With the CYP2 parties continuously hitting a crest, I’m starting to feel that each new party has only it’s last one has it’s only real competition. Franki, Media Contender, The Echo and the rest of the team behind the party stacked this past Tuesday’s Echoplex bill to the brim with female-fronted power, all of which of the gloomier, Bloglin-approved variety: Light Asylum, Tearist, Chelsea WolfeandViolet Tremors. Oh my, what a bill. Greg Мишка even showed up, in town from NYC.
All of these acts have recent releases all worth your ears, I suggest you get on it and fill up that iPhone, dude.
The CYP2 crew’s next event goes down June 5th and features sets from Crystal Fighters, Is Tropical, Gothic Tropic and Dream Panther. Buy tickets here.
The Holloweyed‘s photos from the impacting night are above, with more after the jump.
We’re not in Kansas anymore folks, and as promised our Be@rbrick model is getting the full color treatment. This thing’s a bonafide double rainbow. Just last December we let you know about our exciting inclusion in the 20th anniversary 23rd Series of Medicom’s iconic Be@rbrick’s. We had Lamour Supreme cook up a black and white design that featured all kinds of majorly monstrous Мишка imagery. The thing was a total blast to design, and no we’re taking it to the next level.
Available in our online store now, the Мишка x Medicom Toy 2012 Color Ver. 100% Be@rbrick is the perfect addition to your Be@rbrick collection, and will look especially snazzy next to its monochromatic counterpart. With vibrant tones like the magenta ears/brains, classic blue Keep Watch iris, and that crimson lightning bolt, this Be@rbrick is a real looker.
Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725
— Мишка LA
1547 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA
213-536-4234
From the jump i been sayin watch out for this dude, and with all the videos he’s bout to drop it’ll be tough to deny that sentiment. Zelooperz is a dude with an inclination for rapping that goes beyond what rapping begets. This dude is bout the raps, I mean look at the shot of him in the gas mask with the flamethrower, and dude is blazin through the beat. And then, all of the sudden the songs breaks, and we get a pretty personal confessional that lends some explanation to the pumped up vitriole that preceded it. Take what you want, this is a dude who overflows daily life, and has a pretty amazing way of turning that into something productive.
Detroit’s SKYWLKR is one of our favorite new producers. He’s one of yours too, even if you’re unfamiliar with his name. Dude’s been lacing up Danny Brown for quite some time and we know, you know and love Danny. SKYWLKR also was the man behind Children of the Night’s “ILYAS.”
He just got together with Sparkhop to drop his latest mixtape of instrumentals called Impressions. This is a must for your weekend playlists
SKYWLKR is back with nineteen previously unreleased instrumentals exclusively at Sparkhop.com. The Detroit producer & touring DJ for Danny Brown takes us on a journey through his Impressions a beat tape featuring multiple instrumentals from the critically acclaimed XXX released last year on top of beats crafted for artists such as Boldy James, Esham, Chips$, & more! The entire project is currently available for free
Impressions is also going to be released as a limited edition cassette tape which you can pre-order real soon.
May is officially winding down, the days are getting longer, and it’s been over 70 degrees for a few days in a row now. You all know what that means: Summer is here! And with it, as always, comes the Мишка Summer 2012 Collection, all of which is available for purchase in our Online Store right now.
In a pretty ingenious move on our part, we’ve focused this collection on summery items. Go figure. All the shorts, light shirts both of the button, tee, and tank variety, snapback & trucker hats alike, tote bags, and much more. Making ample use of classics like the Death Adder as well as new designs and patterns like Bang The Machine, Maui Wowie, and Scavenger Hunt, this collection is sure to please everyone. Check it out now, and anticipate the Lookbook next week.
Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725
— Мишка LA
1547 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA
213-536-4234
If you have been living in a cave/off the grid/under a rock since 2002 and have never heard of DJ Hell or International Deejay Gigolo Records, then you may have missed out on some of the most exciting music of the last ten years. Of all the music that came out on Gigolo (Zombie Nation, Detroit techno legend Jeff Mills, Fischerspooner, Miss Kittin & The Hacker), CROSSOVER stand out for their intense darkness. This influential electronic darkness has sent aftershocks so forceful they ripple into the current grave wave and witch house scenes.
