5 questions pour... Mateo Murphy

Il y a peu de montréalais qui peuvent se vanter d'avoir contribué de façon significative au mouvement techno. Mais Mateo Murphy est dans une classe à part. Ses premières parutions remontent à 1999, et son EP Love Express, sorti sur Turbo en 2001, s'est retrouvé dans les boîtes à vinyles de tous les grands de l'époque. Il nous parle aujourd'hui de son statut de légende, de sa pause créative, et du retour de la house.

Tu es selon certains une "légende" de la techno. Il y a même un t-shirt, aperçu pendant le festival Mutek, qui le proclame. Quel effet cela te fait-il de vivre dans une ville qui ne te reconnaît à peu près pas?
C'est pas surprenant, étant donné que ça fait 5 ans que je n'ai pas eu de résidence dans un club à Montréal, et que je ne mixe qu'occasionellement, et mes productions visent surtout les autres DJs. De toute manière, être reconnu par le public, ça n'a jamais été mon ambition; je fais de la musique pour moi-même, et si les autres aiment ça, c'est un bonus!

Tu as pris une pause créative et tu ne produis plus depuis un petit bout de temps. Quelles sont les raisons derrière ce silence musical?
C'était tout simplement un manque d'énergie et d'inspiration. J'étais écoeuré de jouer dans des afters, j'avais de la misère à trouver (et produire) de la musique que j'aimais, beaucoup des labels avec qui je travaillais faisaient faillite, et j'étais cassé; j'avais perdu le chemin, et c'était le temps de faire autre chose. Mais j'ai toujours eu l'intention de revenir à la musique, et je m'y remets tranquillement. En fait, je produis beaucoup depuis un an, mais comme je repars de loin, j'ai du chemin à faire avant de retrouver la notoriété que j'avais avant.



Que se passe-t-il avec le projet TGV?
Rien pour l'instant, mais c'est possible qu'il se passe quelque chose dans l'avenir. Le truc, c'est que Tiga et moi, on a des goûts assez différents, et il a maintenant la chance de travailler avec des gens avec qui il a plus d'affinité musicale. Mais on s'en reparle de temps en temps, alors qui sait?

Racontes-nous ta meilleure gig en carrière.
C'est toujours difficile d'en choisir une, mais c'est probablement l'événement Peacemaker, qui a eu lieu en 2004 à Caen, pour commémorer le 60ieme anniversaire du débarquement. Le line-up était un peu étrange, j'étais sandwiché entre Lonnie Liston Smith et Fréderic Galliano, et je n'ai joué que 45 minutes; mais il y avait au moins 10 000 personnes, ce qui procure un rush vraiment incroyable!



Que penses-tu du retour de la house, qui est en train de lentement tout envahir, un peu comme l'électro il y a quelques années?
Je pense surtout que c'était inévitable! On a tous envie de renouveau, et la façon la plus simple de créer du nouveau, c'est de recycler les vieux trucs qui ne sont plus à la mode. Personellement, j'ai peu d'intérêt dans la house plus classique (je suis déjà passé par là!), mais j'aime bien l'influence que ça amène dans les autres styles de musique. Un peu plus de groove, ça ne fait jamais de tort! D'ailleurs, on en parle moins ici, mais il y a aussi un gros retour vers le techno dans certains endroits; je ne crois pas que ça va avoir le même impact que la house, mais ça montre à quel point les tendances sont cycliques...

Mateo Murphy jouera au Piknic Électronik ce dimanche 2 août en compagnie de Johnny D, Nathan Burns et Alexis Bowles.

Mirrorballs Selection - July

Here it is, friends - the Mirrorballs July selection !



And it's been mixed & compiled by our new Mirrorballs rookie, the good sport / veteran DJ Nathan Burns. Nathan is the Microzoo headmaster, and has been running the formerly-known-as-Dizzyphunk night every Tuesday at Daomé for three years. He also recently released the Fly By EP on Often Grüven Light, and has lots of new songs in the works.

So here is the July selection.

It's called Pay a visit to the zoo and features tracks from the likes of Digitaline, Sascha Dive, Ernesto, Seuil, Nima Gorji and Sebo K.



You'll be hearing lots here more from Nathan now that he's joined the Mirrorballs crew.

5 questions for... Jay Haze

The man behind Contexterrior and TuningSpork, two atypical labels churning out unique dance music, is a man that has gone through a lot. Jay Haze is a controversial figure in dance music, a very outspoken and real man, who defies categorisation. The driving force behind the Fuckpony project took a few minutes off his busy schedule to tell us about his latest fights.



