DOWNLOAD: The Dirtbombs - Sharevari (MP3)

"Nearly ten years after their acclaimed Ultraglide in Black helped kick-start a renewed interest in all things Detroit and rock-and-roll, The Dirtbombs are releasing the de facto companion piece, Party Store.

Ultraglide was a covers collection of 60's and 70's soul gems centred on the ideas of African-American identity and politics of the era (see Curtis Mayfield's "Kung Fu" and Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City"). All of the songs made an impression on a young, pre-musical Mick Collins as he listened to them on 45's in the family basement.

Party Store is an assortment of live band interpretations of classic Detroit techno music of the 80's and early 90's. These are songs Collins digested when they were originally released - at a time where he was already making waves with garage-punk legends The Gories. Songs that run the gamut of subject matter from materialistic future-disco braggadocio "Sharevari" (originally by A Number of Names) to cold, post-industrial isolation of "Alleys of Your Mind" originally by Cybotron) through the instrumental optimism of a worldwide house classic, "Strings of Life" (originally by Derrick May)... ALL these themes encapsulate the climate of Detroit both now and at the time of their initial release. Let it be said clearly...this is a record that addresses, at the same time, both the past and the future of Detroit." [Press Release]

You'll have to wait until February 1st to get your hands on Party Store via In the Red, but you can party with Mick Collins in Brooklyn tonight, New Years Eve, at Lady Jay's.

Download "Sharevari" off "Party Store" above. Watch the video for the same song, with more info on the full album with cover art, below...

Continue reading "The Dirtbombs releasing Detroit Techno cover album (MP3), Mick Collins DJing Lady Jay's on New Years Eve"

Modeselektor will visit North America in January to play at least two shows. Igloofest takes place in Montreal on Friday January 23rd, and one day after they play that, the German techno group will visit NYC again, this time to play Bowery Ballroom. $23 tickets go on sale Friday. All dates below...

Continue reading "Modeselektor - 2008/09 Tour Dates (Igloofest, Bowery)"

DOWNLOAD: Modeselektor - The White Flash (Ft. Thom Yorke) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thom Yorke - Skip Divided (Modeselektor Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ellen Allien & Apparat - Do Not Break (MP3)

Thom Yorke wearing a Modeselektor shirt @ Lollapalooza (more by Zach Dilgard)

BPitch Control is a German techno record label founded in 1999 in Berlin by DJ and producer Ellen Allien. In 1992 she became resident DJ at the legendary Tresor club in Berlin's Potsdamer Platz. At around the same time, she started her own show on the Berlin radio station Kiss-FM and created her own record label, calling them both Braincandy, before setting Bpitch Control up in 1999.

The label has since launched the careers of popular production outfits, such as Modeselektor and Apparat, and has featured limited edition remixes of alternative musician Beck. It also a favorite label of Thom Yorke's. [Wikipedia]

The techno awesomeness that is Berlin's Ellen Allien combines forces with the electro-glitch techno awesomeness that is Berlin's Modeselektor for one massive (actually small) tour full of German techno awesomeness. The NYC date that was originally scheduled to take place at Studio B has been moved to Highline Ballroom (not Element where it was moved to for a second). All tickets will be honored for the September 4th show. Some videos, all dates (and the poster), below...

Continue reading "Ellen Allien & Modeselektor - 2008 Tour Dates (Highline)"

photos by Ryan Muir

Unlike last year's semi-swanky, semi-outdoors, semi-conventient location, this year's SXSW Playboy party (Thursday night, March 13, 2008) felt more like a rave in a big abandoned (yet conveniently located) warehouse (which ended up being the same location as the late night VICE party that happened later in the week). LIKE last year, there was a bunch of Playboy models running around in blue bunny outfits, and there was plenty of free alcohol available all night....well past Austin's 2am bar closing time.

I got there right before Moby started (around 1?), and left almost before Justice finished (around 4). I'm a big fan of classic techno, and especially classic Moby, so Moby's classic techo-heavy set kept me more than happy - especailly when he closed with "Thousand". Justice's DJ set was good too, and the visuals were definitely entertaining, but I was really just a zombie by that point. I was thinking, "this would be really fun if I could do more than just stand here". Up until then my SXSW went something like this.....

Tuesday: last minute preparation all day, fly to Texas, arrive at midnight, check into hotel, sleep.

Wednesday: wake up early --> change hotels & run errands --> my Wednesday day party ---> run more errands real quick --> my official showcase till 2am.

Thursday: wake up early ---> get to Emo's by 10:30 for Thursday day party ---> dinner & short break ---> see Jens Lekman @ the Mohawk (which was as good as always) ---> Playboy Party ---> collapse

Ryan was not only more awake than me, he got to the Playboy party earlier, stayed later, danced a lot, and thought it was pretty much the best party he went to all last week (unless you count the all day Mess With Texas festival on Saturday). More of Ryan's photos (which also include openers The Rub, MGMT and The Heavy), below.....

Continue reading "Justice, Moby, MGMT, booze & Playboy bunnies @ SXSW 2008"

DOWNLOAD: Justice - D.A.N.C.E (mstrkrft REMIX) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT Edition) (MP3)

"it seems like kids are actually buyin this fake shit"

MSTRKRFT (CRED)

I found this while researching the other JFK/MSTRKFRFT post we just did....

Continue reading "MSTRKFRFT's JFK on techno artists "playing live""

Looking back at 2007, it most certainly can be said electronic music is alive and thriving in America and across the globe. The meteoric rise of rave rockers Justice and the electrifying resurgence of Daft Punk have undoubtedly spread a wide net introducing millions (most importantly young aspiring musicians) to the power of the beat and the excitement, democracy of participation, and borderless history of dance music and club culture.

No conversation about dance music in 2007 can ignore the speed at which both France's big electro sound and the German minimal techno scenes have spread across the dance floors of the world.

Ed Banger and its Parisian brother label Institubes led the way for DJs dropping full sets of distortion heavy, maximal electro to the beer soaked floors of tiny basement rock bars. On the other hand, a stripped down version of tech house has been providing the pulse for the non-stop minimal parties inspired by the 24 hour Berlin techno culture. The speed at which music and ideas flash and morph across the internet has led to a global spattering of genre creating releases and mimicking local dance scenes. Punked up or stripped down, whichever is your pleasure, its meant that this year dance music has reached many more ears (particularly in the States) than the last few.

Continue reading "The Year in Dance: David Bruno's Musings"