Originally hailing from New York City, VEE & DEZ have worked in Berlin and are presently based in Los Angeles. Some fruits of their labor include extensive European tours, performing with NY’s legendary Suicide and an ongoing collaborative affair with Mater Suspiria Vision. CROSSOVER (now joined by 3rd member TLG) spent 2010 -2011 writing and recording the songs for the new album GLOOM and are thrilled to see it’s dawning in 2012. Me and Australian Witch House radio host Theway Peoplestare caught up with Crossover for a mind-blowing interview. Most importantly, CROSSOVER talks about their coveted fourth full-length album GLOOM (available now for pre-order from Desire Records France).
*****
TXTBK/Theway Peoplestare: Crossover. How did the name come about? Where did it come from and what does it mean?
Crossover: Hailz n thnx for the interest n svpport ov the CROSS. Also for this opportvnity for vs to spread the verb. We r from the other side ov the trax. We have alwayz been on the wrong side ov what ever side there waz. We r torch bearers for the ovtsider n the vnderdog. We have a morbid infatvation with death, the svper natvral, n the paranormal. CROSSOVER to the other side, to the unknown, the beyond realm, see what’s vnder the veil, look behind the cvrtain, jvst after the gate, and thrv the door. CROSSOVER is a synthesis ov esoteric existential absurdism. TVRN IT VPSIDE DOWN!
You have defined your sound as Gloom for years, now it has manifested as the new album title. What’s the significance there?
CROSS:GLOOM has finally become us. It had taken over and can now be defined. Cold, n grey – clovds n rain. Ovr wingz r big – we svrrovnd u. We have evolved from COZMIK to GLOOM to DARKBEAT!!!
GLOOM is coming out on Desire Records, alongside bands such as //TENSE//, Mass and Newclear Waves. How much does a label’s catalogue influence your decision to release with them? Why did you choose Desire? What goes into developing & maintaining a relationship with a record label? What do you look for in a record label?
CROSS: The aforementioned bandz rvle! We wanted to release ovr muzik with a handz on label that vnderstandz what we do. Desire have been nvthing bvt svpportive and that is what matters. Desire also has a very diverse roster which we think is important for it’s growth. One thing that we have fovnd thvs far is, vnlike other labels that r looking for the “next thing”, we get the sense that the label wants to have loyalty to their artists and develop long standing artistic n pro relationships with them. This is rare these dayz. We were intrigved with their approach with us and interested in the fact that they are a new an vp and cvming label.
You have been leaking tracks from a remix album in the works. What does collaborating bring to the GLOOM release and how do you know when a submitted remix has hit the aesthetic mark soundwise?
CROSS: Over the yearz we had no interest in collaborating. We wanted to make a clear statement with ovr sovnd, style, and ideology. Now after having been at for so long we felt that it waz time. We selected each artist for the RMX’s and in doing so we knew there wovld be no mistake. Not one one has been amiss. We have been so provd n honored with all their werk. A CROSSVER RMX needz to be trve to the artists own style, needz to be pvre in attack when considering the CROSSOVER sovnd, & mvst be dark, sad, n haunting. No one is a stranger to the melancholy. We think it is so beautifvl.
Other than the remix album, are there any collaborations in the pipeline?
CROSS: Ovr ongoing collaboration with Mater Suspiria Vision will bear more frvit in the cvming months.
GLOOM seems to exist in a surreal dream-world, almost like a trite black comedy. How do you transform parody into composition that resonates true sentiment of the human condition?
CROSS: With CROSSOVER there r 2 wvrldz, ovrz and the one everybody else exists in. We speak from both. We live and breathe this and in no way r ovr songz mere artistic abstractions. They may be in code and and gvised at times bvt, these r stories from ovr experience. Each wvrd, phrase, n verse reflects svmthing that has happened to us.
Tell us about the geometric symbol accompanying the GLOOM release?
