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Showing posts from February 1, 2004

now playing february 2004

by Ben Ramsey ~ I like lists. I like making them and I like reading them. If you have top 10’s or reviews or anything, post them over in the music section of the forum. I was thinking about some records I was going to take over to a friend’s house this weekend. The kids will be mainly indie rock kids and hip-hop kids in Lawrence and my role is going to mainly be playing some stuff when the main dj doesn’t want to play. Of the stuff I pulled out, these are the first 10 I grab out of that stack: The Cure – “just like heaven” 12” – Yeah the original 12” release of this . . . I just put on the b-side to it and . . . yeah the A will go over fine though I’m sure. One of the wonders of buying 50 cent records at goodwill. Deltron 3030 2x12 LP – You can’t go wrong here. Music for Modern Living 2x12 compilation – a Recycled Sounds find from quite a while go – Kruder & Dorfmeister, Nicolette, Combustible Edison, Jimi Tenor – and yet the other unknown artists actually have the more out

from the bench

by J. Phoenix ~ Music is something both abstract and concrete. Concrete in that it exists, sound waves through the air, contained on sheets of paper, grooves in a record, zeros and one's on a CD. It becomes abstract when we begin analyzing it, trying to break down why something sounds like it does, how a sound was created, or arranged. Electronic music goes one further from traditional music by breaking down barriers of what can be actually be played by a human being with an instrument, or things like tonality and scale in reference to notes. This can make electronic music difficult to talk about, without resorting to focusing on the personalities behind the music, or specific traits of a genre. This presents a problem for beginning creators of electronic music. If you're working by yourself, without someone to guide you, it can be very hard to find information about how to do what you want to, or understanding the information you do find. When I started there were very few

february around the kc metro

Mondays Industrial Area Productions is definitely expanding their horizons with a new attitude and a new look for their weekly at Davey's Uptown, called Evolution. Using both rooms they are taking on a more Non-Partisan approach to Electronic Music Education. The front Bar room Music has a more electic feel where pretty much anything goes. The Back Room, with it's dance floor and superior sound system provide a contrast with everything from A-Z, Electronically speaking and depending upon the guests for the night. If you haven't had a look or a listen, be sure to stop in some Monday night and check it out. Tuesdays This is kind of strange day with no definite crowd at any specific place. Most people tend to stick to the places they know or are close by their homes. Mike's Tavern is probably one of the most homey places to hang, have a beer and shoot some pool to the sounds of various Electronic DJs. If you're clear out South though, stop in at Hannah's Bistr

free music

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by Ben Ramsey ~ I recently realized that I have never owned a Mudhoney album, and the fact that I’ve never had one of their albums means I haven’t really fulfilled the Singles thing. There is an interesting place to turn if you're like me and have never owned a Mudhoney album. Almost surprisingly, it's the local library systems. Have you ever looked at what your tax dollars bought? The largest local library systems – the Kansas City Public Library system, Mid-Continent, and Johnson County are stacked with great free music. Just searching for Mudhoney in the KCPL system yielded the Singles soundtrack, as well as Mudhoney’s album from 2000, and a find – a two-disc comp called Gimmie Indie Rock with Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr., Minutemen, The Fall, Galaxie 500, and a ton of others. I tell the online system I want it, it reserves it at the most convenient branch to me, and the system emails me within a few days when it’s in. Now, of course, these systems are not going to have the

lunatik

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by Brent Crampton ~ photo by SteveO ~ Lunatik, aka Aaron Godbout, is a DJ always on the edge of electronic music. Throughout the years, his styles have graced the sounds of reggae, break beats, two-step and electro techno bangers. Lunatik is like the emporium of the midwest, always traveling around the globe, to see the who's who and the what's what of electronic music, and then bringing it back to Omaha. His production company, AM, has brought in top notch names to Omaha such as H Foundation, Nigel Richards, Frankie Bones, Keith Kemp and Rowland the Bastard to name a few. And now recently, he has begun work on his new record label, Wreckless Recordings. So expect this star studded selecta to rise in the ranks. Where do you live? I currently reside in Omaha, Nebraska. How long have you been mixing and who do you play for? I have been mixing for almost 10 years. I represent 519AM.com, AM Industries, Wreckless Recordings, and Technomaha.com Tell me more about your new