How does one feel running two labels (Contexterrior & TuningSpork) in 2009, when the music industry is in a perpetual crisis ?
I feel great and love the challenge. TuningSpork has always been about slow growth and quality control (hence why we only have had 48 releases in 10 years), and with Contexterrior I'm really satisfied to see it grow into an artists' label, rather than being locked into a specific sound. On both labels I've been blessed to have such great artists, so in a way I feel lucky we're still going strong! No doubt, the crisis will pass...

In a related matter, you released a triple album last year, Love & Beyond, that you gave away for free on your website. Why would a successful artist struggling in a difficult industry do such a thing ?
Music is for sharing. It has real powers and promotes understanding. I just didn't want this album I worked so hard on, and put so much love into, to come to the point where people even thought about money. I thought: "Wouldn't it be great if they could just listen without the pressure of stores, sales people, credit cards ?"
The most important thing for me was that people felt good, and that is what the album is about. On another note, I would gladly say... I hardly care about money or gaining wealth, it is a belief system I feel corrupts everything. Therefore, whenever I can do something outside of that system, I of course will.



You have also set up a global movement for DJs to give away some money to relief groups helping with the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (detailed on the TuningSpork homepage). Can you tell us a little bit about it ?
It is just a small effort really, but one that I believe can have a profound impact. If we come to understand that each of us offering a little help can collectively make big changes, nearly anything is possible. This is the first step towards such projects. The plan is to get as many DJs and performers out there in the electronic music scene to donate half their fee from one gig, from September until the end of the year. I ask them to think of it as time rather than money. We need as many people as possible involved, and are open to new ideas! The situation in the DRC is one to truly spend a little time to reflect on. Part of the reasons why they are in the situation they are in is because we so desire the luxuries and technology that depend on DRC. The point is that the artists don't need to be pros on the political situation there, they just have to be passionate about helping people. And these people need it! Children slaves, sexually abused adolescent females, daily starvation, water poisoning... it's so sad.

The electronic music industry and club universe are often qualified as "superficial". What made you decide to make a difference by using the position you're in to help out those in need ?
I'm really happy to still be alive, with that being said this is just what I wanna do with my life. It's a passion and I am trying to make it a reality. I like the club world and I love to party, but it is nothing that defines me, I enjoy myself and stay conscious at the same time. The point is - there is really much more in life than having a "hit" house or techno record. When you get older and see things as they are, it's very clear.... Get something else going on to keep the love still flowing, because you never want your living to depend on your passion alone (I think this how passion dies... maybe?).



You have crafted a unique sound over the years, making one of your tracks or remixes almost instantly recognisable. Do you feel you've achieved all your musical goals, or is there a lot more left to do ?
I feel like I've progressed in a good fashion. Still learning new things all the time, and really open to new influences. I'm not the type of guy who would ever say I've reached my musical goals, because honestly I have no musical goals in any traditional sense. My main goal with music is to connect people. And until EVERYONE is connected, I'll still keep trying!

6 questions for... Anja Schneider

After a much talked about set @ La Panthere Noire in Montreal earlier this year, Anja Schneider is back in town and will be rocking the new Parking alongside DJ Mini @ Overdose on July 23rd 2009. We had the pleasure of chatting with the Mobilee Records owner before her thursday night gig.

Anja Schneider says hello to Mirrorballs.ca:

Mirrorballs: As well as being a DJ, producing music, running a radio show and directing Mobilee records, you also attend the world’s biggest clubs and festivals year long. How do you manage your time?

Anja: I have a quite heavy time schedule, and I have a quite professional team around me. I work with my own booking agency, and they take care of my bookings, schedule and travels. And I have a label manager who takes care of the label and office work. But I'm still in the office every day. Traveling, playing and my radio show I have to do by myself, and the worst thing is, of course, all the traveling. But I love everything that I 'm doing so it’s no stress for me. Without passion it would make no sense.

M: You’re a very cosmopolitan person, but your music remains really organic, with a mix of natural and tribal sounds. Where do you find your inspiration?

A: Thanks, I take it as a compliment. I get most of my inspiration from different places of the world, from people I met while traveling and during gigs, and I still have a huge respect for music from Detroit and Chicago. But of course I have to pay attention to all the music, and this gives me new inspiration every day. But when I'm looking back, I have to say that my travels and my holiday in Mexico gave me the most.

M: You often work in partnership with other producers (Sebo K, Lee Van Dowski) – how is the production process going? Are you together in the same studio, or do each of you work separately?

A: I'm always working with a partner in the same studio, at the same time. Most lately for my album with Paul Brtschitsch . I need this interaction, I need a technical support, and at last it’s much more fun than being alone.

