DOWNLOAD: Mishka Presents: Ninjasonik - Darth Baño Mixtape (MediaFire MP3)

Boy 8-Bit

Last week in dance I only made it out one night, but had an absolute blast! Friday night I headed to Public Assembly around midnight to see Boy 8-Bit. While he didn't go on for an hour or so, his 1-1/2 hour long set was well worth the wait. From about 1:30 until 3, he played a UK-influenced, yet diverse set. He opened with his track "The Suspense Is Killing Me" which he manipulated to be a little more subtle than usual - a great starting point and indication of what was to come.

The rest of the set was a pretty current mix, punctuated with some of his own tracks (including some from the Baltic Pine EP which I strongly recommend - info on the release in last week's post) as well as Boy 8-Bit's own impressive take on some already awesome tracks. From a remix of Fake Blood's "Mars" (a track I thought couldn't get any better) to Bumblebeez's "Rio" (a track I never thought I'd be glad to hear) to what might have been (but I'm not certain) an extremely messed with, instrumental only remix of TTC's "Travailler"...Boy 8-Bit's set at Public Assembly was easily one of the most unpredictable, exciting, dance-able sets of this year.

While I find this week's dance prospects a bit less exciting, there certainly is a lot going on:

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) "

School of Seven Bells @ South Street Seaport Friday (more by Chris La Putt)

Somehow I didn't go out last week, except for Pilooski and Friendly Fires on Tuesday & Wednesday which I already told you about. Plenty of other dance events went on though...the School of Seven Bells show at the Seaport (above), the DFA Boat Party, Flashing Lights, and Girls & Boys. Now, on to this week:

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) "

Boy 8-Bit @ 88 Palace, November 14, 2008 (The Culture of Me)

Last Saturday despite only considering two options, I had a tough decision to make. I hadn't seen Justin Martin deejay since January, but I had come so close to seeing Boy 8-Bit (without it actually happening) last month that I needed to go to Korrupt 88 Palace (a venue that wasn't very easy to find).

If you haven't been (this was my first time), 88 Palace is a dim sum restaurant on the second floor of a mini-mall that is under the Manhattan Bridge. As you walk in there is police tape up so you are pretty much corralled up the stairs, straight to the restaurant. I was a bit skeptical/curious about how this was going to work as a dance venue...but it worked pretty f-ing well. The place is shaped a bit like a stretched out horseshoe with a bar running down one side, tables scattered everywhere and a dancefloor at the end. I don't remember what time it was (probably sometime between 1 and 2) when we arrived, but the party was already packed and grooving. You could pay for shots that they would pour straight from the bottle into your mouth at the bar, apparently there had been jello shots earlier...I don't think anyone who was drinking was feeling bashful about hitting the floor.

We worked our way up to the floor shortly after we arrived, just as Boy 8-Bit began his set. Much like when I saw him in March, he dropped a more UK-influenced set, (that featured other stuff too)...but was just a pleasant far cry from so much of the French music (old and new) I've been (happily) listening to over the past year. It was one of those sets that was so good I was too busy dancing/had absolutely no desire to attempt a setlist, but a few good tracks I remember are below. I did'nt know lot of the really good stuff Boy 8-Bit played though - perhaps some new music of his?

that setlist and lots of upcoming events, below...

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Green Velvet, much more) "

DOWNLOAD: Simian Mobile Disco - In the Mix (N-Joy) 11/7/08 (MP3)

Ulrich Schnauss @ Webster Hall - November 7, 2008

The past few weeks have been amazing dance-wise. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before there was some type of lull. I wouldn't say last week was bad...just nothing like the few weeks before. I started last week off early Thursday night at Hiro for the Hours showcase which featured Fires of Rome and Cazals. I only caught the last few songs of Fires' of Rome set, but their playing was tight and sounded very true to their album which somehow combines elements of classic rock with hints of 60's/70's and a bit of dance. Going into the evening I was more familiar with Cazals and like their material better than Fires' of Rome, but overall wasn't that engaged by their performance, though their playing was good, and the live versions of their tracks "Somebody Somewhere", "Poor Innocent Boy", and "Both Sides" were excellent and really stood out. The rest of the tracks however, just seemed to breeze right by. In all fairness, Cazals' keyboardist was absent, which I imagine took a way some of the more electronic/dance elements of their sound. Overall it was a decent night, just a little less dancey than I would have liked.

more about last week, and lots of upcoming events, below...

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Boy 8-Bit, Justin Martin, Simian Mobile Disco, Ulrich Schnauss & more)"

by Showtrotta

DOWNLOAD: Diplo vs Telepathe Mad Decent mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Little Jinder - Polyhedron (Black Holes Remix) (zSHARE MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Little Jinder - Polyhedron (The Boys and Girls Club Remix) (zSHARE MP3)

Boy 8 Bit

Thursday night (10/16) I'm most looking forward to seeing Diplo, Abe Vigoda, Telepathe, and Boy 8-Bit at Webster Hall. The show is part of the Mad Decent 2008 Tour. Out of those four Abe Vigoda (who played a couple of other shows in the NYC area this week) and Telepathe (who played the Seaport in July among other places recently) haven't really been on my radar. I just recently heard a couple of Telepathe tracks and wasn't into them. With Diplo, things have been the opposite as he and his label, Mad Decent, are inescapable at this point. After trying to avoid him for a long time, catching a little bit of one of his dj sets at Studio B, and hearing a good mix he had done back in March (which you can download from one of my posts from last month) I have finally yielded to the Diplo hype. Removed from all of that, out of those four acts, I highly recommend Boy 8 Bit. Back in March he swung through New York with very little warning, delivering a refreshing set of both old and new UK bangers to a very appreciative crowd assembled at Glasslands for a Thursday night Trouble & Bass party...

Continue reading "Diplo & Boy 8 bit kick off tour, the Thursday night in Dance"

photos by Chris La Putt

Abe Vigoda @ The Yard, Brooklyn, NY - July 12, 2008

"Mad Decent presents DIPLO w/ Abe Vigoda, Boy 8 Bit, Telepathe, and Special Guests". That's how the tour that kicks off October 16th in NYC is being billed. Tickets for the Webster Hall show are now on sale (@ noon) (you can check the presale too).

Diplo/Mad Decent recently contributed to a RMXOLOGY CD and a Sunny Day Sets Fire remix EP.

Telepathe also has a NYC show scheduled with TV on the Radio.

Abe Vigoda was in NYC in July. One of the shows they played was at South Street Seaport. Another was at The Yard. More pictures from The Yard show, and all tour dates (and the Mad Decent tour poster), below....

Continue reading "Mad Decent 2008 tour dates (Diplo, Abe Vigoda & Telepathe)"