Archive | April, 2010

THE DROP: Dave "Dave P" Pianka talks about NYC’s FIXED party, coming to DC’s U Hall on Saturday night!

30 Apr

Before there were entire subgenres and social classifications put behind the alternative underground dance movement, there was Philadelphia’s Dave Pianka. DJ, producer and party promoter par excellence, many look back to his “Making Time” party in Philadelphia, harbinger to Diplo’s Hollertronix throwdowns and Cullen Stalin and Simon Phoenix’s Bmore “TaxLo” parties as the true essence of the early no limits, no rules, open source dance events on the east coast that changed the dance universe. Since the days of “Making Time,” Pianka has expanded his party universe internationally, and now is the label head at RVNG International Records, where he continues to make the moody synth heavy electro that put him on the map.

He comes to DC’s U Street Music Hall on Saturday night to throw a DC installment of his Fixed party, an event where, spinning as Dave P, alongside Josh “JDH” Houtkin, Pianka continues to push boundaries and expand horizons. They spin alongside DC’s answer to what they do, Stereo Faith, of the Sorted and Feedback parties and being Tabi Bonney’s touring DJ fame.

I had the opportunity to ask Dave a few insightful questions with in-depth and quite revealing answers about his own compositions, the nature of what to expect at Fixed and the recent history of electronic dance and underground music in general. Do enjoy!

1. To someone who has never attended the Fixed party before, what can DC expect on Saturday when you and JDH assume the turntables?

Dave Pianka: Honestly….I don’t know what to tell them to expect. That’s what makes FIXED…FIXED. Josh and I are constantly changing, evolving and adapting what we play at every party. One night we might play all techno, one night we might play all disco or electro house and then at the next party we end up playing a rock set. I really think that’s what makes the party so successful…the diversity of music and the fact that the music can change so much from night to night. Although…..despite having such diversity in the musical direction of FIXED there is one unifying aspect of our sets at the FIXED party and that’s the fact that we always are pushing boundries and we always play the newest and freshest tracks of whatever genre we are playing….what I like to call….FUTURISTIC SOUNDS.


2. What was the reasoning behind starting the Fixed party with JDH, and why in New York City? Was it a logical expansion of the success you had with Making Time in Philadelphia, or did the RVNG label’s creation precipitate the decision?

Dave Pianka: Actually….things just fell into place with the FIXED party. Josh had me DJ a holiday party for the company he worked at in New York…Flyer Magazine. At the time I was playing in New York as a resident at the Motherfucker parties and on occasion I would play with Josh there as well. After booking me for the Flyer Magazine Holiday party Josh asked me to play a few parties with him at Tribeca Grand. We both realized we played a very similar style and a lot of the same types of tracks. Those one off parties at Tribeca Grand then became more consistent after we did one with Bloc Party on their first trip to America and that’s when the FIXED party began. Doing a party in New York made sense for me as well with it’s close proximity to Philadelphia and since I was booking a lot of artists for Making Time in Philly I could carry those bookings over to New York as well.

3. As a DJ and producer with longevity in the rapidly expanding and shifting world of electronic dance music, is there a particular time you have enjoyed more than any other, and if not, what about the evolution of electronic dance music do you find most intriguing right now?

Dave Pianka: I can’t say that there has been a specific time that I’ve enjoyed more than others. I have experienced a lot of movements in underground rock and dance/electronic music and really think they’ve all been equally exciting. I have to say….I did enjoy the electroclash days a lot…haha. Although I hate the E word (electroclash)…hehe…That time was really exciting because that was when we first saw the rock world and the dance/electronic music world coming together and influencing one another. I hate the E word (electroclash) but the times were very exciting and it truly felt like something new was happening (even though it really wasn’t “new” I guess).

Right now….I really love how diverse every musical genre is at the moment. There are no boundries and genre lines are blurred more than ever. Bands and producers pull from so many different influences and it’s really making rock and dance/electronic music so rad at the moment. To be honest….this might be the most exciting time of all.

4. Much of your recent Philadelphia based work has been with Adam Sparkles. How did you two come together as a partnership, and how have you found the partnership and melding of your styles which, while both similarly electro heavy, have definite divergences?

