Christian Pielow: Starting out on the Rebel Rave tour, who are you most excited to play with?

Seth Troxler: With this tour I’m really excited to play with everyone, it’s so nice to have the whole family together, but if I could choose one person, I would say Deniz Kurtel it’s her first real tour and I want to see how she’s going to play. Can’t wait.

What country / venue are you most excited to play?

I’m doing two tours right now, partially with the rebel rave tour and partially with my own stops for the Boogy Bytes. As far as places I’m most excited to go, I would say Brazil. It’s going to be during carnival, and I’ve never been.

I’m going to be seeing you in NY, what have been your best experiences of playing here?

So many good times in NYC, I loved all the events I did with Save the Cannibals. But I would say the afters in NYC are always my best experiences. Or the first Blood and Thunder. What a night.

Have you had much time to vibe with Deniz Kurtel, the exciting new signing to Wolf + Lamb? What does she bring to the label?

Deniz is an amazing person and artist. She is so smart and adds a new real edge to the whole Crosstown tour. Her music is deep and sexy, and I feel she’s got a bright future in dance music.

How does 2010 look for your own releases, I feel a buzz this year, you feel it?

Well I have some tricks up my sleeve, but I think the first bomb to drop is a new single I did with Deetron called “Each step” HEAT!!

Do you plan to return to Berlin after the tour? Will you ever return to the US?

I’m never really in Berlin, but I’ll be in Europe after Miami. Summer is a crazy time for me. Home becomes a distant memory.

If you were to do a State of the Union address like Obama recently did, what would you say?

Change has come. (But I don’t think Obama was able to say that just yet)

Big final Question man. How do you find the dance crowds in Berlin / Europe compared to the US? I am from London and find the UK crowds more mixed, but feel the dance revival is truly coming to the US and multicultural crowds will come forward, what do you think?

I think you hit the nail on the head, in regards to the multicultural crowd, as well as the fact that the people in the US are really looking for a good event rather than them just being part of everyday night life make for a huge difference in vibe between the US and Berlin or Europe. However I do think that the UK has the most up for it crowd at the moment and it’s my favourite place to play. London town is where I love to get down.

See the Rebel Rave tour dates at Resident Advisor.

BoogieBytes Vol 5

Tracklist
01. Seth Troxler – Intro / Ryan Crosson – Amb 1
02. The Royal We – Party Guilt (Dinky’s Arp-A-Pella)
03. Luciano – Fran Left Home / Mike Shannon – Sweet A Pella
04. Craig Smith & The Revenge – The Soul Part II
05. Baeka – Right At It
06. Dinky feat. Update – Westoid
07. N/A feat. Rosina – Fables and Fairytales (Deniz Kurtel Remix)
08. Spektrum – Freakbox (Richie Hawtin’s Uncontrolled Edit)
09. Alexi Delano – Molar One
10. Jabberjaw – The Connie Shake
11. Heartthrob – Signs (Thrill Cosby aka Seth Troxler Remix)
12. Birds And Souls – Birds and Souls
13. Roman Flügel – Stricher
14. Fever Ray – Seven (Seth Troxler Remix)
15. Kiki – Cinema Obscura
16. Nicolas Jaar – Time for Us

Just before Freelance Whales embarked on a show-intensive start to 2010, I caught up with Doris Cellar to learn about the record Weathervanes and what to expect from a live show. On Wednesday Jan 20th they play Mercury Lounge with Animal Tropical and Still Life Still - Grab your ticket here.

Christian: Ok so I am coming to see you at the Mercury Lounge, what can we expect from a live show? How do you interact with crowds differently from your infamous street shows?

Doris Cellar: For us regardless if we are on the subway or on the stage, we try to share an experience with one another as a band.  It’s not that we are disregarding the crowd or anything but if we can explore the songs at the moment with every ounce of concentration, then we can get lost in our songs and hopefully the experience we are sharing is entertaining or compelling to watch.

Christian: You have a load of ‘proper shows’ coming up, what are you most looking forward to about your Jan tour?

DC: Surfer blood, Animal Tropical, Bear in Heaven are all bands we admire, so we are definitely looking forward to hearing them and hopefully getting to hang out with them.

Christian: I see your off to London (my home town) have you played there before? How did you get that hookup? Excited to play to the crazy British crowds?

DC: We have never played London nor did we know that the crowds were particularly crazy. What should we expect? We were lucky enough to get some radio play early on in the bands development and some how we got some show offers even though we never been there before.

