The celebration of Mark Kamins' life and times culminates at Santos Party House tonight. Konk will perform for the first time since 1986. Lady Miss Kier of Dee-Lite fame, as well. Coati Mundi, Crystal Ark, and a ton of other performers will crowd both floors of the club that most resembles the old- school type clubs where most of these folks did their thing ...in days of yore. A zillion DJs including Jellybean Benitez and Justin Strauss and Mike Pickering and Stretch Armstrong and Ivan Ivan and Jazzy Nice and and and.... will make musical statements about the man we and thousands of others loved. I will MC along with Jim Fouratt, Chi Chi Valenti, Michael Holman, and and and. Proceeds of the event will go to the Mark Kamins Scholarship Award in Electronic Music. Walter Durkacz is the puppeteer pulling all the strings that make this sort of thing happen. Not an easy gig. [Steven Lewis]

When Mark Kamins passed on to another plane earlier this year, he clearly left a large impact on the community. That community is banding together to celebrate his life and legacy tonight (4/17) at Santos Party House as part of "Mark & Cetra: A Pow Wow of Everybody in Celebration of DJ Mark Kamins." And they do mean "everybody".

This massive, two floor celebration will feature an almost endless number of legendary DJ talent like Jellybean Benitez, John Robie, Justin Strauss, Mike Pickering, Stretch Armstrong, Lady Miss Kier (Dee-Lite) and many more, as well as live band performances from names like KONK (doing their first show since 1986), Crystal Ark, Nomi Ruiz, Coati Mundi, Strafe and others.

Tickets are still available, with all proceeds going toward the Mark Kamins Scholarship for Electronic Music. Full schedule of events is below.

Continue reading "DJ Mark Kamins remembered tonight at NYC tribute party (KONK reuniting)"

by Andrew Sacher

Scuba

Francois K.'s weekly dance party, Deep Space, which takes place Mondays at Cielo (18 Little West 12th St.) is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and to celebrate, he's throwing an anniversary party on March 18 with Hotflush label head Scuba. Tickets for that party are on sale now. The party is part of Scuba's upcoming international tour, which begins in Italy this Friday (3/8). All dates on that tour are listed, along with a Spotify stream of Scuba's strong bass-heavy 2012 album, Personality, below.

Other upcoming Deep Space parties this month include tonight's (3/4) with Infinity, followed by Francois K DJing all night on March 11, and one with Dub Gabriel on March 25. There's also a few other parties already announced for upcoming months, including V.I.V.E.K. on April 22, and the previously mentioned Giorgio Moroder DJ set (his first in NYC ever) on May 20 as part of the Red Bull Music Academy series. Tickets for all upcoming Deep Space shows are on sale. The flyer for the anniversary party and a general flyer for the upcoming schedule are below.

In related news, the same day Scuba plays Deep Space (March 18), his label, Hotflush, is releasing the new single by George FitzGerald, "Thinking of You," which you can stream below.

All Scuba dates are listed, along with all song streams and show flyers, below...

Continue reading "Scuba going on tour, helping celebrate Francois K's Deep Space 10th anniversary; George FitzGerald releasing single"

DOWNLOAD: The Orb & Lee 'Scratch' Perry - FACT mix (MP3)

Subatomic Sound is presenting the Dub Champions Festival, which goes down in NYC from September 21 to 24 across multiple venues. It includes the previously discussed show from dub legend Lee "Scratch" Perry at Music Hall of WIlliamsburg on September 23 and the previously discussed show from Hyperdub label head Kode9 at Deep Space on September 24 with Appleblim and Francois K. Tickets for the Lee "Scratch" Perry show and tickets for the Kode9 show are still available.

The fest also includes a show from Scientist & Roots Radics at BB King's on September 21 with Johnny Osbourne and Subatomic Sound System (tickets). Additional shows are TBA and you can check the festival's website for updates.

Meanwhile, Lee "Scratch" Perry just released an album with electronic music group The Orb called THe Orbserver in the Starhouse. You can stream that album in its entirety HERE and download a FACT mix that Lee and The Orb made together in advance of the album above.

