Category Archives: Music

Dragged out of the witch house: Tri Angle Records

Posted on July 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Internet killed the major record label business. Like Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, the Warners and Universals of the world are already dead (spoiler!) – they just have to come to terms with it. As the majors wander aimlessly, searching for answers that won’t come, indie labels have never been stronger. With a seemingly never-ending stream of genres and sounds to mine, record labels can plant their flag, carve out a niche, and make a name for themselves.

That’s exactly what Tri Angle Records has done. They’ve been on the forefront of the drag / witch house scene since last year’s compilation of re-imagined Lindsay Lohan songs Let Me Shine For You. Tri Angle is the brainchild of Robin Carolan of 20JazzFunkGreats, one of the leading proponents of witch house, in conjunction with techno label Kompakt.

After Let Me Shine For You, Tri Angle got serious, releasing Balam Acab‘s See Birds EP. See Birds is a nocturnal journey in all phases, from nightmare to dream to hazy awakening. Throughout the EP, echoes of horror movie drums are juxtaposed against airy, wistful strings and keys, a style epitomized by its book-ended title tracks. “See Birds (moon)” rumbles with murky bass blasts, while “See Birds (sun)” floats with bubbling aquatic sounds that give way to an upbeat, chiptune rhythm.

I’ve written about oOoOO previously. oOoOO is the easiest Tri Angle artist to fit under the witch house umbrella. His eponymous EP is more energetic than See Birds due to a preponderance of programmed beats. It also brings dream pop vocals higher up in the mix, whereas Balam Acab uses vocals to shade and color his compositions.

The most critically acclaimed Tri Angle artist, How To Dress Well (Brooklyn’s Tom Krell) fuses the ambiance of his Tri Angle compatriots with a deconstructionist’s take on R&B. Love Remains is haunting and romantic, with Krell’s breathy falsetto a counterpoint to the full-throated opulence of contemporary R&B singers. Like dance-focused rhythm and bass producers, HTDW feeds off nostalgia for 90s R&B, as Krell’s borrowed melodies leave the listener grasping at half-remembered dreams.

Combine the R&B of HTDW and the dance music of early industrial and you have Holy Other. Pneumatic beats keep time while synths and ghostly vocals fill in the blanks. “Touch” is Holy Other’s take on Burial-esque atmospherics, with “I’ve been looking for your touch” a weeping refrain.

The latest release in the Tri Angle catalog is Rainforest, by Clams Casino. As the title suggests, it is a technicolor nature symphony, with track titles like “Treetop” and “Waterfalls.” Clams Casino (real name Mike Volpe) has a background as a beatmaker for based rappers such as Lil B and Soulja Boy, but his tracks work better instrumentally. His diffused soundscapes and chopped & screwed samples melt and sway over left-field hip hop beats.

Next up on Tri Angle is more Balam Acab and the debut of San Francisco’s Water Borders entitled Harbored Mantras. Press materials cite industrial pioneers Coil and the dance music of Rinse FM as the inspirations for Harbored Mantras. “What Wiwant” delivers on that vague promise, with an undercurrent of sub bass, a collage of tribal effects and decidedly Gothic chanting.

Also keep watch for material from Ayshay, Tri Angle’s latest signing. Ayshay is the stage name of Fatima Al Qadiri, a Senegalese artist who was raised in Kuwait. “WARN-U,” both in song and video, seem to match the witch house sound and aesthetic, albeit with a distinctive Eastern vibe.

Call it witch house, drag, or chillwave, but when these ephemeral trends are over, Tri Angle Records will be left standing.

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Faze Miyake Brings the Dogs to the Trap (via Mishka)

Posted on July 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

The DJ drop is nothing new, a Pavlovian bell that lets you know who’s behind the boards. These little signals serve as trademarks on a producer’s work: Lex Luger’s metallic drummer boy synth, or Terror Danjah’s gremlin laugh. But rising grime producer Faze Miyake is taking this type of branding to another level, lacing his tracks with a steady stream of barking dogs. Not since DMX have I seen someone so obsessed with canines, but Faze’s Take Off EP (on the appropriately-named Woofer Music) makes it work.

Take Off does just that with a pair of beats that wouldn’t be out of place in the trap house. As of late, the title track has been the instrumental of choice for grime spitters; Boy Better Know laid it down viciously on Rinse. Its raucous horn melody and boom-bap rhythm make this a perfect track for war. “Bawse” continues in the same vein, adding machine gun hi-hats and dramatic sweeps to a slab of trap hop (Frisco and Skepta got their boss on over this one).