M: Except for several remixes, your label has only had releases from the same regular members (Sebo K, Gummihz, Pan-Pot). Don’t you want to enlarge the family?

A: I'm very proud that all my Mobilee artists have such a good quality output, and I'm happy that we are going well together. At this time, it would be difficult to enlarge the family, because we are limited with our release schedule. But anything is possible; we now have Hector (from Mexico) on board, and there will some other new artists popping up this year.


M: Mobilee has been very active on the web (Twitter, Facebook, Myspace) and even launched its own iPhone application. You are also organizing a lot of Mobilee showcases, and special Mobilee events. Can you talk about this successful communication strategy?

A: It’s all about having a good team, and people with great ideas. Nowadays it’s not enough to only make good records. You have to create more than that, and built up your image and profile. And at least if you have great people on board, you have to talk about this!

M: You will be performing in Montreal for the second time in 2009. What do you think of Montreal’s electronic scene, its musical atmosphere, and its importance on the international scale?

A: I love Montreal as a city, and I met great people there. I felt a big love for music, and a well educated crowd. I mean Parking is a great club, you have the Mutek Festival, and really sucessful Canadian artists. I 'm even surrounded by them in Berlin and I love to hang out with them.

Myspace.com/anjaschneider

Alex Under live @ Awakenings in Amsterdam

En attendant sa prestation au Piknic Electronik le 19 juillet 2009, voici un live d'Alex Under enregistré le 27 juin 2009 au festival Awakenings à Amsterdam.

Alex Under LIVE @ Awakenings Festival, Amsterdam

Motion @ Salon Daomé - 18 juillet 2009

On arrive à cette fin de semaine magique du mois ou la soirée Motion prend d'assaut le Salon Daomé. Pour cette édition de Motion, nous aurons droit à une prestation semi-rousse, c'est à dire que notre résident Clifford Brown y va de son premier "extended set" malgré le fait que celui-ci soit maître derrière les platines depuis plusieurs années.


Cette tendre moitié du Roux Soundsystem a très hâte de savourer cette occasion de vous en mettre plein les oreilles! Portez des chaussures confortables pour pouvoir tenir le coup!

En attendant, vous pouvez bien sur écouter ceci pour vous préparer:

Clifford Brown - ITALIAN FLIGHT, FRENCH SUNSET

On se voit samedi!

5 questions for... Alex Under

Alex Under has been representing Spain for quite some time on the international scene. Crafting a very precise sound, his unique techno has found a home on labels such as Trapez and Plus8, and also through Cmyk, his own label.

How's the scene in Madrid ?
It's been great for a few years now, in terms of artists and labels. But not as good as before in terms of nightlife and clubs - there are a few good parties still, but not as many as there should be in a city that big. Anyway, it is different for a resident artist, I'm more critical and less objective. But I know foreign artists love to come play over.

You played Piknic Electronik last year. How did you like it ?
It was absolutely perfect. I fell in love with Montreal during my first gig at Mutek, and I was expecting lots of fun, and it just went over my expectations. I loved the concept of the party, and the atmosphere was just unbeatable... I was really happy when I received the invitation to play again this year.

You've been developing a unique brand of, dare I say, very "mathematical" techno. Where are you going with this ? Were you inspired by precise artists ?
Well, that's hard to say, even hard to know. I've been pushing a little bit more lately, going a bit faster and less organic than before, much colder. But I'm just going through a "U-turn" right now, or more like a reset - I want to take it from where I started in the first place, review what I did and try to draw it again, but with the perspective I have now. I've been playing straight live sets for the last five years, but some months ago I started using a different performance live, as well as a DJ set, so I'm having much more input from other artists, something I was also missing.



Is there a label you've been dreaming of releasing on ?
Not really - my dreams were more based on creating a label which people would dream of releasing on. But of course, I was happy when I released on Trapez and Plus8... both are labels I did admire and still do.

If you could take 5 albums with you on a spaceship, what would they be ?
Rosa - Thomas Brinkmann
Headhunters - Herbie Hancock
Georgia is like spiritual tokyo - TBA
...and justice for all - Metallica
Dispositivos de mi granja - Alex Under (this one just in case I find someone out there with the spaceship)

Alex Under will perform at Piknic Électronik on July 19th alongside Damian Schwartz, Vincent Lemieux and Mossa.

7 Questions for... Andre Crom

Before you enter the very interesting world of Mr. Crom, you need to understand the man behind the wheel. So to get you started here's a short bio taken from his myspace...

Andre Crom:
Just a guy who discovered doing music is the perfect excuse for partying every weekend and not having a real job...

