This Saturday Feb 4th Vice and music streaming service Rdio are taking over Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel and cramming it full of bands including Das Racist, Canyons, Alpine, Collarbones and Jonti with DJ sets from Twin Shadow & Austra.

Better yet it’s a free gig – you just need to win one of the 300 double passes, which also give you a free 7-day trial on Rdio.

I would totally be there if I wasn’t going to be going hard in the paint to Twin Shadow at Laneway Melbourne. That’s a thing, yeah?

Head to rdio.vice.com to enter.

Not in Sydney? No big deal. Enter for the chance to be flown (with three mates) to the show and get put up in a hotel room.

It’s my friend Gracie’s birthday today, so in celebration here’s a collection of my favourite / least favourite Grace-related jams.

Haruka Nakamura – Arne (from the Album ‘Grace’)

Pretty little song by a Japanese sample artist – steals a few bars from a Cardigans track.

Luminance – Grace (White Rooms @ Bedrock Remix)

2001 epich tranze r@ve remix by Andy Moor in his White Rooms disguise…

Miss Kittin – Grace

Cool bass-line

Miss Kittin – Grace (Sleeparchive Remix)

TERROR TECHNO – spins the OG from Kittin’s standard tech pop to apocalyptic floor-bomb. THE HORROR.

The View – Grace

She won’t like this, but it’s irresistibly cheerful and scottish. Like a pop-punk version of The Proclaimers

Romanthony – Falling From Grace

Dark and popping circa-1993 house groove from the voice on One More Time

Ruby – Grace

Some fucking shit-house trip-hop guff from 1991 that’s here cause I couldn’t find a link to the MEKON remix of it

Discodeine – Grace

Shuffling techno rhythms from the latest Ed Banger Comp. Probably one of the best tracks on the release. Which isn’t saying much innit.

Supergrass – Grace
CAN’T EMBED
http://youtu.be/tFZ7hqjCCAo
CLASSIC.

And, of course..

Jeff Buckley – Grace

HE DEAD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY M8. MISS U. CHEERS. BYE.

It takes a lot to get me out to a festival. Thousands of drunks crushing together isn’t usually my cup of tea. But last year Laneway converted me.

Not only did I get to catch the XX live but it was whilst sitting on a grassy hillside overlooking the sunny stage and the Maribyrnong river in the background. Barefoot with a beer in hand it was one of the better moments of last year.

The lineup this year takes it up a notch and I’m already looking forward to chilling out in the sun listening to the likes of Beach House, Warpaint and PVT.

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) -THE ANTLERS – ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – BEACH HOUSE – BEAR IN HEAVEN – BLONDE REDHEAD – CLOUD CONTROL – CUT COPY – DEERHUNTER – FOALS – GOTYE – THE HOLIDAYS – HOLY FUCK – LOCAL NATIVES – JENNY & JOHNNY – LES SAVY FAV – MENOMENA – PVT – RAT vs POSSUM (excluding Perth) – STORNOWAY – TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB – VIOLENT SOHO – WARPAINT – WORLD’S END PRESS – YEASAYER

Laneway is playing around Australia and in New Zealand with tickets for all Australian shows going on sale next Wednesday October 20.

Mon Jan 31 – AUCKLAND
Aotea Square, 303 Queen Street. Auckland Central
Fri Feb 4 – BRISBANE
Alexandria St off St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley (Twilight event)
Sat Feb 5 – MELBOURNE
Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC)
Sun Feb 6 – SYDNEY
Sydney College of the Arts (SCA), Rozelle
Fri Feb 11 – ADELAIDE
Fowler’s Live, North Terrace (Twilight event)
Sat Feb 12 – PERTH
Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge

Melbourne’s premiere alt-electronic hub Roxanne has come a long way over the last three years, going from being a semi-derelict, fifth floor fire trap to being a semi-derelict, fifth floor fire trap with a lift, an absolutely kicking soundsystem and an impeccable line in local and international DJs and events. Boy, the number of brain cells that I have sacrificed at this venue. It reminds me of this time that I… I… I’ve forgotten what I was going to write. Oh well, nothing to worry about I’m sure *eye twitch*.

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, Roxanne are of course throwing a party. THIS FRIDAY i.e. FUCKING TOMORROW, PUT IT IN YOUR DIARIES PEOPLE. FOR TOMORROW. Oops. I’m shouting AGAIN. I wonder why that KEEPS ON HAPPENING. Mmmm, brain cells.