In other news, Lee was just interviewed by Tom Hasson for The Quietus, who admitted after interviewing him that "it was like herding marmalade." Here's an excerpt:

With getting a straight answer proving to be difficult, I ask him if there's anything else he'd like to add before our conversation ends. "I wish to let the world know who I am," he says.

And who are you?

"I am not a snake. I have no respect for snake. I have no respect for sin. I have no respect for ache. I have no respect for sin. I have no respect for mad people. I have no respect for people who worship sin. And I have no respect for ache. No respect for pain. No respect for train. No respect for airplane."

Two videos from The Orb & Lee "Scratch" Perry's album are below...

Continue reading "Lee "Scratch" Perry released an LP w/ The Orb, playing Dub Champions Festival in NYC (lineup includes Kode9 & others)"

Hyperdub label boss Kode9, who was in NYC for a Deviation party in July, will be returning to North America for a full tour here this September. That tour kicks off in Vancouver and culminates in a NYC show on September 24 at Deep Space at Cielo (18 Little West 12th St.) with Appleblim and Francois K. Tickets for that show are on sale now. The flier for the NYC show and a list of all tour dates are below.

Kode9 recently revealed a clip of a new song called "Xingfu Lu," which is set to appear on his next release. Details on that release are still up in the air, but a press release says it may be out this September. Stream that song and check out a list of all tour dates below.

Continue reading "Kode9 going on North American tour, working on new material (dates & stream)"

Maxxi Soundsystem

It's anchors aweigh for a downtown Brooklyn market built in shipping containers -- and its vendors are awash in anxiety about their future.

DeKalb Market merchants are upset the Flatbush Ave. open-air shopping bazaar is shutting down this fall -- far sooner than expected -- to make way for a housing development with a Century 21 department store.

They say market operator Urban Space told them moving to a new Brooklyn location -- which hasn't been found yet -- will be a three-week process. They'll be out of business just when their crucial holiday selling season begins.

"I have to figure out how to save my business," said Maxcine DeGouttes of Stitch Therapy, who probably won't move her yarn shop to DeKalb's new site. She worries the market can't survive in a less-densely populated locale. [NY Daily News]

Dekalb Market, original space, we hardly knew ya. In addition to the vendors, it was also home to the occasional Rooftop Films screening and live shows though most this summer have ended up moving locations (though not due to the above news). Chromatics, who were to play Dekalb on July 22, moved to Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets still available) and we since realized that the Fixed x The Dog & Pony Show featuring Maxxi Soundsystem that was to have happened on August 18 has moved to Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are on sale for the LPR show.

Not everything has fled Dekalb just yet. On the 4th of July there's a party "Deep Space: Mission 1" from 3PM - 9PM with Francois K, King Britt, FaltyDL and Infinity. Tickets are on sale. Flyer for the party is below.

Continue reading "Dekalb Market is moving this fall: 4th of July party still happening there; Maxxi Soundsystem moved to LPR"

photos by Greg Cristman

"Just saw Francois K DJ all Kraftwerk set in the MoMAPS1 dome for 90 minutes with 360 degree visuals. Sound by Jim Toth. I love NY." - DFA Records

"Only non-Kraftwerk song that both Juan Atkins and Francois K. played: Yaz's "Situation."" - Sasha Frere-Jones

Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk & Francois K @ PS1

Being that Kraftwerk began their 8-night, 8-album run of performances at MoMA back on April 10, and today is only the 16th, as of this writing there are still two chances to see them perform a full album in 3-D at the modern art museum. However, your chance to participate in "Kraftwerk Fest" at MoMA's PS1 has come and gone and featured two special Kraftwerk sets by DJs Juan Atkins (Saturday) and Francois K (Sunday).

Sunday, which we have pictures from in this post, was made even more special with a guest appearance by uncle Ralf Hutter who stopped by before performing Techno Pop" with his band at MoMA later in the night. Tonight he and his band will do "The Mix", and they finish it off Tuesday with "Tour de France."