Luckily some nice people seem to like the results of my lazy- and wastedness. They invite me to their places, pay me billions of dollars, private jets and 7*hotels only to make me scare their guests with some weird music. Das ist toll.

Hope this will last at least until i win in the lottery.

Ha ha ! Already, you have to love the man ! Ok, now let's get it on with the interview...

In your bio you tell us that it all started 13 years ago when you first went to a real club, can you give us a little more details about those days and how it all started for you ?
I grew up at the end of the world in the German countryside and only when I turned 18 was able to finally experience the clubs in Düsseldorf and around. This instantly got me addicted – the music, the vibe and the people were a totally different dimension than my home village and I instantly started dreaming of being a part of this scene, not only as clubber but also as dj and at some time become able to make a living out of it.


Before being Andre Crom “the DJ / producer / party animal” who were you?
Funny enough: I did 2 years of education to work at a bank! 9 to 5 in the most boring and serious job one can imagine. I hated every day of it, and just 5 days after finishing it I moved to Düsseldorf to start working for a small record label and club… later followed jobs as editor at Germany’s Raveline magazine, dj booker, client manager at different advertisement agencies… but regardless what I did, my only real passion was always the music and since I just follow this I really enjoy life.

We know a lot of local DJ’s and producer who moved to Berlin to expand their career, would you still recommend that move or you would suggest another city?
Honestly I can think of no other city that offers the same opportunities as Berlin. If you live in a foreign country or a smaller german city without a proper club and artist scene, moving here is for sure the best thing you can do if you really wanna get your career going.

Flats are cheap, parties are good, you get great inspiration from the people around and you don’t feel like an alien as a full time dj/producer. In Berlin, you live among like minded people – just do your thing and enjoy live, status is not defined by your salary here.

But if you live in a city where you have a good scene it might also be smart to stay there to keep the diversity and local scene intact – for example I really like what’s happening in Amsterdam or Frankfurt and maybe even Paris– a couple of friends who really stick together, have their own sound, stay true to their hometowns and developed their own style without of looking at “what’s hot in Berlin right now”.


Do you consider yourself and Luca Doobie hipsters?
Ha ha, that name was just a stupid idea for a new track we did which will be released later this year… to be honest i really don’t think too much of what my job makes me, it’s just what I love and am good at. If you wanna find real hipsters I guess you better search in the art galleries or fashion stores of Berlin Mitte!

The best thing to eat after a heavy night of drinking and partying in Berlin ?
A Mini pizza at Schlesisches Tor! Really the best hangover-prevention you can do, ridiculously cheap as most fast food in Berlin and very tasty, especially after drinking... or was that “only after drinking?!”

You work a lot with co producers like Luca Doobie or Danito, also your first production ever was a co production with Tigerskin – what do you like about that and how do you work together?
If the right people come together and their skills complement each other some really good things can be created that are better than what each could do on his own. It’s fascinating to see where you can push your productions if you work together with somebody in a good way…

Also, it’s much more fun to work together in the studio than just sit there the whole day on your own and feel like you’ve sentenced yourself to a single cell in jail!

What's next for you ?
The original plan for this summer was to relax and let it loose at the lakes around Berlin, but it seems to come different thanks god there’s some nice gigs at sunny places this summer!

Just started working with a new production partner called “Dekay” (http://www.myspace.com/dekay202) and we have some great things in the making… a bit later in July, Luca (http://www.myspace.com/lucadoobie) will come over for some weeks and we’ll get locked in the studio as well to produce some hot trax for the winter…

Besides that I’m working hard on getting my labels further on the spot; OFF, which is all about rough old school house music already goes amazingly well and the first ep on my more modern and techy label “VIVID” has also just been released.

And of course I’ll be rocking floors all over Germany and beyond every weekend, which is still my first and biggest passion!

Dj schedule, music & more info: www.myspace.com/andrecrom909
OFF Recordings myspace: www.myspace.com/offrecordings
VIVID Records myspace: www.myspace.com/vividrecords

Thank you for reading this wonderful interview with Andre Crom, as a gift here's Andre Crom most recent mix:

Andre Crom May09 mix

Enjoy !

5 questions for... Reboot

"Reboot is the most successful in our small circle of friends", told me Robert Dietz when he was in town last month. "In August alone, he has 17 bookings, which is insane", he added. Indeed, you could say that Frank Heinrich is quite the hard worker. He emerged to the public eye in 2007, with the "Be Tougher / Letters" EP on Cadenza, but we learned that he's been making music for quite some time. Let's chat with a hitmaker.


