Today Decibel announced the intitial lineup and pricing for the September event, Decibel's 5th edition. There have been rumors about who's playing for weeks now, but this is the first official word. Decibel will be held from September 25-28 in venues all over the city (most on the Hill). Full release after the jump, but here's the initial lineup (emphasis my own). I never thought Carl Craig would ever play Seattle, but looks like that day is coming.

PRELIMINARY LINEUP (final line up TBA mid August):
Carl Craig (US) – DJ Set
Deadmau5 (CA) - Live
Jahcoozi (DE) - Live
The Bug featuring Warrior Queen (UK) - Live
Dixon (DE) - Live
Audion (US) - Live
Burnt Friedman (DE) - Live
Luca Bacchetti (IT) - DJ Set
Tujiko Noriko (JP) - Live
Santiago & Bushido (US) - Live
Barbara Morgenstern (DE) - Live
Deaf Center (NO) - Live
William Basinski (US) - Live
Jeff Samuel (US/DE) - DJ
Library Tapes (SE) - Live
Akira Rabelais (US) - Live
Mike Monday (US) - DJ
Eluvium (US) - Live
Tycho (US) - Live
Noah Pred (CA) - Live
Derek Plaslaiko (US) - Live
Eskmo (US) - Live
Kilowatts (US) - Live
Alland Byallo (US) - DJ
Jeff Greinke (US) - Live
Welder (US) - Live
Jacob London (US) - Live
Deru (US) - Live
Lusine (US) - Live
Craig Kuna (US) - DJ
Nalepa (US) - Live
Nikola Baytala (US) - DJ
Sammy D (US) - DJ
Truckasauras (US) – Live
Balún (US) - Live
M. Quiet (US) – DJ
Let’s Go Outside (US) – Live
Alala.One (US) – DJ
Attentat (US) – DJ
Les Freres Courvoisier (US) - Live

Continue reading "Preliminary Decibel Festival Lineup Announced" »

There's one more night to go, but it's safe to say my ass has been officially kicked by this year's Decibel. Every time I change venues I'm being assaulted by more and more quality music. It's wonderfully exhausting.

Robert Babicz @ Neumos

I skipped the ambient showcase at Town Hall but heard good things. Taal Mala at The Baltic Room kept things dubby, dark and moody, but there was pressure as the night went along for everything to get cleared out for the Bollywood night. I heard I missed a great Jerry Abstract set, but I was excited to hear Lowfish's electro, so there was little I could do there.

Once I made it to Neumos, Drumcell was kicking the evening off in fine form down in the VIP Room. The crowd was just trickling in, but he luckily had enough time to play to close out with the dancing crowd he deserved. I only caught the beginning of Robert Babicz, opting to take a nap (meaning I missed what I heard was a great 3 Channels set). Oh well.

Jeff Samuel @ VIP Room

I got back just as Jeff Samuel took the stage for his ultimately triumphant return to Seattle. Speedy J had things going upstairs, but Jeff Samuel had the crowd from the start, and there's no place I'd rather be than the VIP Room when the party's poppin'. It's dark, hot, and the room sweats on you as you sweat on the floor. Jeff's spent the last year off in Europe, and he certainly brought the dirty European vibe to his set. People clapped, cheered, and danced for the entirety of his set, easily the best of the entire festival thus far ("Now that's what I'd been waiting for!" said a friend of mine). As a side note, I'm glad Jeff didn't meet the challenge I posed to him - I told him if he played Efdemin's "Just a Track" I'd rip my shirt off and rock the fuck out. As it was, the only foolishness I suffered was telling damn near everyone I saw at the afterhours that I loved techno, loudly and repeatedly. Guess I was high on the music.

It's true though - I love techno. And I love Decibel. If for some reason you still haven't made it down, tonight's your last night. I'll see you in the basement for the Mothership showcase.

Again, more pics available in the Decibel Flickr Pool.

