Dead in our Dance Tracks
A few signs of the times. While walking around the East Village with Terre en route to Margaritas and Brunch at Benny’s, we stumbled onto the locked, unstocked Dance Tracks record store. An eviction notice was posted in the window. The farewell note below was posted on their website. They will now be a digital shop. Brick and mortar, no more.
With a heavy heart, Dance Tracks will be closing this Friday the 30th November. Like many stores before us we have found it impossible to sustain a Vinyl business in NYC. With pressing plants closing, labels unwilling or unable to press vinyl, traditional wholesalers offering Records at wholesale prices the retail the customer base has been slowed eroded.
diskJokke: Seriously
You’d think a Norweigan would know as much about Disco as a Latino might know about Oslo. And you’d be wrong – and late. In this case, thank Thor and Guadalupe, the Viking in question is diskJokke and the spic scribe is me. Got this from the Chicago-based publicist for Modeselektor, and after a few rounds of e/mail-box drama, I finally got my mitts on the goods. And it was well worth the wait and the tease. diskJokke is Joachim Dyrdahl, and apparently he’s been drinking from the same icy waters as Jori Hulkonnen, Rune Lindbaek, Royksopp, Annie, Prins Thomas, and Lindstrom. They all seem to be wayward classically-trained buskers transformed by “one night at the disco on the outskirts” of their internal ‘Frisco. Joachim is no exception. His fluid, retro-futurist, abstract Italo-disco is quirky, funky, sly, snappy and guaranteed to make you shake your booty well past your bedtime, on every side of the international dateline. It’s like dropping acid in Amsterdam and waking up in Miami with glitter in your G-string and being so mesmerized by the sparkle that you could care less how you or it got there. If you follow his Myspace friends links for a few clicks, soon enough you arrive at Danny Wang – and that should be blessing enough for any disco malcontent. diskJokke’s debut, coyly titled Staying In, drops early 2008, but you can sample tracks like Some Signs are Good at eMusic now.
PTR: Have it All
A couple of years ago, while interviewing Richard from Arling & Cameron, I asked who he was excited about. He said Planning to Rock. Digging further, I’ve found other fans include Peaches, LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, David Byrne, the Knife, Karl Lagerfeld, Hugo Boss among others. I should have listened and paid more attention. Janine Ronstron, multimedia artist, could turn Broadway on its head with her theatrical mashups of genres and mediums – glam, video, punk, art: it’s in there. I’m at a loss for what it is, exactly, but that just adds oomph to the hoorah. This is what happens when a classically-trained musician goes ape-shit with the Elmer’s glue and a Casio. PTR, Rock on.
Francois sez fas, Flashe’ no do
As I was sitting in a diner in LA over the Xmas break, I flipped through the local weekly and found a nightlife column by a high school friend. I was instantly jealous. Until I read it.
The universe, sensing my hateration sent a crackberry buzz to soothe me. Subject: Fracois K, as in do you want to interview him? Hmm, the DJ was already so legendary by 1981 that Blondie was referencing him in Rapture alongside Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash. Umm, yeah, I think when I get back to New York, yes, I do want to sit down with Mssr. Kevorkian and ask him just what the fuck Debbie Harry was talking about back in the day.
Francois sez fas, Flashe’ no do
As I was sitting in a diner in LA over the Xmas break, I flipped through the local weekly and found a nightlife column by a high school friend. I was instantly jealous. Until I read it.
The universe, sensing my hateration sent a crackberry buzz to soothe me. Subject: Fracois K, as in do you want to interview him? Hmm, the DJ was already so legendary by 1981 that Blondie was referencing him in Rapture alongside Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash. Umm, yeah, I think when I get back to New York, yes, I do want to sit down with Mssr. Kevorkian and ask him just what the fuck Debbie Harry was talking about back in the day.
