MBAR

Say hello to Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson.

Here at IM//UR we prefer to do interviews the old fashioned way; face to face. But in this international day and age, with the internet at your every convenience and inconvenience, it simply must be used. So I'm putting this interview down to virtual (mis?)communication. Daaaaang I must have been in some kind of wonderful mood when I wrote these questions. Maybe I'd taken too much in of his press bio and the interviews I'd read. Maybe I was just in the mood to provoke. Either way, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson is most definitely an entity to be reckoned with, musically and, well, email-ably.

With a wry grin and a somewhat weary shrug at life, a devil may care kind of whimsy in a musical smirk, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson is full of a shuddering kind of strength and a tough tenderness. So we rumbled via email.

Check the interview after the jump >>

Starsmith already stole our heart with his remix for Marina and the Diamonds, now he strikes again with the help of another girl that we also love, Ellie Goulding. The target is one of the best songs of 2008, Passion Pit's 'Sleepyhead', and the result is a melodic and charismatic cover that erases the weird voices and synths from the original and introduces a more organic feel to it. Now we can finally have sweet dreams about sleepyhead.

The producer did an exclusive summer mix for the blog of the label Neon Gold (home to himself, Ellie and Passion Pit). It's a 5 minute long mix with songs from classic artists Michael Jackson, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, newbies Little Boots and Marina and the Diamonds, and the ever awesome Destiny's Child and Will Smith. You'll want to find out who else is on this mix after the jump. So. Good!

Tracklist

Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

Destiny's Child - Say My Name

Little Boots - New In Town

Will Smith - Wild Wild West

Heads We Dance - Sirens

Michael Jackson - Rock With You

Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed

Another month is ending which means the amazing Belgium duo Aeroplane has another mix with the top 10 songs of the month. If you don't know who they are, you better Google that name to be introduced to a blissful word of dreamy synths and energetic bass lines to be delicately poured onto classy dancefloors around the world.

Aeroplane Mix Chart July 2009 by Aeroplane

Tracklist

1.Siriusmo - High Together
2.Lindström - The Magnificient
3.Zepp001 - Don't Sleep
4.Chamboché - Feverish ( The Revenge Remix )
5.Faze Action - I Wanna Dancer ( Disco, Rock, Dub Mix )
6.Killa Kela - Everyday ( Lalory remix )
7.Freeland - Borderline ( Grum Remix )
8.Fred Falke - Chicago (Extended Mix )
9.Makossa Megablast - Juno
10.Rhythm Droid - Sunrise on Planet Tokyo 

The English band Noah and the Whale is going to release their second album at the end of August. If the first album was a non-challeging but highly enjoyable compilation of indie folk songs, the second coming, The First Days of Spring, is bolder and taking more risks by developing a soft electronic side. Think of a British Fleet Foxes led by Johnny Flynn and graced with the epic feel of Arcade Fire.

If that wasn't enough to make your heart skip a beat, the album will be centered on a story about the "disillusion of a relationship" and will be released alongside a film of the same name.  "I have repeatedly struggled to find a concise way to describe the relationship between the two [album and film]. I resist the term 'feature length music video' as it is a narrative film but its backbone is the soundtrack. The narrative of the film and the narrative of the album are not the same but they are complimentary." Explains the band on their official website.

For the anxious, you can check the brillant trailer for the film below. The trailer features the first single 'Blue Skies' as the soundtrack.

And for a band that was daring enough to make a film and an album together, you would expect them to have some top notch remixes, right?

That's why they chose The Twelves and Yacht to lay their synths into the folk extructure of 'Blue Skies'. Both opted for a disco feel, relying on great bass lines and moody synths. But whilst Yacht goes weird, the Twelves highlight the pop soul of the original.

I don't think any other band can match the standards of this release this year. 

While Christel has been hollering around New York and watching some really good gigs, I was in the countryside of Brazil staying at my parent's for 10 days (that is the cause of the lack of posts). It should be back to normal this week. Sorry.

