CMJ Initial Lineup Announced

Time for bands and artists to descend on New York for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. This year’s five-day event will take place October 21 – 25, with performances and panels galore scheduled to take place during that time.

In addition to the music lineup, we’ll see another round of panels that examine issues in the biz, from music licensing to resources for indie labels to tips on cost-effective recording. 2008 also marks the 15th year of the CMJ Film Festival, with the first-ever Cineminis Competition, which will dig up the newest voices in documentary film.

And of course, the lineup. Confirmed performers include:

3OH!3, A Place To Bury Strangers, AIDS Wolf, An Albatross, Ane Brun, Anna Ternheim, Annuals, Beach House, Broken Social Scene, Cool Kids, Crystal Castles, Cut Off Your Hands, Deerhoof (pictured), Del McCoury Band, Delta Spirit, Donavon Frankenreiter, Envy On The Coast, Gang Gang Dance, Lee “Scratch” Perry, IRAN, Jay Reatard, Japanese Motors, Juliana Hatfield, Jupiter One, Lykke Li, Margot And The Nuclear So And So’s, Minus The Bear, Roisin Murphy, The Dears, The Takeover UK, They Might Be Giants, The Virgins, and Yo Majesty.

Stay tuned for updates, and if you haven’t already booked your plane ticket. Seriously.

Anthony Rother My Name Is Beuys Von Telekraft

Veteran electro producer and Datapunk label chief Anthony Rother easily slips the bonds of 4/4 structures and descends into sinuous beat labyrinths via his double-CD Telekraft-label debut. My Name Is Beuys Von Telekraft douses Rother’s minimal rhythms with lo-fi textures and robotic vocals, lending the feel of a nightmarish cloning factory. More than anything, Rother is a mood sculptor: Atmospheres ranging from the darkly sinister to the exuberant waft off these tracks like gasoline fumes. Check “Girl Construction,” an exercise in muted static and shadowy vocals, which could be an android love ode. Other standouts include the title cut, “64 Bit Audio,” and “Liquid System,” each stirring up dancefloor vibes with Rother’s plowing basslines and taut, electrifying melodies. Go, robots, go!

The High Decibels “Miss Cindy”

In the words of their press kit, The High Decibels are “a veritable musical Molotov cocktail that mixes hip-hop, old-school rock, and superfunky blues.” The group consists of two MCs, frontman Duke Johnson and his hypeman, who simply goes by the name Chief, backed by a live band of honky-tonk guitars, turntables, bubbling bass, and drums. The resulting sound on the band’s self-titled debut album, set for release September 2, is a fun-loving hip-hop-meets-rock combination that’s quite catchy, we must say.

The High Decibels – Miss Cindy

Minitek Festival Hits NYC in Sept

Although New York City is no stranger to music festivals, from live events in Central Park to the annual CMJ Music Marathon, few recent events have put dance music and technology in the spotlight. A new one called Minitek looks to change that and bring top techno performers, digital art installations, and green business practices together. Minitek–co-titled The New York Electronic Music and Innovation Festival–takes place September 12-14, with day events in venues to be announced and night events at Penn Plaza Pavilion on Seventh Avenue

The announced music lineup includes Plus 8/Minus producer Richie Hawtin, Tiefschwarz, Audion (Matthew Dear, pictured above), Get Physical’s M.A.N.D.Y., Butane, Exercise One, Adultnapper, Jeremy P Caulfield, and DJs Heidi and Magda, among others.

In addition to the music component, Minitek’s Innovation Pavilion will feature digital art installations and new technologies to create interactive sounds and visuals. Among the exhibits will be Jordan Hochenbaum, Owen Vallis, and Memo Akten’s Roots, an interactive installation for the Brick Table’s tangible and multi-touch interface, where multiple people can make music and collaborate in a dynamic and visually responsive environment.

The festival, which costs $80 for a weekend pass and $175 for a VIP pass, will use RFID wristbands, a technology-driven device that acts as proof of admission and a means for cashless payment. Money can be loaded onto the wristband (cash or credit) at “loading stations” throughout the festival site.

The Minitek village will feature exhibits by Ableton and other music technology companies, and the event is collaborating with Clean Vibes to bring responsible, on-site waste management, including recyclable and compostable items provided by Eco Products. Thus, the “mini” name is deceiving. True to its larger-than-life New York locale, Minitek looks to present big tech ideas with a sustainable, humanist touch.

