One of the premiere Game Boy-wielding 8bit electronic musicians in the world is Josh Davis, aka Bit Shifter, and subVariant and Front 312 are excited to have him perform at Ai Lounge on Halloween. Having played over 100 live shows armed with only two Nintendo Game Boys and two home-brew aftermarket music programs, he has a dedicated following and has been known to ignite dance floors with his high energy live performances.
A bit of what's been going on elsewhere online this week:
A.V. Club Chicago asks Jeff Tweedy to react to comments about him on the Internet.
Big Rock Candy Mountain goes all weak in the knees over Chicago band Cococoma and their luscious pink vinyl record.
Lincoln Hall's Official Grand Opening event will be on 10/25 with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Tickets on sale now. Just $15.
The Deli Chicago has the line (and a video) from a DA reunion on Chic-a-Go Go.
More in video is on Fake Shore Drive with local hip-hop artists Kidz in the Hall on Mark Bazer's "The Interview Show" which also begs the question: Why isn't there any hip-hop at The Hideout? Or any, really?
Jim DeRogatis has the line on a fledgling band called Ideamen hitting the Beat Kitchen later this month with their newly minted album.
Loud Loop Press has it that Pelican will play an in-store show at
Reckless later in the month, but more importantly, they'll debut a new "Pelican Burger" at Kuma's. Congrats, fellas! You've arrived.
And I totally missed the recent announcement of Kid Sister's long-awaited (and awaited) debut album release. Ultravioletdrops 11/17 and you can be at her show at the House of Blues to celebrate on 11/25. Tickets $16-$18.
In Chicago's contemporary club culture, it is easy to forget that house and industrial could once be heard at the same club on the same night. Bands such as Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 took as much of their influence from punk and new wave as they did from
Chicago house. One year ago, promoters Mr. Automatic and Adam Black decided to create Front 312, a night dedicated to this time in Chicago's club history.
For its one year anniversary on October 9th, 2009 , Front 312 will take a turn toward techno and house, with DJ Gant Man headlining. KHA and Mikul Wing of Members Only AV will be play separate solo sets as well, throwing down anything from classic italo tracks to extended versions of 80's new wave dance classics.
From releasing his earliest 12″s on Dance Mania, to rocking clubs and raves worldwide alongside legends such as Paul Johnson, Gant has been pushing his signature Chicago sound for almost two decades. Mixing up rapid-fire juke beats while referencing all the house and disco classics that first paved the way. His recent work includes a remix for Fool's Gold of Kid Sister's "Damn Girl", production on "Switchboard", and his new solo single debut on Fool's Gold, "Juke Dat Girl." For Front 312, however, he will be bringing out the classics.
KHA and Mikul Wing have made a name for themselves as Members Only AV over the last year, playing with anyone from Le Castle Vania to The Rapture. For Front 312, however, they will be playing two rare solo sets of all new wave and italo disco.
Mr. Automatic will be playing classic Razormaid tracks, 80's new wave, classic industrial, acid house, and new electro tracks prior to the headliners. Expect anything from Meat Beat Manifesto to The Presets and Frankie Knuckles. DJ Adam Black will open the night with punk rock, new wave, and alternative rock.
Doors open at 9pm. Admission is Free before 11pm with RSVP to Front312@gmail.com and $5 without RSVP or after 11.
Drink specials include $2 PBR, $3 Goose Island IPA and $4 well drinks, and plenty of other reasonably priced options are available at the bar.
Liars Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton in Chicago. at the intersection of Fullerton and Ashland.
Paste magazine sat down recently with our favorite local mashup DJs: The Hood Internet and had a little chat. Read and learn about the creative process behind their dancefloor breaking mashups, their feelings on Girl Talk, and plans for an actual Hood Internet album release. These guys (well, a solo STV SLV, but still) rocked our anniversary party like nobody's business, so we have a lot of love for what they do.
Since Calvin Harris, unleashed his certified gold debut album I Created Disco in 2007, the young Scottish DJ hasn't stopped since. He's collaborated with the likes of Dizzee Rascal and Kylie Minogue (he co-wrote and produced one of my favorite Kylie songs, "Heart Beat Rock"), remixed a plethora of artist, and still has found the time to crank out a new album and tour all over the world (he'll head to LA, Tokyo, and Ibiza following his set in Chicago). All of this is no surprise, given his tightly woven electro-pop music. His style is crisp and sleek (see "You Used to Hold Me" off his latest album, Ready for the Weekend), and each track snaps and pulsates with a sexy loose vibe (for this evidence, check out "The Girls" off I Created Disco).
