Jane Void EP – Witchlight
I’m really feeling this new untitled EP from Jane Void, backed by her new bandmate, Wayne Void. They’ve tagged their band camp page with words like Witch Mau5, and glitch hop, but it’s really a fusion of darker filtered vocals and experimental electronic music that somewhat echoes the works of Ladytron and ‘Good Day Today’ last spring’s surprise club banger from David Lynch. I particularly like the last track, ‘Witchlight’, the real gem of the bunch, but opener, ‘Salem (an hour)’ is the perfect soundtrack to the urgent midnight missions in your life.
Flim feat. Jane Void – Press My Button
Don’t you love it when you see your friends succeeding at what they truly love? I’ve been following Flim’s techno tunes for at least five years now through the Toronto Freetek scene, and it looks like things are starting to take off. After a recent nod on Beatport from The Hacker (yes, the ‘Miss Kittin and The Hacker’, Hacker), he’s finally got an official profile up on the site to accommodate his newest EP out on 6n7 Records. Man, I wish we had praying mantises where I live.
Also, all proceeds go to helping victims of Thai flooding and tsunami victims. Shout outs to Jane Void whose vocals are featured on the single, ‘Press My Button’.
Icelandic Glacial Water
Thinking about ads for mineral water always reminds me of my youth growing up in Paris where my pre-pubescent mind was bombarding with desexualized ads of naked women being one with the aether, and the promise of healthy living through bottled water from Volvic or Evian. I’m not sure if the ads had an impact on my tweeny little mind, but I have always been an advocate for the 8 cups of H20 a day rule.
Icelandic Glacial Water comes from Ölfus Spring, a 4,500 year old naturally replenishing, certifiably sustainable water source that is geologically protected by an impenetrable barrier of lava rock (and an army of Icelandic Huldufolk — elves and trolls with names like Skyrgámur the fearsome Curd Stealer and chief Gluggagægir, the Window Peeper.)
The water has been selected for use in the new Dior skincare line, DIORSNOW and is also the world’s first certified carbon-neutral bottled water, produced using only natural, renewable power sources, packaged in recyclable plastic.
So drink up and let the premium power of the Icelandic Huldufolk course through your veins!
Guerilla 24 Denim – Day 1
I’m proud to say that Guerilla 24 Denim has sponsored me with a pair of their new raw jeans which they call the Ronin. They’re a skinnier cut with very tapered lower legs, but a bit looser on the top end. Not quite a drop crotch or harem style, but roomy enough to not make you feel too constricted. Being a premium raw Japanese Selvedge denim, made in the sweet chugging mills of Okayama and dipped an incredible 14 times in indigo dye, they’ve been designed to fade naturally, so I’ll be documenting the process for the next few months to see if they live up to their promise!
GTA V Exclusive First Trailer!
This says absolutely nothing (the legal text in the email was longer than the actual release!) but I gather from the preview that the hero is a babyboomer 1% looking to get out of ‘the game’. How ironic.
“New York, NY- November 3, 2011 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is very proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto V is in full development.
Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.
“Grand Theft Auto V is another radical reinvention of the Grand Theft Auto universe,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are incredibly excited to share our new vision with our fans.”
A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California. Rockstar Games pioneered the open world genre with the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most successful entertainment properties of all time. With more than 114 million copies sold-in worldwide, Grand Theft Auto games have helped propel video games into the cultural mainstream. Grand Theft Auto V is the follow up to 2008’s record-breaking, critically-acclaimed Grand Theft Auto IV. Rockstar Games continued its tradition of award-winning open world games with the 2010 blockbuster Western, Red Dead Redemption, and the groundbreaking detective thriller L.A. Noire in 2011.”
Happy Halloween!
Kool Irony
Prints by Alex Pardee, now available for purchase at Gallery 1988.
Captain Kirk Cobain
Octopus Creature Cup
Love this Creature Cup series by Yumi Yumi but I’d be really scared to stir it up and break a tentacle. For black coffee lovers only. En directe via Fab.com via Etsy.