Christian: Your record is very eclectic, like the seriously creepy interlude tracks Hallways and Danse Flat working in the haunting theme…How did you come up with this idea?

DC: Those songs we’re meant to be specifically haunting but Kevin was messing around with his loop station and his electric guitar and we really liked the sensation that they evoked so we decided to fit them into the record.  It was a nice way of rounding  out the record to evoke an over all dream scape that is a big theme of the record.

Christian: If I did not hear you before I don’t think I would have guessed NYC, you seemed to have escaped disillusion from the harshness here.. Do you think place has influenced your record a lot?

DC: The setting  behind the record is inspired by a more rural place than NYC and in some cases you need to be in an urban space to feel nostalgic about the country side. So in that sense New York did inspire the record.

Christian: If you wanted a listener to get one thing out of the record what would it be?

DC: We hope that the record encourages people to dream more frequently and with more lucidity.

Christian: Whats after the January show dates? More touring?

DC: Well we won some free hours at grand street recording studio so we hope we can book some time there  to lay down some acoustic tracks before we hit the road again.

From progressive trance, to electro, and house– Darey covers all the bases in a provocative and cut-edge style. TheMST.com

Benjamin-Émile Le Hay: Tell us about how you got started as a DJ, musical artist and producer? Did you have any role models growing up that lead to your career?

Matt Darey: I was a singer/songwriter in a guitar band at school; we stayed together for a few years and toured the universities in the UK.  Just a fun thing, but it got me into the whole making music thing.  Then when I was studying for my degree I went to my first rave and, pretty much overnight, dropped the band and started to make electronic dance music…seemed like a lot of fun.  I was really lucky that I got to play my first EDM (electronic dance music) record to Seymour Stien, who is actually from NYC; he was the head of Sire Records at Warner Brothers (the guy famous for signing Madonna).  He gave me a 6 album deal on the spot…and a ton of money!  So I moved to London from my small town and started making house music.

BL: Your work on the Euphoria compilations is epic! How was that experience for you? How did it affect you as an artist?

MD: They approached me to mix there Euphoria series cause 1/4 of the tracks on the next double album were produced or remixed by me (either under my own name or one of my various aliases) I never mixed a record in my life…DJ-ing was something I always shunned, i preferred to be out there on the dance floor on the weekends.  Anyway, worked out a new way of mixing on CDR’s which were just coming into use…the majority of the album was mixed using musical keys…and it worked so well, a lot of people used the same technique; ‘till this day.  I guess it influenced the way I DJ to this day but not really affecting my music that much.

BL: You’ve worked with the best talent in the industry– who have been some of the music producers and artists that have inspired you the most and why?

MD: With regards to electronic dance music, I’ve been influenced by too many different artists to mention.  One guy who I regard as one of the true pioneers in the art of being a DJ was [Paul] Oakenfold; we kind of grew up musically at the same time.

BL: The Matt Darey sound is always progressively evolving and constantly setting new industry standards, how do you challenge yourself to produce better and new music?

BL: It’s more a case of I get bored with making the same sound and have to move on to remain inspired.  The latest project being a massive departure from my last record with my guitar based band Urban Astronaut.  Of course the remixes sound pretty cool in one of my sets.

BL: We’re huge fans of the “Beautiful (Matt Darey original mix) with Marcella Woods” – as well as your work with Agnelli & Nelson, PVD, Oakenfold and Tiësto. What are some of your favorite tracks and why?

MD: I guess “Beautiful” was the last big trance record I made before I retired for a few years from making music back in 2002. I loved that record even after hearing it a thousand times.  I thought the lyrics were some of the best I have written at the time. Kind of, spiritual with undertones of my clubbing experiences at the time.

BL: What do you like most about performing in New York City?

MD: The people in the club; they really feel where I’m coming from and I can take the music anywhere i want, which is refreshing…. I guess NYC clubbers are pretty well educated in EDM and I have a lot of fans of Nocturnal in the city.

BL: What are some of your most memorable sets or events that you’ve participated in?

MD: Too many to mention, I have a blast most of the time when I’m playing out…and surprisingly to some, it’s the more intimate shows where I have the most fun cause you get to meet clubbers and hang out.  At the big fests you’re kind of far removed from the audience.  First DJ set was NYE 2001 in Malaysia, which will always be the most memorable.  I played for 4 hours and got hooked on DJ-ing.

BL: Nocturnal sessions are a huge undertaking, how has it enhanced your career?

MD: Most people I play to know me for Nocturnal first and foremost.  I think it’s a great accompaniment to my DJ-ing because it means I can take the time to explore all kinds of musical genres and keep my sets interesting.