Faze hasn’t forgotten about the club, either, dropping a few tracks with their fair share of rave influences. “Jump” rides break beats and scratches; “Blackberry” wobbles with diva-ish cooing. Before closing the EP with a dubstep remix of “Bawse,” Faze includes the unrelenting “Screwdriver V.I.P.” And the barking continues.

In grime, the symbiosis between beatmakers and MCs is self-evident: the grimiest beat still needs some verbal venom on top of it, and vice versa. Take Off is incomplete in that sense, but it’s clear that Faze Miyake is a producer to keep an eye on. These tracks don’t just bark – they bite hard.

Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

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Serious Saturdays: Put On the Redlight (via Mishka)

Posted on July 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

Electronic music is constantly in flux, and while some artists can plant a flag and never change their sound, the majority must adapt or be left behind. Case in point: Redlight, who built a decade-long career as drum and bass producer Clipz but now crafts dubstep-bashment hybrids. Certainly not the only – or last – DnB head to slow down their frenetic productions into hulking wobblers, Redlight has found a second life by focusing the over-the-top energy of DnB into something more corporeal.

As Clipz (aka Bristol-based Hugh Pescod), the man now known as Redlight tended towards the melodic side of the rave playground. There is more to songs like “Slippery Slope” and “Sticky” than unrelenting DnB. “Ugly,” featuring vocalist Holly G, is a forebearer of his current sound.

In 2009, Pescod put away childish things and renamed himself Redlight, releasing the Lobster Boy EP. Some of the trademarks of his earlier sound remained, like the breakbeats that fuel “Pick Up the Phone” and “Feel So Good (Wine Up Yr Body),” a tune that relies on singers and MCs to counterbalance eruptions of bass.

The most addictive track on the EP is “Be With You,” which bounces from bashment toasting to a wobbling, house-inflected chorus. Redlight’s handle on West Indian riddims is exceeded only by Toddla T; he puts the dub in dubstep by bringing in Serocee and frequent collaborator Dread MC. This trend has continued: his banger “MDMA” served as the instrumental for Ms. Dynamite’s grimey “What You Talking About?”

Redlight’s evolution continues. Earlier this year, he released “Source 16” and “Progress,” which both feature housey, four-on-the-floor drums and metallic synth basslines. Guaranteed big room slayers, both are far cries from the riddims of the Lobster Boy EP. But with over a decade in the game, whatever Redlight does next – under whichever name he chooses – is sure to be essential bass music.

Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

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The Moombootleg: An Unofficial History of Moombahton, Part 2

Posted on July 12, 2011 | 1 comment

Answering the question “what is moombahton?” couldn’t possibly be answered in one post. Today, I’ll move on from the OGs (mostly), recalling a year that saw moombahton bounce across the world.

Jon Kwest, “Run Di Track”

While moombahton is a global movement and not a regional one, it found a special place with the club music scene (not surprising, considering Dave Nada’s roots). Philly by way of Baltimore DJ Jon Kwest is a perfect example of this, contributing to both Bmore Original and Moombah Original records. “Run Di Track” has the car siren synths of Dutch house and a beat that doesn’t give up.

Pier Bucci & Samim, “Hay Consuelo (Obeyah edit)”

Moombahton allows a producer to infuse it with his own style. DC’s Obeyah takes a turntablist mentality to the deep house of “Hay Consuelo,” proving that every song in the set doesn’t have to be a banger to get crowds moving. With the finesse of a house DJ, Obeyah keeps the groove going like none other.

DJ Melo, “Song For My Children (radio edit)”

Melo was the perfect candidate for the third volume of TGRI’s Culipandeo mixtape series (following A-Mac and Heartbreak). With a background of spinning reggaeton, house and Latin music, the Phoenix DJ has the perfect pedigree for moombahton, and the smooth, soulful vibe of this very personal song shines through every time.

Vybz Kartel, “Yuh Love (Boyfriend remix)”

For the next Culipandeo, Marcus reached out to a DJ that spoke to the global nature of the moombahton movement. “Tropical bass” and “Lithuania” are unlikely partners, but Boyfriend (Vytis Gruzdys) makes it work. His edit of Vybz Kartel’s dancehall hit “Yuh Love” actually speeds up the original to the swift 108 BPM where moombahton resides. From Jamaica to Lithuania and back to the States: a very moombahton story.

