Night Vision 1.19

By Bruce Benson & Clifford Brown

Wow, that was a hard one.

We were multiplied and divided, split in three and hung upside down, hung up & hung over. We hung around, turned around, sung, danced, and drank all the vodka. We were a riot, and there was no riot squad to stop us, believe it or not.

Week-End Review

David Carretta rocked Parking on Thursday, and those of you who thought Madonna would make an appearance and showed up without knowing who The Moustache is are a royal pain in our asses, just so you know. It was hot, sweaty, overcrowded, but the Man from Marseilles still managed to rock the house with a live set that included lots of classics, culminating with "Ta liberté c'est ça" and its aggressive beats. Davy-boy's performance might've been a bit on the "Press Play" side of things, but we can hardly complain over such an intense performance, even though it was lacking "Vicious Game".

On Friday, the Kitsuné Neon started with an explosive set from Jordan Dare who, frankly, stole the show. The atmosphere was at its peak after Jordan's set when Cajuan came on with "Raven", his new track, which we predict will be a huge hit. Cajuan's selection was everything we hoped for the Kitsuné party, as he played pretty hard-hitting electro and ghetto tracks. However, and unfortunately for us, the man's beat matching skills were way too poor for an event that big, and his "Dance / Not Dance" samples were annoying after a while. DJ / Not DJ ? Gildas & Masaya never even showed up, so we were stuck with Cajuan 'til the end. Believe me: we needed all the drinks we could find to keep on partyin', especially after having paid a steep $25 at the door. What's up, Neon ?

Luckily for us, the return of the prodigal son was all we could hope for: Preach ripped through the Aria's concrete and raised the fires of hell on the packed dance floor. Madness, mayhem, chaos and a lot of hands waving in the air to the beat of techno music were commonplace. Preach concluded his set with Steve Angello's monster acid track "Teasing Mr. Charlie", garnering much applause from the incensed crowd. X-Cube picked up the ball flawlessly after Preach's extended performance, and kept everyone dancing 'til closing. Bravo Aria - you easily get the prize for the Grand Prix week-end!

On Saturday, The Mile End was infested with Grand Prix lovers when we got there, and after we realized that Boys Noize was only gonna play at 1:30, we sorta felt like hanging out... side the club. The sound was OK, but the opening DJ, Yovan, played some awfully cheesy house that was absolutely not adequate for the occasion. In fact this shitty house scared lots of people away, and I left around 2:30 because I was feeling pretty bad (physically) myself.

Once again, Aria salvaged a potentially catastrophic evening and turned it into a night to remember. The big room was packed once more for DJ Dan's appearance. A regular at Aria, Dan showcased his understanding of the crowd by oscillating between solid house and tech tracks, sprinkling his mix with a few electro-tech songs along the way. Cirez D and Sébastien Léger got massive reaction from the crowd, who couldn't have asked for anything better out of Dan the Man. Maus delivered a very satisfying, intelligent set, providing the perfect warm up for DJ Dan, while Miguel Graça concluded the evening with his current, very effective tech-house set. On a side note: it would've been fun to know in advance that the price at the door would be $20 for both boys and girls. Still, I'm glad I got it and boogied down at Montréal's finest club.

On Sunday, we headed for W as Thomas Von Party & Boys Noize were playing there together. Some things happened, including lots of vodka in lots of glasses, and the party became out of control, spread around the room by about 20 hardcore electro heads. Von Party & Boys Noize's set were excellent, but the setting was far from proper. Can we blame the distance, or the place's reputation? The fact remains : nobody showed up. We still had a blast and it was intimate. But we don't remember everything, of course, thanks to our bad habits of drinking until we get sucked on by the vortex. Which vortex? Who the hell cares, frankly?

On Saint-Laurent, No Excuse was going on at Balroom. Bender opened for MightyKat, who unfortunately fell victim to technical problems from the very beginning of her set. Nevertheless, as a true pro, she went on and delivered the goods, eventually stepping aside to let Bender conclude the evening… And what a conclusion that was! Oh my god - those Germanic electro basses are still rattling my insides as I'm writing this!

Tuesday, we swung by Dizzy's new home at Academy for an evening that turned out to be a great little midweek party. MightyKat's set was simply amazing, once again proving that Dizzy simply cannot be overlooked.


News en Vrac

Mylo will be in town on the 22nd for Sundance Electronic Music Festival. Unfortunately, it's still not a good enough reason to get us to go to Beach Club. To be honest, no fuckin' reason would ever do, but that's just us.

Phonogenic, a new Thursday night weekly, starts at Jet Nightclub. Already on the bill for the coming weeks: Eloi Brunelle, MightyKat, Saturnin & many more.

On the 15th, Benny Benassi is back… at Redlite. Bleah.

Hakan Lidbo, on top of playing Piknic, will be at Parking on the July 20 for Overdose night with DJ Mini.

The Sadies bring their melancholic country ditties to the Main Hall on August 18th.

Them guys with the weird hats - no, the other ones - will be in town on October 10, to celebrate their new album Fundamental. That's right: The Pet Shop Boys are coming over for a visit… at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier?!? It would seem so.

And for the last time: if you're looking for pre-sale tickets for DiskHo's John Tejada event on July 7th, you can either contact Alex at alex@diskho.com or our very own Clifford Brown at robottears@hotmail.com ! If you don't you'll pay slightly more at the door, and you know what that means : less money you'll be able to invest in booze !!


Thursday 29/06

The Hacker returns to Montréal to support the release of his new mix CD, AND NOW. Expect a lot of cold electro and some old school techno, lots of alcohol and general chaos and mayhem. Cuz even with the club's A/C dans l'tapis, we still manage to sweat a lot and that's usually a good sign.

The first edition of Phonogenic takes place at Jet, with Steve Travolta & Just Jonathan. Steve's unfortunately not affiliated to John, but he dances like him and he's just as sexy.

If you like your nights weird and unpredictable, there's a trashy burlesque party going on at Sky tonight with Trannie Tronic, Plastik Patrick & a very special guest from Québec City, electro-EBM dandy Lester Black. It should be confusing if you're sexually unstable, and conforting if you like things ambiguous. Trash !

Later the same evening, David Laguer plays Circus. If it's anything like the last time we checked out Circus on a Thursday, then expect his excellent house beats to be trampled under the hip hop grooves that seep through from the adjacent urban room.

Finally, Scandinavians Ralph Myerz & the Jack Herren Band are playing Club Soda alongside Mightykat as part of the Jazz Fest. The formula is not new, a band + a DJ afterwards, and it can be good or bad : going out at 12 can be perceived as late, especially if it's during the week, and it doesn't leave lots of time for the artists to perform - but the magic a gig like this can bring sometimes exceeds the expectations.


Friday 30/06

Thomas Von Party's weekly residency at Green Room is the perfect place to start this Friday night on the right dancing foot. Great music and cheap drinks combine, forming a highly explosive mixture of Von Party Dynamite™ that should be handled with total carelessness.


Mini, X-Cube & Axel Klein will be dropping by Aria and providing Montréal with another dose of hard hitting electro. It's called Conduct (yeah… I know) and it's Montréal's new, and only ongoing, afterhour electro event. Support your local electro DJs folks, is what we say, and there is no better occasion to do it than when they play Montréal's best room. Drop by for what promises to be a great party at the rue Saint-Denis venue. It starts at 2am, and a mere $10 will get you in.


In the Village, yet another edition of Quattrophonic takes place at Stereo, with Eloi Brunelle, Lebaron, The Autist & Vega. Something like $25 should get you through the doors.

Extension celebrates its summer edition at Main Hall with Luci , Matt F, Mono-poly & Joystick, Kressel, Le Boucher & Kasteniede and Marcelo, with visuals by VJ DAüc.


Saturday 01/07

Disconnected are two guys from Ottawa, namely DJ Booth & Chameleonic, that were just recently in town for the Tiga album launch afterparty, where they played with Jordan Dare. Well, the Boss and Bliss invited them to Voyeur and here they are, ready to pump electro in our faces and make us drill a hole in La SAT's dancefloor with our high heels. Voyeur may well kick our asses again - just not with those heels, please.


