The re-appearance of Modeselektor (as part of Moderat) in Boston was very impressive. The trio played mostly songs off the new album, and less of their own solo material, but the presentation was shockingly cool. In front of huge three video screens, Szary, Gernot and Sascha stood equally apart, as the masterful visuals of BPitch partner Pfadfinderei glowed behind them, and almost 3-D visual presentation of the music. The crowd, perhaps caught off guard by the lack of recognizable tunes, was all the same swooning at the show.

Speaking in Code was screened just before the show in the Paradise front room, thanks to some interest from LiveNation who facilitated the viewing. It started late, as Modeselektor’s flight was delayed, but nearly everyone got to view the whole thing. A third public screening of the movie.

Perhaps the most rewarding thing to have happened, aside from the chance to have Modeselektor themselves see the movie, was the emergence of a few very thoughtful reviews.

Open Letters is a literary review blog which published a “microreview” of the film on June 1.

“Fittingly, Grill places her interview subjects off-center, counterpointed by stray graffiti or AV cables. There is an off-and-on color rhythm as schemes alternate between the pale light of northern mornings and the powdery dark of clubs.”

Santana Photo blog saw the movie at the Paradise, and published this review on May 27:

“Speaking in Code is a documentary shot over the past 3 years about a couple from Boston who beautifully capture the high and lows of being incredibly passionate about techno music.”

While June 10 saw another thoughtful review from cinetrix at the film blog, pullquote:

“Code evangelizes for electronic dance music, specifically techno, examining its spread from its origins in African-American clubs in the midwest to the huge festival circuit in Europe and trying to figure out why it fails to thrive on that scale in its home country.”

It’s great to see people put so much thought into the film, which seems to get more interesting as people input their perspective. After you’ve spent so long living with a project, you really have no idea how people will react.

“Jason and I are on a roll here with the DVD extras,” says director Amy Grill from the New Jersey shore, as she and editor Jason Blanchard finish with the added content for the forthcoming DVD (outtakes, separate mini-stories, live footage, etc.).

This weekend I’ve got to work on the media kit which will go to the European festivals in the fall and winter of 2009.

Musically, Moderat is getting a lot of attention, including a big-room remix from Booka Shade:

Moderat - Rusty Nails (Booka Shade Remix)

And our friend Apparat was called to tackle a remix for the unassuming king of dance music, Moby:

Moby - Pale Horses (Apparat Remix)

In Boston, Basstown was recently mentioned in an Australian article about Passion Pit while local talents like Coralcola are getting attention from Turkish Hungarian blogs:

Crystal Castles - She Fell Out (Coralcola Remix)

I’m partial to this Frightened Rabbit remix from Basstown’s own DJ Die Young (who opened for Moderat):

Frightened Rabbit - The Twist (DJ Die Young Dub Edit)

And, in celebration of the 200th post here at sQuar3.com, Luomo still sounds great with “Tessio.” A new set of remixes puts a nice Ibizian shine on the whole track:

Luomo - Tessio (Butch Dub)

 

 Moderat - Rusty Nails (Booka Shade Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Moby - Pale Horses (Apparat Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Frightened Rabbit - The Twist (DJ Die Young Dub Edit): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Crystal Castles - She Fell Out (Coralcola Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Luomo- Tessio (Butch Dub): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We are happy to report that the tickets for the second screening of Speaking in Code are now on sale. You can buy them here. The screening will take place Thursday, May 21st at 7pm. But the best part is yet to come.

As we pursue premieres in all corners of the world, especially film festivals in Europe, the UK and America, the one place we know we can screen the film, without regard to film festival entry rules, is right here in Boston. Being that the world premiere already happened at the Somerville Theatre, we can show the film around town at will. And the Brattle is a special place to have it, to be sure.

Since arriving in Boston, the Brattle Theatre has supported the underground. And, as we all know, everything starts in the underground. There were a few months when the Brattle may have gone away. But no more. Last year, the Brattle hosted the Boston premiere of Daft Punk’s Electroma, and now we rejoin with them for Speaking in Code.

The best part: A ticket stub from Speaking in Code gets you to the front of the line that night to see the Wighnomy Brothers at Make It New. This will be their US debut. You don’t want to miss it. Buy your tickets now.

Music-wise the now Berlin-based Dj and producer Philip Sherburne is one of the people featured in the film. He wrote about the experience at his popular and long-running blog a few weeks back. Comments to the post include “how can i see it if i’m in the uk?” and “hope I will be able see it in France …” We hope so too!

