Night Vision 1.27

(Co-Written with Bruce Benson)

Avalanche, cyclone, earthquake, famine, flood, landslide, tornado, volcano, labor day week-end.

Can you feel the pain yet ? We do. I just cut myself in three with a chainsaw to attend as many events as I can over the week-end. I might leave trails of blood on the dancefloor because the wounds will be far from healed but what the hell, the only difference between blood and sweat is the color, right ?

So pack up your drugs, soak your mouth with booze, and don't forget to swallow like a good girl : you'll need the moral support to stand up after a couple of party-fueled days !

Week-End Review

A full two-day dance marathon at Aria? Why not.
Last Friday's Conduct night finally delivered the goods. Mini's set picked up with Motor, who set the mood for some thundering dark electro madness. Guest Jason Delis' dropped a seriously twisted set, bathed in the warped sounds of Switch/Solid Groove. G O'Brien made good once again, capturing the evening's mood perfectly with Bushwacka's "Beastman": "Qui ne risque rien n'a rien – les apparences sont trompeuses!" Lots of folk at peak time, and a great party in general.

The new promo team's efforts are showing, and things are picking up at the Rue St-Denis venue, as evidenced by Saturday's party people-filled dance floor. Marco G's set was on par with his usual, which is to say it was pretty damn good, and beard-less Miguel Graça kept the heat on high with a mind-bending tech-house set.

We heard that the Chouchoune's loft party didn't rack up as many partygoers as expected on Saturday, and that Akufen and Ark's sets at Academy last Friday were wicked, but we couldn't make it. Send us a postcard saying "Wish you were here" and we'll wipe our tears away with it, promise.


News en Vrac

Well well, guess who's coming to dinner? Green Velvet, on September 23rd, and DJ Dan on October 7th. Get ready for some after-hour madness: both events are happening at Aria.

Now, guess who's not coming to dinner? Miss Kittin, who is no longer visiting North America this September. Oddly enough, it's Voir Québec that first had the scoop, but we waited for this to be confirmed before mentioning it here, because you know, these guys aren't always in their right mind.

Jake Fairley, AKA Fairmont, will be performing live next week at Mini's Overdose night at Parking. Nice to hear, since we were wondering who the guests would be for the rentrée...



Guess who's gonna get shitfaced like crazy with lots of cool people on Sept. 6th ? Us ! We're launching the website officially, with the musical help of Thomas Von Party and yours truly, and it all goes down at Lola Lounge for a mere 4$. Needless to say, you're all invited to come down and boogie with us, especially if you're a devoted reader. Are you ready for Cocoballz & Mirrornutz ? Shake them testicles !!


Thursday 31/08

Jennifer Cardini, the parisian chicka who teamed up with "Ho" to offer us the much played track "Stay", remixed to good effect by Roman Flugel, is Mini's guest at Parking. As Belmondo would say : "Ho !!"

Sean Kosa, Poontz & Kai share the decks at Mix Thursdays. Mix it up, mix your drink and get mixed !


Friday 01/09

The madness starts. Thomas Von Party + Boys Noize share the decks at SAT. 20$ gets you in and once you've entered, you will never wanna get out.



At Zoobizarre, Flaky Disco presents D*I*R*T*Y Sound System, from France, and Why Alex Why ? This is the launch of MEG, Montreal Electronic Groove.

Aria welcomes local electro'ers X-Cube & G O'Brien for some more late night madness.


Saturday 02/09

Chromeo take control of the SAT with DJ Lindsey, from NYC, and Why Alex Why ? once more. Neon Nights, part 2. 20$ at the door and a special price for whores.

At Metropolis, things crack & shine as Ellen Allien & Apparat, Ghislain Poirier, Feadz & Uffie, DJ Mehdi, Sebastian, Busy P and Motormark come from all over the planet to get your groove on. MEG madness ensues.

Ferry Corsten, the punk-ass DJ from Holland, plays Aria.


Sunday 03/09

This is le Jour du Seigneur, right ? No sir. Not here, not now. DJ Remo, from Italy, come to town to show us how to do it the latin way. He collaborated with D'Mia and Chelonis Jones on tracks he recently released, and Bender invited him to Balroom's No Excuse night to kill the lights. Sean Kosa also plays.



At Metropolis, MEG still goes on with the overblown Para One, the experienced ESG, the vulgar Lio & Tekilatex (from TTC), the rockers Planningtorock, the hot Ferenc, and the unknown Jean Nipon.

Neon Nights concludes its SAT occupancy with the biggest bash of the week-end. Jordan Dare opens for a live performance by aussies The Presets, and filthy frenchman Riton ends the night with total mayhem. Look at him the way you want because he sure has "the looks" - but if you end up chatting with him, don't mention his square eyes, please.

More a day scoundrel than a night owl ? Piknic goes to Jardin des Floralies once again as Misstress Barbara and Anton A take control of the decks !

If cheese is your favorite grocery store department, head over to Stereo : Armin Van Buuren will amaze you. Aria is open too with yet another trance night.


Monday 04/09

It's TURBO PIKNIC TIME !! It wasn't announced on the initial flyers at the beginning of the summer and that explains the general state of sadness around the world right now. But cheer up, folks ! Mark Dillon, Thomas Von Party, Jordan Dare and fuckin' STEVE BUG will play at Place de l'Homme. 7$ to see all of 'em ? It's a steal, bro !


Tuesday 05/09

Wanna feel Dizzy ? Head over to Academy Dancehall !


Wednesday 06/09

One word for you - and no, it doesn' mean "chocolate-coated testicles" - COCOBALLZ ! If you've got the ballz, join Coconutz' regular crazies and a whole bunch of other fuck-ups as we launch Mirrorballs with style : face down on the floor.


Next Week

Calm down. Have a sniff of whatever. Take your binoculars out of the closet and prepare to spy on lewd & lascivious behavior as the next edition of Voyeur takes place at SAT.


Until then: keep the booty flesh gigglin' !

In Control !

The first time I heard about Chromeo, I was checkin' out Tiga's charts and the name of their first single, "You're so Gangsta", popped in my eyes. Playgroup's Trevor Jackson had made a remix, and I knew it would sound good. However, as is often the case with Turbo, the 12 inch took a mighty long time to be released and by the time it was, I had already seen the boys live.



At the third Neon if I'm not mistaken, Sweden's Peter Benisch was invited to appear under his FPU alias, and opening for him and Tiga were Chromeo. I didn't really like the show. I didn't know the songs, and the funky sounds seem to disrupt the 4/4 flow of the DJ sets. I was left cold. But this feeling wouldn't last long.



When "You're so Gangsta" was released, I bought it, being the Turbo bitch I am. Splendid vocals, irresistible sax solo : I couldn't resist. With its unmistakable bassline, Playgroup's remix also appeared on the "Turbo Studio Sessions Vol.3" double CD compilation, alongside a new track called "Needy Girl". As soon as I heard it all, I was seduced.

*

Chromeo is a duo formed by Dave One & P-Thugg. Funny that a jewish boy and an arab get along so well when the rest of the world can't - that's how powerful their love vibes are. The add used to say that they have the strength & skills of Hall & Oates, "except that you don't secretly suspect they make out". That remains to be seen, boys !



Anyone who has heard their first album, "She's in Control", released on Turbo in 2004, know that they're fuckin' serious about their electro-funk. The songs are not a pastiche or cliché : they're 100% real. The sweat flies on "Rage", and the funk allows you to get low on a cut like "Woman Friend". It's succulent from start to finish, and when it's over you're left asking for more.

Dave One, formerly of hip hop band Shades of Culture, also happens to be A-Trak's older brother. Talent runs in the family ! He pens sweet tunes about girls, romancin' them, narrating his experiences... Pee-Thugg is masterfully handling the talk box, a weird instrument you can only "get" if you happen to see them live. It looks like a tube and needs to be inserted into a mouth, and the result is a cross between a vocoder and Cher's latest vocal manipulations. Thugg is also a mean best-dressed motherfucker ! Last fall I saw the guys perform at Bain Mathieu, opening for Diplo, and he was dressed as a boat's captain !

