M A R C H
2 0 1 5 - A P R I L
SOCIAL STUDIES DISCO•HOUSE•TECHNO: THESE ARE THE RULES WE LIVE BY
2 0 1 5
002
I N TH I S I SSU E
15 YEARS OF BEATS IN SPACE
- A look into Tim Sweeney’s Radio Odyssey
Q&A
J A SO N K EN DI G
HONEY SOUND SYSTEM
+ Laughs, Charts & more....
$5 € 7
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FROM US TO YOU
Here we are at issue #002. It’s with great excitement that I write to you on behalf of this little party/publication called Social Studies. If you had a chance to read the first one, and danced with us to the beat of The Black Madonna last month, we are more than thrilled you are here for round two. This time around we were lucky enough to get some very special people to contribute with some of the writing. These are all very talented individuals who we’ve meet at night, not all in a club setting, but all of them through a shared interest in music. Well, technically I haven’t meet Jake or Andrew from Chicago’s Stripped & Chewed label, but thanks to the magic of the internet it’s almost as if we had. So before I side track, let me present to you what’s going on, and what we came up to for the next 30 pages. This issue is a dedicated to the 15 YEARS OF BEATS IN SPACE! I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this for a while. It scares me to realize that my relationship with this radio show now exceeds ones in my own personal life. On the bright side, like those relationships that count, I know they’ll unconditionally be there for me. In the case of Beats In Space, it will be there for me Every Tuesday night at 10:30pm on WNYU. A welcoming voice will introduce the show and for a few hours we will be in the hands of some of the world’s best DJs. In a recent Resident Advisor piece, Bruce Tatum said “The list of DJs who have appeared on Beats In Space would put most underground clubs to shame”. No exaggeration there. Selectors of the Highest Calibre like DJ Harvey, Todd Terje, Rub-n-Tug, Optimo, and legends like Italy’s Danielle Baldelli and NJ’s Tony Humphries have all made appearances in what might be the longest running show in College Radio’s history. For us at Social Studies, the radio show has been a big influence to the music we play and a platform for some of the friends we invite to join us month after month. Past guests Kim Ann Foxman (#436), Mike Servito (#641), Mike Simonetti (#258), Eli Escobar (#747), Jacques Renault & Marcos Cabral (#385), Roy Dank (#361), DJ Nature (#517), The Black Madonna (#745), Justin Strauss (#642), Beautiful Swimmers (#559), Mister Saturday Night (#752), Justin Vandervolgen (#487), Eric Duncan (#158), Horse Meat Disco (#488), DJ Spun (#249) Have all contributed to a radio show that now has been on air for over 770 weeks. We are Immensely happy to welcome Tim back to Boston and this time around celebrate this big acomplishemnt of his. It’s the least we could do. With the same excitement, this issue will also highlight someone who’s career we’ve been following for a long time. In April, Jason Kendig will join us here in Boston for the first time, to give us a little taste of what Honey Soundsystem is all about. we first took notice of Jason’s talent around 2010. At the time (most likely after an appearence on BIS) I came across a compilation called Brotherhood. The Packaging was Incredible. Very DIY but presented immaculately. I think their attention to detail translates in everything the HONEY collective does. Jason had a track called SK-1 on said compilation. For me it was the standing cut on that CD. Soon after I started seeing his name around a lot more. There was his work with Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler on Mr. INTL, which also featured a remix from KiNK & Deetron. Another connection came in 2011. He had also done a
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remix for a group called Finesse on the Portland Oregon label Ecstacy (ran by my friends Rafa and his partner Honey Owens from the Miracles Club). Although initially i took notice of him on the credits of 12” labels, Over the years it seems like Jason’s focus has been centered around DJ booths rather than on a producer’s chair. In the pages ahead we’ll learn more about this from Jason himself in an interview with Michael C. Walsh. In the last 3 years of doing Social Studies, Brenden & I set ourselves the goal to only invite our favourite DJs. Jason has been on that list for a long time and we are thrilled to have him join us in April in the basement of the Good Life. He recently had a chance to travel to Australia on tour and was featured as someone to “watch” on XLR8. 2015 seems to be already a pretty good year for Jason. They say timing is everything, and well, who are we to disagree. -Alfredo --------------------------------------------------------
Social Studies presents:
tim sweeney (Beats In Space | NYC)
FRIDAY MARCH 27, 2015 --------------------------------------------------------
Social Studies presents:
jason kendig (Honey Sound System | SF)
FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------w/ support from Residents: Alfredo & Brenden Wesley 9:30pm-2am • $10 • Never a Dress Code • Just Dance -------------------------------------------------------GOOD LIFE | 28 KINGSTON STREET | BOSTON | GOODLIFEBAR.COM
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CONTRIBUTORS (AKA the dream team)
IAsr tai sbt /ella Ko e n DJ/Producer/
Will Mar t in DJ/Producer/Disco Lover
soundcloud.com/networ ker ror ig: snake_legs
soundcloud.com/will_martin facebook.com/DJWilliamMartin
®/
Killer Mustache
Sonic Cartographer
A n d rew G o rd o n & Ja ke Ne lso n
DJs at Studio Casual/ Label guys at Chicago’s Stripped & Chewed/Deep Tu r n t
AD Jlyce C ur r ier Ly c h e e / C o n t e n t S t r a t e g i s t / Te c h n o
twitter: @notalyce mixcloud.com/notalyce
strippedchewed.com soundcloud.com/strippedchewed soundcloud.com/studiocasual soundcloud.com/deepturnt D e e p Tu r n t.We b s i t e
BD Jre/ P nr oddeu cne rWe sley /Disco Lover
®
Social Studies Resident
soundcloud.com/brendenwesley facebook.com/SocialStudiesBoston
Mic h a e l C. Wa lsh Music Journalist/Southern Rap & NBA Analyst
twitter: @michael_c_walsh t e c h n o t r a n c e r a p .t u m b l r. c o m mixcloud.com/michaelcwalsh
AHonest l i B erg er American
Musician at Trackland Acid Dealerships of Skillman, New Jersey /Resident DJ at Shake/Dog Whisperer
AD Jlf/ Dredo esigner/Jack of all trades
at Social Studies/Art Director at Get On Down/Always Moody facebook.com/SocialStudiesBoston soundcloud.com/socialstudiesboston getondown.com
Kara Stokowski DJ Dayglow/Visual Artist/ Feminism/Opinions
twitter: @kstodayglow soundcloud.com/djdayglow
Caseroc House Music All Night Long/ Papa Bear/ Resident DJ at S ome Like It Hott soundcloud.com/caseroc
trackland.us soundcloud.com/aliberger facebook.com/aliberger makesmusic
George “The Greek” Zygouris Real Talk/Promoter of House & Techno at CSC/Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D facebook.com/cscboston617 twitter: @CreateSpaceCo ig: gz__money
Guarionex Rodriguez Jr. NYC-Based Photographer/ Soul of a party/Skilled in the Arts of Footwork g u a r i o n e x j r. c o m e s g i a n t. c o m
IN THIS ISSUE...