After a succesful booking at Parking, it's no surprise that Stereo would take some interest in Dimitri From Paris. After refusing to book Laurent Garnier, that's a mistake they won't make. Parisians are reliable these days, and Dimitri will take his house and preside over during Defected's label party. He can be soulful, he can be swingin', he can be tropical and unleash inferno on a dancefloor, and anybody who has yet to hear him work his magic is urged (by us) to haul his ass over there and dance.


Sunday 02/07

Piknic Electronik returns after the Grand Prix break, so get the shoes off and get ready to dance under the sun, drink booze and dehydrate. The Crackhaus guys are on the bill, and they've been known to throw a party with an economy of effects that's called minimal. Deadbeat, Ernesto, Stephen Beaupré and Vincent Lemieux will inherit the earth, raise an army of ants and reinvent pop music with machines. Word.

Sunday is also No Excuse day, and Balroom residents Bender & Sean Kosa will be taking down the names of anyone who doesn't show up and paying them a very unpleasant visit. A few keywords: barb wire, crowbars and NO LUBE. Don't wanna risk it? Get your ass over to Balroom and join the party!


If you like your hip hop sweet and ironic, join the Jazz Fest crowd at Club Soda as Canadian idol Buck 65 and montrealer heartbreaker Killa Jewel both perform there.


Monday 03/07

The fiercest trumpet player in Norway, Nils Petter Molvaer, joins Frivolous at Club Soda for yet another Jazz Fest gig. I went to see him in 2000 and he got to town safely, but not his instruments, who were lost in transit somewhere in the land of the cold. My ticket was reimbursed and Tiga, who was supposed to spin only after him, got the occasion of playing a three hours set, impress the hell out of me, and get the Spectrum crowd dancing like monkeys. Who the hell knows what might happen this time around ?

Oh, also Romeo's 'O' is still a go at Café Lounge De Lima. Kardec-powered Mondays - why not?


Tuesday 04/07

Is it time to get Dizzy? Fuck yeah, and with Akufen to booth. If you haven't already, I strongly urge you to check out the night at it's new location at Academy, 4445 St-Laurent.

If, like me, you had your first teenage sex kicks looking at images - or, if you were lucky, posters - of Samantha Fox, you'll probably wonder what she might be looking like nowadays. Well here's your chance to find out : she plays at Medley !! I've seen her at Divers-Cité (was it last summer or the one before that !?) and I can say she still looks pretty hot, but her new songs are not that great. Don't worry though - she'll play (or lip-synch on) all the classics !


Next Week

John Tejada drops by La SAT on Friday for what promises to be another memorable DiskHo night, just a day after Tiga's visit to Parking. The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT return to Montréal once again, and Danny Howells struts his stuff at Aria. What more could we ask for? Jamie Lidell? Wish granted.


Later On

July:
06 - Tiga + Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
06 - Brazilian Girls, Ursula 1000 @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
07 - Jamie Lidell, Vincent Lemieux @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 - Danny Howells @ Aria
08 - The Juan Maclean, MSTRKRFT & Bliss @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
15 - Benny Benassi @ Redlite
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 - Microtek w/Metalogic, Philgood & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ Main Hall (Noerg)
19 - Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)
20 - Hakan Lidbo @ Parking (Overdose)
20 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT DJ Sets @ Le Showcase
21 - Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat, Clifford Brown & Fancy Fhreek @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
22 - Gene Farris @ Aria
22 - Mylo @ Beach Club (Sundance)

August:
01 - The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 - She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 - Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
05 - Voyeur 07 w/ Motor, Jordan Dare & Bliss @ SAT (Voyeur)
05 - Gary Numan + guests @ Le National
13 - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
18 - The Sadies - Main Hall
24 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
10 - T.Raumschmiere @ La SAT
15 - Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
30 - The Raconteurs @ Metropolis

October:
05 - Vitalic & Jordan Dare @ La SAT
10 - Pet Shop Boys @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
13 - Extrawelt (Live) @ ???
27 - Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)

November:
10 - Ladytron & CSS @ Metropolis


Until next week: keep the beats bangin' !

AND NOW... The Hacker Returns

Michel Amato, better known as The Hacker, is most often acknowledged for his landmark collaboration with long-time friend Caroline Hervé, aka Miss Kittin.


The Grenoble duo's work yielded the massive underground hit "Frank Sinatra", a song which alongside Fischerspooner's "Emerge", can largely be credited with having ushered in the electroclash movement of the turn of the millennium.

"L'Homme Dans l'Ombre" has been keeping busy since then, recording two full length albums (1999's Melodies En Sous-Sol & 2004's Rêves Mécaniques), and working on collaborations with the likes of David Carretta, Kiko, Millimetric, Oxia & Alexander Robotnick.

As far as deejaying goes, The Hacker's only other commercially available mix CD, The Next Step of New Wave, dates back to 2000. Although it remains fascinating today, proficiently exploring the caustic future sounds of what would eventually become known as electroclash, it was high time The Hacker stepped back behind the decks and pressed record. The resulting mix CD is called AND NOW.


On AND NOW, The Hacker combines new and old, taking a look at things to come all the while re-examining his influences. Therefore, we get to hear a few classics by pioneering acts such as Front 242, GTO or Model 500, alongside some fresher electronic music by the likes of Ellen Allien, Kiko & Gino's, Miss Yetti and Mount Sims.

A few curiosities make their way through, such as oft-neglected avant-garde band Liaisons Dangereuses' "Los Niños del Parque", or faux-retro gem "Bloody Hell" by The Emperor Machine, another of Andrew Meecham's (Sir Drew of Chicken Lips fame) side project.

Once again, the tracks The Hacker picked for AND NOW fit in well with the typical cold, dark & hollow sounds associated with his production style. It all sounds a bit 'dated', but always in a way that makes you feel as if you were listening to some really underground techno music... which it is, really.

Don't despair: AND NOW remains a dance mix, albeit a dark one with an intriguing selection that is unlikely to be immediately familiar to most. Plus, it's all done with turntables - no tricks, only vinyl and skill applied expertly, and well worth picking up on your next record shopping spree.

The Hacker is also returning to Montréal this Thursday, where he will display his mixing skills live at Parking alongside Montréal's own queen of dark electro, DJ Mini, for what promises to be a hectic edition of Overdose night.

Tonight at W...

Thomas Von Party leads the dance...

And his guest will be BOYS NOIZE !


If you thought yesterday's Grand Prix crowd sucked at Mile End Bar, and you didn't like being constantly bumped on by salsa dancers taking all the space on the floor, now's your time to redempt.

Redux, begin again, re-do, flash forward and spin on your head in that time machine, because Kid Alex will do it again, in a let's hope way more proper setting !

Four Times the Fun

The Quattrophonic guys usually give us what we've come to expect from them since they first set foot on the scene ages ago : quality house, impeccable mixing skills, and an unpretentious setting in which the focus is put on the fun we can have, in its various forms & aspects.

But not all of us old-timers are able to drag our sorry asses to an afterhours club - some of us need to sleep at night, you know. And since the Grand Prix is taking place this week-end, annihilating any chance we have of benefitting from a Piknic, and putting more eurotrash than we can handle on the streets of Montreal, it's time to get away from the annoying F1 sounds and party in the sun.

How ?

By heading south. St-Blaise will be the place to be this Sunday, as the Quattrophonic guys, namely Éloi Brunelle, François LeBaron, The Autist & Véga, invade the St-Tropez beach for 12 hours of sunny house & electro tech.

10$ gets you in if you buy your tickets in advance, at Noctambules.tv's web site. If you don't have wheels to get there, no problem, they also thought about you : a "Noctambus" will be available, which means that for 25$, you get there in a big yellow bus with fellow party animals, get some "refreshments" on the way, and get in for free at Balroom afterwards when you come back from the beach.

