« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »

August 31, 2005

Kick it Real Good

I had my suspicions when I received a press release for Annie's forthcoming DJ Kicks installment — and then I noticed that she's including Motiivi:Tuntematon's brain-searing "1939." Other selections tend to the slightly more predictable, like ESG, MU's "Paris Hilton," and Zongamin. (Extra points for using Twitch's Optimo Edit of Liquid Liquid's "Flextone," out earlier this year on Rush Hour.) But for the Motiivi:Tuntematon alone, she earns my undying respect. Introducing the Pitchfork kids to apocalyptic melt-down death techno? Right on!

August 30, 2005

Cologne snapshots

IMG_4044-2.jpg

Dark clouds over Cologne can't stop c/o Pop.

rex the criminal.jpg

Rex the Dog's LED gadget says: "Dog is a DJ." He was unhesitating about having his photo taken. When I asked, "When I put up your photo on my web page, do you want a black bar over your eyes, or a full dog head?" He went white as a sheet. "You have a website? What are you, an aspiring writer?" I assured him I would do nothing to destroy the Myth of Rex and handed him my card. "Wait, that's you? You have a great blog!" he exclaimed. Silliest sentence in the world, but it felt good. We agreed on the black bar. After all, a blogger's gotta protect his sources. [Note: In retrospect (Rextrospect?), Rex requested a full-scale pixelization along the lines of a "world's dumbest criminals" treatment, so now, thanks to his deft Photoshopping, the bar is gone and he looks shadier than ever.]

IMG_4173.jpg

A Sure moment while Michael Mayer canes it.

IMG_4228.jpg

Sure does a good business in Cologne.

IMG_4240.jpg

Michael Mayer leaves his body, but only briefly...

IMG_4246-2.jpg

..and stays split while Baxendale makes us dance about architecture.

IMG_4247.jpg

I probably have this record, but I never knew it would go gangbusters like this. Foundsound killing it.

IMG_4296.jpg

DJ Koze makes time for fans.

IMG_4374.jpg

Genetially speaking, Stretch Armstrong's got nothing on this guy.

IMG_4396-2.jpg

Tobias Thomas takes time out to savor the sound.

IMG_4417-2.jpg

Tip!

IMG_4425.jpg

Total 6 waits to make its entrance.

IMG_4429.jpg

Digging Koze.

IMG_4434-2.jpg

One of those wormholes I was talking about.

IMG_4442-2.jpg

Good times, indeed.

IMG_4446.jpg

Justus shakes his klonky.

IMG_4495-2.jpg

When Wolfgang talks, Superpitcher listens.

IMG_4508.jpg

There's a reason they say Reinhard Voigt makes driving techno.

IMG_4521.jpg

Reinhard and Magda compare RSI symptoms.

IMG_4530-2.jpg

Square Productions' Amy Grill steps out from behind the camera.

IMG_4534.jpg

Chicos de Barcelona en Colonia.

IMG_4545-2.jpg

Richie Hawtin discovers good times.

IMG_4584.jpg

... but those bangs really get in the way.

IMG_4557.jpg

The Unabomber drops by Pollerweisel.

IMG_4582.jpg

Every party should feel like this.

IMG_4615-2.jpg

Cuyahoga, the riverside rave is pure fire.

jagerrichie copy.jpg

A dancer offers Richie Jägermeister... but the Allen & Heath gets the drink.

... and that's all the batteries I had. My camera kicked out as the sun was cresting over Total 6, which is a damn crying shame, given the crazy light over Cologne's streets on the longish walk to the Six Pack (which some allege is really called the "Sex Park," but what do I know about German), where Mayer (and others?) caned it from around 8 a.m. until well into the afternoon, in a shoe-box of a room behind warped blue+red windows. Just think about "Lovelee Dae" and use your imagination.

August 03, 2005

Coming up from behind

ipodoverSF.gif
I'm still digging out from a mess of suitcases and tangled cables, but now's as good a time as any to alert you to House Is a Feeling, a new dance-music supablog in which I'm nominally involved, featuring contributing heady headz like intermittent quitter Jess, ILM firebrand Vahid, physical wizard Tim, must-blog-oftener Ronan, micro/macro knowitall Andy, and dark horses (to me, unless I know them by other screen names) Plum Drank and Mackro.

It is nothing if not footworthy.