15 YE ARS O F BEA TS IN page S PA C 6 INTER
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15 YEARS OF BEATS IN SPACE Beats In Space Radio Show #150. That technically is the first show I listened to. Many moons ago I had a subscription to the now defunkt Muzik Magazine (out of the UK). For the colossal amount of horrible music they pushed on people, once in a while they managed to do things right. The Mixed CD that came with along was one of the most inspiring things I came across at the time. It was also the first time I came across Tim Sweeney’s name, who turns out made the mix. This “DFA” compilation was eventually aired on the radio a week after it’s inception on Valentine’s Day 2003. Soon after this, the Tuesday night show on WNYU became a fixture for us. One that has continued for more than a decade. Over the years we’ve revisited the archives over and over. Particularly the shows starting in 2001. In my own interpretation, I see the radio show as a soundtrack to what New York is like and what it had been. Certain songs triggered fantasies and transported you in time. On Show #76 DJ Ulysses plays “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (Dominant Mix)”. This was 5 days before 9/11. This particular New York Dance Classic resonates with me now as we are doing a re-issue at work, but I’m positive the first time I heard this Stuart Arbright production was on Tim’s Show. On a recent show, Eli Escobar and Blu Jemz joked about “1999” being the cut off point for the “Old New York”, and It’s true. It does feel like the Dominatrix did indeed Sleep after all. Two days after the attack on the Twin Towers the show (#77) went on as scheduled. Looking back at that playlist, there are tracks that stand out. “When the world is down, You make the best of what’s around” by The Police being one of them. How incredibly appropiate. While the early years really showcased Tim’s love of Hip-Hop, Breaks and turntablist culture, there was a turning point around Show #79 that would trasform the show into it’s current incarnation. It’s the first time you read names like Daniel Wang, Morgan Geist, Brennan Green. Disco was back, House and Techno knocking at the door. By the time Show #100 came along, the DFA takeover was in progress. Not only on this radio show but in New York and in the pages of publications specializing in “the next big thing”. Songs like The Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers” sounded like an Ode to that New York of the Past. That New York where Liquid Liquid & ESG were influenctial to not only kids with guitars but also those on two turntables and a microphone. Sets like James Murphy’s on Show #111 or Eric Duncan’s on #158 are clear examples of a revision of NYC’s Dance Classics, no matter whether they were Disco or Post Punk. These shows were the kind that made people like myself ‘geek’ the fuck out. Then there were shows like #156 which read like a “roots” of house & Techno or #181 where Tim played a set consiting of mostly Juan Atkins songs, who would eventually land on show #499. If you didn’t know who Model 500 was, now you knew. Fun Fact, Diplo played the first part of the Show. There have been many, almost countless shows worth writing about. Plenty of songs debuted on Beats In Space. Twice as many re-discovered. Perhaps one of the most important qualities of the Radio show is its ability to catch the interest of such a diverse audience. From Deep Disco to Acid House, the show seems to always have something for everyone. In the next few pages you will find some of the many highlights told first hand from listeners who tune in. 6
Photo by Calli Higgins for Resident Advisor
dj harvey Show #456 Brenden Wesley: This one stands out
FEBRUARY 17 2009*
to me for many reasons. I had first seen Harvey play in Miami sometime around 2005 and was blown away to say the least. I had heard so much about the man and his legendary all night sets and I was not only entertained but inspired beyond belief. From that point on I tried my hardest to find Harvey mixes, edits and remixes he’d been a part of, especially the highly coveted “Black Cock Records” edit series from the 90s. So when Tim had Harvey on the show, I promptly tuned in. This show gave me and many people a glimpse into the unique and charismatic personality behind Harvey Bassett, his vast knowledge of music, impeccable and rare selections...not to mention his fantastic sense of humor.
1. Chris Munoz - Liza (Sexican Version In C.5#) - Golf Channel 2. Zenamon - Oh Nandu, What We’ve Done! - Polydor 3. - - Black Cock 4. Jona Lewie - Love Detonator - Stiff 5. Data - Blow - Sire 6. Furniture - I Can’t Crack - Premonition 7. Jean-Jacques Burnel - Le Whiskey - Epic 8. Kym - Give Me The Dance - Rward Records 9. Dr. John Blair - Respect (Inst) - 3C 10. Quantum Jump - The Lone Ranger - Electric 11. The Tubes - Prime Time - A&M 12. Rheingold - Dreiklangs-Dimensionen - Welt-Rekord 13. Linda Law - All The Night - Formule 1 14. Neil Innes - Humanoid Boogies - PRT 15. Stars ‘N’ Bars - Stars And Bars - Moonshine 16. Michael Quatro - Midnight Train - SRJ
After the show aired, I made it a goal to try to bring Harvey to Boston for the first time. Just a few short months later I succeeded and was able to bring him here for a Dancing on the Charles party with Soul Clap. It was his birthday that night, and we threw an after party in his honor. He actually stayed at my house and got to hang with him a bit. All in all it was a great experience that I will never forget.
SEPTEMBER 30 2008*
kim ann foxman Show #436
*pre-polaroid shows
Brenden Wesley: Hercules and Love
Affair had just put out their debut album on DFA Records, at a time when it was “the” label of the moment, The band led by Andy Butler, simply blew the fuck up. Pitchfork named “Blind” the best song of 2008 and became critically acclaimed all over the world. Although Kim received the spotlight as a member of the band, her skills as a DJ were not really advertised at the time. Her set on BIS had a lot of classic Chicago house. Some of the most gritty, raw yet deeply soulful stuff I had ever heard. This show not only introduced everyone to Kim’s tremendous talent but it also gave us an insight to her sweet and bubbly personality. Not long thereafter we had her up to play in Boston and we hit it off. We kept in touch and I sent her some music. She liked it and recorded some vocals to one of my tracks. I had the opportunity to work with her in the studio one on one and that was also another special moment for me.