Alex Clare, “Too Close (Nadastrom remix)”

Leave it to Nadastrom to best all their peers in the moombahton remix game. While their take on Alex Clare’s “Up All Night” is stuck in record company purgatory, “Too Close” remains a peak hour killer with its soulful build and half-time breakdown. Says Alex Clare: “I’m honoured to be associated with moombahton; it’s genuine, no pretence party music. There are not many other genres that can still claim that.”

Long Jawns & Billy the Gent, “Vibrate 2.0”

Just a year ago, Billy the Gent was killing ‘em with wobbles, and now he’s at the center of the moombahton scene, thanks to a firm grip on the zeitgeist and an easygoing, collaborative attitude. With longtime collaborator Long Jawns, the Gent crafted “Vibrate” out of the Petey Pablo track of the same name. “Vibrate” destroys dance floors.

Cam Jus, “Metro Center (Step Back)”

Along with running the spiritual successor to Dave Nada’s Moombahton Mondays (the monthly Tropixxx party) with Billy the Gent, Cam is a producer and DJ bar none. While “Even the Gringoes,” “The Stabs” or “Ease the Pain” would fit in here, this is the quintessential DC moombahton track, from one of DC’s fastest rising stars.

JWLS, “6 foot 7 foot (J-trick remix)”

This track is a bank shot, encapsulating the collaborative culture that moombahton embodies. Take a club favorite Lil’ Wayne track, amp it into a Dutch house banger (courtesy Miami moombahnista JWLS) and then screw it down into moombahton (as Australian wunderkind J-Trick did). Seeing producers across the world work on tracks like this is part of the moombahton mystique.

Alvin Risk & Tittsworth, “Pendejas”

“Pendejas” had floated around the moombahton and DJ scenes for a while before its release Plant Music. Everyone knew it would be major – but the masses had to wait. With an insane video shot at Tropixxx – including a Titts “stage” dive – “Pendejas” is already a moombahton classic.

“What is moombahton?” As these producers and many more have proven, the answer is always changing. It’s been a hell of a ride, and it’s only beginning.

Download: The Moombootleg

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Review: P Money & Blacks – Blacks and P (via Mishka)

Posted on July 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

P Money & Blacks – Blacks & P (2011) [Self-Released] // Grade: B+

In American hip-hop, “OG” signifies “original gangster:” an old head who has roots and credibility in the rap game, the streets, or both. The same is true in UK grime (UKG), but in that country’s underground scene it has a dual meaning. “OG” is also Organised Grime, a rising South London crew who embody the same ideals of US OGs. Headlining Organised Grime are MCs P Money (who appeared on Starkey’s street bass masterpiece Ear Drums and Black Holes) and Blacks, a duo who recently released the Blacks and P mixtape.

From the first pulses of the Darq E Freaker produced title track, it’s evident that this is pure grime: symbiosis between unforgiving dubstep beats and hyped-up MCs who spit more than they flow. The tape’s behind-the-boards talent is as impressive as its vocalists; producers like Royal-T and Teddy Music are grime heavyweights. For fans of heavy, aggressive dubstep – with its sinister melodies, midrange wobble and all that bass – Blacks and P is over an hour of fire-starting battle tracks.

Along with original compositions, the duo refreshes some major, classic tunes (it is a mixtape, after all). Blacks freestyles over Nero’s luvstepper “This Way,” saving his ammo for the wobble-heavy verses and letting the female vocals breathe. “Saxon” by Chase and Status is the perfect soundscape for Blacks and P-Money to go hard over, as they do on “Timid.” For grime OGs in the audience, they even remix the recent update of Lethal Bizzle’s anthem “Pow” (a song so brutal and violence-inciting that it was infamously banned in several UK clubs).

A highlight of the mixtape arrives relatively early on in the form of “Effing OG.” The theatrical Lex Luger-meets-Girl Unit trunk rattler is an edit of 18-year old producer S-X’s “Bricks.” The chorus is more mission statement than hook (I stepped in like “Who runs this town?” / We can do this thing like it’s a Western shoot out / They’re looking at my face like “who the hell is he?” / Do your research, I’m a fucking OG), and the song features one of P-Money’s wittiest punchlines: “these rugrats are worse than Angelica.”