Mason “The Ridge (Tommy Trash Remix)”

Dutch producer Mason makes some pretty compelling disco music, but with this remix, Australian wonder-kid Tommy Trash turned the tech-heavy original into an electro-flavored track fit for late nights and large dancefloors. Trash has already remixed for the likes of Green Velvet and Don Diablo, and his reputation as both a producer and a DJ has grown considerably over the years. Expect him to be too busy for his own good come 2009.

Mason – The Ridge (Tommy Trash Remix)

elodieO Stubborn

Over the past decade, it seems that the nouveau-chanteuse style of female singers has become the opposite of the progressive pop our Francophonic friends once reveled in. Rather than Edith Piaf’s bombastic swoon, or Francoise Hardy’s sexy, pouty melancholy, we’re offered a succession of bland M.O.R. singers whose revivalism forgets the groundbreaking magnificence of those lush arrangements. And then, there’s elodieO, a singer whose breathy, visceral voice is matched only by the 21st-century downtempo electro-pop that backs her up. On songs like “Attache Moi” and “Crazy,” elodieO slyly flips from damsel-in-distress to femme fatale without missing a (broken) beat, her Nublu-collective collaborators providing the modern equivalent of orchestral pop–impressionist beats, synth washes, and gorgeous melodic accompaniment. As beautiful a debut as one might hope for.

Videogames: No Consoles for Old Men

A one-console solution? A no-console solution? The future of game delivery remains untold.

When you were younger, did you have an Atari or a ColecoVision? A Nintendo Entertainment or a Sega Master System? You almost certainly didn’t have both of whatever was big at the time (and if you did, we hate you). And as much as you loved and bragged about your system of choice’s graphical prowess and superior library of hits, from River Raid to Sonic the Hedgehog, deep down there were games on the other system that you would have killed for. Money (likely your parents’) was the probable reason that you were denied entry into gaming Nirvana back then, but on some level it was fun to pick a side.

Dozens of systems have come and gone since those days and owning multiple systems is now commonplace. However, many of today’s “must have” games–the main reason to own any system, no matter what the marketing department tells you–appear on a couple, if not all, of the major consoles. Fewer titles are exclusive to one system, leading many consumers to ask the question: Why do we need them all?

And game buyers aren’t the only ones asking that question. As games often take several years and millions of dollars to create–with dozens, if not hundreds, of team members toiling long hours to finish the job on multiple platforms–some developers are also looking to a “one-standard” solution.

“We have it with DVD, we had it with VHS. We have it with televisions (in the sense that, for the most part, every TV is capable of broadcasting the same signal),” wrote God of War creator David Jaffe on his blog. “So what do we lose by having it for game consoles?”

What would this accomplish? Developing costs would diminish significantly with one standard platform, the time it takes to create games would be expedited, and the price of the ”all-in-one” hardware could also go down. Most importantly, with developers able to focus their resources on only one system type, the quality of titles could improve dramatically.

With the success of online content-delivery platforms from console makers like Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and the PlayStation Store as well as PC platforms like GameTap and Valve’s popular Steam, even software manufacturing has come under scrutiny. Why pay millions to make discs, instruction manuals, and cases when you can just pump games direct to homes through the interweb, passing the savings on to everyone?

So, yes, in an ideal world we would all be getting more for less and it’s clearly possible. But even if it could happen, would today’s aficionados really be satisfied? Many gamers still take great pleasure in picking sides and general “mine is better than yours” fanboy-ism. It’s a fruitless and ultimately silly argument, but the reality is that these are the people that have helped establish the industry–they can’t be ignored in favor of the recent influx of “casual gamers” who spend large amounts of money on crap games, ultimately hurting the legitimacy of the entire industry.

The biggest hurdle, however, is the console manufacturers themselves. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have proven over and over again that they are willing to lose billions in an effort to become the primary source of all your entertainment needs and to establish who is swinging the biggest grapes.

So while many believe the “one-console” future is inevitable, until the industry as whole shifts its priorities (and egos) it’s still, for now, just an awesome dream.