1. Chip E Inc – Like This – DJ International 2. Transphonic – You Make Me Feel So Good (Fourplay Mix) – Nu Groove 3. Caress – Dancer (Ride The Radical Dub) – Onna Roll 4. Yazoo – Situation (Hercules And Love Affair Remix) – Mute 5. Plastique De Reve – Lost In The City – Death From Abroad 6. Trasform – Trasformation – Downtown 7. Willie Ninja – Hot (Murk Mix) – Nervous 8. The New Sound Of Soul – The Strength (Deep In House) – Magnet 9. Midi Rain – Fire (Burning House Mix) – Vinyl Solution 10. Dubwise – Hold Me Real Tight (DJ EFX’s Escape Mix) – N Fusion 11. Boneshakers – Don’t Go Away (King And I Mix) – Reachin’ 12. Coco, Steel & Lovebomb – Feel It (Discodub) – Instant 13. Hard Corey & Wray – Love Train (Cajmere’s Underground Goodie Mix) – D-Vision 14. Armando – 100% of Dissin’ You – News 15. Mike Dunn – Groovin – Classic Cuts 16. Intruder – U Got Me (Dub) – Murk 17. Adonis – Two The Max – Trax 18. 4th Measure Me – 4 You – Area 10 19. Michael Zager – Like A Tiger (Uptown Mix) – Mosaic
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manu Show #311 Brenden Wesley: This is the set that I
MAY 9 2006*
have gone back to, time & time again. Simply because the records are so goddamn amazing. I think I was able to locate almost all of the tracks he played. However there are records that he played that I still have not been able to find, And we’re talking nearly 10 years later! This also introduced me to a party he was doing with Alex from Tokyo at a club called APT in the meatpacking district New York City. I had already known about the parties at this club but it was this one and another night called Pop your Funk thrown by my friends Brennan Green and Roy Dank that I was really into. I had already heard Alex play on Beats In space previously and that one is another favorite of mine. Anyways, Manu drops this super rare dub reggae/disco 45 called “dancing in the moonlight” by B.B. Seaton at about the halfway point in his mix and that is the one that still eludes me!
1. Reggie Dokes – War Of Decadence – Psychostasia 2. Hiroshima – Lion Dance – Arista 3. Le club – Un Fait Divers et Rien De Plus – Vogue 4. Tullio de Piscopo – Primavera – Zyx 5. Edwin Birdsong – Rapper Dapper Snapper – Sal Soul 6. B.B. Seaton – Dancing In The Moonlight – Studio One 7. Barrabas – Mellow Blow – Atlantic 8. Max Berlin – She and I – Melodi’s 9. Eloy – Horizons – Electrola 10. Nytro – Nytro Express – Whitfield 11. Michael Wilson – Groove It To Your Body – Prelude 12. Martin Brew – Galactico (Greg Wilson’s Electrofunkroots Version) 13. Dance N Chant (Tangoterje Edit) – Supreme 14. Hot Chocolate – Mindless Boogie – RAK 15. Timmy Thomas – Africano 16. Laid Back – Backerman – Ariola 17. Omar S – Set It Out
invisible city Show #649 Will Martin: This is the episode I’ve
OCTOBER 30 2012
gone back to the most, Possibility Of An Island Mix. It came out at a time when I was really deep into American disco and boogie from the 70’s and 80’s and totally opened my eyes to what was happening at the same time in different parts of the world. They guys selections are just flawless, from top to bottom. There was definitely a time when I was listening to this mix multiple times a day for weeks. And the last tune, this Shannon Forrester cover of “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” is for me an all time end of the night jam. Will Martin has now left Boston to be ‘cooler’ in Brooklyn. He also has an upcoming release on Argot with former roomate John Barera. ARGOT 013: John Barera & Will Martin -- 1,2,3 (Feels Right) In stores April 13th! ;) 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
- The Greatest Name That Lives Wild Fire - The Dealer - Shadow - Evolution Brother Mudada - Tambourine Lady - Ras Enoch - Money - Michael Boothman featuring Chalkdust - Can’t Stop Dancing Fire Flight - Wantin’ U Stephen Encinas - Disco Illusion
31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
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Colleen Grant - Latin Parang Odyssey One - Dance With Me - Joseph Phillip and The Supernatural Tones - Keep On Praying - - - - -
EVE
RYB O
mike servito Show #740 Alyce Currier: As a fairly young Raver,
LOV
ES S
ERV
ITO
!!!
JULY 29 2014
who first began truly listening to dance music five years or so ago, shows like Beats in Space have been essential in leveling up my Techno Cred. One of my favorites is episode #740 with Tim Sweeney and Mike Servito, which hit my Soundcloud stream not too long after solidifying my love for The Bunker’s affiliates at a Movement 2014 Dirty Epic afterparty at The Works, and not too long before catching a last-minute Servito booking at Good Life. I’m sure Tim Sweeney wasn’t catering to me specifically with the timing of this mix, but it certainly felt like it, and I’ve revisited it many times since.
DY
15. Erika - Early Warning Starfield - Interdimensional Transmissions 16. Liaisons Dangereuses - Aperitif de la mort - chbb-musik 17. Craig Loftis - Yes I’m Right (Power Plant Mix) - Rush Hour 18. BFC - Galaxy - Planet E 19. The Vulva String Quartet - 20th Century Rocks - I’m So Blasé 20. Sandman - Machines Like This - Take The Elevator 21. La-4a - Levelled - Delft 22. Baby Ford - Normal (Is It Normal? Club Mix) - Rephlex 23. Etcher - Biomimik - Abstract Acid 24. - 25. Velodrome - Capataz - Secret Fixes In the Mixes 26. Adrenalin M.O.D. - Ecstacy (Wherever You May Be) - MCA 27. A Guy Called Gerald - Escape - Rham 28. Shawn Rudiman - Grey Matter - God Particle 29. Shawn Rudiman - The Business - Broken Planet 30. Cappio Bros - Caffeine 4 Daze (Freshly Brewed Dub) - Stickman 31. 808 State - Massagerama - Rephlex 32. Abe Duque - What Happened? - Abe Duque Records 303. Unique 3 - The Theme (Original Chill Mix) - Ten Records
Alfredo: I’m gonna jump on this and
agree with Alyce. Servito just “Brings It” everytime! For a first time on BIS, the Bunker resident played a set that accurately encapsulates what that party is about and the sound they all share in common; Acid tracks, Techno, Old Synth Classics from Europe. Two records from this playlist that never leave my record bag is that Edit of Capataz, and the Abe Duque track listed as What Happened?, which I know it’s not, because I’m a huge nerd. It’s actually Acid, which is on the same release and sports Blake Baxter on vocals. :)
Jake Nelson: Andrew already covered
Andrew Gordon: It’s so hard to
so many of my favorites, but here are a few more standouts from the last few years:
choose a favorite BIS or even a favorite BIS guest. I’ve done my best and whittled it down to a list of four artists with 12 shows between them (I tried to narrow it down further, plz don’t kill me, Alfredo!). First things first, the main spot is a tie between two of my favorite DJs of ALL TIME:
hunee and sotofett Show #574 I love both of them as djs and producers. Having them in the studio at the same time is almost too good to be true.
mike servito (Show #641 & #740) and one of Germany’s best exports prosumer (Shows #410, #522, #567, #599, #654, #706, #728) & with murat tepeli (on Show #675).
anthony parasole Show #543 I slept on this one the first time around but listened to it recently. Anthony plays all of the jams!
These shows are my holy grail, all of them are the cream of the crop. But, I’d be remiss if I left off the fantastic episode with
bezier + max and mara + redredred + josh cheon Show #740
the black madonna (Show#745) and a huge honorable mention goes out to fett burger show #761
Servito’s part is amazing, and having the Dark Entries crew open things up was totally perfect.
