Night Vision 2.11

Greetings, montrealers. Out-of-towners as well. Even foreigners (because I wanna know what love is). And even... aliens ? As Ice T once sang : "If you're from Mars and you've got a pussy, we'll fuck you". We're not that sex-oriented here at Mirrorballs, so let's just say that we'll appreciate you as you are, even if you don't speak our language or if you have weird green horns coming out of your armpits when you get tickled.

You probably don't have time to waste reading such insanities this week, because you're too busy partyin'. Is that right ? Is that so ? Tell me more !

I believe the same applies for all of us. So why I try to get in my '87 hot pants and put my Kiss makeup on, why don't you take a look at the orgiastic description of upcoming events ? Call your friends for guest lists. Start drinkin' now and arrive mashed. If you lose your coat tonight, it don't matter at all, cuz you're hot !


*News en vrac*

Old news... Richard Bartz will be at Parking next week, April 5th. The guy is BIG in Germany, he's a Gigolo, and he's effective. Serious dancers need apply.

Also at Parking, on April 19th, it's Mini's birthday !! Happy birthday babe ! The week after, Misstress Barbara, having just released the kick-ass and melodic "Barcelona" EP on James Holden's Border Community, will be at Overdose. Good lord.


*29/03*

What's up with the end of March ? F.A.M.E. welcomes some high quality dudes tonight. Québec City's M.I.M., founder of the Klandestino night and minimalist supreme, plays with a well hung Kardec Vs Kosa tag team. It's going to be dirty, sweet and hard-hitting all at once, and if you're nasty, the Owl will bite ya ! At Academy Dancehall.



Saphir's Mix Thursdays celebrate Sarcastic's birthday, with J-Fizz and the Rastitute. I wish ya many more years of partyin', dear Sarcastic. And if a fistfight erupts, my money's on ya !

Marinelli will oversee the musical control at Helm, where you can have a few bites of style and a few pints of brew.

And once again FancyFhreek, Diagraf & Deebacc are offering you a free, fun night out at Pas-Sages, where minimal tech is the word, and gettin' mashed is the law.


*30/03*

At Stereobar, it's Oly Arsenal's 30th birthday at Swank, and Jeff Fontaine tags along to make sure it will be forever reminded.

Another fine-tuned Soirée Risquée takes place at Academy, with none else than Kasimir Popstock, "Russia's #1 techno vocalist" !! The guy is fuckin' nuts, and funny as hell. The night also features Arthur the Techno Dog (who generously teamed up with The Mole to give him some exposure) and Vincent Lemieux.

At S.A.T., the Peer Pressure crew's monthly Showtime will feature Spank Rock, Amanda Blank and Pase Rock, as well as multi-talented residents Hatchmatik & A-Rock. It's DL Jones' birthday, so happy birthday dude !



If your bones are stronger than trees and your skin can't be pierced by love, you might want to show up at the Oxy Cottontail loft party, where Oxy will mix the good shit, alongside live acts by Pad Class (the name says it all), Nellboy (the Irish prodigy) and DJ sets by Ottawa's Jokers of the Scene, Galaksy, Jordan Dare, and lotsa others. The capacity is extremely limited, and it promises to be hot as hell, so get there early, fools.


*31/03*

The UK's Chris Duckenfield, who in the not-so-distant past signed brilliant mixed CDs on Turbo (Sheffield Mix Sessions) and Soul Jazz (Bad Acid), will hit Academy Dancehall with Amir Javasoul. Duckenfield is also half of legendary duo SWAG, so don't sleep ! House heads rejoice !



At Café de Lima, Maüs welcomes Vega for a nice night of tech-house delights.

The Ed Banger crew's in town once more, and will attempt to take the roof off Club Soda for the warm season. Justice, Busy P, Mehdi & SebastiAn will probably make lots of hears bleed, and lots of hearts will stop beating when confronted with this beautiful, tear-inducing distortion. Vive la France, bordel de merde !

Milan's king of prog-trance & electro, DJ Remo, shows up at Bender's Panorama night, and will destroy the floor with his incendiary rythms. De-li-cious !