The question of grime’s mainstream appeal has been a source of contention since Dizzee Rascal’s 2003 breakout. But while an artist like Tinie Tempah partners with Kelly Rowland and Ellie Goulding for a top ten record, P Money and Blacks stay true to UKG’s namesake griminess rather than attempting a crossover. These OGs wouldn’t have it any other way.

Buy P Money & Black’s Blacks and P Over at iTunes Now!

Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

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The Moombootleg: An Unofficial History of Moombahton, Part 1

Posted on July 11, 2011 | 3 comments

Even though it seems ubiquitous, devotees of moombahton must remember that their cherished genre is still a mystery to the music world at large. For those of us who have been following the ascendant sound, it’s easy to forget that most people can’t answer the question, “what is moombahton?”

Describing it as a Dutch house and reggaeton hybrid certainly doesn’t do the trick – that’s just jargon. You could try retelling the genre’s “origin story,” as it were, with Dave Nada slowing down a record into something more palatable for his cousin’s skip party, but that’s a setting, not a sound. Play the Nada-compiled Blow Your Head 2, and you get a specific vision of moombahton, albeit through Mad Decent’s rose-colored glasses. None of these give you a complete picture of a genre that has undergone so much in just over a year.

For those reasons and more, I’ve compiled The Moombootleg: 19 tracks over 80 minutes that attempts to present the story of moombahton for beginners. Moombahnistas might get a bit of nostalgia from these tracks, as I did when assembling it, but the real audience is your co-worker, your siblings, or even your parents, so they can finally understand moombahton. You can even fit it on a CD (remember those?) and let it blow the car speakers out as you educate your neighborhood.

Postcultural and TGRIOnline present… The Moombootleg: An Unofficial History of Moombahton

Dave Nada, “Moombahton”

The track that started it all. Its birth a 21st century accident: “Moombah” by Silvio Ecomo & Chuckie, remixed by Afrojack, made new by Dave Nada. The word “moombahton” had been floating around social networks since Nada played his new tunes at Winter Olympics afterparties, but the public didn’t hear it until he took over the decks at a pair of late night gigs, first at the Rock and Roll Hotel, and then post-KIDS at DC9. I was at the latter, and the visceral experience will stay with me forever.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Heads Will Roll (A-Mac Moombahton Edit)”

One of the first producers to grab Dave’s edits and make some moombahton was Calgary DJ A-Mac. The original “Heads Will Roll” was already a hit, and A-Trak’s electro edit made it palatable for the dance floor. A-Mac’s edit of the latter was one of the first of many moombahton edits and remixes to spread like wildfire. I interviewed A-Mac; he would go on to put together the first Culipandeo mixtape for TGRIOnline.

Steve Starks, “Lydia (Nadastrom’s Moombahton Remix)”

Back in DC, Nouveau Riche party-starters Steve Starks and Nacey were prepping their second EP, and first for T&A Records, Time Run Out. Starks’ Latin house jam “Lydia” is built around a sample of the father of reggaeton, El General. With that lineage, it begged for a moombahton remix. Nadastrom obliged with this bonus track.

Munchi, “Metele Bellaco”

Munchi’s story dovetails nicely with that of moombahton. The self-described “kid with big hair that loves to make all kinds of music” had already released promo EPs in various styles – Baltimore club, baile funk and even dubstep – but it wasn’t until his moombahton promo that his name ricocheted through the electronic music community. “Metele Bellaco” is moombahton at its finest: the “Planet Rock” riff, the Yaviah rap, and the Dutch house drums could only come from a Dominican living in Rotterdam. This is how a global movement is built.

Dave Nada, “Punk Rock Latino (Moombahton edit)”

T&A continued its moombahton dominance, including this gem off the EP of the same name. While “La Gata” and “KRS Moombahton” are arguably more essential to the sound, this is practically Nada’s theme song, biography and motto all in one.

Heartbreak & Munchi, “Boneknuckles (Moombahton Remix)”

At TGRIOnline, Marcus Dowling and I had faithfully been covering every development in the genre, so when we received an email from Munchi it felt like Christmas. Munchi described the origin of each track on this collaborative EP with Charlotte producer David Heartbreak, in a verbose style that he would repeat in each successive announcement email. The Munbreakton EP brought hip-hop, R&B, baile funk, and bubbling influences to the forefront. Together or separate, there would be no moombahton without Heartbreak and Munchi.