BL: You’ve got your first release in just over two years! What do you hope listeners get out of Matt Darey presents Urban Astronauts – “See the Sun?”

MD: “See the Sun” has gotten so much positive feedback.  It’s a beautiful song.  It makes it so worthwhile when people say such nice things about something you’ve created.

BL: What else is on the horizon for Matt Darey?

MD: More DJ touring, and a lot more making music. I just started a new label Nocturnal Global. I’m aiming to release a record of my own every 6 weeks or so…you won’t be waiting another 2 years (laughing).

BL: You tour extensively, what do you like to do in your spare time?

MD: Well I like to check out the places I travel to… I guess that takes up most of the weekdays….off to Aspen next week to go snow boarding…you kind of have to make the most of where you are at the time.  When I’m back in London, I get time to make music.

The fun at Cielo (18 Little West 12th Street New York City) starts at 10pm and will surely go deep into the night. Tickets start at $15, for more details head to the Made Event website: http://www.madeevent.com/121109.php?REFID=madeweb

Darey concludes his grueling US leg with upcoming dates in Denver, Aspen and Fort Lauderdale. He then jets off to the Mediterranean to welcome in the New Year, with gigs in Cyprus and Malta. To check out other upcoming Darey gigs head to his website: http://www.mattdarey.com/v3/tourdates.html. Or to subscribe to the epic Nocturnal podcast: http://www.mattdarey.com/v3/nocturnal.html.

Having kicked off his career with stints under Phonica Records and Sony International, Saul went on to establish his own imprints, Simple and Aus Music. Additionally, Saul took key residencies at memorable London hotspots such as The End and Cable.

TheMST.com recently caught up with Will Saul to ask him to divulge his experience of mixing Balance 015 and find out what’s on deck in the near future:

Benjamin-Émile Le Hay: Being tapped to take the mixing reins for Balance 015 is quite an honor. Tell us what a Balance collaboration means to you? What do you hope to convey through this project to your fans and Balance music lovers?

Will Saul: It’s an amazing opportunity. I wanted these mixes to be more than just a snapshot of how I DJ now, instead, more like a window into my record box over the last ten years, carefully edited and selected so that they sound fresh and current now. I’ve touched on the majority of styles of electronic music (and beyond) that I love, but I wanted to make the mixes as timeless as possible. Many of the tracks I’ve selected are not available digitally (and are now out of press on vinyl) so hopefully there will be some tracks that people have never heard. The records I’ve chosen for this mix have undoubtedly inspired my productions, label’s and A&R decisions over the years, so it’s a genuine insight into my musical DNA.

BL: The styles of tracks on this compilation run the gamut, but there seems to be a theme… What thematic approach did you take?

WS: My goal was to make each CD sound unique and very different from the other. I wanted each CD to be able to stand up on its own but also flow together as a 3 CD combination if anyone ever bothers to listen to them in one sitting [which theMST.com did, twice!] I definitely wanted there to be different moods, sections almost, within each CD to keep the listener interested – it was quite a challenge to achieve this without loosing the flow of the mix.

BL: Each CD is significantly different in tone, musicians and sound. Was this done on purpose? Is there a progression from disc 1 to disc 3? If so, why?

WS: CD 1 could be loosely described as disco, only ever going above 120 bpm at the very end and starting off at 100bpm. This is probably the most linear of the three mixes. I was never a massive old disco collector so it’s only really something that I’ve come to over the last 8-10 years and the tracks selected represent this time period for me. CD 2 is a more ‘techy,’ trippy, melancholic and finally euphoric house/techno/dubstep journey. CD 3 is supposed to feel more organic (in terms of beats and percussion) and overtly soulful. It touches on dub, dubstep, soul and house, in that order.

BL: I’m a huge fan of CD1 with the tracks by the Chromatics, Sally Shapiro and Bat for Lashes. What are some of your favorites? How did you select which artists to collaborate with/remix?

WS: I trawled through my extensive music collection and narrowed the short list down to about 350 of my favorite tracks from the last 10 years. It’s difficult to pick favorites from the CDs, as they are all really special for me. Then I spent a month in the studio with my Pioneer CDJ1000’s playing about with different combinations of records. Obviously from DJing most weekends, I have combinations of records that I know work really well but as I was trying to create something timeless with this CD, I tried to focus on combinations of tracks that will work at home, in the car and on headphones. The devil is hopefully in the detail.

BL: How is it to own Simple and Aus Music? How did you decide and go about establishing them?

