Night Vision 2.29

We're a few inches away from Pop Montreal, the thanksgiving week-end and lots of booze flowing freely down the streets as if the SAQ's sewers were overflowing.

BUT we're not quite there, and I hope you're wearing your ranger boots right now, because there's a shitload of challenges to go through before you get the payoff. This coming week-end's filled with our trademark Montreal "shit to do".


*News en Vrac*

Some people's liver exploded.

There are sweet, dirty whispers in the air... and they're all murmuring Erol Alkan's name. Could the sexy man in black be coming over ? More on that later.

I also hear accordeon... echoing in the distance...


*27/09*

At Tribe tonight, the UK's Audiofly unleash their delicious prog-house on the unsuspecting masses. Our local wonder Bender opens, so get your ass there early !

It's an Archipel showcase at Les Pas-Sages, featuring Pheek & friends, while Saphir hosts Deebass' farewell party.


*28/09*

Cadanse @ Salon Daomé sees a dance-o-thon piloted by none else than the Microzoo core, Nathan Burns & Maus. Friday night fever !



Loose Joints @ Academy welcome Mini for a special epic set of classics from all eras. You'd be wrong to associate only disco with the night - it offers variety, eclectism and adventure !

Neon loves Peer Pressure, that we knew, and they'll celebrate this mutual appreciation with a bang : at S.A.T., the Peer Pressure DJs will face Jordan Dare, and some prestigious guests from the UK. None else than Switch's partner Sinden, and wonderband Product.01, responsible for a mean "Heart of Glass" cover a few years ago.

At Bistro de Paris' weekly Bordello, Andreas Velilla & Romeo Kardec will provide the beats, and the grosse bière will flow.


*29/09*

No Commercial Value are launching another EP, so it's time for another party ! It's going down at Blizzarts.



The Nu Ravers crew are doin' it again at Academy. Their guests this month are Peer Pressure's Merk Meny and France's Felix Cartal. Expect a whole lot of dressing up and underage appreciation.

Piknic Aquatik takes place on the Cavalier-Maxime, but unfortunately it's sold out. Don't cry though - you'll get your taste of the Ninja Tune boys at Piknic !


*30/09*

Yep, why don't you go & spend your afternoon and evening at Place de l'Homme, under the Calder ? It's summer's last Piknic, and your heart is broken. My heart is ravaged because I'll be out of town, so why don't you rock out in my name, huh ?


*02/10*



Salon Daomé's Dizzyphunk night proposes the return of Scoy, alongside Maus. And once again they win the "flyer of the week" prize. A little mid-week dance marathon never hurt anybody, did it ever ?


*Next week*

Pop Montreal hits your face like a hurricane ! Tiga turns Parking upside down ! Spektre puts Mile End Bar in a trance ! Omni, X-Cube and Axel Klein are giving you a reason to hang out at Circus ! And more, much more !

Until then... savour life as if it was your first bite.

Pirates Ninja et Nostalgie

Le Piknic Électronik en sera à sa dernière édition ce dimanche 30 septembre (snif !) et c'est aux gars de Ninja Tune que revient l'honneur de clôturer une saison haute en couleur, qui fut probablement la plus populaire de leur courte histoire et celle où nous aurons vu le plus de gros noms défiler au menu. Pour diminuer la douleur, sans doute, les organisateurs du Piknic proposent aux fêtards un party démentiel sur le Cavalier-Maxime, la veille, qui réunira 500 fêtards et le crew de Ninja Tune.



Nous avons profité de l'occasion pour questionner Michel Quintal, aka Q.

La croisière s'amuse... ce genre de party devient de plus en plus populaire, avec entre autres le Dirty End of Summer Cruise et Sssplash ! Côté logistique, c'est délicat à organiser ?

Délicat, non pas vraiment. Si ce n'est que les coûts de production sont très élevés. Tu parles d'une soudaine popularité pour ce genre d'événement, mais la raison d'en faire un pour nous est simple: Jeff de Ninja Tune et Amon Tobin nous ont tellement achalés qu'on a pas pu dire non !


Craignez-vous que quelques fêtards soient affligés du mal de mer ?

Y'en a qui n'ont pas besoin de bateau pour avoir le mal de mer ! Tu me fais penser... on va prévoir des chaudières je pense !



Il sera difficile de résister au funk des gars de Ninja Tune... vous avez une recette calmante à proposer ?

Pas le temps de se calmer, c'est notre dernier week-end ! Beaucoup d'eau et 2 tylenol avant de se coucher, y'a rien de mieux !

*****

Le Piknic Aquatik aura lieu ce samedi, 29 septembre. L'embarquement se fait au Quai King-Edward du Vieux-Port à 23h. Tous les détails sur les points de vente, le line-up et les bonnes vibrations se retrouvent sur le site officiel du Piknic. Larguez les amares !

