ECSTASY

Experimental Half Hour

2012-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Miracles Club - "I Can't Help It" from Experimental ½ Hour on Vimeo.

Check out the latest Video by Experimental Half Hour :)

BICEP X BLONDES

2012-01-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite internet places/producers BICEP has delivered a stunning reworking of NYC's Blondes track "Water". Look out for the long player and more remixes coming out soon on RVNG.

Also check out this mix Blondes did for FACT.

Ecstasy Mix Tape 001: House Gospel

2012-01-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Avalon Kalin kicks off the Ecstasy mixtape series with a deep mix of Gospel House. Limited Edition tape package includes booklet of churches throughout NE Portland. SOLD OUT. Download the powerful and uplifted mix below.

Ecstasy Mix Tape 001 by Avalon Kalin

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T11:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody! I didn't really make a top ten list because there was so much travel and good times..hard to quantify(and remember) all the sweet spots. If there was such a list, going to Moscow and hanging with the Solyanka crew would be on there. Check out this remix our friend Lipelis(Moscow-based producer) did of Tesla Boy's 'Boy in your eyes'.

MP3

If you're out and about tonight, Miracles Club will be playing at Holocene. Later in the evening Emotion II Emotion will be doing a live set as well as djing until 6am. Text me for details :)

The only thing stronger than Fear is Faith

2011-12-12T14:45:00.001-08:00

Faith (demo) by Avalon Kalin

Omar S fan(tasy) club

2011-12-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

Omar S - Who's In Key (Scion AV) from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

I am a huge fan of the master of the "Mo-town minimal sound" and asked him to answer some questions for our blog. He did not respond, which I kinda expected. I don't think any less of him for "doing me like that". haha.

He sells his own records for dirt cheap and they are amazing visionary paradise records! Check out this living legend.

Omar S's label FXHE

word has it he's doing a private party all night DJ set in SEA for NYE!

The Wurst

2011-11-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Vinyl for our latest single "I Can't Help It" just dropped! It's a part of a series of 3 12"s that Wurst is doing know as "The Wurst Music Ever" with digital and a CD down the road. You can stream "I Can't Help It" along with the rest of the comp here. Vinyl available @ Juno & Phonica

Also really feeling this one.

Dreams

2011-10-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

"Cadillac is an Australian luxury vehicle marque signed to Future Classic. If you like guitar solos, slow mo piano jams and the sounds of balearic, disco, pop and rock then we might have just the vehicle for you."

You can stream it below and the rest of the record on their Soundcloud.
7 original tracks plus 6 remixes one of which is a gorgeous remix from Marcos Cabral. Vinyl here digital everywhere.

"See Blind Through" is amazing and the video is so up my alley.

"See Blind Through (DJ Harvey Remix)" Download or stream below.

Litanic Mask

2011-10-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

It just so happens that two very good friends of mine are making beautiful music together. Okay I have to admit that Portland is full of dynamic duos(and trios and so on) But all week I've been really enjoying the new tracks from Kenna Jean and Mark Evan Burden as Litanic Mask. I want to bottle Kenna's voice and pour it into my lavender eye pillow so that i might be protected by the lioness mother as i drift into sacred sleep. Is that weird? haha Check it out!

EXECUTIVE by litanic mask

NIGHTPLAY by litanic mask

Polonaise on Mixmag.net

2011-10-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

So you may remember we had an abortive post on Polonaise, the polyrhythmic house project of Avalon and Scott, a while back. Well, we took it down because we had a 100% Silk release brewing and wanted to woodshed a bit, til... now!

Scope Amanda Brown of Silk's mix for Mixmag (yeah) with a bunch of cool 100 Silk tracks and check out the preview of "Trocadero" from the forthcoming Polonaise debut 12" on Silk below. Enjoy and watch the sidebar here to order the Polonaise 12" very soon.

Polonaise - Trocadero by Mixmag

Right Here Club Mix

2011-10-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Self-described as a "post-experimental lazer-funk party-music space ship," Purple & Green (pictured above) is comprised of Portland's Adam Forkner (a.k.a. White Rainbow) and Justin Leon Johnson, two dance music patrons of the highest order. This "club mix" by Emotion II Emotion pares down the spacey sounds and implements a straightforward piano-house sound that skips and bounces in all the right ways while the song's soulful vocal performance is showcased front and center. You can check out all of Purple & Green's "Right Here" 12" here
via XLR8R

Stream & Download
Purple & Green "Right Here (Emotion II Emotion Club Mix)"

Vinyl also available on the sidebar.

After party

2011-10-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are thrilled to host the live 9 piece disco-tripper-diva-funk ensemble know as Midnight Magic. We played a couple of shows together in NYC over the summer and are psyched to make it happen again in our hometown. Cut Copy will be joining us with a DJ set to close the party after their sold-out show at the Wonder Ballroom.

If you haven't checked it out yet Midnight Magic released a free 5 track EP last month on Scion AV which you can stream and DL below.

And a new single "Drop Me A Line" on Permanent Vacation with remixes by Steffi (<3), Holy Ghost and more.

leech 'fluff thumbprint'

2011-09-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

fast & loose like your long weekend,

an hour of ache so hot you blister.

download side a

download side b

anane & mr.v 'move, bounce, shake [acapella]'

twr72 'paradox'

romanth_ny 'the wanderer'

magic touch 'deep in my heart'

dirty culture 'gotta get you outta my head'

delano smith 'hypnotize'

recloose 'tecumseh [bonus beats]'

ch_z dami_r & santonio échos 'the bah bah song'

harkin & raney 'workin & steamin'

wbeeza 'laying here'

omar s 'skynet 2'

cfcf 'cometure'

t-coy 'i ain't nightclubbing'

boom 'keep pushin'

ecstasy club 'acid chant'

farley jackm_ster funk 'as always'

omar s 'unitarian'

gherkin jerks 'parameters'

bicep 'silk'

diegors 'unga'

legowelt 'mystery cruising'

theo pa_rish 'black mist'

ricardo miranda 'recline'

kasper 'let me bang'

ike 'the mojo'

maxmillion dunbar 'shaka'

ECS 7

2011-08-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight Ecstasy DJ's will be downtown at Valentines joined by Ash Williams (SF, Donuts Party). Let's throw the doors open this August eve and dance in the name of love.

