by Bill Pearis

Metronomy is no stranger to remixes. Until The English Riveria blew up, Jospeph Mount was more known as a remixer (Goldfrapp, Lykke Li,Charlotte Gainsbourg). But lately it's been Metronomy who's getting remixed. The English Riviera singles "The Look," "The Bay" and "Everything Goes My Way" all came in a handful of versions, reworked by the likes of Fred Falke, The 2 Bears, Eron Alkan, and Psychemagik. But the band comissioned many more -- including ones for album tracks -- that haven't seen the light of day. They will, though, when Metronomy releases The English Riviera Unreleased Remixes on March 3.

We've got the premiere of the compilations' lead track, a cover (not actually a remix) of "Corrine" by Benoit & Sergio that you can stream below. Some of the other folks messing with Metronmy cuts include Mario Basanov, Ewan Pearson, Clock Opera, Two Inch Punch and more.

The 13-track album is digital-only but will be out in time for Metronomy's upcoming North American tour which stops at Irving Plaza on March 30. Metronomy's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg during CMJ last year was my favorite live performance of 2011, so if you haven't seen them yet you should absolutely correct this as soon as possible. Friends open the Irving Plaza show and three other shows on the tour.

All Metronomy tour dates are below, along with stream of the Benoit & Sergio cover of "Corrine," and cover art for The English Riviera Unreleased Remixes...

Continue reading "Metronomy releasing remix album (track premiere); Friends opening shows on their spring tour (updated dates)"

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...)"

DOWNLOAD: Ewan Pearson - Buzzin' Fly, August 22, 2008 (MP3)

XLR8R Issue 123 - Best of 2008

This past weekend, which I was really looking forward to, wound up being pretty lame dance-wise. Things started off okay at Webster Hall Friday night. D.I.M. began his set with some oldies but goodies from last year: Boys Noize - "Lava Lava", and the Chemical Brothers - "Salmon Dance" (Crookers Wow remix), then immediately launched into a three song burst of new stuff - MGMT - "Kids" (Soulwax remix), Tiga - "Mind Dimension", and Mr. Oizo - "Positif", which was entirely too short-lived as D.I.M.'s set quickly devolved into what could have unfortunately been a playlist titled "Best Electro of '07". Mostly good songs, just a year old. This can be fine, but nothing D.I.M. was doing was really grabbing my attention.

I started hoping Switch's set would blow me away and save the evening. Unfortunately that was not the case. Switch, apparently nowhere to be found, did not go on, and AC Slater who was scheduled to close out the night, filled in his place. At that point I was frustrated, cold (Webster wasn't too full at that point and was drafty), and having my ear talked off by some drunk a-hole about how great Switch was (after I informed him that it was D.I.M., NOT SWITCH), so I left.

Saturday I was so looking forward to seeing Green Velvet at Sullivan Room (after missing him the past 2 times he was here), but I got a cold and decided to stay in. Apparently he had the packed floor moving all night...

video of that and many upcoming events below....

Continue reading "the Thanksgiving week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Drop The Lime - Best of 2008, Ewan Pearson, FIXED, 19+ @ Studio B)"

DOWNLOAD: Prime Time #1 - Eamon & James live mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ewan Pearson Prime Time Promo Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Runaway Live at the Yard - July 27, 2008 (zSHARE MP3)

It's 2 days later, and despite not doing any dancing Friday night I am still hurting from the French madness that went down Wednesday and Thursday - but more on that next week. This weekend there is still more dancing to be done.

Saturday night (August 2, 2008) the thing to do is see Ewan Pearson deejay at Love....

Continue reading "the weekend in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Ewan Pearson)"

Its a busy week (month really) for dancing...

Ewan Pearson, a brilliant knob-man producer (The Rapture, Ladytron, Tracey Thorn, and Gwen Stefani), a prolific remixer (see his Piece Work 2 CD set out now on K7!), and a man of letters (a book and his Enthusiasm column) hits the decks for Robots at Cielo on Thursday night. I am partial to his Partial Arts work with Al Usher, but there is no doubting that the man can rock it in the big and small rooms. Check out his forthcoming CV:

2007 is shaping up nicely. A new album from M83 and single for Australian indie sensations Lost Valentinos are already in the bag. In July fabric released Ewan's contribution to their legendary mix CD series. This summer Ewan kicked off a new occasional label 'Misericord' with an EP from his Partial Arts partner Al Usher, later in the year Partial Arts will follow up their acclaimed 'Trauermusik' with a new single, 'Telescope', for Kompakt and on September 24th !K7 will be releasing 'Piece Work', a 2 CD retrospective of Ewan's finest remixes from the last 6 years. Crikey.

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ David Bruno (11/28/07)"