In keeping with their grand tradition of killer DJs, Roxanne have managed to finagle the mighty Golden Bug as the headliner, with more than able support from local heroes G.L.O.V.E.S. And a shitload of others. As you can well see above. Best thing about having Golden Bug and G.L.O.V.E.S. on the same bill? Golden Bug remixed G.L.O.V.E.S. last year. And it was rad. How rad? This rad:

G.L.O.V.E.S. – PYX (Golden Bug Remix)

For more of the above make you sweet way down to Roxanne TOMORROW NIGHT. Tickets are $15 and there’s going to be an hour’s worth of FREE Coopers Clear to get proceedings started. So you know, get down early and get into it. It’s almost definitely guaranteed to be better than lying at home in the foetal position, crying and masturbating while you clutch a half-empty goonbag to your chest like an Academy Award for loneliness.

Yeah, it’ll probably be better than that.

-luke

Miike Snow’s latest piano driven pop-romp, Sylvia, has been given a touch up by Sinden.

Miike Snow – Sylvia (Sinden Remix)

Sinden’s remixes have flown under the radar a bit recently, as young bedroom upstarts force their way through the ranks, grabbing the focus from the big guns of ’08. This gets back to Sinden’s world bass sound, sketchy drum rhythms and percussion stabs just roll and roll over Miike Snow’s melancholic synth melodies. Tubby bass wobbles fill out the breaks. Vintage Sinden, euphoric-vocal-world-wobble-house you could call it if you’re genre minded and/or retarded.

Sinden’s playing a special set at the salubrious confines of GoodGod Small Club on Friday 15th (tomorrow) in Sydney. It’ll be up close and personal, close enough to tilt his hat in funny directions and still have time to run away before he slaps you.

Apparently (via the promoters) this gig is a ‘personal request from Sinden to play something different to a festival set, so he can drop his real favourite records in the real old school Sinden way!’. It’s not even listed on his MySpace, so expect something pretty mega (like tunes from the Mega EP omfg lol).

Tix here..

And check out the mini-mix he made for his Australian dates through the jump. Straight up EPIC bang0rz in rough and tumble Sinden style.

Sinden Mixtape for triple j radio

-Mandu

The Bicycle Film Festival rolls back into town with the launch night on the 11th of November in Sydney.

Think Nicole Kidman, BMX, fixies, bike polo and even recumbent cycling. Yes, even recumbents will be there – for better or worse. To make up for the recumbents the launch night will see Bridezilla, Jonathan Boulet, Deep Sea Arcade and Lions At Your Door take to the stage in support of the faithful pushie.

The festival was created to celebrate all thinks two wheeled through music, art, and film. It’s been running now for 9 years across 39 cities around the world with over 250,000 people expected to attend this year.

If you can’t make it to Sydney and have missed the rest of this years tour there is still the chance to catch up in other cities – including Melbourne in late November. Check out the Bicycle Film Festival website for more details.

x
Ned

P.S. Buy your tickets to the show at Moshtix!

Are coming to town! Not quite Santa, but pretty close. That is, if Santa delivered pre-wrapped rock solid beats and rode a sleigh made of tech-electro stylings! Yeah!

Well, that was a clumsy analogy.

So, those mighty purveyors of party at Strobe have managed to finagle both Boy 8-Bit and Feadz to play the same massive evening this Melbourne Cup Eve at Billboard. That oddly glossy, yet strangely endearing underground den of iniquity. Also, Cup Eve is November 2nd. In case you’ve missed it somehow. I mean, I find it as testicle-retractingly boring as the next man, but still. That shit is everywhere.

I can’t imagine either act need too much introduction, suffice to say that Boy 8-Bit has been one of the most diverse and consistent producers to emerge from the electro scene while Feadz could perhaps best be described as Ed Banger’s ghetto-tech-house wonder boy. Rather excitingly though, we have a DOUBLE PASS to give away to this sure to be party of catastrophic proportions. Both first and second release tickets have sold out, leaving only the $39 final round left, meaning you have the chance to save $78 whole dollaz and centz by simply emailing us at music@electrorash.com and explaining in 5 words or less your bestest, most dancefloor destroying dance move. 5 words.

Just to sweeten the deal, here be some music. From the B8B (not an accepted acronym) side of things we have ‘The Cricket Scores’, a slice of curiously melodic, yet crunchy granola-d funk off his 2008 Suspense is Killing Me EP. Recently heard on Modeselektor’s pretty cranking Body Language 8 Mix. Well worth checking out.

Boy 8-Bit – The Cricket Scores

And Feadz-wise, here be another stonking slab of Modeselektor delight, his take on Happy Birthday! stand-out track ‘Sucker Pin’. It’s a relentless stomper to begin with, but Feadz really takes it up a notch, folding the original synth-line back over itself while filling it with reams of build ups and party-house samples. Pretty great, and a sure sign of what to expect.

Modeselektor – Suckerpin (Feadz Remix)

-luke

P.S. If you’re wondering, that picture comes off Boy 8-Bit’s Myspace. If someone has actually created a Village People of dogs, I will shit myself with happiness.

