MasterCard Fashion Week: Chloé Comme Parris – FW 2012
Originally written for Casiestewart.com
Black pantsuits were de rigueur at the Chloé Comme Parris’ Fall/Winter 2012 show. If it wasn’t a pants suit, it was bauble-studded epaulettes on three quarter length black latex inspired bondage tops, beige sheer blouses (with more studs) or aggro trench coats worthy of any self-respecting trench coat mafia.
The second movement showed off their outerwear collection that accessorized with what was either mink, coyote , or some other Nordic animal’s pelt embedded as collars or as full-length, high-shouldered vests. The Celtic braided headdress style, combined with the edgy fairy-like gowns left more than a few fans wondering if the Chloé Comme Paris sisters (Chloe & Parris) might have spent a good time of the last year watching Game Of Thrones on repeat.
– JESSE
TOP 5 ELECTRONIC RELEASES: FEBRUARY – AUX.TV
Ango – Another City Now EP
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Is Ango short for Anglo? Given that he hails from my favourite bilingual city to the north, this could be true. The six track narrative fuses late 80s pop, early 90s house and the smooveness of contemporary R&B. The record is apparently “a lyrically polarized selection of girl songs expressing the giddy way up and the painful way back down.” Ouch. What is this girl landing on?Another City Now is a solid fit to the LuckyMe roster known for their signature lush synths and soulfully uplifting melodies. Ango is also noted for his collaborations with Lunice and Azealia Banks. |
Gunslingers And Greenhorns – Poker Flat Vol. 9
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Poker Flat return with this ninth compilation featuring ten of their brightest new talent and grizzled gunslingers that will take you on a whistle stop tour deep into the Wild West of modern house and techno. Check out the freshest cuts from guys like Adultnapper, Ian Pooley, Roland Appel, and Sebastian San. For added bonus, there’s a full 16 track disc mixed and compiled by label honcho Steve Bug. |
Deadmau5 – Meowington’s Hax 2K11 Toronto |
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The DVD to accompany the mother of all Can-Con performances where little Deadmau5 brought down the house, errr, Rogers Centre, and earned a plaque for Canadian artist with the most tickets sold at an event. And also the largest congregation of glow-in-the-dark mouse-eared-wearing 20-somethings on ecstasy, EVER. The disc is about two hours long and I imagine it would be an awesome addition to any Deadmau5ers weekend pre-party routine. Sadly, the epic video screens that Deadmau5 funded on his own tab are not featured as prominently as they could be, and a lot of the highlights of this vid are of chicks gone wild, sitting atop bulky dude’s shoulders, which makes it best left as background noise. Sonically, it does redeem its self as it features 26 cuts from the show. |
DJ-Kicks – The Exclusives
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The DJ-Kicks shtick is to have a popular DJ/producer/band create a mix of some of their favourite songs of the moment, and the cherry on top is that they also have to create an exclusive track made specifically for that album. The album here is actually a compilation of all those exclusives from the past five years, and is the second ‘best of’ since 2006. Some of my favourites include “Pockets” by Four Tet, the epic 12 minute long “Feel So Good” (good, good, gooood!) by the Juan Maclean, and Scuba’s deep and dark 90s helicopter bass-y and ravey sounding “M.A.R.S.” |
Trevor Jackson Presents METAL DANCE |
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I used to be into EBM and Industrial music when I was in my teens because it was hard, raw and made liberal use of electronic styles. I’m probably missing something on a grander scheme of things because I don’t really understand why everyone cares about this ubergoth trend all of a sudden. Is it because the drag/witch house is running its self out so it’s now time to capitalize while we can on its secret origins? Anwyay, at first I thought they meant Steve Jackson, of the Fighting Fantasy book and dice fantasy game books, but no. Trevor Jackson is actually an art director and audio nerdophile who has a penchant for Alien Sex Fiend, Yello, Nitzer Ebb, Jah Wobble and Severed Heads. My teenage mid-90s self would be gushing if he discovered this one in the record bin. My current self wonders do I really need this nostalgia? |
Surprises, disappointments and albums to watch for next month
Stuff we missed last month: January is usually deadsville for album releases but we missed Steve Aoki’sWonderland, featuring celebrity collaborations with Kid Cudi and Travis Barker on “Cudi The Kid,” Earthquakey People featuring Rivers Cuomo (a sure summer hit), and “The Kids Will Have Their Say” with Sick Boy and former members of the Exploited and Die Kreuzen. Also missed in January was Skrillex.
Things that didn’t surprise: Skrillex taking home a three Grammys – Best Dance Recording, Best Dance Album for “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” and Best Remix for Benny Benassi’s surprise hit, “Cinema.”
Things that suck: Every other guy and girl trying to do the Skrillex short/long emo undercut shave hair-do. Thankfully it’s more for the ladies.
Palladium Boots: Streets In Focus
Fresh Hype from Palladium.
