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SEPTEMBER 18 - OCTOBER 1
Earplug is a biweekly email newsletter, delivering a handpicked
selection of news, sounds, videos, and original features for the
international electronic music community.
We've feeling pretty great about our hometown lately — it's been a rough
couple of years here in New York but there finally seems to be signs of new
life. The fall is always the city's most exciting season, and this year is
no exception: in the next month alone, NYC is hosting the Billboard Dance
Music Summit, CMJ, the Transatlantic Express, Resfest, and an outstanding
one-day festival called Renewable Brooklyn. They're all causes for
celebration, and with a bunch of new clubs opening soon and the bizarre "no-dancing laws" up for review, we decided to devote this issue to New York and its diverse world of electronic music.
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Back to Life
New York's once-sparkling nightlife scene is poised for a comeback thanks to
the host of new clubs and venues opening this fall. Boston club Avalon
reopens in the former Limelight on September 20, while the old Twilo space
is being reborn as Spirit, an outpost of a successful Dublin club. It will
feature a raw food restaurant, an art gallery, and a holistic center, along
with music and performances. Chicago/Miami superclub Crobar promises a fall
debut of their NYC location. Deep just opened across from the
closed-for-renovations Centro-Fly, boasting an intensely powerful sound
system — Frankie Knuckles and Danny Krivit have already worked the
turntables. New live music venues are coming as well: the Canal Room is
opening in the former Shine; the Hook, a one-time ink factory in
up-and-coming Red Hook, Brooklyn, is bringing bands and DJs to its intimate
space; and Satalla, a spot wholly devoted to world music, just opened on
26th Street in Manhattan. (MS)
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NYC Nightlife Still Footloose
Although New York's prohibition-era Cabaret Laws remain fully in effect, making it illegal to dance in the vast majority of the city's bars and restaurants, the city agency responsible for enforcing the statutes has recently put them up for review. "There isn't much disagreement that the current laws don't address the real problems," says Dina Improta, the Department of Consumer Affairs spokesperson. "We are continuing to meet with community organizations, club owners, and residents to see what changes need to be made." The Cabaret Laws were written in 1926 and dusted off in the mid-'90s by Mayor Giuliani, who used them to crack down on clubs as part of his "Quality of Life" campaign. Now reforms are clearly in the works, but clubs such as Fez, Luahn, and B'lo were issued dancing citations in just the past few months. Meanwhile, the NYC smoking ban, which went into effect on March 30 and has reportedly had an adverse economic impact on nightlife, has had little affect on cabaret law reform. "Noise complaints before and after the smoking ban are still the number one complaint in New York City," said Importa. (AG)
The writer of this story is a co-founder of Legalize Dancing NYC.
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Big Life For DFA
With the release of the DFA's first CD, Compilation #1, and the major label
debut of the Rapture (see review below) — both due for release in September — New York's most promising underground imprint is poised to take
its distinct downtown dance-rock to the big leagues. DFA co-producers Tim
Goldsworthy and James Murphy have established themselves as one of the most
consistent and sought-after production teams around; their remixes for Metro
Area, Le Tigre, and Radio 4, as well as cuts from the label's own Juan
Maclean and LCD Soundsystem, have been revelry-makers in NYC's moribund club
scene. DFA's newest single, Juan Maclean's "Give Me Every Little Thing," is
perhaps their most uplifting nightlife anthem yet. Now, with the Rapture
signed to Universal-backed imprint Strummer Recordings, other DFA albums
sparking similar major-label interest, and remixes in the can for UNKLE,
Chromeo, and Kraftwerk, is the DFA family worried about losing their edge?
According to label manager Jonathan Galkin, "we love attention, more
attention means more opportunities, and it seems every opportunity given to
us is hit out of the park. Next please?" (DP)
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The Empire Strikes Back
September 9, 2003 will go down as a turning point in music business history — the day the RIAA filed 261 lawsuits against file-sharing fans in its effort to stamp out online piracy. But with plaintiffs including a 12-year-old girl, an amnesty program that may not be all it's cracked up to be, and the industry's effort to portray music downloaders as akin to porn purveyors, many people (including some of the artists the RIAA purports to represent) are questioning if the hardball tactics aren't going to make matters worse. The evidence is so far mixed: many college students are clearly spooked (while their schools are getting into the business of selling the tunes), but many music fans are looking at ways to block the RIAA's prying eyes while software engineers are frantically trying to develop undetectable and unstoppable file-sharing networks. And, while Universal's decision to cut the price of their CDs to $10 or less may provide a sales boost this holiday season, the effect on indie labels and record stores could be devastating. But with sales of CD singles making a surprising comeback (who knew?), it seems like anything is possible. (CW)
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MORE HEADLINES
On Air
Dancestar USA broadcasts scheduled more »
BOOYAH!
