Photos: Justice at Webster Hall on October 29

Justice--who honestly weren't promoting any new tracks, mixtapes, albums, etc. and were just sort of promoting, you know, being Justice--were joined at Webster Hall this past Thursday night by the debut of Alex English's new electro duo project Disko Dali and the electro beat-heavy producer Jackson alongside a sweaty, completely sold out crowd. The boys played the hits, played some rarities and played some tracks we wished more DJ's would put in their sets (cf. anything by Sebastian). It was fun, dark and completely thrilling. Disko Dali also ignited the crowd with their edits of Dragonette's "Pick Up The Phone" and "No One Sleeps While I'm Awake" from The Sounds, but they also DJ'ed their own selections and it was interesting to see the two of them, who come from different parts of the electro world altogether trying to juggle their three identities (Alex English, Dan Physics, and Disko Dali as a unit) into one hour-long set. Were you there? What'd you guys think?

(mp3)    Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends (reprise)

Godspeed!

Download: Seanie Will - "Smurf"

There's a weird off-kilter vibe to this track "Smurf", the newest to come out of young blood Seanie Will in a while, a sort of mathy progression of snaps and effects, drums and synths that come in and out of the mix at points that vary on signature but still aim for deeper rave anthem targeting. It doesn't necessarily fail in its approach, but it's certainly not baby-bottom smooth either. The single digital download also comes with a tribal drum circle peace pipe edit from Mr Vega (honestly this guy just doesn't stop producing--ever), which bridges the techy feel of the original with a much more soca-esque point-of-view.

(mp3)    Seanie Will - Smurf

(mp3)    Seanie Will - Smurf (Mr Vega remix)

Godspeed!

World Premiere: Mr Vega - "I'm No Dyke (D Train)"

So, earlier today we came across this video online that was comprised of a recorded argument between two middle-aged women on the NYC subway system--the D train, no less--and it was pretty priceless. It puts you pretty much rather easily into a bucket seat on the orange line traveling with these two women as they bicker and fight and go sort of go at it with each other on the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn (the direction of the train's route is pretty obvious to those of us living in Gotham City). There's no physical violence that we can hear, just words, but the intention is certainly there and even though we couldn't prove that either of these women would win said fisticuffs. But all that's missing in the video is the smell of urine, vomit, germs and all things gross. Yet after hearing it and playing the video back several times, we decided the one thing it lended itself most to was a remix--an edit from only one person really, Mr Vega. So we asked him to do it the best way we knew how, through Twitter. And he answered back and here we are, hours later, with a deep rave/tech instrumental track with vocal samples pulled from the fight, which Vega has dubbed "I'm No Dyke (D Train)".

(mp3)    Mr Vega - I'm No Dyke (D Train)

Godspeed!

Photos: CMJ 2009 with Topman and Subdrive on October 24

One final night of CMJ left, we rested up for a quick disco nap at the apartment after the Levi's/The Fader fort sweatfest and headed straight out to Root Studios in the still-warehouse-district portion of Williamsburg for the Topman-curated event, which hosted live performances from Neon Indian, Cale Parks and Almighty Defenders as well as DJ sets from NROTB, Designer Drugs and Finger On The Pulse. We stayed to say hey to FOTP and NROTB and then caught the set from Neon Indian--their lights and sound were leaps beyond that of the VEGA show earlier in the day before heading over to North 4th Bar for the Subdrive CMJ hangout, which featured Terror Dactel, VDRK & OCD Automatic, Dillinger, Gavin Royce and a bunch of our friends. We gathered a few troops late night and actually ended up going to the bottom of the Earth aka K&M for some hilarious "80s night" whooping it up.

(mp3)    Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

Godspeed!

Download: The American Dream Team - "Nightmare Disco"

Last Halloween, we got the chance to see The American Dream Team all done up in full-on Slash from Guns 'N' Roses attire, playing to a sardine-packed loft party in Brooklyn. This year, though, no such luck, but at least we'll have this artifact, a sample-heavy slasher called "Nightmare Disco", a perfect accompaniment to shrieks and freaks and ghouls for the most unruly of holidays here in the US. The track has "Psycho" knife cuts and wobbly basslines, echoed effects and bouncy rhythms throughout, making a menacingly-titled song really just fun to dance to in just-over four minutes of thumping heartbeat-rendering electro.

