New Year’s Eve is always something to celebrate. sQuare productions has made a habit of it, celebrating the last three celebrations at the Melcher Street loft in the Ft. Point Channel and before that, River Gods. Since that area has been stripped of most of the artists studios, this year our friends Basstown have provided a brilliant location — the independent and dance-friendly venue in the hip enclave of Allston: Great Scott.

Michael Potvin is a member of Campaign for Real Time (or C4RT for short) and, as it turns out, a current resident of our Speaking in Code address in Jamaica Plain. He is also a founder of SiC-featured party Thunderdome:

C4RT - “In Your Dreams (PTVN Remix)”

Provotaceur is a local electro-pop band that has a legion of stalwarts in the dark electro scene who also put on a great show. DJ Etan and DJ Die Young are killing the crowd these days. Click the flyer above for advance tickets.

In the mode of year-end selections, Speaking in Code co-producer and music writer Philip Sherburne put together an MP3 mix-tape of some of the finest moody sounds of the year (+ classics), which already has an unfathomable 11,000 hit count at zshare.net. In includes our favorite Susanna and the Magical Orchestra a number of times (which itself is a project of musical genius Deathprod) and we though to share it here. the tracklisting:

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Rune Grammofon)
White Magic, “Katie Cruel” (Drag City)
Apparat, “Arcadia” (Shitkatapult)
Matthew Dear, “Deserter” (Ghostly)
Iron & Wine, “Naked As We Came” (Sub Pop)
Six Organs of Admittance, “Words for Two” (Drag City)
Michael Andrews Featuring Gary Jules, “Mad World” (Sanctuary)
Tim Buckley, “Song to the Siren” (Elektra)
Talk Talk, “The Colour of Spring” (EMI)
So Percussion, “June” (Cantaloupe Music)
Thom Yorke, “The Eraser” (XL)
Apparat, “Komponent (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix)” (Shitkatapult)
Burial, “Distant Lights” (Hyperdub)
Grizzly Bear, “Easier” (Warp)
Prince, “Condition of the Heart” (Warner/Paisley Park)
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, “Condition of the Heart” (Rune Grammofon)
März, “Everybody Had a Hard Year” (Karaoke Kalk)
José González, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Cortex)

Philip Sherburne - “Every Single Day is a Yellow Day” (zshare)

We sent out an update and mix via the sQuare email list about the film, but it seems 2008 will see the release of the movie, more soon. Happy new year.

 

 C4RT - In Your Dreams (PTVN Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Philip Sherburne - Every Single Day Is A Yellow Day (Mixtape): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometime last winter, sQuare one studios (R.I.P.) hosted a benefit for the Second Gallery (R.I.P.) wherein we welcomed a NYC-based artist by the name of Kingdom. It was a very lively benefit featuring DJs Red Foxxx, Lone Wolf and Baltimoroder, plus an opening performance from squall/noise duo Dania Shapes. We also recorded some of the party for the film to document the sQuare one phenomenon.

Kingdom is a visual artist from New York (that’s his excellent Mary J. Blige projection above more here and here), but lately he’s also been a music producer/manager. This Saturday, Boston’s Great Scott welcomes Kingdom, 8 or so DJs and Michelle.

Flyer by Build Black Clouds.

Michelle has recently been played on the Annie Mac’s influential radio show on the BBC. They are quite the phenomenon: five gay black girls from Brooklyn with a fierce attitude and beats to match:

Michelle - “You Don’t Know Michelle” (z-share link)

Kingdom himself is a producer:

Kingdom - “Dance It Off ft. Telfar and Melissa Burns” (z-share link)

The survey of other DJs on the bill is an attempt to bring and assortment of Boston parties under one roof — the 18+ Paper party, Hearthrob at Middlesex, Todomundo at the Milky Way, Happy Endings at the Paradise Lounge and so on. Each of whom brings a unique sound to the night. E-Marce from Paper, for example, rocks party hits like this:

Blonde Acid Cult - “Shake It Loose (E-Marce’s Fcked & Loaded Remix)”

While Basstown resident DJ Die Young comes equipped with his own remixes (find his Thunderdome IX Booty mix over at our friends Basstown):

Daft Punk vs. Timbaland - “The Way I Phoenix (Die Young Extended Edit)”