PH Edit “Don’t Let Go”

Destined to be one of the hottest re-edits of the summer, “Don’t Let Go” was originally released in 1978 by the most unlikely of disco artists, Tony “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” Orlando. Using only the instrumental part of the track, Pete Herbert has given “Don’t Let Go” a whole new lease on life 30 years later, making this glorious groove accessible to DJs who wouldn’t have previously played the original purely because of the vocal.

Triclops! Unleashes Live Shows

If you don’t know Bay Area-based outfit Triclops! yet, get thee to one of the band’s upcoming shows. An extensive tour kicks off today in support of the group’s debut album, Out of Africa, and these psych-noise makers are said to put on quite the live show, full of thrashing guitars, nervous drums, and lots of aggressive energy.

Dates
08/13 Portland, OR: Kenton Club
08/14 Tacoma, WA: Hell’s Kitchen
08/15 Spokane, WA: The Blvd
08/16 Missoula, MT: The Palace
08/18 The Aquarium Fargo: Dempsey’s Upstairs
08/19 Minneapolis, MN: 7th St Entry
08/20 Duluth, MN: The Merritt
08/22 Milwaukee, WI: The Vault
08/23 Chicago, IL: Reggies Rock Club
08/24 Elgin, IL: The Gasthaus
08/25 Bloomington, IN: Uncle Fester’s
08/26 Cincinnati, OH: Blue Rock Tavern
08/30 Denver, CO: Lion’s Lair

MP3: “Freedom Tickler”

Top 10: Flying Lotus, Jay Reatard, Vast Aire

Sami Koivikko
Sapphire
Spectral Sound
Release Date; Out Now

Three tracks of house and techno that find this Finnish producer combining the energy of big-room dance music with intricate and emotionally wrought musical arrangements.

Jay Reatard
Singles: 06-07
In the Red
Release Date: Out Now

Memphis, TN’s prolific garage-rock musician has gathered a collection of his singles from, yup, 2006 and 2007, and shows off his taste for ’60s sensibilities and no-bullshit attitude when it comes to songwriting.

Praveen & Benoit
Songs Spun Simla
Music Related
Release Date: August 19

Gorgeous album that’s a collaboration between songwriters Praveen Sharma and Benoît Pioulard, who have only ever met a handful of times but have managed to arrange a collection of dreamy instrumentals and chillingly pretty vocals. Download “Embers”

Flying Lotus
Los Angeles
Warp
Release Date: Out Now

Still caning this one on a daily basis. FlyLo’s outdone himself on his sophomore full-length, pulling as many drony guitar arrangements, delayed beats, and lush electronics as he can. Download “Dance Floor Stalker”

Plushgun!
Plushgun!
Tommy Boy
Release Date: August 19

Dream-pop time! A rather Postal Service-esque affair from this new Brooklyn-based band, who’ve been garnering attention on the web and will finally release this four-track EP this month. Look for the full-length in ’09.

Steve Bug
Bugnology 3
Poker Flat
Release Date: September 2008

This is the third compilation in Bug’s acclaimed series, and it’s a pretty accurate snapshot of the current minimal dance scene, with tracks from Tigerskin, Adultnapper, Matthias Mayer, and others in the mix.

Vast Aire
Dueces Wild
One
Release Date: Out Now

The second solo full-length from Cannibal Ox MC Vast Aire, packed with samples, beats, production work from Pete Rock and Oh No, guests like Camp Lo’s Gecchi Suede, and a whole lot more indie-rap goodness.

High Places
High Places
Thrill Jockey
Release Date: September 23

Found sound is very important to this Brooklyn-based duo, who, on their debut album, turned everything from crumpled paper to garbage trucks into avant-garde but ultimately digestible melodies drenched in reverb.

Brendan Canning
Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning Something For All of Us…
Arts&Crafts
Release Date: Out Now

It’s erstwhile Broken Social Scene member Brendan Canning’s turn to release a solo project, and he presents a versatile mix of music on this album, with distorted guitars and high, breathy vocals.

From the Readers:

Lil’ Wayne
“Lollipop (Nasty Ways Remix)”
Download

Officially the most popular MP3 to grace XLR8R.com, like, ever. Eprom and Boreta have chopped, spliced, and synthesized the well-known rapper’s hit tune, and you guys can’t seem to get enough of it.

Photo of Flying Lotus by Theo Jemison.

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