*

With a new album coming out soon - we hope - and a collaboration with DJ Mehdi (I Am Somebody) currently fighting for a spot in the charts, hot on the heels of the Eskimo-released 2005 "Un Joli Mix Pour Toi", Chromeo are not about to let go. You can catch them live at SAT on Sept. 2nd, as part of the Neon Nights festival. NYC's DJ Lindsey and local Why Alex Why will open, and Peer Pressure presents.

The Presets

Over the past 24 months, a new breed of music has been unhurriedly clawing its way out of the pit of everlasting damnation electro-clash dug for itself. Call it electro-rock, disco-punk, post-clash, maximal or whatever the hell you want to call it. It's here to stay, and it's got no better representative that Sydney's The Presets.


The tandem formed by Julian Hamilton & Kim Moyes first gathered attention with Blow Up, the 2003 EP on which they first attempted to define their sound, missing the mark by the narrowest margin. Guest guitarist Daniel Johns (Silverchair) contributed to three of the tracks, his heavy riffs clashing horribly with The Presets' music. Luckily, the boys didn't bring back any more guitars on their subsequent releases.

In 2004, the gentler ballad-filled Girl & The Sea EP came along, on which The Presets' sound is greatly refined & polished, along the way growing closer to that of Modular label-mates Cut Copy.


Fortuitously, they didn't turn into Cut Copy-Cats, and by late 2005 Jules & Kim had a full-length ready, Beams, in which the duo finally delineate their sound fully, wonderfully balancing sweeter subdued ballads (a few borrowed from their previous EP) and driving rock thumpers such as "Are You The One", presented below.

Throw in a little help from the internet hype machine, a couple of killer tracks and a few remixes by the likes of Captain Comatose, Cut Copy, Digitalism & Simian Mobile Disco, and what you end up with is the first chapter of a success story in the making.

The Presets will be playing at Sunday's Neon Nights main event at La SAT, alongside Riton & Jordan Dare.

Boys Noize and More

Seeing Boys Noize/Kid Alex

-or-

Two nights, two bottles of champagne, four beautiful ladies, not a single kiss.

A sweet duo came to visit me from the dreaded southern urbanity of T. on what would turn shockingly out to be a weekend of general decadence, in the likes of which Your Humble Narrator is bashfully not loath to indulge. Ho hum. As it were, I was so preoccupied giving said sharp beauties new haircuts that we neglected to buy the booze on time. At midnight, with no rum and little drugs, we lumbered grumblingly off to a horrible armpit known as Mile End Bar. If you’ve had the dentistry-like experience of being there, you’re probably already reaching for the little x up in the corner of the browser, but fear not, for this is a happy story. Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse before it gets better, thanks to the host DJ, who shall heretofore be referred to as DJ Asswheel. It’s amazing how fast you can swill an eight dollar tumbler of gin and charge squealing out of a bar when necessary. As gutted as we were to have been forced to miss Boys Noize, the good people at Epsilonlab had a suitable backup party organized for just such a doldrum, conundrum, or unforeseen awfulness. On the way away from Mile End Hole we saw a few of The Usual Suspects with similarly misplaced hopes for the Boys Noize gig. We duly commiserated later that night at the SAT.

Now, as we all know, there are some doers and shakers around town who wouldn’t see such a burgeoning talent’s laudable boogying services go lost on a crowd of 32-year-old fatsos. As such, on Sunday night, just as I was about to head off to meet some stunning associates of mine for some hornswoggled drinking, The Good Thomas Von Party sent me a telegraph proclaiming that I would have yet another chance to see the Kid Alex at yet another shitbox, shmancy bar: Wunderbar. For the record, the W is actually cool from time to time, regardless of the fact that nor you, nor I, nor any self-respecting beatnik can afford to get drunk there. At least they never charge cover. It took some convincing, but the artist girls agreed to attend, so we were off after a brief swilling of free booze at Coco Bongo (long story…). Now to cut to the chase:

It didn’t take us too long to snag us some unwitting millionaires to bottle-service us vodka and champagne, so the drink was covered. Luckily, there was also enough low-grade narcotic floating around the joint to keep us satisfied. Purrrrrfect. When Boys Noize hit the scene, it all made sense. It was one of those moments when you’re like, ‘what the crap am I doing?’, only to be slapped in the jaw with an ‘ohhhh, yeah, that’s the reason I go to the bar so often!’ I recall a moment when Wildman LPR called the set ‘okay, except he keeps playing all these big club hits,’ only to be informed that the Kid actually produced all of said bangers. His scenester-approved tracks were all the more enjoyable when in the precise hands of their creator. My head exploded when I heard his wicked reprise of my favorite Bloc Party track, and the in-betweens were comprised of that wonderful flaky Euro-Dance-Minimal that hovers somewhere around M. Oizo, Jackson AHCB and New Order. Other scene fanatics in attendance had similarly enthusiastic responses, including the words ‘Electro God’ from respected local partyhound, G.

A wonderful show all around, even if I still hate that Kaiser Chiefs Boys Noize remix that Tiga and everyone else keep playing. The original track is so much cooler. My first words to the kid when I met him later were, ‘Whoa, dude, we need to get you a warehouse full of 500 clubbers.’ Happily, that’s exactly what Neon has planned for Friday, September 1^st, so get your tix, droogies!

Jack Oatmon:
Music. Disco Volante
Politics. Mercurius Dystopia

Life of the PARTY

Call him any name, he'll still be Von Party to you. And to your little sister, too. Thomas Sontag has recently made a comeback in Montreal's nightlife and you could say he doesn't do things à moitié : he has opened for various high-profile guys (Boys Noize, Headman, Tiga), has headlined a short-lived weekly at Green Room, started managing a supergroup (Tropicana) and is currently curating a new weekly, happening on Wednesdays at Lola Lounge, and called Coconutz.



He took some time to sit down between two martinis and answered a few of our indiscreet questions.


Prior to appearing under your new disguise as Thomas Von Party, syndicated party monster, where were you ?

Living a quiet, married, hippy life. Cooking, making my own yogurt and sprouts, earning a living making puppets dance.


Where have you buried the Lord of the Marionnette ?

It's cool how a new generation of party goers has emerged here in Montreal that has never seen the puppet live... I'm actually working on the comeback right now. I love the puppet... it's never left my heart. I want to do puppet videos for all the Turbo releases. I think it could get huge.




We know that there's not much to intellectualise about partying so much, but we secretly suppose that you have a special party philosophy. Can you share it with our readers ?

There's this wicked Australian club called 'Honkey Tonks' and their motto is 'Serious about dancing'. That's pretty much how I feel, although my tired ass is certainly not always up to the task. I think it has a lot to do with having just gotten a taste of Raves in the early 90s, both vicariously through my brother, in Goa, as a kid, and at a few really amazing parties in Montreal a long time ago... full-power 24 hour acid dance... that's my party philosophy. I just want to create the right conditions for the music to dictate the vibe and open up all our party chakras. Bom shankar!


You have a big brother trying to capitalise on your growing fame... how does that feel ?

I'm happy to help him out -- but between you and me... he's going nowhere.


What's your level of implication with the Turbo label ?

I just started working on promotion, web and myspace stuff, event planning, some A & R under Tiga, keeping up with all the artists and DJ's and magazines and just basically trying to put Turbo back where it should be. The new releases are really really good. We should be doing an official Turbo party in Montreal in the next few months too.




You have a weekly at Lola Lounge with some of the city's most twisted scenesters... I've heard and seen scary things. What can the average electro lover expect if he dares to show up ?

I'm sure the 'average' electro-lover, if there is one, would be excited about the music, but the night is definitely not 100% electro. They might walk in while I'm playing Fleetwood Mac and be pissed and request like Tiefschwarz... you can never keep everyone happy. The night is dope though. There are always hot guys and girls of all possible sexual orientations, lots of friendly freaks and anomalies... the best Montreal has to offer!


You'll be playing with Boys Noize again on Sept. 1st at S.A.T. to kick off the "Neon Nights" festival. Do you feel the pressure ?