Die Young’s minimal half recently put on this remix of Teletexile (aka Pamela Martinez, who, coincidentally (or not actually?), was one of the first to help us in our film project:

Teletextile - “Heartquake (DJDY Remix)”

In artist/album of the year news, Thom Yorke released a remix EP (we swear to god he reads this blog, hi Thom!) which includes the SiC-featured Modeselektor, techno scalper Surgeon, Warp label’s Various and, indeed, Burial:

Thom Yorke - “And It Rained All Night (Burial Remix)”

While we stumbled upon this most excellent Hot Chip remix of Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) and her cover of The Pet Shop Boys:

Tracey Thorn - “King’s Cross (Hot Chip Remix)”

All together now. Only $5.00. This Saturday.

 

 Blonde Acid Cult - Shake It Loose (E-Marce's Fcked & Loaded Remix).mp3: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Daft Punk vs Timbaland- The Way I Phoenix (DJ Die Young Edit Ext): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Teletextile - Heartquake (djdy remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Thom Yorke - And It Rained All Night (Burial Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tracey Thorn- Kings Cross (Hot Chip Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What a wild week. Thunderome (pictured above) went completely off the charts with DJ Assault (article here) alongside Morgan Louis, Die Young and organizer Mistaker. Pictures were posted not only on NYC hotshot photog site Nicky Digital but also on Boston Magazine. The very first Thunderdome, as it turns out, was documented by director Amy Grill in the movie Speaking in Code. You can see Mike, Baltimoroder and Thunderdome Blake loading in a sub into the Elks Lodge in the first moments of the trailer.

Turns out, in the post-modern version of the holiday season, there is little else to do besides go to year-end holiday parties and just have a really damn good time. So along came, uh, Holy Ghost.

It’s a week later, and guess what?

High-end Newbury Street hoodie/fashion/TV shop Karmaloop is holding an invite-only party with superpowered DJ Green Lantern, Kanye-enabled MC Kid Sister and Flosstradamus– who of course killed Thunderdome a few months back. Click on that flyer to RSVP if you want to go.

Which brings us to “Control.” Earlier this year, Boston superstar DJ Red Foxxx turned in a remix for Kid Sister of her track “Control,” one of the most talked about singles of the year. Foxxx is one of the original Thunderdome gang:

Kid Sister - “Control (Red Foxxx’s Big Room Remix)”

It’s a whomping, stomping remix that lives up to its Big Room name.

In searching for this MP3 on my computer, it turns out the notion of “control” weighs heavily in dance music. In minimal/modern, there’s tracks like DBX’s “I’m Losing Control” and this gem with Erlund Oye:

Phonique feat. Erlund Oye - “For the Time Being (Montero’s Lose Control Remix)”

The Chicago House classic “I’ve Lost Control” by Sleezy D is a masterpiece, and we put Detroit legend Cybotron’s “Clear” on one of our old comps, which was sampled by Missy Elliott back in the day. Cousin Cole did a mash-up of that track and 2007 album-o-the-year winners LCD Soundsystem:

Cousin Cole - “Disco Make You Lose Control”

The Gossip recently recorded a brilliant song called “Standing in the Way of Control.” The Soulwax remix gets all the blog-love, but we prefer the Playgroup remix:

The Gossip - “Standing in the Way of Control (Playgroup Remix)”

There’s even classic 80s dance music that reference control:

Laura Branigan - “Self Control”

And naturally, the Google desktop search found a track from dubstep wizard Skream:

Skream - “Lose Control”

Which is featured on this much talked about dubstep mix from Shaolin master Kode9:

Kode 9 - “Sonar 2007 Mix”

Here’s the full tracklisting:

