Friday, December 8, 2006
Reserve Presents
Uber Alles: The Art of House Industries
An art installation by the Delaware’s legendary design firm House Industries, featuring a collaborative, limited-edition clothing line produced by Freshjive, Reserve, and House Industries.
Reserve, 420 N. Fairfax, L.A.
7 p.m. – ’til late
For more information contact Naama Givoni [links to [email protected]]
houseind.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
Robtronik Presents
Compression and Palette Recordings 10 Year Anniversary
With
John Tejada (Live)
Justin Maxwell (Live)
Daniel Bell
Arian Leviste
King King Hollywood
6555 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.
9pm – 4am, free before 10pm, $15 ’til midnight, $20 after, 21+
compressionla.com
Sure, you love The Klaxons, with their spastic dance/rock and blindingly bright hoodies reminiscent of days when parties were thrown in fields and people actually danced to music. Yet the debate over the worth of the so-called new rave scene is already in full swing. Only a few weeks old, the term is fielding comments that evoke either love or hate and no middle ground to speak of, which is a strange phenomenon in this day and age.
NME.com recently published an article on the highlights of the genre, speaking, more or less, through the mouthpiece of Muse lead singer Matt Bellamy. “New rave will save me,” he tells the website, and adds that he likes the idea of “going to a gig and getting a few glowsticks out.” How he’ll be saved is unclear, but Bellamy seems very confident about this.
A recent posting at idolator.com sang a different tune, one that doesn’t need much interpreting:
“The phrase has only been in use for weeks, yet we’ve heard more than enough citations of “new rave” to start going nuts…”
“It kind of reminds us of the grunge-fashion era, although in that instance, at least there was more than one band to base the genre around…”
You tell us. Will new rave “save you,” as Bellamy (and probably a lot of other individuals) claims, or do often feel the urge to “Choke ‘New Rave’ With A Glowstick?”
The Klaxons: Technicolor saviors of the new millennium?
Muse: Hopefully new rave can save their sense of dress.
In the ’60s and ’70s, if you had the phrase “A Tom Moulton Mix” tagged to your record, you probably had a hit. The former record-promotions-man turned-studio-engineer took classic funk, soul, and R&B artists to new heights with his patented brand of mixing. But when disco came around, Moulton blew everyone out of the water by literally inventing the 12-inch single–because his mastering studio was out of blank sevens. Since then, he’s been a sought-after producer, arranger, and engineer, and Soul Jazz recently commemorated his legacy with A Tom Moulton Mix, a two-disc set compiling some of his greatest hits by the likes of Grace Jones, Eddie Kendricks, and more.
In the ’00s, if you haven’t been to one of Rub-N-Tug’s NYC happenings, you haven’t really partied. Over the past decade, the producer/DJ duo of Thomas Bullock and Eric Duncan has breathed new life into the city’s club scene, mashing together disco, rock, soul, and everything in between for an innovative take on the Loft-lovin’ lifestyle. We gathered them all for a look at the disco lifestyle, new and old.
Thomas Bullock: Tom, what do you consider to be the first clubs that were getting the disco sound together, when they were really still, like, playing 45s?
Tom Moulton: You had Le Jardin, you had Hollywood, 12 West, Sanctuary. There were a lot of clubs. And when I say a lot, I think, like, 15, 16 clubs was a lot.
Eric Duncan: Were all 15 worth going to? Like, now there’s 500 clubs and only three worth going to.
TM: That’s true, because you don’t have leaders anymore. People say, “You always wanna make things easier for a DJ,” but yet, when you give them beats in the beginning and outro, you take away the creativity of how to mix or play a record. You could be the Muzak DJ, for God’s sake. And I think that’s why all the filtering and different effects are coming into play, because otherwise, what makes you different than any other DJ? In the old days, if you liked the record, even if it didn’t have an intro, you found a way to play it.
TB: That’s how me and Eric do it… We play rock, soul, and disco, and take the tempo up and down for eight to 10 hours.
TM: I think in the old days, if somebody found a record, they would put a white label on top of it so that nobody else could find out what they were playing.
TB: Funny you should say that [laughs]… Eric reintroduced that style. Me and Eric are quite like that with certain records. People miss them, and we sort of introduce them… but you can’t tell them [what the record is] because of the internet. There’s no challenge anymore; any person can come up with a pen and paper and they’ve got your record collection with the touch of a button. We actually have these things we call “knowledge protectors.” They’re like these heavy stabilizers that we put on the record.