Also on the E tip check out our friend Moralez from Saint Petersburg.
Here is a clip of him showing love in Russia and a few trax from his Soundcloud
Rock U House

Motion Elements (Photonz Remix)

Etbonz and Ecstasy

2011-08-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

A major inspiration for me in the last year has been my friendship with sci-fi house technician Elliott Thomas aka Etbonz . In these days of over-done, trendy, and distracted music culture, it's great to meet someone who loves to listen in his music, restrain, and slowly build. I've been trying to get some unreleased original stuff from the man lately for the blog, but instead (for the time being he assures me) he dropped this mix in my inbox, and I couldn't be happier. A proper mix in the dance-floor realm from a guy who could have taken us anywhere. You can hear the space, emotion, jack, and future on this journey, all hallmarks of our local electronic taste-master alchemist Etbonz. If you like the good stuff I'm sure you will dig! Also check out his 7" track on this BIS mix. -Avalon

Download here. Link will be up for a week or so. I'll try to keep it up for a longer. Get it while you can!

trackslist:

1. Echo 106 - Flute

2. Suspect - Bleeding for you (Tevo Howard Remix)

3. Model Man - Forever Strangers

4. 2AM/FM - Give this World

5. Steven Tang - Optimal Signals

6. The Field - Leave it

7. Grackle - Disco (Musiccargo Remix)

8. Larry Heard - Distant Planet (Star Trek Remix)

9. Orbital - Choice

10. Argy - Wish you we're here (Vocal Mix)

11. Tevo Howard - Single (LP edit)

12. Virgo Four - I Love you

13. UBQ Project - When I fell in love

14. $tinkworx - salvia (Putsch 79 Remix)

15. Mark Du Morch - Summer Breeze

16. Maximillian Skiba - The Fog

17. A Reminiscent Drive - Life is beautiful

Enter Polonaise

2011-08-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Two polyrhythmic tracks from the newly minted Polonaise team of Ecstasy's own Avalon K. and Scott G. Check this "digital-double-A-side" preview of 3-on-the-floor Roland boxes and some serious Reichian modes!

UPDATE: We've removed the tracks, but for a rad reason. Watch here for updates on the Polonaise debut 12"!!! Make-up goodies soon, guys, we swear.

Thema by Polonaise
Untitled #2 by Polonaise

Good Vibrations

2011-07-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

We have been out on the road quite a bit this summer and haven't had the time to do much posting so here is a lil catch up... We just got back from the Sunset Campout where we played alongside our friend Steve Summers and hero Larry Heard ! and we are now back in NYC for a couple shows. If you are around Miracles Club will be playing Glasslands tonight and the Public assembly tomorrow night with Midnight Magic!

Here's a remix we did for the NY's Sheen Bros.
Download via XLR8R

And a DJ mix for Opening Ceremony. Enjoy!

Tracklist:
Ron Trent Feat. Chez Damier - Sometimes I feel like
Jus Ed- Im Comin (Levon Vincent Remix)
Robert Owens - One Body (Nicholas Interpretation)
Azari & III - Lost In Time
Peach Melba - Can't Let Go
Steffi - Arms (Lone Remix)
4th Measure Men - 4 You (Maya Jane Cole Remix)
Harkin & Raney - Workin' & steamin'
Kenny Dixon Jr - Shades of Jae
Romanthony - The Wanderer (Rob Mello's No Ears Remix)
Runaway - Chapter 3 feat. SAMN!
Dpac - I wouldn't
Levon Vincent - No Regret
Innergaze - Shadow Disco
The Dirtbombs - Sharevari (Omar S Remix)
Morgan Geist - Outronic

Do You Wanna Get Funky EDIT

2011-07-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Fun-ky hype material from Avalon K. Listen and download 320 kbs mp3 below:

Do You Wanna Get Funky EDIT by Avalon K

Experimental Half Hour

2011-06-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Alexis Blair Penney 'Lonely Sea (Ecstasy Mix Live)'

Operative 'Biopic and Aliasing'

Check out the latest videos by our homies the Experimental Half Hour. Eva and Brock have been steadily documenting some of Portland's finest underground, weirdo art and music movement as of late. These two videos happen to feature some of the Ecstasy peeps Operative, Alexis, Finesse and Miracles Club.

Alexis Blair Penney's debut single 'Lonely Sea' is available as a 7" via HNYTRX and includes a remix by Honey Soundsystem. Also available as a digital ep with additional remixes by Ecstasy crew and Emotion II Emotion via Itunes
Check it.

Alexis Blair Penney 'Lonely Sea (Emotion II Emotion Remix)'

This Friday in Ecstasy: Time, Space, Transmat

2011-06-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Operative DJs curate Ecstasy at Valentine's this Friday. We're getting proto-, ur-, and meta- with a blend of the classic Ecstasy house-pulse flavored with techno and EBM.

Clock with us.

Dreyblatt on Vimeo

2011-06-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Arnold Dreyblatt Ensemble, Excerpts from NBK Video, Berlin 2009 from Arnold Dreyblatt on Vimeo.

Arnold Dreyblatt: The Orchestra of Excited Strings, New York, 1991 from Arnold Dreyblatt on Vimeo.

Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings, Petöfi Csarnok, Budapest, October, 1985 from Arnold Dreyblatt on Vimeo.

Arnold Dreyblatt, the America-born, Germany-based Minimalist composer has got himself a Vimeo account. Dreyblatt's 80s and 90s works with the Orchestra of Excited Strings and his various other ensembles are notable for puting just-intonation tunings into some pretty novel rhythmic frameworks. When I first got turned on to this stuff I was rocking Otha Turner's drum and fife music pretty deep as well as Tony Conrad's Early Minimalism, so stumbling on to Dreyblatt via Matt Carlson was pretty serendipitous.

The vids' feature some of Dreyblatt's innovative instruments and playing methods including what appears to be a JI clavier you play with lil' mallets, lots of contrabass harmonics, a fucked looking high-hat, and a tympani-as-floor-tom deal for the drummer in the Bang on a Can performance. Not a lot of JI music you can get down to, even if it's more hoedown than house.

BREEZY NIX

2011-06-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

I caught up with westcoast techno pioneer Marijke Jorritsma aka BREEZY NIX after asking for an mp3 of her latest work. Marijke has always had a provocative and psychedelic edge to her music/art, and her newest offering is no exception. I asked her a few questions to give a backdrop to this recording, "JARRY". I wonder if it is named after the author of Pere Ubu? I wouldn't be surprised! It's a deal, BREEZY, we will take you to the river! Enjoy the summer jam and all these mixes she just rained on you. -Avalon

Why and How do you make electronic music?

Currently I'm making most of my music using Ableton Live (software and a computer), working mostly with soft synths and drum machines, samples. I occasionally record hardware jams with what I have lying around or borrow and cut that into samples to be used in my sets and songs. I've also been working on some remixes.

The why is a bit more difficult.... Why does anyone make any music or art?... to create something they wish existed, to partake in something they love, to celebrate with others who do too, to have a social alibi for being a complete weirdo... ah, I dunno.

What is it like making and mixing this kind of music in SF?

Well, I've actually only played one show in SF as Breezy Nix, my other shows have been in Barcelona, Berlin, and Oakland. But San Francisco is generally pretty fun, people want to dance, and if the sound is good and the stars are aligned it can be pretty awesome.

What is your favorite music right now?

Oy, so much. I've honestly been just listening to tons of mixes that I download from blogs. These are my top ten mixes of the moment:

1. Frequency 7 in Dublin 2007

http://soundcloud.com/ben-sims/frequency-7-aka-ben-sims-1

2. Axel Boman @ Absurd LA

http://files.absurdrecordings.com/audio/AxelBoman_Absurd_LA_Feb26_2011.mp3

3. Abstract Science Mixtape 2011 by Killing Spree

http://soundcloud.com/killing-spree/abstract-science-mixtape-2011

4. Jeremy P. Caulfield Heat Rash Mix

http://soundcloud.com/dumbunit/sets/jeremy-p-caulfield-mixes-2010/

5. Hat+Hoodie DBTY Mix

http://soundcloud.com/hatnhoodie/dbty-mix/

6. 4Corner Pt.II Mix by Jaws

http://soundcloud.com/jawsjawsjaws/4corners-pt-ii

7. Bioluminescently Mix Arawa.fm

http://www.muzak.arawa.fm/muzak/Bioluminescently%20_arawa_s1stbdaymix_.mp3

8. Despamix #16 from Desparame

http://www.mediafire.com/?d2oddn2dngo

9. Javelin Live on WFMU

http://freemusicarchive.org/curator/WFMU/blog/Genre_Judo_Throw_Javelin

10. Dominique Leon's Indian Summer Mix

http://www.dominiqueleone.com/blog/2010/09/new-indian-summer-mix/

What else are you into?