The Very Best @ NYC

photograph by Santiago Felipe

One of the gigs that Christel went to last week was from the brillant Afro-pop fusion project of the Swedish duo Radioclit with the Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya known as The Very Best. In the middle of the gig Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig went to the stage to sing 'Warm Heart Of Africa'. The amazingly sunny song just becomes The Very Best new single which means that we have a packet of remixes to download.

After being remixed by Radioclit in their latest single, Metronomy  returns the favor by making 'Warm Heart Of Africa' an extraordinary mix of lazy synths and funky bass. It's not only a total different song, it's a Metronomy remix. So, yes, you know it's good.

Also very good, is the brass section used in the Architecture In Helsiniki remix. It's captured the 20s so well that you can almost see black & white girls with perfectly symmetrical hair and white pearls smoking long cigarrettes and doing those silly dances.

So, who do you think parties harder - Sao Paulo or London?

By now you'll know that we're blowing up Sao Paulo, Brazil, with The Golden Filter at world famous Clash Club on the 5th of August - but we couldn't leave out London this time.

So the ever fabulous BISTROTHEQUE is playing host to IM//A\\PARTY this Friday!

WHEN: Friday 31st JULY 2009
TIME: 8pm-Midnight
WHERE: BISTROTHEQUE, 23-27 Wadeson St LONDON

with DJ SETS FROM:

The deadly wicked O CHILDREN

The delectable and darkly danceable MODERNAIRE

and WE//R\\DJs

plus SPECIAL uber fashionable GUESTS: FAJ

and

VENUE TRANSFORMATION/DESIGN by:

LIGHTNING AND KINGLYFACE

it's going to be the POO so take a big WHIFF.

[ Let's all run to Drunky Town]

Após trazer com exclusividade ao Brasil a cantora pop francesa Yelle e a dupla de synthpop australiana Bag Raiders, a festa IM//A\\PARTY firma parceria com o Clash, um dos melhores clubes do mundo, segundo a revista inglesa DJ Mag, e aposta no electro disco da dupla nova-iorquina The Golden Fliter.

A dupla que surgiu como projeto secreto no final de 2008, alcançou sucesso rápido com seu single de estréia "Solid Gold" que os projetou às passarelas dos principais desfiles do mundo - incluindo os brasileiros São Paulo Fashion Week e Casa dos Criadores, onde foi alçada a música oficial do evento - e aos principais clubes. Tamanha exposição acabou levando a dupla a assinar com o selo francês Kitsuné, onde lançaram a faixa "Favorite Things" dentro da celebrada compilação Maison Kitsuné 7, ao lado de nomes como La Roux, Phoenix e Heartsrevolution.

Após chamar a atenção dos principais blogs e sites do mundo, a banda recebeu inúmeros convites para remixarem oficialmente artistas contemporâneos como Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Little Boots, Peter Bjorn & John e Polly Scattergood. O duo nova-iorquino também foi escolhido pessoalmente pela dupla australiana The Presets para abrir os shows de sua turnê americana.

Dotados de sintetizadores, baterias, samples e voz, a dupla traz, pela primeira vez, o seu live ao Brasil. O som da dupla é um sofisticado encontro entre as melhores linhas de baixo dos anos 80 com a excelência de sintetizadores atuais. Sendo uma das principais bandas do movimento "Neo Disco", estilo no qual o jornal inglês The Guardian anunciou como sendo a aposta do ano. Neste momento a dupla encontra-se gravando o seu álbum de estreia que deve sair no primeiro semestre de 2010.

Ao lado dos americanos, o show dos brasileiros do Stop Play Moon, que dividem muitas de suas referências com o Golden Filter - da efervescência do mundo da moda ao imediatismo do mundo da música. Geanine Marques, a vocalista do trio, é a musa do estilista internacionalmente famoso Alexandre Hechcovitch, enquanto Paulo Bega, sintetizadores e guitarra, encabeça diversos projetos artísticos - da revista Gudi ao projeto solo Motel. Já o diretor de arte e DJ Ricardo Athayde comanda a bateria do trio, que se torna um quarteto ao vivo.

