 SAT, Montreal, QC Fri 02/26/10 Webster Hall, New York,NY Sat 02/27/10 Wrongbar , Toronto, ON
Kid606‘s latest EP is a medley of sorts, featuring odds and ends from the Kid himself as well as remixes from Tigerbeat6 cohorts Eats Tapes and Baltimore weirdo Cex, among others. But perhaps the most proper techno track on the laughably titled Dance With The Chorizo EP comes from San Francisco’s C.L.A.W.S.. Just imagine dub-techno minus the warmth, with some jackin’ percussive bits propping up synth stabs and a retro, minimally inclined bass line. With some similarities to recent output from Chris Fortier’s Fade label, this remix is the highlight of the EP, which comes out today.
As the full-band project of Leeds-based DJ Ralph Lawson, 2020Soundsystem prides itself primarily on its live performances, but their M.O. as a studio outfit is unclear. Their second full-length album, Falling—not a mix, but 12 discrete tracks—forgoes guest vocalists, putting bassist Fernando Pulichino’s voice up front throughout, but even with a consistent frontman, Falling still feels faceless as a band project. When they try to “rock,” as on opener “We Get Down” and the overlong, goth-aping “Closure,” it rings rather hollow. That said, there are some solid house tracks here, like the jittery “Broken” and lead single “Psycho,” and the bass and lazy hook of glam-disco cut “Ocean” are pretty stellar. Perhaps their gigs make more sense.
Internet, you asked for it and we have delivered: Behold, the absolute best, most definitive guide to str8 jackin’ tracks for the year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ought Nine. Will you find other year-ending lists of great music on the web? Sure. Will they be as completely comprehensive, amazing, and indisputable as this one? We certainly don’t think so. Also, will they be called “Jackin’ 2K9”? Doubt it. So save the “we give this disc a 9.439859” drama for yo nerdy brother and get on the bumpin’ techno, house, and disco releases that made us jack all night in ’09.
San Francisco’s Gray Area Foundation for the Arts is hosting thee techno party for the New Year’s Eve holiday, featuring local favorites Alland Byallo, Nikola Baytala, and Jonah Sharp, along with the San Francisco premiere of dub-techno champion Brendon Moeller. With immersive audiovisual displays exploring the theme of Powers of 10, slamming DJs, and an open bar until midnight, it looks like GAFFTA will be the place to be when the ball drops on December 31.
For more info and to reserve tickets, visit the event’s site.
After shedding some members and adding a new drummer, Montreal’s Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra will be releasing their sixth full-length album at the beginning of 2010. Titled Kollaps Tradixionales, the new record continues along the path the group has forged for itself, spanning blues, folk, punk rock, and orchestral music. With a tour in the works and one single already available to stream on the group’s rehabbed new site, the new year holds much for a reconfigured ASMZ.
1. There Is a Light 2. I Built Myself A Metal Bird 3. I Fed My Metal Bird the Wings of Other Metal Birds 4. Kollapz Tradixional (Thee Olde Dirty Flag) 5. Collapse Traditional (For Darling) 6. Kollaps Tradicional (Bury 3 Dynamos) 7. ‘Piphany Rambler
The first single from Alex Smoke‘s upcoming third album sounds a bit like Thom Yorke doing gloomy microhouse—ultra-processed cyborg vocals, dry percussion, and some foreboding orchestral strains ride over a loping house beat. Mysterious UK producer Automaton destroys the piece in the best way possible, transforming it into a sputtering, grinding trek through the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic landscape where androids manage to dance to experimental dubstep. Though human dancefloors might not be ready for the remix of “Lux+,” it’s certain that somewhere, robots are getting down to this business.
Seven Fields of Aphelion might be a member of psychedelic freak-pop outfit Black Moth Super Rainbow, but on “Mountain Mary,” she channels a more gentle soundscape filled with tiny bells, grainy piano lines, and soaring synth harmonies. This is music for running through fields of tall, golden grass in the fading afternoon sun. Sentimental as it is, the piece also contains a layered, dusty elegance that is quite breathtaking. Look forward to February, when Seven Fields’ Periphery comes out just in time for lazy spring days.
Opening with a flurry of toms and sparse, echoing guitars, Lymbyc Systym‘s second album, Shutter Release, is another instrumental electronic pop effort from brothers Jared and Michael Bell. The album’s increased sonic depth (care of Explosions in the Sky producer John Congleton) helps open up their Mice Parade-esque hypnotic electro-pop with an increased sonic palette and spacious mixes while showcasing the duo’s musical growth with its ethereal songwriting and hushed melodies. In a genre where cute sounds can often replace real ideas, Shutter Release is filled with memorable songs that build from their arrangements into hummable, delicate slices of electronic twee.
The eclectic sounds of Toro Y Moi will bring the heat to some select eastern cities, starting tonight in Philadelphia. Perhaps the most highly anticipated dates, though, are back-to-back nights at New York’s Mercury Lounge with XLR8R favorites Neon Indian. Check out both of these solo magicians while they’re in your town!
Toro Y Moi Tour Dates
12/11 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie % 12/12 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl 12/13 New York, NY Cake Shop 12/15 New York, NY Mercury Lounge # 12/16 New York, NY Mercury Lounge # 12/17 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar 12/19 Columbia, SC The Spyda Zone %
