Category Archives: tech house

DAN PRICE – SYCOPHANT [FRACAS MUSIC]

Posted on Written by Posted in minimal, review, stuff my wife would like, tech house, techno Tagged , , Comments

I’m feeling a bit late to the party on this one, as this EP has been sitting here begging me to review it for far too long. Released on 29 April, Sycophant is the first single on the label after the much touted album from label boss Dan Price to introduce the label.

Dan Price – Sycophant (Original Mix) has a nice chuggy undertone, with beautifully syncopated deep drums, making for an overall quality tune. Alex Costa is on remix duty for the second tune of the EP, bringing his signature high energy, serious techno vibe to the original. Properly tweaking for the late late night crowd, the breakdown in the remix trims down to next to nothing before giving a gut punch worth of bass.

The truly nice thing about this EP is that both the remix and original could have a place in my sets, purely dependent on just how riled up the crowd are at that point.

Keep on the watch for big things from Fracas and Dan Price…I’ve heard of some major compilation inclusions for his recent releases, and I’m sure that is just the tip of the iceberg.

++++++++++++
Dan Price – Soundcloud
Dan Price – In Session Podcast
Alex Costa – Soundcloud
Fracas Music – Beatport

WINNIPEG WEDNESDAY: JOE SILVA

Posted on Written by Posted in cancon, house, tech house, techno, Winnipeg Tagged , , Comments

joe_silva

When I think of dj culture in Winnipeg, JOE SILVA is always at the top of the list. Joe’s been djing and producing in our small city for a long minute and is one of the pioneers of our deep and varied dj culture here. His live sets are incredible, in addition to twiddling way too many knobs to count, he also pounds on electronic drums.

Joe is also half of TONEPUSHERS (the other half being ALI KHAN) who are getting some massive hype for their rich and brooding productions.

++++++++++
Joe Silva on SoundCloud
Joe Silva on Facebook
Joe Silva on Twitter

SHE CAN DJ

Posted on Written by Posted in deep house, house, misc, news, tech house, techno Tagged , , , Comments

nina-kraviz-bathtub

CBS and Astralwerks announced a partnership for a female dj talent search called, She Can DJ. (The full media release is below.) I’m sure this contest had good intentions but in my view it will only highlight the segregation of the sexes as seen with the conversations generated by Resident Advisor’s video profile of NINA KRAVIZ. It seems like a ploy to use sexuality to gain fans and viewers, which could reverse women’s roll in dj culture by a decade or longer.

What do you think?

Here’s the profile in question…

Media Release:
CBS RADIO today announced a partnership with Astralwerks to introduce “She Can DJ – America,” a nationwide talent search to find the country’s top female DJ/Producer. After successful programs in Australia and throughout Europe, “She Can DJ” will launch in major markets nationwide this July.

Following local competitions run by CBS RADIO stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego, Charlotte, Las Vegas and one wild card market, 12 semi-finalists will vie for a grand prize that includes a recording contract with Astralwerks and headline a tour through all CBS RADIO markets that took part in the competition.

“Aspiring female DJs/producers need look no further than She Can DJ for that once in a lifetime chance to captivate an entire industry with their talent,” said Greg Strassell, CBS Radio’s SVP of Programming. “As the contest plays out across our considerable platform of contemporary hit radio stations, participants will be front and center with millions of music fans, and the top decision makers in the business. CBS RADIO is thrilled to be part of the electronic dance music movement that has been playing out to much success on radio stations all over the United States.”

“She Can DJ – America” is backed up by Astralwerks; a label trusted for bringing the world’s top dance music talent to America for over 20 years. Contestants and fans alike can expect the most authentic talent search for the country’s top female dance music DJ knowing that the team behind such legendary acts as Fatboy Slim, David Guetta, Hot Chip, Swedish House Mafia and The Chemical Brothers will play an integral role in the selection process.

“Seeing how successful She Can DJ was in discovering top female DJ/producer’s in overseas markets it’s the perfect time to launch stateside,” Astralwerks General Manager Glenn Medlinger says. “The Unites States is the hottest place on earth for dance music right now but the industry is largely male dominated. We’re thrilled to be a part of a program that will help discover and develop top female talent in the dance music space.”

WINNIPEG WEDNESDAY: BALANCED RECORDS

Posted on Written by Posted in bass, cancon, dub, local shows, mixtapes, tech house, techno, Winnipeg Tagged , , , , , Comments

balanced-records12yr

I just got back from getting diapers. For real. If you’re thinking the life a music blogger is all shimmer and shine, having some drinks from time to time. No. Not if you have kids. I barely get out and when I do I’m playing. I feel bad that I can’t support what’s happening, which is why I’m really hoping things work out this Friday, April 19, so I can make it to their 12th anniversary party.
Facebook event listing

BALANCED RECORODS and the crew of people behind it are some of the forefathers dj culture in Winnipeg. Kasm, founder and label manager, recorded an epic mix of Balanced records spanning 12 years of releass. The mix comes in at just under 2 hours long and runs the gamut of styles to fully represent what they do, which is a lot. This mix starts out deep and dubby and goes almost everywhere. There’s various forms of bass music, house, techno, more dub…

Before the mix, you have to know that the people behind this iconic Winnipeg imprint are some of the most solid doods, with deep, deep, deep roots in dj culture. They’re prairie pioneers with easily the best label name, of any sort.

++++++++++
Links:
balanced-records.com
Balanaced Records on SoundCloud
Balanaced Records on Facebook
Balanaced Records on Twitter

PS. I know it’s Thursday. Check the intro – Wednesday hasn’t ended for me yet.

