"Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains"

Gui Boratto is a favorite of all in Basstown, but lately "Chains" - the B-side to the Gate 7 EP - has been infectious. Part of me wants to declare it the best track he's ever done, but that would cause a series of serious investigation considering the gorgeous cohesion and visual (as well as cerebral)impact of 2007's Chromophobia, Supermayer's remix of his "Like You" or even "Tales From The Lab"...with or without Sian's touch.

The fact remains this B-side is excellent and not enough people have heard it.

So there.

Or, here, rather...

Audible: Gui Boratto - "Chains"
MySpace: Gui Boratto

Red Snapper Packer

While packing is a COMPLETE. BITCH. and no one actually enjoys doing it (except maybe Todd), it helps me to revisit my CD collection, which I often ignore due to the growing digital library on the iTunes.

This particular track from Red Snapper is the best of its catalogue, and also an essentially great tune from the year 2000. Warp and Matador came together to put out Our Aim Is To Satisfy...an album that is definitely an acquired taste until you reach the final track.

So just to appreciate music now by remembering how beautiful it always has been, here's "They're Hanging Me Tonight," just for you <3

Audible: Red Snapper - "They're Hanging Me Tonight"
MySpace: Red Snapper

Make It New / Vincenzo

Tonight's installment of Make It New is as high-end as always. With no cover, good martinis and some of the best DJs in the city playing at the Middlesex Lounge, it will be an incredible 5 hours. If you're looking for some dinner before, head next door to Royal Bengal and find a friendly face. Otherwise, just play the featured mp3 below while getting ready and you'll find it hard to stay indoors past 9pm. It's a favorite, and captures much of the wild energy you'll find on any given Thursday night at Make It New.

Audible: Vincenzo - "Fruit Fly (Fruity Bug Mix)"
MySpace: Make It New

Mr. Dry Gets a Steam Bath

TG (Tim Green) - Mr. Dry (Jakob Hilden's Mr. Right Remix) (2008)

Grab the original Mr. Dry here!

One favorite producer remixes another!
Tim's punk in drublic bassline gets the Berlin treatment courtesy of Jakob Hilden.

Jakob Hilden is one half of techno duo Format:B. I highly recommend their recently released album Steam Circuit for more great hissy, chug-a-lug techno choonz.
Pick it up at Beatport here!

Wicked Grumpypants & The Journey South

I am what we call, in Boston, "wicked grumpypants" today. It's possibly due to having woken up before noon, and when you're a nightlife promoter that is simply unorthodox. Much of it has to do with the upcoming move to New York, which frankly frightens the shit out of me because change, in and of itself, can be frightening. (See also: exhilarating, motivating, inspiring) Working on a local level with Basstown has been a gem, but the blogs will continue to roll in because good music lives on. The kind of crowd you find in Cambridge and beyond are incomparable, and sweaty nights at the Middlesex (Hearthrob, Make It New) and underground goodness at the Good Life and Enormous Room will be sorely missed.

More awaits, though, and that's the future. Hopefully Basstown will carry its name worldwide, but for now, we're just going to stretch it a little south of the New England border.

Tonight is a special edition of Hearthrob, featuring XXXChange of Spank Rock. Always a good time, this will be my last edition before returning to the motherland that is New York.

In the desire to keep the excellence going with new music, this track is from the recent release of various remixes on Spectral (SPC-51). The comp features Broker/Dealer and Osborne, but this Onur Ozer remix of Audion is perfect for your ears. Not to be biased, but Matthew Dear is one to deliver consistently under this alias, and it'd be worthwhile to check out his entire collection.

VA - Spectral Remixed [SPC-51]
1. Audion - Fred's Bells [Onur Ozer Remix]
2. Kate Simko - She Said [Barem Remix]
3. Daso - Meine [Lucio Aquilina Remix]
4. Broker & Dealer - Soft Sell [Sami Koivikko Remix]
5. James T Cotton - Distant Trip [Box Version]
6. Osborne - Bout Ready to Jak [Ryan Elliott Remix]

Audible: Audion - "Fred's Bells (Onur Ozer Remix)"
MySpace: Spectral

Our Joy & The Anger

While I often prefer the photo to be somewhat relevant to the post, I simply loved this. As you can see, our new President-elect Barack Obama is fighting off sharks, cars exploding into helicopters and the approaching possibility of death dude to falling from great heights. Seen with nunchucks and a skateboard, it looks like he'll be juuuust fine.

With that aside, last night Make It New took over Rise. Joined by Mark Ingram - a recurring guest and good friend - the residents filled the top and bottom floors of Rise with gorgeous sounds and endless techno. Truly a good fit for the club's soundsystem. A climax was when Ingram dropped Stimming's "The Anger," which was released in early August of this year. Subtly dark and brimming with intensity, this is will be a great track to properly usher you into the cold, hard weather that's just around the corner.

Turn off the lights. Turn up the bass.

Audible: Stimming - The Anger
MySpace: Stimming

Carl Craig : Recomposed & Versus

While it takes a little over 10 minutes to "kick in," this hour-long collaboration between Detroit techno legend Carl Craig and Les Siècles orchestra is an incredible way to shake off the gloomy Boston weather as of late. Appropriately named Versus, the event took place in mid-October at the Cité de la Musique in Paris.

"The program features six of Craig’s tracks arranged by pianist Francesco Tristano. Legendary Berlin producer Moritz von Oswald also has a hand in the project, contributing a rhythmic arrangement and new co-written piece with Craig." - Resident Advisor

Sections
1. Darkness
2. Transition #1
3. At les
4. Dominas
5. Desire
6. Recomposed
7. Technology
8. Bis 1: The Melody
9. Credits

This comes hand-in-hand with the recent release of Recomposed Vol. 3 : Music by Maurice Ravel & Modest Mussorgsky, which is an excellent project put out on the legendary label Deutsche Grammophon (a part of Universal). Be sure to watch the video above and check out some reviews of Recomposed below.

Headphones highly recommended for both.


Read: Resident Advisor review of Recomposed Vol. 3
Read: Boomkat review of Recomposed Vol. 3

Steve Bug : Bugnology 3

While having a deep obsession with both Kompakt Records and Bpitch Control, Poker Flat is putting out its 100th release. Steve Bug is one of the label's founders, and it's been home to some of the best releases of the last few years. Trentemoller's The Last Resort - which brought us tracks like "Take Me Into Your Skin" "Evil Dub" and "Miss You" - is one that may have had the most crossover, as it was big around the time his remixes of The Knife and Royksopp's "What Else Is There?" were circulating the parties and afterparties throughout the city.

Now Steve Bug returns with Bugnology 3, which carries through much like the best of the latest Fabric mixes. As a matter of Fact, Bug did contribute to No. 37, which didn't come out too long ago.

The selections on this record are excellent. It took a long time to figure out which to highlight. Sven UK & Andomat3000's "O Moresi"? What about Anton Zap's "Captain Storm"? Top to bottom, the tracklist is excellent, and a great way to propel yourself into the more obscure corners of techno that the true 'heads are digging.

Ben Klock is on several labels, but has worked closely with Bpitch Control in the last few years. His original version of "Steady Plus" takes this record to a whole new level. Enjoy!

Audible: Ben Klock - "Steady Plus"
MySpace: Steve Bug