Drop The Lime x East Flatbush Project, “Tried by Sex Sax (Doc Adam Moombahton Edit)”

For underground club-goers, Drop the Lime’s “Sex Sax” was the song of the summer in 2010. Portland’s Doc Adam mashed it up with a throwback to ‘96, East Flatbush Project’s “Tried by Twelve.” The remix refreshed DTL’s bass jam for moombahton fans.

Munchi, “Pun Aint Dead”

Following up where Munbreakton left off was the Fuck H & M promo. Only Munchi could mix salsa great Héctor Lavoe with rapper Big Pun and pull it off. The first of many anthemic moombahton bangers, the producer summed it up best: “Who the fuck invited Pun? Yeah I did, fuck you.”

Heartbreak, “Shy Day” and “King Kong”

Like Munchi, Heartbreak is an extremely prolific producer with a strong grasp on moombahton and its possibilities. That’s why TGRIOnline booked him to play with DJs Cam Jus and Obeyah. Unfortunately, the night was a bust, but it did get three rising producers in the same room. Heartbreak’s third Moombahma EP (M3) dropped that November, giving a name to moombahton’s first subgenres: the moombahsoul of “Shy Day” and the moombahcore of “King Kong.” Whether sampling Sade or Denzel, Heartbreak is a pro. Yet even he couldn’t have predicted the staying power of “King Kong:” “I do not expect people to dance to this shit, or even play it in the club, but fuck it, every song has its place… and [its] is the gutter.”

Check back tomorrow for the second installment of this unofficial history of moombahton, as the movement goes global while keeping DC at the forefront.

Download: The Moombootleg

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Serious Saturdays: Y'all Ain't Yeti for Nadastrom (via Mishka)

Posted on July 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

This should go without saying: don’t sleep on the Keep Watch Mix Series. Need proof? Crank up the fourth edition (from way back in 2008), which featured LA by way of DC-duo Nadastrom.

Nadastrom is comprised of DJ/producers-extraordinaire Dave Nada (né Villegas) and Matt Nordstrom. Established in 2007, Nadastrom have toured the world, unleashed their trademark brand of club-infused tech house on crowds everywhere, and found a home on Switch’s forward-thinking label Dubsided. It’s been a busy few years.

Nadastrom is an example of the whole being greater than the parts. Both Nada and Nordstrom were established talents when they came together: Nada as a resident of quintessential Baltimore party Taxlo and Nordstrom as a studio engineer for house music legends Deep Dish. But it was only together, when they combined the energy of Baltimore club and the pulsing vibe of deep house (along with precise studio programming), that they could reach superstar status in the global underground dance scene.

From the first bass blast of their debut Pussy EP, its been clear that Nadastrom is masterful at crafting soulful, big room bangers. The Soul II Soul-sampling title track and Blaqstarr-driven electroclub of “Tween Me + U” are still vital nearly three years after their release: guaranteed dance floor destroyers that should come pre-loaded on Serato boxes. The same can be said about “Save Us” on 2009’s The Saved EP: the shimmering breakdowns are but momentary respites from the hard-charging, soul-clapping spiritual.

Ever since they flipped Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” into a screwed-down grindfest, Nadastrom has proven to be expert remixers as well, taking on everyone from DC homeboy Tittsworth to Laidback Luke and Diplo. Keying in on the most essential element of a song, Nadastrom practically renders the originals obsolete. Last year, Nadastrom tweaked bass bangers from Udachi (“P-Funk Skank”) and AC Slater (“Take You”), slicing out most of the wobble but keeping all the intensity. Their most surprising remix, however, was a dubstep take on “Crush” by UK hip-pop act Fugative.

While their club and house credentials are impeccable, you can’t mention Nadastrom these days without bringing up moombahton. Nada may have (unintentionally) created it at his cousin’s skip party, but they’ve fostered the growth of the heatseeking genre together. Nadastrom is responsible for some — if not most — of the finest moombahton edits in existence; their Rum & Coke EP is required listening.

Since releasing the first official moombahton remix (of Steve Starks’ “Lydia”) they’ve brought songs by Florence and the Machine, Temper Trap, Win Win, and The Weeknd to the magical land of 108 BPM. Pairing up with UK singer-songwriter Alex Clare has resulted in two instant classics: “Too Close” and the as of yet unreleased “Up All Night.”