You've been releasing stuff for about two years now... how did you decide that you wanted to make music of your own ?
Actually I've been producing electronic music for about 17 years now. I started after I heard one of the first techno music radio shows in Frankfurt, featuring Sven Väth (HR3 Clubnight). I was totally fascinated by that special vibe. A friend of mine had a little studio and showed me the first moves. After playing around with Tracker programs on my mom's PC, I bought my first drumcomputer at the age of 14. I never had the intention to have a career as a musician, so it stayed a hobby over all these years. About three years ago, some friends of mine told me that I should send my music to some labels. From there, it all started. So the decision was made quite a long time ago.


You're know for these long, percussive numbers. How does one find his own voice in electronic music ?
For me it just happened. I don't think that there is something like a master plan for finding your own style. It all depends on your influences and the way you feel about music. Personally, I just like these long trips through sounds and impressions. It's nice to develop a certain picture over more than just five minutes. I also love percussive and groovy rhythms. Of course, the workflow and equipment a musician uses is a huge factor, and I always try to optimize my setups. I guess that's why my music sounds like it does.



Any plans of releasing on Cadenza ever again ?
Yes, of course. Cadenza has been a big step for my career, and I really feel home with the people that work there. They are like family to me. Still, I think it was a good decision for me to also release on other labels, especially since I produce a lot of different stuff. I just looked for the right labels for certain tracks. We have plans for another Cadenza EP this year and I also am working on an album for them.



There are lots of unreleased gems that you produced floating around. Are you working too fast to officially release everything you do on a label ?
Yes, there are! And many of them are not supposed to! I do produce a lot, but I don't want to put out three records each month. For some of the tracks, I made the decision that they should just be something like a DJ tool. Tracks that you should only hear in the clubs, played by certain DJs that I like. Something unique for the dancefloor. Other tracks weren't supposed to go public and played that much at all. Actually, this perfectly leads us to the next question.

What's your take on piracy ?
I don't really like it! Especially if people make money with it. For example, by putting unreleased tracks on bootlegs. I am realistic enough to see that illegal downloads are not avoidable at the moment, but I think that if I really respect the work of a musician, I should support him by buying his records. That’s what I do as well. Sampling is another thing. It's more like a tribute to the original artist. I love using samples, but I still always try to clear all the rights. If that is not possible, I at least don't want my name to be pushed by it. Respect other people's work!

Reboot is playing for a BlkMarket Membership party in New York City alongside Hugo on August 1st at a "secret location". Lucky new yorkers! He's also scheduled to appear on a "rooftop party" in Toronto on the 2nd and us at Mirrorballs would LOVE to learn more about it.

Le Roux Soundsystem au Pearl ce samedi 11 juillet

Ce samedi 11 juillet, il pleut et vous êtes peut-être tristes que Monokini ait été remis à la semaine prochaine. Vous hésitez entre une longueur à la piscine municipale, un tour de canot sur le boulevard Saint-Laurent ou vous tremper les orteils dans les chutes du Mont-Royal?

Séchez vos pleurs, et préparez vos souliers de danse imperméables.



Ce soir, au Pearl, le Roux Soundsystem casse la baraque de 3 à 7h AM. Peu importe où vous sortez, si vous avez envie de continuer la fête, vous pouvez le faire... tout en rousseur. Clifford Brown et Marinelli sont particulièrement favorables aux couche-tards (et on ne parle pas ici du dépanneur).

2021, Saint-Denis
3h @ 7h AM
5$

5 Questions for... Fred Everything

Frédéric Blais nous manque beaucoup suite à son exil chez nos voisins du sud. En préparation au Piknic Electronik du 12 juillet 2009, il nous apparaissait évident que nous devions demander à ce pionnier de la scène house de répondre à nos questions. L'évènement de dimanche nous permettra de vivre une expérience auditive des plus attendues sous l'Homme de Calder!

Voici donc nos 5 questions pour Fred Everything:


Frédéric, On sait que tu as quitté le Québec pour t'établir en Californie, plus précisément à San Francisco. Comment s'est passé ce changement ? Est-ce qu'on s'ennuie vraiment de l'hiver de Montréal ?

Ça m'arrive d'être nostalgique au début de l'hiver mais ca passe assez vite. Les hivers du Québec m'ont un peu poussé vers la Californie, trop longs a mon gout! J'aime beaucoup la vie a San Francisco, il y a tellement de choses a faire. C'est comme Montréal l'été mais a l'année longue.

Comment se porte la scène de San Francisco ? Est-qu'il y a des artistes ou DJ's qui font partie de ton entourage la-bas et qui méritent une attention particulière ?

