Some awful news: apparently French DJ and producer DJ Mehdi died in Paris today. Details are sketchy at this point, with French daily Le Monde reporting only that he died from “an accident at his home,” but according 20Minutes, Mehdi’s publicist has confirmed that the producer “was at his apartment, on a mezzanine with several others … the mezzanine collapsed [and] three others have been hospitalised.” Mehdi – born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi – was a key artist on influential French electronic label Ed Banger, which is home to the likes of Justice, Uffie, and Mr. Oizo. He was an early signing to the label and helped define its influential, electro-tinged, genre-hopping sound. As well as his own production work, he also collaborated with and remixed a variety of prominent artists, including Chromeo, Daft Punk, and Cassius. He was only 34. [via Resident Advisor]
Whether you love electronic music, hate it, or realize that it’s horribly close-minded to pass judgment on entire musical genres, you’ve got to admit that this flowchart — by the brilliant Toothpaste for Dinner — is pretty accurate. [via Laughing Squid]
The Unsound Festival New York kicked off Thursday and will continue to dominate a variety of venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn through Valentine’s Day. This stateside version of the renowned Polish event seeks to move beyond the bounds of techno, drum ‘n bass, and house, to expose an electronic music world that’s more than computer-generated beats for dark, strobe-lit rooms.
The festival has brought together a global community of DJs, producers, promoters, composers, and music collectives to present an adventurous program of panels, film screenings, multimedia performances, and, of course, plenty of good parties. The lengthy list of artists scheduled to appear includes Carl Craig, Moritz von Oswald, nsi., Lillevan, and others, many of whom are making their US debuts.
In the spirit of Unsound’s devotion to talent and creativity, we asked eight of the festival’s most innovative artists the question: “What do you envision as the future of electronic music?” Check out their inspiring responses after the jump.
With their new album, Swedish duo Sally Shapiro find the sweet spot between ’80s Italo disco and Europop.
While Sally Shapiro’s singer (who also goes by the name “Sally Shapiro”) remains anonymous, it’s easy to recognize her crystalline vocals across new album My Guilty Pleasure. They’re still the centerpiece, though producer Johan Agebjörn indulges in more complex synth arrangements and faster rhythms for their sophomore LP. The result is as romantic as past efforts, but with an added sense of urgency. Read More »
The 2009 edition of Seattle’s Decibel Festival takes place September 24th through the 27th, and our friends at Ghostly have asked us to exclusively announce the choice lineup for their 10 year anniversary showcase/opening night gala at the Seattle Art Museum. Read More »
After a stellar run of putting on focused DJ sets, Laura De Palma and Mike Bindra’s Made Event company is bringing Electric Zoo—a multi-DJ cross-genre electronic festival — to Randall’s Island this Labor Day weekend. Recovering trance-a-holic Eva Hagberg talks to them about the impetus behind the festival, the breadth of the lineup, and the good old days of Twilo. Read More »
The debut album from Swedish producer Andreas Kleerup features collaborations with Robyn, Lykke Li, and Marit Bergman.
Kleerup gained fame via “With Every Heartbeart,” the hit he created with Swedish alt-pop star Robyn; the track is included on his self-titled album, as well as on hers. The record’s haunting first single, “Longing for Lullabies,” features Titiyo, younger sister of Neneh Cherry. Flowing in the same vein as fellow Scandinavians Röyksopp, Kleerup’s electronic pop is as pristine as it gets. Read More »
On Alpinisms, Ghostly International buzz band School of Seven Bells carve out a musical niche somewhere between electro-pop, dreamy shoegaze, and experimental art-rock. The melodic interplay between former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis and twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (both formerly of On! Air! Library!) is fleshed out by electronic beats, synths and an array of live instruments.
Roughly translated, the band have managed a meteoric rise by dropping popular indie sounds into electronic atmospheres so fluid it makes you wonder, “why didn’t I think of that?” We spoke with Curtis about the band’s combination of electronics and rock and their insistence that the music, not labels or scenes, is what defines them.
If you live in New York, odds are you’ve spotted a gig poster promoting Tiësto’s upcoming New Year’s Eve bash in the city. There’s already a Facebook thread devoted to it. The noted trance DJ/producer — whose most recent studio effort, Elements of Life, peaked at number one on Billboard‘s Electronic Music chart — plans to ring in 2009 at Roseland Ballroom as the final stop on his In Search of Sunrise Tour, an epic affair which took him through Mexico, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Columbia.
“I used to play two-hour sets, and the commercial, mainstream crowds who listened to the radio and stuff weren’t happy because I only played four or five of my own tunes, and the core fans weren’t happy either, because they don’t want the hear those tracks anymore, they want to hear new stuff and deeper stuff,” the Dutch DJ has said. In returning to his “club roots”, he hopes to give people more of what they want — namely, him.
And what do we want from Tiësto? His 10 favorite albums this year. After the jump he lists them off for us — no shocker, one of his own records makes the cut. Hubris aside, consider his picks must-downloads for DJing your next house party.
French electronic dance duo JUSTICE is one of those bands who are better when you see them live — if for no other reason than you don’t feel as self conscious when you’re dancing in the safety of a group of people in a club.
This Grammy-nominated pair is releasing a documentary on November 24th that’s cheekily titled A CROSS THE UNIVERSE — imagine a hipster version of THE LAST WALTZ — that will include recordings of their live sets along with show footage and behind-the-scene hijinks from their US tour last spring. From the trailer we’re guessing there will be lots of nudity, little mustaches and funny frog out of water moments. And a headbanging soundtrack, of course.
If you live in New York and want to check it out, send an email to tips@flavorpill.com with the name of your favorite French film for your chance to win a pair of tickets to an exclusive screening on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at IFC Center.