No no no! I feel the PLEASURE. I love playing at S.A.T., love Boys Noize, I'm sure its going to be a kick-ass party. And it's redemption time after Boys Noize's last trip to Mtl, where he played at Mile End and the W to a total of like 50 people.




Are you looking forward to play at Piknic ?

Totally! the sound is great and it's my big chance to infiltrate a completely different scene: French-Canadian minimal cowboy-house, get ready Von Party!!!


What can we expect from Von Party in the near future ?

A new series of events at SAT, some headline gigs, a website, mix cds, trance, and hopefully some finished tracks. And 2007 is the year of the puppet.

Von Party is gettin' busy. You can catch him every Wednesday at Lola Lounge, where he hosts his Coconutz night. He'll be opening for Boys Noize at SAT on Friday Sept. 1st, for Steve Bug at Piknic on Monday Sept. 4th, and will have the Main Hall all to himself on Friday Sept. 8th.

Marathon!

On Thursday night I stopped in at Casa Del Popolo to have a double allonge before the Foreign Islands/Think About Life/Chinese stars show across the street at Sala Rosa. I was at the bar when five slick rockers came in for something to eat. I was already drunk at the time, so it was one of those downhill nights from the get go. We got along fast and when it came up that they were the members of Foreign Islands my ears perked up, having already heard thier explosive singles We Know You Know It, which has now been remixed by Misstress Barbara, and Fine Dining, which has been remixed to delicious perfection by Boys Noize. Not only are they the best punk band I’ve seen in a dogs age, they are also incredibly fun guys, so we all went to Saphir and got mashed on Jagermeister after the show (which was sick, by the way). When I woke up for work, rather hungover, after a scant three hours of sleep, I quickly made plans to hook up with the The Foreign Islands crew later on for some foolishness. After a merciless shift at work, I was on my way home, thinking only of a soft place to lay my aching head, when I ran into them again. They were about to play an outdoor show and were sporting a mitt-full of free drinks tickets. Uh oh. We drank until the show was over (during which time I actually stood up Uffie, with whom I was supposed to do an interview over the phone. Oops), then quickly hit up Divan Orange before charging off to the Junior Boys show. Sick, sick, sick. Everyone was there, so after that we hornswoggled our way in to the Academy Dancehall for Akufen and Ark. Sick, sick, sick. Later on at the afterparty we saw Deadbeat and Jordan Dare play for an extremely local crowd. If you read this blog, you were probably there. Shortly thereafter, this morning, I went to work again, mashed again, and now my roommates are wondering what we’re doing tonight. When am I gonna sleep, goddamnit!?

Jack Oatmon:
Music. Disco Volante
Politics. Mercurius Dystopia

Night Vision 1.26

(Co-Written with Bruce Benson)

At last, after a bit more than 26 weeks online, we'll get to have a proper launch. Get down to Lola Lounge on Sept. 6th for a special edition of Coconutz : Cocoballz & Mirrornutz !! Thomas Von Party and Clifford Brown will share the deck duties for your ultimate pleasure and the balls will roll. Come and shake 'em with us !

But more on that later, as we have to move on with the current affairs...

Week-End Review

Last Saturday at Aria, Maus efficiently warmed up the room for Kenny Hawkes who unfortunately lost the techno-inclined crowd during his three-track attempt to play deeper house at the beginning of his set. Although Kenny rapidly changed direction and reanimate a few dancers, it was unfortunately too late to get the party started again. Sad, really, since Kenny did play a good, if somewhat short, set.

At Balroom on Sunday night, the place quickly got packed and Jeff Grosse was just beginning his set when we got there. He gave us a solid electro-tech set, including some classics on the way, and Bender ended the night with his trademark scorching sound. Good times !

Not having been able to make it to Piknic since it was cancelled by the damn rain, Mathew Jonson teamed up with The Mole at Academy on Tuesday night to make up for it. MightyKat was playing a sweet ass set when we got there, and the place was already crowded. We never imagined it would get packed like it did, but the party really caught on and the dancefloor was on fire ! Many scenesters were there, and it was kinda odd to see as many familiar faces partyin' in the middle of the week !


News en Vrac

The biggest news of the week, of course, is the Pop Montreal festival's line-up. Tons and tons of good stuff, as always : Gonzales, TTC, Spank Rock, Dr. Octagon, Vitalic, Mocky, Poni Hoax, The Russian Futurists, Montag, Tokyo Police Club, Tony Ezzy, Sexyboy... and much, much more ! The only thing I would dare to complain about is the "overbooking" : having the TTC & Spank Rock double-bill held on Oct. 5th, the same night as Vitalic + Genders, is disrespectful for the audience, who has never been known to be able to split itself in half.

DJ Assault, delicate poet by day and sex fiend by night, will once again bring his filthy white socks and his records to town. He'll be at Mix Thursdays, at Saphir, on Sept. 14th !

Filthy Frenchman Bob Sinclar has been announced to appear at Opera on Sept. 12th. His recent "pop" turn might gain him massive play on dance-inclined FM stations, but will he be able to fill out a club as big as this on a Tuesday night ?

Electroclash revivalists Shiny Toy Guns will be in town on Sept. 6th, at Main Hall.

And finally, the line-up for the No Excuse event on November 4th has been finalized. Locals Bender & Sean Kosa will be playing alongside Stephan Bodzin, Xenia Beliayeva and - I shit you not - Oliver Huntemann! Brace for impact!


Thursday 24/08

Herbert, the UK sonic cook, makes an appearance at Club Soda to talk beats & politics.

Jordan Dare, Nellboy, Radarsat-1, Omni, Axel Klein & Master Beater team up to raise the roof at Saphir's Mix Thursdays. If you've never been there, now would be a good time to start.

Schizo par excellence Séba (whose alias, MC Brutalll, may scare you to death) celebrates 33 years of misbehavin' at Divan Orange with his band Gatineau. Bad brains, bad manners and good songs will mix up in a hazy stupor of too many beer pints drank too fast.

Mini returns for her usual residency at Parking's Overdose night.

Later, in the dark of the night, David Laguer will shine the light of house music onto wayward souls, like a beacon drawing them to Circus Afterhours.


Friday 25/08

Are you the kind of individual barebackin' with a junkie underage hooker while bungee jumpin' from the Champlain bridge with no helmet and no life insurance ? If so, the Soirée Risquée is for you : Ark, from France, a guy who's signed to Perlon, will play a live set, and locals Akufen & Vincent Lemieux will perform DJ sets while you can look at yourself & other cool scenesters in the Academy Dancehall's generous mirrors.

The Junior Boys, The Unireverse & Feuermusik will play their delicate future pop at Sala Rossa.

The Rock On Fridays with Von Party were recently "rocked out" by the man himself, and no longer are. So don't go there thinking you'll have a rockin' blast.

Again, Aria comes to the rescue of electroheads with another edition of Conduct. This one will feature residents Mini & G O'Brien and guest Jason Delis. $10 at the door.


Saturday 26/08

The Chouchounes are inviting y'all to their house party, and you can find the address out by dialing (514) 831-5295.

Marco G's electro-tech and Miguel Graça's tech-house are always a sure bet, so why not check these guys out this Saturday at Aria? $15 for the guys, $5 for the ladies.


Sunday 27/08

The No Excuse crew celebrates a special after Piknic with an electrifying triple bill : Bender, Sean Kosa & Marinelli. At Balroom, of course !

Coucouroucuicui, Passepoil, Q, and Sean Kosa help out with the launch of the Chouchounes' 6th mixed CD, at Piknic. You might wonder who are these DJ's with weird names playing with Sean Kosa, and we can't blame you : if you've never been to Q's short-lived night at Edgar Hypertaverne last year, you're not the only one. These guys are the DJ aliases of three of Piknic's organisers, and you'll be able to find out if their skills can match their guest's ! Let the fight begin...


Tuesday 29/08

Justin Long, from Chicago, is Mightykat's guest at Dizzy. It all goes down at Academy Dancehall.


Wednesday 30/08

Coconutz welcomes your wildest fantasies and turns them around with a slap on the ass. Thomas Von Party presides over the festivities and the rest is a fun-filled "be the party's hero... or hoe" kinda thing.