Dave Pianka: Adam and I first met while working at the Last Drop Coffeehouse in Philadelphia. At one point he was collecting a lot of new wave post punk and no wave records and I booked him to DJ at a New Year’s party we did in what I think was 2003 (04). After some time he was building an apartment studio and during that time I had brought Bloc Party over to America for their first show in the US. During their time here they were putting together remixers for their Silent Alarm remixed record. They asked if I’d be interested in giving one a shot. I said yes and they asked me to remix This Modern Love. I didn’t have a studio but Adam did and I asked if he’d like to work together on it. He was up for it as we had previously talked about working on music before this opportunity presented itself and thus began Dave P and Adam Sparkles.
Adam and I definitely have distinct differences in our production and djing styles but those difference complement one another and balance each other out. Adam leans more towards the more minimal and more melodic and disco influenced side of things with somewhat of a leftfield touch whereas I am always trying to go bigger and catchier and heavier with our production. Adam really balances me out and I feel I do the same for him. It works really well….sometimes. Haha.

5. What do you feel personally have been some of the most under-appreciated yet important dance tracks and music developments of the past decade that led to the explosion of producers, DJs, events and music we have today?

Dave Pianka: That’s a tough one….there are so many tracks that have come out that didn’t really have an impact at the time of their release but when you go back to them a few years later you realize how ahead of their time they were and how influential they are on the musical climate of the time. To pick a more popular dance track that is a perfect example of this…the Justice remix of Simian’s We are Your Friends. Yeah…it’s extremely played out now but I remember buying that 12” when it came out. I would play it out and it never really caught on but then….about 3 or so years after it was released it was the biggest track of the year and was definitely defining the times at that moment. I feel like there are so many examples of this and almost every musical movement that is popular now has been underappreciated at some point. One musical movement that comes to mind more than any is the italo disco movement. Italo disco had it’s day for sure but it was never really that popular or at least not for very long and who would have thought that it would have been one of the most influential musical genres on dance music in 2010 and even in the past 5+ years. So many tracks over the past 5+ years have been influenced by italo disco. It made sound cliché but it’s true. I wish I could have experienced it in it’s prime.

Another more current example of this….I remember the first time I had Boys Noize play in America. It was at a small club called Fluid and only 30 people came. I lost a lot of money but I knew that eventually he was going to catch on…now he’s one of the biggest djs in the world. I could go on and on about people that I’ve had play or tracks that I played that were underappreciated at the time but later became essentials artists or tracks in dance music.

I feel like Deerhunter should be a lot bigger than they are….they are genius. I feel like they are one of the bands at the current moment that in 10-20 years kids will rediscover and will be more appreciated and celebrated than ever!!!

One thing that I have noticed now though….nothing seems to be underappreciated in the current musical climate. It seems people are more open minded than ever to so many different musical genres and developments in music. It’s a pretty rad time right now.

THE DROP: Meet Blaqstarr, "Black Moses" Resurrected

30 Apr

I can’t take credit for this one. Many moons ago, Diplo was quoted as saying on Mad Decent’s blog that he felt that in time, Blaqstarr could be this generation’s Isaac Hayes. Isaac Hayes was a sensual funkmaster, a soul force, a curious creator of the most legendary instrumental tracks of all time, and as a singer a man who could slowly and with delicious pain drub the emotion out of a track with his vocal execution. I never really thought of the Baltimore born club producer would fill that description. I believed he was a 21st century answer to KW Griff, but not Black Moses. But then something very shocking happened. Blaqstarr stopped DJing. He was likely the most underwhelming performer of SXSW 2009, as people flooded his performances expecting to see turntables and staccato drumlines and heavy bass loops, and were instead met by plaintive rock guitars and a three piece band, but with turntables present. Blaqstarr’s always been a different cat. Expansive and socially curious, he’s perpetually seeking spiritual enlightenment through music and experience. Baltimore club was a means to an end of his musical curiosities. In many ways, the goal in his mind appears to always be larger as a spirit than he is as just an artist. He is a rare performer for sure, and it is wonderful to see him that the first true step of what will hopefully be many as he fully realizes the full reality of his artistic potential.

Well, Blaqstarr’s now on his way. Signed officially to M.I.A.’s NEET Recordings, he released his debut single “Oh My Darling.” Deep, funky, haunting, danceable and radio friendly, this is a FAR cry from the man whose vocal drops of “durdy” and “shawty” are legendary club and electro pimptacular conversation starters. It’s fleshed out, fully formed and a grown and proper presentation of one of the underground’s most universally favored contributions from the Charm City. Yeah, that’s our man Blaq, wearing feathers. That’s our man Blaq, gettin’ freaky with geishas. That’s our man Blaq whispering that really seductive hook.

NEET Recordings is the next generation of the underground religion of music’s evolution. BLAQ Moses apparently reads us the sermon on the mount. This will be a curious movement to follow.

