by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble - Pretend (MP3)

Somewhere between techno and the work of modern composers, German trio Brandt Brauer Frick make the kind of music you could imagine being played at Alice Tully Hall or a Brooklyn club. It's an alluring hybrid which can be heard on their new album, Mr Machine, which is out this week on K7. Apreggios still bubble, but in this case they're made by harps and vibraphones. Check out an MP3 of the single "Pretend" at the top of this post which features Emika who opened for Amon Tobin in Brooklyn last night (and does again tonight). The video for that song is below.

While they've left their nine-piece Ensemble in Germany, Brandt Brauer Frick will be touring North America as a trio, which, as previously mentioned, kicks off Thursday night (10/27) at Glasslands (with Humans and Populette). All BBF tour dates and some videos are below.

Continue reading "Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble released their album, about to tour (MP3, videos & dates)"

photos by Greg Cristman

Amon Tobin @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

Nightclub lasers and lights are one thing. These days, electronic music visuals are on a whole other level. Artists have upped the production ante on their live shows, taking the DJ set out of the club and into the venue...

But perhaps the most ambitious of this year's traveling visual circuses is Amon Tobin's ISAM, a fully HD, 3-D mapping experience that brings Tobin's experimental electronic album of the same name to subtly stunning life.

"Comparisons could be made to Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, who make electronic music and surround themselves with technology as they perform," says Tobin, who brings the "ISAM Live" show to the Congress Theater on Friday. "But unlike that, ISAM doesn't focus on making people dance. It's not a DJ set where you're raving; it's a much more cinematic experience, and is more closely guided by a narrative, how the visuals and music work together."

The show features a shape-shifting DJ booth/art installation. Washes of color, shapes and video images stream over the structure, triggered by Tobin in a storyboard mapped to the music in real time...

"Whether people are into my stuff or not, they come to the show and have an awesome experience regardless," he says. "And then the hope is that there'll be some people who get more curious about the record itself." -[Chicago Sun Times]

Amon Tobin brought his ISAM live performance/light show to Brooklyn Masonic Temple last night (10/25), the first of THREE sold out dates at the venue. Emika supports Tobin on all three nights, but won't join him at MoogFest 2011 in North Carolina, his last US date before heading overseas to play the UK. All dates and more pictures and some video from the impressive Brooklyn spectacle, below...

Continue reading "Amon Tobin brought his ISAM show to Brooklyn Masonic Temple (night 1 pics & video)"