WS: It’s a lot of hard work and tons of admin! No in all seriousness I wouldn’t trade what I do for anything else in the world. I’m very lucky to be able to do what I love and earn a living from it. I initially set up Simple with 3 other people (who I bought out about 5 years ago) that I’d met while working at Sony Music. You need to have a good core of friends around you who are making music and a vision for the sound of the labels. Once you’ve got the first 5 releases together, and your audio concept/sound and visual identity, then you can approach a distributor for a distribution deal. Then you need to promote the releases and keep everything crossed that they sell…The rest is all just the standard business admin that goes into setting up any company. Obviously this is a very basic outline…

BL: What is your upcoming tour plan? Any other music projects in the near future?

WS: I’m off to Brazil this week! Then I’ll be in the US for dates in San Francisco, LA, and NYC in Jan—then just touring Europe as usual. I’m currently working on some new singles, and early next year I will start writing my next artist album. I have a single with Mike Monday coming out on the Dutch label, Clone, early next year called, ‘Small Moments’ and I’ve also done a remix of a Cortney Tidwell track that we’re releasing on Aus at the end of Jan next year.

With Balance 015, Will Saul proves his vast grasp on various musical styles and genres. This compilation is indeed a testament to the Balance Series’ commitment to forward-thinking, multipurpose tracks that combine numerous sounds, beats, moods and artists. It will surely bring together a diverse range of fans, be they listening in a lounge, on their iPod during a daily run, or at a dance party driving into the early hours.

For information on Will Saul, Balance 015 and previous compilations, check out http://www.stomp.com.au/press/balance-series/balance.html
or www.myspace.com/willsaul.

This is the second half of an interview with The Postelles at All Points West, discussing the differences between the UK and the US music scenes, and the interaction between music and politics. Read the first half of an interview with The Postelles and pictures from their performance here.

PART TWO

Christian: I feel like there is more opportunity than ever for bands to make it over here, do you think this is going to continue?

Daniel Balk: Well, we love so many bands from the UK and loads of great ones are coming out recently so we certainly hope it continues.

John Speyer: I think it is interesting that UK bands take American music and do great things with it, its true with The Beatles who took Chuck Berry stuff and turned it around, and The Stones who took a lot of American blues and turned it around, Led Zeppelin is a result of that. Also, the UK has a whole original sound on its own, Stone Roses are definitely their own thing, Oasis, and although rock and roll is an American thing as least traditionally or originally, UK artists have added spin after spin across the decades. I feel like the UK does alot more for its rock artists, cares more, you know we don’t have the NME here going crazy over every little band.

Christian: Yeah, and BBC also provides a great platform…

John: Yeah we don’t have a national presence like that here, that’s why bands like The Strokes and Kings of Leon had to go over there and come back and re-introduce their music.

Daniel: it’s too big a country..

Christian: Well talking more specifically, does it matter where you are from in New York and why is there such an emphasis on the boroughs?

Daniel: Well I don’t think it matters but they are very different – Brooklyn is very young, hipster (for lack of a better term), whereas Manhattan is a little more family orientated, except parts of downtown. If we just moved here we would probably go straight to Brooklyn because that’s where the young people are, but we grew up here in Manhattan so its home.

John: Its just our home you know, we didn’t go somewhere to be artists.

Christian: Talking of New York, we have just celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village – what do you think about the difference of rights between here and the UK, like LGBT for example?

John: Well obviously we are still living in the shadow of the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ fiasco, where Clinton half promised to get things done, but didn’t advance any of the cause. I think there was an awakening when Prop 8 passed in California and I hope that means people are going to wake up and realize it is something they have to care about, otherwise the Mormon church is gonna spend a lot of money and fuck up a lot of people you know? 

John is referencing the Mormon Church’s substantial donations towards the Prop 8 campaign – a bill that allowed the Californian constitution to be amended to prevent same sex marriage. Many believed their activism provided the margin to pass the bill – Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage – NY Times

Daniel: Fortunately I think socially things are getting better, but politically I don’t think its really getting better, if people start standing up and start voicing their opinions hopefully that will change things. That’s how it was done in the sixties with Vietnam, but yeah politically I don’t think anything has changed.

Christian: The reason I ask, is because a lot of celebrities/musicians came behind the civil rights eventually.

Daniel: That stuff helps, that’s how you change things.

Christian: So do you hope that one day you will change things? I mean, many bands when they reach a certain popularity, use their position to advance causes they care about.

Daniel: Well we are not a political band, were not like Rage Against Machine or anything…

John: We are not apolitical either, we are concerned about politics.