THE DROP/PROMO VIDEOS: 2010 Converse BAND OF BALLERS Preview

30 Apr

This Saturday in Atlanta, GA, Converse presents its second annual Band of Ballers tournament. Basically an afternoon advertisement for the inherent “cool” of Converse apparel as worn by some of our most beloved musicians, last year’s event, which featured Jim Jones, Diplo, Matt and Kim, Asher Roth, Pac Div, Popo and Ninjasonik amongst the acts lacing up the sneaks. The event was won by Jim Jones’ “Jones Family” team representing Harlem, a squad comprised of a number of ringers (those with deep and very talented credentials playing against those who do not), including but not limited to former Washington Wizard and fellow Providence College alumnus Shammgod “God Shammgod” Wells and other Rucker tournament hustlers.

Photo from the Village Voice

Jones is back to defend his trophy this year at an event featuring the same mix of quirky hipster rock acts alongside established and rising hip hop emcees. Jones, Jermaine Dupri, Shawty Lo, OJ da Juiceman, Donnis, Jay Electronica, Sean Price, Steel Train, the Black Lips and Of Montreal comprise said list. This week has been dominated for this journalist by the WWE main event style hype done to promote the event by each team present for the event. Enclosed in this column are these videos, and do beware. You will laugh, you will cry, you will scratch your head, and come Sunday morning, you’re absolutely going to want to know who won.

If you want my prediction, I’m taking the Jones Family again, in a tight one over Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def All Stars. Something tells me that JD has ringers, too, and that he wants the South to rise again.


Why I’m Selecting The Jones Family: I went to college with Shammgod Wells. He’s got one of the most legendary streetball crossover dribbles of all time and palms the ball on his dribble like he’s a waitress holding a tray. He also has a VERY shaky jump shot, but nobody in the tournament can stop him 1 x 1. Jones will indeed be “ballin'” yet again.

Sean Price states that if there were a rap battle involved, his team would win the tournament. If Jay Electronica is there, wouldn’t it be funny if his current squeeze Erykah Badu stood naked under the hoop? 
OJ da Juiceman is “adrenalated.” That’s all you need to know. This teem needs Waka Flocka and Gucci. They’d play in their bling, and you’d be mad entertained. Sayin’.
The man dates Janet Jackson. I don’t care if his jump shot looks like a cross between the form of Rick Barry at the free throw line mixed with Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller from long range. He dates Janet Jackson. He’s a hall of famer in the game of LIFE for that. Also, be aware that Rick Barry, Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller are three of the best shooters in NBA history. This event is in their backyard. So So Def will show up. Big.
Homie from Steel Train with the purple argyle socks. I’m jacking you. I like your band’s sound, and you previously have basketball experience. Much like Mad Decent rolling in with the eighteen feet of Pakistanis known as Popo last year, and Zeb being quite the threat, expect New Jersey’s awkward Steel Train to surprise.
The Black Lips are one of my ten favorite bands in the world. They’ve also been known to projectile vomit and get naked onstage, but that’s apparently in their past. Would’ve been great to see an “adrenalated” OJ da Juiceman have to deal with that… As far as basketball, they did shoot “baskets” in their clip. Great musicians, not expecting much from them in the paint.
Of Montreal. Easily the funniest promotional clip. Possibly the most entertaining of any of the bands listed. Sadly, my friend in the green one legged leotard cannot play in that getup. That would stop my crossover dribble for sure.

CRATE DIG: Nine Inch Nails – The Perfect Drug

30 Apr

Welcome to the newest regular feature here at True Genius Requires Insanity, the “Crate Dig.” As you may already be aware, we strongly feel as though it’s time to advocate a “back to basics” movement in music. We feel that instead of everyone being an innovator, that some of us need to be preserving the importance of original source material. To that end, the “Crate Dig” will feature members of the TGRIOnline.com staff, the “Hustlers of Culture,” digging through their mental crates to remember the songs that made them appreciate music. There will be some amazing, and yes, embarrassing choices here, but always the key impact is to remember when music was not something to be over studied, remixed, downloaded, forgotten and torn asunder. We’re remembering when music was simply a song you liked, and really couldn’t tell you more than a sentence or two why. Sit back, reminisce, and enjoy the building blocks of music appreciation.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3612941&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Song: “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails

Year Release: 1997 – Year “Discovered” By Me: 1997

Reason Discovered: Music video on MTV

Why a fan?

In 1997, I was your average, slightly nerdy, suburban teen. I had a passing interest in music, but my CD collection at the time didn’t go much further than The Presidents of the USA, No Doubt, Weird Al, and the Batman Forever soundtrack. Growing up, there was always music around or in the car, but it wasn’t a defining characteristic in my life.