Harris will be manning the decks this Friday night at Visions Nightclub, as C3 and Dark Wave Disco bring Harris to town before he jets off again across the world, winning over dance floors, one turntable at a time.
Calvin Harris will be DJ-ing tomorrow night, Friday September 11th, at Visions Nightclub, located at 632 N Dearborn St. The show is 21+ and tickets are $25 pre-sale, $30 general admission at the door.
Dutch techno pioneer Speedy J released last year Kreate, a huge collection of his original loops and samples that allowed DJs to build entire tracks in a live setting. Then he launched the "Open Collabs" project that encouraged producers worldwide to submit samples and loops to him, so that he could build an entire album from them. It's like open-source track creation; open source being a term that, in the software world, allows one to have access to a software's source code--the guts of a program--so that they can use it as they best see fit, and / or continue to develop the program on their own. It's become totally hot as of late, with the internet providing access to many minds and distribution methods.
So how has SJ's methodology affected his DJ performances? Check him out this Friday at Smartbar.
Girls Rock Chicago, a non profit that helps girls express themselves and develop community through rock music is having a Camp Kickoff party and BBQ this Saturday at the Hideout. The evening will be filled with a line up of local lady rockers including 8 Inch Betsy and Lemmy Caution. The event starts at 1:00pm and goes until 5:00. This is an all ages show and admission for everyone under 16 is free! $10 for everyone else.
Stay after for post punk disco clash bands The Guystorm at 9 for $8 and then a Hideout Dance Party with Chance Dances Djs who take the floor at 11:30. The dance party is a $5 admission. All this takes place at 1354 W. Wabansia (773) 227-4433.
Hangovers are the annoying, productivity-inhibiting result of a night spent drinking quite a bit, and yet we still put up with them because it's fun to loosen up, be social, and dance. Sure, it's easy to pop some aspirin, rehydrate and muddle through the morning, but wouldn't it be cool if music could relieve your hangover?
That's the concept behind Exception AM, a free digital compilation from subVariant that aims to present a collection of electronic music to help you feel better in the morning after a night of drinking. To celebrate the release on June 20, the release party will be held at Ai lounge in River North as the first in a series of concept parties called "Artificial Intelligence." Liz Revision will mix the mostly-ambient and downtempo tracks from the compilation together at the beginning of the night and will then hand over the decks to local DJs Silentcorp, Andrew Kevins, Dirtybird, and Droopy to finish out the night with techno and house. The party will be free all night from 10pm-3am.
Fashion :: Sex :: Music is a multi-disciplinary event series hosted by Godsgirls.com [NSFW] -- a Suicide Girls-type site that takes things a bit further -- that aims to showcase and cross promote fashion, sex, music, and art in a single night. With attractive girls in lingerie, a photo-installation from the site, a mixed media and fashion installation by My Broken Heart Mafia, and a diverse, dance-oriented sound from an all-girl DJ lineup, FSM delivers more than just another hipster dance music night.
The night also encourages community building and intra-industry networking by concurrently billing itself as a meetup for The Chicago Fashion Industry on Meetup.com, a group that has amassed more than 1,000 members. Judging by the comments and introductions on the site, the group is filled with ambitious and dedicated amateurs and professionals alike who work within or on the periphery of the fashion industry in Chicago. Combined with the increasing focus on Chicago as a fashion hub (with the relatively recent Chicago Fashion Week, for instance), grass-roots efforts like FSM that reach out to build a thriving network may help bolster Chicago's image as a fashion resource as well as a thriving and innovative music community.
The event starts at 9pm on Thursday, June 18 at Sonotheque, 1444 W Chicago Ave, and features an-all girl DJ lineup that includes Liz Revision, Fathom, Avi Sic, and Hilary Rawk.
Lollapalooza's Last Band Standing competition is back, but this year they're mixing remixing it up with a separate DJ contest. They're pitting Chicago artists against The World, and we know this city is known for its world-class DJs, so let's hear it Chicago!
Of course, in LBS fashion, there will be a final live event at Double Door on August 5th where the Top 4 (the final two contestants from each side) will compete for the title of Last DJ Standing. Oh, and for a slot at Lollapalooza on Perry's stage. Other prizes include a Dell Laptop, artist passes, cash money and tickets for your friends.
So if you think you've got the skillz, uh, skills, submit your best remix before June 25th.
Chances are good that you're familiar with DJ and producer Prince Paul in one way or another. Either as the man behind the decks in Stetsasonic, for the number of concept albums he's released over the years, from his work in Handsome Boy Modeling School, or most likely you might know him for the major role he played in shaping the first three albums by De La Soul.
