Someone should tell the Andy Warhol Foundation about the thrashy fun garage rock band,  Mind Fish.  Apparently they spent some big bucks on an overproduced music video but scrapped it in favour of this minimalistic silkscreen and typography-inspired work of art, shot and edited by Teamwork! Yeah!

According to Astralwerks, the following artists make “gay” approved music.  Makes me wonder who’s finger was up whose bottom, er, on the button, when this concept was being decided. Ok, JUST KIDDING.  Branded “Pride” swag has always been  amusing to me, what with the weird doggy toothbrushes (essential for your gay dog)  and MoneyMart sunglasses (yes, MoneyMart is gay too. You didn’t know?)  I’ve acquired during Toronto’s celebratory mid-summer blowouts.

But seriously, here’s the official statement from Astralwerks on their mix CD which will make it’s appearance at Pride events around the world:

“From the uplifting disco-house of Eric Prydz to the electro-acoustic atmospheres of Air, Hey Boy, Hey Girl! – Pride 2012 is a journey through contemporary electronic dance music, and features music that we hope will be part of your soundtrack to Pride 2012 festivities.  In recent years Astralwerks has enjoyed numerous successful album campaigns with luminary artists such as Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, David Guetta, The B-52s and others. Working closely with lifestyle and media contacts in the LGBT community has been a big part of that success. Glenn Mendlinger, Astralwerks General Manager, notes…“we are grateful for the support and love that this community has shown to our artists. This is our way of saying thank you.”

Go to the bandcamp page to stream and download (hey Astralwerks, stop being greedy, let’s share some embed codes)

Hey Boy, Hey Girl! – Pride 2012 Tracklisting:

1. Eric Prydz & Andreas Postl: “Mighty Love” www.ericprydz.com

2. Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party: “Antidote” (Tommy Trash Remix) www.swedishhousemafia.com

3. David Guetta : “Paris” www.davidguetta.com

4. Gold Fields : “Treehouse” (Gloves Remix) www.goldfieldsband.com

5. Morning Parade: “Headlights” (James Nije Remix) www.morningparade.com

6. The Chemical Brothers: “Don’t Think” (Live from Japan) www.thechemicalbrothers.com

7. The Good Natured: “Video Voyeur” (Adrian Lux Remix) www.thegoodnatured.co.uk

8. Air: “Seven Stars” www.aircheology.com

I first met Jesse Futerman at a Red Bull Academy intimate and interactive event with Flying Lotus. I was alone and he sat beside me.  We soon started talking and was amazed at this 17 or 18 year old kid who talked about jazz like a 40 year old man but with the rambunctiousness of well, a teenager. I turned out that he lived in Cedervale, the same hood that I grew up in, a five minute walk from where my parents still lived, on a street integral to my own childhood.  I took a shine to the kid, regardless of the fact that he kept telling me that the BBC’s Gilles Peterson has been paying his songs since he was 15. I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but  It didn’t matter, he’d won me over already.

It’s been an interesting friendship and I can say that after Sunday’s set at the New Toronto’s overstacked bill (BNJMN, Kevin McPhee, Sybian & Faun) he will soon be hitting his prime.  Jazzy breaks are a hard sell for the night life scene these days, but by bringing soulful, shuffling, bass-heavy house to the mix, a tangible alchemy has been born.  A year after his first taste of press thanks to Denise Benson’s nightlife section in The Grid, Toronto, and with the sensational “Fuse The Witches” EP release on Jus Like Music with a live stream on OkayPlayer.com just a few weeks ago, I think that Jesse is now ready for the world, and the world should be ready for him.

But getting back to the night, despite the presence of some huge names in todays bass-driven scene like BNJMN coming all the way from France via Mutek, and Kevin McPhee, one of the most undervalued Toronto dj/producers of the moment (Resident Advisor, Rinse.FM) only a handful of the crowd of 40 stuck around when Jesse was done.  This night belonged to him.  In the immortal words of Bob Ross from the  Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job’ “I had a chance to listen to your album on the internet. Really good! Your going to do quite well!”