Tout le monde est dj ici! Les deux noms qui me viennent en tête sont bien sûr Mark Farina et Miguel Migs avec lequels je joue régulièrement. Mon ami Olivier Desmet avec qui je partage mon studio est définitivement quelqu'un à suivre. Il y a beaucoup de soirées et club a San Francisco mais la scène est relativement petite et tout le monde se connait. Il y a moins de monde ici qu'a Montréal.

Tu reviens faire ton tour à Montréal entre autre pour une performance au Piknic Electronik. Du point de vue DJ, comment tu peux décrire l'expérience Piknic ?

J'adore les événements de jour à l'extérieur. Le Piknic, c'est unique. J'ai fait le tout premier il y a déja plusieurs années. On s'était fait ramasser par un orage en fin de journée. Toutes mes expériences ont été excellentes. C'est un site formidable pour faire un party, franchement j'adore!


Tu travailles très fort sur ton label Lazy Days Recordings que tu as fondé en 2005. Peux-tu nous glisser un mot sur les releases à venir et aussi sur les artistes avec qui tu travailles sur le label ?

Effectivement, je fais maintenant tout moi meme de San Francisco. C'est beaucoup de boulot avec la production et la tournée mais je réussi a gérer. Il y a bien sur JT Donaldson avec qui je travaille, qui sera aussi au Piknic. J'ai aussi sortis des trucs d'artistes aussi variés que Brett Johnson, Shur-I-Kan, Vincenzo, Tortured Soul et Trentemoller. Pour l'automne, j'ai un EP de Lovebirds et aussi Atnarko avec des remix de Nacho Marco.

Tu as été très productif en terme de "releases" dans les dernières années sur des labels très respectés (20/20 Vision, Om records, etc), tes albums ont reçu des éloges des DJ's les plus reconnus de la scène House ainsi que des meilleures publications (XLR8R, DJ Magazine, etc). As-tu autant de plaisir à faire ce que tu fais et est-ce qu'il y a encore des objectifs que tu aimerais atteindre dans les années à venir ?

Bien sur. J'adore toujours ce que je fais et je me compte très chanceux de pouvoir faire ce que j'aime. Je veux continuer a pousser Lazy Days et continuer a produire mes propres trucs ainsi que d'autres artistes tout en continuant de voyager. Plusieurs projets à l'horizon que je ne peux annoncer maintenant.

On a bien sur hâte d'en entendre parler!

Top 5 - Fred Everything:

1.Lovebirds - N2Deep - Lazy Days
2.Frank Solano - Beautiful Connection (fred everything remix) - Loudeast
3.Alex Niggemann - Perception - 8bit
4.Atmosfear - Dancing in Outter Space (The Revenge and Grey Matter Reworks)-Wolf Music
5.Jimpster - Sleeper (Franc Spangler Remix) Freerange

Live Mix de Fred Everything :

Fred Everything's Lazy Days Podcast 4 - June 2009

Clifford Brown - Italian Flight, French Sunset [July mix]

Voici le nouveau mix promo de Clifford Brown qui annonce le retour du beau temps, son apparition à Monokini ce samedi 11 juillet, ainsi que son "extended set" à la soirée MOTION du Salon Daomé le 18.



Vous pouvez y entendre Yakine, DJ Wild, Julien Chaptal, Chopstick & Johnjon et bien d'autres... des sons qui vont de pair avec les aveuglants rayons du soleil et une certaine envie d'avaler de l'alcool.

Je télécharge ITALIAN FLIGHT, FRENCH SUNSET.

Le mix a été enregistré aux hmmm - studios de Villeray, un endroit convivial où la bass est un mode de vie.

Le Roux Soundsystem au micro!

Voyez la performance au micro du Roux Soundsystem dans ce vidéo produit par Soundbeatradio lors du Piknic Electronik mettant en vedette Joris Voorn le 5 juillet dernier:



Électrisant!

Pour comprendre la performance en chanson de nos amis, voici l'original:



Priceless!

Tek-Mission @ Salon Pearl 10-07-09

Our very own Elio Krass will be playing alongside our good friend Bryan Wolf Ear and DJ Hear on Friday July 10th @ Salon Pearl for Tek-Mission.


You should check it out!

5 questions for... Varoslav

Jean-Claude Catel, que les clubbers connaissent mieux sous son nom de scène Varoslav, fait partie de la jeune génération de producteurs parisiens qui ont grandi avec le groove dans le sang, en dépit d'une scène club un peu déficiente. Récemment exposé à la face du monde avec des parutions chez Dirt Crew, Tsuba et Supplement Facts, Varoslav aiguise ses sons avec une aisance surprenante, et produit des petites bombes auxquelles il est difficile de résister.

