The Truth Hurts.

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Terry Gotham

Interesting discussion over at Stoney Roads on mainstream vs. “underground EDM. Feel free to read it, I just really like the image. Ask someone whose music taste you respect the last time they listened to big room electro or brostep of their own volition. When was the last time someone truly put on Animals not trying to either make a point, or make a joke? Times are changing. The only places a lot of those sounds are going to find homes are niche markets and Michael Bay movies in a couple of years. The underground will keep sounding progressively different, as the mainstream pop/edm train starts to work its way through genres.

Anyone want to guess what comes after deep/progressive house shakes out over the next few seasons? Trance? Breakbeat? Minimal Techno? MauStep?

Puddles Pity Party Sings About The Corporate Side Of Life For Kabbage.

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Terry Gotham

The more Puddles does, the more I love him. This new video has Puddles reminding us of the hell that is the universe of corporate office work. I would love to know if Puddles worked an office job and left in a spectacular fashion. The words bite hard, as all good art truly should.

You’ll be popping pharmaceuticals & eating lunch in your cubicle
If we keep on the corporate side of life.

This is one of the few examples of sponsored art I’ve ever seen that I honestly support. It was done to create awareness about Kabbage, a funding aggregator for small business. This allows small/agile business to use an Etsy or PayPal account to get funding, based on how much they’re killing it. Ebay stars, your time has come. I frankly like this snarky art paired with a legit service that people who liked the song would use. Plenty of people are trying to hustle out of the corporate world for all of the reasons Puddles discusses. And more power to them. Rock on y’all.

Midnight Music: Svenson & Gielen – Twisted (Jorn van Deynhoven Remake) [Trance]

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Terry Gotham

Twisted by Svenson & Gielen was one of THE Trance anthems of the 2001. Yes, people were listening to Trance in 2001. Jorn van Deynhoven pushed out this tremendous remake that made its way onto ASOT 688 last week. The track is a piece of trance history, given a significant boost on the low end for the new era. If you want to know what big room sounded like before Martin Garrix was in kindergarten, this is it. There’s a good 4 minutes reminding everyone what the classic trance vibe felt like, but with the Armin-developed huge bass sound that anthem/festival trance heads have come to expect. If you don’t know who Jorn Van Deynhoven is, get this musc into your face. It’s some of the best trance out there, and his career is exploding. Get with this before you can’t afford tickets to his shows.

Freak Kitchen’s New Music Video For “Freak of the Week” Is Epic.

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Terry Gotham

In case you thought metal was dead, someone finally did the thing we’ve been waiting for since our Anime Music Video periods in college (Don’t play, you know what I’m talking about). This song is totally the triumphant metal some of us know and love. However it’s presented using some of the best animation I’ve ever seen for a music video. This smacks of Metalocalypse but in almost a Japanese anime kind of way. There’s a legendary feel that I really want to see as a cartoon. The singing, guitar work & power chords are all exactly what they need to be to make this song a success. The Freak of the Week idea is a great way to break into the genre and make a splash with a single. Hopefully these guys get some attention and you’re as entertained by this as I am.

Attend: Verboten Brunch Has Dopeshoes & whiteowjaguar, Don’t Sleep On This.

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Terry Gotham

As Verboten continues to kill it Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights, one of the big secrets about the spot is their surprisingly great brunch. In case you find yourself in the area after a hectic Friday night, or if you’re going to be up for a race, yoga or some other random non-hedonist purpose, check it out. Talon & Claw is a new production group & DJ collective based out of BK, doing some interesting work in art & design in addition to phat beats of course. If you missed their Wednesday night jam called Outre, check the latest mix from it and be jealz of people who don’t need to be “with it” come Thursday morning.

Dopeshoes is one of my favorite DJs that you haven’t heard enough about. I showcased her on Hometown Fire a while back, but she’s kept grinding away being awesome. Her addition to the Verboten day party means they know, as well as I do, how well her signature deep, sexy, sophisticated sound will do at Verboten. It’s seriously a match made in tasteful bass heaven.

