Ian O'Donavon Aurora Borealis

Better late than never, I have just caught up with this incredible offering from John Digweed’s Bedrock label, from an artist called Ian O’Donavon, featuring three top tracks, the title track Aurora Borealis along with Indigo Eyes and Horizons.

Aurora Borealis is a stunning and massive track featuring beautiful haunting harmonies and pulsating electronics the single fades and rises to brilliant effect.

No wonder Aurora Borealis is getting big club plays and credit to Bedrock for recognising yet another new talent who will surely emerge further during 2010.

Both Indigo Eyes and Horizon show off Ian O’Donavon’s exciting productions, coming from different angles to the title track but achieving similar results in putting a smile on the face and getting the foot tapping!

About Ian O’Donavon

After spending much of his youth listening to various styles of music, Ian came across the world of underground electronic music. It was so refreshing and different to all the formatted songs and “cheesy” dance tracks of the time, he quickly began to immerse himself in this music and the scene itself. Influenced by artists such as Steve Rachmad, Underground Resistance, Technasia and DJs like Laurent Garnier, Jeff Mills and DJ Hell, Ian began DJing and seeking out the records that would go on to play an important part in defining his sound.

It wasn’t until he moved to Australia in 2005, that he began to create his own tracks, slowly teaching himself and developing his sound. After nearly four years living in Oz, Ian decided to return to Ireland in 2009 and focus more of his attention on making music, determined to help break the cycle of the boring, soulless “minimal” fad that had dominated house and techno in previous years.

With early support on many of his tracks from the likes of Laurent Garnier, John Digweed, Dave Clarke, Anderson Noise, Hernan Cattaneo, Psycatron and more, the future looks bright for Ian with hot releases on Hype Muzik as well as John Digweed’s Bedrock Records.

Ian O’Donovan
A1 – Aurora Borealis
B1 – Horizons
B2 – Indigo Eyes
(Bedrock) Bed90
12” Vinyl & Beatport Exclusive

For further information visit the Ian O’Donavon My Space.

After a successful launch, the second party will take place on 31st July 2010 and includes two guests who shouldn’t need much of an introduction.  Germany’s Move D & Birmingham’s Mark E each have their own distinctive style and sound.

Their prolific productions are quickly snapped up by respected labels like Running Back, Liebe Detail and of course Electric Minds who commissioned Mark E’s remix skills for the 2009 Arthur Russell Project.  Both DJ internationally regularly so it’s a pleasure to be able to bring them to our London party.

DJ History regulars 102 eh? and Dolan Bergin also join the line up, making full use of the Funktion One sound system that will be installed for all four parties.

The first 2010 party sold out days in advance and with a limited capacity these parties become more and more popular.  Tickets can be purchased in advance from Resident Advisor.

Electric Minds
with Move D, Mark E, Dolan Bergin & 102 eh?
Music Style: Deep Techno, House & Disco

Saturday 31st July 2010 – 10pm-6am
Email info@electricminds.co.uk for tickets
Nearest Transport: Old Street Tube

For more information visit www.electricminds.co.uk

Here is a great video interview with minimal techno supremo, Richie Hawtin.

Bringing together the world’s leading and most relevant innovators in music, art, film, design and architecture, VICE and Intel Corporation last month launched The Creators Project, an unprecedented creative initiative designed to connect global youth through a common passion for creativity and technology.

The multi-year program is dedicated to identifying leading artists and enabling them to showcase their works and artistic visions through interactive media including creative conferences, new multi-disciplinary collaborative projects and a new video website.

The carefully selected collection of more than 80 artists hailing from seven countries includes such established creative pioneers as Phoenix, UNKLE, Stefan Sagmeister, Mira Calix and Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as the next generation of innovators working in indie film, futuristic architecture, avant-garde electronica and fashion. These include Brazil’s Muti Randolph, China’s Peng Lei, the U.K.’s United Visual Artists, and the U.S.’ Radical Friend.

This diverse cast of creators is united by their shared belief that technology and its tools are catalysts to push artistic boundaries and bring ideas to life.