Il y a une abondance d’excellents producteurs issus de Paris ces jours-cis (la bande Freak n’ Chic, Yakine, etc). Que se passe-t-il en France?
Ah c'est vrai qu'à Paris, on est gâté avec plein de nouveaux producteurs qui assurent, et des nouveaux labels qui émergent, comme Je t'aime Records, Eklo, Quartz... et bien sûr Freak n Chic et Circus Company! Le truc, c'est qu'on se connaît à peu près tous depuis longtemps, ça donne une bonne énergie pour la musique. Ça doit être en réponse à notre misérable clubbing! En ce moment c'est vraiment une sale période, avec juste quelques trucs par ci par là... et la résidence annuelle et estivale de Freak n Chic au Batofar avec un super programme. Heureusement, on se fait plaisir en studio ou à l'étranger.


Tu travailles souvent avec doP. Ce sont des potes?
Je connais l'équipe de doP depuis tout jeune. À l'époque ils avaient un groupe de hip-hop comme d'autres amis à moi. J'étais spectateur, mais déjà passionné de musique... Je fus d'ailleurs l'un des premiers à aimer la house music! On s'est retrouvé quelques années plus tard... et là on a vu qu'on aimait encore les mêmes choses! Jojo, le chanteur, est venu chez moi enregistrer pour la première fois un titre et c'était parti! Depuis, on se voit beaucoup plus, et on travaille plus ensemble - je les ai présentés à Guy Gerber pour qu'on travaille avec eux sur Supplement Facts, le label de Guy dont je m'occupe en partie. On a d'ailleurs un titre qu'on a fait tous ensemble, presque terminé! J'avoue que je suis bien inspiré par ce qui se passe autour de moi, et avec les amis, on essaie toujours de faire mieux que l'autre, toujours dans un bon esprit.



Qu’est-ce qui t’a décidé à te mettre à la production? Il y a des artistes qui t’inspirent particulièrement ces jours-cis?
J'ai commencé à mixer il y a presque 10 ans, et j'ai très vite compris qu'il fallait produire ses propres morceaux pour avoir des dates à Paris et à l'étranger. Au début c'était très dur pour moi car je ne connaissais rien en informatique, ni en musique d'ailleurs... seule ma passion pour la musique m'a guidé. J'ai eu la chance que mon ami David K me montre le chemin à suivre. Je voyais, autour de moi, pas mal de mes amis qui sortaient beaucoup de disques, et ça m'a donné envie tout de suite de faire mon truc. Beaucoup de choses m'inspirent pour faire de la musique... mais spécialement ma culture hip-hop. Pour moi, ça ressemble beaucoup à la house, j'aime bien parfois y sampler quelques trucs!
Sinon, les artistes qui m'inspirent en ce moment... c'est pas parce que c'est mes potes... mais doP sont premiers car je sais comment ils travaillent, et même si leur musique n'est pas toujours jouable en club, elle reste pour moi la plus stylée du moment. C'est musical, j'adore, avec beaucoup de prises de son de différents instruments dans leurs tracks... et ça s'entend! C'est pas juste quatre loops préfaits posés comme ça, quoi...


Tu t’es, dès tes premières parutions, immédiatement retrouvé à endisquer sur des labels de prestige (Supplement Facts, Dirt Crew, Tsuba). Comment se sent-on quand la consécration arrive aussi vite?
Je vais avoir 30 ans en novembre... Ça fait 6 ans que j'ai commencé à produire de la musique tout seul, je ne sais pas si c'est long, mais en tout cas pour moi qui ne fait que ça dans la vie maintenant, ça a été très long, alors je pense avoir eu le temps d'y réfléchir! Malgré le fait que je connaissais bien des gens à Paris, c'est à l'étranger qu'on m'a donné ma chance en premier. J'ai sorti deux trucs en digital avant mes sorties vinyles... Je dois dire que c'est pour moi une grande satisfaction, l'aboutissement d'un long travail personnel... La plupart de mes productions qui ont vu le jour ont mis deux ans a sortir... En ce moment, tout arrive d'un coup en deux mois! Depuis mon maxi sur Supplement Facts, les gens commencent à me connaître, et mon bootleg "Mofo" a pas mal tourné dans les clubs, et a été joué par plein de bons DJs comme Ricardo Villalobos et Cassy, alors ça aide toujours. C'est un peu frustrant pour moi, pour l'instant, car la musique ne me rapporte pas grande chose... Avoir signé sur des bons labels, c'est bien, mais ça ne me fait pas encore manger! Par contre, j'ai la chance de commencer à jouer dans des bons clubs et événements - c'est sûr que ça ouvre des portes. Je vais maintenant focuser sur mes sorties sur Supplement Facts, et un maxi qui s'en vient chez Je t'aime Records.