That all changed after I saw the video for Nine Inch Nails’ “The Perfect Drug” (insert snarky video-on-MTV comment here). Mark Romanek, director of the infamous video for “Closer,” spent $1 million on the gothic, blue-tinted homage to Edward Gorey. In it, Trent Reznor confronts the death of a child and falls into an absinthe-fueled abyss.

The video, like the song, is menacing, bold, and aggressive. All things that spoke to my barely-teenaged self. In the pre-mp3 age, I spent hours analyzing the song in a Midi file, breaking down the various tracks: the simple, repetitive guitar riff, the battling synth lines, and the staticky, drum-and-bass backbeat. Reznor’s lyrics are classic Nine Inch Nails: questioning self-worth, twisted desire, and loss of control.

I was hooked, and soon picked up the Lost Highway soundtrack and Pretty Hate Machine. Other alternative rock staples would follow. Returning to school in the fall of ’97, I was newly outfitted in band tees, JNCO jeans, and Airwalks (I tended more towards standard 90s skater gear than goth. No makeup or fishnets for me!). “The Perfect Drug” is the song that opened my eyes, not just to particular genres of music, but to a worldview and music-infused lifestyle that are still very much part of me, over a decade later.

Ironically, “The Perfect Drug” is Reznor’s least favorite creation, due to the hurried production and overwrought video. Nine Inch Nails never played the track live. Still, the song is centrally important to who I am today, because it started my musical addiction.

Unforgettable, Vol. 13: M.I.A. – Arular

30 Apr

Where we left off with the sonic schizophrenia of Kenna’s face, we now delve into M.I.A.’s socially schizophonic scape. Maya Arulpragasam came onto the scene in 2005 with her debut, Arular. M.I.A. mirrors the past – leading by sample – and marks the future. From sound to sentiment to style she lays the groundwork for the new underground of which she spoke in NME

In people’s hard drives and their brains, it just hasn’t been outputted yet. We need a digital moshpit like we’ve never seen, harder than how people were doing it in the punk era. We need that energy, but digitally. It’s coming.

On the brink of her third album, and a superficial rebirth, it’s important to see that we still have the same M.I.A. – with the same perspective – in a different package.

Arular came out when I was a freshman in college, and – in conjunction with the urban landscape of Manhattan as my backdrop – was instrumental in my musical maturation. Just as New York is a microcosm of the world, so Arular was a concentrated synthesis of sounds and global societies. Just as I was cementing my identity as a world citizen, so M.I.A. was constructing our cultural identity.

M.I.A.’s eponymous track – “Untitled” – marks her signature as much as ours: a general in the midst – and at the helm – of a lost generation. More so than most, Arulpragasam embodies this era: missing in action – we may not know where we are or what we’re doing, but we’re doing it big. Arular is that electronic indigenous sound of an era on the cusp of tradition and innovation. As M.I.A lays down her blueprint electronic to lead a tribe in the midst of unparalleled transition, so Arular reflects that ambiguity in being born free.


“They’re coming through the window, they’re coming through the door. They’re busting down the big wall, and sounding the horn… I’ll hard drive your bit, I’m battered by your sumo grip. Lucky I like feeling shit, my stamina can take it. Gymnastics super fit, muscle in the gun clip. Bite teeth, nose bleed, tied up in a scarf piece.” If “Born Free” was a documentary, “Bucky Done Gun” would be the script. The tone, the accent, the vernacular, and language behind the lyrics is so ambiguous, though. Just like gingers in the middle of a Middle-Eastern-looking city are the clashing of two seemingly opposite cultures, it is that very same contradictory collision that builds M.I.A.’s appeal. It’s universal and all-inclusive, because it is so panoramic. It’s so global, it’s generic; it’s so diverse, it’s diluted – and that’s Pop. “Bucky Done Gun” has that catchy beat that makes the teens bop, but the hard bars that hold the block. Beneath the “so much of everything” sound though, at the core, is the technological connection with the tribe.

“Bingo” pings the sonic nexus of the information age. Here M.I.A. boasts an understated Sri Lankan slur swagger over beats that lie at the bullseye of the signature indigenous electronic sound. There’s engines revving under laser guns. There’s sirens alongside beaming bombs. M.I.A.’s vocal chants echo with robotic ramblings like banter from an episode of the Jamaican Jetsons. The whole vibe is industrial Caribbean, right down to the synthesized steel drums. Integration is everywhere, from the soundscape to the social scope.