*01/04*

The ideal place to be, of course, is the Cabane à Sucre Électronik. The Pïknic team does it again, and what more could you honestly ask for ? You get to stuff yourself like a pig, and get drunk to the sounds of Remo, Pan/Tone, Sid LeRock and Mini. Get your tickets fast - 35$ includes transportation.



If you ain't dead after that crazy-ass week-end, Beat me Up at Saphir is what it takes to put you down. Mary Hell kicks you in the nuts, Haris Pilton punches you in the face, and Sean Kosa spits on your corpse.


*02/04*

Rock n' Wild slowly takes off at Alizé, and this week I've been invited to sonically reduce you to ashes. Dirty party vibes, male and female babes, and lots of booze are on the menu.


*03/04*

Dizzy or Telephunk ? Who's asking you to choose ?! Hop in between the Daomé & Academy now that it's warm enough and that both nights are extremely cool.


*Next week*

ADULT. and Trash Fashion glam things up. Some people dressed in white go to an extra long meeting at the Palais des Congrès - it might last all night, so ask your secretary to cancel Monday's meetings, please.

Until then, hop 'til you drop !

Night Vision 2.10

While we're stuck in Montreal with too many parties to attend, some people are stuck in Miami with too many parties to attend. Which location would you rather be at ?

While I love Montreal and its numerous pros (parties, people, hot chicks), I have to admit that shitty weather's a big con.

Exilés in Miami, we salute ya !


News en vrac

Let's keep things local, shall we ? Alizé's Rock n' Wild weekly has started for good, every Monday, and the upcoming guests will please any electro lover : coming up are Don Jullian, Clifford Brown, Philgood, X-Cube, Mateo Murphy and Sean Kosa.



The cover's never too expensive, and you will dance your ass off.


22/03

Did we mention previously that DIGITALISM were gonna rock the house at Musée Juste Pour Rire ? Well yes, that's exactly what they're gonna do. They'll do a live set (and hopefully destroy my eardrums with their new smash track "Pogo") with Cherry Cola opening, and Thomas Von Party closing. Spread the word on your butt cheeks !



At Helm, Thursdays are always chill, and this week Jeff Fontaine provides the beats. Sit back & enjoy the good-lookin' crowd while sippin' on that home made brew !



At Saphir's Mix Thursdays, the sonic adventures never stop ! This week, Stern goes live, while the Hardsteppers' Sase One provides the beats. Max Myles and Rhys Taylor also play, so get your medical supplies and go get smashed !




23/03

Obviously, Stereobar's the place to be tonight. Carrousel takes place in a recently renovated space and Vega has invited Maus to spin the good shit. The lady will keep the beats steady until the wee hours of the morning, where it will either be time to go to bed or to climb a few storeys and...



...keep your groove going to the sounds of Creator and Satoshi Tomiie. Those of you who know both these guys and have heard them before must know that they have LEGIONS of screaming fans, so bring your earplugs, it will be a good one !


24/03

It's Eresys' first anniversary at Salle Belle-Gueule, and believe me these guys will give you your money's worth : the party goes on all night and features live sets by Pheek, Le Boucher & Kressel. On top of all that, you also get DJ sets by Marcelo & Christian Thibault, Baya and breaks banger Fu Ancko.



At the Mile End Bar's Panorama, it's time for a Bender extended set. What do you say to 5 hours of minimal tech munchies mixed by one hand of steel and one hand of silk ? You don't say anything, fool : you dance !

At the yet-to-be-named Café de Lima Saturdays, Microzoo are doing it again : Maus welcomes François LeBaron for an unpredictable night of good times !


25/03



Maus completes her "hat trick" as Beat me Up's honor guest at Saphir. How can such a gracious woman make so much noise ? Come on over & find out for yourself !


26/03

It's Don Jullian's turn to shine at Rock n' Wild !


27/03

Dav & Max Hébert are sharing the decks at Dizzy, at Academy. You can expect something different than usual, that's for damn sure !

