September 2010

I was going to write a Week In Review earlier, but last night this little thing came up that I wanted to include. We were gracious enough to catch Simian Mobile Disco at Santos (pronounced sahn-toes for you snobs) Party House. They were simply…well just read.

9/15 DFA Records at the Hudson

“I walked into the room dripping in gold, yeah dripping in gold.”

When Giselle sings these lyrics in the Flight Facilities classic “Crave You”, she could have been describing the scene at the Hudson Hotel last Wednesday night. Swanky would be an insult to the gold-tinged Hudson Bar, complete with a lighted glass dance floor and Da Vinci style ceiling.  DFA Records has been throwing these Wednesday shindigs all month, but on this night, there was a special buzz in the air. That’s because DFA Records co-founder and LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy was on the decks for most of the night. After initial reluctance from the highbrow crowd, Murphy spun the dreamy Jacques Renault remix of “Beam Me Up”, and instantly got the whole room out waxing the dance floor. At the bar, the specialty drink was the Murphy Brown, a delicious Jameson-champagne cocktail honoring the guest of the evening. Also pouring drinks was the host of the event, Andy Shaw. Apparently, he kept a constant stream of booze at his table and would give just about anyone who knew his name a drink. What a guy, lubing the party up right. Nearing the end of the night, much of the party had cleared out, but the remaining guests jived and grooved to choice disco tunes. All in all, it was a historic event, a rare opportunity to see a living legend in an intimate setting. I’m still pinching myself.

The man, the myth, the Murph

9/17 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez at Highline Ballroom

Filled with know-it-alls and elitists, this show was packed as the Mars Volta co-founder's troupe began their set. Experts at their craft, the entire group awed the crowd with flawless execution. Elaborate song structures coupled with overlapping time signatures left the audience mesmerized. While Omar and co. deserve all the praise for their efforts, the highlight of the night was Ximena Sariñana, who emerged halfway through the set to lend her immaculate vocals to the crew. Primed with math rock jam magic, her crooning elevated the show, adding a dynamic new dimension to the instrumental quintet. For anyone who has pushed the limits of their own musicianship, there was lots to respect about this group, they constantly push the boundaries of rock and roll and set a new standard for live collaboration.

9/18 Javelin at the Brooklyn Bowl

Saturday we headed to the BK to check out Javelin and their boombox dance party. With a line around the block 5 minutes to showtime, we finagled our way in the backdoor with the help of Mr. Jackson and some of his friends. With a prime view, our crew settled into one of the coolest venues in all of NYC. The Brooklyn Bowl is a slice of America, constant stimulation, from booze to bowling to beats. And while I would have loved to roll a few down some freshly waxed hardwood, we were there to see the indie power duo that is Javelin. In full disclosure, I wasn’t as big a fan of their album as most hipster publications, but in a live setting, these kids melted my heart and made me believe. With one member pounding electronic drums (sans foot pedals) and the other programming/sequencing/singing, these fellas put on one heck of a dance party. Song after song, Javelin consistently surprised me with their lovable tunes. If you ever have a chance to see them, do yourself a favor and just go.

9/23 Simian Mobile Disco at Santos Party House

The first thing you notice about Santos Party House is it's exceptional sound system. Rib-buzzing bass, velvety mids, and crispy highs leave patrons with no excuse but to dance. After sneaking, well more like parading, up to the VIP section without permission, there they were, sitting on old leather couches, numb to the environment, but focused on burning the house down. The boys from SMD hopped into the booth around 1am, smoothly warming up the crowd with some classic UK house. As the night wore on, the jams intensified, hitting a climax when they dropped a special edit of “It’s The Beat”. By this time, we were back on the dance floor, cutting up the rug with the heathens. A few choice tracks later, they tore the roof off the place with a thrilling mashup of “Audacity of Huge” and Afrojack’s “Pacha on Acid”. A masterful DJ set, these guys weren’t simply spinning records, they had true foresight. I must commend SMD for their vision; they calmly lathered up the party before inciting the raucous group into frenzied mayhem.

UK house duo Simian Mobile Disco playing mixer twister

Aoki keeps the hits coming, with new releases from Autoerotique and Tai. Autoerotique's "KMA" features a collab with SonicC, another fresh-faced youngster on the Dim Mak roster, while Tai's "Paradise Poltergeist" features the Kid Millionaire himself. And, soon enough, LA Riots' remix of "Paradise Poltergeist" will be released, and it is a monster!

The boys over at dirtybird records have just released a monster of a jam. Ardalan and Justin Martin have collaborated to create what could be the tech house song of the year. "Mr. Spock" effortlessly glides from genre to genre, and it's tribute to "Drop It Like It's Hot" is sure to set dancefloors ablaze. What a tune. 

Tensnake's "Coma Cat", the dreamy, Bahamian-style masterpiece that lifts up any dancefloor just released it's remix package on Beatport yesterday. Atlanta's own Treasure Fingers takes a stab at one, while Switzerland's Round Table Knights, who we featured not too long ago, provides the other remix. If you grabbed the RTK Summer Mix, you've already heard theirs, and it's pure tech-house magic. Can I get? Can I get get? Here you go.