On the classic standout “10 Dollar“, M.I.A. dons the Brooklyn B-boy beat below her trademark ferocious foreign flow. This track is the epitome of Arulpragasm’s vision of the Universal Sound Board – USB is the new Visa in this age of technology – worldwide currency: everywhere you want to be. Here we have a bi-tri-panlingual bombast over larger-than-life low-fi. M.I.A. brings the automaton-meets-aborigine atmosphere. She literally gives power to the people by bombarding the airwaves with analogue layers, and bringing that basic bombast from the ground up. 10 dollars is nothing to the U.S., but the USD is golden in the developing world… so what can you get for a Hamilton? Anyting and everyting you want. This song slips the social scope into the catchy riffs, and brings the third-world vantage to the western world. In the midst of a George W. Bush America, and uniform “Top 40” structure, M.I.A. brought that third-world sound. In a time where Pop and Politics are juxtaposed and seen as opposites, M.I.A. highlights the parallels between seeming polarities.

When she reigns, it pours. “Sunshowers” is a track that underscores the Arular vision of sweet deception. There’s light claps sprinkled along the surface like raindrops before the deluging looped bass descends, as the sound literally drains – resonating the juxtaposition within the track’s title. The lyrics are simple with M.I.A.’s devil-may-care intonation harmonizing with an airy secondary songstress. The echoing vocalist in tandem is a constant throughout Arular – a silver lining to the sunshower’s overcast – and beneath the solar downpour is a lone guerrilla soldier making their way out of the jungle.

“Amazon” is the Omega to “M.I.A.‘s” Alpha – lyrically, sonically, thematically – it completes the iconography. This is the game and this is the globe – the icon and the individuals within her generation held hostage. “I was missin’ in action, on the side of a carton. I was taken in a Datsun, from a street in Acton… I was sipping on a Rubicon, thinking ’bout where I come. It’s all this for revolution, cuttin’ up the coupon. Saving for a telephone, can I call home. Please can I go home.” There’s schizo synth echoes beneath M.I.A.’s repeating dialog, amplifying self-inquiry: “Hello, this is M.I.A. can you please come and get me?”

Deep in the Amazon she’s lost but, then again, who isn’t? Man was born free, but everywhere is in chains; Arulpragasm was born free, then shackled to the game with boys in chains and paper planes, only to break free again. Before Kala‘s corner swag put M.I.A. on the mainstream map, she was nestled in the jungle with: “Painted nails, sunsets on horizons. Palm trees silhouette smells amazing. Blindfolds under home made lanterns. Somewhere in the Amazon.” Then with the Pineapple Express came the hits, the fame, the beautiful life behind sixteen bars, and the icy chains: “They’re holding me Ransom. Smoking on a Benson, tryin’ to get me undone. Let me go, I don’t want your attention. Under submission, out of frustration I’ll do it – I’ll scream for the nation.” Her tone is still so calm, as she cries loudest in the cut.

Above all else it is that fire, that innate infidel spirit that sets M.I.A. apart – sonic aesthetic and artistic identity. She finds comfort in conflict, and creates through chaos; she finds herself in the confusion, and finds resolve in revolution. Whether she’s an Amazonian bamboo banga, coming around with the boyz, or a punk born free, she’s that same Sri Lankan miss singing in action – same vantage, same voice, different veneer. M.I.A. is that same guerrilla general leading the generation out of the jungle.

“Minutes turned to hours, and became our dates. When we shared raindrops, that turned into lakes. Bodies started merging, and the lines got grey. Now I’m looking at him thinking, maybe he’s okay.” As she closes with “Hello this is M.I.A; it’s okay, you forgot me,” it’s the uncertain arrogance in ambiguity, that lost sense of time or place that comes from being in the dense depths for so long, that resonates loudest. As the close is simply stated over the underground UFO beat, with the prominent sounds of a skeleton-esque xylophone beneath, the end is what puts the new beginning in motion. This is the future, from oblivion she builds the future sound from her own past skeletons, and a future culture from forgotten corpses.

It’s raw, it’s real, it’s quite a modern masterpiece. However – fast-forwarding – it isn’t a far cry from where she is now. In light of the “Born Free” video it’s important to look back and see what made M.I.A. Granted she has a punk sound now, it’s not completely divergent from her original style. Arular was bright – sonically and visually kaleidoscopic – like Keith Haring on Crack. This new sound is still the same M.I.A. – same point-of-view, different package. That said, it’s nice to look back and see how she’s growing as an artist, but holding fast to her sonic aesthetic without compromising her core vision or voice. M.I.A. can’t change; she’s like a Chameleon: always a lizard. Hello, M.I.A.? Arular? Unforgettable.

LeninsTomb presents… Dubstep Dossier

29 Apr

Pariahs are despised, rejected outcasts. Hopefully, fledgling UK beatmaker Pariah will not suffer the same fate.