Over at Salon Daomé, brits Dan Berkson & James What, Poker Flat superstars, will be playing live ! If you respect yourself and like minimal & tech-house, the safest thing to say is that you have to be there ! Opening are Nathan Burns and Maus.

Bloc Party are also playing at Metropolis, rockers !


Next week

Non-stop partying ! Crazy madness ! The Ed Banger crew sets fire to Club Soda ! Pedro Winter beheads the crowd with flying vinyls ! F.A.M.E. 3 causes an earthquake ! DJ Remo makes you move to Italy ! Peer Pressure explodes ! Chris Duckenfield acidifies the atmosphere ! Sean Kosa fights Haris Pilton at Saphir ! Everybody overdoses on oreilles de christ at the Cabane à Suc' Électronik ! Sid LeRock rocks out ! And many, many more !

Until then, keep the meds stored in a safe place !

Night Vision 2.09

Black gloves, pink hat, Cadillac. Mid March is a time where celebrating is mandatory, and where the alcohol-perfumed breath you might or might not have at the office every morning goes unnoticed. It's that time of the year where mini skirts start to make a slow but steady comeback, where hormones start invading the brain, and where break-ups and savage romps in the club's stalls suddenly happen on a large scale.

What came first, the party itself or the rowdy behaviour that goes along with it ?

That said, rest assured you'll have plenty of places to go, of hot acts & DJs to hear, and of new people to meet. Intoxication city, we love ya.


*News en vrac*

April 1st isn't just for fools, folks. The annual Cabane à Suc' Électronik will take place on a Sunday this year, and features one hell of a slick line-up : Pan/Tone, Remo, Sid LeRock & Mini will provide the beats, and the Piknic team will provide the sweets. See all the details on www.piknicelectronik.com as you'll probably need a bus ride there - you don't wanna drive after all you'll drink while over there. Keep it simple, stupid.

Mutek has revealed a couple of names for its July festival, and while we don't wanna list them all here, a few highlights are required : Gui Boratto, Cobblestone Jazz, Heartthrob, Mr. Oizo, Rythm & Sound, Riccardo Villalobos & Friends, and the Wighnomy Brothers. Oh fuckin' yeah !



Reserve your August 7th right away, as the founders of French Touch, Daft Punk, will be at the Bell Center for a night of funk. I can bet you right away that the tickets will be pricey, but it takes what it takes. Opening for them is a dream trio : The Rapture, SebastiAn and fuckin' Kavinsky, the Knight Rider from hell !


*15/03*

Helm Thursdays are quietly taking off. Held from 8 to 1, they are the perfect pre-party for whatever you plan on doing afterwards. You can eat, drink locally brewed beer, and listen to some escalating BPMs as the night goes by. This week, for the pleasure of your ears, Marinelli & Clifford Brown will share the decks.



At Saphir's Mix Thursdays, a BC legend takes the decks. DJ Czech will break your spine. Also on the bill, Sixtoo makes his first Saphir appearance, and also spinning is DJ Bind with Evader MC. Word !

Parking has a big night : Poker Flat's boss Steve Bug will grace its decks all night, with Mini ! Overdose wins another round.

Over at Tribe Hyperclub, it's worth mentioning that Sasha will spin the good shit.

And at Pas-Sages, the night won't be as minimal as usual this week, as Mateo Murphy is this week's guest. The guy's a legend, he's out of his mind, and he's dangerous. Free !


*16/03*

At Centre Fractal, the first part of Techtonic 2 takes place. All night, at full speed, crashin' through your ears : with guys like Axel Klein, Omni, X-Cube, Ulrich Van Bell and Clown, you can't go wrong, it will be bangin' !


*17/03*

Of course, we still can't believe that Booka Shade are in town. We'll have to see with our own eyes, and most of all HEAR the sweet magic they'll produce live for us. This is a fine-as-they-come DiskHo event, and opening for the monsters are Jeff Grosse, Bender & Maüs. Get there early as it'll most probably sell out fast.