At this very moment; dj'ing, 80s convertibles, surfing, smoothies, mallets, pinkish purple, stylish portability, sun, and Thomas Pynchon.

Will you come to Portland and play with the Ecstasy crew this summer?

Only if you'll take me swimming at the river.

Download JARRY by Breezy Nix

Jarry by Breezy Nix

ERIK HANSON

2011-06-09T11:42:00.001-07:00

With a broad musical sensibility and inspiring enthusiasm for House and Techno, Portland DJ/Producer/Electronic Musician Erik Hanson is more than deserving of an Ecstasy feature. A shining star in Portland's nightlife, Erik has been shining a torch on the path, so to speak, for some time now. Below is a dark and mesmerizing dub edit of a Japan tune for download. I was able to ask Erik some questions about context. Go dance with him this month and enjoy the dub! -Avalon

Why did you make this dub, how did it come about?

I love this song and have always wanted to effectively work this song

into a DJ set, but the mood of the song, to me, is full of a certain

heavy restlessness. It's beautiful at home, but I wanted to diffuse

the mood a bit for a club atmosphere. Plus, it's just fun to dissect

and mess around with the structures of songs that I like. For

instance, trying to isolate the vocals and set David Sylvian's voice

in an abandoned, frozen factory. I also wanted to add a mechanical

aspect to it as sort of an underline to the original's repeating drum

pattern. I made this one with DJing at Holocene in mind. I did it for

a particular night that I was booked to the DJ between bands. The time

between having the idea and the show itself was pretty short. It made

me have to be strategic about what I wanted to do it, in order to get

it done in time.

What music are you really inspired by right now?

There's a ton... Inspiration comes from all over. Inspiration drawn

directly from music is tricky to pinpoint for me because it is so

wrapped up in feeling. When I feel connected with a piece of music and

get that *zap* it has everything to do with how I'm feeling at the

time. I'm very inspired right now by the interviews in the book "The

Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries" by Bill Brewster and Frank

Broughton. I really admire the eclecticism that was embraced by DJ

pioneers such as David Mancuso, Afrika Bambaataa, Françios Kevorkian,

and Frankie Knuckles. These guys would pull records from many styles.

I would love be able to effectively combine a diverse variety of

danceable music, regardless of genre, into a night of dancing the way

that they have done.

What do you think of the dance/tech/house scene in Portland?

I think I've spent the past four days trying to type an adequate

answer this question for you, Avalon, and I am now opting for the

short response! :P

Currenty, for techno, DJs Folding and Ian Obe are keeping me on my

toes! (Their set from the last Various is excellent:

http://www.pdxindub.com/?q=node%2F313). Their night, Shuffle, at Crush

on SE 15th and Morrison, is a party that I am very excited to see

grow.

I've had some amazing times in Portland dancing to music that I love,

with great people. I see a lot of potential for growth in the quality

of dance parties and music coming out of here. Sometimes I just want

to go out dancing, regardless of specifics to the sub-genre of music.

Sometimes I wish my friends weren't so picky. Sometimes I wish I

weren't so picky. We've been working our asses off all week at our

jobs, now I wish that we could all just meet at the same party and

dance and have a good time. But at the same time, I also appreciate a

lot of the idealism around me. Just because something is

four-on-the-floor doesn't mean it's worth the electricity to amplify

it. That being said, Thank You, everyone in Portland who is making a

quality difference in house, techno, and dance music. Thank you for

the hard work and dedication. Let's all work hard to make what we want

a reality.

What other stuff have you been up too?

Hot Victory has a new 7" split coming out with Vice Device, soon.

Sweating Tapes is helping us put that one out. There's basically a

full-length album of music that the 7" will come with as a download,

as well. It will be quite the "bonus content!" Other than that, I've

been working hard on a number of recorded DJ mixes. I have a wide

variety of music that I want to share, so I have been programming and

plotting what will either become a podcast, a handful of cassette

tapes, or both.

I have two gigs coming up: Maxx Bass and I are DJing at Langano Lounge

on Wednesday, June 15th. We will be playing boogie, funk, disco,

house, and more. It's all about the variety in music and the mood,

overall. Then, on Friday the 18th, I'll be joining Ian Obe, Folding,

M. Quiet, and DJ Kuma for this month's Shuffle at Crush.

Japan - Sons of Pioneers (Erik Hanson's dissociated dub) by Erik Hanson

Download Sons of Pioneers (Erik Hanson dub translation)

Reeeemix

2011-06-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Miracles Club and Finesse get international makeovers today and they are looking fyne!

The first of which is The Whendays heady take on "The Light of Love".
The Whendays are a half Swedish half American duo based out of Stockholm that are making beautiful pop music that sounds to me lie somewhere between The Stone Roses and Al B Sure. Their take on "Light of Love" is a deep and provocative take on thee Original.
Check it.

Next is Prague's Sasha Nevolin and his DEEEEP remix of Finesse's "Elevate". Sasha tastefully strips "Elevate" down even further to just the bare necessities where he finds a hypnotic groove and rides it in to the sunrise. LOVE.

Innergaze

2011-05-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Check out the fabulous new video for Innergazes's "Shadow Disco" out soon on 100% Silk. Really groovy new track and direction for the group a very NY mutant-disco-proto-house-ish vibe but all of thee stripped down psychedelia of their earlier trax is still in full effect. Features our dear friend Damon Palermo of Jonas Reinhardt & Mi Ami on drums too.

MP3 via Altered Zones

Light of Love (Cut Copy Re-vision)

2011-05-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Check out our new video directed by Judah Switzer
Light of Love originally released on Ecstasy has been "Re-visioned" by our friend Dan for his label Cutters The 12" EP is available now at Juno and Here digitally. Thanks to all our homies for being a part of the club.

Download MP3 via Pfork

Also check out Neurotic Drum Band's Remix

Discodromo 'Mercurio'

2011-05-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

I first heard this track while by myself in a Helsinki hotel room coming out of a 6 day fever. I had slept only 45 minutes in 2 days. Something about it's mesmerizing synchronized beat cycles, deliciously dubbed out stabs ascending, descending bell drips immediately took me into a beautiful dream-state where i felt lifted and healed like some sort of remote reiki. This is now already one of my top ten songs of 2011 and go-to for the need for the immediate chill-down/re-energizational tripsss treat. And it's on my new favorite imprint Discaire out of San Francisco started by members of Honey Sound System. This one-sided limited 12" single comes in a top secret envelope with a signed manifesto and special codes in order to view the video in it's entirety. RIGHT?!!!! This is MAJOR so get it before it runs out!

