Truth for your Wednesday. I’d never heard it put so starkly, but it’s totally what is needed, especially these days, with even our art being commodified as heavily as it has.
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Midnight Music: Bulb’s Remix of “Not Of This” Reality by Borealis
Tonight, I’m bringing you some wobbly, cushy bass, put out by Origami Sound, one of my favorite independent labels. The Bulb remix of “Not Of This Reality” is a smartly arranged & well executed track that adds some spunky beats to some glitchy bass & ethereal vocals. Get at it & Origami Sound for some quality choonage.
“If music be the food of love, play on.” ~Shakespeare
I’m kind of surprised I haven’t used this as a quote yet, since it seems to be exactly my opinion on the matter. Good job Billy Shakes!
Midnight Music: Daughter & An-Ten-Nae’s Gorgeous Remix Of Medicine
I was getting concerned the blog was drifting in what I was covering, moving away from music, so I’m going to bring it squarely back to why you’re here. Quality bits for your earholes. Every night at midnight, a track will fire off into the darkness, that you might like. You might not, but I bet you will, and if you listen, and you don’t, feel free to post in the comments why you don’t 🙂 I may listen, I may not. Ya spinz the wheel ya take yer chances.
This track was sent to me by a dear friend, reminding me of how many people out there are hurting right now. The vocal work by Daughter balances with the superb beat choices and synth production of An-Ten-Nae to create a melancholy beauty that can be felt a thousand different ways. The content of the lyrics push it through the roof when it comes to evoking all the feels, reminding us of that one special person who could just be if they only stopped using.
Party Of The Month: Split Infinity by Soulcraft @ The Paper Box, 1/31!
Tickets:Â https://www.ticketfly.com/event/459429
The Paper Box has emerged as one of the go-to venues in Colonial Williamsburg these days (Yes, I’m referring to “East Williamsburg” or Bushwick as Colonial Williamsburg). When it comes to quality that hasn’t been discovered by the fist pumpers or bridge & tunnel crowd just quite yet, this place rages hard, even in the face of adversity. This means you better get your rear out to this party because in another couple of months, the magic of the secret will be out and it’ll be a whole different ballgame inside. SoulCraft hasn’ t been on my radar, but clearly this is because I’m getting blind & dead in my old age, as this is a cut and dry, to the point event. This collaboration between Ben Jammin’ & VJ Krunch is a force to be reckoned with. This partnership means the event will be a feast for the eyes and the ears. And speaking of the ears, it seems Been Jammin’ made some calls and brought out some surprisingly quality talent. The steampunk theme should be a “giant top hat with gears on it”-levels of fun, so grab that leather and those spectacles, it’s time to shake one’s steam-powered booty.
iHeartRaves (Yes, That’s Actually A Thing) Teaches Modern Dance Moves.
So I assumed this would be wacky and bad, but it ended up being wacky and amusing. It starts out with your standard/predictable dance moves but then escalates into some lol-worthy moments that your average dance floor denizen will have seen many, many times. Interestingly, the track choices are totally appropriate for each of the dance moves, which is a nice touch. It’s good for a few cheap laughs to help deal with the Monday melancholy. Cmon, dude in rave pants twerking? You know you’re into it.
Sting Makes $2,000 A Day For Something Not His & Because Puffy Is An Idiot.
In a fascinating article written for Celebrity Net Worth, Brian Warner documents how Sting’s association with “Every Breath You Take” has become one of the most hilariously profitable things anyone has ever done. Apparently, because the songwriting is credited 100% to Sting, he’s earning the vast majority of the royalties and has for the entire history of the song. This would’ve been bad enough for the other two Police members, but then, Puff Daddy came in and sampled the tune…without getting permission. Diddy’s rap version would go on to sell 7 million copies worldwide, and Sting would take 100% of that. Even though his vocals aren’t on the Diddy track at all. So now, Sting gets 730k per year because of it, just in case you didn’t think USA/UK IP/copyright/licensing laws weren’t completely fucked.
In The Mix & Miller Drop 10 Of The Best Live Sets Performed In Gotham City Through The Years!
http://www.inthemix.com.au/features/57153/10_iconic_mixes_from_the_dancefloors_of_New_York?page=1
Miller Genuine Draft & In The Mix (Australian EDM Blog) have teamed up to…tell people about New York City. Of all places. While this New Yorker would love to know about the party scene in Sydney, I’ll definitely give credit where credit is due. They’ve compiled a hit list of some of the best live sets dating back to Grandmaster Flash in 1978. This list is no joke, with stars like David Morales, Frankie Bones, Junior Vasquez, Louie Vega in his prime & even Francois K’s recent set at Output. This is a list of sounds that were the dance floor experience for thousands of people every weekend. Definitely check it out. They also did this extremely abbreviated listing of which clubs you should go to when you come here. It’s tiny, but for a tourist, competent. Check it out here. I’m not really sure what Miller’s angle is here, especially because I can’t get MGD at most of the clubs listed, but whatever, if they want to pay for the write-ups/hosting, here’s to them.
In 2013, It Became Illegal To Dance In Japan.
http://stoneyroads.com/clubs-japan-still-battling-no-dancing-law/
New York City venues have been battling obnoxious Cabaret Laws (More info here) for decades now, and I’d desperately hoped we were alone in the practices of “banning dancing.” It seems last year, Japan joined the list of idiots that think you can legislate moving in time with music.
Apparently, this happened back in May but I didn’t hear anything about it. Japan passed a law requiring clubs to have a dancing license while also 66 sq. meters of unobstructed floor space, while closing by 12AM/1AM (Booo!). This is in response to a period of some random but brutal violence in nightclubs, but thankfully, a group of brave warriors are fighting. Stoney Roads reports that “Let’s Dance” is trying to make shaking it legal again. Their petition generated 155k ssignatures and now, with the election season bearing down, let’s see if something can happen. Does anyone know how to say “You Gotta Fight For The Right To Party?” in Japanese? Internet points to you if you post it in the comments.
Snoop Lion & Major Lazer Meet Pokemon In Their New Video!
Well, it seems they’re big into what the kids are into, I think? Or perhaps they just want to seem like they’re cool and/or “with it” while trying to get the word out on this new collaboration. Glad to see there aren’t any bitches or booty in this video for once. Perhaps our taste is evolving…from booty to video games? Not sure if that’s an upgrade or not…thoughts?
Terry Gotham 