Considering Mightykat is Bender's guest this week, and that the guy just came back from a trip to Germany with his bag full of fresh sounding vinyls, that sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

Night Vision 1.18

By Bruce Benson & Clifford Brown

Manic. Motion. Pressure. Speed.

That's what the coming week-end promises, so unless you really want to know about the smells of gasoline of our fingertips… or the smell of gasoline on our… lips, we're going to get down to business right now.

One piece of advice: call your friend Dario and reserve a seat in his super-mega-car, 'cause you'll need a ride in a muscle car to get to all the events going down this week-end!

Week-End Review

Last Thursday's Overdose saw Mini ravage the dance floor with Motor's "Din-13": fuck yeah!

Friday was Thomas Von Party's birthday at Green Room: lots of people, great music and cheap drinks made the event a memorable one.

Sadly, Andrea Doria didn't show up for his gig Saturday at Aria. However, all was not lost as The Autist saved the day with a solid set, making for a great party after all.

Sunday's Piknic was full-on electro madness: Gentle Bakemono (a.k.a. David Kristian) italo-discofied the place, Mini played a bit warmer than usual for the occasion all the while remaining true to her sound, and Jordan Dare kicked it into high gear for a grand finish that left few survivors. We had a blast even if we felt like we were going to melt under the sun, but on the other hand, it prompted lots of boys & girls to undress a bit more than they're used to, which is never a bad thing !


News en Vrac

The Adrenaline nights on Thursdays at Café Délima, showcasing Axel Klein & friends, is already a thing of the past. Villeray can be dangerous for promoters. The gang will keep us in the know if they make another move soon, don't worry !

Robeat's second Kick le… Clavecin event has been pushed back from July 14th to the 21st.

We just learned that Mini will keep the "beginning-of-summer" tradition alive : Tiga will be joining her on the decks at her Overdose night on July 6th. Be warned, tho, that you have to dress light should you decide to go, because the man is know to set the place on fire - and to extinguish this very same fire with the dancer's sweat that's splashing all around.

The Voyeur guys add another nice move to their already growing collection : Motor will be playing live at their August 5th edition. Shake the bunker indeed.

The same night, just for fun, the legendary Gary Numan will be playing Le National. If, like me, you're probably asking yourself right now : "What the fuck ?", rest assured you're not the only one !

The Jazz Fest might not be the spot you thought you'd head to hear nice grooves, but the years have proved me wrong : what they program, most of the time, is not jazzy at all. Watch out for the "Heineken Nights", a series that will bring you Ralph Myerz & the Jack Herren Band + Mightykat on June 29th, Buck 65 + Killa Jewel on July 2nd, Nils Petter Molvaer + Frivolous on July 3rd, Jamie Lidell + Vincent Lemieux on July 7th, and The Juan Maclean + MSTRKRFT on July 8th.

Here's a shortlist of just a few of the guests expected at MEG next September: Ellen Allien & Apparat, ESG, Feadz & Uffie, and Sebastian.

And once again: if you're looking for pre-sale tickets for DiskHo's John Tejada event on July 7th, you can either contact Alex at alex@diskho.com or our very own Clifford Brown at robottears@hotmail.com ! The event is getting near and Tejada's earthquake will be felt from as far as Chibougameau, we promise !


Thursday 22/06

I wouldn't want to be you tonight.

Cut Throat Republic are playing Petit Campus and if you like your electro new wave cold and funky, this is the place to be. With our friends Sean Kosa, Mateo Murphy & Jordan Dare among the line-up, this is no doubt what we can call a supergroup. Their performance at last Halloween's Neon was flawless, so check 'em out !

Moustached electro hero David Carretta and Mini invade Parking and that promises to be a sweaty and sweet good time. Last time Carretta was here he blew the place up. Wondering why it's still there ? They're pretty good at fixing the roof these days. Arrive there early as we heard some very stupid rumours that Madonna would be hanging there after her show tonight - which means lots of "star hunting foreigners" should be on the premises, looking dumb.

UK Grime heroes The Streets and Lady Sovereign play Spectrum. For y'all.

Danny Tenaglia will be at Stereo tonight. Yeah yeah, the house legend. It's almost like routine to see such big names in town. But it's the Grand Prix week-end after all, no ?

And finally, Joachim Garraud, King Louis & Driss will be featured at Pure Nightclub, and if you absolutely want to see Garraud but are doing something else during the regular "night", head over for Circus as he'll be playing alongside MightyKat, all night, all afterhourish, all for your beautiful eyes.


Friday 23/06

There's a nice I Love Neon party at SAT involving Kitsuné (namely Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya). Party animals will now know where to head to celebrate St-Jean Baptiste in an unusual fashion...


Thomas Von Party still plays Green Room and brings the good vibes.

Reunited 80's icons Blondie do the Bell Center with another 80's squeletton, The (New) Cars. Nostalgia pays, but here's a secret : if I had tickets, I'd go !

After a long hiatus, Preach finally returns to Aria for another promising all-night party. X-Cube is also on the bill.


Saturday 24/06

Boys Noize, AKA Kid Alex, is appearing at Mile End Bar for what promises to be a rockin' DJ set. With all the kick-ass tracks and remixes put out by Boys Noize recently, this night promises to turn the Grand Prix week-end into a disco-punk inferno. Needless to say the event should not be missed… Admission is free before 11pm, and $8 afterwards. DJ Yovan opens.


About 20 DJ's unite at SAT for the EpsilonLabothon, to raise money to pay for the Epsilonguys plane tickets to Berlin, where they'll represent Canada during the Love Parade !! Think about a local DJ real hard, close your eyes, and bang : he's on the line-up, playing about 15 minutes.

Max Graham plays at the Time Supperclub. Dress well or they'll kick your sorry ass out the door.

On the more soulful side of town, Fred Everything plays Academy Dancehall for a mere 7$. Go Fredou, go !

On the afterhour front, DJ Dan is back at Aria for what promises to be a great Grand Prix week-end party. Plus, he'll be backed by two of Montréal's best afterhour DJs: bearded melomaniac Miguel Graça and the lovely & talented Maus.

Palash, from Saeed & Palash (of course...) will be at Circus with Stéfane Lippé & Franco Fabi.


Sunday 25/06

No Excuse welcomes the delightful MightyKat this week. Resident DJ Bender, who just came back from Germany, shares the bill. Sparks are set to fly, and since the dance floor will be soaked with gasoline for the occasion, expect an extra hot night at Balroom.


Since there's no Piknic, the Quattrophonic guys invade the St-Tropez beach in St-Blaise for a feel-good 12 hours marathon set, from noon to midnight. 10$ in advance, 20$ at the door.

Front Line Assembly? Forget it - it's not happening!

If you're into gambling your fun, head for Hôtel W where Thomas Von Party will help you put things in perspective with his ecclectic selection. He plays from 10 to 12, and after that a very special guest from out of town takes over and finishes the night. We can't tell you - yet - who that is, but keep an eye on us on Sunday to find out !


Monday 26/06

Romeo Kardec's new night, O, takes place at Café Lounge de Lima. Let's hope he fares better than the Adrenaline boys…


Tuesday 27/06

Robert De La... Gauthier plays la SAT.


Wednesday 28/06

Jordan Dare brings down the house at Tokyo Bar - it's summer after all, so why shouldn't there be something fun to do every night of the week, huh ? WHY ?


Next Week

Mini receives The Hacker at Parking, the Jazz Fest launches, and Piknic resumes. Bring your sun screen, your flip flops (pink if possible), and your whipped cream so we can indulge in other delights to the sound of Herb Alpert's sexy trumpet.