Dizzee Rascal wins Mercury Prize
more »
Beck's Boutique
Back in the studio with the Dust Brothers more »
Jaxx Dates
Winter tour announced more »
Countdown
iTunes for PC to launch in October more »
Say It Ain't So, Ringo
Beatles sue Apple Computer more »
A Fischerspoonful of Sugar
Electroclashers hit the road more »
DJ/ruptured
Rear-end collision destroys DJ's trove more »
The Message
Grandmaster Flash pens autobiography more »
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Artist: |
The Rapture |
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| Album: |
Echoes |
| Label: |
Strummer/Universal |
| Release: |
Release Date TK |
First things first: yes, Luke Jenner's voice sounds an awful lot like Robert Smith (or Thom Yorke); and no, this is hardly a straightforward "electronic" release, but the band does get credit for spearheading the current dance-punk merger. The fact is, "House of Jealous Lovers" still hasn't worn out its welcome, "Olio" is like a jug-band Superpitcher covering Pornography, and "Sister Savior" is the funkiest disco-rock brood since "Emotional Rescue." Throw in "Heaven," which dares to merge Georgian modal folk with muscular funk-punk, and you've got a record that actually does live up to its yearlong cascade of hype. (PS)
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Artist: |
Gaby Kerpel |
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| Album: |
Carnabailito |
| Label: |
Nonesuch |
| Release: |
August 26 |
For his debut solo recording, Argentinean composer Gaby Kerpel mixes tradition with technology — recording Latin rhythms and traditional South American instruments like the Brazilian cavaquinho and the Argentinean charango, then splicing and dicing the sounds in Pro Tools, he creates tracks that sound ancient and melodic with a touch of digital angel dust. Kerpel was a touring performer and musical composer for the dance-acrobatic spectacular De La Guarda [see story below] before moving to NYC, and his quirky, wholly unusual fusion of old and new sounds come off like Tom Ze' run through Matthew Herbert's sound board. (JK)
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Artist: |
DJ E-Man |
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| Album: |
Bang the Party: Volume 1 |
| Label: |
Jellybean Recordings |
| Release: |
September 30 |
After six years and as many venues, Brooklyn's famous music/dance/art gathering Bang the Party is back on Friday nights (at Duplexx) and have released their debut mix CD. Just like a night at the club, Erick "E-Man" Clark spins a deep, Afro-influenced set of house music, peppering many of the tracks with his own sweet, raspy vocals. Songs like Kerri Chandler's "Where I Live," DJ Oji and Una's "Sanctuary," and DJ Romain's "Respect the Music" are Fort Greene classics, and E-Man's uplifting half-sung/half-spoken odes to the power of music are heartfelt and true. (DJP)
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Artist: |
Various Artists |
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| Album: |
The Sound of Young New York |
| Label: |
Plant |
| Release: |
September 2 |
As DJs, promoters, bar owners, and record label operators, Plant's Marques and Dominique have had a front-row seat for New York's recent dance music evolution. With a selection of tracks that feature popping, live-style basslines, slowed-down synths, and eminently groovy drum programming, the album is an excellent primer in the gray area of sound where retroclash and neo-post-punk meets pure house music. From definitive DFA remixes of Metro Area and Radio 4 to kitschy-catchy vocal cuts like the Glass' "Won't Bother Me" and Syrup's "If I Gave You A Party," Plant's new CD is a reminder the city's music remains vital. (DJP)
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Artist: |
Spy from Cairo |
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| Album: |
An Eye On the World |
| Label: |
Stoned Asia |
| Release: |
October 27 |
Italian-born, British-raised musician Moreno "Zeb" Visini was a founding member of the evolving NYC collective Organic Grooves, playing guitar, keyboards, trumpet, and melodica in the band and co-producing the group's recordings. Recorded at his home studio on the Lower East Side, An Eye on the World is a dubbed-out, downtempo mood piece, with fragments of vocal wails laced between deep basslines and lazy beats. Tracks like "Ride My Camel" and "Don't Panic I'm Islamic" work the stoned Eastern vibe particularly well, while "More" is a funky percussive groove. (DJP)
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Artist: |
Mark Ronson |
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| Album: |
Here Comes The Fuzz |
| Label: |
Elektra |
| Release: |
September 9 |