ED: So you still work in the studio, right Tom?
TM: Well, I do everything at home now. I kinda retired back in the ’80s. [Loleatta Hathaway’s] “Love Sensation” was the last thing I did. When so many people wanted to do disco, I thought, “Oh my God, I can’t deal with this any more.” I work more now than I’ve ever done before, but my tastes vary so much. I’m mixing probably all the songs on the Brand New Heavies [disc] again.
ED: The new way now, though, right? Like on computers?
TM: The stuff was all recorded in the studio, but I’m doing it all on Pro Tools. I like it because I can have, like, 600 different studios going at the same time. I have so many hard drives here, it’s a joke… but it’s fun. I’m doing a lot of work for [Kenny] Gamble again now. We’re gonna do the Johnny Williams album that never came out, so I’m thrilled about that. And I’m gonna do a Philadelphia Classics too, which will be great, too, for me, because I love that period of music.
TB: Do you hear many of the new records being made at the moment, like the new dance 12s?
TM: You know who I like? I don’t know if they’re considered new school, but it’s the Shakeshifters. But you have to remember something. I still come from being a promotion man, basically, and I still gravitate towards commercial [records], things that have a mass appeal, as opposed to just turning out a couple DJs. Like, when I first heard [Robin S’] “Show Me Love” I went nuts over that, and a lot of other people did too. I love those commercial kinds of things that just get everybody.
TB: I love that record!
TM: When I walked into Vinyl Mania and first heard it I said, “Whatever that is, I want it!” But see, that’s the thing I love about music–what I call the power of music. It absolutely rattles your bones, and that’s the reason I’m in this business.
TB: It’s just a great pop tune, innit?
TM: And of course when “Keep on Movin'” came out…
TB: Soul II Soul?
TM: When I heard that, I said, “That’s a New York record!” That’s the epitome of what I call the New York style. Everybody said, “It’s so slow.” And I said, “Yeah, well, you wait ’til that soul creeps into you. Then you’ll see how slow it is.”
TB: Tom, did you have a hand in making the first-ever 12-inch dance record?
TM: Sure did [laughs]. I always went over to Media Sound. See, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, I had Studio A at Sigma Sound booked, a year at a time, because I worked four nights a week down there. I used to go down there Monday afternoon and I’d come back early Friday morning, and I’d go back to Media Sound. And I would work on Gloria Gaynor or Melba Moore or somebody there Friday night, but during that afternoon”d always master the records. They ran out of seven-inch blanks and I said, “I gotta do this song. What am I gonna do?” “Well, we got 12-inch blanks.” And I go, “Okay, well, I just need four of them.” And they cut them in spec, and I go, “What is this? Can you, like, spread the grooves or something so that it’s at least covering more of the surface?” “We’ll have to make it hotter.” So I said, ‘”Okay, what the hell.” Well, when I heard the sound, I went, “Oh my lord!” But it was an accident.
TB: When you did dance mixes, back in the day, would you duplicate the tape and then splice it?
TM: I’d never alter the original multi-track. I had it all mapped out in my brain. I’d listen to the multi-track and I’d always listen to the rhythm part of it, where they cut the rhythm section. At least with Philadelphia, you’d have the rhythm section, which you’d cut first… So I’d listen to get the nucleus of the song, but I’d do it in pieces and then edit it all together.
ED: What were your favorite records that you made, Tom?
TM: Well, anything by The Trammps, naturally. They were my favorite group. And I guess mainly the Philadelphia stuff, because I felt like I was part of the family there. That spoiled me for everybody else, because I work on a lot of Motown stuff now, and it just doesn’t have the same quality as the Philadelphia stuff does… I got spoiled by Sigma, because there were just certain things they would not allow. If there was a mistake, you corrected it.
TB: We have a friend in London who has the actual Sigma Sound monitors, the Tannoys.
TM: I always scratch the “T” off [laughs]… because they were always tubby-sounding. You think you’re getting all this great bass, and you take it out of there, and you go “What happened to it?” But there’s something about having something from the day, because it’s not only mystifying, it’s sort of inspiring…
TB: What kind of monitors do you use now?
TM: I use these little, inexpensive Genelecs [laughs]. No, I like the low-end, and the [Yamaha] NS10s, which are called “the reality speaker.”
TB: I’ve got the NS10Ms.