Discodromo - Mercurio [DSC 001] by discaire-records

Download 'Mercurio' (High Temperature Mix)

Discaire

Operative

2011-05-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Check out Ecstasy's own Operative. They played an excellent show last week with other great local projects Soft Metals and Jason Urick at Holocene. This just got me psyched for summer :)

Operative

Soft Metals

Jason Urick

Risqué III - Essence Of A Dream

2011-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Excellent deep house cut from K Alexi, 1987 Chicago. Bongos, talk like sex...bassline is pure shivers. Alexi & Mr. Lee's echoplexed "Just Say No" PSA is an added bonus that always confused me. Enjoy my 320 vinyl rip!

link

Elevate

2011-04-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Finesse - Elevate from Experimental 1/2 Hour on Vimeo.

"a lovely slice of smooth jacking wobble involving crew from Miracles Club and former Glass Candy. Elevate, the title track in their 12’’ in Ecstasy blasts us from the now like some lost transmission from 102.7 FM WBMX. Alchemical proficiency can’t be faked, all the elements are there and the right reaction ensues: muscles flex, a sequined dress rides up percolating hips, eyes roll, dance down a road to illumination signposted by erotic holograms."

For this long awaited debut 12" from FINESSE, Susan and Avalon teamed up with Rafael Fauria of Miracles Club, and your friends at Ecstasy, to bring you a striking and memorable underground House offering. With a flattering nod from 20 Jazz Funk Greats, the 12" vinyl will be available for purchase here [click the link on the right of this page to order]. You can also purchase digitally on iTunes.

Features the two jackin' Finesse tracks "Elevate" and "Believe" along with the dance floor ready "Lifted Mix" from Jason Kendig (Mr. International) that will send shivers down your spine, plus an expansive remix of "Believe" by our favorite West Coast morning star, C.L.A.W.S. (Bar25, liftyourheadup)

Don't miss the record release party in Portland at Valentines this Friday, with a screening of the music video!

Listen to the title track and download an mp3 of it here:

Lonely Sea RMX

2011-04-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite trax of last year just got a proper vinyl release from Honey Soundsystem's new label HNYTRX. Includes a stark and sexy remix from Honey's Jason Kendig and Peeplay.

Remixes from club Ecstasy coming soon...

Order HERE

Alexis Blair Penney - Lonely Sea (Honey Soundsystem Remix)

UPDATE

XLR8R just posted our remix of "Lonely Sea" and the music video too! check it out HERE

Alexis Blair Penney - Lonely Sea (Ecstasy Mix)

Finesse Leisure Mix

2011-03-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

Finesse put together some gems for the third installment in the Leisure mix series! Enjoy!

Read the interview and listen to the mix!

E3: Acid

2011-03-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lend us your ears. Tonight 3/25 at Valentine's DJs Scott G, Avalon K, Spencer D. Video by Brenna Murphy. Ecstasy 3: ACID. 9-Close PM. Free.

the kids are alright still

2011-03-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Blondes

Simian Mobile Disco

Rafael and I stepped out to see our new buddies Blondes play a couple nights ago. They were awesome! The kids were dressed super fun in their versions of rave culture and were even gobbling up handfuls of ecstasy in the bathroom. AWESOME :) The light show was pretty cool too.

Crazy-ass EYE, doing your thing.

2011-03-09T15:35:00.001-08:00

Look at your crazy-ass, EYE. Doing your thing with those light-globes and some dudes on DSP in AEO. People all going ape-shit at Fuji-Rock. I could watch this all day and try and figure out if I could just sell all of my records, re-learn Japanese, buy a one-way ticket to Japan and be the V∞rdoms intern. That would work, right?

Cuticle 100% Silk 12"

2011-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff Witscher of Rene Hell and Cuticle passed me this 12" today, warning me "shit is NOT synced up", like I would judge. For real?! Cuticle is Jeff, Daren Ho, and Brendan O’Keefe laying down some bubbling tape-saturated techno improvs. Fits today's low-light drizzle up here in PDX pretty damn well.

Check out "Approaching Global/Serenity's Sequel".

This one creeps out into 4D courtesy of 100% Silk, a 12" only label founded by Amanda Brown of Not Not Fun and LA Vampires. Available over at their blogspot for $8! We at E-Blog have got to get our hands on some label standard-issue sleeves, quick, to compete with that.

Special note, tonight: this is the 100th post! Wooooooo!

Gift Tapes

2011-02-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

Spare Death Icon - Quest from Brenna Murphy on Vimeo.

Jason Anderson

Matt Carlson - Bird Level from Brenna Murphy on Vimeo.

Matt Carlson

Million Mists - Slangaer from Brenna Murphy on Vimeo.

Jamie Potter

Brenna Murphy

Ready to get tripped out for a few minutes? Our girl Brenna Murphy (Oregon Painting Society) takes us on a journey through her video (off)worlds. A trilogy of sorts. Music by Matt Carlson, Jason Anderson and Jamie Potter are like early evening nap dreams of eclipsing binary stars and dissociative playtime. So compelling, i find myself watching over and over. check it out Gift Tapes

Deux

2011-02-24T23:18:00.000-08:00

Ecstasy II at Valentines.
No cover 9pm - 2:30am eternal.
W/EMOTION II EMOTION DJs, HONEY O & SPENCER D

"Ecstasy is unity ... all we want is your body ... and your mind... to move in and out ... cause that's what we're about. Come into our House. Celebrate your love. Elevate. Your underground disciples Boy Rafael, Honey O, Spencer D, and Avalon K will be there. We want to show you love. All we want is your body. "

In other Ecstasy news check out this nu track off the upcoming Finesse 12" out soon on Ecstasy records. This track is one of 2 remixes by our good friend Brian Hock aka C.L.A.W.S. who is also know for his O.K. Hole and a member of the group Bronze. Jason Kendig of Honey Soundsystem and Mr.Intl also does a remix on thee A side which we featured on our recent XLR8R mix which you can find here.

Finesse "Believe (C.L.A.W.S. Day Mix)" by E C S T A S Y
Pre order will be up very soon and it will be shipping in early April :)

OpMix

2011-02-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

First up in a series of Operative mixes, nothing fancy, just some songs. Download the 35-min “Sources_SG” mix here. Track list in the comments. More up at operativegroup.org soon.

The Masters

2011-02-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

A Portrait of Eliane Radigue (2009) from Maxime Guitton on Vimeo.

Buy it and watch it over and over.

In Between The Notes: A Portrait of Pandit Pran Nath (1986) from Maxime Guitton on Vimeo.

Buy it and learn.

2011-01-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

The TF50 was designed by Justin C Meyers who also runs the excellent ToneFilth noise and experimental music label. He's got a keen eye for design to say the least and while he was helping me complete a tape release called Referent on TF a few years back we were building modular synths at the same time. I rushed through mine, he took his time and even got his Dad to do the woodworking. His synth ultimately looks much, much better than mine and really hits that Buchla/Serge/AMPEX 60s/70s Cali "burly" industrial design-era of electronic music spot-on. Just incredible.

Pretty sure this is just a demo, but hell, watch it just for the aesthetic beauty if you're not a synth nerd. Personally, its the sonics and the layout that does it for me.

Late Happy M.L.K. day! Celebrate life.