fireside chat with negro scoe

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interview by Scott Venable ~ photos by todd CD title: Negro Scoe presents Absurd Sin in: Different Than You Artist: Negro Scoe of the Hip Hop Addicts Who are the Hip Hop Addicts? We’re a group of MCs that originated in Southern California. The other members are Hijinx, Acre Antics, and a homie of mine that passed away a few years ago named James Martinez who we called Menace1. Since moving here there’s a new breed of Hip Hop Addicts. It’s me, Drastic, Archaic Academy, and Hands Off as well as our producers Beat Broker and Spinstyles from Breakbotix. What are you trying to bring to local hip-hop? I’m trying to bring something new, something innovative. A breath of fresh air. That’s why I called my new album “Different Than You”. I think that the local scene is mostly on life-support, just trying to stay alive. To get heard nationally you usually have to compromise. I mean it’s a matter of what kind of music you’re trying to put out there. Stay clear of gimmicks and shock

breaking the old

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Interview by Michael Bradshaw ~ photos by todd ~ Breakbotix is, arguably, the hottest thing going in Kansas City right now. The members of the three-man live production group can‘t walk through the mall in KC without getting recognized. They’ve blown away acts like Skylab 2000, UFO, Tech N9ne, and Danny Tha Wildchild. Breakbotix, is composed of DJ Soda, Spinstyles and DJ Clockwerk and continues to turn heads across the Midwest with their three-way battle-style, on-the-spot remix, b-boy explosiveness. Breakbotix spoke to phocas about their music, their future and their new found fame. phocas: What is Breakbotix? DJ Soda: The idea of Breakbotix was to keep it real freestyle with no rules... We never know what other people in the group are going to try... Production-wise, I started making more minimal break beats, fewer melodies and simple bass lines. [This] gave Clockwerk more room to mix over the top. We were taking an old school hip-hop studio setup and doing it live. Drum mach

chakra

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Interview by Kourtney Anderson ~ photos by todd & Kourtney Anderson Club ChakraI had been hearing whispers about a new club to hit the area. I kept my eyes open for any solid info about this new place but little was to be found. So when I pondered my options for New Years Eve I got excited to hear that this new club was offering a sneak peak of sorts for the holiday. With this NYE party announcement came some clues as to what I should expect. The people behind “Club Chakra” were the same ones that blew me away at the beginning of the year with their short lived club night, “Ultraviolet”. I dressed to impress and as I got closer to the club the excitement built. When we reached our destination the bright Chakra sign reassured my assumptions that it was going to be a great night. I had always loved Ultraviolet and now I had a place to return for a similar experience. Yet I only knew that Chakra was open for NYE and had no other clue about its future. Still in the dark I decided t

re:phocas review

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What was it all about anyway? Well, have a seat and I'll tell you. re:phocas was about a turning point for this web site. I wanted so very much to have a story to go with all of these photos because there IS a story there, just aching to be told and Nobody is telling it. In fact, that's much of the reason for "journal" that I started back in October. I thought that if I could get nothing more done, I would have that piece of it. Regardless, it all really started about a year ago. I made several attempts to move to a more Article-based format, but it never really materialized, so I kept pushing forward and talking to people. Eventually, around October of '03, I finally started getting some input and feedback from people that were interested in contributing to the effort. By the end of December '03, a definite form was emerging with definite people. We still have a little ways to go, but I think we're headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, we m

united we dance

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Story and Photos by Gary Adams ~ December 31, 2003 - St Louis, MO. "United We Dance" was a great experience. I'm not quite sure what made the party as good as it was, but I expected less because of the over- used venue. It may have been the D.J.'s, the amount of people, or just the magic of New Years, but it proved that no matter what, it's the people that make the event. Waiting in line to get in took only a few moment. I watched the kids full of excitement dance around anticipating the party. Walking in, I realized quite a few people had turned out for the party, most in hopes of seeing Polywog, who had unfortunately not shown up for her last booking in St. Louis. Looking around the party, I noticed a lot of newer faces, as well as many older ones I had not seen in a while. Even though it was still early many people were already dancing and grooving on down. I wasn't feeling the music at first, so I walked around talking to people and meeting some new