The project is highlighted by The Creators Conference series. These five huge international events will bring thousands of people together for live concerts, art exhibits, film screenings and panel discussions. New York City hosts the first Creators Conference with an all-day extravaganza at Milk Studios. The eight-floor art gallery and performance space will host exhibits by Takeshi Murata, Karl Sadler, Mark Essen and Radical Friend, and performances by Mark Ronson, Interpol, Gang Gang Dance, N.A.S.A, Sleigh Bells and Salem.

The series will then move to London, Sao Paulo, Seoul, and concludes in Beijing with a three-day finale where participating artists and exhibits will be flown in from the across the globe.

The Creators Project kicked off last month with the launch of the website, an interactive portal and anthology which will house a selection of eighty-four original videos and featuring work and interviews from the most creative artists across the globe. The site is the nerve center for the entire initiative and will live-stream interviews, performances, exhibits and panel discussions from the Creators Conferences, allowing millions of viewers from across the globe to virtually participate.

Ian O’Donovan - Aurora Borealis on Bedrock Records

With a rhythm reminiscent of Pump Up The Volume and an uptempo Voodoo Ray, Ian O’Donovan’s Aurora Borealis invokes a retro dry ice-filled small club full of sweaty happy smiles and whistles.

Aurora Borealis is a chilled uplifting techno trance, this is refreshing, something old something new.  A contemporary take on a retro sound.

John Digweed’s Bedrock label continues to release top tunes, another to add to the catalogue of fine tunes following King Unique, Cristian Varela and Quivver.

After spending much of his youth listening to various styles of music, Ian came across the world of underground electronic music. It was so refreshing and different to all the formatted songs and “cheesy” dance tracks of the time, he quickly began to immerse himself in this music and the scene itself.

Influenced by artists such as Steve Rachmad, Underground Resistance, Technasia and DJs like Laurent Garnier, Jeff Mills and DJ Hell, Ian O’Donovan began DJing and seeking out the records that would go on to play an important part in defining his sound.

It wasn’t until he moved to Australia in 2005, that he began to create his own tracks, slowly teaching himself and developing his sound. After nearly four years living in Oz, Ian O’Donovan decided to return to Ireland in 2009 and focus more of his attention on making music, determined to help break the cycle of the boring, soulless “minimal” fad that had dominated house and techno in previous years.

With early support on many of his tracks from the likes of Laurent Garnier, John Digweed, Dave Clarke, Anderson Noise, Hernan Cattaneo, Psycatron and more, the future looks bright for Ian with hot releases on Hype Muzik as well as John Digweed’s Bedrock Records.

Ian O’Donovan – Aurora Borealis tracklisting:
A1 – Aurora Borealis
B1 – Horizons
B2 – Indigo Eyes

Ian O’Donovan – Aurora Borealis (Bedrock) Bed90 will be released as a 12” Vinyl & Beatport Exclusive (on 14 June 2010)

For more information on Bedrock releases visit www.bedrock.org.uk

For more information on Ian O’ Donovan visit MySpace and Soundcloud.

Let's Gdansk New London Club Night

Let’s Gdansk is a brand new London club night exploring the plush, outer-reaches of melody-licked disco-house and deep atmospheric techno; kicking it’s musical manifesto off in the confines of one of East London’s finest new intimate venues, The Hobby Horse.

Guests include two of East London’s rising stars – Foolish Horse. Oli and Andy have been regulars on the London club circuit over the last two years and they’ve just recently signed up to the 54 Music imprint in a bid to bring their sublime, cutting edge house magic to the masses.

The opening night is Friday 28th May and is free entry all night!

Featuring:
Foolish Horse (54 Music)
Throwing Shapes (The Disassociates / Red Light)
Stevie Chan (Get Stuck In)
Craig Allison (The 9000)

Let’s Gdansk
The Hobby Horse
281 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8AZ

9PM to 3AM

James Holden - DJ Kicks Launch Party

James Holden will be joined by Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet (DJ set) and DJ Avus (Border Community) for a DJ Kicks CD launch party at the Village Underground, east London on Friday 11th June.