Next Week

Fasten your seat belts, ladies & gentlemen : Labor Day is knockin' at your door with a jackhammer !


Until then: keep the drinks cold !

Toronto's DJ Mike Gleeson

First times don’t always hurt. July 24th Dizzy special guest DJ Mike Gleeson from Toronto, spun for the first time in Montreal, effectively putting an end to his "Montreal virgin" status.

Mike spins regularly throughout Canada and the United States, and has a monthly residency at Footwork, Toronto (www.footworbar.com).

Best known for his bumpin house sets and admittedly highly influenced by the Chicago House sound, today Mike spins all kinds of house but maintains that diverse feel to his sets, incorporating any kind of music that is interesting or unusual.

Mike has always had a keen interest in all kinds of music, having spun everything from hip-hop, to house, funk, and pop music. But it was the electronic music of the early nineties that caught his ear. Inspired by DJ mix tapes of the day, by 1995 he had progressed to Dj-ing himself. “From the very start I’ve spun pretty much anything I’ve liked the sound of. Especially early on, with so many different kinds of parties and crowds I was playing to, it was important to be diverse.”

Did you enjoy your first set in Montreal at Dizzy?

I had a great time at Dizzy. It’s always good to play in other cities, and in Montreal I've always found the people to be very enthusiastic dancers, which is a great thing for a dj. Everyone I spoke with was very friendly, including the staff. The club Academy itself is just about the right size for that kind of party and it has a good sound system!

It was fun playing with Mighty Kat as we have similar styles but musically are a bit different, and that always helps with creativity. It opens you up to taking the music in different directions, maybe trying things or being inspired to do things you might not think of just playing alone.

Diversity in music is something you say is important and something you bring in your sets. What else do you want people to take from your sets?

When I first started djing I was spinning pretty much everything - hip hop, house, pop, whatever, and though I do spin almost exclusively house these days I try to keep the feel of it varied, to keep people on their toes. I've always thought that the best dj’s made me want to move but also made me think a bit, incorporating unusual stuff or techniques. It’s very much the Chicago way of djing; anything goes as long as it makes sense.

So what I'm hoping people get out of my sets is a kind of unique experience that is a lot of fun but also memorable. How that works is different for every person, which is why the diversity is important.

You caught the DJ bug in the early nineties. How did that happen?

Mainly through listening to mix tapes. I was just blown away by how the djs could kind of weave these tunes so well together. This was back when hearing a dj on the radio or even hearing dance music in general was not a common occurrence. Today dance music is much more ubiquitous, so I'm sure that that had an impact on me as well, just how different and exciting it all sounded
to most of my everyday music experiences.

What can we look forward to from DJ Mike Gleeson - new productions, a cross-country tour, a new album?

I'm getting into production now but I can sometimes be a bit of a perfectionist, so I won't get anything out there until I'm very satisfied with it. Quality over quantity and all that. Djing-wise I'd like to get out to Western Canada for a bit. Over the years for one reason or another I've had gigs lined up there and they've fallen through or I couldn't make it work in my schedule, etc. but I'd really like
that to happen. Just a question of logistics!

Peoples roles change or get redefined over time. What's is your philosophy on what it means to be a DJ today?
Being a dj is a very malleable thing these days, there's an increasing amount of automation and software used in djing these days that it’s sometimes hard to differentiate where the music stops being a producer's work and starts becoming a dj mix. Of course it’s both, and with the advent
of more powerful computer programs and tools it is going to continue in that direction.

That said there's a very real problem at the moment of really boring "live shows" that involve a lot of mouse clicking and what appears to be little more than someone checking their email. Naturally they're actually mixing in the computer but it can be so incredibly dull to watch that its a little
depressing, especially when you have some dj's actually programming their entire night in advance. That's just poor.

Some people say that it really shouldn't matter, that the music is the thing, but part of a dj's performance is interacting with the crowd, even if its only to the extent that they observe the crowd and judge their track selection accordingly. People like to know that there is a human connection
with the dj because it personalizes the experience. Anytime you have a dj with their face stuck to a computer screen, it lessens that personal aspect of things.

All this live performance stuff is improving, but it’s all about balance. As long as you have some kind of interaction with a crowd and you're mixing different songs together to create a personal experience for everyone, that's djing to me.

Want more Mike? Visit his website www.djmikegleeson.com .

Interview with Colette & DJ Heather

I had the pleasure of speaking with 2 leading ladies of the electronic music scene on the eve of their double disk CD launch on the OM label entitled (quite aptly), Colette & DJ Heather. The duo spun at Stereo, Montreal on July 21, 2006.

Last Friday, music lovers with their priorities in check were among the many at Stereo to be treated to the turntable wizardry of DJ’s Heather and Colette, by far two of the top, pioneering DJ’s the house music scene has to offer. As one of their twenty one plus international tour stops in promotion of their latest double disc CD released on heavyweight San Fran label, House of OM Recordings; The Colette & DJ Heather double header delightfully presents their unique flavors and fortes that stand fabulously on their own and as a package. “We like similar artists, but it’s like you’d read the track listing and as a dry read it may seem or feel similar, but in listening the CD’s they’re completely different experiences” says Heather of the album.

Colette Marino is one of the four members of Chicago’s first female DJ collective Superjane. Of Colette Marino’s many credits is being among the select group of DJ’s who’d sing to a track she spins. The Chicago native with training in classical music, recalls her beginnings in the biz “When I was in high school, I think I was 16. A friend of mine also from Chicago, DJ Lego asked me to come and sing over one of his sets. I thought it would be cool, so I did! That’s seriously how it started. It was really simple. I would sing through some headphones plugged into the microphone jack on a mixer – really old school. I mean, I already loved house music but he’s the one who really pushed me to sing with house music. From that point on I was really focused on being a house vocalist. Then at the same time I’d been carting records for a while, and decided to really make my way as a DJ – I could sing as well – so I’d sing over my sets and really began making the whole process for myself.

Despite the hectic promotional tour ahead of her, Colette is looking forward to performing at Stereo for the first time. “Playing in new cities is amazing and it’s really fun. The flying everywhere though…” (laughs). A great thing about this tour is that I get to travel with my best friend. Heather and I have been great friends for a really long time and have also been Djing for a long time, but we’ve never done a tour this extensive. So it’s comforting being with someone who’s going though the same things you are.”

Also keeping Colette on a high note is her song Hypnotized being featured on the Devil wears Prada Soundtrack “It’s the first time that I’ve had a song featured in a big Hollywood movie. I had a different version of Feeling Hypnotized featured in a Motorola commercial that ran worldwide. It’s really so cool, because you spend so much time working on these tracks and you don’t really think about where there going to end up or who’s going to like them. Really it’s a great feeling; when a song hits, especially in more of a commercial world. With underground music especially in the States it’s not mainstream. When you get something like a film, it’s amazing because it will hopefully introduce more people to the music. You know, it’s really too bad that more people are not exposed to more of it [House music] at the end of the day. It’s really a fantastic movement”

One thing that her increasingly busy schedule doesn’t allow her to do is to collaborate with various women’s organizations to raise money and awareness for causes like breast cancer or battered women’s shelters “It’s something that I don’t really get to do enough. I usually try to play a couple of times a year for different charities because music is such a great way to bring people together and especially for good causes… Having fun and donating your time to something that can benefit other people – doing something a couple of times a year is really not that big a deal, but if you can help, you should. And if we all could do our part it would really add up.

Colette’s Superjane partner Chi-town native Heather Robinson again displays her prolific mixing and producing skills. Head of Black Cherry her new label, Heather is undeniably a world-class talent who’s literally worked her way up – having paid her dues in developing her career doing everything from working in record stores to labels, to touring, she‘s particularly conscientious in putting her driving, chunky Chicago sound mixed CD together. “What I tried to do was make sure it had that OM signature as well, hence the House of OM – there are certain touches that I want – to have it where it feels very OM-like - to be solid upon repeated listening. That was very much a conscious effort that I wanted to put out there. It was definitely one of the hardest ones I’ve ever done where I was very meticulous in terms of how I put it together. There is definitely a calculated spontaneity when you’re doing a mixed CD like this. You’re really thinking about the above and beyond with the project because you want to make sure that it does a lot of different things.”