SALVA, COMPLEX HOUSING: DJ COOL WITH PIRATING IF IT HELPS HIM TOUR
Posted on Feb 14th 2012 3:00PM by Jesse Ship
“I wish I played piano my whole life but at the same time, I don’t think I’d be where I am, coming at it backwards from a post-modern aesthetic shows in my music — and I’m glad to be where I am, regardless,” Paul Salva, creator of the surprise hit ‘Complex Housing,’ a fusion of abstract hip-hop, funk, Detroit techno and old school house, tells Spinner.
As a Chicago-native and child of the ’80s, the former turntablist who goes under the moniker Salva owes a lot of his fan appeal to dissolution of musical boundaries over the past decade. Less stylistic limitations means a potentially wider appeal and a more open-minded audience.
“It’s the cornerstone of me being able to be an artist; it’s unlikely that I’ll get negative online reviews from fans that like [LA] beat music because I write a straight, dark house tune.”
Not that he doesn’t respect time-tested crafts and tradition. Salva pays tribute to the masters, and believes that the most important thing for any musician or artist is history.
“For anyone who wants to approach being a master and honing their craft, learning the history plays a huge role. I tend to look backwards be it classic house, ’80s electro-funk, Miami bass, or early rap. But it can go both ways. There are young artists where ignorance plays a factor into accidental genius. For example, take the 20-year-old kid who just got Fruity Loops and is all of a sudden making the hot new sound. But if you look at artists who have been around for 10 years-plus, they’re the ones who can best keep a neutral perspective on trends. So it’s a mix of both.”
Salva is also head of Frite Nite Records, a deliberate nod to the campy ’80s horror movie. His label has little to do with vampires and slashers, but the name helps convey the kind of fun and knee-jerking vibe that he’d like to portray in their releases. He’s also fairly modest about things, using the label as a platform for friends and peers’ music that he believes in.
“Frite Nite is more of a crew; I encourage everyone to get other record deals. If someone is going to invest in your music, publicize it, I encourage that. We’re really an artist-run label.”
And artist-run labels understand the power of recently demonized torrents and other file sharing services like MegaUpload. Salva’s mostly an advocate for the proliferation of ideas when it comes to Internet culture — after all, as an underground artist, getting exposure is what allows him to keep touring.
“I know that a lot of my music is pirated,” he says. “The kids that are downloading are the kids that are going to come out to my shows and allow me to go out on the road. I’ll record music for free if it helps me stay out on the road.”
He agrees that the sharing of data and information shouldn’t be restricted, but with the entertainment industry flipped on its side at the moment, something should be done.
“You think the artists are suffering but it’s really hitting the corporations, which I couldn’t really care less about. However, with technology going the way it is, I really do think that they need to find a way to curb this stuff. They have to figure out a file codec or way to store files that you can’t illegally share. “
Sound Bite: Ian Battenfield Headley – Musicworks Spring 2012
I’m thrilled to be part of this issue of Musicworks featuring John Kameel Farah, Philip Glass, and a “Make Your Own Sequencer out of a Cigar Box For Just $30!” tutorial! I love that I was able to flex my intellect when putting this together. My article is an interview with Musicworks’ first annual electronic music composing contest, awarded to audio engineering wunderkind (I dared not use this hackneyed term in my article) Ian Battenfield Headley! My only regret is that I wish I had more space to include Ian’s cultural anecdotes on his trip to Beijing’s MusicAcoustica conference. Maybe I’ll add some of the notes later on.
“Break-ups: The Series” Submissions
Truth. Passion. Love. Hate. Submission.Hysterics
BRILLIANT!
Principle Creator: Ted Tremper
Improvised by:
Ep. 1 = Katy Colloton, Ted Tremper
Ep. 2 = Seth Dodson, Kellen Alexander
Ep. 3 = Paul Jurewicz, Cecily Strong
Edited by Ted Tremper, Mary Cait Walthall
Cinematography: Ted Tremper
Camera: Bobby Richards, Ted Tremper, Zeph Michaels
Sound: Bobby Richards, Ted Tremper
All Episodes Directed by: Ted Tremper
For more episodes please visit breakups.us
For questions or comments please email [email protected]
Bassnectar Amorphous Music Mixtape Vol.7
I hung out with Lorin Bassnectar at a party he played at a venue somewhere off of Moss Park in 2004. He still went by Lorin at that time, and Ill Gates was still the Phat Conductor. I don’t think they knew each other yet. Lorin was a nice dude, we shared some casual conversation and some smoke. And that was that, anyway, enough of the rambling, here’s the mix tape and the track list for y’all:
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Thor Whiskey
BEHOLD!!! A great new nectar of the gods of has descended from high atop Highland Park’s secret Asgard brewery, which spans downwards, nestled twixt the wriggly roots of the hallowed tree of Yggdrasil. Both Loki and Odin can finally agree on one thing, Thor’s prowess in the distillery is unequaled.