Night Vision 2.28

It has been a bizarre last couple of weeks in Montreal. I have even hear some say our techno scene is dead. And by writing techno, I also imply quality tech-house and minimal electro. The places we've seen fill up (rock shows, Coda for Diplo & Switch) are flavours of the day, "hipster" material even. It's fall, it's that time of the year where streets fill up with foreign students looking for something to do, and yet I've been to two quality events with prestigious bookings, only to see them half deserted.

I am of course talking about DiskHo's two years anniversary party at Stereo with Damian Lazarus, and Microzoo's coup de maître with Pig & Dan at Salon Daomé. You could say that there were scheduling obstacles - one event was held during the night and the other on a weeknight - but not monetary ones. Lazarus went for 25$ while Pig & Dan took place for a mere 8$.

There's a general lack of interest for interesting & challenging electronic music gatherings these days. If all Montreal wants is cheesy house and trance, I think adventurous promoters will stop trying - don't get me started about how much money they're currently losing - and our beautiful city will lose its special aura.


*News en Vrac*

Parking sees a lot of good stuff coming up for October - for now let's just mention the long-awaited return of Tiga on the 4th and Axel Klein opening for Marco Carola on the 18th. Overdose !

Oliver Huntemann @ Mile End Bar's Panorama has been rebooked for Nov. 3rd, for Bender's Confused record launch party. On Oct. 6th, as a replacement, you get Spektre, two producers responsible for incredible production work on amazing minimal proggy tracks like "Neon Drift".

The sixth edition of Noerg's Microtek parties sees prodigal artist Dusty Kid take the Théâtre Sans Fil by storm on Nov. 10th, for an all-night event. That kind of thing is as rare as it's enjoyable !


*20/09*

Steve Lawler is at Tribe Hyperclub tonight ! You know he prefers when the lights are out...



Over at Saphir's Mix Thursdays, Boston's DJ Inis pays a visit to the crew and locals Philgood, Melon, Rhys Taylor and Bias all contribute some ass-kickin' behind the decks.


*21/09*

Danny Howells hits Stereo for an all-nighter of serious business. Arsen plays Club Soda with an open bar for the first edition of the LibidH2O events. Uzi & B'Ugo are dropping a delicious Soultek jam at Alizé. And over at Bordello's ever-free weekly, at Bistro de Paris (4536 St-Denis), an anything-goes & hoes tag-team takes place between Kardec, Brown & Marinelli to celebrate Justin's imminent trip to Berlin.


*22/09*

It's François Le Baron's birthday at Panorama @ Mile End Bar ! The man behind Trigger Recordings deserves some respect, and it's time to sing him a few jingles while he's mixing.



Vagitron are doing it again at Academy Dancehall. This time the party will feature MC Vadah Boy, and DJs Mayday, Jordan Dare, Bind & Corey K. Dress to impress your teachers...


*23/09*

The Archipel Piknic offers many reasons to lurk you in. There are only two editions left, and for all of you who miss that crispy tech-house sound so often associated with Piknic, you'll be in heaven. It will feature Pheek, Baya, Euterke, Suz & Kane Roth. And hopefully, lots of sun !


*26/09*

The Cure's show has been postponed until further notice, so don't show up ! Instead, stay in your room, blast "The Head on the Door" on your stereo, and drink until you cry.


*Next week*

Felix Cartal joins our Nu Ravers on the Block for a night of distortion at Academy ! Ninja Tune invade Piknic for a cruise, and then the last edition of the year ! Leaves start to fall !

Until then, stay cool.

A Few Things Worthy of Mention

DiskHo in Stereo

Were any of you at Stereo during the night taking us from Friday Sept. 14th to Saturday Sept. 15th ? If you were, you've probably heard the best underground house that graced Montreal for a while. During the peak time, 250 people or so were dancing to Damian Lazarus' "weird and wonderful" set, which was a surprise to everybody questioning his mixing skills. The selection was ace, and the mixes were long, dreamy and on point. The opening tag team between Philgood and Mateo Murphy was nothing short of fantastic, culminating with Supermayer's "Two of Us", a real delight on Stereo's sound system. Lots of people showed up for the Dirty DiskHo in Stereobar just before, but unfortunately few stayed for the main course : DiskHo's 2nd anniversary bash.



Questions could be asked. Was there not enough promo ? Is Lazarus an unknown ? Did DiskHo ever disappoint ? Was the "afterhours" formula an handicap ? Do all montrealers only want to hear cheesy, commercial house on week-end nights ? Was there another (better) event taking place at the same time ? Should you have an opinion, please share it with us at clifford@mirrorballs.ca !

*

M.I.A.

Yeah, Night Vision has been off the radar for two weeks in a row. My apologies. A virus and many other worries consumed most of my time, as well as deadlines and various other obligations. For those of you still reading, we should be back on track this Thursday.

*

Venue, vidi, vici

I have many plans, but not too many means to achieve them. Should you know of a venue with a good sound system, that's located within a reasonable distance of the heart of clubland, and that would be willing to work with us on a monthly event involving prestigious international guests, speak now. It's been very difficult lately to find a reliable venue in Montreal, and we had to turn down many bookings because of that. If you care about quality : clifford@mirrorballs.ca

*

Contributors wanted

You may also have noticed that our contributors have all disappeared. If you've got good writing skills, and if you're interested by the local electronic scene, drop us a line - it will be my pleasure to evaluate your skills, and drown you with work if you're that good. We are seriously looking for good contributors who don't care about the money. Cuz we ain't got any.

