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Flyers for events photographed in February 2006 appear below. A link to the associated photo album appears beneath that. 02.03.2006 Rage Against Apathy -  First Friday Art Opening featuring Bridge Kaiser and others Westport Kansas City, MO 02.03.2006 Fourmation featuring Nick Steady, RJBass, and residents Milo & J.Fortune The Hangout Kansas City, MO photos by todd & jen 02.03.2006 Frisky featuring Pat Nice, Simply Soul Syndicate, Marcus Shadden, Rob Divozzi Kabal Restaurant & Nightclub Kansas City, MO 02.03.2006 GO! featuring Roy Davis Jr, Freaky Flow, Control Freekz, Clandestine, CRC, Allen Paul, Tim Hjersted Club Liquid Lawrence, KS photos by joe 02.03.2006 fSOUND III featuring Reid Speed, Pendulum, D-Bridge, AK1200, Gridlok, MC Dino, Genome, MC Duh, Audio Angel, Aaron Jae vs Bam vs M.O.D., Ripple The Blue Cube San Francisco, CA photos by mikeZ 02.04.2006 Retro Satu

The dead of winter is upon us but, we have never been so alive within the music and culture. The beats keep coming and with the advent of spring, WMC is around the corner. For those of you who dont know, WMC (Winter Music Conference) in Miami Florida, check it out at  WMCon.com This conference is in it's 21st year of existance. It has so much to do with the electronic music culture I would need so much space to describe to you the talent, gear, and vibe that goes on there. Expo's, trade shows, demos, networking, festivals, partying, and so much more. And if you do go down there, check out the Ultra Music Festival too. This is the big one of the year, check it out at  UltraMusicFestival.com This month's mix CD Pick: Trousey - Mixed by Matthew Dekay - ARMADA This 2cd dj mixset will take you on a progressive journey around the globe with some of the hottest tracks that are fueling dancefloors everywhere. Infectious stuff like this should be registered with CDC, cuz,

Now that we’re setting into the new year, it means that the Winter Music Conference is just around the corner. Most marketing strategies for labels at this point is to hold off on the goods and then hit the shelves right in time for March in an assault to fill every potential WMC’ing DJ’s bag for the pool side parties. But as for me, this means very little material to review. Yet below you’ll find some creamers, steamers and pleasers for you to consider. C&M Productions – In Full Effect – Jan. 2006 mix From Switzerland, these European deep house dons always keep their music fresh and free. And while some of us DJ’s can barely find the time to put out a mix CD every year, these guys have made a healthy habit of putting one out about every month, making it available as a free mp3 download and building nearly a whole website around the promotion of their mixes! Call them C&M Productions – the DJ duo who’s maximized the benefits of promoting yourself through the mix set. And i

Drum and Bass dj and producer S.V.S. gets down and dirty at this month’s new releases. With dnb/jungle flooding the market there’s plenty of sleepers to miss out on. Here’s his list of hot hits and ones you may have missed just for your flight cases. Psidream & Gabriel / Demo & Cease – Slangin’ Beats / Turf War – Cymbalism (CYMB004P) Toronto continues to take over the world as Psidream and Gabriel tag up on ‘Slangin’ Beats’. Bass driving and heavy hitting with all the new school sounds and a touch of the old when they bring back some classic techstep synths. Demo and Cease hold up the flip side with ‘Turf War’ as they take it back to the streets the only way they know how… hard, nasty, and dirty. Gut pounding bass and face punching drums make this hit on everyone’s list. www.cymbalismrecordings.com Mason & D Star – Zerosum (Klute Remix) / Roots – Gasm Recordings (GASM004) Klute come in to remix a hard hitting smash from the duo of Mason and Dstar. The Zerosum remix

J. Fortune lived in Minneapolis for 5 years before returning to Kansas City after graduating from University of Minnesota. While living in Minneapolis he was exposed to a wide variety of musical concepts, especially techno and acid techno, which is no surprise given Minneapolis’ storied techno scene. Even though those two genres were a huge influence, the pull of the brokenbeat was undeniable. This lead him to starting buying records and searching for his own sound. His musical journey lead him two directions; towards drum & bass and techno influenced by other psychedelic genres. He split his time between both beginning in late 90’s, but decided to devote his time and energy to the brokenbeat a few years ago. He has performed at clubs and parties all around the greater Midwest playing dates in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Along the way he has had several residencies in Minneapolis alongside some of the best talent the city has to offer.