Coming from a very broad musical back ground, Heather is no stranger to working with the A-listers of the underground music scene, Heather’s collaborations with some of Chicago old and new school heavy hitters like Chez Damier, Derrick Carter, JP Donaldson, Johnny Fiasco, easily make fertile fodder for a bedroom DJ’s wet dream. Yet one of the things that Heather attributes to her success is her early day start as a Hip-hop DJ. “One of the two things that really helped me out was having a hip-hop background and learning to play records in an environment where I was responsible for the music for 4 – 6 hours a night, pretty much every Saturday night. You learn about certain sections of the evening culture; learning to read the crowd to a certain extent…but all those things really helped me understand the art of DJ-ing on many different levels. With the hip-hop background, that was a skill thing for me and was very educational, and a lot those applications apply to house.”

At the end of the day Heather’s CD message is simple “There’s a lot of underground kids who may or may not be familiar with me, whereas an OM artist like Colette, she’s already part of the roster and has a built in network, so in a way, it was a way for me to “piggy-back” her “fan base”. I wanted this to be an introduction to me, so to speak and something that was palatable enough where you can really enjoy both and not be scared off from one or the other. It’s basically my interpretation of what a House of OM CD could sound like. It’s a little bit of perkiness and jazz, and eclectic but with just enough of the Chicago boogie stuff, that you can listen to at the beach, in your car, or pre, during and post of a party.

Grosse Point Blank

Jeff Grosse has been deejaying in Boston for a few years, honing his skills on the turntables and slowly preparing to invade Montréal's nightlife.

Mr. Grosse would love to be described as a finely tuned machine, or so I am told by his partner Alex Karaivan. I, on the other hand, don't know him that well.

However, I expect this situation to change over the coming months as Jeff makes a name for himself in our little nocturnal microcosm, proving to us demanding Montréalers that he is indeed this sort of polymath of partying, finely tuned or not.

As Diskho, Alex & Jeff helm one of Montréal's most promising party-throwing crew. Diskho sees big, and that's what I like about'em. They don't do settle for less than greatness, as evidenced by the exquisite selection of headliners they've brought to town (Kiko, John Tejada, Matthew Dear & Savas Pascalidis) and the promises of great parties to come (John Dahlbäck on september 15th, and Trentemoller on October 27th).

Since I didn't have much to go on, I decided to ask Monsieur Grosse a few questions in honor of his "sort of Montréal debut", this Sunday at Balroom.

You're currently living in Boston. As Diskho, your partner Alex & you are booking DJs & electronic musicians exclusively in Montréal. What's this love story you've got going with our fair city?

Well basically, Montréal is where I fell in love with electronic
Music (Sona, 1999) and since then I have been traveling to Canada to get my fix. Musically, Boston is about 7.3 years behind what is going on in Montréal. All they play there is boring cookie cutter house. There was always a good scene for electro in Montréal so I saw an opportunity to showcase the artists that I was into, the ones with a more electro/minimal/techy sound. Boston is not ready for these kinds of artists on a large stage.


How did you hook up with the No Excuse crew?

I think it was during the time I was up for our John Tejada night. My memory is a bit foggy on the subject as I had an alcohol transfusion that weekend. Also, Bender plays high quality stuff. That is why I have also involved him in our Dahlbäck night. He has the sound that I was looking for.


You will be playing at Balroom this Sunday, for No Excuse night. I heard you describe the event as your "sort of Montréal debut". What are we to expect this Sunday night?

I'm very excited to play outside of Boston again. You can expect a night of Diskhotek: minimal electro and tech house. The emphasis will be more on the electro and the harder, techier stuff, though. I really can't say for sure, as what I expect to play at a night and what I actually play never really match. It all depends on what is going on inside at the time. It will be fun to be able to play records that don't contain vocals. That is what I have to do in Boston to get the people into it. If you were to hear me play in Boston you would never know it was the same person.

It is my " sort of" Montréal début, because technically I have DJed there before with Kiko & Savas Pascalidis last September. However, I was so shaken that night by the lack of turnout and all the pressures of doing a first party that my head wasn't in it. You live and learn though.

It is sort of a preview of what to expect before John Dahlbäck. Bender and I will be playing at the very beginning of that party so this will give me a chance to play records I normally play, instead of opening records.


Anything you would like to add?

I would just like to thank all of the people who have supported Diskho over this past year. You can expect more of the same in the future. See you on Sunday!

You can catch Jeff Grosse & DJ Bender this Sunday for No Excuse night at Balroom, and at Fonderie Darling with John Dahlbäck on September 15th for Diskho's Clinik night.

Night Vision 1.25

(Co-Written with Bruce Benson)

The "slow period" of clubland is slowly coming to an end, and the official opening of Autumn celebrations, during labor day week-end, will also mean that school starts. As we wake up in a stupor after a week-end in hell, a gigantic headache pulsating along with the spiders living in our brain, we will not only have to learn to conciliate work and school, but also how we will manage to get good grades while still going out 3-4 nights a week.

There should be a night, out there, where you can bring your books and read, write your term papers on the little laptop that daddy brought you, with loud music blaring out and celebrating the joys of knowledge.

While this is undoubtedly in the works, we'll stick to our guns and ask the bartender for one more gin tonic...

Week-End Review

Saturday, at Aria, Maus played a wicked tech-house set and Creator concluded with yet another solid selection of prog-house. Good times.

One half of the Balls team, Clifford, was in Québec City, and is glad to report that even though he doesn't feel he missed something, nothing worthy of mention was going on in the Vieille Capitale and it was rather unsurprising.

Tuesday, Mossa's set at Academy was nothing short of spectacular!


News en Vrac

The man, the legend: Carl Cox will be at Stereo on September 28th . Let him welcome you to the club with open arms and sing over his songs like the crazy cat he is.

Tickets are now on sale for the Neon Nights events. And on top of that, the I Love Neon team announced yet another event : a DFA label party on Oct. 1st, with James Murphy, Tim Sweeney and Shit Robot DJ'ing the night away ! Nice news from another star for the lightning lovers out there !

TV on the Radio are coming to town on Oct. 13th at Le National - good news indeed. And if your tastes are darker and much more BPM-inclined, and you're the kind of individual who always wears black, open your heart : our dear friends from Covenant - the melodic industrial dudes, as opposed to the black metal ones - will be at Les Saints on Oct. 1st. It was funny as shit the first time they came to town, at Foufounes, at the end of the 90's : people had came from as far as fuckin' Rimouski with their white faces, thinking that their black metal heroes were performing. They found out it was a faggy industrial show only AFTER paying to get in.

Again, we're taking this opportunity to formally welcome another new arrival to the Balls & Shades family. So, La Gazelle, consider your club hoppin' self welcomed !


Thursday 17/08

X-Cube opens for Mini for Parking's Overdose night.


Friday 18/08

Jordan Dare isn't taking time off - when he's not blowin' smoke on a dark dancefloor, he's working on his tracks and kickin' the shit out of his hardware. Catch him at Tokyo Bar 2 - the good news is that you don't even have to go to Japan !



Late at night, X-Cube & Axel Klein will electrify unsuspecting Aria customers with some massive electro wattage. Feel like falling victim to this onslaught of terror-beats ? Just head over and have fun, folks !


Saturday 19/08

Head over to Café Campus for the first volume of "Warn a Brother", where things will go down in a "multicultural" fashion and the glitches will compete with the warm grooves of the Glad Professorz, DJ'ing, and funkmasters aRTIST oF tHE yEAR performing ! It's 10$ and you get a half price entry if you're part of a visible minority - reverse discrimination ?

Go get wasted, then get your drunk ass over to Aria where it will be going down this Saturday night, with none other than Mr. Kenny Hawkes at the helm in Montréal's big room. Maus warms the place up for him, and you better believe this pot is gonna be boiling when the Londoner takes over. PS: No, we ain't go more tickets to give away, so stop harassing us already!