1. LV + Errol Bellott - ‘Globetrotting’ (Hyperdub)
2. Peverelist - ‘The Grind’ (Punchdrunk)
3. Massive Music - ‘Find My Way’ (Kode9 Remix) (Hyperdub)
4. King Midas Sound - ‘Cool Out’ (Hyperdub)
5. Digital Mystikz - ‘Blue Notes’ (DMZ)
6. The Bug feat. Flow Dan - ‘Jah War’ (Loefah Remix) (Ninja Tune)
7. Kode9 - ‘9 Samurai’ (Hyperdub)
8. Dabrye feat. Doom - ‘Air’ (Kode9 Remix) (Ghostly Int.)
9. Kode9 - ‘Stung’ (dubplate)
10. Digital Mystikz - ‘Lean Forward’ (dubplate)
11. Burial - ‘Stairwell’ (Hyperdub)
12. Cluekid & Cotti - ‘Sensi Dub VIP’ (Minus 30 Records)
13. Benga - ‘Electro Music’ (Tempa)
14. Kode9 & Warrior Queen - ‘Fuck You’ (dubplate)
15. Kode9 - ‘Magnetic City’ (Soul Jazz)
16. 2562 - ‘Channel One’ (dubplate)
17. Junior boys - ‘Double Shadow’ (Kode9 Remix feat. The Spaceape) (Domino)
18. Shackleton- ‘You Bring Me Down’ (Skull Disco)
19. Skream - ‘2D’ (Tempa)
20. Digital Mystikz - ‘Bury the Boy’ (DMZ)
21. Skream - ‘Bit Stream’ (Tempa)
22. Skream - ‘Losin’ Control’ (Tempa)
23. The Bug & Warrior Queen - ‘Poison Dart’ (Ninja Tune)
24. Kode9 - Konfusion (dubplate)
25. D1 - ‘Quantum Jazz’ (Tempa)

Sonar, of course, is the event where last year  we filmed Modeselektor making their Sonar by Night debut. That promo mix comes courtesy of Go! Magazine in Barcelona. When we arrived at Sonar last year, guess who was on the cover of said magazine?

It’s also worth saying Modeselektor is on Thom Yorke’s favorite label — BPitch Control.

Chilcott resident Andre Obin has a two-man production/music group called Matters & Dunaway. They recently went electronic and cut some tracks. One of the main songs?

Matters & Dunaway - “Control the Night”

Even R&B goddess Amerie (also featured on sQuare sound II) has a famous song about Control. Her first single:

Amerie - “Take Control”

We’ll stop there. The point is, it’s not always bad to lose control, it’s not always good to stand in the way of control, and control, really, is overrated.

Red Foxxx and me at Thunderdome IX. Courtesy Diana Levine.

 

 Kid Sister - ""Control Red Foxx's Big Room Remix": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Phonique ft. Erlend Oye - For The Time Being (Monteros Lose Control Remix)": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Laura Branigan - "Self Control": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Kode 9 "Sonar 2007 Mix": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Matters & Dunaway - "Control The Night": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The internet keeps changing the musical taste of humanity, and quite obviously, electronic music is becoming the main beneficiary of the shift from analog to digital. It’s clear when we look at our traffic stats, blog links and hype machine feeds that dance remixes, and electronic music in general, is being shared and talked about more than ever, and more everywhere.

It’s different from the previous times the idea has come up (the big beat of the 90s, disco of the 70s, etc.) because this shift includes all tempos, many different genres, many cultures. Modeselektor, a duo promoted in our film, are a good example of this as they cross multiple genre lines — techno, dubstep, even reggaeton beats and dancehall. Here’s the XLR8R video we mentioned a few weeks ago.

Allez-Allez UK has posted a mix from club DJ and producer Ewan Pearson, who consistently mixes tempos.

Ewan Pearson - “And So to Bed Mix”

Heres the tracklist as posted:

kate bush - nocturne [EMI]
cliff martinez - first sleep [superb]
can - don’t turn the light on, leave me alone [spoon]
johann johannsson - englabörn [touch/4AD]
hatchback - white diamond (prins thomas disco miks part 1) [thisisnotanexit]
maps - to the sky (the loving hand remix) [mute]
mugwump - boutade [misericord]
vangelis - let it happen (beatfanatic mix) [G.A.M.M.]
jim rivers - i go deep [saw]
marcAshken - root rot (cb funk’s rootdown mix) [leftroom]
brazilian girls - last call (carl craig Mix) [verve]
the john waynes - violeta [bloop]
laidback luke - housetrap [size]
etienne jaumet - repeat again after me (Âme remix) [versatile]
eine kleine nachtmusik - feuerprobe [CD-R]
midlake - roscoe (beyond the wizard’s sleeve re-animation) [bella union]

He created the track that lead to Baltimoroder’s remix [MySpace].