Later On

June:
29 - The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)
29 - Ralph Myerz & the Jack Herren Band, Mightykat @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
30 - Extension 3 w/Luci… @ Main Hall
30 - Axel Klein + friends @ Aria
30 - Quattrophonic @ Stereo

July:
01 - Disconnected @ Voyeur @ La SAT (Voyeur)
02 - Buck 65, Killa Jewel @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
03 - Nils Petter Molvaer, Frivolous @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
04 - Samantha Fox @ Medley
06 - Tiga + Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
06 - Brazilian Girls, Ursula 1000 @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
07 - Jamie Lidell, Vincent Lemieux @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 - Danny Howells @ Aria
08 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz Fest)
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 - Microtek w/Metalogic, Philgood & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ Main Hall (Noerg)
19 - Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)
21 - Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat, Clifford Brown & Fancy Fhreek @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)

August:
01 - The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 - She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 - Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
05 - Voyeur 07 w/ Motor, Jordan Dare & Bliss @ SAT (Voyeur)
05 - Gary Numan + guests @ Le National
13 - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
24 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
10 - T.Raumschmiere @ La SAT
15 - Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
30 - The Raconteurs @ Metropolis

October:
05 - Vitalic & Jordan Dare @ La SAT
13 - Extrawelt (Live) @ ???
27 - Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)

November:
10 - Ladytron & CSS @ Metropolis


Until next week: keep the motor runnin' !

Noize for Boys

Not many remixers have had an impact on the electro scene such as Boys Noize's. In fact, only a few names come to mind: DFA, Digitalism, Tiga…


Boys Noize is, in truth, a side project of Hamburg-based electro-rocker Alexander Ridha, AKA Kid Alex. A true child prodigy, Alex has been professionally crafting music since the tender age of fourteen, first as a DJ then as a musician. The Kid's career picked up in the early 2000s, DJing across Europe as Kid Alex and eventually working on his own electro-rock tracks with friend Andi Meid. By 2004 a first Kid Alex album, Colors, saw the light of day and would be followed by 2006's Restless. Oh, and he's also the man… err… kid, behind German electro act Einzeller.

But as far as Boys Noize is concerned the adventure began in 2003. Fusing disco, electro and rock into an unstoppable blend of hard-hitting dance music, Kid Alex quickly attracted the attention of DJ Hell, who rapidly picked up the first Boys Noize 12'' for his International Deejay Gigolo label. Anthony Rother followed suit, printing the next Boys Noize vinyl under his own Datapunk imprint. Hell & Rother's faith, along the support of DJs such as Erol Alkan and Tiga, ensured that the Boys Noize project got the attention it deserved.

Kid Alex's subsequent Boys Noize records would appear under his own Boys Noize Records label. Tracks such as "The Bomb", "Jaguare" or "Volta 82" still work well to fill any dance floor, and recent release "Kill the Kid" is set to do the same.


However, what Boys Noize is best known for is its remixes. The Boys Noize approach is simple but effective: re-structuring tracks around heavy drum hooks, imposing a dance beat to rock songs or inversely rocking up inaccessible club tracks.

As Boys Noize, Kid Alex has carved hits out of several tracks during the last 18 months. Bloc Party's "Banquet", I-Robots' "Frau", John Starlight's "Shadowbreaker" & Kaiser Chief's "Everyday I Love You Less & Less" all went under the Boys Noize knife and the results have been marvelous.

Recently, Kid Alex crafted a hectic remix of Tiga's already intense "Move My Body", and proceeded to club up and dub out Weird Al's "Eat It".

Where will Kid Alex go next, and where will his Boys Noize take us? If his recent Kid Alex song "Loverboy" is any indication, we should be reaching electro-bliss on the dance floor pretty soon…

Kid Alex will be in town as Boys Noize this Saturday for a DJ set at Mile End Bar. Admission is free before 11pm, and $8 afterwards. What better way to celebrate the Saint-Jean during Grand Prix week-end?

Kitsuné Rocks The Maison

Volume One had it all: Italian X-Rays, Popular Computer, Tom Vek, VHS or Beta and of course Digitalism's "Zdarlight". French label Kitsuné Music have proven their relevance time and time again, either by continuously releasing monster dance hits on vinyl, or by the extremely high quality of their various compilations: Love, Maison, Midnight and X.


Kitsuné return this month with another edition of their Maison series, their first compilation to be graced with the expectation connected with the ill-omened "Volume Two" subtitle. Don't worry though, 'cause Kitsuné deliver the goods once more and in ample quantity.

First, Digitalism are back with another original killer track, "Jupiter Room", which is almost as vibrant as "Zdarlight" was when it first came out. Plus, it's named after the Montréal club of the same name. How cool is that?

Fellow blogger and electro-expert LetNoManJack coined the term "Neo-ghetto-tech" a few months ago in honor of Simian Mobile Disco's "Hustler", a track which is well worth its own label, as well as all the attention it's getting. With its wicked booty-bass beat and its "Yeah, I'm a hustler baby, that's what my daddy's made me" chorus, Simian Mobile Disco's contribution to Maison 2 is worth the price of the record by itself.

Mr. Christopher "I'm a Disco Dancer" Just and brother Raphael finally get their catchy "Popper" track on CD, in all its Funky-towned cowbell madness. Sadly, the version included is lacking Fox N' Wolf's recently added vocals. In a similar manner, Joakim's "I Wish You Were Gone" is also presented vox-less.

Plus, since Kitsuné is in essence a dance music label you don't just get the hit bands, you also get the hit remixers: MSTRKRFT's reworking of Wolfmother's Woman, and Boys Noize brilliant remix of Bloc Party's "Banquet". Both tracks are basically the album's corner stones: two sure-fire crossover party hits and dance floor fillers.

Rounding out the compilation are worthy inclusions by Adam X, Azzido Da Bass, Cazals, Fox N'Wolf, Kaos, Jenny Wilson & Popular Computer.

So, what's the bottom line on Kitsuné Maison 2? It's rock, it's electro, it's funk and it sure as hell is getting a lot of play right now on my home stereo. Get it now or die trying, or risk being uncool at school.

You're likely to hear most of these tracks and more at Friday's I Love Neon Saint-Jean Baptiste event, featuring Kitsuné label heads Gildas & Masaya, Cajuan and Montréal's own Jordan Dare. The party takes place at Montréal's Société des Arts Technologiques.

La Moustache Contre-Attaque

David Carretta is coming back to Parking, this Thursday, and if it is not a good enough reason for you to go out, then I don't know what would be.


Better known to the human race as the guy who's responsible for International DJ Gigolo's first ever release in '96, Carretta is an old school electro king who sometimes passes as a John Holmes lookalike. He has released stuff on Hot Banana, Dancefloor Killers and Goodlife, has three solid albums to register in the electro hall of fame, and a shitload of exceptional remixes to present as business cards. He has rubbed his fingers on the mixing board for artists such as Cosmo Vitelli, Kiko, Agoria, Puberty Love, Paul Nazca, Scratch Massive, Steve Bug, Kim Peers, The Hacker & Sinema.

Originating from Marseilles, he is a kind and moustached man from another time, a time where mirrorballs were ruling the earth and grandmothers were listening to 12" released by obscure european labels. His looks are reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder's, and he's swingin' like the 70's.


He recently figured that he might as well start his own and went ahead to launch Space Factory, who recently put out a double CD mix showcasing what the man is capable of.

His own music is a blend of electro with a touch of industrial, lifeless vocoderized vocals and inhuman topics and other sci-fi delights.

To get your ass kicked by a pioneer who plays with his lovely toys live in front of a bloodthirsty audience, try to make it to Parking's Overdose this Thursday and get yourself connected to the vibe with the help of the legendary cheap drinks (2.75$ for everything) or the mythical cute boys & girls attending.

Cajuan: To Dance, or Not to Dance

Most of us will know Cajuan because of that annoyingly addictive "Dance/Not Dance" disco-punk anthem that's been plaguing dance floors for the past few months.


But Cajuan isn't just a one hit wonder fresh off from DJ school: he's a well established DJ in Hamburg who has played every club in the city, and produced various remixes for the likes of Bob Sinclar, Kiko & Raven Maze.

So, the question remains: to dance, or not to dance?

Cajuan isn't likely to give you any real choice on the matter.

Why?

Because his next single, "Raven", is a ticking bomb, set to rock the free world all summer long.

