October 2010

It's official, I can no longer neglect Clouds. Over the past year, I've enjoyed all they've had to offer, but their catalog was so limited I wasn't sure if they were a fluke. Ladies and gentlemen, they are no fluke, but rather the future of electro. Like our friend Dem Slackers, they are so unapologetic it's inspiring. With a combined age of 37, this duo is here to stay, with remixes and originals coming from all angles. Please enjoy a tasting of their work.

When I first heard Pance Party way back when, I was astonished by their polished sound. For a group so new, how could they be so deft in their production, with skills far beyond their exposure? After following their successful Kim Jong Thrill EP with another monster release, Let's Get Invisible, Pance Party established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Not to be pigeonholed as just another American electro group, they have a versatility that you love to see in a dynamic artist. One listen and you can tell these guys mean business. Fresh off their collaboration with Valerna, Pance Party aims to take over the world, one crunchy bass line at a time. We were lucky enough to score an interview with the three lads from the Bay Area, and without further ado, here are the results. 

Swardy: Well, Nickelback was already taken, so.....

Andy: We each do a little bit of everything, but all of us definitely bring unique elements to the table. Before starting Pance Party, I was working in a lab as a research scientist, and that definitely fits with my style - I tend to be a lot more technical in my production.

Eric: I am a huge fan of really melodic catchy music.  I like writing simple, yet very memorable hooks and progressions, so that is where i think i come into play most, in terms of Pance Party productions.  
 

Eric: Right now we keep it simple. We run Ableton Live and use midi controllers for mixing and live sampling. Andy is building our lighting rig as we speak. Eventually he'll be all visuals (there's no need for three DJs). You should see the shit he builds... 

Andy: Well every show is a bit different - different venues, crowds… but the one constant is that we get a little bit too excited while playing out. I've been growing my hair out for a while and it's finally gotten to the point where it's really fun to headbang, often uncontrollably.

Swardy: Ya I mean we're still fans. We've heard rumors that eventually you get used to this shit... but until then, if it looks like I'm as into a track as the crowd -- its because I am.

Andy: We use Logic to produce, and dabble in all the other DAWs for specific jobs and sounds. All the software is basically the same - it's much more important just to be comfortable in your work environment.

Swardy: Whats become important to us is getting a track into the environment that best suits the next job. For example we write, synthesize, arrange, mix, and master in Logic. BUT we glitch edit in FL studio, write string and horn elements in Reason, create atypical tempo maps in Ableton, etc...

Andy: To be honest, San Fran can be a bit backwards in terms of its electro scene, at least compared to LA. But there's a lot of good in that as well. The scene here is strong enough to pull in every big name act, but it's not nearly as in your face as the LA scene. I think that's been a big help for us because it's allowed us to develop our sound without the pressure of having to conform to any trends.

Swardy: Andy's right... things are funny here. But good funny! I just think that we're not exactly associated with a specific scene right now: a difficult thing as you are bootstrappin, but a benefit down the line.

Eric: I definitely see electro music in general as having major influence all across the board from the mainstream Ke$ha stuff, to bands like Hot Chip.  Everyone's got a 4/4 kick snare and a catchy synth line. I think its electro is here to stay, but it will definitely have to evolve to stay current and fresh.  I mean, people are going to get sick of dutch squeaker house sometime right?  But no, electro is taking over the music scene right now across all genres. except country.  Oooooooh man....electro country!  its gonna be the next big thing! 

Andy: The internet is an awesome tool for getting music heard widely and quickly, but the flip side is that it is even more difficult to get noticed because of the ridiculous number of producers all flooding the same outlets. I think the biggest piece of advice for standing out is for producers to craft their own sound - copying what's trendy at the moment is a surefire way to lump yourself in with hundreds of people doing the exact same thing.

Swardy: Ya and to land a record deal... oops did that sound bitter?
 

Andy: Yes! We just released a collaboration project with our friends Valerna called "The Robobot" (check it our at therobobot.com). We've got a bunch of new tracks waiting to be released, but we're leaning towards releasing them as singles rather than putting out another EP. 

Andy: As far as dance music goes, we've been listening to a lot of Siriusmo, mainly because it's just so damn delightful. Eric and I come from rock backgrounds, but sadly, once you get into dance music the old stuff just sounds so boring and predictable. Really the only thing that gets me off these days is classical - Beethoven being the best.

Eric: I still listen to a ton of 80's music. Anything with a huge snare drum.  Right now my jam is "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult. It sounds so huge.  The production on that track is great. If you don't know it, get it and be ready for sonic awesomeness.  

Andy: Well seeing as how all of San Francisco is still obsessed with the Grateful Dead, I think of their damn bear logo - which is a real shame, because I hate the Dead. 

Eric: I think of a giant panda. Imagine how sick that would be?

Andy: Hells Yeah! We're always down for a trip to the Windy City :P

Eric: They listen to electro in Texas? Of course, we'll get our agent on it!  

Swardy: I don't know Lloyd, the French are assholes :D

It's the moment you've been waiting for. Wolfgang Gartner, the producer who never quits, the man with countless chart-toppers, has released his rip-roaring banger "Illmerica". And, as usual, it does not disappoint. Sounds like a Justice bomb programmed by Gartner himself. Have a taste. 

Scissor Sisters just released their remix EP of their track "Any Which Way". And, boy they could not have picked better remixers, Carte Blanche and Tensnake. Both remixes are straight heat.