Sunday 20/08

Mathew Jonson, Tractile, Frivolous, Hrdvision will get the stuff moving and the birds strutting as part of a special Bande à Part Piknic, at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The whole event will be documented on film and broadcasted on their web site, so dress to impress and avoid unimpressive behavior on the dancefloor for once !



No Excuse is coming back with a vengeance this week, and it's coming straight from Boston in the form of mad electro kingpin Jeff Grosse. Come and catch The Man Who Knows No Fear Of Getting Wasted™'s Montréal début, alongside guest redheaded audioterrorist Marinelli & resident beat cruncher DJ Bender.

Both Bender & Jeff Grosse will be opening for John Dahlbäck at DiskHo's Clinik night on September 15th , making this edition of No Excuse the perfect preview of what you might be in for at Fonderie Darling next month.


Tuesday 22/08

Dizzy, land of good vibes, sexy dancers and cheap Boris. Swing by if you haven't already. At Academy, 4445 St-Laurent.


Wednesday 23/08

Coconutz at Lola Lounge is the place to shake it on Wednesday night. Drop by, get trashed, get trashed some more and party on or something. Mat de Rome, a crazy ass photographer, is on the premises every week to immortalize this wasted madness and put it on display on their MySpace page to trash your rep'. Thomas Von Party runs this growing madness.


Next Week

Herbert swings by, and leaves start falling from the schoolbooks. Hormones attack : this is the ultimate last summer moment to get trashed and collect fuck buddies for the cold winter to come.


Until then: keep them bodies jackin' !

Nite Hawkes

Truth be told, I don't have much to say about Kenny Hawkes. He's a DJ/producer from the UK, has over 20 years of experience behind him, and has recorded several classic house cuts during his illustrious career.


Hawkes solidified his reputation in the late 90's running London's Space night at Club Rumba with friend Luke Solomon. He's just recently completed new material with David Parr for 20:20 Vision, which fits in perfectly with the label's line up (Bobby Peru, Fred Everything, Random Factor, Silver Cities…). His 2003 entry into NRK's Nite:Life series of mix albums offered a pretty damn sweet blend of deep house, and is still well worth checking out today.


As far as live DJing goes, Hawkes can easily swing from deep, mellow & soulful house to driving full on prog or tech-ish house, all the while presenting the listener with an intelligently arranged mix his varied influences.

Hawkes' chosen MySpace motto is perhaps the best way to sum him up musically: "Give em' what they want, but nothing they'd expect".

Hell yeah.

Mr. Kenny Hawkes will be dropping by Aria Afterhours on Saturday night, performing alongside DJ Maus.

Para One Article (Edited for Honesty)

Para One: Epiphanie.
When you release material that gets remixed by Boys Noize and MSTRKRFT you’re doin’ all right. When the original material blows the remixes out of the water, you are what we like to call HOLY FUCKING RAD. Such is the case with Para One’s new full length, Epiphanie. You’ve heard his glitchy downtempo production on the majority of TTC’s tracks, most notably the full length Batards Sensibles, but take away le crew, and there’s a cut-throat electro producer just waiting to bust out. The album pays unabashed homage to 90’s techno, right from the tacky cover art to the vocoders and Homework shout outs, but that’s just a drop in the album’s veritable bucket of minimal flavour, attention deficited sampling, carefully produced audio static, distortion, and organic, ambient chilaxin’. That said, there are two things you gotta do: Buy the album, or at least download Turtle Trouble, Piste Bleue and Dudun Dun, and then run the fuck out and grab a ticket to MEG’s Saturday night party, where he will be seen with 60% of all your other soon-to-be-favorite DJs. By the way, make sure to come wasted, ‘cuz last year the crowd was ever-so-slightly too Mutek-Trekkie for a respectable party to occur…


Jack Oatmon:
Music. Disco Volante
Politics. Mercurius Dystopia

Mini Interview with DJ Mossa

DJ Mossa, well rested and likely well tanned, having returned from his month long vacations at Mexico's Playa del Carmen, will the master of the turntables this Tuesday at Dizzy (Academy Club, Mtl.). No stranger to the electronic music scene with local performances at Piknik Electronik and MUTEK, Mossa's been dropping beats throughout North America and Europe. Armed with 10 years of classical music training under his belt and the delicate dance of running his label Complot (www.complot.ca), he’s doing what he can to keep the Montreal electronic scene on its head.

How did you get introduced to the world of Electronica and Dj-ing?

I’ve been a musician since I was 5 years old and never stopped since. Whatever the instrument (voice, piano, guitar, computer, water...), it is part of my daily living. There are a lot of similarities between playing the piano and composing techno tracks on a pc.But also playing in bands was a blessing and made me think about how to put together all the instruments and elements together. Making techno/house/electronic/bleepy music is just another way of expressing myself. Composing has been a very instinctive thing, especially with my latest band.

There are very few DJ's like yourself, who can successfully bring colour and depth to the "blippy - static - tec" sounds that you incorporate in your music. How do you describe your sound and do you consider it a "hard sell”?

I’m always trying to have fun, explore and shake my inspiration to create music. The same intention is found in everything I do, particularly in design. New ideas and concepts come along the way sometimes but I also think that a style is starting to establish itself. As for Dj-ing, it’s something else. I never play my records and tend to mix things up quite more. There are so many great artists out there, whatever the style.

What nurtured or inspired your deconstructionist appetite in music?

Because of a punk/hard core background, I see my computer as a guitar and my mouse as a distortion pedal...I try to use my pc the same way, with the same intention. Trying to stay away from pop structures and catchy tunes gave me the opportunity to explore other areas in electronic music; putting some personality and a twist into my material is necessary. I'll soon be ready for pop music....

Tell me about Complot Records and what is coming for the label?

We founded Complot before even knowing about the difficulties of releasing music. It really was a buzz between friends, a project with a vague idea behind. Complot is always trying to bring new ways of making electronic music and propose unusual collaborations. It’s hard to develop new concepts but very challenging. After a break, we are back in action, working with great artists and also building new projects, like DJ orchestra; you can see the video on the website (www.complot.ca).

Check out more of Mossa:
www.myspace.com/mossamusic

By La_Gazelle
www.myspace.com/gazelle_aj

Night Vision 1.24

(Co-Written with Clifford Brown)

The sun is shining but the heat is gone.

We don't know about the sun, but our scientific research team estimates that the heat will be back on by Labor Day week-end.

Week-End Review

We swung by Academy last Friday for Angel Moraes, who played a special "Back to my roots" sets. Fun at times, unbearable at others. Nevertheless, hearing Imagination's "Just an Illusion" played way too loud was delightful.

On Saturday, Voyeur 07 presented us with the UK's Motor, and we have to agree with Mr. Oatmon: seen as an art exhibit, it was great. As a live act, however, it sounded a bit too much like their CD. As far as we're concerned, Jordan Dare once again stole the show. Why Alex Why left us wondering: Why Alex Why?

We hit Aria afterwards and we were lucky to catch Creator playing a textured prog house set. Were' not big on the harder ranger of his selection, but when he plays like that he's just amazing. Marco G concluded the evening with a selection of electro thumpers that never disappoints.

On Tuesday, MightyKat played an extended set for Academy's Dizzy nights which left few unconvinced as to the quality of her selection.


News en Vrac

Of course the big news is that fuckin' SOULWAX will be in town on September 19th. That's right, folks, Neon are bringing these guys over on a Tuesday and frankly I couldn't care less about the fact that's it's happening midweek – I just want to hear those night versions LIVE. If that's not enough, the brother Dewaele will also be performing as 2ManyDJs. More news as the story develops!

Tech legend Adam Beyer will be at Parking on Thursday October 26th.

Sadly, Thomas Schumacher will not be visiting us in November. Stephan Bodzin is still on, and another special guest should be sharing the bill.

And a Balls & Shades exclusive: Freeform Five will be at Lola Lounge for Coconutz on Wednesday September 6th.

We're also taking this opportunity to welcome Mr. Jack Oatmon to the Balls & Shades family. So, welcome Jack!


Thursday 10/08

Overdose welcomes G O'Brien, who is really on fire right now, and Omni. Not a bad choice for the electro-inclined.

