It is always hard for me to sum up a trip. I have been going to Detroit every year for the past 4 years. This year was a bit different because we threw 3 parties at the beautiful dark wood lined club Oslo. So it was less of a rave vacation and it was more about working and party picture taking.
Our trip started out with a delicious techno family meal at Roast. I ate the best marinated smoked salmon ever to cross my lips. Chef Jeff made sure I had plenty to eat as everyone else munched on meaty treats like beef cheek and bone marrow.
Gratia, Eric, Jan
We ate like kings before The Bunker Detroit party with Jan Krueger, Derek Plaslaiko, Spinoza performing. I managed to take these photos in almost total darkness.
…and at the party I met this lovely celebrating couple that met exactly a year ago in Detroit
photos by Seze Devres
Malcolm Mooney and the Eleventh Planet photos by Seze Devres January 29, 2009 taken at Monkeytown Brooklyn, NY
Their new album is simply delicious.
My Girls video
On Letterman
Dance Mother, 2009
Brooklyn’s Telepathe is my favorite new band. Bryan gave me the album this morning and I have been listening to it nonstop all day in the studio and in transit while I was running errands. They are the perfect combination of synth and indie. Some of the songs are very Shoegazer-esque, reminding me of the really good Lush songs. They seem really young, so I hope they keep making more and more gorgeous music.
www.myspace.com/telepathe
www.telepathemusic.com
Download a Telepathe Mix Tape and Lauren Flax’s Telepathe remix here
I just listened to this really good mix by Ben Klock.
download and listen to the mix here
I saw the first video to ever be aired on MTV when I was in kindergarten. It was Video Killed the Radio Star by Buggles, and I was instantly hooked for most of my youth. I used to dress up like Madonna and perform entire videos in front of my parents for their entertainment. I can’t remember the last time I saw a real video air on MTV but this new site might make up for that.
Here are some free song dowmloads from this great new comp Halloween of Bloody Nightmares.
Special thanks to AeroCCCP Recordings for letting me share these tunes and for helping to bring Messer Chups to my party Kiss & Tell last March.
End – Everything in Excess (Halloween Version)
Messer Chups – Inferno Image (First Version)
Happy Halloween and enjoy!
Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ Still Haunts Singers on NPR.org
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please dont take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please dont take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, jolene
He talks about you in his sleep
Theres nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, jolene
And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you dont know what he means to me, jolene
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please dont take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please dont take him just because you can
You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
Hes the only one for me, jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, jolene
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please dont take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please dont take him even though you can
Jolene, jolene
When Reves Mechaniques (2005) by The Hacker came out I think I listened to it everyday for about 6 months and to this day I am still not sick the album. So I am really excited to finally see him perform tonight with another one of my all time favorites Miss Kittin.
Wow this is pretty cool, too bad it is on vinyl only.
20 electronic artists, each renowned for their own inimitable style, were asked to cover a song from the past that holds particular significance to them? Recovery is a series of cover versions, tributes and appropriations of classic hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s, by the following artists:
Richard Chartier and coH, Fennesz, Jason Forrest, Robert Henke, Jenny Hoyston’s Paradise Island, Ryoji Ikeda, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Robert Lippok featuring Caroline Thorpe, Momus and Germlin, Matmos, Barbara Morgenstern, BJNilsen, alva noto, People Like Us and Ergo Phizmiz, snd, Susan Stenger, J.G.Thirlwell, Carter Tutti, Mika Vainio, :Zoviet*France:
site & sound samples
I have previously spoken about my love for the fun and quirky music of The Real Tuesday Weld and I forgot how much I love this song. I really think that they have a completely unique sound.
Check out their cute new online store where you can download some free audio goodies and purchase some strange and wonderful handmade things.
And watch this lovely gem as well.
I have been listening to Matmos for years and seeing them live was a wonderful experience.
Photo by Seze
Shot live at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on Icelandic Independence Day, Sigur Rós @ MoMA is a unique concert film highlighting new material from the band’s latest album, as well as classic Sigur Rós songs. Directed by Alex Simmons.
watch the film here
I had goosebumps the entire time I watched this concert film, their music is unique and otherworldly.
I really want this:
Brilliant Photoshop collage by my friend Zach
I spent the two long weekends at electronic music festivals. The first was the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) and the following week I went to Montreal for Mutek. The line ups at both were excellent and though it was really exhausting I had an amazing time. I can barely sum up the weekends in words or pictures.