Arthur Cayzer is a 21-year old London university student who has only been producing for a year, but his talent belie his age and experience (despite his limited output). Signed to veteran Belgium dance music label R & S Records, Pariah is already making a name for himself with music that borrows from dubstep, UK funky, house, and future hop.

His first release, “Detroit Falls,” transforms a classic soul sample into a churning glitch fest. The track’s construction is reminiscent of an artist from its titular city: the late, great J Dilla. Bits and pieces of the original sample are interspersed with low end and synth chirps, creating a cohesive sound that satisfies both dubstep devotees and hip hop heads.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rIfisFMnWu4&hl=en_US&fs=1&

“Orpheus,” the b-side to “Detroit Falls,” keeps the tempo consistent but moves towards funky and house as Pariah re-works Thelma Houston’s disco classic “Don’t leave me this way.” It’s an “a-ha” moment; while other dance remixes of the track have focused on the upbeat chorus, Pariah opts for the yearning vocals of the verse. It’s a perfect fit for the syncopated, tribal beat.

http://www.youtube.com/v/blDqnFOSgOo&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Pariah also tried his hand at remixing, starting with his fellow countrymen, Ellie Goulding and the XX. His remixes of “Under the Sheets” and “Basic Space” present UK funky takes on songs that have already been remixed ad nauseum. For an extended look at his DJ skills and range, check out the bass-heavy mix he did for Sonic Router. The mix includes tracks by vets like Martyn and L-vis 1990, along with a hint at what’s to come from Pariah.

http://fairtilizer.com/track/81775?fairplayer=standard

With such an abundance of promising young UK producers, it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. But if Pariah continues to release tracks like “Detroit Falls” and “Orpheus,” it will be that much easier. And remember, don’t fear the wobble.

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Theophilus London – I Want You

29 Apr

Hip hop needs Theophilus London. Dark, soulful and intense, the emcee’s push to fame has been crafted in the ilk of Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi, emotional tearjerkers as emcees whose tracks veer toward depths of thought and substance that draw an immediate line in the sand for most hip hop listeners. While London is emotional, what he has developed at this point of his career is a brevity of thought and accessibility to productions that give him the extra boost of being possibly the best evolved of the quirky hip hop lovermen of the present generation. In new I Want You mixtape, London succeeds in being what he is, and fails at what he is not. Pushed as an emcee comfortable over electro and funky dance tracks, those prove his undoing here, as the mix wins when love, sex, and the shadow his emotional intensity casts are present and full, and not weighed down with productions that leave his awesome vocal economy as a bystander at the wayside.

There are four tracks here that deserve album consideration. Foremost, his covers of Tweet’s 2002 smash “Oops” as reinvented by Hudson Mohawke removes the estrogen and infuses David Ruffin style testosterone everywhere, the troubled troubadour of Motown a definite case study for the creative future of the performer. Late era Marvin Gaye is much the same, as London’s take on 1983’s “I Want You” is fantastic as well, the emotional introspection of London’s style fitting in well with the bizarre mindset of the post Anna Gordy divorce, cocaine addicted and DC born soul icon. Original “Life of a Lover”recalls an Isley Brothers sound in the sample, and with London’s vocals recalling young Mos Def, a combination that has always proven successful in the genre is formed. In final, mixtape closer the remix of The Very Best’s “Julia” is excellent, as the afro-centric G-funk works well with the laid back but consistent cadence of London.

The rest of the mixtape is inconsistent at best, as possibly instead of taking popular electro and UK tracks like Ellie Goulding’s oft remixed “Starry Eyed” may not have been the best idea, however, possibly taking a look at low-fi, J-Dilla inspired producers like TokiMonsta or Flying Lotus, or any great number of existing tracks by chillwave bands like Toro Y Moi would have best accompanied the very pronounced and phenomenal dark romance where this mixtape excels.

Sometimes we fall in love with those that we don’t want, but can’t refuse. They hurt us, and we are motivated by the pain. Therein lies the definition of the style and grace of Theophilus London.

COP / DON’T COP THIS MIXTAPE

Theophilus London – I Want You – Life Of a Lover by Hypetrak

REVIEW/CRITICISM: Tabi Bonney/Diamond District/KIDS DJs – U Street Music Hall – 4/29/10

29 Apr

 
U Street Music Hall for the third time welcomed hip hop into its Temple of Boom on Wednesday evening as local standouts Diamond District and Tabi Bonney performed for a crowd that while waning showed support for the city’s most major national success stories of 2010.