Maus takes over Jet Nightclub's Phonogenic night, turning the place into a tech-house party for one night only.


Friday 11/08

The "Chic" boys are doing it again : SAT will turn into a prom party for electroheads. You're encouraged to "dress sharp", and by this I don't think they mean sticking sharp objects in the other dancer's orifices with your elbow moves. The stars of the night includes Omni, Naughty Mart, OSG, and their special guest is Alice & the Serial Numbers ! And tell yourself you're as likely as me to be elected homecoming queen !

Thomas Von Party's night at Green Room rages on.


Saturday 12/08

Chuck Daniels is a Detroit legend and he'll spin alongside a Montreal legend at Stereobar. Let's see if he can bring some kind of atmosphere in this reputedly difficult venue !

At Aria, Maus opens and Creator closes. $15 for guys, $5 for the ladies.


Sunday 13/08

Already heard Maus' exquisite tech-house DJ sets? Curious about what her own music sounds like? Well, folks, she'll be playing her very first live set for this week's edition of Piknic Electronik, exceptionally taking place at Jardin Des Floralies, from 7pm 'til closing time. X-Cube, Laflèche & Creator open.

Romeo Kardec. Sean Kosa. No Excuse. At Balroom.


Tuesday 15/08

Dizzy Nights, dizzy drinks, dizzy Mossa, dizzy me. At Academy, 4445 St-Laurent.


Wednesday 16/08

The palm tree of life is shaken, and so the Coconutz fall, always landing at Lola Lounge on Wednesday night. Thomas Von Party leads this tribal dance.


Next Week

Kenny Hawkes will be in town and that's about it. Let's take bets and see if people remember who the fuck he is.


Until then: keep the blood flowin' !

Saturday. Again.

I started Saturday off with a sour, yellow paste caked on my teeth and the seedy feeling that I was in for a heavy weekend. I welcomed the day like one should any: with a cold
splash of beer in One
and a tar black
misting
espresso
in the Other. Sore. Clutching. Claw.
What had I done? Who gives a fuck? I tossed and fussed in my child’s grievance
about misdeeds, swallowed an anti-inflammatory, and rallied the troops.
It was to be SexGarage at Pride for the first piece of entertainment.
We arrived at the outdoor venue not one glass of malt liquor shy of fashionably. Follow?
And what a fashion show it was to be.
It looked like a Japanese comic about teenagers in the future.
It looked like Montreal.
We looked like enthusiasts.
Our eyes looked like twitching, crimson spiderwebs.
The Call Up strolled on for a high quality,
if slightly lackluster
performance that was like a hot band on the eighteenth day of a downhill tour in Eastern Europe.
Good.
But not Great.
Frigid put on a show that reminded you that
punk was constructed by lunatic fags in tight, black trousers
not angst-ridden yuppies with mohawks
The only problem with Frigid’s show, in fact, was that he was a haymaker
before Gravy Train!!!!’s bitchslap. Fuck they sucked. No puns, I swear.
It was these sad Californians guys with a keyboard on autobeat and boob jobs.
One of them went plinky-plonk on the keys,
the other three danced and screeched in the most boring, irritating fashion imaginable,
and we walked right the fuck out of there and back to HQ to get ready for the SAT.
An awesome afternoon, mostly thanks to Frigid and the crowd of beautiful Montrealais. Like usual, the locals showed the out-of-town hypey headliners up some good.
When we hit the scene we were already hung-over, too stoned, and cranky.
The royal plural, maybe. Hard to say.
Motor were well into a mechanical, pulsing set that was really only special in its pleasing coincidence with the projected visuals.
It was a great show if you imagined it as an art exhibit.
It was definitely not a crowd pleaser.
Jordan Dare fixed that.
As usual.
That place gets more quatre-cinq-zero by the day.
What do we expect?

Jack Oatmon:
Music. Disco Volante
Politics. Mercurius Dystopia

Électruck & Roll

DJ Frigid, or Joffrey for his intimate friends, is far from being a newcomer on the Montreal scene, and he's moved forward a lot in the past few years. He has built a loyal fan base and is currently bringing some very interesting names to his weekly, Électruck, held in the Parking's basement every Sunday night.



It all began at Parking, in the main room, on Thursdays. Back when the club opened in 2000, it didn't have the same promotional strength it has today, and it took quite some time for most of the night to take off. But Overdose, Frigid's baby, was attended by more and more hipsters every week and eventually became massive. It helped the rest of the evenings launch and the place became what it is today : a very well attended club with a solid reputation.

But Frigid moved out, leaving the night to Mini, and went to Unity II instead, hoping to drag his fans with him. His new night was renamed Kink! and eventually stopped working, for various reasons that most of the people who ever tried to do something at Unity II will understand.

He went back to Parking on Sundays, last summer, and has since then been working on renewing his formula in what we commonly know as ÉLECTRUCK, bringing guests such as Larry Tee & the DJ's from Ladytron to perform with him. Assisted by his loyal buddies Mekanik & Cherry Cola, he has brightened the mood of Sundays in the Village and is now preparing to receive none else than the freaky and bearded Tommie Sunshine.

*

Sunshine is on a roll these days; his new mixed CD on Systematic is still making waves, and his numerous remixes for many rock bands are charting high in every respectable DJ's sets. He's crossing the fine path between rock and electro, incorporating keyboards that sound like guitar into his own productions, and making the purest of rock bands sound like discomaniacs.



He's already been in Montreal twice during the last year, first at the Voyeur launch and shortly afterwards at Stereo, where he gave the crowd a weird performance about which we can only say that... it wasn't sounding like what ANYBODY could have expected.

His recent collaborations with Marc Romboy and his well-traveled ways, coupled with his creepy and unique look, will give you something to chew on. He will take control of Électruck's decks this Sunday, closing an overly busy Pride week-end in the most apocalyptic manner there is. Bring your sunglasses because, you know, the Sunshine is blinding.

Shaken Not Stirred

Voyeur returns this week for it's 007 edition – that's right 0-0-7, as in they've got guests from the UK coming over, namely Motor who will be 'causing some of that massive machine bloodshed on La SAT's dance floor this very Saturday night.


I must say I'm quite excited about these guys, as all their 12'' singles were out of sight dark electro monsters and their album "Klunk" just rained acid in my brain with all its quasi-industrial stompers.

Not convinced yet? Check out my June article about their new album Klunk, or just look at this amazing video captured during one of Motor's live sets.

As I write this, it's been confirmed that Motor will tour in support to the legendary Nitzer Ebb, and I envy those city who will get to hear this insane double-bill.

Nevertheless, we got a double-bill of our own as Jordan Dare, The Dark Prince of Electro™, returns to the decks after a short hiatus… Well, short for most, but frankly a month can be the longest time to a clubber who's used to have his Jordan Dare fix on a regular basis.

So, slip into your blackest goth clothes or oil your double-joints up with WD40: robots and vampires don't always mix, but I think Montréal can make it work.

Motor, Jordan Dare & the Voyeur Mafia will shake La SAT down to its foundations this Saturday August 5th. For more info, click here.

Night Vision 1.23

(Co-Written with Bruce Benson)

Lovely is the feelin' now: Fever, temperatures risin' now. Power is the force, the vow that makes it happen. It asks no questions why. So get closer to my body now, just love me 'til you don't know how.

Keep on with the force - don't stop - don't stop 'til you get enough!

Week-End Review

We had a good time listening to David Laguer's excellent & eclectic selection of house music at Circus last Thursday night. Nice party, once again.

Saturday, Marco G began the festivities at Aria with a solid upbeat electro-tech set. Miguel Graça showed up unannounced and proceeded to keep people going with his high-powered selection of tech-house groovers, eventually handing over the reigns to Maus who kept handing out massive beats left and right like there was no tomorrow 'til closing.

Sunday's Piknic was nice, very nice. We got there while Paul Keeley was finishing his set, just in time to see Éloi Brunelle take over and bring the house down. With his mix of funky house, tech-electro and sweet tunes, his selection was met with enthousiasm. No sunburns yet.

