Toronto’s premiere purveyors of dancehall-indebted club tunes, singer Alana and DJ/producer Pho (a.k.a. Bonjay), are prepped to release Gimmee Gimmee, their first official output since 2007’s Bangarang Business mixtape. The EP, set for digital release November 20, features “Gimmee Gimmee” and “Faat Gyal,” two original tracks filled with the same vocal energy and bass-heavy production as the group’s previous remixes, with various treatments from fellow Canadian producers, like Poirier and Thunderheist‘s Grahmzilla, given to the title track. In celebration of this upcoming release, Bonjay will take to the road for a brief stint of Canadian dates. More tour and EP information after the jump.
Tour Dates: Nov 20 – Eri Pan African Social Club – Ottawa, ON Nov 21 – Teranga African Bar and Restaurant – Toronto, ON (w/ Poirier and Valeo) Nov 26 – Divan Orange – Montreal, QC (w/ Valeo) Nov 27 – Le Cercle – Quebec City, QC (w/ Valeo)
As we discovered in our recent feature, Philadelphia’s main attractions aren’t so much cheesesteaks and cracked bells but refreshingly cutting-edge music and art. The bittersweet tunes of Cold Cave are no exception. Here, we’re treated to a new track thanks to indie giants Matador giving the goth-inspired quartet’s Love Comes Close, a re-release with three bonus tracks. “Theme From Tomorrowland” is one of the extra tunes, not to mention an excellent addition to Cold Cave’s already solid repertoire of dark, no-wave pop à la OMD and classic Factory Records.
New York photographer Tom Winchester’s fall style features I Can’t Kick This Feeling When It Hits and String Theory
Top: Anastasia Wears Gold strapless gown by Lela Rose, Gold and lucite earrings by Eye, Gold clutch by Sir Alistair Rai?
Above: Anastasia Wears White lace robe by ?Hanky Panky, Earrings by Eye Candy ?Vintage, Black skirt by La Rok
Photographer: Tom Winchester Stylist: Kelly Brown Hair: Jean-Marc Makeup: Dana James ? Lighting Technician: Jon Carroll Photo Assistant: Clay Rodery ?Stylist Assistant: Tammie Fossaceca, Nicole Portera ? Model: Anastasia at Women Direct Shot at Heathers in NYC
Leah Wears Skirt by La Rok, Blazer by La Rok, Ring by Eye Candy Vintage Model’s own shirt
Maria Wears Dress by La Rok, Cardigan by La Rok, Shoes by Casadei, Necklace by Eye Candy Vintage
Photographer: Tom Winchester DP: Joseph Winchester Stylist: Kelly Brown Hair: Marcel Dagenais Makeup: Dana James ? Production Assistants: John Carroll, Clay Rodery, Tammie Fossaceca ? Models: Leah at Fusion, Maria D at VNY
Vancouver native Laberge likely has a stack of Cassius and Daft Punk singles at home, but he probably also has a fairly large collection of West End Records’ disco-house repertoire from the early ’80s. Though many have claimed to be inheritors of the French Touch sound, “We Don’t Know” shows that Laberge is in the running to be the genre’s new prince. Recalling Room 5’s monstrous “Make Luv,” but with more strings and a less prominent vocal, the track sizzles with deep kicks and a funky little bassline. Is disco-house moving back to the club’s main room? Time will tell, but with all of the fantastic disco being made right now, it seems likely.
Mixed by Carl Craig, French producer Etienne Jaumet‘s first solo album delivers. 20-minute opener “For Falling Asleep” utilizes looped, occasionally acidy arpeggiations, with a processed saxophone providing the piece’s main melody. Weird whisperings and ululations provide the piece with some foreboding undertones that wouldn’t make for pleasant dreams, but the pastoral final minutes are dreamy enough for an afternoon nap. As the record continues, shades of early Nu Groove synth workouts and more esoteric Detroit techno come to the fore, with purposefully minimal and raw-seeming arrangements being the record’s M.O. After hearing the Middle Eastern flavor of “Through the Strata” and the excellent atmospherics of album closer “At the Crack of Dawn,” it’s clear that Night Music is an unshakable, timeless piece of electronic music.
Back in August, Mad Decent hosted its second-annual Block Party in Philadelphia. Photographer Josh Sisk was on the spot to catch all the action—Maluca, DJ Sega, dunk tanks, and a whole lotta East Coast heat.