Cooper James is the newest addition to the Talon & Claw collective, and for good reason it seems. His recent podcast for T&C showcases a tight, almost fidget’y style which will go far as the pendulum swings all the way back from Big Room.

Should be a fun, delicious time. Don’t get drunk off the mimosas, get drunk off the bass.

Midnight Music: Vauns – Sidelines EP [Dark Drum & Bass/Chillstep]

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Terry Gotham

This Sidelines EP is one of the more high quality offerings I’ve heard from the darker ends of the chillstep universe as of late. Circles by Vaun is a smooth, vintage feeling track that makes excellent use of noir trumpet. I didn’t think noir trumpet was a genre, but after this, I may need to reconsider. That moody, retro trumpet seeps into the lush, almost steamy tune, that would be at home in any darkened lounge around 3 AM. Into The Night features seductive vocals by Animai, accompanied by UK bass & step’y beats that I’d definitely prefer to the remaining bastions of Michael Baystep at parties. Kismet solidifies Vaun’s position as maestro of dark, alluring, yet mysterious bass that I really want playing during the scene transitions in the eventual movie that’s going to be made about Gotham underground nightlife. There’s a potent focus to the sounds, without any sense of rushedness or aggressive bro bullshit. One Touch rounds out his solo offerings on the EP & does so in hushed, Burial-like tones, that we’re all better for hearing. The more artists doing this kind of quiet, garage’y bass, the better I think

Knowledge finds Vaun accompanied by Ill Chill, and as expected, the collab adds a layer of spoken word flow to the relaxed, irregular bass. I can’t wait for chillstep to ally with spoken word & hip hop to unseat trip hop as the genre of choice for rhymes that doesn’t involve gold chains & gun violence. The finale is where the EP gets its title, with Sarah Zad adding some ethereal humanity to the broken bass that Vaun lays down. Her stellar voice is a perfect match for the production choices Vaun adds into the mix, especially 90sec in. This tune screams for dance videos & pop/lock demonstrations. So, b-boys & liquid dancers, get on this. Your YouTube page will thank me.

Album Of The Week: AMB – Going Down [Psy/Techno/Future Garage]

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Terry Gotham

I’d not heard of AMB before I got a note about this new album in my email, and I’m so freaking happy I did. This is some advanced crazy awesome stuff right here. The atmospheric power of this stuff is tremendous, and you can tell the production values required to make this were through the roof. Make Me is a fun, psy-garage (is that even a genre?) tune with some fun rifts, that seem to be played on some Jamaican oil drums, but in space. The vibes are strong with this one. Going Down is a more melancholy song that features some fun little wind-up samples & the wind chimes you hear in bad video games, used to excellent effect. Sweet Bronze slows the action down even further to an almost meditative pace, while invoking some classic rock vibes in between the spacey keyboard/synth work. Night Slide adds the first female vocals on the album, bringing a feel that manages to be both future and retro simultaneously. One 11 One 10 has a vaguely West Coast Gangster style to it, in between exploratory strings & mellow synth work. First Light manages to be both groovy & yawning at the same time. The haunting, Beats Antique-esque tune is definitely a highlight on the album. The Widdler joins AMB in remixing Night Slide, which rounds out the album with a future garage kind of feel, a sound that I think totally works in this space. The offering was a pleasure start to finish, and I can’t wait to hear more from AMB & Gravitas Recordings.

Midnight Music: BANKS – Drowning (Stwo Remix) [Moody Vocal Indie Gold]

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Terry Gotham

“You’re so bold when you’re watching me moan.”