Daniel: I would love to change and affect the world the same way the Beatles or The Rolling Stones did, the whole album wasn’t full of politics, but musically every once and a while, and John Lennon was very open about it and led a lot of marches. That really worked.

John: As an artist you can’t let politics compromise your art, you are here to make great art, that is our role as entertainers and if we have a platform to speak about politics then that is a great honor, but our first job is to make great music.

Dan: And if it gets pushed into the music and it works then I’m totally open to that. But sometimes it seems too forced.

John: Yeah some artists don’t really know what they are talking about, when they get into politics they don’t know what they are saying – I am all for informed discussions about anything. However, I don’t want to hear political bands that aren’t well thought out, especially from someone I just want to hear a hit song from you know – just stick to making hits.

Christian: And yes you are doing well at that, so keep it up!

We interviewed The Postelles at the end of July 2009 at the All Points West Festival. Originally planned for another publication we are only able to release all our material now. So enjoy the next few weeks as we take a look back to those monsoon-like days.

First up, the first half of an interview with The Postelles and pictures from their performance. This half is fairly light-hearted, dealing with subject matter such as pee and women (not at the same time…), while the second half delves into the differences between the UK and the US music scenes, and the interaction between music and politics. Enjoy!

Christian: So I saw from your Twitter you were at the first day of All Points West Festival, who updates it?

Daniel Balk: Random, each band member has a go.

Did you have a good time at the All Points West festival?

John Speyer: I was there, Daniel wasn’t, I got really wet but had an amazing time. Fleet Foxes were definitely the highlight. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were good, but I hadn’t seen Fleet Foxes before and was totally blown away – I even got to talk to Robyn backstage and they are the nicest guys you would meet.

Agreed, so who would you most like to collaborate with from the lineup?

Daniel: Well, The Artic Monkeys would be really cool, we like them a lot. Yeah Yeah Yeahs would be also be great, especially because they are from New York

John: Jay Z would be amazing; in fact he would be perfect. He is electrifying – he totally proved that he is a real rockstar and doesn’t have a rival at the moment.

Christian: My favourite song is The Postelles “Boys Best Friend“, how would you explain the meaning behind it?

Daniel: Well, its about a story of a guy meeting a girl and falling in love and dating for a bit, and then the girl ends up liking girls and sort of ends up dating the same girls he was once sort of dating.

John: tell him the other part…

Daniel: Oh it’s also about this book The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway.

John: Thats not the true story.

Daniel: Yeah the true story is we had an experience, two members in our band, with a girl who ended up becoming a lesbian.

Christian: On two separate occasions?

Daniel: No it was the same girl.

John: The one that got away.

Daniel: the one that REALLY got away.

Christian: (Laughing) well I read that ‘1,2,3 Stop‘ was about a night out in London where everyone was peeing on each other, is that correct? (I mean a lot of people piss in the street in the UK….)

John: Well it was definitely based on a night out, not specifically for that night but yeah, we were in Camdem Crawl and everyone was peeing everywhere.

Daniel: Well I wasn’t sure we based it on that particular night, but we could definitely see that…

Christian: Moving on..how did you feel about how well your EP was received in the UK, like Zane Lowe supporting you?

Daniel: What with Zane Lowe playing it and stuff? Well we recorded it in two days, and we are really proud of it. I think we have matured a lot since then and our new stuff will be a lot better, but yeah, I am really proud of it.

John: yeah I am excited about getting our new stuff out there, with our new album. We are going to get out on the road – get out there and play and make sure our live set is perfect.

Daniel: It is meant to come out in the first quarter of 2010.

Christian: So what was your favourite show on the London/Paris tour?

Daniel: Well we did 5 shows in London and 2 shows in Paris. Camden crawl was really fun, we played a little pub, and Showcase in Paris was amazing, there were 600 people there and we did not expect that at all, it was insane.

Christian: That is a great turn-out.. so who is the worst person to tour with?

John: Oh thats kind of personal… we can all been pretty bad.

Christian: Ok, so what vices do you have?

John: Women.

Christian: Asides from Women and Whiskey?

Daniel: Well the biggest problem is all the peeing on each other. Its really getting out of hand.

John: Yeah we cant stop.

Daniel: yeah 1,2,3 Stop.

Recently we caught up with Martin Crane from Brazos as he hurtled down the highway to his next gig on the Brazos/White Denim Tour – luckily he was the passenger. The tour with White Denim takes Brazos out of Austin, TX for the first time, so if they are coming to a town near you, make sure you do not miss their show. Stay tuned for our coverage of their New York show on Thursday 12th November at the Music Wall of Williamsburg. Enjoy..

