The Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival will take place across five venues (all of which are on N. 6th St in Williamsburg) this year, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Public Assembly, The Cove, Cameo, and Zablozki's from November 11 - 12. The lineup includes Four Tet (DJ set), Diamond Rings, Matthew Dear, Reggie Watts, Kingdom, Nguzunguzu, Daedelus, and more (with more TBA). Tickets are on sale now. The currently announced lineup is listed below.

Reggie Watts meanwhile plays NYU's Skirball Center tonight (10/23) and will appear as a guest at The Talent Show at Littlefield on October 26th.

Diamond Rings is releasing a limited edition 7" to accompany the European release of his debut LP Special Affections. The 7" features album track "You & Me" and a cover of Teenage Fanclub's "Mellow Doubt." You can stream that cover below.

Matthew Dear also plays Moogfest which takes place in Asheville, NC not long before BEMF.

Lineup and song stream below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival 2011 -- 2 days @ 5 venues (lineup)"

DOWNLOAD: Burns - First Move (Fred Falke Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sounds - No One Sleeps When I'm Awake (Disko Dali Remix) (MP3)

Kings of Convenience @ Bowery Ballroom - Sept 10 (more by Fresh Bread)

While my favorite show from last week was definitely Kings of Convenience at Bowery Ballroom, Tonight We Ride at Santos (which I headed to immediately afterward) was quite good too. I caught most of Human Life's set which was very upbeat and energetic, but the vocals reminded me of radio "club hits" a bit too much. After set-up and a brief transitional dj set in between, the Glass went on around 12:30. The duo of DJ Wool and Dominique Keegan opened their set with one of their new songs "Wanna Be Dancin' " which was a little on the quiet side. Things picked up by the next track which was "Come Alive" and only got better with each song. Superhero (which is the Glass' next single, due out next month) was amazing and really stood out. The Glass followed with some earlier tracks, "Won't Bother Me" and "Mad At You", rounding out a great set of both new and classic material.

continued...

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) (Datarock, Esser, Burns, the Glass, the Sounds, Disko Dali & more) "

DOWNLOAD: 2020 Soundsystem - Sliding Away (Johnny D remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Moodymanc - Facing Forwards, Looking Backwards mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Viking - April Showers Bring May Flowers mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kid Cudi - Dat New New (Viking remix) (MP3)

Moderat @ MHOW (poejarker)

Last week in dance was by far, one of the best I've had this year. Things were off to a rocky start Friday night when APT's last minute closing left Disco 3000 temporarily homeless, before it was moved to Le Poisson Rouge. Unfortunately word didn't seem to get out fast enough, leaving very few disco revelers on LPR's dancefloor. Fortunately Disco 3000 will be back in just a few weeks (June 19) and Trus'me will be back deejaying here next weekend for what seems to be a dance party meets circus, And Everyone Laughed.

Back to last weekend...after a fairly tame Friday night, Saturday night was very busy. I started my evening by heading to Music Hall of Williamsburg to see Moderat. From there the plan was to head to Mr. Saturday Night (which was thankfully at a loft not too far away) to see Pilooski.

Unfortunately things did not go exactly as planned. Moderat were supposed to go on at 1. Modeselektor's shows usually clock in around an hour so I figured Moderat's would be similar and I might be a little late for Pilooski (who I heard was going on at 2). Moderat's show was about an hour...but it didn't start until 1:50! I had made the decision to attempt to go to both, fully aware that this might happen so I just crossed my fingers that Mr. Saturday Night was running behind and tried to enjoy Moderat.

continued below...

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) (2020 Soundsystem, Moby, Chromeo, Moderat & more)"

DOWNLOAD: Dominique Keegan - All Dom Wrong DJ Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alexander Technique - DANR 001 (May 2009) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That (Streetlab Mix) (MP3)

Sorry for the interruption in the Week In Dance...there were some foreign dancefloors I needed to explore. Hopefully you were able to get down without me. As much as I'm dying to tell you what I did...there's way too much happening this week (and I need to go through some photos).

Before we get to that, one quick heads up that Fatboy Slim (also more recently known as Brighton Port Authority) is DJing Terminal 5 on June 24th. Tickets are currently on American Express presale, with the regular sale starting Friday at noon.

Now here's to making up for lost time (Thursday & Friday night events & more):

Continue reading "the week in Dance (part 1) w/ Showtrotta (Black Strobe, Fatboy Slim & a Hall & Oates remix included)"

DOWNLOAD: Red Foxx - Live atLovelife, Providence 5/9/08 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Joee Irwin - Decks, Box & MBP (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: LA Riots - Remixes, Volume 1 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: LA Riots - live at I Love Techno, 11/15/08 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BM LINX - 123CAT (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Twelves - When You Talk (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Friendly Fires - Paris(Aeroplane Remix) (MP3)

After spending 3 relaxing, but tame nights in suburbia over Thanksgiving I was more than ready to hit the floor this past Saturday night. I arrived to a pretty full Studio B (especially considering it was only 11:30), that was already getting down to the beginning of 2020Soundsystem's set. The live electronic band from Leeds started off with some mellower, techno sounds which seemed to progress as their set went on, becoming richer and more upbeat with each successive track.

As I was getting more and more into their set, two thoughts kept coming to mind: 1. I really wish the drummer would get going on those drums. It was puzzling to see a live electronic band using programmed drum beats while their drummer sat calmly, quietly adding subtle taps on the drums and cymbals. and 2. I really wish they had somebody singing.