Even though it's never translated into getting stinkin' rich or leading a glamorous life, Paul's always gotten mad respect as an innovator and an outside-the-box craftsman. And he's been quick at trading on that clout over the years. Among other things, he's recently worked with Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell on their collaborative Baby Elephant project, and he also had a major creative hand (with some critical input from his 5-year-old daughter) in producing the Baby Loves Hip-Hop CD. Presently, the rumor's been circulating that he's working on the next Souls Of Mischief album, a job which -- to hear Paul tell it -- has him amassing an array of vintage analog equipment to give the tunes a warm, throwback feel.
This Friday night, DJ C and the Mashit crew host their "Bouncement" residency party at Lava in Wicker Park, and they're welcoming a special out-of-town guest to headline on the decks the occasion -- DJ Kingdom from NYC. Hosts DJ C and MC Zulu will also be on hand, and they'll also be welcoming their Windy City confrere Whoa-B aboard to help keep the party on-track. Expect an evening of bassline, Bmore bangers, dancehall, grime, dubstep, and plenty of other styles that'll get the dancefloor jumping. It all gets underway at 10 PM, admission is $7, and it takes place at 1270 N. Milwaukee.
Really quick contest! We here at Transmission have a pair of complimentary passes to give away for the event. If you're 21 or up, just be the first to shoot us an e-mail at contests(at)gapersblock(dot)com with the subject line "Bounce this Friday" and you'll be the winner.Update: And we have a winner! Congrats to Colin.
When he first slunk on the scene earlier in the decade, Superpitcher (a.k.a. Aksel Schaufler) delivered a heads-up to electronic-music fans when his 2001 breakthrough track "Heroin" first popped up via the Cologne-based Kompakt label. Riding on minor-key washes and a dark, foregrounded bassline, the tune demonstrated Superpitcher's wont for augmenting Kompakt's minimalist tech-house thump with shades of "micro-goth" moodiness and dejected romanticism.
His highly-touted 2004 debut LP Here Comes Love saw him moving toward a slight more melodic, song-oriented approach -- with Schaufler delivering whispered vocals throughout and sometimes draping the shadowy grooves with a Roxy Music-styled melodic lushness. But more recently, he's mostly been working with Kompakt labelmate Michael Mayer under the Supermayer moniker. The duo have cranked out a plethora of remixes, and released the dazzlingly eclectic and upbeat Save The World album in 2007. If anything, both artists have proven that the standard Kompakt formula isn't immune to radical and unexpected overhauls.
No stranger to the pioneering fringe of experimental music, Kieran Hebden was a key member of the forefronting U.K post-rock trio Fridge back in the early 1990s before he delved into electronic music under the name of Four Tet just over a decade ago.
In the past few years have, Hebden's stayed unusually active and prolific. He not only brought Fridge out of hibernation for a reunion album and series of concerts, but also releasing collaborative albums with avant-jazz drummer Steve Reid, putting in a guest appearance on Vashti Bunyan's 2006 LP Lookaftering, as well as continuing work under both his own name and under his Adem alias. Somewhere amidst it all he found time to check in under his Four Tet guise with last years last year's Ringer EP. While it largely leaned toward bleeps-and-beeps mesmerism, the EP still hinted as Hebden's usual modus -- folktronic tapestries of electronic and organic instrumentation laced with samples, beats and loops that as equally evoke the rich sweep of pastoral expanses as the recesses of inner space or the dancefloor.
House legendFrankie Knuckles will be spinning at Smartbar, 3730 N. Clark, for free this Wednesday, Feb. 11. The show goes on at 10pm; Ralphi Rosario backs him up. Red Bull drinks are on special, since they're sponsoring the gig.
It seems the work of Lindstrøm has struck a deep chord with a number of listeners. After the success of his tune "I Feel Space" back in 2005 and subsequent remix work for the likes or LCD Soundsystem and Franz Ferdinand, anticipation had been running high for the Norwegian electronic producer's full-length debut. The debut in question, Where You Go I Go Too, finally arrived via the Smalltown Supersound label this past August -- meeting with unanimously glowing reviews. By year's end, the album was ranked as one of the best releases of 2008 by such publications as XLR8R, Pitchfork, and Dusted.