Another out-of-towner, Switch, will also hit hard @ Les Saints. Opening for the man are locals Bind, Sean Kosa and Jordan Dare. Jacking house is on the menu.

At Blizzarts, Plateau Saturdays continue to impress with quality guests. This week : Nu Ravers on the Block.



The Booka Shade afterparty coincides with the Microzoo Saturdays, and will be held all night at Café de Lima. Spinning their souls bare, Nathan Burns & Jeff Grosse will welcome some very special guests. This flyer is so fuckin' special that it easily gets my vote for flyer of the week !


*18/03*

At Saphir's Beat me Up, Sarcastic joins Nellboy for a scorching evening of hard stuff.


*19/03*

It's a launch ! The new Rock n' Wild weekly, held at Alizé, promises underground electro and an uncomplicated motto : "Party !".



Residents Sam Rockwell & Freddie Wilde will kick things off.


*20/03*

Get Dizzy ! At Academy, Bender & Ernesto will take control of your feet.

Get Telephunked ! At Daomé, Nathan Burns & Soundshaper are tag teaming for your ear's pleasure.


*Next week*

Digitalism are back in town to make your ears bleed ! Plus it's time to take a break from all this March madness and clean your crib !

Until then, stay clean & fresh like a zombie !

Night Vision 2.08

It's time for the depraved to rise, and for the scum to rule the earth. Really ? Who would have thought that cold nights could ever be so fun ?

Ridin' the bullet to the club, we happened to cross paths with a few oddballs, screwballs and shaven balls. Everything was back to normal as soon as we were smothered in a doubtful crowd, with druggy fumes & boozy perfumes.

We called it a night, because we like to call things by their authentic names.


News en vrac

Have we mentioned that if you were looking for the afterparty, like that Green Velvet fella, then search no more : the Booka Shade after party will take place at Café Délima, all night, on March 17th. With locals like Nathan Burns & Jeff Grosse, as well as a yet-to-be-announced special guest, you can keep the springs bouncing.

In case you love european techno, we've been told that My My (Playhouse) and Pantha du Prince (BPitch) were going to be in town on June 2nd. My nose tells me that it smells like Mutek.

But enough ranting about the future, let's move to the present now.


09/03

Among the thousands of opportunities to get mashed tonight, Diskfunction seems like a pretty good place to start. Sammy Dee, a guy you may have heard spinning alongside Mathew Herbert at the 2nd Nuit Électronik two years ago at Fonderie Darling, is going to be displaying his magic at Academy Dancehall. He's half of the Pantytec duo, with Dimbiman, and can seriously kick your minimal ass. It all goes down to celebrate Mightykat's birthday, so you better reprezent !



On the afterhours front, many things can be delicious. Namely Energize, Stereo's quality night, that offers you Eddy Jasmin, Mini & Bender on a golden plate of good times. The flyer gets my vote for cutest flyer of the week.



A new event called Freaks is also being launched all night long at 20 Queen, in the Old Port. It's presented by Trigger and features Jacob London, François LeBaron, The Autist & Pfreud. With a line-up like that, you know what's in the works : funk. Booze is being served legally until 3, and afterwards things heat up.


10/03

Once again the soul gets healed in a winning way : it's Lazy Days time at Academy ! Fred Everything will mix quality house all night, just for your pretty eyes.

The Microzoo Saturdays at Café de Lima rage on, for a second edition, with Maus & Soundshaper. Viva el Plaza St-Hubert !



Vinyl welcomes a pastel & fluo revolution, complete with whistles & old school bleeps : Nu Ravers on the Block unleashes a fury of rock, electro & new rave joints in an intimate setting and more-than-friendly cover charge : 2$ ! With North, Clifford Brown & the Nu Ravers themselves.

Panorama, at Mile End Bar, features a merciless tag team between Vega & Bender, that will start right off where they left it on December 31st : in flames !



At S.A.T., it's Voyeur time again ! Sonic nihilism has no limits and it's time for Romeo Kardec to return behind the decks. Bliss opens and Jordan Dare completes the bill, and you can expect the usual good-natured darkness.