Rage and the Machine Showcase - Neumo's

Decibel is a hell of a festival, but like any fest, it has its peaks and its pitfalls. Last night, Decibel suffered one unexpected low—Motor was denied at the border— but also one impressive high point in Truckasauras, whom I've most recently gushed about here. Seattle's resident A/V geeks delivered a fun, confident set as always. They debuted a new track made for Decibel that had more pulsing techno thump than anything the Truck has done so far—it was a more linear, less swaggering Truckasauras, a promising glimpse of the band's range and potential. They played two tracks with DJ Collage on the mic, the first of which, "Hold On," wins the award for best bass of the festival so far. Under the new Funktion 1 speakers (a welcome permanent addition to Neumo's), the low tones rumbled up through the ground, vibrating my whole body. You forget how much of a difference those physical tones make until you feel them running through you—that bass instantly liquefies bones and loosens limbs, and suddenly you're moving. It's a good feeling.

It sounds like I should've then gone up to Chop Suey for Jacob London, but I screwed up and stuck around for Kill Memory Crash's vintage goth industrial show. Kill Memory Crash has always kind of confounded me. They're on Ghostly International, one of the most prestigious, frequently forward-thinking electronic labels in the country, yet they are a total throwback. There's nothing about their sound that couldn't be done in 1992. The band has been around since 1997, and they met in the mid '90s Detroit rave scene, so maybe their just purists, rather than revivalists. Still, there's just nothing fresh about their sound, and, I'm not old enough or of the particular disposition to feel any nostalgia for industrial's first wave. I won't get into the band's aesthetic, 'cause whatever, for some reason I like the militaristic goth thing when Adult. do it (irony, maybe? maybe). I will say that the electronic drums (you know, the ones with the black rubber hi hats) were entirely unnecessary—they would've sounded better with traditional drums and just a Roland spd-20 (or similar drum pad) or sequencing for the electronic drum sounds. They did have one song with a pretty hot acid bass line, though. But I wish I'd seen Jacob London's electro wizardry, or at least checked out the party in the basement.

Finally, there was a DJ set from one half of LA's electro duo du jour, Guns'n'Bombs. Maybe it was the bad taste left in my mouth from Kill Memory Crash, the small crowd, or some lingering exhaustion from Thursday night's massive blowout, but I just couldn't get down with dude's "all-bangers" assault, so I split. That said, their remix and production work is fun, well worth checking out.

Ah, but today is another day of Decibel, with an Ambient Landscaspes at Town Hall, Sensory Effect's showcase of impressive local and regional talent at Baltic Room, and the always satisfying Dirty Dancing showcase at Neumo's. You can check out some recommendations here and here.

Two nights down, two more to go. This is yet another banner year for Decibel - the talent's been incredible. If you haven't made it to anything yet, tonights a good night to do so - it's sure to be another hot, sweaty mess down in the VIP Room. After the jump you'll find some of my pics thus far - more (and far superior) pics are available on Flickr.

Jacob London @ Chop Suey

Get thee to Decibel!

Continue reading "Pics From Decibel" »

Decibel Kick-Off/Death of the Party Showcase - Neumo's

First off: Congrats to Decibel Festival. It's only my second year attending, so I can't speak to 2005 or 2004, but I can't imagine any previous year of the fest kicking off with as raucous a party as last night's. Neumo's was packed—sweat on the walls, etc, etc—the crowd was as energetic as most any I've seen in Seattle, the sound was top-notch, and the music was relentless.

I missed all but the last couple songs (the "Shoulder Lean/"No More Conversations" mash-up, "Percolator") of Fourcolorzack and Pretty Titty's 2x4, but they seemed to have the crowd warmed up nicely.

I was initially disappointed that Simian Mobile Disco wasn't playing a live set. The pictures of their live set-up—a giant modular patchbay, a Korg MS-20, rows and rows of knobs—make it look pretty impressive, and it would have been cool to see. But their DJ set was still a blast (I'd rank it as at least the second best of the night).

_{Simian Mobile Disco (and Angelina Jolie from Hackers) by Donte Parks}

They kicked off with Attack Decay Sustain Release opener "Sleep Deprivation," and throughout the set mixed about an even ratio of originals and other people's material. Highlights included the wildly fun "It's the Beat," the new Soulwax remix of LCD Soundsystem's "Get Innocuous" (as usual, a dance floor killer from the brothers Dewaele), and the one-two punch of "Hustler" and Laid Back's "White Horse" set to a montage of a slow-motion galloping white horse and several vintage shots of some serious-ass coke dealers. The duo's mixing was confident and tight, and they looked to be having some fun when they weren't gently arguing over their cd booklet. (Best overheard e-talking: "I've only known you for, like, an hour!")

