Super Natural Beats

Friday night, the Natural History Museum – yes, that one – will be hosting (along with Flavorpill) the latest in their One Step Beyond DJ Planetarium gigs featuring Superpitcher, currently one half of Supermayer (along with Kompakt boss Michael Mayer). Their new album Save the World just dropped – and yours truly has been playing email tag for another interview.
Last word, Flavorpill wants to videotape the pre-show chat, as well as run it in Earplug. Word is Superpitcher’s as camera shy as I am, so we’ll see how this goes. There aren’t too many videos online that do the mixes justice; but don’t let that dissuade you. Recommended tracks – “Two of Us” (played twice in one set by Sasha at Webster Hall Friday night), their remix of Gui Boratto’s “Like You” and the dreamy, buttery Lawrence remix of Superpitcher’s own “Happiness.”
Rave on, kids. “Mom, we’re going to the museum…See ya Sunday!”

Paul Van Dyk, Summerstage

Hungover and all, dragged my ass out to Summerstage for Paul Van Dyk’s 5th annual set.
How did I miss this before? I wasn’t really into PVD. I started liking him more when he collaborated with Saint Etienne, and then even more when a certain Euro DJ used to call Alessandra’s agency. The man clearly has some good taste, even if his techno’s a bit much for my Chicago blood.
At the press list, the Do Ho actually said, “I don’t know you…” as she looked past me to some Euros she “knew” from Coachella. It was like South Beach or Ibiza washed up in Central Park; everywhere: tans, pony tails, big sunglasses, steroids, implants, chlorine – the works, everything but manners; all of them were whining into their cell phones with their obnoxious accents.
I interrupted Miss-too-old-for-the-clipboard and flashed the Blackberry with my invite, “Oh you’re with Justin, you’re fine then.”
As if. Did I really seem at all interested in making any new friends in line, when I’d rather be in bed on Vicodin? The guy with the magic wristbands was nicer.
As I wandered around the packed field, two words kept ringing in my head – “Date Rape”. I wasn’t sure if I was feeling vulnerable/generous, or if I was just sensing how a lot of these lip-glossed ladies would close out the night. There were a lot of jaws grinding, some joint puffing, and plenty of beer spilling.
In the “VIP bleachers” one of the volunteers, a middle aged Latina was bouncing as much as anyone in the crowd. I wasn’t aware of the bleachers until she saw me taking pictures, and noticed the magic wristband on my camera hand. “You should be in here, Papi” she said, while pushing people out of the way and redirecting them – “You gotta have one of these,” she said holding my wrist.
Since I took a liking to her and always make sure the gatekeepers recognize me (even if they don’t want to be my new BFF), I hung out by her when I wasn’t avoiding the crazy porta-potty lines or paying $4 for unfrozen french fries.
I got there around 6:30, and waited until the sun set and the light show started. Before the “last dance” I headed out, to avoid the stampede. Besides, the memory card on the camera was full and the battery was dead. So, I took a cab, ordering food on the way so it would arrive soon after I got home.

Here’s a rough edit of “pix and flix” from the day.
More pictures on FLICKR and more videos on MYSPACE.

Paul Van Dyk, Summerstage Aug 18, 2007

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Paul Van Dyk, Summerstage Aug 18, 2007

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Boompty Boomp Sh*t: DC on the Decks

Guess who’s back in town tonight?
For someone who doesn’t like NYC so much, we’re getting our fill lately.
Not that we’re complaining! Any night with Derrick Carter on the 1’s and 2’s is a good night. Especially, if it’s the weekend before our birthday.
If ya don’t get stuck at the do’, we’ll see ya on the flo, ho!

TGIF Mix: I LOVE DJ HEATHER

Sometimes I miss dancing in Chicago so much, it makes me want to cry.
More mixes on this “unofficial” BBC Essential Mix Blog.

All Gussied Up

Feature

April 26, 2007

All Gussied Up, With Nowhere to Go (But Up)
GusGus return with Forever and a far-reaching perspective

Once an “apostle-like” 12-member multimedia conglomerate, Iceland’s GusGus is now a self-anointed techno-soul trinity in full halo drag. Their current album, Forever, dropped in February. Earplug’s Jorge Hernandez gets the grease from President Bongo, leader of the Pineapple Empire, on their “spectacular Schnitzel on the Highway show,” due to burn rubber this spring.

Earplug: It’s been five years since Attention; were you suffering from attention deficit disorder?

President Bongo: I wish! No, we’ve been busy with other projects. Giving birth to babies, a record company, photo exhibitions, DJ’ing, playing live — we quit touring Attention in late 2005 — and we were waiting for “Moss.” It only came to us six months ago.

EP: “Moss” is a monster track. I loved hearing Daníel Ágúst again, and Earth is an amazing vocalist.

PB: Daniel and Earth are brilliant song composers; we’re just good stylists. We can’t work with anyone but them.

EP: Former vocalist Emiliana Torrini sang on the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack. What other film/video work has GusGus done?

PB: We don’t do these things anymore. They are extremely boring. You have to compromise, and we are not very good at that! But we have done some scores for Levi’s and Coca-Cola, and some movies have used our tracks.

EP: Do you see any of your ex-bandmates?

PB: Mostly Daniel, as we are always working together. I don’t know what my father is doing, either, so I guess I’m up my own ass a lot.

EP: Most techno is dismissed as soulless; have you encountered problems going in a more straightforward dance direction?

PB: I don’t agree with this. Kraftwerk is one of the most soulful bands that ever emerged to the human race. Most of the electronic music that I have listened to is full of love and soul. I think that the love we put into our music has been the main reason for us being ten years old this year.

EP: There’s a fuzzy, fat Detroit sound to your music. How was Forever made?

PB: We use analog equipment and are constantly on the lookout for new synths. The German Doepfer tops the new list and the Arp 2600 reigns over the old ones. All the tracks on this, and all other GusGus albums, have been done in Iceland. Carl Craig and Aaron-Carl have been our musical influences from the Motor City, but mainly we are influenced by the energy that emerges when we meet to do music. We had Aaron-Carl doing backing vocals on the album. Remixes have been done by Icelandic and German friends; Detroit friends are still working on them.

EP: Explain the song “If You Don’t Jump, You’re English.” Do you have mixed feelings about the UK?

PB: No, not at all! I think the UK is great, but Argentinians don’t, and that’s what the track is about. The guitar samples are from the Icelandic punk band Purrkur Pillnikk’s album Googooplex from 1982 — one of the most influential albums in Iceland, ever!

EP: I heard you spent time in Barcelona.

PB: We had a monthly residency in Barcelona four years ago. We were dead bored. Too hot. Barcelona people are too lazy, so we stopped playing there and returned home. We don’t like Ibiza, either.

EP: A friend’s visiting Reykjavik; do you recommend any hotspots so she can do it up right?

PB: Do it upright? As in… against the wall? Sirkus is the after-midnight, Boston is the before-midnight. Qbar is the gay one and Kaffibarinn is the boring one.

EP: Iceland is part of a Human Genome/deCODE project; any GusGus DNA in it?

PB: No, Icelanders are leading in that field because we are so few and we have records of our ancestors going way back. It is easy to isolate sickness and to see if it is genetic. We are very positive and generally very happy.

EP: You guys do seem forever “high on love.” Who sent you? What do you want?

PB: My grandmother is an elf and she was sent by Master Elf Monsieur Techno Elf. We are sent to convince Americans that rock ‘n roll is dead. Techno is the new punk!

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