Last night, I went down to Barbés to watch Stephane Wrembel, a French guitarist specializing in hot jazz a la Django Reinhardt. It struck me that the music being played was very much for dancing, and were it not 2011 but the earlier half of the 20th century, everyone in the room probably would’ve been swinging (and definitely puffing cigarettes). It made me nostalgic for a time way before my own, and so I did what any modern man might do: search youtube. I found this video of Django and band playing at the Bal Tabarin in Paris in 1944. Complete with crowd noise and all, it gives a sense of the music in context. You can almost smell the smoke.
Author: Justin Carter
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Justin’s Top Five Tracks of the Year
This year I discovered Truth Is Light Records, a great Canadian label releasing simple edits of brilliant, largely obscure, genre-unspecific gems. I could’ve chosen most any of the records I ordered from them this year, but “Be Thankful”, the A-side off the first record in a limited edition 45 series they’re doing, got the most deck time. Slightly disco-ey, thoroughly old-school electro, it toes just the right line to make it the perfect bridge between house, modern soul and all kinds of other tracks, and though it’s a tool, it’s never outshined by what comes before or after it. (Sadly, I couldn’t find a version of the track to post here, but you can listen to it on the TIL page.)
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Talking About A New Year: DJ Qu
A couple weeks ago, when we were putting the final touches on our New Year’s Eve party, we realized that we had an open slot to fill. We thought for a few seconds… and very quickly Eamon and I agreed that DJ Qu was the perfect person to do it. Part of the crop of producers and jocks who’ve popped up alongside Jus-Ed in the recent past (count among that group Levon Vincent, Fred P and Anthony Parasole), Qu is probably our favorite of the bunch, releasing music that has a certain… how do you say… well, we’ll let him explain it.
Here is a mix he’s given us to get you in the mood and a few questions and answers that we passed back and forth yesterday.
Justin Carter: Much of the attention you’ve received for your label, Strength Music, and as a producer has been connected to Levon Vincent, Jus-Ed and Fred P. While there are many things that give you common ground, what do you think are the things that make you unique within that circle?
DJ Qu: I must say that I haven’t really given it much thought. The only thing I can say is that no one in the crew sounds alike. Each of us have our own unique sound, and I think that’s what makes each of us unique. The way I approach my music is totally different from Ed, Levon or Fred and vice-versa.
JC: This brings up a couple questions for me. First, I wasn’t sure whether the connection between you guys was just a convenient angle that writers piled onto or if it was something that you guys actually feel exits between you. Can you tell me how it is that you guys are connected, in practical ways and musically? Continue reading “Talking About A New Year: DJ Qu”
New Year’s Eve with The Mister: SOLD OUT
Click on the picture above or right here to buy tickets for The Mister Saturday Night New Year’s Eve Party. TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT.
This New Year’s Eve, Mister Saturday Night is bringing you the best of both worlds.
We’re keeping our unique loft party intimacy, with plenty of room to dance and high quality music with amazing sound – but we’re expanding things a bit. In one room, residents Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin will be joined for a midnight set by Kyle Hall, a 19-year-old Detroit wunderkind, who’s been trailblazing for a new generation of music makers over the past two years. In the other room is Martyn, a producer who challenges all preconceived notions about his status as one of the world’s best known dubstep creators by playing sets that are far-flung enough to include Prince, J Dilla and Washed Out. Rounding out the room with Martyn is DJ Qu, a fantastic local jock and the man behind of one of our favorite labels, Strength Music; and opening the festivities for Eamon, Justin and Kyle are production duo Bad Decision.
The multi-roomed event space where the party’s going down will be fantastically bedecked by Jessica Grindstaff, a set designer whose work has graced stages from Amsterdam to Australia to our hometown Brooklyn Academy of Music (with the Kronos Quartet, no less).
What else? How about an open champagne bar, not just for the ball drop, but all night? And an outdoor patio where you can get a breath of fresh air or smoke a cigarette? We have both of those.
The catch? In order to keep it intimate (and within the legal capacity of the venue), you have to buy an advance ticket to get in. We won’t announce the address (rest assured, though, that it’s a convenient location, close to train stops accessible in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it’s not way, way out there), and even if you figure out where it is, we won’t be selling any tickets at the door, because it’s gonna be sold out.
On The Way
Eamon and I have a biiiiiig order of records on the way (hopefully arriving in time for New Year’s Eve). The new Wolf Music EP, The Koze remixes of Caribou, and a great one from FCL are all in there; but the one we’re most excited about it the above Space Dimension Controller gem. Chances are you’ll hear it twice in a night. If you want to hear a couple more things, look beyond the jump.
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