Tag Archives: footwork

From The Trenches: Mohawk The Educator

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(I have been waiting to do this interview for years now. Mohawk is a luminary in the NYC underground scene, my boss at New York DanceSafe , a spectacular dancer & a generally all around stupendous person. She’s throwing a party that you need to go to, and I’ll be giving two tickets away, so you have no excuse. But before you do, kick back and enjoy this long-form conversation with someone who is fielding a tactical force to keep your sorry butt alive if you’re partying in the Tri-State area.)

Mohawk, Harm Reduction Coordinator Extraordinaire.

1. How is the party coming along? Any new surprises to announce, or should we just show up and find out? The party is pretty much ready to go and we’re in our last week of ramped up promotion. I wouldn’t say there are true “surprises”, however I’m sure many people are hearing about the party through different sources, so beyond the musical talent we’ll have on board, the additional performers, vendors, and workshops might come as a surprise to many. We’ve been making announcements a few times a week, highlighting some of what’s to come. We don’t expect everyone to keep up with these announcements, but we definitely want to showcase all that we have in store. It’s getting pretty late in the game and we still have people wanting to take part in the festivities. Don’t bank on this type of event happening again–we host events with specific objectives and move forward from there. It’s a “launch party” of sorts, so come find out for yourself and see what it’s all about!

2. You’ve been doing harm reduction for a long time, have you seen any changes in the work/scene that you’d see as positive? Any worrying trends you are trying to sound the alarm about? I’d like to preface this answer first: I really only have visibility of what’s happening in NYC. In doing this work with a nationally represented organization, a lot of people assume that we all see the same things or face the same problems. This is not necessarily the case, so I’ve chosen to take the New York chapter in different directions based on what we learn each year. The good news is, people overall are becoming more “hip” to testing. People want kits! The worrying thing about this is that, people forget that drug use comes with risks beyond just the potential of ingesting the “wrong” drugs by accident. An obvious worrisome trend is how much do we need to fear fentanyl popping up in drugs, especially non-opioids? This is one with a lot of hysteria around it right now. It takes a lot of work to keep the most accurate information in circulation and weed out the sensationalism and myths.

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Monday Music: Tristram, Mauro Picotto, Kim Brown, Zed Bias & Boombox Cartel

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12688233_1686565634952720_445355936491730263_nIt’s March, it’s Monday, so let’s get to the music! A couple of UK releases, dopeness from Monstercat, and a blast from the past awaits!

It’s been a pleasure to keep tabs on Tristram for the last three years. One of the first post-EDM producers I discovered, his work is always top notch, guaranteeing he got picked up by Monstercat in short order. After a brief hiatus, he’s back and we’re all better for it. This deep indietronica cut reminds me of Innerpartysystem & a number of fusion acts I’ve seen over the last couple of years. Superb composition and sharp execution as always.
Millions is a gorgeous, understated tune that builds into an exceptionally minimal crescendo. It’s a 6min experiment in what can be done with almost nothing. A couple of piano chords, a dope house beat, and a driving tempo.Kim Brown making it happen, thanks to Stamp The Wax for making sure I didn’t miss it.

Boombox Cartel came out of nowhere with this one. Stalking Gia & Boombox Cartel need to collaborate way more often if this is the product. Front & center is the Stalking Gia vocals, showcased & tuned perfectly. The Future Bass vibe that follows is a great one. Massive, optimistic & just a touch of a west coast to compliment the bass. It’s way too synthetic to be Indietronica, but seems too anthem-y for Future Bass. Either way you slice it, great tune & great work by Boombox Cartel.

When some think of garage, they think of Zed Bias. This footwork-y/garage-y tune features hypnotic vocals by Zoe Violet, and gives the footwork fan a lot to work with here. Issued by dBridge’s label Exit Records, the fast/slow melody pulls you along, as the chord work & soothing undertones help you drift off. Great work, definitely something to pick up if you’re a vinyl or dBridge enthusiast.

Rounding out the group is something wonderful for all you classic Trance fans out there. Mauro Picotto was essentially a household name in the 2000s (if your household had the entire In Search of Sunrise compilation set by Tiesto and remember when Sensation had a White & a Black). I don’t know if he’s come out of retirement or if he just never went away, but this is vintage as all get out. Passion has a classic piano vibe and there’s even an extended classics mix on the EP. Turn it on, and let the nostalgia wash over you. If you try really hard, you can almost hear the Y2K fear mongering.

Monday Music: Wayvee, Pensees, Mazde, Jerry Folk & IsGoods

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New week, new tunes! Hope the long weekend is treating you well if you’re off. If you’re working on this Presidents Day Monday, turn on, tune in & drop out.
Wayvee‘s Recovery EP is a lilting, chilled melodic future footwork feature. The reworking of the classical music is something you hear every so often, but it’s rarely this good. The soft operatic melody above the future bass & footwork is a treasure that you need in your life right now.