The "fest", part of a month-long installation at PS1 (that runs until May 12), was was three hours long each day, with the DJs playing Kraftwerk remixes to a packed crowd. Francois K performs again TONIGHT (4/16) at Cielo with Four Tet (who is also DJing). Check out more pictures from Sunday at PS1, shots of 5Ptz across the street included, below...

Continue reading "Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk joined Francois K @ MoMA PS1 (pics); Four Tet plays with him tonight @ Cielo"

Lee "Scratch" Perry at Highline Ballroom (more by Greg Cristman)

Lee "Scratch" Perry has a few limited dates scheduled in the US in September, including one SATURDAY NIGHT (9/10) at BB King's with Subatomic Sound System and Jahdan Blakkamore. Tickets are still available. After NYC, the dub legend will take a few days off before hitting the west coast for three days in California in Santa Ana, Ventura, and San Francisco. Full tour schedule is below, alongside an interview and a recent demo.

The Lee Perry appearance is one of several shows scheduled as part of the Dub Invasion festival, which kicks off tonight in NYC with Adrian Sherwood featuring Brother Culture, Subatomic Sound System, and Channel U at Dominion, and will run the following week in both NYC and Boston. The fest will also feature NYC appearances from Dr. Israel at Dominion on 9/15 and two shows with Mad Professor on 9/16, one at Dubspot and a second with Twilight Circus Dub at Knitting Factory (tickets) among many others.

Full listing of Dub Invasion events in NYC, alongside tour dates, video and that demo stream below....

Continue reading "Lee 'Scratch' Perry is part of the 'Dub Invasion' going on in NYC this week"

Joy Orbison

UK producer/DJ Peter O'Grady, aka Joy Orbison, made his U.S. debut at Justin Carter & Eamon Harkin's 'Mister Saturday Night' party at 12-Turn-13 in Clinton Hill on Saturday night (4/9). Check out a video from the appearance below.

If you missed it, you have one more shot to catch O'Grady in NYC before he continues on towards Coachella. Joy Orbison plays Deep Space at Cielo with Francois K tonight (4/11). He then flies west for a pre-Coachella show in San Francisco, Coachella, and a post-Cochaella HARD LA event where he shares a bill with Pearson Sound / Ramadanman, Annie Mac, & Flinch on 4/19.

Speaking of HARD, the festival is heading to the high seas in 2012. Much like Jam Cruise (whose people are involved in this), and Bruise Cruise (whose people are not), HARD Cruise 2012 is coming. It sails from Florida in January, and that's about all the details they've released at the moment. Stay tuned for lineups, pricing, etc.

All Joy Orbison dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Joy Orbison is here, HARD Cruise is coming soon"

words by BBG, photos by Greg Cristman

No one minded that the Moritz Von Oswald Trio had five members when it made its American debut on Saturday night at Le Poisson Rouge, part of the Unsound Festival New York and the Wordless Music series at the club. The trio is an alliance of techno and ambient disc jockeys and programmers doing what they don't do in D.J. booths or remix studios: playing instruments together in real time.

Mr. Von Oswald was surrounded by keyboards and synthesizers. Sasu Ripatti, also known as Vladislav Delay, was at a percussion kit with conga drums, bells and cymbals. Max Loderbauer, a k a N.S.I., was at his own analog synthesizer. And with them were another two renowned D.J.s: Carl Craig, a pioneer of Detroit techno, on synthesizers, and François K, a patriarch of house music, providing mixing, effects and additional sounds.

Their shared improvisation only hinted at the dance floor. It was sci-fi ambient music, with a background wash of pink noise like interstellar dust and puffy tones, pitched and unpitched, arising out of the static. The group's D.J. instincts governed the perpetually evolving structure: riffs appeared, drew responses, repeated, became foundations and eventually dissolved as new ones arrived. -[New York Times]

Moritz Von Oswald Trio were joined by DJ Eric Demby (aka Treeboy) and the LPR Orchestra, who played reimagined versions of Ravel's "Bolero" and Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" at LPR on 2/6.

