Been a while. Thank you for your patience. We’re happy to say it will pay off (and the Facebook page and Twitter account has been very active), but at the same time independent film production isn’t what it used to be.

As you undoubtedly know, Speaking In Code, the techno movie that is not about techno, continues its pursuit. The confluence of industries and economic crises has produced an absolute flood of film producers, and vice-versa. There is no end to the amount of documentaries and a very particular limit to those who can release them in the traditional way.

It’s been seen with most of the different docs produced in 2009. From Anvil to For The Love of Movies and beyond, many producers have to resort to self-release to hope their film gets seen. Like many systems in this economic transformation, the rules are changing, and quite rapidly. While we develop this system of self-release, you, our fine fans, are kept waiting.

The good news is that the feature film is still stellar. We will be releasing a DVD in the coming months, but not before treating you to some of the extras and outtakes of the film. With every outtake we release, another option to pre-order the DVD will also be unveiled.

Or so we hope. This is a new world of movie production–a world without standard distribution, where everyone can share their slice of reality, where everyone’s story is their own. It seems quite scary, but it’s also one that is imminent. Thank you for your patience.

Been a while, but the forward movement of electronic music and the dance scene had propelled itself to new heights. Most crucially is the propagation of bandwidth. No longer is the size of a file so difficult. In fact, streaming has become the norm. And, for beat-lovers and dance heads around the world, the thought of an endless “radio” tuned to great music is quite perfect.

So here are five recent streams from SoundCloud, an excellent idea for streaming that has very much taken hold.

Todd Terje - 3 Hour Set, Big Chill Festival

Warmhq is a booking company in London. Their roster is pique, their knowledge of Soundlcloud even better. Here’s a live mix from slo-mo disco king Todd Terje.

PanTone - Live in Reykjavik 2009

Kompakt has a slow-moving account which features this former Canuck feeling it in Iceland.

John Daly - Sept ‘09 Mix

Forward Management is one of the few US agencies that has picked up on the brilliance of SoundCloud. John Daly is the next big thing.

Gudding - November Horror Set

There was quite a lot of talk about “horror disco” this year, and with good reason. The darkness of our economic times combined with the history of dance music equals this. To wit, Gatekeeper is the featured act atThunderdome’s first-ever New Year’s Eve party.

Despite the times, circumstance and independence, there is a DVD coming soon of the film. Stay tuned at the Facebook address or Twitter (@sicfilm) for the latest info.

Speaking in Code is starting to take on a life of its own. The most recent development came from Seattle, where an enthusiastic fan when back to Dallas crowing about the film. And now we have a screening in Dallas. Sunday, November 8th at 5:00pm, at the Angelika Film Center, the sister to NYC’s more famous NoHo destination. More info here.

As for New York City, we are happy to say it will premiere at the CMJ Film Festival. Wed, October 21st at 2pm, at the Norwood Theater, 241 W 14th St., b/w 7th & 8th Ave. Those with a CMJ badge need to RSVP here for entry. As for people without a badge, we’re finding out what the deal is there. Sign up for the Twitter service to be sure to know the latest.

The San Francisco screenings of Speaking in Code are also approaching rapidly. People can buy tickets right now, and if we can sell out both shows, we can prove a demand for other shows in the area and are considering working with promoters on a bigger event.

Friday, October 23rd, 9:15pm
Thursday, October 29th, 7pm

Also next weekend, the film gets screened in Krakow, PL. Though we are still looking for an official premiere of the film in Europe (more on that soon!), we’re proud to be a part of this extraordinary festival.

We also appreciate the rising demand for screenings in your area. Both in our email and on the various Web 2.0 sites, we get hit up about the release date every day. We are hoping to have a DVD plan by the end of the month. Despite the overwhelming demand for the film to be seen, bear in mind we are still a small operation.