A massive disco-punk killer, "Raven" starts where Daft Punk & Digitalism end, merging both bands' styles into an unstoppable dance groove, with a raise-the-roof keyboard hook that's sure to get arms waving up in the air.

It might just be this year's "Zdarlight", and will be released on vinyl in June on Tiefschwarz' Fine imprint.

In the meantime, you can check the song out on Cajuan's MySpace, or just show up for Friday's I Love Neon party, featuring Kitsuné label-heads Gildas & Massaya, and of course Cajuan.

Night Vision 1.17

(Co-written with Bruce Benson)

Things are getting a bit hectic around here, as you've perhaps noticed, and it's starting to get harder to keep up. It's called summer.

The fact of the matter is that it's impossible to stop this city: we're stuck in the middle with you. We hear this cliché every year, but it's true : we'd need to be cloned to attend everything that's worth our attention. With yet another St-Laurent street sale this week-end and spring coming to and end without us noticing it was even here in the first place, I can place a bet right now, for your left kidney, that you won't be able to fuckin' get outta your bed on Monday morning.

Week-End Review

Thursday's Chromeo DJ gig at Saphir was very disappointing, so we eventually decided to move over to Parking, hoping that some of Mini's dark electro-tech would salvage our evening. It did do the job for us.

Friday the Voyeur mafia took over La SAT: Romeo Kardec did a great job warming up the room for Jordan Dare, who turned the place into an electro inferno. People were mostly pretty drunk, there was some space to dance on the floor, and it strangely didn't stink. Count us in for the next one.

Aria packed an electro-punch that night too: G O'Brien opened with a great set almost stealing the show from Mini, who did great also. Unfortunately most people left as soon as her set ended: guest DJs Axel Klein & X-Cube were left with an empty room. Sad, really, since these guys didn't drop the ball - their sets were solid, but no one was there to hear.

Saturday, I Love Montréal 2 turned out to be a rave after all: no alcohol was served and the absence of ventilation transformed the place into a sauna midway through the proceedings. The Eva B loft was nice place though, and all the DJs we heard in the main room did good, although their music selection usually gathers a better reaction from a more mature crowd. Whenever we swung by room two we found a nice vibe going on in there as well.

The tropical heat at I Love Montréal prompted us to move our asses over to Aria. We caught the tail-end of Maus' set (always a pleasure) and Miguel Graça's entire performance (good stuff all the way through!).

Sunday, we missed Piknic on the count of the weather but we did check out No Excuse at Balroom. The same line-up was at work at the decks, and they all did a great job. Bender ended the night with Bodzin's "Phobos", causing everyone to hang around for the longest time after closing, wondering what the hell had just happened.


News en Vrac

Our favorite electronic cook, Herbert, is back in town on August 24th, at Club Soda, as part of his "Scale World Tour". He can be pretty unpredictable when playing live, so keep your mind open. And let's hope his sweetheart, Dani Siciliano, is part of the tour; that would be the cherry on top of everything !

There's a new night on Tuesdays at Salon Daomé, it features Soundshaper & Nathan Burns, and it's called Telephunk. At 4$ a pop, you get the usual tech-electro-house formula, and it's something you can't honestly spit on !

The Quattrophonic boys do it twice in a month (which is better than some maried couples can claim) as they appear at St-Blaise's St-Tropez beach on June 25th, and at Stereo on the 30th.

And again : if you're looking for pre-sale tickets for DiskHo's John Tejada event on July 7th, you can either contact Alex at alex@diskho.com or our very own Clifford Brown at robottears@hotmail.com !


Thursday 15/06

Mini's Overdose night at Parking remains our safest bet on Thursdays.

But if you like your music to be outside the norm, and outside a venue at all, head over to Parc des Amériques as Gatineau will invade the stage at 8 PM, with their most vulgar & groovy electro-hip-hop. It's free, for fuck's sake !

Miguel Graça launches his new album, "A New Dawn", at Taro Sushi (862 Ste-Catherine Est, just next to Stereo). He plays with Max Hébert & Mike Casali, so expect things to get deep and laidback.

Uptown, X-Cube & Prae host yet another Adrenaline night at Café Lounge De Lima.


Friday 16/06

Thomas Von Party will be celebrating his birthday at Green Room. The night promises to be a huge bang, with surprise guest DJ's - Our own Clifford Brown might even take a few spins himself. See you there ?

Brits the Arctic Monkeys play Medley. Expect the usual hipster crowd.

Centre Fractal welcomes a shitload of DJ's : Vincent Lemieux, Soundshaper, Nathan Burns, Philgood & Seko unite as another edition of Audio Mecanik unfolds. Will things go on all night ? Will you survive anyway ?

Indochine play the first of two rounds at Metropolis, as part of FrancoFolies. These guys need no introduction as they've been doing their thing for so long I wonder why they don't have spiderwebs in their kick-ass hairdos...

Speaking of legends, Edward Ka-Spell and his Legendary Pink Dots play Cabaret. After more than 30 albums, a consistency in quality, numerous side projects and a general non-recognition by the medias (who knows them, really ?) they are still alive & kicking, and celebrate their 25th year as a hard working band. They'll put a spell on you, and I can assure you that you will not regret it; they usually play long enough to make you feel like the money you left at the door is nothing serious.

Jordan Dare has a busy week-end ahead, and it starts this Friday at Stereo. Co-conspirators Sean Kosa & Philgood will also be on the premises to drop some heavy beats onto the afterhour's clientele.


Saturday 17/06

Jordan Dare is playing at Blizzart. Resistance is futile - the man is unstoppable.

Andrea Doria plays Aria, and will probably indulge in sweet italian electro, alongside talented local DJ The Autist. Creator opens.

Arthur H is at Spectrum and those of you who like the French dandy but never checked him out should now.

Indochine do it again at Metropolis. Double the shows, double the fun ?

Ghislain Poirier invades the Savoy and does his Bounce le Gros, 10th edition, and I think the best of all is that it's free. Grime, crunk, dancehall, big phat hip hop beats, and a frenzied crowd, as usual !


Sunday 18/06

Piknic Electronik's edition is a very, very good one : Bliss, Gentle Bakemono (that's David Kristian in his italo-disco costume), Mini & Jordan Dare will electrify the friggin' Calder and bring thunder & lightning on Place de l'Homme. Or maybe not. Let's hope for some nice weather for this one !!

The Balroom's No Excuse night picks up right where Piknic left off with Sean Kosa and… Jordan Dare !


Tuesday 20/06

Dizzy's back at Le Plateau's lovely Academy Loft. Vincent Lemieux will be at the helm this week.

The aforementioned Telephunk goes on at Salon Daomé as well.


Wednesday 21/06

Jordan Dare will be dropping some new wave beats at Tokyo Bar 2. A new weekly tradition? We'll tell you as soon as we can manage to swing by and check it out!


Next Week

Madonna, Saint-Jean Baptiste and the Grand Prix - Seriously, how are we supposed to summarize next week's madness? We can't, so we'll just drop a few names: Boys Noize, Cajuan, Cut Throat Republic, EpsilonLabothon & David Carretta. Bring your asthma medication, Pack a lunch and tell your mom you won't be home for a while, 'cause you won't find a single second to stop.


Later On

June:
21 - Madonna @ Centre Bell
21 - Madonna Official Afterparty @ Parking
22 - Cut Throat Republic @ Petit Campus
22 - David Carretta (Live) & Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
22 - Joachim Garraud, King Louis & Driss @ Pure Nightclub
22 - Joachim Garraud & MightyKat @ Circus
23 - Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 - Disco w/Michel Simarc & Robert Ouimet @ Stereo
23 - I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ La SAT (I Love Neon)
24 - EpsilonLabothon @ La SAT
24 - Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ Mile End Bar
24 - DJ Dan @ Aria
25 - Front Line Assembly @ Club Soda
25 - Quattrophonic @ St-Tropez
27 - Robert De La... Gauthier @ La SAT
29 - The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)
30 - Extension 3 w/Luci… @ Main Hall
30 - Axel Klein + friends @ Aria
30 - Quattrophonic @ Stereo

July:
01 - Disconnected @ Voyeur @ La SAT (Voyeur)
04 - Samantha Fox @ Medley
07 - Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 - Danny Howells @ Aria
08 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
14 - Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat & Clifford Brown @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 - Microtek w/Metalogic, Philgood & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ Main Hall (Noerg)
19 - Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)

August:
01 - The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 - She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 - Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
13 - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
24 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
10 - T.Raumschmiere @ La SAT
15 - Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
30 - The Raconteurs @ Metropolis

October:
05 - Vitalic & Jordan Dare @ La SAT
13 - Extrawelt (Live) @ ???
27 - Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)

November:
10 - Ladytron & CSS @ Metropolis


Until next week: keep them brains explodin' !

