IDM Mailing Archive

what follows is part ONE of a TWO part series. . . it's cliche as hell but. . .i got some good news and some bad news this part will include all the good news. . .i'll give up the bad news after i get sorted, er, get it sorted out this weekend ;) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New York City. . .Wednesday 20 July. . .10:30pm it's hotter than Hades here in the big apple. i'm stealing a smoke pipe. . .my cherry cavendish masks the stench of rancid meat coming from the shipping stalls. . .we persist between 9th and 10th to the club they call THE COOLER. . .a nice little underground bar and soundstage packed with the older types. . .the wiffle is in terre thaemlitz is heading down the black wax highway with his high beams on. . .that's right his eyeglasses have been fitted with those adorable flood lights (orbitalesque!). . .i slip unnoticed right up next to a bin (home sweet home!). . .a raincry god within sticker on the table crate and +8 slimmats assure me that i am on the idm trail. . . terre is from the *trickle down* school of ambient mixing. . . heavy on the *pure* noise. . .light on the drumbeats. . . sections of records are divided and sent constantly outward the needle gets repeated return action into bassy grooves the door to the orb blue room creaks open and to my surprise mixmaster morris walks in on cosmic cue. . .the door closes and the orb leave as quick as they came. . .the sound is loose electronic garble and i peek at the label to find my old friend Seastones, by ned lagin building up a little suspense. . .terre smiles at me as if to say *thanks for the tip on this little gem*. . . and boooom!. . .bass drops bump up the bar crowd comes in to see what's going down. . .oh my guitar harmonics and ethereal female vocals bend backwards a quick scan of the set up shows tracks are coming in from disc, DAT, and wax. . .wow this *main* track appears to be coming in off DAT. . .i hope so. . .it's beautiful in a halcyon way. . .know what i mean? (terre, what is this track?) right about now Tetsuo (sp?) appears behind terre, he takes controll of one line and starts to jam the box. . .ambient stylee live sonic seasonings. . .terre's still dropping tops but something is brewing. . .Tetsuo overtakes table two and starts wheeling up backwards. . .yes! so nice to see a little hand drive!. . .four hands now rule the mixer. . .a marionette sound battle. . .good lord! 11:30pm and Morris takes over and starts immediately dropping bombs mad bombs. . .THIS is a dj to look up to. . .he often reels in the beats live. . .preferring not to bury his ears in cue and leave them free to enjoy the toonage. . .he bends, bobs and weaves. . .SHIT! he's ruffed up the crossfader twice already and we're not even into his third track yet. . .he darts around the tables having a blast funky rockin melodies put a big smile on his elfin face. . .mixmaster! (here's a little trick i picked up from having the luxury to *see* his every move. . .this may be his *secret* to those soft edged gated segments you hear so often fluttering in his tracks. . .with one hand acting as a physical line compressor he fires the levels rapidly up and down to the beat. . .ambient transforming. . .ahhh! right about now he's become my new hero. . .my thoughts of leaving this bliss to head to the VELVET evaporate with every glorious electrobeat he tosses out. . .but my spidersense is tingling like mental and the thought of missing reload prevails. . .when morris lies into pure ambient bedding i leap 10 blocks down the street with a superspring in my step to the VELVET a quick survey of the guestlist finds the words *Teep +1* written down under the name *global communications* (thank you benny boi!) sure enough my spidersense was ON. . .i walk into the bassheavy club soundsystem. . .the big budjet sound of reload presses up against my heart. . .it's a pure ambient 12am mix. . .heavenly! high up on the soundstage tom and mark stand busy behind a futball banner bearing the *G.C.* script. . .tom peers into an ENORMOUS monitor (at least 18" perhaps 25"!!). . .he works facing the crowd and occasionally speaks into a microphone. . .but we of course only hear the insides of an effects processor. . .breathy reload deepness and delayed piano spiral around the transfixed patrons is this the enlightenment?. . .pinch me. . .no, something more like the first few minutes of alpha phase. . .i'm not sure . . .but i'm smiling mark works to the back right a bit. . .their distinct separateness leads me to believe that we're getting this all live. . .i hold my breath in expectation. . .a skanky trap and bass combo ticks off time with the sound of a metronome. . .yikes!. . .this sounds a bit like the Link track. . .arcadian. . .with less phlange and more trap YES! this evolves into a more jazzy jam. . .things are going to take OFF!. . .but 45 minutes into the biz an unreloadian swinging 4/4 starts creeping up and into the mix. . .good god! josh wink has wrestled controll of the sound. . .crap!. . .mark and tom start packin it up. . .i watch Frankie behind Josh suck down a fattie and plan my approach to mr middleton. . .lock on target ;) i burst up to the stage and nip toms ear. . .big smiles erupt as the introductions pan out. . .a firm handshake confirms my confidence *Teep, it's great to meet you!. . .I feel like I already know you!* hot shit!. . .i rip off a few heartfelt compliments on the fine music heard tonight and pop the beggin question. . .are you touring? *next year* tom saiz. . .put that down as a strong possibility as quality sustains itself i can only see the global community of reload fans increasing. . .we discuss the *big budget* sound and i explain that this has nothing to do with money but rather a sound that lends itself well to comparisons to soundtrack music. . . tom agrees and imparts his desire to score a movie in the future i ask about the new single. . .more primero material on side one but what the hell is that on side two?? *morse code* saiz tom with a grin. . .haul out those walkie talkies kids and get cracking! after a short chat in which he assures me that i'll get a promo soon i hand him my homemade bizness card (one of three i brought) the kids from reload and crew are heading to see lil louie vega at the soundfactory bar. . .this of course only prompts more discussion as the masters names come flying out. . .each earning high praise from both tom and me. . .the praise peaks with the name Todd Terry tom explodes *ohhh yea!!* i mention the blackjack ep and toms eyes get wild. . .*that man is brilliant!* after a quick lesson i give up the reload handshake (pop your fists together like a highfive turned to highknuckles) my desire to hear mike kandel keeps me at the velvet till 4:30am. . .and as you'll find out in part two of this report. . .i should have taken up toms offer to go to see louie. . .but i'll save that stroy for monday here's a peek at what to expect. . .no magic mike. . .just casper the drunken ghost of techno past. . .a little domina and of course a lot of dave clarke. . .and a nightfull of masterblaster knockoffs ..... ..... ... . . ... ......TP...... .. .. ... ... .... .... Teep (aran@mitvmc.mit.edu) noPGPkey justcrypticashell