TM: All the studios had those, because if you can make something sound good on those Yamahas, then you had something that was good anywhere. They don’t make them anymore. They can’t get that wood anymore. It’s an endangered species now… It’s like good mixes now. That’s an endangered species, too, now that I think about it.
In-house designer and the funniest guy we know, David Clark, has gone crazy for this pair of Dustin Dollin’s Project 8 pro model Vans, inspired by the videogame Tony Hawk’s Project 8.
While taking a break from my layout and design programs one day, I stumbled on these beauts and fell in love. I thought, well, well, well, here’s another shoe to occupy my every thought, and yep, my pair of Dustin Dollin’s Project 8 No Skool model shoes–the artist’s third design project for Vans–is all I can think about.
Dollin’s design twist and the shoe’s classic Old Skool style are a perfect match, and, since I am a man who knows a thing or two about graphics, let me just say the print on these kicks is pretty much the shut-down.
Bottom line: Every human being needs a pair of these, and you even get the cheat code to unlock Tony Hawk’s Project 8 game when you receive the shoe.
The Dustin Dollins Project 8 No Skool shoes are available for $60.00 from Vans.
WATCH OUT FOR THE STEAKOUT!
David Clark
The Other Days of Christmas
Day 1, Kids in the Hall DVD Megaset
Day 2, Eye of the Hawk beer
Day 3, Sad Ghost salt & pepper shakers
Day 4, This Heat’s Out of Cold Storage Boxed Set
Day 6, Toys from Kid Robot
Day 7, Gama bird satchel and wallet
Day 8, Official Tourist Rave Hoods
Day 9, M-Audio IE-10 earphones
Day 10, King Jammy’s Selector Choice Boxed Set
Day 11, Madvillain action figure
Day 12, XLR8R Subscription
While digital compilations abound these days, Bay Area-based indie label Six Degrees Records certainly spins the concept in fresh, enthusiastic directions with their Emerging Artists series, a newly launched collection of digital-only releases.
“In some ways, [the digital format] is a return to the early days of the record business where tracks were recorded, pressed, sent to radio, and in the stores in a much quicker time span than we see today,” says Six Degrees president Bob Duskis. “[Through] bypassing the constraints of manufacturing, new music can be in the hands of the consumer on an international level very quickly, giving us the ability to see what is resonating with our listeners.”
Appropriately, breaking new talent is the focus of the label’s new series, which will showcase up-and-coming artists while providing the usual fare of eclectic breaks and world beats for which Six Degrees is known. Vol. 1 features improv jazz artist Rara Avis, Middle Eastern multi-instrumentalist Jef Stott, and San Francisco’s own Zaman 8, among others.
Emerging Artists Sampler Vol. 1 is available for download now at Six Degrees Records, iTunes, and eMusic.
Taking a break from a hectic tour schedule, Adam Miller has just returned from shooting videos in a Wisconsin forest with his group, Chromatics. Since they formed in 2000, the Seattle quartet has had an unusual number of personnel changes, but Miller seems unaffected by any of it. “I love everyone that I have ever played music with,” he enthuses. “Chromatics is like a foster home for troubled musicians, and [producer /programmer] Johnny Jewel is like the director of the Make-a-Wish foundation.”
Similarly, life on the road has taken little toll on Miller’s upbeat demeanor. “Touring is a constant source of inspiration,” he explains. “We love all the interactions that occur en route to the gigs. The scenery, the different people we meet–there’s always something to remember. The other night we were driving in rural Indiana and I saw a mountain lion cub.”
For anyone who has heard Chromatics, this positivism may come as a surprise. A pastiche of dub, Kraut rock, and gritty post-punk, the group’s first two records (Chrome Rats vs. Basement Rutz and Plaster Hounds, both on Gold Standard Labs) reveled in gloomy dirges and deathly subject matter. Their forthcoming full-length, Shining Violence (Troubleman Unlimited), explores similar themes of fatality and loneliness. “I think we all have an undeniable attraction to our own undoing, both as individuals and as a culture,” Miller states in describing the record’s title.
But while the subject matter is similar, the music has changed drastically. As demonstrated on the “Nite” 12″ that dropped earlier this year, Chromatics’ new sound is built on simple piano refrains and synthesized arpeggios. In place of gritty guitars and frantic beats, the instrumentation is noticeably subdued, and songs like “Baby” and the soon-to-be classic “In the City” have plenty of room to explore layered dynamics.