Christian Pielow:  Austin is often hailed as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ – how would you describe the scene? And how do you fit into it?

Martin Crane: The scene in Austin has evolved a lot recently and is currently going through a garage-rock revival. People are fascinated with mid-to-late 1960s soul so many of the bands coming out are influenced by this, but there are also a number of strong synth bands coming out as well. We don’t really fit into any of those streams really; we are just doing our own thing I guess.

CP: I assume this is where your connection with White Demin comes from. How did you end up with Josh Block on the drums?

MC: Well, before White Denim really took off and began doing their stuff, Josh was on the drums for us. Then even as they got bigger we would all hang out and just really loved their sound. They are such amazing musicians with great energy, and I am sure I will never get tired of their live show.

CP:  So what is it like warming up for a band of White Denim’s energy and style?

MC: Well obviously our sounds are very different but I don’t think that matters anymore. Audiences are exposed to so much more music and have become a lot smarter because of it. They are more willing to try different music and it is often the norm to have a big mix of styles at every gig. Like we just go out there and do our thing, we don’t try to adapt or mould our performance to White Denim. Although we are not in the audience, we think it works.

CP:  Well we are definitely looking forward to the combination next week!! So tell me about the making of Phosphorescent Blues, I mean, I read it was written in a weekend is that true??

MC: Well more like a few crazy weeks.. That is how I write most of my stuff, in manic, excited bursts, then I wake up and I’m done. I love writing this way because now everything in Phosphorescent Blues fits together, representing the same state of mind and time period – the same person.  And although we have moved towards a song based music culture, I hope listeners approach the album as a whole because all the songs work in relation to one another.

CP: Well I saw one single, “Day Glo”, was recently released as a free MP3 – why was this song chosen to out there?

MC: I guess because it is super melodic, and a lot of my friends like the track so it seemed a good choice. However, there was no clear choice for us. It was really hard deciding, especially considering how I approached the song writing and how all the songs are connected (see the question above..).

Going forward we will be releasing a few more MP3’s to give people a chance to sample our stuff, no one has time to listen to whole album to decide if it is right for them.

In my opinion listening to either “Day Glo” or “The Observer” is enough reason alone to get Phosphorescent Blues…

CP: So have you played NY before, what do you think this city?

MC: Well before these last few days on tour, we have never played outside of Austin! I mean it is so exciting to see some new audiences. Especially New York because it feels like I have more friends from Austin in New York, than in Austin itself – there seems to be a collective of Austinites in New York, so I am really excited for the show!

CP: Tell me something in your past present or future that no one else knows.

MC: Ok I will tell you about the coolest place I have ever been to. It is this place called Cordillera Blanca – the highest Mountain peaks in Peru. I got up there and it is above the tree-line; you just see grazing llamas, a sea of green trees, giant boulders, and beautiful lagoons. It is the only place in the world you can truly experience total silence….

It is not surprising Crane recommends an escape from the buzz of modern society, when he describes his musical experience as a frenzied retreat from reality. And at that point I left him as he hurtled towards his next gig – I wonder how far that mountain in Peru seems right now? Well, probably not as far as when he gets to the concrete jungle of NYC. Thankfully Martin traveled back down from paradise and has finally taken Brazos out of Austin – now we can all experience their immense talent firsthand. See below for Tour Dates and if you are in New York, I hope to see you at the show. White Denim are also not to be missed!!! See our review of White Denim’s CMJ show here.

www.myspace.com/brazosbrazos

www.brazosbrazos.com

Tour Dates

10.24 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10.31 Dallas, TX @ Grenada Theater
11.02 St Louis, MO @ Firebird
11.03 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot
11.04 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
11.05 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
11.06 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11.07 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11.09 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
11.10 Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
11.11 Cambridge, MA @ TT the Bears
11.12 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11.13 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
11.14 Washington, DC @ Rock ‘n Roll Hotel
11.16 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
11.17 Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
11.18 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11.19 Orlando, FL @ The Social
11.20 St Augustine, FL @ Cafe Eleven
11.22 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks

This Halloween, the Roseland Ballroom will be the place to dance.
NYC is in for a big treat, as Dutch sensation DJ Fedde Le Grand (along with UK superstars Above & Beyond), returns to vamp up the city’s club scene. Continuing his global triumph with his 2009 album debut, Output, Fedde Le Grand has been met positively with loyal fans and new enthusiasts alike, and this will surely be the case this weekend. Output, includes dynamic new collaborations with artists such as Will.i.am, and regulars: Ida Corr and Camille Jones. Le Grand is most notably recognized for his chartbusters ‘Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit,” The Creeps (vs. Camille Jones)” and “Let Me Think About It (vs. Ida Corr).” Fedde Le Grand has also remixed for the likes of Erick E, Madonna, Sharam and Martin Solveig.
We tracked Fedde Le Grand down before his gig, to get the scoop on his success and his new album.

