garth trinidad steps up at kcrw in l.a.

Longtime KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad is stepping up to the L.A.-area (89.9 FM) station's 8-10 weeknight slot left vacant by the promotion of Jason Bentley to the station's music director position, it was announced today. Trinidad, host of the late show called "Chocolate City" and the DJ credited with breaking Jill Scott and Macy Gray, was a weeknight DJ but reduced his frequency to Saturdays only when he started a family nearly five years ago.

"Here it is, almost five years later, and my kids are a little bigger, and now I have the opportunity to carry the evening torch again," Trinidad says. "I can’t wait to use this daily time slot to spread my wings as a programmer and sink my teeth into music in a way I never have."

He'll start Dec. 1. Jason Eldredge will take Trinidad's 6-9 p.m. Saturday show. Bentley, by the way, already seems to be giving a little music direction when he states that Trinidad "he will have the opportunity to transcend the more specialized mode of his current show."

dance music news: weekend notes

-Karlheinz Brandenburg, co-developer of the MP3 format, is throwing his weight behind European dance music retail site DJ Tunes, which apparently follows Beatport's lead in offering unrestricted files (a.k.a. DRM-free, unlike most iTunes tracks) for the DJ market. The site apparently also got some venture capital-type seed money in 2006. I'm not sure if they're doing anything that would make me switch from Beatport, so take the news for what it's worth.

-Los Angeles DJ Michael Smith (above) talks about how he transitioned from spinning down-tempo tunes at lounges to providing music for some of the top brands and retailers in the world. In the Q&A, he big-ups L.A. as the place to be (and far be it from me to disagree): "Having traveled to perform and work in top cultured cities from New York, London, and Tokyo, I can safely say that LA has the largest gathering of artists and the most productive pool across all media. You are seeing such interesting video art, electronic, and indie music, short films, and so much else now."

-The annual Together As One New Year's Eve rave has announced that its main draw is DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs winner Armin Van Buuren performing a nine-hour set. Deadmau5, Junior Sanchez, M.A.N.D.Y., Reza, Marcus Intalex, Ed Rush & Optical and more also perform.

-DJ Nic Fanciulli is back stateside in December for the following dates:

6th December Mansion, Miami
11th December Beta, Denver
12th December Ruby Skye, San Francisco
13th December Avalon, Los Angeles

japanese popstars ready north american debut

The latest-greatest, Daft Punk-on-steroids act to hit the scene is Northern Ireland's Japanese Popstars. The trio -- Declan McLaughlin, Gary Curran and Gareth Donoghue -- is unleashing its debut long-player, We Just Are, stateside Feb. 24 via Gung-Ho Recordings. The act's handlers promise that it's poised to join the elite ranks of top live electronic acts such as the Chemical Brothers, Underworld and Orbital. We shall see. But we'll grant them this: Japanese Popstars has an accessible nu electro sound that's faithful to the dance scene (no indie poseurs here, although their MySpace page does contain the requisite '80s pop culture references, including a Delorean car photo). Here's the track list for We Just Are:

01 “We Just Are Intro”
02 “Sample Whore”
03 “Face Melter”
04 “Delboys Revenge”
05 “B.C.T.T”
06 “Dr Frenchy Bernard”
07 “Anthepic (We Have Taken Over)”
08 “The Smile”
09 “Rise Of Ulysses”
10 “Total Distorted Mayhem”
11 “F19b (Droppin Bombs)”
12 “We Just Are (Finalizer)”

"d'essential" albums unveiled

I've compiled a list of my 30 "D'essential" long-players of the e-music era, which I define as roughly 1989 to now. I use 1989 as a starting point because it marks the rave explosion in England and the largely British ideal that electronic dance music could transcend the 12-inch and master the album format. Although it didn't make my list, 90 by 808 State was released that year. The Orb and The KLF released albums of their own the next year. So, sure, there was plenty of house, techno and EDM in the 1980s, but '89 marks the dawn of contemporary e-music as far as I'm concerned. It's the year that four-on-the-floor dance music from black and Latino inner-city America spread across the world.