2011-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Drop Legs

2011-01-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

New video for We Like Cats "Meow Hear Me Roar" directed by Jib Kidder
Tonight come check out Supernature an all-ages dance festival with Adam Forkner's new project Purple N Green, Finesse, Onuinu, The Miracles Club, Linger & Quiet, Dangerous Boys Club and more. 6pm @Branx

leech 'de-stress signals vol. 1-3'

2011-01-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

3.5 hour mix of contemporary synth ambience to chase off your insomnia or backdrop your next big come down. broke it into 3 bits, so that if used as a sleep aid you would have the option to not listen to the same 15 minute selection over and over on those nights where sandman comes easy.

download vol1

download vol2

download vol3

tracklist and more info in the comments.

A Year of Ecstasy

2011-01-11T00:28:00.000-08:00

To whom we are devoted, let's warm our hands together as we celebrate our one year anniversary this friday night at Valentine's. Strictly house, deep, vocal, garage, experimental, contemporary, old school aka deep roots massage, extended play, TGIF feelings and love emotions. A new dance night monthly from us to you(and us) w/ Spencer D (Operative), Avalon and Susan (Finesse), Dj Allan (!!!) and the miracles club dj's.

Valentines
January 14th
9pm

Year end 10

2010-12-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

Seeing Light Asylum play while they were here in portland was definitely in my top things to do in 2010. Below is a modest list of just a few songs out of many that touched me over the year. I just want to give thanks and praise to the artists who give so much beauty to the world. You make the soundtrack to my life. Thank you!

In no particular order, Honey's list:

Neurotic Drum Band 'Robotic Hypnotic Adventure' (Harkin and Raney Mix)
Erykah Badu 'Window Seat' MP3
Light Asylum 'A Certain Person' MP3
White Rainbow 'Night Tracer' Bandcamp
Realness 'Shade (dub)' Youtube
The Slaves 'Seventeen' iTunes
Alexis 'Lonely Sea' MP3
Wav Dawgs 'Oh Hi' MP3
Marcos Cabral 'Lonely' Mix (originally by Lil' Louis) MP3
DJ Frank 'Afro Disco Aug 2010 Mix' get down
In alphabetical order, Rafael's list:
(Songs I have played out a lot or really enjoyed this year)

Alexis - Lonely Sea MP3
Brian Ferry - Shameless (Still Going Remix) Beat Noire Soundcloud
Andrew Butler & Jason Kendig - And I'm (So In Love With You) Mr.Intl MP3
COS/MES - Gozmez Land (TBD Remix) ESP Institute Youtube
Dj Kaos - Horny Morning Loop (TVS & Aera's Monday Morning Acid Dub) Jolly Jams Youtube
Neurotic Drum Band - Robotic Hypnotic Adventure (Runaway Remix) Wurst MP3
Nicholas - Feels Like No More Hits Soundcloud
Shit Robot - I Got a Feeling (feat. Saheer Umar) Dfa MP3
Storm Queen - Look Right Through Environ Youtube RAR
Virgo - In A Vision (reissue) Rush Hour MP3

Scott Goodwin - "A Year of Ecstasy Top Whatevs"

Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void - Opening Credits Youtube

Golden Retriever - 2 MP3

Keith Fullerton Whitman - Generator Soundcloud

Yellow Swans - Going Places Soundcloud

Oregon Painting Society - Hexenhaus Link

Nitzer Ebb - Murderous Youtube

Seth Nehil - Knives Soundcloud

Experimental 1/2 Hour Vimeo

sean mccann 'everafter'

2010-12-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

everafter from sean mccann on Vimeo.

sean mccann is a bay area musician who recently moved to los angeles.

probably listened to his stuff more than any non-kranky ambient artist this year.

if you like that vid, check out his releases on his label or else where.

the rain here this week is making me all nostalgic for pdx winter.

PDC

2010-12-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

Fashion & music tonight in Portland FREE!

Baywatch

2010-12-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Trippy lofi jacking track from mysterious San Francisco figure Xosar.
XOSAR - XOSARDONYX

Oooh check out this nu SF dance party show too.
BEAT ELECTRIC @MEZZANINE

PS
Miracles Club is gonna be in SF playing the O.K. Hole-iday Party @Amnesia on the 18th with our friends Jonas Reinhardt.
FACEBOOK

TONIGHT: Rick "The Godson" Wilhite in PDX!

2010-12-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Last minute post here...Detroit house legend Rick Wilhite (member of 3 Chairs w/Moodymann and Theo Parrish) at Someday Lounge...goes til 4am!! Don't miss this!!!

more info here:
http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/rickwilhite
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?213019
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MN16f00v9A

2010-12-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Miracles Club "A New Love (12" Mix)" by E C S T A S Y

okay so will the REAL 'a new love' please stand up! earlier this year, we gave out a demo of this song but then when our computer was stolen out of our car on tour, we lost the files and couldn't finish the actual recording.. so we ended up recording two new versions as part of a 12" EP for mexican summer. this is the 12" mix and the other version is 'summer of love' our homage to the tom tom club and early acid house :)

vinyl

mp3

Astral Social Club

2010-12-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

I remember hearing reports about the Neil Campbell's (who was also a member of trippy-free-music UK group Vibracathedral Orchestra) Astral Social Club CDRs by friends who were performing psychedelic noise-improv over in Britain in the mid-00's but didn't get my hands on any ASC stuff until a friend passed along a high-bitrate archive of ASC CDRs a few years back. If you remember the very crowded "psych/drone" field of play at the time, then you probably know that Campbell was doing some serious genre mashing. ASC tends to swing from Chain Reaction-style resonance-flared dub to Harmonia/Cluster territory to heavy guitar grunge-dirge in a single release. What really appeals to me though, is the mono-mania of how ASC tracks are structured on the Volume 1-7 (really) CDRs. Upon hitting "play", you're immediately thrown into an all-enveloping sound as maximum timbre cycles in and out, gradually, while always maintaining a pastural focus on the main "riff". If you could set-up some sick studio monitors in your car and hit the Autobahn (or maybe just 280-S from SF, CA or the 5 south of Salem, OR) this would be just about the best music ever.

Check out "Track 1" from the Volume 1 CDR for the more hypno-Italo edge of the ASC spectrum. For five picks from the Basic Channel/Chain Reaction-end of the ASC milieu, peep the download.

Five ASC Cuts (d/l)

ASC Discogs

ASC at Boomkat

(P.S. Neil, if you're listening shoot us a link where folks can buy your music direct!)

The New New Dance Show

2010-12-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

This Track is taken off the new a new love record available @Mexican Summer Stay tuned for more new new dance shows with special guests! Coming soon!

Think Globally, Jack Locally

2010-12-02T17:54:00.001-08:00

New tracks from a new addition to the Pacific Housing Authority crew, WAV DWGS. If you're in SF check out their show next week. Ecstasy is proud to share one of their new tracks in mp3 format with you:

Oh Hi

PLUS, check out a deep track from this year's PHA comp from Body Body (one part C.L.A.W.S., who btw is remixing an upcoming Finesse track).

soundcloud:

So Quick to Get Sick

Word on the street is another PHA comp is in the making too...