Deep Beat Diving
Sounding like Massive Attack and Zero 7 is great if you’re MA or Z7; it’s trickier business if you’re another band, like Morcheeba who has suffered such comparisons since their inception during last century’s shoegazing heyday. Despite this and the departure of charismatic lead singer Skye Edwards, they persist. DIVE DEEP, their latest release overflows with swampy grooves, buttery vocals, tender strummings and immaculate production values. The safe, classic touch may draw instant comparisons to fellow internationalist chill-meisters like Air, but Morcheeba’s stamina and integrative finesse have always been a redeeming part of their sonic allure. The parts may sound familiar, but the end product holds its own. Morcheeba goes searching for substance in style and comes up with a charming gem for early 2008. As the opening track emplores, “Enjoy the Ride”.
Mad, Bad and Outta Control
The World Wide Mess is abuzz with the latest Apple shenanigans. Apparently you can’t use cash to buy an iPhone. So if you’re a cash-based consumer, Apple doesn’t want you. They can’t track you and what you’re doing with their precious product, and basically, you’re not their target market. Just to keep it real, though – if you’re cash-based, you probably shouldn’t be blowing money on a sticky screen iPhone anyway, m’kay? But – gadget-loving Gemini that I am – who am I to tell you how to spend your money, eh? I had been considering treating myself to an iPhone, but after reading this and all the flaming commentary blazing on the net, I’m not so sure. And, I’m one of those 80’s California babies who grew up with Macs in their public schools. I willingly and enthusiastically gave myself over to the cult of cute-follows-function: iMac, iTune, iPhone, iAm. And what iAm is cute, and well, you’re not. As the world swings toward open-source everything, perhaps the big bad apple should reconsider its Darwinist marketing ploys. Next up, T-Mobile is in some squabble with wee microblogging darling Twitter. I tawt i taw a cock-blocking putty tat, cries Twitter; Nuh-uh say T-Mo. Urgh go millions of T-Mo users. Be warned, if you’re thinking about switching to an AT&T-only iPhone, bring le plastique! Once you’re safely strapped into your mobile device, rejoin the collective SMS stream of consciousness pushing text message volumes over the 2 TRILLION mark. Any day now, text traffic will surpass the national deficit. If only we could just text our way out of debt before our thumbs get arthritis… [Cue dream sequence and James Brown soundtrack: "Talking Loud, Sayin Nothing..."]
Shelf Life: Seven Heaven
T & I have a running joke inspired by our free-spirited mothers. Whenever we are craving something illicit we always preface the request with a nonchalant, “Baby, where’s mamma’s…” In my mom’s case during the disco days from the late 70’s to the early 80’s, the “7&7″ was one of “mamma’s” favorite highballs. Being Latinos, the Cuba Libra was the other “coktel de casa.” I remember mamma asking for both of those more than once.
Two parts Seagram’s whiskey and five parts 7-up (the players’ remix), it’s sweet without being overly syrupy and the whiskey gives it a sharp kick. It’s easy to make, with a simple lime garnish and it isn’t psychotropic like tequila. It’s easy to see why it would be popular on the dance floor, especially with flashy types. It can be mixed quickly, nursed slowly and it mixes well with cocaine. At least that’s what I’ve heard. According to “Mr Drinkies” it trails behind the Martini in on-screen cachet, but it’s not without points and fans. “Mean Streets”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Goodfellas” and the “Sopranos” all feature antiheros guzzling on the lucky sevens. Not bad for a gimmick concocted by brand managers in the mid-60’s. Almost 50 years on, you can still overhear someone ordering it at the bar. It says, “I take Risk, with Style.” Tonight, at the office party, as coworkers downed cosmos, rum & cokes, mojitos, martinis and things with lychees, I got a wry smile and wee wink from the foxy bar wench when I requested a 7&7. Its reputation as an ice breaker remains intact. “What’s that” my coworker asked on cue. “It was a big disco drink…” I started. I stopped at three 7’s; it seemed like the lucky thing to do. When I walked out, just as everyone was starting to grope each other and sing along to the hits of the 80’s, I was, in my mother’s other dipsomanic words, “feeling good.” Out on the street, the soft tail of a mid-west ice storm whipped down the Bowery and Manhattan shimmered in its Xmas regalia. I pulled my H&M wool hoodie over my head, threw my H&M scarf around my neck and flanked by two of the coolest chicks in the office, stuck my arm out thinking, “Baby, where’s mamma’s cab?”
