Bolerix

For those who appreciate loud repetitive music.

Music Day

Had some time to do some music shopping this morning. (sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person on Beatport's site at 8AM on a Saturday morning.  (er... the only person that woke up at 7:30 and went to their site.)

The WMC releases are hitting Beatport now, so it was a good day.

Wow. Hard, Funky, Over-the-top.

Best track of the year so far for me:

Good music day

I have this theory that difficult economic times are very good for art.  I have a few theories why (eg: unemployed artists have more time to create), but I think my theory is being proven right yet again.  Today, I'd say I'm seeing two very good trends.   First, more and more electronic music is crossing the traditionally defined genres.   Second, there is a whole lot of great music out there that is surprisingly easy to find.

My finds:

A gloriously gentle stroll through a sultry poppy field: 

Warm  Sunset

One of the first great tracks I cut my teeth on was Nalin & Kane's Beachball.  Here is a modern progressive house remix by Chris lake.

On the more intense side, a darker techno track:

Department of California Collectors = Scam

I just received a fee request from the Department of California Collectors for $175. Having just created a corporation, it appeared to be one of the numerous fees I get charged by the government.

In actuality, its a scam. I know the people that run this scam think they're technically legal since they subtlety hide some statement that says this "fee" is "not a bill" and I have no obligation to make any payments. However they deliberately make this form very similar to the corporation information disclosure forms we have here in California.

Update: 12/1/10

When I first put up this post my hope was that this was an experimental scam where the scammer was just seeing if he/she could make money.  Over the last month, however, it appears they have sent out several direct mailers which suggest they're making pretty good money.  I've had over 700 people read this post and it appears to spike every Wednesday/Thursday.  That suggests a well thought out direct mail campaign, and one that has probably been running for a while.

I believe it was Brendon that suggested filing a complaint with the California Attorney General.  Please do. 

If any of you work at a bank (or know someone at a bank), it might be worthwhile to look up this company to see if you're doing business with them.  Most bank's I've worked with don't want to be associated with a business like this.

I personally think the Better Business Bureau is not much better then these scammers, but if it helps educate someone before they send in their $175 it's worth doing. (Just don't give any money to the BBB, I believe they are about as unethical as a legal business can be). 

Its been about 15 years since I ran a direct mail campaign, but I believe my cost per address was about $.40 inluding printing, postage, etc.   So a run of 5000 cost me $2000.  Assuming a response rate of 1% (and the way this scam is run, I suspect the response is better then that) that means each $2000 run of their campaign is generating $8,750 in revenue. 

My 700 visits/month suggest they may be doing this weekly.  These numbers are guesses, but if you're wondering why people would do this I think the profit motive is explanation enough.

Update 1/2/11:

Zina just left a comment pointing out that these guys appear to have been caught.  While I want to believe this is true, we're still getting reports that these mailers are being sent out.  Either these were "in the mail" as our justice system worked or there are copycats out there.

$1.75 million in restitution is a pretty large chunk of change.  These guys were printing money.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/31/3289937/settlement-reached-in-filing-fraud.html

Sweet Devil

I can't seem to get away from this track.  I finally looked it up after hearing it on a Chus and Ceballos set and its good enough to get me to post after a very long dry spell.

The second half of this track is so brilliantly playful and funky that it overcomes the fairly tedious beginning.

The Best WMC Parties

I wrote a short summary of promising parties here. Now that the Winter Music Conference is about to start I wanted to review the updates and publish a more complete list of must see parties this year.  Go to the list to verify party details as I'm not tracking venue changes/cancellations.

Standard disclosures apply, I'm a progressive house & trance fan.  If you like deep house, breaks, dub, minimal, etc, I'm afraid my tips on parties won't help you much but I do suggest you check out my WMC Guide.   If you have a specific question please comment and I'll track down the answer for you.

