Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Dark Moon 'whenever the moon decides to shine or fade away...'
Dark Moon are an amazing Psychedelia four-piece, ready to expand your mind.
check their first offering here: http://soundcloud.com/thisdarkmoon
They are doing a residency every Wednesday of October, beginning October 5th.. info here:
http://www.facebook.com/thisdarkmoon
check their first offering here: http://soundcloud.com/thisdarkmoon
They are doing a residency every Wednesday of October, beginning October 5th.. info here:
http://www.facebook.com/thisdarkmoon
Monday, September 26, 2011
Planet-E at ADE - Wednesday 19th October - Carl Craig LIVE, Caribou, Kenny Larkin and many more...
20 Years Of Planet-E kicks of ADE
Melkweg
19 Oct 2011
Presale: 17 eur + membership
Ticketsales through www.residentadvisor.net / www.ticketmaster.nl
www.melkweg.nl
Carl Craig Live (with Moritz von Oswald and Francesco Tristano), Caribou, Kenny Larkin live, Kyle Hall, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Dimitri Kneppers // Hessle Audio: Pearson Sound, Ben UFO, Pangaea
Carl Craig will open ADE week with a special Planet-E showcase at Melkweg, celebrating 20 Years of his Detroit imprint.
On Wednesday October 19th Carl Craig will perform LIVE with Francesco Tristano and Moritz Von Oswald – debuting the artistic collaboration in Amsterdam, which until now has only performed select sell-out shows in London, Paris and Milan.
Also in play will be a DJ set from Caribou, Kenny Larkin Live, Kyle Hall, Motor City Drum Ensemble and Dimitri Kneppers. Whilst in Hessle Audio will be Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea.
“I'm really excited to play ADE again, it’s always a great party. And this time I’m playing live with Francesco and Moritz, who I always have the best time with… We’ve got a great line-up that balances between the influences for Planet-E over the years and the influences that have been on Planet-E. It will be very special.” – Carl Craig
2011 has been a non-stop year for Carl Craig. For the first time ever, he took Planet-E on a world tour, playing festivals and clubs around the world, bringing with him artists who have inspired Planet-E and who have released on Planet-E in the 20 years of its existence.
Planet-E also released a best of compilation ‘20 F@#&ING Years - We Ain't Dead Yet’ – digitally in February and in October will release a Limited Edition vinyl boxset, including tracks from Moodymann, Carl Crag, Paperclip People, Martin Buttrich and more. And… Artists including Luciano, Locodice, Dubfire and Kevin Saunderson also chose their favourite track from the Planet-E back catalogue to remix and re-release in 2011. Check www.planet-e.net for more infos.
For more info and Carl Craig tour dates, check www.carlcraig.net
For press requests, please email kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
Melkweg
19 Oct 2011
Presale: 17 eur + membership
Ticketsales through www.residentadvisor.net / www.ticketmaster.nl
www.melkweg.nl
Carl Craig Live (with Moritz von Oswald and Francesco Tristano), Caribou, Kenny Larkin live, Kyle Hall, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Dimitri Kneppers // Hessle Audio: Pearson Sound, Ben UFO, Pangaea
Carl Craig will open ADE week with a special Planet-E showcase at Melkweg, celebrating 20 Years of his Detroit imprint.
On Wednesday October 19th Carl Craig will perform LIVE with Francesco Tristano and Moritz Von Oswald – debuting the artistic collaboration in Amsterdam, which until now has only performed select sell-out shows in London, Paris and Milan.
Also in play will be a DJ set from Caribou, Kenny Larkin Live, Kyle Hall, Motor City Drum Ensemble and Dimitri Kneppers. Whilst in Hessle Audio will be Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea.
“I'm really excited to play ADE again, it’s always a great party. And this time I’m playing live with Francesco and Moritz, who I always have the best time with… We’ve got a great line-up that balances between the influences for Planet-E over the years and the influences that have been on Planet-E. It will be very special.” – Carl Craig
2011 has been a non-stop year for Carl Craig. For the first time ever, he took Planet-E on a world tour, playing festivals and clubs around the world, bringing with him artists who have inspired Planet-E and who have released on Planet-E in the 20 years of its existence.
Planet-E also released a best of compilation ‘20 F@#&ING Years - We Ain't Dead Yet’ – digitally in February and in October will release a Limited Edition vinyl boxset, including tracks from Moodymann, Carl Crag, Paperclip People, Martin Buttrich and more. And… Artists including Luciano, Locodice, Dubfire and Kevin Saunderson also chose their favourite track from the Planet-E back catalogue to remix and re-release in 2011. Check www.planet-e.net for more infos.