When it comes to making electronic music, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm's working process is mostly an organic one. He plays and lays down parts with guitar, keyboards and drums himself; then brings them all together by layering these components into sweepingly panoramic soundscapes. On Where You Go I Go To, tracks sprawl to epic lengths as sonic vistas unfurl and undulate like nebulae over a 4/4 beat. If anything, his sound hails back to the synth-splashed, psychedelic explorations of The Orb and (going further back into the canon) Tangerine Dream than anything from the usual house or techno end of the spectrum. It's an expansive, exploratory breed of electronica that a few critics have dubbed "space disco;" but one could just as easily imagine it accompanying a long helicopter tracking shot from some early '80s Michael Mann flick as, say, providing the soundtrack for the TV edition of Cosmos.
As dubstep came into it's own in 2008; and one of the potential breakout artists that some had their eye on was 27 year-old Philadelphia DJ and producer Paul Geissinger -- a.k.a. Starkey. This Friday night, DJ C and the Mashit Records crew welcome out-of-own guest Starkey to Lava for an evening of dancefloor bouncement, dubstep, electro-crunk and street-bass boom.
Geissinger first immersed himself in the grime scene after encountering it while residing in London in the early aughts. After returning to his native Phillie, he quickly hooked up with fellow grime enthusiast Dev79; and the pair launched a monthly series of DJ parties at an area club. A series of "Street Bass Anthems" mix-CDs soon followed, and by 2005 Starkey had stepped up his game -- cranking out a steady stream of his own remixes, bootlegs, and 12" tracks. This past year saw the release of his full-length debut Ephemeral Exhibits (Planet Mu), as well as the appearance of Geissinger's more club-bumpin' tracks under his Moves!!! alias.
Owned and operated by the crew at the Shape Shoppe studio and members of affiliated groups Icy Demons and Chandeliers, the recently-launched Obey Your Brain label aims to showcase the work of the Shoppe's allies, associates, and fellow travelers alike -- of adventurous musical artists from Chicago and from across the country. This Tuesday evening, the folks at OBY take the venture one step further as they kick off a series of monthly events that will be hosted by Sonotheque.
The lineup for the first show of the series features a headlining set from the Mahjongg side-project Waterbabies, and DJs Alex Valentine and Smart Cousin are scheduled to spin. Piling onto the bill at the eleventh hour are DJ HoloGram Trav (of the band Killer Whales) and a set from Warhammer 48K offshoot CAVE. Word has it that Nashvillian underground hip-hop emcee Count Bass D, who recently recorded some new material to be released via Obey Your Brain, might -- repeat: might -- also be in the house. Admission is free and doors open at 9 PM. 1444 W. Chicago Ave.
Since relocating his base of operations from Boston to Chicago a couple of years ago, DJ C (aka Jake Trussell) has kept his MashIt label going; issuing a steady stream of digital tracks and mixtapes, serving up a lot of bouncement and nu-skool ragga-jungle rollers on top of frequently teaming up local dancehall artist MC Zulu. This week finds C using the label to spotlight some recent work by a pair of emerging artists on the international dubstep scene -- specifically a pair of Venzuelan DJ/producers by the names of Cardopusher and Pacheko.
Both hailing from the city of Caracas, Cardopusher and Pacheko have been dropping tracks via various labels over the past two years, and -- despite Cardopusher's recent move to Barcelona -- they often collaborate on rocking spots as cornerstone members of the Caracas-based Wob This! network of dubstep DJs.
Given that this stretch of the Greater Midwest has long been a hive for breakcore activity, it's weird how little of it ever goes off in Chicago. Maybe it's because the breakcore crowd largely adheres to the original rave happening em-oh, and such events are most likely to take place in a warehouse on the outskirts of Pittsburgh or (no, not kidding) a barn in Wisconsin than at a legit/above-ground venue with a liquor license and neighbors who just might be inclined to complain about the noise.
When it comes to breakcore, many would argue that Venetian Snares (aka Winnipeg's Aaron Funk) pretty much rules the roost. Back when Aphex Twin dropped off the radar as Most Innovative And Fanatically Revered Mad Genius of the electronic-music community about five or so years ago, Mr. Snares immediately stepped in to fill the breach. Averaging about 3-4 albums' worth of released material per annum, he's widely hailed in breakcore subculture as the artist who defines (and pushes to re-define) the boundaries of leftfield extremist "electronica." Case in point: In the past few years, he's even made a few side-stepping excursions into composing beatless orchestral and chamber music.
Venetian Snares will be playing at Reggies Rock Club tomorrow evening, Friday the 5th, headlining an evening of nosebleed-inducing splatterbeats and bleeps. Joining him on the roster will be fellow and high-productivist squelch-wrangler Otto Von Schirach, who's currently traveling with VSnares as part of their "Detrimental Disco Wibble" joint tour. Cyrusrex, DJ Naha, Surachai, and Flashbulb are also piling onto the bill. With visual accompaniment by VJ Dizypixl. It ain't a party until someone calls for a medic! Doors open at 8 PM, and it's a 17 & over show. Tickets are $20, $25 the day of. 2109 S. State Street.