carving a niche

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TechnOmaha 1st Anniversary ~ Story by BrentCrampton ~ photos by SteveO ~ Technomaha.com is a web site based out of Omaha, Nebraska. It was started a year ago by the ambitions of Nolan Gaskill, a.k.a. dj Dr. Mindbender. There is a great deal of DJ talent in the area which is one of the reasons Technomaha.com was founded in the first place. The web site showcases various djs from Omaha, as well as a very active forum that has been effective in networking the community. Technomaha.com celebrated its one year anniversary on January 10th. The day was commemorated by having a celebration party. The entertainment for the night was some local Omaha Dj's, and the headliners for the night were, .Com and C-Vaughan. The former resident of Omaha, .Com, was infamous in Omaha for being able to drop more than 30 booty house tracks in an hour. He was a local favorite that moved away to Kentucky, so it was naturally a celebration in itself just to have .Com play once again to an excited crowd.

standing on its own 2

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Story by Scott Venable ~ photos by todd “This track changed my life a year ago,” cQuence shouted over the blaring treble. The name of the song speaks for itself: “My art is better than your art.” That’s what the Cup and Saucer has been about for the past 2 years on Wednesday nights: art. “I mean we’ve had everyone in there from bands to MCs and random bedroom DJs to Pat Nice who is doing really huge production now with Deepfix records. You know it’s just the generosity of artists. That’s why the Cup and Saucer has lasted so long,” states cQuence. Slater agreed: “Everybody and their brother has played there. It’s a platform to be experimental.” The Cup and Saucer will be celebrating the 2-year anniversary of the Wednesday Perk on February 4th starting at 8pm. On the bill for the evening is Toward a Better Acronym as a warm up as well as all the past resident DJs: Slater, cQuence, Flotilla, and Eclypz. But how did this all begin? How did a tiny coffee shop on 4th and Delaware b

house without a home

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A Post-Rave Chicago ~ Story by Michael Bradshaw ~ photos by todd On Interstate Highway 55, the Chicago skyline pours into view like a galaxy pluming out of the Midwestern cosmos. The lights of Chicago flicker with the silent poise of the stock yards, Lakeshore Drive, Wrigley Field, deep dish pizza and The Blues. Between the skyscrapers, on the illuminated streets of Chicago’s Downtown, music thumps from a array of sources as the glitter of metropolitan life streams over head and the bodies that crowd the streets jive in unified measure. The sound of Chicago twists from manhole covers; it unfolds over the streets and lights as you descend the cadences of the city. In Chicago, it is immediately evident just where the sound of House music and the legend of the Chicago party scene originates. For the rest of the United States, Disco ended with the onset of Punk in the early 80’s. Clubs in New York and L. A. thrust rebel-fueled mutations of guitar rock into the spotlight at clubs

february 2004 editor note

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It's been a year since the last "re:phocas" of this site. Last year was more of a complete overhaul of the look and design. This year, we really didn't change that a whole lot, aside from slimming things down a little and changing the logo up. As far as re-design goes, sub-menus have been moved to the left column for easier access, not to mention a little better coherency while navigating the site. I also changed the photo gallery to a pHp package called Coppermine which should help people find what they are looking for much easier. On top of that, users can now can send eCards, make comments and rate the photos. The big change this year is a move towards a Zine format with relevant articles, reviews and interviews, as well as a few little "of interest" type things. Sure, the photos will still be an integral party of phocas, but they won't necessarily be the focal point (no pun intended). The phocal point has always been You, the massive,

february 2004 issue

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february 2004 editor note house without a home standing on its own 2 carving a niche united we dance re:phocas review chakra breaking the old fireside chat with negro scoe lunatik free music february around the kc metro from the bench now playing - part 1 event photos