Night Vision 1.16

(Co-written with Clifford Brown)

This week we celebrate our sweet sixteen. So put your helmets on, because we might crash at your place.

Week-End Review

Last Thursday's Overdose was weird: the main room of the post-smoking Parking was cooler and the dancefloor was looser. However, the terrace was ridiculously over packed! Musically, Mini played her usual dark electro, and you won't catch me complaining.

Friday, Guido Schneider & Dimbiman rocked Mutek's Nocturne 3. Unfortunately, Alex Under's performance didn't quite match expectations…

Saturday I caught the last few hours of the first Mutek Piknic, which had been moved to Fonderie Darling on the count of the weather. Overall, a sweet gig in a nice setting with nice people. Definitely try to catch Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts live.

Later the same evening, costumed king and drunken master of underground funk Paris the Black Fu, AKA Detroit Grand Pubahs, was the center of attention at another memorable Mutek evening at Metropolis. He surprised the crowd with his attitude and apparently, lots of tech heads in the place were confused. Mission to Uranus... accomplished!

I had a lot of fun at an undiclosable location, too, and wish to express my thanks to the people in charge, whoever you are, and to JD for providing us with the beats to end this perfect day.

Sunday's second Mutek Piknic was held at Parc Jean-Drapeau and, despite the cloudy weather, turned out to be a marvelous event culminating with Richie Hawtin & Ricardo Villalobos' wonderful tag team set. The crowd was at the rendez-vous and responded marvelously well to the duo's blend of unstoppable funky tech house, with Richie & Ricardo showing lots of love for each other. Oh ecstasy...

Sunday night at Balroom I caught the tail-end of Sean Kosa's set and the beginning of Bender's: great way to end the week, if you ask me!


News en Vrac

Ladytron are coming back… AGAIN! This time it will be for a gig at Metropolis on November 10 with CSS. What to expect is probably more of the same : nice tracks, a frenzied crowd, and band members on the verge of falling asleep on stage.

The Boys Noize gig scheduled for June 23rd has found a home : Mile End Bar. Best of all, the event is FREE if you get there before 11 ! Opening is local Yovan. Those of you who have heard mister Kid Alex' productions under his Boys Noize alias know damn well they'd be out of their goddamn minds to miss this one.

One of our dearest wishes has been granted: The Legendary Pink Dots will be in town on June 16th, at Cabaret, for their 25th anniversary tour. These guys are, well, really legendary. We may finally get to meet Ed Ka-Spell! I saw them more than seven years ago with the Twilight Circus Dub Soundsystem opening and I still can't shake that smile off my face.

On a slightly less "electronic" note, The Raconteurs will be at Metropolis on Sept. 30th. 'Nuf said !

Also, if you're looking for pre-sales for John Tejada's big DiskHo party on July 7th, there's not millions of ways to get some: you can either contact Alex at alex@diskho.com or our very own Clifford Brown at robottears@hotmail.com !


Thursday 08/06

Drunken Midget, Peer Pressure and Le Kop Shop bring it together for The Nostalgia pre-party, featuring none other than Montréal's own underground masters of electro-funk Pee Thug & Dave One, better known as Chromeo, who will be performing a DJ set for the occasion. Also on the bill: DJ Slyde and a 'versus' set from A-Rock & Hatchmatik. It's all going down at Saphir, for a mere $6.

Francofolies are offering lots of "been there, seen that last year" concerts, but on the Zone Molson Dry stage tonight, you might find something fresh. Ghislain Poirier is appearing at 10 and he'll be bringing down the house with some guests extraordinaire: local womanizers Omnikrom & our favorite hyperactive molester, Séba, of Gatineau fame. Big phat crunchy crunky beats are to be expected, as well as a shitload of vulgar lyrics to shake the crowd up. Free !

As usual, Mini's Overdose night remains a viable option, and will no doubt keep Parking alive for another Thursday night.


Friday 09/06

Voyeur returns for its fifth edition at La SAT, with resident DJ Bliss and guest Romeo Kardec, who will both warm up the room for Jordan Dare. Need we say more? I didn't think so.

For minimal munchies, head over at Café Délima, where Sety (France) and Andres Bucci (Chili) are Vincent Lemieux' guests for a night of guilty, clicky pleasures. With Bucci being signed to Traum & all, you might expect things to get DEEP ! 6409 St-Hubert, corner of Beaubien.

It has recently been brought to our attention that Thomas Von Party, the party animal of the Sontag family, is at the controls of The Green Room's Fridays. You know what to expect from the man: delicious electro grooves and attitude.

Finally, Aria got the idea: they're offering up an electro night right after a like-minded event at La SAT. Guests Axel Klein & X-Cube will perform alongside talented residents G O'Brien & Mini. Let's see how the 'new guys' do in Montréal's big room… and let's hope Aria gets a street team in front of La SAT at 3, so people move their asses over to the nearby afterhour club for what promises to be a fun-filled all-nighter!


Saturday 10/06

He's no Belmondo, but he's kinda sexier (and funkyer) : Bob Sinclar is appearing at the Millenium Complex. While we'd like to see / hear him some day, we'll wait until he's booked in a more respectable venue. Those of you who feel adventurous enough might still want to check him out, though.

Ministry have a new album out and they're ready to play it to you live, in your face, at Medley. Bring your earplugs.

The Boomtang Boys & several other high-profile 90's dance DJ's are pushin' it up at Centre Fractal for the "Prom Edition" of Nostalgia, the apocalyptic party to end all parties. If you like your girls schoolish and your boys preppish, prepare for a boner and a MASSIVE headache on Sunday morning...

Darryl's 2nd Annual Montreal Hard Liquor and Porn Film Festival will be held at La SAT. Local DJs Sean Kosa & Cherry Cola will be in charge of the providing porn'ers with something to dance to.

The big event this Saturday night will definitely be the second edition of I Love Montréal which is in fact so big that we'll probably end up not going at all because it's not underground enough for us hardcore trendy electro'ers, y'know?

Seriously though: I Love Montréal will take place at the Eva B loft, with sound provided by Piknic's sound system. On the bill in the main room: X-Cube, Maus, Mini, Mateo Murphy, Yaz, Nivoc & Creator. Other local talents will be featured in a second room, making this a unique occasion to enjoy some of Montréal's finest DJs doing what they do best: make us dance all night long!

Fell for Maus at I Love Montréal? You can catch her later the same evening at Aria, after Miguel Graça warms the place up for her.


Sunday 11/06

Piknic Electronik is veering away from its minimal tendencies this week with a varied program that promises some electro. Vega, The Autist, Saturnin & Bender will share the bill at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Haven't heard Bender recently? Well, brace for impact, 'cuz this guy is on a mission to destroy the earth with Germanic electro beats!

The party continues at Balroom with the exact same line-up, so you've got No Excuse not to check the place out.

Down in the village, Cherry Cola will be the guest of honor at Frigid's Electruck night, which may very well be worth the detour. Cheap beer, electro, new wave and good times all the way.


Tuesday 13/06

* UPDATE * Dizzy is taking the week off and will be back at Academy on the 20th with Vincent Lemieux.