Benjamin Le Hay: 2007 was an extraordinary year for you, starting with “‘Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit!” Tell me about that ride to worldwide success?

Fedde Le Grand: It was a surprise, yes, certainly. I wasn’t expecting that amount of success from the track itself. I knew that it was a good single to release and the reactions that I had when I played it out definitely underlined that but you never expect that your track is going to go to the number 1 spot in so many charts around the world, including the UK chart. Suddenly I was everywhere, my track was on the radio, people wanted to know who I was, the video was on MTV, it was crazy! But in a good way; it definitely opened up the world for me. But you move forward and build on your successes and that’s how I think about it.

BL: You’ve worked with some of the best in the trance and electronic industry, what are some of your proudest partnerships?

FLG: My proudest partnership has definitely got to be my most longest standing, which is with Raf and Ardie (Funkerman) who I set up Flamingo Recordings with. The reason we came together and built the label was because nobody back in the Netherlands wanted to release the music that we were making. But between us we had the experience to do a label ourselves, so that’s what we did. It’s always been important to me, and to us, to make the music that we want to and not to compromise to what labels want. And Flamingo Recordings has been a success so as the English say; ‘the proof has been in the pudding.’ To have that support and to be able to work with people who have the same musical ideals as you, that is very important for me and I’m very proud of what we’ve done together.

BL: Speaking of collaborations—Output seems to feature some of your most diverse work yet? Tell me about the making of the album?

FLG: The whole album is definitely a very collaborative piece of work. I like to work with vocalists, to use their voice as an instrument, another component to the track. For me as a producer, it’s a lot more interesting to produce pop than just straight up dance floor tracks. I worked with several different artists across a broad spectrum of sounds—from the hip-hop orientated pieces I did with Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas and Mr V from NYC, to the full on jazz sounds of Wild & Raw where I got Rob Birch from the Stereo MCs in to do the vocals. Ida Corr, Camille Jones, Mitch Crown, Andy and Dorothy Sherman, I like to take the vocal line, construct it with some great lyrics and put together a track that will work well with a remix but also stand up on its own away from the dance floor. People are too quick to dismiss pop – it might be commercial but it doesn’t have to be cheesy and it takes a real skill to get it right. I’m very happy with what I’ve created, with the finished product. I’ve done what I wanted to do on Output and that is incredibly important for me as an artist.

BL: You’re a busy guy touring so much, but what are some of your favorite things to do during your down time?

FLG: I just like to hang out at home with my friends and family. I spend so much time traveling and playing in clubs that I guess what most people find normal to me, is very special. So I’ll watch films, play video games, just chill with people and take it easy. It’s all good.

$40 Advance tickets for “Made Event presents Halloween Bash Above & Beyond  + Fedde Le Grand,” on Saturday, October 31st, 2009, at the Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street NYC,) can be purchased at TicketWeb

Tickets are also available at Rebel Rebel, 319 Bleecker St NYC 212.989.0770. VIP Premium Seating is available for upwards of $275. Doors open at 10pm. Costumes are strongly encouraged.   For more information on the even or the artists visit:

http://www.madeevent.com/103109.php?REFID=pr
www.aboveandbeyond.nu
www.feddelegrand.com
www.roselandballroom.com

Christian Pielow: What do you think of the comparisons to Athlete and Franz Ferdinand? And the suggestions that you are part of the ‘art wave’ scene? Basically, how do you engage with the press and the labels you are given?

Eddie Argos: I think those labels are a bit odd as we don’t really sound like either band. I think we got lumped in with those bands as we have ‘Art’ in our name. One definition of Art Brut is that it means unschooled so I always thought it was funny to be called an Art School band. We’ve been labeled so many things we just ignore it. I think most bands do.

CP: How do you find South London has influenced / supported you?

Eddie Argos: That was a long time ago now. At the time it really was a scene. We’d all go to each others gigs and help each other out. Some of my best friends still now I met from that time.

CP: How was it to collaborate with Black Francis? And what was it like performing with the Pixies at the Brixton Academy?