U Street Music Hall is the most atypical hip hop venue in the city. By relation to Asylum, the home of local promoter and emcee Tyrone Norris’ “Cake and Kisses” event, or bottle service clubs like Ibiza, home to DJ Quicksilva’s vaunted Friday night hip hop glamfest, putting hip hop in the U Hall is like playing the Super Bowl in Madison Square Garden. Sure people will come, and certainly people will appreciate what they’re seeing, but the venue just isn’t the proper fit for the event. U Hall was made for dancing. The posing, posturing, Hennesey sipping and head nodding crowd really is a waste of the venue. Cmonwealth’s event with Hip Hop Dan and Harry Hotter, or DJ Dredd’s old school hip hop explosion may be a better look for hip hop at the U Hall, as the nature of JUST having a DJ lends itself better to the notion of dancing than the idea of a full fledged hip hop concert. However, as the venue figures out it’s place in the spectrum of housing all forms of music, I’m certain this will be addressed.

The night’s biggest winners were the Diamond District crew of XO, YU and Oddisee. Having just had a successful tour of Europe, the trio returned to the US for their first official show in Washington, DC. True to form for the District of Columbia, it was a 1993 backpacker special, the type of show that could’ve been headlined by Freestyle Fellowship or the Souls of Mischief. DC’s major issue is that insofar as moving into a hip hop era defined more by flash and production than by nuts and bolts emceeing, the city refuses to embrace the notion. A well marketed, poised and polished emcee is a pariah in this city, as the denizens of the hip hop community here err towards skills over style. XO, YU and especially overseas superstar Oddisee certainly have developing skills, as their performance, honed over the northern European countryside would attest. Performing tracks from In the Ruff was a massive success. The dusty, RZA esque productions sounded phenomenal on the deep U Hall soundsystem, and the crew is more than comfortable with the material on their 2009 giant splash of a release. However, in the freestyle portion of their set is where the crew lacks. XO and YU sounded out of breath and like the novice emcees that they are not, whether a case of nerves, lights or something else, it was not the best of displays for their talents. However, Oddisee, the most seasoned touring professional of the trio shone brightly, standing and delivering a freestyle that wowed the crowd and earned deserved plaudits.

Tabi Bonney, the golden child of DC hip hop was up next, and delivered a performance that was fine on the surface, but to this journalist showed an artist possibly needing a new push or challenge on the lyrical side to reach another level of excellence. I’ve seen Tabi perform four times in the last eight months. His set is on point and moves crowds everywhere. People that didn’t know Tabi Bonney from A bottle of Tab or the Easter Bunny have become instantaneous fans because of his very ingratiating, laid back and mainstream friendly style. However, maybe it’s my familiarity with the material or maybe something deeper, but it felt like “just another performance.” “The Pocket,” “Syce It” and “Rich Kids” are all hit singles. Fun, easy listening, hooky and accessible. For any other artist this wouldn’t be a problem. But for Bonney, easily the most acclaimed underground video director in hip hop, as well as a budding fashionista, the drive to excellence seems to be an expectation that not just we, but he shares, which led to a performance that didn’t work as a headlining, “tear the show down” set, but rather another appreciated performance from a very appreciated emcee.


The KIDS DJs played as well as could be expected between sets. Maybe not the best booking for the crowd at the event, KIDS is a dance happy college frat night of hip hop celebration, not the home of real heads looking for “real sounds.” KIDS for the most part celebrates the MTV Party To Go generation with forays into gangsta and backpacker excellence. Most of the heads present on Thursday night appreciate Puffy’s contributions as a man, but as an emcee would hang him in joking effigy. For the nature of what was expected, it was a job well done, but not necessarily the most congruous fit. No disrespect to Nacey, Steve Starks, Lil Elle or Jackie O, but I would’ve loved to see consideration given to the rest of Diamond District DJ Quartermaine’s “Low Budget” crew, namely someone like a DJ Roddy Rod to give the event an even more authentic feel and to liven up the vibe even more. Familiarity in this case could have brought a few more heads through the door as well.

U Street Music Hall is a wonderful venue for music that has depth, scope, color, verve, excitement, emotion and range. The hip hop artists booked, while excellent, perform music that is wonderful in that it is basic, appreciable, and trending towards excellent, but from a production level has no move towards grandiose displays of emotion. On a performance level, the show was on point. DC hip hop is in safe and developing hands learning how to have long, sustainable and successful careers. However, on a level of vibe, the ambiance was flat and uninspired. U Hall, as well as DC hip hop, are works in progress. This is a venue for big bass, slap you in the mouth party rap, top 40 leaning, big sounding production values with depth and range. This is not the most ideal place to see lyricists. This is not the ideal place for “real hip hop.” U Hall is about a party. Last night was not a party, but a concert. Two VERY different things. Washington, DC is a fantastic study of a musical wunderkind of a city that is presently a work in progress. When all is said and done, three stars and two bars will be on top. Life is won by the marathon, not the sprint.