Some notable albums didn't make my list. Maybe they're too obvious, and I'm a little tired of them, frankly, if only because they're so obvious. I'm thinking of the Prodigy's Experience in 1992 and Fat of the Land in 1997, the latter of which became the first e-music-era album to top the American pop charts. I'm thinking of Portishead's Dummy (1994), Leftfield's Leftism (1995), Tricky's Maxinquaye (1995), Underworld's Second Toughest in the Infants (1996), Fatboy Slim's Better Living Through Chemistry (1996). I'm also thinking of 808 State's ex:el (1991) and Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1993). If -- or rather, when -- I expand the list to 50, however, these albums will surely be included.

I couldn't begin to rank my faves, so the list is in alphabetical order. No wholly women acts made the list, and I feel bad about it, although, if its any consolation, there are many invaluable female contributions to the works on the list. The earliest contributions here come from Massive Attack and The Orb circa 1991. The most-recent ones are from Gui Boratto, Digitalism and Spank Rock circa 2007. I expect some 2008 albums, such as John Tejada's Where, to make an expanded list.

Here it is. At some point I'll make it a permanent feature on the lower right, with links to Amazon. Please feel free to disagree ...

Air, Premiers Symptomes (Virgin/Astralwerks, 1999)
Basement Jaxx/Various, Atlantic Jaxx Recordings – A Compilation (Atlantic Jaxx, 1997)
Bent, The Everlasting Blink (Sport/Guidance, 2003)
Booka Shade, Movements (Get Physical, 2006)
Gui Boratto, Chromophobia (Kompakt, 2007)
BT, Ima (Perfecto, 1995)
Chemical Brothers, Exit Planet Dust (Astralwerks, 1995)
The Crystal Method, Vegas (Outpost, 1997)
Daft Punk, Homework (Virgin, 1997)
Danger Mouse (with The Beatles vs. Jay-Z), The Grey Album (Unreleased, 2004)
Danny Tenaglia/Various, Global Underground 017: London (Global Underground, 2000)
Digitalism, Idealism (Kitsune/Virgin/Astralwerks, 2007)
Diplo/Various, Fabriclive.24 (Fabric, 2005)
DJ Dan/Various, Funk the System (Moonshine, 1999)
Goldie, Timeless (FFRR, 1995)
Hardkiss/Various, Delusions of Grandeur (Moonshine, 1995)
Kruder & Dorfmeister/Various, The K&D Sessions (Studio !K7, 1998)
Lil' Louis, Journey With the Lonely (Sony, 1992)
LTJ Bukem/Various, Logical Progression (Good Looking/FFRR 1996)
Mark Farina/Various, Mushroom Jazz (Om, 1997)
Massive Attack, Blue Lines (Wild Bunch/Virgin, 1991)
Moby, Play (Mute/V2, 1999)
Nuyorican Soul (Masters At Work), Nuyorican Soul (Giant Step, 1997)
The Orb, The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (Island, 1991)
Radiohead, OK Computer (EMI, 1997)
Plastikman (Richie Hawtin), Musik (Mute, 1994)
Sasha/Various, Involver (Global Underground, 2004)
Sasha & John Digweed/Various, Northern Exposure (Ministry of Sound, 1996)
Spank Rock, Fabriclive.33 (Fabric, 2007)
Spooky, Gargantuan (IRS, 1993)

is justice faking it?

Beatportal this week published a photo of one-half of Justice, Gaspard Augé (above), "performing" via an unplugged controller (which would make it just window dressing) at one of the duo's recent shows. The photo might suggest that the popular band, perhaps the most successful of the recent nu electro wave of Daft Punk acolytes, is faking it. Auge responded that the necessary cable happened to have fallen out around the time of of the photo and that "I plugged it back in, big deal!"