Right Here

2010-11-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

Check out Right Here by Adam N Jay!
Look out for a proper release in the near future with remix from local house heads Emotion 2 Emotion.
RIGHT HERE feat. JGreen (ORIGINAL digital 12" mix) by producedbyadam

E2E LIVE

2010-11-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Happy

2010-10-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Libery City - If You Really Love Someone

Romanathony - Testify

Crystal Waters - Making Happy

Mental Instrum - Love Changes

Sounds of House – Rheji Burrell and Nu Groove

2010-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Check out this doc footage of Nu Groove and the Burrell twins.

Check out this interview in text format. Burrell's music philosophy is real and down to earth.

This is my first post after being invited. Glad to be here in ecstatic company!

BeMusic Part One: Quango Quango - "Love Tempo (Dub Mix)"

2010-10-17T20:23:00.001-07:00

Brilliant proto-house produced by Bernard Sumner (under the BeMusic alias, which various New Order members used for outside productions) in 1983, featuring Simon Topping from A Certain Ratio and The Hacienda's Mike Pickering. The a-side is classic (albeit overplayed) but this more minimal/dubby flipside sounds even more crisp today, striping off the new wave vocalizations in favor of vibrant conga and 808 interplay and a borderline absurd number of build ups and breakdowns. Big one at the Paradise Garage...Chicago dudes like Vince Lawrence jammed it as well. Enjoy!

link

More BeMusic jams to come this week...

leech 'baby, understand'

2010-10-12T02:17:00.000-07:00

this sputterboogie/echodisco cut got a lil burnt on reentry,

it shouldn't get your other digital white labels too dirty tho.

download

TONIGHT: Ron Trent in PDX!

2010-10-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight in Portland! Chicago Techno/House legend Ron Trent live at the Someday Lounge, DJing til 4am! Do not miss this!

Full info here: http://nwtekno.org/showthread.php?t=150065

Shooz

2010-10-08T15:37:00.001-07:00

This is the stuff I grew up on.
Still sounds so good today.

Time Will Tell (The Deeper Then deep Mix)
Remix by Frankie Knuckles
Drums by David Morales

MODULE

2010-10-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

Module Track 01

While getting into my autumnal nesting vibrations, i ran across this old scratched up cdr from 2002 that my friend David Farrell gave me. He made it using only(and strictly) modules. Things that i have no idea what they are actually because they probably involve linux or sysex dumping or funky things that personally terrify me(Unicorns and unstable platforms are just not synonymous in my fluffy kitten world) anyhow, i saw him play at this after hours club and it was amazing.. tranced out acid, altered realms type stuff.

Locate/Module/dormant

Arthur Russell white-label

2010-09-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Seldom-heard b-side to the white-label-only 12” of Russell’s single greatest piece of music, “In the Light of the Miracle”. While the a-side was reissued on Soul Jazz’s comp of Russell material, this mysterious house-infused flipside remains tragically unreleased. Features the whole Singing Tractors crew (Elodie Lauten, Mustafa Ahmed, and Peter Zummo) as well as Allen Ginsberg (!) and a rare appearance by Julius Eastman.

link

BONUS: Yet another unreleased version of "In the Light of the Miracle", a fragile solo voice/cello/delay live recording complete with an entirely different opening stanza:

link

(Extracted from this radio podcast.)

2010-09-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

A rare opportunity to peer into the deep with DJ COLDYRON aka Jed B from Operative, Eternal Tapestry, Flaengegod, etc. Expect him to cue up some Belgian New Beat, EBM, minimal synth, inverted house, coldness, inverted trance, and straight-up malaise.

Saturday 9/18 8PM:
ASSS, Warm Hands, Bestial Mouths (LA)
@ Gallery Salome with DJ COLDYRON
NW 6th between Everett and Flanders // Portland, OR
$UNKNOWN

Tonight at TBA's The Works..

2010-09-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner will be performing their piece 'SHE IS OURSELVES' a 30 person dance performance with music by Adam Forkner (White Rainbow) and The Slaves (Barbara Kinzle and Birch Cooper of Oregon Painting Society).

Nicholas Bindeman (Tunnels) will doing something with a pile of televisions and a dancer.

The Miracles Club will be performing a special set that ranges from "phasing" piano house to traditional chicago acid with human jack in the boxes! choreographed by Ryan Boyle. Accompanying us tonight will be friends Scott Goodwin (Operative) sequencing, Mark Burden (Dangerous Boys Club) on piano, Avalon K (Finesse) on percussion, and Jonathan Sielaff (Golden Retriever) on bass clarinet.

Everyone has been working hard on making each performance special for tonight so don't miss this special occasion.

THE WORKS at Washington High School
531 SE 14th Ave.
Portland OR 97214
$8 Members
$10 General
All Ages
10:30pm

Sweet High by The Slaves from their record Ocean on Ocean

Light Asylum at The Works' Art Party

Clinton Street Records

2010-09-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Went to Jared's (aka dj MAXX BASS) new record store the other day. WOW! amazing selection of vinyl (strictly) and audio equipment. It's not technically open yet but you should probably stroll on by and dip your paw into the sweet stuff now cuz ooh weee it's nice.
what did we get? weeelllll just some azari and iii remixes, keri chandler, levon vincent and snuff crew's snuff trax. I should've known something was up when rafael handed me september's bill money before we walked into the store.

Come hang out all day for the GRAND OPENING PARTY october 1, 2010 1pm. Dj's, bands, cookies etc

until then, enjoy this track from Elec Pt. 1
jakk u up

leech 'openness'

2010-09-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

43 minute mix of mostly contemporary slo vocal house

to gently wake the blahg from it's nap.

12345 -henry jacobs

i did it just the same -eurythmics

whobadu -cottam

dig deep -nicholas

chicago -jozif

ludium -elektro guzzi

you got that look in your eyes -mike simonetti

over you -moodyman

took my love -hunee

getting down in my car -the zohar

u talkin but u ain't walkin -lump

nobody else -mark e

tattoo's island -juju & jordash

tomorrow night -session victim

shade [dub] -the realness

make me free -marcello napoletano

nervous disid -the mole

sounds like thunder -bernice reagon

download

PACIFIC HOUSING AUTHORITY

2010-08-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Pacific Housing Authority is a group of men and women who focus
on the performance of live, hardware-based house music.
I had the opportunity to see them play at a warehouse party
in Portland last night/this morning and they were amazing.
We will be joining them for a few of their parties this week in The Bay.
There is also a compilation that you can purchase on CD or stream here

PACIFIC HOUSING AUTHORITY @ SIDETRAX 081410

GLOBAL WARNING

FINESSE

Check it out.

Tuesday, August 17th: Cinespace Hollywood, CA: The Miracles Club with The Swiss
Wednesday, August 18th: 222 Hyde San Francisco, CA: The Miracles Club
Thursday, August 19th: Li Po Lounge San Francisco, CA: C.L.A.W.S., The Miracles Club (dj), Finesse, Global Warning, Prints
Friday, August 20th: THE ZOO 751 3rd St. Oakland, CA: C.L.A.W.S., Finesse, Global Warning, Joey Casio, Prints, the Miracles Club
Saturday, August 21st: Show Cave Los Angeles, CA: C.L.A.W.S., Finesse, Global Warning, Cumberbun, Bobby Browser

More info here.