Pensees misted into my awareness last week, one of those artists you almost don’t notice if you’re not paying attention. The melodic chill is expertly produced, creating an aural landscape you don’t much hear in the USA outside of artists like Haven, glo & a couple of others. It’s evocative while faintly nostalgic, so put it on and drift off. If you can’t get enough of this sound, hit up the bandcamp for 5 more releases in the same chilled out vein.

Mazde has popped up on my radar a couple of times over the last year or two, but this track really brought his talents into light. The German remixed Rufus, pulling from the recent “Bloom.” It’s a powerful track that mixes melancholy, indie & some exceptional chord work. Take a look at this guy if you’re looking for music that’s hopeful without being saccharine.

Jerry Folk & ELOQ came out of nowhere on this one. The half indietronica, half future bass vibes on this are undeniable. There’s also a touch of the relaxed west coast feels we’re starting to see with the Future scene out in LA & SF. Great work, definitely legit effort, and earned a spot on my radar.

Closing out the post with a 2 piece EP from Isgoood. I don’t usually post seemingly standard House because I’ve got a pretty high bar for that genre, as I primarily dance out of doors in NYC to it. This kind of classic vibe is my exception. Done impeccably, the production perfectly captures the SoHo bar, filled with fashionable people who know their house & rock their own style. Props once again to V for always dropping quality on FreshNewTracks, as because of him, I can bring it to you all.

Earworm Of The Month: Tielsie – Hueboy (DJ Clap Remix) [Chip Footwork]

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Tielsie - Hueboy (DJ Clap Remix)Music that makes me sit up in my chair, music that’s different than anything I’ve heard before, that’s what I’m here for. Tielsie does some amazing work in what I can only describe as the future footwork space. This kind of stuff isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s some of the most inventive post-hardcore sounds I’ve heard in a long time. DJ Clap (aka John Luke) adds his own signature chipcore sound to a tune from Tielsie called Hueboy. It starts off soothing, but then ramps up in energy to the point where it’s essentially vibrating. 1:40 to 2:11 is the future footwork that is unmatched by any. However, 2:11 exceeds even that, giving me the sonic equivalent of running inside of a Mega Man X cartridge. This is so frenetic it’s almost downright soothing. When things got too crazy or frenetic over the past month, I’ve thrown this into my face & drifted away. Everything else melts away. Steel yourself for June!

Bonus! The original track by Tielsie is below! Enjoy them both, but watch out, they bite 🙂

Mix Of The Weekend: Slow Magic’s Best Of 2014 [Future Bass/Chicago Footwork]

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Slow Magic - 2014 Year End MixThis is a good one y’all, but it may be a bit too future for some of you. I promised I’d spend 2015 finding even less retail & more underground music than I have in the last year or so, so this is me taking a big chomp out of the new year. Slow Magic has been on that massive yet chilled tip for a while now, with his year end mix not disappointing. Dope shit from Yung Lean & Yung Gud, an almost baroque bass tune from Photay and some amazing work by Tielsie. This French footwork artist is blowing my spot up and I’ll be yammering about them later in the week. The mix finishes out with a premiere of a new DJ Clap remix, with the whole thing being a Free Download. So seriously, what else do you want to kick your January in the right direction?

Tracklist:
Slow Magic – Closer (Eest Coast Remix)
Lockah – Platinum Blonde
Photay – No Sass
Doja Cat – So High (Kodak To Graph Remix)
Yung Lean – Yoshi City
Yung Gud – My Guns
Moon Bounce – Shake
Tielsie – Hueboy / Pallette
Daktyl – Stay
Flying Lotus – Flotus
Spooky Black – Without U
Slow Magic – Girls (DJ Clap Remix) Premiere *

DJ Shadow Returns With A Footwork-Infused Remix of Supersister’s Dona Nobis Pacem.

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Just in case you missed it, DJ Shadow showed back up as of late. Beatport dropped the news & shortly after, a new full track appeared on DJ Shadow’s Soundcloud. While the guy has a list of musical accomplishments longer than most people’s gig history, he’s still challenging himself. Namely, after kicking a Machinedrum track around for fun & profit, he’s returned with a confusingly good rework of a track released approximately 40 years ago. Supersister, a Dutch prog group, released “Dona Nobis Pacem.” Apparently Shadow had met the keyboardist in the group in 2010, and had been a fan of his work for some time. Gotta appreciate the retro futuristic sound. Maybe that Mansion promoter was right. This stuff is too future, and it’s a free download. I’m into it. You?

 

Midnight Music (Mix!): Footwork Jungle Presents Strange Future

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To round out your weekend, I’ve got more than 45min of some glorious jungle’y footwork for you. Footwork is a Chigago-spawned genre that has in turn, spawned an entirely new dance craze in the Windy City. Add some delicious old-school jungle to the sound, and there’s a lot of UK + Chicago fast/slow action going on here. The mix is definitely good for both headphones and for jumping around, in case you’ve got a Sunday night Dance Party going down. I got this from one of my super awesome DJ friends, TygerLily, who if you haven’t, you need to check out. She’s wonderful and I have all of the good feelings for her and her amazing taste. Do it up here & see y’all in a few hours 😀