Which was a wild, eclectic, and gripping episode that reintroduced me to the wonders of Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight (88 mix).
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joy orbison & ben ufo Show #756 Isabella Koen: I’ve recently been traveling face first down a rabbit hole of research. Playing
the role of a sonic cartographer trying to pull tracks for the latest mix I’m working on. This is never ending for sure, and in a lot of ways is the basis for why I get out of bed in the morning. A lot relies upon the reading of my mental fuel gauge, when I’m running low and need to stretch my legs I take breaks at different creative pit stops and get the blood flowing. Pumping some new oxygen into my own productions. Its a necessary release and exercise that artists need in order to establish there space. That said, I believe that too much influence can have a negative effect for some. Part of me feels this pressing duty to act as a vessel for all of the incredible music out there made by such cool humans that I forget about my own work. But anyway, I have to admit that a good portion of my inspiration to investigate all these cool human’s and their sounds pours from the BIS radio show. I tend to bounce around the archives or tune in via internet depending on where I am and what I’m doing. A specific show thats left its mark on me is #756, the one with Joy Orbison and Ben U.F.O. NOVEMBER 18 2014
Damn. This one hit hard. Notably the mix starts off with windy reverberations and soft patting from a track by Not Waving quickly segueing into a H.E.A.D track consisting of bubbly clanging of what sounds like recordings taken from a factory floor with a 303 line snapping over it. Italian male whispers soon force there way in and just like that a smooth edit of In Movimento by Surprize off the Factory Benelux label (Miranda Stanton, A Certain Ratio, Minny Pops) appears. Over the course of the mix things really move like liquid, Joy Orbison makes a point to bring in the more experimental aspects of techno and dance music. This is something that I admire greatly because it truly is creating a landscape built upon certain familiarities with sounds that we (as cool humans) have the ability to move to. Things get interesting when you realize you’re dancing to what could be someone whipping sheets of metal with a chain while a dynamic, some what distorted drum track is paving the way. A healthy splash of industrial.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Not Waving - Negative Reinforcement - Not Waving H.E.A.D. - Efs 5 - Blue Surprize - In Movimento Edit - Factory Steve Spacek - 3Hrs Of Fun Edit - Sound In Colour Hi & Saberhagen - Peanut Butter - Unreleased Sandman - Sandcircle (Gabicci Bruuner Reshape) Take The Elevator 7. Herron - Dismantling The House - Unreleased 8. $990 - Gatito Diegors (The Don’s Gata Negra Remix) - Comeme 9. Pearson Sound - Crank Call - Unreleased 10. Quick Culture - Quick Culture Edit - 46 Records 11. Hi & Saberhagen - Jus Friends Pt. I & II - Unreleased 12. Primitive World - Purple Caps Edit - Obsession Recordings 13. Morgan Buckley - Intercity Hum Edit - No ‘Label’ 14. Ajukaja & Andrevski - Looking For Something That’s Not There Edit - Forthcoming On Levels 15. Japan Blues - Half Dead Pulse - Berceuse Heroique 16. Joy Orbison & Boddika - Prone - Sunk Lo 17. Konrad Wehrmeister - Schniekdub - SVS
Ben UFO starts his set off with an unidentified audio object, heading into some nice sound work by Darksmith, K. Leimer and Steve Roach. All of who create really beautiful warm and lush soundscapes. Its deep and meditative for a while and by 14:20 we’ve reached some nice finger snaps with an up beat house rhythm with some crisp high hats provided by Arcarsenal. The Ruf Dug track that follows is definitely one of my new favorites. I’ve really been into Juju and Jordash since learning about them from a different mix I listened to put out by my all time favorite band FRAK. But there song Clean Cut adds a nice bridge for a hard track by Liit off the LACKREC label. The mix drops us off in the hands of Mono Junk and Apex Twin. Mono Junk I find to be a really dynamic producer and his noisey tracks mixed with the disturbed bell sounds of Saw2 CD1 Trk2 gets the job done for wrapping the mix up, and in the words of Tim Sweeney “Letting us off in a nightmare”.
18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.
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- Darksmith - Six Interiors K. Leimer - Malaise Steve Roach - Magnificent Gallery Roman IV - Diver Down Arcarsenal - Perpetual Workout - Finest Hour Ruf Dug - Magnetic Atmosphere Juju And Jordash - Clean Cut Liit - 33 Zenker Brothers - Vamp Like Walt J - Reborn (DJ QU Remix) Terrence Dixon - All Together Answer Code Request - Field Depth VC118-A - Blue World Below Oris Jay - Trippin (2010 Dub) ERP - Pith Marcelus - Enlightenment Mono Junk - Untitled A Aphex Twin - SAW2 CD1 TRK2
MAY 1 2012
beautiful swimmer v.s. ron morelli Show #623 Michael C. Walsh: As an American
Pt 1 with: Beautiful Swimmers
fan of dance music, Tim Sweeney is my Tom Brokaw. A venerated voice I can turn to on a weekly basis and gauge the exact state of the union as it pertains to the music I love. Can’t remember the last Wednesday that went by without a friend asking me if I’d heard Tuesday night’s show. And the fact that BiS often hosts acts in advance of their New York gigs has led to a countless situations where I’ve heard a show and immediately planned a spur-of-the-moment, fiscally-irresponsible trip down to the city. Tim’s influence on my musical intake can probably best be likened to today’s current crop of NBA players and their thirst to turn pro after watching Michael Jordan play as kids. Except instead of playing professional basketball, I became a huge fucking house music nerd.
1. MSG - I Can Tell - Diamond Records 2. Lee Ryda - Electro Eyes - Bruton Music 3. Terrence Parker & Claude Young Jr - Untitled - Dow Records 4. Masters At Work - The Ha Dance (Pumpin Dubb) - Cutting Records 5. Hunee - Tide - Rush Hour 6. Frank Youngwerth - The Whirr - Viola Da Gamba 7. Max D - The Orgies Of The Hemp Eaters - Future Times 8. After Hours - Feel It - Strictly Rhythm 9. It’s Thinking - Mild At Heart 10. Mr Fingers - We Can Work It Out (Jim And Will’s Spiritualized Edit) 11. Burrell - I Really Like - Virgin 12. The Nerve - A Little Bit Of Jazz - Sedition 13. Open Spaces - First Human Family 14. Ce Moi - Give It Up (Special State Prosecutor Mix) - Sutra 15. Ten City - Where Do We Good (Earl Young’s Revenge) - Atlantic 16. George Hill - Do It While It’s Hot - Be-more Records 17. Alex Simon - Running Out Of Time Pt 2 with: Ron Morelli 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.