Next Week

Francofolies in full force. Some northern primates are visiting. Lots of parties are going on. Andrea Doria invades Aria. Your body fluids start floating around your head in slow motion and you start losing your mind. The rain will keep on falling until Montreal becomes the unfamously lost underwater party island and we all live in plastic bubbles with our own oxygen and get to eat poisonous St-Lawrence river fish every day.


Later On

June:
16 – Arctic Monkeys @ Medley
16 – Audio Mecanik w/Vincent Lemieux… @ Centre Fractal (Microzoo)
16 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
16 - Legendary Pink Dots @ Cabaret
16 – Jordan Dare, Sean Kosa & Philgood @ Stereo
17 - Andrea Doria @ Aria
17 – Arthur H @ Spectrum (FrancoFolies)
17 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 – Microtek w/Philgood, Tenzin & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ ? (Noerg)
21 – Madonna @ Centre Bell
21 – Madonna Official Afterparty @ Parking
22 - David Carretta (Live) & Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
22 – Joachim Garraud, King Louis & Driss @ Pure Nightclub
22 – Joachim Garraud & MightyKat @ Circus
23 – Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 – Disco w/Michel Simarc & Robert Ouimet @ Stereo
23 – I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ La SAT (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ Mile End Bar
24 – DJ Dan @ Aria
25 – Front Line Assembly @ Club Soda
27 – Robert De La... Gauthier @ La SAT
29 – The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)
30 – Extension 3 w/Luci… @ Main Hall

July:
01 – Disconnected @ Voyeur @ La SAT (Voyeur)
04 – Samantha Fox @ Medley
07 – Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 – John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 – The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
14 – Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat & Clifford Brown @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
15 – Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 – Microtek @ ? (Noerg)
19 – Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)

August:
01 – The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 – She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 – Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
13 – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
28 – Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
10 – T.Raumschmiere @ La SAT
15 – Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 – Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
30 - The Raconteurs @ Metropolis

October:
05 – Vitalic & Jordan Dare @ La SAT
27 – Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)

November:
10 – Ladytron & CSS @ Metropolis


Until next week: Keep them glasses breakin' !

Eating Minimally at Piknic

My local meteo website had predicted rain, but if it came, it spared Parc Jean-Drapeau, because those of us sane enough to make the decision to go to Piknic will not live to regret it. While those who passed will wake up screaming every night for the rest of their lives.

Just kidding, but man, was it intense !!

I got there shortly before 5, so I guess I missed Troy Pierce, Magda & Marc Houle, but seeing Richie Hawtin & Ricardo Villalobos installing their stuff and starting to kick the shit out of the audience was magnifique. You could say it was loud, almost violent, but I'd rather use the word "fierce" - the beats were hard-hitting and the speakers were crackling.

The place was packed, regardless of the uncertain weather. The sun pierced the clouds from time to time to heat up the floor, which was already on fire anyway. Hawtin & Villalobos were housey all the way, never letting the BPM go down, even when they erratically included Carl Craig's remix of Inner City's "Good Life".

I am usually not the type of guy to get soaked with booze, and I usually need others to spray it on me; Sunday was no exception. Just two minutes after I got off my bike, somebody dropped red wine on my right ankle while hugging me. And in the middle of a nice peak, as I was dancing in the middle of the "floor", under the exact center of Calder's steel monument, I got pooed on by a pigeon. Really nice... It happened to me once at the beginning of a Gay Pride parade, so you could say I'm a pretty lucky guy.


Other than that, we got a very nice sunset and I left around 9, completely exhausted, as people kept dancing and the music kept pumping. See you there next week, same place, same time !

Alex Under The Great

Swinging by Mutek's big event at Fonderie Darling tonight is one of Spain's most innovative new producers of minimal tech grooves: Alex Under.


We're lucky to have him in Montréal for his North American debut…

Based in Madrid, Alex Under has been toying around with computers since the mid 90s, but it wasn't until 2004 that he started to make his mark on the global techno scene. His assemblages of of would-be glitchy beats always veer away from being too 'intellectual', while always remaining intelligent. It's minimal alright, but it's minimal that understands that you're here to dance.

But that's not all: through all his song flows a deeply melodic undertone, carefully hidden within a palette of sound that would yield so little in the hands of anyone else. Alex Under takes this underlying melody and explodes it into funky hooks that would make Steve Bug proud.


Most of his music is exclusively available on 12'' vinyl, from labels Trapez and his own CMYK imprint. Alex Under does have one album available on CD. If you like what you hear this week-end, I strongly advise you to pick up his 2005 Trapez full-length "Dispositivos De Mi Granja", which features "Las Bicicletas Son Para El Verano", a wonderful track that gathered quite a lot of attention when it first came out.

Don't miss Alex Under tonight, at Mutek's Nocturne 3 event.

Night Visions 1.15

(Co-written with Bruce Benson)

We finally got our order of sunshine and we got it served with minimal grooves on the side. There's been a hell of a lot going on lately and by the way things are looking its not about to change. Count yourselves lucky to live in Montréal: Mutek has just started, and so has another non-stop weekend.

So try to remember the moves you imitated back in the days, while repeatedly watching this Phil Collins video with ninjas in it - the one your father recorded on a Beta tape - and show us how fast you can learn on a dancefloor near you.

Week-End Review

Last week's Overdose was on par with the norm, and retains the title as best place to crash at on Thursday night.

Neon's NYC Invasion event on Saturday wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Don't get me wrong: the party was cool, and the guys did do the job, but we got news for them: 2005 called, and they want their music back. Thanks for reminding us of how lucky we are to live in Montréal, and on the bleedin' edge of electronic music. We're so blasé it hurts. That kinky Kavinsky track towards the end of their set was dope, tho.

Later the same night, Marco G dropped a wicked electro-house set at Aria. Great stuff, and to top the evening off: Maus. An effective one-two punch combo, to say the least !

Sunday's Piknic was sunny. We dripped sweat to the beat as Piknic was populated by a record attendance - 2 900 party animals showed up to get their groove affected by some fine Archipel beats ! Mateo Murphy was fine, and I'm slowly beginning to accept his pitched down vision of life. Pheek went minimal on our asses and Krikor took over at the same time it was time for us to leave, so we didn't get to hear much, but what we heard was ace.

Sunday's No Excuse at Balroom sure seemed promising: The Autist was doing a remarkable job behind the decks, but alas we simply couldn't muster the energy to remain on the premises past 1am. We gotta take a break sometime, y'know ?

Luckily, there was no break at all to be taken on Tuesday night: Dizzy's second anniversary at Academy Dancehall was a sweet, delectable evening, and a perfect way to start the week on your dancing feet.


News en Vrac

First off: Detroit Grand Pubahs will appear this week-end at Mutek's Nocturne 4 event!

It's confirmed: Ricardo Villalobos is indeed the 'special guest' at Sunday's Piknic! Well, if he shows up, that is: he's already missed two appearances in Montréal, but hopefully this time will be the right one. This makes Montréal's edition of the Min2Max Tour extra special, don't you think?

Ricardo Villalobos should also drop by Dizzy this Tuesday. Sadly, Dizzy will be on the move for the next two weeks, and relocated temporarily to StereoBar. :(

Our favorite filthy frenchman, Vitalic, will be at SAT on Oct. 5th. That's a nice gift wrapped in barb wires. He's been visiting Aria about two years ago, and passed below my radar. As a matter of fact he was at Evolution : Radar 1 in Québec around the same time and I was tempted to go, but the thought of paying 50$ to spend the night on a far away mountain bunker in the middle of a sea of 418 glowstick-worshipping ravers didn't look too promising. I have also seen him at the old SAT location, in front of La Vieille 300 on Ste-Catherine St, as he was the guest of the first ever I LOVE NEON party, and man was he loud ! Now the man behind the fine label Citizen and hits such as "La Rock 01" and "My Friend Dario" is back with a vengeance...

According to our sources, eurotrash electro rocker extraordinaire T.Raumschmiere will be dropping by La SAT in September.

Call him Mr. Bucci Bag or call him Mr. Telephone: Andrea Doria will drop by Aria on June 17th. I guess it will be time to work it!