Eddie Argos: It was brilliant to collaborate with Black Francis. Performing with the Pixies was brilliant too. Everybody loves the Pixies but I think my little brother likes them more than most. Watching him watching the Pixies will be one of my happiest memories forever. He was jumping about 12ft high in the air with a huge grin on his face.

CP: And what was it like working with John Fortis?

Eddie Argos: It was ace. We still hang out. That was our first album he is a brilliant person to work with.

CP: We recently interviewed We Are Scientists and they are listed as one of your franchises. Explain the concept of Art Brut franchises?

Eddie Argos: I felt bad that we had taken the name Art Brut as its quite a good name so jokingly suggested we franchise the name out. It got on the internet and out of control. There are Russian, Swedish, Swiss and Polish Art Brut’s. The first franchise I knew of was Art Brut 3.14159265 from West Virginia he played Formed a Band in a Blue Grass style.

CP: You have recently extended your US tour. How do you find the audiences stateside?

Eddie Argos: I like them. British people can be very cynical and I think audiences in the states understand that we are being sincere.

CP: Are you excited to do such an extensive tour and what are the best and worst things about touring?

Eddie Argos: I like touring. i like meeting new people and traveling the worst thing is probably having to queue up for a shower. When we travel there are about 8 of us.

CP: What are your biggest vices?

Eddie Argos: I spend too much money on comics.

CP: What does the future hold for Art Brut?

Eddie Argos: More albums and touring.

Talking of tours, Art Brut just extended their US Fall tour – so grab them while they are still stateside!

And if you haven’t heard much about them, check out their myspace or head over to youtube to watch the video of Alcoholics Anonymous off their latest album, Art Brut vs Satan.

The MST recently caught up with the lead singer of .357 Lover, Corn Mo to ask him about his music, USA and Accordions.

You can read our bio and download one of his tracks for free here.

Annabelle Palmer: What are you working on at the moment?

Corn Mo: I am working on the details with a director on a video for Maybe Tonite, finding a studio to do the next album, and mapping out a tour.

AP: How does one of your songs come together? Do you all create them together or is there more of a delegation going on?

Corn Mo: I introduce the song to the band and they play along and it becomes something bigger – each song is like a good potluck dinner.

AP: What was the first album you fell in love with and why?

Corn Mo: Def Leppard’s Pyromania was the first album I fell in love with.  It was the first time I ever wanted to make out with a girl in my room to one band.  It never happened with that album.  It did happen with Queen.

AP: Why 357 Lover?

Corn Mo: I made a list of names and it’s the one name that sucked the least.

AP: Corn Mo, are you the vegetarian version of Meat Loaf? Or a tastier, more nutritious accompaniment?

Corn Mo: If you’re referring to the music, then I’m all-you-can-eat buffet since I perform the Jim Steinman role as well as the Meatloaf role.  If you’re referring to anything else, then I’m one of the mints you grab from the bowl at the restaurant’s cash register.

AP: I’m new to this country, what is the best and worst thing about America?

Corn Mo: The best thing about this country is the potential this country has to be better than it already is.  The worst thing is that we let other people tie up our hands.  And we have really good bbq and clam chowder.

AP: What made you choose to come to Brooklyn after Texas? They are obviously very different music scenes, what do you miss about Texas and love about Brooklyn?

Corn Mo: I came to Brooklyn because there was nothing else I could do in Texas with what I do.  I hit a wall.

Denton, TX has one of the greatest music scenes in the world but it’s equivalent to holding a shitload of jewels and not knowing what to do with them.  Where do I take these jewels I got from the shipwrecked galleon?  To a pawn shop?

There are plenty of great artists in Brooklyn.  They came from other places to do their art, so they don’t fuck around.  Go to any show whether its music, art, improv, stand up, plays, dance, whatever.  You are more often going to be inspired rather than disappointed.

AP: Corn mo, I bought an accordion on Ebay last year and it was really broken and I had to return it. I was so annoyed by the experience I gave up trying to learn. Can you recommend a cheap starter accordion to a beginner?

Corn Mo: Go to a pawn shop or an antique dealer.  Many times they don’t know what to ask for.  A decent used accordion should be no more than $300.  If its in bad shape then take it to the Main Squeeze in lower Manhattan.  Walter Kuhr can fix it for you.  He also gives lessons and sells accordions.  He’s a great man.

AP: What’s next for .357 Lover?

Corn Mo: We’re mapping out the next album.  It’s going to be about 10 songs, recorded with real piano at one studio.