We are now open to talking to people about screenings, especially seasoned promoters and people with contacts to local theaters. Please contact us if you can help, drop us a line at info@squar3.com

Musically, our subjects are still churning out great dance music. Modeselektor is the next volume of the esteemed Body Language Mix CD series (buy Volume 8 here or here). They released a podcast on Resident Advisor to celebrate.

Modeselektor - Resident Advisor Podcast #173

And they’ll hit the States again in a month for a full tour. The dates are as follows, many including a Basement Jaxx DJ set and/or MSTRKRFT:

Oct 29 2009 @ Blue Bird, Denver, CO
Oct 30 2009 @ Cervantino Festival, Guanajuato, MX
Oct 31 2009 @ The Forum, Los Angeles, CA
Nov 1 2009 @ Club 101, El Paso, TX
Nov 2 2009 @ Teatro Estudio Cavaret, Guadalajara, MX
Nov 4 2009 @ Mod Club Toronto, CA
Nov 5 2009 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Nov 6 2009 @ Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
Nov 7 2009 @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg, New York City, NY

Wherever possible, we are hoping to screen the movie in and around these appearances …

The Wighnomy Brothers have been raising their profile as well, with this unreleased Nick Curly remix, most recently seeing a lot of love:

Wighnomy Bros. - Lampatee (Nick Curly Remix) (buy)

While their label, Freude-Am-Tanzen, is enjoying success with this release from Kadebostan:

Kadebostan - Spirit Soldiers (buy)

DJ and Journalist Philip Sherburne recently made a lot of waves with this 100-minute mix for the Unsound Festival, where he, Kadebostan, Monolake and many more will be appearing along with the film:

Philip Sherburne - “Unsound Podcast #3″ (mirror)

A new website called R.fm, is an impressive showcase on the electronic music realm. And they have posted a live set from The Field, an artist predominately featured on the soundtrack of Speaking In Code:

The Field - Live at OSC09 Stockholm

See you soon at a theatre near you.

 

 Modeselektor - Resident Advisor Podcast #173: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Wighnomy Bros - Lampatee (Nick Curly Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Kadebostan - Spirit Soldiers: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As we continue to wait for more film festivals to endorse Speaking in Code, forward-thinking music festivals are eagerly slotting the movie to show in sneak previews and with panel discussions to follow. Two such festivals, we are happy to say, are some of the world’s finest.

In September, Seattle’s Decibel Festival will screen the movie with a talk afterwards with director Amy Grill and the Wighnomy Brothers. Decibel is a purely home-grown incarnation, built on featuring pristine American talent alongside international names like Alter Ego and Move D. We met Decibel director Sean Horton years ago, when we began filming at Mutek in Montreal. That his festival is still around, and is in fact thriving, is a testament to hard work and perseverance. Resident Adviser recently ranked it the #4 September festival in the world.

Unsound in Krakow, Poland was awarded the #2 October festival by Resident Adviser and, looking at the line-up, it’s easy to see why. Marcel Dettmann, Omar-S and Biosphere are just a few of the marquee names. DJ Spinoza (aka Bryan Kasenic) is also on the bill. Spinoza will be featured on the DVD of Speaking in Code, bringing his minimal aesthetic to the clubs of New York City.

In the meantime, there are quite a few blogs and posts on the internet which continue to help spread the word about the film, and trust me when I say we appreciate every one of them. The stigma of dance music and dance music culture is still a barrier that we have to overcome, even with a film about said barrier, but the interest shown around the world proves this story must be told.

Musically, the worlds of techno and house continue to collide at a rapid pace. Even signs of breaks, dubstep and drum & bass are starting to infiltrate them, and vice versa. It’s safe to say some of the barriers and genres within electronic music itself are starting to crumble. Consider:

Reboot - “Enjoy Music” [buy]

With that positive and soulful vocal and the straightforward bassline, Reboot is one of the new stars of what they call “tech-house.”

Like the recent manifestation of “electro,” however, this new tech-house is more of it’s own animal, as with another new star, Jamie Jones.