Highland Park Single Malt Scotch THOR expression is the first release in a new series they have named the Valhalla Collection. And what mighty brew it is with a 52.1% abv, the limited edition whisky comes housed in a wooden frame, inspired from Viking long ships of yore.
I have yet to taste the mighty elixir as it isn’t out till spring, but I have been told it’s tasting notes are “concentrated and forceful, with bold waves of aromatic smoke. This whisky immediately commands your attention from the first encounter. Its high strength grabs the palate, refusing to let go. As its big flavours swirl around the mouth, some softer, sweeter notes develop, giving Thor an unexpected layer of complexity and depth. The finish thunders on, leaving behind the impression of both strength and foreboding.”
This fearsome brew packs a punch and will wallop your wallet with its $250 price tag.
X-Factor for DJs: Simon Cowell’s new global TV show revealed
Is this cop the next contestant on X-Factor for DJs?
(photo from Stanton Warriors epic takedown at their Detroit Show)
(Via MusicWeek)
15:26 | Wednesday January 25, 2012
The new format of the still-unnamed show has already been developed. It will be co-produced by Syco and Overbrook.
According to a statement from the joint partners, it “will capture the incredible rise of the DJ phenomena”. It has been in development for over a year – with a broadcast partner in both the US and the UK due to be announced shortly.
Simon Cowell said: “We have been working on this show for over a year and we wanted to partner with the right people. As soon as I met Jada and Miguel from Overbrook, I knew they would be our ideal partners. DJ’s are the new rock stars, it feels like the right time to make this show.”
“This show will comb the world to find a new breed of talent,” said Jada Pinkett-Smith, ” I am happy to be creating it alongside Simon Cowell, the Sony team, and my partner Miguel Melendez, on behalf of the Overbrook family.
“We are thrilled to be working with Simon Cowell and our partners at Overbrook on what we know will be a tremendously successful global format,” said Andrea Wong, President of International Production for Sony Pictures Television.
His name is David Lynch, and he is a caffeine addict
David Lynch has recently announced, with pride, that he’s curbed his coffee consumption from 20 cups to a mellow jog of 7. Jesus christ. In the spirit of The Huffington Post (where this piece originally was featured) I’m tempted to rewrite it as my own, but that would be close to heresy. Although, I do notice that even the Lyncher fudged most of this from his inspirational book on creativity, ‘Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity’ which I highly recommend, and can be heard as an audio book here, read by jittery dark lord himself.
Inspired by one professor’s infectious enthusiasm for Emily Dickinson, Obsessed is a new HuffPost Culture series exploring the idiosyncratic, all-consuming passions of public figures and unknowns alike. Through a mix of blogs and interviews, these pieces will highlight the elusiveness of whatever it is you just can’t live without — whether it’s blue jays, Renaissance fairs or fan fiction — or, as in the case of David Lynch, coffee. If you have an obsession to share, drop us a line at [email protected].
I am pretty much obsessed with coffee. I’ve been drinking coffee on a regular basis since I was in the ninth grade. In the ninth grade, I met my soon-to-be good friend, Toby, on the front yard lawn of my girlfriend’s house. And during that first conversation with Toby, he happened to tell me that his father was a painter, a fine art painter. Hearing this news that an adult could be a painter — an explosion went off in my head and from that moment on all I wanted to do was paint. And for me, the world of a painter held much coffee.
Coffee became tied to what I called “The Art Life.” I loved to go to diners and drink coffee and try to catch ideas for the work. Coffee has always seemed to facilitate thinking and catching ideas. Not only that, but the flavor of coffee is beyond the beyond good.
Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.
For a long time, outside of diners, I drank a lot of instant coffee and I would drink it from styrofoam cups. For many years, I drank probably 20 cups of instant coffee per day. One of the things I discovered from drinking coffee in a styrofoam cup was a kind of fantastic visual trick. If you have a full styrofoam cup of coffee and you move the cup slowly on a certain type of surface, a vibration will come forth and ripples will appear on the surface of the coffee. And if you push the cup a little bit faster as it’s vibrating, individual droplets will leap out of the ripples and dance all along the surface of the coffee. I always wanted to film this effect, but I never have. And nowadays, the environmentalists tell us that styrofoam cups aren’t so good, so I haven’t had an opportunity to see this trick filmed.
Coffee and coffee drinkers have appeared in a couple of my films, I guess most notably Twin Peaks and Mulholland Dr.
A couple of years ago, my friend Erik who worked with me asked me why I didn’t get my own line of coffee. I thought it would be a good idea and I began to test many different types of coffee. I finally found a coffee that I loved more than all the rest. And during blind tests I would always pick that one coffee.
I contacted the company that made it and together we worked on slight variations for a house roast, a decaf, and an espresso blend. This became the David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee. And I really like it very much. My friend who came over today had a decaf cup and said it tasted very good. I now drink about seven large cups per day, and I really look forward to each new cup.
Maybe there’s not an idea in every bean, but for me there are many good ideas hiding in coffee.