Unsound rolls on today (2/9) with the experimental electronic beats of Zavoloka, NYC artist Bora Yoon, and the ambient noise of Poland's Zenial at Issue Project Room. Tickets are still available.

More pictures from the Moritz Von Oswald Trio show are below...

Continue reading "Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Carl Craig & François K played LPR (pics) & the Unsound Festival continues "

photos by Zach Dilgard

Frankie Knuckles / actual members of the crowd

"This past labor day weekend in NYC, thousands of dance and electronica music fans gathered together for the first, and hopefully annual Electric Zoo Festival on Randall's Island to celebrate Electronic Music. The festival lineup featured over 50 acts which included Steve Aoki, Busy P, Danny Tenaglia, Benny Benassi, Deadmau5, David Guetta, Markus Schulz, Tom Middleton, Kaskade, and Armin Van Burren over the course of two days....

...On the second day of the festival, house music icon DJ Frankie Knuckles alongside Andy Butler (Hercules & Love Affair) blessed the turntables with a raw and authentic classic house music set that made you feel nothing short of spiritual...

..."Music belongs to everybody," Frankie says after stepping off stage from his Electric Zoo DJ set. "Believe me, If I had the ability I would really just make it possible so that any and everybody could just show up (on the dancefloor)...a lot of times that's all you got to hold onto." To that end, it seems rather fitting that his biggest commercial hit was the ethereal and optimistic Whistle Song, which just might make him the pied piper of dance music who tries to leads the masses to a state of bliss.

Dropping next month is Frankie's Motivation Too album, which is his first compilation in six years. When asked about his own personal tactics for motivation, Frankie notes: "I normally get up early in the morning, like seven or eight o'clock. Musically I'm listening to things that are very spiritual and classical while I'm moving through the morning and getting myself together. I pretty much block out a lot of things that could possibly feed me any kind of negative energy, because my day has to be right...I figure why not get up on the right side of the bed and focus and maybe I'll get through the day and it will be alright."" [MC2D Magazine]

You saw Ryan's pictures from Sunday. More of Zach's pictures from both days of the fest (where he unfortunately missed Lindstrom, James Murphy, Al Doyle, Pat Mahoney, Busy P, DJ Medhi, Junior Boys, Holy Ghost, JDH, Dave P, Andy Butler, and others) (but did capture lots of scariness), below...

Continue reading "Electric Zoo Festival 2009 @ Randalls Island, NYC (more pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Lindstrøm - The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas edit) (MP3)

Andy Butler of Hercules and Love Affair @ Studio B (more by Ryan Muir)

Hercules and Love Affair (aka Andy Butler) is releasing a new DJ mix called Sidetracked... July 21st on Renaissance Recordings. Butler will be making DJ appearances throughout the summer, mainly in Europe. One U.S. gig will be at the July 3rd Firecracker party at the Hammerstein Ballroom (tonight). Also at the event, as mentioned by Showtrotta, will be Steve Lawler, Tiefschwarz, Victor Calderone, Damian Lazarus (live) and Audiofly. Tickets are still on sale.

Butler will be at Lollapalooza on August 8th, and he'll be making an appearance at NY's Electric Zoo Electronic Music Festival, taking place September 5th and 6th on Randall's Island. Other acts at the fest include Special Disco Version (featuring LCD Soundsystem/DFA's James Murphy & Pat Mahoney), Felix Martin & Al Doyle (of Hot Chip), Lindstrom, Frankie Knuckles, Prins Thomas, and many, many more. Above you can check out the Prins remix of Linstrom's "The Long Way Home" off the latter's Where You Go I Go Too. Tickets to the fest, including 2-day passes, are on sale now. Electric Zoo's current lineup is posted below.

Another electronic music suaree, the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival, is on the way as well, happening August 8th at the Old American Can Factory. The fest's headliners will be Juan MacLean (live) and RJD2; full lineup is still on the way. Tickets are currently on sale.

Electric Zoo lineup with Hercules and Love Affair comp info and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Electric Zoo on Randall's Island, BK Electronic Music Fest, Hercules and Love Affair DJ sets & CD & more..."