CosminTRG @ Matter (London), January 2010

photo by Seze Devres, Bass Mutations 02.13.10

Back in February, Cosmin TRG performed at Bass Mutations as part of the Unsound Festival. He also spoke on the related panel along with Dave Q of Dub War and FaltyDL (Planet Mu), who happens to be playing Dub War in New York tomorrow night with Geoim. More of a 2-stepper with a penchant for house, TRG fit right in alongside Dave Q, Untold and 2562 that Saturday night in Brooklyn dropping techno at times (think Dennis Ferrer's "Hey Hey") within bass-heavy beats.

FWD/Rinse has another party coming up at Matter in London - with over 20 guests on the bill, believe it - and in return they've put up Cosmin's set from January. His discography is small (for now) and his DJ sets are a bit hard to find. On top of that, he lives in Bucharest so he's not hitting the states often enough!

A true original.

CosminTRG - FWD>> + Rinse, January 2010 by matterlondon

Making The Noise: Live in New York, January 2010

Making The Noise is no stranger to Basstown, and since we first wrote about him in 2007 the Boston native has made a name for himself as a great live performer and one of the top applications programmers for the Monome - the secret weapon for his MTN sound. Late last month, he came down to New York to headline the first installment of The Vectory, a new party in Greenpoint's Coco66. The East coast event draws its inspiration from Low End Theory in Los Angeles, which has garnered associations with the likes of Daedelus and Flying Lotus. Over the last few years, MTN utilizes his website to post live sets and new tracks, but the total pleasure of experiencing his music comes from his stage shows, which are paired with mesmerizing visuals and his unwavering enthusiasm. In many ways, the Warp-esque set in Brooklyn evoked similar reactions to seeing Aphex Twin almost 10 years ago. Any IDM fan that has grown to appreciate a wide variety of music can find a kinship in MTN's taste. Below, you can watch the closing track to his set, and be sure to keep an eye out for his rare but special appearances.

mtn - untitled track - live @ coco66 nyc 1-27-2010 from makingthenoise on Vimeo.

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

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

Dopamine Records @ CMJ - Tonight!

Tonight, our beloved Dopamine Records - now home to DJ Die Young of Basstown and Baltimoroder of Hearthrob - has its CMJ showcase. For all of you beloved Bostonians that want a taste of home, you can get your Make It New fix here annnnnd here...

DOPAM​INE RECOR​DS / DROP OUT MUSIC​ FESTI​VAL:
2 spots​.​
1 night.​

9pm-12am @ alpha​beta (70 green​point​ ave, green​point​,​ brook​lyn)​
Hooray For Earth 9-9:35
Paul Holmes and The Patients 9:50-10:25
Pacific Theater 10:40-11:15
Zambri 11:30-12:05

12am-??am @ lost and found​ (113 frank​lin stree​t,​ green​point​,​ brook​lyn)​
Jubilee (Modular, Trash Menagerie, Nightshifters)
DJ Die Young
Baltimoroder

From 6pm-9pm @ Alphabeta there will be a book signing with fun free drinks with Martha Cooper
Hooray For Earth 9-9:35
Paul Holmes and The Patients 9:50-10:25
Pacific Theater 10:40-11:15
Zambri 11:30-12:05


Audible: Hooray For Earth - Cellphone (dj die young remix)
Audible: The Replacements - Talent Show (dj die young screwed remix)
Website: Dopamine Records

Raven Disturbs and Delights the Middlesex

After the Red Sox caused a cacophony of screams and hugs within the Middlesex Lounge, the environment at Make It New shifted into a pure celebration mode. Baltimoroder and DJ Die Young manned the decks all night, and it was during a peak that DY threw out "Raven," a track that hasn't been played out nearly enough. Dark, heavy and pulsing, Baltimoroder calls The Proxy "that Russian guy that everyone loves." It's hard to explain how such a wide variety of techno heads can take to a version of electronic that is so blatantly rooted in horror, goth and industrial subculture, but the general cross-over appeal is as obvious as the mass-army marching chant that leads the track through most of its choruses.

File under...music to go apeshit to...

MySpace: The Proxy

SOLID! Is Solid

When something is considered a bit of a hidden gem - especially a recurring event in a room with a 59 person capacity - it might be best to keep it mums. The beauty of SOLID! is that it will probably never lose its balance. Not for tourists, this little restaurant packed tightly between the Middle East Upstairs and Downstairs becomes a showcase for some of the best electronic music on Friday nights. Run by Sean Quinn, who also heads Soul Touch @ Zuzu and is a generally well-known and liked guy around Boston, DJ Die Young (Basstown) and Baltimoroder (Hearthrob) joined forces to take over most SOLID! nights since last summer.

The beauty about this night is that 90% (might be a stretch) of the people there don't listen to electronic music. They don't seek out Hearthrob, Rise, Make It New, Circus and other nights. They are most likely devoted Cantabrigians. They do, however, get to experience electro and techno at some of its finest when Baltimoroder and Die Young are together. Their chemistry is top notch, and for an intimate night for only $3, you can't really go wrong.

Jan Krueger (Berlin) @ Make It New, this Thursday

This Thursday, Berlin-based Jan Krueger debuts in Boston at Make It New, and following the excellent guests the Thursday night has had this summer, it will be quite a closing. Re-entering the residents season, Krueger pulls us into a dark, pure corner of Berlin techno with his recorded sets featured below, and you can be sure to find more of it at the Middlesex Lounge on the 9th. The Bunker mp3 is top notch!

[Editor's Note: Jan Krueger has got to be THE nicest DJ any of us has ever booked ever in the history of everyone. Thanks Jan!]

Audible: Jan Krueger @ Bunker
Audible: Jan Krueger - Ibiza Voice Podcast
Facebook: Event Page
Legible: Background on Jan