A pristine example of as much comes from episode #623, more commonly referred to as Beautiful Swimmers vs. Ron Morelli. Not living in DC, not living in NYC, I wasn’t crazy in-tune with the sounds bubbling up in those regions. Could always glean bits from the internet, obviously, but this episode was the point when I perked up and said I should really start paying more attention to those two camps. Unsurprisingly, given the program’s knack for those sort of things, Future Times and L.I.E.S. went on to take up a large chunk of my listening habits over the forthcoming years. So yeah, highly recommended listen. Come for the mutated beats, stay for Morelli’s mutated sense of humor. 12
Jahiliyya Fields - - L.I.E.S. David Essex - America - CBS Hassan - Alamut - L.I.E.S. Jahiliyya Fields - White Cabbage - L.I.E.S. Cut Hands - Bia Mintatu - Dirter U202 - Untitled - L.I.E.S. DJ Samo - DJ Tool #3 Iueke - Tape 1.2 - Antinote Ugandan Methods - Vapauteen - Weld - L.I.E.S. In Aeternam Vale - Highway Dark Veins - Minimal Wave Bad News - Real Bad News - L.I.E.S. Relaxer - Secret Fixes and Mixes - Din A Testbild - DNS Of Time -
trevor jackson Show #244 Alfredo: I recently watched the documentary
Watching the documentary made me remember another label that shared the same motto but never the same popularity or even close to the same fate. With heavy nolstalgia I write this wishing Trevor Jackson hadn’t pulled the plug on Output Recordings. For a glimpse, this label released some of the most important electronic music. It was this label that put out the first Four Tet material. It was also this label that catapulted DFA acts like The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem in Europe and eventually back in America. Eventually James Murphy opted to do their distribution via a major like EMI. The legacy here is that Output relased a variety of other acts that are not well known, but that was the whole point. It was a label which did it, not only for the love of the music, but because it believed in more than that. A seasoned graphic designer, Trevor Jackson has had his hand on more important releases than I can or want to sit here and write about. He’s the Peter Saville that actually knew about music. Output was a label where the visual component was just as important as the music it released. The logo of the label; a vector drawing of an actual output on a TR-808, byy definition the most important instrument in electronic music. fucking Genius. Show #244 is not by any means one to remember musically, although the MU portion is worth noting. In the interview section with Tim, the man behind the eclectic label talks about his dissapointment with the music industry and his hate of current DJ culture. He talks about the importance of suffering for your art rather than to make a quick buck or making it for idiots who won’t understand it. He talks about communication and how music should just maybe be given away for free if it means that the right people will have access to it. Perhaps this is not a radical way to see music now, but in ‘05 the landscape was a lot different and without the same sharing tools we now take for granted. Without a doubt this resonates more today, a whole decade later than it did
JANUARY 20 2005*
Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton. It’s the story of Stones Throw, the L.A label known to have never sold out despite the ups and downs the music industry have thrown at them. The story reads like a Disney movie though, with Peanut Butter Wolf being the Walt to an eclectic group of characters. Cute, but moving on. Without a doubt the label has been influential and aside the thousands of poser fans wearing “Dilla Saved my Life” T-shirts, the catalog is actually remarkably diverse and good.
in the 21 minutes Tim sat with him. One could mistake his tone for the one of a jaded man. It clearly made Tim uncomfortable and at points aggrevated. Tim tells him maybe he’s getting “old”. Trevor’s quick response was “I’m getting wiser”. It’s important to realise now that perhaps music isn’t even the “whole picture”, and clearly for Trevor it wasn’t. The label ceased operations in 2006. As an musician, Trevor experienced a lot of succes with his Playgroup project, which in itself was a pastiche of a lot of what he refers to as “Intelligent Dance Music”. Nothing to do with the genre, but literally what the words represent; Smart music made by intelligent people for hopefully an intelligent dancefloor. I believe it’s because of people like him that today I can sit down and write about music like this, or design the way i do. His distaste of what the industry was 10 years ago is excatly how we view EDM. It’s the same arguament. Only difference is he saw that coming a long time ago. Visionary the same way Nostradamus was. Pesimistic perhaps, but fuck does the truth hurt. In conclusion, this wasn’t the best moment in Radio but it was important to hear, Important like everything else Trevor Jackson has done in a career that expands over 30 years. I really recommend people to dig a little deeper into this interview, specially for those starting in the industry. I also recommend to further explore the highlights in his career as a muti-media-multiformat artist. Just this month he’s released his first album in 14 years. 12 songs spread over 12 music formats. Why? Why wouldn’t he. No one else has. Welcome back Trevor. Format out now via Vinyl Factory formatvf.com www.trevor-jackson.com output-recordings.com (R.I.P)
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Question... Why is it that every time I hear you DJ I hear the same tracks everyone else plays C’mon man... FUK DAT! You ever hear of crate digging? Question... Why is it that every time I go out I run into someone that talks shit about me then hugs me when they see me C’mon man... FUK DAT! Why are you always so fake? 16
Question... Why is it that every time I see your fliers it look like a 12 year old just got photoshop for their birthday. Man... FUK DAT! Take a class son!! Question... Why is it that every time I’m on a dance floor someone feels the need to have a deep conversation that I can’t understand Man... FUK DAT! I can’t hear you! Question... Why is it that every time I walk into a club I see fools with the same whack haircut C’mon man... FUK DAT! I know you used a Groupon for that shit. Question... Why is it that every time a party comes up is the only time I hear from you and you ask for a comp FUK DAT! Yo! Hit the ATM before you see me! Question... Why is it that every time people claim they know house music they don’t know shit about Chicago
FUK DAT! Get outta my face! You can catch george at the club with the rest of CSC every month at good life, the middle east & the milky way for quality house & techno. facebook: cscboston617 | twitter: createspaceco 17
INTERVIEW TIME WITH
JASON KENDIG by Michael C. Walsh
J
ason Kendig is a member of Honey Soundsystem, an outfit of San Francisco disc jockeys and musicians who managed to bond over “a shared love of timeless sounds, iconic imagery, the complete look, indulgent behavior, and most of all, attractive men.” Alongside his three brethren that make up the collective’s core, Kendig has worked tirelessly netting world class talent – from DJ Sprinkles to Steffi to Silent Servant – inviting them to join the fray and play by their admittedly lax set of rules. It’s an active attempt to steer the staid perception of gay club culture away from top 40 driven drivel, back into its house and disco roots and into a more adventurous realm for those with discernible taste. It’s entirely admirable and also foreign in the sense that there’s really nothing quite like it outside of a handful of nights across the country. On this vaunted objective, Honey Soundsystem have built a name for themselves, branching from their once-weekly local residency into an internationally renowned institution. Currently, Kendig is poised for a breakthrough in his own right. Working predominantly as a DJ, without the aid of production credits to boost his profile, he’s managed to net monstrous string of recent bookings ranging from Berghain’s hallowed New Year’s party to a quick jaunt through Australia. And next month (Friday April 24th) he’ll be holing up in our Good Life basement alongside Social Studies resident extraordinaires Alfredo and Brenden Wesley to deliver what’s sure to be a proper showcase of his impeccably diverse selector skills. Throughout our 30-minute conversation in advance of this appearance, Kendig led me through the path he took to get where he is today, demonstrating a remarkable reverence for dance history along the way. We have some room to play around with in the zine, so I was hoping to take this chronologically, let you tell your story, and I’ll pepper questions in as we go. So a good starting point as any would be where did you grow up? I grew up in a suburb of Detroit called Rochester Hills. How close is that to the downtown area? I would say it’s equivalent to a 20-mile road. The Detroit baseline is 8 Mile, so anything past that is going north. The neighboring city would be Troy. My friends Mike Servito and Carlos Souffront are also from Troy so you can picture what that was like. Kids in my high school were going to parties down in Detroit so that was how I got clued into the rave scene. I feel like everyone involved in this type of music has an ‘aha moment’ that turned them onto these sounds. Did you have any such particular moment? There’s definitely, like, you’re finding electronic music and kids in your school are turned onto industrial stuff and you’re hearing music on the airwaves. I don’t think paying attention soon enough to reference Electrifying Mojo as an inspiration, but you hear people like Claude Young on the radio and they were always playing house music late at night on WJLB. And there was a program called Deep Space Radio which was on 107.5 and usually hosted by DJ Minx. But they had everyone from Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, D. Wynn, Eddie Fowlkes just playing these sessions on Saturday night and I’d stay up and record them. And I was still a teenager at this time, in high school. But there were kids in my school that were going down to Detroit to these parties and I was able to attend one in the summer of 1994. It was at a major spot called 1217 Griswold where there were these lofts downtown. And just that first experience being amongst all these people dancing to this really loud, intense techno music and that feeling of belonging. I guess it’s a classic tale of being a gay teen, still in the close, maybe feeling isolated in high school. But then you do have that aha moment of finding a community of people that don’t care, it’s irrelevant; you have something else to connect with as opposed to what your background is. That was something that resonated deeply. 18