Who knew that NYC's most notorious celebrity DJ would release this year's album that most puts trueold-school values at its heart. Hate all you want, but your standard hip hop outing doesn't typically feature Jack White jamming with Jay-Z's homey Freeway, nor does it solder M.O.P. to Lenny Kravitz; Fuzz even features a straight-up disco joint ("High") that's begging for a Eric Morillo remix. Best of all, Ronson gets a bunch of hip hop's boldfaced big shots — think Nappy Roots, Ghostface Killah (who slays, as usual), Mos Def, Sean Paul — and forces them deep into unfamiliar musical territory. The results are nothing less than fresh. Yeah, "fresh" — the same thing we would have called it back in the day. (TA)
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EARPLUG FAVES
Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash
(XL/Astalwerks)
Fernanda Porto, Fernanda Porto
(Trama)
Lyrics Born, Later That Day
(Quannum)
Bent, The Everlasting Blink
(Guidance)
Tony Humphries (mix), Choice
(Azuli)
DJ /rupture, 58.46 Radio Mix
(Negrophonic)
Cylobotnia, Cylobotnia
(Rephlex)
Medicine, The Mechanical Forces of Love
(Wall of Sound/Astralwerks)
Amalgamation of Soundz (mix), Fabric 12
(Fabric)
Frost, Melodica
(Shadow)
Various, Jazzelicious Presents
(Kriztal)
Apparat, Duplex
(Shitkatapult)
Rechenzentrum, Director's Cut
(Mille Plateaux)
Kirk DeGiorgio & Ian O'Brien (mix), The Soul Of Science 3
(Obsessive)
Polmo Polpo, Like Hearts Swelling
(Constellation)
Barf, Liebe Meine EP
(Proptronix)
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Preview: Billboard Dance Music Summit
September 22-24
Union Square Ballroom, New York, NY
Now in its 10th year, 2003's edition of the Billboard Dance Music Summit will take place in the Union Square Ballroom, a private nightclub owned by New York dance music legend John "Jellybean" Benitez. During the day, remixing, digital downloading, publishing, new laws and regulations, and music licensing will be among the many topics up for discussion by dozens of industry leaders, including Crobar co-owner Ken Smith, Astralwerks honcho Errol Konsoline, Giant Step president Maurice Bernstein, and Motorola's Rob Gleik — helping the DJs, label owners, promoters, and everyone else in the industry figure out how to keep the music moving forward. At night, performances and DJ sets by Tony Humphries, Jason Bentley, Lisa Shaw, Louie Vega, Kevin Hedge, François K. with guest DJ M'eshell Ndegeocello, and many others, plus an encore performance of De La Guarda's DJ Connection with Dub Pistols' Barry Ashworth, ensure that work and fun are represented equally. (DJP)
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Preview: Renewable Brooklyn
October 4
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
Renewable Brooklyn, a collective of artists, environmentalists, and professionals devoted to creating a more ecologically friendly urban environment, hosts a one-day festival in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Bandshell on October 4. The outstanding lineup includes UNKLE, Handsome Boy Modeling School's Dan the Automator & Prince Paul, Head Automatica, Arthur Baker, Out Hud, 2 Many DJs, and Radio 4, with London's Dark Light Projections providing some special abstract textural imagery. In addition to raising money for the organization, the Renewable Brooklyn concert aims to lead by example: the performance venue will be powered by offset wind power donated by Community Energy and fans will enjoy organic food concessions and Brooklyn Brewery's first batch of organic beer, served in biodegradable cups made from corn. (MR)
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Preview: RESFEST NYC
October 9-12
New York, NY
Few festivals acknowledge the integration of electronic music with filmmaking, animation, art, and design with the dedication of RESFEST. Now in its seventh year, this annual traveling exhibition of forward-thinking short films, ground-breaking music videos, and wildly inventive animation has trumped even itself, strengthening its stellar weekend program with a raucous kick-off party headlined by LCD Soundsystem at the Bowery Ballroom. This year's festival promises another robust roster of events, including a special retrospective of music videos and commercials spanning the career of celebrated music video director Michel Gondry (whose credits include work with Björk, White Stripes, and the Chemical Brothers). Fans of director Spike Jonze will get an opportunity to view his hilarious new documentary, Torrance Rises, as well as rarely or never-before seen shorts and videos. And, on October 11, New York audiences can catch a premiere screening of Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, the collaborative animated musical feature from Daft Punk and master animator Leiji Matsumoto. (SM)
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Preview: Transatlantic Express 2003/"Mini" In the City
October 16-23
New York, NY
The Northwestern English cities of Manchester and Liverpool hold a special place in the history of music, fashion, film, and art — from the Beatles and New Order to the KLF and the Happy Mondays, and from the Cavern Club to Cream, these two cities have represented a scrappy DIY ethic while playing a large part in shaping popular culture. Transatlantic Express 2003 is a week-long festival showcasing the best of these two cities in New York, including a series of concerts, screenings, fashion shows, and exhibitions. In addition, Manchester's renowned music festival In the City (the UK's answer to the New Music Seminar) is holding a "mini" US version. Hosted by Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, panels will include such topics as "Oversexed, Overpaid, but Not Over Here: The Faltering Relationship between the US and England" and confirmed performances include Mr. Scruff, Pedro, and Pete Wylie. (DJP)
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Preview: CMJ Music Marathon
October 22-26
New York, NY
The annual CMJ Music Marathon, a three-day showcase of buzz bands, panels, and films, is back, and despite its rock-centric focus, dance music folks would be foolish to ignore it outright. Panel discussions include talks on regional club scenes and the explosive growth of the jazz remix industry, as well as roundtables on press, new technology, and digital distribution — issues that affect rockers, rappers, and ravers alike. The current buzz surrounding no wave and post-punk lends the lineups their share of bands that fuse rock structures with electronic instrumentation, including SF electro-mashers I Am Spoonbender, it-band-with-a-cowbell the Rapture, and, for the opening night party at Webster Hall, classic dance-metallers Killing Joke. It'd be nice to see some DJ or laptop talent in there to remind folks that electronic dance music isn't dead, but between the recent blackout and arcane no-dancing laws, perhaps baby steps are the best we can ask for. (PS)
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Real Player required for these streams.
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listen » |
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Timmy Regisford, WBLS Saturday Night Mix Party, February 1985
Classic Garage-style radio mix from Shelter mainman Timmy Regisford, by way of Deep House Page's completist archive of new and old mixes, many uploaded from original cassette recordings.
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Nickel and Dime Radio w/ DJ $mall Change, WFMU, September 2003
One of New York's most creative and eclectic DJs has been holding down a slot on the city's freeform radio treasure WFMU since the summer of 1996. After some technical difficulties, the station's extensive archives are now back online.
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Liquid Sound Lounge w/ DJ Jeannie Hooper, August 30, 2003
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Liquid Sound Lounge, DJ Jeannie Hooper's underground house music radio show (originally called Adventures in the World of House) on community station WBAI.
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The Rev, Live on Kind Kidz Radio, March 2003
Former NYU music student the Rev plays dark and funky techno — he's part of the Simply Bangin' crew with DJ Fame, DJ Strife, and others. Kind Kidz Radio broadcasts live techno sets twice a week.
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listen » |
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Busquelo, various mixes
Born from a reggae residency at Brooklyn's Halcyon, the Busquelo squad
keeps the spirit of Jah intact as they traverse the city dropping
their roots rocks bombs. Check their site for tons of streaming reggae,
rare groove, and downbeat mixes.
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listen » |
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Lenny Dee, Hardcore's Founding Father in the Mix
Worlds from chill, groovy lounge beats, this is hardcore for the headstrong. A
truly original New York sound, hardcore was born on the streets of
Brooklyn, crafted under the hands of Lenny and Frankie Bones.
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listen » |
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Animal Collective, live on Dublab, July 17, 2003
Brooklyn-based sound sculptors Avye Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist make walls of space noise on their new album Here Comes the Indian. This live set from the summer is part of the great Dublab archives.
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watch » |
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Back to School
Boasting an international faculty of
motion graphics scholars, an impressively diverse curriculum of work, and campuses on both coasts (a new NYC office opened in March), Brand New School is poised to make a large push towards expanding its current student base. Lose yourself for just a couple of minutes in the digital fantasy world created for Polyphonic Spree's "Light & Day" and you'll understand the studio's skillful grasp of their client's needs. Utilizing the same standards in their promo work for MTV2 and the SXSW festival, Brand New School stylistically fuse animation with live imagery to produce dynamic visual shorts for artists like ELP, The Jungle Brothers, Simian and The Rapture. Although they seemingly eschew convention for creativity, they have mastered the ability to incorporate their frenetic and colorful edits in corporate brands like the Sundance Channel's Sonic Cinema show and Cartoon Network. School is definitely in session. (SM)
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B-Boy Extraordinaire
Bobbito Garcia is New York — an urban renaissance man and a committed supporter of the city's underground culture. As DJ Cucumber Slice, he's a true-blue hip hop legend, from his famous WKCR programs (1990 - 2002) to his hugely popular residencies at APT and Brooklyn's Martinez Gallery (a cutting edge exhibition space and lounge of which he is part owner). Two Bobbito mix CDs — his own eclectic Earthtones and The Wonder of Stevie, a collection of Wonder covers and classics mixed with DJ Spinna — are due out this fall. As a journalist, he's written for the Source, Fader, Slam, and Vibe, where he pens the monthly "Sound Check" column; his first book, Where'd You Get Those? New York City's Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987, was recently published by Testify Books. Bobbito's also at the helm of Fruitmeat Records, a joint label venture with Giant Step that releases old school salsa, Afrobeat joints, forward-thinking hip hop singles, and whatever else he deems funky. He's an actor and basketball performer too — look for him on screen in Bobbito's Basic to Boogie video, NBA Street 2 video game, and a major motion picture he's filming now. (MS)
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DJs in the Sky
Since 1998, De La Guarda's troupe of dancers, acrobats, and other high-flying entertainers have made a grand old bank building on Union Square their home-away-from-Argentina. The show — a combination of trapeze artistry, special effects, and Latin techno-influenced music — has been an ongoing success in New York, and touring versions have performed in Amsterdam, London, and Mexico City. Last summer, the group teamed up with the Matter/:Form crew and introduced a new Thursday night show that costars a revolving cast of top-flight international DJs. Now ending its second season, De La Guarda's DJ Connection has included performances by Carl Cox, Derrick May, Doc Martin, Ralph Lawson, and many others. A final encore show, starring resident Dave Hollands and guest Barry Ashworth of the Dub Pistols, is scheduled for September 23 to coincide with the Billboard Dance Music Summit. (DJP)
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Remix Hotel NYC
October 10-12
Remix magazine brings the Remix Hotel to NYC for three days of master classes, seminars, workshops, and clinics for DJs, music producers, engineers, and anyone who's interested in using the latest technologies to produce electronic and urban music. Coinciding with the annual AES Convention and taking place at the new Herald Square facility of the School for Audio Engineering, Remix Hotel NYC will feature the latest gear from Cakewalk, Denon, Digidesign, Edirol, Emagic/Apple, Guitar Center, Ilio, Korg, Roland, Serato, Sirius, Vestax, and Yamaha. Remix Hotel debuted in Miami last March and was filled to capacity. Each evening Sirius radio and Remix will host a VIP cocktail reception and DJ event in the Remix Lounge, and you can't beat the price — its free. All you have to do is sign up here. Keep an eye out for special guest appearance announcements. (DJP)
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Giant Step
For more than a decade, Giant Step has been bringing some of the most innovative and exciting music out of the underground, helping artists, musicians, and DJs from around the world build dedicated, long-lasting support in New York City and across the US. As concert and event promoters, Giant Step has organized literally hundreds of shows, featuring artists like Massive Attack, Roni Size, the Brand New Heavies, UFO, and Tricky in their US debuts. And the formerly regular Giant Step club nights (such as Thursdays at the Supper Club) are the stuff of NYC legend. Giant Step Records has released 12" singles and albums from many artists including Donnie, Carl Hancock Rux, Agent K, and the Turntables on the Hudson crew. The company's regular email updates, extensive website, and text message reminders keep the entire Giant Step community up-to-date on the best new music around. (DJP)
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Header Design:
David Stueve
Mailer Design:
Double K Design
Editors:
David J. Prince
Philip Sherburne
Sascha Lewis
Christopher Hampton
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Production:
Mark Mangan
Anjuli Ayer
Keats
Sander-Martijn Milks
Husani Oakley
Gray Sevilla
Contributors:
Jeffrey Kaye
Steve Marchese
Dan Parham
Maggie Stein
Cyrus Wadia
Ben Cardew
Jon Spooner
Trick Addy
Marlon Regis
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Submissions/Feedback |
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Tell us what you think is exciting and worth including in Earplug by dropping us an email at tips. Writers interested in getting even more involved should reach us at contribute. And if what you want to do is criticize, praise, or generally comment on this publication, please send an email to feedback.
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Header Design |
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We have an open call to create the headers that run at the top of each issue. If you would like to submit a design, please email us at contribute and we'll send you the necessary specs.
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About Us |
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Earplug is an email newsletter dedicated to electronic music and its
many dynamic styles and influences. Published every two weeks, it features a
handpicked selection of music news, cultural spotlights, tip sheets, CD
reviews, original reporting, and music festival previews and reviews.
Earplug offers only pure editorial and unbiased news — no money is
accepted from any artists, labels, promoters, or companies seeking
mention.
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