Interestingly enough, his hidden celebrity has brought him admiration from his own heros in the world of electronic music. Hernan says,
I meet people on the dancefloor throughout the world; they'll introduce me as the "Mortal Kombat voice guy" and you can see their eyes get as big as plates. These are people that I respect within the industry, that I'm a fan of, and they'll look back at me and say, "I'm am so glad to meet you!" Then the conversation eventually comes around to, "Hey can you please do 'Finish Him!'" or something like that, and it becomes an exchange of fandom from one world to another.
Hernan performs locally under his own name and as Bastard with Brian Franzen.[via]
Don't listen to the rumor mill on this one — there are definitely still tickets left for the Kid Sister show at the Metro Wednesday night. On your way to the visit with the fam come Thursday? You can head out the night before and head off some of those Thanksgiving calories with some seriously fun dancing. Kid Sister's debut album Dream Date doesn't hit the shelves until January, but her single "Get Fresh" is already blowing up the airwaves (web and otherwise). She'll be celebrating the release of the tune tonight in her hometown. What better way is there to do it? None.
Kid Sister takes the stage Wednesday night, November 26 at the Metro with DJ duo Flosstradamus and mashup kings The Hood Internet opening. It's a trio of Chicago talent! The show is all-ages and the music gets going at 7pm. Tickets are $16, but if you're quick, and email us at contests (at) gapersblock (dot) com with the subject line "Get Fresh" you and friend could be on your way to the show for free! Update: We have our winners! Congrats to Eric and Catherine!
Female rappers have always received a lot of flak. Despite the effort of many artists to reform the hip hop scene, misogyny and aspersion still remain commonplace. Perhaps that's one of the reasons Chicago rapper Melisa Young is such a breath of fresh air. Instead of grumbling about beefs, she'd rather have everyone going wild on the dance floor. Known as Kid Sister, she blew up on the radar almost overnight after the release of her single "Pro Nails". Also featured in the single is Chicago's own Kanye West, whom you may have heard of. Since then, she's been busy popping up on magazine covers, getting interviewed, and working on Dream Date, her debut album.
Getting your fingernails done, telephones, and beepers--these are just some of the finer things in life that Kid Sister focuses her rhymes on. They help define Kid Sister as a carefree party starter rather than just another female rapper people compare to Missy Elliot. Fans love her upbeat personality, hip fashion sense, and catchy beats. To an extent, Kid Sister is a throwback to old school hip hop acts that focused on having fun as opposed to east coast-west coast rivalries. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince immediately come to mind.
If you're anything like me, work has been trying to kill your soul. Chase that bad juju away with at the Cease to Resist dance party starring DJs Michael Flavor and Dr. Drase this Wednesday at the Darkroom. Special guests Clique Talk and BFF will also play, and--get this--there'll be cupcakes by Meghan of rocknrollingpins.com. Cupcakes! Begone, deadlines! The gig begins at 9 p.m. and is a measly $7. Bring extra cupcake money.
Two-thirds of Hey Champ originated from Rockford, therefore dooming the trio to a lifetime of Cheap Trick comparisons. Perhaps that's a small price to pay when considering their newfound success. Hey Champ was recently signed to Lupe Fiasco's 1st and 15th label, instantly catapulting them to "up-and-comer" status. They've also been touring with Lupe and blogging about the difficulty and excitement of it all.
So what's the big deal about these guys, anyways? For one, their music is a refreshingly catchy mélange of indie pop, rock, and dreamy synth sounds. Hey Champ manages to capture the "I just want to boogie" synthesizer sound and fuses it with a sleek guitar and drums that get your head bobbing. The end result will get just about anyone dancing in no time, including your grandma. Additionally, Hey Champ continues to work on their DJ skills. It's a safe bet to assume that their experience with banging dance anthems contributes to their musical versatility. Expect for these guys to remain cutting edge for a while.
The Empty Bottle is hosting a dance party this Sunday 11/16/08 to help cover the recent vet bills of the feline Empty Bottle CEO. Poor Radley's years of excess have led to a necessary teeth pulling excursion (ouch!) DJs include: Alex Valentine, Hologram Trav, Willy May, DJ Hugsen Kissus, and DJ Miles Raymer.