11/03

Jordan Dare returns to Saphir's Beat me Up night because, frankly, the guy can't get enough blood. The blood will flow in your veins and your heart will pump it up like a champ - it's cardio workout at its best ! As always with Mz Sunday Luv & Mary Hell hosting & completing the bill.


13/03

At Salon Daomé, it's Leloopar's time to shine at Telephunk. Nathan Burn completes.



It's now official : Vincent Lemieux's replacement as co-mastermind of the Dizzy Tuesdays at Academy will be Bender. To celebrate and kick off this nice partnership, Bender plays with his teammate Mightykat all night.


Next week

Germany invades again : Steve Bug & Booka Shade land in town ! Switch brings us his bratty jumpy house, and the weather hopefully warms up.

Until then, keep your safehouse safe by locking it up with a headlock !

F.A.M.E. Canada - Tonight @ Academy

Vous avez aimé l'électricité produite par la mémorable première édition de F.A.M.E. ?  Les sourires et les moments forts ?  Le pourcentage d'alcool assez efficace versé dans vos drinks par les sympathiques employés de l'Academy ?

C'est l'heure de remettre ça !

On vous propose ce mois-ci un menu fort alléchant pour les amateurs de tech-house avec une fibre patriotique.

Nathan Zahn, de Winnipeg, co-fondateur de Symptom Technologies, vous abreuvera de son torride mélange de techno funky et de tech-house, et Jason Pelletier, d'Ottawa, responsable entre autres des soirées Stay House! et Techcetera, vous achèvera avec sa sélection sensuelle et rythmée.  En ouverture, votre hôte, ami et confident Clifford Brown tentera de vous scotcher à la piste de danse le plus tôt possible.

Donc :

Clifford Brown - 22h @ 12h
Nathan Zahn - 12h @ 1h30
Jason Pelletier - 1h30 @ 3h

Toujours au chic Academy Dancehall, situé au 4445 St-Laurent.

*

Did you enjoy the electricity that was in the air during the first edition of F.A.M.E. ?  The smiles & good vibes ?  The most excellent alcohol percentage included in your drinks, courtesy of the fine Academy Dancehall employees ?

It's time to do it again !

This month, the menu is patriotic and tasty :

Jason Pelletier, Ottawa's Don of funky house, has been at it seemingly forever.  It's been seven years since he left Montreal to relocate to the nation's capital, where he has steadily been serving his neighbors the best music there is, managing to stay away from the latin house mold that seems to contaminate everybody living there.  A regular at the Stay House! nights, he also is the mindmaster of Spins & Needles, an event mixing music... and knitting.  He also hosts the Techcetera bi-monthly, bringing out-of town guests to Ottawa for a much needed minimal / tech-house dose.  He also is a resident at the Freehouse Saturdays, spinning house, house, baby.

Nathan Zahn has been playing warehouse parties, outdoor raves and various clubs across western Canada since 1996. Also a long time promoter of the music he loves, and one of the founders of Winnipeg's Symptom Technologies production crew, Nathan has been responsible for bringing many of the world's top underground tech-house acts to Manitoba over the past decade.   A truly original performer in the dance music community, Nathan has a passion for mind expanding beats and for late night parties. Nathan is known as a DJ that can make you shake your ass while also making your jaw drop at his mixing skills, working the mixer to maximum effect on every mix.   Not only is he comfortable behind the decks, he also loves to join the crowd dancing the night away. Spinning a mix of funky techno and quirky tech-house Nathan is always looking to the future finding new sounds to keep dance music fresh and exciting.

Clifford Brown, raised in a small industrial town called Shawinigan, has rapidly escaped the small-mindedness of his native land and has been mixing since 2001.  Over the years, he has constantly surfed on a very "electro" sound, widening it to include more and more influences as time goes by.  Now spinning everything from house to electro, from tech to minimal, from funky & soulful to cold & pounding, according to his many moods, he appears at different events all over town, and is the resident & host of the F.A.M.E. monthly @ Academy Dancehall.