*

Pig & Dan

A while ago I stumbled upon a track called "On to the Beat" and was really impressed. The artists were two mysterious men from Spain, named Pig & Dan. This track caught my attention and subsequently, I kept an ear peeled for their new releases. And they never disappointed me. Producing music together since 2003, they have released their songs on labels as varied & numerous as Sven Vath's Cocoon, John Dahlback's Pickadoll, Weave Music, Sonic Society, Was Kids and Meadowlark.



Their music can be dark & minimal, or euphoric and all over the place. One thing is for sure : they never put out crap. They just released their first long player, IMAGINE, on Cocoon, and are currently touring to promote it. Canada gets only one visit, and it's a premiere, on Tuesday Sept. 18th. It also happens at a very cosy spot on Mont-Royal : Salon Daomé. That's right; the fine folks at Dizzyphunk have made quite a nice booking.



Needless to say, it's a rare chance to catch the two guys in fine form, in an intimate setting, for a ridiculous price : 6$ before midnight, and 8$ after. The fact that it takes place during the middle of the week should only confort you - you will be among fine connaisseurs and familiar smiling faces all night. Don't miss it - you'll be able to tell your grandchildren of that mythic evening where Pig & Dan came to Montreal.

Rebel From Across the Pond

Damian Lazarus delivers. Be it as chief selector of his own bomb label, Crosstown Rebels, or behind the decks of internationally renowned clubs around the world, his music is always fresh and edgy. Some proof was recorded with his first two Rebelfuturism mixes, and should you need further incriminating evidence, you could always turn to his Get Lost ! mix from last year, his Suck my Deck entry, The Other Side of London, or the recently released Monza Club Ibiza 2 on Get Physical Music.



He's a man of taste, and so are the DiskHo boys. It was only a matter of time, then, before they booked him. It is now a done deal and it's going down at Stereo on Friday September 14th, to celebrate DiskHo's 2nd anniversary, hoping there will be many more to come. Between his numerous flights and parties, Lazarus took some time to sit down and answer a few of our questions.



Going from publisher to DJ can seem obvious - was it to you ? Was there a connection in the magazine world that lead you to a knowledge of music at large, making you want to share your discoveries through DJing ?

I always dreamt of a lifetime working in music and my early talents in writing seemed to be the best way to start out. Meeting and interviewing producers, musicians, bands and considering their work gave me an great insight into the world in which I am now. My role as a music writer was to give greater knowledge to the music I liked and felt was unique and forward thinking, a similar thing to what I do now as a DJ.


Could we say that your time at City Rockers was some kind of school for Crosstown Rebels ?

Yes I guess so. I learnt a lot about the business of running a record label at City Rockers.



Why the need to leave a successful label to start your own ?

I wasn't happy with the direction the label was taking and so decided to take my own path.


You have made many major musical discoveries during the last few years. Do you have an artist you're particulary proud of pushing ?


I am very proud of the work we have done with Pier Bucci, before we signed him he was largely unkown and now he has become one of the most loved and sought after electronic producers and live acts in the world.


With the vinyl medium endangered by the digital world, are you confident your solid releases are still going to sell steadily ?


It is true that physical record sales have taken a knock from the digital industry but we have have consistently had strong record sales. There are still enough people out there who want to have the best records available in their personal record collection and who knows, people may even get bored of owning music as an mp3 file and we may see a return to vinyl in the future.



Your latest compilation was mixed by Jamie Jones. What motivated your decision ?

Basically Jamie is one of the most talented newcomers in techno and as we have been friends for some years now, it was natural for us to help him move his career forward. His Get Lost mix is a also a work of genius.


Why the need to create a sublabel, Rebelone ?

Rebelone is a super fun label for us to have - especially with the rules that we created. It's a bit like the Danish Dogma movies.. the artist (who is always a well known producer) must be named after a synthetic fibre or fabric and the track name must be the name of an animal. The records are always on white vinyl with a run out groove at the end, etc.


You don't really have an established sound, as the stuff released on your label is all over the place. Is this eclectism something we can count on when we hear you live ?

I like to throw in curve balls when I play records, my music is always moving within a certain framework. It's difficult to describe but one thing you can be certain of is you won't get bored !



You were in Montreal many years ago for the Grand Prix and played at Mile End Bar. Are you a Grand Prix fan ? Did you enjoy Montreal back then ?

I played at a small bar for Mark from Turbo, I don't think the party was advertised, it was just me and some friends getting together for a night out. I stayed at Tiga's house and went to his Neon party which was great, but I dont have any recollection of the Grand Prix... I do remember seeing alot of people playing hackysack though.


What can we expect from your Montreal appearance this time around ?

A weird and wonderful night out !