Magic and Medicine has been brewing up a feast of sonic night time adventures over the past 3 years with a who’s who list of pioneering electronic acts from around the world. Global events have included Monza Club (Ibiza) Get Physical Night (Berlin) Kitsune Maison (Paris) Modular Party (Sydney) DFA (New York) Plus our own ground-breaking series of after-dark London entertainment – Neon Noise Project.

The venue couldn’t be more perfect a urban international platform for creativity and culture, the raw restored Victorian Warehouse has held parties for Hot Chip, Chromeo Major Lazer and Four Tet to name a few.

Head of the zeitgeist-defining Border Community record label with a boundary pushing roster of acts has helped cement Holden reputation and break through into the European elite and become known worldwide as a genius in adventurous, progressive electronic sounds and the British techno sorcerer and psychedelic shaman.

So revered are his talents that he’s been tapped to remix some of pop music most eminent stars, including Madonna, Depeche Mode, & Britney Spears, though as his road blocked dj appearances and DJ Kicks mix demonstrates, his tastes tend more to the cerebral than those associations suggest.

A forward thinking Border act roster of artist such as Avus, Nathan Fake & Extrawelt can count themselves along with Holden as that very modern breed of DJ with a special knack for layering the most surprising of records with an unparalleled musical ear.

His status as a free-spirit unconstrained by genre or scene is now championed by independent label stalwart !K7 and London promoters magic & medicine to deliver a one night only showcase of his mind bending deck selections and skills in celebration of the next installment in their definitive mix series DJ KiCKS.

Teaming up on the decks with good friend and technical wizard Kieran Hebden – aka Four Tet a very special party lay ahead as two of the most exciting UK DJ and producers no doubt will offer some back to back action.

Over the last couple of years, Hebden has seen his sound become more and more influenced by house, techno and minimal, echoing his move to become a more active DJ on the scene. He’s certainly been no stranger to London’s dance floors, holding down residencies at James Holden’s Border Community parties.

Hebden has released no less than four full-length collaborations with the veteran American free-jazz drummer Steve Reid and a 12-inch vinyl hook-up with old school
mate Burial across the last five year.

Plus in support is Avus, Border Community’s acid house obsessive, a established and accomplished DJ of high pedigree and regular warm up man taking control of the resident slot at the Border label parties over the last 3 years.

James Holden – DJ Kicks Party
Friday 11th June / 10pm – 5:30am
Village Underground – 54 Holywell Lane  Shoreditch  EC2A 3PQ

The single will feature two tracks from the album Central, each representing the purest Technasia style. Esperance is on the A side, a funky track in constant motion with a huge chord progression.

The gritty street-level techno of Innocuous Clouds on the B-side doesn’t forget that dance music rightfully belongs on the dancefloor. So this new single is sure to become a cherished tool for DJs across the house and techno spectrum.

While both tracks are worthy of release purely for club or dance pleasure, the album from which they are taken is an altogether different animal. Central is an amazing collection of tracks that form a complete journey through the senses, making this collection of tracks one of the stand out moments musically so far this year.

Technasia – Esperance

For more information vist the Technasia website.

Technasia – Esperance/Innocuous Clouds is available as 12″(TA11) & digital release on 10.05.2010

Technasia  – Central is released on Technasia Records on 31.05.2010

technasia - central

Central is the first new album from Technasia in five years, it took a year in the making and is set to become one of the musical highlights of 2010.

Taking its name from the Hong Kong metro system Central is essentially a journey through the senses that at times is both refreshing and familiar, while in places downright comforting.

The ride also has its moments of austerity and darkness as any journey would and as a result Central works on an instant aural level as well as a deeper emotional level. It is very different to its contemporaries because it is designed to get under your skin.

Central takes the listener into a musical universe that whisks them from the beautiful and peaceful midnight cityscapes (Music To Watch The City Lights Late At Night) to incredible Balearic sunsets (Tu Isla) and into the stark dark bowels of underground clubland, possibly somewhere just outside Chicago (Aries).

