Saturday, September 25, 2010

Live @ Brooklyn Bowl (10/1/2010) - Eliot Lipp, Alex B & Ana Sia



The Pnuma Trio's own Alex B will be teaming up with Eliot Lipp, Ana Sia & DJ Morale next Friday, October 1st at Brooklyn Bowl.



When not performing as the bassist for Pnuma Trio, Alex B(eats) is a notable hip-hop, livetronica producer, whose sound more closely resembles artists like Two Fresh, than his afformentioned collaboration. Alex B just released his first full-length LP, "Moments," which is available for download here.



The impact of Eliot Lipp's early interest in hip-hop artists like the RZA, and Hieroglyphics is evident throughout his music. His style incorporates elements of hip-hop with early electro and 90's techno, that combined with his performance style, give his music more of an old school feel.



San Francisco native, Ana Sia's style combines glitch-hop, dub step, and her personalized "global slut psy-hop," into one high octane sonic blend. Of the three headliners, I'm easily the most excited to catch this set.

The show starts at 9:00PM, and tickets are available online, or at the door for $6, which is less than the price of just about anything you could do at Brooklyn Bowl that night.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"ESKMO" LP Review

ESKMO's self-titled debut is a satisfying full-length introduction to the world from recently signed Ninja Tunes artist/producer Brendan Angelides. The sound is tighter, the tracks are generally more concise and, for the most part, more lyrical than some of his earlier single and EPs, but ESKMO has managed to successfully transplant the haunting rhythms, ethereal melodies, thunderous bass, and syncopated, natural beats from many of those earlier works into this new, tightly-knit LP.

ESKMO's first single under the Ninjatunes label, and the first single from the new LP, "Cloudlight" was released with this music video, on August 11th, and later on it's own EP "Cloudlight/Come Back" in early September.



ESKMO's unique sound has made him one of my favorite artist/producers both live and in the studio to date, and all of his talents are on display in this new LP. One aspect of Angelides' many talents on greater display in this LP is his voice. In many of his previous singles, his vocal contributions took on a minimalist tone, such as in the singles "Harmony" and "Let Them Sing." While this new work steers mainly toward the minimalist approach, his voice has become a much more integral component of the music itself, such as in the dirty sing-along anthem, "We Got More." Alternatively, on the track "The Melody," the distorted hum of his voice works in tandem with the synthesized elements to create an odd, yet pleasing tonal hybrid that builds until the song deliberately collapses under its own weight, and Angelides' own voice sputters the name of the song in sync with a wild flowing bass line.



Angelides' vocals are not as successful on every track. As a first track, "Cloudlight" is somewhat of a weak start for an album that goes through such a range of natural sounds, and heavy beats. Once "ESKMO" finally hits its pace, it loses some of that momentum with the track "Communication," in which Angelides' uses both his own vocal range and various distortions to create the driving melody of the track, though quite unsuccessfully in my opinion. His voice is an amazing compliment to what he has done well throughout his career, and even works as a predominant component in some tracks, but as a sole driving force, falls short.



As a whole, the LP is a great exposition of ESKMO as one of Angelides' two musical identities, relying heavily on deep bass, and syncopated rhythms to create an eerily mystical, yet danceable experience for the listener. The focus on his vocal contributions worked as a compliment in some cases, but not on their own. Ultimately, this does not detract from the quality of what I would say is a solid release under this new label.

The LP was released with exclusive availability through iTunes on September 21st, and will be widely released through other outlets on October 4th.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Free In NYC Tonight (9/15/2010): James Murphy & Special Guest


That's right, James Murphy, multi-talented producer, DJ, and frontman of the world-famous LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records will be performing live tonight at the Hudson Hotel's Bar in NYC between 9PM & 4AM. When performing solo, Murphy is often found on the turntables mixing danceable disco beats with more contemporary tunes. Here's a video of James Murphy performing with LCD Soundsystem drummer, Pat Mahoney at Camp Bisco's DFA Dance Tent.



More recently, James Murphy has been on a worldwide tour with LCD Soundsystem following the release of their newest album, This is Happening,. Though a New Jersey native, Murphy currently resides in New York, making frequent appearances at venues like Brooklyn Bowl, the Wellmont Theatre, and Terminal 5. This, however, is his first free performance in some time. For show info, click here.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Upcoming Halloween Show: KILL THE NOISE 10/30/2010 Elmsford, NY

Halloween is an amazing time of year. For young and old alike, it's the only American "holiday" that let's you dress up, and let your inner demon run wild. Halloween concerts are certainly in no short supply.



While searching for Kill The Noise's next NYC event, realizing he was overdue for a return, one particular event caught my eye; Rather than performing in one of New York's many clubs, or concert venues, KTN will perform at a place which is likely host to more Bar Mitvahs than concerts, Sportstime USA?!?!



That's right, Kill the Noise will be performing at the Elmsford, NY's "premier family entertainment center" as part of the "Creatures of the Night - Halloween Massive" event, hosted by Tight Crew. KTN will be playing sometime between 9PM & 5AM alongside other electronic acts, including EVOL INTENT, DJ Teddy Glow, and about a dozen other DJs. What makes this Halloween event unique is that alongside your Electro, Drum & Bass, and Trance music, you can also enjoy bumper cars, ice cream, arcade games, and a roller coaster? That's right.



This is definitely the most unique Halloween/Dance Party I've ever heard of, so with a clear work schedule, I plan to be in attendance. For more information, check here.