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Game – R.E.D. Room

28 Apr

Just when you thought the only thing winning in the west were the Lakers, here comes Game. No, not The Game anymore, just Game, and on his DJ Skee mixed Red Room mixtape, the Blood attempts to draw blood once again from the hip hop industry. Hardscrabble, dope pushing (yep, there’s a track literally called “Slanging Rocks,”), and still proving that suckas will always need a bulletproof vest and bodyguards, Game keeps things “real” and goes to the streets for support. Aiming at just about everyone and doing just about everything, the mixtape is disjointed, but, you can’t question the grind of the industry veteran to get back to the top. The most audacious track of hip hop’s 2010, “400 Bars” is here, a 20 minute stream of consciousness rant produced by DJ Skee (the former DJ Drama) who lays out a sonic notepad of fly beats for Game to bleed red over. He’s braggadocios as expected, but also goes in on the G-Unit here, the 50 Cent led clique he was famously exiled from within mere seconds of his debut album hitting the streets.

On “Ha Ha,” hip hop newcomer and supposed left coast savior Nipsey Hussle proclaims Game as Dre and himself as Snoop which is absolutely expected, and slightly ridiculous. Such is the tenor of this tape which serves only as a warmup for his June 15th R.E.D. Album return. The west coast has a female representative now, too, as Kanary Diamonds is all over the mixtape. The Watts native is a clear industry answer to Young Money’s Nicki Minaj, and is acceptable here, lacking Minaj’s nasal flow, off-kilter sense of humor, and practically everything that makes Minaj annoying and abrasive to the average ear. That being said, expect positives reports coming regarding her. DC’s XO of the famed Diamond District shows up here on a redux of NWA’s “Dopeman,” a solid look for one of hip hop’s rising emcees with a local flair. Diddy, Pharrell, Weezy, Birdman, Bussa Buss, ‘Kiss, Jimmy, and the F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S and yes, hip hop’s newest caucasian sensation, ex Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker (check the magnificent SAM COOKE SAMPLE on “Shake”) make this a hip hop all star welcome back that is a pleasant if not always fully expected listen.

It’s good to see that with the freshman class of hip hop ascending to sophomore status that the seniors are motivated to still keep a semblance of order to the progression to the top. Sometimes the most expected sound is the best one to hear.

COP / DON’T COP THIS MIX

LeninsTomb presents… The Verge

28 Apr

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. Last time, I profiled two rising female-fronted indie rock bands, the Dum Dum Girls and Screaming Females. Now, it’s time to replace those guitars with synths.

A lookbook is used by fashionistas to showcase a particular designer or style. Minneapolis band Lookbook is a duo that showcase a particular style of electronic music that is equal parts dream pop and synth pop.



Grant Cutler (synths) and Maggie Morrison (vocals) fit the mold of similar outfits like La Roux, Beach House, and the Knife, combining a chanteuse with a male partner behind the boards. Like those groups, their sound owes much to 1980s electro pop of all stripes, with sweeping synth strings, metallic drum machine beats, and effect-laden vocals.

Lookbook’s first EP, I Fear You, My Darkness, was self-released in late 2008. As the title suggests, the band covers dark sonic and lyrical territory. The EPs five songs find the pair brooding over atmospheric soundscapes; it’s more new age than new wave. The highlight is definitely the seven minute “Steal the Night,” an epic that evokes the emotional tone of Patti Smith’s similarly-titled “Because of the Night.”

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In 2009, Lookbook released their full-length record Wild At Heart. While I Fear You, My Darkness feels cathartic, Wild At Heart allows the band to expand and enrich their sound. The songs are more upbeat and danceable, but darkness and vulnerability remain just below the surface. Morrison’s vocals are sharper and less dreamy, somewhere between Karen O and Cyndi Lauper. The album opens with “Over and Over,” which builds for nearly the entire length of the song to a pounding, crashing climax.

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Throughout Wild at Heart, Cutler’s beats command you to dance to songs full of shimmering keys and electronic chirps. Morrison is charismatic on the mic, with stylized, flowing verses and full-throated choruses. And for a style that is not necessarily novel, I think the duo captures and modernizes 80s synth pop better than some of their contemporaries; Wild at Heart compares favorably to It’s Blitz!, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s foray into similar ground.

If 1980s revival is the fashion, Lookbook is the guide to the style.

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