Os DJs convidados da noite são o Gil Barbara, Database e WE//R\\DJs, combo formado pelos organizadores da festa, os jornalistas Raphael Caffarena e Christel Escosa (AUS/UK).

O residente Gil Barbara é ícone da cena paulistana, tendo começado a tocar há cerca de 20 anos e se apresentado pelos principais clubes do Brasil. Gil também é responsável pela criação do primeiro e mais respeitado site de música eletrônica local, o rraurl, que já conta com 12 anos de existência. Sua experiência é traduzida no balanço entre clássicos e novidades da música apresentado com muita técnica. Espere ouvir o melhor do synthpop dos últimos 20 anos em uma hora de set.

Já o Database é a união dos produtores Yuri Chix e Lucio Morais que entre produções próprias, remixes e sets já chamaram atenção de nomes como Norman Cook, mais conhecido como Fatboy Slim, que além de encomendar remixes com a dupla, também está lançando um single deles por sua gravadora, a Southern Fried. A dupla, que já passou por festivais como TIM Festival, Haagen Dazs e Eletronika, está prestes a entrar em sua primeira turnê internacional.

IM//A\\PARTY @ CLASH (5 de agosto / quarta-feira) - 23 horas
- THE GOLDEN FILTER (live), Stop Play Moon (Live), Database (Ugly Edits set), Gil Barbara e WE//R\\DJs
R$ 40,00 COM FLYER E LISTA
R$ 50,00 SEM FLYER E LISTA
Clash Club, Rua Barra Funda, 969
tel: 3661-1500, censura 18 anos.
www.clashclub.com.br
Estacionamento com manobrista: R$18 

At the East River Side Jelly Pool Parties

Formerly held at the Mccarren Pool site, the Jelly Pool Parties have this year found themselves on the east side banks of the East River, with this amazing view of Manhattan as a backdrop. Look at those Lion-King-Circle-of-Life type rays of sunshine decorating the skyline like a halo.

Gig goers heading over to the river side

The crowd wandering in spanned about four blocks leading up to the venue, with gig goers heading over not only for the bands, but to rumble in fiercely competitive games of Dodgeball (trrrrust they were fierce, I kept waiting for some unsuspecting bystander to get smacked in the head...my patience was rewarded) basketball and sunbathing.

DODGEBALL

This popular summer Sunday gig series boasts a truly great line-up from mid-July to the end of August, playing host to acts like Pony Tail, Crystal Antlers, Dirty Projectors, Health, The Black Lips, Deerhunter, Max Tundra, Girl Talk and Grizzly Bear to name drop a few. Last weekend saw Crystal Antlers, Magnolia Electric Co and Dirty Projectors take the stage and we rolled in just in time for Dirty Projectors' set.

From behind the stage, it's Dirty Projectors

The sounds of Dave Longstreth and his extended live line-up of Angel Deradoorian, Amber Coffman, Brian Mcomber with bassist Nat Baldwin and vocalist Haley Dekle boomed over the audience; with Dirty Projectors' trademark fidgety guitar and lush vocal orchestrations being met with warm appreciation and cheers.

Sundown and a really big balloon?

It was a great afternoon, with a supremely chilled kind of atmosphere, and for a sunny Sunday afternoon outdoors, everyone was really rather civilised and surprisingly neat (though maybe I'm just used to Londoners going mad for sun and at any opportunity will get absolutely smashed on a Sunday out of doors with any hint of sunshine in the atmosphere. MISS YOU LONDON).

This Sunday the line-up looks like: And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Black Lips, Health, Grupo Fantasma.

SEE YOU THERE, BITCHES, I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN ON THE DODGEBALL COURT. While you're warming up for that, here's a live version of Dirty Projectors' melismatic swervings on 'Useful Chamber' for you.