I was pretty thoroughly exhausted by SMD's set, so I spent much of Switch's set watching from the sidelines. Switch stuck mostly to his own productions (as both Switch and Solid Groove), including his awesome remix of Spank Rock's "Bump" and his ridiculous, pleasure-center assaulting rework of "Apache," "A Bit Patchy," but also played some other choice cuts such as Digitalism's "Juptier Room (Martian Assault)." Switch's productions are flawless, boasting some truly sick beats (Sean Horton says the trick to Switch's solid grooves is that he builds house beats out of live drum samples, thus keeping a little swing and funk in his 4/4) and some of the gnarliest bass lines around. All that said, Switch is a better producer than a DJ—his mixing was functional, not impressive, but it was actually nice to hear him noticably adjust the occasional off beat, it gave his twitching robot house an affable, human element.

Then there was Diplo. Diplo's set last night wasn't the most technical I've seen out of him (his last Neumo's appearance, with his DVD scratching and beat-matching was probably more impressive in that regard), but it was definitely the most fun. Kids rushed the stage to a remix of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Diplo showed more Seattle love later dropping "Baby Got Back").

_{Diplo and crowd by Donte Parks}

He mixed Simain vs Justice's "We Are Your Friends" into the Hollertronix-released remix of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al." He played technotronic. He played "Young Folks." He layered the Smashing Pumpkins' "Zero" over Bonde Do Role. He wrapped up with a mix of "Bombs Over Baghdad" into LE Tigre's "Decetacon." It was that kind of a crazy, populist party. And it was awesome.

There's so much more good stuff coming up at Decibel this weekend (see some recommendations here and here), so be sure to get your ass out.

HOLY

SHIT!


(more to come, stay tuned)

Decibel is here. I make my recommendations in this week's paper (after adding to the Flaming Lips gushfest), but I also asked some of the artists and organizers what they were excited to see - I was curious. Here's a sampling of the responses. If you're looking to stalk any of these people, consider this your cheat sheet.

Rebecca West (Red Pony) - Artist: Mike Shannon, Biosphere, Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie and Switch are at the top of my list.

Kris Moon - Db Staff: In all honesty, I haven't gotten that excited about any particular act, because I'm probably not going to get a chance to see much...Speedy J fuckin' blew my mind last year, that's all I know...

Jeff Samuel - Artist: My nuts. And Frivolous. Not necessarily in that order. And home-baked cookies.

Patrick Hanaelt - promoter: Taal Mala - his set at Oscillate last year was off the hook and he almost won the Laptop Battle this year. Really good bass heavy,dubby electro. Very danceable but still deep.

Steven Severin - Neumos honcho: Diplo/Switch/Simian. Are you kidding me with this lineup? Quite possibly the best electronic lineup of the year. Justice is giving them a run for their money, but three, count them three killer acts. That's what I'm saying.

Recess - Shameless: Obviously, we're stoked for our afterparties. Knowing who the secret surprise headliners are just makes us even more excited.

Kristina Childs - Db Staff: Phon.o & Chris De Luca are hands-down the artist I'm most excited about this year. Their latest mix bridges the best of so many genres... who'd have thought top 40 techno idm crunk could ever be married in such a fun way? It's like a funner version of Modeselektor, which is another thing I didn't think was possible.

and keeping it real...

Adam Swan of Truckasaurus - Artist: I think I can speak for the entire Truckasauras crew when I say we are excited to not only see, but drink the free beer Neumos has in their green room.

With that, it's time for me to step away from the computer and get down to the festivities. It's time for you to do the same.

For all of the exciting music coming through town over the next few days, the one artist I'm most stoked to see is Jeff Samuel. That excitement has incredibly little to do with music, and more to do with the fact that for the months before he left for Berlin he was my regular lunch companion and we're looking to pick that back up while he's in town (current plans involve a tour of Seattle's Philly Cheesesteak spots).

