In terms of Stories from the New Electronic Underground, Miami is hardly home to much. This being the subtitle of our movie, I think it’s likely people will ask “why Miami?”

The Winter Music Conference is the premier event for the ghettoized dance culture. That is, the big beat Ultra Music Festival is there, along with events that actually give AWARDS to people like Paul Van Dyk, Sasha and Digweed and Crystal Method.

Our film, Speaking in Code, has nothing to do with these dudes. It’s about the characters dispersed throughout the independent dance scene and how they interact. And despite rumors to the contrary, there were many indie events in Miami, and we tried to film as many as we could. At places like the district to see Matthew Dear and Juan MacLean. Or onto B.E.D. to catch Marc Houle and Richie Hawtin.

There were professional reasons to go, as well. (Needed to meet up with cats like Marcus and Carsten. Needed to write a column about this show and deliver some papers. Needed to get to places where I was going to dance, and I didn’t bring my camera. And needed to enjoy some patented Miami service.)

The movie’s going swell, we have some considerable interest, so that’s good. Over 110 hours of stories, characters and brilliant shots of this new scene. Out 2007. New trailer to come (swear to god, people).

And, wow, a month where we don’t have to go anywhere or do anything! Except host DJ Juan MacLean at Middlesex April 6, and James F!@#$%^ Friedman April 20. (Both nights are free)

Sleeparchive is playing live in Boston this Friday (RSVP to zzz [at] zer0gsounds.com or rsvp [at] robotlovesongs.com before 12:00 noon on Thursday), The Orb is here this Wednesday and all is right with the world.

Sleep not on sleeparchive. Dude takes it back old school (he’s also Skanfrom!), knows what a blip can do and rocked Avalon last weekend. He’s playing a private party, so you have to RSVP and it’s only $10. I know the space and it’s super cool.

The music will be too. Not only do you have DJ Heemin Yang, but Function is coming up from NYC. The bill is super tight.

And the music? Well:

Sleeparchive - “Bleep 4″

Stone cold.

Returned from a whirlwind NYC weekend where we visited Bunker for the indominable Sleeparchive, absolutely essential record store Other Music, Avalon NYC where we saw Feadz (with Uffie!), the Robots crew and much much more.

Probably the most enjoyable event was Leftovers at Love, where our friend DJ Spinoza, Derek Plaslaiko (above by Will Calcutt) and the Wolf and Lamb crew threw down on what Theo Parrish himself called the best sound system in the world.

And it is. The Wolf and Lamb duo have free music available at their website and, even more impressively, the Ableton Live files that make up the track available as well. This way, you can download the code and remix it yourself. I don’t think anyone else has ever done this. And as they mentioned to us, they want their netlabel to be all dancefloor music, not digital detritus. Judging by the way the crowd moved, I’d say they succeeded.

Now with a new Boston-based editor, a growing industry buzz and a schedule booked to the hilt, Speaking in Code takes off for Miami in a few days. We’re tired but looking forward to the challenge.

In addition to filming and speaking at conferences (and buying lots of records from Chris and our friends at Other Music) I wrote two pieces for the Phoenix while we were in NYC. One on the Orb, who play live in Boston Monday 27 March and Hot Chip. The other piece is my weekly Circuits column on Boston superstar DJ Alan Manzi and Reggaeton DJ Hectik. Pick it up if you’re in the area. Or, just click above, they’re already on-line.

Speaking of Hot Chip (see below) it was a blast to DJ at their show. They spoke with me for the Phoenix article afterwards and asked a number of questions about what was spun before they came on, specifically about Booka Shade, the live electronic duo we plan to catch plenty of in Miami and remarked specifically about this track:

It’s from the Kitsune X CD/2LP compilation which never ever leaves my record bag. Kitsune is one of the finer labels on earth. A boutique label from chic Paris. Two other people asked about it as well. So…

The Mogs - “Kelly Blame (Vocal Mix)”

And we’re out.

See you in Miami.

Our Director/Producer is in LA for her work, but is keeping her ears open for some contacts with “the biz” and our producer is super busy putting together his film festival.

But we’ve had great feedback and contacts from some potential new producers and friends. Thanks to everyone who is reaching out.

Back in Boston, we’re watching tapes from last weekend. sQuare filmed the Wighnomy Brothers in Montreal then, now putting our film archives over the 100 hour mark. The trip was a success, if for no other reason the drama getting there, wherein your intrepid film crew drove through a Vermont snowstorm (and past about 12 accidents) to get the footage for you.

All their friends were there, including Alain from MUTEK, neu-techno Godfather Akufen and sQuare friend and all-around genius/great guy Deadbeat. All these types and timelines add to the film’s narrative. The way in which the Wighnomies are confronting their new success is compelling enough, but add the richness and complexity of the network, the emerging scenes and things start to take on new meaning.

Back in Boston, we’re helping with a new concept in nightlife. A night of Ambient visuals and Ambient sounds called FURNITURE MUSIC.

Our partner in the night, Nog a/k/a Billy Kiely a/k/a UFO is the head of sales at my day job, Forced Exposure, a company which I cannot be more proud to say I work for.

Mike Uzzi, one of the Boston crew trying to break techno in what they call “The Hub” is spinning the local House night (BUMP!) in Central Square 26 March alongside charismatic DJ type Alan Manzi. Should be fun.

The column this week is about Jon Schmidt, a local beatmatching master, who’s making a fantastic trip to Montreal himself on 10 March to open for Matthew Dear. Jon is a super-slick DJ with some great taste. Gotta go interview him right now, in fact…

What else? Oh yeah, tunes.

Border Community is one of the hottest labels on the planet, and BC chariman/capo/CEO James Holden is the hottest DJ on the planet. His At The Controls 2CD mix set is coming out at the end of the month and it’s amazing. The tracklisting is fire.

Their MFA track “The Difference it Makes” is currently the song in the Speaking in Code teaser trailer, their resident music savant, Nathan Fake releases a lovely full-length soon, and their various appearances around Miami at the end of the month are eagerly-anticipated, to say the least.

This is Fairmont, an alias for Canadian Jake Fairley, with “Gazebo” — a lovely dancable ditty that touches on a sound sQuare would like to hear more of: THE SINE WAVE.

Fairmont - “Gazebo”