Following on from his rather large Splendour in the Grass campaign, (youtube “Yuksek Splendour” and you’ll know what I mean) Yuksek is bringing his batshit mental electro stylings to ol’ Melbourne town this Sunday the 2nd of August. And if you’re from up north (i.e. Brisbane), you can catch him at Lickit this Friday the 31st.

His new “Away from the Sea” album features the Triple J fave single “Tonight” and also features collaborations with Chromeo, Amanda Blank and Shit Disco. He also has a fairly intimidating array of remixes behind him, having covered Phoenix, AutoKratz, Peaches, Ghostface Killah and a shitload more.

Rather excitingly, Electrorash has been given four double passes to giveaway: two for Melbourne and two for Brissy. If you’re keen to get your hands on these tickets (and goddamit, you should be) send an email describing in 5 words or less what you would “Yuksek” for them to music@electrorash.com.

Failing that, tix for the Melbourne gig can be bought here and Brisbane can be picked up
here.

-blake

Supporting Marina & the Diamonds at a Neon Gold event in London next week, Guy Connelly aka Clock Opera, is definitely one to watch. Connelly, who has been fronting the London-based band, the Corrections, is now blending his cripplingly good vocals with an eruption of twinkling samples and urgent keyboard stabs to very pretty effect. It’s like capturing the melodrama of Wolf Parade inside an oversized pocket watch and watching it duck and weave around the tireless ticking of its giant cogs and gears. Visit his Myspace page for more, and Neon Gold Records’ blog for details on the upcoming show.

Clock Opera – Once and for All

- bec

Every time I look at the title of this blog, my mind flies back to the heady days of 2007; the year when electro first exploded into the mainstream, propelled forward on a wave of stomping house beats spliced with synth-rock and electroclash sensibilities. I remember thinking at the time how amazing it was that good dance music had managed to recapture melody from the all-consuming shit-mouth that was anthem trance and disco house. After all this time mired in the subwoofer, there was melody. Melody was going to save us all.

And then I’m back in the present and I think to myself ‘thank Christ, bass is back’. It was like we all hit 2008, got halfway through and realised that dance music without bass is, well Top 40 really. And we’re better than that. Fidget, kuduru, UK funky, dubstep, bassline, ghettotech – they all seem to be on a mission to bring dance music back to the dark, dirty and booty-shaking subterranean chambers where it belongs. And Melbourne promoters Strobe are welcoming it with open arms. After tearing Melbourne to shreds back in February with a Proxy/Thomas von Party double header, Strobe are taking it up a notch this Friday the 22nd with a decidedly massive triple bill featuring Jesse Rose, Zombie Disco Squad and Oliver $. And we have tickets to give away to it. See the bottom for details.

Jesse Rose should need little introduction by now. The man was one of the major players in the fidget scene when it swept the world early last year (and apparently one of the guys who coined the term as a joke in the first place), and nowadays finds himself at the forefront of this new brigade of bass-heavy house music mercenaries. Currently signed to the genre-defining Dubsided label, he’s recently completed an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 (available here) and has a brand new album due out the day after the party. It’s called ‘What Do You Do If I Don’t?’, and best of all you get a free copy of the CD with entry. It’s stomping, surprisingly jazzy and pretty awesome, and you can check out a track that is all three of those things below.

Jesse Rose – Touch My Horn

Zombie Disco Squad are one of the pioneers of the so-called (and potentially racist…) Zulu house sound. Melding fidget with baile, bmore, hip-hop and African tribal funk, the ZDS boys push a relentless, mind-destroying brand of house music that oscillates wildly between clipped hip-hop samples, quirky synth stabs and pounding house beats. They’re just about to drop their new double A-side ‘Esperanto’/'Eurovision’ on Jesse Rose’s own Made To Play imprint and I assure you, it is reliably massive:

Zombie Disco Squad – Eurovision

And, finally, Oliver $. I must admit that up until recently I hadn’t really heard of the man, but he’s doing big things in Berlin at the moment and has a fairly esteemed position as one of Jesse Rose’s primary proteges. Straddling the fine line between booty house and minimal, Oliver $ is being championed by both sides of the spectrum due to his unique and decidedly understated approach to making some of the funkier dance music of the last year. Dubstep worthy bass, snatched vocal samples and bouncing kicks. This is just, in a phrase, fucking cool.

Oliver $ – Watcha Gonna Do

It’s all happening this Friday, May 22 at Billboards in Melbourne. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased from Moshtix and Ticketek. I can thoroughly recommend it. I’m almost positive this party is going to be batshit mental.

Even better though, we here at Electrorash have a double pass to give away to one oooooooh so lucky reader. How awesome? So awesome. Simply send an email to music@electrorash.com with STROBE in the subject line, and tell us in 10 words or less how you’re going to deal with the coming zombie invasion (the real zombies, not the Disco Squad). Get onto it! I’ll see you there.

-luke