The less lunch-centric among you should be excited to see Jeff for different reasons. His debut album Step was well-recieved by critics when it was released, as were the singles and EPs he'd put out prior. His DJ sets pull from the same minimal sound he's typically lumped with, but his crates have plenty of breadth, and he's not afraid to go harder or more mellow depending on what the room can handle.

Jeff Samuel @ Ovest (Oristano, Italy) - Pt. 1 - [mp3]
Jeff Samuel @ Ovest (Oristano, Italy) - Pt. 2 - [mp3]

Jeff Samuel plays the Dirty Dancing in the Bassment Showcase at the VIP Room, Saturday, September 22. With Mike Shannon, Mikael Stavostrand, and Drumcell.

Right now.

Decibel Festival starts tomorrow!

It's another two for one today, courtesy of 3 Channels, a duo I appreciate simply because I didn't have to scour the far reaches of the Internet to find these recordings.

The two members of 3 Channels hail from Poland, bringing some techno attention a little farther east of techno's current Berlin capitol. The pair initially met because of their shared musical tastes and started throwing parties together before they started producing. There was initially a third member (the third channel), but he was booted for what sounds like creative differences. In any case, the duo have releases on Trapez, Crosstown Rebels and their own Channels label. Another reason I like these guys (besides their minimal tech-house productions) is their sense of humor. Here's a snippet from a Resident Advisor interview:

Besides electronic music, what else do you channel your energies into?
We both like sports such as: sleeping, sitting in front of a computer, catching a train. We especially like extreme sports like taking a big record bag to the airplane as hand luggage.

(You'll have to be patient with these links - both are pretty sluggish)
3 Channels - Live at Watergate - [mp3]
3 Channels - Catz & Dogz September Mix [mp3]

3 Channels play the Dirty Dancing Showcase at Neumos Saturday, September 22. With Speedy J, Robert Babicz, Alland Byallo, and Jerry Abstract.

I'm not sure which part of this Metro Times article deserves more attention--the Detroit-focused look at the Motor City boys behind Seattle's Decibel Festival, or the excruciating premise that the writer uses before getting to the real story.

At Pike Place market, sleazy vendors peddle Nirvana T-shirts just like they would Statue of Liberty snow globes in New York. In a Seattle bar, Mudhoney, Soundgarden or Pearl Jam will come on the jukebox in one drink's time. In that bar's bathroom, expect a Sub Pop sticker emblazoned on the stall door. Because of grunge, Seattle went a decade without a major music movement.

I'm a relatively fresh transplant to Seattle, but even I can smell the burnt wafers in this dude's logic (though I'd like to know if someone is peddling Tad merch at Pike Place). After that open, though, the rest of the piece is interesting enough, especially since people still feel compelled to compare Decibel to Detroit's Movement Festival...and especially since this line about the meeting of Decibel's Sean Horton and Jerry Abstract cracks me up:

"I remember him bringing down a six-pack of Pabst. It was one of those rare male bonding moments that only the combination of beer and techno can really facilitate."

Today's download is a two-for-one deal from Frivolous. I couldn't find a working link to a live set (like the one he's performing at Decibel), but I found one I can embed and a downloadable DJ set. Someone with more time could probably find a way to find the mp3 source from the embedded link.

Frivolous is the production moniker for Berlin-based Daniel Gardner. He's known for his experimental house and techno (he makes use of some incredibly quirky vocals), but what I'd like to call attention to is his DIY ethic. If you look on his home page (in the Contraptions section) you can view some of his constructed instruments, including a washtub bass, an electromagnetic knife, and a bike powered reverb unit. Based on reports from this past weekend's New Forms Festival, it looks like the knife will be making an appearance. Wonder if that piece gave him any problems in customs...

Daniel Gardner - House of Glass Mix [mp3]

Frivolous Live @ Cafe Moskau, Berlin [ mp3-stream]

Frivolous plays the Headfuk Showcase/DB Finale at Neumos on Sunday, September 23. With Wolfgang Flur, Chris De Luca & Phon.o, Amm, Kris Moon, and DJ Struggle.