There is indeed a melodic soul to Central that raises it above others, the album not only transcends trends as it is designed to do, but also transcends the boundaries of electronic music, making it an album that is instantly accessible even to those who do not specifically follow the electronic genre.

Technasia mainstay Charles Siegling says:

“I deliberately avoided writing a record to reflect the current scene, I wanted to do something that would last, to simply compose music the way I want to, and to reflect my different musical tastes. After a year of hard work I’m very
pleased – I have achieved everything I set out to do.”

An excellent achievement.

Technasia – Central is released on Technasia Records on May 31st.

TECHNASIA TOUR DATES:

APRIL
17 HOT HOUSE OF TECHNO @TRIANGLE, ST. VITH, BELGIUM
30 NITSA, BARCELONA, SPAIN

MAY
07 INOX ELECTRONIC FESTIVAL, TOULOUSE, FRANCE
08 DOLLYSSEUS, NICE, FRANCE
15 BETA CLUB, LA CORUNA, SPAIN
22 BCM, PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN
28 ROMY S. STUTTGART, GERMANY
29 THE STIFF KITTEN, BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK

For further information visit the Technasia website.

Umek ‘Responding to Dynamic’

Umek ‘Responding to Dynamic’ (1605 Music Therapy)

The face and ambassador of the Slovenian techno scene Umek unleashes ‘Responding to Dynamic’ a new album release on his label just ahead of his intense summer tour schedule.  The sound as to be expected from him is intense, hard, driving, complicated and very good.

He seems to have developed a slightly more exaggerated sense of space between the beats, so that an element of bouncy funk is superimposed amongst the driving beeps and sound effects.  ‘Pedestrian’ contains moments such as these and also manages to climax midway through the track into a massive cacophony of sound.  The title track of the LP ‘Responding to Dynamic’ is full of the rapid fire beats and looped synths that work to hypnotise and help get you locked into the groove.

The album shows a bit more restraint to some of his earlier releases and I think is all the more enjoyable.  Umek’s DJing tends to suck you into a vortex of sound throw you around and smash you into the sides a bit then spit you out, exhausted, bruised but exhilarated no less.  This new album does that but it is as though he has cushioned the vortex with bubble wrap.  The sound is remains relentless but is also is a lot more forgiving aural experience.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/djumek

Balance Series 016: Agoria

In two separate hour long mixes for the Balance Series, Agoria (French Techno Producer Sebastien Devaud) blends atmospheric, oblique at times electronica that sends you on such a journey you can’t help but wonder at the end of it just where it is you have gone and come back to.

The first CD is full of haunting melodies that start off quiet then climax to a lushness you’d expect to find in movie soundtracks.  Guitar riffs jostle for space amongst house beats superimposed with opera vocals.

Driving bass lines are filled out and rounded by stripped out vocals that gets smashed straight into an old school disco sound straight from the it’s New York hey days.  Agoria’s blending of so many different genres typifies the moniker of the compilation series- Balance.

The second CD moves us out of the 9 am post party warm fug created by the first CD and sends us back onto the dance floor with a more recognizable Techno sound.  It seems Agoria’s talent is to include the persistent 4/4 beat whilst manipulating off kilter tracks and layering them.

He cleverly plays tracks then later re-introduces key parts of them further into the mix.  The musical journey becomes full of moments of recognition that requires a certain level of attentive listening.  The pay off for this listening is your head exploding with the madness and brilliantness of his composition.

He hasn’t been indulgent of only big name artists for the mixes but cuts and splices the well known such as LCD Soundsystem, Tosca, Mark Broom and his own production with 12 new artist’s unreleased tracks, including Kid A, The Same and Arandel.

I think this gives freshness to both CD’s and shows not only an incredible talent but also a desire to forge his own path and create a very unique sound.   I would love to see him DJ, I can’t imagine how overwhelming his set would be.  He’s playing at Fabric the 13th of this month.  I highly recommend going there.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/agoriagoria