Piggy Banking
Wall Street, Porn stars, Pimps, Cocaine, and four brothers battling a suspicious widow over a $25+million estate. This is what I find in my innocent Google search for gay-, minority-, and green-friendly funds and investment groups. I feel for the guy, but really – how’s a pleasure-seeking bon-vivant like me supposed to concentrate on building a cruelty-free nest egg when this story of financier and commentator Seth Tobias’s rise and demise tickles so many of my fancies?
Here we have a dapper, swarthy, media-savvy manager of a $300 million fund in a marriage of convenience to an indulgent socialite, both fond of cruising gay bars and in particular a Go-Go dancer named “Tiger” with the animal-print body tattoo to match. Tobias’s brothers (and sole beneficiaries), along with a pimp called Mr. Madam have accused the wife of enabling a fatal cocaine binge before luring Tobias – with promises of “Tiger” sex – into the swimming pool where he was found floating. Contesting a will and and anything called a “slayer statute” is not endearing the widow to many; draining and resurfacing the pool and sending the pimp champagne just days after the death might make it impossible. But, that’s the wonderful thing about our court system, it makes for scintillating drama.
Now, back to finding a suitable piggy for my pennies.
Global Inheritance
I got a package at work today. It was a couple of back issues of BPM magazine. The clips are nice to pin up in the office for reassurance; a check would’ve been nice too. I spotted the Tony Wilson article in the contents, but I overlooked the Global Inheritance piece. While I was researching it, I stumbled on another interview with the group’s founder by one of my old high school classmates. Here’s my crack at breaking down one of the key players in the Green youth movement. Ahem.
Xmas Flick – The Ref
You know what I’m going to get you next Christmas, Mom? A big wooden cross, so that every time you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it. – The Ref, 1994
This is one of my favorite Holidays movies. Ted Demme traps Judy Davis, Dennis Leary and Christine Baranski in Christmas flick ghost written by Sartre. It’s so NY, it takes place in Connecticut. And it’s so good, that it reminds you of how much fun it was watching Kevin Spacey come up back in the day before he got all creepy and serious. He actually has some of the best zingers, but Leary, Davis, Baranski and crew get their fair share. I wouldn’t know where to begin. Whatever you do, “Don’t encourage her Mary. No one wants to listen to her misery.”
Gui Boratto’s Beautiful Life
Deep House / Gui Boratto – Its Majik (Terry Lee Brown Junior [via FoxyTunes / Gui Boratto] Mashup Missy Elliott vs. Gui Boratto – Gossip Folks [via FoxyTunes / Gui Boratto] Terry Lee Brown Jr. – Terry’s House (Extended Mix) [via FoxyTunes / Terry Lee Brown Jr.]
While we’re waiting on Laurent Garnier who postponed at the last minute, we’ve moved on to interviewing Kompakt’s resident swarthy Brazilian platter maestro Gui Boratto for Resident Advisor, my latest online outlet. Below, a static clip of a mix by Teutonic disco-tech guru Terry Lee Brown Jr, and a mashup of Boratto and Missy Elliott. Boratto’s 2007 CD “Chromophobia” made several Best lists; his remixes and live sets have further assured his place on the international DJ circuit. Here: more on Boratto – and TLB just for kicks.
Plugged Up
The 2008 Plug Awards, yet another indie music tastemaker clusterfuck, takes a swing at cherry-picking the next great thing. The stop-n-go startup has an Oklahoma street address, but its “Cartel” comprises an international bunch of industry heads and musicians, producers and DJs whose lists over the last few years have helped put momentum behind the likes of RJD2, Sufjan Stevens, TV on the Radio, J Dilla, Arcade Fire, Justice, El-P, et. al. Of Montreal and Radiohead popped up a few times on this year’s list. This year’s Electronic category includes a few of my faves and editorial victims – Modeselektor, Caribou, The Field, Matthew Dear and Gui Boratto. Check the full list, videos, or vote HERE.
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