On Tuesday, She Wants Revenge played in front of a semi-packed Spectrum. People seemed to enjoy, and most attendees were singing along. Technical problems aside, it was a nice performance, but their music seems aimed at young teenage goth chicks and we almost felt out of place.

Afterwards, Bruno Pronsato invaded Academy with his live minimal tunes, maximized for dance floor efficiency. Cool stuff from the Seattle guest, who seemed to have a lot of fun.


News en Vrac

After two under-the-radar gigs in Montreal some months ago, Boys Noize is back ! So since y'all missed him the last time around, it will be your chance to check out what the noize is all about... The best news is that it's going to be part of the Neon Nights Festival taking place during the labor day week-end. You read right. A fuckin' FESTIVAL ! Here are a few names to make you wet your pants : Chromeo, Steve Bug, The Presets, Riton... 'nuff said. Check out our calendar for the small, boring details !

Not enough? On Saturday November 4, Stephan Bodzin will be in town again... with Thomas Schumacher! Still not enough? Bender, Sean Kosa & a few surprises still lie ahead... Stay tuned.

An indie lover's wet dream is coming as part of a triple bill that is linked only by our local madness : instrumental prodigies Ratatat will be at Les Saints on Sept. 7th, parisian popsters Phoenix are playing Club Soda on Sept. 10th, and our personal favorite british genre-benders, Hot Chip, will be at Sala Rossa on Nov. 5th.

Well, it was about time: Adam Beyer will be at Parking on Thursday October 26th. Rejoice!

Finally, Miles Moore & Eloi Brunelle were starting a new monthly at Academy, yesterday, called Headz Up. We'll keep you posted as to when they'll throw it again next month, promise.


Thursday 03/08

Now's the time to multiply your body & put a handful of ants in your pants...

Maus will be playing at Kunta Lounge (2021 St-Denis) tonight, and she promises us a laidback atmosphere in a cool place where the cerveza easily flows...

Smash TV swing by Parking's Overdose night for a live performance & Mini opens & closes for them. We don't know much about them besides the fact that they're releasing stuff on BPitch Control, Ellen Allien's Berlinois label.

If you enjoy Lambi now that you don't need to check in your coat, you might as well check out the trashy queer cabaret night "Wild End Boys", featuring Trannie Tronic, Glenn Nuotio, Steve Orton, DJ XXX & the very sexy redhead Lester Black. Expect a very ecclectic rollercoaster ride of music and, hopefully, guys in chaps.

Dirty welcomes MightyKat & Paolo Mojo at Stereobar.

Mark Anthony climbs up Jet Club's stairs @ Phonogenic as part of a special Out Games / Pride Week featuring.

Malente will be at Mix Thursdays at Saphir.


Friday 04/08

Is Von Party a workaholic ? Take your pick at Green Room !

Miguel Graça & G O'Brien electrify the night @ Aria.


Saturday 05/08

James Bond will not be attending, but Voyeur 007 will nonetheless feature some very interesting talents : Why Alex Why and Jordan Dare will open for Motor, the guys behind Klunk, the album, and X-Lover, the band.


This quasi industrial attack might not let you escape without a few wounds. SAT, 15$ at the door, whores.

The "Veterans" monthly at Stereobar, curated by The Autist, welcomes Pfreud. This ain't just your ordinary night, it's mister Pfreud's birthday ! Pass by to wish him a happy one, folks !

Speaking of veterans, the one and only Gary Numan will perform at Le National ! Saying he's legendary would be an understatement, as he has inspired a whole generation of electronic artists. See him in the flesh before he turns into a pineapple-munching android...

Creator & Marco G play Aria.


Sunday 06/08

The one and only bearded brooklynite Tommie Sunshine will play in Parking's basement for the Electruck night. If his recent mixed CD on Systematic is any indication, things will get rowdy !

Bender & Vega share the decks at Balroom and you don't need an excuse to go : it's No Excuse Sundays !

Those of you who have had enough of 4/4 beats will be happy to learn that there aren't many chances you'll hear some at Piknic because, frankly, The Goods take over ! Things will get funk-a-licious as Toronto's Moonstar, NYC's Nickodemus and local residents Andy Williams & Scott C share the decks. Come on over & dance !

If you don't feel like getting out of the Island, head over downtown, and celebrate your Pride ! Numerous t-dances will take place in numerous spots, including the housey "La Grande Danse" in front of La Grande Bibliothèque, and the infamous Sex garage, again showcasing an interesting range of artists this year.


Tuesday 07/08

Don't forget Dizzy, your friendly Tuesday night rendez-vous !


Wednesday 08/08

Ditto for Coconutz, where you can share your love of midweek partyin' and crawling on the luxuous furniture of Lola's !


Next Week

Things start happening. Magic floats around. Locals battle for attention and the Usine C rabbits live on !


Until then: keep the drinks comin' !

Who The Funk Is Malente?

Take Fatboy Slim, add a cup of electro-house, and throw in a pinch of Asian Dub Foundation, and what you end up with is Malente's mix of electro, funk and breaks. Yes, it's cheesy and listening to Malente's first 3 albums will have you wondering how it's still conceivable that people could still be partying like it's 1999 on Brighton Beach.


Nevertheless, Malente's upcoming record "How Can You Still Stand To Stand Still" ain't all bad, as the funky German trades in bigbeat-ish samples in favor of phatter-than-ever electro basslines, bringing in several guests vocalists (unknowns, really) to ineffectively propel the album's pseudo-political awareness message. Nevertheless, "For The Revolution", the record's best track, is sure to get your foot tapping and your funk dropped, although Malente's new one still loses its flavor after only a few listen.


Luckily, Malente's been known to throw together some mean electro-house groovers from time to time. His "Hot Daddy" single, which sounds like Germany's answer to Benny Benassi's "Who's Your Daddy", is a solid proof of his ability to get people moving on a dance floor. Also of note, the recently released "Theme From Manrox" EP (as 'Malente presents Manrox') which features 3 more killer dance tracks and, of course, who could forget that infamous Axel F/Italian Fireflies mash-up?

With Malente, as with many others, it's probably best not to ask too many questions and just shake it on the dance floor.

Malente will be in town this week for Mix Thursdays at Saphir.

Bruno Pronsato

Former heavy metal drummer Steven Ford began experimenting with electronic music at the turn of the millennium. After a few releases as Bobby Karate, the Seattle artist chose to head down minimal avenue, adopting the Bruno Pronsato alias to reflect this switch in musical direction.

"Read Me", his first single as Pronsato, was released on Seattle's Orac label in 2003 and followed by the well-received full-length Silver Cities in 2004.


Silver Cities is, really, a soundtrack to losing your mind. In fact, it could easily be used as a substitute score to Richard Linklater's recent cinematographic adaptation of PK Dick's "A Scanner Darkly". This album remains Pronsato's most approachable release to date, putting forward a savant mix of tech-and glitch-house, where driving electronic percussions are layered with dissonant abstractions of orchestral sounds and distant vocals echo enigmatically thru the intricate blend proposed by the artist. Think of a dark, funk-less Alex Under gone mad on acid and you'd get a very good idea of how this non-stop futuristic rollercoaster of a record sounds.

Since then, Pronsato has somewhat altered his approach. His recent tracks have been focused on percussion, filled with weird otherworldly sounds and layered with mesmerizing vocal samples. Hypnotic and addictive, Pronsato's brand of discordant night music has become the perfect audio complement to creeping around in the dark.

Bruno Pronsato has already left an indelible mark on the minimal scene, as indicated by the ever-growing list of quality labels that have published his music, including Montréal's own Musique Risquée. Upcoming projects include the completion of "The Lime Works" series for Paris' Telegraph imprint, further collaborative work with Franco Cinelli and an intriguing foray into darker realms called "No More Vampires" (as Osvaldo) for Underl_ne.

The future looks promising for the Seattle musician, but hopefully it won't look too bright, 'cause the guy definitely has a talent in crafting nocturnal grooves.

Bruno Pronsato will be swinging by Montréal this week, dropping by Academy on Tuesday for August's first Dizzy night. This Musique Risquée event will see Pronsato perform a live set alongside Dizzy resident DJ Vincent Lemieux.