Miller attributes these new elements to having more time. “Chromatics recorded our first album in three days, and Johnny spent three months mixing it,” he explains. “With Shining Violence, we made a record that was allowed to develop in the studio. The goal, as with any of our records, is to not sound like any other Chromatics record. All of the songs have a distinct rhythmic core and purpose–even the songs without drums.”
In a musical climate where defining a band’s sound is crucial, Chromatics remains an enigma. But if you ask Miller, they’re just making punk rock. “We are punk like the Velvet Underground is gangsta, Suicide is krunk, and Yung Joc is new wave,” he says. “In our world, there’s no difference. Progressive artists refusing to accept the status quo–to us, that’s punk.”
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Christopher Willits – A true guitar aficionado, Willits blends his skills on the six-stringed instrument with other sounds, creating avant-garde indie rock with hints of shoegaze, jazz, and ambient noise that’s bound to please fans of Kid606 and Matmos.
Fujiya and Miyagi – The British trio has packaged their six most recent singles with some new goods onto a Vladimir Nabokov-inspired album called Transparent Things. If Kraftwerk, The Happy Mondays, and mournful-yet-clever lyrics are your thing, take note.
Arbouretum – Dave Heumann and company make intricate, technically varied songs steeped in guitars and inspired by Paul Bowels’ ponderous and often spirit-crushing novel The Sheltering Sky. Here’s to gorgeous riffs designed for the melancholy at heart.
Ultre – Musical realist Finn McNicholas makes compositions of distressed piano, strings, and guitar that integrate found sound and take joy in their own calculated imperfection. All The Darkness has Gone To Details is his debut release.
Mochipet – No one ever thought the techno kids could be swayed by the gospel of hyphy, but it seems there’s a market for this strange hybrid, and this Bay Area producer known for exploring boundaries is leading the way.
To celebrate Samamidon‘s debut video, “Tribulation,” Plug Research is holding its very own dance contest.
In the video, Sam does a dance that many reckon will be the next Chicken Noodle Soup, and with that in mind, Plug Research wants to see their fans try it out for themselves. As many renditions of the dance as possible will be lumped together and edited into Sam’s next video, for the track “Louis Collins.”
To play (or dance) your part in this mayhem, do the following:
1. Watch Samamidon’s “Tribulation” video and learn Sam’s dance (starts at 2:28).
2. Listen to “Louis Collins.”
3. Record yourself doing Sam’s dance along to “Louis Collins” and send it to the label. CDs/DVDs preferred. All videos become property of Plug Research and cannot be returned. Send to:
Plug Research
Attn: Samamidance
4519 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
USA
Samamidon’s But This Chicken Proved Falsehearted is out February 20, 2007 on Plug Research.
Fred Miketa gets educational on our asses, and recommends a post-punk history for the holidays. Check out This Heat’s Out of Cold Storage Boxed Set.
I found this gem and thought, “Evidently there is a god and he really likes me.”
Even the most informed heads sometimes need to fill gaps in their music history knowledge, and any good student of punk/post-punk will jump at this boxed set of re-mastered goods from one of the era’s most daring acts.
It’s been over 30 years since This Heat formed in England and the world has finally been rewarded with the band’s entire catalog in one hell of a collection. For novices–and those sleeping under a post-punk rock–This Heat made prog-rockers shiver with envy and punks wish they hadn’t been so harsh on hippies. The experimental icons were unarguably ahead of their time, pushing space and dissonance to the absolute brink with an advanced arsenal of psychedelic guitars, sporadic sax squeals, and numbing percussion.
Out of Cold Storage contains re-mastered versions of This Heat, Deceit, Made Available, Repeat, Health and Efficiency, a disc of raw, unabated live mayhem, and a stylish book of interviews and photos. It could be a very long time until fate will again hand music weirdoes like myself something so killer. Relish it while you can, kids.
Fred Miketa
The Other Days of Christmas
Day 1, Kids in the Hall DVD Megaset
Day 2, Eye of the Hawk beer
Day 3, Sad Ghost salt & pepper shakers
Day 5, Dustin Dollin’s Project 8 No Skool Vans
Day 6, Toys from Kid Robot
Day 7, Gama bird satchel and wallet
Day 8, Official Tourist Rave Hoods
Day 9, M-Audio IE-10 earphones
Day 10, King Jammy’s Selector Choice Boxed Set
Day 11, Madvillain action figure
Day 12, XLR8R Subscription