Here is a list of my favorite performances, moments, and memories from Detroit in no particular order, even though Alex Smoke was my favorite performer:
- Alex Smoke live
- DBX -live (even though his secret gig at Bunker was better)
- enjoying Derek Plaslaiko’s set with all my friends from NYC
- meeting Egyptian Lover in my hotel elevator
(their shirts were so totally insane, I am so mad at myself for not taking their photo)
- hearing Heartthrob play live while laying on the grass outside
- feeling like I was at a goth club (age 19) while listening to Kill Memory Crash play live
- being blown away by Par Grindvik live
- melting at the beauty of Scott Pagano’s gorgeous visuals during Speedy J’s live set
- Mathias Kaden live
- John Selway‘s 45 surprise minute fill in DJ set
- The Accelerate After Party with Dan Bell, Zip and Sammy Dee
- Hanging out with Bruno Pronsato making bad jokes
- Dethlab’s amazing acid warehouse party:
Too Far Gone… presented by Dethlab with Adult, Perspects, Dethlab, Cowboy Mark (tagteam DJ set), Motor (DJ set)
No Way Back presented by Interdimensional Transmissions
Derek Plaslaiko, Mike Servito, BMG of Ectomorph, Patrick Russell, Carlos Souffront
- meeting G.O.D. at the acid party
- Finally eating at Slow’s BBQ and not bing disappointed.
- And it was a true highlight to finally not stay at a crappy hotel.
My friend Andy wrote an excellent article on his experiences at Detroit based on the music and architecture: http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/detroit_electronic_music_festival
Random photos (not a faithful documentation of the weekend) by Seze
Detroit patches pants dude.
Kate Simko performing an excellent set
We may be getting older but we are still having fun!
My super stylish buddies Bethany & Doyle of Dethlab hosted the best party
of the weekend “Too Far Gone… No Way Back” at their warehouse studio space.
Phases of the moon wall at Slows BBQ outdoor seating area
Last Friday The Bunker presented a Raster-Noton label showcase. Carsten, Frank, and Olaf performed separately, with their own accompanying projected images, and then together as Signal. Their visual and audio work has been a huge influence on me for over a decade and I was super excited to see them live. They exceeded my expectations and did not disappoint. Here are some of my favorite photos I took from the event:
photo by Seze Devres
photo by Seze Devres
photo by Seze Devres
photo by Seze Devres
Full gallery at The Bunker Site
Friday May 16 Beyond Booking Presents
Raster-Noton Showcase:
Signal (Raster-Noton | Berlin) live pa
Carsten Nicolai aka Alva Noto (Raster-Noton | Berlin) live pa
Frank Bretschneider aka Komet (Raster-Noton | Berlin) live pa
Olaf Bender aka Byetone (Raster-Noton | Berlin) live pa
with opening a/v set from:
Morgan Packard & Joshue Ott (Anticipate, Microcosm | NYC)
Bryan’s Press Release for his night:
We don’t think it is an understatement to say that Raster-Noton is one of the most important record labels in the world. Formed when Carsten Nikolai’s “noton.archiv für ton und nichtton” record label merged with Frank Bretschneider and Olaf Bender’s Raster Music label in 2000, it quickly gained international acclaim with the ARS Electronica award winning “20′ to 2000” series of 12 cds released monthly in 1999, featuring 20 minute sound pieces from electronic music heavyweights like Wolfgang Voigt, Ryoji Ikeda, Mika Vainio, and Thomas Brinkmann alongside the core R-N artists. They have gone on to release many dozens of amazing projects since then, building a core group of fans who pretty much buy everything they put out. The sound of the label is decidedly minimal, composed of micro-elements, glitches, bleeps, static, and electronic interference sounds. Their sound is extremely different than most of the music which has been called “minimal techno” (pretty much a completely meaningless term at this point) in the past 5 years or so. It is deep and experimental, but not without humor and funk.
We have been wanting to present a Raster-Noton label night at The Bunker ever since we saw the same line-up we have for this show in Mutek back in 2004, which completely floored us. For various reasons, we were never able to connect with the label and pull it off on their visits to the USA. Then, back in October, we were at a small Raster-Noton show for Bender and Kangding Ray and Bunker photographer Seze found a cell phone on the floor. She got a panicked call on the phone from the German guy who lost the phone and told him to come back to the venue and get it. He was extremely grateful and bought us a few drinks and started talking to us. He was in town for his opening at Pace Wildenstein Gallery (this is a blue chip gallery for those of you not familiar with the visual art world). We were in disbelief when we put 2 and 2 together and realized the cell phone guy was Carsten Nikolai, and quickly invited him and the rest of the crew to the Thomas Fehlmann show at The Bunker that week. Well, he showed up and had a great time, agreed to come back for a Raster-Noton showcase, and everything fell into place.
DBX (Dan Bell) played a surprise live show at our party
The Bunker last Friday. It is probably one of his very first live sets in over a decade. The music was minimal but never boring and totally fun to dance to. I felt super lucky to be there and capture some photos of what we all hope the beginning of many more live sets from this legend. Here is one of my favorite photos that I took from the night.
Photo by Seze Devres