Night Tra(n)cer

2010-08-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

oh no he did(n't)! granular dan(cough) just remixed white rainbow's night tracer just like that. sweeeeeet.

download night tra(n)cer

Night Tracer

2010-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://whiterainbowpizza.bandcamp.com/album/night-tracer-ep">NIGHT TRACER by WHITE RAINBOW</a>

been love love loving this deep trippers treat from adam forkner aka white rainbow. occasionally play the ocean if you need to come up for air.

new feelings

2010-07-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

we've been finishing up our next ep and recording avalon k's new project 'finesse' omg it's so dope! majorly jeals and excited at the same time. thank you jah for the 303 love in the mail.

CELEBRATE TONIGHT !

2010-07-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

'downtown' by miracles club

'elevate' by finesse

SIX

2010-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

A six Channel, six speaker, sound performance (obviously mixed down to stereo for mp3) drum machine orchestra by David Chandler (Aka Solenoid) performed at Holocene as part of the "Sixes" event June 24, 2010.
MP3 here

Featuring:
Sean Byrne (Bugskull) - Roland R8 - one channel
Eric Mast (E*Rock) - Machinedrum - one channel
Rafael Fauria (Miracles Club) - Roland TR909 - one channel for bass drum and a 2nd channel for everything else
Carlo Pearson (Senor Frio) - Monomachine - one channel
Jesse Johnson (Gulls) - Roland TR606 - one channel
Paul Dickow (Strategy)- Roland TR727 (the 'latin' drum machine) - one channel

[via]

Golden Retriever + Granular Dan

2010-07-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Just was sent this remix of Golden Retriever's epic second CD-R release (somebody do some vinyl for this band already) by Portland's Granular Dan, whom I met recently in a Gravity's Rainbow reading group recently. Somehow Dan's taken GR's harmonic syrup and layered it back upon itself atop some 4/4 UR-style drumz, I think I even hear additional delay.

Download Here!

Buy Golden Retriever "2" at Matt Carlson's blog!

ON-U love

2010-07-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

like if the happy mondays and crass made a song.

and party

2010-07-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

if i didn't have a zillion things to do the next morning, i would have totally done the line of ketamine that was offered to me as i walked into friday night's relaxed, mini-rave in someone's kitchen. ian, avalon, a 909, an evolver, a pro one, a fog machine, free drugs, crucial sweatpants.. life here is beautiful what can i say?

first half is ian hixx, second half avalon k.

-honey

2010-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Abe Ray and Paul Dickow for recording the Atole, Operative, Astrology show on 6/12! Here's a little taste of what Operative's been working on lately, a track called "Homeworld". Hat tip to ST:TNG!

Operative - Homeworld (Live @ /):

Download

Leech live at Superfresh last night

2010-06-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

great set last night b! i got to dance with some cute ravers for a second too. rad!

Shows

2010-06-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Lots of good shows this week!
We Like Cats is playing their first show/record release party TONIGHT!
at holocene with Rob Walmart and Selector Dub Narcotic!
I will be playing in a 6 channel drum machine circle on Thursday with Solenoid and Strategy also at Holocene.
On Friday Brian Foote will be be doing his first live performance as Leech with Nice Nice at Rotture and Saturday night is Cosmos with all of my favorite local DJs.
more info here and here

leech '#6'

2010-06-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

another ecstasy blog exxcclluussivve. get set!

download

leech 'i can't kick this feeling when it hits'

2010-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

here's a cover i did of one of my favorite moodymann songs. got the idea for it when i came across a reggae cover of 'i want your love' by chic [which is what moody's song is built from] and used it as the basis for this version.

download

here's the original in case you are unfamiliar. love how it hovers.

Technique

2010-06-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Three remixes by one of my favorite bands of all time from their cool, baggy, Joe Bloggs, acid, bleach tips, MDMA, MIDI period.

1. Manchester group 808 State's acid remix of Blue Monday.
VIDEO
Blue Monday (So Hot Mix)

2. Chicago house mix of Fine Time by Steve "Silk" Hurley.
Fine Time (Silk Mix)

3. Detroit techno mix of Round & Round by Kevin Saunderson.
Round & Round (Detroit Mix)

Paging Dr. Marble

2010-06-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Matt Marble is not actually a doctor, but he is a candidate for the Phd in Music Composition at Princeton University who resides in New Jersey and Oregon. He also is a "sound-worker", an artist, and an enthusiastic dancer. Matt also curates the excellent Faces of Sound blog and produces experimental and popular musics. You know, musicing, trancing, languaging, the us'. He's currently working on his doctoral thesis on the music of Arthur Russell.

I asked Matt to give me some recommendations for books on sound several years ago, but never followed up. Instead of bugging him all over again, I asked him to write a little something for e-Blog.

Top 5 Books on Sound

Notations 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
by Thersa Sauer

Since John Cage's Notations came out in 1969, there has been surprisingly little documentation of graphic scores. Theresa Sauer's book offers a glimpse into the contemporary marriage of eyes and ears. She features the classics (Yuji Takahashi, Earle Brown, David Rosenboom, and Karlheinz Stochhausen) through to contemporary sound artists (Steve Roden, Steven Vitiello, Marina Rosenfeld, and Slavek Kwi). The design shines on the visual and it is well done. If only there were an audio CD accompanying! But Thersa continues to champion this work, via her blog, which serves as a forum for disseminating and inspiring ongoing audio-visual goodies.

Related: Agape (Alex Waterman); The Sound of Painting: Music in Modern Art (Karin Von Maur); Sound and the Visual Arts (Jean-Yves Bosseur); Scratch Music (Cornelius Cardew); Scores: An Anthology of New Music (Roger Johnson); Tools of Mind (Matt Marble)

Listening: An Introduction to the Perception of Auditory Events - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
by Stephen Handel

If you're interested in the science of sound (acoustics), of how we experience sound (psycho-acoustics and physiological anatomy), or the underpinnings of Western European music, then Stephen Handel's book is the most current (1989) comprehensive general-reader-friendly book out there. A great reference book if you're likely to reference such things.

Related: Microsound (Curtis Roads); Acoustic Communication (Barry Truax); Ecological Psychoacoustics (Marie-Reiss Jones); Auditory Imagery (Daniel Reisberg)

Water Sound Images: The Creative Music of the Universe - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
by Alexander Lauterwasser

We think of sound as invisible. But following in the footsteps of Ernst Chladni and Hans Jenny (inventor of the visually compelling Cymatics), Alexander Lauterwasser asks us to see how these vibrations give rise to incredibly beautiful and naturally pervasive forms. His studies vibrated water with Tibetan Monk chanting, Bach, Stockhausen, gongs, and other musical curios. He goes on to make connections between such forms and the developmental forms of plants, jellyfish, shells, clouds, and animal patterns. The book is simply beautiful. It works more as poetry and mytho-dream web than as any credible science, though it has a foot in that world. But artistically it offers an alternative way of listening to, looking at, and playing with sound.

Related: Cymatics (Jans Jenny); Harmonography: A Visual Guide to the Mathematics of Music (Anthony Ashton); The Book of Music and Nature (David Rothenberg); Rhythmanalysis (Henri Lefebvre)

Origins of Music - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Edited by Nils Wallin et al.