Jamie Jones - “Acerola” [buy]

Both the these things come together in a grand degree when Jones teams up with Berlin’s Teifschwarz and New York City’s rising star–Seth Troxler:

Teifschwarz feat. Seth Troxler - “Hurt (Jamie Jones Remix)” [buy]

The most promising part of this unification is that old divisions of race and history are being disregarded. House no longer means black (Tiefschwarz literally means “more black”) and techno no longer means white (Jones is black, while Troxler is of mixed race) … All aboard the trans global express.

 

 Reboot - Enjoy Music: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jamie Jones - Acerola: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tiefschwarz feat Seth Troxler - Trust (Jamie Jones Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In a documentary about a subculture, like Speaking in Code, one of the over-arching themes is that of acceptance. Are the characters accepted? Is the music accepted? We are happy to say the first film festival out side of Boston has confirmed the acceptance of Speaking in Code.

The 8th annual SF DocFest emailed us last week to confirm that SiC will officially be screened October 16-28, 2009 at their exclusive documentary festival, a component of SF indie fest. We couldn’t be happier to be a part of the prestigious festival which, in the past, has featured such success stories as Anvil! The Story of Anvil and Audience of One. Those of you in San Francisco, be on the lookout for a proper screening announcement time soon.

In the blogosphere, Chicago DJ Liz McLean Knight (aka Liz Revision) takes a compelling take on acceptance–via our trailer–at both her blog and Gaper’s Block:

We do need educational vehicles like one this to explain to the world why we’re so passionate about something so abstract, yet moving and emotional. Can’t wait to see the final product.

Thanks, Liz. Portland, OR’s whitecar(tm) had this to say in a post at Nueva Forma:

Most documentaries on electronic music tend to focus on superstars and act as a starter kit for the uninitiated. Speaking in Code doesn’t really have that feel to me. I’m really excited to see it because it seems so focused.

That’s very much true.

Like all new ideas or old bias, acceptance only comes with time. The only way new things can arrive is for the old things leave and something must take its place.

In the August issue of XLR8R, the urban culture and electronic music magazine, on page 16, you’ll find a interview with Speaking in Code director Amy Grill saying just as much. It’s a national magazine, and available at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders, but you can direct-download a .pdf of the issue here.

It’s their annual “Labels We Love” issue, so there’s lots of good stuff, including profiles on labels Modern Love (podcast), who were a part of this year’s Communikey Festival, Mothership, who I had the pleasure to work with in San Francisco, and a Type Records (podcast), one of the many exclusive UK labels of Forced Exposure (see thier ad on page 27).

To explain the phenomenon of this culture, other films continue to enter the fray, like this one about the scene’s most elusive character: The extraordinary DJ and incomparable producer Ricardo Villalobos. It has been accepted into this year’s Venice Film Festival.

The mysterious DJ recently released “Bank Brotherhood” with Los Updates. A curious song about the abstract idea of digital money.

Ricardo Villalobos and Los Updates - Bank Brotherhood

He was certainly someone that was on SiC’s radar, but proved too elusive after he did not show up when we were in Koln.

There’s also this film: An Einem Sonntag in Berlin, or On One Sunday in Berlin. Wherein we go out in Berlin on a Sunday morning (watch for a quick appearance of Villalobos in this as well):

Greece is a country which has seen a surge of electronic dance music activity, and acceptance, as indicated by two different festivals, both of which are screening Speaking in Code. EnTechno is in its second year, and is screening the movie alongside appearances from Ellen Allien and others, while and Reworks is now in its fourth year.

As for acceptance here in Boston, Make It New, which is coming up on its 5th anniversary, was nominated for Best Club Night at the Boston Phoenix (it was an honor to be nominated). Jan Kruger makes a second appearance this Thursday.