As I've said before, I'm no big fan of the act. I haven't seen it live, but I've heard bad things from professional pop critics in-the-know. I find its popularity, particularly in the light of much better acts such as Digitalism, the Black Ghosts and Simian Mobile Disco, confounding. The band's stardom, in my view, is testament to the triumph in music of marketing over talent. Its album contains two decent tracks, but its career is surrounded by a lot of hype. This only adds to to the mystery.

compression l.a. celebrates anniversary

Perhaps more than any other event series, Compression in Los Angeles helped the city's techno resurgence surface via proper club nights. Since Compression's launch in 2005 techno has taken over L.A. club-land, including a techno-centric music policy at the city's premier super-club, Avalon. On Nov. 28 Compression celebrates its third anniversary at Cinespace in Hollywood with Funk D'Void and Misstress Barbara.

In the past Compression has hosted techno's inventors, the Belleville Three, along with Matthew Dear (a.k.a. Audion), Richie Hawtin, Steve Bug, and more. John Tejada (see below) and Matt Xavier are Compression's residents, and L.A. DJ and music industry veteran Robtronik (a.k.a. Robert Pointer) is its founder and director. (Geezerly name drop of the day: When Compression started the 'blogga hooked it up with Tejada and forwarded it the mobile phone number of one of the Belleville Three, although it was, alas, out of service).
[Above: Mr. Tronik with, I believe, Xavier].

tejada gets fabric mix

Austrian-born, Los Angeles-bred techno auteur John Tejada has compiled and mixed the next edition of the famed Fabric mix-CD series, Fabric 44, due in the U.K. Jan. 12 (the U.S. release date is to-be-announced).

"I wanted the whole track selection to turn into one piece of music as if I was conducting a techno symphony," Tejada says of the compilation.

Tejada came to electronic dance music, as did many of us of his generation, through hip-hop acts such as Afrika Bambaataa and Egyptian Lover, and he emphasizes the link to black music in contemporarly club-land that many have forgotten. "The electronic sounds that now would be considered something else were part of hip-hop culture," he says. "It was those sounds that I latched onto when I first heard acid house and early Chicago stuff."

(On that theme, check this out).

Here's my profile of Tejada, published in LA Weekly earlier this year.

hard new year's? hardly

It's official: The folks behind the L.A. area's Hard festivals are bowing out of the New Year's Eve party scene this year to focus, they say, on next year's trio of parties that will resume its franchises in summer, on Halloween ("Hard Haunted Mansion") and on New Year's Eve. And, as we told you, a special Hard event, Turkey Soup, happens Nov. 26 at the Roxy in West Hollywood, Calif.

Hard has been successful at tapping the nu electro movement by booking the likes of Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and MSTRKRFT for its shows. The most recent Hard event, on Halloween night, sold out at 10,000 people.
[Above: Jet-set survivor DJ AM in Daft Punk guise at the Hard Haunted Mansion Oct. 31, 2008].

bentley ascends*

Jason Bentley, public radio's longtime stalwart of electronic dance music and one of American club-land's most influential DJs, has been named as the music director of National Public Radio's flagship station, KCRW (89.9 FM Santa Monica, Calif./Los Angeles). The coveted slot means that Bentley will be in charge of the station's vaunted music policy and that he will have to drop his beloved weeknight dance show in order to host "Morning Becomes Eclectic," the outlet's weekday morning showcase.

"This is a wonderful KCRW story," says KCRW General Manager Ruth Seymour. "Jason began as a phone volunteer in the front office when he was still in high school. He grew up on KCRW because his parents were listeners. When he returned from college he reconnected with the station and debuted on the air here 16 years ago. He has a passion for the music and a deep connection to the local music scene. Moreover KCRW is in his DNA."

States Bentley: "I'm immensely grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the task, which is to open a new chapter for the station. It's a reinvention of myself to match the gold standards set by previous music directors. It’s no longer the hypnotic pulse of the city at night – it’s the ever-evolving optimism of weekday mornings. My show has always reflected the continual evolution of music and emerging artists. And while I built my foundation as a champion of dance and electronic music, this is a great opportunity for me to grow, a challenge I will take very seriously."