Betty Kang ~ Grammy Award-winning writer/producer and contemporary music visionary, William Orbit, returns with an eagerly anticipated new album ‘Hello Waveforms’ on Sanctuary Records out on February 7th. His first solo release since 2000’s critically acclaimed ‘Pieces in a Modern Style’, the new album was performed and produced by William. ‘Hello Waveforms’ is ethereal, ambient, subtle and distinctive in style, fusing strong melodies with electronic synths to produce his definitive signature sound. Recorded in London and America, the new album features a collection of collaborations and influences - the track ‘Humming Chorus’ is taken from Madame Butterfly, ‘Spiral’ features the Sugababes and Kenna on vocals, while Finley Quaye plays acoustic guitar on the dreamlike ‘Who Owns The Octopus’. William has also reunited with his former Strange Cargo band member Laurie Mayer, who plays piano and synthesizer on ‘Surfin’ and provides vocals on the tracks ‘Bubble Universe’ and ‘Who Own

Justin Kleinfeld ~  2005 was quite a year for New Jersey-based house label Tweek’d Records. Led by the guidance of CEO Ralph Cedeno, Tweek’d bombarded the industry with over a dozen hit releases from some of the most respected producers in the business. Tweek’d tracks like TKC featuring Melanie S. “Reflections” and BPT “Moody” (Creamer & K / Saeed Younan Remixes) are in constant rotation at the world’s finest clubs and show no sign of letting up. Tweek’d Records is building on the momentum gained in the past year and has some amazing things lined up for 2006. Tweek’d Records kicked off the New Year on January 21 with a mind blowing performance by That Kid Chris at New York City super club Crobar. That Kid Chris rocked a killer set that featured a slew of new tracks such as “Show U Love” and several other bombs from the Tweek’d catalogue slated for release this year (2006). However, the highlight of the night was the absolute devastation that hit the dancefloor when That Kid C

Betty Kang ~ Renaissance is delighted to announce a very fresh start for 2006 – 3D, a compilation that welcomes a new concept and DJ to the label’s ever-growing series of albums. First to take up the challenge is NYC-based Japanese wunderkind Satoshi Tomiie. An integral member of Manhattan’s prestigious Def Mix collective, Satoshi is famed for his blistering productions and remixes, and his pioneering SAW.Recordings label. Clubbers across the world know him for the incredible DJ sets that see him criss-cross the globe on a regular basis, making him one of dance music’s most respected ambassadors and an immediate candidate to launch the 3D project. As the name suggests, 3D is a triple album, with each disc drawing on the key musical aspects of Satoshi’s career. First up is Disc One: Club, a bang-up-to-date recording of his live sets; then there’s Disc Two: Studio, a CD that really proves Satoshi’s commitment to the project with its seven exclusive remixes and re-edits of his own

Betty Kang ~ All aboard for the Porterhouse express! Get ready for a ride with one of the most exciting US artists to be making the rounds on the global dancefloor. Steve Porter is set to release his first-ever mix compilation ‘PORTERHOUSE’ with 26 tracks melded together on 1xCD in his signature genre-defying, pulsating, energetic Porterhouse style. The album merges his DJing and production style with 9 of his own original tracks, further blurring the distinction between DJ and producer into one compelling artist to watch. The ‘PORTERHOUSE’ ideology of “no rules, no borders” to dance music resonates here on the album with an eclectic range of funked-up house beats with a techy-edge, breaks interludes, electro action, techno twists, and sound-clash attitude that blurs the boundaries between musical genres. All this is induced by his own re-edits and mixes that mold his highly individual DJ sets and track selection, as Steve soldiers on in his mission to furiously push his Porterhou

Justin Kleinfeld ~  You simply aren’t ready for Next Life. So rare is it that you discover a band with such an original sound, coming from somewhere within their own universe that when you do find a band such as this, it’s always surprising. We proudly introduce you to Next Life. Hailing from Oslo, Norway Next Life are Hai Nguyen Dinh and Tormod Christensen. They make music that fetishistically explores the twin worlds of Death Metal and video game music with a preciousness that some how skirts into the art-rock realm. Around the office we call their sound “Gameboy Death Metal” and when you hear a second of the record you’ll know why. It’s real guitar, synth guitar, Nintendo “vocals” and programmed beats made to fit a metal archetype. This refined and personal new music somehow always winks at the artifice through which it was created (which is why it’s also completely un-nerdy). Lastly, a side note here about Next Life. These guys ROCK live. You wouldn’t believe it could work,

Justin Kleinfeld ~ KAB America, previously the record label home only to Ryuichi Sakamoto, recently announced that Mr. Anonymous was their first new artist signing. The brainchild of former Samples drummer, Jeep MacNichol, Mr. Anonymous features performances from Sly & Robbie, Dave Wakeling (English Beat), Michael Rose, Cutty Ranks, Bounty Killer, and many others. MacNichol created a unique blend of reggae, trip-hop and dub titled, Mr. Anonymous. "I decided to call the project Mr. Anonymous, because it seemed like the best way to represent the collaborative effort of all the musicians involved," says Jeep. MacNichol tracked the album during a ten-week period that involved three separate trips to Jamaica. "This album," says Jeep, "is about enjoying the moment and taking in the experience. There are songs about love, family, sex, and life." "Working with these guys was the experience of a lifetime. I spent every second of my high school years