Phillin’ It: For years, Philadelphia has been shrugged off as New York’s little brother—a place where displaced Brooklynites went in search of cheaper rents, bigger spaces, and a touch less ‘tude. But what’s emerged over the years is far more than simply a sixth borough. So for this year’s special City Issue, we dug around the Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Chinatown, and every other little enclave we could find to bring you the best that Brotherly Love has to offer. Check back every few days for a new feature from the east coast’s newest hotbed.
While messy, smarmy post-punk isn’t necessarily the first thing one might associate with Philadelphia, the city’s western underbelly is home to a group of distinctly individual artists making some seriously messed-up jams. But trying to pin down a singular regional noise-punk sound doesn’t come easy. “The sound of a cheesesteak being grilled up at 2 a.m. at Geno’s or Pat’s is pretty identifiable as a Philly sound,” says James J. Vail, a member of FNU Ronnies. “…People incessantly yelling, honking, telling each other off on the streets.”
“Our environment is totally an influence,” explains Pissed Jeans frontman Matt Korvette. “We couldn’t fight it if we tried. It can be a kind of rude place, with lots of well-intentioned people throughout, which can make for an interesting mix.”?
The Philly punk underground plays host to bands united more by a generally bleak outlook than a specific sound. From FNU Ronnies’ bizarro post-hardcore through dreary synth-pop un-romantics Cold Cave, highly offensive, now-defunct instigators Clockcleaner, and the maniacal Pissed Jeans, the city produces some gloriously negative music. (And has for years, with a DIY punk hall of fame that includes early hardcore pioneers YDI, Flag of Democracy, and The Dead Milkmen.)
For Vail, Philadelphia would be best left off the map. “There are more interesting towns or cities in the States that have more of a specific identity that creates a unique sound. Places like Columbus, Ohio put Philly to shame,” he claims. Vail sees Philadelphia’s few decent punk bands as a response to the general void of having one specific scene. “[With] a lack of quality bands comes the need to make better ones,” he explains in his typically negative tone. “Necessity is the mother of invention, which enables a virulent paradigm shift that jettisoned itself away from the status quo. Also, boredom and the huge amount of insanity that permeates like incestuous wildfire throughout the city is quite nurturing.”
Another thing nurturing bands, however, is their opportunity to perform. While many cities struggle to find the space for their avant garde noiseniks, Philly has an abundance. “There are a pretty wide variety of venues to play in this city,” explains Korvette. “No matter how bad your band is, there is a place you can perform for the public, which I suppose is ultimately a good thing.”
In his own way, Vail echoes the idea that the city has developed its own breed of weird punk. “Philly made us what we are,” he comments. “If we came from another city we’d sound exactly like the Vivian Girls and be more concerned with our image, as opposed to doing something new and productive.”
Forming a futuristic force of club-ready hip-hop, Bay Area producer Amp Live of Zion-I fame has joined up with East Bay MC Trackademicks for his new track, “Gary is a Robot,” taken from Amp Live’s forthcoming solo album Murder at the Discotek. The video for the jam, which XLR8R has grabbed premiering rights for, seems like a simultaneous bash at and celebration of contemporary club culture. We’ll let you be the judge.
Building upon the constant psychedelic drone and claustrophobic tribal-disco assault of past releases Preyers and Hoarse Lords, Oakland’s Clipd Beaks have finished work on their follow-up album, To Realize. The California trio’s latest release is being brought to the world by New York’s Lovepump United, those responsible for putting out albums by fellow west coast noise-rockers HEALTH and Denver’s ’90s house-obsessive Pictureplane. A quick trip to Clipd Beaks’ MySpace page reveals two tracks from the forthcoming album that don’t sound completely unlike their LA-based labelmates or the ideas explored on Liars’ heavily percussive Drum’s Not Dead record. To Realize hits retailers January 26, and the tracklist is below.
Tracklist: 1. Strangler 2. Blood 3. Broke Life 4. Visions 5. Home 6. Atoms 7. Dust 8. Desert Highway Music 9. Jamn 10. On One 11. Shot on a Horse
Edan, the iconoclastic DJ and producer, has a new concept record coming out soon. Echo Party was created using samples from the extensive back catalog of the Traffic Entertainment Group as a structure to create new sonic textures. Armed with synths, drum machines, guitars, kazoos, and even glockenspiels, Edan has crafted a seamless, experimental artist mix, complete with extensive notes, insane artwork (see above), and more sample sources than most DJs would know what to do with.
Echo Party comes out on vinyl and CD on November 17 from Five Day Weekend, and is being distributed through Traffic with exclusive pre-orders through Stones Throw.