*Bentley will start in the position Dec. 1. I believe he's the the station's third music director after Chris Douridas and Nic Harcourt, but I could be wrong. *(CORRECTION: I'm told by the station he's number four, with world-music guru Tom Schnabel having held down the job first, before Douridas). As we told you previously, music director Nic Harcourt is stepping down.

prodigy readying album

The Prodigy, touted as the top-selling band of the e-music era, is readying a new album for release in March. Invaders Must Die features contributions from Nirvana/Foo Fighters/Queens of the Stone Age drummer Dave Grohl as well as from Does It Offend You, Yeah? vocalist James Rushent. "The songs are raw and really in-your-face," Prodigy MC Maxim tells a New Zealand publication.

(Geezerly Danceblogga name-drop of the day: I hung out with the Prodigy back stage at a show in Philadelphia in 1992 as they prepped with a spliff. I believe the event was at the Trocadero, with Josh Wink, as was the norm for most such events of the time, opening).

beatles' lost track resurfaces

A 14-minute track the Beatles recorded for a 1967 electronic music concert called the Million Volt Light and Sound Rave has survived in the hands of Paul McCartney, who told the BBC he'll likely release it.

The piece, "Carnival of Light," apparently only saw the light of day once -- at that concert -- and was deemed too radical by the band for release. The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper says witnesses to its 1967 live performance describe the track as featuring "the sound of gargled water and strangled shouts from Lennon which vie with church organs and distorted guitar."

The song became a mythic part of Beatles lore, with some even doubting its existence. But McCartney says he has the master recording. "It does exist," he tells the BBC. Observers say the song's reemergence will go a long way toward affirming the Beatles claim to having a forward-thinking, avant-garde bent to their otherwise ultra-popular rock 'n' roll canon.

is "xtina" appropriating e-culture?

Amid accusations that she's adopted electro-pop act Lady Gaga's look, Christina Aguilera hints that her forthcoming album will feature electronic influences. Aguilera told reporters recently that she's been listening to Sia, Goldfrapp and Ladytron and that the album, which she says she'll be working on through next year, will feature contributions from the three.

digitalism gets remixed

German nu electro duo Digitalism is celebrating the wrap of its "Idealism 07/08 World Tour" with the release of Hands on Idealism, a remix collection based on its album debut Idealism, due Dec. 9 on Astralwerks. Many of the remixes are Digitalism's own, although A-Trak does his thing on "Idealistic."

Here's my feature on Digitalism from last year.

fredde le grand celebrates deal with tour

Fredde "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" Le Grand is heading out on a North American DJ tour after recently inking an album deal with dance label Ultra. The Dutchman's debut long-player, Output, is due sometime next year, but you can check his latest single, "Three Minutes to Explain," at YouTube. His schedule follows:

Thu 11/13 Quebec, QC Dagobert
Fri 11/14 New York, NY Pacha
Sat 11/15 Miami, FL Mansion
Sun 11/16 Montreal, QC Opera
Tue 11/18 Ottawa, ON Club Heaven
Wed 11/19 Minneapolis, MN Spin
Thu 11/20 St. Louis, MO Home
Fri 11/21 Toronto, ON This Is London
Sat 11/22 Chicago, IL Crobar
Sun 11/23 Calgary, AB Tantra
Tue 11/25 Vancouver, BC Caprice
Wed 11/26 San Francisco, CA Ruby Skye
Thu 11/27 Sacramento, CA Park Ultra Lounge
Fri 11/28 San Diego, CA On Broadway
Sat 11/29 Los Angeles, CA Vanguard

hard folks host holiday party

The future of this year's Hard NYE party in Los Angeles may be up the air, but the folks behind Hard are doing a holiday shindig: Hard's "Turkey Soup" happens Wed., Nov. 26 at the Roxy in West Hollywood, Calif. Local nu electro heroes Guns N Bombs headline along with Don Rimini, Aaron LaCrate and Destructo.