photo by Seze Devres Kasenic
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In terms of your current DJ style, how did these early parties shape your tastes? Well, I still have such fond memories of listening to those old tapes and tapes from Ken Collier when he was the resident at this club called Heaven. So studying these tapes and tracking down the tracks, asking people, playing a tape for Mike Huckaby and him track ID’ing something for me, and just hunting for that stuff. So at this point, here I am, almost 20 years later and as DJs we’re pulling from our past as well as paying attention to what’s happening currently. So I’m often referencing tracks that still mean something to me today, especially depending on the crowd you’re playing for, that can definitely clue in the direction you might go. From heavier techno to deep house to really raw acid tracks, but I also listen to disco and Italo disco stuff. So you eventually made the move from Detroit to San Francisco. Yeah, I moved to San Francisco in 2002. Anything in particular that inspired that move? One of my best friends from Detroit had moved out here and I came to visit him and was taken with the idea of, at that time, the West Coast house scene and the laptop techno guys, like Safety Scissors and Sutekh and Kit Clayton, were emanating from the area. It just seemed like a hotbed of music. And that combined with a fairly large and significant gay scene seemed really appealing to a 22-year-old me. And there’s how it’s perceived in print versus how it actually is when you’re here, and there’s definitely been ups and downs in the dance music scene over the last decade or so. San Fran is a city with a long and storied overlap between its gay and dance scenes. How well versed were you in that overlap when you moved there? Like were you familiar with the history or was that something you took to once you got there? I guess it’s something I took to as far as really exploring the San Francisco disco scene. Like my interest in Italo in the past stems from having these house records you listen to then discovering where the samples come from and you start going down this rabbit hole of discovering tracks. So being here it was definitely connecting with the other guys from Honey Soundsystem and meeting other people who had been part of the scene, sharing their stories and delving further into that. And how long were you out there before linking up with the other members of Honey Soundsystem? It was 2006 is when Honey Soundsystem began to coalesce. Was there someone who introduced all of you? We’d already been friends separately and it was Jacob Sperber and Ken Woodard who had conceived the idea of this little group. So through them asking us if we want to be involved and come and play. And in the early days we were probably a mixture of classic house and disco. That was our focus. This was still when the minimal stuff was happening, with BPitch Control and Kompakt and there was a party here called Control that was pretty popular. So you had the techno scene, the old school Wicked Crew, and all these collectives that inspired us. So when you guys formed was it sort of like a Voltron deal where everyone brought there own flavor? It’s kind of still like that! We all have different ways how we came across our sound and our ages and where we came of age and discovered this stuff is different. Sometimes when we’re together we’ll try to make more unified themes so we’re pulling from the facets where we overlap versus if we were booked to play somewhere individually. So what was queer club culture like in San Fran at that time? Was there something specifically lacking that you guys felt you could bring to the table? Well, of course. Most of the gay bars were, and still are, playing just top 40, commercial, pop club dance mixes. There’s definitely a lack of forward thinking music policies.
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photo from the Detroit Sound Conservancy Archives
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Yeah, I was trying to find a parallel to Honey Soundsystem here in Boston and I’m having a hard time coming up with one. It seems like if you want to go to a gay night, you’re going to hear Rihanna. (Editor’s note: see epilogue for more on this topic) And definitely since then there’s been other events and parties that have a different music policies. Just as much as the sound of 2015 is different than the sound of 2006 or 2010. But also creating a space for a proper dance floor, you know? A lot of bars here you go to there’s just a bar, there’s music playing, and maybe people are just mingling and drinking and cruising. Yeah, a proper dance floor is often overlooked. I was reading an interview you guys did with a blog called As You Like It and you mentioned a particular term to describe your night that stood out to me: un-Castro. Do you mind going into some detail about what you mean with that phrase for those unfamiliar with San Fran club culture? The Castro is a neighborhood in San Francisco and it’s like the gay mecca. It’s where the largest concentration of gay bars is, the crossroads of Castro Street and 18th Street. So you have all these bars and a lot of them are owned by the same people. Musically they cater to those base elements of familiarity and there aren’t really proper dance clubs. There’s some with a bigger dance floor, but musically they’re probably catering more toward a circuit, high energy sound or just again, like, harder dance remixes of pop sounds. So there is a history of other neighborhoods that had gay bars but a lot of those places are disappearing. Everything from Polk Gulch to Tenderloin to SoMa. People talk about disappearing spots for gays and some people blame social media, as far as gays don’t have to go to bars anymore to network and meet other people, or cruising apps like Scruff or Grindr. You guys are noteworthy for bringing in a lot of renowned acts from throughout the world. Do you mind talking about their reception to your cause upon playing your night? I think everyone’s had a really good time playing, you know, because they get there and they have a crowd that’s willing to go in any direction that you go. It’s a freedom that you don’t necessarily have to play obvious classics. It’s a very receptive and open crowd. And instead of a group of people who are all standing in front of the booth and all facing one direction, they’re kind of interacting with one another on the dance floor and there’s a lot more fluidity taking place. So the weekly rendition of the party came to an end in 2013. Was there a reason behind stopping it at that point? Yeah, well, it was the case where if you’re doing something every week it starts to feel less special. And we didn’t want to ever feel like we were just going through the motions, booking someone just to book someone to fill the club. And every week we were decorating the club and there was a lot of effort involved in that. We didn’t want it to fizzle out where we took it for granted and other people took it for granted. So it made the most sense ending the weekly and doing one off type events, with larger scale but more focused on aesthetic. And I have to say that since that’s happened the party has only continued to grow and it’s been really really great. By switching up the venues but still trying to transform the space, decor, and overall vibe it creates a more unique experience every time you come. Cool, yeah, I noticed you guys happen to have a residency this year at Smart Bar, which happens to be one of my favorite clubs in the country. Yeah, it’s a fantastic club. I’ve had to opportunity a couple times now to play a couple times now for the guys that throw the Hugo Ball party. But also I’ve gone representing Honey Soundsystem with Jacob and played this party called Queen, which Michael Serafini, Garrett David, and Derrick Carter are the residents. But it’s just a really fun space to be in, really great soundsystem, and I feel honored getting a chance to play in Chicago with it’s history of contributions to the music I’m into. For our residency there we were invited by Maria [Stamper, The Black Madonna] to come and do that. And Jacob came up with this concept of doing this Generators theme, which is sort of just trying to pay homage to different queer generations and their experiences in night life. Chapter 1 has started and the next one is going to be in April.