He recently recorded an excellent mix for Time To Express and the Fairtilizer community, but we’re rehosting it to be sure all fans of the movie can hear his aesthetic and talent. Of course, he includes a track from Robert Henke (free downloads of his music are here), also in Speaking in Code and Andy Stott, whom we met at the screening in Boulder, CO.

“The tracklist came together in fits and starts,” he tells the blog, “over the span of several weeks. There’s no explicit theme; rather, the set arose out of the attempt to fix a certain kind of sound in place, one that had been flitting around my head for some time.”

The tracklisting:

His Name Is Alive: As We Could Ever (4AD)
Lukid: Raise High the Roof Beam (Werk)
Robert Henke: Quad Planar (Imbalance Computer Music)
Dorian Concept: Mesh Beam Splitter (Kindred Spirits)
Wasteland: Enticer (Transparent)
Anstam: Brom B (Anstam)
Andy Stott: Drippin (Modern Love)
Untold: I Can’t Stop this Feeling (Hessle)
Scuba: Klinik (Hotflush)
Ramadanman: Good Feelin (2nd Drop)
Digital Mystikz: Ancient Memories (DMZ)
Scuba: Tense (Hotshore)
Ramadanman: Offal (Soul Jazz)
Mala: Left Leg Out (DMZ)
Jan Driver: Rat Alert Dub (Made to Play)
Untold: Bones (Hemlock)
Ghost: The Spooks (Ghost)
Untold: Dante (Hotflush)
Synkro: My Own World (Mindset)
Echologist feat. The Space Ape: The Mercy Beat (Philip Sherburne’s Triple Bypass Dub) (Resopal Red)
Peverelist: Gather (Punch Drunk)
Simian Mobile Disco: Hustler (Shackleton Remix) (Wichita)
Scuba: Hard Boiled (SCB Edit) (Hotflush)
Andrea: Gunshot (Stripped) (Daphne)

Philip Sherburne - Mayday Mix Timecast 02

 

 Philip Sherburne - TimeCast 02: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A whole mess of different worlds collide on May 21st when Speaking in Code stars the Wighnomy Brothers make their US debut at Make It New. For years, the Wighnomy Brothers (aka Robag Whrume and Monkey Maffia) have released excellent, funky, minimal grooves from their home base in Jena, Germany, but an appearance on the North America continent was always rare indeed.

So the Wighnomy Bros. have never played the US. They have played Montreal (as seen in the film) and they have come close to playing the Detroit Movement Festival, but we’re proud to say they will first step on US soil at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Before they spin their always soulful, technoid, house-i-fied DJ set, they will watch the movie at the Brattle Theatre. You are invited to join them. And then join us at the Middlesex Lounge later that night to watch them spin records.

It’s such a perfect meeting of the two worlds it’s hard to put it into words. As you can tell by this ill-designed post.

Tickets for the movie will be available soon. Tickets for the DJ set at Make It New will be $10 at the door. So for under $20 you’ll have the chance to see the movie and then spend the night dancing away with the Wighnomy Brothers. It’s perfect.

As far as the film goes, it’s scheduled screening at the first-ever Chinese electronic music festival has all sorts of Chinese blogs and discussion groups going strong. Since its premiere in Boston on April 23rd, it’s been written about in Russia, Poland, Australia and many more. Keep track of the worldwide buzz through the Facebook group.

It’s certainly an honor to be considered a part of the techno community to the point we are participating in this historic event. The two other films included in the festival are Berlin Calling and We Call It Techno.

May 23rd sees three artists in particular cross the border into Beijing. Chris Leibing is a long-time hard-techno genius who can rock any crowd of any size with ripping, razor-sharp grooves. His own tracks are much the same:

Chris Liebing - “Bangpop”

We were lucky to spend some time sightseeing in San Francisco with the Italoboyz before their hugely popular tracks like “Zinga,” “Viktor Casanova” and “Bahia (Party Swing)” blew up (they’ve also become accustomed to visiting us here in Boston at Soulclap’s MWT night). We also took some pictures of them back in the day. Their “Drama Dub” is a manipulative fun time.