After the deluge of 2nd-gen, 3rd-rate Bmore styled remixes that glutted the blog-house scene a year or so ago, one couldn't be blamed for having heard enough of the Baltimore club sound. But throughout it all, the Charm City's DJ Blaqstarr stood leagues above all the come-lately carpetbagging clatter -- creating a mesmerising, hardcore dance music by intertwining the deep, minimal punch of Bmore club trax with neo-soul influences and an echoless dub-y spaciousness. It was a heady and distinctive sound -- one that soon brought MIA, the producers of HBO's "The Wire," a steady stream of DJs and artists knocking on his studio door.
This Halloween evening, DJ Blaqstarr hits Smart Bar for a headlining set, touring with South Rakkas Crew. The two artists are currently hitting spots as part of the recent Mad Decent tour, representing DJ Diplo's label. Rob Threezy and Charlie Glitch are slated to start things off in the opening slot. Doors open at 10 PM. Tickets are $10 before midnight, $15 after. 3730 N. Clark.
Back some 8 years ago, DJ C (aka Jake Trussell) was runnin' t'ings on the experimental fringe of the Boston dance scene -- recording under the moniker Electro Organic Sound System and being a prime mover in Beantown's network of junglists, trip-hoppers, and leftfield turntablists via his affiliation with the Toneburst Collective.
More recently, C relocated to Chicago about 18 months ago. He frequently spins around town at clubs like Lava and Subterranean, hosts a radio show on WLUW -- all the while continuing to run his own Mashit label from his new home base. Now via the Mashit label site, Trussell's serving up the free downloadable "Mas Hits" collection; a selection of assorted remixes, mashup antics, and a few assorted web-only remixes that's he's leaked through various sites over the past year or so.
As a seasoned junglist, C has an expert sensibility for craftily chopped beats and depth-charge bass, making a good portion of the tracks far more serviceable for dancefloor purposes that the standard mashup fare. And while there's a fair amount of prankish whimsy and silliness throughout, Trussell manages to bring some top-notch bouncement on some of the selections; especially with the bhangra/jungle/Timbaland bump of "Ooh Wadda Doo Dadda" and the Bmore/dancehall jawn "Prerogatives Change." The download also features a few bonus tracks that includes a couple of full-on jungle rollers, as well as his remix for MIA's "U.R.A.Q.T."
To get a sample or to download the whole of "Mas Hits" for free, go to the Mashit website (or just go here).
From the sound of top-40 radio these past couple of years, you'd think that a good portion of the pop-music industry had been taken over by robots. Little surprise that there's been talk in some quarters lately of a grassroots backlash -- something along the lines of a Citizen's Council for a 15-Year Moratorium Against the Use of the Vocoder. But back in 1982 when deejay Afrika Bambaataa and his crew the Soulsonic Force delivered "Planet Rock," synthesized vocals were still very much a novelty. An instant dance-club smash and b-boy anthem, "Planet Rock" was a hybrid of Kraftwerk keyboard riffs undergirded with liquidic rhythms and 808 kicks, and sported a crowd-rousing cybernetic call of Bam asking party people, "Can y'all get funk-ay?" As history shows, the answer was a unanimous yes. Not only did the tune birth a new breed of boom called electro-funk, but it also inspired more than a few producers down South to take a few moments off from contemplating thongs, turn their attention to some other low-end affairs, and engineer the Miami Bass sound.
It was, however, Bambaataa's work as a pioneering DJ in the 1970s that earned him the title "Godfather of Hip-Hop." And while that may have been three-plus decades ago, he hasn't shown any signs of waxing complacent or slacking off to rest on any honorific laurels. On the decks, Bam's kept his game up. He demonstrated as much when he was in Chicago back in January of last year to spin a headlining set at Smart Bar. He entered the DJ booth donned in a silver lamé hood-and-cloak affair, which he soon shed for optimum mobility as he got busy with the wax and wheels. For the remainder of the night, he threw a long, tight, and relentless set of old-school joints that kept the dancefloor packed and jumping for the full duration. It was lively, it was dope, and it left a good many attendees sore from dancing for a few days thereafter.
So if you missed it last time, this weekend's your chance to recoup. Afrika Bambaataa will be returning to town to play a headlining set at Smart Bar this Friday night. DJs Tone B Nimble and Intel will be spinning in the warm-up slots. 3730 N. Clark St. Doors open at 10 PM and tickets are $15.
In a recent interview, Matthew Dear stated that he feels he doesn't quite fit in anywhere. Not surprising, seeing how he kicked off his musical career but relocating from his native Texas to the more sketchy, metropolitan digs of Detroit. Add to that all of the traveling and globe-trotting he's done as an electronic musician, producer and DJ, and a sense of dislocation or rootlessness is bound be of a part of one's life.