The web 2.0 networks are playing a role, as well. I’ve been keeping my eye on Kansas City party troupe No Mathematics for a minute, because a) they remind me of Hearthrob and B) they are from Kansas (!) and now they are starting to spread to NYC. Download one of their live Mixes here.

And Luciano (the DJ from Chile, not the huge dancehall artist or the famous opera singer) is perhaps the best DJ in world. Catch one of his recent mixes here.

Boston night A:Kult is bringing in DFA disco phenom Holy Ghost, who recently was an iTunes pick of the week.

DFA DJ Tim Sweeney kicks of his DJ set with the hit “Hold On” here.

Hot Chip is really being talked about online, too. Their new album is about to drop and the sound is so current, people are clamoring to hear what’s next. Last year, they came through town with the Big Digits as an opener. It sort of shook the floor.We found this remix while sorting though incoming links, from Brazil. One capital of the new electronic scene.

Hot Chip - Ready For the Floor (Cario Braga Remix)

Like most other producer/artists these days, Hot Chip also does remixes.

Kate Nash - Mouthwash (Hot Chip Remix)

And despite the seemingly “international” nature of electronic music, more and more people know others who make it or who spin it, so it’s also remarkably local. Like two Jamaica Plain artists, Michael Potvin of Fantasy Mirrors and Andre Obin.

Teh Internet: A series of tubes.

 

 Spring 2007 Trailer .MOV: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor (Cario Braga Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Kate Nash - Mouthwash (Hot Chip Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Ewan Pearson - And So To Bed (alles-alles.co.uk): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Well, it happened. Friday I literally ran to the bank before it closed, so we could open the LLC account and begin to work with our potential investors. It was a glimmer of a future where Speaking in Code, the film, becomes a reality. To learn how to invest in the film, which will be a unique film about the world of electronic music, email the director. Like we said sometime last year, it’s The Techno Movie That’s Not About Techno.

In the meantime, the record business is in such turmoil the Wall Street Journal described it as “convulsing,” Wal-Mart is forcing companies to give them MP3s, and Warner Music is no longer a functioning record label (who’s next?). After this holiday’s MP3-player super spree, there may be no more CDs to buy and MP3 blogs are becoming labels themselves. It’s a free-for-all. It’s no no longer a spiral, it’s a plummet.

The success stories are many, for sure, but the real question is: How do you know what’s popular? We are of the mind that electronic music, and specifically DJ sets and remixes, are vastly more popular than can be measured, being traded on IM, uploaded to huge archive sites and so on. If the wealth of dance music blogs doesn’t tip you off, what will?

When the Basstown scene discussed bringing Simian Mobile Disco to DJ in our city (something we did a few years back) it was nearly impossible to discern how popular the group is. Some thought not very, some thought they were very popular. The latter argument is bolstered by the fact that you can buy a new Apple touch player that is pre-loaded with the band’s album.

It’s very much the same way with Modeselektor and others featured in the film. We got a glimpse of Beatport in our lenses when it was a pretty meager organization. Now it’s empire is vast (subscribe to their new-release podcast here). It so happens just recently SiC’s MySpace page became the #1 link for a speaking in code google search.

Things are better than they seem.

Though you’d never know it from what’s been playing on constant repeat in my iPod. Burial, Skream, Pinch and more Ricardo Villalobos than ever. The genius-level producer is quite simply one of the most important artists of the decade. Read a rare interview with the man here.

His remixes are amazing, and earlier this year he teamed up with dubstep producer Shackleton for his “Apocalypso Now Mix” of the already gloomy “Blood on our Hand” track. It’s a killer, and a top contender for song of the year. It is 18 minutes long.

Shackleton - “Blood On My Hands (Ricardo Villalobos Apocalypso Now Mix)”

In a few weeks, the dance-music party team Spank Rock revisits our hometown Milky Way club, this time with MC Pace Rock and XXX-Change:

Come pour one out for the Record Business.

The BBC DJs - The Pool Party Part 1

 

 Shackleton - Blood On My Hands (Ricardo Villalobos Apocalypso Now Mix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The BBC DJs - The Pool Party Pt. 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download