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photo from the Detroit Sound Conservancy Archives
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What’s going to be the era you focus on for the second chapter? I can’t divulge that actually! It’s not officially out. The first one was dealing with coming of age in the 70s. Musically the whole night isn’t focused on that era, but it’s more one person from one generation telling their story. Then the next one is going to be more focused on maybe the 90s and then the third will be a contemporary chapter. XLR8R recently featured you during their “Bubblin’ Up” week when you contributed a mix. I wanted to ask how it feels to be considered a “new artist” despite being at this for so long now. Well, I understand that I’m not pumping out tracks on a monthly basis so being recognized as a DJ from somewhere with such a storied past as XLR8R was pretty awesome. I know it says I’m bubbling up but being able to break into a newer market and having these opportunities to play in Europe and just being able to travel and do what I love has been excellent. I’m not resentful of “Bubblin’ Up” Oh yeah, yeah, I wasn’t implying you would be! You’re right, it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time, but it’s cool that people are starting to pay attention. I know that there’s so many DJs out in the world that just breaking through that noise is a feat in itself. How frequently do you produce music yourself? I have a few tracks out there and a couple remixes I’ve done. And when I’m home I have a collection of gear and I make beats and am really into sound design and I really get into something for a specific moment. But after a few hours or a couple days, I’m done and I don’t want to hear it again and I move onto something different. There’s so much stuff that’s released right now and the overall market and economy for dance music is not very good so it’s not something I feel like I could use to realistically support myself, trying to sell songs for $2 on a digital outlet. So I’m just happy honing my own sounds and craft and grooving with friends. I’m not secretly working on my debut album or anything. Do you view that as a hindrance? Not producing while attempting to keep your name out there and keep people buzzing about seeing you DJ? There are only a few successful DJs out there at the moment that aren’t necessarily producing as well. But a lot of people get booked because they’re a producer and not necessarily good DJs and a lot of people are getting turned onto the fact that it makes more sense to hire a proper DJ, someone with experience pulling from their history instead of just playing the top 10 on Beatport. I was reading another feature from XLR8R from 2014 where you were quoted as being conscious of the imprint you’re leaving on the musical scene and I wanted to ask at the end of the day what you see that imprint being? Well, at one point our bio said something about leaving our scuff on the musical dance floor. Leaving our mark. Helping change the perception of what’s possible for a gay dance party. It doesn’t have to be about the lowest common denominator sound track. You can take chances and it doesn’t have to be a specific demographic either; it can be all ages, it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, you can still be free on the dance floor. So an overarching theme is quality. Cool, yeah, that’s definitely a unique mission statement, I guess you could call it. Not many people stand for that right now. Definitely admirable. Well, I hope so! We’re still in the running here. And last question, you clearly have a strong reverence for dance history and I wanted to ask if you could transport to any time within the history of dance music, when would you go and perhaps more importantly, where would you go? It depends. I wish I’d been old enough to experience Ken Collier play on the soundsystem at Heaven in Detroit. He passed away in the early ‘90s and I wasn’t old enough to be allowed to go down to Detroit at that point. But I would’ve also loved to experience the Paradise Garage in its heyday. 24
photo by Daniel Case
Š DJ Tony Peoples. Club Heaven (1991) djtonypeopleshousemusic.com
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10 FUTURE CLASSICS
(EVERY ‘OLD FUCK’ SHOULD KNOW)
Compiled by Ali Berger Every single time you go out and hear the same old story. Old dude complaining about what the kids are playing these days, and young kids acting like they know everything. In an excercise of public service, we Asked a Veteran of the scene, and a relatively new member to give us some insight into what they love. So here you have it, 20 tracks we can all talk about next time we find ourselves outside smoking a cigarette or you know...hopefully not crack (no matter how old-school it may be). 1. Bok Bok ft. Kelela - Melba’s Call Rhythmically unique but with all the elements of a timeless pop classic. Lots of ear candy, a beautiful vocal, and wait til you get this one on some big speakers--the sub bass work is on another level. 2. Onra ft. Olivier Daysoul - Long Distance There’s already people trying to sell the vinyl on Discogs for $100. This is a perfect party opener and I’m man enough to admit it. 3. Funkineven - Rolands Jam Funkineven’s breakout track is unmistakable on the mix-in and sure to create chaos for years to come with those offbeat stops and starts. 4. Asusu - Velez Subtle but devastating rhythmic masterpiece. Everything you need and nothing you don’t. 5. Lindstrom - Six Cups Of Rebel Forward-thinking disco/funk workout with a wild ring mod/phaser solo. Not for the faint of heart! 6. Bobby Womack - Stupid As long as corruption exists there will be a need for elegant, impassioned critiques like this song. 7. Fatima - Biggest Joke Of All This is probably the only song on this list that makes me cry. Fatima knows how to communicate. 8. McFabulous - How U Treat Me You’ve never heard of McFabulous but the vocal in this short-and-sweet killer will live in your head forever. 9. Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X Singularly goofy, catchy, dark-as fuck electro from the Netherlands. 10. Theo Parrish ft. Ideeyah & Duminie Deporres - Be In Yo Self If there’s one thing people will always need to be reminded of it’s that being yourself shouldn’t have a downside.
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10 CLASSICS (EVERY ‘NEW JACK’ SHOULD OWN) Compiled by Caseroc “This list is focused on House and Techno popular in the mid to late 90’s. That is the time when I was most active as a DJ. These 10 tracks are as familiar to me as my 10 fingers and I still love them. This is my perspective and should not be looked at as any sort of definitive list as I am not a music critic”.