You might be interested in this book if you're curious about... animal communication, animal music, the relationship between language and music, the evolutionary function of music. A broad anthology, featuring anthropologists, musicologists, biologists, archeologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, linguists, and composer François Bernard-Mâche. "What is music for, and why does every human culture have it? What are the universal features of music and musical behavior across cultures?"

Related: Healing Sounds of the Malaysian Rainforest (Marina Roseman); Sound and Sentiment (Steve Feld); Hearing Cultures (Veit Erlmann); Auditory Culture Reader (Michael Bull)

Deep Listeners: Music, Emotion, and Trancing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
by Judith Becker

Borrowing Pauline Oliveros' notion of Deep Listening, Ethnomusicologist Judith Becker offers one of the most intriguing plunges into global trance musics. With a gentle empericism Becker globally connects the dots between sounds, actions, emotions, and our heightened psycho-physical experiences of music. She draws much from Empirical philosophy (William James), post-structuralist French sociology (Pierre Bordieur), and contemporary cognitive science, but in a language that leaves the door open and stays compelling. The accompanying c.d. is just awesome, featuring: Sri Lankan ritual music, the Italian Tarantelle, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's trance practice, the Hindi Gazal, Balinese witch ritual music, Sacred Harp singing, Pentecostal gospel music, and South Sulawesi ceremonial music.

Related: Music and Trance: A Theory of the Relations Between Music and Possession (Gilbert Rouget); Rhythm, Music, and the Brain (Michael Thaut); Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear (Steve Goodman); Unlocking the Groove (Mark Butler); African Rhythm (Kofi Agawu)

2010-06-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of my favorite songs of late.

Amazing acid rework of nowave guy James Chance's Incorrigible by Liv Spencer (House of House and Still Going) and DJ Spun.
Incorrigible (Liv Spencer And DJ Spun Mix) RONG

We Like cats hit dub
Meow Hear Me Roar MARRIAGE

My Cousin Roy gave me this record for my birthday and it's incredible.
Neurotic Drum Band
Robotic Hypnotic Adventure (Runaway Remix) WURST
Thanks Roy!

Last but not least Omar S doing classic acid.
Mid 90's FXHE RECORDS

Make yourself happy and buy all these records.

FFFFFRIDAY

2010-05-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

HOLOCENE TURNS 7 Friday June 4th
Miracles Club
Reporter
Operative
Golden Retriever
Linger & Quiet
Brkfst Sndwch

21+ Free.

Liaisons Dangereuses - Peut Etre....Pas

2010-05-20T00:06:00.001-07:00

Great proto-house by way of early 80s synthed out NDW, a double classic. Big influence on the Chicago house scene (along with "Los Ninos de la Parque"), spun by Ron Hardy at the Music Box and Farley Jackmaster Funk on WBMX, been igniting dancefloors worldwide ever since. There's some pretty great live footage on youtube too:

Jeff Mills is in the house... yeah!

2010-05-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Two videos from Jeff Mills from 2003. Note the APESHIT TR-909 playing. I have no idea if what Mills is doing is "doing" anything, but as a proper 909 performance, its absolutely transfixing.

When the On Land Festival was announced last year, Keith Fullerton Whitman offered that his set was going to be like "Heldon meets Jeff Mills (without the drum machine)", which kind of offended me. These videos were my retort, however Keith's retort was his set at the festival. For me it was a "Yes, electronic music is still this radically structured, horizon-cresting Utopian Moment!"-style experience. And I love those experiences.

Keith is releasing a couple works for modular synthesizer in the vein of that set. One is currently in the works as a tape on Root Strata.

See a similarly composed clip below, but don't sleep on Keith's very generous Soundcloud page, as well.

"Generator 6" & "Generator 2" (excerpt) by Keith Fullerton Whitman

All fruits ripe

2010-05-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dubby, psychedelic, Irie, I-tal new music from my bredren/sistren We Like Cats also known as Honey (Valet), Adam (White Rainbow) & Eva (Inca Ore). First song from their upcoming release Proper Eats on Marriage Records more to come. jah!
Buy here

We Like Cats
Money Dubby Money

Also check out this new mix by local weirdo Pete Swanson of Monday night yoga fame.
via Type

Pete Swanson - Type Podcast 3by_type

Deserves its own...

2010-04-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

I finally stumbled up on a non-Facebook'd video of the interpretive dancing in the streets video from the OP + MC 12" Release Party, plus more party vidz. EPIC!

Thanks, Jared!

And if you're not busy Saturday night, may I suggest...

You know how much I love self-reference! Reflexive machine elves 4 ever!

sweet bass tone and everything pretty much

2010-04-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Acid Indigestion

2010-04-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Endlessly fascinating experimental acid house from Larry Heard. As brain-scraping today as I’m sure it probably was in 1988.

Tonite !

2010-04-24T13:21:00.001-07:00

Strategy

2010-04-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

check out this exclusive juicy, psychedelic house-ness from my good friend paul dickow aka strategy. he's been rocking it in the portland music scene forever playing in bands like emergency, the two noises, fontanelle, nudge, etc. tonight marks his tenth year anniversary playing out as strategy. to celebrate, superfresh local demons are throwing a party at rotture. right on bro!

whiffle

download

Kenna Jean

2010-04-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

there is this amazing band in portland called 'litanic mask' which features mark burden from silentist and kenna jean from friends forever. they rarely play but when they do, i cancel everything and show up early so as not to miss them. they are like some crazy fusion of ambient pulsating dance music and my bloody valentine if amy winehouse was the singer. amazing.. they've promised to send us some of their unicorn music someday but until then, here is a new solo track from kenna that she threw together for our blog.

animal rhythm

download

Occasionally Still

2010-04-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

my friend found an old, beat-up farfisa matador m at the goodwill for $5 the other day. such a blessing! covered in dirt, cracked and crackly keys..i knew it had to be mine. flip it in the mix, there's room for everybody guys.

farfisa future retro love

download

OP+MC: 12" Release, A Children's Story

2010-04-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

There was this great party the other day.

There was dancing.

There was a delicious (vegan) cake.

There were hella trippy people.

There was realness.

They were (contemporary) dancing in the streets.

In the end, I got a free whiskey for playing a few records, met my new favorite DJ (and he's already in my band!), I got to yell through an unintelligible vocoder, took 2 packs of "Emergen-C" (not a euphemism), and throughly made up for a mostly shitty week. You can't ask for much more, man!

Let's do that again.

UPDATE! New pictures from Jared!

Happy Sundays

2010-04-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

My Cousin Roy

2010-04-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

what if we were in a jungle and we happened upon a group of praying mantises dancing in a conga line wearing these masks? and we totally had coconuts filled with some sort of ambrosia while a friendly, cheshire snake popped a hooka in our mouth occasionally. dizzyingly, falling over laughing while we jet out into nitrous, deep space for a quick second only to come back with a faint memory of a question so familiar..it's just at the tip of my tongue.. well check out this awesome dub-edit that My Cousin Roy did of the Leech remix of chango. let's get lost to the sound of clapping hands, dubby strictly dubalution.

download
My Cousin Roy
Wurst

We do this!

2010-04-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Very last minute, please be there! OP and MC will have 12" EPs for sale, plenty of tunes, lots of fun. Thank you e*Rock and Jen for hooking it up.

And now your Omar S. for the day: