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	News New Releases Festivals Listen Watch Feature Charts Credits		JUNE 9 - JUNE 22 Earplug is a twice-monthly email magazine, delivering a handpicked selection of news, sounds, videos, and original features for the international electronic-music community. With all the festivals, DJ picnics, parties, afterparties, and after-afters — not to mention the aspirin and after-aspirin — you'd think there was no time to listen to recorded music these past two weeks. But as we were ripping and burning our way through Detroit, Montreal, and beyond, we still road-tested new gear from Tosca, Damian Lazarus, and more. Thanks to Wi-Fi and a few well-placed tipsters, we also managed to dig up dirt on forthcoming releases from techno's hardest hitters — not to mention chamber music's biggest techno fans. Meanwhile, a few intrepid DJs gave us a glimpse at their stacks of white labels, and Lightrhythm Visuals lit our sleepless nights. Finally, we went head to head with border control, so you don't have to — because no matter what US Customs may think, club culture knows no boundaries.



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Thirteen Tips for Thinner Thighs
Summer is the season of all things bodily — of sweat, suntans, flaunting skin, and moving it on the dance floor — so it's only fair that this summer may belong to Get Physical, the Berlin label at the forefront of the genre known as "electro-house." Last week saw the release of DJ T.'s pumping debut album, Boogie Playground; the genre-vaulting Body Language Vol. 1, mixed by M.A.N.D.Y., is setting the tone for playlists everywhere; and the upcoming single "Bateau Ivre" will give fans a first taste of Chelonis R. Jones' September album, Dislocated Genius. Meanwhile, Jones gets metaphysical with Röyksopp on the latter's single "49 Percent," a sinewy stratus cloud of broken rhythms and whispered vocals that features on the group's new album, The Understanding (Astralwerks, July 12).

However, if it's muscle you want, our money's on the Juan Maclean's Less Than Human (DFA/Astralwerks, July 12), which positively bulges with throbbing oscillations and bass lines more juiced than Barry Bonds. Kompakt kicks sand in faces this summer, as well, with its Speicher 29 featuring Reinhard Voigt and Alter Ego's remixes of Voigt's classic "Robson Ponte" (June 13); Barcelona's Ferenc getting Fraximal on their maximal debut album (June 27); and the long-awaited Total 6 compilation set to be unveiled — in a still-secret Cologne location, no less — at an epic party featuring mystery producer Rex the Dog, DJ Koze, Ferenc, Justus Köhncke, and more (August 26).

Of course, some of the most hotly anticipated new releases these days are reissues, so it's fitting that Speicher 30 will tap Tricky Disco's eponymous 1990 bleep classic and GTO's seminal "Pure," from the same year (July 30). Even more intriguing is news of Michael Mayer's long-rumored reissue label Immer, designed to breathe new life into forgotten club classics.

And speaking of resurrection, Alarm Will Sound already have our ears ringing with their July album Acoustica, on which they translate the music of Aphex Twin for acoustic instruments. Don't expect new age noodling, though — the 22-piece ensemble augments traditional orchestral instrumentation with duck calls, mbira, custom devices (the Uboingee Spring Guitar?), and John Cage-inspired preparations like bolts on the piano strings. It's a body of work to rival any working body around. (PS)


	MORE HEADLINES Invisible Video Apple's downloadable video rollout flies under the radar more » Ringtone Outsells Coldplay Single Music industry execs agree end of the world is near more » Half-empty or Half-full? Organizers drop crowd estimates for Fuse-In more » The Autobahn Reaches Chicago Kraftwerk tour in support of Minimum-Maximum more »

Artist:

Tosca

Album:

J.A.C.

Label:

!K7 Records

Release:

June 1

J.A.C., the fourth full-length from Tosca (Richard Dorfmeister of Kruder & Dorfmeister and his other longtime musical collaborator, Rupert Huber) finds the Austrian duo contemplating their newfound lives as fathers — the album title is an acronym for the names of their kids: Joshua, Arthur, and Conrad. Rooted in the same laid-back, downbeat grooves as previous efforts, J.A.C. sees aspects of blues and R&B flittering through its glossy string-laden productions and sensual beats; and in true paternal fashion, it also features the introduction and nurturing of some fresh talents, including two new vocalists (most notably Paris' Samiah Farah). The silky smooth mellow grooves, however, remain as subtle, and as relaxation-friendly, as ever — the perfect lullaby for child and grown-up alike. (TP)

Artist:

As One

Album:

Elegant Systems

Label:

Versatile

Release:

May 30

Download:

iTunes

Kirk Degiorgio looks both forward and backward on Elegant Systems — an appropriate tactic for the veteran producer who has recorded as Future/Past. Continuing to use the same bright melodies and textures that streamed through last year's Out of the Darkness, Degiorgio also updates the sound of his mid-'90s releases on ART and New Electronica. The affecting streak of melancholy that marked decade-old favorites "Meridian" and "Shambala" is gone, but the trade-offs are consistently beautiful rhythmic contours and rich melodies, and an album that shifts gracefully from swirling ambience to soft assaults on the dance floor. As if this unique return to form needed any further validation, it fits right in with recent Italo techno like Raiders of the Lost ARP's 4 and Marco Passarani's Sullen Look. (AK)

Artist:

Various

Album:

Bugged Out Presents: Suck My Deck Mixed by Damian Lazarus

Label:

Resist Music

Release:

June 6

With his Rebel Futurism mixes, Damian Lazarus shows off the agility of his Crosstown Rebels label; on his Suck My Deck installment, Lazarus shows that his own record bag is just as versatile — bending James Holden's astounding System 7 remix into Villalobos' update of Thomas Dolby's "One of Our Submarines," for one. Holden (Border Community) also donates an exclusive of his own, highlighting a track listing that also spotlights new names in international techno, such as one-to-watch Pier Bucci and fellow South American Rudie Martinez (aka Audio Peru). To finish, we even get the Stranglers "Love 303" and Superpitcher's M83 remix. The Suck My Deck series keeps its place at the height of club taste, and Lazarus hits the USA July 1-9. Sleep not. (DD)

Artist:

Various

Album:

Sa-Ra Presents: Dark Matter & Pornography Mixtape Vol. 30

Label:

Tube Records

Release:

May 13

Sa-Ra are so hot right now, you could cook a steak on them. As the multi-national label machine rushes to capitalize, mixes like these fill (and fly out of) bootleg bins faster than you can say "walk the plank." Dark Matter is 46 blended tracks of scrunchy psychedelic soul, complete with interludes, remixes, and originals. Tracks of note include Sa-Ra's spacious remix of DJ Mitsu's "Negative Ion," an exclusive Eric Roberson blowout, and even a rework of Nikka Costa featuring — wait for it — Prince. Despite their LA roots, Taz, Shafiq and Om'Mas are psy-entific descendants of Bambaataa and George Clinton — a fact this freaky mix preaches from Bratislava to Bangkok. (DD)

Artist:

Ellen Allien

Album:

Thrills

Label:

Bpitch Control

Release:

May 17

Download:

iTunes

As Bpitch Control's roster becomes more varied, pegging the label's personality to founder Ellen Allien becomes less tenable — but her propulsive Thrills still anchors the divergent strains of techno, electro, and hip-hop that make Bpitch one of Berlin's most consistent imprints. Gone are the pop flirtations of 2003's Berlinette; her third LP is her darkest and hardest yet. The tones of Allien's eBay-scavenged ARP 2600 lend the album its nervous, buzzing energy, while pummeling, overdriven beats pave the way through the rave's grittiest hours. Berlinette drew listeners into Allien's melodic web, and her mix CDs proved her rhythmic dexterity, but Thrills' hypnotic séance fuses the two into a virulent strain of techno that outshines most of her peers — in gloomy, purplish blacklight. (NP/PS)

Artist:

Death in Vegas

Album:

Satan's Circus

Label:

The Lab Records

Release:

May 24

Download:

iTunes

On the double-disc Satan's Circus, UK dark-swing ringleaders Death in Vegas recoil from the collaborative spinout of Scorpio Rising and strip down to their instrumental essence — revealing a tantalizing exquisite corpse toned by years of mainlining experimental German electronic rock. Eschewing cachet-laden guest rosters this time around, Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes strut and fret and daydream aloud with willful abandon. Awash in plodding, lumbering bass lines, sparse percussive punches, obsessive keyboard loops, jangling guitar hooks, and fuzzy filters, their rambling sound and fury ultimately assumes alluring, pleasing forms. The name-check studio nod of "Sons of Rother" is the strongest summation of the album's disparate, decadent parts — exploited to titillating effect on the bonus CD, recorded live in Brixton. (JH)

Artist:

Geiger

Album:

Out of Tune

Label:

Firm

Release:

May 23

Download:

Kompakt MP3

On his eclectic sophomore release, home studio virtuoso Alexander Geiger proves he's no techno traditionalist. Operating in the vein of Cologne-based cohort Justus Köhncke, Geiger drenches his productions with poptastic disco sensibilities, while at the same time branding them all his own; acoustic strings back falsetto vocals, funk-laden bass lines split songs at the seams, and shimmering piano keys tiptoe through the rubble as electric guitars descend in a wailing haze of dusky distortion. However, Out of Tune shines brightest with "Cocain-e," a slow-burning, dance-floor stunner that twitches and tweaks into life, oozing seductive rhythms like a slowly wrung, honey-saturated sponge — it just might be this summer's perfect segue between a lazy afternoon and a sweaty night. (JJ)

Artist:

The Herbaliser

Album:

Take London

Label:

Ninja Tune

Release:

May 31

Download:

iTunes

A decade after the release of their debut album, Herbaliser compadres Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba are far from laying down — in fact, they're storming the city, and lord help anyone who gets in their way. Taking the live instrumentation that has always made their stage shows so mind-blowing and bringing it to the grooves of their fifth LP, the two are joined by Jean Grae, Roots Manuva, and a ghostly cast of London gangsters in their unstoppable jazz, funk, and hip-hop assault on society. Crafting Portishead-esque instrumental thrillers ("Song for Mary") as easily as battle rap backdrops ("Generals"), the Herbaliser have once again done what they do best: delivered a looming, tapestry-like release that marks their sonic territory like a thunderstorm. With a record like this, they should have no trouble capturing London — or anywhere else. (DL)


	EARPLUG FAVES Prefuse 73, Prefuse 73 Reads the Books (Warp) Stephan Mathieu, The Sad Mac (Headz) Matt Elliott, Drinking Songs (Ici D'ailleurs) Mobius Band, The Loving Sounds of Static (Ghostly) T. Raumschmiere, Blitzkrieg Pop (Novamute) Recloose, Hiatus on the Horizon (Peacefrog) Mutamassik, Masri Mokkassar: Definitive Works (Sound-ink) Alexander's Dark Band, Dobutsu Bancho (DC Recordings) Jacen Solo, Virgo (Ai)

REVIEW: Springfive Festival
May 25-29
Graz, Austria

The Southern Austrian hills of Graz were alive and kicking with the sound of music during the long holiday weekend, but the Von Trapp family was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the town echoed with the bump and grind of the masses who had ventured from around the world to experience an exceptionally diverse lineup and pull sweaty all-nighters with the likes of Roni Size, T.Raumschmiere, Michael Mayer, Hexstatic, Nicolette, Electrocute, Al-Haca Sound System, DJ Marky, Krafty Kutz, Spoonface, Quantic, Meat Katie, and Mark Blissenden of Baby Mammoth. A brilliant live concert by Richard Dorfmeister and his dubbed-out Tosca project kicked things off at the festival's fifth incarnation, which exploited some of the unlikeliest venues to be found in a quiet arts community nestled in the mountains. Its nerve center was located at the Kunsthaus, a futuristic space-pod lovingly dubbed "the liver" by locals, while other locations included the ultra-chill Parkhouse — an indoor/outdoor bar set smack-dab in the middle of a gorgeous park — and the Dom im Berg, which offered a nightclub inside the womb of a mountain. Fleshed out with visual artists and exhibitions from the likes of Slovenia's Radio Mars, five days was hardly enough to catch it all. Perhaps next year's Springsix will offer up one more? (DT)

REVIEW: Fuse-In Detroit
May 28-30
Detroit, MI

Though this year's Fuse-In Detroit crowd estimates (90,000 over three days being reported in the papers — where did the other million go?) and costs ($10 per day/$25 for the weekend, as opposed to previous years' free passes) were drastically different, it was the little details that signaled triumph: Lucien Nicolet (aka Luciano)'s über-mustache; Chilean Chica Paula's delicate and deliberate wrists; Scan 7's ski masks; Underground Resistance's press-photo blackout; Alexander Robotnick's cigarettes, hanging off his extended hand while dancing on stage. Jan Jelinek, Sten, and Peter Grummich were no-shows, Model 500 played too short, and Mos Def — despite promoting a full-sounding record — only brought a DJ. But by Monday evening, Richie Hawtin had the Underground Stage's cement floor sweating, there was a Native American powwow on the main stage, courtesy of Red Planet and UR, and Kevin Saunderson, this year's Fuse-In architect, could honestly invite the crowd back for more in 2006. Now, can we please pay some people? (CG)

REVIEW: MUTEK
June 1-5
Montreal, Quebec

The sixth annual installment of Montreal's MUTEK festival may have been its riskiest yet — even among the most clued-in heads in the crowd, few knew who Saturday-night headliners Galoppierende Zuversicht were, much less how to pronounce their name — but many attendees left the five-day extravaganza convinced that this was its best year yet. The long weekend began on a shadowy note, with much of Wednesday and Thursday dedicated to dark ambient and microsound, but once the beats dropped, they never let up. Saturday night's blowout found Mathew Jonson tearing trance a new wormhole; and Luciano, left hanging after his partner Ricardo Villalobos went AWOL, played a furious live set that almost collapsed when a blown fuse left 2,000 clubbers hanging perilously on the cusp of the peak hour. To fill in for the missing Chilean, Atom Heart and dark horse the Original Hamster wowed with an improvised fusion of minimal techno and reggaeton, played on a rack of drum machines borrowed only hours before. The highlight, though, were Zürich's aforementioned Galoppierende Zuversicht, who used custom-made hardware to squeal through two hours of delirious psychedelic grooves. Sunday, meanwhile, saw 3,000 people crowd a riverside park for 85-degree madness from Stephen Beaupre, Chile's Bucci brothers, and the tag-team duo of Luciano and Serafin, who cruised 'til dusk on a seemingly endless mix of uplifting after-after-hours tunes. And the die-hards who braved the Sunday night finale were left breathless after Thomas Melchior's booming minimal house, Soulphiction's battery of drum machines and gasped vocals, and Nego Moçambique's uniquely Brazilian fusion of funk and techno. MUTEK blew minds, eardrums, and any notion that fans could afford to miss next year's edition. (PS)


	OTHER FESTIVALS Electundra June 12-15 Melbourne, Australia Sónar June 16-18 Barcelona, Spain Basscelona June 16-19 Barcelona, Spain Analog Pleasures: Ecosystem Festival Benefit June 25 Ghent, Belgium Eurockeennes July 1-3 Belfort, France Synch July 1-3 Lavrio, Greece Les Siestes Electroniques July 1-10 Toulouse, France Montreux Jazz Festival July 1-16 Montreux, Switzerland Liquid Architecture July 1-23 Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Cairns, and Canberra, Australia Awakenings July 2 Spaarnwoude, Netherlands Nature One July 5-8 Kastellaun/Hunsrück, Germany Exit Fest July 7-10 Novi Sad, Serbia Beats, Breaks & Culture: Toronto Electronic Music Festival July 8-10 Toronto, Ontario GeoLogic Fest July 15-17 Shawnee Cave Amphitheatre, Illinois Glade Festival July 15-17 Newbury, England Monegros Desert Festival XI (Groove Parade) July 16 Monegros, Spain Intonation Music Festival July 16-17 Chicago, IL Optronica July 20-24 Manchester, England Futuresonic July 22-24 London, England Lovebox Weekender July 23-24 London, England For more festivals, click here

listen »

Jena Paradies: Kunstformen der Natur (MP3)
Moldova's man in Atlanta, Jena Paradies, offers up an exquisite mix of melancholic microhouse spanning Pantha du Prince, Oliver Hacke, and Superpitcher's sublime remix of the MFA's "The Difference It Makes."

listen »

Percussion Lab: Milanese Live (MP3)
Recent Brooklyn transplant Percussion Lab steps into the baddest borough toting some drastic mixing from Warp's latest breakcore maestro, Milanese.

listen »

Mikebee: Remember Me — An Electrohouse Mix (MP3)
Erstwhile junglist Mikebee, famed for San Francisco's Future Breaks and True Intent crews, gets shady — Booka Shady, that is — in a mix of electrohouse and minimal fidgetry that's tighter than the skin of a mylar balloon.

listen »

Raveric: Journey to Planet Electro (MP3)
Blending a quality mix takes time; stitching together an edit-heavy mega-mix takes forever! Thanks go out to Raveric for spending the hours to cobble together this hip-hop, electro, and freestyle masterwork.

listen »

The Quantic Soul Orchestra Live at Seen (RealAudio)
Funk finds its high-water mark lapping at the heels of the Quantic Soul Orchestra. With the timbre and warmth of yesteryear's 45s, the cuts that Quantic drops are otherworldly.

Looking for more hot mix sets and fresh new tracks? Check out Blentwell for an ongoing document of the evolution of blended music online.

Review: Hidden Partition
Lightrhythm Visuals

The birthplace of silicon soul, San Franciso has always benefited from a unique mix of artistic chic, programmer geekery, and activist passion; this technologically sophisticated renegade spirit has produced a number of significant subversive movements, including Survival Research Laboratories and the near-mythic ToonTown raves. Appropriately, SF has also become the home to a burgeoning visual performance art and VJ culture — one that has spawned Lightrhythm Visuals, a video label and designer group on a mission to make the work of the world's leading performance designers readily available on DVD format.

Hidden Partition, the newest DVD from co-founder Ben Sheppee, represents the label's first audiovisual release, expanding its image-only VJ Single Compilation VJ tools with soundtracks provided by renowned producers such as the Bay Area's own chop-and-paste specialist edIT, ambient dub superstar Bedouin Ascent, and Ninja Tune's cinematic beatsmith Blockhead. Eleven visual artists, including V2 Labs, Suryummy, and D-Fuse, were invited to remix the video elements of Sheppee's work into their own configuration of dots and loops — some of the results are reminiscent of the analog days, when mixing dual slide projectors onto a taut white sheet was the norm; others are more in line with current trends of software assimilation, mixing vector and 3-D applications with seamless skill. All of the visuals, however, are like the great City by the Bay herself: a beguiling mix of intellect, creativity, and pure sensualist abandon. (SM)


	MORE VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA The Chemical Brothers, "The Boxer" watch » Jamie Lidell, Live at the Royal Festival Hall, London 2004 watch » Psapp, "About Fun" watch » Efterklang, "Swarming" watch » Michal Levy, Giant Steps watch » Quasimoto, "Bullyshit" watch » DJ Format, "Separated at Birth" watch »

Border Line Insanity
International artists beset by visa woes

So much for "Hello, Cleveland!" Passport in hand, with flyers promoting his tour already circulating around the US, Canadian artist Montag was on his way through the border from Vancouver, BC last month when his plans came crashing down — without a performance visa for the US, Customs would not admit him. An attempt to pass through a few days later, bearing a note from Seattle radio station KEXP confirming a promotional appearance, was also rebuffed. One more failed attempt to cross, Montag was told, and he'd be banned from the United States for five years.

Click to read the rest »


	OTHER FEATURES This Spirtual(ized) Coil Thighpaulsandra gets vulgar It's Not Easy Being Extreme Fischerspooner on why indie rockers hate them Level Three of Seven Röyksopp ascend toward Understanding

Each week, Earplug sneaks a peek inside the crates of our favorite DJs. We'll even help you beef up your own bag: click on selected titles to preview, download, or purchase vinyl.

Will Saul (Simple)
London, England
www.simplerecords.co.uk

Sasse, "Soul Sounds (Dirt Crew Remix)" (Moodmusic)
Phonique, "Gift" (Simple)
Jussi-Pekka, Let It Go EP (Audiomatique)
Will Saul, "Animal Magic (DJ T Remix)" (Simple)
Recloose, "Dust" (Peacefrog)
Martinez, "Desertsweeper" (Out Of Orbit)
Silver City, "Another Dimension (Spirit Catcher Remix)" (2020 Vision)
Sideshow, "Scary Biscuits (John Tejada Remix)" (Simple)
1/2 Inch Jack, "Filthy Cow" (White)
Max Mohr, "Trickmixer EP" (Playhouse)

Click to view all of this week's charts »

MORE CHARTS

Click on the links below to check out more charts

Kid Sublime »
Dj Yoav B »
La Chica Paula »
Eamonn Doyle »

Editors:
Philip Sherburne
Doug Levy
Sascha Lewis
Cyrus Wadia
Jon Spooner
Steve Marchese

Founder:
David J. Prince

Cover Design:
Jon Burgerman

Production:
Mark Mangan
Anjuli Ayer
Peter Stepek
Jane Lerner
William Pierce
Sameer Shah
Sander-Martijn Milks
Toby Warner

Contributors:
Andy Cumming
David Day
Carleton Gholz
Jorge Hernandez
James Jung
Andrew Kellman
Sebastian Koch
Colin James Nagy
Nick Parish
Tim Pratt
Maggie Stein
Mark Teppo
Dagny Thomas

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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. To criticize, praise, or generally comment on this publication, please send an email to feedback.

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We have an open call to create the covers that run at the top of each issue. If you would like to submit a design, please email us at design and we'll send you the necessary specs.

About Us

Earplug is an email magazine 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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