CROSS: This is the CROSSOVER Symbol, we developed it over the past 2 yearz while writing and recording the songz for GLOOM. It’s real name and meaning r soon to be revealed. We r in the process ov finishing a book which will go into detail abovt it’s properties and potential. It is a magical 7 pointed diagram that from now vntil the end ov time will be associated with CROSSOVER and ovr werk: sovnd, style, n ideology – The M/T.A. The W.L.F., & The OxOxTxBxHxMx! At first glance it’s a dovble pentagram ~ twice the eevil! It’s the badge ov Gloom that wear close to ovr hearts. LOVE / 616 / EVOL / F / GOD / 73 / DOGS / STARS / I / RATS / SENEX / SEX / MAGIC / 6 / SLUT / LUST / 77 / 333 / I 6 9 F / 11:34
I still run into people who are obsessed with the International Deejay Gigolos releases (“OMG, I LOVE Phostographt!!”). How was it to be on Gigolo during the electro heyday and how did you hook up with DJ Hell?
CROSS: It waz a fvckin’ blast and a lot ov werk! Ovr albvm Fantasmo waz already ovt a year before it’s release in 2002 and waz making it’s way in the NYC UG. The Limelight saw it’s re-opening n Hell waz playin’ records. V & I went to check it ovt. We approached him in the DJ booth and handed him a copy. A week later he called and it waz done. 3 Months later, debvt dovble LP & CD n we were off on tovr all over the EU. V & I had never been ina band before and we sold 20,000 copies on paper. Not bad for a covple ov kidz. Hell introdvced ovr muzik to Europe by playing Lady Dragon Slayer in his sets which for the electro/techno scene waza head fvk.
Tell us about your memories of the first ever live Crossover show.
CROSS: Ovr first show waz in at the WMF Clvb in Berlin dvring the Love Parade weekend.We had cvm from Jvpiter, Florida where we decided to hide ovt, rehearse and get prepared for tovr.
Once on the EU shores it waz a whirlwind. We played with Hell and opened for Fischerspooner. On the eve ov ovr show we were at a gallery opening party that label had pvt on and V and I were qvite nervous. We held vp ina corner and were anxious to get to sovnd check. Hell and the label manager came over to say hi and see how we were doin’. We told them we had never performed before so we were a lil on edge.
Hell smiled and said, “no, bvt really, u gvyz have done gigz arovnd NYC right?” We said “uh, no, really we haven’t” with a lil giggle. He lavghed, while the label managers jaw dropped and looked like he had seen a ghost. We were then whisked off to sovndcheck ina black BMW. We went on at 2:00 AM to a packed haus and it went withovt a hitch. I will never forget how it felt to step onto the stage for that first time. We covldn’t see a thing cvz ov the fog machine bvt as soon as the avdience cavght a glimpse ov us they went nutz. Everyone waz so welcoming and xcited.
I know a lot of people want to see you guys perform live. Are there touring plans in the future?
CROSS: Yes, all we wanna do is tovr! We r gathering eqviptment and rehearsing. It has been qviet svmtime so, it will be a retvrn to the stage ina way. We r werkin’ with light n visvalz and will bring all the CROSSOVER Regaila with us. We will perform songz from all 4 albvmz and also new stvff!
How do you look back on the early releases compared to GLOOM? Give us some insight into the evolution of Crossover?
CROSS: We have a master plan and have taken steps with each albvm to progress towardz ovr vltimate goal. We constantly take in new places, thingz, muzik, movies, art, boox, natvre, cities then pvt all ovr experience into ovr muzik n artwerk. For vs it so xciting to kno there is always svmthing that we have yet to discover that we can obsess over and draw inspiration from.
Jvst when one thinx they have seen and heard it all, svmthing amazing new or old sparx ovr interest and we sap it. So in this way we r alwayz evolving and becoming. We think ovr sovnd get’s heavier, dirtier, and more raw eventho ovr prodvction skillz greaten.
Fresh off the release of “White Noi$e,” his collab with BK Beats, Black Noi$e has given us even more cool music! XXX Remixed is Black Noi$e’s reworking of four tracks (“Blunt After Blunt,” “I Will,” “Die Like A Rockstar” and “Lie4″) from the classic XXX album and it’s some really awesome stuff. Remixing anything off XXX is no easy task since the original beats are uniquely crazy stuff. But, I can’t think of any better producer for the job than Black Noi$e.