As always, it all goes down at Academy Dancehall, located at 4445 St-Laurent.

See you there !



(Flyer design by Simon Léveillé - simon_sumoNOSPAM@hotmail.com)

The Night Vision column will resume its usual rantings tomorrow.

Night Vision 2.07

Time to cut to the basics. The dancers will sweat all night during the Nuit Blanche. And if you don't dance, there's still plenty of stuff for ya to do, not to worry.


*News en vrac*

Tickets are now on sale for the Booka Shade gig. You can grab yours at Musée Juste Pour Rire, on St-Laurent, where the event will be held, or at Inbeat. The limited pre-sale at 15$ is almost sold out, so hurry ! After that, it's 25$. If the party does not sell out, it might be even more at the door, but those of you who read us will avoid that burden.



Switch, that good old bastard also known as Solid Groove, will be in town the same night as Booka Shade, on March 17th. Supporting locals Sean Kosa, Jordan Dare & Bind will open. At Les Saints.


*01/03*

Water Lilly is in town and this time, she plays LIVE. The Mental Groove superstar, if you've heard her latest track "Invisible Ink", is on a roll. Don't sleep on this one. At Overdose @ Parking, with Mini opening.



At Academy, lovers of everything that's deep & delicious will not want to miss the monthly edition of HeadzUp!, featuring residents Miles Moore and Michael Terzian.

Saphir's Mix Thursdays proposes a good old rump in the sack with Myagi, a.k.a. Sole Claw, from B.C. ! Opening for him are Spacekadet & Rhys Taylor, as well as Sean Kosa.

If your like your evenings less frantic, you can always head down to Helm, in Outremont, to hear FancyFhreek take a break from his weekly at Pas-Sages.


*02/03*

Two words for you : Citizens FOUR ! At Alizé, it's time to get down to funky breaks & beats. The line-up is fast-paced, and your dance moves should be too : Drixel, Melodrastik, Nellboy live, Seismologick, Davey Delphi, Fu Ancko & myself, Clifford Brown. Needless to say, it will be ecclectic & rockin' ! 5$, free before 11.


*03/03*

At Mile End Bar, Panorama will sorely miss Bender - who's busy elsewhere - but don't cry for me : Marinelli will roll the sonic spaghetti in your ears with his essential selection, all night. Tune in, dance, and scream.



It's time to stay up all night kids : the fourth edition of La Nuit Électronik, the Piknic team's annual all-nighter, rages on at Metropolis. There's a iPod battle in the Savoy, from 10 to 1, and in the main room, an incredible eargasm : the line-up will make you pee your pants and shoot your shot before the party's over. The Mole opens, followed by Ernesto, and then DJ Koze. Afterwards, Border Community's big boss, James Holden himself, offers up a marathon set, starting at 3 AM, and a scorching and invincible Bender closes the night with solid steel beats and melodic madness. You don't wanna miss this if you have even just an ounce of good sense, do you ?


*04/03*

Beat me Up, Scotty ! If there's still some juice, somewhere in your body, on Sunday night, it's time to head out to Saphir to have a few shots with Sunday & Mary, and then bang your body on the dancefloor to the delicate sounds of maestro Sean Kosa. Geez, is it me or is this guy everywhere these days ?


*05/03*

A rave in the middle of the week ? Why not ! It's time to celebrate love at Karma Love, a colorful event held at Centre Fractal, all night. You can expect some electro ultil 3, and then some psy-trance. Appear at work on Tuesday morning looking like a zombie ! Cuz it's free !


*06/03*

At Dizzy Tuesdays, Bob Hensen, the good half of the Jacob London, is the guest of honor. Mightykat also shares the turntables and you can expect some jackin' house & tech.

The Autist appears at Salon Daomé for yet another fine Telephunk night.


*Next week*

F.A.M.E. welcomes amazing Canadian talents ! Nu Ravers on the Block 2 takes place at Vinyl ! Voyeur 13 gets lucky at S.A.T. ! And much, much more !

Until then, zoom out and pop up !