Chances are, however, that it has more to do with the artistic and stylistic restlessness that's fueled Dear's approach to making music. When recording and performing under his own name or with his band Big Hands, he's specializes in techno-infused pop songs that often fall on the fidgety, slightly soulful, and more moody perimeter of the dance-music spectrum. Imagine David Bowie re-recording Low with the assistance of Jamie Lidell, and you're in the general neighborhood.
But it's when recording and DJing under his Audion alias that Dear seems to feel most at home. As Audion, he's proven himself a capable and crowd-pleasing tone-twister -- churning out austere tech-house tunes that ride on subtle rhythmic progressions, sultry basslines, and no shortage of crafty digital left-hooks and subtle pop trimmings.
Those who might've spent some time in the Biz3 tent at Pitchfork Fest two summers ago might've witnessed how Matthew Dear took to the decks and got a tent full of people dancing to their hearts' content. (In 103-degree heat, no less.) This Friday night, Matthew Dear returns to Chicago to spin a headlining DJ set at Smart Bar that'll keep the crowd moving. Joining him on the evening's roster are DJs Daniel Mnookin and Brian Ffar. 3730 N. Clark. Doors open at 10 PM. Admission is $10 before midnight, $15 after.
Two French DJ performances hit the Funky Buddha this month: Tonight, Kap Bambino, an electronica duo known for their live performances, performs for the weekly Outdanced party ($10). And August 8, the Buddha invites Parisian DJ Jean Nipon (Nipon = Japan en Francais) ($10).
And at the Alliance Française (the French cultural center) on August 22, DJ Madrid invites participants to bring in their top three French songs and he'll mix them in with the rest ($10 members, $15 non members).
Darkside navigators: Kode9 (center), traveling incognito with emcee Spaceape.
Brooding, bleak, sleek and spacious, the sound of dubstep is a heady concoction of noir-ish urban atmospherics and hauntingly expressionistic, textured melodies intertwined with fat and warmly visceral basslines. A mutant South London brew of two-step garage, grime, minimal techno and post-jungle beat science, dubstep has become the defining sound of the outer fringes of electronica over the past two years. And DJ and producer Steve Goodman, who records under the moniker Kode9, has been at the forefront of trackcrafters that've been spearheading the music's recent evolution.
Kode9 first pricked up ears back in 2004 with the single "Sign of the Dub." An eerie, foreboding versioning of Prince's "Sign O' The Times," the track featured Goodman's frequent collaborator Spaceape on vocals and sounded like an excerpt from some supremely dusted collaboration between Tricky and Linton Kwesi Johnson. More recently, Kode9's released his debut album, Memories Of The Future, and has pitched his tent on the pioneering edge of the subgenre as proprietor of his own Hyperdub label -- a label that netted a huge amount of praise for releasing the two album's by "outsider" dubstep mysterioso Burial (including last year's much-lauded Untrue LP).
This Saturday night, Kode9 will be putting in a headlining appearance on the decks at Sonotheque. DJs Chris Widman and Phaded spin in the opening slots. 1444 W. Chicago ave. 9 PM – 3 AM. Admission is $15.
L-R: Mashit methodists Kid Kameleon, DJ C, and DJ Ripley
If you follow the more experimental fringes of electronic music, chances are you've seen Oakland-based "beat strategist" Kid Kameleon popping up in a number of places lately. Aside from his regular contributions to XLR8R magazine and a number of other music publications, he's also netted a lot of big-ups for the steady stream of "grubstep" mixes that he's dropped via the internet -- most notably his "Aim High" and "Aim Low" dual mix sessions that were getting pinged around the web this past December. This weekend, Subterranean and Mashit Records welcome Kid Kameleon and his frequent collaborator DJ Ripley to Chicago as the pair take to the decks for a special headlining appearance.
Kid K and Rip both share a strong affinity for the more experimental offshoots of Caribbean-derived rhythms -- especially for such woofer-taxing fare as grime, dubstep, ragga-jungle, and breakcore. That being the case, they've also each gained global reps for spinning an eclectic, genre-spanning variety of beats. On Saturday evening, they'll be joining up with their Riddim Method associates DJ C and Chrissy Murderbot for the club's recurring "No Mas Tequila" dance event. NMT helmsman DJ Zebo will also be joining in for a set. Considering that line-up, it should make for an eclectic evening of bass-heavy, leftfield groove. Downstairs at Subt, doors open at 9 PM. Free before 11 PM, $5 after.