I'm slammed with work so I can't do too much of a post, but today's download arrives courtesy of NYC's WNYU and Tim Sweeney (who killed at his Club Pop appearance a few weeks ago), source of the highly recommended Beats in Space podcast/archive. The music is provided by NYC by way of Detroit's Derek Plaslaiko, Bunker resident and Spectral artist. If you haven't seen Plaslaiko play, know that the man knows his techno. His mix here starts with Carl Craig, so he's already got my support, but he can take tours through Detroit, minimal, and any other nerdy techno subgenre you care to call out. Plaslaiko plays good tracks, and that's what really matters.

Derek Plaslaiko on Beats in Space [mp3]

Derek Plaslaiko plays the Beyond Booking/NYC Showcase on Friday, September 21 at the VIP Room. With Wolf + Lamb and Spinoza.

It's Sunday, it's gray and a bit chilly outside, making it a perfect time for staring out the window and watching the world go by. Fitting the chill mood (and the download of the day slot) is Biosphere.

Biosphere's Substrata is considered one of the best ambient albums ever made, placing Biosphere (Geir Jenssen) in elite company. I haven't heard it, but today's download does make for an interesting exploration of sound, space and texture. Jenssen is based out of the Arctic Circle's Tromsø, Norway, and his signature "arctic sound" is all over this Fluxgate recording. It's icy and isolated, with occasional flourishes to keep from descending into a boring sameness and a jarring beat that kicks in halfway through. I'm not usually into the ambient side of things but today, this recording works for me.

Fluxgate by Biosphere - [mp3 - more of the same]

Biosphere plays the Ambient Landscapes Showcase at Town Hall on Saturday, September 22. With Harold Budd, Robin Guthrie, and Rafael Irisarri.

Yes, the "Go to Decibel" beat drumming continues even on the weekend. Today's download is from New York's DJ Spinoza.

If you're a techno fan in New York, you're probably familiar with DJ Spinoza (Bryan Kasenic), and if not him, you're probably familiar with the Bunker, the weekly formerly held in the intimate basement space subtonic. The night built a reputation for bringing through some of the world's finest underground talent, with a lot of techno, but extending beyond that as well. Lately Kasenic has focused his attention on Beyond Booking, the agency he set up to spread the techno gospel of himself, his friends, and his allies (he represents Seattle's own Berlin-based expatriate Bruno Pronsato).

DJ Spinoza - Afterhours at Ari's [mp3]

DJ Spinoza plays the Beyond Booking/NYC Showcase, Friday, September 21 @ The VIP Room. With Wolf + Lamb and Derek Plaslaiko.

I thought I would go with something more minimal today, but then I remembered it's Friday and I'd rather kick off the weekend with something more party-centric. So instead, today's download is from masher-upper, party DJ and beat plunderer Diplo. It's a recent mix that was done for Pitchfork. In expected Diplo fashion it's all over the place, with little regard for genre.

Diplo: Pitchfork Mix 02 [mp3-zip - more info]

Diplo plays the Decibel Kick-off Party/Death of the Party Showcase Thursday, September 20 at Neumos. With Switch, Simian Mobile Disco, Pretty Titty and Fourcolorzack.

Decibel is but a week away(!), and in anticipation I'm planning to do at least a post a day with music from some artist or in today's case, collection of artists, that are going to be playing. As with many of my posts, it's really just an excuse to share some free music. At least now it's free music with a greater purpose.

Today's download is a mix put together by Minneapolis' Jamespatrick. Featuring cuts from various Orac Records releases, the mix is a celebration of the Seattle-based label reaching the milestone of their 25th release (Quenum's "Acalanto / Glasgow," coming out September 17). In that time the label has earned itself a very good reputation as a home for experimental techno, from both new (Jon McMillion) and more established artists (Sutekh, Bruno Pronsato). It's hard to get any release out the door so to do it repeatedly and with such a high quality bar is admirable. Congratulations Orac.

“Dance All Night, Ponies"-- an Orac Megamix by JamesPatrick [mp3 - more info]

The Orac Records Label showcase is Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Baltic Room. Music provided by Strategy, Caro, Jon McMillion, and Konstantin Gabbro. Free with Db Pass, otherwise $7 adv. or $10 at the door.