YURI’S NIGHT 2013

Posted on Written by Posted in bass, deep house, dub, dubstep, funky, house, local shows, Manalogue, mixtapes, tech house, techno, Winnipeg Tagged , , , , , , , Comments
YurisNightPoster_2013_WEB

Click to enlarge.

YURI’S NIGHT is just around the corner! This is one of my favourite events of the year, after all, it’s not every day you get to play in the Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium. As THE SHAKE, Lotek and I have been lucky enough to be part of the Winnipeg event, which is one of hundreds around the planet, since the fist one in 2010.

JFunk, Justin Kace, and Redworm help us out with their space-themed aural adventures and we have mixtapes from them below. The night is always so much fun but the thing is, the Planetarium has a really small capacity so get there early or buy your tickets in advance.

This year is going to be extra special because the Planetarium recently upgraded the facility with a Digistar 5 all-dome projector. I’ve heard tests were amazing. Really looking forward to seeing what JAYMEZ and PIXEL PUSHER will treat us with.

Yuri’s Night commemorates the first human spaceflight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961 and the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of Yuri’s flight into space for which the Manitoba Museum is a proud participant in the global night of art, science, and culture of space exploration. In addition to the dance party the night features a space-themed costume contest, cash bar, free pizza, and hands-on science coolness in the Science Gallery.

…and now for the mixes! If you didn’t know LOTEK is the bacon in my breakfast. He shot over his mixtape for MEME submission, appropriately titled MEME Generator. It opens slow, which is one of Lotek’s signatures but gets meaty rather quickly, serving a heavy plate of deep and funky. You’ll dig this one.

MP3: Lotek – MEME Generator

I love techno but I rarely listen to it and practically never play it. JUSTIN KACE‘ live mix from DUALBEAT‘s show with Ghosts on Tape, might change that. Love it!

MP3: Justin Kace – Live at the Royal Albert Arms March 16, 2013

As one of the point men behind BASS INVADERS, Redworm is responsible for bringing some unbelievable shows to Winnipeg. REDWORM‘s sets are something to look forward to because he’s always on top of where things are heading. He normally plays a wide variety of bass music but for this show he tells us he’s shifting things a bit. Unfortunately we don’t have a newer recording for Redworm but take a listen to this anyway – it’ll blow your mind.

Here’s my latest mix. It’s a quick deep house to breaks jaunt.

Sadly too, we don’t have a mix from JFunk, aka Jordan Chester. You need to know this guy though – he’s responsible for bringing some of my favourite djs to Winnipeg. A.Skillz, Krafty Kuts, JFB…the list goes on and on.

JOHN NORMAN – WAITING FOR SPRING CHART (MARCH 2013)

Posted on Written by Posted in cancon, minimal, remix, stuff my wife would like, tech house, techno Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Comments


Well, my March chart is late making it to the blog…but Spring is late too. I’m beginning to think it is never coming.

Here are some deep and dark techno tunes to help keep us warm here in the frozen prairie and beyond.

I know I usually say something about each, but to be honest, these tunes speak for themselves.

Mr Bizz – Bamboo (D-Unity Remix) – Beat Therapy Recordings

Taster Peter – Seeker (Original Mix) – Octopus Recordings

Billy Dalessandro – Spring Juice (Original Mix) – Archipel

The Deepshakerz – Workout (Original Mix) – Area Remote

Shlomi Aber – Limited By You (Original Mix) – Be As One

Jason Fernandes – Guess (Original Mix) – Excentric Muzik

Pan-Pot – White Fiction (Original Mix) – Mobilee Records

Adam Beyer – Take Me Away (Alan Fitzpatrick Remix) – Truesoul

Miss Kittin – I Don’t Know How To Move (Original Mix) – wSphere

Miguel Herrnandez – Bass Brood (John Norman Remix) – UNT! Records

JOHN NORMAN REMIXES

Posted on Written by Posted in cancon, minimal, tech house, techno, Winnipeg Tagged , , , , Comments

John Norman copy_800px

Not one to rest on his previous laurels and successes (such as the recent after party for Ghosts On Tape and featured guest spots on Coco.fm and Modulate FM), fellow Manaloguer JOHN NORMAN is back at it again with a couple of new and soon to be released tracks on 7 STARS MUSIC and UNT! labels.

First up is John’s remix of “Paralende”. The vibraphone/marimba melody pulled from the original mix by DAIMOND ROCKS and the down to business groove make for some tasty tech house. I am a big believer that a proper remix should pay homage to the original by remaining recognizable while adding the character and soul of the remixer, and this track embodies that philosophy nicely.

 

“Bass Brood”, from MIGUEL HERRNANDEZ‘s new EP soon out on UNT!, is decidedly more minimal (is that an oxymoron?). It is dark, gritty and sinister. This is typical of the sound you’d expect a room full of sweaty people dancing to at 3am in some dingy, nondescript warehouse. And I’m pretty confident John would prefer it that way. The vocals samples remind me of a train station announcement in a nightmare I once had. Make no mistake; this is Techno.

You can get “Bass Brood” right now and “Paralende” on April 4th from all the usual suspects.

++++++++++
John Norman Links:
John Norman on SoundCloud
John Norman on Facebook
John Norman on Twitter

7 Stars Music Links:
7starsmusic.com
7 Stars Music on SoundCloud
7 Stars Music on Facebook
7 Stars Music on Twitter

UNT! Records Links:
UNTRecords.es
UNT! Records on SoundCloud
UNT! Records on Facebook