When he first arrived in the U.S. with his immigrant parents in 1967 at the age of twelve, Jamaican-born Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, carried with him the seeds of a cultural movement. Bearing memories of classic DJ soundclashes and block parties in his hometown of Kingston, he would later aim to recreate similar events on the streets of the Bronx -- rigging up his own sound system with two turntables, PA columns, and a guitar amp, and setting up block parties in the park, spinning (against the disco trend of the time) a selection of funk, soul, and breakbeat-heavy selections that provided a dance-friendly vibe that folks weren't getting anywhere else. And with that, Campbell established the first of hip-hop's four elements, paving the way for all that would follow.
That, of course, is Hip-Hip History 101 -- so Old School that it's positively Pre-School. But, according to Herc, the role of playing selector and party-starter was always of a matter of knowing how to please a crowd. "When I started DJing back in the early '70s, it was just something that we were doing for fun," he wrote in his introduction for Jeff Chang's Can't Stop, Won't Stop. "I came from the 'people's choice,' from the street. If the people like you, they will support you, and your work will speak for itself."
Agreed: this "spring" weather is officially, uh, bullshit. Here it is nearly June in Chicago and we're still having to keep some layers handy. Be that as it may, that hasn't stopped some of us from breaking out the summer tunes weeks ago and trying to absorb some warmth from vicarious sources.
So, as you close your eyes and picture July and tell yourself that it will (eventually) get warmer, Austin's DJ Chicken George has something that'll help pull you through the lingering chill. By way of the latest Blentwell podcast, he's served up a summery mix that was recently recorded at Chicago's own Darkroom. It's a deep set of hip-hop, nu-jazz, neo-soul, dope beats, and some remixed dusties; all of it building into an uptempo homestretch that caps off -- in a solid Southside summer barbeque tradition – with a tight reworking of a classic Roy Ayers cut. Recommended. Soak it up until the higher temperatures finally kick in.
DJ Chicken George - "Darkroom Mix" (courtesy of Mr. Blentwell)
There is a party at Funky Buddha Lounge every Tuesday night that is notrious for debauchery and cutting edge music. Outdanced has been bringing out the hottest Chicago scenesters for almost two years now. Mixes dance-hungry hipsters, exotic clubbers and edgy-fashionistas, the Funky Buddha on Tuesday has a wicked weekend feel. Cheap drinks ($1 beers and mango vodka shots) and reduced admission with RSVP, usually helps insure a packed house. Tonight disco-house floor drivers Riot in Belgium will help keep the party frenzied into the night. Local DJ crew Dark Wave Disco spins as well. The night will be filmed by Avant/Chicago.
This Saturday's installment of Subterranean's No Mas Tequila dance party welcomes out-of-town guest Ghislain Poirier. Having first emerged from the underground hip-hop scene in Montreal back in 2000, Poirier soon gained attention after releasing a string of albums and EPs via the Chicago-based Chocolate Industries label. He's become a major linchpin on the diverse Montreal music scene, bringing big crowds together with his monthly Bounce Le Gros parties and building a broad international fanbase.
Poirier initially made his name as a DJ and producer of leftfield beats. But with his 2007 No Ground Under LP (released on the Ninja Tune label), he moved solidly into the pocket with the sound he's been brewing up these past couple of years -- ruff'n'tumble riddims from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and the Middle East threaded on deep, block-rattling basslines with a fair amount of digital dirt throw in for good measure. Given No Mas Tequila resident DJs Zebo and C's own respective backgrounds as ragga-junglist trackmasters, Poirier's "digital dancehall" style couldn't be in better company.
No Mas Tequila takes place downstairs at Subterranean this Saturday evening. Zebo, DJ C, and Murderbot will be warming up the decks and getting the beats rolling. Poirier headlines. 9p-3pm. Admission is $5 after 11pm. 2011 W. North Ave.
The music industry primarily runs off of the hopes and dreams of millions of kids wanting to be in a rock and roll band. Its slightly lesser known secondary source of fuel is the hopes and dreams of kids who at least want to work in a rock and roll business. All over Chicago, businesses large and small find interns knocking on their door - students, career-changers, hobbyists, and more. Transmission sits down to talk to some of them about where they're coming from, where they want to go, and what fun manual labor they've performed along on the way.
Transmission is the music section of Gapers Block. It aims to highlight Chicago music in its many varied forms, as well as cover touring acts performing in the city.
Editor: Anne Holub, ash@gapersblock.com
Transmission staff inbox: transmission@gapersblock.com
Fashion :: Sex :: Music is a multi-disciplinary event series hosted by 
Two French DJ performances hit the Funky Buddha this month: Tonight, 