 

Tuesday Night - 3/23
  • Marcus Schulz - Bienvenido at Dream - Marcus kicked off last year's WMC with an extraordinary night when he played at the Tuesday Toronto party.   Marcus has been on fire lately and I wouldn't expect anything less from him.  This is a great way to kick off the week.
  • Christopher Lawrence - This is Miami Bitch - at Living Room South Beach - I love his more progressive trance style and if Marcus hadn't had such an amazing set last year this would be my first pick. 
Wednesday Day - 3/24
  • Blank & Jones, Gareth Emery, Menno de Jong, Cosmic Gate - Dip In - National Hotel -  Acclimate to the beautiful weather and get a bass blood infusion to set your week of right.  If you like Trance, this party is a great option.   
  • Kaskade, Markus Schulz - Sirius XM Poolparty - Gansevoort.   I prefer non-radio to radio events since DJs tend to play for the radio audience.   Expect sets that are rather intense for a pool party (but will be perfectly normal for a radio listener).  They're talking about that Anjunabeats mystery guest here.  Whoever that guest is here will probably be at the Anjunabeats party on Thursday... my money is on Above and Beyond.
  • Pryda, Way out West, Sharam, Zeibeila, Fancuilli - DJMag at the Shelborne. 
      • Chus & Ceballos - 10 Years in Stereo at Gansevoort Beach.  Starting at 4 and ending at 9 this is a great way to check out Chus & Ceballos and still have your night free.  
Wednesday Night - 3/24