Justin Kleinfeld ~  Recall Records is pleased to announce the highly anticipated North American release of Grand National’s Kicking The National Habit. Released on February 21, 2006, the North American package will feature seven bonus tracks not available on the original UK release, including remixes by Sasha and The Glimmers. Also added is a bonus video for “Drink To Moving On,” directed by Ramon & Pedro. For those in the know, Grand National (AKA Rupert Lyddon and Lawrence “La” Rudd) is a band to watch. Even without a proper U.S. record release, the act’s debut Kicking The National Habit has found a cult following stateside. Some of America’s finest publications are also singing the early praise. URB featured the act as one of the NEXT 100 acts to watch in 2005, while BPM recently featured Grand National alongside The Killers, The Bravery and New Order as part of its special dance / rock issue. Esteemed publications including Spin, Billboard and CMJ have also written glowingl

Justin Kleinfeld ~  “It has been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a musical project. With remixing getting less challenging by the day, and underground dance music still losing ground in clubs throughout the US, I was looking for a new challenge and found it with DJs ARE ALIVE.” – The Scumfrog With the rising use of laptops and digital files, live dance music and DJing have become as exciting as watching people check their email. Looking to bring the excitement back into the genre, five of its most visible names have united to present DJs ARE ALIVE, a collective formed by The Scumfrog, featuring dance music heavyweights D:Fuse, Static Revenger, DJ Skribble, and Kristine W. The act will unveil its live show this February in New York City and at the Winter Music Conference in March. DJs ARE ALIVE is a unique exploration into a “live DJ set.” The group will play “mash up” versions of classic club tracks and their own material with the aid of 2 complete onstage DJ rigs,

Heidi Mikhail ~ The Bacchus Foundation, Kansas City’s oldest and largest philanthropic organization for young professionals, will host its 51st annual Bacchus Ball on Saturday, February 18th at the Rotunda in Town Pavilion. The theme of the 2006 ball is “Kansas City on the Rise”. The event will celebrate Kansas City’s revitalization by highlighting the growth of the downtown districts and the surrounding metropolitan area. Proceeds from the Bacchus Ball “Kansas City on the Rise” will benefit The Children’s SPOT at St. Luke’s Hospital. The Bacchus Foundation has pledged a commitment to fundraise for a sensory development room in The Children’s SPOT new building. “Kansas City is growing at an unprecedented pace,” said Bacchus President Kevin Farrell. “In addition to helping our beneficiary, the Foundation is also bringing young professionals to downtown venues like the Crossroads District, Town Pavilion, and Union Station, which ultimately helps Kansas City grow.” The ball begin

On February 7, System Recordings will release Sasha & John Digweed Present Delta Heavy, a DVD documentation of the most important DJ tour to ever hit America. I had the opportunity this month to preview this DVD and, if you were there, you might want to get your hands on this one. Those in Kansas City are going to pleasantly surprised at the amount of footage that was shot at the Uptown. Honstly, I expected to see none at all. About 30 minutes into it, bam! It takes you a minute to figure out that it's the Uptown, but that room is unmistakable, especially when the lights go up and they set the camera down on the table facing the crowd. For those that weren't there, what you missed was probably one of the most groundbreaking electronic music tours, whcih featured the extraordinary DJ talents of Sasha, John Digweed, and Jimmy Van M. Visiting all corners of the States in 2002, the tour - promoted by Clear Channel - was attended by more than 85,000 people in six weeks a

Michael Bradshaw ~  Against the awesome backdrop of the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Intrepid, New York City’s newest, big-name club venue Pacha is housed in an unimposing warehouse along the Hudson River four blocks west of Times Square. Situated on the fringes Manhattan’s Hell's Kitchen district, Pacha and the accompanying clutches of danceteria-types crowded outside, are as conspicuous in this part of town as a glow stick in a VIP room. Unlike most clubs residing in industrial locales, Pacha beds in a bustling shipping zone among freight trucks and warehouses, which are active well into the wee hours. Standing in line to enter the club, one can expect to be on the receiving end of more than a few stink-eyes from the tenacious souls working late on the loading docks—This while donning club couture and fighting fashion models for a place beyond the seemingly absurd, velvet ropes. However, once you’ve paid your $40 cover (!!!) and mantra’d the muck of by-passing hotties out of you