One of our favorite former guests, Isolée, has a great remix out right now:

Ripperton - Prends-Moi Avec Toi (Isolee Remix)

Boston’s own SoulClap is making serious waves with the Wolf + Lamb label out of New York City. Click to download one of Soul Clap’s newest podcasts:

SoulClap - Great White Hope Vol. 4 (podcast)

We’re also happy to say Jan Rosenfeld of Yes, Giantess was in Boston’s little scene before his pop band blew up. He’s let us share a new track from them. You’ll hear about them soon:

Yes, Giantess - Can’t Help It

We’re still taken with the productions of Coralcola. Here’s a recent ambient track from him:

Coralcola - Sleep Is for Dreamers

And Basstown resident DJ Die Young gets better at remixes every time he does another one. Here’s a new one where he’s working with Chris Wade of Providence, RI:

Chris Wade - Broke (DJ Die Young Remix)

And another remix of Mystery Roar:

Mystery Roar - NYC Balloon (DJ Die Young Just Right Remix)

Whether these, ourselves and others are accepted in the end … time can only tell.

 

 Ricardo Villalobos and Los Updates - Bank Brotherhood: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Ripperton- Prends-Moi Avec Toi (Isolee Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Coralcola - Sleep Is For Dreamers: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chris Wade- Broke (DJ Die Young Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mystery Roar - NYC Balloon (DJ Die Young Just Right Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So far, there are 9 festivals currently deciding whether or not Speaking in Code will have a screening in their city. As the Sheffield Doc Twitter account says: (Programmer) “Hussain is sleeping on a pile of screeners.” Or, from others, “the Programming team is already working overtime.”

Deciding amongst thousands of film submissions must be insane, as our co-Producer Jason Redmond, of the Independent Film Festival of Boston, could likely attest.

The website Without A Box is massively helpful in submitting and sorting to these festivals, and surfing around we found hundreds of other festivals we had never heard of. We’re happy with the 9 we’ve whittled them down to. Most of these festivals happen in October or November.

Which means that, if accepted, Athens will host the European premiere of Speaking in Code.

Which is certainly fine by us. Greece has long held a thirst for dancing and art, going back to, well, the beginning of Western Civilization. Lately, techno music has been buzzing in the land of Zeus, consider EnTechno, the electronic music festival that takes place in September 09. So far they have enlisted Speaking in Code stars Ellen Allien, Wighnomy Brothers to participate in the fest. Check out their Facebook page here.

Greek techno label Kilk Records started in 2003 and has grown to include artists such as Hiroshi Watanabe (aka Kaito), SCSI-9 and Jonas Bering, all of whom are also on Kompakt Records, which makes an appearance in Speaking in Code.

It’s worth saying that paying for shipping and entry into these festivals is putting the project even deeper into a money hole. It seems to be that the financial commitment never ends when you make a movie.

We are hopeful it will all be worth it, however.

One benefit of festival submission: an official entry on The Internet Movie Database. The Speaking in Code entry is here. Withoutabox is owned by IMDb (which is in turn owned by Amazon).

Musically, the mission remains the same: bring people together to dance and form a community of minds. In today’s tough times, such a concept is even more crucial, it seems to me. Recently, BPitch Control celebrated its 10th anniversary on a boat.

Podcasts are all the rage in the land of beats, with blogs and labels jumping on board at every turn. Both Freude-Am-Tanzen and Kompakt have recently launched their own podcasts, recently, featuring label artists DJing their music, their label’s music and beyond:

Shumi - Dance With You Forever (Kompakt Podcast #1)

Freude am Tanzen Podcast Episode 1

While others use podcasts to show over their distributed labels, such as What People Play, complete with commentary and phone-in interviews:

That’s What People Play Podcast #1

And still others, like Optimo, some of our favorite DJs in the world, push the envelope much further with a mix of obscurities and dark beats that always seems to point to an upcoming trend in dance culture:

Optimo - Podcast 001 Synth Mix

Could a SiC podcast be far behind? As with everything in this endless process …

Stay tuned.

 

 Shumi - Dance With You Forever (Kompakt Podcast #1): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Freude am Tanzen Podcast Episode 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 That's What People Play Podcast #1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Optimo - Podcast 001 Synth Mix: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download