This is a night to use your badge and check out a variety of parties.   While there are some parties that seem interesting, nothing is a must see in my book.   Swing by some of the smaller venues that offer free admission for badge holders and see if you can find something new.
  • BT, George Acosta - Black Hole Recordings at Karma.  BT has put together some pretty amazing stuff lately, so if you're a fan I suggest you check it out.   
  • Ned Shepard - I Want House at Karu & Y.  Not worth the trip to miami proper all by itself, if you're in the area swing by to hear Shepard.   
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Thursday Day - 3/25
  • Steve Angello - Size Matters at the Eden Roc. - Did you ignore my advice about coming on Tuesday?  If you're just off the plane, love house music, and need to pick up your WMC pass check this event out.  
  • Sander Kleinenberg & Victor Calderone - "This is..." at the Surfcomber pool party- I'm a big fan of Kleinenberg's sets.   Last Friday 3/19 spun an amazing set that was simply extraordinary.  He's proven to me that he can consistently deliver tracks that are original and progress his sound in unexpected ways.   Sander is a must-see DJ, though I recommend seeing him at a night event to get the full experience.  I've never had the pleasure of seeing Calderone but I've heard great things.  If you've not seen one or the other, this is a great way to expose yourself to something new at one of Miami's best pool parties.  Almost every year I end up at this pool and every year I have a great time.   This year its cheap too... buy your tickets early.
  • Funkagenda and others - "Juicy Beach" pool party without the pool at Nikki Beach.   Juicy Beach parties have not generally been worth the price of admission and I'm not a big fan of Nikki Beach's velvet rope culture (If I remember correctly, Juicy Beach parties have not typically been at Nikki).   If you see a name here that you really want to see and you have a large group I suggest bottle service.   If you don't know what to do go to Surfcomber.
Thursday - Night 3/25
  • 16-Bit Lolitas - Anjunabeats at Karu & Y.   This is my #1 choice for Thursday night.  Always a great party it traditionally includes Above & Beyond.  Unfortunately A&B are not on the line-up this year (though they do list a mystery guest).   16-bit Lolitas have churned out amazing music over the last couple of years, If you love great lush progressive house that's not afraid to be confused with trance you must check these guys out.  Also playing are Gareth Emery and Andy Moor, well known for their main stream trance sets.
  • Chus & Cheballos - "Pacha NYC: Nervous all Nite" at Park West.  I've seen Chus and Cheballos before and really enjoyed their sensually intricate and hypnotic sets. Like most South American artists these guys are under-appreciated and well worth a look.   A couple of years ago they spun at a Wednesday pool party that I still regret missing. 
  • Sasha, Digweed at Mansion -  Traditionally one of the biggest parties of the week at a very large venue.
  • Hernan Catteneo at the Shelborne - I love Hernan's music and  you can't beat free (with a WMC Badge).  Personally I'd pick this over Sasha & Digweed since I think Hernan is the most under appreciated DJ in music right now.
  • Sebastian Ingrosso at Set - House music very well played with a DJ that has amazing stage presence.  
Friday day - 3/26
  • Pete Tong, Kaskade, Tiefschwarz at Surfcomber - Want to avoid the Jonathan Peters New York crowd?  Check out this great poolside lineup.  
Friday 3/26
  • D:FUSE - the Return to lost angeles party at Tantra on Friday.   D:FUSE is a very talented Progressive producer and DJ.  He has a history of doing some really creative things with musicians and drummers during his sets and I've always enjoyed the socially upbeat and not too intense flow of his sets.
  • Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso at Mansion.  Great talent, great house music.
  • Chus & Ceballos at the Space Terrace.  If you end up ditching Ultra early, this is a great party in downtown Miami.   After 12 It'll be a zoo outside since PVD will be spinning in the main room (different tickets/admission) and Ultra fans tend to stumbe to nearby space after the festival ends at 12.  If you go to Ultra, make sure you're wearing something club compatible.
  • Nick Warren.  Hope and Therapy at Shine.  I love Nick Warren and this promises to be a great party if you're directionless and need something to do.
  • Hernan Cattaneo, Tiefschwarz, Yousef.  Yousef Presents Circus at the Strip.   Another good option.
Saturday 3/27
  • Ultra. - Yep, I know I've disparaged the event but you must check out the Carl Cox tent.  Its an amazing lineup on Saturday and will be well worth the trip to downtown Miami.  Plus, its free with a WMC Badge.
  • Ferry Corsten at Karu & Y -  I recommend buying a combo pass so you can get into the Buddha Gardens area as well.  Hernan Cattaneo will be playing in the Gardens  (Rumor has it Oakenfold will be spinning... though I tend to avoid him these days). 
  • Sharam, Nick Warren, Alex Kenji, Ned Shepard.  Yoshitoshi Anniversary at Mekka.  A Miami Downtown event that will go all night and all morning filled with loads of talent. 
  • Scumfrog, D:Fuse.  Sullivan Room at the Living Room.  Great price and some great talent if you're looking for something not quite as intense as Ultra or Karu & Y.
  • George Acosta.  Sunrise 7:17 on the City Lights Sunrise Yacht.   So you've gone really big, blown loads of cash but still have $100 in your pocket?  Hop on the boat at 4 AM and listen to great music as you watch the sun rise. 
Sunday 3/28
  • Danny Tenaglia's Annual Pool Party at The Shelborne.   You're burnt, you've checked out of your room, you have a flight out at 9pm what do you do?  You take your bags to the Shelborne, pay the bellhop to hang on to them for a few hours, go to the pool and soak up every last bit of sun and sound before you hail the taxi and stumble onto the plane.   This is the only respectable way to end your week.
  • Hed Kandi Closing Party at Nikki Beach.  Get bottle service, find a chair to lay down on and enjoy the last beats of the week.   Don't feel like bottle service? then avoid Nikki and go to the Tenaglia pool party.
  • Not a fan of Tenaglia?  Try Axwell at the Surfcomber.  He is also playing at Mansion Sunday night if you somehow have any energy left.
Enjoy your week.  Pace yourself and have fun.

-Travis

Interesting WMC Parties

As a followup to my Winter Music Guide guide post I'm reviewing events as they get scheduled to give you a guide to the music available this year.  Consult the list for a full listing of artists at any one event.  http://www.wmcon.com/thelist

Standard disclosures apply, I'm a progressive house & trance fan.  If you like deep house, breaks, minimal, etc, I'm afraid my tips on parties won't help you much but I do suggest you check out my WMC guide here: http://bolerix.com/wmc-2010-towheads-winter-music-conference-gui .  If you have a specific question please comment and I'll track down the answer for you.

As I've stated before, start on Tuesday.  Parties will be scheduled up until the last minute so don't let a lack of parties on Tuesday and Wednesday scare you off. 