Moombahton may be getting them attention, but Nadastrom haven’t forgotten what got them where they are now. The duo dropped several singles earlier this year that hark back to tracks like “Pussy.” Ominous rumblers “Theo” and “M.U.H.” play on the dark side of house, yet the highlight of their new material is “All Night.” The track is built on a vocal riff from one of the most sampled songs ever, the James Brown-produced, Lyn Collins jam “Think (About It)” (for non-crate diggers, that’s where that classic “woo! yeah!” break comes from).

Nadastrom’s mascot / logo / spirit animal is the Yeti, specifically the one from the hilariously over-the-top SkyMall catalog. What started as an inside joke has actually come to describe the duo: this dark, mysterious beast who haunts our collective consciousness. If you’ve ever heard a Nadastrom track in a DJ set (you probably have) or have been lucky enough to see them live, you understand the Yeti. From the most powerful tech house to the smoothest moombahton, Nadastrom is out there.

If you’re in DC, just turn up the bass: the Nadastrom residency returns tomorrow July 10th to U Street Music Hall with guests Munchi and Jillionaire.

Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

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EP Roundup: Nguzunguzu / Little Dragon / How to Dress Well

Posted on July 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Remixed, remade, or rearranged, we are long past the point where songs exist separately from their other versions. Three groundbreaking artists demonstrate this fact on recent releases.

Nguzunguzu – Timesup

Ascendant masters of future bass Nguzunguzu have the honor of releasing the first EP on Kingdom‘s Night Slugs-affiliate Fade to Mind. There’s much more than namedropping here, though. The tracks bubble, surge, and sway with waves of bass, video game (not chiptune) synths, and big ass timpanis; the title of “Water Bass Power” is instructive.

Two remixes round out the disc. In true rhythm and bass style, Kingdom screws a Nicole Wray sample into the title track; contemporaries Total Freedom give “Wake Sleep” a violent, creepy edge.

[wpaudio url=”https://postcultural.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/water_bass_power.mp3″ text=”Nguzunguzu – Water Bass Power” dl=0]

Little Dragon – Ritual Union

Little Dragon doesn’t stray from their sound on “Ritual Union,” the title track on their forthcoming album. The song bounces along with a slinky bassline, electronic chirps, ricocheting drums, and of course, Yukimi Nagaon’s silky smooth vocals.

Remixes from producers Maya Jane Coles and Tensnake accentuate different elements – the guitar melody and the percussion section, respectively – but the focus is on Yukimi (as is usually the case). Also included is a remix of “Nightlight” by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who turn the song into a psychedelic tableau of Eastern-flavored rock.

[wpaudio url=”https://postcultural.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ritual_union.mp3″ text=”Little Dragon – Ritual Union” dl=0]

How to Dress Well – Just Once

The limited pressing Just Once gives R&B deconstructionalist How to Dress Well (aka Brooklyn artist Tom Krell) a chance to step out of the bedroom and into the orchestra pit. A tribute to a friend who committed suicide, the EP includes orchestral versions of formerly gauzy, ethereal songs from his debut, Love Remains.

Sinewy strings imbue Krell’s falsetto with an even greater sense of loss, heartbreak and sorrow. However, the beauty of these arrangements turns somber proceedings into something hopeful (or at least not as depressing as it could be). “Suicide Dreams 3″ will appear on the next HTDW album.

[wpaudio url=”https://postcultural.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/suicide_dream_3.mp3″ text=”HTDW – Suicide Dream 3” dl=0]

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Video Rundown: Tittsworth & Alvin Risk / Bikini / Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

The “party as video” is nothing new, but here are three distinct takes on an age-old concept.

Tittsworth & Alvin Risk – “Pendejas”

The one you’ve all been waiting for: a clip that captures the sweat and swagger of moombahton, filmed in one of its chief incubators. Directed by Rand Rosenberg, “Pendejas” combines footage from a rowdy Tropixxx party with just enough touches of urban life to keep it grounded. “Que Que” might have beaten Tittsworth and Alvin Risk to the punch, but this is the first true moombahton video.