01. Mole People - “Break Night” - Strictly Rhythm This is a stone cold Boston classic and if you don’t own two copies of this you should be ashamed. One of the most perfect deep house records ever in my opinion. 02. Jackin Bernard - “Wash my Draws” - Circuit When Bernard Badie came to play the Phoenix Landing back in the mid 90’s he thought he was in the wrong place. When I informed him he was indeed in the right place, he proceeded to come out of an accapella with some 130 bpm Chicago JACK. I wanna go back. 03. Cheek - “Venus” (I:Cube remix) - Versatile This French 12” was a total standard in clubs in the 90’s. The Gregory mix is good but I always preferred the I:Cube mix. Pure Filter Funk. 04. Pepe Bradock - “Deep Burnt” - Kif Recordings If you ever had the pleasure of partying 10 stories above Kenmore Square at Lava Bar you definitely would have heard Fran or Paul lace this beauty into their set. Deep but anthemic. 05. Sun Children - “Seduction” - Bomb Records Wicked Crew were my favorite West Coast DJ’s in the 90’s but David Alvarado was my favorite producer. He made deep tech before anyone even had a notion to put those two words together. 06. Kenlou - “The Bounce” - MAW Records The minute you hear this, you know. Put the drink down and fucking boogie. 07. Kerri Chandler - “Ladbroke Grove” - Large The Atmosphere EP is dope but this joint is a little more loose and in my opinion, more moving 08. Paperclip People - “Throw” - Planet E Carl Craig flipped the bassline from Loleatta Holloway’s “Hit and Run” into an unstoppable funk machine while you were busy trading your chocolate milk for a Lunchables. (bad trade, by the way) 09. Aztec Mystic a.k.a. DJ Rolando - “Jaguar” - UR This is a gorgeous Techno bomb that crossed over into the Deep House world of Boston. When your friends say they can’t get down with Techno, play this for them and watch the jaw drop. 10. DJ Rasoul - “True Science” - Leaf Recordings Another West Coast holy grail that decimated dancefloors. Rasoul was one guest that I could never nail down for the Phoenix Landing despite even getting his home number from a mutual friend. 27
S&C Spring Preview: “Hi, we’re Jake and Andrew from Stripped & Chewed and we wanted to give you guys a little preview of what’s up next for S&C. If you’ve heard our most recent record, The Black Madonna’s Goodbye To All This and have been sweating the discogs gougers...rest assured. The next thing on our plate is a Big Repress of SCRS008 arriving in April. Hopefully everyone who wants a copy will be able to get one this time around. After that we have a lil’ Chicago secret-stash reissue on the way. SCRS009 will be a slightly updated version of 2000 (And We’re Still Here) by Merle (Merwyn of Virgo Four fame). We’re excited to share these jackin, vocal-heavy, and nightclub-ready tunes with everyone and are expecting release in May. Following Merwyn, we’re happy to bring back S&C veteran Garrett David for our 10th release with an EP of bangin, DJ-friendly collaborations. Hopefully the Garret and Friends record will be out by the beginning of summer, but pressing timing and schedules can sometimes... fluctuate.” In Addition to running the exciting Chicago label, Jake & Andrew DJ as Studio Casual at a night called Deep Turnt. strippedchewed.com soundcloud.com/strippedchewed soundcloud.com/studiocasual soundcloud.com/deepturnt DeepTurnt.Website
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E P IL O G U E
(aka the Editor notes
) I’ll start by saying thi s. So me times we get caug eternal cycle of de staying true to the termining what’s good, the importancht up in the old e of keepin’ it real, sc ho ol, or claiming some so thinking. Yet, when rt of don’t know where thi it come to this music, we almost alw enlightened forward way they are today. ngs started, and most importantly ays forget or flat out how things be It ain’t my pla appropiate to at leace to give people histor y lessons, butcame the it seems st caress the subje ct a little. I often use the taglin e Dis co | House However there is rea lly only one cardina | Techno: These are the rules we live l rule for thi by. ‘Love is the Messag s phrase to be true, and that is e’. That 4-word phras music is. It’s a manife taken from the title of a MFSB song Ballroom culture. It esto for unity. It was the anthem of , embodies the spirit of what the once said, all of thi was the banner of Gay Pride, It was the Disco movement, still is that of Disco movement was “was the culmination of decades ofthe sign of change. As Bill Brewster roots of the music s a time for liberation. It’s vital for us oppression and humiliation”. The we to everyone, it is ho dance to today. And while it’s true today to realize that these are the Gay liberation, have wever true that Disco and House, thethat music is universal and it belong “straight music elite”over the years not only been co-opte most emblematic music genres of in race and sex, ho . And don’t get me wrong, the musicd but mostly dominated by a largely wever with the inc itself incourages integration occurs, rease in commercialization of said muintegration, both and the more the se sic, the less this gregation begins. And it is to this exten Honey Soundsystem t that I wanted to circle back to but that can also ba to provide San Francisco with a nigour guest in April, and the efforts of ht se barriers. And while d on high-standards of quality, be of music that stays true to its roots the same label of cuperhaps in our own backyard we ha an inspiration globally across Gender ve not yet experienc ration, detail or res outlets for Undergr ources, it is important to point out ed a night with ound Queer Dance that there are still music in Boston. As a friend explaine d to me recently, “Undergrou just aren’t always pla nd quee with a protection froying house and disco music becauser dance scenes are happening, they m ho mo ph ob ia and misogyny. In ad that music is no longer synonymous music “purists” over dit politics, coming un the past 10 years, there has been so ion, with the steady rise of house de queer women of co r fire for the erasure of queer (not tomewhat of a reluctancy to address And while it’s true tha lor) visibility, while maintaining the mention women, not to mention idea t the most of events, ma se days production costs are at an that it’s all about the music”. ke all-time high, the s it ina ccessib To conclude, my frie nd also pointed ou le to Queer Youth, Women and Peop high covers at le of Color t tha t roots based in radica “To l inclusivity, we can truly respect a genre of music that ha. all do a lil’ better, to s its be inclusive”. In the end, to us the phrase “Love is the messagstill stands. e” ++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++ ++++++++ For a safe and Inclus ive Underground Qu check out the follow eer Dance Nights ing: Zuesday (Every Tue sday at Zuzu in Camb Pink Noise (E ridge) Don’t Ask Don’t Tel very 4th Saturday at the Milky Way in l (Every 4th Saturda JP y at Great Scott in ) Pico Picante (Every Allston) 3r d Fri da y at Good Boyfriends (Every 3r d Friday at Milky Wa Life) y in JP) 29
social studies flashback
Maïa Semmes Flo Real Kenny Dixon Jr. Sierra Donaven 09.20.2014
© 2014 Guar i o n ex Ro dr i g uez J r.
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Boston’s Night of Disco, House & Techno now with a little bit of words... Read it, Hear it.
SO, WHO DID YOU SAY WAS PLAYING NEXT?
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