For those somewhat concerned about the whereabouts of The Vamp (or The Vamp’s content, rather), I can tell you that all is well — I’m just currently enveloped in the pursuit of a what will one day hopefully serve as my career. It’s a stark, albeit depressing reality, when real life has to trump music, but the day has come. The end of May will mark a resuscitation in all things eTO, including music, etoLIVE episodes, and a lot more of what you’ve come to expect from this institution. That being said, check out this week’s events:
Depending on who you ask/listen to, the sound of Ghetto House is on the rise again. The raw & unearthed energy has always been there but has taken a backseat in recent years to Electro & Progressive House. Maybe the wave will start to change with this release.
L-Vis 1990 and his Night Slugs label have recently created the “Club Constructions” imprint to release what he has called tracks “strictly for peak time usage”.
The first release off this label is aptly titled, Club Constructions Vol. 1, filled with straight bangers; no fillers. To celebrate the album, L-Vis 1990 has released a new track titled “VHS Crash”. The track has a dark, thumping basement feel to it that is sure to fill the hearts of House heads old & new, mainly due to the obvious nod to Mike Dunn’s 1991 smash hit Magic Feet.
All good things in Toronto are revealed on Wednesday, at least if you’re an electronic music aficionado. Same old business on our side, documenting the long and winding agenda of nightlife events in our city, and conveying the research to you. Some of the undisputed highlights include appearances by Laidback Luke, Jacques Renault, DJ Rashad, as well as local faves Azari & III alongside Bordello and Charlton, all of whom will be gracing the hallowed Hoxton.
The holiday weekend has been aptly equipped with solid acts, beginning to end. Massive shouts must go to both the Thursday and Saturday headliners, both incredible opportunities to see some of the finest acts in house, techno and electro. Saturday’s loft initiative is some kind of european nightclub fairytale.
BNR075 is the third in a series of collaborations between the well versed Boys Noize and Erol Alkan, after 2009′s Waves/Death Suite and 2010′s Lemonade/Avalanche. This release has been anticipated for quite some time due to these tracks making numerous appearances in YouTube videos since 2010, and the ensuing comment: “TRACK ID”? Our head honcho The Vamp even managed to capture some footage of Brain Storm over two years ago ago at WMC 2010.
Both tracks on this release are 100% analog (proof) with Roland Rat containing a gliding lead riff and Brain Storm being a little more edgy with a syncopated vocal sample, and piercing synths. The EP is set for release tomorrow April 2nd, on Beatport, ITunes, JunoDownload and other fine digital retailers.
Some could certainly make the argument that this release may be the most sought after Crosstown Rebel cut since the catologue’s now infamous number sixty-four, which you’ll surely remember as the Vampire Nightclub / Without You 12″, produced by a little old Toronto duo, named Art Department. Yet another triumph for deep house. Others may continue their cynical stance on the continued over-glorification of the purported quasi-renaissance of undergound house, that the dance music world has all too willingly embraced, and openly consumed over past two years. Either way, it amounts to much more than a snobby conversation piece.
Naturally, both No.19 boss Jonny White & Kenny Glasgow have their hands in this most recent CRM release, spearheaded by label-master Jamie Jones. The title-track goes by “Our Time In Liberty”, an uncontested showstopper at this year’s Winter Music Conference, and an appropriate fixture as the lead single off of Jamie’s much anticipated second album, “Tracks From The Crypt” . The classic A/B is set for an April 16th release, with a smart remix by Brighton’s own Russ Yallop.
Jamie Jones & Art Department — Our Time In Liberty
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Running off the success of their last single “Piano Man”, Zombie Disco Squad are preparing to release their latest album “Brains”, forthcoming on Made To Play. The first single goes by “Righteous Sound”, featuring the Soulful vocals of British singer/songwriter Omar. Included in the package, label boss Jesse Rose stops by to drop his own edit of this bouncy, simplistic track. Make your way to that convenient purchase button below, and pick-up the EP today.
No post-WMC lull to speak of, as the weekend shaped up quite nicely. It starts off Thursday evening, when the pretty white walls of The Hoxton get trounced by heavy dollops of bass. Friday sees a massive local gathering at The Supermarket, with a Turbo tag-team of sorts, while Saturday is certainly the most densely packed evening of the three, with the likes of Aquarius Heaven, Guy Gerber, Vitalic & more, all making appearances.
Teetering the lines of sultry techno and deep house, this tune by French duo, Darabi for the Berlin-based Items & Things, is laced with throwback vibes, and identifiable salutations to the early 90s. Packaged with a single by Tim Paris, this EP which drops digitally later this week under the Various Items series, might be a worthy investment of a couple pesos.
A hefty serving of house music here from Alex Coulton‘s “Candy Flip” EP, for the Bristol-based imprint, Idle Hands. Mulling its way through subterranean chords, and infectious kicks & shakers, the lead track, entitled Brooklyn, does right by its name, starting off with some sassy jazz elements ripe for a dinner party, ultimately giving way to something much more suited to an abandoned warehouse.