Bikini – “ACheerlaeder”

Dance-pop outfit Bikini paints a picture of Hamptons-style extravagance in their (NSFW) video for “ACheerlaeder.” Vivid with the clarity that only HD can provide, the clip fills in the blanks of what you don’t see in Gossip Girl or American Apparel ads. Fleeting scenes of boarding school preps firing Roman candles out of a Mercedes convertible, a suited duo steering a speed boat, and the requisite between-the-sheets intimacy mingle with some stray images: one woman in armor and another planking nude. Trashy, yet refined.

http://vimeo.com/22941450

Does It Offend You, Yeah? – “The Wrestler”

The latest from unofficial video mavens the High5Collective is less a party video than their offering for “T.I.O.N.” Still, hipsters recreating the most famous scene from Office Space is evocative as any scene from a rager. The video’s second half gets tribal; the man versus machine/return to nature theme fits the natural/artificial contrast that DIOYY inhibit in their brand of dance-punk.

http://vimeo.com/25991303

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The end of an era: the last KIDS party

Posted on June 30, 2011 | 1 comment

This Saturday marks the end of an era in DC nightlife as the monthly KIDS party dominates DC9 for the last time. KIDS, named for and inspired by the controversial Larry Clark film, has given DC scenesters a haven to enjoy 90s hip hop jams without irony and with plenty of Olde English malt liquor and free condoms.

The first KIDS flier – everyone looks so young!

The impetus for KIDS was a shared love of hip-hop, skateboarding, and city culture – the same terrain as the film. Started during the height of the hipster, electro obsession, it gave four budding DJs the chance to spin the music they truly love. After two plus years, the group of DJs – Lil’ Elle, Steve Starks, Nacey and Jackie O – chose to end it, even though the party is still successful. They admit it was a tough decision. “DC9’s been a home to us and the staff is like family… We can’t wait to come back and throw a party at DC9, it just might be a little while.” The move will give everyone time to focus on other things, and a chance to, as Elle says, “put this chapter to rest for now.”

The KIDS crowd was a unique one, combining friends of the DJs, a dedicated group of devotees, and random party-goers down for anything. But in a transient city like DC, the scene is constantly in flux. Lil’ Elle laments that the party “lost the homie mentality.” That mentality was due in large part to the vibe: KIDS was a grown-up version of a high school house party, paradoxically both laid back and irreverently out-of-control. The spot of many memorable nights, one in particular stands tall.

In February 2010, during the second blizzard of the season, KIDS went on as planned. “I’ll never forget walking with the crew up the middle of Florida Ave, which had no cars on it, thinking nobody was coming out to KIDS,” Nacey remembers. “We considered canceling it. Two hours after rolling up, the place was bubbling. By 3am there was a massive snowball fight outside.” Before devolving into a snowball fight, premiere DJ Dave Nada jumped on the tables and treated the sweat pants-clad crowd to a hip-hop, turntablist clinic – a rarity from the club/house DJ. “Tittsworth ended up flipping a couch,” laughs Lil’ Elle.

With a fixed set of songs that fit the 90s rubric, there were bound to be songs that felt played out; Elle names R&B jams “Return of the Mack” and “This Is How We Do It” as songs that got old but continue to be crowd pleasers. Thankfully, favorites outnumber duds: Biggie’s “Going Back to Cali” for Elle, Smif-n-Wessun’s “I Love You” for Nacey (“That piano loop gets people every time.”)

Steve Starks took a different route: “[It’s] kind of funny, cause I started playing crunk sets, which were my favorite moments at KIDS, which I hadn’t done at the very beginning. Those tunes weren’t really throwbacks in the 90’s hip hop sense, mostly early/mid 00’s. Anyways, that music is my shit! Lil Jon, “Whatcha Gon Do.” The party always boiled over with that one.”

What’s next for the KIDS crew? Lil’ Elle, who recently relocated to San Francisco, is getting deeper into the Bay Area music scene, DJing, promoting, and connecting visiting DJs with locals. Along with remixing, Nacey is writing and producing songs with Misun, “an amazing vocalist in DC who hasn’t really been discovered yet. She’s got a lot of soul and has a ton of ideas.” Steve Starks has “a rack of new original tracks coming out, and some remixes.” Jackie O continues to DJ in DC, with residencies at Velvet Lounge and the 9:30 Back Bar and appearances across town.

For DJs that want to establish an event or party with the staying power of something like KIDS, the key is passion. “It’s really important that your heart is in it; we really wanted to spin this music,” says Ellen; Starks and Nacey feel the same way, but note that “the free malt liquor didn’t hurt either.”

Join Nacey, Jackie O, and Steve Starks at DC9 for the final KIDS this Saturday, July 2. Free entry, condoms, and malt liquor before 10PM and only $5 after. Hip-hop all night.

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