These remixes are definitely a different sound than the original beats. “Lie4″ especially, which turns the original trapish beat into something that sounds almost like an oldschool Wu Tang type beat. And Black Noi$e changes the original “Die Like A Rockstar” beat into something psychedelic and MUCH more laid back than the original. What’s really cool is that even though Black Noi$e’s new beats are different than the original, Danny’s raps sound right at home. Also, here’s a fun video of Zachg dancing to the “Blunt After Blunt” Remix
Squarepusher, the man who pretty much single-handedly popularized breakcore, and therefore godfathered dubstep, is back. Up until Ultravisitor, his music was very much rooted in British electro, straddling drum’n'bass, acid, techno and breakbeats very smoothly, and making electronic music that’s perfectly audible even if you don’t like electronic music. Then with Ultravisitor, in 2004, when everybody and their goat had embraced IDM (the I stands for “intelligent”), he decided for some reason that he should start playing a bunch of instruments on top of his so-called “abstract” instrumentals. And he stuck his face on the cover. The record also featured canned applause; my take on it? He was tired of being idolized by the twenty-somethings, he wanted to make music that’s just more: more him, more complex, more popular. And it came out adult contemporary.
I have to assume it was a real walk through the desert for him, as he released a bunch of (very) self-indulgent records culminating with Shobaleader in 2010, a weird smooth jazz version of himself that I had all but forgotten until I looked up what his last release was. With Ufabulum though, Squarepusher left his qualms at the door. Perhaps energized by the newfound popularity of techno (at least in Europe), he is back to his first love: computer music. The opening track feels like that intoxicating initial thrust when you haven’t had sex in a while (shout out to The Josh Martinez for the metaphor), it’s textbook Squarepusher, upgraded to the future of now. Unreal Square adds a little bit of chiptune melody which turns into a happy IDM nightmare in the second half of the track.
Then there’s Stadium Ice, a synth-laden cinematic track that should find its way to an AMV soon enough. You may notice that we’re only three tracks deep in this album, and I have already mentioned each and every current trend in electro. What is he going to come up with next, you ask? Eyes full of hope! Hearts transported by joy! Hands reaching to the skies! Well, not a whole lot. I mean, yes, there are 6 more tracks, but they more or less rehash the first three.
Am I complaining? Eh, I could. But I don’t think I will. Even though they re-use a lot of the same elements, and actually take a lot of his old bag of tricks, each track has a wholly distinct feel, carrying both Squarepusher’s trademark and the signs of the times in their wombs. He’s back, yall, and he’s still more talented than 90% of the suckers out there trying to make pale copies of his stuff. Maybe he was just trying to show them how it’s done. Maybe it just felt good to find his old groove. It’s a harsh album, labor intensive, and possibly only a tiny bit of a bigger story that is being told (I guess that’s the “fabulum” part in the title). As I understand it, he has a live show going along with this record that takes cues from the packaging (which glows in the dark), glimpses of which you can see in the videos for Dark Steer and Drax 2. He also has a track-by-track run-down of the album on the Warp website.
Not having all cards in hands, I stay reserved. Enthusiastic, yet unsatisfied. If you’re going into this with no expectations, this is a great entry point into Squarepusher’s discography. It’s a solid album, that is very easy to listen to in one sitting. It is deceptively simple mostly because it has all the elements that are now standard fare in electro, but it definitely deserves a few listens to get the full scope. Will it stand the test of time? I don’t expect it to. Then again I don’t think I expected Go Plastic to age as gracefully as it did.
I get a lot of music in my inbox these days. Every once in a while something stands out for one reason or another, and given how picky I am I usually post it the bloglin to share. A.Chal is a dude who I know nothing about—beyond what I read in a PR email—but there’s something really interesting happening on this track.
To me at least. I hear a lot of the familiar signifiers from rowdy club music, but this track is incredibly reserved. I’m a sucker for opposites resting together. Some hype ass chill shit.