House Of Marley Headphones Launch
Last Monday, Ultra Night Club played host to a surreal Marley family reunion. A good chunk of the surviving Robert Nesta Marley clan (Rita Marley included!) was brought together in Toronto to launch their new House of Cosbys House Of Marley headphone line. Crowds were treated to performances from locals as well as Bob’s up and coming grand children, Joe Mersa and Daniel Bambaata! I noticed some Damien Marley influences in their tunes. Give it a listen, let me know what you think.
As per the headphones, these definitely aren’t cheapies, but they are well thought-out, and crafted with audiophiles in mind. Prices range from $39.99 for what I’ll call the entry level “sensi buds’ to $349.99 for their primo deluxe indoor homegrown hydro crystal clear kushy rasta warrior high-chieftains. Headphones are destined for natural mystics, young gongs, and conscious connoisseurs. Attendees left with cans of Marley Mellow Juice (an anti-energy drink with camomile, valerian and melatonin) and high quality Redemption Song – Midnight noise isolating, corded (for less tangles) in-ear buds, made from real FSC Certified Sapele Wood, designed for extra bass.
Rohan Marley, played spokesman for the line stating, “my father spread messages of love, hope, unity, and peace through his music and it is our family’s responsibility and mission to bring his vision to a new generation. The House of Marley headphones make perfect sense and are created with a focus on using sustainable and eco-friendly products and providing exceptional sound that our family is proud to call our own.”
As per the official release,
“The release of The House of Marley headphones supports Bob Marley’s messages of hope and unity communicated through his music, by partnering up with the Marley Family’s foundation 1Love.org and local charity MusiCounts – an organization working towards providing music education for every Canadian child. “
Amon Tobin – ISAM and other Incredibles
AMON TOBIN IS AN INNOVATOR AND RECYCLER: ‘I DON’T BELIEVE IN CREATING ANYTHING NEW’
Benny Benassi is… THE ELECTROMAN
BENNY BENASSI PROVES HIMSELF AS ‘ELECTROMAN’ THANKS TO STARS LIKE KELIS
Posted on Oct 13th 2011 5:30PM by Jesse Ship
When Benny Benassi released his 2002 hit single ‘Satisfaction‘ — which riffed off of the original Rolling Stones classic — the mixing of genres was still a novelty in the dance music community.
“Ten years ago I couldn’t even imagine a trance DJ playing house or a techno DJ playing electro,” Benassi tells Spinner. “But, luckily, the barriers are disappearing and everyone’s more creative as a result.”
And it’s not just rave or club DJs who are opening up their minds to the melting pot of sounds, styles, textures and genres. Chris Brown and other stars of the urban music world have come together to herald a new era of collaboration, many calling on Benassi.
“I think hip-hop is always evolving and looking for new sounds. The same could be said for electronic music, so I guess it was inevitable that they would meet up, eventually,” says Benassi.
Benassi’s most recent album, ‘Electroman,’ attempts to further that theme of mixing genres which he initiated on 2008’s ‘Rock ‘N’ Rave.’ The new project features collaborations with Kelis, the Ying Yang Twins, apl.de.ap, T-Pain. Even Lady Gaga tour supporter Gary Go drops in on the wistful, new-wave-inspired single ‘Cinema.’
“I worked with my studio partner and producer, Alle Benassi, on this album. We wanted to continue an idea that was only just beginning to take shape with ‘Rock ‘N’ Rave.’ The idea was to see what the ‘Benassi bass’ would sound like with different vocal styles, and to make an album that was a mixture of songs and club tracks.”
In order to reach new audiences, Benassi also enlisted Skrillex, runner-up for Mixmag’s 2011 DJ of the Year, to remix ‘Cinema’ to ensure a certain degree of DJ replay.
“The real difference is that we had more means to contact different artists and had a clearer idea of how to do it,” says Benassi. “‘Electroman’ is more mature in that way.”
House purists might disagree on the use of radio pop stars or a trendy dubstep DJ like Skrillex to bolster Benassi’s style since tracks like ‘My House’ and ‘House Music’ have little semblance of the traditional four-on-the-floor house aesthetic. But Benassi counters.
“I think that electro is a development of house music — so at the same time it’s a tribute to house music and an interpretation of it.”