After releasing a subset a few weeks ago, the Decibel Festival organizers have released the full lineup for this year's edition, to be held September 20th-23rd. Scaling back didn't happen in the slightest, with Decibel even finding new collaborators in Death of the Party (nice work on both sides for that one). They've managed to build a lineup that avoids the overlap you find in the rest of the festival circuit, setting this festival apart from its peers. So here's the list (emphasis my own):

Simian Mobile Disco, Speedy J, Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie, Diplo, Biosphere, Switch, Robert Babicz aka Rob Acid, Guns N' Bombs, 3 Channels, Bender aka Byetone, Motor, Claude VonStroke, DJ Heather, Chris de Luca vs. phon.o, Jeff Samuel, Frivolous, Kangding Ray, Mike Shannon, Lusine, Mikael Stavostrand, Monty Luke, Max Volume aka Jerry Abstract, Alland Byallo, Truckasaurus, Jacob London, Wolf + Lamb, Drumcell, Strategy, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Derek Plaslaiko, Acid Circus, Scott Pagano (Visuals), Caro, Taal Mala, Jon McMillion, Lissome, Overcast, Papa Slang Bass, Kristina Childs, Mat Anderson, Pretty Titty, Kris Moon, fourcolorzack, CHiKA (Visuals), Novatron, Nordic Soul, Ramiro, ndCv, Mori, KillingFrenzy, Logic Probe, Scott Sunn (Visuals), Hakea, Seiche, Electrosect, Scott K. James

Time to go buy a pass (only a limited number, so you won't want to wait on that).

Full press release after the jump.

Continue reading "Full Decibel Lineup Announced" »

->2007 DECIBEL FESTIVAL INFO

The 4th Annual Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media will be happening September 20th through the 23rd in Seattle. This year's program will be featuring artists from 9 countries in 14 showcases across 7 venues, each of which will be outfitted with custom sound and video.

->PRELIMINARY 2007 LINE UP

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO (Great Britian)
Wichita // Kitsuné Records
http://www.simianmobiledisco.co.uk

SPEEDY J (Netherlands)
Novamute // Plus 8 Records
http://www.speedyj.com

BIOSPHERE (Norway)
Touch // Rune Grammofon Records
http://www.biosphere.no

3 CHANNELS (Poland)
Trenton // Crosstown Rebels // Trapez Records
http://www.3channels.pl

SWITCH (Great Brittan)
Freerange // Dubsided // M.I.A.
http://www.myspace.com/switchandsolidgroove

MOTOR (Germany)
Novamute // Shitkatapult
http://www.din9.com

DIPLO (US - Philadelphia)
Mad Decent // Big Dada // M.I.A.
http://www.myspace.com/diplo

GUNS N BOMBS (US – Los Angeles)
Kitsuné // Turbo Recordings // Ima Robot
http://www.myspace.com/gunsnbombs

BENDER (Germany)
Raster-Noton // aka Byetone
http://www.raster-noton.net

FRIVOLOUS (Canada / Germany)
~scape // Background // Karloff Rekordings
http://www.frivolouslive.com

JEFF SAMUEL (US / Germany)
Pokerflat // Trapez // Spectral
http://www.myspace.com/jeffsamuel

ALLAND BYALLO (US - San Francisco)
Floppy Funk // Dirtybird Records
http://www.allandbyallo.com

KANGDING RAY (Germany)
Raster-Noton
http://www.kangdingray.com

WOLF + LAMB (US – New York)
Wolf + Lamb Music
http://www.wolflambmusic.com

SCOTT PAGANO (US – Los Angeles)
Neither Field // Speedy J collaborator // Video Artist
http://www.neither-field.com

+ MANY MORE TO COME

->DB PASSES / TICKETING

This year Decibel will be offering one "All-Access Db Festival Pass". There will be a limited number of $75 discounted passes going on sale July 15th through August 15th, after which time the pass prices will increase to $100. Also on August 15th, tickets go on sale for individual showcases.

Once the limited number of total passes are sold out, you will need to purchase individual showcase tickets the day of or on line through various ticket vendors (tba).

$75 DISCOUNTED FESTIVAL PASSES can now be purchased on line at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/17693