Thursday 01/06

Mutek's Nocturne 2 event takes place at La SAT. ModeSelektor will be in the house, and they will be performing a live set. Don't miss these crazy genre- and border-crossing Germans' electro-techno-crunk-whatever melting pot, 'cuz them guys sure can cook (even when they're not paired up with TTC!).

Parking hosts yet another Overdose night at Parking, featuring talented resident DJ Mini, cheap beer and lots of dark electro.

Uptown, Adrenaline presents X-Cube & Prae at Café Lounge De Lima.



Friday 02/06

Mutek's big night at Fonderie Darling will feature none other than Alex Under, Guido Schneider and Dimbiman. Can you believe that Thomas, before being called Dimbiman, was a member of the industrio-goth band Bigod 20 !? They made it big with a Madonna cover, "Like a Prayer", that you may have heard around '98. Also on the bill: Lawrence & Stephen Beaupré. This is THE Mutek event not to miss, along with Sunday's Piknic.


Saturday 03/06

Another promising Nocturne event, the 4th, goes on at Métropolis as part of Mutek. Mossa, Nôze, Thomas Brinkmann & Los Hermanos will rock out the place in their own dubbes-out, minimal way. Also: DETROIT GRAND PUBAHS !!! Forget September: we'll be making sandwiches on the dance floor right this week-end at Mutek!

The first Mutek Piknic takes place with Sonja Moonear, Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts, Audio Werner, Henrik Schwarz, Dandy Jack & Junction SM, which is a collaboration between Dandy Jack & Moonear. Expect the unexpected, as these artists like to mess up with expectations and deconstruct all they can. 7$ buys you the keys to sonic heaven.

Would you be surprised if I told you Maus & Creator are doing Aria again ? Good times.

Erratum : the "Veterans" night with Mazi that we advertised last week takes place THIS Saturday. At Stereobar. With The Autist as the host & resident vinyl manipulator. Sorry if you went last week and didn't find them !


Sunday 04/06

Mutek & Piknic team up again for an amazing day of minimal grooves and (hopefully) sunshine. Big names for minimal people, all day long under the sun: Richie Hawtin or Marc Houle would already have been worth the detour, but throw Magda vs Troy Pierce in the mix and you've got yourself a bomb of atomic proportions (yes, that's a pun on it being 'minimal', y'know?). Did we mention Ricardo Villalobos? No? Well the rumor has been confirmed: he's indeed the scheduled 'special guest'. If Piknic's very subtle hint on "La Villa des Loups" wasn't enough, loads of advertising about Villalobos in Montréal's cultural weeklies pretty much means it's the real deal - Let's just hope he shows up this time, and if he doesn't, we say you should still go and have a good time!

Former montrealer Mike Shannon is briefly back in town as part of Mutek's Nocturne 5, alongside Anaïs, as well as Tim Bones, Jan Jelinek, Pole & Deadbeat. Go end the fest in style, y'all !

At Balroom, residents Bender & Sean Kosa offer another No Excuse night.

And finally, a guy named Martinez will be at Bily Kun ! I don't think that it's the same Martinez that puts out amazing 12" on Audiomatique & the likes in Europe, but if it is, I'm definitly amazed. Check it out !


Tuesday 06/06

Six Six Six, the number of the beast, or something : never mind this stupid OMEN remake or the end of the world, or at least spend it dancing: Dizzy gets its share or Ricardo Villalobos, and will also feature residents MightyKat & Vincent Lemieux. Sadly, it all goes down at Stereo Bar instead of warm & beautiful Academy Dancehall. Dizzy should be back at Academy by June 20th...


Next Week

Chromeo will DJ at Saphir for Mix Thursdays, there'a another Voyeur party going on with Romeo Kardec, Ministry will be at Métropolis, you'll be able to once more get all nostalgic & shit at Nostalgia : Prom Edition, and there's an intense electro Piknic taking place to end all this madness on even madder note. Don't lose your sunglasses, use condoms, and go easy on that liver, because summer's just starting and there'll be plenty of time for all that later.


Later On

June:
08 – Chromeo DJ set @ Saphir
09 – Voyeur 05 w/Jordan Dare, Bliss & Romeo Kardec (Voyeur)
10 – Bob Sinclar @ Millennium
10 – I Love Montréal 2 w/Mateo, Maus, Mini, Yaz…
10 – Ministry @ Medley
10 – Nostalgia - Prom Edition @ Centre Fractal
10 – Sean Kosa @ La SAT
11 – Vega, The Autist, Saturnin & Bender @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Piknic)
11 – Vega, The Autist, Saturnin & Bender @ Balroom (No Excuse)
16 – Arctic Monkeys @ Medley
16 – Audio Mecanik w/Vincent Lemieux… @ Centre Fractal (Microzoo)
16 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
16 – Jordan Dare, Sean Kosa & Philgood @ Stereo
17 – Andrea Doria @ Aria
17 – Arthur H @ Spectrum (FrancoFolies)
17 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 – Microtek w/Philgood, Tenzin & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ ? (Noerg)
21 – Madonna @ Centre Bell
21 – Madonna Official Afterparty @ Parking
22 - David Carretta (Live) & Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
22 – Joachim Garraud, King Louis & Driss @ Pure Nightclub
22 – Joachim Garraud & MightyKat @ Circus
23 – Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 – Disco w/Michel Simarc & Robert Ouimet @ Stereo
23 – I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ La SAT (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ 5322 St-Laurent
24 – DJ Dan @ Aria
25 – Front Line Assembly @ Club Soda
27 – Robert De La... Gauthier @ La SAT
29 – The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)
30 – Extension 3 w/Luci… @ Main Hall

July:
01 – Disconnected @ Voyeur @ La SAT (Voyeur)
04 – Samantha Fox @ Medley
07 – Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 – John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 – The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
14 – Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat & Clifford Brown @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
15 – Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 – Microtek @ ? (Noerg)
19 – Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)

August:
01 – The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 – She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 – Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
13 – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
28 – Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
10 – T.Raumschmiere @ La SAT
15 – Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 – Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)

October:
05 – Vitalic @ La SAT
27 – Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)


Until next week: Keep them basses swingin' !

Leave the Motor Running

Motor is made up of Minneapolis' Bryan Black, a former sound designer and keyboard tech for Prince at Paisley Park Studio, and Mr No, who hails from the "industrial wastes of Paris".


The both of them co-founded the band Xlover, worked on a few tracks from Felix Da Housecat's "Devin Dazzle & The Neon Fever" album, and wrote some music for Princess Superstar. They're also well known for their remixes, which include Depeche Mode's "Precious", Trabant's "Nasty Boy" and the abrasive "Kill Yourself on the Dancefloor Tonight" by Drugbeat.

While working on the poppy 2005 Xlover album "Pleasure & Romance" the both of them ended up experimenting with techno sounds on the side, and eventually produced a 3 track demo. They were rapidly signed to Novamute, and after making their mark with a series of solid 12'' records, they've finally decided to release an album. It's called Klunk, and it sounds just like its name: Raw, metallic, cold, inhuman.


Klunk is all about progression, not only within the music but without: at times it's full-on hard electro, while at others it’s a respectful reworking of early techno facing off against de-clawed and refined quasi-industrial. The song "Yak" fits this description perfectly: it sounds like a dancy Suicide Commando track layered with the drugged-up, distant vocals found in many techno songs.

Motor leave pure experimentation behind, twisting harshness into music, with a strong early techno/acid feeling transpiring all the way through the album, providing an essential mix of genres that's mind bending, hypnotic and at times hallucinatory.

To top things off, Klunk is a well produced and dancy while remaining raw and extremely cold. Featured on the album are last year's hits "Sweatbox" and "Stuka Stunt", along with their new single "Black Powder", one of their more straightforward songs to date. However, Klunk is sadly missing the song "Punkture", featured on the b-side of the "Black Powder" 12''.

You can check out the "Black Powder" video right here:

If you like it rough, pick up Motor's new album "Klunk".

For more videos & excerpts, check out Motor's web site.