For more info and Carl Craig tour dates, check www.carlcraig.net
For press requests, please email kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Mehdi
A lovely soul checked out of planet earth last week.
I only met Mehdi a few times, but he was always full of fun, smiles and a lot of good wit. He lived music and experienced life fully to the end, and I think he would be proud of that.
Something like this makes you realise how fragile this life is; for someone so full of energy to go so suddenly and so soon... You never know what will happen tomorrow and should live your life as best you can, love the best you can and always do your best for yourself and others.
So many amazing tributes are coming from everywhere, which is testament to the amazing person Mehdi was and the joy and love he bought to his friends, family and fans... His love, soul and energy lives on through his music and the people whose lives he touched.
A bientot mehdi. have fun wherever you are. :)
K.I.M (Keep It Moving) xxx
I only met Mehdi a few times, but he was always full of fun, smiles and a lot of good wit. He lived music and experienced life fully to the end, and I think he would be proud of that.
Something like this makes you realise how fragile this life is; for someone so full of energy to go so suddenly and so soon... You never know what will happen tomorrow and should live your life as best you can, love the best you can and always do your best for yourself and others.
So many amazing tributes are coming from everywhere, which is testament to the amazing person Mehdi was and the joy and love he bought to his friends, family and fans... His love, soul and energy lives on through his music and the people whose lives he touched.
A bientot mehdi. have fun wherever you are. :)
K.I.M (Keep It Moving) xxx
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Shake It - October 22nd - with special guest Reboot
Shake It feat. Reboot, Layo & Bushwacka!, Femi B
Saturday 22nd October 2011 - 10pm - 6.30 am
Village Underground
£15 Early Bird Tickets | £17 Limited Advance Tickets | MOTD
Cadenza’s Reboot makes his Shake It debut on October 22nd at Village Underground.
After a crazy summer in Ibiza, where Layo & Bushwacka! took Shake It to the island every Friday in Amnesia’s main room, Layo & Bushwacka! are back in London with Shake It on October 22nd, bringing also a debut appearance from one of Cadenza’s most in demand artists, Reboot.
German production wizard Reboot has released killer eps on Connaisseur, Supplement Facts, Cocoon, Moon Harbour, Renaissance, Cecille and of course Cadenza – where his debut release for the label ‘Be Tougher’ cemented his already growing reputation via ‘Charlotte’ and other EPs. He released his debut album ‘Shunyata’ in 2010 to world-wide acclaim.
Reboot has taken both his live and DJ set around the globe and on October 22nd, Layo & Bushwacka! – long time fans of Cadenza and the artists of the label – welcome him for his Shake It debut. DJ SET
For more press info, contact kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
DETAILS:
DATE: 22/10/11
PROMOTION NAME Shake It
VENUE & ADDRESS: Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3PQ
LINE UP: Reboot, Layo&Bushwacka!, Femi B
TIMES: 10pm – 7am
TICKETS: £15 Early Bird Tickets | £17 Limited Advance Tickets | MOTD
WEB ADD: www.shakeitlondon.com / www.ticketweb.com /
http://www.shakeitlondon.com/
www.twitter.com/layobushwacka
Saturday 22nd October 2011 - 10pm - 6.30 am
Village Underground
£15 Early Bird Tickets | £17 Limited Advance Tickets | MOTD
Cadenza’s Reboot makes his Shake It debut on October 22nd at Village Underground.
After a crazy summer in Ibiza, where Layo & Bushwacka! took Shake It to the island every Friday in Amnesia’s main room, Layo & Bushwacka! are back in London with Shake It on October 22nd, bringing also a debut appearance from one of Cadenza’s most in demand artists, Reboot.
German production wizard Reboot has released killer eps on Connaisseur, Supplement Facts, Cocoon, Moon Harbour, Renaissance, Cecille and of course Cadenza – where his debut release for the label ‘Be Tougher’ cemented his already growing reputation via ‘Charlotte’ and other EPs. He released his debut album ‘Shunyata’ in 2010 to world-wide acclaim.
Reboot has taken both his live and DJ set around the globe and on October 22nd, Layo & Bushwacka! – long time fans of Cadenza and the artists of the label – welcome him for his Shake It debut. DJ SET
For more press info, contact kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
DETAILS:
DATE: 22/10/11
PROMOTION NAME Shake It
VENUE & ADDRESS: Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3PQ
LINE UP: Reboot, Layo&Bushwacka!, Femi B
TIMES: 10pm – 7am
TICKETS: £15 Early Bird Tickets | £17 Limited Advance Tickets | MOTD
WEB ADD: www.shakeitlondon.com / www.ticketweb.com /
http://www.shakeitlondon.com/
www.twitter.com/layobushwacka
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Feel My Bicep launch monthly night at Plastic People - October 5th
this will be amazing... and perfect location.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
CUBENX 'On Your Own Again' coming November on Infine
kaleidoscopic and majestic - ace album coming on Infine in November.
CUBENX
'On Your Own Again'
Infine
Released November
I drunkardly tried to introduce myself to Cubenx (César Urbina) when I met him in person for the first time in December 2006 in Guadalajara. Inebriated on strange beverages given to me by people I had met earlier in the day, I was a long way from my home in Tijuana and plastered out of my mind. Cubenx, not a stranger to party situations, hit it off immediately with his tipsy new friend.
Similarly, it was Cubenx’s music that made an intoxicated first impression on me some months before when his demo tracks arrived at my doorstep, which since then showcased his rich production skills. A couple of those tracks later appeared in his debut for my Static Discos imprint in 2008, "The Cold Swells", a collection of music that was previously released on the Synergy Networks, Cyan and I Need It netlabels. One of the tracks was “Glandula”, a passionate and epic techno track that caught the attention of Alexandre Cazac & Agoria during the pre-planning stages of InFiné, who immediately requested a full album from the then 27 year-old Cubenx. And with my blessing, I saw his international career to slowly blossom, much in the same way as his compatriot Murcof a few years earlier, another dear friend who coincidentally also now records for Infiné.
Cubenx’s debut album would have to wait, as only a couple of EP’s (Glándula EP in 2007 and Can’t Throw A Stone EP in 2008) on InFiné were the stop gaps before "On Your Own Again" could be completed some years later. In the meantime Cubenx travelled to Europe, lived in Berlin, fell in love with a couple of European girls and returned to México broken hearted. It was on a layover in New York from Belgium that Cubenx hit shuffle on his iPod and Scott Walker’s “On Your Own Again” started playing, a wake up call from the eternal balladeer that hit Cubenx where it hurt the most. A crucial moment that would inspire Cubenx to finally start recording a full album as soon as he settled down again in México. A process that was met itself with many obstacles, including a new girlfriend and relocating to Guadalajara from Puerto Vallarta four times before finding a new job to support his jet setting ways.
But there was also a new factor that slowed down his recording process, as Cubenx confided to me over the months that he was moving further away from producing dance music and wanting to focus on songwriting with real instruments and voices. A task that has resulted in a fertile tapestry of electronic based songs that may have to do more with English post-punk (“These Days” and “Sun Dried”) and shoegaze (“Locked”) than with the British Progressive influenced Mininal Techno he is most known for. While songs like “Adrift At Sea”, “Sierra Madre” and “Lovebirds” retain Cubenx’s lush sound design and carefully planned dynamics, they are spread out in a broader palette of song crafting. Only “Wait And See” sees Cubenx going back to his clubbing ways, a melodic and colorful banger that stands out when placed at the side of any classic Kompakt outing.
The songs in On Your Own Again also retain a psychedelic taint that Cubenx links to his Mexicanity, especially on the acoustic fullness of “Sueña Con Venados “(Dreams With Deers) and “Mist Over The Lake”, where he wanted to evoke the ritualistic ambiance of a virtual Mexican desert. Or as the piano based “Grass” narrates, a psychoactive out of body experience under the effects of Salvia Divinorum, a search for the inner non-spirituality much in tune with Latin American psychomagicians like Jodorowsky. A strong sentiment that is explored further in “Noir”, an atonal instrumental piece of ambient filled with cosmic musings and psychedelia.
On Your Own Again also marks Cubenx first collaboration with Chicago musician and singer Alfredo Nogueira, a close associate of Telefon Tel Aviv, L’Altra and Apparat, on the song “These Days”. Francisco Rosas of Flight Attendants, the downtempo duo he shares with Cubenx, co-wrote “Sierra Madre” and laid some guitar licks on “Sueña Con Venados”.
On Your Own Again is Cubenx’s coming of age album, where his creative impulses reach for his own true voice, all the while retaining the kaleidoscopic and majestic elements previously present in the sound design of his dance tracks, that since then hinted at a wider and farther reaching musical panorama.
(Written by Ejival, Static Discos director, DJ and Cubenx amigo.)
CUBENX_ "On Your Own Again" [iF1017]
1_Locked // 2_These Days // 3_Adrift At Sea // 4_Lovebirds // 5_Grass //6_Noir // 7_Sun Dried // 8_Sierra Madre // 9_Wait & See // 10_Mist Over The Lake // 11_Sueña con Venados
for press info, contact: kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
CUBENX
'On Your Own Again'
Infine
Released November
I drunkardly tried to introduce myself to Cubenx (César Urbina) when I met him in person for the first time in December 2006 in Guadalajara. Inebriated on strange beverages given to me by people I had met earlier in the day, I was a long way from my home in Tijuana and plastered out of my mind. Cubenx, not a stranger to party situations, hit it off immediately with his tipsy new friend.
Similarly, it was Cubenx’s music that made an intoxicated first impression on me some months before when his demo tracks arrived at my doorstep, which since then showcased his rich production skills. A couple of those tracks later appeared in his debut for my Static Discos imprint in 2008, "The Cold Swells", a collection of music that was previously released on the Synergy Networks, Cyan and I Need It netlabels. One of the tracks was “Glandula”, a passionate and epic techno track that caught the attention of Alexandre Cazac & Agoria during the pre-planning stages of InFiné, who immediately requested a full album from the then 27 year-old Cubenx. And with my blessing, I saw his international career to slowly blossom, much in the same way as his compatriot Murcof a few years earlier, another dear friend who coincidentally also now records for Infiné.
Cubenx’s debut album would have to wait, as only a couple of EP’s (Glándula EP in 2007 and Can’t Throw A Stone EP in 2008) on InFiné were the stop gaps before "On Your Own Again" could be completed some years later. In the meantime Cubenx travelled to Europe, lived in Berlin, fell in love with a couple of European girls and returned to México broken hearted. It was on a layover in New York from Belgium that Cubenx hit shuffle on his iPod and Scott Walker’s “On Your Own Again” started playing, a wake up call from the eternal balladeer that hit Cubenx where it hurt the most. A crucial moment that would inspire Cubenx to finally start recording a full album as soon as he settled down again in México. A process that was met itself with many obstacles, including a new girlfriend and relocating to Guadalajara from Puerto Vallarta four times before finding a new job to support his jet setting ways.
But there was also a new factor that slowed down his recording process, as Cubenx confided to me over the months that he was moving further away from producing dance music and wanting to focus on songwriting with real instruments and voices. A task that has resulted in a fertile tapestry of electronic based songs that may have to do more with English post-punk (“These Days” and “Sun Dried”) and shoegaze (“Locked”) than with the British Progressive influenced Mininal Techno he is most known for. While songs like “Adrift At Sea”, “Sierra Madre” and “Lovebirds” retain Cubenx’s lush sound design and carefully planned dynamics, they are spread out in a broader palette of song crafting. Only “Wait And See” sees Cubenx going back to his clubbing ways, a melodic and colorful banger that stands out when placed at the side of any classic Kompakt outing.
The songs in On Your Own Again also retain a psychedelic taint that Cubenx links to his Mexicanity, especially on the acoustic fullness of “Sueña Con Venados “(Dreams With Deers) and “Mist Over The Lake”, where he wanted to evoke the ritualistic ambiance of a virtual Mexican desert. Or as the piano based “Grass” narrates, a psychoactive out of body experience under the effects of Salvia Divinorum, a search for the inner non-spirituality much in tune with Latin American psychomagicians like Jodorowsky. A strong sentiment that is explored further in “Noir”, an atonal instrumental piece of ambient filled with cosmic musings and psychedelia.
On Your Own Again also marks Cubenx first collaboration with Chicago musician and singer Alfredo Nogueira, a close associate of Telefon Tel Aviv, L’Altra and Apparat, on the song “These Days”. Francisco Rosas of Flight Attendants, the downtempo duo he shares with Cubenx, co-wrote “Sierra Madre” and laid some guitar licks on “Sueña Con Venados”.
On Your Own Again is Cubenx’s coming of age album, where his creative impulses reach for his own true voice, all the while retaining the kaleidoscopic and majestic elements previously present in the sound design of his dance tracks, that since then hinted at a wider and farther reaching musical panorama.
(Written by Ejival, Static Discos director, DJ and Cubenx amigo.)
CUBENX_ "On Your Own Again" [iF1017]
1_Locked // 2_These Days // 3_Adrift At Sea // 4_Lovebirds // 5_Grass //6_Noir // 7_Sun Dried // 8_Sierra Madre // 9_Wait & See // 10_Mist Over The Lake // 11_Sueña con Venados
for press info, contact: kim@rebelbutterfly.co.uk
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Full I Love Techno Line-Up announced - November 12, Belgium
I LOVE TECHNO PRESENTS ITS FULL LINE-UP
BOYS NOIZE – PAUL KALKBRENNER (live) – CHASE & STATUS (live) – STEVE AOKI – CARL CRAIG 69 (live) – KATY B (live) – CROOKERS – DIGITALISM (live) - LAURENT GARNIER LBS – SKREAM VS BENGA feat. MC YOUNGMAN & MC SGT POKES – FAKE BLOOD (live) – THE SUBS (live) – LEN FAKI – KNIFE PARTY – BIRDY NAM NAM (live) – CASSIUS – NERO – AGORIA – BRODINSKI – PROXY (live) – FLUX PAVILION – GESAFFELSTEIN (live) – MUMBAI SCIENCE – CANBLASTER – DROP THE LIME – FEED ME (live) – PSYCATRON – TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (live) – JAKWOB – FRITZ KALKBRENNER (live) – MADEON – SEBASTIEN SAN – RAVING GEORGE – SIMINA GREGORIU – FADER
I Love Techno, year 16! In recent years I Love Techno has been joined by several successful festivals and events attaching great importance to electronic music. I Love Techno, the pioneer, remains a major player in Europe. This year 35,000 party people from all over the world are expected once again. This year the major party for fans of electronic music, in all its aspects, will take place in Flanders Expo in Ghent (Belgium) on Saturday November 12. A few weeks ago the first names were already announced. It is with some pride that we present the complete line-up.
It is dubstep’s turn this year to get extra attention. Those who were present in 2010 will undoubtedly remember the gobsmacking sets of Magnetic Man and Caspa. In the meantime the genre has found its way completely from the underground scene to the mainstream. At I Love Techno 2011 the hottest techno and electro producers will also be there. Add a number of legends to the mix, a few tips for the future and the party in Ghent is ready to go! Click here for more information on the complete line-up and a handy room by room overview.
TICKETS
Presale tickets for I Love Techno cost 50 euros (excl. service costs). All ticket information is available at www.ilovetechno.be .
MORE ON I LOVE TECHNO
Visit www.ilovetechno.be and http://www.facebook.com/#!/iltfestival for the latest news on the event, interviews with and videos of DJs and performers. You can find us on Twitter via @iltfestival and #ILT11!
Please inform your readers/viewers/listeners. We thank you in advance.
Keep on loving,
The I Love Techno team.
BOYS NOIZE – PAUL KALKBRENNER (live) – CHASE & STATUS (live) – STEVE AOKI – CARL CRAIG 69 (live) – KATY B (live) – CROOKERS – DIGITALISM (live) - LAURENT GARNIER LBS – SKREAM VS BENGA feat. MC YOUNGMAN & MC SGT POKES – FAKE BLOOD (live) – THE SUBS (live) – LEN FAKI – KNIFE PARTY – BIRDY NAM NAM (live) – CASSIUS – NERO – AGORIA – BRODINSKI – PROXY (live) – FLUX PAVILION – GESAFFELSTEIN (live) – MUMBAI SCIENCE – CANBLASTER – DROP THE LIME – FEED ME (live) – PSYCATRON – TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (live) – JAKWOB – FRITZ KALKBRENNER (live) – MADEON – SEBASTIEN SAN – RAVING GEORGE – SIMINA GREGORIU – FADER
I Love Techno, year 16! In recent years I Love Techno has been joined by several successful festivals and events attaching great importance to electronic music. I Love Techno, the pioneer, remains a major player in Europe. This year 35,000 party people from all over the world are expected once again. This year the major party for fans of electronic music, in all its aspects, will take place in Flanders Expo in Ghent (Belgium) on Saturday November 12. A few weeks ago the first names were already announced. It is with some pride that we present the complete line-up.
It is dubstep’s turn this year to get extra attention. Those who were present in 2010 will undoubtedly remember the gobsmacking sets of Magnetic Man and Caspa. In the meantime the genre has found its way completely from the underground scene to the mainstream. At I Love Techno 2011 the hottest techno and electro producers will also be there. Add a number of legends to the mix, a few tips for the future and the party in Ghent is ready to go! Click here for more information on the complete line-up and a handy room by room overview.
TICKETS
Presale tickets for I Love Techno cost 50 euros (excl. service costs). All ticket information is available at www.ilovetechno.be .
MORE ON I LOVE TECHNO
Visit www.ilovetechno.be and http://www.facebook.com/#!/iltfestival for the latest news on the event, interviews with and videos of DJs and performers. You can find us on Twitter via @iltfestival and #ILT11!
Please inform your readers/viewers/listeners. We thank you in advance.
Keep on loving,
The I Love Techno team.
Scratch Massive album 'Nuit De Reve' coming October 31st
You can stream the excellent preview track 'Waiting For A Sign' feat. Koudlam HERE
Scratch Massive
“Nuit De Rêve”
Released October 31st
Pschent Music
Scratch Massive never do what is expected of them, and nobody’s complaining! It was already the case in 2003 with “Enemy & Lovers”, the LP that marked their birth and showcased electric guitars as well as a decidedly rock style at a time when electronic music was all the rage. In 2007, once the return of rock was acknowledged by all, the duo ventured off towards new horizons with “Time”. A second LP for which they had summoned the God of techno, Germany’s Moritz Von Oswald, for a fearless free dive into ten years of techno fascination, ecstatic dancefloors and the smell of sweat mingled with various party-fuelling substances.
Still set in their expectation-defying ways, this time around Scratch Massive have delved into the past and “Nuit De Rêve” (Dream Night), their new album, is like traveling back in time to the 84-86 era, right at the pounding heart of new wave. It was then that this seminal eighties’ musical genre, risen from the ashes of punk anarchy, marked the beginning of the democratisation and popularity of synthesisers, laying the foundations of future pop music as we know it today. Although the album title – “Nuit de Rêve”, or “dream night” – is evocative of the naïvely optimistic poetry that new wave resorted to more often than not, the essential components of that age, Melancholy and Gloom, are very present. As though the players in that key musical movement had already stopped believing in promises of a bright future.
“Nuit de Rêve” opens sumptuously, amidst grave and icy synth washes that sound like the soundtrack to a John Carpenter film. The tone is set: this album will unfold like the score of an imaginary film. It kicks off with Koudlam, the maverick of electronic music, lending his voice to the raw and techno “Waiting for a Sign”, an uncompromising club track where the ‘Scratch Massive touch’ is revealed and works wonders. “Take Me There” features the pure eighties’ icon that is Jimmy Sommerville, who takes us on a long and lingering tracking shot that sees him, cleverly, draw more inspiration from the Communards than Bronski Beat.
“Break Away”, with its naïve, alluring and therefore A-ha-esque electro loop, channels the most trivial and superficial side of the 80s, just before the sublime voice of Daniel Agust (from Gus Gus) comes in, making a lasting impression on “Paris”, a slow and luminous track that will send chills down your spine. “Golden Dreams” continues on in this dark odyssey, as we witness what could best be described as an imaginary discussion between Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis; and then sepulchral track “Closer” – featuring Chloé – takes us on a sleepwalking stroll around immoral dreams.
Cut to the next scene. “Nuit De Mes Rêves”, with its faux-naïve lyrics declaimed in French, feels like a breath of fresh and fragrant air, before this enchanted atmosphere comes crashing down with the two album closers, “Follow Me ” and “Secrets”. These, echoing the album opener, lure us back to pounding beats, icy synth washes and sepulchral harmonies. The Grand Finale.
The strength of Scratch Massive lies in the fact that they have dived headfirst into the past while keeping their feet firmly grounded in the present. And they have also managed to avoid the pitfalls usually involved in this type of endeavour. “Nuit De Rêve” is neither an ‘à la’ record, nor the watered-down facsimiles produced in large amounts by the recent fascination for the eighties. It is simply a melancholic album in the noblest sense of the word, which stems more from nostalgia for a state of mind than for an era in which experimentation and the first synthesisers changed the concept of pop forever. The perfect record for our times then: a terribly 2011 album that takes place in the 80s!
Patrick Thévenin
ALBUM OUT ON 31 OCTOBER 2011
blog:
http://scratch-massive.tumblr.com/
Soundcloud: 'Scratch Massive Feat Koudlam' 'waiting for a sign'
http://soundcloud.com/scratch-massive
Tracklisting:
1: Pleine Lune
2: Waiting For A Sign feat Koudlam
3: Take Me There feat Jimmy Somerville
4: Break Away
5: Paris feat. Daniel Agust
6: Golden Dreams
7: Closer feat. Chloe
8: Nuit de mes reves
9: Follow Me
10: Secrets
Scratch Massive
“Nuit De Rêve”
Released October 31st
Pschent Music
Scratch Massive never do what is expected of them, and nobody’s complaining! It was already the case in 2003 with “Enemy & Lovers”, the LP that marked their birth and showcased electric guitars as well as a decidedly rock style at a time when electronic music was all the rage. In 2007, once the return of rock was acknowledged by all, the duo ventured off towards new horizons with “Time”. A second LP for which they had summoned the God of techno, Germany’s Moritz Von Oswald, for a fearless free dive into ten years of techno fascination, ecstatic dancefloors and the smell of sweat mingled with various party-fuelling substances.
Still set in their expectation-defying ways, this time around Scratch Massive have delved into the past and “Nuit De Rêve” (Dream Night), their new album, is like traveling back in time to the 84-86 era, right at the pounding heart of new wave. It was then that this seminal eighties’ musical genre, risen from the ashes of punk anarchy, marked the beginning of the democratisation and popularity of synthesisers, laying the foundations of future pop music as we know it today. Although the album title – “Nuit de Rêve”, or “dream night” – is evocative of the naïvely optimistic poetry that new wave resorted to more often than not, the essential components of that age, Melancholy and Gloom, are very present. As though the players in that key musical movement had already stopped believing in promises of a bright future.
“Nuit de Rêve” opens sumptuously, amidst grave and icy synth washes that sound like the soundtrack to a John Carpenter film. The tone is set: this album will unfold like the score of an imaginary film. It kicks off with Koudlam, the maverick of electronic music, lending his voice to the raw and techno “Waiting for a Sign”, an uncompromising club track where the ‘Scratch Massive touch’ is revealed and works wonders. “Take Me There” features the pure eighties’ icon that is Jimmy Sommerville, who takes us on a long and lingering tracking shot that sees him, cleverly, draw more inspiration from the Communards than Bronski Beat.
“Break Away”, with its naïve, alluring and therefore A-ha-esque electro loop, channels the most trivial and superficial side of the 80s, just before the sublime voice of Daniel Agust (from Gus Gus) comes in, making a lasting impression on “Paris”, a slow and luminous track that will send chills down your spine. “Golden Dreams” continues on in this dark odyssey, as we witness what could best be described as an imaginary discussion between Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis; and then sepulchral track “Closer” – featuring Chloé – takes us on a sleepwalking stroll around immoral dreams.
Cut to the next scene. “Nuit De Mes Rêves”, with its faux-naïve lyrics declaimed in French, feels like a breath of fresh and fragrant air, before this enchanted atmosphere comes crashing down with the two album closers, “Follow Me ” and “Secrets”. These, echoing the album opener, lure us back to pounding beats, icy synth washes and sepulchral harmonies. The Grand Finale.
The strength of Scratch Massive lies in the fact that they have dived headfirst into the past while keeping their feet firmly grounded in the present. And they have also managed to avoid the pitfalls usually involved in this type of endeavour. “Nuit De Rêve” is neither an ‘à la’ record, nor the watered-down facsimiles produced in large amounts by the recent fascination for the eighties. It is simply a melancholic album in the noblest sense of the word, which stems more from nostalgia for a state of mind than for an era in which experimentation and the first synthesisers changed the concept of pop forever. The perfect record for our times then: a terribly 2011 album that takes place in the 80s!
Patrick Thévenin
ALBUM OUT ON 31 OCTOBER 2011
blog:
http://scratch-massive.tumblr.com/
Soundcloud: 'Scratch Massive Feat Koudlam' 'waiting for a sign'
http://soundcloud.com/scratch-massive
Tracklisting:
1: Pleine Lune
2: Waiting For A Sign feat Koudlam
3: Take Me There feat Jimmy Somerville
4: Break Away
5: Paris feat. Daniel Agust
6: Golden Dreams
7: Closer feat. Chloe
8: Nuit de mes reves
9: Follow Me
10: Secrets
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
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