Ok, I’d actually pay to see a series of tunes done by this guy. Especially if there’s dancing in suits and hats and that amazing accent. Re-works like this make me so happy. Also, more songs need banjoleles. Because yes.
The Seven Women The World of EDM Owes Its Existence.
What does the creator of the sci-fi soundtrack of the original Dr. Who, one of the first recording engineers for advertising, the creator of the early physicalof DAW software, one of the developers of the modern Theramin & the inventor of the talking stick have in common? They’re all women. This fantastic list from Champion Up North reminds us that some of the critical steps from the world of rock and roll to the world of electronic could not have been taken without some amazing women. Laurie Anderson, Clara Rockmore, Daphne Oram, Suzanne Ciani & Delia Derbyshire are women who deserve deep reverence within the industry, so let’s start here.
20 Top Shazam’d Tracks Of The Australian Summer
Just in case you’d forgotten, Summer is winding down/slowly disappearing down under. That means their festival season is slowly coming to a close. Just in case you were wondering what people listen to on the other side of the world, In The Mix & Shazam teamed up to bring you some of the most requested tunes and I’ve got a bunch below. Tiesto, Rudimental, Avicii are coming in strong, with a few surprises creeping in. Check out the full list on their site here.
Midnight Music: Jhene Aiko’s “My Afternoon Dream”
Jhene has been soothing the savage beast within millions all over the world for a while now. This melodic, chilled out vocal track will bring you back down from whatever infuriating bullshit Monday tossed at you. She pushed this out yesterday afternoon, and it could not be more necessary tonight. We’re 20% of the way to another brief respite. Rest well weary travelers. She hung out with Childish Gambino a few month ago and that was amazing as well. See below if you don’t believe me.
Happy On Tatooine.
Your Monday morning needs this. Star Wars heads dancing in Tunisia to Pharrell. Get Happy.
Language is Fun.
I like when words are used delightfully & effectively. Like Mr. Provost does. Happy weekend y’all.
Guest Post: Notes On Radical Inclusion
(I bring people who aren’t necessarily part of my immediate community to parties, as I always like when my friends have fun when they go out. More importantly, I try and listen to them when they talk about their impressions/experiences. One of the photographers I’ve had the privilege of knowing & working with did me the honor of sharing some of her frustrations with one of the facets of the underground here in NYC: The Burner/Burning Man community, one she very much enjoys. Her comments are presented unedited & the photos added to the article are by her, chosen by me, with her permission.)
I do not consider myself a burner, but I’d really like to be. The principles of radical inclusion, civic responsibility, radical self-expression and reliance, gifting, participation, etc., yeah that’s a kind of world I want to see, that I want to help build. But what does radical inclusion look like when economics keep many would-be burners out of the NYC scene? How do we make spaces welcoming for people who don’t have the money & who lack the ability to create elaborate costumes? I want to be a part of the burner scene, I really do, but factors beyond my own social anxiety keep me out.
One of the hardest parts of privilege is that by definition you aren’t aware you have it. In New York City it’s easy to lose sight of one’s own economic privilege because there are always twenty someones with bigger wallets than you. Most burners I know have a financial stability that I have never had the luxury of experiencing which is probably why this issue is so glaring for me. I know people who live in apartments where the rent is two months’ salary for me and yet they still call themselves “poor” because compared to their finance neighbors they feel they are. To these people a fifty dollar party is no big deal but to someone working a minimum wage job it’s a day’s pay. Now I don’t begrudge anyone their good fortune but I also think people need to be aware of the privilege they possess. We need to be aware of fact that the prices of events and the expectation of elaborate costumes are by nature exclusionary. We also need to be aware of the kinds of people these exclusionary practices are keeping out.
Midnight Music: NEUS Remixes Pharrell’s HAPPY & It’s Wonderful.
NEUS has been on my radar for about a year now, but this is definitely a track that I hope skyrockets him into a great place. The warm vibe, shimmering piano, synth work and the strummy magic of Pharrell’s signature track off his new album blend perfectly. Don’t worry y’all, summer is coming, I promise.
Midnight Music: Drake ft. Jay-Z – Poundcake (ENFERNO Live Remix)
I am done hearing people whine about how electronic music isn’t performed live, isn’t an art and/or isn’t music. Watch DJ ENFERNO play 4 instruments and construct a song right in front of your eyes. The combination of dubstep, piano synth melody, MPC-sickness & some fantastic old school vinyl will blow your mind and someone needs to get this guy to hang out with Beardyman.
Ten Questions With Terry Gotham: DJ Dollpartz
1. If you were forced to spin a genre/genres of music other than the genres you spin now as Dollpartz & as one half of WoJ, what would it be? Both my solo and collaborative sound projects definitely engage a huge range of musical genres, so I’d just have to go with what I have yet to explore! I’m a huge hip-hop fan, and because that genre necessitates a certain technique of mixing, it would be a great new skill to master. I’m also a huge Reggae fan, and can see myself grooving behind the decks to a nice mix of Reggae and older dub and dubstep. Maybe you’ll hear a set like that from me in the future!
2. How does Dollpartz differ than your half of the Talon/Claw pair? What makes you one or the other? The real difference is in the sound that’s created when I DJ solo versus the sound that Tyler and I collaborate to bring to audiences and listeners. For example you’ll find a lot more soulful house lyrics in my solo work, simply because I love them but they don’t make sense for whiteowljaguar’s sound. When I dig for tracks for whiteowljaguar, I’m not only listening through my ears. I’m always conscious of what we’ve created in the past and take into consideration whether this track works with or grows off of those sounds. If the track really doesn’t fit with woj but I still love it, it goes into my Dollpartz folder. That’s not to say I don’t dig just for Dollpartz, or that some tracks don’t carry over between projects. Dollpartz has a playful, teasing, naughty, and hearful sound… at least, so far. Whiteowljaguar is more deep, dark, and dirty.
Terry Gotham 