Tes cinq pistes favorites du moment?
1 - Zev - This Feelin - Wolf+Lamb
2 - PBR Streetgang - Busy Bee
3 - Matt Brown - Sunsky - Einmaleins
4 - Reggie Hammond - Pleased Machine
5 - V/A - You Never Walk Alone - Supplement Facts

Varoslav sera au Festival de Jazz de Montreux le 13 juillet pour un showcase Supplement Facts en compagnie de ses complices Guy Gerber et dOP.

Mirrorballs.ca meets Joris Voorn @ Piknic

What an amazing set by Joris Voorn @ Piknic Electronik! We had the pleasure of meeting Joris after his set to follow on the interview Clifford had done a few weeks earlier on Mirrorballs.ca.

You can also download his set at Piknic on the link below from our friends at Techno.fm!

Joris Voorn @ Piknic Electronik

Joris Voorn's Essential Mix on Radio 1

Back in April, Joris Voorn recorded an "Essential Mix" for BBC's Radio 1. Since Joris is a guest @ Piknic Electronik on July 5th, we thought it would be good for your health to prepare for this sunday's performance.

Here is the mix with it's HUGE setlist :

Joris Voorn Essential Mix

Zmar Feat. Avi ‘Singing Stars’ (Unreleased)
Blamstraim ’Fraim Math’ (Sending Orbs)
Joakim ’Tanabata’ (Versatile)
The Aloof ’Morning Spangle’ (Eastwest)
Andrew Bird ’Effigy’ (Fat Possum Records)
Izmar ’Weird Friend’ (Unreleased)
The Detroit Experiment ’A Tast Of Tribe’ (Planet E)
Biosphere ’Mir’ (Apollo)
Apparat ’Fractales Pt.2’ (Shitkatapult)
Nikolaj Grandjean ’First Picture’ (Sonar Kollektive)
Bola ’Aguilla’ (Skam)
Pete Namlook & Jochem Paap ‘Cll T M Frnd’
Minilogue, Decoy, Imps ‘Almost Live But Definitely Plugged (Move D Remix)‘ (Mule Electronic)
Manoo ’Abyss’ (Deeply Rooted House)
Azuni ’Use Me’ (Sthlmaudio Recordings)
Code 718 ‘Equinox (Henrik Schwarz Dub)’ (Strictly Rhythm)
Guy Noir ‘Delusion (Argy Big Room Dub)’ (District Of Corruption)
Ben Klock ’Subzero’ (Ostgut Tontraeger)
Yagya ‘Rigning Nu’ (Sending Orbs)
Filippo Moscatello ‘Furio Wild Beach’ (Mood Music)
A:Xis ’Suite Disappointment’ (Rebirth)
Model 500 ’The Flow’ (Frank De Wulf Remix)’ (R&S)
Ame ’Doldrums’ (Innervisions)
Milton Jackson ’The Rhythm Track (Jimpster Remix)’ (Freerange)
Loko ’Black House’ (Soulman)
Masomenos ’Ladies’ (Welcome To Masomenos)
Dop, Markus Homm, Feygin ‘Budva (Slum Dop Remix)’ (Dyinamic)
Erenesto Ferreyra ’Osmosis’ (Thema Recordings)
Matt Nordstrom & Orlando Villegas ’Spanglish’ (Saved)
Quince ‘Electric’ (Delsin)
Hermanez ’Marrakech (Martinez Remix)’ (Miconn Records)
Joris Voorn ’Empty Trash’ (Rejected)
Radio Slave ’Sundazed’ (Rekids)
Slam ‘Positive Education (Paul Ritch Remix)’ (Soma)
Joris Voorn ’Sweep The Floor’ (Rejected)
I:Cube ’Supernovac (Joris Voorn Unofficial Edit)’ (Versatile)
Nuno Dos Santos & Patrice Baumel ’Untitled’ (Rejected)
Tadeo ’Metro’ (Cyclical Tracks)
Tadeo ’Singo De Intrusin’ (Cyclical Tracks)
Tadeo ’Transmission’ (Cyclical Tracks)
Autechre ‘Nine’ (Warp)
Teddy Douglas, Luis Radio ‘The Violin (5 Mile House Mix)’ (Basement Boys)
Wigald Boning ’Kobra Dance (Joris Voorn Interpretation)’ (Compost)
Ripperton ’Random Violence’ (Unreleased)
Carl Craig ’Es.30’ (Planet E)
Kettel ‘Mannschaft’ (Sending Orbs)
Sigur Ros ’Heysåtan’ (Emi)
Pj Harvey & John Parish ‘Cracks In The Canvas’ (Island Records)