(mp3)    The American Dream Team - Nightmare Disco

Godspeed!

Video: Thao With The Get Down Stay Down - "Cool Yourself"

More foot-stompingly amazing indie pop from Thao And The Get Down Stay Down off of the just-released-two-weeks-ago (and actually pretty great that it serves as Kill Rock Stars' 500th release) album Know Better Learn Faster, "Cool Yourself" is full of "whoa oh"s and the trademark jangly guitars that have made the small-in-frame Thao such a force on wax.The clip for the song is all 2D animation of monsters and heroes with the trio playing the role of saviors of both jagged music and jagged city hearts. They battle giant meteors, giant kittens, robot zombies, Godzilla, an Amish squid, oh yeah, Hall & Oates and a few others. They vanquish all comers and retire to their den of rock to focus on music, which in reality, plays really well to the trio's non-superhero-powered talents.

(mp3)    Thao With The Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster

Godspeed!

Download: Radioproof edits Delphic and Crystal Fighters

Radioproof, currently on tour with Alex Metric serving as his keyboard player, caught us completely off guard and we totally forgot to even mention him this summer when he released some gem remixes to us all in the form of Delphic, Crystal Fighters and Concerto for Turntables. Dude's already been out on the road with the likes of Primary 1 and Metronomy and bigger things are jumping off for him for sure. "This Momentary" has never been anything else but a contender for one of our top tracks of the year--especially with the icy synth pop feel and cybernetic speak-singing--so getting an edit of it just serves as a nice memory jogging. The "Xtatic Truth" edit is seriously bananas and epic, but must've slipped our minds, sure, but this is what happens now in the poisonous waves of too much to consume and not enough mouths/ears/eyes to do it all. Evolve already, dear humans, evolve!

(mp3)    Delphic - This Momentary (Radioproof remix)

(mp3)    Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (Radioproof remix)

Godspeed!

Video: Wolf Gang - "The King And All Of His Men"

More straight pomp, circumstance and symphonic vibe-filled dance pop from Wolf Gang with this, the newest single, "The King And All Of His Men", which is set for release on November 16. The video is all shaded greys and stark black and white tones, leaving only the voice and music to do the coloring, whether within the lines or outside of them. It's been quite thrilling this last half-year to follow along as Max McElligott has been making a big name for himself with his brand of synthy dance pop from London and we're positive that he's not quite done yet. Later on in the coming weeks/months we've also been promised from the camp that remixes from Hot Chip, Egyptian Hip Hop and Housse De Racket will be on their way. Amazing.

(mp3)    Wolf Gang - The King And All Of His Men

Godspeed!

News: DJ P.O.L. Style drops new EP, Vampire Killah

Japan's DJ P.O.L. Style is releasing for "Vampire Killah", the next EP on Nightshifters, the label that brought forth crushers from CT Burners, Jubilee, et al. The single, a stabby disco bloodbath cut that is full of vocal samples and only-for-the-night synth lines, and it comes backed with four dark and doozy remixes, from Rob Threezy, LOLBoys, Trumpdisco and label head DJ Donna Summer. Get it now on the Nightshifters site, right on time for the days of the dead.

(mp3)    DJ P.O.L. Style - Vampire Killah (Trumpdisco remix)

Godspeed!

Video: Designer Drugs - "Zombies! (one year later anniversary video)"

Oh hey y'all, happy Halloween to you and yours. A year to the day since the initial release of the monster banger house anthem "Zombies!", Michael and Theo aka Designer Drugs are back with a video clip directed by the lovely Elle Rex of the creatures of the night-styled romp mixed up with a collage of getting-all-your-friends-together-in-one-apartment-to-rage clips. Either way, the dudes know how to bring the darkness out of the party and the glitchy VHS-washed treatment that Elle employs fits really well into the vibes of the song and the hoisting-up it deserves. It's been a pretty remarkable year for the duo of Designer Drugs and we can't wait for what 2010 has in store for them, alive or undead.

(mp3)    The Toxic Avenger - Toxic Is Dead (Designer Drugs remix)

(mp3)    Designer Drugs - Drop Down

Godspeed!