Italoboyz - “Zinga (Drama Dub)”

While M.A.N.D.Y. are part owners of Get Physical, perhaps the most well-respected label in the club these days. They’ve reworked all sorts of class acts, but we’ll highlight their remix of Rockers Hi Fi’s “Push Push,” one of the most iconic songs in techno history:

Rockers Hi Fi - “Push Push (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix)”

“We can surely turn the tide
We can push the tempest by”

Rockers Hi Fi - “Push Push (Rainer Weichhold Birthday Remix)”

Finally, tickets for the Boston show featuring Modeselektor & Apparat (as Moderat), plus Make It New resident DJ Die Young and Speaking in Code character Baltimoroder are on sale now.

 

 Chris Liebing - Bangpop: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Italoboyz - Zinga (Drama Dub): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Rockers Hi-Fi - Push Push (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Rockers Hi-Fi - Push Push (Rainer Weichhold Birthday Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“If you ever have it available for purchase or there’s another showing, LET ME KNOW.”

“I’m working on some ways to get you guys hooked up with Japan (no joke!).”

“great movie. great SOUNDTRACK!”

“we both really liked it. really brought techno to life in a way no other film has.”

“Loved the music, the interviews, and the camerawork.”

“It captivated us from beginning to end!”

“really loved the movie. I wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t true, but it was incredibly well done and I thought the story was fantastic.”

“just wanted to say, i enjoyed the movie a lot.”

“I thought the movie last night was incredible. I cannot thank you guys enough for putting this together, it’s a true piece of art.”

“I would very much like to own it so please give me info when it becomes available.”

This is just a sampling of the enormous feedback we got, either via email or from Facebook postings or MySpace messages or elsewhere, about the premiere screening of Speaking in Code.

Two weeks ago, the wonderful Communikey Festival, in the mountain college town of Boulder, Colorado, hosted director Amy Grill and I for a special sneak peek of Speaking in Code, and the result was very much the same.

We were overwhelmed not just with congratulations on a job well done, but with numerous people who were emotionally moved by the movie, some even to tears. See some photos of the festival at the Flickr account, or via Seze Devres of Beyond Booking.

It has been an eventful two weeks to be sure. A few things have proven true:

1. Speaking in Code is a historical film–in that it gives a look into the lives of electronic musicians, producers and devotees that is more intimate and interesting than any movie that has come before. I even overheard it being compared favorably to DA Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back.

2. Even those unfamiliar with electronic music or it’s “scene” found it compelling. “You don’t even have to like or care about techno music,” said one viewer, “to be truly captured by the movie.”

3. The music that we picked still sounds great as it did when it was released years ago, and the artists who we profiled, specifically Modeselektor and the Wighnomy Brothers, are more relevant today than ever.

To that end, both are coming to America in May, the Wighnomy Brothers for the very first time. The former will make their US debut after a second Boston screening of the movie, May 21st at the Brattle Theatre. The Wighnomies will play a special set at Make It New.

Modeselektor is coming to Boston four days later, on May 24th, with fellow BPitch artist Apparat. Both will also play as Moderat at the legendary Paradise Rock club. This is four years after we brought them to the Enormous Room, an event that is featured in the film.

Needless to say, the world premiere Thursday night confirmed a thought we have been saying for years: Speaking in Code is a very special movie.

Much more to come, including more pictures from Boulder and the IFFBoston premiere and the news of more screenings to come. Including the Chinese premiere of Speaking in Code, where it will screen alongside We Call It Techno and Berlin Calling, starring Paul Kalkbrenner.

 

 Moderat - Rusty Nails: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Paul Kalkbrenner - Altes Kamuffel (Special Berlin Calling Edit): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Wighnomy Brothers - Metawuffmischfelge: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The closer the premiere of Speaking in Code gets, the further away it seems. Or, rather, the more unreal it seems.

We’re happy to say tickets are available now.

Click here or the image below to purchase tickets to the premiere.

As it turns out, this premiere is a test, in a way. The faster we can sell tickets the better it looks to new potential friends of the film and bodes well for other screenings both at the festival and elsewhere. So we encourage you to buy tickets as quickly as you can.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Besides, there is a very real chance this screening will sell out. Already on the Facebook event there is a series of comments

wooooow, it looks amazing, guys!
Looks pretty hawt! I am interested in this big time! : )
sounds cool!
looks dope! can’t wait
super psyched!!!!
wow congrats, this looks amazing
im gonna b there b4 they even open.
yes. definitely. I mean it this time. I’m coming!
i’ll be in paris. but will buy the mofo when it comes out.

Thank you very much.

So be one of the first 900 people in the world to see the official premiere of the first documentary which peaks inside the world of people lost in music … and from the inside out.