This smooth, sexy, chilled out reworking of Drowning by BANKS showcases exactly what about Stwo, coming out of Paris, excites me so. There’s a morose, but sly & alluring sound coming from this track, and Lorde fans will enjoy the content & backend on this one as well. It’s something that pop could very well absorb. This kind of indie sound, mixing soulful vocals and the future bass sound I drool over is still under-represented in the industry currently, especially because it’s not so good at driving mainstage traffic. However, this kind of mood music is perfect for lounges, movie soundtracks and other environments less conducive to raging. I don’t mean to be glib, because as the EDM bubble finally oversaturates, people are going to want music for doing things other than fist pumping. Cuddle beats for the win, as it were.

Attend: Vitamin B’s 6 Year Spectacular ft. Tony Quattro, Wavewhore & Gustolabs!

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Terry Gotham

I am so proud of these people. Vitamin B has survived & prospered in NYC against all odds. Even though they throw parties in the House borough of a House city, on a House coast of a House country, they’ve been holding down the Breaks universe here in Gotham for what is an eternity in the NYC club scene. This institution has continued to showcase the finest talent they could get, with a following that grows every month. When I started this blog, Vitamin B was one of the first parties I covered, and I am so pleased they’ve weathered the venue closures, explosion of EDM around them and the general fuckery of NYC nightlife with grace & awesome nights. If you don’t know what you’re doing this weekend, now you do.

Continue reading →

Matt Lange, Bender & Cameron Kush Make InDeep’s Debut A Night To Remember.

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Terry Gotham

I really had no idea how it had happened. The night before Above & Beyond’s sold out Group Therapy 100 at MSG, I found myself hanging out with the producers of my favorite new production team, InDeep, in the coat room of an urban queer friendly funky house music party on the 3rd floor of Slake. We were there celebrating the arrival of InDeep Events to Gotham. After rocking events in LA & Denver, they’ve started making waves here in NYC. While dumb people were nervous about how popular the smooth, meditative vibes that Bender & Matt Lange create, I knew the night was going to be incredible. I love being right.

After making our way downstairs from the dope party happening in the Red Room, we found ourselves floating in the delightful multi-genre set by Cameron Kush, one of the resident warriors here in the NYC local scene. He, Alex English & DJ Dali are the best DJs you never notice on the fliers for shows you go to. They are the ones warming you up, keeping you going, and putting music into your face that you’d never come across. Nothing but love for these Bass Sentinels. Cameron Kush pulled in electro, progressive, jacking house, and fluidly switched into UK bass that smelled strongly of Future Garage to some of the more international listeners. A gorgeous set front to back, I could do nothing but congratulate him when he finished. After turning the decks over to Bender, my crew and I were exceptionally excited. The place had filled out nicely with Slake attendees that had shown up to other parties were slowly migrating over to the mainstage just because it sounded like a dope party. Bender’s set ensured anyone in the room that didn’t think so changed their minds immediately. There was a mastery & comfort behind the decks that I didn’t expect, but was a welcome sight. The effortless & almost hypnotic deep house vibes that he was pushing out started to attract people from the hip hop party happening in the next room, which is always a good sign.

You couldn’t see any drunk bros in the crowd, and I can’t say I’d seen any obnoxious hitting on/asshattery either. The vibe was reverent, especailly as Matt Lange took the stage. The AnjunaBeats Lieutenant gave us hope for the future. I’ve always been a particular fan of Matt Lange’s approach to deep house, as it feels very respectful of the artists & sounds that have come before him. The mix was a soulful journey that included some NYC specific tracks that some of the more seasoned vets in the crowd tipped our hats to. The bar was mobbed, the dance floor was packed, and you could see that even people on the 3rd floor had started to filter down into the space. The slow consumption of other dance floors is a hallmark of the NYC club era, with multiple floors & scenes in a single place. Sometimes however, quality is recognized and people flock. The track below is one of my favorite and the one below that is a mix that shows what the guy is capable of.

A great time was had by all. Amazing effort by InDeep Events on their first East Coast event. Here’s to hoping it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Photos by Kat Gallagher with permission from InDeep Events)