Thursday 3/25
  • Sander Kleinenberg & Victor Calderone - "This is..." at the Surfcomber pool party- I'm a big fan of Kleinenberg's sets.   This last summer he spun a fantastic set here in San Francisco with some wickedly hard hitting progressive beats.   I've never had the pleasure of seeing Calderone but I've heard great things.  If you've not seen one or the other, this is a great way to expose yourself to something new at one of Miami's best pool parties.  Almost every year I end up at this pool and every year I have a great time.   This year its cheap too... buy your tickets early.
  • Funkagenda and others - "Juicy Beach" pool party without the pool at Nikki Beach.   Juicy Beach parties have not generally been worth the price of admission and I'm not a big fan of Nikki Beach's velvet rope culture (If I remember correctly, Juicy Beach parties have not typically been at Nikki).   If you see a name here that you really want to see and you have a large group I suggest bottle service.   If you don't know what to do go to Surfcomber.
  • Chus & Cheballos - "Pacha NYC: Nervous all Nite" at Park West.  I've seen Chus and Cheballos before and really enjoyed their sensually intricate and hypnotic sets. Like most South American artists these guys are under-appreciated and well worth a look.   A couple of years ago they spun at a Wednesday pool party that I was very sad to have missed.
Friday 3/26
  • D:FUSE - the Return to lost angeles party at Tantra on Friday.   D:FUSE is a very talented Progressive producer and DJ.  He has a history of doing some really creative things with musicians and drummers during his sets and I've always enjoyed the socially upbeat and not too intense flow of his sets.
Sunday 3/28
  • Danny Tenaglia's Annual Pool Party at The Shelborne.   You're burnt, you've checked out of your room, you have a flight out at 9pm what do you do?  You take your bags to the Shelborne, pay the bellhop to hang on to them for a few hours, go to the pool and soak up every last bit of sun and sound before you hail the taxi and stumble onto the plane.   This is the only respectable way to end your week.
  • Not a fan of Tenaglia?  Try Axwell at the Surfcomber.  He is also playing at Mansion Sunday night if you somehow have any energy left.
Ultra
In other news the Ultra Music Festival announced another round of names and even goes so far to specify what nights and stages they'll be playing on. Normally multi-stage festivals tend to play this information close to their vest so Ultra deserves credit for being transparent this year.
The lineup is impressive as always.  Unfortunately it appears that the main stage is still being subjected to momentum destroying live acts.  I love live acts like the last guy but they really need to be relegated to their own stage.  Hopefully as they fill out the linup this proves not to be true but I'm not holding my breath.  If you have not yet read it, check out my rant on festivals here: http://bolerix.com/festivals-are-for-djs 

Carl Cox will be running his own tent this year.  If there is still a reason to go to Ultra, seeing Cox and Friends pull off a proper high energy night of electronic beats is worth the full price of admission.  Even if you favor other artists I suggest you stay in that tent and soak up what electronic festivals are meant to be like.  This year with Sasha & Digweed in the tent I expect it to even rival last year (if thats possible).

Paul Van Dyk is not on the billing yet.  This is surprising since Paul Van Dyk has been the Ultra saturday headliner since Ultra was born.  In his place is Deadmau5 who seems to be benefiting greatly from his 360 deal with EMI that he signed last spring. 

Also interesting to note is the appearance of Bassnectar, Glitch-mob, and Stanton Warriors.  Proof, at least, that Ultra continues to evolve with electronic music.  If you want to get the most out of your Ultra ticket I suggest you come early and roam the stages to get a feel for the impressive variety of music.  Also check out Bassnectar.   You probably won't like it, but if you do like it you'll love it.   

Other parties look out for: 
There is an annual Sasha & Digweed Thursday night party at Mansion that always sells out. 
Tiesto will probably spin at Mansion on Saturday night.
Above & Beyond, usually Thursday night as well
A fun house night can be had at the Hed Kandi party (often Wednesday)

Nothing But You remix?

At the Together as One NYE party it appears Markus Schultz dropped what I believe to be a new version of PVD's Nothing But You.  The vocal sample is probably the most hauntingly beautiful samples I've heard in trance music.  This video with amazing sound quality caught a more progressive version of the track.

Anyway, I keep thinking there is going to be an opportunity related to high quality sound/video from concerts and parties.   I don't know what he used to record this (I suspect a handheld 720p video recorder with an external mic), but once this become standard in cameras or phones I think we'll see a thriving subculture of event bootleg videos.

-Travis