After a while I spotted Dominique Keegan in the crowd which reminded me that he had done some vocals for 2020. A few minutes later Ralph Lawson (dj,beats, etc.) called Dom onstage, where he lent his vocals for the last few songs of their set which included 2020soundsystem's remix of "Won't Bother Me" by the Glass as well as what I assume was "No Order" (one of the tracks they had collaborated on prior) and some others. Dom's vocals and presence coupled with drummer Danny Ward finally pounding on the drums really brought everything together into the live electro-techno dance party I was hoping it could be.

The fun continued from there as JDH & Dave P took the crowd into a great, varied deejay set of some awesome, recent tracks I hadn't heard played out much (if at all). You can download one particularly notable one, Aeroplane's remix of "Paris" by Friendly Fires' (who will be here next week!) at the top of this post.

Before I knew it JDH & Dave P surrendered the booth to excellent Berlin deejay/producer Ewan Pearson. Despite producing & remixing loads of acts over the past ten years, and creating an equally impressive amount of his own tracks, Ewan has flown under my radar save for a handful of remixes. I had very little idea what to expect from his set. From 1:30 until the lights came up at 4, Ewan treated the enthusiastic Studio B crowd to a set that started off on the techno side of things and gradually got deeper and more techy as the night went on. Ewan's set was one continual build-up that ended with him touching on a variety of genres from electro to disco to house while somehow still maintaining the deep, techno feel. I would love to provide a setlist for such a great night of music, but my limited familiarity with Ewan's tracks combined with the amount of new material a friend told me he was playing made that impossible. He played a great, very stripped down version of Tiga's "Mind Dimension" toward the end and that was literally the only track I could identify the entire night - a pleasant change from hearing deejays play the same 15 songs which inevitably make you lose it on enough floors until they eventually bore you.

If you didn't make it out that night or if you did and want to hear more, Ewan was on Beats In Space on Tuesday and the show is available to stream/download. 2020Soundsystem will also be back in the states in March.

Things don't really seem to get going until Friday(12/5) this week, so that's where we're starting:

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (2020Soundsystem, Ewan Pearson, the Rub, the Martinez Brothers, more...)"

by Showtrotta

Hope you got your fill of the French on Wednesday and Thursday. This weekend brings dance music from loads of different places (but is way less French intensive).

Friday night (August 1st) one of the bigger dance events happening is Booka Shade at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. Walter and Arno have been working on their own music together since the 90's as well as producing for a number of artists on Berlin-based, underground dance label (which they co-founded with M.A.N.D.Y. and DJ T), Get Physical. I have not seen them before, but have often heard their live performances compared to Soulwax's (who are here next Wednesday! Get tickets!) which I always consider to be a good thing. If it's an accurate comparison you should be in for a night of absolutely losing it on the dancefloor.

$20 advanced tickets available here or at the box office (no service charge).

Continue reading "Booka Shade (here), Soulwax (soon), art by Underworld, Electroma & more in the Friday night in Dance"

by Showtrotta

DOWNLOAD: Jusque le bout pour voir comme ca sent 1 mix - Dominique Keegan (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: AC Slater guest mix on Kiss 100 - May 1st, 2008 (divShare MP3 link)

The Black Ghosts @ Studio B - July 19, 2008 (CRED)

Despite the many dance possibilities this past weekend, I only ventured out to see the Black Ghosts at Studio B. Suprisingly, I arrived around 12:30 to an empty dancefloor - especially for that time on a Saturday night. As people slowly trickled down from the rooftop garden, it started to fill up though, and by the time the Ghosts went on at 1:30, the floor was healthily, but not overbearingly packed.

The duo opened with some slowly building electro goodness before Simon launched into Something New. For the following hour and half the crowd got down pretty fiercely to a mix of the Ghosts' own beats as well as some they had sampled. Tracks from the Black Ghosts self-titled debut album were dispersed throughout the set. Simon's energetic live vocals contributed invaluably to the performance, though more mellow than the last time I saw them at Glasslands. At Glasslands I danced for their entire performance. At Studio B there were a few lulls where I found myself wishing they would drop something a bit more upbeat. Overall it was still a great performance. A partial set list of their own songs they performed, as well as a few of the other songs they played/sampled, below.

This week the dancing is off to an early start. Wednesday night (tonight - July 23) there is a pretty massive party going on at the many roomed Rebel. I'm still not sure how I feel about that place. It's nice to be able to meander around if the deejay in one room isn't pushing your buttons, on the other hand, if there's someone deejaying that you specifically want to see you can have a hell of a time figuring out where they are. There are enough people on the bill that it should be a blast either way. I recommend checking out the following deejays if you decide to go to this party:

Continue reading "Black Ghosts played Studio B, dance @ TheJump! tonight"

by Showtrotta

Erol Alkan @ Studio B - May 3, 2008 (CRED)

Lots of good dance went down here last weekend, but I was out of town! Luckily one of my dance partners in crime, Paul (Thump Thump), made it out to Studio B on Saturday for Erol Alkan's set:

"Everything about Erol was great last Saturday. The crowd - packed but not that gross, disgusting, Studio B packed. Most everyone was into it, and then Erol crushed it, but not in a "hit you over the head with bangin' tracks" kind of crush. It was more of a complete set, not banger after banger. I liked it because he selected very good, obscure tracks (very few Ed Banger songs) and made them flow. He teased up tons of build-ups and blended them into other build-ups, and then released. It was really, really, one of the more seamless dj sets that I've heard in a while.

Continue reading "Erol Alkan played Studio B // the Wed night in Dance........... (events @ R Bar and/or Studio B TONIGHT)"